Western Branch Magazine February-March 2018

Determination Racing grit and Polish farmers

february-march 2018 • vol. 2, no. 2

2 western branch magazine

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what's inside?

2018

feature The Mosley family built Lamb and Robinson Racing and moved it to Western Branch. They made a name and success pioneering a number of innovations that are now commonplace on the circuit.

10 26

Men Sweat These guys gather before dawn for Wednesday morning workouts in Western Branch.

Flipping tractor tires is just one of the things they do to get fit.

Polish Outpost The community of Sunray between Bowers Hill and the Great Dismal Swamp attracted members of the Polish diaspora to Virginia throughout the 20th century.

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.

Determination Racing grit and Polish farmers

february-march 2018 • vol. 2, no. 2

submitted by Mimi Wilcox

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 Reece Etiemble is a high-school student with an eye for the Branch. Check out some of his views.

Public servant Victoria Strickland-Cordial grew up in libraries and now is the director of Chesapeake Public Libraries.

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march

2018

EDITORIAL Tracy Agnew Editor Alex Perry Staff Writer news@westernbranchmagazine.com

ADVERTISING

Earl Jones 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 Western Branch has grit Dedication. Commitment. Grit. Stick-to-it-iveness.

In this edition of Western Branch magazine, you will read about people and groups that have these all-important traits.

If you’re looking for someone who has been committed to the children and other citizens of Western Branch since the ‘90s, look no further than Victoria Strickland-Cordial, the director of Chesapeake Public Libraries. She first worked at Russell Memorial Library starting in 1991 and has spent the years inspiring kids and teens to read, dream and get involved in their community.

Dedication can be found in the likes of the Mosley family, who owned Lamb and Robinson Motorsports. James F. Mosley Jr. and his son, Jamie Mosley, built the race team from the ground up and became innovators on the Saturday night short-track circuit, training their pit crew for speedy green-flag pit stops and focusing on presentation with pressed uniforms and impressive paint jobs.

If you want grit, the guys of the F3 Nation workout group have plenty to share. The men get together for a hardcore workout at an hour of the day most folks never see, and they’re done before the sun comes up. Flipping tractor tires in the dark is one way to earn some gritty street cred.

And for stick-to-it-iveness, it can be found in a little community near Bowers Hill called Sunray. The Polish immigrants who built this community throughout the last century and then some worked the fields hard to make the best out of a bad situation, and they flourished. You won’t find a community that takes care of its own better.

We think dedication and commitment are the hallmarks of the Western Branch community.

What about you?

As the new editor of Suffolk Living magazine, I hope you’ll fill my email with your submissions for our On Vacation and Through the Lens features, answers to our Where Am I? challenge, your tips about great stories, and your suggestions for how to make this magazine even better. Please send those things to news@westernbranchmagazine.com.

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

Fermented foods MARCH 14

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold a workshop on fermented foods. Learn about the health benefits, needed tools and ideas to get started. March is National Nutrition Month. Registration is required. Call 686-2538.

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.

February 22

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold quilting class from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 686-2538.

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.

February 15

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold Teen Coloring from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Call 6862538.

February 16

of Merrifields Garden Club from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the importance of feeding winter birds. Ralph Sweetland will present. Call 686-8407.

February 27

The historic Battle of the Ironclads, which took place March 8-9, 1862, was one of the most significant engagements of the Civil War, forever changing the nature and technology of naval warfare. Come see and discuss period souvenirs, images and artifacts that shed light on this fascinating chapter of Hampton Roads history. Call 3938591 or email crippsd@portsmouthva.gov.

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold line dancing from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Call 686-2538.

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold an Adult Coloring Society meeting from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 686-2538.

February 20

February 27

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold Family Movie Night from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Call 6862538.

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold a Writer’s Group meeting from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Call 6862538.

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold an Adult Coloring Society meeting from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 686-2538.

February 20

March 6

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold Mix Book Club Group from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Call 6862538.

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will have a Western Branch Lions Club meeting from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Call 484-3800.

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold Family Movie Night from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Call 6862538.

February 21

March 8

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold Mix Book Club Group from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Call 6862538.

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold a Black History Expo from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There will be music, cultural and educational displays and a lecture with book signing by local instructor and author Dr. Newby-Alexander.

Call 686-2538.

February 26

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold a meeting

The Friends of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum Lecture Series will present “Pieces of Our Past: The Battle of Hampton Roads” from 4 to 5:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Marcus W. Robbins, historian, collector and president of the Friends of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, will present his exclusive collection of memorabilia related to the Battle of Hampton Roads, along with artifacts from the collection of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum.

March 13

March 20

March 20

March 26

The Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., will hold a meeting of Merrifields Garden Club from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on growing native plants in home gardens. Michele Ryan from Master Gardeners will present. Call 686-2887.

10 western branch magazine

Flipping tractor tires and push-ups are common workouts in the circuit of exercises performed by the men of F3 Nation — before dawn.

western branch magazine 11

Men sweat in nationwide fellowship Story and photos by Alex Perry

In the dark early morning of a cold winter day, eight men had already started their Wednesday morning workout at Western Branch Middle School.

They sweated through jumping jacks, pushups, sprints, squats and flipping a tractor tire in the frigid morning darkness. There were intervals of sprints, burpees and tractor-tire flips up and down the school football field.

They regrouped at the shovel flag — exactly what it sounds like — planted in the ground by the parking lot and joined in a moment of prayer. Beside that was the American flag, which also lets members know where a morning workout is happening.

The men of F3 Nation finished well before the sun came up.

“The last thing we do is pull the chain on the sun to get it up,” laughed F3 member Chris Wohl, known by others as “Space Monkey.”

F3 Nation is a national network of free, peer-led workouts for men. The group began in Charlotte, N.C., in 2011 and has spread to more than 25 states.

The name stands for “fitness, fellowship and faith,” and the group’s credo is “leave no man behind, but leave no man where you find him,” according to their website.

F3 Nation first came to Hampton Roads with a workout at Mount Trashmore in See WORKOUT page 12

12 western branch magazine WORKOUT continued from page 11

Virginia Beach on Nov. 11, 2016. According to regional leader Tyler Hudson, more than 130 individuals have participated in at least one workout since, and there are approximately 30 regular members.

There are currently seven weekly workouts in Hampton Roads. One takes place at Western Branch Middle School on Wednesday, two are at Eagle Harbor in Carrollton on Tuesday and Thursday and four happen at Mount Trashmore on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Members vary from marathon runners to “guys that come right off the couch,” Hudson said. Each workout lasts exactly 45 minutes — except hour-long Saturday workouts — and that punctuality is out of respect for people’s busy schedules.

“Everyone that shows up here is a high-impact person, and with that we have other things that we do,” he said.

“We have jobs and families. But usually the only excuse you have at 5:30 in the morning is that it’s early.”

Every member is given a nickname by the others, with the leader of that particular workout — known as “the Q-in-charge” — having final say.

Hudson is known as “Dreamliner” after the Boeing 787 jets, and they call Wohl “Space Monkey” because of his job with NASA. Others are “Funny Car,” “Ma Bell” and a man who works on a submarine called “Screen Door.”

See WORKOUT page 13

western branch magazine 13 WORKOUT continued from page 12

“How bad would it be to have a screen door on a submarine?” Hudson laughed.

They have family outings together. Females in Action, an F3 Nation counterpart that features the men’s spouses and significant others, is also active in Hampton Roads.

Many men are drawn to the camaraderie of these exhilarating activities, such as the Colonial70 relay. Hudson and others teamed up for the 70-mile relay route from Hanover to Jamestown in April 2017.

“It’s a ton of people piled into a 15-passenger van, and the fellowship that takes place along the way is a lot more fun than the running itself,” Hudson said.

He said that fellowship is what keeps many involved.

“Friends are really easy to make in high school and college, but then you get out of college, get married, have kids and start working,” he said. “Those are all good things, but what suffers are those male friendships that kind of go away.”

Members of the F3 Nation also give back to their respective communities as they become better leaders.

“They come out, get invigorated, become leaders and then go out individually or with their families to serve the community that way,” Hudson said.

Visit f3nation.com for more information.

F3 Nation members pray near a shovel flag — one of the group's trademarks — after a session.

14 western branch magazine

in the news

Dog helps child with epilepsy Story by Alex Perry Submitted photos

A little girl’s four-legged friend is being trained to help her live with a difficult diagnosis, and the training is being paid for in part by community donors.

Western Branch fourth-grader Anna Grace Atkins, 9, was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy three years ago called “sunflower syndrome.” Her parents, Beth Ann and Jeremy Atkins, saw the first signs of her condition four years ago when she began waving her hand in front of her face.

“I thought she was brushing her hair from her face and I would pin her hair back, but she kept doing it,” Beth Ann Atkins said.

A neighbor noticed Anna Grace’s behavior and found videos and articles about the condition online. Young children with “sunflower syndrome” experience the urge to face the sun and wave an open hand in front of their eyes, which induces seizures.

Anna Grace’s pediatrician referred her to

a neurologist through the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, where an EEG — electroencephalogram — recorded her brain activity. She was then sent home with a monitoring device.

The testing showed that she experienced seizures whenever she was outdoors.

“It’s basically a constant seizure the entire time she’s in sunlight,” Beth Ann Atkins said. “She will talk, and sometimes she’ll stop talking and not remember what See DOG page 15

western branch magazine 15

DOG continued from page 14

she’s talking about.”

She also experiences several other types of seizures, such as “absence seizures,” indoors.

She has taken six different types of medications in the past four months, and while some of her seizures have been treatable, her outdoor seizures have been unwavering, Atkins said.

“It’s just not controlled by any medication so far,” she said.

As a student at Atlantic Shores Christian School’s Elementary Campus in Virginia Beach — where her mother is a teacher — Anna Grace is a tenacious student, according to Resource Director LaRita Smith.

But she suffers from symptoms of dyscalculia, or “math dyslexia,” and short-term memory loss.

“One of the biggest concerns with her reading is her comprehension,” Smith said. “She is a fluid reader, and can remember what we read and the depth of the story for a moment. But if you ask her 15 minutes later, depending of the time of day and how bad her seizures might have been, she may not have any recollection of having read the story.”

Beth Ann Atkins fears for her daughter in See DOG page 16

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16 western branch magazine DOG continued from page 15

parking lots, where she’s oblivious to her surroundings. A recent EEG has revealed signs of a new type of seizure for her daughter that will require further testing.

Her concerns multiply as she keeps fighting for her daughter.

“It’s very hard to see her go through this, and she honestly doesn’t know or understand what’s going on,” she said. “She doesn’t understand how serious the things are that are going on in her brain.”

She and her husband learned through research that part of the solution to helping their daughter was a service dog.

A young, chocolate Labrador named Maggie is being trained to be Anna Grace’s service dog. She sleeps with Anna Grace for when she has seizures at night. In parking lots, Maggie will help guide her away from oncoming traffic.

“She’s going to be trained, in a sense, like a blind person’s service dog,” Atkins said.

Maggie has been training through the PAWS Training Center in Virginia Beach

since May, PAWS trainer Gemma Soberano said in an email. The family meets with Soberano in public places like Home Depot or Mount Trashmore, where the dog can learn to walk with Anna Grace without being distracted.

The certification requires the dog to pass all four phases of the program. The dog must also have been in training for at least six months and be at least a year old, Soberano said.

The family has already raised more than $4,000 for Maggie’s training, and the remaining phases are expected to cost another $6,000, Atkins said. Fundraising has been done through youcaring.com, yard sales, restaurants nights and a purple pumpkin party. Purple is the awareness color for epilepsy.

“I’m ready for the peace of mind, and I’m ready to know that financially we’re going to be able to get through this,” Atkins said.

She is grateful for the support of the

community so far but stressed that the fundraising needs to continue.

“We’re just at a point where I don’t know how we’re going to get through the next two phases,” she said.

Anna Grace and her 10-month-old dog have become nearly inseparable. Atkins recalled coming home from Anna Grace’s recent cheerleading competition in Florida with her fellow Atlantic Shores Christian cheerleaders. After being gone for five days, when Anna Grace sat on the couch in her pajamas, Maggie crawled right on top of her, Atkins said.

“She laid across Anna Grace’s lap for two hours, and Maggie’s eyes were just glued shut,” she said. “She definitely knows who she belongs to.”

Donations for the Atkins family can be made to the PAWS Training Centers’ headquarters at 1315 Lloyds Road, Nottingham, PA 19362, or online at the “Anna Grace + Maggie’s seizure response dog training” page at youcaring.com.

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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

in Racing enes G THeir

western branch magazine 19

Story by Phyllis Speidell Photos by John H. Sheally II

When your roots run deep into Concord, N.C., a hub of motorsports — tracks, schools, shops and attractions — odds are you will be a racing fan.

Born in Concord, James “Jim” F. Mosley Jr. carried the racing gene when he moved to Portsmouth as a young teenager. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, went to work for Robinson’s Hardware in Portsmouth and other construction-related firms. Thirty years later, Mosley started his own commercial drywall business. Racing, however, remained his true passion and one he passed on to his son, Jamie Mosley.

“I’ve been in automotive stuff since I was 12,” Jamie said.

“My father loved racing and gave me money to build a race car, a drag car.”

“We got into racing in 1996 when Phil Warren was dominating Langley Speedway. My father said we were going to build a race team like Warren’s where everything was always in perfect condition,” Jamie Mosley said. “I built the cars and my father turned racing into a business — Lamb and Robinson Motorsports.”

See RACING page 20

20 western branch magazine RACING continued from page 19

Jamie Mosley talks about the history of Lamb & Robinson Racing, which he and his father, James F. Mosley Jr., built from the wheels up.

“In racing you can do everything right and still come in last,” he said. “But if we finished second, he wanted to know why.”

Their first car was a pristine Monte Carlo driven by a rookie driver. On the third lap of the first day of practice at Langley, a competing driver, D.J. Johnson, rear-ended the car and folded it so badly that clearing the track required two wreckers. The track manager, Wayne Wyatt, advised the Mosleys, “If you don’t want to wreck ‘em, leave ‘em on the trailer.”

Looking back over his years as a builder and crew chief, Jamie said, “The drivers have the easiest job on pit row.”

The Mosleys built a team by hiring engineering students from Old Dominion University and training their pit crew to speed up the green-flag pit stops. They later credited at least one championship mainly to their pit crew who also won the 2004 Goodrich Crew Challenge Championship.

“As a family-run team, we had limited money — half to three-quarters of a million a year — and had to choose where we spent it,” Jamie said. “Presentation is important, and we were the first to have pressed uniforms at the track with well-designed and well-painted cars and trailers. My father changed car colors like he changed his underwear.”

“We were racing for wins — it costs less to race in front rather than in the back — sponsors want to back a winner,” he said. “We would try to catch drivers, guys See RACING page 21

See BRUINS page 22

western branch magazine 21

Jamie Mosley pauses for a photo at cleanout time in his garage.

RACING continued from page 20

from Charlotte who were among the best but in the twilight of their careers.”

Over the following years, the L & R team included well-known drivers Phil Warren, Bobby Gill, Sam Giata, Elton Sawyer and Clay Rogers. The Mosleys competed in Late Model, Pro Cup and Craftsman Truck Series, traveling almost every weekend.

Breaking into a new series was never easy. In Pensacola, Fla., for their first Pro Cup race, Jamie approached veteran driver Bobby Gill and asked, since it was Lamb and Robinson’s first race there, if his new driver, Phil Warren, could follow Gill around the track for a few laps just to get the feel of things. When Gill said, “Do you really think he can keep up?” Jamie walked away knowing his team had a lot to learn. Later on, Gill drove for Lamb and Robinson.

While Jamie, who still lives in the Western Branch neighborhood where he

grew up, was the race team’s crew chief, he was also running his business, Lamb and Robinson Auto Electric Service. He had started there at 16 and knew Kenneth Lamb as a good businessman and Robbie Robinson as an electronics genius. When Lamb suffered a stroke, Jamie, just 19, became the business manager and still built racecars at night. Ten years later, Lamb retired and offered to help him buy the business.

Jim Mosley co-signed for the purchase.

Father and son incorporated the drywall business into Lamb and Robinson and in the late 1990s moved the businesses to Station House Road in Western Branch.

The race team flourished, finishing 2013 as champions of the Pro Cup series.

However, a faltering economy, loss of their sponsor and Jim Mosley’s declining health put the brakes on their run.

“I love competition and building things, and what could be better than

trying to build something faster than your competitors?” Jamie said, adding that he was a truly lucky man to be able to do it all with his father. “Now, looking back, I will sure miss all of those other teams we tried to beat or wreck.”

After Jim Mosley passed away in 2016, Jamie, forced to abandon their business restructuring plans, sold to Bay Custom Auto where he is working now.

“Bay Custom impressed me — they are structured, organized and insist on quality,” he said. “But for me, the hardest part was losing the Lamb and Robinson name that had been on the business since 1957. “ His crew chief days behind him, Jamie sees NASCAR losing popularity.

“NASCAR has become cookie cutter — too big and too slick, “he said. “We need real people and real passion — heroes, legends and guys banging on each other.”

22 western branch magazine

Jim Mosley, team owner, and Jamie Mosley, crew chief, in an old photo featured in a publication about auto racing.

Driver Bobby Gill's #6 car gets the works in the Lamb & Robinson garage.

western branch magazine 23

Clay Rogers' #16 car is worked on in the Lamb & Robinson garage.

24 western branch magazine

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on the road

Landon Violette, a missionary from Southside Baptist Church who serves with Supply and Multiply, stands outside the Port-au-Prince airport in Haiti in January as he waits for a mission team to arrive.

in the snow

Mimi Wilcox knew how to capture pops of color when Western Branch was blanketed in white during the blizzard of Jan. 3-4.

26 western branch magazine

A Polish outpost in Western Branch Story and photos by Tracy Agnew

Tucked away between the Great Dismal Swamp and the confluence of highways at Bowers Hill loathed by motorists is a quiet little community called Sunray.

In Sunray, chickens roam free, residents take care of each other and Polish culture and American determination are treasured.

The settlement is among the lone southern outposts of Polish immigrants and their descendants, who mostly preferred the Northeast and upper Midwest. The story of how they wound up here — and stayed here — is one of deceit and determination.

“That little community, if they didn’t have their faith, I don’t think it would have even been possible to survive, because it was tough times,” said Mary Ann Wagnstrom, a lifelong resident and treasurer of the Sunray Farmers Association.

According to the application for the district’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the land was platted in 1908 by the Southern Homestead Company. A year later, the Virginian Railroad was established.

The United States Colonization Corporation was formed in 1915 with the primary purpose of attracting immigrants to the area. Between 1915 and 1918, they sold numerous lots to Polish farmers who arrived to find that the land was marsh.

Undaunted, the farmers dug their own ditches by hand to drain the land and built their own homes with lumber from the Great Dismal Swamp.

“They had to work together as a team to do all that clearing,” Wagnstrom said. “It was an unbelievable See SUNRAY page 28

western branch magazine 27

28 western branch magazine

Above left, cousins Mary Ann Wagnstrom and Gary Szymanski pause for a photo during Taste of Sunray in December.

Above right, John Lezon serves up venison stew. He's a New York native of Polish descent who says he's "Virginian by choice."

SUNRAY continued from page 26

amount of work.”

The settlers constructed St. Mary Catholic Church in 1915-1916 in the Gothic Revival style. The Farmers Political and Industrial Association of Bowers Hill was formed in 1921. In 1935, that name changed to the Sunray Farmers’ Association of Bowers Hill.

By 1920, there were about 40 homes in Sunray, most of them modest single-family farmhouses of one and a half or two stories and constructed of wood that the settlers harvested from the swamp themselves.

The community self-sustained with farmers’ crops, and the produce was also sold at market.

The post-World War II boom brought more houses to Sunray. A daily bus ran between Sunray and the Norfolk Naval

Shipyard during World War II, which provided outside employment for many Sunray residents.

But even though the area has grown significantly, few who are not immigrants’ descendants have come in.

“We’ve still been able to retain quite a bit of farm even though it’s a pretty highdensity area now,” Wagnstrom said. “They haven’t been able to break in because of the way the plots are laid out.”

Families farmed together and raised their children in a communal environment.

Everybody knew everybody.

“When you talk about it takes a village to raise a family, that’s what it’s all about,” Wagnstrom said.

These days, the village remains a closeknit community that retains many Polish

traditions.

“It’s a nice community,” said Charlotte Rohlf, whose family, the Biernots, was among the original settlers and has a street in the community named after them. “I still love living in it. When I was a kid, we never locked our doors or anything. We left our toys out and nothing would ever happen to them. We all were very close.”

Polish culture is evident at events like the annual Taste of Sunray in December, a fundraising event for the Farmers’ Association. Dishes like kapusta, a stew made with sauerkraut or cabbage, ketchup and other ingredients, as well as pierogis and sausage, are common.

Visit the Facebook page of Sunray, Virginia Historical Polish Settlement to see details on upcoming events in Sunray.

western branch magazine 29

Above left, Jeannie Park and Rick Park enjoy Taste of Sunray. Above right, a statue at St. Mary Catholic Church, which was built by the immigrants. Below are Priscilla Taylor, Mary Wagnstrom, Nicole Przybylski and Veronica Ballentine.

30 western branch magazine

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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

See your work in print.

western branch magazine 31

through the lens: Reece Etiemble

Reece Etiemble has lived in Western Branch for the last nine years. He is a junior at Atlantic Shores Christian High School and an Eagle Scout with Troop 16 in Suffolk. Reece plays soccer year-round and enjoys photography as a hobby. 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.

32 western branch magazine

public servant

Director opens doors for readers Story and photo by Alex Perry

Victoria Strickland-Cordial grew up in libraries.

Her father, the late James Strickland, moved the family often during his time in the U.S. Marine Corps. Strickland-Cordial said he always took her and her three sisters to the local library when they settled into a new place.

“It’s always played an important part in my life,” she said.

She volunteered in her elementary school library in Baltimore, Md., and later did library work in the early 1970s with

the Community College of Baltimore County.

She even remembered the first reference question a visitor asked: “What is the correlation between sinister and dexterous?”

The answer is that “dexterous” comes from the Latin word “dexter,” meaning “on the right side.” On the other hand, the Latin adjective “sinister” means left.

“I had Latin in high school and knew the answer, but of course I got the appropriate reference book to made sure,” she said.

Since 2014, Strickland-Cordial has been

the Chesapeake Public Library director.

She oversees Chesapeake’s seven public libraries, including Russell Memorial in Western Branch.

She has a master's degree in library and information science from the University of North Carolina, and a bachelor's degree in English literature from Old Dominion University. She said her job is to shepherd the library towards the latest technology and innovative programming to meet the needs of citizens.

“Our job is to be responsive to the

western branch magazine 33

Chesapeake Public Library Director Victoria Strickland-Cordial and Julianna Stinebaugh, lending services manager at Russell Memorial Library, discuss the library's technology. Stinebaugh was once part of Strickland-Cordial's Teen Advisory Group in Western Branch.

citizens, and to provide what they need,” she said. “I see libraries as institutions of education. Our tagline is ‘experience, connect and discover here,’ and I think we do a great job of providing all of that.”

She first worked at Russell Memorial Library from 1991 to 1997 before going back to school, then returned in 2000 to become a children’s librarian at Russell Memorial.

It was during her eight years as a children’s librarian that she led Teen Advisory Groups, or TAGs. Community-conscious teens in grades 6 to 12 are still volunteering in Western Branch and other Chesapeake libraries today, and both of her now-grown children were once TAG teens.

“It’s a wonderful community to work in, especially with the children,” StricklandCordial said. “The citizens are really engaged and really value their library, and that’s true all over Chesapeake.”

Russell Memorial Library Lending

Services Manager Julianna Stinebaugh, 29, was one of Strickland- Cordial’s TAG teens back in 2004. She described the director as being very receptive to what citizens want at their libraries.

“She’s very responsive, and a bit of a visionary as far as communicating with our customers, as well as our library staff,” Stinebaugh said.

Strickland-Cordial follows the adage of the late Charles Robinson, a former director of the Baltimore County Public Library who made significant changes over his tenure. According to Robinson, you need to “give ‘em what they want to read.”

Along with keeping their inventory updated based on reader preferences, Chesapeake Public Library programs address citizens’ needs. Children learn in hands-on science and engineering classes, and adults can get help on using their latest devices or preparing their taxes.

Russell Memorial Staff Suzanne

Snowden oversees digital history recordings that allow family and friends to interview each other. There are even programs designed to for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, and for parents to encourage their children to read.

Strickland-Cordial admits that she misses the personal interactions with patrons. She recalled speaking with a mother and her son at Russell Memorial sometime around 2003, back when she was a children’s librarian.

“She was at her wits’ end because he hated to read, but she couldn’t have him staring at the TV all day,” she said.

So, Strickland-Cordial gave the child — who would eventually become one of her TAG teens years later — a copy of “Holes,”

by Louis Lachar.

“Every kid I’ve ever given that book to has absolutely loved it,” she said. “He came back two weeks later and told me, ‘I loved that book. What else do you have?’”

34 western branch magazine

Last Edition’s Where Am I? The Where Am I challenge in our latest edition was described as “too easy” by subscriber James Yandle, who watched as the mound on which the cross at Christ Church Evangelical Methodist Fellowship on Taylor Road is located was being built.

He was so confident in his answer that he told us to let him know when he could pick up his gift card. Well, Mr. Yandle, you don’t have to pick it up — we’re sending it to you! Only eight people guessed correctly this time. See if you have what it takes with this edition’s challenge on page 17.

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