Evince January 08

January 2008

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January 2008

Table of Contents Editorial

by Joyce Wilburn

2 Editorial by Joyce Wilburn 3 You Should Have Died on Monday

Danville Writer’s Newest Page-Turner

by John Fisher

Writing Your Life Story

by Sharon Hughes & Joyce Wilburn

4

Look What You Missed!

Best Ever Holiday Tour of Homes

by Joyce Wilburn Free Event Enjoyed by Many

by Joyce Wilburn

Audience Invited to Go on the Road with The Empire Brass

by Joyce Wilburn

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Second Thoughts Call It a Day

by Kim Clifton

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He Said by Larry Oldham She Said by Dena Hill

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Russia: Then and Now

by Dr. William Trakas

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Averett Students Discover Unforgettable Places Abroad

by Emily Cropp & Susan Huckstep

Mardi Gras and Murals

by Heather Vipperman

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Little Theatre Teaches Beside Manners in January

by J. B. Durham

10 Calendar of EVINCE 11 Spotting Exceptional

Customer Service

by Beverly Turner

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An Interview with Astronaut Winston Scott

by Larry G. Aaron

Nano in Your Life Nanotechnology: Making That Hole-in-One Possible

by Steve Wilson

13 Visit a Very Small World

by Nancy Tait

14 Improving Leadership and

Management Skills

Anchor of the Tides Inspires and Soothes

by Tammy Moore Around the Table Ring in the New

by Annelle Williams

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DMFAH Exhibits Feature Local Collections and Artists

by Lynne Bjarnesen

100 Years of Broadway Century of Sensational Songs

by Gordon Bendall

On the Cover:

Zana Kepuska was one of three Averett biology students selected to participate in the International Scholar Laureate Program. Last year, the students traveled to China to study the country's healthcare system and took time to enjoy an up-close visit with a friendly panda.

New Year Means New Experiences The new year means it’s time for new experiences, whether close to home or far away. In this issue of Evince you’ll read about people who love adventure and will travel to find it — the Averett students who studied abroad, a NASA astronaut who took the ultimate journey into space, and two couples who traveled to Danville for a weekend of fun.

You don’t have to hop on a plane or go long distances; you can stay snuggly warm in your home and let your mind travel while reading a good book such as the one written by a local author and reviewed on page 3 or the one mentioned in Around the Table on page 14. If you want to leave home, however, consider a short trip to the Danville Science Center and explore the nano-world you can’t see.

If life in 2007 was a dull routine, look within these pages for something different to do in 2008.

Explore all your options and then make plans to do it.

One of my favorite new activities last year was canoeing up the Dan River from Camellia Williams

Park and circling under the Aiken Bridge all the while traffic zoomed overhead. How many of you have done that? Thanks to the Danville Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department, it was fun and free.

But the most important message I can bring to you is one shared by Astronaut Winston Scott: “Young people who don’t have opportunity to experience unique things need to utilize the resources they have available and prepare themselves, because the world is open to anybody who is prepared.”

We can all be “young” people, if we keep the spirit of adventure alive.

What are you doing this month that you haven’t done before?

Write and let me know.

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January 2008

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You Should Have Died on Monday Danville Writer’s Newest Page-Turner

by John Fisher

Looking for a fun book to read on the cold dark days of January?

Then look no further than our own Frankie Bailey.

The Danville area native and prolific writer has a new mystery novel out, and the reviews label her latest book, You Should Have Died On Monday, one of the best yet.

If you are a Lizzie Stewart fan, Bailey’s serial sleuth, then you are bound to enjoy her latest romp.

Without spoiling the story, it is a mystery involving the heroine who decides to trace her paternity. As you might guess, nothing is ever simple for the brilliant criminal justice professor and there are more twists and turns than a Rubik’s Cube.

I should say from the outset that I am a Frankie Bailey fan, not just because of her fictional series but also because of her impressive list of literary credits that include a litany of distinguished academic texts on a variety of criminal justice topics.

It is no accident that Bailey’s Lizzie character is a teacher of criminal justice; in fact, Lizzie is something of an alter ego for Frankie Bailey, who teaches the subject at Albany State University.

If you are a fan of the series you’ve also noticed a lot of similarities between the fictional town of Gallagher and Danville, but could anywhere in the world really be like Danville? Now there is a real mystery question for you.

Bailey’s readers usually cite the richness and true-to-life nature of her characters as part of her appeal.

From my perspective I have come to expect nothing less from her. She is quite simply a solid pro whose work is a marvelous blend of both subtle truth and art. She is a master at fusing these two elements into

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what publishing professionals call a “page turner.�

From time to time Bailey comes home to Danville. She was a guest lecturer at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research last year and has promised to return soon. I can attest from personal experience that perhaps one of the few things as pleasurable as reading a Frankie Bailey novel is hearing her speak. I highly recommend both.

For more information, discussion questions, resources, and recipes that go along with You Should Have Died on Monday visit www. frankiebailey.com.

Writing Your Life Story

by Sharon Hughes and Joyce Wilburn Have you always wanted to write your own life story but just couldn’t get started?  Writing Your Life Story, might be just what you need.  The six-week workshop at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History will be taught by Barbara Shaver, a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with an interdisciplinary degree in creative writing and human services.

A member of the Association for Personal Historians, Shaver

Page 3 developed the workshop after completing an independent study at VCU in writing life stories.

Using her research and experience in writing other peoples’ stories, she will help students organize their memories and show how to give structure to their stories.

Feedback from students at last spring’s classes reveals how helpful Shaver can be in providing the groundwork to fulfill a life dream.  One participant put it this way, the class â€œâ€Śhelped me get started on something I have wanted to do for a long time and didn’t know how to start.â€?  Another said, “Given incentive, my story has been taken from the ‘back burner’ where it languished for more than a decade.  The guidance enabled me to finally put pen to paper.â€?

So if one of your resolutions was to put down on paper your memories, or those passed down in your family, you have no excuse not to begin.

Registration is required and open to twenty participants. Class meets on Wednesdays, January 9-February 13 from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Â Fee is $40.

For information call 434.793.5644.

The museum is located at 975 Main Street in Danville.

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Look What You Missed!

Best Ever Holiday Tour of Homes

by Joyce Wilburn

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If prizes were given by the Danville Historical Society for the ones who drove the farthest to participate in the Annual Holiday Tour of Homes, the winners would surely be two couples from Dallas, Georgia.

Maxine and Griffin White and Emily and Jerry Bullock read a preview of the tour on the front page of the travel section of the Atlanta Journal Constitution and drove over 6 hours to see what we Danvillians have in our own backyards—or in this case, inside our historical homes.

It was probably the best tour in the Society’s 35-year history, but don’t take my word for it. Here is what Maxine wrote after returning home: “I have participated in our Dallas Tour of Homes on three occasions and have been on Christmas tours all around Atlanta. In my opinion, Danville’s tour was the most impressive. All the people we encountered were so friendly and made us feel like hometown folks. “ But her compliments didn’t stop there: “You could tell the innkeepers and owners (in Danville) had restored and decorated their homes with deep pride and passion. It was amazing to us that most of the drapes and decorations (at the II Georges Inn) were made by the owners.“ The other homes were also festively decorated for the season by their owners or in collaboration with professionals at M&M Furniture and M&W Florist.

Maxine also noted the outstanding Southern hospitality her group experienced. “A special thanks goes to Miss Homer(etta) Ayala owner of the Sacred Spaces for the breathtaking concert. "While at Sacred Spaces,” Maxine wrote, “greeter Katherine Stoyer told us that we couldn’t leave Danville without visiting The Gingerbread House. We did and thoroughly enjoyed our shopping.” And when, in the true sense of the season, Stover invited the two couples to her sister’s Christmas party, they accepted.

Maxine ended her email note with, “What a wonderful weekend with so many new friends.” But, that’s not the end of the story.

After reading about the Big Brothers Big Sisters New Year’s Eve Gala at the Institute in the December issue of Evince, the two couples decided to return to

Danville to welcome in 2008 with all their new friends—and they are bringing a third couple with them.

Mark your calendar now for the 2008 DHS Holiday Tour of Homes on the second weekend in December.

Free Event Enjoyed

by Many

by Joyce Wilburn

Over the past year, I have reviewed concerts, wineries, and bed-and-breakfast visits. This will be the first time, however, that I’ve ever critiqued a walk in the park, but the annual Luminary Trail Walk sponsored by the Danville Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department in December deserves a few column inches of praise.

Even before I left the parking lot at Dan Daniel Park and headed toward the entrance to the Riverwalk Trail, I could hear happy voices singing holiday music and see sparkling lights through the branches of leafless trees. Over 500 handmade luminaries dimly marked the figure-8 path that led to and from a small fire where children, teens, and adults roasted marshmallows, drank hot chocolate, and soaked up warmth for the short walk back to their cars.

It was a fun, free, event for all ages and abilities whether riding in strollers and wheelchairs or walking. Thank you to the Danville Recreation Department staff and volunteer singers who created an evening of good family entertainment. If you missed it last month, write a reminder on the December page of your new 2008 calendar and go this year. It’s usually scheduled for the first or second Friday of the month. You can’t say I didn’t tell you in time!

The January events planned by the Outdoor Recreation Division promise to be a bit more challenging. Check the EVINCE calendar on page ___for opportunities to ski, snowboard, or tube at Wintergreen, learn Archery 101, or hike at Philpott Lake. It’s time to get off the couch and be a doer instead of a viewer!

January 2008

Audience Invited to Go on the Road with The Empire Brass

by Joyce Wilburn

When the Empire Brass walked onto the GWHS stage in December after an 8-year absence from Danville, their reputation as North America’s finest brass ensemble preceded them. Because music for quintet brass is rare, they are known for their innovative contemporary arrangements of music originally composed for other instruments. It was no surprise that the near-capacity multi-generational audience enjoyed the light-hearted concert.

The outstanding music and the charming witty personality of each musician made the two hours fly by. Host and trumpeter Rolf Smedzig and other members of the group took turns introducing a diverse program that ranged from a 14th century Irish jig to well-known holiday carols and Christmas hymns. Each also told stories about the musical selections and expressed appreciation for Danville’s Southern hospitality, including the homemade chicken noodle soup made by their hostess, Danville Concert Association Board member Karine Garcia.

What made this concert even more special was the audience participation. At one point, after a whole-house sing-a-long of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Smedzig remarked, “You really sound good!

Let’s go on the road.” In a fantasy world, the audience probably would have packed their bags and accepted the offer.

That verbal exchange was followed by a never-to-be-forgotten invitation for two youngsters from the audience to go on stage and play the finger cymbals in the 16th Century French carol, Ding Dong, Merrily on High. Later, tuba player, Kenneth Amis, with tongue firmly in cheek, encouraged parents to buy tubas for their children as stocking stuffers. The merriment continued throughout the evening and ended only after The Empire Brass responded to a standing ovation with a farewell song of Santa Baby, and a promise that “if you’ve been good” the song’s lyrics could come true.

The next event sponsored by the Danville Concert Association will be the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico on Thursday, January 31, at 7:30 p.m. at the George Washington High School Auditorium. For more information call 434.792.9242, email tickets@ danvilleconcerts.org or visit www. danvilleconcerts.org.

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Call It a Day Time flies when you’re having fun. I can’t believe we’ve got a brand new year when I wasn’t finished with the old one. Makes no difference, actually. When that ball drops in Times Square, whether I’m ready or not, I’ll leap into a calendar with 366 days.

My friend Jennifer was born on February 29th, which means I never know when to mail her card during the off-years. I don’t want it to get there too early and I don’t want it to get there too late, so I only get it right every fourth year.

It has to be a little disconcerting to have a birthday that has no place to hang its hat. At least she’ll only be about 16 when she retires.

It doesn’t seem like much, but adding time to February complicates things. One more day is one more thing to keep track of…even after it’s over. It reminds me of lugging around an umbrella once you’re inside.

You don’t need it anymore, but you can’t throw it away.

It’s the Gregorian calendar causing all this fuss. Centuries ago, Pope Gregory XIII didn’t like the one Julius Caesar designed, so he made a new one. It was a good plan but the conversion was messy…causing the first year to wind up with too many days.

To get it right, the Pope simply decreed that the day after October 4 was October 15.

And I thought losing an hour to Daylight Savings Time was bad.

While this improved calendar matches the seasons better, it still gets a little out of whack. That’s why we have leap years. It gets everything back on schedule, but the complete explanation is fairly complicated.

To save you some trouble, let me boil it down to the sauce.

We play catch up because our regular calendar loses about six hours a year.

Which I don’t see as a big deal.

I’ve wasted more time than that watching Dancing with the Stars.

I did a little research for this column but made a mistake by first asking my husband about it. His explanation wasn’t nearly as simple as mine and made my eyes glaze over. But then, men are intrigued by scientific facts and

tedious calculations. It’s because they can’t tell time.

Just take the case of football… where a two-minute warning never means there are two minutes left in the game. Waiting for the last two minutes for it to end is the TV equivalent of a watched pot never boiling.

Forget Pope Gregory and his grand schemes. A 29th day in February doesn’t help anybody.

All it does is prolong payday. If he had really wanted to do some good, we should be able to choose our own extra day. I know if I had to extend a month, I’d pick one that had a beach trip.

Maybe I could leap on this year with more enthusiasm if they’d let me invent a calendar.

Mine would be more practical and have real value. For example…when the register at Food Lion spits out a grocery receipt and a few coupons, that’s wasted paper. I’d rather it print a

Page 5 date book that lets me know when the chicken and cheese in my bag will go bad.

Commercial calendars are marked with important dates.

Those only mean I won’t get any mail or can’t go to the bank. I’d rather they tell me when Law & Order has a marathon, or when gas prices will go down. Better still, I'd love to know when those maternity-looking tunics will finally go out of style.

If time is money, why give up every waking minute to earn it. I’d rather cash in a few Mondays to reap my benefits now. Besides, adding 24 hours to a year doesn’t make life better. Let’s supersize our days. I vote for mornings to come after lunch, and bills to come due only when we have stamps.

Time does fly when you’re having fun and even when you’re not. Though Rome wasn’t built in a day, the Pope’s calendar gives us an extra one this year. And so… centuries later, we stand united, waiting for the official signal from Times Square to tell us it’s time to move forward.

Funny it should only happen after somebody drops the ball.

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January 2008

He Said

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He Said by Larry Oldham

She Said by Dena Hill

Well, here we go again. Another year has crept up and society dictates that I must transform myself into someone else. My New Year's Resolutions have normally dissipated

by February 1 so this year I have decided not to make any promises that I won't be able to keep. What I am willing to do though is talk about some new ideas for the coming year that could possibly enrich our lives. I know we look at my faults differently.

I say I don't have any and you say you can't count that high. My fervent belief is that we analyze ourselves through a different perspective. That would explain our willingness to examine our lives in a public forum.

My first New Year's idea is that I will try to stop collecting things. Not everything of course, but I will cut down to just one or two items. Maybe I'll even set a size limit so they won't take up so much room.

Secondly, I will try to be neater. I will put things in their place and not spread my treasures all through the house. Doesn't everyone have a lawn mower in their dining room?

Thirdly, I will try to be more tolerant of your dog, Sophie. I will just accept the fact that she should be able to jump on me anytime she wishes, or kiss the back of my neck while I am sitting at the dinner table trying to eat. You laugh when that long tongue laps around my cheek.

I guess the fourth idea would be for you to hide the remote from me so I would not be tempted to change channels during the commercials.

As I look at my list, it seems as if everything I am thinking about changing, concerns ideas that would make your life more pleasant. Maybe all New Years' resolutions are not for the individual, but for all of the people around them whom they love and want to please. Why else would we torture ourselves with resolutions but to satisfy our loved ones? (I still don't care for the dog trying to kiss me while I am eating!)

Why is making New Year's resolutions so unnerving? Every year we come up with some new angle on how not to make them and then proceed to carry forward our plan for making our individual worlds more satisfying. Look at it this way…it's all a game. We see how far into January and February we can make it without breaking any good intentions. If we can make it until the Ides of March, it's even better.

I don't look at your faults differently than you do. You've named them pretty well yourself and I agree.

You constantly amaze me with your public introspective reflections.

You say that you will stop collecting things. Do you remember that morning when you called me and said, "I'm in trouble!"? I asked why and you said, "because I just raised my leg to step over a box and there is nowhere to put it back down." Now that's when a house is too cluttered.

As for being neater, I have raised three kids and I don't remember what neat is anymore. My resolution will be to take the messiness in stride and not let it bother me. However, I will draw the line with the lawnmower in the dining room!

Your books are important to you and I can appreciate that. I think you have over 2,000 at last count so I'll help you decide what to do with them. I've seen some pretty innovative libraries on HGTV, so how about building a new house to put them in? That works for me!

I'm appalled that you could possibly be turned off by Sophie kissing you. She doesn't do that to just anyone; in fact, most people are left standing in a puddle because she's so affectionate. Look on the bright side--at least you get to stay dry.

Finally, we can compromise with the remote. Since I do all of the house work, if you can find it, then you can use it!

larryoldham0@gmail.com

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She Said

January 2008

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RUSSIA: Then and Now

“Don’t go there,” warned the guide, pointing out an area of the city whose nightlife the students might enjoy. So instead we saw the Hard Rock Café Moscow!

Could those prices be right? Yes, Moscow now ranks as the most expensive big city in the world, and even in St. Petersburg ballet tickets sold for $150 each. Although the average monthly salary of a worker is around $200, recent studies indicate that (in dollar value) Russia has 53 billionaires and 103,000 millionaires. A stroll through Red Square’s GUM, often called the largest department store in the world, revealed shop after shop filled with western designer goods. Clearly the rich have a place to shop, although it seems that millions of Russians continue to suffer deprivation. “I will have to work until the day I die in order to survive,” said our guide.

Lenin must be turning over in his grave, uh, mausoleum, also located in Red Square. Russians speculate that the father of the Bolshevik revolution will eventually be moved, once a few more loyal old-timers die.

I believe he is ready to get out of there now.

by Dr. William Trakas

December 1985 We were an Averett-sponsored group from Danville, flying into Moscow during a snowstorm, hoping we would fare better than Napoleon and the German Wehrmacht had. At least we were not an invading force in the traditional sense.

Few Americans had journeyed into the heartland of the Soviet Union, America’s “enemy” during the years of the Cold War. Tour companies had warned us not to take any chances or get into any trouble because the American Embassy could provide little help.

That fear was only intensified at the Moscow passport check.

Despite the hundreds waiting in line, 18-year-old soldiers greeted each visitor with a solemn stare, eyeing the passport photo and then the face of each tired traveler often for five minutes or more.

We got the word: Intimidation from the time of arrival.

Friends back home had asked, “Why go there in the winter?”

Riding in a troika, finding the fir trees and those famous oniondomed cathedrals all covered in snow provided the answer.

Shopping for Russian souvenirs was an easy task—up to a point.

Special shops open only to foreign visitors (and their highly soughtafter “hard currency”) were filled with Palekh lacquer boxes and decorative pieces of enamel. Asking for a picture book on Moscow in Moscow, though, I was told that there were some nice ones in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Stores open to the average Russian, however, were filled with empty shelves. A consumer society it was not.

An official Intourist guide accompanied us everywhere. We visited museums with thousands of icons, artifacts, and paintings; applauded the great dancers of the Bolshoi and the Kirov, and marveled at the beauty and cleanliness (no graffiti) of the famous subway system. The world’s largest swimming pool was also an attraction.

Built on the former site of the 19th century Cathedral of Christ the Savior (demolished by Stalin in 1931), the pool was a product of the Khrushchev era. In the winter, the heated outdoor area produced huge amounts of vapor in which vision was quite limited. Russian

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Christians were sometimes baptized there out of sight of disapproving communists.

Most Russians were hesitant to be seen talking to Americans; they never knew who might be watching (or maybe they knew that the KGB was). A few university students took the risk, though, and proved that the Russians were as curious about Americans as we were about them.

But New Year’s Eve celebrations remove many inhibitions no matter where you are. After a multi-course feast and samples of Russian vodka, we joined thousands of Russians in the middle of Red Square (red meaning “beautiful” not “communist”) to bring in the new year of 1986. In a personal act of détente, I lifted my champagne glass and toasted Mikhail Gorbachev, the recently installed leader of the Soviet Union who would launch the movements of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), but whose reforms would ultimately bring about the collapse of the Soviet system. Our new Moscow friends in the Square followed with toasts to American President Ronald Reagan.

May 2007 My how things have changed! The communist party has been elimi-

nated; the Soviet Union has been dissolved and capitalism has arrived.

Four Averett students and I flew into Moscow to find the soldiers at passport control replaced by a single official who kindly explained we needed to fill out an additional form. Within minutes we made it to baggage claim, where our items and tour guide were waiting. Though the guide met us for the day’s events, much of the time we were on our own, free to move around. Like others we talked to, she praised President Putin for stabilizing the economy and restoring some order to society. The new limits on free speech and the media did not seem to bother her.

One of the impressive new (or is it old?) sights in the Moscow skyline was the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, rebuilt to original size and design during the 1990s at a cost of $650 million. Of course, they destroyed that big swimming pool to erect it.

Later in St. Petersburg, we saw the newly restored Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood at the spot where Czar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Closed and allowed to decay during the Soviet era, it is now a stunning example of Russian architecture.

Now that communism has gone, graffiti has appeared…along with street crime and entire city blocks controlled by the Russian mafia.

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January 2008

number one in the United Kingdom for their quality of teaching. Averett students who attend the University of Dundee will be able to choose from programs in life sciences, art and design, accounting and finance, psychology and social sciences, computer engineering, physics and mathematics.

“We chose to partner with the University of Dundee because of their impressive academic reputation and their experience working with study abroad students,” says Dr. Larry Wilburn, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences. “They have a unique

and challenging curriculum, but they also offer students the chance to sample the flavor and culture of Scotland through trips and other activities.”

And that opens other doors and opportunities for learning.

When AU students walk through the doors of Averett, the world is waiting to be explored and experienced. Maybe you’d like to join them? Many of Averett’s short-term study trips are open to members of the community.

For more information, visit www.averett.edu/admissions/study-abroad.

The men's basketball team poses for a photo in China. They won all of their games while visiting the country last August.

Averett Students Discover Unforgettable Places Abroad

by Emily Cropp and Susan Huckstep

The doors at Averett University lead to more than just classrooms.

The 148-year old institution’s study abroad program puts the world within reach of their students. Russia, China, Africa, England, Scotland, Finland, and Belize are just a few of the places where their young scholars have recently gone to broaden their horizons. Whether it’s studying dolphins in Belize, interviewing the manager of a Wal-Mart in China or seeing the Kremlin up close, AU students expand their knowledge through first-hand experience of foreign places and for many, it’s their first chance to experience another culture.

“It was an awesome opportunity,” says AU senior Mason Osborne of a recent study trip to Belize led by biology professor Laura Meder. “I’ve never been out of the country before or flown and this was a chance to study animals I’ve never seen before.” He enthusiastically continues, “It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done.

I especially enjoyed snorkeling around the coral reefs and seeing the diversity of marine life.”

Short-term study trips such as last year’s trips to China, Russia, and Central America’s Belize are often combined with classroom study. Students learn about the region before leaving and complete assignments following the trip. Students in Averett’s Honors Program, for example, recently combined classroom study with a trip to Russia. “The Honors Program provides students with lots of

travel opportunities, and there are scholarships available that make traveling more accessible,” says Durham native and AU senior Meredith Schwane. “I took a class on Russian history and culture with Dr. (Bill) Trakas and then traveled to Russia for two weeks with a group he led.” This year, short-term study trips are planned for Africa and England.

Also, Averett’s biology program regularly has students selected to participate in the International Scholar Laureate Program.

Last year three Averett biology students —Zana Kepuska, Kayla Craddock and Gretchen Sheperty – were selected to study China’s medical system. The students visited Xi’an Jiatong University Medical School and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They observed firsthand the relationship between western and eastern medicine and learned about traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture and moxibustion from Chinese physicians. Students also took part in discussions with physicians and nurses regarding the leadership and management issues they face in rural China, and the challenges of integrating western medicine.

Students wishing to spend a semester or more abroad will benefit from Averett’s close relationships with universities in Finland, China and most recently, Scotland. The University of Dundee in Scotland, which received the highest possible ranking for its medical and life sciences research, was ranked

Mardi Gras and Murals

by Heather Vipperman

Mardi Gras has become synonymous with New Orleans.

If you’ve ever taken a walk down Bourbon Street, or sipped coffee with your beignets at the Café Du Monde, you know why there is something special about the Crescent City, as it is called. Its people and unique places make the town a tourist mecca.

Visionaries in Danville want to make Danville a tourist mecca, and one way to do that is by creating historic murals. The murals not only look awesome against the backdrop of our historic buildings, they tell a story and spur a conversation about who Danville is and where she is going.

The major fundraiser for Historic Murals of Danville will be a Mardi Gras party on Saturday, February 2, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Community Market on Craghead Street. Shake off the winter blues,

enjoy some Cajun Cuisine while listening to New Orleans jazz mixed with your favorite dance tunes, and support a good cause.

For a $20.00 donation to the Historic Murals of Danville, you can feast on Cajun chicken or shrimp on skewers, jambalaya with sausage, red beans and rice with sausage, peel-and-eat shrimp, and king cake prepared by the Cajun Connection. Specialty drinks will be offered at the cash bar. For more information visit www.visitdanville.com or call 434.793.4636.

Currently, there are two murals in Downtown Danville. The Old 97 mural is located at the end of the MLK Bridge at the Gateway to downtown.

The transportation mural is on North Union Street.

January 2008

•

Little Theatre Teaches Bedside Manners in January

by J.B. Durham Take two married couples who have plans for illicit meetings with others, add in an unsuspecting hotel clerk who’d rather not get involved, and you have the formula for Bedside Manners, the January offering from The Little Theatre of Danville.

The plot revolves around Ferris, who has reluctantly agreed to take care of his sister’s seedy hotel in the country while she’s away.

Bored and wanting very much to be anywhere else, Ferris doesn’t take much notice when Roger and Sally arrive and ask for rooms.

But after Helen and Geoff check in, it becomes increasingly clear that nothing is quite as it seems.

Eventually, Ferris discovers that Roger is married to Helen and Geoff’s wife is Sally. That’s when

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things spin out of control, as Ferris attempts to head off scandal by keeping the two couples from meeting up with each other.

Madelyn Mohammed, Mavis Brantley-Lloyd, Michael Carter and Wes Overby fill the roles of the trysting couples, while Douglas Adams portrays Ferris, the put-upon desk clerk who valiantly tries to keep order among the chaos.

This popular bedroom farce, written by Derek Benfield and directed by Alan Holt, will be presented in the North Theatre on Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, January 27, at 2 p.m.

Admission for each of the performances is $15. Advance tickets can be purchased at Arts & Humanities, 635 Main Street; Foxglove, 1011 West Main Street; The Brown Bean, 1799 Memorial Drive; and at Rippe’s, 559 Main Street. For more information, visit www.danvillelittletheatre.org. or call 434.792.5796.

Page 9

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Much Ado About Danville‌

by Linda Lawrence Dalton

The Danville Area Association for the Arts & Humanities has created an exciting 2008 calendar, Much Ado About Danville, to help you keep abreast of the interesting, informative, and recreational opportunities in the area.

Each month of this calendar features a different organization or activity in photography and narration. Many of the pages feature fun, lighthearted photos of local people involved in the recreational and entertaining events offered. Also, dates of upcoming events are included on each page if they were available.

The calendar features the GWHS Symphony Orchestra, Southern Virginia Mountain Biking Association, Danville Museum of Fine Arts &

History, Pigs in the Park, Danville Register & Bee Southside Sky Fest, Danville Braves, Dan River Rugby Club, Danville Science Center, Danville Symphony Orchestra, The Little Theatre of Danville, American Armored Tank Museum, and the Danville Area Association for the Arts & Humanities.

The calendars will be sold by A&H Board members and at the Arts & Humanities Office, Danville Register & Bee, Danville Welcome Center, Gingerbread House, Dixie Bags, Estabrook’s Hallmark, Danville Science Center, AAF Tank Museum, Chamber of Commerce, and The Institute for Advanced Learning & Research and Karen’s Hallmark. For more information call 434.792.6965.

975 Main Street, Danville, Virginia 24541 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org

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

January Through January 2

Fly, Glide & Stride: Natural History Machines. Interactive sculptures combine with science, technology and imagination. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

Through January 20

VMNH Exhibit – Beyond Jamestown: Virginia Indians Yesterday and Today.

Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville – 276.634.4141.

January 2

Fetch! Lab - Learn about insulation and energy conservation. Design and construct a box that will keep an ice cube from melting. Ages 8–12.

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

January 2 (thru February 7)

Art with Flo – Wet-on-wet technique.

Wednesdays or Thursdays, 6–9 pm.

Ballou Park Annex. 434.797.8848.

January 3

Recipe Club – Share great recipes, learn different ways to cook your favorite dishes & more. 11:30 am.

Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

Alzheimer’s Presentation – Getting the Help You Need: Community Resources. 12 - 1 pm. United Way Meeting Room. 434.792.3700 ext. 30.

Losin’ Those Holiday Pounds.

5:30–6:30 pm (See 1/7) Forecasting Weather – Jeff Haniewich, WSLS Channel10 meteorologist, demystifies the many aspects of weather and its prediction. 7 pm.

Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

January 11 (thru Feb. 24)

PAA Exhibit – Diamonds in the Rough. Works of six painters connected through VCU and the 1708 Gallery who are key contributors to the dynamic Richmond art scene.

11/11 Opening Reception and Gallery Talk – 5:30 pm. Piedmont Arts Association – 276.632.3221.

January 12

January 5 (thru 29)

Art Class – Recycled Art Workshop to correspond with Outsiders opening. Ages 4–6, 9–10 am; Ages 7–10, 10:30 am– 12 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

Instant Piano Classes – In just half a day, learn enough to give you years of enjoyment. 9 am-12 pm. Ballou Annex. 434.797.8848.

Dino Day Festival – Exhibits, music, games, food and fun activities.

Specimens on display. 10 am–4 pm.

Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville – 276.634.4141.

January 7

DMFAH Exhibits – Outsiders 1/13 – Opening Reception 2–4 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – See page 15. 434.793.5644.

January 7 (thru 28)

IALR Computer Workshop – Computer for Beginners. 6–9 pm.

Institute for Advanced Learning and Research - 434.766.6793.

Alzheimer’s Presentation – Overview of Alzheimer’s. 12 - 1 pm. United Way Meeting Room. 434.792.3700 ext. 30.

January 5

Bob Ross Painting Class – Pastel Seascape. 10:30 am – 3:30 pm. Ballou Park Annex 434.797.8848.

DRBA's First Saturday Outing – Easy 2-mile hike on the Red Tail Hawk Trail beside Mayo Lake. 10 am.

Paul Johnson – 434.476.7599.or 434.476.3357.

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

January 13 (thru March 9)

Losin’ Those Holiday Pounds – Learn ways to make permanent changes in your diet. 11 am–12 pm.

Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

January 14

Art with Judie – Oil and watercolor painting. Mondays or Tuesdays. Times vary. Ballou Park Annex. 434.797.8848.

African Dance Ensemble – Learn the beautiful art of African Dance.

Mondays 6-7:30 pm. City Auditorium.

434.797.8848.

January 14 (thru Feb. 18)

January 7 (thru March 24)

Stained Glass Class – The Magic of Light Through Glass. Mondays, 9 am–12 pm. 434.797.8848.

January 8

Polliwogs & Science Stars - Learn all about patterns. Ages 3–4 1–2 pm; Ages 5–6 3:45–4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

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

January 9

Writing Your Life Story – See page 3.

January 10

Bob Ross Technique Workshop – Pastel Seascape. 10 am–3:30 pm.

Piedmont Arts Association – 276.632.3221.

Art Class – Pottery. Mondays 6–9 pm.

Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

January 15

IALR Computer Workshop – Buy & Sale on Ebay 6–9 pm. Institute For Advanced Learning and Research 434.766.6793.

IALR Computer Workshop – Windows XP File Management System. Learn to navigate folders and files, rename, copy, move, delete, send an e-mail, print and more. 6–9 pm.

Institute For Advanced Learning and Research - 434.766.6793.)

January 15 (thru 31)

Fitness For Older Adults, Ladies & ABSolute Fitness. Tues/Thurs, 9–11 am; Ladies 10 am–12 pm; ABSolute Fitness 10:30-11:30 am. City Armory.

434.797.8848.

January 15 (thru Feb. 19)

Art Class – Painting & Dyeing. Batik Designs on Paper and Cloth. Adults/ teenagers. Tuesdays 4–5 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

Art Class – Drawing & Water-Color.

Adults/teenagers. Tuesdays 5:30–6:30 pm.

Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

January 15 (thru March 4)

Spanish I & II – Spanish I - 6–7 pm.

Spanish II - 7–8 pm. Institute For Advanced Learning and Research 434.766.6793.

January 16

Fetch! Lab - Explore properties of acids and bases and determine the effects of common household liquids on a penny. Ages 8–12. 3:45–4:45 pm.

Danville Science Center 434.791.5160.

January 16 (thru Feb. 20)

Art Class – Winter-themed drawing & painting. Ages 4-6. Wednesdays 4–5 pm.

Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

January 16 (thru April 9)

IALR Computer Workshop – Computer skills training. International Computer Driving License (ICDL) training and certification. 9 am-12 pm.

Institute For Advanced Learning and Research - 434.766.6617.

January 2008

January 2008 S M 6 7 13 14 20 21 27 28

T 1 8 15 22 29

W 2 9 16 23 30

T F S 3 4 5 10 11 12 17 18 19 24 25 26 31

January 17

IALR Computer Workshop – Publisher.

Learn how to create signs, posters, flyers, greeting cards, letterheads and more. 6–9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research - 434.766.6793.

Skywatchers – Focus on Orion, and the brightest star in the nighttime sky, Sirius, and continue to follow the planet Mars. Nightfall. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

January 17 (thru Feb.21)

Art Class – Elements of Art. Ages 7-10. Thursdays 4–5 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

January 18

Women of Faith, Walking by Faith of Danville. 11 am - 1 pm. The Colonade Room. 434.793.8140.

January 18 (thru Feb. 22)

Art Class – Art Inspired by the books of Jan Bratt, author and illustrator.

Ages 4-7. Fridays 4–5 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

Art Class – Collograph. Ages 8-13.

Saturdays 9 am–12 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.

January 19 (thru Feb. 9)

Preschooler Classes – Tumblin’ Tots, Ages 2–3, 9:30–10:15 am; Itty Bitty Basketball, Ages 3–5, 10:30–11:15 am; Pre-School Cheerleading, Ages 3–5, 11:30 am–12:15 pm; Winter Wigglers, Ages 3–5, 10–11:30 am. Coates Recreation Center. 434.797.8848.

Four-Wheeling Tots – Basics of roller skating for your preschooler.

Saturdays – class 10:15–11 am; fun skate – 11 am–4 pm. 434.797.8848.

January 20

100 Years of Broadway - An evening of all the great Broadway musical numbers. 7:30 pm. Martinsville High School. Piedmont Arts Association – 276.632.3221.

January 21

Mariachi Band. 6:30-9:30 pm. Los Tres Magueyes Mexican Restaurant 434.792.0601.

January 22

Polliwogs & Science Stars - Use a microscope to look at everyday objects in a brand new way. Ages 3–4 1–2 pm; Ages 5–6 3:45–4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

IALR Computer Workshop – Excel I. Learn to produce professionallooking documents that perform numeric calculations rapidly and accurately. 6–9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research 434.766.6793.

January 23

Alzheimer’s Presentation – Caregiver Stress Management. 12 - 1 pm. United Way Meeting Room. 434.792.3700 ext. 30.

January 24

Recipe Club – (See 1/10) IALR Computer Workshop – Learn the basics of Adobe Reader & Adobe

January 2008 Professional. 6–9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research 434.766.6793.

January 25

Fred Garbo Inflatable Theatre – Audiences will be mesmerized by the artistic imagery & creative foolishness of this fast-paced, energetic, clever and universally engaging theatrical show.

7:15 pm. The Prizery, South Boston – 434.572.8339.

Broadway Showstoppers – Come and hear your favorite Broadway hits in one electrifying blockbuster show. 7:30 pm.

The Kirby Theater, Roxboro, NC. 336.597.1709.

January 25 (thru 27)

Bedside Manners – Little Theatre of Danville. See page 9.

January 26

Too Small to See Exhibit Danville Science Center – See page13.

Belly Dance Workshop – Session I, Veil Choreography, 9 am. Session II, Candle Choreography, 1 pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

January 28

Live Entertainment – Rhonda Vincent with special guest James King. 2 & 7 pm.

Gretna Theatre – 434.656.3377.

January 28 & 31

Management Through the Film – View Remember the Titans.

See page 14.

January 28 (thru March 3)

Intermediate & Beginning Middle Eastern Belly Dance Classes – Explore music and rhythms and learn simple choreography. Intermediate – 5:30 pm; Beginning – 6:45 pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

• January 29

IALR Computer Workshop – The basics of Microsoft Word. 6–9 pm.

Institute for Advanced Learning and Research - 434.766.6793.

January 30

IALR Workshop – PowerPoint. Learn basic instruction for on-screen & web presentations, online meetings & more. 6–9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research 434.766.6793.

January 31

State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. GWHS Auditorium. 7:30 pm. Danville Concert Association – 434.792.9242. See ad on page 13.

Upcoming Events February 2

Mardi Gras Party – See page 8.

Cross Your Heart Gala – Live and silent auction fundraiser for the Halifax/Charlotte County Red Cross.

7–11 pm. The Prizery, South Bost0n. www.sobojwc.com.

February 5

Black History Month Lecture Speaker: Coach Herman Boone, featured in the movie Remember the Titans. 7:30pm. Pritchett Auditorium.

Averett University - 434.791.5712.

February 7 (thru 10)

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. 2/7-9 7:30 pm; 2/10 - 2 pm. Pritchett Auditorium. Averett University - 434.791.5712.

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.

In October, I helped coordinate

by Beverly Turner an annual Road Profiler User’s Group Conference at the Institute The next night, Larry got for Advanced Learning and

by Joycetogether Wilburn with some of the Research. The group was booked participants just to make sure for several nights at Danville they were having a good time in hotels, but because many of the Danville. Also, because Larry 100-plus attendees from 29 states doesn't drink, he volunteered to and 5 countries were without be a designated driver, thereby transportation, they had to rely guaranteeing the meeting on shuttles and buses from their participants a safe return to hotels to the meetings at IALR. their hotels.

For the group’s dinner at Many participants of this VIR, Larry Stamps of Players conference commented on Unlimited outdid himself by Danville's hospitality and I truly filling our request for upbeat believe that Larry had everything music. Larry's wasn't just a to do with their warm feelings. great D.J., he proved to be an Larry Stamps deserves to be outstanding host. Not only did commended. he mingle with the group and befriend many of the participants, he shared info on local hangouts for after-hours fun. And then he went the extra mile...

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An Interview with Astronaut Winston Scott

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member of our most elite group of heroes.

Despite his insistence that he wants to be remembered as an ordinary good guy—his astronaut role, what I call riding on top of a tin can attached to a firecracker— takes enormous courage and skill. But he is much too modest to see himself as a hero full of a daredevil’s courage.

In that outlook he has something to say to all of us because we all have fears---fears of the future, fear of failure, and fear that no matter how hard we try something will go wrong. Scott, who had every reason to be afraid sitting astride a ticking time bomb of a rocket, takes a refreshing view of fear that explains his success.

“You can’t dwell on what might go wrong. It takes your mind off the work you need to do to make it go right. You have to focus, not by ignoring safety, but by putting it aside. Logic tells me that anything can happen to anybody.

I could have an accident while

by Larry G. Aaron

I’ve never met a more unassuming and less ego-driven man than Astronaut Winston Scott. Comparing him to a forceful and dominating celestial John Wayne, who courageously gallops into outer space in a great iron horse, simply won’t do.

That’s not how he sees himself.

He sees himself as a pioneer whose goal is exploration. Being catapulted into space on Space Shuttle Endeavor and Columbia culminated a career as a Navy pilot flying the famous F-14 Tomcat and various research and development aircraft.

As a retired Navy Captain and NASA astronaut, Winston Scott has had his share of launches, but recently he reversed roles and launched Founders College in South Boston.

In opening ceremonies last fall, he joined Maestro Kluge and the Founders College Philharmonic, CEO and President Tamara Fuller and a host of invited guests in welcoming faculty and students in a new venture that promises to swing wide new doors of learning--education the way it ought to be--not the way it’s usually done.

Scott was the perfect choice for keynote speaker. Founders College with its small beginning is reaching for the stars, capturing and enhancing and encouraging education in a way that made America great.

Winston Scott too had a small beginning. Raised in a poverty riddled segregated neighborhood, he rose like the mythological Phoenix from that impoverished childhood and achieved an immortality of sorts in being a

flying, but I firmly believe that when I climb into an airplane or space shuttle, I’m coming back. I might not, but I don’t believe that.

If you believe otherwise you’re in the wrong business.”

On the flip side of the coin is Scott’s view of courage. “I don’t see myself as more courageous than the average person. I just worked and focused on something and was fortunate enough to succeed. The world is full of courageous people. Those people with courage and vision tend to move the world forward.

People who are timid and laid back---your average everyday, runof-the-mill person---those people are not the pioneers.”

Contrary to what people might think, it is that pioneering spirit, not the vision of personal glory that drives the astronauts to go beyond Earth’s gravity. Reflecting on the tragedy of the space shuttle Columbia a few years ago, Winston Scott says, “They were all my personal friends. One

moment they were here and then in another they were gone.”

Yet, he hoped at the time that the country would not cancel the space program because of that disaster, noting that is not the way to move forward. “If our ancestors had stopped their westward expansion every time they ran into some difficulty, our country would not be where it is today.

He says that when disasters like Columbia come, “Figure out what happened, then push on---push the envelope---keep exploring.”

That pioneer theme also took priority in Scott’s message at the opening of Founders College.

Pioneers don’t necessarily have to go where no one has gone before or invent something not yet known, but have that pioneering spirit. Founders College fits that description because “Education should be about capturing the pioneering spirit,” Scott says.

In that way Founder’s College is similar to NASA, whose education emphasis involves innovation, experience, inspiration and opportunity. Both encourage a total approach to education, meaning it is more than theory, more than just reading books; it is a learning environment with no limits and no boundaries.

Winston Scott himself was inspired in many ways but he remembers as a 19-year-old youth getting ready to go to college and watching Neil Armstrong step off onto the moon that July. Like the rest of the nation, he was excited, but Scott says, “I never dreamed that I would participate in the space program.”

It was his degree in aeronautical engineering and his Navy career that laid the ground work preparation for his entry into the astronaut corps, and he beams as he talks of the great opportunity he experienced---especially recalling the space walks as the most exciting.

For those who don’t see themselves as having a chance to succeed the way Scott has, he leaves this message: “Young people who don’t have opportunity to experience unique things need to utilize the resources they have available and prepare themselves because the world is open to anybody who is prepared. It doesn’t matter where you come from or how rich or poor you are; decide what you want to do and go after it.”

Sound advice for us all even if you don’t want to be an astronaut.

So, start the countdown; there’s a challenge just waiting for you to reach for the stars.

Read more about Winston Scott at www.winstonescott.com or read his book, Reflections on Earth Orbit.

January 2008

Nano in your life: a bimonthly column that explains how nanotechnology affects your life

Nanotechnology: Making That Hole-in-One Possible

by Steve Wilson Chief Scientist of Luna nanoWorks A Division of Luna Innovations Inc. located on Bridge Street in Danville.

Who would think that nanotechnology has been used to make a golfer’s life better? Well, read on.

First, the term nano, means very small in size. More importantly, nanotechnology is the ability to design and make new materials atom by atom in order to “tune” properties to provide higher performance, such as lighter and stronger materials.

If you think back to the remarkable man-made materials now in daily use, you realize that the 20th century saw the creation of many things that have improved our lives—nylon and Teflon, created in the 1930s at DuPont, Saran Wrap and Styrofoam, introduced by Dow Chemicals in the 1950s, to mention just a few.

Now, with the advent of nanotechnology, we can engineer materials even better to improve material properties by design.

Some of the first consumer product success stories based on nanotechnology are in the sports industry—which is where golf comes in. And of course in golf, as in all sports, high performance materials can demand top dollar.

In 2004, a new-generation golf club based on fullerene nanomaterials was released by the Japanese sports company Maruman & Company in Tokyo. Its top-of-the-line New Majesty driver uses nanotechnology to resist bending, but has a hardness increase over titanium. These improved characteristics increase ball flight distance by 15 yards compared to the company’s old driver. Since the new club was released, Maruman & Company has been overwhelmed with orders – and a golf club sells for more than $2,000!

What about the golf ball? It’s all about controlling the physics of how the ball spins using nanotechnology.

An American company called NanoDynamics has figured out how to alter the materials in a golf ball at the molecular level so the weight inside the ball shifts less as the ball spins -- which means even a badly hit ball will go straighter. The new balls came on the market in 2006, and though they cost more than $10 each, they are selling well.

You can learn a lot more about nanotechnology in sports at several websites including http://www. nanovip.com/nanotechnology-products/ b2c/sports. For example, check for details about the Easton baseball bat. Unlike aluminum bats that have the same strength and stiffness in all directions, nanotech bats are engineered at the nanoscale to have the widest sweet spot ever.

January 2008

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Visit a Very Small World

by Nancy Tait

Visit a world of the very small, the nano-world, and see atoms 100 million times their actual size.

Pull apart the ends of a virtual RNA molecule. Arrange moving atoms into a pattern. How does that work when the atoms keep moving? Walk through a huge model crystal where the atoms seem to go on forever. Climb on carbon tubes. Build molecules.

Use the same tools that scientists use to make nano-sized structures.

It’s all in the visiting exhibition Too Small to See at the Danville Science Center opening on Saturday, January 26.

“Just how small is small?” asks Danville Science Center Director Jeff Liverman. “Nanometers are used to measure things on an atomic scale. That’s way smaller than you can see. There are one billion nanometers in a meter. Too Small to See is a great way to get kids familiar with atoms and molecules that make up everything we can see — and to introduce them to the ways scientists are using nanotechnology to develop new tools and materials.”

Start your visit at the Magnification Station. Examine a butterfly wing, an oyster shell and a salt crystal at three different magnifications. It’s easy to see that each object is made of atoms.

At Zoom into Nano, turn a wheel to zoom in-and-out between macroscopic and nanoscopic views of four images. Use your senses at Particle Progression. Start with sand — the small you can see. Move to dust — it’s smaller, but you can still see it. End with nano. You can’t see it, but you know it’s there — you can smell it.

Now you’re ready for the Seeing Courtyard where models of atoms and molecules are enlarged 100 million times bigger than real size. Walk through the infinity crystal where the repeating pattern of atoms seems endless.

Climb model carbon nanotubes.

Discover how atoms and molecules are always moving even in solid objects. Grab the ends of a virtual RNA molecule and stretch it. When you let go, the molecule folds back to its original shape. Dissolve a virtual salt crystal using your movement to generate heat. Build a molecule.

Work with your friends to see how tall you can build a carbon nanotube. At Photolithography create patterns with colored discs, then use light and lenses to shrink your pattern. The Atom Transporter gives you a challenge. Organize individual atoms into a design — while the atoms are in motion.

Discover careers at Nano and Me. View videos about how scientists are using nanotechnology to develop things that may affect your life. Pick up a phone to hear stories about nanotechnology that surrounds you.

Too Small to See was developed through a partnership of Cornell University, the Sciencenter and Painted Universe Inc. with funding from the National Science Foundation. Too Small to See is included with Science Center admission. Tickets are $5 for youth 4-12 and seniors 60+ and $6 for adults. For more information call 434.791.5160 or visit www.dsc.smv. org. The Danville Science Center is located at 677 Craghead Street.

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Improving Leadership and Management Skills

by John Gilstrap

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research is launching six new programs focusing on leadership and management skills.

Susan Bolick, a national speaker, trainer and facilitator who founded her business, Performing Well, to help companies fully engage the talents and energies of their workforce to sustain a competitive advantage, will lead three of the classes.

Leading Change with Confidence will teach students how to understand reactions to change, the dos and don’ts of change, and how to establish a change management strategy that builds organizational resilience.

In Strategic Planning and the 21st Century Leader, Bolick will demonstrate the difference between leading and managing. Group activities will contrast traditional and non-traditional planning methods. A 6-step method for anticipating, aligning, and activating an organization for a successful future will also be taught.

Fostering Creativity, Generating Innovation, the last of Bolick's three workshops will focus on the individual’s use of the creativity around them.

Participants will learn techniques for increasing their own creativity, as

Around the Table

by Annelle Williams

Ring in the New The holidays are over, and it’s time for quiet evenings, comfort food, and maybe even a good book.

(I highly recommend Eat, Pray, Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert.)

On my list of things I want to do in 2008 is enhance my baking skills.

Until that happens, I’ve found a hot roll mix (Pillsbury is the brand I’m using) that tastes delicious and makes my house smell like a bakery. It’s also quite versatile. If your baking skills are lacking but you like yeast breads, try it for an easy alternative. It makes a great

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well as collaboration techniques for inspiring others to be innovative.

Management Through Film will be taught by Dr. Edward White, Dean of Business and Engineering Technology at Danville Community College and a certified teacher of this workshop by the Hartwick Humanities in Management Institute. Students will watch a movie one night and in a follow-up session discuss the key leadership attributes and behaviors of the characters, identify key decisions made by leaders in the films, discuss the implications and outcomes of these decisions, evaluate different leadership behaviors, and learn how to become more effective leaders.

Remember the Titans, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and The Hunt for Red October will be viewed on the Institute’s giant screen with surround sound on Mondays. The discussion and training will follow on Thursdays.

From Stress to Success, led by Dr. Joey Faucette, will teach a dynamic process of daily stress reduction and management. In What Did You Say? Faucette will teach how to communicate better. Faucette is in his third decade of coaching business people in 50 countries to ”Listen to life and make a life, not just a living” through his websites, syndicated radio show, speaking engagements, and individual and group coaching seminars.

The last management/leadership workshops, How to Improve Your Web Site, coordinated by Virginia Electronic Technology Center, will discuss website design and content and review websites using the lessons learned.

For more information on dates, times and cost, call 434.766.6793 or visit www.ialr.org. Click events calendar.

January 2008

Anchor of the Tides Inspires and Soothes

Jo Ann is not the only one to have been touched deeply

by Cassidy, the American vocalist some describe as having one of the greatest voices of her generation and whose recordings sold in excess of four million copies after her death in 1996.

But for Jo Ann, “It was as if my own creative spirit that had been locked away was awakened. I picked up my guitar and started to experiment. That’s how this CD came about.”

Anchor of the Tides includes seven original tunes and five familiar cover songs. It can be purchased at Molasses Grill on South Main Street in Halifax County and at Vintner’s Cellar in South Boston.

For more information visit www. joannwhite.com

by Tammy Moore

It is said that music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. I have discovered such music in Jo Ann White’s newly released acoustic CD, Anchor of the Tides.

When I asked this Halifax County native about the inspiration behind her music, Jo Ann said, “Even though I loved music and played guitar since childhood, I had never really experienced music until I discovered a very talented singer/musician named Eva Cassidy. I heard this voice coming from the television one day back in 2003, and I was completely captivated. It was the most amazing and moving voice I had ever heard.”

tart, or pizza crust, not to mention regular rolls and cinnamon buns.

Follow the directions on the box, and be creative with your own tastes. Nothing says comfort like a homemade pizza with your own favorite toppings, or fresh cinnamon buns and a nice cup of coffee.

Along with improved new baking skills, I intend to institute a new clutter disposal program. I recently saw a TV program about de-cluttering your life one garbage bagful a day. It sounds like a good plan, and one that won’t cut into my cooking time.

Leave the old tired things behind, salvage all the good things, and start fresh in 2008 with new ideas and plenty of time to bake, or whatever your new cooking passion might be. Remember: Time-- you can’t save it, or borrow it, or even buy it—it’s priceless, so relax and savor every moment!

Fresh Pear and Cranberry Brie Tart 1 (16oz.) box hot roll mix 4 firm pears, cored and sliced thinly 2 cups fresh cranberries 1/2 cup orange marmalade 1 cup white wine (or apple juice) 18 oz. Brie or more 1 T butter

Preheat oven to 425º. Place Brie in freezer when you begin preparing this dish to make it easier to slice.

Prepare roll mix according to package directions. Pat into greased 10 x 15 inch sheet pan giving the dough a little edge. Prick dough with fork, cover and let rise 15 minutes.

Combine wine and marmalade in a medium sauce pan. Add pear slices and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, or until tender. Remove pear slices with slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. Add cranberries to wine, and continue to cook, stirring until cranberries pop and sauce thickens.

Remove Brie from freezer and cut into slices. Place cheese evenly over dough. Arrange pear slices over cheese. Spread fruit topping evenly over pears. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden. Butter edges of cooked tart and serve warm.

January 2008

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DMFAH Exhibits Feature Local Collections and Artists

by Lynne Bjarnesen

Outsiders

January 13 – March 9 Jennings Gallery

Ever since seeing the work of Jimmie Lee Sudduth at a friend’s house, Danville resident Marina Batson has been collecting art.

Nearly 20 years later Batson has amassed a sort of “Who’s Who” collection of self-taught artists’ work.

The pieces in her collection are primarily by Southern Black artists who defy a precise categorizing. In the established art world these artists are described as Self-Taught, Naïve, and Folk Artists, Primitive, Visionary, or Outsider. Even then, these definitions overlap and change.

For example, Outsider Art originally defined art made by the insane.

Eventually, though, Outsider came to describe almost any unconventional or untrained artist “outside” the mainstream art world. And the term Folk Art, which has been used to describe works by artists without formal training, is also often used to decorative crafts.

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With such confusion surrounding what to call the artists she collects, Marina chooses to call them “SelfTaught.”

Most of the artists in this exhibition at some point--often, quite late in life--just picked up materials and began putting them together as art. Lonnie Holley, for example, began making sandstone sculptures after he carved the material for his 2 nieces’ tombstones. The family could not afford grave markers and, inspired

by God, Holly created them out of discarded manufacturing debris.

In addition, many of the artists in this exhibition, worked ferociously, creating enormous bodies of work.

Working with materials at hand, the artists created works ranging from paintings on cardboard, wood, and grocery bags to sculpture made of wood, clay, and stone.

Their subjects include portraits, figures, animals, creatures, stilllifes, cityscapes, landscapes, and abstracts. From Biblical scenes to everyday life, from a DDT- affected bird to a scene from the civil rights movement, their concentration isn’t always on “correct” proportion or application, but on the simple act of creation. The result is work uniquely unpretentious, expressive and certainly genuinely from the artist’s individual life experience, however naïve it may seem.

100 Years of Broadway Century of Sensational Songs

by Gordon Bendall Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway, coming to the Caswell County Civic Center this month, is getting rave reviews from everywhere.

They call it a knockout, a bravo, a hit--that it’s entertaining and educational. They say it’s wonderful, fantastic and amazing, that it has all the favorite show tunes played by incredibly talented musicians, sung by equally talented singers.

When reviews are great, we trust the shows are great. We take them at their word and go. So go.

The show’s song list includes Some Enchanted Evening, Cabaret, Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, Seasons of Love and many more, all classics, all memorable.

Broadway musical history comes back to life this month at the Civic Center, a chance to start the year on the upswing.

For more information call 336.694.4591 or visit www.ccfta.org.

The CCCC is located at the intersection of NC62 and US 158 in Yanceyville.

Parking is free.

Alongside Batson’s collection, the Museum will exhibit works from its holdings including paintings by Victor Joseph Gatto and L. Haywood Coffey and five prints by the Reverend Howard Finster who began painting at the age of 60, inspired by the Lord to spread a spiritual message. Since then, he has achieved Folk Art Superstar status.

Elijah Gowin: Lonnie Holley Series January 13 – March 9 Schoolfield Gallery

On exhibition concurrent to Outsiders is Elijah Gowin’s One Acre of Art, a documentary series of Lonnie Holley’s Birmingham home and land for 20 years before it was lost to the bulldozer. This exhibition, seen for the first time as a series, is made possible in part

by The Puffin Foundation.

An Ohio native, Gowin visited his family’s home in Danville in the summers as a youth and studied at Davidson College and the University of New Mexico. He has taught photography and digital imaging since 1995 and is currently teaching photographic studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His work is in collections at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art,

Page 15 Princeton University Museum of Art, Houston Museum of Fine Art, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

Forrest Moses

January 6 – March 9 Boatwright Gallery Danville native Forrest Moses studied art at the age of nine at Stratford and Averett Colleges.

After majoring in art at Washington and Lee and studying design at the Pratt Institute in New York, Moses became a full-time artist, showing and selling his work in galleries, universities, and museums across the country. He currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and explores specific landscape locations from Maine to Georgia and in New Mexico by camera, from which he then translates images into works in oil, monotype and watercolor. Works that span Moses’ career are on loan from local collector Earle Garrett III.

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

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WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM BEING HEALTHY? WHAT IF there were a way to find out exactly which nutritional supplements YOU need, using a test that is: Inexpensive Painless and Non-Invasive (no bloodwork) Fast (10-15 minutes) Completely Objective Based on 40 years of research and testing

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A doctor’s knowledge with 20 years of nutritional study(vs. advice from a store clerk, mailers or internet ads) The highest quality nutritional products from the original company that invented nutritional supplements (vs. “vitamins,” which are pharmaceutically engineered & may actually be harming you) The minimum pill-count, objectively determined.

For an appointment or a free , no obligation, description of the testing, Call J. Stephen Eggleston, Doctor of Chiropractic @(434) 836-3506

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New Year’s Resolution #1 Learn Something New in 2008!

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) wishes you the very best in the new year.

IALR is offering courses to provide you with many of the skills to be more productive in the new year, or to simply just have more fun!

Check out our course offerings in January and February.

Numerous computer courses are available including: Computers for Beginners Excel and Photoshop Publisher and Microsoft Word Powerpoint and Adobe Other Programs Include: Spanish I & II, Management through Film, L.I.F.E. Institute, Leading Change, Strategic Planning, Digital Cameras, Fostering Creativity, and many others

All events are held at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR).

For more information on any of these programs or to register for a class,visit www.ialr.org or call 434.766.6793.

150 Slayton Avenue Danville, VA 24540 (434) 766-6717 www.ialr.org