Springtime Red berries and new eateries
april-may 2018 • vol. 2, no. 3
2 western branch magazine
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western branch branch magazine magazine 33 western
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what's inside?
2018
feature
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The Mar-Sue has changed hands a dozen times and been pressed into service in both world wars, but she looks as marvelous as ever in the capable hands of Butch Baxter.
26
Lilley Farms Strawberries are the fruit of the season at Lilley Farms, which started nearly 100 years ago with hogs and grain crops but is best known now for its popular you-pick fields in Western Branch.
Resilient & recognized The Nansemond Indians have a remarkable history and storied connections to Western Branch, and the tribe recently gained federal recognition.
Where am I? So you think you know Western Branch? Test your knowledge of its landmarks with this photo quiz. You could win a $25 gift card.
Springtime Red berries and new eateries
april-may 2018 • vol. 2, no. 3
photo by Tracy Agnew
on the cover
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
Through the lens Mickie Nance enjoys training her camera on the picturesque scenery of the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River.
Public servant Victor Brown is a positive influence on the students of Western Branch High School.
17 25 32
may
2018 EDITORIAL Tracy Agnew Editor Alex Perry Staff Writer news@westernbranchmagazine.com
ADVERTISING
Earl Jones Marketing Consultant Lindsay Richardson Marketing Consultant Dana Snow Marketing Consultant Kandyce Kirkland Marketing Consultant sales@westernbranchmagazine.com
PRODUCTION Troy Cooper Designer
ADMINISTRATION John Carr Publisher
Cathy Daughtrey Business Manager Hope Rose Production
editor's note Enjoy spring in Western Branch
If you like strawberries in all their forms, Lilley Farms is the place to be in Western Branch this spring. If you love strawberry shortcake, strawberries sliced and tossed with sugar, strawberry jam, strawberry pie, strawberries with whipped cream, mixed berries or our personal favorite, strawberries stuffed in your mouth after you picked them from the plant two seconds ago, you ought to know about Lilley Farms. The family farm has been in operation in Western Branch and the surrounding areas for 99 years, and they have been growing strawberries — to the great delight of local berry-lovers — for about 16 years now. They have we-pick and you-pick varieties available — just make sure you don’t stuff them in your mouth before you pay for them — and it’s a great weekend outing with the family. You can pick up some jam and mark your calendar for their pumpkin patch in the fall while you’re there. Speaking of great food, this edition’s In the News features two new restaurants in Harbour View, Zoës Kitchen and Which Wich. Mediterranean flavors will explode in your mouth at Zoës Kitchen, and you can create your own delicious sandwich with tons of meats, cheeses, toppings and sauces at Which Wich. There’s certainly no excuse for going hungry this spring. Also in this edition, make sure you check out the feature on the Nansemond Indian Tribe and its unique connections to Western Branch. Members of the tribe dispersed here after attacks by English settlers along the Nansemond River, where they originally lived, and locals built Indiana United Methodist Church as a mission for the Nansemonds. An Indian school also existed here when Indians were welcome at neither white nor black schools. The tribe recently achieved federal recognition along with five other Virginia tribes, and many members still worship at Indiana UMC. If you like history, you’ll also love reading about the Mar-Sue, a yacht that currently makes its home in Western Branch under the loving care of owner Butch Baxter. The Mar-Sue was pressed into service for both world wars and has had a dozen different owners. It’s a gem of a vessel that’s worth learning about. Over at Western Branch High School, head custodian Victor Brown has been keeping the school spic and span for 20 years and is so popular he rides in local parades. He helps the students develop character by encouraging them to get their educations. “I tell them that it ain’t easy out there,” he quipped. We hope you enjoy spring in Western Branch as much as we do! God bless, Tracy Agnew, Editor
Western Branch Magazine is published six times per year by Suffolk Publications, LLC. P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 www.suffolklivingmag.com • (757) 539-3437
western branch magazine 7
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around the branch
Polish Festival April 27-29
The annual Chesapeake Polish Festival will take place at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Sunray, 536 Homestead Road, Chesapeake. The fun begins on Friday with a social and dance from 7 to 9 p.m. with The Phun Doctors, a classic rock and oldies band. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. On Saturday, the Polish Festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Dixie 7! will be on stage at noon, along with Polish polkas and Dixie jazz. There will be a cash prize raffle, Polish goods store, silent auction, church tours, children’s games, a flower and plant sale and more. Dinner items available include cabbage rolls, pierogis, kielbasa, sauerkraut, potato pancakes and more. Frozen entrees will be available to take home. On Sunday at 1 p.m., a fun run and charity walk with the Knights of Columbus will take place. Email ChesapeakePolishFest@gmail.com or visit www.chesapeakepolishfest.com for more information.
western branch magazine 9 ONGOING
Get your shag on with Boogie on the Bay Shag Club, a Portsmouth-based organization dedicated to promoting and preserving shag dancing and beach music. Weekly dance socials are held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. every Friday night at Big Woody’s Bar & Grill, 4200 Portsmouth Blvd. There is no cover, and new friends are always welcome. Visit www. boogieonthebay.com or call 967-7740.
ONGOING
The Old Dominion University Tri-Cities Center, 1070 University Blvd., Portsmouth, has an exhibit of art from local public school students on display. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except university holidays.
ONGOING
The Dunedin Civic League meets monthly on the first Monday at the Aldersgate campus of New Creation United Methodist Church, 4320 Bruce Road, Chesapeake.
ONGOING
The Russell Memorial Library, 2808 Taylor Road, Chesapeake, holds “Hot Topics” from 10 a.m. to noon every Wednesday. Come engage in conversation about current events with other interested people.
ONGOING
Classic Cars for Christ and Country will be held at New Creation United Methodist Church, 4320 Bruce Road, Chesapeake, on the second Monday of each month through October. Car enthusiasts will gather in the church parking lot to display their classic and modified cars, hot rods and trucks. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and continues through dusk.
April 23
Money Smart Week: Investing 101 will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. This free class will focus on investment principles presented in simpleto-understand language. Registration is required; call Aren at 686-2538.
April 28
IconiCon, the area’s largest free gathering of sci-fi, fantasy, comic and anime fans, is returning to the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, for the third year. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the event will feature a gaming tournament, LEGO stop-motion, Superhero Family Feud, a cosplay contest, battle re-creations, a fan art contest and other activities. Each section of the library will take on a different theme. Attendees can meet the Barony of Marinus, the local chapter of the international organization The Society for Creative Anachronism, for Middle Ages and Renaissance arts and skills re-creations, including battles and meet-and-greets. A Superhero Academy will contain themed fun for children. Vendors and food sales will be
on site. Visit www.suffolkpubliclibrary.com/ iconicon for more information.
May 4
Tenth Avenue North’s “Over and Underneath” 10th anniversary tour, which special guests We Are Messengers, will come to Hub 757 at 7 p.m. With 1.5 million album sales, multiple No. 1 radio hits and more than 20 national and international tours over the last 10 years, Tenth Avenue North is one of the most celebrated Christian contemporary groups today. Released in 2008, the “Over and Underneath” album is RIAA certified gold and produced hits such as “By Your Side” and “Love is Here,” which helped launch their careers. We Are Messengers, an Irish worship band that won the group’s first Gospel Music Association Dove Award in 2017 for New Artist of the Year, was featured in the film “The Shack” and has singles such as “Everything Comes Alive” and “Magnify.” Hub 757 is located at 6801 Bridgeway Drive, Suffolk. Tickets are $20 general admission or $55 for VIPs. Call 334-0795 or www.Hub757. com for more information.
June 9
Alarie Tennille, a poet and Portsmouth native, will do an author reading at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Editor’s Note: We’d love to hear about what’s going on in the Western Branch community! Send your events to be included in this calendar to news@westernbranchmagazine.com
10 western branch magazine
Lilley Farms
grows community
western branch magazine 11
Story and photos by Tracy Agnew
One morning in early April, the only red things in the strawberry fields with Carolyn Lilley at her family’s farm on Tyre Neck Road are the ladybugs — a welcome sight, because they eat the pests. Yet the calls are starting to come fast and furious to her phone. “When does strawberry season start?” the excited callers ask. It’s not uncommon to get calls about picking strawberries year-round, Lilley said — she’ll get at least one call per month, no matter the season. But the calls ramp up at
the first sign of warm weather, and they don’t slow down for weeks. Lilley Farms has been a fixture in Western Branch for nearly 100 years. The family will celebrate the farm’s 100th year and apply to become a Virginia Century Farm in 2019. And although they’ve only been growing strawberries for the better part of two decades, the sweet red berries from Lilley Farms have become a spring tradition for many in the area. See LILLEY page 12
Lilley Farms' you-pick strawberry fields have become a spring tradition for many residents of the Branch.
12 western branch magazine LILLEY continued from page 11
“Mother’s Day is crazy,” Carolyn Lilley said. “That is a tradition. People want to come out with their mothers, and then they all have strawberry shortcake.” The strawberry season generally runs about six weeks starting near the end of April and attracts thousands to the family’s fields on Tyre Neck Road and on Bennetts Pasture Road in Suffolk. Visitors can pick their own or purchase pre-picked berries, as well as strawberry jam. But although strawberry season is a small part of the year, the farmers are busy with the berries starting in September, when they prepare the fields and plant strawberries that will take root and then lie dormant over the winter. They break through the soil, depending on the weather, in February or March.
The farmers watch closely for signs of frost after the plants flower, as frost will kill the berries before they even form. On nights when there is frost danger, they get up every hour to check on the plants and turn on the irrigation system that will protect the blooms. Even once spring is really here, the strawberries are in danger from hail or hard rain. “Especially when the berries are ripe and you have hail or thunderstorms, even a hard rain can bruise the fruit,” said Jimmy Lilley, one of the three brothers who, with their wives and children, comprise the farming family. “But at the same time, we never talk bad about rain. You only have eight weekends in that six weeks. If it keeps people from coming to the field or does damage to the crop, either one, it can be a
real bad situation.” Rain can really put a damper on the strawberry season, especially since it seems the rain only comes on the weekend around these parts. “I’m not a gambler, because my whole life is a gamble,” Jimmy Lilley said. “That’s what agriculture is, because there’s so many variables that you don’t have any control over.” The Lilleys have always diversified their farming business to fight against the fickle whims of Mother Nature. Rufus and Minnie Lilley came in 1919 and bought the farm on Tyre Neck Road from the Mackes and the Wards. The farm started with hogs and also over the years grew grain, corn, wheat and soybeans frequently. Potatoes, peanuts, oats, rye and cotton have been See LILLEY page 13
western branch magazine 13 LILLEY continued from page 12
rotated in occasionally. To Rufus and Minnie Lilley were born Ralph, James, Chester, R.C. and Eloise. The three brothers who currently operate the farm, Jimmy, Larry and Jerry, are James’ sons. Some of their children are involved, too, making it a fourth-generation farming family so far. “Most every subdivision on this side of the Churchland Bridge we planted at one time or another before it was developed,” Jimmy Lilley said. That goes for most of the Chesapeake Square area and what’s now Harbour View, as well. “At one time or another we leased it from farmers that were retired or developers that were waiting to develop — never all at once.” The family has also diversified into the tree business and grows a dizzying array of varieties of trees, which it sells with ball-and-burlap to wholesalers and landscapers up and down the East Coast. This year will also be its third year of a pumpkin patch open to the public in the fall and offering you-pick pumpkins and gourds, hay rides and other fun activities. Through it all, the closeness of the family is what keeps them together and what keeps the plants growing, to the delight of the community. “We’ve always worked together,” Jimmy Lilley said. “We get a lot of feedback from people saying that they’re glad we’re here.” Carolyn Lilley examines the young strawberry plants in the family's field off Tyre Neck Road in early April.
Carolyn Lilley is glad to see ladybugs on a strawberry flower — they eat pests.
14 western branch magazine
in the news
Zoës Kitchen offers a variety of Mediterranean fare and is open in North Suffolk.
Harbour View restaurants boom Story and photography by Alex Perry
Two popular new chain restaurants have opened in Harbour View in recent months, and customers are excited for the explosion of flavor. Which Wich, a sandwich destination with innumerable flavor combinations, opened on Feb. 26 and held its grand opening and ribbon cutting on March 22. Franchisee Bijal Patel has already seen enough turnout to warrant more employees. Patel hired nearly 30 employees
and plans to hire at least a dozen more. According to Patel, personnel from the nearby Joint Staff Suffolk Complex swarm for breakfast in the morning. Business and medical professional order there for lunch, and families fill their tables for dinner. He said it’s been the No. 1 Which Wich store in terms of weekly sales since it first opened, across 500 locations open or in development in 39 states and 12 countries. Which Wich customers order sand-
wiches by jotting down their own custom sandwiches or recommended creations on labeled bags. Staff take the bags and assemble Philly Cheesesteaks, meatball grinders and any other sandwich that’s possible with the 50-plus meats, cheeses, toppings and condiments available. There are also salads, wraps, cookies and milkshakes with rotating flavors. But food is only half of the customer experience at Which Wich. There’s also the See RESTAURANT page 16
western branch magazine 15
Which Wich offers numerous meats, cheeses, toppings and sauces so hungry customers can create their own wich.
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16 western branch magazine RESTAURANT continued from page 14
black-and-yellow décor, friendly staff and artwork by bag doodlers proudly displayed. “The food can sell itself, but it’s the experience that really sets us apart,” Patel said. Hours of operation are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with online ordering and catering options available. Call 483-9424 for more information. Nearby, Zoës Kitchen opened for business in March. The location at 2099 Sun Harbour Ave. is the 252nd for the fast-casual chain and is located in one of the two new retail buildings developed by Atherton Construction and Development on Harbour View Boulevard. The 2,600-square-foot space seats 64 patrons indoors and 24 on the patio, with 27 employees serving made-from-scratch recipes from the kitchen. More than 100 travel-sized sports cups were handed out worth free refills for the first month of business. The Mediterranean-inspired menu features new additions like Sorrentina Baked Ravioli, baked falafel for vegans and
Zoës Kitchen staff gather in the kitchen before the grand opening for the traditional clanging of knives.
Moroccan Citrus Roasted Chicken with Turmeric Rice. General Manager Timothy Johnson said the restaurant’s catering will be a boon for all of the corporations and businesses in
Harbour View. The North Suffolk Zoës Kitchen is open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Call 9422587 or visit zoeskitchen.com for more information.
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western branch magazine 17
where am i? I
n each edition the Western Branch Magazine staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Western Branch you really know. We photograph some location in Western Branch 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@westernbranchmagazine.com. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card. So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner. Go out and enjoy Western Branch!
18 western branch magazine
feature story
Restoring
a lifetime of memories Story by Phyllis Speidell Photos by John H. Sheally II
western branch magazine 19
At 103 years old, MAR-SUE has had a number of facelifts, nips, tucks and her share of overhauls, but to Butch Baxter, she is still the dreamboat that has been part of his life since before he can remember. After a life of adventures and re-inventions, the yacht MAR-SUE sits in scaffolding in a boatyard, easily visible from the westbound lanes of the West Norfolk Bridge. Her classic good looks may
have faded, but with her blue and white paint, long graceful curves and wraparound covered verandas, she still looks like a boat ready to party. Ask William L. “Butch” Baxter, almost 10 years retired from the Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic and the newly installed executive officer of the Nansemond River Power Squadron, and he will tell you that restoring the MAR-SUE is becoming
his life’s work. “I feel like the boat is me — I know her from bow to stern,” he said. “It was supposed to take two to three months but the job has grown.” Sunlight dappled the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, gulls cried overhead and the pungent smell of paint wafted over the boatyard as Baxter explained some of the MARSUE’s unique history. See MAR-SUE page 20
20 western branch magazine MAR-SUE continued from page 19
The 65.5-foot MAR-SUE, then the SEE W SEE, was built in Bay Shore, N.Y., in 1915, for Charles W. Cushman as a bridgedeck cruiser, a popular style in the early 1900s. Two years later, the U.S. government requisitioned her, along with other private sail and power yachts, for duty in World War I. The SEE W SEE, stationed at what is now the West Sayville Boat Basin in New York, patrolled the waters around Fire Island. She towed live German mines from the shipping lanes and was part of a 1918 search-and-rescue mission for sailors of the USS San Diego, an armored cruiser sunk off Fire Island, possibly by a German mine or U-boat. After the war, Cushman regained the yacht and sold her in 1919 to S. Kent Morris, who restored her to her original build and re-named her the Pequest after the Pequest River in his hometown, Belvedere, N.J. Soon she was sold again and, when the new owner died, she was sold yet again as part of his estate. Her fourth owner, also from New Jersey, transformed her into a cruising houseboat and renamed her the ROSALIE IV. In 1929, she was sold again, this time to a financier, Henry Butler, part of the Smith and Barney Group. Butler, an avid boater, renamed her again, this time as the JONBOB II, before he sold her to a new owner in Savannah, Ga. in 1935. World War II brought about See MAR-SUE page 21
Butch Baxter, below, loves a good joke like the one on the sign, above. The Mar-Sue is a labor of love he's been working to restore for years.
western branch magazine 21
MAR-SUE continued from page 20
more government requisitioning of private motor yachts, but this time their owners and duty stations were secret. Baxter believes she served as a receiving ship in the Port of Savannah. In 1944, Julius T. Herbst, a yacht broker, bought the JONBOB II and used her as his home and office at the Atlantic Yacht Basin along the Inter Coastal Waterway in Great Bridge. Herbst expanded the deckhouse and moved the galley up from below decks. Baxter, who was born in 1948, remembers being on the JONBOB II as a child when his father bought a different boat from Herbst. The senior Baxter kept his new boat in the Lafayette River in Norfolk and the family cruised with the Great Bridge Cruise Club that Herbst started. Baxter remembers that the JONBOB II always led the cruises. In 1959, Herbst sold the JONBOB II to a restaurateur, J.B. Baydusch, who renamed her the MAR-SUE II and moved her to the Norfolk Yacht Club. In 1960, Hurricane Donna took direct aim at Norfolk, throwing six feet of water over the yacht club’s concrete docks and damaging four large boats, including the MAR-SUE II. Baydusch had the boat repaired in Elizabeth City, N.C., and often took his employees on fishing trips. “When I moved up from a rowboat, I would go to the See MAR-SUE page 22
22 western branch magazine
The Mar-Sue rests in Western Branch after a long and distinguished career.
MAR-SUE continued from page 21
yacht club to buy gas and snacks and I would see the MAR-SUE II,” Baxter said. “I really didn’t like the boat and its canoe stern.” Baxter grew up and served two years in the U.S. Navy. In 1970 he rebuilt the TIF-TER, a 45-foot air-sea rescue boat converted into a yacht and lived on it in Knitting Mill Creek at 48th Street in Norfolk. “When I was rebuilding the boat, I stopped dating women and saved the money for the boat,” he said. “But then I met Debbie, and she said she would live with me in a tent. So we married, had two boys and raised them aboard boats. When the teacher assigned our oldest boy’s class to draw a picture of their homes, he drew a boat. The teacher called Debbie because she thought our son had refused to do the assignment.” Baydusch sold the MAR-SUE II to a shipyard in Elizabeth City in 1971 in payment for work done. She was pretty much stripped and her engine was left to See MAR-SUE page 23
western branch magazine 23 The Mar-Sue was in service to the country in both world wars.
MAR-SUE continued from page 22
freeze, damaged beyond repair. A minister bought and towed her to Chesapeake where, although not a boat builder, Baxter said, he saved her from further damage. In 1975, after he and Debbie were married, Baxter saw an ad in The Trading Post, offering the MAR-SUE II for $4,500. “I went aboard, entered the wheelhouse, and I knew she had to be mine — it was all over,” he said. “Nothing on the boat worked except the one bilge pump. She had been stripped of the helm, anything relating to navigation on the bridge was gone, port and starboard navigation lights were missing and engine and generator parts were spread out all over on the shore. I should have walked away.” But Baxter bought and towed the MAR-SUE II to Knitting Mill Creek. He had her seaworthy again by 1980 and sold the TIF-TER. The family lived aboard the MAR-SUE II until they built a house in Chesapeake along the Inner Coastal Waterway, across the river from where they had bought the MAR-SUE 43 years ago. They considered changing her name to MISTY ISLE, but one day as Baxter was working on the yacht, another boat came down the river. He was stunned when he saw its name — “MISTY ISLE.” They decided instead to name their boat simply MAR-SUE.
Butch Baxter believes he may have been saved from a fire on the Mar-Sue by a supernatural force.
Baxter had heard rumors of ghosts aboard the boat but saw nothing unusual until one day, anchored in the Willoughby Bay to watch an airshow, he smelled smoke. He ran to the engine room and found nothing amiss. But some unknown force made him bend over at the waist — completely involuntarily, he said — and look beneath the deck to discover the alternator, wires and shifter cable were burning. He quickly extinguished the flames and reconsidered the possibility of ghostly intervention.
Not all of the MAR-SUE’s structure is 100 years old, thanks to repairs and rebuilds over the years, Baxter said, but most of her lower hull and keel are. He credits the craftsmanship of the original builders along with the 11 owners before him who helped her survive. So Baxter works at the boatyard often, lovingly replacing planks and tending to whatever needs to be refurbished. “The MAR-SUE is like part of my family,” he said. “But at times I feel more like her slave.”
24 western branch magazine
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western branch magazine 25
through the lens: Mickie Nance
Mickie Nance lives in an old house that used to be a barn on the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth. The barn was converted into a boat house and then into a home in the 1940s, and the Nances purchased it in 2001. She enjoys photographing wildlife and sunsets on the river as well as her lab, Chelsea. If you’d like to see your photos featured on this page, send an email to news@westernbranchmagazine.com. We work with amateurs, professionals and everyone in between.
26 western branch magazine
Resilient & recognized at last
western branch magazine 27
Yellow daffodils spring up each year on wooded land around the Indiana United Methodist Church in Bowers Hill. Who planted the daffodils remains a mystery, but the resilient blooms symbolize the resiliency of the church as well as of the Nansemonds, Hampton Roads’ only remaining indigenous tribe of the Powhatan Empire. Numbering about 1,200 members in the early 1600s, the tribe declined over that century. By the early 1700s, the surviving Nansemonds had become Christians and gravitated to the area northeast of the Dismal Swamp. The church and the tribe share a historic connection. In 1850, the Methodist Church organized the church as a mission for the Nansemond Indians and built it between
the Seaboard and Virginia Railroads in Bowers Hill. By the mid-1800s, the area Nansemonds were farmers, watermen, shipyard workers and hunting guides scattered across Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and elsewhere. The Basses, Brights and other Nansemond families settled in the Bowers Hill area. "I know that my great-great-grandfather, Joseph Bright, was living in the swamp in 1850," said Fred Bright, a Nansemond, retired nuclear engineering technician and avid genealogist well versed in the tribe’s history. Bowers Hill was a logical place for the mission church until federal forces marching south burned it in 1862. After the Civil War, a new church opened near the current See INDIAN page 28
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INDIAN continued from page 27
site on Indiana Avenue. Norfolk County’s Indian Public School No. 9, a one-room school for Indian children in grades one through seven, shared the site from the 1890s to 1928. At that time, Indian children could not attend white schools and were not welcome at black schools. “My great-great-grandparents donated the land and helped build the first schoolhouse,” Bright said. When the school burned about 1920, the students met in the church until a second fire destroyed the church a year later. A new school opened on its old site, and the current church building opened in 1924. Throughout all the years and misfortunes, the church continues to consider itself the spiritual home of the Nansemonds. The tribe met there frequently during its re-organization years and its quest for state and federal recognition. The Nansemonds’ quest for recognition was never easy, but in 1984, after years of denying the existence of native Indians, the Commonwealth of Virginia recognized
the tribe that now numbers about 300, with members across the country. It took 34 years, however, to gain federal recognition with a bill signed by President Donald Trump in January 2018. Virginia’s first registrar of the Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dr. Walter Plecker, served from 1912 to 1946 and created a huge obstacle to the recognition process. He was a eugenicist and advocate of white supremacy. He pushed for passage of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 that criminalized interracial marriage and also required birth certificates to have only “White” and “Colored” designations. Many believe that Plecker altered existing birth certificates, as well, eliminating any reference to “Indian” because, he believed, there were no “true” Indians left in Virginia. The long-term effect of altering birth records, often referred to as “clerical genocide,” greatly hampered the Indians’ quest for official records to document their lineage. Earl Bass, chief emeritus, and his brother, Sam Bass, the assistant chief, as
well as Bright, all grew up in Portsmouth and remember that their Indian heritage was rarely mentioned outside the home for fear of reprisals. Bright said that his grandmother “went to her grave saying there were no Indians in our family.” The Nansemonds’ openness about their heritage blossomed in the postCivil Rights era when Oliver Perry, from Norfolk and cousin to the Bass family, instigated the reorganization of the Nansemond Tribe in 1982 after researching his own connection with the tribe. A year later, the tribe organized formally as the Nansemond Indian Tribal Association, a non-profit organization. Now, Sam and Earl Bass along with the current chief, Lee Lockamy, are working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to learn what changes, restrictions and benefits federal recognition brings. The tribe is re-organizing as the Nansemond Indian Nation, no longer a non-profit, and will be led by a tribal council, a chief, an assistant chief, and a tribal administrator, a new position filled by Earl Bass, chief emeritus. See INDIAN page 29
western branch magazine 29 INDIAN continued from page 28
The tribe must also develop a new business plan to meet the federal regulations. So far, they know that recognition offers the opportunity to apply for grants aimed at, among other things, supporting the tribe’s governing structure as well as grants to finish and support Mattanock Town, a replica Nansemond village and cultural center on waterfront acreage at Lone Star Lakes in Suffolk. The tribe and community volunteers have worked for five years developing the project that will preserve the tribe’s heritage and history. What recognition will not do busts a few common myths, Earl and Sam Bass explained. Casinos are not in their future, as the bill that granted them federal recognition also prohibits gaming of any kind. Tribe members will not be receiving a monthly check from the government, the Basses added, nor will recognition give them free federal health insurance or excuse them from paying taxes. The Nansemonds also plan to open their genealogical records and hope to involve the general community in their programming via events and activities as well as powwows at Mattanock Town. Their short-term plans include a canoe and kayak ramp. Many of the tribe trace their lineage back to and beyond William Bass, who appears on 1772 tax rolls as of English and Nansemond descent. That connection led to another recognition earlier this year. The Nansemonds can become the first majority Native American chapter of The Virginia Sons of the American Revolution. According to Michael J. Elston, national trustee and president
A historical marker about Dumpling Island, pictured on the opposite page. Dumpling Island was the ceremonial capital for the Nansemond Indian Tribe and the scene of attacks by English settlers. Below, an old bumper sticker supporting federal recognition for Virginia Indian tribes, which was finally achieved this January.
30 western branch magazine
The Perfect Solution For Keeping Your Suffolk Business Clean.
of the Virginia S.A.R., the Nansemond Indian Chapter, upon approval, will be the first in the organization nationally, and the S.A.R. is excited about that prospect. Who was Thomasina Jordan? The bill that extended federal recognition to the Nansemonds and five other Virginia tribes was named for Thomasina E. Jordan. But who was she? A resolution passed by the Virginia Assembly, upon her death, in January 2000, summarizes her achievements as an Indian activist and more. Raised in Mashpee, Mass., Jordan earned several advanced degrees, married and moved to Alexandria, where she was active in politics and was the first American Indian to serve, in 1988, in the Electoral College. She served as the chairperson of the Virginia Council on Indians, founded the American Indian Cultural Exchange, was on the board of Save the Children and the National Rehabilitation Hospital, and received the Medal of Honor from the Daughters of the American Revolution. She actively brought Indian issues to the forefront in the General Assembly, including legislation to correct birth certificates to identify Native Americans as such, and pushed the U.S. Congress to grant historic federal recognition to Virginia’s state-recognized tribes.
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western branch magazine 31
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32 western branch magazine
public servant
Victor Brown is so popular in the Western Branch community that he rides a car in local parades.
WBHS fixture keeps school clean Story and photo by Alex Perry
It’s not easy keeping a school clean for approximately 2,050 high school students. But Victor Brown, 53, manages to do his part with a smile. Brown is one of four head custodians at Western Branch High School, where he’s kept the hallways, cafeteria and bathrooms clean for the past 20 years. He arrives at the school at 7 a.m. each and every weekday to work with fellow head custodian Floretta Hawkins. While he’s cleaning up spilled Coke, crushed Cheetos and other incidentals,
he’s constantly greeting the students and faculty that have come to know him well over the years. “This is one of the best schools I’ve even been in,” he said pushing his cleaning cart. “The kids are nice and very respectful.” Brown came to work for Chesapeake Public Schools after working for a contractor at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The Norfolk native operates his own VAB Janitorial business named after his full name, Victor Antonio Brown. When he’s done with an eight-hour day
Brown goes home to spend time with his wife, Alfreada. The two have been married for about 20 years and have two daughters Kristina Ellis, 37, and Jennifer Smith, 31, plus two grandkids. His family worships at St. Mark’s Deliverance Center in Portsmouth, where he operates the soundboard for services, he said. But he’s not just a great father to his children. Marion Jones, the late chief apostle of St. Mark’s, gave him a certificate for being the “Best School Dad” that he keeps in his office at Western Branch High School. See BROWN page 33
western branch magazine 33 BROWN continued from page 32
“Mr. Brown is a staple within this community,” said Dr. Thomas Whitley, principal of Western Branch High School. “He understands the importance of building relationships with the kids. There’s not one day where the kids can come in without Brown greeting them.” When Brown walks through the halls humming Christian songs, students are often the first to say hello to him. According to Brandon Hardy, a security officer at WBHS and also a graduate of the class of 2003, Brown has been sharp
since he first met him as a student and has kept his infectious positivity. “He’s got this high, positive spirit,” Hardy said. “He’s just part of the school. If Mr. Brown wasn’t around here, then I don’t think it would be same and I think anybody would agree with me on that.” The head custodian has joined Whitley in the same parade car waving at crowds. He’s suited up for Halloween, Christmas and other occasions to show school spirit. The school recently had its 50th anniversary celebration, with
alumni going out of their way to catch up with him. “Every one of them made their way to greet him and thank him for his contributions here,” Whitley said. Brown believes in “treating others like you’d want to be treated” when it comes to the students. He also repeats over and over how important it is for them to get their education and prepare their futures. “I tell them that it ain’t easy out there, and that you get out what you put in,” he said.
MEADOWBROOK MEMORIAL MEADOWBROOK MEMORIAL & CREMATION GARDENS & CREMATION GARDENS MEADOWBROOK MEMORIAL
34 western branch magazine
Last Edition’s Where Am I?
& CREMATION GARDENS
We received a record-breaking where am i? number of correct responses for our Where Am I? challenge from the February-March edition. A total of 21 readers were able to correctly identify the location of this structure as in the Belleville area. However, very few of them knew WHAT I it was. Some folks said it looked like an old oven or fireplace, and others believed it was an old well or grist mill. But most people said they simply didn’t have a clue what it was but had always wondered about it. According to Phyllis Speidell and John Sheally II, authors of “Peninsula in Passage,” a Suffolk River Heritage Foundation project that includes a feature on Belleville, the structure is part of an artesian well that provided water for residents of Harbour View’s first planned community. Patty Arnold pinpointed the location, and she wins a gift card for being randomly selected from among the correct answers. Check out this month’s challenge on page 17. western branch magazine 17
n each edition the Western Branch Magazine staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Western Branch you really know. We photograph some location in Western Branch 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@westernbranchmagazine.com. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card. So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner. Go out and enjoy Western Branch!
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western branch magazine 35
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