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JANUARY 6, 2016 | NORTHERN VIRGINIA MEDIA SERVICES
Local clowns keep smiling through challenges Nicole and Ricardo Trevino with their newborn son, Noah. PHOTO BY MARY WASHINGTON HEALTHCARE
Stafford’s first baby waits to Jan. 2
One of the members of Luv ‘N’ Laffs Clown Alley strolls in the second annual Stafford County Christmas Parade last year. ALEKS DOLZENKO INSIDENOVA
TRACY BELL
tbell@insidenova.com
I
t hasn’t been easy being a clown lately, but longtime Stafford clown Frank Ringquist hopes that won’t be the case
for long. Ringquist is one of 15 local residents who serve as clowns for Luv ‘N’ Laffs Clown Alley of Stafford County— because it’s a truly enjoyable thing that they love to do. So when crazy, scary and menacing clowns began terrorizing people nationwide late last year, the general public’s feeling about clowns took a turn for the worst. Now, Ringquist hopes people ultimately rediscover their affinity for clowns. “Clowns are out there to make people happy and bring smiles to people — to kids of all ages,” Ringquist said.
TRACY BELL
tbell@insidenova.com
Ringquist admitted that business went down in the months following incidents involving scary clown sightings, but “it’s coming back,” he said. Luv ‘N’ Laffs Clown Alley, described as a support and teaching group, is affiliated with Clowns of America International and holds regular meetings and training in the youth center at Regester Chapel United Methodist Church in mid-county. The group participates in hospital clown rounds, clown ministries, charity functions and events that include birthday parties. According to Luv ‘N’ Laffs Clown Alley: “We are a bunch of silly, funloving, quirky clowns who work (play) daily to promote, preserve and present the time-honored profession and art of clowning. We love working with the communities around us and bringing smiles
and laughter to people of all ages.” Ringquist said he’s been a clown for 15 years after a friend of his got him started. When the friend was talking about going to clown school, “I laughed at him,” Ringquist said. “Then, a couple of months later, I got a call [to join him]. That was 15 years ago, and I haven’t looked back.” Even when he travels, Ringquist said he’ll take his balloon bag along to show people how to make balloon animals. On one cruise ship, he remembered being recognized from a previous cruise with his balloon animals, and thanked. “You never know how it’s going to pay off,” he said. Ringquist explained that he’s also part of a “caring clown unit” with “a good representaSMILE tion” of six hospital PAGE 13 clowns within the
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aby Noah Trevino made his way into the world 21 minutes into Jan. 2, making him the first baby born at Stafford Hospital in the new year. Noah is the son of Stafford residents Nicole and Ricardo Trevino. The baby weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces at birth and was measured at 21 inches long, according to Lisa Henry, director of corporate marketing and communications for Mary Washington Healthcare. Nicole Trevino called her first childbirth experience “memorable and warm,” crediting the medical staff. Although she was “nervous,” it was an incredible and special time, she said, that the staff helped make wonderful throughout. The Trevinos moved to Virginia BABY from Rhode Island in August. PAGE 13 Ricardo Trevino is active-duty
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