A Place to Call Home Welcome to Western Branch
december 2016 • vol. 1, no. 1
2 western branch magazine
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western branch magazine 3
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20
december
what's inside?
2016
feature The bucolic scene on the Chesapeake side of the Hodges Ferry Bridge is a moment of tranquility among the bustle of development between the Chesapeake Square area and Portsmouth. But one family calls this home — and it has done so for generations.
10 26
Ahead of the pack Western Branch High School track coach Claude Toukene has built a powerhouse of a track program at a school with few of the resources one might expect to contribute to such success. It’s all about hard work and commitment.
A boat and a house The deckhouse of a former James River ferry once had a life in Western Branch as a boathouse. For many years, it was a landmark of the Hatton Point waterfront.
Public servant Chesapeake police officer Eric Hayes has been a familiar face in this community for more than 20 years.
A Place to Call Home Welcome to Western Branch
december 2016 • vol. 1, no. 1
By John H. Sheally II
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
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.
A view from the Branch Things are looking up again for Western Branch, and Kathy Reagan Young could hardly be more excited about it.
16 35 36
dec
2016 EDITORIAL R.E. Spears III Editor Tracy Agnew News Editor Niqko Marshall Staff Writer Sterling Giles Staff Writer news@westernbranchmagazine.com
ADVERTISING
Earl Jones Marketing Consultant Nathan Richardson Marketing Consultant Dana Snow Marketing Consultant Kandyce Kirkland Marketing Consultant sales@westernbranchmagazine.com
PRODUCTION Troy Cooper Designer
ADMINISTRATION John Carr Publisher
editor's note 25 years in the making About 25 years ago, when I was the editor of a small newspaper in Wakefield, I took the regional vice president of our chain of small Virginia newspapers on a windshield tour of Western Branch and Churchland. I had an idea for a magazine that would serve those areas, and I wanted to show off all the development that would support such a publication. “Look, we have a MALL here,” I remember saying. That mall, just 10 years old at the time, was still thriving, and the economy was thriving. I thought the idea was full of potential. Unfortunately, the New York City owners of my newspaper were unimpressed by a new-ish mall, and, as I soon learned, were eager to sell their papers for a quick profit and move on. My idea for a Western Branch magazine was politely declined, and I, too, moved on to other things. So the fact that Suffolk Publications, which publishes the Suffolk NewsHerald and Suffolk Living magazine, has launched Western Branch Magazine with this edition feels a bit like vindication for me. All of this is not to note that I was right about my idea, though my wife can attest that I’m not normally reticent about claiming that sort of credit. The point is that Western Branch is long overdue for a high-quality publication that celebrates life in this community. In fact, the growth of the nearby North Suffolk communities and the westward expansion of development along the Portsmouth Boulevard and Western Branch Boulevard corridors has made this kind of publication even more timely. What you’ll see in this magazine are positive stories about the people and lifestyles that make Western Branch unique. You’ll learn a bit about the history of the communities that are loosely considered part of “The Branch” and about the people who built it. This is not a newspaper, so we’re not planning to focus on current events, though you’ll find plenty of information about events that are coming up and things that are happening around you. We’re not out to cover politics or new business openings, though you’ll read some about political leaders who have contributed to the tenor of this community, and you’ll learn about some unique businesses that set Western Branch apart. We hope you will consider Western Branch Magazine a friend of the family and that you’ll keep in touch by sending us information on your organization’s events and by engaging with our different regular features. And if you know about something that would make a great story, we hope you’ll let us know. You can email us at news@westernbranchmagazine.com. I hope you’ll enjoy this edition of Western Branch Magazine. In a very real sense, it’s been 25 years in the making. God bless, Res Spears, 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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8 western branch magazine
around the branch
photo talk January 4 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
Rock to the oldies every Thursday night at Western Branch Community Center, 4437 Portsmouth Blvd., Chesapeake. Free refreshments, friends and a big dance floor.
The North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, will have a photography talk from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Learn photography basics, equipment and how to capture the perfect picture. This workshop is perfect for the hobbyist, the amateur, the beginner and home-based business operators looking to market their product through photography.
Dance and rock or just sit back and enjoy the show. Admission is $3. Call Irv or Sassy at 488-9279.
Ongoing
Join the Peppy Steppers every Tuesday night at Western Branch Community Center, 4437 Portsmouth Blvd., Chesapeake. The dance is for seniors that enjoy a variety of music and dance styles. An introduction to line dancing is offered from 6 to 6:15 p.m. The cost is $3. A portion of the proceeds benefit Chesapeake senior programs.
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 hosted from 6 to 9:30 p.m. every Friday night at Big Woody’s Bar and Grill, Chesapeake Square, 4200 Portsmouth Blvd. There is no cover, and new friends are always welcome. Visit www.boogieonthebay. com or call 967-7740.
western branch magazine 9 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.
December 20
The Mix Book Club will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. It is open to the public. Contact Durrell McNeal at 6862538 or mcneald@portsmouthva.gov.
December 21
selection. Registration is required; call 4107016 to reserve a seat.
Ongoing
“Hot Topics” is a weekly current events discussion that meets every Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Russell Memorial Library, 2808 Taylor Road, Chesapeake. Participants are encouraged to bring a cup of coffee and engage in conversation with other interested people. Registration is not required.
December 17 and 18
December 17
A Teen Flicks Movie Night will be held at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Contact Aren Gonzalez at 686-2538 or gonzaleza@ portsmouthva.gov.
December 17
December 17
Ongoing
Mocha Authors Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at Russell Memorial Library, 2808 Taylor Road, Chesapeake. The club is for people who enjoy reading books by black authors. Stop by the information desk to reserve a copy of each monthly
January 3
Suffolk Writes: An Open Writers Group Meet Up, will take place at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, from 6 to 7:45 p.m. The group is open to adults. All genres are welcomed, as are both published and aspiring authors. Bring a typed page of what you will be reading for group critiques.
The Churchland Library’s Children’s Department, 4934 High Street West, will have the third annual Reindeer Games from 2 to 4 p.m. Join the library for holiday-themed games, prizes and fun.
Ongoing
December 27
A Writers Group will meet from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Call 6862538.
Good News Baptist Church, 3252 Taylor Road, Chesapeake, will have “A Noel Celebration” at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 6 p.m. Dec. 18. The collaborative cantata put on by the Good News Baptist Church choir and orchestra looks at the Christmas story through the eyes of witnesses who share their unique perspective on the birth of Jesus.
B.A.R.K.S. (Books and Reading for Kids in Suffolk) will be held at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, from 2 to 3 p.m. The program is designed to help increase a child’s confidence and reading skills. Come practice reading with a non-judgmental therapy dog as your only audience.
The Dunedin Civic League meets monthly on the first Monday at the Aldersgate campus of New Creation United Methodist Church, 4320 Bruce Road, Chesapeake.
La Leche League will meet at 10:15 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. The group offers free breastfeeding support. Email lllofportsmouth@gmail.com.
Tidewater Community College students graduating in December will have a graduation brunch from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Student Center on the Chesapeake Campus. Come celebrate your achievement with the college president and fellow graduates. The event is open to TCC students only. Register on the TCC website.
December 20
The North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, will have an Elf Teen Holiday Party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event is free and is for ages 12 to 18. Watch “Elf,” concoct an amazing creation at the hot chocolate buffet, eat spaghetti with maple syrup and sprinkles, and make touch screen gloves.
January 12
January 12
The North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, will have a workshop on traveling on a budget from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Learn how you can work your way around the world on a budget, study abroad, travelhack and more.
January 26
The Quilting Guild meets from 10 a.m. to noon at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Contact Aren Gonzalez at 686-2538 or gonzaleza@portsmouthva.gov.
January 26
Ever wonder why Hampton Roads natives sound the way they do? The North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, will have “Tidewater Voices: A Conversation about the Tidewater Dialect” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sociolinguist Dr. Bridget Anderson will discuss her oral history project on Tidewater voices and what makes the Tidewater dialect so unique.
January 28
A Teen X-treme Game Night will be held at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Contact Aren Gonzalez at 686-2538 or gonzaleza@ portsmouthva.gov.
10 western branch magazine
Story by Niqko Marshall Photos courtesy of Claude Toukene
T
he Western Branch High School track and field teams continue to set the pace for others around the nation. The golden standard in track and field in Virginia belongs to WBHS, which since 2008 has been ranked as the No. 1 indoor track and field team in the nation. Last year, the Bruins were the first team to win both girls’ and boys’ indoor and outdoor seasons. No team has ever done it back to back, and the Bruins will be striving for that accomplishment this year. The Bruins have sent runners to the Olympics, most recently Byron Robinson, a 2013 graduate who ran the 400-meter hurdles in Rio. Some may wonder at the magic that has made WBHS so successful, but it's not a result of the things most folks might expect. Western Branch doesn't have a top-notch facility, and it doesn’t have millions of dollars to spend on the top resources. The Bruins simply win by hard work, and the team takes its blue-collar work ethic from coach Claude Toukene. The athletes work as hard mentally as they do physically. Most of the runners have books on physiology and exercise science to help them understand their body. "We are not as talented as most people think," Toukene said. "We just work harder than any other team. People with talent don't work as hard as we do. People don’t know that we are a blue-collar team. Not only that but we are a student of the game.” Toukene, a native of Cameroon, started as an assistant coach during the 2003-2004 season. Following that season See TRACK page 12
western branch magazine 11
ere h w the w f o o n ." e 't k s on met n do He' ver I , im life. 've e T h ut e in ple I U o ith ld b peo W " ou est — WBHS w I wis H
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Claude Toukene shows off just some of the track championship banners outside of the gymnasium at Western Branch High School.
12 western branch magazine
A Bruins jumper competes at a meet under the tutelage of Claude Toukene, the former Olympic sprinter who coaches the Western Branch High School track and field team.
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TRACK continued from page 10
Western Branch's track was in need of a new direction. Toukene was approached by the school principal to take the leadership role. At the time, Toukene was still training for the Olympics. He had represented his country in the 1996 and 2000 Games as a sprinter. He ended up taking the job, not because he especially wanted it but because of his great relationship with the principal. Toukene’s dream was never to become a track coach. After college at Norfolk State University, he had wanted to attend either medical school or law school. But he and his wife needed money, so he planned to coach at Western Branch for just a couple of years and then return to school. That simple plan turned into something bigger than he imagined. He'd found his calling. During the next couple of years, he changed the culture of the track and field team. He embraced the challenge of being not only a high school track coach but also a leader of youth who had never had one in their lives. During his tenure at Western Branch, Toukene has even taken kids who were homeless into his own home. He has helped build confidence in many athletes who went on to do things they could not have imagined. "There is nothing more important than the impact on
western branch magazine 13
Track athletes who compete for Claude Toukene at Western Branch High School say they could not have imagined the impact he would have on their lives.
a generation," Toukene said. "I have coached kids who have been told they would never amount to anything in life. A lot of them have gone to college to receive master’s and doctorate degrees." Toukene has had offers from other schools and colleges around the country to coach their programs. However, it's not about a pay raise or more attention for the Bruins’ coach. It is about staying true to his calling, which is helping kids in the Western Branch community make something of themselves. "I know the type of impact I have on these kids’ lives," Toukene said. "Every year people offer me jobs. I'm content where I am. The job is not done. There are too many kids out there who need to go to college that I will do all I can to help them." The runners have embraced Toukene. "It's an honor and a blessing to have him in my life," WBHS senior and University of Texas signee Micaiah Harris said. "Without him, I don't know where I would be in life. He's one of the wisest people I've ever met. He deserves more credit than he receives. Nobody knows the half of what he does for people. For him to take care of his family and run a successful track program is amazing."
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14 western branch magazine
in the news
The German food experience Story by Sterling Giles
Aldi supermarkets have opened two locations in the Western Branch area during the past year. Lidl, another German supermarket chain, is building a 36,000-square-foot store on Portsmouth Boulevard. Another is in the works for Harbour View.
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Within the last few years, two international market giants have decided to make a footprint in the Western Branch area. Aldi and Lidl, both German-owned companies, have expanded or have plans to expand to the Virginia area and nationwide. In the last year, Aldi has opened two locations in the Western Branch area. The Churchland location, located at 5811 W. High St., opened in December of last year. The Chesapeake Square location at 4107 Portsmouth Blvd. opened in September. The Chesapeake location encompasses more than 12,800 square feet, while the Churchland location is about 10,000 square feet. Both stores feature four to five aisles and environmentally friendly features such as energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting.
western branch magazine 15
Additionally, 90 percent of the store’s products are exclusive food brands. “Customers will find fresh meat, bread, dairy, produce and household items at Aldi while saving up to 50 percent on their grocery bill,” Jeff Baehr, Frederick Division vice president, stated in an email. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own grocery sacks or to purchase the reusable bags offered at the store. Also, patrons pay a quarter to get a grocery cart, which is refunded once the cart is returned. The stores are among more than 20 locations statewide, with most located in northern Virginia. Baehr said there are plans to open stores in Williamsburg, Virginia Beach and Newport News soon. Aldi currently has close to 1,500 stores in 34 states serving more than 30 million customers per month. Baehr added there would be 650 new store locations nationwide within the next four to five years. By the year 2018, the company hopes to have 2,000 stores from coast to coast.
"Customers will find fresh meat, bread, dairy, produce and household items at Aldi while saving up to 50 percent on their grocery bill." Jeff Baehr — Frederick Division Vice President
In June 2015, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that Lidl is investing more than $200 million in Virginia, including $77 million to build the company’s U.S. corporate headquarters in Arlington and $125 million on the regional headquarters and distribution center in Spotsylvania. In January, the Chesapeake City Council approved a rezoning request to allow Lidl
to build a 36,000-square-foot store at 4033 Portsmouth Blvd. Also, earlier this year, the company proposed building a 33,000-square-foot store near the intersection of Harbour View Boulevard and Early Forte Way. Lidl currently has more than 10,000 stores in Europe, according to the company’s website. William Harwood, a Lidl spokesperson, stated in an email, “Our plan is to have our first stores open in the U.S. no later than 2018.” “Our philosophy is simple: we are focused on offering customers top-quality products at the most competitive pricing in the most convenient locations,” Brendan Proctor, president and chief executive officer of Lidl US, stated in a press release. “We plan to build on the foundation that has made Lidl so successful in Europe, while creating a unique experience for American consumers that will be unlike anything else in the market.”
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16 western branch magazine
public servant
Story and photo by Sterling Giles
Eric Hayes, who serves as the community resource officer for the Chesapeake Police Department’s 4th Precinct, has become a recognized face in in the Western Branch community over the years. “It’s a great position to be in,” Hayes said. Hayes, a resident of the area for more than 20 years, has developed a soft spot for his community. He and his team have led various community initiatives and food drives. Hayes said in order to promote community continuity, you need to “build bridges between the police department and community.” Typically, the precinct focuses its efforts in the Holly Cove and Dunedin communities. During the summer, police and residents of both communities gather for an evening of fun, conversation and unity. There are K-9 demonstrations, SWAT truck demonstrations, book drives and other events. Hayes said the community days provide a counterpoint to the volatile police and community relationships seen nationwide. “We know the folks in the community, so these types of things don’t happen in Chesapeake,” he said. “We’re all in this together as a department and a community.” During the holiday season, Hayes and his team transition to humanitarian efforts. Last Christmas, the precinct selected a family from Holly Cove and one from Dunedin to provide with gifts and food donations. Hayes recalled the community helped collect a van full of items for each family. For Thanksgiving this year, a local
A soft spot for Western Branch
Walmart donated 10 turkeys to a local civic league. Together, the precinct and the league distributed the turkeys to families in need in Holly Cove and Dunedin. Additionally, the precinct helps stock the H.E.R. Shelter with its requested items. Hayes said the community’s appreciation for the precinct’s efforts is what keeps him going. “Being able to know you truly help people in need and the appreciation they show is worth it,” he said. Hayes has served as the precinct’s community resource officer for more than four years and as an officer for just under 17 years, serving 13 to 14 of those years in the Western Branch area.
Eric Hayes serves as the community resource officer for the Chesapeake Police Department’s 4th Precinct, has helped lead various community initiatives and food drives in the Western Branch area.
western branch magazine 17
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18 western branch magazine
What is Western Branch?
T
here was a time — not all that long ago, depending on one’s perspective about such things — when there was no place called Western Branch. There was no mall, fast food restaurants were still a thing of the future and communities of farmers and watermen had only begun to give way to the suburban advance of Norfolk County. A little more than 50 years ago, amid a flurry of annexations and mergers that would finally come to a close in 1974 with the
western branch magazine 19
merger that formed what we now know as the city of Suffolk, the area to the west of the Elizabeth River suddenly faced an identity crisis. Much of that area had long been known as Churchland. Some of it still is. But the new city boundaries that existed when the annexation mania was over — after the city of Suffolk had swallowed up Nansemond County and after the merger of Norfolk County and the city of South Norfolk created the city of Chesapeake — left many residents in limbo about their civic identity. The area in Chesapeake to the west of the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River came to be known as — wait for it — Western Branch. But not everyone was impressed with the name. “Western Branch is a made-up name,” area resident Susan Comer said in an interview for the book “Truckin’ on the Western Branch.” For many, old habits die hard. “We live in Western Branch, but we tell people Churchland,” Realtors Pat and Frank Orgain said in the book. One of the challenges of the amorphous area known variously today as Western Branch, Churchland and North Suffolk is keeping track of just where one happens to be at any given time. Route 17 turns from Bridge Road to Western Branch Boulevard to High Street with little notice as it stretches from North Suffolk through Chesapeake and into Portsmouth. Residents of Chesapeake along Taylor Road have little in common with their fellow Chesapeake taxpayers in Great Bridge. The same can be said for folks in the Pughsville or Harbour View portions of Suffolk, which can seem a hundred miles and as many years apart from the Whaleyville or Holland communities of the same city. For residents of this area — whether they live in Chesapeake, Portsmouth or Suffolk — their civic identity often has more to do with neighborhoods and communities than with the municipality in which they pay taxes. Harbour View. Dunedin. Bowers Hill. Sandy Pines. Belleville. Churchland. Not all of these communities would be considered, even in the modern parlance, to be part of Western Branch. But there are commonalities among these dozens of different communities. Folks in this area live, shop, work and attend church right here. They might stray across a bridge or through a tunnel for one reason or another during the week, but many of them find that the vast majority of their lives is spent tooling from one familiar spot to another in an area bounded, roughly, by Bowers Hill, the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, Route 164 and I-664. One day, some marketing genius will come up with a name for that area, recognizing the benefit of giving it an identity. Until then, we’ll just call it all Western Branch.
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20 western branch magazine
feature story
A landmark with heart
western branch magazine 21 Story by Phyllis Speidell Photos by John H. Sheally II
H
ave you ever walked into an unfamiliar house and felt instantly at home? Wildwood, one of the most recognized landmark homes in Western Branch, generates that same ambiance, thanks to the Dodson/Anderson family. Set on five acres along the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, adjacent to the Hodges Ferry Bridge, the circa 1860 two-story farmhouse wraps visitors in a warm hug of hospitality and unpretentious charm. Formality is not an option with five youngsters, a llama, a miniature pony, a horse or two and up to half a dozen dogs romping around Wildwood’s grounds and two houses. The farmhouse is home to Tom Anderson, senior director of investments for Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. and the Western Branch High School tennis coach, Alison Dodson Anderson, owner of the A. Dodson’s boutiques, and the five Anderson children — Kate, Cort, Alice, Smith and Ruthy. “This is a fluid situation,” is how the Andersons describe the lifestyle of two working parents, four active children, a teenager and a crammed datebook, the family survival guide for the them and their nanny, Laurie Creech. Alison’s mother, Alice Dodson, lives steps away in the second house, a riverfront cottage that she says dates from the Prohibition era when it was a See LANDMARK page 22
22 western branch magazine
At left, Alice Dodson holds granddaughter Alice Dodson Anderson, another generation of the family that has lived in the landmark home on the banks of the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River. The family keeps a veritable menagerie of animals, above, on the property. LANDMARK continued from page 21
party house. Back in 1809, Brigadier Gen. John Hodges bought 100 acres along the river, named it “Wildwood “ and built a two-room house there. According to local historian Raymond L. Harper, Hodges later sold Wildwood to a truck farmer named Coffman who built the
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bigger farmhouse — four rooms, two up and two down. A bank foreclosed on the property during the Depression and rented the big house to a man named Taylor who ran a gambling club there for a number of years. In 1939, John Kirchmier, a local merchant and Alice Dodson’s father, bought
See LANDMARK page 24
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Clockwise from left: A vintage painting of the old Hodges Ferry hangs in the home. The family has a collection of vintage farm tools once used on the property. Matriarch Alice Dodson is pictured sitting on a horse in this old photo.
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24 western branch magazine LANDMARK continued from page 22
part of Wildwood. Family lore says Kirchmier remodeled the house and discovered a cache of cash hidden in the fireplace. Alice Dodson grew up at Wildwood, along with her two brothers, her twin, John Jr. and Stan. Wildwood was an active farm raising produce, sheep and hogs. Alice met a dental student, William Dodson, and their romance bloomed into marriage. In 1963, they bought Wildwood from her parents and raised their five children – William, Jr., John, Forrest, Tim and Alison — there, much as Alice had grown up. The family expanded the house and added a wall mural, by Portsmouth artist J. Robert Burnell, depicting the Hodges Ferry that carried traffic across the Elizabeth until the first bridge opened in 1928. As the house grew, so did its reputation for hospitality. Both Alice and Alison remember that Wildwood was always ready for a party. That tradition continues with school reunions (both Alison and Tom
Three of the Anderson children — from left, Alice, Smith and Ruthy — play with a swing at Wildwood.
are Western Branch High School alumni), charity events, and end-of-season parties for the youngsters’ sports teams. The Anderson Easter egg hunt started a decade ago with 3,000 hidden Easter eggs
and 30 children and grew to 12,000 eggs and more than 100 children. In 1980, the Garden Club of Virginia featured Wildwood on its annual spring tour and has included the property on its upcoming
western branch magazine 25
2017 tour, as well. “We know it’s a gift to live here, and we intend to share that gift,” Alison says. An annual — and eagerly anticipated — Wildwood tradition is the “Merry Christmas,” spelled out in large illuminated letters across the yard facing Portsmouth Boulevard. John Kirchmier first put up the sign in the 1970s as his holiday gift to the community. “When the sign goes up, we all know it’s Christmas time,” says family friend Kim Glover. Wildwood is a landmark, a postcard of a simpler, more rural time, set within the busy Western Branch community, and the community feels a connection to the property. Occasionally someone in the family will glance out a window and see curious visitors strolling the yard. Creech remembers a woman who knocked on the door to tell her “I think there is something wrong with your llama. He’s lying on the grass, and he doesn’t
Alice Dodson now lives in a second house on the grounds of Wildwood, the home where she raised her family.
normally do that when I drive by in the mornings.” Alison Anderson understands the connection. “When I was 16, something inside of me clicked, and I knew this place would always pull me back,” she says. It was a point she made when she began
dating Tom Anderson, who grew up in the nearby Chadswyck Terrace neighborhood. She told him, “You know I am going to live and die here.” Of all their children, perhaps Alice, 8, most shares that feeling. Like her mother and grandmother, Alison says, “Alice is one with the property.”
For many folks in Western Branch, it’s not really Christmas until the Dodson-Anderson family announces it in gaily colored lights along the side of the road.
26 western branch magazine
Scotland Wharf, located on the banks of the James River in Surry County, was once a bustling place serviced by the ferry Captain John Smith, commissioned by Albert F. Jester.
A boat F and a house
From the book
“Truckin’ on the Western Branch”
or years, a river house on pilings was a familiar sight in the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River, across from Cypress Cove condominiums on the Hatton Point waterfront. But few people know that the cabin was originally the deckhouse of the Captain John Smith ferry. According to Bill Fox, a naval historian, Albert F. Jester, an experienced ferryman, had the ferry Captain John Smith built by the Isaiah Hundley Marine Railway at Battery Park in 1924. With the 65-foot, 60-horsepower wooden vessel, Jester launched
ferry service across the James River in 1925 between Surry and Jamestown. The $19,000 ferry held 100 passengers and 16 vehicles. His son-inlaw, S. Wallace Edwards, founder of S. Wallace Edwards & Sons Inc., producer of country hams, bacon and sausage, was one of the ferry’s original captains. Jester ran and expanded the ferry system for 20 years before he sold the service to the Virginia Department of Transportation. The upper deckhouse was removed in 1946, while the Captain John Smith remained in service until the early 1950s. Fred Beazley, Portsmouth entrepreneur and philanthropist, brought the deckhouse (20 feet by 30 feet and constructed See WHARF page 28
western branch magazine 27
The Captain John Smith plied the James River between Surry and Jamestown until the early 1950s, but its upper deckhouse, constructed of juniper and white cedar, was removed in 1946 and would eventually find a new life in Western Branch.
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28 western branch magazine
Above and below, in 2003, the former deckhouse of the Captain John Smith ferry was split in two, raised from the river and trucked back home to Surry, where a developer had planned to use it as part of a commercial/restaurant center near the ferry docks on the James River. WHARF continued from page 26
of juniper and white cedar) to the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River near his Bridgeview Farm to be a boathouse. Richard Bray, director of the Beazley Foundation, remembered. “I grew up living on the Western Branch and took my small boat out on the river. The boat house was my landmark in the fog.” Julie MacKinlay grew up in Virginia Beach, but her father, William Lee Whitehurst, owned truck farms in the Pughsville area. She frequently came to Churchland to visit her grandparents, John and Effie Ballard. “Our birthday parties were often in the Beazley river house. We’d take a few friends out of school for strawberry picking and sleep over,” she said. “I remember when a Nor’easter drove water up into the river house and we had to evacuate.” In 2003, the rustic old river house did not fit well with the upscale Homearama event taking place on part of the old Beazley property, Bridgeview Farm, renamed the Estates at River Pointe. So just a month before Hurricane Isabel wiped out other river houses, a Surry businessman, Scott Wheeler, had the river house split in two, raised from the river and trucked back home to Surry to crown a new commercial/restaurant center near the ferry piers on the James. When Wheeler’s project failed to materialize, he donated the structure to The Surry County, Virginia, Historical Society and
See WHARF page 29
western branch magazine 29
WHARF continued from page 28
Museums Inc. in 2005. The cabin was tucked, temporarily, behind the Edwards production plant. Beginning in 2009, grants from the Beazley Foundation and the federal government enabled the society to launch a restoration of the cabin for use as a museum. Editor’s note: The preceding excerpt from the book “Truckin’ on the Western Branch: A Cultural History of Churchland, West Norfolk, Western Branch and Bowers Hill,” was reprinted with permission of the authors, Phyllis Speidell, John H. Sheally II and Karla Smith and publisher, Suffolk River Heritage. Copies of the book are available at a variety of area locations, including Bennett’s Creek Pharmacy, A. Dodson’s, 18th Century Merchant, Village Florist, Harris Tire and Hair by Andrea. For more information about Suffolk River Heritage and its other historical books about the area, visit www.cehfoundation.org.
A model shows the elaborate construction of the former Scotland Wharf building, which was located on the banks of the James River in Surry County.
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western branch
scene
At Tilted Kilt Our photographer spent a few hours out on the town one night recently and found some folks having fun at some of Western Branch’s favorite night spots. PHOTOS BY Sam Mizelle
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western branch magazine 31
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western branch
scene At right, from left, Antonio Moore, Will Hopkins, Jacob Rose, Matt Fussell, Patrick Wiley, James Journigan and Jess Marushia enjoy some guy time in front of the big screens; bottom right, from left, Joe Mitchell, Rosalie Mitchell, Dee Scherr, Marsha Ruth and Ed Hoffler are members of a shag club that meets at Big Woody’s on Friday nights; and, bottom left, from left, Allison Heine, James Baldwin, Ronnie Culpepper, Melanie Hacker, Derrick Bourdeaux and photo-bomber Jake Rose are having a lot of fun.
At Big Woody's Our photographer spent a few hours out on the town one night recently and found some folks having fun at some of Western Branch’s favorite night spots. PHOTOS BY Sam Mizelle
western branch magazine 33
At Skeleton Key Bar and Grille Our photographer spent a few hours out on the town one night recently and found some folks having fun at some of Western Branch’s favorite night spots. PHOTOS BY Sam Mizelle
western branch
scene
Clockwise, from left: Brent Harrison, Darlene Bowers and Carolyn Kowalski pal it up; Bruce Busila, Ronnie Culpepper and Jen Howard enjoy drinks at the bar; and Hunter Crane and Sarah Cochran take a quick break from cornhole.
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34 western branch magazine
through the lens: R.E. Spears III
Res Spears, editor of Western Branch Magazine, Suffolk Living magazine and the Suffolk News-Herald, grew up in Portsmouth and Suffolk and has spent most of his life around the area. As an adult, he started toting a camera on his travels in the community, appreciating the opportunity to tell stories about the area with photos, as well as words. Through the Lens is an opportunity for amateur and professional photographers to share their images of Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk. To have your photos considered for this feature, send an email to news@ westernbranchmagazine.com.
western branch magazine 35
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 certificate to any one of our partner advertisers. So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner. Go out and enjoy Western Branch!
36 western branch magazine
a view from the branch A phoenix from the ashes By Kathy Reagan Young
It’s an exciting time to live in Western Branch. There’s much “in the hopper” for our fair borough. In the last year and a half, there have been announcements of a new medical facility with a retail building next door, a storage facility and two new specialty grocery stores. The old theater building was bulldozed to make way for something new, and there is a proposed field house on the horizon, as well. The Portsmouth Boulevard widening has begun, there are several new residential projects taking shape and several more being proposed. There was a successful farmers' market this summer, bringing people out to meet each other, to hear some live music and to pick up some local produce and handmade goods. As further evidence of our forward motion, the publishers of the Suffolk News-Herald have launched a new glossy magazine, built specifically for Western Branch! Where once a community in decline stood, now a veritable phoenix is rising from the ashes. Our community has come together to rally both for and against things — all in an effort to improve or protect what we have here.
We pride ourselves on strong sports teams, great schools and a small-town, close-knit community feel. We’re a bedroom community: we all come here to sleep, but go elsewhere for work and entertainment. But there is a contingent of people — residents, developers, business people and City Council members — that has been working to bring more work and entertainment opportunities here, as well. We’re a community that celebrates and embraces its history, but we look to the future with hopeful enthusiasm. It’s in this spirit that we welcome the new Western Branch Magazine and all that a new magazine built around a community indicates: forward motion, prosperity and a vibrant and diverse business community. Here’s to us, Western Branch. Cheers! Kathy Reagan Young has lived in Western Branch for 16 years. She owns PR Plus, a marketing company specializing in writing services and out-of-the-box business development ideas for small businesses. You can contact her at Kathy@PRPlusMarketing.com.
western branch magazine 37
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Life and Living in Churchland and Western Branch
One of Hampton Roads' fastest growing communities, Western Branch has long since developed its own identity with a business community that is vibrant and diverse. Western Branch Magazine is the one publication they can call their own. Locally produced content is devoted exclusively to the people, events and happenings that makes the Western Branch area unique. DEADLINES
PUBLICATION
November 15 January 16 March 15 May 15 July 14 September 15
December 15 February 15 April 14 June 15 August 15 October 16
RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY!!
Call 757-934-9603 or email: Dana.Snow@SuffolkNewsHerald.com Great way to reach the Western Branch and Churchland communities!!
38 western branch magazine
scrapbook
Farming with the Lilleys: The Lilley family has been farming land in the Churchland/Western Branch area for generations. In an interview for “Trucking on the Western Branch,” Jimmy Lilley said, “When we were young, we had four to six hired hands and several tractors. Now, we don’t have the manpower, but the machinery is more sophisticated.” — Courtesy of Sue Woodward
western branch magazine 39
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