Suffolk Living May-June 2020

suffolklivingmag.com

Horses EQUINE THERAPY, GILDED COINS AND STORIES FROM THE PANDEMIC

may/june 2020 • vol. 11, no. 3

2 suffolk living

If your pet had a medical emergency, would you know where to go?

757.935.9111

When minutes count – count on The COVE. A world-class 24/7 animal emergency and specialty hospital – in your own backyard.

Advanced care by referral: + Cardiology + ER/Critical Care + Dentistry + Surgery Located 1/4 mile from Hwy 664 N. @ College Drive exit.

6550 Hampton Roads Pkwy, #113 • Suffolk, VA 23435 • thecovevets.com Jeff Stallings, DVM, DACVS • Merrilee Small, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) Jacqueline Nobles, DVM, DACVECC • Colleen Fox, DVM

suffolk living 3

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN US....

LOCALS CHOICE

2018

LOCALS CHOICE

2018

FEATURE

16

Equineassisted therapy is made fun with Sully's Run in Suffolk.

CONTENTS may - june | 2020 21

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

Advertising rates and information available upon request.

Subscriptions are $20 annually in-state; $25 annually out-of-state; $30 for international subscriptions.

Please make checks payable to Suffolk Publications, LLC P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439

12 In the News

Amazon is coming to Suffolk.

ON THE COVER suffolklivingmag.com

Coins from Heaven?

26 Ever wondered about the story behind the large coins on the National Bank building?

Horses EQUINE THERAPY, GILDED COINS AND STORIES FROM THE PANDEMIC

may/june 2020 • vol. 11, no. 3

By Alex Perry

editor's note may - june

2020

A different appearance during pandemic This edition of Suffolk Living magazine doesn’t look quite like any edition we’ve had before.

There is no calendar of upcoming events. You won’t be able to spot anyone you know in our Suffolk Scene pictures from recent fundraisers and meetings. Even our “Where Am I?” challenge

EDITORIAL Tracy Agnew Editor

Alex Perry Writer & Photographer Jen Jaqua Photographer Jimmy LaRoue Writer news@suffolklivingmag.com

ADVERTISING

from the March-April issue wound up with only one guess, as people were getting out and about less — and unable to look around the city and find the correct answer — since our last issue appeared.

The reason for all of this, of course, is the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken our world since the last edition hit the streets.

Around the time our March-April edition came out, Virginians were beginning to realize how serious this pandemic was. Gov. Ralph Northam canceled school for the rest of the year, closed many businesses and instituted a stay-at-home order. The twofold crisis — a health crisis that cascaded into an economic crisis —

Earl Jones Marketing Consultant

has been heartbreaking for many in Suffolk.

Lindsay Richardson Marketing Consultant

neighbors. Whether it was food, pet food, cleaning supplies, face

Amanda Gwaltney Marketing Consultant

our friends and neighbors during this crisis. You can also see some poignant photos of what Suffolk

sales@suffolklivingmag.com

PRODUCTION Troy Cooper Designer

ADMINISTRATION

But many people in Suffolk stepped up to help their hurting masks or just encouragement, you can read in this edition about the compassion being shown by has looked like during the pandemic, in case you haven’t been able to get out and about.

We also have some non-virus-related features, too. You can read about an equine-assisted therapy program as well as about a unique architectural feature of a building in downtown Suffolk that’s more than a century old.

We’re always looking for your submissions to help us make Suffolk Living better. We need

Betty J. Ramsey Publisher

you for story ideas, submissions for the Through The Lens and On Vacation features (as you’re

Cathy Daughtrey Business Manager

the Where Am I? feature and any other suggestions you may have. Please contact us at news@

making your post-pandemic vacation plans, make sure you put us on the packing list), guesses for suffolklivingmag.com and connect with us on Facebook.

Hope Rose Production

God bless, Tracy Agnew, 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

8 suffolk living

Quarantine at night Photo essay by Troy Cooper

During the quarantine, the cityscape of Suffolk assumes an eerie calm that you can not only see but also hear. These images capture empty benches and other common areas of the city that — during the old normal — would be alive with human activity. It's uncertain what the new normal will look like after the quarantine, but there is hope in the beauty Suffolk's landmarks hold now, even when we can't venture out to enjoy it as much as we once could.

suffolk living 9

GROW WITH US

We have supported our customers for five generations by providing the trusted banking services needed to make personal finances and businesses grow. Farmers Bank offers the sophistication of a big bank with the heart of a community bank.

Our employees work together with our customers to build personal, long lasting relationships — proving that prompt and courteous service never goes out of style.

FARMERS BANK SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1919

farmersbankva.com • 757-242-6111

10 suffolk living

suffolk living 11

We’re Here to Help with All Your Fuel Needs!

• Auto Delivery • 24-Hour Emergency Service We’re ready to deliver on time, whenever you need it, wherever you need it.

We offer an excellent variety of gas logs and heaters.

Parker Oil Company is your hometown propane expert and leading provider of heating oil and related services!

Give us a call today!

757-539-2358

www.parkeroilcompany.com

New Location 5131 River Club Drive Suffolk, VA 23435

Telehealth Virtual appointments with Dr. Guarda

(757) 483-6550 www.pssva.com

12 suffolk living

in the news Amazon coming to Suffolk Story and photos by Jimmy LaRoue

A

mazon is primed to deliver a sizeable presence of the world’s largest online retailer to Suffolk.

But the company will also have a significant presence in neighboring Chesapeake, as local, state and company leaders hailed the regional effort that secured the new facilities, which will be located just miles apart from one another.

In a deal formally announced March 10, Suffolk’s Northgate Commerce Park will be the site of a robotics fulfillment center and will be the largest industrial building in Virginia — second-largest overall to the Pentagon. The $230 million facility — according to the building permit for the site — will have a footprint of 822,833 square feet and, at 95 feet and four-anda-half stories tall, will have an overall square footage of more than 3.8 million.

Workers at the Suffolk fulfillment center will work alongside robotics and other technologies

to pick, pack and ship smaller-sized customer orders such as books, toys, electronics and home goods.

The city of Chesapeake’s facility in Western Branch will be a 650,000 square-foot processing center that will handle bulk goods and break them down into smaller orders that will feed its supply chain.

Both facilities are set to open sometime next year and bring a combined 1,500 full time jobs

— 1,000 in Suffolk and 500 in Chesapeake.

“This affects all of Virginia,” Gov. Ralph Northam said during the March press conference at Old Dominion University’s Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center in Suffolk. “And when you talk about jobs, 25,000 new jobs that came to Northern Virginia with the fulfillment, the processing centers, another 10,000 jobs that create another 40,000-plus jobs in surrounding businesses, so this has been

suffolk living 13 a big deal for Virginia to move our economy forward.”

Ardine Williams, Amazon vice president of workforce development, touted the access of the two sites to the Port of Virginia, along with a good infrastructure and strong workforce, good education system and collaboration among localities, as reasons for locating them in Suffolk and Chesapeake.

The deal with the two cities proves, she said, how committed the company is to the state, with the company’s investment of more than $34 billion in facilities, cloud infrastructure, research facilities and employee compensation.

The company has more than 10 fulfillment and sortation centers in the state, and along with the company’s Arlington East Coast headquarters, it also has 13 Whole Foods Market locations in the state and three Prime Now Hubs, including one in Virginia Beach.

Williams also boasted of the company’s compensation package to employees, with $15 per hour minimum pay and benefits including full health, dental and vision, as well as a 401k package with a 50-percent company match and up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave.

“I think it really underscores our commit-

ment to the commonwealth of Virginia,” Williams said. “It also highlights, I think, the collaboration of Hampton Roads, when you think about multiple cities coming together. … It also really enforces the quality of education here and the workforce that’s available, because it’s really employees that make any endeavor successful, and so having access to the workforce here in Hampton Roads is tremendously important.”

Suffolk Economic Development Director Kevin Hughes said site plans for Amazon’s facility in Northgate Commerce Park were approved in December. The Conlan Company received a building permit from the city March 5 and dirt has been moving at the site, as it was Tuesday.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with both cities, along with the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance and the Port of Virginia, to secure the Amazon projects. The company is eligible to receive benefits from the port’s Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program — the maximum allowed is $500,000 — along with funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

Chesapeake Mayor Rick West said his city

No Walk-ups, Pre-orders Only.

SUFFOLK VISITOR CENTER PARKING LOT 524 N. Main St. - Downtown Suffolk

tried to get the larger facility that went to Suffolk.

“It is true, governor. There is a little bit of a rivalry here. I’m not going to stand up here and lie to you. We were pushing hard to get that thousand-job facility,” West said to laughter.

Later when posing for photos with members of Chesapeake’s City Council, he got more laughs when he said, “We’re number two, we’re number two. … in the state.”

However, West said both projects would not have happened without the two cities working with one another, in particular on Portsmouth Boulevard. He called it a new day in the region.

“In the old days, I think mayors would have probably fought and had a lot of pushing and nothing would have been done,” West said. “But today, I celebrate with Suffolk for a thousand jobs. And I know you celebrate (with us).”

Said Suffolk Mayor Linda T. Johnson: “We couldn’t have done this without the state. It took a lot of partners and a lot of work. … We cannot operate as individuals. Yes, we’re individual cities, and we owe to the people that elected us, but in order to give the people who elected us what they need, we’ve got to collaborate with everybody.”

14 suffolk living

on vacation

LOCALS CHOICE

LOCALS CHOICE

2018-2019

2019

Best Dentist

Best Cosmetic Dentist/Implants

suffolk living 15

• Download our App

Hours: M-F 9-9 Sat 9-7 • Sun 11-6

• Online Check in with our App • Save time and look your best!

1201 North Main Street, Suffolk, VA 23434

DOWNTOWN • SUFFOLK

75793 49984

Something delicious awaits you at

The Pink Box

Gail Hinton-Copeland took Suffolk Living on two trips to Florida last fall. She enjoyed visiting New Smyrna Beach (above) and Key West (opposite page) with her traveling partner. She said of New Smyrna Beach that it allows driving on the beaches and allows no chain restaurants on the beachside.

5860 Harbour View Blvd., Suite B2 (8,358.83 km) 23435 Suffolk, Virginia

757-679-3144

16 suffolk living

Horses ‘hold space’ for clients Story and photos by Alex Perry

O

n a weekday back in February, Cocoa enjoyed a walk around the arena at Fox Hollow Farm on Kings Fork Road. The brown pony was led by Melanie Huss, owner of Sully’s Run, the Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program.

Cocoa is a pony in her mid-20s, Huss estimated, weighing at about 600 pounds. She’s a small, friendly horse that Huss purchased at an estate sale in Richmond about five years ago. Now, Cocoa is her “main” therapy horse.

“I went up there to buy a trailer and I came back with a trailer and a pony,” Huss said with a smile.

Sully's Run Equine Services LLC is an EAP program that serves clients at Fox Hollow Farm, and also at the EQUI-Kids Therapeutic Riding program in Virginia Beach. The program moved from Carrsville to this larger Suffolk facility in November 2019.

“We are a rapidly growing practice and needed to expand to a larger facility,” she said.

Sully’s Run currently serves more than 40 clients using the Eagala model.

See HORSES page 18

Melanie Huss, owner of Sully's Run, works with one of their horses in February.

suffolk living 17

18 suffolk living

HORSES continued from page 16

According to the website eagala.org, this model is a team approach that involves a licensed and credentialed mental health professional, a qualified equine specialist, and the client working together with horses.

Huss explained most of their clients did not have much success with traditional therapy, and so rather than talking about deeply personal topics in a room setting, they’re able to instead express themselves outside with the horses.

“Sometimes we might spend some time brushing a horse while catching up on how the client's week has gone. The reason why this works is because horses are herd/prey animals,” Huss wrote. “This means they have their own social cues and nonverbal communication.”

Horses, according to Huss, have a heightened sense of their surroundings, and when clients sometimes get frustrated during their sessions, the horses pick up on their emotions.

It’s another aspect of EAP that helps the clients process their feelings.

“I think it gives them just the ability to see from a distance how they’re responding to things,” she said in the stables at Fox HolSee HORSES page 19

Hannah Glassman, left, and Melanie Huss work with Cocoa at Sully's Run. Below, Glassman gives Cocoa some attention.

suffolk living 19 HORSES continued from page 18

low Farm back in February, using anxiety as an example. “Let’s say I’m having this feeling and I’m not quite sure what it is, and I might not be sure how that’s affecting people around me or how it’s affecting things in my life. This gives me the ability to say, ‘Oh look, even this horse is picking up on that.’ Sometimes we get those kind-of ‘a-ha’ moments while they’re out there.”

Her clients range from 4 years old up to 67, and span a wide variety of things they are working on in their therapy. EAP therapy is very handson, but no actual horseback riding is involved. Instead, Huss will help client set goals for themselves, and to represent those goals, she will ask them to build something interactive for the horse.

“I ask them to build something to represent their goals, however it has to allow the horse to go in, around, See HORSES page 20

Hannah Glassman, left, and Melanie Huss show off Cree, a horse of about 11 years of age who weighs about 1,000 pounds. Below, Huss works with Cocoa.

20 suffolk living

Melanie Huss and Cocoa share a moment as Hannah Glassman looks on in the background.

over or under (it),” she wrote. Every object in the arena is a potential personal symbol for something in their lives.”

“I always think back to a time when a client used cones to represent family members,” she continued. “The horse walked up (to) the cone, picked it up and tossed it. I mentioned to the client the horse’s actions, and his response was something along the lines of, ‘Oh yeah, well that was my brother and I don’t like him anyways.’”

Clients will also do art therapy in what’s called “Art with Horses.” The client will paint on the horse, including their hooves. When that client’s therapy with Sully’s Run is finished,

they’re able to take “hoof prints” with them as “transitional objects,” which represent the tools and skills learned from their sessions, Huss said, and serve as a reflection of the progress they’ve made.

Clients will also sometimes use sticky tabs to illustrate where it’s safe and not safe to move around the horse, which the team then relates to the client’s personal safety in their own lives.

In the Fox Hollow Farm stables back in February, Hannah Glassman, who holds a Master of Social Work degree, referred to “emotional safety,” or that feeling of being able to be vulnerable or emotional in a safe space.

Glassman has been in the field of psychotherapy for three years, and has been working with Huss at Sully’s Run for about three months, as of April. She said that one of the distinct advantages of using horses in therapy is their ability to “hold space.”

“Say someone is just pouring their heart out to you and they are in so much pain,” Glassman said, and all you can do to help them is be with them and validate what they’re experiencing.

Horses are fantastic at doing that. So not only do we get to hold space for the client, the horses hold space, and that is a unique opportunity you don’t get in traditional therapy.”

suffolk living 21

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!

22 suffolk living

PANDEMIC STORIES The COVID-19 pandemic took hold of Virginia in early March and was still affecting the state in early May. As of May 5, the state had seen 20,256 cases, with 713 people having died of the disease.

Just in Suffolk, there were 205 cases and 15 deaths as of that point. Schools and many businesses were shut down. Restaurants were not allowed to have dine-in customers.

Many workers were laid off or furloughed.

But despite the devastation of the pandemic, there were lots of good things happening, too.

Nonprofit organizations and groups of

individuals came together to give away food and necessities to people in need. The community rallied around health care workers and others on the front lines of fighting the pandemic, showing them lots of support in their time of need. People found creative ways to support and encourage their families, friends and neighbors in large and small ways while still keeping their physical distance.

On the next few pages, you can read about some of the great things that happened in Suffolk in the first two months of the pandemic.

LAKELAND HOOPSTERS HELP FEED CHILDREN The coronavirus pandemic may have taken away the chance for Lakeland High School’s boys’ basketball team to win the state championship outright, but it didn’t take away their spirit to get together for something bigger than themselves.

On March 27, members of Lakeland’s co-state championship team went to Hoffler Apartments downtown to feed children who live in the community, handing out bagged lunches near the basketball court and playground. They prepared ham and turkey sandwiches, Gatorade, Easter baskets and other treats for the children.

“We just want to be a blessing for the community,” said Lakeland assistant coach Tony Smith. “The guys came up with the idea and brought it to the coaches. We’re out here just trying to be a blessing.”

Smith said it was a big personal loss for the team not to be able to play in the Class 3 championship game against Cave Spring, but he said they would rather share a state championship than not have it at all.

Lakeland senior Devonte Saunders said it was an awkward way to close out what had been a special season.

“It was a great season,” Saunders said. “We just didn’t get to finish it, which really hurt because since 10th grade, we were saying that once we put all of our parts together, once we get everything together, get to the state champi-

onship at VCU, we’re just going to finish. It got taken away from us, just like that.”

The players simply wanted to give back to those in need.

As players handed out the lunches, they said it felt good to get together again, and they enjoyed being able to help feed the children at Hoffler Apartments.

suffolk living 23

FOODBANKS ADAPT SERVICES TO MEET NEED The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore partnered with the YMCA to distribute food twice per week to people in Suffolk, Franklin, Norfolk and Chesapeake.

Foodbank President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ruth Jones Nichols said that while it has seen a significant, increased need across its service area, it has seen an acute need at its pickup sites in Suffolk and in Franklin.

“It speaks to the tremendous needs,” Jones Nichols said.

Katie Burgus, Suffolk Family YMCA district vice president, has noticed the increase in people coming to pick up food.

“It has incrementally increased every single time,” she said.

At Suffolk Christian Fellowship Center on East Washington Street, also saw an increased need, and like the Foodbank, had to adapt its services to meet the needs of the community in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

For starters, at the downtown location, it cannot do a drive-up service for people, and it can only allow two people at a time inside.

“We’ve been on the front lines of this well before disaster ever struck,” said Lorna Slaughter, co-founder and chief operating officer. “Suffolk Christian has been an integral part of giving food to those who are in need for almost 20 years now. “ A big challenge for both the Foodbank and for Suffolk Christian Fellowship was getting

enough food to give to the community.

Both organizations received assistance from the Obici Healthcare Foundation, and the Foodbank also partnered with Mercy Chefs and Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia.

‘SANTA KENNY’ AND MRS. CLAUS MAKE MASKS Santa and Mrs. Claus, known locally as Kenny and Charlene Hydock, typically spend their holiday season making appearances as the beloved North Pole couple. But this offseason, they also did their part to battle the COVID-19 pandemic by making face masks at their home.

“We’ve probably distributed close to 125 or 150,” he said in early April. “We have lost count, because it just blurs together.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all Americans wear a cloth face covering when they have to conduct essential tasks, like working at an essential job or going to the grocery store. Hydock said he and his wife have been giving them to all kinds of people, both to health care workers to use as backups as well as to ordinary folks.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are doing what we’re doing, which is wonderful to see, because there’s a huge shortage out there,” he said.

Suffolk Christian, along with its partnership with the Foodbank, was also working with Operation Blessing out of Virginia Beach to provide pallets of dry goods. It also received donations from churches.

24 suffolk living

PET HELP AT HUMANE SOCIETY The Suffolk Humane Society assisted Suffolk resident pet owners during the coronavirus pandemic with a drive-through pet pantry distribution several times, including March 26-27.

“We try to do the pet pantry quarterly, (but) this one was just really, really important to do because of what was going on,” said Kerri Shallcross, executive director of the Suffolk Humane Society. “There’s a lot of people that (don’t) have the money or they’re losing their jobs, so any individual that needs it is welcome to come, as long as they are a Suffolk resident.”

Pet owners that visited the pantry were able to pick from a table of toys, blankets, grooming products and more. They also received an appropriate amount of dog or cat food, based on the number of pets they had and their pets’ respective sizes.

At least 30 individuals stopped by the Suffolk Humane Society on March 26 to get muchneeded treats and food for their beloved pets.

Bill Marlowe was one of them.

BUSINESSMEN TEAM UP FOR GIVEAWAY Local businessman LeOtis Williams, who owns a lawn service and investment company with headquarters on Old East Pinner Street, said he started buying bleach last summer, and wasn’t quite sure why.

“It was the strangest thing,” he said. “I bought this bleach last summer. For some reason, I was just buying bleach.”

As Williams stocked up on bleach for some unknown reason, across the street, Tyrone Burks at Triple T Sports Center was flush with toilet paper.

“A few months ago, I was looking for the big paper towel rolls that we use, and along with it came cases of toilet paper,” he said.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams and Burks have realized that perhaps there was a reason they bought all that bleach and toilet paper.

The two, plus businessmen Mike Duman of Mike Duman Auto Superstore and Boo McGee of Amici’s Pizza Café, partnered on March 28 to give away the bleach and toilet paper, plus canned goods and ready-to-eat meals from Amici’s.

“It’s been great,” Williams said. The first person in line showed up at 7 a.m. for the 10 a.m. start. They had given away everything in

“It’s great, (and) it helps us out so much,” Marlowe said. He came to get some essentials for his dogs and cats at home. He said he’s always had pets, and that they’re an invaluable source of love and stress relief, especially during

this pandemic.

“No matter how bad of a day you’ve had, when you come home, they’re ready to love you up,” he said. “They never seem to have a bad day.”

drive-through fashion by 10:45. About 91 cars got something, although some items ran out prior to that.

“I just wish we could have done more,” Wil-

liams said. “There’s so many people suffering, so many people out of work, we just wanted to do something. We want to continue to be a blessing.”

suffolk living 25

LIGHTS OF LOVE At precisely 8:30 p.m. on April 8, the parking lot at Sentara Obici Hospital erupted into a cacophony of honking and sirens, with all kinds of lights flashing from personal vehicles, fire trucks, tow trucks and more.

The “Lights of Love” effort showed hospital employees how greatly they are cared for during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was advertised through Facebook by Donna Perry, owner of Derl’z restaurant and, for many years, a frequent organizer of activities benefiting police, first responders and other front-line workers.

Those in attendance said they came out just to show their support for the people who are fighting the pandemic by caring for patients.

Gina Lilley has a close family member who is a nurse at the hospital.

“I just admire that they come here every day not knowing what they’re facing,” Lilley said.

“She goes to work every day and doesn’t seem to be afraid.”

Wendy Williams said she has friends who are nurses at Obici.

“We wanted to come out and show our support,” she said.

There were dozens of vehicles of all shapes

and sizes, from sedans and SUVs to Suffolk Police cars, a couple of tow trucks, Suffolk Department of Fire & Rescue vehicles including a ladder truck, and more. They all waited for the signal from Perry and then turned on their lights, flashed their headlights, honked their horns, blared their sirens and made as much racket as they could.

Most people stayed in their vehicles and followed social distancing rules, keeping close to

only the people in their family.

Jessica Lowder, vice president of operations for Sentara Obici Hospital, said there were tears of joy from the staff, many of whom were able to watch from the sidewalk near the hospital.

“I think it was more than what anybody ever expected,” she said. “I can’t say thank you enough to Donna who organized it and all who participated in it. It meant a ton to every member of our team, and we appreciate it more than anybody will ever know.”

ticipating in these annual visits for about five years, and both the bunny costume and stuffed bunnies are supplied by the Easter Bunny Foundation.

In previous years, the Sheriff ’s Office would go inside the nursing home to greet residents, but that changed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. To keep everyone safe, the

stuffed bunnies were instead given to nursing staff to hand out at a later date, and the Easter Bunny himself said hello to the residents at their windows.

It was Deputy Thomas’s job to cheer up the Autumn Care residents on Friday, and he did so with gusto — prancing and waving and blowing kisses to their delight.

EASTER CHEER AT SUFFOLK NURSING HOMES There were plenty of warm smiles at Autumn Care of Suffolk on April 10, as the Easter Bunny greeted residents from outside their windows in the cold, windy air.

But the wind chill was actually a blessing in disguise for Suffolk Sheriff ’s Deputy Wade Thomas. Deputy Thomas wore the Easter Bunny costume on Friday morning, while others with the Suffolk Sheriff ’s Office followed along to greet the residents at the windows.

The Suffolk Sheriff ’s Office was at Autumn Care as part of its Bunny Trail visits to Suffolk nursing homes. They also went to Lake Prince Woods Retirement Community, Bon Secours Maryview Nursing Care Center and Concordia Assisted Living Nansemond Commons.

Each day, a member of the Sheriff ’s Office wore the Easter Bunny outfit to bring smiles to the residents’ faces, to go with the stuffed Easter Bunnies the Sheriff ’s Office brought for each resident, although some of the nursing homes were not able to accept them due to coronavirus concerns.

The Suffolk Sheriff ’s Office has been par-

26 suffolk living

Pennies from Heaven?

Story by Phyllis Speidell Photos by John H. Sheally II

S

uffolk may not have showers of pennies from heaven but, for more than 100 years, downtown Suffolk has had a unique overhead display of rare coins. The little-known story of those coins is a piece of local history worth discovering.

The coins are in the heart of downtown where Tower 112 stands at the corner of Washington and Main streets. Built in 1916 as the home of National Bank, the seven-story Renaissance Revival style building features a row of replica vintage coins ringing the white façade above a rank of arched windows.

Over the decades, the building changed hands and underwent numerous remodels. From the National Bank, the building transitioned to the Virginia National Bank and then became an office building housing a collection of prominent local professionals — lawyers, accountants, real estate investors.

Through every renovation, however, the gilt, terra cotta coins remained in place as they do today.

The decorative coins replicate the Saint-Gaudens Eagle and Double Eagle struck by the U.S. mint from 1907 to 1933. Considered to be among the rarest and most beautiful of U.S. coins, they have a lore of their own. The story starts before Theodore Roosevelt became U.S. president, when he and Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a rising Irish-American sculptor, struck up an acquaintance at a dinner party and became friends.

In 1901, Roosevelt, 42, was President William McKinley’s popular vice president when McKinley was assassinated, shot at close range as he shook hands with visitors at the at the PanAmerican Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y. When McKinley died from his wounds a week later, Roosevelt immediately was sworn in as president.

Three years later, in 1904, Roosevelt was elected as president and commissioned SaintGaudens to design his inaugural medallion.

Saint-Gaudens’ creation was innovative in a number of ways.

He captured a realistic, not idealized, profile of Roosevelt in his design, and then turned to Tiffany’s rather than the U.S. Mint See COINS page 28

suffolk living 27

28 suffolk living COINS continued from page 26

to cast the bronze medallions. Roosevelt was delighted with the results and so impressed that he asked Saint-Gaudens to work with him on a pet project — to update and improve the design of the country’s coinage which, reportedly, Roosevelt had described as “artistically of atrocious hideousness.” The coinage may not have been that unattractive, but in Roosevelt’s eyes, it did not possess the classic beauty or flair he wanted to bolster his campaign and globally enhance the United States’ image.

At that time, the $10 gold coin, an “Eagle,” and the $20 gold coin, a “Double Eagle,” were both used in international trade and since Congress did not need to approve their re-design, Roosevelt chose them for the initial projects.

There was some urgency to the project because Saint-Gaudens, in his late 50s, was not in good health.

The sculptor’s design for the $10 gold coin featured the head of the figure Liberty, wearing a Native American headdress, a distinctively Amercan touch and Roosevelt’s suggestion. The back of the coin was a side view of a standing eagle, reminiscent of the inaugural medallion.

The $20 gold coin showed the Liberty figure in full stride, carrying an olive branch and a lighted torch. The obverse of the coin showed an eagle in flight.

Roosevelt was well pleased with SaintGaudens’s designs and the two men agreed that, with their preference for simplicity in design, the coins would not carry the “In God we trust” motto. A few years later, however, complaints from Congress and the public reversed that decision. The U.S. Mint also complained about the high relief of the design, alleging that the coins were a problem to cast, so ultimately, the relief was lowered. Both coins were released in 1907, the same year that cancer claimed SaintGaudens’ life.

The story of the coins took a turn in 1933 when the United States went off the gold standard. After massive bank failures during the early 1930s Great Depression, Theodore Roosevelt’s fifth cousin Franklin Roosevelt, then president of the United States, enacted a national bank moratorium to prevent further runs on banks by panicked depositors. Roosevelt’s executive order also recalled all gold coins — including the Saint-Gaudens — as well as bullion and gold certificates for a Federal Reserve reimbursement of $20.67 an ounce.

Additionally, the order halted all gold coin

production and ordered the destruction of the Double Eagle coins already produced in 1933. With that order the Saint-Gaudens coins became extremely rare. According to Keith Horton, long time coin collector and Suffolk resident, there is no way to accurately estimate how many may exist today.

Horton has admired Tower 112, its architecture and replica coins for years. His appreciation for the Saint-Gaudens coins dates back his childhood when he first began collecting and grew as his coin interest escalated in the last 21 years.

“Especially in these COVID-19 days, when we have plenty of time at home, it’s a good time to check out the old banks and sock drawers for loose change,” he said. “I believe everybody ought to own a silver or gold coin because of their historical value. Those coins become a legacy item for the family, and there is no better time than now to begin collecting.”

Keith Horton is a longtime coin collector and Suffolk resident. He has a special interest in the coins designed

by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (above) that are memorialized on Suffolk's Tower 112.

suffolk living 29 Tower 112, the National Bank building on the corner of Main and Washington streets, features a number of large coin reproductions.

30 suffolk living

Last edition’s Where Am I? You would think a meanlooking bull wouldn’t be hard to spot, but readers had a difficult time with our challenge in the MarchApril edition.

The sign is on the front of La Parrilla Mexican where am I? Grill in the I Bennett’s Creek Crossing Shopping Center. Only one reader, Robert Rhodes, sent in a correct guess for the challenge, so he automatically wins a $25 gift card. Check out this edition’s challenge on page 21.

suffolk living 17

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!

LOCALS CHOICE

2019 SILVER

Read Suffolk Living Magazine

suffolklivingmag.com

Road Warriors

Network with Suffolk Living on Facebook

ONLINE

suffolklivingmag.com

Chicken Swap FOWL, FESTIVAL AND FUN TIMES AT RESPASS BEACH

KEEPING WARM AND CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY

january/february 2019 • vol. 10, no. 1

september/october 2018 • vol. 9, no. 5

issuu.com/suffolk

suffolklivingmag.com

Community Garden AND VOLUNTEERS THAT LOVE BOOKS may/june 2019 • vol. 10, no. 3

suffolk living 31

scrapbook

BUILDING: The National Bank building, seen at the far left, can be seen sporting the gilt, terra cotta coins profiled in the story on page 26. Other stores visible from South Main Street at the Square are Sears, Montgomery Ward, Leggett Department Store and J.C. Penney.

Also in the shot is the City Market and, to the far right, United Dollar Store.

COURTESY OF SUFFOLK-NANSEMOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Congratulations TO OUR CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE 2019 SALES AWARD WINNERS!

THOMAS MOORE – (GOLD AWARD, TOP 3%), LEIGH ANNE PARKS – (GOLD AWARD, TOP 3%), ROBERT ASKEW – (SILVER AWARD, TOP 7%), BILLY CHOREY – (DIAMOND AWARD, TOP 1% & 40 YEAR LONGEVITY AWARD), JOHN RECTOR – (BRONZE AWARD, TOP 15%), ANN CULLEY CRUSENBERRY – (BRONZE AWARD, TOP 15%) CONTACT THE LOCALS‘ CHOICE

SuffolkSpecialist.com 330 W. Constance Rd. Suffolk, VA 23434

(757) 539-7451