Farmville the Magazine - Sept. 2016

Sept. 2016 Vol. 1, No. 2 FREE

Reel Pamplin Old time dance comes to town

Still Pleasant Country store going strong for 86 years

www.farmvillethemag.com

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Reaching out to our community’s smallest members

Farmville The Magazine

Meet Kavonda Jordan-Dean

Service Coordinator Infant & Toddler Connection of the Heartland

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY JOB:

FAR AND WIDE: Longwood’s Infant & Toddler Connection

of the Heartland is in downtown Farmville—but the children IVL NIUQTQM[ _PW JMVMÅ\ NZWU \PM XZWOZIUŸ[ QV PWUM [MZ^QKM[ live throughout the region. ;MZ^QKM +WWZLQVI\WZ 3I^WVLI 2WZLIV ,MIV Q[ XI[[QWVI\M about advocating for her clients and their families, often assessing the needs of the entire family and making connections and referrals on everything from social [MZ^QKM[ \W 0MIL ;\IZ\ XZWOZIU[

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CITIZEN LEADERS: Longwood People Contributing to a Great Community

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Building Wealth and Earning Trust For more information, call or stop by our Farmville office today!

(434) 392-9813 â&#x20AC;˘ (800) 431-3670 Corner of Main and High Street Downtown Farmville www.investdavenport.com

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Farmville The Magazine

Feature Publisher — Steve Stewart steve.stewart@farmvillethemag.com

The Farm Use String Band knows how to have an oldtime, foot-stomping good time.

Their Old Time Dance and Community Social is the place to be on a Saturday night in Pamplin. You’ll enjoy a homecooked meal and dance to the Tennessee Waltz or do-si-do in a Virginia Reel. It’s old-time fun with a worthwhile goal — to make Pamplin a music venue for Southside Virginia. Pictured on the cover are band members, from left, back row, Chip Robinson, Danny Smith, Tom Saxon, Chad Houk, front, Betty Jo Taylor, Mary Scanlon and Sandy Goodson.

Managing Editor — Martin L. Cahn martin.cahn@farmvilleherald.com Editor — Jordan Miles jordan.miles@farmvillethemag.com Designer — Troy Cooper troy.cooper@farmvillethemag.com

Editorial

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Marge Swayne marge.swayne@farmvillethemag.com Carson Reeher carson.reeher@farmvillethemag.com Titus Mohler titus.mohler@farmvillethemag.com Jamie C. Ruff jamie.ruff@farmvillethemag.com

Advertising Director — Jackie Newman jackie.newman@farmvillethemag.com Hannah Davis hannah.davis@farmvillethemag.com Sarah Messarge sarah.messarge@farmvillethemag.com

Contributors: Dr. Larissa Fergeson, Harlan Horton, Rick Ewing, Jeff Halliday, Jennifer Kinne, James Early and HampdenSydney College.

Cover photo by Marge Swayne On the web: www.farmvillethemag.com To subscribe, contact circulation@ farmvillethemag.com Farmville the Magazine P.O. Box 307 Farmville, Va. 23901 434-392-4151 Farmville the Magazine is published eight times annually by Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Copies are available free at businesses throughout the Heart of Virginia. For convenient mail delivery of each issue, cost is $30 per year.

A look into the past

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Still Pleasant

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Also...

Miles to the Gallon Good Reads Artist in Residence From the Ground Up Serving it Up

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Catching Up With ...

Party Pix Town and Gown Where Am I? Why I Love Farmville

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Farmville The Magazine

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Miles to the Gallon

Our small-town charm T

here’s no doubt the Heart of Virginia has a unique charm and character filled with people who make our area such a friendly, attractive place to

live.

After all, if there were no people, there would be no community.

If you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve gotten to know the people and peculiarities making your area special.

Consider Cartersville nestled against the James River in northern Cumberland County at the Fluvanna County line. It’s a unique, historic place full of great people and places.

For many years, its hub has been Blanton & Pleasants Store, which is showcased in this edition by staff writer and photographer Carson Reeher.

The store opened in 1929. Spanky cuts hair for $10. Visitors can play cowpasture golf for free. The business showcases arrowheads and carries food and farming supplies, tools and plumbing materials.

In other words, the store has just about anything you’d ever want.

When you read Reeher’s story on Page 18, you’ll feel the same community warmth as you would when walking in the store.

It’s the same feeling you get in stores throughout downtown Farmville when greeting merchants and their customers.

You can be enveloped by this feeling when walking along the sidewalks of Dillwyn, hearing the town’s clock chime on the hour.

Try strolling under the aged hardwood trees in the springtime on the lawn of the Cumberland Courthouse, being greeted by everyone you encounter.

It’s a charm that was here many, many years before my daddy and mama brought me into this world, and it’ll be here for generations to Jordan Miles, come.

Editor Through the many features and photos in this publication, including the old-time dances in Pamplin, photos from gatherings and parties, Harlan Horton’s garden and the story of Seattle District Attorney Pete Holmes, you’ll be convinced, just as I am, of the everlasting charm.

Jordan Miles is editor of Farmville the Magazine.

His email address is jordan.miles@farmvillethemag.com.

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Farmville The Magazine

Good Reads

Farmville The Magazine

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Long list of good books What are you reading? If you’re like me, you have a long list of books which seems to get longer the more you read. Here are a few more to add to your list.

Young teens through adults will love Gail Carriger’s four-book Finishing School series. Set partly in an airship above Victorian England, young ladies attend a combination spy and etiquette school.

Steampunk adventure and quirky fun, this romp is similar in some ways to the Harry Potter stories.

“Etiquette & Espionage” (2013) is the first book in the series.

Phaedra Patrick’s debut novel “The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper” (2016) is a poignant and sparkling book about a loveable widower whose simple life is changed forever when he discovers a charm bracelet that belonged to his wife. He embarks on a wonderful journey to track down the meaning of the charms. It’s a book about hope, healing and self-discovery.

The Blessing Series by bestselling author Beverly Jenkins is set in Henry Adams, Kan., a place that always feels like home. These stories of family, friends, love and second chances will warm your heart and soul. Jenkins was a 2013 NAACP Image Award nominee. “Bring On the Blessings” (2009) is the first book in the series.

Thriller fans are in for a treat with “The Fall of Moscow Station” (2016) by CIA analyst Mark Henshaw, who grew up in Buckingham County.

Henshaw’s character Kyra Stryker “is ready to run with the likes of Reacher or Bourne,” says Kirkus Reviews. This is Henshaw’s third book in the Red Cell series. He has been compared to Tom Clancy — high and well-deserved praise indeed.

South Los Angeles is the beat for detective Elouise Norton, the only woman and African American on her homicide detail. The book was written by Rachel Howzell Hall, whom Lee Child calls “a fresh new voice in crime fiction” and says “Fast, funny, heartbreaking and wise … Elouise Norton is the best new character you’ll meet this year.” “Land of Shadows” (2014) is the first book in the series.

Finally, I recommend “The Gift of Fear” (1997)

by Gavin de Becker. Groundbreaking 20 years ago and still absolutely current. The subtitle is “Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence.” This empowering book is for anyone who wants learn how to use their intuition and other tools to avoid and triumph over violence.

By Rick Ewing, Librarian at Buckingham County Public Library

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Farmville The Magazine

Artist in Residence

Live in the work A profile of Leah Olivier

By Jamie C. Ruff

C

umberland resident Leah Olivier wants her art to speak for itself and to live on.

“My artwork is not about me,” Olivier said. “It is the moments, joys and memories that are important to me.”

“I would like people to be able to live, if just for an instant, in the work. If they look at the piece and only see technique, well OK, but the true value is in the ability to live and breathe in the space the piece opens up for the viewer. All technique is just a means to this end.”

Olivier said she has been drawing and painting for as long as she could hold a crayon or pencil.

“This does not mean that I always had obvious talent. At about the age of 6, I handed my aunt my drawing of a horse, and she said, ‘That’s a nice dog, dear.’

It’s funny the things you remember. This event did not make me want to quit; it cemented my determination to make my drawings understood.”

She pursued a degree in illustration at Syracuse University. Afterward, following her “adventurous heart,” she worked as an illustrator and graphic artist in New York City for NEA, a major newspaper syndicate. Next, she designed and sold ads in the five boroughs of New York.

“That was indeed a trip, and I loved it, minus the traffic, of course,” Olivier said. “During this New York City time, several friends and acquaintances asked if I would do portraits for them, and so Olivier Studios came into being.”

She said she named it that because her work takes many physical forms.

“The media I choose is the one that best expresses the idea in my mind’s eye. It’s funny — I enjoy pastels for their immediacy and pure colors, acrylic paint for the same reason; oils are rich, creamy and timeless. My painting style changes with the subject, yet people familiar with my work seem to spot it immediately.”

She may use whatever medium serves the creative goal, but acknowledges “the pastels do have a special something.”

“Many of my commissions are in oil,” Olivier said. “Collectors often have several of my pieces. Then there will be a special image that I suggest would live best in pastel, and that special something that lives in my pastel work happens. I do not really control it, rather, it comes through in the pastel.”

Jewelry and pottery are her current three-dimensional ways of working. “So much fun, so little time,” she said.

Olivier also produces some reproductions of her works. “The cards, tiles and cutting boards give art lovers a different and practical way to collect many different images of works they like. I say it is my artworks way of ‘getting a job’ and earning its keep.”

And then, after founding her studio, her husband, Dr. William Burger —

who, she says, continues to “be a rock and a support” — was offered a job at Longwood University.

“The Virginia art adventure began,” Olivier said.

In the past, Olivier didn’t choose her projects; they chose her.

“I worked by commission,” she recalled. “For a time, I was commissioned almost exclusively to do horses. Then horses with their people; and now my clients entrust me with their families, which may include humans and critters of all kinds.”

Currently, being in the Crozet Artisan Depot and Gallery 527 in Scottsville has kicked her productivity into a new gear.

The recently opened Gallery 527 asked her for a broad variety of work.

“They wanted to exhibit my oils, pastels, acrylics, jewelry, cards, tiles, cutting boards and even my newest endeavor, pottery,” Olivier said. “I was blown away.

They have not even had their official grand opening, and things are already selling well.”

She has, and does, teach art.

“I have taught at my beloved New Dominion School, Buckingham Arts Center, Red Door 104, private lessons in my studio and the occasional workshop in near and far-flung places,” she said.

Her advice is the same for, and to, all artists striving to express themselves through their art.

“Make your subject the center of attention rather than your attempts, successes, trials and failures,” she said. “All of these will happen on the way to offering your ideas clearly and as you intend to, through your art. It doesn’t matter how many times you fail; quit only when you have nothing left to say.

“The work — not the artist — has its own life,” she said.

“The work is a sort of portal to a moment in time or emotion,” Olivier said.

“If you cannot live and breathe in the moment of the painting then I have missed my mark. I did a quick, small painting of my silly, sweet and loving hound that seems to speak to many dog lovers. They know that moment when your dog stares up into your eyes with a full heart and just a dash of goofy.

Some pieces are joyful, some beautiful, some silly, some lonely and still. It all depends on the nature of the moment being translated through the art.”

Farmville The Magazine

Providing high-quality food and services at a reasonable rate. Please call or email Nikki for more information on our catering options!

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From the Ground Up

Choosing and caring for Boxwood

By Harlan Horton

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A row of Boxwood plants lines the edge of Harlan Horton’s garden.

oxwood is an iconic Virginia garden ornamental. Anyone who has visited a historic house in the commonwealth or participated in Historic Garden Week is likely to have encountered any number of boxwood iterations.

Parterre, topiary, hedges and specimen plantings of boxwood abound in Virginia gardens. They have been a part of our state history since being introduced to our shores in the mid-1600s. While many of you will certainly find them beautiful and enticing in the landscape of historic or significant houses, most of us know little about how to choose and nurture the boxwood in our own gardens.

You are probably familiar with, and, when considering boxwood generally, think in terms of two types, American (Buxus sempervirens) and English (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’).

In reality, there are many different species and cultivars of boxwood, each with its own unique leaf characteristics, growth rates, size, shape and hardiness. When considering boxwood for your garden, do your research.

There are a multitude of great books about boxwood and they, and Google, can be invaluable in the process of choosing, planting and maintaining them.

When choosing boxwoods for your garden, make sure you consider its unique characteristics to ensure you have the right plant for the right space. Most boxwood like sun, but not too much. They like water, but not wet feet. Plant boxwood in areas with good drainage and some protection from the scorching afternoon sun we can sometimes have during the summer in Virginia.

Where the soil is sandy, water more and, where it is primarily clay, be careful of too much water. A soaker hose can be very useful to ensure proper watering, especially when establishing the plants.

I do not claim to be an expert on boxwood. I have, however, attempted to maintain a healthy growth of “English” boxwood for several

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Harlan Horton sits on a brick ledge near a row of boxwood plants. years. Knock on boxwood … they seem to be thriving. Here are some things I have learned.

Pruning English boxwood is a necessary, but frightening, proposition. It is a counterintuitive process. The English boxwood shape is lovely, round and uniform: perfect balls. Pruning them requires disturbing that gorgeous shape. In fact, the very thing we like so much about them is what can kill them.

They need light and air and thus require removal of some of the branches from the inside, leaving holes in the plant. No worries, they fill in again pretty quickly. Pruning of all boxwood should be done in the late fall or early winter.

In addition to periodic pruning, clean the inside of the boxwood on a regular basis. This requires getting your hands down into the plant and removing dead leaves and branches … things causing interior to retain moisture and make the plant susceptible to fungi and other diseases.

Fertilize your boxwood when they look like they need it, but not too much, and make sure you maintain the proper pH in the soil. A bit of lime around the plants will do wonders for keeping the root system strong and the plant green and healthy.

Like anything, gardening in general, and nurturing your boxwood in particular, is a trial and error process, especially in Virginia. Spring is beautiful, cool and wet, a perfect time for the garden and the new blush of growth on the boxwood. The summers and winters, however, can be brutal and stress your plants. With careful consideration for placement, attention to the condition of the soil, the amount of water needed and proper pruning, a successful boxwood hedge, topiary or parterre can be the highlight of a garden when you sit back at the end of a summer day and enjoy the fruit of your gardening labor.

The headquarters of The American Boxwood Society is at the State Arboretum of Virginia, formerly the University of Virginia’s Orland E. White Arboretum, at Blandy Experimental Farm, Clarke County. For more information on boxwood, visit their website at www.boxwoodsociety.org.

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An old photo of Farmville Baptist Church shows the building being much smaller than the current structure on Main Street.

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The current First Baptist Church was once the home of Farmville Baptist. The church was built in 1836 by Farmville Baptist, but in just 20 years, outgrew the building, which led to the relocation.

Farmville Baptist Church and First Baptist Church: Sharing a common history

By Dr. Larissa Fergeson

S

tanding along the same side of Main Street, just blocks apart, are two Baptist churches — one with a historically African-American congregation, the other historically white.

On Sunday mornings, the two congregations seem to share little beyond a common faith, but their common history is a little-told story and one reflecting the growth and change marking Farmville’s rich history.

The two churches — First Baptist and Farmville Baptist — share a common ancestor in nearby Sharon Baptist Church, which today stands on Green Bay Road. In 1831, several members of the Sharon congregation formed a new, more evangelical church in downtown Farmville they called First Baptist. Notably among the founding members were prominent white Baptist minister Daniel Witt, and Sam and Phil White, two free

African-Americans.

The Whites, most likely first cousins, resided on Israel Hill, a historic community of free African-Americans just west of Farmville founded in 1810.

Even as free men, the African-American residents of Israel Hill were denied many of the rights their white counterparts enjoyed, but they could own land and sue in civil court. The

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Main Street has seen waves of transformations over the years, including the construction of Farmville Baptist Church, which can be seen at right in both photos. Members of the church started First Baptist Church.

Farmville The Magazine

The original building where Farmville Baptist currently sits was turned into a boys’ school and served as a hospital during the Civil War.

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cousins prospered, earning reputations as earnest, principled individuals — the very values which led them and other free African-Americans to embrace the evangelical Baptist faith of the original First Baptist Church.

The church built their first house of worship in 1836 at the corner of Main and Fourth streets, but in just 20 years outgrew the building. In 1855, they moved a few blocks north into a new structure, where Farmville Baptist Church currently stands. The original building was turned into a boys’ school and served as a hospital during the Civil War. After the war, African-Americans across the South withdrew from white-dominated churches to form their own congregations, a phenomenon which split the White family. Phil White’s son, Curtis, remained a member of the majority-white Farmville Baptist Church, while his brother, Caesar, left to become a founding trustee of the new majority-black Baptist church. In 1867, Caesar’s congregation bought the old building at Main and Fourth and reclaimed the name First Baptist Church.

With a common ancestor and common purpose, two distinct congregations emerged on Main Street in Farmville. The story of Farmville Baptist and First Baptist mirrors a story told across the country, especially in the South: faith and history, while constantly evolving, is woven tightly together.

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Serving it Up

Anna-mazing loaf of bread Owner and baker at Miller’s Country Store Photos and story by Carson Reeher

A

nyone who’s been to Miller’s Country Store knows Anna Miller’s loaves of bread are a must-have in Farmville.

The recipe, Anna said, came from her mother, possibly even her grandmother. “Before I went to school, I would be on a step stool watching my mother make it.”

Even at a young age, Anna was baking and cooking different items.

Anna keeps a shelf in her store stocked with a variety of bread loaves, including white, multigrain, banana, cinnamon raisin and sourdough. She bakes seasonal breads—zucchini and pumpkin—and special-order loaves of gluten-free bread.

Anna opened the store on West Third Street in 2001, starting the business with her husband, Albert.

Albert, Anna explained, can fix anything.

On this particular day, Albert balanced on a ladder, replacing a light in the store, as Anna prepared for another day of business.

Their five kids, ages 22 to 34, have all helped out in the store at some point or another.

At top, loaves of bread bake in Anna Miller’s oven. Later these loaves will be wrapped and sold in her store. At bottom, Anna poses in her kitchen with the large mixer she uses to mix the dough for rolls and loaves of bread, along with other baked goods.

Farmville The Magazine

Above, Anna Miller, middle, poses with her daughters, Amy Miller, left, and Arlis Miller. Below, Anna’s white bread sits on the counter in Miller’s Country Store, where she is owner and baker.

Anna’s Bread Recipe Makes about 8 loaves of bread 1 cup of sugar 3 tablespoons of salt 1 cup of oil 16 cups of flour (could vary depending on flour) 8 cups of warm water 5 tablespoons of yeast (cannot be poured into the mixture if the mix is hot) Preparation Mix everything together.

Let it rise for at least a half hour in the mixing bowl.

Separate 1 ¼ pounds of dough for each loaf of bread.

Put into bread pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Poke the bread with a fork several times and leave in a warm space to rise for about half an hour.

When the dough is even with the top of the bread pan, put the bread pans in the oven.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 300 degrees.

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“They all know what it is to work at the store,” Anna said. “Just two of the girls work with me now.”

Amy and Arlis Miller can be found baking in the kitchen alongside their mother or working in the front of the store, selling or stocking goods.

The country store sells more than just bread. It sells produce, dairy products, fresh meat, nuts, spices and baked goods, among other items.

The family’s fresh donuts are a town favorite on Saturday mornings.

Many order their sandwiches, made from Anna’s handmade bread.

Anna said the store uses her white bread to make their grilled cheese sandwiches.

They also use the bread recipe to make dinner rolls. To make the dinner rolls, Anna said, you simply pinch about 12 balls of dough and place them together in a round pan, rather than a bread pan. The rest of the process is the same as making loaves.

They serve the bread rolls with their chicken dinners, but customers can also buy a package of rolls to take home with them.

“I love to see the customers come in and say, ‘Mmmm, it smells good in here,’” Anna shared.

Her favorite part of her job, she revealed, is baking, but said the customers are a close second.

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Still Plea san t Cartersville country store celebrates 86 years and counting Story and photos by Carson Reeher

B

efore Food Lion or UPS, before Walmart, Cartersville had Blanton & Pleasants.

What was once a “one-stop shop” for all who lived nearby is now, 86 years later, a space for neighbors and guests alike to congregate, share memories and purchase items they forgot they needed.

Store owners June and James Franklin “Spanky” Pleasants — or as friends call them, “Spanky and June” — are one of multiple generations to work the store.

When not finishing each other’s sentences or helping their customers, the pair can be found at their nearby home. They have three children, eight grandchildren and four (and a fifth is due any day now) great-grandchildren to keep them busy after store hours.

Blanton & Pleasants gets its name from Spanky’s father, Hugh Berkeley “H.B” Pleasants, and his business partner, Garland Blanton Sr. “In 1929, Mr. Blanton opened the store and my father was working at another store called Perkin’s Store back in those days, and he…,” Spanky said as he began telling his father’s story. “…had a choice to either go work at the bank or go into partnership with Mr. Blanton,” June continued.

“He chose Blanton & Pleasants,” Spanky finished.

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Above, from left, Kyle Pleasants, Travis Pleasants, James Franklin “Spanky” Pleasants, June Pleasants, Nell Blanton and Hugh Berkley “Berk” Pleasants relax at the table in the store. In the same space, people come together each morning to enjoy coffee and share stories. At right, Spanky, left, and Kyle Pleasants hold an award-winning photograph that was taken years prior of Spanky cutting Kyle’s hair.

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Above, Spanky stands with one of the antique cars he stores in the basement of the store. At left, a top shelf displays antique cameras and a Cumberland Courthouse replica for sale.Â

22 Farmville The Magazine Spanky said his brother worked in the store.

“Mr. Blanton Jr.’s son came on board,” Spanky said, “I started in 1960, got married to this lovely woman right here … swept me off my feet … anyway, I started in 1960 and never left. Everyone else either retired or passed away.”

As time went on, he said, the couple ended up buying the store so Spanky could keep his job close to home.

In the late 1980s, Spanky bought half the store. A few years later, when then owner Garland Blanton Jr. was ready to retire, Spanky and June purchased the second half of the store.

“He was a good partner,” Spanky said, “Mr. Blanton was a number one.”

Even after retirement, June said, Blanton still spent much of his time helping in the store.

“We did have a couple setbacks as time came along,” Spanky said.

When a fire destroyed the original building in the village of Cartersville in 1940, Blanton & Pleasants decided to move the store to a warehouse Blanton also owned.

“They were in business the next day,” Spanky said. “Not full fledged, but (with) what they saved out of the store.”

The store has remained in the warehouse building ever since.

“I like history, but she likes it more than I like it,” Spanky said as June shared facts about the store and town’s history. “My history is Blanton & Pleasants.”

Throughout the store’s years of existence, it seems every type of item has been sold within its walls. The original store held hardware, guns and appliances upstairs; downstairs provided meat, groceries and household items.

Guests could get a haircut from a beautician upstairs or from Spanky downstairs in his barbershop at the back of the store. Politicians from across the state boast Spanky provides a “winning” haircut.

“It’s been a lot of changes over the years,” June said.

The store still sells much of the same hardware and collectibles, but has cut back on its grocery provisions.

Spanky still cuts hair for all who ask. Downstairs, guests can find a year-round Christmas store and a room of antique cars. The cars, Spanky said, are not for sale, but he’s happy to show them to anyone who wants to see.

One room holds shelves of used books for store guests to peruse.

Each morning, around 8, a group of about eight gather at the store for coffee and fellowship.

“We’re here for our friends and for our neighbors,” said June. “We’re gonna stay.”

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Spanky and June Pleasants stand outside of the store that has been in their family since 1929.

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Catching Up With...

Pete Holmes

By Titus Mohler

I

t doesn’t matter if Pete Holmes lives on the other side of the contiriculars.” nent more than 2,700 miles away from Buckingham where he grew He essentially moved away from Buckingham for good when he left up. He has made the county proud. for college in the fall of 1974.

Holmes, 60, is in the latter half of his second four-year term as While a senior at Yale, he met his future wife, who was a senior at Seattle city attorney.

Smith College.

He walked a long road — both as an individual and as a lawyer — After graduating, they dated while working in Washington, D.C., before seeking elected office in the Emerald City. and, eventually decided they both wanted to go to law school. They The early part of life for Holmes was centered in Virginia. did so at the University of Virginia, getting married a few weeks “I was born in Richmond, but my mom went straight from the beforehand. hospital to our home in Buckingham just outside the court house on In looking for a place to put down roots, Pete and Ann Holmes the family farm,” he said. “My mom and my youngest brother still decided on the northwest, moved to Seattle in 1985 and “we both live there.” worked in private law firms for most of our stay out here while we Recounting his upbringing in Buckwere raising our kids and getting accliingham to colleagues today, Holmes mated to Seattle,” he said. describes his childhood as fairly idyllic.

While he developed a zeal to become I was the middle boy of five “I was the middle boy of five boys, so a skilled practitioner as a lawyer working boys, so we had enough for we had enough for a basketball team,” he in civil law, “I found that especially after a basketball team. But we said. “But we were, as you might guess, 9/11/2001, that public service itch was were, as you might guess, rambunctious, country boys. We all really just demanding to be scratched,” learned to hunt and fish and ride horses. rambunctious, country boys. he said.

That’s pretty much what I did, at my Holmes was asked by the city of SeatWe all learned to hunt and recollection, through high school pretty tle to join its inaugural civilian oversight fish and ride horses. much every day, certainly in season. But board for the police department and did horseback riding was my particular affecso in 2002. tion. I spent a lot of time riding, usually This decision facilitated a shift in his bareback, in the fields and short jaunts away from the farm.” focus from civil law to criminal law.

He keeps some elements of country living alive to this day. Having “I quickly learned that the sitting city attorney at the time was one developed proficiency in automobile upkeep when he was young, he of the impediments to real civilian oversight of law enforcement,” he keeps those skills honed by working on a blue 1997 Silverado in his said, referring to Tom Carr. free time in Seattle.

Running for office “was probably the hardest thing that I’ve done in “It’s cheap therapy is what I tell everyone,” he said. “It’s fun to clean my professional life, but it was not even close; I won by 64 percent of it up, it’s fun to change the oil, it’s fun to rotate the tires — those are the vote,” Holmes said. things that I think hearken back to some of the basics that we enjoyed After a successful first term, “I look back on it and I can’t believe, growing up.” myself, all the things we accomplished, all the things that happened,” He kept busy during those days with involvement in organizations he said. “But by ‘13, no one wanted to run against me.” including the Boy Scouts and 4-H. Among his proudest achievements in the past six years, Holmes He attended Buckingham County High School (1971-74). While cited a settlement with the Department of Justice which set up a there, he played baseball, “but I really wasn’t the athlete that a lot process for reforming the city’s police department. of my classmates were,” he said. “But I enjoyed that, and I was the Holmes said he is leaning toward running for a third term next student body president my senior year. I was pretty active in extracur- year.

26 Farmville The Magazine

Old steps bring new life back to town Photos and story by Marge Swayne

I

t’s Saturday night at the Pamplin Depot, and Farm Use String Band member Danny Smith is tuning his fiddle. The night is young, and the music is old — just the way folks in this town of 216 like it.

Across Main Street, the old Pamplin Bank turns a sightless eye toward the depot as a pigeon settles in an empty window. The renovated depot is the sole survivor of a once-bustling railroad town. Some call Pamplin a ghost town, but a new generation of town residents is determined to bring it back to life. That’s the reason for the Old Time Dance and Social.

The all-American aroma of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs wafts from the depot as musicians pull up in cars and well-used pickups.

Wearing overalls and straw hat, Chip Robinson unloads a guitar and fiddle.

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Sandy Goodson and Mary Scanlon, opposite page, center, demonstrate how to â&#x20AC;&#x153;sashay on homeâ&#x20AC;? to, from left, Maggie Hope, Henry Shelton, Jarrett Gilbert, David Gilbert, Adrian Gilbert, Julia Gilbert and Evelyn Shelton. Farm Use String Band members, above, from left, include Tom Saxon, Ken Swanson, Sandy Goodson, Chip Robinson, Betty Jo Taylor, Danny Smith, Pete Liska and Chad Houk. Mary Scanlon at the mic and Chip Robinson with the fiddle started the band.

28 Farmville The Magazine

Members of Pamplin Area Legacy Supporters, above, from left, Anne Jacobs, Betsy Lookofsky, Connie Seburn and Carolyn Jolly, serve the evening meal they prepared to Mark Jacobs. David Gilbert and son, Jarrett, Gilbert, opposite page, center, learn the steps to an old-time dance along with, from left, Adrian Gilbert, Maggie Hope, Betty Jo Taylor, Sandy Goodson, Vivian Woodel, Evelyn Shelton, Henry Shelton and Julia Gilbert.

There’s no doubt about it, Pamplin is a “Farm Use” kind of town.

Hitching a suspender, Tom Saxon eyes the clouds as he walks up the loading ramp with his cello. “Could use some rain,” he says.

“Sure could,” Robinson adds.

The Farm Use String Band has arrived.

Inside, there’s a lot of plucking and strumming going on. “I’ve been fooling with fiddles most of my life,” Smith says.

Smith served his time in Vietnam, then worked as a firefighter in Lynchburg for 20 years.

Now he makes violins, or fiddles, as the case may be.

“It was a fiddle before it was a violin,” Smith says of his instrument of choice.

What’s the difference?

“It’s all in how you play it,” he says.

Mary Scanlon and husband, Chip Robinson, both from Greene County, started the band after they moved to Pamplin. Mary plays the string bass; Chip plays guitar and fiddle.

“Land prices brought us here,” Mary says. “Chip and I had a regular rockand-roll background, but after we moved to this area we fell in love with old-time music.”

Farmville The Magazine

Tom Saxon, Campbell County soil scientist, plays cello.

“I also play with the Lynchburg Symphony and Bedford Community Orchestra,” Saxon says. “I like both kinds of music. It’s like pizza and steak — you like them equally, but at different times.”

Chad Houk, guitar, teaches at Appomattox Christian Academy and helps restore pianos.

Ken Swanson, mandolin, is a family nurse

practitioner, and Pete Liska plays the claw hammer banjo.

“It’s all in how you play it,” Liska says of his banjo technique. “For old-time music, you hold your hand like a claw when you play.”

Sandy Goodson, from Buckingham, and Betty Jo Taylor, of Charlottesville, are vocalists who also play guitar and washboard.

The band tuned, it’s time to eat!

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Wearing her Sunday-go-to-meeting hat, Mary Scanlon steps up to the mic.

“Welcome to the Pamplin Old Time Dance and Community Social,” she says.

“Help yourselves to hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixins!”

Manning the food line are PALS members Betsy Looksfsky, Connie Seburn, Carolyn Jolly and Anne Jacobs.

“PALS started as a library support group,”

30 Farmville The Magazine

The pride of Pamplin, a renovated depot (above), houses the town office and serves as a community center and meeting place. Pamplin City, formerly Merrimanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shop, dates back to the early 1800s.

Renamed Pamplin City in 1854 in honor of the man who donated land to bring the Norfolk and Western Railroad to town, Pamplin was once a boomtown with hotels, banks and a variety of stores.

Today, Main Street stands deserted (opposite page), and while some have called Pamplin a ghost town, a new generation is determined to bring it back.

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32 Farmville The Magazine Jacobs says. “When the depot library closed several years ago, we changed the focus to Pamplin revitalization and the name to Pamplin Area Legacy Supporters.”

On tonight’s menu, prepared by PALS, are cheeseburgers and hot dogs with all the toppings, homemade baked beans, grilled veggies, watermelon, chips and beverage.

“It’s an affordable evening out,” Jacobs says.

At a table decorated with red, white and blue bunting, retired veterinarian Regina Schwabe visits as she collects $5 for the meal.

“I was too busy to do community things before I retired,” she says. “I love this!”

Schwabe points to the refinished heart-pine floor.

“The Farm Use Band did this — for four years, the band played here free so we could refinish this floor,” she says with obvious pride.

As folks enjoy their dinner, Scanlon circulates around the room.

She stops to chat with a couple dressed in their Sunday best.

“You look like you’ve been to church,” Scanlon says.

It isn’t Sunday, but the Gilberts have come from church.

“We renewed our wedding vows today — 21 years,” Adrian Gilbert says.

“We brought our family to the Pamplin Dance to celebrate!”

“Wonderful,” Scanlon says as she heads up front to start the dance.

“We’re the Farm Use String Band,” Scanlon says with a nod toward eight musicians lined up behind her. “We play the old mountain music — front porch, back porch, barn dance music!”

Without further ado, the band launches into a toe-tapping, heel-stomping favorite, “Sugar in the Gourd.”

“We have special guests tonight,” Scanlon says for the next dance. “They just renewed their wedding vows, and we have a song just for them.”

“Nobody’s Darlin’ but Mine,” brings

Farmville The Magazine

Adrian and David Gilbert to the dance floor — a first dance all over again.

Next up is the Virginia Reel. Energy flows as Scanlon steps to the center.

“Forward and bow, do-si-do,” Scanlon calls the steps. “Head couple slide down the middle — now sashay on home!”

Taking a breather after the reel, Evelyn and Henry Shelton from Prospect share a smile.

“We love this music,” Evelyn says. “We never miss a dance!”

The band segues into “The Tennessee Waltz,” and the Sheltons are back on the floor, memories of other days and other dances shining in their eyes.

The evening’s winding down — another old-time dance is about to end.

“Don’t forget the donation jar,” Scanlon says. “We have something

33

special going on in Pamplin — let’s keep it going.”

“Hangman’s Reel” closes out the night.

“We’ll be back in September,” Scanlon reminds a couple heading for the door.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” they respond.

A teenager wearing cowboy boots and carrying a watermelon walks by and smiles. She’s proud of her prize as best dancer in “The Virginia Reel.”

Shaking her head, Scanlon says, “This town’s not dead!”

The moon chases shadows down Main Street as band members leave the depot and walk to their cars and trucks.

With one last smile Scanlon backs out of the lot. “Pamplin Day’s in September,” she says.

Scanlon doesn’t look in the rearview mirror — the Pamplin she sees is up ahead.

Manning a table to collect $5 for the evening meal, retired veterinarian Regina Schwabe, opposite page, enjoys volunteering for PALS. Dressed to impress, David and Adrian Gilbert renewed their wedding vows in an afternoon ceremony before coming to the dance to celebrate. Reflecting an evening of old-time fun, Evelyn Shelton, above, leads the circle, from left, Mary Scanlon, Jarrett Gilbert, Henry Shelton and Vivian Woodel.

34 Farmville The Magazine

Party

Pix

Business

booms at 100-Mile Yard S ale

People from near and far came out to shop in July along Route 460 in Prince Edward County as part of the annual 100-Mile Yard Sale that extended through Southside Virginia. Sellers reported good business, with some seeing hundreds of people coming through to look at their items. Shoppers were out in force at 7 a.m., and a steady stream continued to come throughout the morning and early afternoon. Ph ot os by T itu s Moh ler

Kage Holder and Cliff Holder

Della Foster, Shaheim Swann, Edith Taylor, Shania Swann and Carolyn Swann

Paula Weir and Orion Litzinger

Morgan Bowen and David Thompson

April Bartoe, Laci Barnard and Joshua Hipkins

Farmville The Magazine

Fireworks

cele brate

Independence

Despite the lingering clouds, the annual Fourth of July celebration at the Farmville Regional Airport drew hundreds of people from the Heart of Virginia. The rain held off for the event, which saw a spectacular fireworks show after live performances, including Bridget Carrington and Theory, which keynoted the event. Ph ot os by J ordan Mi les

Party

Pix

Doug Driver, James Newman, Erin Pyle, Trevin Bowles and Ryan Arnold

Jameel Jones, Lavonia Jones and Jayden Miles

Johnny Hurst, Taliyah Thompson and Sarah Hurst

Brittany Fehrle, Paislee Fehrle and Branden Williams

Carlos and Melanie Holland

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36 Farmville The Magazine

Party

Pix

Fuqua S chool ’s Forensic H all o f Fame Judges, attorneys, educators, business professionals and elected officials filled Fuqua Lower School Commons June 17 to celebrate the rebirth of the school’s forensic program and to honor the first inductee of the PEA/ Fuqua School Nancy Anderson Haga Forensic Hall of Fame — Nancy Haga.

Ph ot os by Ma rge S wa yne

Morgan Anderson, Brad Watson and Virginia General Assembly Delegate Monty Mason

Tammy Frank and Max Gebauer with portrait of a younger Nancy Haga

Mitch Fore and Nancy Haga

Llew Anderson, Karen Anderson, Nancy Anderson Haga and Maria Anderson

Chris Wood, Francis Wood and Nancy Haga

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Pix

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38 Farmville The Magazine

Party

Pix

Magazine introduced to the communit y The Heart of Virginia got a sneak peek of Farmville The Magazine, a full-color magazine featuring the people, places and events in Farmville, Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward County, on June 9. The unveiling event was held in French Hall at Longwood University.

Ph ot os by J ordan Mi les

Halle Parker, Titus Mohler and Carson Reeher

Bob Flippen

Angie Clements and Amy Baldwin

Vellie Dietrich Hall and Karen Kayton

Hunter Watson and Richard LeSueur

Farmville The Magazine

H ampton Inn cele brates anniversar

y

This summer, the Hampton Inn celebrated its 10th anniversary in Farmville.

Guests, business owners, community members and hotel staff celebrated with food, drink and fellowship. Ph ot os by Jennife r Kinne.

Party

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Pix

Justine Young, Jeff Gore and Kerby Moore

Cindy Wilson and Kay Stokes

John Farrar and Steve Houchens

Abby Rinaca, John Johnstons and Trey Steigman

Margaret Taylor-Collins and Joy Stump

40 Farmville The Magazine

Party

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L ongwood hosts summer speech camps During July, Longwood Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Speech, Hearing and Learning Services hosted several summer camps for kids in the community. Camp Jump Start, Camp Lego, Project Word and Readers Theater brought kids of all ages together. Organized

by Longwood University graduate students, the programs helped participants improve literacy, reading skills and speaking skills with games and activities.

Ph ot os by C A RSON REEHE R

Stephanie Bailey, Sherilyn Smith, Kira Jiral, Joyanna Struzzieri and Anne Phoenix Dawn Saunders and Freddie Geddes

Matthew Reynolds, Brink Reynolds and David Reynolds

Constance Neilsen and Christopher Neilsen

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Pix

From Left, Joyanna Struzzieri, Christopher Neilson, Freddie Geddes, Matthew Reynolds, Sherilyn Smith, Elena Bailey, Libby Perkins, Kira Jiral, Michael Riggleman, David Reynolds, Anne Phoenix.

Be heard.

At Cumberland Schools you matter.

42 Farmville The Magazine

Party

Pix

Alyson Lucas, Sarah Lucas and Danner Allen

DI XIE SO FT BALL DE BS STATE TOURNAMENT The Prince Edward-Farmville Youth Association (PEFYA) Debs had supporters from Farmville and elsewhere who came out to watch them go undefeated at Bolter Fields in Kenbridge during the Dixie Softball Debs State Tournament. It was the largest tournament that Dixie Softball has organized in the District 1 area in over 10 years, featuring 12 teams. Ph ot os by T itu s Moh ler

Ryder Davis, Ginger Davis, Jamie Davis and Worth Davis Adam Finch, Brandon Harmon, standing, Trevor Dayton, Jeff Wise and Myron Kidd

Cetric Gayles and Melissa Gayles

Carol Anne Seal and Wendy Marzloff

Moriah Whichard and Kristi Whichard

Friends cele brate S ummer G arden O pera The annual Summer Garden Opera drew a large crowd to the garden of Reed and Harlan Horton on Second Avenue in Farmville in May. The event was marked by a live performance of Giacomo Pucciniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s la BohĂŠme, which followed food and drinks. Ph ot os by J a mes Ea rly

Party

Den and Dickie Cralle and Ilsa Loeser

Matt Agnor and Somer Haupt

Dr. Carolyn Wells, Dr. Barbara Smith and Joyce Davis

Neal Guma and Adrian and Alieda Keevil

Ellen Masters and Joy and Andy Stump

Pix

44 Farmville The Magazine

Party

Pix

A lumni reunite

at H -SC

Hampden-Sydney College’s 2016 Reunion Weekend was held June 3-5. Alumni from the Classes of 1966 to 2011 and members of the Patrick Henry Society spent the weekend renewing old friendships and making new ones while taking part in a variety of reunion events. Ph ot os cou rte sy of H a mpden-S ydney C ollege

Lew Mundin ’57 and Bill Gardner ’57

Dave Thomson ’91, John “J.P.” Cullen ’91 and John Ware ‘91 At right, Mary Whitehead and R. “Christopher” Lindsay, ‘06

Christina

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Pix

From left, front row, Drew Grice ‘91, Mike Hubbard ‘91, second row, Karl Schneider ‘91, Tony Bedon ‘91, Camp Sommardahl ‘91, Tripp Butler ‘91, Conrad Rickers ‘91, third row, Mark Milam ‘91, Scotty Williams ‘91, John Ware ‘91, Paul Coudert ‘91, Dave Thomson ‘91, back row, Brian Mitchell ‘91, Phil Spessard ‘91 and John “J.P.” Cullen ‘91.

Bray Bourne, ‘96, Sheldon Bryan, ‘96, Robert Purvis, ‘96, Peary Walker Purvis, Erin Hadlow Bryan

Christina Branch and Isaiah Marshall

46 Farmville The Magazine

Party

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UMC L ake Farmville United Methodist Church took worship to the lake recently. More than 100 church and community members joined the congregation for an “off campus” morning of praise, worship, fellowship and food. Wilck’s Lake Island provided the perfect environment for a change in the church’s worship schedule.

Ph ot os by Jennife r Kinne

Dalton Labosier, Chris Labosier, Anna Labosier, Nelson Wilson and Terri Atkins Wilson

Jeremiah Blakely, Lyndsie Blakely and Ashley Crute

Elijah Wagner, Brittney Wagner, Matt Wagner and Samuel Wagner

Sarah Belle Evans Scott Harwood Jr. and Bill Thomson

Party

You’ll love the view inside our magazine

Pix

On a good day, you could be here.

Warm cabins, challenging trails and clean, crisp air are nearby.

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48 Farmville The Magazine

Town and Gown

There’s value in the volume T

en hours, 39 minutes.

That’s how much time the average American adult spends with media, the Web and/or “screens” per day. It’s a staggering number reported in the Nielsen Company’s total audience report this past June. Of course, it doesn’t include the millions of U.S. citizens who prefer to receive their news via print, thank you very much.

Looking at all of that combined technology time spent each day, it’s easy to write the “Woe are We” editorial, but those missives don’t alter behaviors.

I’m not saying to put your phone down or to stop binge-watching “Stranger Things” on Netflix. That show is awesome; I love my smartphone and that’s all been written before.

If the numbers bother us, it may be due to the way some of us knowingly, continually utilize technology by eradicating our boredom, one swipe at a time. Or, perhaps, it’s because we don’t have a good opinion of the information we are gathering on all of those devices and platforms.

I don’t blame technology. I certainly don’t blame the media; there is no such thing. I blame myself. I blame us as media consumers. Over time, we’ve lowered our standards and, to bring about better content, we need to raise our collective expectations.

In a near impossible battle to keep up with a fractured marketplace and evergrowing audience demand, news outlets — big and small — have struggled to produce quality content. This, in my opinion, has fed the gradual erosion of the American public’s faith in news outlets as, according to Pew Research Center findings this July, only 24 percent of U.S. adults think news organizations deal fairly with all sides of a story when covering political or social issues.

In the same study, 76 percent of those very consumers said they would keep using their same media sources, regardless.

Adding all this up means Jeff Halliday is a professor we, adult American media at Longwood U niversity. consumers, spend almost half of each day using forms of technology to learn about and interact with our world. Just more than three-fourths of us continue to use technology to choose media outlets we don’t fully trust. That information then affects how we perceive and interpret our environment, potentially leading to further mistrust in other outlets and, in time, the most important sources of information in our lives: other people. What a wholly unnecessary spiral.

We can alter this mentality if we challenge ourselves to critically analyze the content we consume. It’s not enough, however. We must also simultaneously recognize and support news organizations (and their people) which strive to impartially hold a mirror to their communities, telling all sides to each story while ethically and responsibly addressing public concerns.

The Farmville Herald is in its 126th year of operation and expanding to publications such as this magazine because people like you and I love this community. We want to learn more about each other. We turn to this source and outlets like it with the expectation the content will add value to our lives.

Just as drops of water make up an ocean, each published story, status or, yes, even Tweet, can add or subtract value within that volume of content.

We can and must make it our job as consumers to create, seek and share, as well as to demand, value. If we improve both our habits and expectations, it can only improve the content we, together, consume.

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Last issue’s winner Congratulations to John Burton, of Farmville, who correctly identified the summer edition of “Where Am I” as the alley between North Main Street and the Farmville Community Marketplace on North Street.

Where Am I? The Heart of Virginia offers beautiful scenery and architecture, from the gently rolling hills of Buckingham to the colorful storefronts of Farmville.

“Where Am I?” offers residents and visitors a chance to identify one of our hidden gems across the region. If you think you know where this photo was taken, email your answer to whereami@farmvillethemag.com. We’ll draw one lucky name from among the correct answers for an annual subscription to Farmville the Magazine.

50 Farmville The Magazine

Why I Love Farmville

Susan Sullivan Q : W h er e a r e yo u fr o m o r ig in a l l y?

A : I’m originally from Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, from Medford, Mass. — so, born and raised there. My family’s still there.

It’s where my heart is still.

Q : W h a t br o u g h t yo u t o Fa r mv il l e?

A : The job that I have currently here at Longwood (University).

Q : W h a t is yo u r po s it io n w it h t h e u n iv er s it y, and how would you sa y it a ffects the communit y?

A : I’m the director of the university center and student activities, so I work with Lancer Productions, which is our student program board, and the operations of the (Lankford Student Union) building and our student organizations. So, I see where the crossover with my job and the community is a lot of the events that Lancer Productions does are open to the community. So, whether it’s in this building, whether it’s Jarman, whether it’s in Wygal, no matter where it is, we get community members that are there.

Q : A n d yo u a l l h o s t a br o a d a r r a y o f di fferent events ?

A : Lancer Productions (LP) hosts comedians, magicians, concerts.

Spring Weekend is the event that Lancer Productions puts on. I advise the student organization that puts on Oktoberfest, so both of those events are open. They’re for Longwood, but the community comes because it’s outside; it’s behind the (Lankford) Student Union.

manity), you name it. If there’s something that you’re interested in, I can guarantee there’s probably some kind of a civic organization that you can get involved with.

Q : W h a t ’s yo u r fa v o r it e t h in g a bo u t Farmville ?

A: I think it definitely has become opening and welcoming. I do think it’s easy for people to get involved because those civic opportunities are always looking for volunteers. … I think there’s something for everybody here.

A : The fact that it’s evolved — there is so much to do now. For a small town, you could get culture, you get the arts, you get entertainment, you have Longwood, you have Hampden-Sydney — so you have everything that they provide. Just the events that I told you that are free, Longwood has so many other events that are free, as well, that people can come to. Hampden-Sydney has a whole bunch. So, I think for a small town, it really affords a lot to do. And even then, just the civic engagements that you can get, whether it’s the Lions or the Jaycees or Rotary or any of those, Habitat (for Hu-

Q : H o w w o u l d yo u d es c r ibe t h e Fa r mv il l e c o mmu n it y?

Q : S ea r c h in g yo u r memo r ies o f 17 yea r s h er e, w h a t w o u l d you sa y is a favorite memor y a bout being in Farmville ?

A : I enjoy some of the community events. I’m on the Heart of Virginia board, so I enjoy that event and the events (like) the fireworks out at the airport. I’m really enjoying what the (Longwood Center for the Visual Arts) just started this summer, the Wine & Brew that they do on Friday evenings … I enjoy those events because it’s an event that a Longwood entity’s having, but it’s truly bringing Longwood and the community together.