Evince August 07

August 2007

•

evince •

Page 1

Page 2

•

evince •

Table of Contents 2

Looking at the Big Picture

by Kathryn Davis

3

Believe

by Liz Sater

4

Chinqua Penn: New Wine for An Old Plantation

by Larry Aaron Al Willette: Winning Photographer At Home in the Ansel Adams Tradition

by Gordon Bendall

5

Second Thoughts

by Kim Clifton

6

He Said She Said

by Larry Oldham and Dena Hill Always …A Dynamic Duo

by Margaret Covington

7

Twists, Turns, and Wild Rides

by Steve Hecox Magnificent Mutts Join Mandolins and Magnolias at the Museum

by Lynne Bjarnesen

8

Dutiful Women Who Have Served England Well: Queen Elizabeth, II and Danville’s Own Nancy Langhorne Astor

by Emyl Jenkins with Pat Maurakis and David Voelkel Bye, Bye Birdie Opens August 8th

10 12

Calendar of Evince Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Joyce Wilburn Sutherlin Mansion Goes Into Mourning Victorian Funerary Customs

by Lynne Bjarnesen

14

Making Money in Your Own Kitchen

by Deborah Morehead Grove Park Preschool to Open on August 27th

15

Lasting Thoughts It’s All About Presentation…

England, Scotland, Danville

by Joyce Wilburn

On the Cover:

Photograph of Queen Elizabeth, II, Prince Philip, and First Lady Anne Holton taken on the occasion of the Queen’s visit to the Capitol Square in Richmond on May 3rd, 2007,

by Emyl Jenkins,©2007.

by Kathryn Davis As a news reporter, I have the pleasure of interviewing many interesting people on a wide variety of subjects. Just the other day, I spoke to an expert on clutter, a topic that’s near and dear to my own heart. I’m not excessive-compulsive about keeping everything that touches my hands, but I do have a hard time parting with favorite clothes or souvenirs from a fun trip. And I still have drawers full of craft supplies left over from a time when I actually had some spare time to enjoy them.

Last month, while racking my brain to come up with the perfect gift to give my husband for our 35th wedding anniversary, it came to me. The perfect gift for my wonderful husband who has waited so patiently for me to develop some sort of organizational skills would be to unclutter our home. After all, hadn’t the expert told me that a clutter-free home was both visually more pleasing and a lot healthier?

With less stuff around there’s less dust, less stress, and life generally flows more smoothly.

With the interview fresh in my mind, I called my pal, Stacey, a

part-time professional organizer, and we got started. The first weekend, she spent nine hours at my house, on my bedroom alone! The first six hours she spent cleaning the books, clothes, papers and who knows what else off my dresser and generally cleaning the whole room, just to have a place to sort through the clothes. The next three hours we spent going through all the clothes on my closet shelves. From just one room, we had close to a dozen bags for Goodwill. So began my effort to make my home a clutterfree, comfortable and inviting place to live.

Until Stacey’s next visit, I’m to spend at least 15 minutes a day sorting through a drawer, a shelf, a corner of my junk room, anything I can do to keep working toward my goal. This isn’t an easy task for someone who has spent a lifetime collecting every sentimental item she comes across, and not letting go of anything that still has all its parts or still works. So I’ve taken as my motto something that the clutter expert said during our interview:"If you haven’t worn it or used it in a year and you don’t love it, then give yourself permission to let it go.”

I’m learning to do that, and I feel like when I’m finished, we’ll finally have the healthy, harmonious home that we deserve - even if it takes till our next anniversary!

August 2007 Pat Hufford was so moved after reading June’s “Big Picture” column in which Kathryn wrote about how little acts of kindness can brighten the lives of those we meet that she sent us this letter.

We hope you, too, will take Kathryn and Pat’s message to heart and put it to work in your own lives.

Dear Kathryn, Thank you so much for your article on the power of a smile. I wonder how many people don’t realize how true that is.

The past few years our family has been devastated by several losses, beginning with our 26-year-old son. There have been days that I struggled to find a reason to get out of bed. However, we have dogs, and our daily walks at the park have always been one of the highlights of our day. I knew it wasn’t fair to deprive them of that pleasure and physical exercise. There was not a day during those walks that someone at the park didn’t greet us with a warm smile and a few friendly remarks. Those encounters gave me something to look forward to each day. I cannot express how much those smiles and remarks helped me get through my day.

We never know when we encounter others what is going on in their lives. Outward appearances are often very deceiving. I try to keep this in mind when I meet others and hope I can brighten their day as others have done for me.

Pat Hufford

FOR SUBSCRIPTION: Mail your name, address, phone number, and a check for $15 (12 issues) to EVINCE Managing Editor, Evince Subscription, P.O. Box 2396, Danville, VA 24541.

August 2007 Historic downtowns often play a big part in the marketing of a community to visitors, so I was excited to attend a Main Street Conference in Luray, Virginia, that focused on tourism and the economic impact it has on a community.

According to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, in 2005 there were 55 million visitors to the state of Virginia, providing an economic impact of $16.5 billion. That is quite an industry for the Commonwealth.

The host city for the conference has a natural draw to tourists--the caverns.

But how does a community that does not have such a dynamic natural attraction get a piece of that $16.5 billion tourism pie? By identifying and marketing those things that make Danville special, unique and interesting to others, we can draw visitors into our community and provide the hospitality that will keep them here longer, spending more money.

In identifying our assets, we can begin the list with The Crossing at the Dan. Twenty years ago, this area of the warehouse district consisted of little more than a few dilapidated buildings that were being used by the railroad. It was the vision of city leaders that this area could be developed into a vibrant destination, as well it has.

The Riverwalk Trail, with access at The Crossing, is one of the most often used amenities in our city.

����������������������� ������������������ ���������������������

•

evince •

Page 3

Believe...

In the redevelopment of Danville’s Historic Downtown and the Tobacco Warehouse Districts

by Liz Sater, Re-Development Coordinator

Bikers, walkers, strollers and even skaters enjoy the proximity to the Dan River and the plants and wildlife that abound along the 4-mile trail.

There is an off-shoot of the trail specifically created for mountain bikes that is currently attracting athletes from as far away as Blacksburg and Raleigh, who come to test their skills and stamina off the beaten path.

The aptly named Community Market draws folks to downtown Danville every Saturday from May to October to browse the eclectic offerings of local farmers and crafters. The variety of items ranges from organically grown pork products to lace doilies, and everything in-between.

The Carrington Pavilion provides a very accommodating venue for not only nationally known touring groups, but local musicians as well, and draws a regular crowd for the "Fridays at the Crossing" events during the summer months.

The Danville Science Center, which has now expanded into a "campus" that includes a natural museum exhibit and an active Amtrak waiting area in the restored train station plus the butterfly garden, has recently begun tracking zip codes to get an idea of who is coming to Danville to see their exhibits. They have had visitors from as far away as Canada and New York who have stopped in our community.

The AAF Tank Museum, the Langhorne Museum, and the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History are also attractions that draw visitors to our town. Heritage tourism is the most lucrative aspect of the industry as those who are interested in the history of a destination are shown to stay longer and spend more than other tourists.

No tour of Danville would be complete without a trip down Millionaires’ Row to see wonderfully preserved and restored examples of 18th and 19th century Victorian

������������������

�������������������������������

architecture. The restored North Theatre, an excellent example of the opulent vaudeville venues of the 1940s, is just across the MLK Bridge.

Visitors can also enjoy the attraction of the city’s first two historic murals.

Plans are ongoing for additional murals that will eventually be connected by a walking tour, telling our stories with panoramic public art.

And shopping! Visitors say that they actively seek out purchases that represent something that they cannot find in their own hometown or something that reminds them of the attractions they have seen.

Danville is positioning itself to become a regional retail hub that should soon be able to accommodate the shopping needs of visitors and residents alike. Our historic downtown district now has several anchor stores that are destinations themselves, plus loads of smaller specialty stores and restaurants to keep shoppers engaged.

A coordinated program of cross marketing of all of our attractions and historic districts, plus a unified message and brand can bring Danville to the table as a popular destination.

A piece of that tourism pie would taste mighty sweet and would go a long way in helping to develop our newly diversifying economy.

I hope this gives you food for thought, because Danville is a feast.

�������������������������

�������������������������������������

Page 4

•

evince •

Chinqua Penn: New Wine for An Old Plantation

by Larry Aaron

When, on their first date, Calvin Phelps and Lisa Yamaoka saw Chinqua Penn Plantation near Reidsville, North Carolina, they fell in love with it. A few years ago, the couple, now married bought the exotic mansion. But beyond the needed obvious restoration and improvements something was missing.

Labeled one of America’s castles by A&E TV network, Chinqua Penn was laced with furniture, fixtures, and art from 30 countries around the world.

Every room was different. There were 16th century French antiques in one room and Oriental art in another. From a replica of King Tut’s chair to Italian art, a pipe organ with 1500 pipes, and more elegant statuary than you can imagine—it seemingly had everything.

In its 23 acres there were flowers of every kind, including 200 varieties of day lilies and tropical orchids from South America. Weeping cherry trees, magnolias, and rhododendron filled the gardens, giving the mansion a truly Southern air.

At one time Chinqua Penn was a diamond in a community surrounded by cattle farms and red clay soil that in years past made tobacco king. But like the demise of tobacco as the mainstay of the local economy, Chinqua Penn too, went into a downward spiral as the years went by, suffering from the economic downturn of the region. It closed and reopened twice, then was put on the auction block.

During its heyday, the plantation was dotted with grape arbors that the Penns used to stock two wine cellars, entertaining friends and relatives with

photo by Larry Aaron their wines during their grand parties, which might also include an organ recital.

But Chinqua Penn’s vineyards, like the mansion itself, fell into disrepair.

In fact, the only survivors were the Muscadine grapes, but finally they, too, died off.

It seemed a mansion in mourning until Calvin Phelps bought it. Now, just like the Renaissance that followed the Dark Ages in Europe, Chinqua Penn once again flourishes, with something new—its own brand of wine At an open house this past spring, six varieties of wine made from grapes grown on the plantation and the surrounding area were served to the public for the first time.

Some are uniquely titled: Research Red, in deference to grapes grown at

August 2007 the North Carolina State University property adjacent to Chinqua Penn; Niagara, a light semi-sweet, fragrant dessert wine grown at award-winning B&S Vineyards in Rockingham County and named to commemorate Mrs. Penn’s association with the Niagara Power Company; and Muscadine Blush, a rose-style dessert wine blended from locally grown Chardonnay and Muscadine grapes harvested from a thriving Chinqua Penn grape arbor.

In the tasting room adjacent to the gift shop you can enjoy wine tasting for $5 or purchase a glass of wine and enjoy it on the adjoining patio.

And on the Thursdays in August from 6pm - 9pm, Chinqua Penn Vineyards will sponsor its first Summer Music Series at the picnic shelter adjacent to the wine tasting room.

“We are continually trying to add more opportunities over time,” says Marketing Director Lynn Umstead.

“We wanted to offer something free, something for the people of Rockingham County and the region to enjoy.” For these events, guests are invited to bring a lawn chair and a picnic dinner (not including beverages) and enjoy the music and the grounds.

Though smaller in size than Biltmore, Chinqua Penn has fabulous furnishings, art, and now its vineyards.

When guests visit Chinqua Penn and are whisked away to another world complete with a beautifully ornate mansion and fragrant, colorful gardens, they can enjoy all its beauty while sipping on a glass of wine made from locally grown grapes and this summer be serenaded by music wafting across the lawn.

For more information or reservations for weddings and group accommodations, call 336.477.4453 or visit www.chinquapenn.com.

Chinqua Penn is open on Saturdays from 10 am - 4 pm and Sundays from 1 pm - 4 pm with the grounds remaining open until 5:30 pm and weekdays by appointment. The wine tasting room is open noon – 5 pm Wednesday through Saturday and 1- 5 pm Sundays.

Al Willette: Winning Photographer At Home in the Ansel Adams Tradition

by Gordon Bendall

Al Willette of Providence, North Carolina recently brought home honors from the Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition for his work in black and white photography. His shot of the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge won first place. The work was featured in the May edition of North Carolina’s High Country Magazine and was on exhibition at the Turchin Center Gallery in Boone.

Willette has come into his own after working alongside well-known black and white fine art photographers John Sexton and Howard Bond. “It’s all in the Ansel Adams tradition,” Willette says about his mentors including the late master photographer Adams who created black and white icons from the majesty of Yosemite National Park. “I’ve been into photography for over thirty years and have come to realize that life is a journey, not a destination. We rush through our lives and leave many of the greatest experiences untouched. I have found that if I slow down and enjoy the moments that are within my grasp, I worry less about what lies over the next hill.”

With numerous awards over the years from shows around the region including “Best in Show” from Art in the Park 2006 in Blowing Rock, Willette, a Maine native, is known for subjects that look like heaven on earth: from waterfalls and streams in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Spanish moss and swamps and dunes of the Carolinas’ low country. His tools include large format black and white negatives, a Canham camera and a highly controlled darkroom environment where the science of enlargement takes on an art form. His work is traditional. He shoots his camera on a tripod underneath a black cloth and must be patient. “Light is very important,” he explains, “and often the best light for my work comes

from overcast days. It can be tedious. I might have to wait for hours.”

Willette sells his framed prints online and in association with Front Gallery of Asheville. He has converted a barn to a studio/gallery at his farm in Caswell County where retired local newspaper photographer Leon Townsend visits to share ideas. “Townsend is a legend,” Willette says with admiration. “I have a lot of respect for him.”

As for his favorite locations to photograph? “I love the mountains and the coast, but I also love the Piedmont. In this part of North Carolina and Virginia, there is so much subject material…old mills, old barns, farms and forests. It’s endless and inspiring.”

August 2007

•

evince •

Page 5

������������

Hocus Pocus The last Potter has been penned. The seventh manuscript, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, reveals what ultimately happens to the kids of Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

To my husband, Robert, the book was a page turner. To me, it was just another to stack on top of the first six I hadn’t read. Even after seeing one of the movies, I still don’t get his attraction to this stuff.

He thinks it’s an intriguing account of good vs. evil. I think it’s a tedious tale about a wizard’s boarding school. Gone With The Wind took fewer words to get us through the entire Civil War and a steamy love triangle.

For some people, it’s fun. For some people, it’s fantasy. For some people, it’s foolish. I vote for foolish. While I can see the fun, for the life of me…I can’t see the fantasy.

Or at least my definition of it, anyway.

My fantasy world doesn’t include bubbling potions filled with bat wings. My fantasy world certainly doesn’t include spells and spiders. My fantasy world has me alone with Brad Pitt on a deserted Caribbean island. Or finally finding jeans to fit.

��������������������������� �������������������

��������������������� ���������������������� ������������

And anything chocolate.

The dark side doesn’t draw me; it frightens me. As a child, I never enjoyed The Wizard of Oz. The flying monkeys scared me to death. As a grown woman, I still don’t want to watch it. But, at least I don’t wet the bed anymore after I have.

Admittedly, Harry Potter did have some fun scenes, particularly those with the Invisibility Cloak.

This special blanket made him disappear whenever he tossed it over his head. Having one of those would be mighty handy. Especially on days when I’m trying to sneak in late for work.

Good and evil are just part of the story. It’s also about three friends who stick by each other through thick and thin. Pretty surprising since usually two’s company and three’s a crowd. Then again, loyalty comes easy when you remember that your buddies could change you into a toad.

Whether you consider these books—fun, fantasy or foolish— there’s one common expectation… the ending cannot be revealed. It is so well protected that Potter fans would rather kiss a frog than tell what happened to Harry.

I hope it has them all taking jobs at Disney World. A place where a cricket in a top hat wishes upon a star. A place where a mosquito dressed as a ballerina sprinkles Pixie Dust from her wand. A place where an enormous mouse traps millions of people into spending billions of dollars.

Surely a place like that knows a little something about magic.

�������������� ����������������� ��������������� ����������� ���������������������� �������������������

��������������������������� ������������������������������

Kim thanks her husband, Robert, for his contributions to this column.

�������������������������������

The

Professional Pharmacy, Inc. 40 Years of Making Your Dreams Come True

“The Action People”

The People’s Drug Store We Are More Than Just a Pharmacy!

We Offer: • Fast & Friendly Service • No Hassle Billing for Medicare & Medicaid Patients • Most Insurances Accepted for Prescriptions • Lottery • Verizon Phone Bill Payment Center • UPS Package Pickup Center • Money Orders - Only 82¢ • Full Line of Diabetic Supplies & Home Care Products • Senior Citizens Discount on All Prescriptions, Without Insurance • Where You Can Get “Hard to Find” Prescriptions • Monthly Sales Fliers in Mail

470 Piney Forest Road

www.simpsonrealtyco.com

793-6222

Toll Free 1-800-296-1049

130 Watson Street • 793-2221 Toll Free • 1-866-793-2221

����������� ����������������

���������������������������������� ��������������������������������� �������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� ��������������������������������� ������������������������������� �����������������������������������������������������

������������������������������������������

�������������������������������������������

Page 6

•

evince •

August 2007

He Said

���������������������� �������������������

�����������

������������������� ����������������������� ������������������������������������ ���������������� ����������������������� �������������� ���������������������� �����������������������

���������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������� �������������������������� �������������������

����������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ��������������������������������������

Gorgeous... armpits? Yes! ����������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������

Danville Laser Aesthetics and Spa

by Larry Oldham

by Dena Hill

They say that couples should spend quality time together whenever possible. I agree. I try to spend as much time as possible with my fiancée. But let me tell you, going to the beauty shop together does not make for quality time.

In today’s world not all guys go to a barber shop to get their hair cut, colored, or coiffed. Some go to a beauty shop. Somehow, my fiancée and I started going to the same beauty shop on the same day and at the same time. These days, in between all of her other fixings, our hairstylist Stephanie cuts my hair.

I’ve noticed that when a man walks into a beauty salon, the women stop talking all at once. You can literally hear a hairpin drop. How and why they do this is beyond me. They can’t have been talking about me because all of them don’t know me. Something else I’ve noticed is that once they start talking again, they do it in unison, like some kind of women’s army.

Since I’ve been going to the beauty parlor, I’ve also learned there are secrets going on. How? Because I ask questions but I don’t get answers. For example-One day on the shelf in front of me I noticed a bottle of something called Sex You Up so I asked Stephanie, “What is that? Do you drink it, splash it on your body, or bathe in it?”

“No,” she replied.

“Well, what is it for,” I asked. No answer.

When she finally told me that it’s something to puff up your hair, I bought a bottle. I was thinking it would make me look younger. Instead, it made me look like one of those gospel singers or preachers you see on TV with bouffant hair. I threw it away.

I don’t need to look any puffier than I already look or look younger and have all those women calling me 24/7.

Maybe I should go back to the barber shop where men are men and we just look sexy naturally—without additives.

To all of the women in the world, I apologize. I’m afraid my fiancé has found out the truth about us. We have a hideout; it’s the beauty salon.

Yes, my super-duper-snooper detective fiancé has discovered the top secret of women everywhere. Hair salons all over the world are chapters of an organization of women who plan to take over the world and rule all men. I apologize, too, for his discovering our top secret weapon, Sex You Up. Thank goodness it doesn’t work for men, just women.

What he did not realize is that Sex You Up works to make us sexy and alluring so we can entice all of the men and conquer them, not the other way around. Sort of like their AXE body spray. That must be some formula that men think will entice us meek, unassuming, poor women. There is an old saying that “he chases her until she catches him.” Think about it, guys!

He also discovered that we bring stories to our hairdressers about what the men did that week, and the hairdressers tell other women; this is how we learn to dominate them.

Thank goodness he didn’t find out that we all conspire together to marry them, divorce them, and get all of their money, which we then send to the Natural Order of Women.

We go to beauty salons each week under the pretense that we are just trying to fix ourselves up for them. But now that secret is out, we should never, ever let them find out that when we all go to a restaurant bathroom together, this is really just a time for short meetings of our NOW group.

My fiancé can find a conspiracy theory in everything I do and now it’s everything that women do at the hair salon. I didn’t ask him to go to the beauty salon; he just tagged along.

I didn’t ask him to buy Sex You Up; he thought it would puff up his hair when actually it was just to puff up his ego.

I’m telling you, I only go to the hairdresser to look good and make myself more appealing for him. I imagine that if I took a survey, most women would feel the same way. I’ll be sure and ask them at our next monthly meeting.

Puffy hair? Give me a break. Larry, you only look puffy from eating too many Snickers.

���������������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ����������������������

������������

She Said

Always.. . A Dynamic Duo

by Margaret S. Covington

Angela Arrington and Deborah Sizemore are two talented actresses you won’t want to miss in the Prizery’s upcoming showstopper, Always...Patsy Cline. This dynamic duo found chemistry on the stage long before they were cast as leads in this production.

Sizemore who met Angela when she was 15 and and both in Annie really hit it off together. Now It’s obvious that both women feel at home on the stage.

Arrington, who will belt out out 27 Cline hits in this production, also has a lot in common with the country and pop singer who died in 1963. “I have a genuine, consuming love for music and would be lost without it,” she says.

Sizemore, the other half of the dynamic duo, plays the role of Louise Seger, Cline’s biggest fan. Like Louise, Sizemore is a natural storyteller though in real life she is a reserved, conservatively clad

professional Assistant Vice President and Financial Center Leader at BB&T-anything but the pink-and-black Pontiacdriving, Texas divorcee she portrays.

Driven by their passion for acting and singing, Arrington and Sizemore have appeared in a number of local productions including Always...Patsy Cline several years ago. Because of its popularity, The Prizery is bringing them back July 26, 27, 28, August 2, 3, 4 at 8:00 p.m. and a single matinee on July 29 at 3:00 p.m.

Rounding out the playbill, The Cavedwellers from Durham, North Carolina will provide the music for the production along with two musicians who played with Patsy Cline in her early years, Tony Ellis on fiddle and Joe Adams on steel guitar.

For more information and tickets, call 434.572.8339 or visit www.prizery.com.

August 2007

•

evince •

Twists, Turns, and Wild Rides

by Steve Hecox

We’ve all passed, and maybe even stopped, at those go-kart tracks in amusement centers along the highway.

They’re usually little more than a circular track that barely gives you time to accelerate before you hit a tight hairpin and go the other direction.

While they’re fun, they’re put to shame by the amazing new facility at Virginia International Raceway.

The Plantation Valley Kart Track is a 5/8 mile road course with 13 turns ranging from easy to very demanding. It is 24-feet wide all the way around, but even on the simplest turns, negotiating this track is a challenge. Of course, that’s what makes it so enjoyable as well as attractive to serious drivers. Karting is, for most, the primary stepping stone to careers in professional racing, and those who are committed to racing can often be found at the kart track honing their skills.

The best part about VIR’s new track is that it is often open to the public.

And though the pros bring their own equipment, house karts can be rented by anyone. These are powered by 6.5 horsepower Honda engines capable of doing about 40 mph in a straight line-not that there are many.

While these are less powerful and built a little sturdier than those driven by professionals, safety is still a major consideration when driving them. You are required to wear helmets and a neck device designed to keep heads from rolling in case of trouble. It’s similar in function to the Hans Device that is found in many forms of professional racing from NASCAR to Champ Cars to Formula One. Anxious to try out the track, I went out to Plantation Valley with my 13-year-old son Kamin. Once Skeeter Fowlkes, the track manager, and his crew had shown us the basics of the karts and the course, fitted us into our safety gear, and let us down into the cars--we took off.

Earlier I had told Kamin to follow me through the first two laps so he could check out the turns and get a feel for

Magnificent Mutts Join Mandolins and Magnolias at the Museum

by Lynne Bjarnesen

With August comes the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History’s annual fundraising event, Mandolins and Magnolias, which will be held on Saturday, August 18th, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. on the lawn of the historic Sutherlin Mansion at 975 Main Street.

It will be a special occasion for adults and children alike--complete with barbeque and fried chicken and all the fixings catered by Mary’s Diner. Bring a lawn chair and join your friends and family for live

the car. But after two laps I pulled over and waved him around. Being about 70 pounds lighter than I am, he had the advantage. It didn’t matter that I’ve been driving for 40 years and he’s not even close to getting a license--off he went.

There were a few times that Kamin spun out and backed onto the grass.

Once, he did a full 360 and nosed into it.

Each time though, he was quickly back on the track. What he learned was one of the paramount rules of racing--you brake before you hit the turn so you can accelerate through the apex, otherwise, bad things happen.

Of course, when I asked him later about how he felt when he was spinning around, his first words were simple. "It was cool."

He hit that dead on the mark. Driving a kart at Plantation Valley is amazing.

There is no power steering and no power brakes. Every turn is different and has its own learning curve. Not only do you feel the g-forces throwing you right and left, with no brakes it takes the whole body to control the car, but once you figure that out, you find yourself going faster.

With every lap, you get better; you learn how to get in and out of those 13 different turns. Although VIR is in the midst of rolling hills and woodlands, while you are in the karts, you don’t see any of that. You look at the concrete and the turns and the curbing, trying to discover the fastest way to get around them. In the end you are competing on three

levels: with the track, the other drivers, and yourself. The farther you go and the harder you drive, the better it gets.

While individuals are certainly welcome, VIR also hosts corporate events as well as family outings, graduation parties, and even bachelor parties. Any number of people can attend such events, but only 12 karts are allowed on the track at any given time.

A final word.... Every second spent on the Plantation Valley Track is as physically exhausting as it is emotionally exhilarating. When Kamin and I left VIR after our session, we hadn’t gone three miles before I looked over and found him fast asleep, but he was asleep with a smile still on his face.

music. Back by popular demand are Andy Martin and the Carolina Roustabouts playing classic bluegrass music. There will be Victorian games for the whole family such as croquet, horseshoes, and sack races. For the kids there will be face painting by Bridget Hyler and other art activities.

Adding to the fun is the first annual Magnificent Mutts Show, a completely good-humored dog lovers’ contest during the dog days of summer with categories ranging from "Best Dressed Dog" to "Dog That Looks Most Like Owner," and other hilarious categories. All dogs, that is all non-aggressive ones, are welcome, but this is not a breed show. Entry in the contest is included in the price of the ticket for Mandolins and Magnolias.

Tickets are $20 per adults and $10 for children ages 7 to 12. Children 6 and under are free. The event will be held rain or shine. Call 434.793.5644

for tickets and a Magnificent Mutts Show entry form and rules. There will be a special draw-down raffle for a David Yurman bracelet with a limited number of raffle tickets sold for $35 each. Try your luck for other great items with raffle tickets costing $5 each.

For more information visit www.danvillevuseum.org.

The VIR Plantation Valley Kart Track is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 7p.m. Reservations need to be made two to three weeks in advance. Call Skeeter Fowlkes at 434.822.7700 ext 350 or visit www.myspace.com/virkarttrack. VIR is located 12 miles east of Danville just north of historic Milton, North Carolina.

Also, pick up an Evince Racing magazine to read about other events at VIR. Distribution locations include the Welcome Center, Sheetz, Holiday Inn Express, and Innkeeper in Danville and at Best Western and Sleep Inn on South Boston Road .

Mandolins and Magnolias is the kick-off event for the Museum’s Annual Appeal.

Monies raised from this fundraiser will be used toward a dollar-for-dollar match for a state grant of $5,000. Have a great time and help sustain the outstanding exhibitions and educational programs that the Museum offers to all citizens of the Dan River Region.

Page 7

Page 8

•

evince •

August 2007

Dutiful Women Who Have Served England Well: Queen Elizabeth, II, and Danville’s Own Nancy Langhorne Astor

by Emyl Jenkins and contributing writers, Pat Maurakis and David Voelkel, Curator, State Art Collection My earliest images of Queen Elizabeth, II, are pictures in LIFE magazine of a young girl stepping over rocks and rubble in the bombedout streets of London. Accompanied by her parents and her younger sister, she has a sad but resolved look on her face. She is doing her royal duty.

It was a quite different young woman we saw in the early post-war days of 1947. A smiling bride faced a new world with her Prince Consort, Philip, at her side. Never would she have dreamed that in five short years, upon the sudden death in 1952 of her father, King George VI, she would be crowned Queen of England.

Some 55 years later, Virginians welcomed Queen Elizabeth, II, to the Commonwealth on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown. Over the years she has proven that she is a truly remarkable woman, as our cover photograph and her address to the joint houses of the General Assembly attest. It was her birthright, not her choice, that cast this noble woman at the center of constant attention, praise and criticism, through the past three-quarters of a century. Through it all she has, as the saying goes, worn well.

While on her visit to the Executive Mansion in Richmond in May, the Queen saw the portrait of another admirable woman, Nancy Witcher Langhorne, a native Danvillian who, too, has left her mark on England’s Parliament as the inimitable Viscountess (Lady) Astor.

Nancy Langhorne was born on May 19th, 1879, in the house known to Danvillians as Lady Astor’s birthplace on Broad Street. Early on she earned the reputation for being an elegant hostess for her well-heeled husband, William Waldorf Astor, II. Astor’s father, William Waldorf Astor, heir to one of America’s huge fortunes, had moved to England and taken English citizenship years earlier. As a result of Astor’s generous help to the people of England during World War I, he was named a Viscount by King George V. This honor carried with it a seat in England’s House of Lords, making Mr. Astor, Lord Astor.

Like his father, Nancy’s husband also used his wealth to good purpose, and he was elected to England’s House of Commons. Nancy Astor joined her husband in his causes and during World War I the Astors palatial estate, Cliveden, served as a hospital for wounded servicemen. Admiration for this Virginia-born mother of six who, though wealthy and the friend of royalty, had reached out to England’s needy families was great.

When the elder Lord Astor died in 1919, British law required that

Nancy’s husband assume his father’s seat in the House of Lords, leaving empty the House of Commons seat William Astor Waldorf, II, had been elected to. William Waldorf Astor, II, and his wife Nancy, also became Lord and Lady Astor.

When the Conservative Unionist Party appealed to Nancy Astor to run for her husband’s vacated House of Commons elected seat she accepted, “Fully conscious of the honour and grave responsibility.”

In a word, she did her duty, though surely she never contemplated such responsibility during her carefree childhood in Danville.

Trouble was, the odds were stacked against her winning the election. She lacked a formal higher education, had been born in Danville, Virginia, rather than in England, her wealthy husband was now a Lord, plus she was a woman, and no woman had ever been elected to the British Parliament at that time.

But what Nancy Astor lacked in formal education she made up for in verve. Drawing on her personal experiences as a wife, mother, and woman, as well as her observations during the hard war years, she pledged she would fight “not only for men and women but for children,” vowing “I do not believe in classes or sexes.”

A natural, untutored campaigner, Nancy Langhorne Astor, succeeded in winning more than just the support of women. In her campaign by showing herself to be both selfassured and honest, she won the support of the common people and political leaders alike. On election day she won an astounding 14,495 votes to her opponents’ 9,292 and 4,139 respectively.

“If you can’t get a fighting man, take a fighting woman,” she had said during her campaign, and for twentyfive years she dutifully fought her fight nobly and well.

Thus it was in recognition of this grand Danville-born lady that in 1936 George C. Peery, Governor of Virginia, announced the forming of a committee (which included Mrs. Henry Lee of Danville) to commission a portrait of Lady Nancy Astor to be placed in the State Capitol. Always mindful of her responsibilities, rather than choosing a glamorous or exotic gown and pose for her portrait to be returned to the seat of Virginia’s government, Lady Astor most fittingly selected to be painted in the attire she customarily wore when sitting as a member of the British Parliament.

In the late Fall of 1937 Lady Astor’s portrait arrived in Norfolk and it was officially dedicated and unveiled on January 5, 1938. It hung in the Old Senate Chamber of the Capitol for several years, but during the 1990s the

Nancy Langhorne Astor (photo courtesy Library of Virginia) portrait was moved to the Ball Room of the Executive Mansion. Thus it was there that on May 3rd, 2007, Queen Elizabeth, II, who was born to her position, saw the portrait of Danville’s best-known native who rose to her position of honor in England.

Now, though, appropriately coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the painting and its original

dedication to the Citizens of Virginia, plans are to move Lady Astor’s portrait back to the Capitol where once again it will hang on loan from the State Art Collection, which is under the auspices of the Library of Virginia, and Danville’s own will be seen by one and all.

Bye Bye Birdie Opens August 8th Move over Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney, and Elvis Presley.

Another teen sensation, albeit a fictional one, is coming to town.

Bye Bye Birdie, the 1960s Broadway show and movie, will be performed by the Clarksville Community Players on four nights in August. The setting for this popular play which starred Ann Margaret in the 1963 screen version is 1958 suburban America where every teenage girl’s dream is to meet her favorite rock and roll star, Conrad Birdie (Gus Demetriades). The plot will have you thinking of Elvis as cooing girls gather to see their heartthrob depart for the army.

Birdie’s songwriter and agent Albert Peterson (Andy Dickerson) needs one final gimmick for his superstar before he is shipped overseas. The answer?

A publicity stunt on The Ed Sullivan Show in which one lucky girl will give Birdie a final kiss as a civilian and

simultaneously promote his latest hit “One Last Kiss.” Teenage girls will swoon, record sales will soar, and Albert will be able to quit his job as promoter and become an English teacher like his girlfriend, Rose Alvarez (Cindy Felton) wants. Filling out the cast, the always hysterical Doug Breese plays the father of the contest winner Kim McAfee (Brook Hatcher) in this family- friendly song and non-stop music-filled production featuring our own talented teens and adults.

Show times are Wednesday through Saturday, August 8,9,10,11 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $8.00 in advance and $10.00 at the door of the Clarksville Fine Arts Center located at the intersection of US Hwy 15 South and Business US Hwy 58. For more information call 434.374.0058.

August 2007

•

evince •

���������������� �������������� Celebrating 72 Years of Continuous Excellence in Dance Education

ALL CLASSES TAUGHT BY PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTORS IN A FRIENDLY FAMILY ORIENTED ATMOSPHERE

• Special Childrenʼs Program In Pre-ballet Ages 3-5 (All Pre-ballet Students Are In Annual Show) • NEW CLASS - All Boys HipHop/Tap • Ballet • Pointe • Tap • Jazz • Lyrical • Competition Team This Is The Academyʼs 14th Year of Award-Winning Competition Program For Performing Students

ANN PFLUGSHAUPT

REGISTRATION

Page 9

presents

Fridays

2007

at

Location: Craghead Street, Downtown Danville, VA

������� Classic Car Night

LISA

Masters of JONES Science with a 27 Years Monday, July 30th concentration Teaching thru in Dance from James Madison Thursday, August 2nd, Experience.

Award winning University and a choreographer.

BA in Dance from the University of Mary DEBBIE MCCORMICK Washington. Director of Dance at Former Director Chatham Hall for 10 years.

AUGUST 17

4 - 7 PM

APRIL POE

BFA in Dance from East Carolina University, Associate Member of the Cecchetti Council of America.

LISA HALL

Studied with Gene Stroud Studio of Dance, Greensboro, NC, The Geensboro City Ballet with Lea Starasksy, The NC School of the Arts, Martha Fowlkes Academy of Dance

LATE REGISTRATION

Monday, August 20th,

5 - 7 PM

1064 Riverside Dr.

(Next to Rax Restaurant)

For Information & Brochures Call

792-9106 �������� �������� is our dancewear provider

and Owner of Pittsylvania County Dance Academy, Former Taylor Magnet School Dance Instructor.

BRITTANY THURMAN

Two summers studying dance at the Virginia School of the Arts, Two summers studying dance at Shenandoah University, Attended the Rockette Summer Intensive in NYC, Nine years on the Danville Academy of Dance Competition Team

AUGUST 3

������� Bike Night

������������������������������������������� TICKET INFORMATION: ������������������������������������

3

$ ������������ ��������������������������������������

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: �������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������

GATES OPEN At 6:00 PM

SEPTEMBER 7

���������� Beach Night Kick Off Campaign for United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County

SPONSORS:

����������������������������������������������������������������

CALL FOR INFORMATION: Danville Welcome Center

434-793-4636 www.visitdanville.com

“Fridays At The Crossing” brought to you by

Page 10

•

evince •

• calendar of evince • Support the Tank Museum 434.836.5323 • www.aaftankmuseum.com

August

Tunes at Twilight - 4:30–7:30 pm.

Walnut Street, Uptown Martinsville.

276.632.5688.

Chinqua Penn Summer Music Series - Bruce Piephoff, original tunes with acoustic guitar. 6–9 pm – 336.477.4453.

Through August 3

Summer Science Day Camps Camp H2O. Ages 3-6. 9:30 am–12 pm.

Danville Science Center 434.791.5160.

July 30 (thru Aug. 3)

Summer Science Adventure Camps What’s the Matter? Ages 8-12. 9:30 am— 12 pm. Danville Science Center 434.791.5160.

Adventures at the Museum - Behindthe-scenes look. 10 am–2 pm.

Ages 9–12. Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville 276.634.4141.

Through August 12

Prizery Exhibit - Artisans & Craftspersons Exhibit. The Prizery - 434.572.8339.

Through August 19

Danville and the Culture of Tobacco Exhibit. Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History - 434.793.5644.

Through August 24

PAA Exhibit - Susan Service: Transformed by Light. Piedmont Arts Association - 276.632.3221.

August 2 (thru 4)

Always ... Patsy Cline. See page 6.

August 2 (thru 30)

Kuumba-West African Dance Company - Traditional West African dance and drumming classes. Times vary. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848.

August 3

Friday’s at the Crossing - Paradox - Bike night. 6 - 9 pm. Carrington Pavilion. 434.793.4636.

Live Music Under the Stars – Meadows & Taylor, acoustic classic rock. 7–11 pm. Cooper’s Landing Inn & Traveler’s Tavern – 434.374.2866.

Family Movie Night in the Park – Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a family film under the stars. 9-11 pm. Ballou Park.

434.799.5215.

August 3 (thru 5)

Peter Pan – TheatreWorks musical.

7:30–9 pm. PHCC Walker Fine Arts Center, 434.632.3221.

Through September 5

Amazing Sea Exhibit. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

August 3 (thru 31)

Family Fun Friday - Each Friday discover something new. 2-4 pm.

VMNS, Martinsville - 276.634.4141.

Through January 18

Beyond Jamestown: Virginia Indians Yesterday and Today Exhibit. VMNH, Martinsville - 276.666.8600.

August 4

Art With Flo – Wet on wet technique.

Wednesdays or Thursdays 6–9 pm.

Ballou Park. 434.797.8848.

First Saturdays in Altavista – Find one-of-a-kind items. Trade Lot, 434.944.5530 Dan River Boat Race. Check in–9 am. Race–11:30 am. MadisonMayodan Recreation Department - www.danriverboatrace.org.

DRBA’s First Saturday Outing 6.5-mile float on the Dan River.

10 am. 336.547.1903.

Sidewalk Art and Sand Sculpture Contest. 10 am–1 pm. Riverwalk Trail.

434.799.5215.

Bob Ross Painting Class - Outdoor Still Light with Daisies. 10:30 am– 3:30 pm. Ballou Park - 434.797.8848.

Auto Race - South Boston Speedway - 1.877.440.1540.

Martinsville Mustangs vs Gastonia Grizzles. 7:20 pm. Hooker Field, Martinvsille - 276.632.9913.

Summer Wreath Class. 1-2 pm or 7-8 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Musical Event-Darrell Scott, Americana singer/songwriter. 7:30p.m.

August 1

Fetch! Lab - Build a car and use the wind to move it. Ages 7–11. 3:45– 4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

Open House - UVA Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program.

Receive a Master’s of Engineering without leaving the area. 5:30 pm.

IALR- 434.766.6725.

August 1 & 2

Martinsville Mustangs vs (8/1) Peninsula Pilots; 8/2 Petersburg Generals. 7:20 pm. Hooker Field, Martinvsille - 276.632.9913.

August 1 (thru September 5) August 2

August 5

“This summer, we’re under a tree reading; come join us!”

Visit a Real Bookstore!

Chatham Books 10 N. Main St. • Chatham, VA 24531 www.ChathamBooks.us

434•432•2488

Books • Journals • Stationery Hours: M-F 10-5 • Sat 10-3

Artisan Center Martinsville 276.632.0066.

August 6 & 7

Danville Braves vs. Princeton Devil Rays. 7 pm. Dan Daniel Park 434.797.3792.

August 6 (thru 10)

Radically Wild Adventure Camp – Kayaking, cave exploring, rock climbing & fishing. Ages 10-13.

Outdoor Recreation– 434.799.5215.

August 6 (thru 27)

African Dance by Nguza Saba – Learn the art of African dance.

Mondays 6-7:30 pm. City Auditorium.

434.797.8848.

Boogie Mondays – Tango. 7-8:30 pm.

Ballou Recreation Center – 434.799.5216.

August 7

County Night Out. 5-8 pm. Main Street, Chatham. 434.836.6990.

August 7 (thru 28)

Fitness For Older Adults. Tues/Thurs 9–11 am. City Armory. 434.797.8848.

Ladies Fitness. Tues/Thurs 10 am– 12 pm. City Armory. 434.797.8848.

August 8

Polliwogs & Science Stars - Learn different ways that animals help people. Ages 3–4 1–2 pm; Ages 5–6 3:45–4:45 p.m. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

August 8 & 9

Danville Braves vs. Kingsport Mets.

7 pm. Dan Daniel Park - 434.797.3792.

August 9

Stepping Stones Class. 1-2:30 pm or 7-8:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Chinqua Penn Summer Music Series - Expresso Brazil, lively acoustic traditional Brazilian music. 6–9 pm.

336.477.4453.

August 10

Women Of Faith, Walking By Faith of Danville. 11 am–1 pm. The Colonade Room. 434.793.8140 Danville Area Choral Arts Society Rehearsals – Come practice for the November concert. Mondays, 7:15– 9 pm. Moffett Memorial Baptist Church. 434.822.0977.

Virginia Master Naturalist Certification Application Deadline.

Outdoor Recreation– 434.799.5215.

Barbecue Dinner. 5:30 - 8 pm. Sons of the American Legion and the Auxiliary Dan River Post 1097. Robert Rossman egor1@comcast.net.

August 2007

AUGUST 2007 S M 5 6 12 13 19 20 26 27

T W T F S 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 31

Country Music Jamboree - Halifax County native Jimmy Glass and the High Country Band with Audrey Auld Mezera. 7:30 pm. South Boston.

434.575.0575.

August 10 & 11

Danville Braves vs. Bristol White Sox. 8/10 - 7 pm. 8/11 - 1 pm. Dan Daniel Memorial Park - 434.797.3792.

August 10 (thru September 21)

Museum Exhibit – Works by Linda Gourley. Opening reception August 17, 5-7 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History - 434.793.5644.

August 11

Farmer Lake Float – Kayak or canoe. 2-6 pm. Outdoor Rec. – 434.799.5215.

Danville Braves vs. Burlington Royals. 7 pm. Dan Daniel Park 434.797.3792.

AARA MoonLight Series StadiumCross. Lake Sugar Tree Motorsport Park - 276.650.1158.

Auto Race - South Boston Speedway - 1.877.440.1540.

August 11 & 12

NC Region SCCA Oak Tree National. VIR - 434.822.7700.

August 13

Desert Plants – Study of cacti and succulents. 7 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

August 14

Photography Club. 6:30 pm. Ballou Park Annex. 434.797.8848.

August 15

Lunch On The Lawn -. 11 am–2 pm.

Uptown Martinsville. 276.632.5688.

Fetch! Lab - Can we power a racecar with a rubber band? Ages 7–11.

3:45–4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

Open Auditions - Danville Little Theatre. North Theater 434.792.2700.

August 16

Alzheimer’s Education – 12–1 pm. Alzheimer’s Association, 434.792.3700 ext. 30.

Stencil Class for Fun. 1-2:30 pm or 7-8:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Dan River Paddle – Paddle Dan Daniel Park to Angler’s Park. 6-8 pm.

Outdoor Rec. – 434.799.5215.

August 2007

•

Chinqua Penn Summer Music Series - Tracy Earl Welliver and the Have A Nice Day Project, original music in a folk-rock style. 6–9 pm. 336.477.4453.

August 17

Fridays at the Crossing - 58 West Classic Cars Night. 6-9 pm. Carrington Pavilion - 434.793.4636.

Auto Racing - 50th Anniversary Night / Old Timers Divisions. South Boston Speedway. 1.877.440.1540.

August 17 & 18

Rodeo. Gates open - 6 pm; DanvillePittsylvania County Fairgrounds - 434.822.6850.

August 17 (thru 19)

AMA Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals.

VIR - 434.822.7700.

August 18

Blowin’ the Dust Off Tour – Rhythm and blues, gospel, and rock and roll music of Steve Bassett with Michelle Nixon and Drive. 7 pm. Occoneechee State Park, Clarksville, VA. 434.374.2210.

Kids’ Fun Fest -. 9 am–12 pm.

Uptown Martinsville Farmers’ Market.

276.638.4221.

Horses on Campus –Patrick Henry Community College. 276.656.5490.

Family and Friends Day – Motorcycle & car show, entertainment, children’s activities, food & merchandise vendors, bingo and much more. 3–8 pm.

Crossing at the Dan. 434.797.8848.

Mandolins and Magnolias. See pg 7.

Auto Race - South Boston Speedway - 1.877.440.1540.

Ross & Friends - Great swing standards and some dancing. 8–11 pm.

The Prizery, 434.572.8339.

August 20

Racing Camp - Tour VIR, Martinsville Speedway, and South Boston race track. 9 am. IALR - 434.766.6700.

Maiachi Band - Los Tres Magueyes, 6:30-9:30 pm, 434.792.0601

August 22

Alzheimer’s Education – Maintain Your Brain. 12–1 pm. Stratford House.

Alzheimer’s Association. – 434.792.3700 ext. 30.

Polliwogs & Science Stars - Discover turtle differences and how they live and grow. Ages 3–4 1–2 pm; Ages 5–6 3:45–4:45 p.m. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

August 22 & 23

Danville Braves vs. Greeneville Astros 7 pm. Dan Daniel Memorial Park.

434.797.3792.

August 23

Cross Stitch for Beginners Class.

1-2 pm or 7-8 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Tunes at Twilight (See 8/2) Chinqua Penn Summer Music Series - Bradford Reaves and Friends, original acoustics. 6–9 pm. 336.477.4453.

Jazz In The Courtyard - Live jazz under the stars with guitarist Royce

Campbell. 8 pm. South Boston.

434.517.7000.

August 24

Harvest Jubilee Concert Series - Beach Boys. Gates Open 6 pm.

Carrington Pavilion. 434.793.4636.

August 24 & 25

Danville Braves vs. Elizabethton Twins. 7 pm. Dan Daniel Park.

434.797.3792.

August 24 (thru 26)

Tomahawk Mill Winery’s Wine Camp. 434.432.1063.

August 25

Special Saturday - Sandbox Science.

Ages 6-8. 10 am–12 pm. VMNH, Martinsville - 276.634.4141.

Southside Scramble-VA DeRailer Mountain Bike Series. 11 am–2 pm.

Outdoor Rec. – 434.799.5215.

Saturday Night Under the Lights Super Motocross Series. Birch Creek Motorsports - 434.836.7629.

August 26 & 37

Danville Braves vs. Johnson City Cardinals. 8/26-4 pm. 8/27-7 pm. Dan Daniel Park. 434.797.3792.

August 27

Fall Wreath Class. 1-2 pm or 7-8 pm.

Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

August 27 (thru September 18) Art Classes with Judie - Instruction on oil and watercolor painting.

Mondays or Tuesdays. Times vary.

Ballou Park Annex. 434.797.8848.

August 29

Doodle Bugs! - Awesome Amphibians and Reptiles. Ages 3–5.

10 am & 3 pm. VMNH, Martinsville - 276.634.4141.

Lunch On The Lawn (See 8/15)

August 30

Chinqua Penn Summer Music Series - Bull City, The Band, rock and roll. 6–9 pm. 336.477.4453.

August 30 (thru Dec. 20)

A Documentary Exhibit - Mapping Local Knowledge, Danville, Va., 1945-1975.

Featuring photographs by Tom Cogill & text by Emma Edmunds. Averett University Blount Library. 434.791.5600.

August 31

Cougar Classic - Averett Volleyball.

5 & 7 pm. Averett University 434.791.5600.

TGIF Outdoor Concert Series - Band of Oz. 7-10:30 pm., Uptown Martinsville, Bridge Street.

276.638.4221.

Musical Performance - Cyro Baptista, Beat the Donkey. Multicultural, polyphonic. 7:30 pm. The Prizery, 434.572.8339.

Upcoming Activities September 7

Fridays at the Crossing - The Embers: Beach Night. 6–9 pm. Carrington Pavilion - 434.793.4636.

������������������

Grand Opening ��������������

��������������������������� �������������������������� ��������������������������������� ������������������������������

evince •

������������

Page 11

Page 12

•

Business Checking FREE Up to 300 transactions a month

& FREE Personal Checking ...Plus the personalized customer service you deserve.

“Your Relationship Bank” www.amnb.com Danville: 434.792-5111 Lynchburg: 434.386.6300 MEMBER FDIC

evince • To encourage exceptional customer service, the Dan River Hospitality and Travel Committee of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce and EVINCE would like to recognize those who give it. When you experience exceptional customer service, tell us about it in 300 words or less. Include your name and phone number. Email your story to managingeditor@ starmark.net.

A mystery customer will visit your nominee’s place of business for verification. We’ll publish the best entry received. The chosen honoree will receive a small gift and a framed copy of the published story citing his/her exceptional service.

I was standing under the coffee shop awning when one

by Joyce Wilburn of those sudden summer cloudbursts came up. Watching the rain pour past me down Main Street, Leisa and Matt Royster and their there was no way I could reach my employees are role models of car without being drenched. good customer service. Every That’s when Jennifer Codispoti, order comes with a genuine Main Street Coffee Emporium greeting, a smile, and offers to coffee-maker and serverdo whatever it takes to make extraordinaire, noticed my everyone a satisfied customer. dilemma. Umbrella in hand, she That’s why this month we’re rushed to my side. "Would you honoring Jennifer Codispoti for like me to walk you to your car?” her exceptional customer service. she asked. I was so surprised, it Congratulations! took me a few seconds to absorb the generosity of her offer before I This first presentation will be made on gratefully accepted.

Chamber Night at the Danville Braves At some businesses, customer on August 23 at 7p.m. Come join us in service seems to be kept locked saluting Jennifer! For information about away in a tightly closed box the game or directions to Dan Daniel while shoppers and clients come Memorial Park call 434.797.3792 or and go with barely a notice. visit www.dbraves.com.

Not so at 547 Main Street in downtown Danville. Owners

Sutherlin Mansion Goes Into Mourning Victorian Funerary Customs

by Lynne Bjarnesen

Maximize Your Free Time Don’t Spend it in the Laundry Room

Let Martinizing Do the Dirty Work While You Enjoy the End of the Summer For your convenience - 24 hour

NEWdrop box at Riverside Drive location!

2

Come By and See Us

Convenient Locations

Riverside Drive • 792-4080 Downtown • 792-2362

August 2007

When the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, housed in the historic Sutherlin Mansion, follows 19th century funerary customs in August to commemorate the death of Major William T. Sutherlin, on display will be a unique casket that dates from the 1830 to1850 era.

With the help of David Fuquay of Townes Funeral Home, a corporate member of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, a handmade casket of solid walnut mounted on two walnut sawhorses will be on loan from Bill Simpson of Chatham, Virginia and owner of Mastercrafts Casket Company of Graham, North Carolina.

A small open "door" on the lid of the coffin made it possible for mourners to view the deceased’s face. Beneath the coffin lid and over the body was a large metal tray to hold ice. This way the body was kept cool and decomposition slowed for two or three days until burial. A galvanized bucket on the floor by the

casket caught water from melting ice.

Cooling trays like this were used only for people of sufficient stature who would "lie in state" for several days; otherwise bodies were buried within 24 hours.

During the Civil War embalming became a more common practice which allowed some of the dead soldiers to be sent home. But for a while after the war, usually only the wealthy could afford embalming.

Major Sutherlin, who died in 1893, was probably embalmed; however, if he were not, a casket similar to this would have been used.

Also on exhibit in addition to items from the Museum’s collection is a Victorian clock on loan from Tom Belles and Carla Minosh. It has been placed on the mantel of the parlor and stopped at 3:00 a.m. – the time of Major Sutherlin’s death. Black mourning straight pins given by Mrs. James Love were used to hang crape on the mirrors and portraits in the mansion. Mrs. Edwin Harvie has loaned a black bud vase and three antique black fans.

For more information, visit www.danvillemuseum.org or call 434.793.5644. The Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is located at 975 Main Street.

August 2007

•

evince •

Page 13

Page 14

•

evince •

Making Money in Your Own Kitchen

by Deborah Morehead Debbie Fields, of Mrs. Fields Cookies, began her multi-million dollar baking business in her own kitchen. Area residents with similar ambitions can get a jump start on their own food-based business by attending a series of low-cost workshops scheduled over the next several months at three sites--the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), the Higher Ed Center (HEC) in South Boston, and the West Piedmont Business Development Center (WPBDC) in Martinsville.

On Wednesday, August 22, workshop participants will discover how to use the internet to market their businesses. Taught by instructors from the Virginia Electronic Technology Center, this workshop on Internet marketing will be held at IALR from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The $15 investment includes 5 hours of training and a networking luncheon.

According to workshop facilitator Martha Walker, these workshops will help people use technology to sell their products online. "As I move around the state, working with businesses and with individuals who are trying to develop and grow their companies, I have recognized

August 2007 a definite need for specific training in how to link to specific web pages, how to design on-line ordering systems and how to develop effective marketing tools for their products," Walker explains, "not just locally, but worldwide." Walker is a Community Viability Specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Central District Office in Danville.

"For a food industry entrepreneur, business planning is a multifaceted exercise that may require assistance from experts in financial management, engineering, nutrition, and marketing/promotion," according to the Journal of Extension, the official refereed journal of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System. Experts in these areas will be teaching all 12 workshops and will offer help with topics such as branding and labeling, connecting with retailers, getting funded, regulation and licensure and several Internet sales-related subjects such as search engine optimization.

The workshops, which vary by location, are supported through a SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) grant awarded to IALR. Partnering with IALR are The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Virginia Farm Bureau, Dan River Small Business Development Center (Longwood University), Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, and Virginia Food and Beverage Association.

For more information visit www.ialr.org or call 434.766.6793.

Grove Park Preschool to Open on August 27th 7 0 0 2

��������

Our last concert of the season features an American Music Institution...

Series

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24TH

���

����������

AT THE CARRINGTON PAVILION THE CROSSING AT THE DAN

�����������������������������������������������������������

$35�������������������������• $30���������������� GENERAL ADMISSION LAWN TICKETS • $15 EACH ����������������������������������������������

GATES OPEN AT 6 PM

������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� SPONSORS:

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: �����������������������

Located off the 29 Bypass • 645 River Park Dr., Danville, VA • 8 AM-5:30 PM, 7 Days A Week Credit Card Purchases: 434-793-INFO (4636) • Visa & Mastercard Online: www.visitdanville.com

If you will be 4 years old by September 30, this article is for you.

Unfortunately, if you are 4, chances are you can’t read this—yet. Let’s hope that someone with a few more years of maturity is scanning the next few paragraphs and will take action, because free preschool shouldn’t be missed!

Lou Ann Long, principal of Grove Park Preschool, the city’s only public preschool, would love to see every child who lives in the city of Danville and who is not already enrolled in Headstart, apply at Grove Park Preschool for the 2007-08 academic year.

Last year, the Danville Public Schools relocated all the preschool classes throughout the city to one location at 1070 South Main Street.

"This proved to be a very positive experience for our children because we were able to plan age-appropriate programs and activities for the entire school that appealed to four-year olds," Long explains.

In addition to becoming comfortable with the school setting, the children will receive weekly instruction in art, music, and physical activity and time in the library.

"We provide a warm and friendly atmosphere with emphasis on handson learning to make sure our students enter kindergarten with all the skills they need to be successful," adds the enthusiastic principal.

With a hint of pride, Long states that all of the preschool teachers are certified by the Virginia Department

of Education and are aided by instructional paraprofessionals who have also met the criteria for highly qualified staff.

Another boasting point is the curriculum, which is based on the Virginia Foundation Blocks for Early Learning. "Children develop initial understandings about reading and how it relates to their surroundings," Long explains. "They learn more about the world around them through listening and speaking skills, phonological awareness, letter knowledge and print awareness, comprehension, vocabulary and word meanings and writing." There are also opportunities for learning math, science, history, social science, physical and motor development, and personal and social development.

With so much to offer, Long hopes that Beethoven, the school’s mascot bee, will be a very busy bee welcoming many new students on the first day of school, Monday, August 27, and encouraging them to "Bee All You Can Bee." For more information, call 434.799.6437.

August 2007

•

evince •

Lasting Thoughts It's All About Presentation...England, Scotland, Danville

by Joyce Wilburn

Would you travel 3,939 miles to see the outside of a house, watch workers at shift change, ride a boat down a river, or eat the heads, fins and guts of a plate full of fish? No? Let me rephrase.

Would you travel 3,939 miles to see Buckingham Palace, watch the Changing of the Guard, cruise the Thames River, and eat an appetizer that is loved by many Englishmen? Yes! These questions were asked of me by a fellow tourist while we waited with several hundred others to see the Changing of the Guard near Buckingham Palace on the very pleasant first day of summer in London, England. We laughed about how ridiculous it sounds when events and places are stripped of promotional dress and viewed as what they really are. As our conversation continued, my thoughts flew back to Danville and the message that this stranger had for our local decision-makers. It’s all about presentation she said and how any given city can create what potential money-bearing tourists want to see and buy.

I and thousands of others are living proof that considerable time, money, and energy is spent in order to see and learn how others currently live and work and how they survived in times past. This idea popped into mind as I traveled by train to visit a tartan weaving mill in Edinburgh, Scotland.

On seeing the medium-sized, multilevel building, my first impression was how much it looked like a miniature Dan River Mills!

Despite the cold, rainy, windy weather, tourists queued up at the Geoffrey Tailor Tartan Weaving Mill to choose different colors of yarn to be woven into a custom-made kilt starting at $800 each. But that’s not all. Yarn products and souvenirs available for sale lined the perimeter of the building on three floors and the center of each floor was open for visitors to view the material-making process from above or on ground level.

It was an educational opportunity in addition to being a shopping Mecca.

Fortunately, my husband decided against ordering a kilt, and we saved our money for the hundreds of little shops and restaurants that line the Royal Mile between the mill next to Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Strolling along, I couldn’t help but think how Danville has everything I had traveled thousands of miles to see. It just needs the help of influential decision-makers to develop and promote it.

We have small castles along Main Street, in Forest Hills, and in Dan’s Hill. We have the equivalent of a royal mile (or a few blocks, at least) on Millionaires’ Row, a rich tobacco and textile history worthy of a museum and working exhibition, a scenic river, and distinctly Danville dishes. (How about Danville’s Midtown Chicken Salad as a signature dish?)

The last place I rushed to see and capture on my camera before hopping onto the final bus back to the hotel was the former home of Lady Nancy Langhorne Astor in London’s St. James Square. The house, included in Fodor’s

Page 15 What can you give your children for their 40th Birthday?

Give them the gift of

Music...

the gift that lasts a lifetime Danville Community School of Music

���������������� ���������� A Music and Movement Program for Children ages Birth to 7 years

Lady Nancy Langhorne Astor's house in London. photo by Joyce Wilburn

London’s 25 Best book because she was the first woman to serve in the British House of Commons, is a frequent destination for tourists. Danville has that too! The white two-story house at 117 Broad Street is Lady Astor’s birthplace and is marked with an historical sign, which reminds visitors that the Gibson Girl, the personification of the 1900s American feminine ideal, lived here also.

We have it all in Danville. Now it’s time to look beyond what has always been and to see the potential for what we might become. The winds of change are blowing and producing a powerful energy that will create a very different city. The direction that change will take is still being decided. Therefore, it’s essential that during this period of transition we all take a fresh look at the natural and historical resources we have. Don’t look with your eyes. Look with your imagination. Talk to your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your family, and anyone who will listen.

And then call, write, or email the people who are making the decisions about our city’s future. Tell them your vision for the city.

England has its fictional Mary Poppins who brought drastic changes into a stuffy turn-of-the-century household. Now Danville needs someone like her to bring a breath of fresh air into our 21st century hometown. Let’s all collectively accept the challenge.

September Summit Danville Preservation Summit with APVAPreservation Virginia, the National Trust, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources September 8 10:30 a.m. and noon. http://www.preservedanville.com

or call Carla Minosh at 703. 282.5418.

• Play Musical Instruments • Singing • Movement & Dance • Musical Games • Listening • Creative Storytelling • Children’s Literature

“Music Makers: At the Keyboard” (a “Musikgarten” beginning piano course for children ages 7-9 yrs.)

Call now for Fall registration.

Lynn Dinkle 791-3868 email: lynndinkle@yahoo.com Classes held in Danville at West Main Baptist Church

Page 16

•

evince •

August 2007