Teacher of the Year Redeeming radio and a prominent painter feb.-mar. 2017 • vol. 1, no. 2
2 western branch magazine
THANKS FOR THE CONFIDENCE YOU'VE SHOWN IN US!
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOU! Dr. J. Ryland Gwaltney
Dr. Steve A. Gwaltney
Dr. Whitney B. Gwaltney
• Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry • Digital Imaging and Photography
6
6
• Comprehensive Dental Care for Adults, Adolescents And Children
• Compassionate Experienced Staff
• Same Day Crowns
• Gentle, Pain Free Dentistry
• Nitrous Oxide Sedation for
• Ask About Our Whitening Special
Apprehensive Patients
Experience you can trust and courtesy you deserve!
COMING SOON!
1403 GREENBRIER PARKWAY • SUITE 110 CHESAPEAKE, VA Hours of Operation Monday through Friday: Lobby – 9 am to 2 pm • Drive In – 9 am to 5 pm ATM – 24 hour convenience
farmersbankva.com 757-242-6111
western branch magazine 3
Often the
TREASURE IS INSIDE.
The Village at Woods Edge
Small town charm. Engaging senior living.
Even when the surface of a thing is truly distinctive, we often need to look inside to find the real pearl (or the really delicious oyster). At The Village at Woods Edge, the beautiful countryside and the modern cottages and apartment homes may first catch your eye, but soon you’ll see there’s even more to this vibrant senior living community. To begin with, it’s a great value, offering unusually spacious residences, high-quality services and amenities, and a variety of classes and events to keep you happy and well. And there are activities, like in-season oyster roasts, that aren’t on the regular schedule but are among residents’ favorites. To arrange a visit and get started on finding your own favorite things here, call 757-745-4935 today.
1401 North High Street · Franklin, VA 23851 · 757-745-4935 · VillageAtWoodsEdge.com
16
february
what's inside?
2017
feature J. Robert Burnell grew up in the Westhaven community, just across the western branch of the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth. His memories of life along the water inform his very popular art to this day.
10 20
Radio days From just about anywhere in Western Branch, folks can listen to the four radio stations that are broadcast from the community. It’s a calling, say those who work there.
Science rocks Susan Hoofnagle Hodges does something incredible. She takes science and makes it fun and interesting for an audience — ninth-graders — that may be among the most jaded around.
Public servant Tim Fletcher has been a firefighter at Chesapeake’s Station 11 on Dock Landing Road for 20 years. He’s a fixture in the community.
Teacher of the Year Redeeming radio and a prominent painter feb.-mar. 2017 • vol. 1, no. 2
By R.E. Spears III
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
A view from the Branch Kathy Reagan Young takes a look at the “buy local” campaign and asks just what makes it so important.
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.
26 28 29
feb
2017 EDITORIAL R.E. Spears III Editor Tracy Agnew News Editor 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 Getting to know you As we put the final touches on our second edition of Western Branch Magazine, I was struck by the observation of how much more this publication, which endeavors to tell the story of this little part of the world, is about people than a place. Yes, it’s kind of an obvious thing. Sometimes I’m still surprised by obvious things, even obvious things that I’ve known for a long time. People make the community, perhaps more so than any architectural or natural features. Think of New York City, and skyscrapers surely come to mind, but I’ll bet some stereotype or another about New Yorkers follows close behind. Take the New Yorkers out of the equation and you’d lose all the charm and character that give that city so much zest. The same is surely true in Western Branch. The western branch of the Elizabeth River is a defining natural feature. Chesapeake Square Mall is well known. And it wouldn’t take you and I long to agree on a list of our top three restaurants in the community. All those things are part and parcel to what we think of when we think “Western Branch.” But it’s the people who make this place so special, and that’s what I like best about publishing a magazine like this. I get to meet so many wonderful people, and I get to know some great stories along the way. This time around, we’ll be looking at Western Branch through the eyes of one of Hampton Roads’ most famous and beloved artists, J. Robert Burnell, who grew up in the Westhaven community in Portsmouth, just on the other side of the river. Burnell used to watch his grandfather rake oysters from that river, and those scenes have informed much of his art ever since. From the river, head on over to Dock Landing Road, and you might see Tim Fletcher. A firefighter in Chesapeake for 30 years, Fletcher has worked out of Station 11 for two decades, and he loves to serve the community. Like Fletcher, Colleen Dick and her crew at Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corp., tucked away behind the Lowe’s Home Improvement Center on Portsmouth Boulevard, also value the chance to serve. They’re serving the community while serving God, and thousands of folks are listening every day. And then there’s Susan Hoofnagle Hodges, a science teacher at Western Branch High School, winner of the Secondary Teacher of the Year honor for Chesapeake Public Schools. Hodges serves the next generation by helping to inspire an interest in and love for science among her ninth-grade students. And that’s no mean feat. Thanks for picking up this edition of Western Branch Magazine. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know these folks as much as I have. 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
Open House • Feb 21 • Special Pricing GET READY FOR SUMMER SEE A SLIMMER YOU
Together we can do so much.
ELIMINATE FAT DURING YOUR LUNCH HOUR
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
(757) 483-6550 Book Online
www.skin2ospa.com
5833 Harbour View • Suffolk The Salvation Army
Relay For Life
• Durable Medical Equipment
BayPort is committed to supporting Hampton Roads’ communities.
(Sales - Service - Rentals)
• Holistic Products • Nurses Uniforms • Medical Massages • Lift Chairs LMS Medical Supplies, Inc Phone (757) 484-9448
The Smarter Way to Bank.
bayportcu.org Membership eligibility required. Certain restrictions apply. This credit union is federally insured by the NCUA.
8 western branch magazine
around the branch
coloring club FEBRuary 16 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
An adult coloring club will meet from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the adult room at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. Adult coloring pages are provided, along with colored pencils, watercolor pencils and gel pens. Matting materials for framing as well as refreshments are also provided.
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.
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.
February 18
BARKS (Books And Reading for Kids in Suffolk) will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. BARKS is a program that allows children to read aloud to therapy dogs to increase confidence and skill. Registration is required; visit www.suffolkpubliclibrary.com to register.
February 21
The Mix book group will meet at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Call 686-2538.
February 22
March 4
Seussation Celebration will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. Families with children ages 3 to 5 are invited for Dr. Seuss-themed games, treats and fun.
February 23
ESL (English as a Second Language) Café will meet at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W., from 6 to 7 p.m. Contact Karen Mills-Ellis at 686-2538 or millsk@portsmouthva.gov.
February 23
Boogie on the Bay Shag Club, a Portsmouthbased organization dedicated to promoting and preserving shag dancing and beach music, will begin a basic session of free shag lessons beginning March 7. Lessons are held on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at Big Woody’s Bar & Grill, 4200 Portsmouth Blvd. There is no cover, and no partner is required. There is no need to pre-register, but be prompt. Visit www.boogieonthebay.com or call 967-7740.
A Teen X-treme Game Night will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Contact Aren Gonzalez at 686-2538 or gonzaleza@portsmouthva.gov.
February 28
“Peanut Tank: Inventor and Entrepreneur Roundtable” will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. Participants will have 10 minutes to present their original invention or business concept to a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders who will provide feedback, guidance and suggestions. A $50 gift certificate to Ponoko, an on-demand manufacturing service, will be awarded to the panel’s favorite product or business. Registration is required; visit www. suffolkpubliclibrary.com to register.
February 28
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.
March 3
The 31st annual Arbor Day Ceremony and celebration will take place at Tidewater Community College’s Chesapeake Campus, 1428 Cedar Road, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can watch a tree planting demonstration, receive a free tree seedling and experience the natural environment TCC Chesapeake offers. Visitors can also recycle plastic bags and have photographs taken with “Chessie,” the Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism mascot. No registration is necessary. Visit www.cityofchesapeake.net/ceic.
Picnic & Play will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road. Bring a bag lunch and drink for an indoor picnic, then enjoy playtime with bubbles, hula hoops, jump ropes and more.
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.
ONGOING
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at locations around the area, including in Chesapeake. Help keep Chesapeake beautiful by involving your group in a cleanup or beautification project. Trash bags and other materials are provided. Call 382-6411 or visit www. cityofchesapeake.net/ceic for more information.
The Adult Coloring Society will meet from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Call Durrell McNeal at 686-2538.
March 1
The Great American Cleanup will be held
March 7
March 7
March 23
A Teen X-treme Game Night will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Churchland branch of Portsmouth Public Library, 4935 High St. W. Contact Aren Gonzalez at 686-2538 or gonzaleza@portsmouthva.gov.
March 25
Area 42 Toastmasters will have a speech contest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Toastmasters clubs in Portsmouth, Suffolk and Chesapeake will come together to host the 2017 Table Topics and International Speech Contests. Members will demonstrate the communication skills and confidence they have gained through Toastmasters. There will be food and fun, and the event is free and open to the public. Contact Keisha Cutler, Area 42 director, at area42@district66.org.
10 western branch magazine
Ligh
western branch magazine 11
Doc Christian, left, and T.L. Chisholm host “Midday Merger,” a new show on WTJZ-Praise 104.9, one of four stations operated by Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corp. from a building on Jolliff Road.
ht for the
airwaves
Story & Photos by R.E. Spears III
Commercial radio in Hampton Roads is packed with rock and roll, hip hop, jazz and just about every other kind of secular music one could desire. But there’s a building tucked away in a corner of Western Branch where a small group of broadcasters is dedicated to sharing light over the airwaves through an array of radio stations that feature primarily Christian programming. It’s a for-profit operation, but the folks who work there tend to look at it as a calling. “It’s a ministry, as well as a job,” says General Manager Colleen Dick, who has been with Chesapeake-Ports-
mouth Broadcasting Corp. for 16 years. “I find great fulfillment when we can make a difference in listeners’ lives.” For Dick, many of the shows her stations air are like old friends. “Radio was always a part of my life,” she says, noting that she grew up listening to J. Vernon McGee, Joni Eareckson Tada, “Adventures in Odyssey” and many of the other programs listeners can still hear. “Some of the people on our most popular programs — they’re no longer here, they’re in heaven — but their shows are still around,” she says. See RADIO page 12
12 western branch magazine RADIO continued from page 11
She hopes that listeners around the area receive a similar blessing to what she has received from those shows throughout the years. “We’re there to equip believers,” she says — and not as a replacement for church. “We’re there to get them what they need to get through the week.” Dick is the public face of the stations — there are four broadcasting from the building — but the folks people probably know best are the voices they hear from their radios when they tune in. There’s John Fredericks, whose morning show can be heard on WHKT, which also features conservative talk shows by Laura Ingraham, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, Dennis Prager and Steve Deace. Over on WPMH, listeners will hear Christian teaching and discussions from Adrian Rogers, James MacDonald, John MacArthur, Charles Stanley and many other pastors and conservative leaders. WWIP blends Christian teaching and ministry by David Jeremiah, Alistair Begg
Doc Christian makes notes about what he’ll say during the next break in music during his show with T.L. Chisholm. Meanwhile, she keeps listeners engaged on the show’s various social media accounts.
and others with contemporary Christian music. And WTJZ features contemporary Gospel music. That station recently launched a new local show, Midday Merger, with hosts
Doc Christian and T.L. Chisholm. They are an unusual pair — Christian has 48 years of radio experience, and Chisholm is a former nuclear engineer who says her pastor father was the first See RADIO page 13
You can have 24/7 power protection with a Generac® Automatic Standby Generator
Complimentary retirement plan reviews Van Haislip
A permanently installed Generac® automatic standby generator protects your family and home from damaging, dangerous power outages.
Financial Advisor .
3300 Tyre Neck Rd Suite L Portsmouth, VA 23703 757-483-3204 www.edwardjones.com MKT-5894F-A-A1
Member SIPC
western branch magazine 13 RADIO continued from page 12
Colleen Dick, general manager for ChesapeakePortsmouth Broadcasting’s local radio stations, considers the largely Christian-based programming a blessing and a ministry.
African-American to build a robot — but it’s the merging of their particular talents that gives the show its energy. With Christian cueing the music and doing much of the voice work, Chisholm handles social media posts on her phone and a laptop while digging up background information they will share during the next break in the music. Christian brings the old school, and Chisholm brings the new. “We want to bridge the gap,” Chisholm says. “We want to communicate the Gospel in an effective way Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting WWIP — 89.1FM that reaches our WPMH — 1010AM and 96.9FM youth.” WHKT— 1650AM and 92.5FM Christian, who WTJZ — 1270AM and 104.9FM is also the program manager for WTJZ, says it’s important to remember that the station is a business. “I’m not here at the radio station to save souls,” he says. “We want to give people a reason to turn us on. We’ve got to have a product that wins. You might be compelled to move a little closer to Christ, but you’re not going to feel like we bashed you.” Typically for their radio relationship, Chisholm has a slightly different way of looking at it. “I’m kind of different from Doc, who manages the station,” she says. “I want to do ministry.” Down at the end of Jolliff Road, there’s a lot of that going on.
NANSEMOND-SUFFOLK ACADEMY E N G A G E . I N S P I R E . E M P OW E R .
Smiling is Good for Life
Affording a private education is easier than you think. Visit our website to learn more about our tuition assistance program. Now enrolling for the 2017-2018 academic year.
www.nsacademy.org
757.539.8789
Dr. Jana Boyd Family Dentistry
Jana Boyd D.D.S. 2900 Godwin Blvd. Suffolk, VA 23434 Phone 757-539-1588 • Fax 757-539-2649 www.janaboyddds.com
14 western branch magazine
in the news
Officials with Bon Secours and the city of Chesapeake wield shovels to break ground on Dec. 12 for a new medical facility on Taylor Road.
Lightshine Music Academy
OPEN HOUSE Come out and help us celebrate the opening of our new location. We have been teaching private and group piano, violin, viola, and cello lessons since 2003 in Western Branch.
Saturday March 4th 10am-2pm 2200 Jolliff Rd., Chesapeake, VA 23321.
We are located 1.2 miles from our original location in a charming farmhouse just north of Portsmouth Blvd., near Lowe's. Turn left after the mailbox and proceed down the long driveway.
757.465.0415
LightshineJim@gmail.com
Get Your Ducks In A Row In 2017 Our team has over 20 years of experience in taxes and accounting and specializes in assisting our business clients in managing their business operations, maintaining customer relations, as well as overseeing their accounting. We are a trusted source driven to provide you with unrivaled tax and bookkeeping services.
Experts in Business Bookkeeping, Payroll, Personal & Business Taxes Notary Services
757-405-0216 4819 Portsmouth Blvd. Portsmouth, VA 23701 Bookkeeping & Tax Service, Inc. westbrooktax.com
WESTBROOK
western branch magazine 15
Bon Secours breaks ground on building Story and photography by Tracy Agnew
Bon Secours broke ground on Dec. 12 on a new medical plaza on Taylor Road in Chesapeake. The two-story, 30,000-square-foot medical facility will include primary care and physical therapy services. It is expected to be fully open this summer. “I think this is a great opportunity for Bon Secours to continue to expand our ministry,” Michael Kerner, chief executive officer for Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System. “We see this as a growing area.” Kerner said the system has been looking at the area as a place to expand for a long time. The new building will feature an InMotion Physical Therapy office, which will relocated to the first floor from Chesapeake Square. Two primary care practices —
"I think this is a great opportunity for Bon Secours to continue to expand our ministry. We see this as a growing area." Michael Kerner — CEO, Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System
Internists of Western Branch and Western Branch Family Practice — will relocate to the second floor. They are currently located on Raintree Road and Taylor Road, respectively. Julie Kosiorek, administrative director for Bon Secours InMotion Physical Therapy, said the expansion will help patients in need of sports medicine as well as rehabilitation services after surgery.
Handcrafted Jewelry
Handcrafted & Custom Designed Jewelry Jewelry & Watch Repairs & Appraisals Hours are also Tuesday – Friday from 10-5 and Saturday from 10-3 3304 Taylor Road, suite F Chesapeake, Va 23321 757-484-2411 www.LeighAllynJewelers.com
The expanded practice will be especially useful as Baby Boomers continue to age yet want to stay active, she said. Aiding recovery from joint replacement surgery is a common service for InMotion. Kerner said the growth in the practices that will be moving, as well as general growth in the Western Branch area, encouraged Bon Secours to open the new building. Expanding the practices eventually will bring from 5 to 10 additional jobs, he added. “These kinds of facilities are going to be a vital part of our lives,” Chesapeake Vice Mayor Richard West said during the groundbreaking. The project represents a $12.5-million investment by Robinson Development Group. A 5,600-square-foot retail building also will be built as part of the project.
The Perfect Solution For Keeping Your Suffolk Business Clean.
16 western branch magazine
feature story The reality of
J. Robert Burnell
western branch magazine 17 Story by Phyllis Speidell Photos by John H. Sheally II
J. Robert Burnell may have saltwater — or at least brackish water —running through his veins. The prolific artist, who has studied and painted across the country, says his art and life were greatly influenced by his childhood on the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River and by his two grandfathers, both watermen. Burnell, 87, grew up in Westhaven along the river. At that time Westhaven, as well as many other neighborhoods now in the western half of Portsmouth and the Western Branch section of Chesapeake, were all part of the old Norfolk County. Capt. Jim Washington Burnell, his paternal grandfather, was a waterman living on Scott’s Creek. Burnell remembers when Cap’n Jim owned the oyster grounds from the Churchland Bridge into the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River. Those were the days, he says, when Western Branch oysters rivaled the famed Lynnhaven oysters for popularity in the northern markets. Early on, Cap’n Jim harvested oysters for J.H. Miles Seafood and Co., a seafood processor in Norfolk who shipped the oysters on ice to Europe. When World War II and German torpedo attacks on freighters killed that market, Cap’n See BURNELL page 18
Hampton Roads artist J. Robert Burnell said, “I never wanted to be famous — I wanted my paintings to be famous.” He got both. Below is a mural he painted at Point Farm on the Eastern Shore.
18 western branch magazine BURNELL continued from page 17
Jim changed his strategy. He would harvest all the oysters he could in a single day, and then take the rest of the week for a roundtrip delivery run by boat to Baltimore. Robert Hudson, Burnell’s maternal grandfather, was a waterman at heart. After retiring from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Hudson rowed his wooden boat, a heavy 16-footer, out on the Western Branch six days a week. He fished for croaker and spot, often with a young Robert by his side. The elder Burnell was 88 years old before he finally bought a five-horsepower outboard. When the tide went out, the pair would go after soft crabs or set a net to haul in mullet to salt and store in ceramic crocks for winter meals. Burnell spent his childhood on the water, restoring cast-off boats, exploring the river and waterskiing along the Western Branch. He remembers the river freezing over in
the late 1930s. He and two cousins dared to walk across the frozen river to what is now the Chesapeake side. He also remembers walking a railroad trestle from Westhaven to what is now the eastern end of Bruce Road. “We put our ears to the tracks to hear a train coming,” Burnell says. “We were lucky that none came while we were on the trestle.” Burnell grew from a boy with a moth boat into an avid and skilled sailor with a studio full of sailing awards. He often sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and never missed a Cock Island race until 2014, when he finally sold the last of his sailboats. He was often a spectator at the hydroplane races that roared down the river when the speedboats were in their heyday. Fans regarded the river as the Charlotte Motor Speedway of hydroplane racing. Few people remember that before Burnell became what he calls “serious”
about his art in the late 1960s he worked in the family flooring business and studied architecture. He did architectural renderings and launched Interior Contractors to restore and build facilities on the Naval Base, and he built homes in Sterling Point, Green Meadow Point and Nags Head. Above all else, Burnell remains an artist, a man who needs to work with his hands. Growing up in the Depression years, he learned to create what he could not afford to buy. When he was about 10, he created his first painting in house paints on the back of a Leggett gift box. “I am a realist in art and in life,” he says. Burnell sees the world through the lens of reality. He spends hours researching historic records to get the details right in his historic landscapes. He has sailed aboard skipjacks, deadrises and almost every other workboat on the Chesapeake Bay, working and watching to capture the fine points of the craft and the men aboard them. Buddy Martin, a Western Branch See BURNELL page 19
western branch magazine 19 BURNELL continued from page 18
resident and long-time Burnell friend, remembers 40 years ago when he and Burnell shared an office on Churchland Boulevard. “We had a long hallway where Bobby would, even then, practice his painting,” he recalled. “He did a painting of the train station in West Norfolk and showed me how he painted the tracks to almost disappear in the distance. Then he painted a tree at the end of the tracks to help the perspective. He was always into visual details like that.” For years, Burnell taught art classes at Tidewater Community College. He still teaches free weekly classes at the Westhaven Baptist Church in Portsmouth, where Sunday mornings find him sitting in his late mother’s seat in the fourth pew back. “I don’t want to be famous,” he has said repeatedly. “I just want my art to be famous.” Burnell may be one of the few who achieve their life goal — thanks, in part, to the lessons learned on the Western Branch.
When J. Robert Burnell was growing up, his grandfather harvested oysters along the Elizabeth River. Memories like that inspire much of Burnell’s work, like this piece, “Taking Oysters on the Western Branch 1913.”
Photographer John H. Sheally II and writer Phyllis Speidell worked with J. Robert Burnell to create his biography “The Reality of J. Robert Burnell – His Life and his Art,” released in October. You can find the
fully illustrated book at the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center gift shop in downtown Portsmouth, at all three A. Dodson’s locations, at Hartung Gallery in Portsmouth and at the Crittenden Frame in Eclipse.
20 western branch magazine
Susan Hoofnagle Hodges, Chesapeake Public Schools’ 2016-17 Secondary Teacher of the Year, reviews weather instruments with some of her students, including Seth Huthmaker, Natalie Chew, Megan Criddle, Jerrell Coppock and Alexis Hennings.
western branch magazine 21
Earth science,
inspired Teacher of the year energizes students
Story by Tracy Agnew Photos by R.E. Spears III
In an earth science classroom at Western Branch High School, rocks aren’t just rocks, tectonic plates aren’t just part of the earth and latitude and longitude aren’t just lines on a map. When you have a teacher like Susan Hoofnagle Hodges, it’s hard not to be excited about earth science. The rocks seem to come to life with talk of the fossils that can be found in them and of the dinosaurs that lived long ago. Tectonic plates shift and cause earthquakes. Latitude and longitude are the lines that help track hurricanes. Most of all, Hodges herself stays high-energy and excited about her work. “It’s not just rocks,” said Hodges, who is in her 24th year of teaching and was the 2016-2017 Secondary Teacher of the Year for Chesapeake Public Schools. “The kids love fossils. That’s just a little piece of it, but you hook them in with that. Who wants to be in a boring class?” Hodges majored in geology in college after being inspired during a field camp trip to Colorado. But she knew it would be difficult to get a job in Virginia with that major, unless she became a teacher, so she ended up getting her master’s degree in science education. See TEACHER page 22
22 western branch magazine TEACHER continued from page 21
She decided she liked having summers off, and it was convenient for her family once she had children — Kit, now a junior, and Artie, a freshman — both of whom attend Western Branch. She has taught at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk and Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, but she feels she’s found her home in Western Branch, where she’s taught for seven years now. “I’m from Western Branch, so it was nice to come home again,” she said. Hodges likes to inspire her students with fun experiments, like blowing bubbles on the desks with dish soap and a straw and measuring the splat after the bubble pops. She teaches a lot of cross-curricular skills — like using latitude and longitude to map and track earthquakes and hurricanes and to attempt to predict where the next ones will happen. But for Hodges, the most fun is seeing a student transform, not just in their knowledge of earth science but also in their organizational skills and inspiration to do well. Hodges said she frequently has former students stop by her class and tell her how well they’re doing in all of their other classes — even English, math and history — thanks to the skills they learned in her class. “The most rewarding part is seeing the light bulb go on,” she said. “That’s the big moment, because it happens every semester.”
Susan Hoofnagle Hodges, the 2016-17 Secondary Teacher of the Year for Chesapeake Public Schools, is flanked by Superintendent Dr. James T. Roberts, left, and Chesapeake Public Schools Board Chairman Jeff Bunn, right.
Alzheimer's is diagnosed through a complete medical assessment. If you or a loved one have concerns about memory loss or other symptoms of Alzheimer's or dementia, it is important to be evaluated by a physician.
Physicians Specializing in General Neurology and Sleep Disorders 5839 Harbour View Blvd, Suite 201 Suffolk, VA 23435
Rajiv Nanavaty, MD and his Nurse Practitioner, Lacey Lyle, FNP
757-967-0676
www.SuffolkNeuro.com
150 Burnett's Way, Suite 320 Suffolk, VA 23434
757-934-1900
western branch magazine 23
Baron's Pub
189 N. Main St., Suffolk, VA (757) 934-3100 OPEN DAILY : 10 AM - 1 AM
UNCORK'D
115 W. Washington St., Suffolk, VA 757-539-5397
OPEN: Tues-Sat 11 AM - 7 PM / Closed Sun & Mon
Quality Care Using a Gentle Touch
Brighter Day Cafe 118 N. Main St., Suffolk, VA 757-925-2023
OPEN: Mon-Sat 10:30 AM - 7 PM / CLOSED - Sun
The Tea Room
• Personal Care Services • Light Housekeeping • Laundry & Change Linens Offering Classes for Patient Care Assistants • Medication Reminders CALL NOW! • Meal Preparation & Cleanup • Respite Care for Caregivers 140 W. Washington St. Suite 108, Suffolk, VA | 757-934-6717
201 Prentis St., Suffolk, VA 757-404-6545 By Reservation Only
Salvatore's Pizzeria & Italian Restorante
Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 920 N. Main St. | 757-539-6111
HOURS: Sun-Mon: 7AM - 10PM / Fri & Sat: 11AM -11PM
24 western branch magazine
western branch
scene
Heather Brenaman and Toni Willoughby
At Chesapeake Square Tilted Kilt and Big Woody’s at Chesapeake Square Mall are popular hangout spots, especially on the weekends. PHOTOS BY TRACY AGNEW
Terell and Mina Watson
Marissa Clark and David Smith
Sam St. Juste and Richard Siri
western branch magazine 25
Richard Siri, Priscilla Castillo, Alicia Ouellette, Heather Brenaman, Cristian Onate and Harry Edelstein
Se habla espaĂąol
26 western branch magazine
public servant
Story and photo by Allison T. Williams
If you live in Western Branch, there’s a good chance you’ve run into Chesapeake Master Firefighter Tim Fletcher. A 30-year veteran of the Chesapeake Fire Department, Fletcher has worked out of Station 11 on Dock Landing Road for the past 20 years. He also lives in Western Branch, close enough to work that he occasionally rides his bicycle to the station. Through the years, he has been active in several local organizations, including the Marlin Swim Club and as a coach for the Western Branch Soccer Club. He also volunteered with Boy Scout Troop 16 in Driver during the years his son, Trevor — an Eagle Scout and current sophomore at Christopher Newport University — was active with the troop. Almost as soon as he joined the fire department in 1986, Fletcher knew he had found his calling. “I enjoy being part of a team that goes out every day to help people mitigate their crises,” Fletcher said. “I love this community … and I enjoy serving my neighbors, my friends, my kids’ friends.” Battling fires and helping save lives on rescue calls may be the most publicized parts of firefighters’ work. But the daily, more mundane activities that get overlooked are equally important: installing car seats in vehicles, performing blood pressure checks for anyone who stops at the fire station and asks, and doing the community outreach associated with taking fire engines to schools and community events. “We want people to interact with us, to know who we are and what we do,”
At work, close to home
Fletcher said. “It’s particularly important for kids, who may be apprehensive of people in uniform, to understand what firefighters do. We want them to know we’re their friend.” Fletcher is on a six-member committee working on a major conversion to upgrade the fire department’s self-contained breathing apparatus, the air cylinders and breathing masks that firefighters wear into hazardous situations. He expects that project will take about a year. Fletcher says he is grateful to citizens, who have shown their appreciation for firefighters’ services with random handshakes in a Walmart parking lot or by dropping off freshly-baked cookies at Christmas. Do you know a public servant in Western Branch who deserves to be highlighted in this feature? Send an email to news@ westernbranchmagazine.com.
Master Firefighter Tim Fletcher has been a member of the Chesapeake Fire Department for 30 years. He has spent the past two decades at Station 11 on Dock Landing Road.
western branch magazine 27
through the lens: Jen Jaqua
Jen Jaqua is a page designer for Suffolk Publications. A resident of Norfolk, Jaqua is a U.S. Navy veteran who studied graphic design at Tidewater Community College. A highlight of her time in the Navy was meeting former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush aboard the aircraft carrier named for the elder Bush. She enjoys every opportunity to grab a camera and capture great images. We’re always looking for amateur and professional photographers to feature on this page. To have your photos considered, email news@westernbranchmagazine.com.
28 western branch magazine
a view from the branch Buy Local: What does it really mean? By Kathy Reagan Young
Here in “The Branch,” we’re working toward a revitalization. We’ve lived through the original surge of interest in our borough, which was solidified with the building of the Chesapeake Square Mall in 1989. A hodge-podge of commercial endeavors with no apparent plan for aesthetic continuity followed. There were many national retailers and a few mom and pops. There is a call now to “buy local.” But what does that mean, exactly, how can it help to revitalize our community and why should it be important to us? Well, here are some statistics that might help to shed some light on the answers to those questions: • Small businesses accounted for 65 percent of all net new jobs during the past 17 years. • Small businesses employ 77 million Americans. • Eighty-nine percent of consumers agree that independent businesses contribute positively to local economies. • Residential neighborhoods served by a successful independent business district gained, on average, 50 percent more in home value than their citywide markets. • Independent retailers return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales than chain competitors. Independent restaurants return more than two times as much money per dollar of sales than national restaurant chains. • If independent businesses regained
their 1990 market shares, it would create 200,000 new small businesses, generate nearly $300 billion in revenues and employ more than 1.6 million American workers. • If just half the U.S. employed population spent $50 each month in locally owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. • For every square foot a local firm occupies, the local economy gains $179, versus $105 for a chain store. (Sources: Small Business Administration; Intuit Small Business Innovation Study; American Express OPEN Independent Retail Index; Civic Economics/American Booksellers Association, U.S. Department of Labor) Although it may be more expensive to buy local, that is just in the short term. There are a number of positive long-term benefits that may be overlooked. By keeping our money in the local economy, a higher percentage of the money actually stays here, both in taxes and in local spending. Those local business owners not only pay taxes here locally, they spend here locally, maintaining those dollars right here where we need them. Additionally, this can mean growth in the number of local businesses and jobs. And don’t forget, franchise owners are local businesses, as well. More money in taxes can translate to more civic improvements, including investments made in schools, beautification proj-
ects, sponsorship of arts in the community and the ability to support our own friends and neighbors. And those friends and neighbors that we’re supporting by utilizing their stores and services share our common interests and are therefore much more likely to contribute toward local causes. By the way, these local businesses are owned by volunteer firemen, Little League coaches, church choir directors and scout leaders — people already involved in the betterment of our community. We should help them not only survive, but thrive. It behooves us all. 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 29
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!
30 western branch magazine
Last Edition’s Where Am I? If you’re a bowler — or if you ever catch the Pughsville ramp to or from I-664 — it’s likely you’ve seen the white stars painted on the side of AMF Western Branch Lanes. Marsha Nowells of Chesapeake recognized this one, and her name was randomly chosen from those who guessed correctly. She’s won a $25 gift card for the effort. For your chance to win, check out Page 29 for this edition’s Where Am I challenge.
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.
Hear Like Nature Intended FREE Hearing Tests FREE Lifetime Service FREE Repairs FREE Batteries & Insurance for 1 Year All major insurances accepted
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!
Your Hometown Hearing Specialists Family Owned & Operated in Hampton Roads since 2001 Mention This Ad for a BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE New 100% Digital Hearing Aids **Offer expires April 14, 2017**
Chesapeake & Suffolk (757) 312-8100 Portsmouth/Churchland (757) 484-7111 *All Offices By Appointment Only*
www.BeltoneHR.com
Bari Grohler, Josh Grohler on left, Zachary Grohler on right
50% OFF FIRST MONTH RENT!! Conveniently located off I-664 at the Pughsville Rd. Exit.10 www.harbourviewselfstorage.com Boat/RV &Vehicle Parking On-site Property Manager Convenient Drive-Up Units Customer Appreciation Events Deliveries Accepted
Access 7 Days a week U-Haul Truck & Trailer Rentals Business Lounge w/Coffee Bar & WiFi Climate-Controlled Units Customer Referral Program
24Hr Video Surveillance Locks, Boxes, & Moving Supplies Copy & Fax Services Notary Public No Deposit-No Admin Fees Business Storage Solutions
757-638-3600 3101 Bromay Street Chesapeake, VA
Ask About Our $25 Refer A Friend Program!
western branch magazine 31
scrapbook
Artist Alfred Rudolph Waud, who lived from 1828 to 1891, drew these pencil sketches, probably in 1861, on the front and back of a piece of white paper. One side shows the steamships Peabody and Georgianna. The obverse has sketches of Craney Island, circa the Civil War. Craney Island was fortified during the War of 1812 and was the site of an important battle during that conflict. The sketches were part of a gift to the Library of Congress from financier J.P. Morgan, who had held them as part of his collection of Civil War drawings. — Courtesy of the Library of Congress
If your pet had a medical emergency, would you know where to go?
757.935.9111
When minutes count – count on The COVE. A world-class 24/7 animal emergency and specialty hospital – in your own backyard. Advanced care by referral: + Cardiology + ER/Critical Care + Dentistry + Surgery Located 1/4 mile from Hwy 664 N. @ College Drive exit.
6550 Hampton Roads Pkwy, #113 • Suffolk, VA 23435 • thecovevets.com Jeff Stallings, DVM, DACVS • Merrilee Small, DVM, DACVIM (Cardiology) Shelley Smith, DVM, DACVECC • Colleen Fox, DVM