Western Branch Magazine September-October 2018 by Suffolk News-Herald

Musicians

Back to school with the Glascos

august-september 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ vol. 2, no. 5

2 western branch magazine

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Help us bring more high-quality, faith-based health care to Western Branch

For nearly 20 years, Bon Secours Health Center at Harbour View has served the people of Western Branchâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;treating their illnesses, healing their wounds, deepening their faith and cheering them on the road to recovery. In order to meet the growing needs of our community, we plan to build a new hospital at Harbour Viewâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but we need your help to get it done. As part of the Certificate for Public Need (COPN) process, we are asking all members of our community to voice their support for the new hospital. Together, we can bring more access to high-quality, faith-based care for the people of Western Branch and beyond.

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How to get involved: 1. Write a letter of support addressed to: Paul Gaden, CEO Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center 3636 High Street Portsmouth, VA 23707 2. Email a letter of support to SupportMyHospital@bshsi.org 3. Sign the petition at BonSecours.com/harbourviewhospital *Please include the COPN number VA-8389 with all correspondence.

7/19/18 2:03 PM

september

what's inside?

2018

feature

Martin and Alice Glasco are the married, award-winning directors for the Western Branch High School and Middle School orchestras.

Museum In an unassuming home in West Norfolk is a vast private collection of antiques that functions as an unofficial museum for whoever wants to see it.

In the news The Western Branch Farmers’ Market opened to the public in the parking lot at Chesapeake Square Mall earlier this summer and has gotten great reception.

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.

Musicians

Back to school with the Glascos

august-september 2018 • vol. 2, no. 5

photo by Alex Perry

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

Public servant “Mr. Tony” is a fixture at the Western Branch Sam’s Club, but there’s a lot even his best customers don’t know about him.

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sept.

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 Autumn just around the corner It may still feel like summer temperatures, but fall is on its way, along with all that it brings. The Nansemond Indian Tribe’s annual powwow is this August, and it will be a hot but special day. Not only is it the 30th annual powwow in Chuckatuck, but also it is the first powwow to be held following the federal recognition of the tribe back in January of this year. The Nansemonds, though the tribe made its home in Chuckatuck prior to contact with European interlopers, have significant ties to Western Branch. Many members of the tribe settled near here after they had been run off their land, and many still make their home near Western Branch. If you’ve never been to the powwow, it is a special event that deserves your attendance. You’re sure to be educated and entertained. Back-to-school is coming, and a musical couple in Western Branch will welcome about 400 students of their own when the first bell rings. Martin and Alice Glasco met at the Chesapeake Public Schools orientation for new teachers nearly 30 years ago. At first their relationship was a bit frosty, but they soon learned they had lots in common; in fact, their parents have found pictures of them playing in the same orchestras together in high school, when they went to rival schools in Prince William County. But the teachers were married less than a year later and now have three children of their own plus hundreds of music students each year. Martin is the director of orchestras and chairperson of the Fine Arts Department at Western Branch High School, while Alice is the orchestra director at Western Branch Middle School. If you’re looking for something to do on one of these rainy days, maybe give Bill Magann and Willie Hodges a call. They operate a private museum containing antique miscellany from across multiple centuries. Everything from vintage vehicles to old toys, bottles and cameras are featured. To arrange a visit, you simply send an email. The story will give you more details. On your way there, perhaps you’ll see Mr. Tony at the Sam’s Club gas pumps. His full name is Anthony Vastardis, and there’s might be plenty else you don’t know about him if you’ve only spoken with him in passing. You can learn more about his love for God and his passion for jailhouse ministry in this issue. As always, we are looking for submissions from photographers for our Through The Lens feature and photos of your travels, with Western Branch Magazine along for the ride, for our On Vacation feature. You can email those to news@westernbranchmagazine.com. We hope your autumn gets off to a great start here in Western Branch. 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

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8 western branch magazine

around the branch

Cars for Christ Ongoing

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. Enthusiasts will gather in the church parking lot to display their classic and modified cars, hot rods, trucks, motorcycles and more. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and continues through dusk.

western branch magazine 9 ONGOING

The Western Branch Farmers Market, the first independent farmer’s market in Chesapeake, will be open from noon to 4 p.m. each Sunday in the parking lot of Chesapeake Square Mall, 4200 Portsmouth Blvd. The market hosts a variety of local and regional producers and accepts applications for vendors throughout the season. For more information, weather updates and more, visit www.WBFarmMarket.com, find it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or email WesternBranchFarmersMarket@gmail.com.

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.

Adult Coloring Society - Aug. 23

ONGOING

be the junior head dancers. The Nansemond tribe has deep connections to the Western Branch area. Contact Earl Bass at 277-4183 or visit nansemond.org for more information.

ONGOING

The Mix Book Club will meet from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W. The group meets every third Tuesday of the month to discuss a variety of cultures, authors and books. Call 686-2538.

ONGOING

The Quilting Guild will meet from 10 a.m. to noon at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W. Call 6862538.

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. The Dunedin Civic League meets monthly on the first Monday at the Aldersgate campus of New Creation United Methodist Church, 4320 Bruce Road, Chesapeake. 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.

August 16

Magic: The Library Gathering will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. Free starter decks for new players will be provided, and participation cards will be given out at the end of each meeting.

August 18-19

The 30th annual Nansemond Indian Powwow will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 18, with grand entry of the dancers at noon, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, with grand entry at 1 p.m. The powwow grounds are at 1001 Pembroke Lane, Suffolk. Admission and parking are free, but donations are accepted for the tribe. The mistress of ceremonies is Kay Oxendine. Dalton Lynch will be the arena director. War Paint and Stoney Creek will be the host drums. Olivia Richardson and Matthew Richardson will be the adult head dancers. Chloe Greene and Robbie Bass will

August 21

August 23

August 28

The Adult Coloring Society will meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W. Call 686-2538.

Public Library, 4934 High St. W. Call 6862538.

September 13

A lecture on Portsmouth in World War I will be held from 3 to 5:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W. Contact Diane Cripps, curator of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, at 393-8591 or crippsd@portsmouthva.gov.

September 14-15

The 27th annual Fun and Food Fest at the Church of St. Therese, 4137 Portsmouth Blvd., Chesapeake, will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Sept. 14 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 15. A silent auction and “Ida’s Attic” sale will be held. Food sales will tempt the taste buds. There will be a cornhole tournament, show by Hiz Handz Puppets, a variety of music and Rip Tide, the Norfolk Tides mascot, on Saturday afternoon. Call 488-2553 or email info@sttheresechesva.org.

September 25

August 28

A writers group will meet from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W. Call 6862538.

September 5

The Adult Coloring Society will meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W.

September 11

Play Loteria — Mexican bingo — from 11 a.m. to noon at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. Loteria is played like bingo but with beautiful folk art icons in the place of numbers. Learn some new Spanish words and win cool prizes from Latin America as the library celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.

A writers group will meet from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W. Call 6862538. A Cat Lovers’ Party will be held from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W. Call 6862538. The Adult Coloring Society will meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4934 High St. W.

September 11

A writers group will meet from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth

September 27

October 13

10 western branch magazine

A i g l a t s NoWest Norfolk in

Bill Magann and Willie Hodges keep a 1950 Ford panel truck like the one Hodges learned to drive in.

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Story by Phyllis Speidell Photos by John H. Sheally II

Inside a restored 1924 general store in West Norfolk, memories of long-ago lifestyles live on. Underneath the tall, original pressed tin ceiling, visitors can wander around diverse displays sure to stir recollections of decades past. Anyone who remembers J.H. Miles & Co, the 115-year-old Norfolk oyster business that closed in 2015, will enjoy seeing memorabilia from the oystering trade, including the propeller from the J.H. Miles deadrise, the Mobjack. A miscellany of other antique and almostantique reminders of the 1900s — toys, photos, bottles, cameras, advertising art — seem perfectly in place on shelves around the old building. Look up and see a World War II-era Grumman brand dinghy, uniquely constructed from riveted aluminum. Bill Magann, partner in the museum with Willie Hodges, used the boat on the lake near his childhood home in Sterling Point. Nearby hangs another classic, a vintage Sid-Son hydroplane, Risky Business, built in Edison, N.J., in the early 1950s. On a far wall, a large poster of screen icon Marilyn Monroe watches over the museum. See MUSEUM page 12

At top, a classic Sid-Sun hydroplane named “Risky Business” hangs in the museum. It was built in Edison, N.J. Above, a vintage barber’s chair is part of the museum.

12 western branch magazine MUSEUM continued from page 11

The stars of the collection, however, are the vintage vehicles owned by Magann and Hodges. From the red 1950 Dodge Power Wagon, one of the earliest mass-produced 4x4 light trucks, to the 1955 Ford F-150 Magann recently acquired, the vehicles are all drivers that the men take on the road at least a couple times a year. A rare 1924 Paige 6-70 — green and black — is a prime example of the luxury brand advertised, in its time, as “The most beautiful car in America.” Even after almost a century, the Paige’s oak doors still shut snugly against the car’s white oak frame. A bright yellow, 1953 Willys Jeep, Hodges’ first automotive restoration, is in almost origi-

nal condition. He found the once-dilapidated Jeep on the side of the road and bought for $200. A 1964 Chevy Carryall, predecessor of the Suburban, came to Hodges in 1966 and is currently under another restoration with a 455 Olds engine and its original license plate, “OLD BLU,” waiting for it. A 1950 Ford panel truck, a duplicate for the one Hodges learned to drive with and another of his restorations, came from the Midwest after a long search. He had seen an old photo of his father in the same model truck and started searching. When he finally found the right model, he called the owner and asked for the “straight scoop” on its condition. The answer, “wire screen and Bondo — it starts and then it See MUSEUM page 15

western branch magazine 13 Vintage toys of all kinds, from cranes to fire engines, line the shelves at the M&H Museum.

14 western branch magazine

The miscellany in the M&H Museum in West Norfolk includes a 1950 Dodge Power Wagon, an old Coke machine and more.

western branch magazine 15 MUSEUM continued from page 12

stops” failed to discourage Hodges. “I’ll take it,” he told the seller. He drove west, got the truck running and trailered it back to West Norfolk. “Old panel trucks are rare,” he said. “They were used hard in their businesses, and my father’s truck was part of each Hodges business.” The brick museum building is as interesting as its collections. Evolving from a general store to a post office, a grocery store and a hardware store, the building finally housed a cabinet shop. Magann and Hodges bought the building about six years ago from the cabinetmakers, the Sparks family. Then they began restoring the structure. They saved and restored the white beadboard walls, the pressed tin ceiling and the skylight. The shelving is original, as is the old rolling library ladder used to reach the top shelves. They replaced the rotted-beyond-salvation hardwood floors, replaced the metal awning on the street side of the building and added a sophisticated security system to the now climate-controlled building. The restoration, like the collection, is a work in progress — a place, Magann said, “to keep the stuff we collect.” The unofficially named M & H Museum welcomes visitors but keeps an erratic schedule. To arrange a visit, email willie@hodgesandhodges.com.

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An Oliver outboard motor and fire nozzle on display at the M&H Museum, lovingly maintained by Bill Magann and Willie Hodges.

16 western branch magazine

feature story

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‘Power couple’ shapes Western Branch orchestras Story and photos by Alex Perry

The first time Martin and Alice Glasco met was at the Chesapeake Public Schools orientation for new teachers nearly 30 years ago. She was late and picked a chair right beside him. He already had notes sprawled out in front of him. “She came in and asked, ‘what did they say, what did I miss, da da da,’” Martin recalled as he sat next to his wife in the Western Branch High School orchestra room. “She’s just talking, and we have no idea who the other is.” They had graduated from rival high schools in Prince William County, Alice from Stonewall Jackson High School and Martin from Woodbridge High School. Their parents even found pictures of them playing in the same orchestras together back then, according to Alice. See ORCHESTRA page 18

Martin and Alice Glasco met at a new teacher orientation nearly 30 years ago. They have been making music together ever since.

18 western branch magazine ORCHESTRA continued from page 17

Alice had just graduated from James Madison University when she applied for the same open position in Chesapeake’s burgeoning Orchestra Strings Program that Martin was after. Eventually, both of them were hired for this up-and-coming program. But the application process made things frosty between them in the beginning. “She looked at my name and she said, ‘Oh, I’m the other string teacher that they hired.’ It was like instant static,” Martin chuckled. “Instantly, he moved all his stuff over,” Alice said. They were married less than a year after that first tense moment in the orientation. Martin said they just kept running into each other all of the time and bonded through music backgrounds built in the same Virginia locality, and both of them were caught in this strange new area for them in Chesapeake. Quite literally, actually, since they both happened to move right next to each other in the same apartment complex. “We came to find out that if you refer somebody to live there, you get a break on the rent, so every new music teacher was living at this apartment complex,” Martin said. “Julie Knight, who’s the godmother of our kids and teaches at (Great Bridge Middle School), she’s the one that referred us. We made her pay indefinitely for getting that $200,” Alice said, laughing with her husband. This dynamic duo oversees hundreds of orchestra students in the Western Branch community. Martin is the director of orchestras and chairperson of the Fine Arts Department at Western Branch High School, while Alice is orchestra director at Western Branch Middle School. They came into this community’s program when it was just a few years into existence with a handful of teachers. “We got in at the ground level, basically,” Alice said. An estimated 400 students are under both of their wings, with roughly 180

taught by Alice and the older students by Martin. That includes their own three children over the years. Their youngest, Carter Glasco, 11, is a rising seventh-grader at Western Branch Middle and their oldest, Morgan, 26, practiced the cello. Daughter Meredith, 18, is expecting to

play in the philharmonic orchestra at Mary Washington University when she starts her freshman classes there this fall. Of the three in the next generation of Glasco musicians, Meredith was the quickest to point out her parents’ mistakes in the classroom. “I had to be extremely accurate when Meredith was in class,” Martin said.

western branch magazine 19 DOG HOUSE continued from page 18

Martin Glasco keeps an assortment of the awards the Western Branch High School orchestra has won over the years.

“She was always the kid that would hold you to it,” Alice agreed. “If you said, ‘OK, we’re going to start a new song on Tuesday,’ then you better have that song ready to go on Tuesday.” Martin smiled and said, “She gets that from her mother.” Like Meredith, Alice was quick to cor-

rect him. “No, it’s from her father. It’s from your side,” she laughed. They may disagree on Meredith’s influence, but they’re absolutely in sync on their vision for these young Western Branch violinists, violists, cellists and bassists. Alice teaches her students the basics and positive habits they need before they move on to

Martin’s extensive rehearsals and preparations for major venues. That’s the advantage of the middle school feeding directly into the high school, as opposed to one middle school sending students to potentially different high schools, according to Martin. “Part of the beauty of Western Branch is See ORCHESTRA page 20

20 western branch magazine ORCHESTRA continued from page 19

that we just feed Western Branch,” he said. It also helps that the two of them live right next to their schools, right in the neighborhood and less than a mile away. “There are so many late-night commitments and things you have to go back for that it makes it a whole lot easier to live here,” Alice said. “They always say teachers shouldn’t live in the community they teach, but our life really is this community,” Martin added. “Whenever you hire a band, chorus or orchestra director, you’re hiring a community sponsor. Someone who really does involve themselves in a much deeper aspect.” Their strategy has paid off. Alice was named the Western Branch Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2000, and Martin

followed suit at the high school in 2002. The high school performers have consistently place first and earned winning scores in competitions for years, Martin said. His students have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City four times since 2008. They were last at the world-class Manhattan venue in March, playing the works of classic composer Gustav Holst and Brian Balmages, who Alice quickly pointed out is a fellow James Madison alum. This annual WorldStrides OnStage festival has an extensive auditioning process with hefty expenses for travel and tickets. But the Glascos emphasized how important it is for young musicians. “It’s one of the few places you play that’s

designed for you,” Martin said, as opposed to playing in a theater or other multi-purpose venue. “There’s a magic (to it). That stage is acoustically perfect. You can stand on the back wall, whisper and the fourth tier can hear you speak.” Alice helps coordinate the chaos of maneuvering so many students and instruments into the Big Apple alongside her husband. “We do everything together, she said. “Imagine getting three buses through New York City, full of instruments.” They explained how grateful they are for the immense support of parents and outstanding work by students during their tenure. One of the most important lessons they’ve learned is not to judge a student’s

Martin and Alice Glasco have three musical children, and photos and trinkets on their desks show what matters most to them — music and family.

western branch magazine 21

potential and just focus on giving them opportunities to shine. “You don’t know when they’re going to wake up or when they’re going to be inspired,” Martin said. This applies to shy, struggling students who may seem docile but are burning internally to do the work and overcome. “The thing that we’ve learned is to stay back, hold back and don’t judge.” But at Carnegie Hall in 2015, their patience was wearing thin. They had 135 students scheduled to perform, and they struggled to get their sound right in backstage warmups. Alice had left the room in frustration, leaving Martin with a crucial coaching call. “I remember thinking, I got two plays

on this. I can either let them have it both barrels, or be positive and spin it. So, I went with the positive spin,” according to Martin. When they finally got on stage and began to play, everything clicked for them. Everything they had been practicing for numerous hours each and every day was resoundingly left on the stage. The applause at the end of the night must have felt like the ultimate seal of approval. “We had children in tears when they came off the stage,” Martin said. “We had students that honestly, (finally) understood why they’ve been playing this instrument as long as they have and what they’ve been doing. There’s something about it that connects you to the whole global musical

thing. “It’s nothing that I can do in a classroom. That’s why that opportunity is so big.” That sense of accomplishment is what Alice is most proud of in her time in Western Branch with her husband. “My goal isn’t to have the next best violinist,” she said. “It isn’t to send 20 kids off to become violinists. I think it’s just (to give them) a love of music, and an understanding and appreciation of music. There’s so much that music teaches you about working together, about dealing with people you don’t want to deal with when you’re stuck sitting next to them in class. “They can learn something early on and by the time they finish, they’ll see what they’ve accomplished.”

22 western branch magazine

in the news

Farmers' market debuts in Western Branch From staff reports Submitted image

Chesapeake’s first independent farmers' market debuted at Chesapeake Square Mall on July 1. The Western Branch Farmers' Market has space available for local and regional vendors and community nonprofits every Sunday, along with special events, holiday promotions, live music and other entertainment. Virginia Beach-based Kotarides Holdings bought the mall earlier this year for $12.9 million hoping to bring shoppers back to the struggling mall, which has lost multiple stores since 2015.

According to Alanna Deal, director of marketing for Kotarides, this market is the result of an overwhelming response from the community through surveys, local meetings and social media. She explained that the wealth of open space in the mall’s parking lots made the prospect all the more exciting. “We’ve been doing feasibility studies of what we can do with the mall, and this was the first thing we could immediately start to bring back some life in that area and get people excited,” Deal said in a phone interview.

Jill Doczi, former owner of the popular Shore Drive Farm Market in Virginia Beach for about three years, has been working with Kotarides and the city for this project. The market is zoned for up to 32 vendors, she said. “The ultimate end goal of this market isn’t to make a profit,” Doczi said in phone interview. “It’s to support local and regional agriculture, along with the Western Branch community.” A recently approved ordinance allowed for privately owned and operated farmers’ markets throughout Chesapeake. Those See FARMERS page 23

western branch magazine 23 FARMERS continued from page 22

involved with the new market hope it will see better support than some previous ones in other locations. There are two farmers’ markets run by the city, one at Chesapeake City Park and the other at Battlefield Park South. They operate from June 9 to Sept. 29 on Wednesdays and Saturdays, according to cityofchesapeake.net. The city intermittently operated a market at the Western Branch Community Center, the latest stint lasting three years. But there wasn’t enough business at the community center to sustain the market,

according to Watson Lawrence, unit coordinator and agriculture extension agent for the city of Chesapeake. He said there were only two vendors committed to returning this summer, and the market was discontinued. “I got a lot of emails and phone calls from people, but people didn’t support the market with their feet,” Lawrence said. “(The farmers) have to have business come to them, and if they don’t they will start looking for other opportunities.” Cory Hoar, owner of Feel Good Farms in Moyock, N.C., was one of the Western

Branch Community Center vendors in the past three years. He will be at Chesapeake Square Mall with tomatoes, corn, peaches, peppers, eggplant, green beans and much more of his produce. He said in a phone interview that the advertising and response for this market gave him confidence. A survey was posted in April on the Destination Western Branch Facebook page that received more than 800 responses. The day and time of the market was distilled both from these responses and from conversations with local farmers. See FARMERS page 24

The parking lot of Chesapeake Square Mall turned out to be the perfect location for a Western Branch Farmers’ Market, which began in July.

24 western branch magazine FARMERS continued from page 23

“I’ve got a positive outlook on it, but that’s just how I am,” he said. “We’re going to go and see how it does. “If we’ve got to regroup, we’ll regroup, but we’re excited about it.” Doczi explained that this market could continue year-round if business remains strong, which she plans to drive through Facebook and the Western Branch Farmers' Market webpage. “These are all tactics and marketing possibilities that I’ve used in the past and they’ve worked very well, but in the end, it comes down to whether or not the community will do its best to support it,” she said. The Western Branch Farmers' Market is held from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays at Chesapeake Square Mall. Visit wbfarmmarket.com or facebook.com/WesternBranchFM for more information.

Taking a trip? Take a copy of Western Branch Magazine with you on your next vacation and snap some photos.

We'd love to publish them! Safe travels! Send your photos to:

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western branch magazine 25

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

26 western branch magazine

Do you have a unique view of Western Branch?

We'd lOVe to see it. If you're a photog and have some cool shots of the Western Branch area, submit them to our Through the Lens feature. news@westernbranchmagazine.com

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28 western branch magazine

public servant

Sam’s Club General Merchandise Manager Aaron Vaughan, gas station associate Anthony “Tony” Vastardis and Club Manager Kevin Nesbitt at the Sam’s Club gas station in Chesapeake Square.

Associate heartily encourages members, coworkers and prisoners Story and photos by Alex Perry

When members drive to Sam’s Club by Chesapeake Square Mall in Western Branch for gas, they’re usually greeted with a helping hand from Anthony Vastardis. But everyone that knows him simply calls him Tony or occasionally “Mr. Tony.” In July, Mr. Tony reached a decade working as a gas station associate at the Chesapeake Sam’s Club in Western Branch. He joined in 2008 after roughly 30 years working as a city inspector, first for the city of Portsmouth, where he was born and raised, and then for the city of Hampton.

He said he started working at the station because he needed a paycheck and health insurance, but also because he felt it was where God wanted him to be. “God sent me here,” he said while wearing a hat that reads “Forgiven, 1 John 1:9.” “I was looking for a position and the Lord said, ‘There’s where I want you working.’” It helps that Mr. Tony lives just five minutes away from work, over by Western Branch High School. He lives with his son Stephen — spelled just like in the Bible, he said — who is a 32-year-old critical care

nurse at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center in Portsmouth. He also has his two grandchildren, Jeffrey and Jayden. He said he feels blessed to have his amazing family and is quick to thank God for his gifts. He credits his faith to his mother, Athanasia, who passed away when he was just 12 years old. “She had a heart of gold and a lot of love for God,” he said fondly. “She instilled a lot of good things in me in 12 years.” It was actually his faith that first took him behind bars for prison ministry, both See ASSOCIATE page 29

western branch magazine 29 ASSOCIATE continued from page 28

in the Virginia state prison system and across the country. He currently volunteers in Virginia’s state prisons. His calling goes back to his time in youth ministry at Hampton Roads schools through Champions for Today, a subset of the Dallas, Texas-based prison ministry Champions for Life founded by Bill Glass, a former player for National Football League teams Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions and a college football hall of famer. The ministry is now called Bill Glass Behind the Walls. More specifically, it was Mike McCoy, a former defensive tackle for multiple NFL teams, who challenged him to get involved. “Mike McCoy was the chaplain of the Atlanta Braves when I met him,” Mr. Tony said. At the time, Mr. Tony was doing youth ministry and organizing NFL speakers for talks at schools. “He challenged me one day and said, ‘I think you ought to check out prison ministry.’” The first time he stepped foot in a prison was in Cook County, Ill., in the early ‘90s. He was picked up from his hotel in a prison bus, then walked past corrections officers with dogs and rifles to meet with inmates. “It’s my calling to go and encourage people, to let them know that it’s not how you start in life, it’s how you finish. Finish strong with God,” he said. Mr. Tony wears a ring that was gifted to him by a friend in Texas that he met through his prison ministry work. One side of the ring shows Jesus imprisoned, but on the other side, He’s holding the keys. “Because He has the keys of heaven, hell and the grave,” he explained. He wears his ring while helping customers pump gas daily with his coworkers at the Sam’s Club gas station. They keep the station clean and working through all kinds of weather. “You can get some hot summers out here and you can get some real cold winters, and this canopy is like a wind tunnel,” he said as he pointed to the roof over the pumps. “In the winter it will make you colder, but

Sam’s Club gas station associate Anthony “Tony” Vastardis received this ring from a friend he met through his work in prison ministry.

in the summer, you’ll thank God for the shade when you’re out here walking, talking to people and helping folks.” He used the term “marketplace ministry,” as in no matter where you are, you can help brighten someone’s day with friendly conversation and prayer. “With Tony, what you see is what you get,” said Club Manager Kevin Nesbitt. “He’s a great person who brings how he lives to work. I’ve never seen him have a bad day.” Mr. Tony may not remember every visitor’s name, but he has a good eye for faces. Regulars come by with good and bad news each and every day to share with him while they fill their tanks. He always hopes for the best when it comes to health and family. “It’s always nice to hear positive reports. I hear stuff about people getting married and children being born. I get to hear a lot of just family talk,” he said. He explained how he feels compelled by the Lord to encourage people and how he’s been energized by their reciprocated compassion. That includes Nesbitt, who was club manager at the now-closed Norfolk store when he first met Mr. Tony. “What a lot of people don’t know is when I was at that other club, he’d just

come over and see me,” Nesbitt said. “He’d just pop up to talk. Not a lot of folks know that, but that’s just how he is. He just drove 30 miles out of his way to come and say hi. He probably doesn’t remember all of that, but I never forgot it.” Mr. Tony will turn 63 years old on Aug. 28. He has volunteered for ministry at nearly 10 Virginia state prisons in the past two years, with two more scheduled for August, he said. He plans to keep ministering and doing what he can to share hope with the incarcerated, and while he hasn’t been convicted, he’s no stranger to divorce, health concerns and other struggles. “We all go through some trials and tribulations in this life,” he said. “I’ve been through some health issues in my life and relationship issues, but if you don’t go through any trials in your life, how will you grow spiritually and grow in your faith in your God? It’s all a training or preparation ground, I guess you could say.” He referenced Colossians 3:23 — “and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” — when asked about his favorite part of the job. “It’s the opportunity just to have fellowship with people, and talk (with them) just to hear and enjoy life with them,” he said.

30 western branch magazine

Last Edition’s Where Am I? Four of our readers where am i? recognized the side of Green Lakes Baptist Church, on Hodges Ferry Road in Portsmouth, in last month’s “Where Am I?” challenge. Linda Springer was the randomly selected I winner from among the correct answers, and she wins a $25 gift card. Check page 25 for this edition’s challenge.

western branch magazine 15

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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