Greater Richmond Grid#10

RICHMOND CENTERSTAGEʼS

RICHARD M. PARISON JR. ON YEAR 2’s FETE OF FETES

ACTiVE

SMOKING HOT!

OFF THE HOOKAH

RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

Patrick Henry Half Marathon

IS A CANAL CROWD PLEASER

ASHLAND’S SCENIC RUN

“OH NO SHE DIDNʼT!”

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CONNECTING LIVE + WORK + PLAY

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Second

SMCRVA Turns Two

BLOGS BOOKS FAMILY FASHION BIZ SAVVY INNOVATORS RESTAURANTS SOCIAL MEDIA

FREE | ISSUE #10 | JUL/AUG 2011

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ALSO ON THE GRID:

Spe ci

Shouldnʼt we get a Foursquare badge for this or something?

THE ART OF URBAN

THE ANTHEM MOONLIGHT RIDE OFFERS A FANTASY OF FAMILY FUN

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RichmondJobNet.com is now on Facebook!

We’ve brought your favorite Greater Richmond job search website to Facebook.

Search for jobs, enter weekly contests and browse our Twitter feed from our new page!

.com/richmondjobnet

LIVE

LIVE CONTENTS

Greater Richmond

Grid

JANUARY, MARCH, MAY, JULY, SEPTEMBER & NOVEMBER

On the Grid

SOCIAL MEDIA Virginia is for App Lovers

is published in the months of

+

Making Ugly Pretty

Greater Richmond Grid

Just why are Sharif Ewees and Brian Forrester seeking poorly‑designed websites?

Executive Publisher Ted Randler 804‑355‑1236

page 4

Ted@RichmondGrid.com

Hot Tweets

ACTiVE

Richmond Tweeple

RVA’S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

page 5

Executive Publisher David Smitherman 804‑355‑1035

Celebrating Two Years of Social Media Club Richmond

Dave@RichmondGrid.com

page 6

Palari Publishing Interns:

Colleen Callery | Caroline Robey

#DadChat: Tweet by tweet, being a dad in RVA is becoming an easier gig of late.

Go to

Richmond Grid.com for a complete listing of the magazine’s distribution locations throughout the Greater Richmond Region.

Also online, connect with Grid’s writers and photographers.

page 8

DESIGN FORWARD The Art of Urban Innovation: RVA Downtown Development Snapshot 2011

T0 ADVERTISE CALL

804-355-1035 General comments, story suggestions and letters to the editor for publication consideration should be directed to Ted Randler at Ted@RichmondGrid.com.

PO Box 9288 Richmond VA 23227 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

Opinions, views, treatments, diet regi‑ mens and business recommendations or resources represented in any aspect of this publication are those of the authors or advertisers and are not an endorse‑ ment by Palari Publishing LLP.

Social Media Key

INDICATES MEMBERSHIP TO

twitter.com www.myspace.com www.facebook.com www.youtube.com www.linkedin.com

Before, After & Beyond

B

esides sounding like something Buzz Lightyear would say as he zooms off in his futuristic rocket suit, I thought “before, after and beyond” summed up this issue of second an‑ niversaries and innovation in RVA. Iʼve always been fascinated with before‑and‑after photos for anything actually̶home remod‑ els, weight loss, facelifts, urban planning. I suppose the fun is the graphic representation of progress.

So naturally we had a blast building the special section The Art of Urban Innovation: RVA Downtown Development Snap‑ shot 2011 [ page 9 ]. Besides cre‑ ating the boomlet of cool new spaces now available for living, many Richmond developers have embraced their projectʼs unique character and history in the recon‑ figured spaces. Yesterdayʼs store‑ fronts and warehouses become todayʼs living spaces. So we have lots of fun before‑and‑after images Ted Randler

RICHMONDMOM.COM MAGAZINE

BY TED RANDLER

of innovative design.

Speaking of architecture and history, the performing arts landmark Richmond CenterStage is celebrat‑ ing a second year at its stunning Downtown complex. We caught up with executive director and CEO Richard Parison Jr. [ page 26 ] to dis‑ cuss the upcoming celebration as well as his vision for the centerʼs future.

And here we are at issue num‑ ber 10 which completes Gridʼs sophomore year of covering the very best of all things innovative and creative that RVA has to offer in arts, entertainment, business and living.

Also acknowledging a second year milestone is Social Media Club Richmond [ page 6 ]. Who knew that the impulsive and highly‑per‑ sonal interaction of social media would churn into such an intrigu‑ ing, diverse and sometimes mad‑ capped series of networking events spanning topics from entrepre‑ neurship to philanthropy?

David Smitherman

A Working Mom ’s Internal Struggl e

Weighing the Positive s

& Negatives: Not Allgust July/Au Questio ns Have 2011 • Volume Concret 1 •e Answer Issue 5 s• #5

Keeping the Fai

th

Children’s Challenging Questions Inspire a Parent’s Epiphany had lunch

I

with a dear friend of mine yesterday, Nicole Unice of TheStub‑ bornServant.com . (She used to write for Richmo ndmom.com and edited Richmon d Rocks then I lost her when she became so darn popular, but I digress.)

Nicole is also a Richmond mom‑of‑three, writer, and kin‑ dred spirit from whom I always glean insight and sometim es leave our time togethe r ex‑ hausted from her infectious en‑ ergy and ridiculo us productivity.

(The girl is up, ran five miles and wrote two thousan d words before my head lifted from the morning pillow. But I digress again.)

Our convers ation drifted from our work to our kids and husbands and the crazines s of juggling it all and still finding time to shop for cute shoes.

(Kid‑ ding. But we do share a love of great shoes.)

Kate Hall, publisher

But Iʼve neve r let my waver‑ ing faith affec t my kids; even though weʼv e not been to church in a while...

So why have

I kept up this front with my

kids even though my own faith was at

But Iʼve never let my waver‑ ing faith affect my kids; even though weʼve not been to church in a while (honestl y, I got tired of dragging everyon e there unwill‑ ingly) I find ways to work God into their every day lives as much as I can:

In This Issue Mastering Multiples & Moves

Cheryl Lage picks up child-rearing stratedgy at her kids’ Tae Kwon Do class.

Honey, God wants us to be kind to everyon e, even if we donʼt feel like it.

Who put the salt in the ocean? God did, of course, he cre‑ ated everything.

Why did God earthquake happen make that in Japan? I donʼt always understand the plan, honey, but I know He has one.

So why have I kept up this front with my kids even though my own faith was at times worn quite thin?

When we talked This irony hadnʼt about her struck me work at Hope until my meeting Church, from with Nicole, train‑ ing summer but now I underst interns to her and that by inspi‑ ration writing showin g my to her teamma kids strong tes exam‑ there, her face ples of the lit up, and then ways I feel the question just God works in our popped out lives̶even of my when mouth and into I had doubts̶ her lap: “How they would do pelled to you remain so choose to ask, particul faithful?” follow a stronge arly since my own faith r path in life. has admittedly di‑ minished over “I canʼt resist,” the last couple she said. “My of faith is an incredib years for a variety I just need to ly strong feel‑ of reasons. remind myself ing that I canʼt of that a little get enough of.” more often, It gives me goosebu and cling like a magnet Iʼve always had mps just think‑ a lot of faith to the inspira‑ ing about her in God, but it lingering words. had been particu‑ tionals, like Nicole, who, ever a larly tested–t stubborn servant hrough things , threads her that faith happened to It was a question into every aspect me and some I felt com‑ of her life, that I then brought upon lives every day myself. like itʼs her last on earth.

times worn quite thin?

ROCKSTAR MAKES LIFE HAPPE

Richmondmom’s RockstarN! Melanie Frank has a full-time “outside” volunteers for multiple job, organizations, and to the community gives back every day.

Richmondmom.co Calendar of Eventsm

: PAIGE STEVENS

ACTiVE RVA’s Recreation & Wellness Community & ACTiVERVA.com © 2011 by Palari Publishing LLP

page 9

PHOTO | KATE H ALL HEADSHOT

Greater Richmond Grid & RichmondGrid.com

Updates on 42 developments and featuring a catalog of QR‑codes to connect you to chic living spaces.

A new online option offers all the upcoming events for kids.

The Challenge Children Caring of for Parents Requires Patience, Perspective & Empat hy RICHMONDMOM

.COM 17

Keeping the Faith Childrenʼs Challenging Questions Inspire a Parentʼs Epiphany

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Mastering Multiples & Moves Cheryl Lage picks up child‑rearing strategy at her kidsʼ Tae Kwon Do class.

R I C H M O N D

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WORK CONTENTS

Virginia is for App Lovers

BIZ SAVVY Regional Business News page 20

Legal Brief: ‘Because Breaking Up is Hard to Do’ It is fairly easy to terminate an underperforming employee.

It is another thing for an owner of a private company to show a co‑owner to the door.

page 21

Just Ask Peter: ‘Not All PDFs Are Created Equal’ page 22

COMPANIES & CAREERS

M

ove over Silicon Valley, the word is out̶Vir‑ ginia is for mobile app makers. While certainly not as high profile as the high‑tech businesses of Northern California, the Com‑ monwealth has its share of home‑ grown success stories.

Letʼs face it though, just about everyone with a computer now claims to be able to hatch a mobile app overnight. In a cluttered mar‑ ket, however, there are a number of lesser‑known and creative utility apps designed with one goal in mind̶to help Virginians get out and explore.

The Virginia Tourism Corpo‑ ration, for example, recently be‑ came the first statewide mobile travel guide of its kind, placing 12,000 attractions and events into the palm of your hand with its Vir‑ ginia is for Lovers iPhone app.

Available for free at the iTunes store, users can enjoy info about accommodations and restaurants by using the appʼs “Near me” fea‑

ture (venues within a 15‑mile ra‑ dius), as well as special offers and customer reviews.

To launch the iPhone and iPad app, the Virginia Tourism Corpora‑ tion teamed up with SIM Partners and eBrains, Inc., a Virginia‑based firm specializing in travel and tourism marketing.

If tourist attractions donʼt strike your fancy, tipplers across the state can now download Vir‑ ginia Wine in My Pocket, a mobile guide for vagabonds roving Vir‑ giniaʼs wine country.

Whether you have a simple day‑trip on your mind or a roman‑ tic vino‑inspired weekend, this mobile app promises to help you find your way through the grapevines.

After spending a decade fol‑ lowing the growth of Virginia's wine country (from 65 wineries to 190 wineries and counting), Vir‑ ginia travel writers, Rick Collier and Nancy Bauer, have compiled their knowledge into this handy

BY PAUL SPICER

dandy digital guide. In addition to wine, the duo has included ven‑ ues offering on‑site dining, wed‑ ding packages, and locations offering hard cider.

Easy‑to‑navigate features include photo slideshows, Google maps, driving directions, tasting fees, and the ability to add comments.

Closer to home, Richmonders have a delectable foodie app in the form of the mobile friendly Broad Appétit Guide by Richmond Good Life (www.richmond‑ goodlife.com) thatʼs used by at‑ tendees in search of tasty eats at the recent annual shindig.

By bookmarking this refer‑ ence tool on their phone, hungry event participants were able to peruse the menus of all the con‑ testants, view locations on a map, and browse event schedules.

Richmond Good Life (on Twit‑ ter, @RichmondGL) also added links to restaurant participants and preview guides.

Making Ugly Pretty Creative Regional Marketing Paints a Portrait of Greater Richmond In April, the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc., the regionʼs economic development organization, hosted a small group of advisors to come “See Greater Richmond from a different perspective.”

The lure? Picasso.

page 23

INNOVATION Micheal Sparks Design

Spanning the gamut of online promotions including branding, web design, internet marketing and social media management, Micheal Sparks Design also is a real‑world resource for product design, direct mail, packaging and mid‑century furniture.

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R I C H M O N D

BY PAUL SPICER

S

harif Ewees and Brian For‑ rester are giving Richmond a makeover. With utter be‑ fuddlement over ugly websites, the duo has kicked off a beautifica‑ tion campaign to jazz up the areaʼs worst site this summer.

Ripe with questionable web design, Richmond is home to a growing list of corporate sites that have slipped into the epic wreck category. Ewees, owner of 28 Media, and Forrester, owner of Dynamic Web Solutions, aim to turn this sinking ship around through a good‑natured contest appropriately pegged as, “Rich‑ mondʼs Ugliest Website.”

Always up for a little profes‑ sional ribbing, the two RVA based designers say they simply want to find a creative way to help a fellow local business grow.

Nominations are open now until September 1st to the person who can freely admit their site is a disaster. The winning site (an‑

nounced mid‑September) gets a crack at the combined efforts of Ewees and Forrester, representing $10,000 worth of design, develop‑ ment, and programming services.

To sweeten the deal, the two have also tossed in a monthly mainte‑ nance package for a year.

Open to all companies be‑ tween two and twenty employees, the ugliest site owners will have an opportunity to take part in plan‑ ning strategy and content consult‑ ing, search engine optimization, email newsletter template, and other integral aspects of a creating an effective digital presence that are often overlooked.

“Weʼll have a checklist of tips

and factors on the site,” says Ewees, who has a decade of experience building clean, compliant websites for clients of all sizes. “A few are clarity of message, user interaction, lead collection, and promi‑ nent contact info.”

Forrester, who is also known as a leader in search engine opti‑ mization, says that this summerʼs contest has the potential to, “make a huge difference for the business owner lucky enough to win it.”

Richmonders can also learn more about the brainiacs be‑ hind the contest by following Sharif Ewees (@Sharif28) and Brian Forrester (@rbrianfor‑ rester) on Twitter.

To find out more about Rich‑ mondʼs Ugliest Website, visit www. richmondsugliestwebsite .com

Greater Richmond Gridʼs Emerging Media Editor Paul Spicer is a marketing consultant who has led small, medium, and large‑sized businesses to prestigious awards and appearances on NPR, CNN, New York Times, and Fortune Magazine. He serves as a partner at Etre Communications, a boutique marketing and public relations firm, where he works on accounts such as Health Diagnostic Laboratory. Prior to Etre, Paul co‑ founded Compleo, a digital agency responsible for applications on interactive platforms. Paul is a former

Style Weekly Top 40 Under 40 recipient, and VMFA Muse Award winner.

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Paul Spicer

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Good luck finding a checkout area in any retail store any‑ where in America where the employees AREN'T talking about going on a break.

30 May

Trying to have positive thinking today. Someone tweet inspirational tweets.

So I can be cynical and scoff at them.

13 Jun

Ugh, I feel like I just made super‑adult decisions by setting up a high‑interest savings account.

3 May

Anyone know what time the rapture is happening this weekend?

Just trying to plan accordingly.

18 May

This is about the time I lay down to snooze on the couch and magically wake up in time to watch the final shot of the #Masters 10 Apr

Greaaaatttttt. Itʼs going to be 88 degrees on Saturday and Iʼll be in a silk/poly‑blend bridesmaid torture chamber.

14 Jun

If the lady upstairs doesnʼt stop blaring Lite98 constantly Iʼm going to have no choice but to put Ke$ha on repeat all weekend...and leave.

22 Apr

See extended Tweet Talk on RichmondGrid.com

@rsmartt

RICHMOND TWEEPLE COMPILED BY PAUL SPICER

PLAY CONTENTS PERFORMANCE Richmond CenterStage Celebrates Year Two

Following: 658+ | Followers: 896+ | Listed: 55+ RYAN SMARTT Tweets: 11,153 Bio: Husband, Dad, Chef, Kansas Jayhawks & KC Chiefs Superfan, Communications Guy at bank/financial services company in #RVA.

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“I tweet for several reasons. Itʼs a great way to get and share information about whatʼs going on in Richmond.

I have a 4‑year‑old, and if I have questions about deal‑ ing with a 4‑year‑old, Twitter is the perfect way to get an instant answer. I love to cook, and Twitter is very helpful for gaining knowledge from all the foodies out there. Iʼm a huge sports fan, and I enjoy using Twitter to have conversations about my Kansas Jayhawks or Kansas City Chiefs be‑ fore/during/after games. Plus almost all of the players tweet, and itʼs cool to see their personal side. Finally, I have lots of random thoughts in my head, and Twitter is a perfect outlet for that̶whether my followers like it or not. ”

@MelissaMctastic Following: 392+ | Followers: 543+ | Listed: 36+ MCAWESOMEFACE Web: mctastic.tumblr.com Bio: I do things that are fun. I also do things that are boring. Iʼm a well‑ rounded individual.

“Itʼs the tale as old as time, Facebook is the place for friends you have had your whole life and you realize you have nothing in common with, and Twitter is where you find people you have known for 140 char‑ acters and realize you have everything in common with them. Honestly, Iʼm too politically driven, too socially aware of whatʼs right and whatʼs wrong, and just plain care too much about things. Basically I feel the need to preach. I realized that posting on Facebook was really increasing my knowledge of how little I had in common with people I was friends with my whole life. . . Hello, Twitter.”

@horhey

SONGFEST RVA VIBE “Donʼt tell me girls donʼt like the Allman Brothers,” challenges Jeremy Simmons, bass player and vocalist for Skydog.

“Theyʼre front and center at every show.”

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ACTIVE: RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

ACTiVE

RVAʼS RECRE ATION

& WELLNESS COMMUNITY VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • JULY | AUGUS T 2011 • #3

SUMMER SPLASH! LEAP INTO THE FUN OF THE

HENRICUS DAUBER DASH TEAM BUILDING AT

WHATIFCREDITUNIO THE NS.COM DRAGON BOAT FESTIV AL GET ON YOUR BIKES

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THE ANTHEM RIDE: MOONLIGHT RIDE

STEPPING UP YOUR RUN WITH

THE SPORTS BACKE MARATHON TRAINRS HALF ING TEAM A C T i V E RVAʼS RECRE ATION & WE LLNESS COM MUNITY

27

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GLITZ & GLAM What’s Kyra Wearing?

‘The Summer Cocktail Party’ page 51

Following: 833+ | Followers: 1,156+ | Listed: 84+ JORGE SALGADO Web: facebook.com/horhey Bio: Dad to four amazing kids and husband to @kindnessgirl... Corporate Event guy for @free2bsocial. Lover of all things Richmond.

FOOD DATE NIGHT: Smoke Along the Water

“I started tweeting to fill in the time after I stopped blogging. I missed having a place to jot down some of my random thoughts, and Twitter filled this nicely. Now I tweet to stay involved in the community, to meet new folks and to stay in touch with friends. I think the community activism that hap‑ pens locally here on Twitter is my favorite stuff. Events that happen organically, causes that pickup steam because of the passion that folks around here have.“

Off the Hookah is a one‑stop date night destination.

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Dine Downtown From the inspired ambience to the thoughtful bill of fare, the attention, creativity, and experience invested in Ettamaeʼs Café are apparent.

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Each day of the week, the Canal Café serves a different panini.

@a1ne Following: 587+ | Followers: 803+ | Listed: 52+ AINE MURPHY NORRIS Web: www.ainenorris.com Bio: Donʼt worry̶no one else can pronounce it either.

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“Once you say something aloud, even virtually, youʼve made it a reality. It canʼt be taken back. Itʼs honest and constantly evolving. On an average day Iʼll tweet something original 2‑3 times, @reply 4‑5, and retweet 1‑2. Days of boredom or heavy caffeine consumption can quadruple those numbers.” Most buzzed‑about tweets? “My tweets cross‑referencing a theory on slow driving being directly correlated to those stick‑figure appliques representing families on peopleʼs back car windows. Iʼll rant about this close to once a month (complete with TwitPics) and usually get a vast array of responses.”

GRID & BEAR IT ‘Dogs, Butterflies & This Crazy Thing Called Love’ Rent‑a‑Dog, thatʼs what we need.

We need a service that will bring a dog to your house when you want one.

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PAGE VIEWS ‘Elegant Life Summer Reading’ If youʼre not going to make it this year, bring a bit of Paris home.

R I C H M O N D

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Social Media

6 Jun

Hot Tweets

LIVE

The sound of 3 girls under 6 y.o. excited for the beach at 6 am is the same sound as when my home security system is accidentally set off.

SOCIAL MEDIA

February 2009: Richmondʼs Doug Meacham learns of Social Media Club from connections on Twitter and announces the launch of a local chapter at a Madison & Main New Media Mixer.

May 2009: Nathan Hughes, Caroline Platt, John Hopkins and Kira Siddall join Meacham to kick off the flagship shindig at a packed Mortonʼs Steakhouse.

Monthly events in RVA ensue.

Celebrating Two Years of

Social Media Club Richmond (SMCRVA)

July 2010: Sometimes controversial, always passionate, Geoff Livingston at the Barksdale Theatre, delves into a spirited pres‑ entation on the use of social media for non‑profits, with a focus on initiatives to help victims of the Gulf Coast oil spill.

BY PAUL SPICER

Could someone please tell me why I’m holding a banana?

0: June 201 n, of o ls e N s Marcu rian me, and B JetBlue fa f Roger Smith ,o Simpson deliver one of C, Y ‑ N l Hote presenta popular y, “The t s o m e r th lub histo tions in c ravel.” Round T f Social o tel stay ts & a ho trip ticke provided as in NYC prize. the door

A befuddled Gene Cox (@genecoxnbc12) queried the audience during the middle of the discussion̶after an unidentified clown had unexpectedly walked on stage and handed each panelist a banana before wordlessly exiting.

Not to be upstaged by a rogue banana antic, 140‑character‑ quippy Kewpies Jason Roop & Jennifer Lemons cap off the evening with a surprise duet of “Islands in the Stream.”

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February 2011: “Moms & Marketing,” hosted by Kate Hall, is interrupted a few minutes into the presentation by a profanity‑laced rant deliv‑ ered by Jennifer Lemons from the back of the audito‑ rium. A shocked crowd later learns Hall had planted the humorous outburst.

June 2011: In typical SMCRVA fashion, the start of the third year of the club is marked by crowd sourcing content via an invite to members to once again suggest and vote on presen‑ tation ideas, with four win‑ ners selected to present their digital lowdown.

GAL LE

RIE EAR & HOTH, WINS: RUS T ART @D SEL PRO / JECL TS

In addition to Doug Meacham, Nathan Hughes, Kira Siddall, and Caroline Platt, SMCRVA has been driven by other Richmond netizens such as Kelly Vance, Britt Farrar, Cameron McPherson, Amanda VandenBroek, and others devoted to keeping Richmond social.

To get involved, visit www.facebook.com/SMCRVA. R I C H M O N D

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| SPRIN G 2010

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ISSUE #4

Gridʼs 2010 spring issue cover featured “SWARM RVA: Richmond Shakes Up Social Media.” The article documented Matt Lakeʼs Swarm Party as fifty SMCRVA members and other Foursquare enthusiasts gathered to claim the coveted Swarm Badge.

FREE |

She say that ... out loud

Social Media

In July 2009, Greater Richmond Grid launches.

It features an interview with SMCRVAʼs program director Nathan Hughes.

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July 2009: SMCRVA partners with U of R to deliver its first non‑profit themed event.

At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, featured speaker Gradon Tripp provides recommendations for two RVA nonprofits, Maymont & FETCH a Cure.

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Page 1 8:21 AM

SOCIAL MEDIA

#DadChat: Tweet by tweet, being a dad in RVA is becoming an easier gig of late.

D

adchat, bolstered by so‑ cial media, has brought fathers from Greater Rich‑ mond together for brew, barbecue, and a little guidance.

Hatched by Liz Pearce, Exec‑ utive Director of Commonwealth Parenting, Dadchat is the product of a 2009 conversation with Jorge Salgado (@horhey on Twitter, who is featured in “Top Tweeple” in this issue). Pearce and Salgado quickly went to work on a plan to bring local pops together to discuss all things fatherhood.

With the first meeting appro‑ priately housed at a barbecue joint, Salgado turned to Twitter to gather interest in the new concept designed to query real dads, using #Dadchat, on the trials and tribula‑ tions of parenthood. From there, an effective combination of online‑ off‑line interaction began to un‑ fold in RVA. “Although there is registration available through the Common‑ wealth Parenting website, it is a free event and there is no need to regis‑ ter. It is really a drop‑in event,” ex‑ plains John Richardson‑Lauve,

“Papa Don’t Preach, Papa Do Tweet.” who joined the fun in 2010 as a boomlet of activity occurred around the Dadchat concept.

Richardson‑Lauve, Fatherhood Co‑ ordinator for Commonwealth Parenting, jokes, “Guys probably wouldnʼt come if they had to register.”

Occurring from 7‑9 pm at local eateries and watering holes, Dad‑ chat calls the Northside Grille (1217 Bellevue Ave) its anchor location, with a second event that usually roams about town. Richardson‑ Lauve says that dads typically arrive and order a drink and tasty eats, then launch into topics that run the

It’s time to get serious about your writing.

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gamut̶such as hot issues of the day for dads with new babies, dads with teenagers headed to college, single dads, divorced dads, travel‑ ing dads, stay‑at‑home dads, and even dads who are waiting for their first child to be born.

“Sometimes people come with specific things they want to talk about or seek advice. Other times, the conversation just wan‑ ders,” says Richardson‑Lauve. “The conversation is never lacking.”

Deploying a variety of mar‑ keting strategies to spread the word, Richardson‑Lauve says that initial connections are most often

BY PAUL SPICER

made through Twitter and Face‑ book. “The typical marketing strategies that work with moms donʼt work as well with dads,” opines Richardson‑Lauve. “Most of our connections through our di‑ rect mailings, flyers in the commu‑ nity, and ads in family publications result in connecting with moms who then send the dad to us. Most of our direct connections to dads have been through social media.

Unfortunately, this still leaves us without a connection to many men who arenʼt involved in social media. We are always exploring new ways to connect with dads.”

Mark Ross, who follows #Dadchat on Twitter, explains, “I have been through the basic dad classes with my wife while expect‑ ing and have found that this differs greatly because of the informal na‑ ture. The dads as a whole make it very easy to bring up any topic no matter how uncomfortable.”

Ross concludes, “Another added bonus is that this is pretty much a guilt free night out, the wife canʼt refuse when you say ʻitʼs for the betterment of family.ʼ”

MWV Center for Innovation & Technology relocates from Raleigh

Snapshot Updates of 42 Developments 1,384 Apartments 1,415 Beds for Students 793,000 S.F Commercial Space Over $820 Million Investment

Canal Walk/Riverfront. Foundry Park. MWV Corporate headquar‑ ters: 300,000 s.f.; 1,000 parking spaces; conference and meeting spaces; café; full‑service Star‑ bucks known as “Foundry Perks;” 1,050 employees. In

2011, MWV relocated research and development, as well as de‑ sign and business, to the 2‑3 floors of the building. MWV used 58,000 s.f. to create a de‑ sign studio and lab space that allows MWV to co‑locate re‑ search, development, design and business units together.

The Design Studio allows MWV to co‑create and innovate with their customers, while the labo‑ ratories give them an environ‑ ment where they can create proto‑types of their packaging.

Meadwestvaco.com

conference space; 2nd floor trading floor; and a rooftop beer garden. Completion 2011 Riverfrontig.com

Cherry, Bekeart & Holland establishes HQ at the Williams Mullen Building Financial District. Corporate Headquarters. 25,000 s.f. in the Williams Mullen Building. Spring 2011. Cbh.com

Riverfront Investment Swedish Match moves Group HQ transforms North American HQ former Richbrau Brewery from suburbs Shockoe Slip. Adaptive re‑use of Richbrau Brewery into River‑ front Investment Groupʼs Cor‑ porate Headquarters: first floor

Financial District. James Center.

25,000 s.f. Completion 2011. swedishmatch.com

Williams Mullen Center Financial District. 200 South 10th St. New construction of a Class A office tower: 200,000 s.f; 5,000 s.f. retail and 117 additional parking spaces. Adjoins the existing 1,100‑space Richmond Metropolitan Authority parking deck. Williams Mullen is the an‑ chor tenant. Other tenants include: Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, Agincourt Capital, and La Parisienne Café (street level retail). $65 million total investment. Completion 2010. ArmadaHoffler.com

The Hodges Partnership Expansion

The Valentine Richmond History Center Court End. 1015 East Clay St. Gray Family Ter‑ race: 7,000 s.f. $485,000 investment. Comple‑ tion 2011. Richmondhistorycenter.com

Shockoe Bottom.

1805 E. Broad St. New conctruction: 2,000 s.f. addition; commercial space. $400,000 total investment.

Completion 2011.

Hodgespart.com

Rocketts Landing

The Hippodrome Theater and Taylor Mansion Jackson Ward. 518‑528 N. 2nd St. Historic renovation: 22,000 s.f. theater with state‑of‑the‑art sound and lighting; flexible seating accommodating 400‑800 people; 29 apartments; restaurant and commercial space. $12 million total in‑ vestment.

Completion 2011. Walkerrow.com

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Rocketts Landing has added restaurants and commercial tenants to the mix. 211 Rocketts Way. New & rehab construction: 45 acres; phased mixed‑use development; private marina; riverfront pool; fitness center; clubhouse. First four buildings 250 units and 12,000 s.f. first floor office and retail space (fully leased). Three restaurants: The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing (expanded 2011), onch Republic Rocketts (opened 2011), and M Bistro & Wine Bar (opening soon). For a complete list of commercial tenants go to: http://www.rockettsvillage.com/businesses

NEW SPACES OFFER DOWNTOWN CHARACTER & CONVENIENCE

Atrium Lofts at Cold Storage Shockoe Bottom. 18th & Marshall Streets. Historic rehab. Building 4: 85 apart‑ ments. Building 6: 57 apartments. Total of 142 units. All inclusive rents includ‑ ing an Ipod and in‑wall Ipod docking stations. Two swimming pools; two fitness centers; parking and 1st floor restaurant opening 2011. $24 million total investment. Total square footage: 136,347 s.f. Building 4 and 6 Comple‑ tion 2011. Previous developments of Buildings 2 and 3: 113 units. Construc‑ tion begins fall 2011 on Building 1 and a parking garage. Once completed the total investment for Buildings 1‑6 and the parking garage will be $60 million.

Cedar Broad Apartments

Bliley’s Garage Jackson Ward. 408 and 412 N. 3rd Street. His‑ toric adaptive re‑use: 15 apartments; enclosed parking; European aes‑ thetic; custom built‑ins.

Completed 2010.

City and Guilds

Shockoe Bottom. 18th & Marshall Streets. New construction of 204 units: 149 one‑bedrooms; 49 two‑ bedrooms; 12 three‑bedrooms. Street‑level retail space. Common areas include: Wii Café; rooftop tanning ledge with misters; clubhouse; fitness center; and highest speed internet available. $18 million total investment. Total square footage: 128,243. Completed 2011. plusmgt.com

8 ½ Canal Monroe Ward. 8 ½ Canal St. New construction: 546 beds for VCU stu‑ dents. Completion 2011. $18 million private sec‑ tor investment. Gilbane Development Company.

8onehalfcanal.com

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NEW SPACES DOWNTOWN

Jackson Commons 701 St. James Place Jackson Ward. Energy efficient, green con‑ struction and design of 41 units: 27 one‑ bedrooms; 14 two‑ bedrooms. Apartment amenities include: Di‑ recTV, internet, and is pet‑friendly. $4 million total investment. Total square footage: 32,000 s.f. Completed 2011.

MonroeProperties.com

The Harvester Building

Jernigan Hall

Shockoe Bottom. 1709 E Clay St. His‑ toric adaptive re‑use: 37 apartments; 44,000 s.f.; leasing starts in Fall 2011.

City and Guilds

Monroe Ward. 314 W Grace St. Adaptive re‑use: 36 apartments; 28,000 s.f. Estimated comple‑ tion 2011. City and Guilds joint venture with RRHA.

1002-04 Perry Street Old Manchester. Energy ef‑ ficient, green construction and design of two attached duplexes: 4 two‑bedrooms and 2 baths. Include: pri‑ vate porches and yards. $700,000 total investment.

Total square footage: 4,800 s.f. Completed 2011.

MonroeProperties.com

Stella 360 Apartments Old Manchester. 360 Stockton St. Historic rehab: 33 apartments; 19,000 s.f. commer‑ cial; rooftop decks; gated parking. Com‑ pletion 2011. $5 mil‑ lion total investment. propertyresults.net

909 Perry Street Old Manchester. New construction of 44 apartments: 34 one‑ bedrooms; 10 two‑bedrooms. $5.2 million total investment.

Total square footage: 42,000 s.f. Estimated completion 2012.

MonroeProperties.com

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MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE: MORE LIVE-WORK-PLAY OPTIONS Shockoe Valley Heights Shockoe Bottom. Four buildings on the block bound by Main, Franklin, 20th and 21st sts. Bobber Flats: 40 residential units; one commercial space. Engine Company Lofts: adaptive re‑use of the fire station into 3 lofts and 3,000 s.f. restaurant Station 2 (opens summer 2011); adjacent building new construction; 24 residential units and 2,800 s.f. commercial space leased to VA ABC Store. Old Stone Row: new construction; 96 residences; 47 parking spaces; 1 commercial space. Trolley Commons: 37 apartments, 4,100 s.f. commercial, 79 parking spaces, pool and sundeck. Total project: 209 residential units; 11,500 s.f. com‑ mercial (fully leased); 126 parking spaces; $30 million total investment. Phase 1‑3 completed. Phase 4 (Trolley Commons) construction begins 2011; completion 2012. Sensidevelopment.com monumentconstruction.com

Cobblestone Commons, 1425 E. Cary St. Shockoe Slip. 1425 E. Cary St. Adaptive re‑use: 38 apartments; 8,097 s.f. commercial leased to The Monument Companies.

Total 39,331 s.f. $6.2 million total investment. Completion 2011. monumentconstruction.com

2001 East Broad Street Shockoe Bottom. Located on Broad Street between 20th and 21st Sts. New construction: 75 residential rental units; 14 Studios; 33 one‑bedroom; 28 two‑bedrooms units; 2,900 square feet corner commercial space; cyber café, fitness center. Six story build‑ ing including two lev‑ els of garage parking.

Spy Rock Real Estate Group. 2001east.com

Lorillard Shockoe Bottom. E. Main Street between 23rd and 24th sts. Adaptive re‑use: 58,000 s. f. of Class A Creative Office Space; 2+ acres; 150 off‑ street parking spaces. One of the buildings was designed by Duncan Lee, renowned Richmond architect. Lower level space has large cooler vault where spices and rum used to flavor tobacco were stored. $8.5 million total investment. Completion 2012. Macfarlane Partners.

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LIVE-WORK-PLAY OPTIONS

The Seed Company Lofts Shockoe Bottom. 1711 E. Franklin St. Adaptive Re‑use of former Diggs & Beadles Seed Com‑ pany: four market rate apartments; first floor commercial space leased to a pizza concept restaurant opening in late 2011; total 7,200 s.f.; 100% leased. $750,000 total investment.

Completed 2011. billchapmanent.com

The Southland Wine Co. LoftS Shockoe Bottom. 415 Oliver Hill Way. One of 9 buildings in the Cold Storage Complex. Adaptive Re‑use: 15 studio lofts and commercial space for The Richmond Loft Company. Total 12,000 s.f. $1.7 million total investment. Com‑ pleted 2011. billchapmanent.com.

700 Centre City Center. 7th and East Franklin sts. Adaptive re‑use: con‑ vert old Virginia Power Building Tower from office to apartments with ground level retail; renovate Annex: 45,000 s.f. office; 15,000 s.f. ground level retail; apartments on top 2 floors. ArmadaHoffler.com

The Montaldo's Lofts, 416 E. Grace

Residences at the John Marshall City Center. 5th and East Franklin sts. His‑ toric renovation and conversion of the Hotel John Marshall: 238 apartments; 16,975 s.f. meeting and banquet space and street level retail/restaurant space.

John Marshall Barber will return to the space.

Phased completion Fall 2011 to 2012. $70 million total investment. Domin‑ ion Realty Partners john‑ marshallresidences.com

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City Center. 416 E. Grace St. Adaptive Re‑use of the for‑ mer Montaldoʼs Department Store: four apartments; ground floor restaurant; 7,400 s.f. The restaurant is a joint venture between Ry Marchant, the owner of Six Burner and Jason Alley, the Chef and Owner at Comfort and will be called Pasture (opens Fall 2011). $1.4 million total in‑ vestment. billchapmanent.com

Reynold’s North Riverfront/Canal Walk. 6 acres along the Canal between 10th and Virginia Street. Historic adaptive re‑ use and new construction. Phase 1 consists of 5 buildings; 216 apart‑ ments, approximately 9,000 s.f. commercial. $40 million total in‑ vestment, completion 1st quarter 2013. WVS Companies.

Fountainhead Development.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY y wa r e

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Henry Street Parking Decks Monroe Park Campus. West Grace and Henry sts. New construc‑ tion: parking deck; 790 spaces. $15 million total investment.

Completion 2011.

Siegel Center Club Seating Monroe Park Campus. Club Level seating added with 182 seats. $3 million total investment. Completion 2011.

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th

Grace Street Housing North Monroe Park Campus. West Grace and Shafer sts. New construction: stu‑ dent housing; 410 beds. Completion 2013. $32 million total investment.

General Classroom Building Monroe Park Campus. Adjacent to the Cabell Library Shafer on the corner of Linden and Floyd sts. New construction: 100,000 s.f. educational facility.

Completion 2013. $44 million total investment.

A

IC

Institute of Contemporary Art Grace Street Housing and Parking Deck Monroe Park Campus. West Grace and Shafer sts. New con‑ struction: parking deck; 200 spaces; first floor retail leased to IHOP Express, Croutons, and Raising Caneʼs; completion 2011.

New construction: student housing; 459 beds; completion 2013. $41 million total investment.

Monroe Park Campus. West Broad and Belvidere sts. New construction: state‑of‑the‑art facility with a combination of gallery and academic space; 32,000 s.f.; 8,000 s.f. gallery space; an outdoor installation space; a 210‑seat auditorium with tiered seating; gift shop; and café with a catering kitchen and an entry hall suitable for exhibitions, installations and social events.

Designed by internationally, renowned architect Steven Holl. This building will serve as a new gateway to the university and bring the most important, cutting‑edge contemporary art exhibits in the world to campus and the city of Richmond. The VCU School of the Arts is one of the top‑ranked pub‑ lic graduate arts programs in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. $20 million total investment.

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VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

School of Pharmacy Renovations VCU Medical Center. 410 North 12th Street. Renova‑ tion: 10,000 s.f. of educational facilities. Completion 2010. $5 million total investment.

New School of Medicine Sanger Hall – Pauley Heart Center

VCU Medical Center.1201 East Marshall St. New construction: 200,000 s.f. educational facility.

“Star‑chitect” I. M. Pei designed building. The new building will allow the School of Medicine to increase its total medical class of 750 students to 1,000; placing the school in the top 10 based on number of students. $158.6 million total investment.

VCU Medical Center. 1101 East Marshall Street. Reno‑ vation: Pauley Heart Center.

Construction is underway. $7 million total investment.

Massey Cancer Center Lab Improvements VCU Medical Center. 401 College Street. Renovation of the 3rd floor into labs. Completion 2010. $12 million total investment.

VCU Health System Pediatrics Emergency Department VCU Health Systems. New Pediatric Emergency Department. Completion 2011. $7 million total investment. The Childrenʼs Hospital of Rich‑ mond is now part of the VCU Health System.

Energy Efficiency Projects VCU has been successful in getting Federal dollars for solar efficiency projects including solar lighting, solar hot water and solar powered charging stations for electric cars in 2 parking decks. $3 million total investment.

VCU Health System Children’s Hospital of Richmond Pavilion VCU Health Systems. East Broad Street between City Hall and Sanger Hall. New construction consolidating all of the childrenʼs facilities in the future. $160 million total investment.

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A Working Mom’s Internal Struggle Weighing the Positives & Negatives: Not All Questions Concrete July/August 2011 Have • Volume 1 • Answers Issue 5 • #5

Keeping the Faith Children’s Challenging Questions Inspire a Parent’s Epiphany

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had lunch with a dear friend of mine yesterday, Nicole Unice of TheStub‑ bornServant.com. (She used to write for Richmondmom.com and edited Richmond Rocks then I lost her when she became so darn popular, but I digress.)

Nicole is also a Richmond mom‑of‑three, writer, and kin‑ dred spirit from whom I always glean insight and sometimes leave our time together ex‑ hausted from her infectious en‑ ergy and ridiculous productivity.

(The girl is up, ran five miles and wrote two thousand words before my head lifted from the morning pillow. But I digress again.)

PHOTO | KATE HALL HEADSHOT: PAIGE STEVENS

Our conversation drifted from our work to our kids and husbands and the craziness of juggling it all and still finding time to shop for cute shoes. (Kid‑ ding. But we do share a love of great shoes.)

When we talked about her work at Hope Church, from train‑ ing summer interns to her inspi‑ ration writing to her teammates there, her face lit up, and then the question just popped out of my mouth and into her lap: “How do you remain so faithful?”

“I canʼt resist,” she said. “My faith is an incredibly strong feel‑ ing that I canʼt get enough of.” It gives me goosebumps just think‑ ing about her lingering words.

It was a question I felt com‑

But Iʼve never let my wavering faith affect my kids; even though weʼve not been to church in a while...

So why have I kept up this front with my kids even though my own faith was at times worn quite thin? pelled to ask, particularly since my own faith has admittedly di‑ minished over the last couple of years for a variety of reasons.

Iʼve always had a lot of faith in God, but it had been particu‑ larly tested–through things that happened to me and some that I brought upon myself.

Kate Hall, publisher But Iʼve never let my waver‑ ing faith affect my kids; even though weʼve not been to church in a while (honestly, I got tired of dragging everyone there unwill‑ ingly) I find ways to work God into their everyday lives as much as I can: Honey, God wants us to be kind to everyone, even if we donʼt feel like it.

In This Issue Mastering Multiples & Moves Cheryl Lage picks up child-rearing strategy at her kids’ Tae Kwon Do class.

Who put the salt in the ocean? God did, of course, He cre‑ ated everything.

Why did God make that earthquake happen in Japan? I donʼt always understand the plan, honey, but I know He has one.

So why have I kept up this front with my kids even though my own faith was at times worn quite thin?

This irony hadnʼt struck me until my meeting with Nicole, but now I understand that by showing my kids strong exam‑ ples of the ways I feel God works in our lives̶even when I had doubts̶they would choose to follow a stronger path in life.

I just need to remind myself of that a little more often, and cling like a magnet to the inspira‑ tionals, like Nicole, who, ever a stubborn servant, threads her faith into every aspect of her life, then lives every day like itʼs her last on earth.

ROCKSTAR MAKES LIFE HAPPEN! Richmondmom’s Rockstar Melanie Frank has a full-time “outside” job, volunteers for multiple organizations, and gives back to the community every day.

Richmondmom.com Calendar of Events

A new online option offers all the upcoming events for kids.

The Challenge of Children Caring for Parents Requires Patience, Perspective & Empathy RICHMONDMOM.COM

17

Mastering Multiples & Moves ay just happened to be “Momʼs Free” month at Master Choʼs World Class Tae Kwon Do. Sure, Iʼd watched the kids du‑ tifully learning their moves̶devel‑ oping the consummately parent‑pleasing trifecta of brain focus, eye focus and body focus.

Truth told, I could use a bit more focus̶so why not?

With my complimentary doe‑ bo̶thatʼs tae kwon do uniform for the uninitiated̶donned, I

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BY CHERYL LAGE

marched myself out to a marker on the mat̶flanked by my naively proud duo.

The precision and focus re‑ quired for exercises that by appear‑ ances look simple were astounding. To see the Lilliputian population able to perfect their form and simultaneously accom‑ pany their efforts with impressive, mandated vocalization was hum‑ bling indeed.

Assuming horse riding stance (you can imagine it involves stand‑

Rockstar Makes Life Happen! s if raising 3 kids is not enough, Richmondmomʼs May 2011 Rockstar Melanie Frank also has a full‑time “outside” job, volunteers for multiple organi‑ zations, and gives back to the com‑ munity every day. Children ages 7, 4 and 2 keep her and her husband, Stephen, quite busy.

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But she is never too busy to help others. She doesnʼt just wait for life to happen̶Melanie makes life happen!

Melanie is a full‑time Senior Director of IT at Capital One where she works with the technology team that helps keep the business running. But in her “spare time,”

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ing with legs bent and akimbo̶as if astride an invisible pony̶for pro‑ longed periods, maybe 2‑3 tiring minutes at a time) while I at‑ tempted to perform punches with precision accuracy had me feeling the Jillian Michaels‑is‑a‑complete‑ poseur burn for days.

At sessionʼs end, Master Cho– with tremendous kindness (and undoubtedly a generous portion of sublimated amusement)–stood be‑ fore the trio of flushed and over‑ heated mamas. He shared with us

the philosophy behind the prac‑ tice, the wisdom of Eastern thought: everything is a balance.

Unlike most Western belief sys‑ tems, you act based on your gut, not your brain.

When one area is weak, you unapologetically focus greater en‑ ergy upon that area, but unflag‑ gingly maintain the other.

Sounds an awful lot like twin parenting to me̶comparably ex‑ hausting, but seemingly with com‑ parable reward.

BY RICHMOND GRANDMOM RHONDA DAY

sheʼs volunteering for community and civic organizations.

She serves as the Board Chair for Full Circle Grief Center, putting in countless hours and supporting families who have lost children,

Melanie Frank is the Senior Director of IT at Capital One and serves as the Board Chair for Full Circle Grief Center.

For , it’s more than a massage or facial, it’s my renovation strain-reliever.

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THE MOM OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL‑AGED BOY/GIRL TWINS, CHERYL LAGE IS A WIFE, A PART‑TIME POST‑PRODUCER AT THE MARTIN AGENCY, AND A FREELANCE WRITER. READ THEIR LAGE EXPLOITS AT TWINFATUATION.COM.

parents and loved ones.

She helps support, market and prepare for fundraising events throughout the year. She often re‑ minds us all of how honored she is to have the privilege of working with an organization like Full Circle that helps families deal with unimaginable loss every day̶ thatʼs the kind of compassionate and caring person she is!

Melanie is also a member of the Westhampton Womanʼs Club where she helps support a wide range of charities. She finds at least one charity each month where she can do something to help and make a difference.

Oh, and letʼs not forget that Melanie is a passionate “Hoo” as an avid supporter of the University of Virginia.

Congratulations on touching lives every day through your gen‑ erosity and compassion, and for being Richmondmomʼs Rockstar Melanie! You ROCK!

Have you visited the Richmondmom.com Calendar of Events yet?

If not, be sure and check it out under “Fun for Moms.” Youʼll find all the upcoming events for kids, moms, and parents on the calendar.

And each Friday weʼll up‑ load the Richmond Rocks Weekend Events for that particular weekend to make it easy to see whatʼs happening in Richmond and the surrounding areas. Itʼs the easiest way to pick family‑friendly events when youʼre plan‑ ning your weekend. Or search for “parent only” events like Beer Bourbon and BBQ, wine tastings, and more!

Visit our Richmondmom Calendar and let us know what you think.

If you have great family‑ friendly events to in‑ clude, just email us!

FAMILY POLITICS & HARD QUESTIONS The Challenge of Children Caring for Parents Requires Patience, Perspective and Empathy for All Concerned. o you know what itʼs like to care for an aging parent who has multiple physical and emotional problems? If not, you may be in for a rude awakening.

No matter how much you love your parents, caregiving is a difficult experience for everyone involved.

My mother suffered with Alzheimerʼs for years and my two sisters, two brothers, and I juggled the responsibilities of helping take care of her ̶ emotionally, mentally and physically.

My father was unable to pro‑ vide a lot of the care because of his own declining health, but he did as much as possible. Our family pulled together to do what we needed to do for as long as we could. We adapted their home for handi‑ capped access to ensure a safe en‑ vironment, but that was just one small step involved in caregiving.

Eventually my motherʼs care‑ giving needs became not only chal‑ lenging, but almost impossible. It took 24/7 care, medical assistance, medical management, emotional support, and lots of money to keep it all going. Finally, we made the most difficult decision of our lives̶to place her in a nursing home where she could receive op‑ timal medical support, while pro‑ viding our own emotional support and love as much as possible.

Never a day passed that two or more of us did not visit her, eat meals with her, roll her wheelchair around the hallways for hours, and we even spent the night with her.

Although it was the responsi‑ bility of the nursing home staff to care for her medical needs, it was our responsibility to continue lov‑ ing her in the way that only a fam‑ ily can do for another person. And we did it until she passed away 3 years ago. She spent less than 5 months in the nursing home thanks to our ability to care for her at home for so long.

This sounds like a rational, rea‑ sonable and practical solution to the situation, doesnʼt it?

While most people would think so, there are others who do not. The decisions we made tore our family apart in many ways̶ physically and emotionally. As deci‑ sions were made, one sibling agreed, one sibling vehemently dis‑ agreed, one was not sure̶and so on. Emotions were charged and

D

ever‑changing as we all grappled with the loss of our mother in many ways. We felt we lost her multiple times as her mind slipped away and she eventually stopped calling us by name. Our own personal hurt got in the way of our sensible deci‑ sion‑making at times and we ended up challenging the motives and de‑ cisions of each other.

The decision to move her to the nursing home for her last months was heart‑wrenching and it tore us all apart.

The result? A family torn with disappointment, anger, and finally deeply mourning over the ultimate loss of our mother ̶ and question‑ ing our own caregiving decisions.

The pain still emerges from time to time. It never really heals after going through such an expe‑ rience. We have tried to mend rela‑ tionships and regain the closeness we had as siblings, but our own emotional hurt still plagues us.

made difficult decisions for my mother, we face a similar situation with my father and the emotional anxiety and dread escalate with every new event.

There is one thing for sure when it comes to caregiving for a parent. There is no single way to handle the situation ̶ and with 5 siblings, there are likely to be 6 dif‑ ferent opinions at any given time.

If you find yourself in a care‑ giver situation, or if you require the services of a caregiver, take time to consider what you want out of it.

Donʼt wait until you need help and force someone else to make these decisions for you. I have already made my wishes clear to my two precious daughters so they wonʼt have to make decisions on my be‑ half that tear them apart when I need help.

As I face today and the chal‑

BY

RHONDA DAY

lenges ahead, I realize that we can only do what we believe is right. As for my siblings, I know that their hearts are all focused on what is best for my father, and I must re‑ member that fact as we navigate yet another difficult time as caregivers.

Our opinions and ideas may not al‑ ways be the same, but our love for our parents has never wavered.

And as for me, I must find peace in knowing that what ulti‑ mately happens to my father is not in my hands but in the hands of God. I can only do what I think is best to make his life more comfort‑ able, safe and enjoyable for as long as possible.

And now, my mother‑in‑law is on the fringes of Alzheimerʼs as her dementia worsens. Yet an‑ other caregiving situation to manage̶thatʼs a story for an‑ other day.

5 Siblings, Many Viewpoints Now, we have embarked on another journey with our father who re‑ quires almost constant caregiving.

Three of my siblings live very close to him, while two of us live farther away. We all have our thoughts and ideas on what needs to be done, but our emotions get the best of us at times. Each and every one of us has my fatherʼs best interests at heart when we make decisions or suggestions because we love him so much, but due to the volatile and emotionally charged nature of the situation, it is difficult to always be objective.

With 5 siblings, there are bound to be differing opinions on what is best for him.

We have already learned that the hard way.

At 85 years old, my father de‑ serves the best care possible̶no matter what that means for each of us. We must learn to put our own personal needs aside, and think about his needs.

What feeds our own emotions and needs may not be what is best for him and that makes it extremely difficult to make rationale decisions at times.

Unfortunately, humans often make decisions that are best for them and not the person directly affected with an issue. After seeing the pain we all suffered as we

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BIZ SAVVY

Capital One to Acquire ING Direct for $9 Billion in Stock and Cash Capital One Financial Corpora‑ erage of Capital One closing tion announced in June a defin‑ prices for the period ending itive agreement under which June 15, 2011.

Capital One will acquire ING Di‑ Capital One expects to fi‑ rect from ING Groep in a stock nance the cash portion of the and cash transaction valued at consideration, in part, through $9 billion. Cur‑ a public equity raise Upon rently the 8th of approximately $2 largest bank in the billion and debt of‑ closing, United States, based ferings of approxi‑ on deposits, Capital mately $3.7 billion Oneʼs acquisition of prior to the close of will become ING Direct com‑ the transaction. bines ING Directʼs “The acquisition national direct de‑ of ING Direct is a posit franchise with game‑changing Capital Oneʼs access transaction that de‑ depository to assets and local livers attractive deal scale branch bank‑ economics immedi‑ institution ing. The combina‑ ately and compelling tion strengthens and the leading long‑term strategic Capital Oneʼs cus‑ value,” said Richard direct bank tomer franchise and D. Fairbank, Chair‑ brand and provides man and Chief Ex‑ in the significant financial ecutive Officer of and strategic up‑ United States. Capital One. “The side with low exe‑ combination of Cap‑ cution risk. ital One and ING Direct creates Upon closing, Capital One a unique and valuable banking will become the 5th largest de‑ franchise that includes advan‑ pository institution and the taged access to assets, great leading direct bank in the local scale branch banking in United States. attractive markets, and with Under the agreement, Cap‑ ING Direct, the leading direct ital One will purchase ING Di‑ bank customer franchise with rect from ING Groep for $6.2 national reach. Adding ING Di‑ billion in cash and approxi‑ rect enhances and sustains mately 55.9 million Capital One key sources of shareholder shares, valued at $2.8 billion, value over the long‑term, in‑ based on a Capital One share cluding growth, returns and price of $50.07, the 10‑day av‑ capital generation.”

Capital One

the 5th largest

804‑515‑5700

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COBB Technologies Cobb Technologies is a Rich‑ mond‑based, Family‑owned office technology dealer, headquartered in Richmond.

20 years serving Richmond businesses with digital copiers, printers, scanners, and fax solutions. You've heard the radio ads with Freddy Cobb; we invite you to talk to Peter Larsen at Cobb Technologies and learn the rest of the story!

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Greater Richmond Fortune 1000 Headquarters Grows to Eleven The number of Fortune 1000 companies headquar‑ tered in Greater Richmond, Virginia has grown by one for a total of 11. This ranks Greater Richmond 13th best of all metros in the number of Fortune 1000 companies per 100,000 residents.

Across all U.S. metro areas, Greater Richmond ranked 19th in the number of total Fortune 1000 com‑ panies, tying with Kansas City, MO and Phoenix, AZ. NewMarket Corpora‑ tion was added this year by being ranked 943 on Fortune ʼs list. NewMarket began in Richmond in 1887 and is the parent company of Afton Chemi‑ cal Corporation and Ethyl Corporation.

Gregory H. Wingfield, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partner‑ ship, Inc., said, “For a region

our size, it is impressive to have 11 Fortune 1000 com‑ panies who choose to be

headquartered in Greater Richmond, of which six are ranked as Fortune 500.

These are well‑known com‑ panies that are obviously very successful. Having an‑ other headquartered com‑ pany added to the Fortune list this year validates that businesses can thrive in Greater Richmond.”

Emerson Ecologics Announces New Facility Plans to Add 60 jobs in Chesterfield Emerson Ecologics, LLC, the leading provider of profes‑ sional‑grade nutritional supple‑ ments to the healthcare practitioner market, will invest up to $1 million to open a dis‑ tribution facility in Chesterfield County. The project will imme‑ diately create 35 new jobs, growing to a total of 60 jobs over the next three years.

Speaking about the June announcement, Governor Mc‑ Donnell said, “This project marks Emerson Ecologicsʼ first operation in Virginia. Chester‑ field County offers an available facility that meets the com‑ panyʼs needs, as well as a strate‑

gic location that allows access to their customer base within a two‑day delivery cycle. I am confident that Emerson Ecolog‑ ics will find success in the Com‑ monwealth.”

Andy Greenawalt, CEO of Emerson Ecologics explained, “The Richmond area was se‑ lected for our new Eastern dis‑ tribution center based on many factors, including the ability to reach a majority of our East and Midwest doctors via small par‑ cel ground shipping in two days. We take pride in our two‑ day delivery commitment and strive to achieve this as effi‑ ciently and reliably as possible.”

VCU Announces Plans for Institute for Contemporary Art

IT Publication Shows Love for RVA Informational technologies trade publication, Microsoft Certified Professionals Magazine, has ranked Richmond #6 on their “Top 10 Cities for IT Professionals to Live In” list.

The magazine used previous rankings from peer publica‑ tions such as Kiplinger, Forbes and Marketwatch, com‑ bined with salary surveys and the quality of place, in order to formulate the ranking.

They also cite notable employers such as the U.S. Govern‑ ment, Dominion Resources, MWV and CarMax.

BECAUSE BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO It is fairly easy to terminate an un‑ derperforming employee. It is an‑ other thing for an owner of a private company to show a co‑ owner to the door.

The process ordinarily in‑ volves a buy‑out. Unless the own‑ ersʼ agreement already has details about the purchase price, it can be a very sticky situation.

And if two owners of a com‑ pany each own 50%, neither can outvote the other, and the long good‑bye can eat up any assets the business has. A stale‑ mate can keep both owners captive, and can drag on and on.

For a smooth business break‑up, you need a good prenup, or exit agree‑ ment. Go ahead and take some notes, share them with your co‑owner, and sort it out before one of you is on the way out̶while it is still abstract and theoret‑ ical. It will only get more difficult when you are actually split‑ ting up.

Figure out how you would value the business in ways that can be measured.

You can define the exit strategy by creating a formula for one owner to buy out the other. The buy‑ out can be more valu‑ able if the departing owner is pushed out, and less valuable if they jump.

It can be based on some mul‑ tiple of recent earnings, and it can account for the percentage owner‑ ship being purchased, as well as for debt and other obligations that will be left behind. Any variable can be included, and the best ones will be those that can be objectively de‑ fined when the time comes.

As you work on your exit

agreement, consider these factors: • If each owner is likely to con‑ tinue in the same industry, would it make sense to divide up customer accounts? These are non‑cash as‑ sets that make up the backbone of many service‑based companies.

• Who keeps the brand, the web site and domain name?

• Are there other non‑cash as‑ sets that can be divvied up̶like software licenses, computer hard‑ ware, or even office furniture?

• Who is on the hook for the office lease, copier lease, and other company debts and obligations?

• Is the depart‑ ing owner retiring, going into competi‑ tion, leaving volun‑ tarily, or is he being pushed out?

The buy-out can be more valuable if the departing owner is pushed out, and less valuable if they jump.

All of these fac‑ tors, plus others you will think of when you start to look at the assets, liabilities, and the overhead of your business, will tell you what you need to address in your buy‑out agreement.

If you face a buy‑out or push‑ out without an exit plan already in the file, it is time to talk clearly and practi‑ cally about moving forward. You will need to consider these same points.

Once you talk through these points, you have the basis for your co‑ownersʼ exit agreement. Write it down and sign it. Ideally, it should be included in a new operating agreement for your LLC or shareholderʼs agreement for your corporation.

But any form of an advance agreement about an ownerʼs exit is absolutely much better than not having one.

Providing outside general counsel services to companies with or without a legal department, Chris Gatewood is an attorney & Chris Gatewood founder of Threshold Counsel, PC. (www.thresholdcounsel.com)

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from Steve and Kathie Markel and Bill and Pam Royall. The ICA is expected to open in the spring of 2014.

“The ICA will provide a strong cultural connection be‑ tween the university and the community, offering an innova‑ tive, welcoming space and exhi‑ bition venue for a broad and diverse audience,” said Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU. “The prominence of the ICAʼs location, bordering the cityʼs Arts District and in the Broad Street corridor that links the VCU Monroe Park Campus with VCUʼs Medical Center, has sym‑ bolic significance and conveys to the city VCUʼs creative aspi‑ rations, especially in our top‑ ranked School of the Arts.”

Steven Holl Architects was selected from 64 competing ar‑ chitecture firms from around the world to design the ICA. “The enterprise is elevated with our choice of architect,” said Joseph Seipel, dean of the VCU School of the Arts. “We are excited to have Steven Holl, internationally recognized as one of the most‑inspired and significant architects of our time. With Holl leading this en‑ deavor, I am confident the ICA is destined to become an iconic building for VCU and the city of Richmond.”

BY CHRIS GATEWOOD

WORK

Virginia Commonwealth Uni‑ versity announced plans for the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), a state‑of‑the‑art facil‑ ity designed by renowned ar‑ chitect Steven Holl that will serve as a new gateway to the university and bring the most important, cutting‑edge con‑ temporary art exhibits in the world to campus and the City of Richmond.

Located at the corner of Broad and Belvidere, near one of the most‑traveled entrances to the city, the ICA will be a sig‑ nature building for the School of the Arts and VCU, represent‑ ing the best in international contemporary architecture and art, and a valuable community resource for Richmond.

The ICA, which is expected to be about 32,000‑square‑feet, will feature approximately 8,000‑square‑feet of gallery space, an outdoor installation space, a 210‑seat auditorium with tiered seating, classrooms, a gift shop, a café with a cater‑ ing kitchen and an entry hall suitable for exhibitions, instal‑ lations and social events.

It will provide a practical and dramatic space for the VCU School of the Arts.

The ICA will be privately funded. Fundraising efforts are under way with leadership

Legal Brief

BIZ SAVVY

PDI Named as 2011 Top North America Innovator Power Distribution, Inc. (PDI), providers of mission‑critical power distribution equipment for data centers, alternative energy, industrial, and com‑ mercial power markets, has been cited in Red Herringʼs Top 100 North America award, a prestigious list honoring the yearʼs most promising private technology ventures from the North American business re‑ gion. PDI was selected from among notable competition for its unique ability to provide facility and data center man‑ agers with intelligent, energy‑ efficient power solutions.

The cost of energy inefficiency in the data center is stagger‑ ing. A recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) re‑

port indicated energy used to power data centers is as high as 60 billion kilowatt hours (KWh). This is equal to 1.5 per‑ cent of all power used in the United States. In terms of costs, total data center power and electricity consumption for the world was estimated to cost $7.2 billion annually.

The Red Herring editorial staff se‑ lected the 2011 Top 100 North America innovators on June 15th.

The Top 100 are evaluated on both quantitative and qualita‑ tive criteria, such as financial performance, technology in‑ novation, quality of manage‑ ment, execution of strategy, and integration into their re‑ spective industries.

Show your appreciation by sending flowers from Strange’s. It’s the perfect gift for new business or a job well done. It’s a smart business decision because, when you order online, you save with no wire services fees (up to a $14.99 value) for flowers sent anywhere in the US and Canada. A smile is just a click away online at www.stranges.com.

www.stranges.com

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Northeast 321-2200 3313 Mechanicsville Pk., near Laburnum Ave.

Bon Air 321-0460 8010 Midlothian at Buford Rd.

West End 360-2800 12111 W. Broad St. between Rt. 288 & Short Pump Town Ctr.

Hull Street 321-0470 6710 Hull Street at Chippenham

rid.

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Just Ask Peter NOT ALL PDFS ARE CREATED EQUAL Everyone always asks me whatʼs new in office technology. Youʼve heard of “Searchable PDF,” right?

Let me tell you what it is and why itʼs HOT! Scanned paper documents are stored in an image (rather than text) format. There are basically two types of image files: TIFF is a file format commonly used for storing digital versions of paper documents because it is a standard format for most scanners and soft‑ ware applications.

However, the advent of Portable Document Format (PDF) has added new di‑ mensions and power‑ ful capabilities to electronic documents because PDF is more flexible than other image‑based formats.

So now you know what a TIFF image is̶instant coolness.

BY PETER LARSEN

Searchable Layers PDF Searchable Image is a PDF Image Only document with the ad‑ dition of a text layer beneath the image. The software creates an electronic text layer under the image. This approach retains the look of the original page while en‑ abling text searchability.

A document created in PDF Searchable Image offers the best of both worlds̶an exact replica of the original document that is also fully searchable.

PDF Searchable Image files contain two layers: a bitmapped (image) layer and a hidden text layer. The bitmapped layer maintains the vi‑ sual representation of the original document.

The text layer con‑ tains the Optical Char‑ acter Recognition (OCR) version so you can search for any word on any page.

This ability to search for any word on any page means you can find whatever you want instantly. That is hot!

You can search, annotate, publish, and archive all of your PDF is a universal file information format for document in a digital exchange that pre‑ serves all the fonts, environment. formatting, colors, and graphics of any source document (whether itʼs on paper or from the Web or other electronic sources).

Preservation is faithful regard‑ less of the application and platform used to create or view the material.

PDF files can be shared, viewed, navigated, and printed on a broad range of operating systems by any‑ one using free Adobe Acrobat Reader™ or other software.

With scanning software, vol‑ umes of legacy paper documents may be converted to PDF so you can search, annotate, publish, and archive all of your information in a digital environment.

However there are differ‑ ent types of PDFs for use when scanning paper‑based documents.

The one we will focus on is the “PDF Searchable.”

Peter Larsen

Text Accuracy The OCR process required to create PDF Searchable Image typically provides text accuracy of 97 to 99 percent. That means the OCR process will give you the accuracy you need!

Searchable PDF technology enables you to find a single word instantly that may be hidden in‑ side a 100 page PDF document!

Thatʼs hot.

And itʼs happening every day somewhere in your office. So start a new water‑cooler conversation this week and show off your PDF prowess; ask if your co‑workers know about Searchable PDF.

Peter Larsen is with Cobb Technologies and has been in the document management in‑ dustry for 13 years. Prior to Cobb, he worked for Xerox Corporation & IKON Office Solutions.

WORK Companies & Careers

Creative Regional Marketing Paints a Portrait of Greater Richmond

Amuse restaurant at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was the site of a private reception for site selection consultants and local business leaders on Tuesday, April 26th.

BY JENNIFER YEAGER

IN APRIL, THE GREATER RICHMOND PARTNERSHIP, INC., THE REGIONʼS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANI‑ ZATION, HOSTED A SMALL GROUP OF ADVISORS TO COME “SEE GREATER RICHMOND FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.” THE LURE? PICASSO.

PHOTOS | MICHAEL C. IVEY

K

nowing who your deci‑ sion makers are and al‑ lowing them to experience your product or service free‑of‑charge is a smart business development strategy.

For attracting new businesses to our region, site selectors are a target audience and a firsthand experience in Greater Richmond is a key strategy.

So, who are these site selec‑ tors? Located throughout the country and around the world, they are the professionals that work, often under strict confi‑ dence, with companies to help them select where to locate their office or facilities. Site se‑ lectors assist companies in ana‑ lyzing locations for real estate options, access to affordable en‑

ergy costs, the right talent, the quality of life, and several other factors that will give the com‑ pany the competitive advantage for business success.

Thanks to the Virginia Mu‑ seum of Fine Arts, the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. (GRP) leveraged this once‑in‑a‑ lifetime Picasso exhibit to at‑ tract a group of professionals

who often act as “gatekeepers” to prospective companies. The lure worked.

Several site selectors from various locations along the East Coast were excited by the prospect to see Picasso: Mas‑ terpieces from the Musée Na‑ tional Picasso, Paris, and to visit the Greater Richmond re‑ gion. Some had been here be‑

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COMPANIES & CAREERS Site selection consultants and local economic developers were treated to a tour at Quality Technology Services in Henrico County. It was one of six stops during the 36‑hour visit.

fore, but not for some time. For others, this would be their first personal introduction.

The strategy for this cap‑ tive audience was to use a day and a half to showcase Greater Richmondʼs assets. While our region continues to receive high ranking accolades from national publications on a regular basis, we also know from research and experience that we need to con‑ tinue to work diligently to put Greater Richmond in a “top of mind” position. And thanks to

VCU and the University of Rich‑ mondʼs basketball excitement, Richmond was in the national mediaʼs spotlight.

Greater Richmond, as de‑ fined by the Partnershipʼs or‑ ganizational footprint, is the City of Richmond and the Counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. The itin‑ erary, therefore, hit key ele‑ ments for each locality and our regional attributes.

On the bus tour, our special guests visited business parks

#Picasso exhibit was amazing!

Our #siteselector guests thoroughly enjoyed the exclusive viewing, as did the @grpva team.

and facilities and were intro‑ duced to business and commu‑ nity leaders. The bus tour allowed for them to understand the diversity our region has to offer in regards to industries, real estate options, lifestyle choices, as well as the ease of getting around the region and the value of Greater Richmondʼs location at the intersection of I‑ 95 and I‑64.

The highlight for those in‑ volved in this event was the VMFA private reception and an

Heard from #siteselector: "#Richmond wasn't really on our radar. It definitely is now!"

intimate tour of the Picasso ex‑ hibit. It was an opportunity un‑ like any other and left a lasting impression on all.

One of the site selectors who had some familiarity with Greater Richmond before his visit said, “It reinforced my positive image of Rich‑ mond and brought me up to date on many features of the region.” And another said, “Greater Richmond wasnʼt on my radar, but it definitely is now!” Goal accomplished.

#SiteSelectors are getting a great overview of all the successful man‑ ufacturing companies in Chester‑ field county @ChesterfieldBiz

[on left] Tommy Miller of Hanover Countyʼs [on left] GRP CEO Greg Wingfield and Economic Development Department talks to a state consultant Ron Ruberg talk on the shut‑ economic developer during the reception at Amuse. tle that toured six locations around RVA. [on right] Betty‑Anne Teter, with the City of Richmondʼs Department of Economic & Community Development, speaks with consultant Jeff Groh and his wife in Amuse.

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Partnership Senior Vice President Gene Winter plays tour guide on the shuttle.

WORK

Micheal Sparks

Micheal Sparks Design

S

panning the gamut of on‑ line promotions includ‑ ing branding, web design, internet marketing and social media management, Micheal Sparks Design also is a real‑world resource for product design, direct mail, packaging and mid‑century furniture.

(l to r): Eyewear by Sparks. Art, such as the photo by Yussef Agbo‑Ola, and Danish Modern furniture are items from the online catalog.

The central figure in the successful, yet eclectic, mix is Sparks who started his career as an assistant designer for Lugene Optical in New York. Five years later, he launched Artistic Eye in San Francisco and Beverly Hills, where he designed a line of lux‑ ury lifestyle products including

Sparks creative assistant Alyssa

designer eyeglasses for a Chang with intern Richie Hollins. list of celebrity clients that include Halle Berry, Janet the eyewear business in the U.S. Jackson, Robert Redford, Bar‑ went belly‑up. I knew then it was bra Streisand, Brad Pitt, and time to reinvent myself.”

Oprah Winfrey.

But even as the seven‑per‑ With cutting‑edge fashion in son company is busy with web his background it is not surprising clients for local area businesses that when Sparks landed in RVA as well as those in New he was drawn to the Man‑ York̶“currently we are work‑ chester Arts District to set up ing with many clients on the is‑ shop at his new gallery and land of Marthaʼs Vineyard which studio at 205 Hull Street. has allowed us to develop a fan‑ “I moved here just a lit‑ tastic hospitality department of tle over two years ago from hotels, restaurants”̶the design NYC with my partner who is firm continues to pursue Sparksʼ a doctor at MCV. After visit‑ first passion. “We are developing ing around Richmond a line of products for the many times trying to deter‑ home̶pillows, candles and mine whether it was an ap‑ other accessories̶to comple‑ propriate place for my ment our current collection.” agency or not, Manchester True to Sparks multi‑tasking clinched the deal for me sensibility, the new space doubles with its character, art as a showroom for his online cat‑ scene, and Soho‑like at‑ alog of mid‑century modern fur‑ mosphere,” he explains. niture and contemporary art.

An impressive portfolio “For a long time I thought it of fashion eyewear and would be great to have a studio product design notwith‑ that would reflect my style and standing, just how did respect for mid‑century/modern Sparks evolve his services art,” he says. “This is why I de‑ into branding and market‑ cided to make our space a place ing for clients? “Eyewear for design and the sale of art and was my first love, but over furniture. I also wanted to create the years Iʼve developed a an environment to inspire the de‑ love for branding and multi‑ signers who work here. I want media. In the early ʼ90s, all them to be on their toes and be manufacturing of eye‑ able come up with fresh ideas

BY TED RANDLER glasses went to China, and every day.”

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Sparks opened his new space on Hull Street in June.

PERFORMANCE

Richmond CenterStage Celebrates Year Two ichmond CenterStageʼs 2nd Birthday Gala on Sep‑ tember 10th will also mark Richard M. Parison Jr.ʼs first year as Executive Director and CEO. Greater Richmond Grid touched base with Parison on the upcoming event as well as his plans for the cultural arts center.

R

Can you talk a little bit about your background, and what attracted you to Richmond CenterStage?

I was drawn to the diversity of the city, first and foremost. I see Rich‑ mond as a place with unlimited artis‑ tic and cultural possibility. I also liked the stature and history of Center‑ Stage itself. The artistry of the resi‑ dent companies and the passionate, creative, dynamic individuals that make up the Richmond arts commu‑ nity and CenterStage are inspiring and big reasons why I wanted to come to Richmond CenterStage and be a part of this community.

PHOTO: DAN COLLINS

SONGFEST

Richmond CenterStageʼs various venues offer RVA performing arts organizations state‑of‑the‑art theaters in which to stage their productions. What is the differ‑ ence between producing and pre‑ senting companies? Are there assorted ensembles as funk/soul DJ Williams Pro‑ jekt, jazz/fusion Near Earth Objects, Grateful Dead cover band King Solomonʼs Mar‑ bles, and B Side Electric Blues Band, are artists whose résumés re‑ flect that sort of eclecticism.

Simmons̶whose other proj‑ ects include funk/groove Gray‑V and blues/rock The Dirty Truth̶points out that his own original tunes are influenced by the varied styles of Frank Zappa, Steely Dan, and Motown.

But paying true homage to the recognizable tunes of the All‑ man Brothers Band, according to Simmons, is no small feat.

“The musicʼs quite daunting, actually,” Simmons explains, point‑ ing out that it took Skydog six months after its formation in March 2009 to master enough songs to begin performing. “Weʼre not try‑ ing to do our own versions of their songs. Doing it properly is very challenging because you really have to pay close attention to the details and nuances that make each song shine.”

plans to expand or de‑ We wanted to celebrate the velop more performing second anniversary of our partnerships?

Grand Opening in an excit‑ Producing resident com‑ ing and unique way as well panies are organizations as combine this celebration that produce their own with a signature fundrais‑ shows. Examples in‑ ing event. Tickets are al‑ clude Richmond Shake‑ ready on sale for this Parison speare, Richmond Ballet one‑night‑only celebration and Virginia Opera. Presenting res‑ on September 10th. ident companies are organizations that present the works of others.

What do you envision as Center‑ Examples of presenting resident Stageʼs future participation in the companies at CenterStage include Richmond arts community? our Broadway in Richmond series, Part of our mission is to be a catalyst the Richmond Forum and the Mod‑ for the arts in Richmond. We already lin Center for the Arts. have great partnerships throughout While CenterStage has a close the community̶ whether itʼs First relationship with our resident com‑ Fridays, Art 180, any of our regional panies, we welcome all artists and education partnerships or RVA on organizations. You donʼt have to be Ice, our “CenterStage in the Commu‑ a resident company to use Center‑ nity” campaign continues to expand.

Stageʼs venues. We showcase artists We love collaborating with dif‑ from around the corner and around ferent arts organizations to help the world, and I truly think that them reach a wider audience and to speaks to what we have been trying do productions that they might not to accomplish here. We want Cen‑ otherwise be able to do on their terStage to be a cultural experience, own. Our partnership next season and not just a location on a map. with the Firehouse Theatre Project and the production of “Dessa Rose” We understand the facilityʼs Sec‑ is an example of that. This copro‑ ond Birthday Gala is one of the duction embodies our efforts to few productions actually devel‑ promote a vibrant arts community

BY TED RANDLER oped by Richmond CenterStage. in Richmond.

RVA VIBE: Skydog D

BY ANIKA IMAJO

onʼt tell me girls donʼt like the Allman Brothers,” challenges Jeremy Sim‑ mons, bass player and vocalist for Skydog. “Theyʼre front and center at every show.”

A local tribute band that faith‑ fully reproduces the distinctive sound of the Allman Brothers Band, Skydog is increasing its tour schedule and exposure on college campuses in particular.

Of the Allman Brothersʼ en‑ during appeal, Simmons opines, “They were the first to successfully combine rock and jazz. They had massive improvisational prowess that was never self‑serving. The music is rooted in the blues, which is timeless; their chemistry on stage, undeniable.”

Carved from diverse genres, the songs of the Allman Brothers Band call for the stylistic versatility of well‑rounded musicians. The members of Skydog, who individu‑ ally contribute their talents to such

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Keith Cable: Drums/Percussion; Joey Ciucci: Organ/Piano; Jamie Deane: Guitar/Slide; Brian Fones: Guitar/Vocals; Dusty Ray Simmons: Drums;Jeremy Simmons: Bass/Vocals While appreciative of Sky‑ dogʼs popularity among college students, Simmons hopes to ex‑ pand the bandʼs fan base and get the word out to older audiences who may not be aware of the band. “Weʼre shooting to be for the Allman Brothers what Dark Star Orchestra is to Grateful Dead and The Last Waltz is for The Band,” he explains.

Skydog performs in Richmond periodically at such venues as Cary Street Café, The Camel, and The Hat Factory. They will appear July 22nd in Roanoke at Martin's Downtown and will headline at Scucci Fest in Midlothian on September 10th.

“Delivering velvety, lounge‑ style versions of familiar tunes, The Recliners draw audiences into their frothy cocktail world on most Friday nights at Café Diem. Ironically, Russell Young, the driving force behind this celebrated cover band̶with incarnations based in both Richmond and Austin̶is a composer by profession. “ Read full article @ RichmondGrid.com

ACTiVE RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • JULY | AUGUST 2011 • #3

SUMMER SPLASH! LEAP INTO THE FUN OF THE

HENRICUS DAUBER DASH TEAM BUILDING AT THE

WHATIFCREDITUNIONS.COM DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE:

THE ANTHEM MOONLIGHT RIDE

STEPPING UP YOUR RUN WITH THE

SPORTS BACKERS HALF MARATHON TRAINING TEAM A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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ACTiVE RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • JULY | AUGUST 2011 • #3

JUMPSTART ............................................................................ 30 Rumpus in Bumpass & Pink Power: On Saturday, August 20th, hundreds of women of all fitness levels will compete in the Pink Power Sprint Triathlon; Richmond Still in Running for Cycling Championship.

30

BODYSMART ............................................................................31 Man‑Up! Menʼs Health Seminar is held at J. Sargeant Reynolds.

The Spirit of the Game ............................................................32 Itʼs not uncommon to see retirees dotting the lush grounds of golfing greens, teeing off and keeping in shape. In fact, thatʼs where youʼll find Ken Loving at least three times a week.

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From the 10k to a Half Marathon: One Womanʼs Journey ......34 Liz Prillaman has joined the Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team to help with the transition.

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Winning Images at Dominion Riverrock ..................................35 A portfolio of remarkable scenes captured at this yearʼs event.

The Ancient Art of Team Building............................................38 The logistics of the dragon boat race are simple: a 40‑foot long decorated canoe is powered by 20 paddlers, 1 drummer and 1 steersperson.

Patrick Henry Half Marathon Has a New Course ......................40

38

If youʼre waiting for the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, itʼs still a few months away. Why not attempt the popular Patrick Henry Half Marathon that takes place on Saturday, August 27th?

The Magical Moonlight Tour....................................................42 Celebrating the warm nights and fresh air, The Anthem Moonlight Ride is a unique event organized by the Sports Backers thatʼs dedicated to family and neighborhood‑friendly fun.

40

History Can Be Messy Fun........................................................44 If you can handle a challenge, sign up for the ever‑popular Henricus Dauber Dash on August 6th.

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Don Garber: Richmondʼs Gift to Running ................................46 Heʼs a coach, a character, a believer, and a man of very high standards.

The Care Corner: Care Advantage Inc and Nurse Advantage ..............................47 Recruiting for success means providing unique options and opportunities for todayʼs healthcare professionals.

44

Community Supports Hope for Liver Transplant ....................49 Five years ago, James Wilson was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, a blood disor‑ der, believed to have originated from a blood transfusion 25 years ago. His journey has been a long struggle, and is far from over.

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J U M P S T A R T

A C T i V E JUL|AUG 2011

Rumpus in Bumpass & Pink Power On Saturday, August 20th, hundreds of women of all fitness levels will compete in the Pink Power Sprint Triathlon. Ladies are en‑ couraged to participate in this swim‑bike‑run event that will be hosted by all male volunteers.

Taking place at the Mid‑ lothian YMCA, the com‑ petition involves a 300‑meter swim in an in‑ door pool, an 11‑mile bike ride through Chesterfield County, and a 5k run through the local neigh‑ borhoods.

Lamb approaches the finish line at Rumpus in Bumpass International Triathlon.

The event benefits the Bright Beginnings Back to School Program of YMCA Giving Campaign.

EVENT PHOTO: MIKE LAMB

We caught up with Lori Lamb, a local triathlete, to find out what one of her recent events was like:

“Rumpus in Bumpass took place on April 16th. It took every ounce of willpower I had to finish that swim in the COLD lake with lots of wave action and current.

It was the only race, to date, that I have ever started and wanted to quit. I just kept telling my‑ self ʻget through this swim any way you can!ʼ I did, though my time was hor‑ rendous! I think some races are meant to be chalked up to building mental toughness exer‑ cises̶and this was defi‑ nitely one of those races!”

In Pink Power, Lori wonʼt have to deal with a cold lake and sheʼs familiar with the course so sheʼs hoping for a better finish time and another per‑ sonal victory in her quest to challenge herself phys‑ ically and mentally. A

Richmond Still in Running for Cycling Championship Richmond 2015 is an organiza‑ tion made up of city leaders and the business community, all working hard to win the oppor‑ tunity to host the World Road Cycling Championship in 2015.

Winning the bid would be a boost to the local economy and

30

help to solidify Richmond as an active, fit city, so Richmond 2015 is pulling out all of the stops.

Over the next few months, there are several steps involved in the decision‑making process including a review of the bid packages, site visits, and feasibil‑

ity studies. The championship started in 1921 and hasnʼt been held in the United States since 1986 when it was in Colorado.

Last yearʼs event in Aus‑ tralia lured over 300,000 spec‑ tators, more than 1,000 athletes, and television view‑

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

ers worldwide.

So far, the bid package has been submitted and the Inter‑ national Cycling Union officials have conducted a site visit of the proposed route for the 2015 UCI Road Cycling Championship right here in Richmond. A

B O D Y S M A R T MAN‑UP! MENʼS HEALTH SEMINAR IS HELD AT J. SARGEANT REYNOLDS

BY STEPHEN P. SOWULEWSKI, M.A

A menʼs health seminar was held at J. Sargeant Reynolds Parham Road Campus on Saturday June 18, 2011. I facilitated the event in conjunction with National Menʼs Health Month. Congress passed an awareness period known as Menʼs Health Week and it was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on May 31,

1994. Each year both nationally and internationally events are scheduled in June to promote awareness and education for menʼs health issues.

Men on average live 5‑7 years less than women do. The reasons are many but men seem to have an aversion to seeking out medical care early on and in‑

stead often wait until a disease state is present. Women are often the conduit in getting men to see a doctor. Thus, it is impor‑ tant for men to make sure they get their yearly physical and check in with a doctor when something ails them.

The menʼs seminar featured several community health ven‑ dors in addition to academic pro‑ grams offered by J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, most notably the nursing pro‑ gram. Speakers presented topics related to urology, pharmacology and marketing, exercise, nutri‑ tion, internal medicine and men‑ tal health.

After which all speakers convened to form a panel in order to field questions

from the audience. Once the pre‑ sentations were finished, the styl‑ ist team from Nordstrom show‑cased several styling and grooming tips for men. A

SOWULEWSKI

Stephen P. Sowulewski, M.A. is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Health & Physical Education at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and an American Council on Exercise (ACE) group exercise certified instructor at American Family Fitness teaching indoor cycling.

STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE YMCA OF GREATER RICHMOND www.ymcarichmond.org

Join the Y and become a member of a community that’s committed every day to helping you and your family learn, grow and thrive.

Visit our website to learn about membership features, calculate your rate and join. Financial assistance is available.

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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The Spirit of the Game

BY COLLEEN CALLERY

IT始S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE RETIREES DOTTING THE LUSH GROUNDS OF GOLFING GREENS, TEEING OFF AND KEEPING IN SHAPE. IN FACT, THAT始S WHERE YOU始LL FIND KEN LOVING, 66, AT LEAST THREE TIMES A WEEK.

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A C T i V E RVA始S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

hat is uncommon, although, are two of Kenʼs noticeably missing limbs. After losing both his right arm and right leg in a railway accident over 20 years ago, Ken has resolved to keep liv‑ ing an active life, doing the things he loves.

“Logically, itʼs not the kind of accident to survive,” said Adrienne, 64, Lovingʼs wife of almost 48 years. While working as a con‑ ductor in Roanoke, Ken was caught beneath a string of train cars leaving him without his right arm and with a right leg too injured not to be amputated. It took almost six months for Kenʼs first prosthetic leg to be fitted, but those tumultuous few months still couldnʼt break his spirit.

“I was happy as long as I could stand up,” said Ken. “My main objective was just to play golf.” But Ken has far surpassed simply standing. Jumping from a 13 to a 38 handicap after his accident, he is back down to 18, golfing up and down the east coast with the National Amputee Golf Asso‑ ciation (NAGA).

“Heʼs very much an athlete. He just keeps on going,” said Adrienne. “Sometimes he enjoys life a little too much̶36 holes in one day, those kinds of things,” she laughed.

Besides serving as an athletic and a so‑ cial outlet, the NAGA also exposes patients and their families to new technology from people with similar disabilities. After years of support from their friends, family and community, the Lovings have started shar‑ ing their unique experience and optimism with others as well.

Ken volunteers at a Roanoke hospital

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once a month, helping brain injury and am‑ putee patients with physical therapy. Break‑ ing free from the monotony of indoor therapy, Ken teaches patients to swing golf clubs, strengthening balance and hand‑eye coordination. “ Theyʼre not thinking of it as rehab when theyʼre playing,” said Adrienne. “The bottom line is there are a whole lot of Ken‑ nys out there. That old, ʻpass it onʼ thing?

There needs to be more of that.”

Currently Ken is being treated at Com‑ monwealth Sports Medicine and is un‑ dergoing experimen‑ tal procedures on his working knee in order to avoid being con‑ fined to a wheelchair.

As usual, Kenʼs spirits are high and his humor is as sharp as ever when he explains other professional golfers have had simi‑ lar procedures.

“Tiger Woods had it done on his

knee,” said Ken. “Maybe itʼll make me play better. Iʼll have a knee like Tiger!” A

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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From the 10k to a Half Marathon: One Womanʼs Journey FOR LIZ PRILLAMAN RUNNING IS A JOURNEY, NOT JUST A ROUTINE EXERCISE. LIZ HAS PARTICIPATED IN A FEW 10K RACES AND NOW SHE IS MAKING THE LEAP FROM 6 TO 13.1 MILES, A HALF MARATHON, AND HAS JOINED THE SPORTS BACKERS HALF C R MARATHON TRAINING TEAM TO HELP WITH THE TRANSITION.

BY AROLINE OBEY

unning is in her background̶her father ran on the track team at Vir‑ ginia Tech̶and sheʼd run in mid‑ dle and high school. Though as an adult, Lizʼs exercising fell by the wayside and she became inactive.

She found instant structure and support in the YMCA 10k Training Team for the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k, something she desired and needed. Joining a team offered her camaraderie and encouragement, something she also hopes to find on the Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team.

It started as a New Yearʼs Res‑ olution to get fit and to exercise, but became much more. Lizʼs hus‑ band is currently serving our coun‑ try in Afghanistan̶he was deployed in January 2011 and will return March 2012. Running be‑ came a way to relieve stress, pain and loneliness; it was a way to fill time and allow her to focus on something else.

While she is exercising in the U.S, her husband is exercising over‑ seas to prepare for his two weeks off. Right before the McDonaldʼs Half Marathon in November, he gets two weeks to spend with his wife and family.

During this time, a pre‑half marathon race is being held be‑ tween Liz, her husband, and their whole family. “It is a mini‑ competition that everyone gets to participate in, even my sol‑ dier,” she explains.

By training with a team as opposed to by herself, Liz looks for the same support she feels in her family. She hopes to find friends, encouragement, motivation, and above all, role models for running in the coaches and in the other runners.

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She recalls a time when she was train‑ ing for her first 10k and was having a par‑ ticularly hard time that day. The hills were more of a challenge than usual; she was

EVENT PHOTO: BRIGHTROOM

For Liz Prillaman and Team Turtle (comprised of family members) running is a means to fun, health and bonding.

34

falling behind. But one coach turned around and fell back to run beside her.

He stayed with her, encouraging her the whole way, and made sure she finished the run. She says without that coachʼs help, she would have quit.

Training for a half marathon is much

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

different than training for a 10k. Runners have to change their training routine quite a bit. It is a big jump to the half marathon.

Liz says, “Speed is a big challenge for me, and I want work on running faster.”

Her family of 10 members ac‑ companied her in the 10k race on a team named Team Turtle. “It was named this because of our slow and steady speed,” she explains. Run‑ ning with the support of her family helped her make it through the race, and now she is making the transition to the half marathon with her sister.

Liz is also working on strength‑ ening her core with cross training.

A personal trainer at a local gym is helping her to gain strength in her body, her legs and her core area.

Once she is stronger, speed will come easier.

For Liz her nutrition is also a big part of healthy running. She says she is learning a lot about nu‑ trition she did not know before, and will attend the workshops helped by the Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team to help her learn even more about how she should be eating.

Since running and training, Liz has lowered her fat intake and added more protein. She has lost 25 lbs since January The Half Marathon Training Team is a fourteen‑week program starting August 6th at 8 am. It pro‑ vides structure, support, and expe‑ rienced coaches who push the team to reach their personal goals. The program also pro‑ vides clinics on nutrition and everything runners need to know as a new participant or a veteran. For more information check out the Sports Backers web site at: www.sportsbackers.org. A

Winning Images at Dominion Riverrock

CONGRATULATIONS TO DANNY TIET WHO TOOK THIS FIRST‑PLACE PHOTO FOR THE DOMINION RIVERROCK 2011 RICHMOND TIMES‑DISPATCH DIGITAL PHOTO CONTEST. NEW THIS YEAR WAS THE VIDEO CONTEST WON BY ALEXANDER WILLIAMS WHOSE VIDEO CAN BE VIEWED ALONG WITH OTHER WINNERS BY SCAN‑ NING THE QR CODE OR VISITING DOMINIONRIVERROCK.COM.

TURN THE PAGE TO VIEW MORE WINNING PHOTOS. A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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A C T i V E RVA始S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

Honorable Mention, Mountain Biking : Scott Quarforth

Honorable Mention, Climbing: Dave Parrish

Second Place: Cory Brodzinski

Third Place: Kirsten Lewis

Honorable Mention, Freestyle Bikes: Karl Hawk

Honorable Mention, Trail Running: Philip Childress

Honorable Mention, Kayaking: Mitchell Ward

Honorable Mention, Music/Entertainment: Daniel Lin

A C T i V E RVA始S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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The Ancient Art of Team Building THE LOGISTICS OF THE DRAGON BOAT RACE ARE SIMPLE: A 40‑FOOT LONG DECORATED CANOE IS POWERED BY 20 PADDLERS, 1 DRUMMER AND 1 STEERSPERSON. THE BOAT SPRINTS TO THE FINISH LINE 500M AWAY TO THE RHYTHMIC BEAT OF A DRUM. he origins, however, are much more com‑ plex and fascinating.

This boat racing may epitomize camaraderie and teamwork, but the very first dragon boat race, over 2,500 years ago in ancient China, embodied a loy‑ alty so powerful it continues a tradition today.

The legend begins with a beloved and respected Chinese leader, Chu (Qu) Yuan. His life was devoted to serving the Em‑ peror of the Zhou Dynasty.

Fighting to end the corruption, he was not trusted by the offi‑ cials, and soon was exiled.

Upon hearing that China had fallen to external forces, he

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drowned himself in the Mi‑Lo River. His faithful people rushed out in long canoes to rescue their leader, however they were too late.

According to legend, they beat drums to scare the fish away to prevent them from eating his body.

Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Chinese people would com‑ memorate his death by racing out in long boats to the beat of a drum to re‑enact the frenetic race to save Chu Yuanʼs life.

The ornate decoration of the dragon heads were added to ward off evil spirits, as the dragon is the God of Water,

and employed to keep the river safe.

The second annual What‑ IfCreditUnions Dragon Boat Festival is set for July 30th at Rocketts Landing and offers participants a fun event to de‑ velop team spirit.

Alicia Loza is the Captain for the Next Level Fitness Team.

They are a determined group, training together daily with out‑ door workouts using the dragon‑boat practice sessions to better their paddling skills.

When asked what at‑ tracted the attention of the company to the race, Loza ex‑ plained, “Itʼs a fun event to do as a group and good exposure

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

for Next Level Fitness.”

She found that events like this one help to promote better work teams and notes that, as a group, they socialize often at ball games and races.

Being a fitness group, you may think they will have an ad‑ vantage over other teams. But Loza said while they are a “very competitive group the main purpose is to have fun.”

Many of the other employ‑ ees from Next Level Fitness are coming out to support the team. Loza said, “We were a tight group already, but the [dragon boat race festival] cer‑ tainly helped to bring the group together even more.”

Captain of a team that is new to dragon boat racing, Chris Shelton with Thompson, Siegal and Walmsley LLC, said his group is excited to bring home the trophy.

His team comes from the financial department within an investment management firm that promotes close‑knit work with other departments.

“The fact that [the event] promotes team building within the workplace is a major at‑ traction,” Shelton explained.

“Also to have our name out there among the financial serv‑ ices businesses is a bonus.”

Besides promoting team‑ work between employees who typically donʼt work together, Sheltonʼs crew hopes to “get ex‑ ercise which coincides with [their] healthy lifestyle initiative.”

He also couldnʼt resist a little family competition

against his wife.

Shelton also likes the net‑ working aspects. “The race al‑ lows individuals who donʼt necessarily interact with one another to engage in a friendly, competitive environment.”

Although this is their first attempt at a dragon boat race, Shelton explained the firm competes in softball and volleyball tournaments to provide after‑work activi‑ ties for the employees.

Many other employees and their families are coming to watch the team compete, he noted.

Ro Gammon is the captain of the Half Marathon Training Team and eagerly signed up the coaches immediately after hearing of the event.

The coaches go on runs together regularly as part of normal training, but other

than that, they donʼt get to‑ gether often.

Ro Gammon said the event is “totally unrelated [to how they train for running race], but is a fun event to do together.”

However, the main reason for doing this is to take a step back. She says the coaches sometimes forget where they started. “We have been run‑ ning our whole lives and some‑ times forget what itʼs like to do something new,” she said.

Most of the participants who they coach have never done a half marathon and training for one is a new expe‑ rience for them.

The coaches wanted to re‑ member what itʼs like to be ap‑ prehensive and excited about doing a new event; to stand in their traineesʼ shoes.

Paddling a boat to the beat of a drum is “totally new” to all

of the coaches, and gives them a different perspective.

They will have to depend on each other out there in the competition̶and can take that dependence and apply it back to how they work to‑ gether as a coaching team.

A true athlete, Gammon, while noting they look for‑ ward to the boat‑rowing prac‑ tice sessions to start their training, also said, “We are pumped and ready!”

In addition to the dragon boat races, the Central Vir‑ ginia Chinese Community will provide entertainment in the form of Chinese cultural performances. A For more information or to register a team visit www.gwndragonboat.com.

BY CAROLINE ROBEY

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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on Rd

Blant

Patrick Henry Half Marathon Has a New Course

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f youʼre waiting for the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, itʼs still a few months away. Why not sign up for the popular Patrick Henry Half Marathon that takes place on Saturday, August 27th? Youʼll

get to run a half marathon on a newly designed route. This year the 13.1‑ mile course starts and finishes on the campus of Randolph‑Macon Col‑ lege. Runners get to see the sights of historic Hanover County and the scenic railroad district of Ashland.

In addition to checking out the beautiful countryside, participants will receive a special technical race shirt and a custom finisherʼs medal.

Youʼll also want to join the post‑race celebration with your fellow ath‑ letes. Hurry and sign up because registration is cut off after 1,500. Go to www.sportsbackers.org for details. A

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A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

State Route 666

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The Magical Moonlight Tour CELEBRATING THE WARM NIGHTS AND FRESH AIR, THE ANTHEM MOON‑ LIGHT RIDE IS A UNIQUE EVENT ORGANIZED BY THE SPORTS BACKERS THATʼS DEDICATED TO FAMILY AND NEIGHBORHOOD‑FRIENDLY FUN. TOURING AROUND RICHMOND̶ON EITHER AN 8‑MILE OR 17‑MILE ROUTE̶THE BICYCLING EXTRAVAGANZA REWARDS RIDERS WITH A VERITABLE STREET FES‑

.

TIVAL OF FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT AT THE FINISH LINE

BY COLLEEN CALLERY

articipants are encouraged to let the moonlight inspire a little wackiness, dress up in costumes, and decorate their bikes to add extra flair to the starry ride.

Just ask last yearʼs costume winners, Cliff and Joyce Frank. Even though it was their first time pedaling in the Anthem Moonlight Ride, the Franks put their strong witticism on display as a visually puny “tropical pair‑a‑dice,” donning grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts and giant, red dice on their heads.

“My husband is very creative,” said Joyce. “These were actually Hal‑ loween costumes we used the Halloween before. Once we tell people what we are, they usually say ʻOh! Why didnʼt I get that before?ʼ” They have been tandem cycling together for five years, clocking between 2,000 and 3,000 miles annually, including four or five or‑ ganized cycling events.

While they have participated in rides up and down the East Coast for years, this ride had challenges of its own, slightly dif‑ ferent than they are normally used to.

“It was daunting, the whole day,” said Joyce.

“We kept catching the wind and the dice were very heavy.”

As the rules stipulate, riders are required to wear their costumes the entire ride to qualify for the contest, and for the Franks that was for 17 miles.

While they did their best to manage their unorthodox cycling gear, they were particularly impressed with the organization of the ride and the spirit throughout the streets.

As frequent cyclers, Joyce noted the enthusiastic vol‑ unteers, well‑marked paths, and safety meas‑ ures that made the evening so enjoyable.

“It was fun riding around at night,” said Cliff. “The people‑ watching was so much fun, and there was no blistering sun.

People were sitting on their front yards rooting on Monument Avenue.”

This yearʼs ride is on August 13th and as for whether the Franks will be returning with an‑ other winning costume this year, that remains a mystery. “I hope we do,” said Joyce. “But you never know.” A

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The Agee's Post-Ride Party takes place at Sports Backers Stadium with a finish arch, merchandise tents and vendors. Celebrate your accomplishment with live music and enjoy a complimentary slice of pizza, ice cream and soft drink or beer along with your post-event food.

A C T i V E RVA始S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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History Can Be Messy Fun IF YOU CAN HANDLE A CHALLENGE, SIGN UP FOR THE EVER‑POPULAR HENRICUS DAUBER DASH ON AUGUST 6TH. he Citie of Henricus is an outdoor living history museum that recre‑ ates the colonial structures and Dauber mud houses that were built by Eng‑ lish settlers. Located in Chesterfield County, Henricus is celebrating its 400th anniver‑ sary (1611‑2011) with unique events to showcase the history and culture that is part of our heritage.

Taking advantage of one of our many regional historic sites, this yearʼs course for

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the Henricus Dauber Dash promises to be the muddiest yet as runners follow a five‑ mile trail that begins in the Citie and loops around Dutch Gap. Itʼs designed to challenge (and enter‑ tain) your inner child as you climb, crawl and otherwise navigate through progres‑ sively messy obstacles until you reach the ultimate challenge, the final mud pit!

In addition to getting a great workout and playing in the mud, youʼll get to

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

check out the beautiful history of the Henricus settlement and the scenery of the James River.

Adults arenʼt the only ones who get to have fun. Kids can get their mud on in the Mud Guppies 1‑mile event, which means they will also go through the final mud pit just like Mom and Dad. This is a day full of nature, history, and fun. Just remember, youʼll get crazy muddy and youʼll love it! A

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Don Garber: Richmondʼs Gift to Running

BY JACKIE HOLT

HEʼS A COACH, A CHARACTER, A BELIEVER, AND A MAN OF VERY HIGH STANDARDS. OR, AS JOE ZIELINSKI STATED IN THE RICHMOND ROAD RUNNERʼS CLUB NEWSLETTER, DON GARBER IS “A PERMANENT ANCHOR IN OUR RUNNING COMMUNITY.” n 1979, Don Garber com‑ of it all.

“I do it because I love it,” he peted in his first road race: The Run For the Arts, a explains. “I see people accom‑ local fundraiser for the arts com‑ plish things. People come up to munity. Eight years later, he took me six months after the race on the ultimate running chal‑ telling me how the Marathon lenge̶a marathon. He crossed Training Team has impacted the finish line of the 1987 Rich‑ their life.”

Not only does Don impact mond Newspapers Marathon, but it wasnʼt without a little help lives, he changes them.

Blair Just joined the MTT in from his friend Jim Wilson, who rode his bike alongside Don for 2002 as a participant, and based on his running history, Don con‑ the last six miles of the race. vinced him to join the “[He] helped me intermediate group. understand the value “Iʼd taken a cou‑ of having someone ple swings at the else there to help you marathon, and never on marathon day,” actually made it to the explains Don. Since corral,” Blair says that day, Don has not laughing, remember‑ looked back, running ing the shock he felt 30 more 26.2‑milers when he heard the of his own and guid‑ word ʻintermediate.ʼ ing thousands of “[Don] gives peo‑ friends and fellow Garber ple the credit they runners to the finish donʼt necessarily give them‑ lines of their first marathon.

When Garber agreed to selves and makes them open head up the first‑ever Sports their eyes a little wider. Don will Backers Marathon Training believe for you until you can be‑ Team in 2002, he had already lieve for yourself. If he hadnʼt made his mark on the Richmond looked at me and said, ʻYouʼre an running community in many intermediate,ʼ I would have ways, namely through Team in never believed it,” explains Blair, Training. What he didnʼt realize who crossed the finish line in was how much more of an im‑ 2002 and has been coaching with Don ever since. pact he would have.

Lynn Anderson agrees and One of Donʼs first recruits to help coach was his long‑time notes, “Heʼs the most positive friend, Lynn Anderson. “Iʼd fol‑ person that Iʼve ever met when it low him anywhere and do any‑ comes to believing you can do thing he asks me to,” says Lynn, something.”

According to Don, the most who has also been a part of the Marathon Training Team since important quality of a success‑ ful coach is a term he has day one.

The Sports Backers coined “servant leadership.”

Marathon Training Team is cele‑ “Youʼre not coaching for your‑ brating its 10th year in 2011, self. Youʼre coaching for other and Don Garber has been the people,” he says. “Itʼs being able head honcho since the beginning to give up oneself to see other

EVENT PHOTOS: BRIGHTROOM

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people succeed.”

Lynn and the other MTT coaches practice what he preaches. “You learn by watching him even more than by talking to him,” she says. “You watch how he does it. He loves to have fun, he loves to laugh and that shows [when he is coaching].”

Some Whether itʼs samples of telling jokes to the Garberʼs crowd, showing up more inspired for group runs in his race garb.

“Garber‑wear” (the name his friends have adopted to describe his out‑ running‑related and some not. rageous running garb), or com‑ “This community has served me ing out on race morning dressed well and being able to give back as a Disco Man, itʼs very evident has given me a little sense of pur‑ pose,” says Garber. that Don is the life of the party.

In Donʼs eyes, the biggest Lynn cannot remember an expo that Don has not asked her contribution that has come opinion on his newest running out of his service “is not the attire that he picked up off the fact that more people are run‑ clearance rack. “Theyʼve got to ning marathons, but that peo‑ be the tackiest shorts he can pos‑ ple are using this as a sibly find,” she laughs. “And if he springboard to continue run‑ can find a matching shirt and ning their whole life.”

As a toast to the end of the socks, even better.”

Year after year, through 23‑week marathon training sea‑ his enthusiasm and spirit, Don son, Don rallies the coaches for a continues to grow the training post‑race drink together at Siné team and the running commu‑ Irish Pub in Shockoe Slip. Blair Just orders the same thing each nity at large. “[Richmond] has an enviable and every year: a Stella Artois reputation in the running com‑ draft. “Itʼs the best beer of the munity and that is owed to Donʼs year, the one I have with Don work with Team in Training, Garber,” he says.

With that, letʼs toast to Don Sports Backers and the Rich‑ mond Road Runners,” Blair says. Garber̶thank you, Don, for all Don also serves as a Board you have done to make Rich‑ member for a handful of local mond a better place to live, non‑profits and volunteers much work, play, and most impor‑ of his time to other organizations tantly, RUN. You truly are Rich‑ in the Richmond area̶some mondʼs gift to running. A

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

THE CARE CORNER

Care Advantage Inc and Nurse Advantage: Recruiting for Success S INCE OUR INCEPTION IN 1988, C ARE A DVANTAGE I NC . AND N URSE A DVAN ‑

TAGE HAVE PROVIDED THE UTMOST QUALITY IN HOME HEALTH AND FACILITY NURSE STAFFING . O UR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE HAS ALLOWED US TO EX ‑ TEND OUR SERVICE FOOTPRINT ACROSS THE GREAT STATE OF V IRGINIA , WITH 15 OFFICES STATEWIDE . rom as far east as Chesa‑ peake to the mountains of Roanoke in Southwest Virginia, we proudly boast our ability to serve most major coun‑ ties and territories throughout our Commonwealth.

F

This, of course, wouldnʼt be pos‑ sible without the commitment of our greatest resource̶our employees. So, when asked about our secret for success and growth in our extremely com‑ petitive industry, we offer a very simple answer: We make re‑ cruiting the best caregivers our top priority!

Nursing Professionals Our employees are nursing pro‑ fessionals who have been care‑ fully screened and selected, and bring with them top‑notch skill sets and proven track records in their fields of expertise.

Their dedication and loyalty to nursing and healthcare is un‑ compromising, and the value they add to our clientʼs lives is the key to our accomplishments.

Each one of our offices employs a Personnel Supervisor whose primary focus is to recruit the most talented in the nursing field.

Education & Relationships We work closely within our communities, nurturing reward‑ ing relationships with the areas

We work closely within our communities, nurturing rewarding relationships with the areas most respected nursing programs. most respected nursing pro‑ grams, including Centura Col‑ lege, MCI, ECPI, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, and John Tyler Community Col‑ lege, among many others.

We also support various local high schools offering pre‑nurs‑ ing programs for their students, and participate and support nu‑ merous events throughout the year that allows us to reach out

to potential applicants, such as career and health fairs, attend nursing graduations and con‑ duct open house events at our branch offices that enable per‑ sonalized interactions between our staff and the candidates.

We enjoy going the extra mile to get to know our future nursing stars!

Outstanding Benefits Just as important as the recruit‑ ing function are our retention

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

47

strategies, and that is something we are very passionate about. In ad‑ dition to the privilege of working for one of Vir‑ giniaʼs leading health‑ care staffing agencies, employees are also pro‑ vided with an array of outstanding benefits and perks that have made us quite popular among our caregivers.

Among the most treas‑ ured are our Vacation Bonus and College Sav‑ ings plans, both of which allow our em‑ ployees to effort‑ lessly save money for when they need it We award scholarships to selected employees most. Included also are recognition re‑ for CNA, LPN and RN course tuition. wards, employee dis‑ counts, holiday pay, and Virginia Credit Union cants. But most cherished is our their career at nearly no cost to Scholarship Program. Each year them and one that we are proud Membership. we award scholarships to se‑ to offer year after year!

We even offer client and em‑ lected employees for CNA, LPN ployee bonuses that reward and RN course tuition. This is an At Care Advantage and Nurse handsomely for attracting new outstanding opportunity for any Advantage, our goal is to be Vir‑ business and talented appli‑ caregiver looking to advance giniaʼs premier provider of

healthcare staffing services and the employer of choice for those in the nursing field.

Whether youʼre looking for a new and exciting career change, part‑time supplemental income or just a few extra hours a week to stay busy, we offer every nurse the flexibility and incen‑ tive to do what they love most̶taking care of people! A

Come Join a Team That Appreciates YOU! Home Health Care and Facility Staffing Opportunities Available • “Work When You Want” Schedule • Competitive Pay • Weekly Pay • In-Home Care, Hospice, Rehab Facilities, Physician’s Offices

• • • careadvantageinc.com

Paid Vacations/Quarterly Bonuses Recognition/Rewards Programs Scholarship Program for CNA, LPN and RN!

Call us today at (804) 323-9464 for a branch location near you!

Community Supports Hope for Liver Transplant FIVE

HEPATITIS C,

A BLOOD

DISORDER, BELIEVED TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM A BLOOD TRANSFUSION

25 YEARS

AGO.

YEARS AGO, JAMES

WILSON

WAS DIAGNOSED WITH

HIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN A LONG STRUGGLE, AND IS FAR FROM OVER.

e valiantly fought his disease into remis‑ sion using an experi‑ mental treatment that included taking Interferon and Ribaviron.

One problem still remained however.

H

The last treatment could not be administered because his platelet count was lowered, so much so that it became a dan‑ ger to his body. Platelets are cir‑ cular, clear cell fragments that circulate blood in mammals. It is important that the count re‑ mained balanced; too low of a platelet count can lead to exces‑ sive bleeding and too many lead to blood clots.

The danger in Jamesʼs case was clear. This resulted in a small amount of Hepatitis to remain in his blood system.

Because of this, he contracted Stage 4 Cirrhosis of the liver.

Cirrhosis slowly deteriorates the liver and causes malfunc‑ tions such as the important processes of removing bacte‑ ria, processing nutrients and drugs, making protein and producing a substance to ab‑ sorb fats.

An unhealthy liver is detri‑ mental to oneʼs survival. Thus,

James was put on the liver transplant list four years after he was initially diagnosed. Now the waiting begins.

1,000 Candidates According to UNOS, there are approximately 1,000 candi‑ dates waiting for a liver trans‑ plant in region 11 (which includes VA, KY, TN, NC, SC).

The median wait time for some‑

He also has no desire to do things he once enjoyed. The fog he feels he has been living in has also inhibited his passion since childhood for motorcy‑ cles. Now he says his stamina to ride has been somewhat lost.

Striving to Recover Fortunately, he was able to kick his smoking habit to pre‑ pare for the liver transplant.

He has also found strength in his commu‑ nity and his church. In

BY CAROLINE ROBEY

sions, his 1980 Harley‑David‑ son show bike, to raise funds.

The benefit was championed by Jamesʼs long‑time family friend, Debbie Johnston, owner of Care Advantage.

Debbie, according to James, is someone who is there for people who need support.

“She immediately came for‑ ward with help,” says James.

In a surprising turn of events, Debbie won the raffled motorcycle. Knowing the im‑ portance of the Harley to

According to UNOS, there are approximately 1,000 candidates waiting for a liver transplant in region 11 (which includes VA, KY, TN, NC, SC).

Wilson on the 1980 Harley‑Davidson.

one like James is about 921 days. UNOS uses a computer‑ ized point system to distribute organs and recipients are cho‑ sen primarily on the basis of medical urgency within each ABO blood group.

For five years, James has struggled with depression and fatigue as a result of his medical condition. He says he “no longer is able to do the things that Iʼm is used to doing.”

addition, he has “learned the love and support of friends, and that I have more friends than I thought a person could ever have.”

Since February, several benefits have been held on his behalf to help raise the $40,000 in medical costs that are not be covered by his insur‑ ance. In March, over 300 peo‑ ple gathered for a spaghetti dinner, and a poker tournament followed later in the month.

In April, James raffled away one of his prize posses‑

him, she immediately re‑ turned it to James.

James says he was “moved by her willingness to support the fund raiser and her compas‑ sion by returning the motorcy‑ cle.” He even offered to take her on a ride!

“Until I am able to receive the transplant I will continue to take the best care of myself as possible as I wait for a miracle.”

James said.

You can contact him at James Wilson Liver Transplant Fund, 4231 Gill Street, Chester, VA, 23831. A

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

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Gracie’s Guardians needs your support to help the breed in need…

Many people have taken their compassion and applied it to those with paws and four legs. Some have chosen to focus specifically on saving pit bulls in our area: • In the United States each year, close to 1 million pit bulls are euthanized in public shelters due to shortage of homes and public misperceptions.

• The Humane Society of the United States estimated that upwards of 40,000 people are involved in organized dog fighting in this country, with close to a quarter million dogs suffering in fights each year.

• The Richmond area has seen multiple dog fighting arrests in the last few years alone, including dozens of dogs being taken from residences in Henrico and the City of Richmond.

Most people only know about pit bulls from media stories or encounters with dogs owned irresponsibly.

Many don’t know that: • Pit bulls were bred historically to be extremely people-friendly and in the past have been referred to as “The Nanny Dog” for their ability to watch over and care for children.

• Pit bulls consistently score higher on nationally recognized temperament tests than common breeds such as Boxers, Beagles and Dalmatians.

• Dozens of localities across the country have repealed legislation that banned pit bulls after they realized it had no positive impact on their dog bite statistics.

Gracie’s Guardians, a division of the Richmond Animal League, was founded earlier this year with a specific focus on helping pit bulls in our area. It is named after “Gracie” one of the Michael Vick dogs adopted in our area. If you or anyone you know may be interested in helping pit bulls in our area through fostering, volunteering, adoption or donations, please contact graciesguardians@ral.org for more information.

PLAY Glitz & Glam

What’s Kyra Wearing?

The Summer Cocktail Party The muggy summers of Richmond donʼt have to take away from your outdoor evening relaxation. Now is the time to find respite outside en‑ joying a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a mint julep; your outfit and setting are the two ways to make it work.

PHOTOS: CHRIS OWENS

You can never have enough restau‑ rants with outdoor seating in Rich‑ mond. If you cannot find an available table, go to the canal with a blanket, some nice cheese and bread and your favorite beverage.

How to “Cocktail” in Richmond Favorite patio spots are always an option, but be prepared and make a reservation̶chances are you arenʼt the only one who likes to

BY KYRA OLIVER

dine al fresco at Can Can on a lovely June evening.

The cocktail party can be a relaxing affair, but keep in mind: this is Rich‑ mond and the weather can affect your soiree.

Dressing for the weather is key.

Looking sexy yet sophisticated is al‑ ways the challenge; keep in mind that the sexiest look is never the overtly sexy look.

Where to find the right warm weather evening attire? An often forgotten gem can be found at the Shops at 5807. I was greeted by women who are also passion‑ ate about fashion and who know how to have fun. Lucky Lillibet proved that they have style and

Kyra Oliver is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and a runner who is passionate about her environment, from what she is wearing to where she is wearing it.

comfort from the tee to the cock‑ tail dress. I came across this color popping magenta cocktail dress that doubles as a sundress; your choice of shoes and jewelry will determine the personality. I chose the cocktail approach; something comfortable, yet cool and a bit sexy.

Lucky Lillibetʼs pink silk dress from Alice and Trixie (sale price: $188) was perfect. The simplicity was a nice touch combined with the pop of color. Breathable, lightweight fabric is what makes a dress perfect for the weather.

To spice things up a bit, I selected the Rubyblu bracelet with rose quartz ($220) and the oversized cameo necklace ($259).

For a tad more character, the yel‑ low beaded clutch from Frillseek‑ ers ($40) was just what was needed. (www.shop5807.com).

Sultry Skin One last thing worth considering: your skin is as important as your clothing (maybe more). I found an amazing lotion that gave a sensu‑ ous feeling and appearance to the skin. Prtty Peaushun is made with 92% raw ingredients and comes in a few shades to match your skin tone. It feels silky on the skin and lasts all evening. You can find it at Lavish Apothecary (www.lav‑ ishapothecary.com), a luxury skin‑ care and cosmetics boutique behind The Shops at 5807.

Dress well always.

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DATE NIGHT PHOTOS: CHRIS OWENS

Smoke Along the Water O ff the Hookah is a one‑ stop date night destina‑ tion. Tucked away from the nearby, heavily‑trafficked Shockoe Slip streets, the canal‑ front oasis presents a night of din‑ ner and dancing with tastes, sounds, and sights to indulge a breadth of hankerings.

Catering to the revelers, flair bartenders deliver lively bottle‑jug‑ gling performances along with a vast selection of wines, beers, sakes and other assorted spirits.

For those who prefer their in‑ dulgences inhaled, Off the Hookah offers an array of flavored tobac‑ cos̶from bubble gum to cap‑ puccino̶to puff through the vessels that lend their name to the establishment, which joined two like‑named Florida predecessors when Owner Hani Atallah opened it in December.

Its extensive menu, featuring Mediterranean dishes prepared by veteran Chef Ed Blasé, is a wor‑ thy draw for diners. Kibbe, falafel, and an assortment of kebobs are

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among the savory items available for dinner; and to put the period on the end of the prandial sen‑ tence, the venueʼs kitchen offers chocolate strawberry cream pie

BY ANIKA IMAJO

sushi specials, such as all‑you‑can‑ eat Tuesdays and half‑off Thurs‑ days, with attracting a number of faithful regulars.

The abundance of menu op‑

dim lighting, beautifully hand‑ painted walls, polished stone mo‑ saics, and a larger‑than‑life golden Buddha that sits serenely against the back wall.

TVs, DJs & Go‑Go Dancers

tart, a chocolate pyramid, a weekly mousse, and fried cheese‑ cake topped with a different sauce each week.

Patrons craving fare from a bit further east may favor the im‑ pressive sushi selection. Sushi Chef Matt Carozza credits weekly

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tions is matched by ample seating outside along the canal, on the side patio, and in the stunning atmos‑ phere of the ground floor dining area. The décor, which hints at a theme that may best be described as Indonesian, provides a peaceful environment that is enhanced by

On Tuesdays through Thursdays, musicians entertain diners with acoustical sets.

After dinner hours, DJs crank it up for the rest of the night.

Weekend patrons can work off their meals upstairs, where theyʼll find the dance floor, DJs, go‑ go dancers behind the bar, luxuri‑ ous private lounge areas, and TVs displaying the scene within. “The TVs are only for viewing the live ac‑ tion in the club,” explains Bar Man‑ ager Roland West.

Richly decorated in Egyptian style, the club draws considerable numbers.

Kayla Kosiewicz, a server who experiences the busi‑ ness crowds at lunchtime as well as the weeknight diners and weekend revelers, notes, “Itʼs crazy. On Sat‑ urday nights, itʼs packed!”

Ettamae’s Café T

The décor, which defies de‑ scription by any word other than quaint, evokes a bygone era.

China plates with floral designs adorn the pastel walls of the up‑ stairs dining area. Potted herbs line the edge of the balcony, ready to be plucked and incorporated into the next order. On Wednesday nights, musicians set the mood with live jazz performances.

From the inspired ambience to the thoughtful bill of fare, the at‑ tention, creativity, and experience invested in this Second Street es‑ tablishment are apparent.

Named after the ownersʼ grandmother, Ettamaeʼs abounds with the sights, sounds, and smells of a private residence where a home‑cooked meal is being pre‑ pared exclusively for you.

of their most popular items, ac‑ cording to the senior Austin, Steve.

Steve, who learned the business through his 20 plus years as cafete‑ ria manager for a large factory in Long Island, describes the cheese‑ steak as, “a cross between a Philly Cheesesteak and a French dip,” uniting the most appealing ele‑

ments of each.

A small indoor dining area and a lovely courtyard outside pro‑ vide pleasant options for on‑site dining. The Canal Caféʼs dishes also travel well, and their box lunches are ideal for consumption at some of the areaʼs more intimate and scenic spots.

CAFE ARTICLES BY ANIKA IMAJO VENUE PHOTOS BY CHRIS OWENS

he Canal Walk and nearby beaches along the pipeline provide romantic settings for a weekday respite at lunchtime. And Canal Café, lo‑ cated on the south side of the canal (1001 Haxall Point), is the perfect picnic caterer.

Opened in January by father and son partners Steve and Jeff Austin, Canal Café serves freshly made breakfast and lunch fare to area residents and office workers.

Considering the attentively pre‑ pared and generously sized sand‑ wiches, efficient service, convenient location, and casual at‑ mosphere, itʼs no surprise that this unpretentious eatery enjoys regu‑ lar customers.

With 12 years of Richmond restaurant experience, including fine dining, the younger Austin has mastered the art of personalizing service and addressing his cus‑ tomers by name.

Suitable for every‑ day consumption, the Canal Caféʼs menu fea‑ tures both basic and specialty sandwiches.

Such simple pleasures as a crunchy and tasty “Kanawha Chicken Salad,” roast beef and Swiss, and the “Gar‑ den,” a vegetarian op‑ tion with grilled vegetables and vinai‑ grette, are offered with a selection of breads, toppings, and sauces.

Side dishes include sal‑ ads, chips, chili, soup of the day, and yogurt.

Each day of the week, the Café serves a different panini, such as the “Pastrami Mushroom Melt,” available on Tuesdays, and “Pep‑ per‑Bacon and Cheddar,” available on Fridays. Wednesdayʼs panini, the “Bateaux Cheesesteak,” is one

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Dine Downtown

Canal Café T

own desserts and we have become famous for our chocolate chess pie, our raspberry walnut pie, our banana cake, and our house made ice cream.”

Gastronomy aside, Ettamaeʼs boasts a number of other couples‑ friendly amenities. As Morand Bai‑ ley points out, Ettamaeʼs is situated close to such entertainment ven‑ ues as the National, making it a

handy stop for pre‑ event dining. Un‑ like many other area restaurants, Ettamaeʼs takes reservations for parties of two; lacks a full bar to fuel noisy drinking crowds; and offers intimate outdoor seating on a gently lit balcony pop‑ ulated by couples of diverse ages and backgrounds.

“We have a really eclectic group of customers. Everyone from mature west‑enders to downtown hipsters,” notes Morand Bailey, adding, “We seem really popular with other restau‑ rant folks, which makes us espe‑ cially proud.”

PLAY

he diminutive Jackson Ward restaurant, Etta‑ maeʼs Café (522 N. 2nd Street) established last summer as a breakfast and lunch spot, re‑ sponded to the requests of its reg‑ ular customers and began opening for dinner in April.

Evening offerings include imaginative interpretations of basic main dishes̶from four‑ cheese lasagna and BBQ St. Louis ribs to roast chicken accented by the sweet pop of candied gar‑ lic̶along with a varied selection of savory side dishes. Skillfully pre‑ pared by Chef/Owner Matthew Morand, such seemingly mun‑ dane menu staples as macaroni‑ and‑cheese are elevated to uncommon heights.

Ettamaeʼs offers Cheap Date Night specials every Tuesday.

Couples may choose two entrees from a selection of three, plus two side dishes apiece, for a total of $20. Cheap Date Night menu por‑ tions, supplemented by Chef Morandʼs marvelous freshly baked rolls with herb butter, ensure that diners have just enough room left for dessert.

“Itʼs a proven fact that dessert is the most romantic part of any dinner,” notes Owner Laura Morand Bailey. “We make our

GRID & BEAR IT

Dogs, Butterflies & This Crazy Thing Called Love T his is such a beautiful morn‑ ing. The air is cool and̶as I laced up my walking shoes̶I sought company to share my stroll. But there was no one, or no thing to go with me.

I missed the years when my beagle and I would walk around the block. Pokie always got excited when I laced up the shoes because she knew about the walk.

There would be so many good smells along the way, and a morning poop.

Pokie is in dog heaven now, and I have considered a replace‑ ment Pokie. But itʼs such a commit‑ ment. There are times when I donʼt want a dog, times when a dog is just one more obligation that inter‑ feres with the daily routine. Then there are the fleas; when Pokie left, the fleas left.

Rent‑a‑Dog, thatʼs what we

need. We need a service that will bring a dog to your house when you want one. We can rent cars, TV sets, condos, but no one rents dogs.

A nice dog will love a com‑ plete stranger without introduc‑ tion. “Comʼ on mutt, letʼs go!”

We could walk, enjoy the morning, then when itʼs over, a truck arrives and takes the dog to visit someone else.

And speaking of companion‑ ship: in Anderson, Indiana Glynn “Scotty” Wolf got married again̶at 88. Nothing wrong with that, companionship is a wonderful thing. But Wolf may have maxed out on companionship. The mar‑ riage was his 29th.

55‑year‑old Linda Essex is the lucky lady. She too is com‑ mitted to companionship̶the marriage was her 22nd. Linda

says her longest marriage lasted seven years̶her shortest, a day and a half.

So why are these people the way they are? Habit perhaps. But Linda is deeper than that. She says she did it for the money̶a possi‑ ble clue to why the previous 21 marriages didnʼt work.

In Peoria, Illinois, Christina Mack greased her kitchen floor hoping her one‑legged boyfriend would fall and kill himself.

In the process of greasing the floor, Christina fell and knocked herself out.

The boyfriend says Christina was just trying to wax the floor and he hopes she will come back to him.

In Grand Forks, North Dakota, after 48 years of marriage Blanche and Joe Posca couldnʼt be happier.

They live right next door to each other. 69‑year‑old Blanche has a

BY GENE COX

pink stucco house with white trim.

Joe, whoʼs 78, has a white house with red trim.

In his, Joe smokes. In hers Blanche snores. Joe has a pickup, Blanche a car. Sometimes they ride together to save gas, but not often.

Itʼs not that they donʼt love each other is just that they never enjoyed the same things. Blanche says she doesnʼt have to answer to anybody. Joe says they are the envy of the neighborhood.

In Bald Knob, Illinois, on Clara and Jim Watsonʼs wedding night Clara went to sleep in the back of their pickup while Jim chased but‑ terflies all night.

Clara says they donʼt have plans to raise a family, but they may have to add a room to their house for Jimʼs butterflies.

PAGEVIEWS

Gene Cox is the former co‑anchor of NBC12 News at 6 . He is the author of fiction, nonfiction and maintains a blog at www.genecox.net.

Notes from an EasyandElegantLife.com

Elegant Life Summer Reading H

igh summer, and if you are enjoying a stay‑cation, you may be looking for a few books to read by the pool.

Youʼll meet Ezra Pound, F Scott and Zelda, the Murphyʼs, and the people who will populate Hemingwayʼs first novel, The Sun Also Rises.

Balzac wrote that to be ele‑ gant, a man must visit Paris at least once a year. If youʼre not going to

make it this year, bring a bit of Paris home with Paula McLaineʼs The Paris Wife.

54

to the art of living well regardless of what life has in store for you.

Finally, there is William Boydʼs Any Human Heart. The book is even more en‑ grossing than the PBS series. I found the story uplifting, even my wife, Mrs. E., found it to be heart‑ breakingly beautiful.

It is possibly the best novel Iʼve read in a decade. Like the other two books on this list, you will encounter a fascinating cast of historical figures as the English protagonist lives through the years between the wars, does his part in the Second World War, and spends the next few decades looking for love and meaning on three continents.

Find a bit of shade, a glass of chilled rosé and remember how lazy and endless a summer can be with a good book.

BY CHRIS COX

Chris Coxʼs blog is devoted to ʻthe search for everyday elegance and a study of the art of living well.ʼ R I C H M O N D

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PHOTO SOURCE: JFK LIBRARY

Told by Hadley Richardson as she meets and marries Hemingway and then expatriates to Paris dur‑ ing those first crazy years after the war this is a moveable feast of an historic novel.

I canʼt recommend highly enough Everybody Was So Young

by Amanda Vaill. The true story of Gerald and Sara Murphy̶the American couple who pioneered the summer season on the French Riviera and inspired a lost genera‑ tion of writers and artists̶moti‑ vated me to start a blog dedicated

(l to r) Ernest Hemingway with Lady Duff Twysden, Hadley Hemingway, and three unidentified people at a cafe in Pamplona, Spain, July 1925.

Publishing Your Book Can Be Intimidating But it doesn’t have to be that way.

No matter where you are with your (children, young adult or adult) fiction or nonfiction manuscript or self-published book, you will encounter challenges getting it into your readers’ hands. That’s where we can help.

Book coaching from concept to marketing; Publishing, fulfillment and distribution assistance; and Children’s Illustrations.

Contact Info@Palaribooks.com for a consultation.

Evolving your company or career can be as easy as picking up a book.

Become motivated, inspired and successful.

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