Evince March 08

March 2008

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March 2008

Table of Contents Marge Piercy 2

Marge Piercy to Headline DCC Celebration of the Arts

by Andrea Burney

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Time Is Running Out to See Special Exhibits

by Gordon Bendall

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Blossoming Forth: Danville’s Symphony Orchestra

by Janet Phillips

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Points North – Views from the Hill

by Jerry Meadors

Luncheon Pilot Club Promotes Brain Awareness Week

by Glen Butts and Florence Lewis Cherryholmes to Play CCCC

by Gordon Bendall

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Believe by Liz Sater He Said She Said

by Larry Oldham and Dena Hill North Carolina Author to Speak at Averett

by Susan Huckstep

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Second Thoughts A Very Moving Experience

by Kim Clifton

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No Child Left Inside

by Fred First No Adult Left Inside Walking the RIverwalk with Sadie

by David E. Hoffman

10 Calendar of Evince 12 Nano in Your Life

to Headline DCC Celebration of the Arts

by Andrea Burney

Poet, novelist and social activist Marge Piercy is set to headline Danville Community College’s 26th Annual Celebration of the Arts, March 31 to April 4. “We are pleased that Marge Piercy has accepted our invitation this year. She is an extremely sought-after speaker who visits numerous colleges across the United States,” says Dr. Mark Wallace, Assistant Professor of History and Chair of the Celebration of the Arts Committee.

A Detroit native, Piercy is the author of 17 novels, including The New York Times’ bestseller Gone to Soldiers. Born into a family affected by the Depression, Piercy credits her mother with “making her a poet.”

She describes her mother as “an emotional, imaginative woman full of odd lore and superstitions” who enjoyed reading and encouraged her daughter to do the same.

Piercy became the first in her family to attend college, studying at the University of Michigan and completed a Master of Arts Degree from Northwestern University.

Nanotechnology Is Bottom-Up Engineering

by Brian Holloway

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Around the Table Let’s Have a Soup Swap

by Annelle Williams Food Competition Slated at IALR

by Amanda Wilson

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Learn about Vincent van Gogh at One-Man Performance

by Joyce Wilburn

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Laurie Moran

14 Stay Married Forever

by Joey Faucette

15 Southern Virginia’s

She is also the recipient of honorary doctorates from Eastern Connecticut State University, Hebrew Union College, Lesley College, and Bridgewater State College in Maine.

Among Piercy’s other works are Braided Lives and The Longings of Women, and the classic, Woman on the Edge of Time. She has also written 17 volumes of poetry, and a criticallyacclaimed memoir, Sleeping with Cats.

She has been a key player in many of the major progressive political battles, including the women's movement, anti-Vietnam war, and most recently an active participant in the resistance to the war in Iraq.

Now based in Wellfleet, Maine, Piercy is a popular speaker on college campuses where she has taught, lectured and/or performed her work at more than 400 institutions and has been featured on Bill Moyers’ PBS specials, Garrison Keillor’s Prairie

New Tobacco The Business of Art and Design

by Lee Sandstead Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

by Debra Dodson

www.evincere.net Publisher

Robert M. Sexton Publisher (804.285.0645) Contributing Writers Gordon Bendall, Andrea Burney, Glen Butts, Kim Clifton, Debra Dodson, Joey Faucette, Fred First, Dena Hill, David Hoffman, Brian Holloway, Susan Huckstep, Florence Lewis, Jerry Meadors, Laurie Moran, Larry Oldham, Janet Phillips, Lee Sandstead, Liz Sater, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Amanda Wilson Editor Emyl Jenkins Editor

(804.285.0644)

Managing Editor Joyce Wilburn ManagingEditor (434.799.3160) Associate Editor Larry G. Aaron

On the Cover:

Photo of the Danville Symphony Orchestra rehearsing in the new Danville Education, Arts & Cultural Center by Tony Adcock.

See story on page 4.

All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Art & Production Director Vaden & Associates (Dan Vaden) Graphic Designer Kim Demont

Sales Manager Cathy Farley (434.793.7767) Sales Sales Associates Christi Ingram (434.836.1319) ChristiIngram Anthony Bigelow (434.489.6181) abigelow7857@verizon.net Distribution Kim Demont (434.836.1247) Printer McCain Printing Company, Inc. EVINCE is a member of the Virginia Press Association, first place winner of the prestiguous PIVA award in its category for five straight years, and winner of Virginia Press Association awards for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and Virginia Press Women’s Competition Awards for 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Editorial Policies:

EVINCE is a monthly news magazine covering the arts, entertainment, education, economic development, and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding areas. We print and distribute EVINCE free of charge due entirely to the generosity of our advertisers. In our pages appear views from across the social spectrum. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers.

We reserve the right to accept, reject, and edit all submissions and advertisements.

Home Companion, Terri Gross’ Fresh Air, the Today Show, and many nationwide radio programs. She has been praised as “one of the few American writers who is an accomplished poet as well as novelist — whose genres include historical novels, science fiction (for which she won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction in the United Kingdom), novels of social comment and contemporary entertainments.”

The public is invited to hear Marge Piercy on Wednesday, April 2, at noon in Oliver Hall (Temple Building, Room 110) DCC Campus on Bonner Avenue.

For more information call 434.797.8471 or 800.560.4291, ext 8471 or email info@dcc.vccs.edu.

For subscription: Mail your name, address, phone number, and a check for $15 (12 issues) made payable to Joyce Wilburn, Managing Editor, to EVINCE Subscription, P.O. Box 2396, Danville, VA 24541.

Deadline for submission of April stories, articles, ads, and calendar items is 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 20.

We now accept Visa, MC, and Discover for ad payments

evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW MISSION STATEMENT EVINCE is a monthly publication, which focuses on arts & entertainment in the surrounding area through an array of features, articles, columns, and photographic essays. Its primary objective is to inform and educate the community of opportunities, organizations, and events in all areas of the arts. In addition, it is the vision of EVINCE to enrich the cultural awareness and develop support for the arts in the entire community.

How to submit information to EVINCE: Please send all information in electronic form to e-mail address evince@starmark. net. For calendar information, please submit e-mail to calendar@starmark.net.

To submit information, please copy and paste the text information into the body of the e-mail. We do not accept any e-mail attachments due to the very real danger of Microsoft-supported computer viruses.

March 2008

Time Is Running Out to See Special Exhibits

by Gordon Bendall

If you haven’t seen the current exhibits at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, you have until Sunday, March 9, to visit three separate galleries that are overflowing with art. Any one of the rooms alone would be well worth a special trip to the top of Main Street, but three’s the charm and it’s all for free.

The special attraction is Marina Batson’s private collection of “Outsider Art,” on display in the upstairs Jennings Gallery.

Paintings and sculptures by gifted “self-taught” artists make the walls hum. Bold, clear messages are painted with deliberate strokes and vibrant colors on canvas, cardboard, quarter-inch plywood, half-inch sheetrock, brown paper bag and who knows what else. It works! The sculptures, figurines and carvings are a delight to children and a re-awakening for adults. It’s all a must-see.

“The work comes from the heart,” Batson says. “These artists are not influenced by whether the work is going to sell. They do it

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for themselves. It is not contrived for a gallery; it’s pure and honest.

That’s what I like about it.”

Overall, the impact from the exhibition is remarkably clear, in focus and understandable, even profound. Perhaps ironic, since the movement began originally as Art Brut, namely, the work of the certifiably insane. Now known simply as Folk Art, Primitive Art or even Visionary Art, the works are inviting and lovable, yet always with a depth of field that leaves us with no doubt that the artists are accomplished and inspired.

Batson has been collecting the genre for the past 20 years and says Alabama and Mississippi are the wellspring for most of the Outsider Art. But one wellknown Outsider lives and works in the Piedmont, Benny Carter of Mayodan, North Carolina. One of his works, “DDT Bird,” is simply a painted tree root. But the shape and bright finish on the bird tells the tale and gives us fair warning of man’s danger to man.

The works of other Outsiders are marvels as well; a fish made from an old wooden plank, the scales of which are tab-tops from soda cans; its eye is a nail holding down a metal washer.

There are animated faces, familiar places and sculpture crying to be touched, but, “Please don’t touch,” we tell the kids.

Hanging in Schoolfield Gallery downstairs are framed

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color photographs by former Danvillian, Elijah Gowin, who has documented the work of wellknown southern black Outsider artist, Lonnie Holley, who retools and rearranges discarded junk and gives new meaning to the philosophy of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Made famous for his “One Acre of Art,” an outdoor trail-gallery around his home in Alabama, Holley won a court case against Birmingham International Airport that pushed authorities to transport his woodsy gallery to a new home in order to make way for the expansion of a runway.

Holley made CNN News and the clip can be viewed on a video monitor in the gallery. Art critics are quoted in the piece raving about his work that is now part of several exhibitions running from coast to coast. The discarded objects in Holley’s artwork can be found at any municipal landfill, but the way the stuff is doctored and displayed gives it a vibrancy, like the message we receive seeing an abandoned shoe along the side of the road—who left it, why, when and where are they now?

In the Boatwright Gallery, the show is more down to earth, fine art in the true sense of the word—the landscape and seascape paintings of Danville native, Forrest “Pete” Moses, 74, on loan from the private collection of life-long friend, Earle Garrett, III. Moses photographs and translates images into works in oil

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and watercolor. He is well-known for his paintings of the iris and groupings of trees. “He’s been a good friend,” Garrett says, “and I’ve always enjoyed his work. I’m glad it’s being shown here in his hometown.”

Forrest Moses’ compassion for living things gives us more, a chance to see nature caught in time, in paint. Moses’ work is soothing, prayers for the earth, full of greens and full of life. His work has produced over 40 one-man shows at museums, universities and galleries everywhere. After studying art at both Stratford College and Averett College from an early age and then graduating from Washington and Lee with a BA in Fine Arts in 1956, Moses never looked back. After a stint in the Navy, he moved west and is still at home in New Mexico.

From March 16 to May 11, the Maud Gatewood Legacy will be on exhibit along with works by Averett University alumni and students. The Averett exhibit will end on April 27. Watch for details in the April issue of Evince.

The Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main Street, is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 434.793.5644.

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March 2008

Blossoming Forth:

Danville’s Symphony Orchestra

by Janet Phillips

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“It’s awesome,” exclaims teen violinist Bethany Bidgood when asked what being in the Danville Symphony Orchestra means to her. “I feel like I’ve accomplished something.”

Her friend and oboist, Julia Eggleston, nods in agreement. “I like having people around me and hearing the way my instrument is supposed to sound.” These young musicians are members of the orchestra that was born at about the same time they were.

How does one go about planting an orchestra in rural Southern Virginia where most people’s music preferences seem to be gospel, country and bluegrass? In 1992 Winston Stephens asked himself that question. As a choral music director in Danville, he knew that other than the occasional school band or orchestra and traveling concert, people usually had to drive an hour to Greensboro to hear a live symphony performance, and post-high-school musicians had no performance outlet at all.

Stephens started with a letter to every musician he could find in the Danville area, describing the community orchestra he had in mind. I received one of those letters. Soon I sat with about 30 other people on the cool, dusty stage of the City Auditorium for the first meeting of the Danville Community Orchestra and took stock of what we had to work with.

A few, like me, were part-time or full-time professional musicians.

Others were talented amateurs.

Still others hauled instruments from closets and attics that they hadn’t played since high school. Stephens was our conductor. First we organized ourselves into sections and chose a regular rehearsal time.

Next we decided to pay dues so we could afford to buy music. Then we set to playing.

Our first endeavor was a Christmas concert just three short months after our creation. In the audience were only the bravest of our families and friends. Ours was a tiny, unbalanced group, but we were making progress. We had performed a concert for an audience; we had a handful of supporters, and we had optimism.

Now, fifteen years later, the orchestral seed planted by Winston Stephens has blossomed forth.

How? Many have tended its growth.

The handful of supporters has grown and their names fill

pages of our concert programs.

Thanks to private contributors, as well as grant and foundation assistance, our annual budget has grown exponentially. Several churches and individuals have made sure we always have access to adequate rehearsal and equipment storage space. A group of dedicated volunteers moves and sets up our equipment for us before and after concerts, and ushers for our shows. All of our musicians and our director volunteer their time and talents.

Stephens eventually moved on, but we have continued to flourish.

Musicians like Julie Parker, flutist and an original member, show up to rehearse every Thursday night from Labor Day until July 4th because, “It gives me a chance to play so I won’t lose what I spent years learning to do. Plus it gives me ‘me’ time.”

Jerry Franklin, first trumpet, feels that the community supports us because we give back. “I think making concerts free for everyone is a success story,” says Jerry of our decision to not charge admission fees. He feels that those who can afford to buy tickets also give donations, which provides the entire community the opportunity to hear live orchestral performances.

“They see our personal sacrifices of time and talent,” he says, “and I think they appreciate that. I know it means something to me that I can use my talent to give that to the community.”

Charles Ellis, with over four decades of music leadership and experience, is in his eighth year as Conductor and Musical Director of the Danville Symphony. Ellis and the board of directors are creative in coming up with programming ideas. We have joined forces with other community arts groups to present distinctive programs, such as collaborating with the Danville Area Choral Arts Society to present Vaughan Williams “Hodie,” Handel’s “Messiah,” and patriotic concerts.

We also partnered with local dance studios to present “Sleeping Beauty” to area school children. In

addition, we have brought in a wide variety of guest artists, and through a partnership with the Arts and Humanities Association presented a symphony show with Cherish the Ladies, an all-female Irish group.

My favorite moment, though, was in 2004 when we teamed with the City of Danville for a concert with country and pop star Ronnie Milsap.

I’ve been an avid fan of Milsap’s for 30 years, so the evening I spent sharing the stage with him was one of the best nights of my life. As an added bonus, Milsap’s arranger and conductor, Charlie Callelo, came with him, giving our symphony members the opportunity to play under the baton of one of America’s top arrangers, thereby sharing the stage with two living legends. That night was a lot of fun, and I believe that fun is the primary key to the Danville Symphony’s success. We play music that we enjoy preparing and our audiences like hearing. We come together for the love of music.

We’re young—young-at-heart musicians and non-musicians, doctors, farmers, parents and children, all doing our parts to tend the orchestra that Winston Stephens planted fifteen years ago.

And we’re growing.

The Danville Symphony will present a Spring Classical concert on Saturday, March 15, at 8:00 p.m. at George Washington High School auditorium.

Admission is free and doors open at 7:30 p.m. Guest artist Michael Adcock, a Danville native, will perform Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor. Adcock completed his secondary education at The North Carolina School of the Arts, earned his Bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin College-Conservatory, and received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the Peabody Conservatory. He is a member of the faculty of the Washington (D.C.) Conservatory of Music and maintains an active performance schedule.

The program will also include Franz Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and The Merry Wives of Windsor Overture by Otto Nicolai.

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POINTS NORTH Luncheon Pilot Club “Views from the Hill” Promotes Brain

by Jerry Meadors Awareness Week • Calling all young professionals!

by Glen Butts and Florence Lewis Join the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce YOPE (that’s Young Professional Event) at the North Theatre on Tuesday, March 4, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for good food, drink, and socializing sponsored by Virginia Uranium Inc. RSVP to chamber@ dpchamber.org.

• A Habitat for Humanity fundraiser will be held on Saturday, March 15. Great desserts and a silent auction are promised.

• The North Theatre Action Board (NTAB) was recently formed.

This is a group of under 40s, who are putting a focus on theatre events that will be of interest to all ages but especially to young adults. For St. Patrick’s Day cheer, join NTAB for Film Club, on March 17 at 7:30p.m. The discussion and entertainment that evening will center around the movie The Departed starring Leonardo DiCaprio. There is a $5 fee.

Having a state-of-the art theatre in a community is a very special and precious addition to the quality of life of a cultured people. Your attendance at our events is very important and your tax-deductible gifts to the North Theatre, 629 North Main Street, Danville, are always welcomed.

For more information call Jerry Meadors at 434.792.2700.

Cherryholmes to Play CCCC

by Gordon Bendall

America’s new First Family of Bluegrass, Cherryholmes, will perform for one show only at the Caswell County Civic Center on Friday, March 14, at 8 p.m. Not only is Cherryholmes really just one family (Mom, Dad, daughters Cia and Molly, sons BJ and Skip), but Cherryholmes really is the family surname.

The group stormed to the top of the bluegrass world in 2005 when they were the first band in the International Bluegrass Music Association’s history to be nominated for both Emerging Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year in the same year. Not to mention yet another nomination for 20 year-old daughter Cia Cherryholmes as the IBMA’s 2005 Female Vocalist of the Year.

In 2007 they received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year for their debut album, and repeated the honor again this year with their second release, Black & White, which debuted at #1 on the Bluegrass charts. This was followed by yet

Don’t hire a babysitter, rent a tuxedo, buy a new dress, or purchase tickets!

The Luncheon Pilot Club of Danville is having a Fantasy NonEvent fundraiser during Brain Awareness Week, March 10 - 16.

The non-event will skip the master of ceremonies, cancel the celebrity stars, bypass the big band, and forget the silent auction in hopes of raising money to further the group’s ongoing programs and initiate new ones. To participate, contact Treasurer Gwyneth Barber, 136 Parkway Drive, Danville, VA 24541.

The Luncheon Pilot Club of Danville, a group of business and professional leaders which began in 1974, gives monetary and hands-on support to the Alzheimer’s Association, Head Injury Support Group, Project Life Saver in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties, and the Free Clinic. It provides a Valentine party for The Hatcher Center and bingo for the residents at the Holiday Village. The club is also exploring ways to assist returning injured veterans.

If interested in membership or learning more about the Club, contact President Phyllis Cowan, at 434.822.6652.

another IBMA Entertainer of the Year nomination this year, and Cia Cherryholmes received a nomination for Banjo Player of the Year.

Featuring a mixture of original songs written by members of the band with carefully chosen classics, Cherryholmes’ sound is made up of hard-driving instrumental virtuosity, explosive vocal harmonies, and a cappella work that critics proclaim as “triumphant and breathtaking.”

Dad plays upright bass; Mom is on mandolin and vocals; Cia Leigh is on banjo and vocals; BJ does fiddle and vocals; Skip is on guitar and vocals, and Molly Kate does fiddle and vocals.

For more information and tickets call 336.694.4591. The CCCC is located at the intersection of NC 62 and US 158 (536 Main Street East) in Yanceyville, North Carolina, next to Bartlett Yancey High School, with plenty of free parking.

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Believe...

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

by Liz Sater, Re-Development Coordinator

There will always be those who say Danville’s cup is half empty.

When the tobacco and textile industries pulled the rug out from under our community’s feet, we saw record double-digit unemployment and a huge downturn in our local economy. Some say things are still bleak. Why would anyone want to bring their business to Danville, Virginia?

Fortunately, many others see the cup as half full. They recognize that Danville is in the business of growing businesses. The W. P. Carey School of Business Blue Chip Job Growth Update reports that in metro areas with under one million workers, Danville’s metropolitan area ranked first in the nation in nonagricultural job growth for December 2007 over December 2006, posting a 6.9 percent gain, representing 2,800 jobs.

Other economic development industry accolades abound. FDi Magazine called Danville one of the “Top 5 Micro Cities.” Site Selection Magazine heralded our city among the “Top 10 Metros under 200,000,” and Industry Week voted us one of the “Top 25 World Class Communities.”

Last month, a Polish company, Com.40, Ltd, announced that they would invest $36M in our region and employ 813 local workers to manufacture mattresses and upholstered furniture. This represents the seventh foreign company that believes Danville is a good place to do business.

In an era when so many American jobs and industries are being outsourced overseas, what is it about our area that has turned the tables and created a pro-business atmosphere? How could we attract seven foreign companies, among others, to bring 7,000 jobs and half a billion dollars of investment to this area? The answer is easy: it is the partnerships.

Recently, during an initial visit from a company looking to expand

their market area, our economic development team introduced the visitors to various members of the community. At each meeting they heard the same message: Danville and Pittsylvania County stand ready to provide a seamless environment to make your business a success. From research, development, workforce training, capital investment, and product logistics—across the board, local partners in economic development will work together on every project to bring jobs and investment to the region.

And in case the pro-business atmosphere and the willing partnerships already in place were not enough to sway the vote, the visitors were taken on a tour around the community. They found that the cost of living and quality of life in Danville cannot be beat. The city is clean and pretty even in the dead of winter. Our manicured interchange gardens show that we care about the way our city looks.

Work is progressing to extend the popular River Walk Trail so walkers, runners, and bikers will be able to enjoy the beautiful river that runs through our town.

Improvements are ongoing in the downtown and tobacco warehouse districts to continue the revitalization of the heart of our city. Posters and flyers tell of cultural events and fundraisers that give citizens in our community an opportunity to gather and enjoy a festive atmosphere.

Visitors come to town asking the question, “Why Danville?” But by the time they leave, they are thinking, “Why not?”

We can and should be proud of our community’s team-based approach to attract and support new economic growth. Danville is poised to continue filling the glass until it overflows for all entrepreneurs, both domestic and foreign.

March 2008

He Said

She Said

He Said by Larry Oldham

She Said by Dena Hill

Dating is hard. Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. But none of them is as hard as trying to blend families.

If you have ever been married, divorced, and married again, you know of what I speak. Don't get me wrong. My fiancée is the epitome of love, happiness, and joy, BUT (the old proverbial but) blended families are a constant reminder of the trials and tribulations of love.

It's not her. It's not her children.

They are all great. It's our differences and what we bring from our respective families and other marriages that open up Pandora's Box. Nothing she does is wrong; it’s just different from how I would handle certain situations. Not right. Not wrong. Just different.

That doesn't mean that I love her any less or think she is a bad mother; I just have another opinion. She is a good mother and I do love her. Some of the problems come from the excess baggage of our past histories brought to the forefront from another life.

"What we bring from the past is an effort to blend it into the future"...for our families of course.

Is that profound or what?

Sometimes I amaze myself.

Blending families is a little like combining vanilla and chocolate.

It's hard to take two families who were brought up in separate environments, taught to solve problems differently, and expect them to blend into the Brady Bunch overnight. Blend into what?

Foods blend. Drinks blend.

People tend to segregate.

With the divorce rate so high, it seems that a child living with both biological parents under the same roof is rare. In split homes, there must be a lot of give and take from all. Hopefully, everyone will have the same goal in mind, which is to coexist peacefully and support each other emotionally. The Hill and Oldham children are adults and there has never been a cross word from any of them, but what about families with young children?

When young children are involved, there needs to be a common set of rules by which all abide. I have often wished there was a set of instructions for how to peacefully set up housekeeping with stepfamilies, but there is no "Easy Button.”

Why don't we just drop the term "blended family" and call it something else like the “Chosen Ones" with the common goal of our children being healthy, wealthy and wise instead of being like us, older, poorer, and forgetful?

larryoldham0@gmail.com

North Carolina Author to Speak at Averett

by Susan Huckstep

On Monday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m., Joanna Catherine Scott will discuss the writer’s craft and her book, The Road from Chapel Hill, at Averett University’s Blount Chapel.

Inspired by true events, The Road from Chapel Hill, tells the story of Eugenia Mae Spotswood, the daughter of a failed aristocrat who longs for her old life, Tom, a slave who only wants his freedom, and Clyde Bricket, the farm boy who captures Tom. Worlds apart, the three young Southerners learn that they must fight for their beliefs.

Scott, whose appearance is sponsored by Averett’s Authors on Campus program, Reading Critically for Success, has also written Cassandra Lost, The Lucky Gourd Shop, and several books of poetry.

Members of the community are encouraged to read The Road from Chapel Hill before the event. The novel, currently on sale in the Averett bookstore, will also be available the night of the lecture.

For more information call 434.791.5684. Blount Chapel is located on the second level of the Frith Building on Mountain View Avenue.

March 2008

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Page 7

A Very Moving Experience An ally is supposed to be your friend. And when it comes to losing weight, I need all the allies I can get. Which is why I was drawn to the new diet pill by the same name.

Alli™ (pronounced ally) is the only FDA approved weight loss product on the market, so I knew it could be trusted. What I didn’t know was how it gets to the bottom of things.

But as usual, I am ahead of myself.

I’m soon bound for the tropical paradise of Hawaii. A place where turquoise water laps miles of white sands…and beautiful natives dance the hula before golden sunsets. The scenery is breathtaking, but seeing me in a bathing suit will really cause people to gasp.

And wonder how Shamu got that far away from Sea World.

I can’t wait to experience the island culture, but I am concerned about a couple of things. First, I know the only pig at a luau should be in the pit. And second…I know the only way to wrap a grass skirt around me is to yank up 50 yards of turf from the Astrodome.

Which explains why I was ready to fight fat…regardless of the

cost. But, when my stomach gurgled more than an angry Mt. St. Helens, I began to worry that the expensive capsules were a mistake.

Turns out I was only experiencing the prescribed “treatment effects.”

Treatment effects happen when you do something dumb…like take the pills and eat a whole pizza, some sausage gravy, or a dozen doughnuts. A treatment effect prevents the fat from going on you…by making the fat go through you.

Literally.

Turns out I’ve had treatment effects all my life without realizing I’d discovered the secret of dieting. Which explains why my medicine cabinet stays stocked with Pepto-Bismol and Imodium.

No wonder I keep losing this battle of the bulge.

I'm desperate to lose weight, but not if it means binging and

purging…upside down. It’s one thing to pay big bucks to soothe an upset stomach. It’s another to pay big bucks to cause one.

Had I actually read the Alli™ manuals, I would have known this stuff works better than a dose of castor oil. The literature plainly tells you that it all comes out in the end. And it even instructs you to wear dark pants and carry a change of clothes.

I've had lots of comrades who make me laugh so hard that I have to watch my water intake. But, I've never had one to hit me below the belt like this.

Whether I like it or not, the product works. And exactly as the name implies, it gives me what I need to lose weight.

It's just that with friends like Alli™, who needs enemas.

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Editor’s Note:

When Spring arrives on Thursday, March 20th, winter hibernation ends and it’s time to go outside. Consider ways you might bridge the “nature gap” for yourself and the young people in your life.

Reunite with the life lessons, pleasures and good memories that come from curiosity and imaginations set free in unstructured outdoor play for both children and adults.

In No Adult Left Inside, Averett University English Professor Dr. David Hoffman tells about his observations while walking along the Dan River.

Below is an excerpt from Fred First’s book-in-progress tentatively titled All Who Wonder ~ A Parent’s Guide Back to Nature. Evince readers might remember Fred’s photography on the October 2007 cover, which featured a remote valley scene in Floyd County.

No Child Left Inside

by Fred First

One Alabama summer afternoon my friend Bobby and I were deposited at his Aint Tink’s and told to “go play.” Though neither of us really knew how, we

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decided to fish in a small creek nearby. We figured it out as we went along, using what we could find close by—a crooked stick, a few feet of sewing thread, and a safety pen scrounged from a bedroom dresser drawer. For bait, wild blackberries. Surely fish liked fruit.

We had expected nothing more than small fish to live in a stream like this, so when a big green crawdad motored out from behind a rock like a tiny robot and carried our hook and berry upstream into the dark shadow of a submerged log, we were horrified (and delighted). We ran all the way back to the house to breathlessly tell what we’d just seen.

I remembered this distant fragment of boyhood play while watching our granddaughter Abby create her own excitement and amusement on Goose Creek one afternoon of her summer visit. Her creatures were not as unexpected as the one Bobby and I had seen, but I feel certain that fifty years down the road, she’ll remember this special afternoon of improvised fishing. A couple of buckets, a few plastic cups, and a tiny minnow net— had we spent hours shopping for proper fishing gear, we could not have outfitted her any better for hours of play than the free things we gathered from around the house.

March 2008

photo by Fred First We watched from the house, far enough away that she was in her own private wilderness. We could imagine her thoughts, and some she spoke aloud to our dog.

She was actor, director, narrator and audience as she made up the story about which fish (and crayfish) and how many went in each bucket and why. She decided when they had served her secret purpose and could be released— only to be caught from the same sandy pool again several more times.

Hours passed. She was oblivious. Wet to the knees? She neither noticed nor cared. Her plan for the afternoon? To do whatever comes next to mind.

And the dog’s? To stand ready in the cold water for as long as she might need him.

A place near home. A simple game where Abby made the rules. The easy flow of mind and hands. A small space, but for her, a wilderness. That afternoon, lost in play, was a time that forever will be Abby’s eternal present.

Thankfully, the emotional, physical and ultimate environmental consequences of “nature deficit disorder” finally are being acknowledged and addressed. For more information, visit www.cnaturenet.org and www.slowroadhome.comw

No Adult Left Inside

Walking the Riverwalk with Sadie

by David E. Hoffman The Angry Goose

40% Off Off Retail on Johnston Benchworks Orders Placed March 5th to 9th

Crystal (434) Hill Antiques 575-8810

1902 Seymour Drive South Boston, VA 24592 Open Wed.-Sat. 10-5; Sun. 1-5

Johnston Benchworks Sold Exclusively In Halifax County At Crystal Hill Antiques

“The wild goose is more of a cosmopolite than we; he breaks his fast in Canada, takes a luncheon in the Ohio, and plumes himself for the night in a southern bayou.”­ —Henry David Thoreau One morning on the Riverwalk, the ducks and geese were plentiful in the water and on the shore.

Sadie pranced, as she often does, with her chest out and as regal as

photos by David Hoffman any English setter could be. She looked as if she were telling the world, “I own this path. These are my birds. I am the ruler of this small domain.” Or she was claiming, as William Faulkner once put it, her “little postage stamp of native soil.”

To the left we heard the flapflap-flap of wings as a number of geese made their graceful glide across the water and then an equally graceful landing.

March 2008

To the right was a fence. The geese often wandered on the other side of the 10 foot tall broken chain link fence, and the goslings often played there in the thick undergrowth. But, when they saw Sadie, they crossed the path to the river for safety.

Sadie approached closer and began her alert pose with ears cocked, nose twitching, tail wagging and her tongue hanging out, as the geese began their march to the water. It was like a well-written script or a choreographed dance, but each morning the geese found their way safely to the water. Except for this one morning.

One gosling was late getting the warning and had tarried too long. As we approached the area, we were in the path of the gosling’s escape to the water.

Sadie’s instinct kicked in when she noticed the young bird and pointed, front right paw lifted and

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tail straight out. Because of the leash, the gosling was never in any danger from this puppy, but we had crossed between the baby and its mother.

As soon as Sadie made her pose, the mother goose came angrily charging at Sadie, honking loudly, her wings fully outstretched and her beak pecking the air. Sadie cowered.

I pulled Sadie away from the disgruntled goose, and we continued our walk as she periodically looked back and was less confident than she had been earlier. Sadie’s head was now bowed, and she no longer walked with the regal air of superiority.

She understood that she must share the path with other creatures, great and small.

April 4 & 5 / 7:30 pm April 6 / 3:00 matinee Kirby Theater, Roxboro

Directed by

Fred Motley

“Join our cast at Truvy’s beauty salon, where all the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done”

photo by Lianna’s Photography

Our Cast Jan Kerr Merilyn Newell Maggie Bonafair Lianna Slaughter Pam Brewer Kim Demetriades

Tickets: www.artsinperson.com or 336-597-1709

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

March Through March 9

DMFAH Exhibits – Outsiders; Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – See page 3.

Through April 30

Alien Earths Exhibit – What we know about life on Earth can help the search for life beyond Earth. Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville – 276.634.4141.

Through May 1

Too Small to See Exhibit – Discover the world of nanotechnology. Danville Science Center – 434.791.5160.

Lighten Up 4 Life – Includes guest speakers, fun exercise programs, nutrition, prizes, 2nd & 4th Weds.

9-11 am. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

March 1

Mock Quail Hunt. Ages 7–14.8:30 am– 12:30 pm. Ballou Park. 434.799.5215.

DRBA’s Annual Celebration – Business session, guest speakers & after-meeting hike. 10 am. The Prizery, South Boston.

434.579.7599.

Bob Ross Painting Class – Island in the Wilderness. 10:30 am–3:30 pm. Ballou Annex. 434.797.8848.

Averett Lacrosse vs. Lynchburg.

4 pm. Averett U. – 434.791.5600.

Richmond Symphony. 7:30 pm.

Prizery, South Boston – 434.572.8339.

March 3 (thru 31)

Night Club 2-Step Lessons. Mondays 7-8:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

March 4

Making Sense of Nutritional Info – Learn how to make the best possible food choices for you and your family.

11am. Boscov’s. 434.797.8848.

Digital Cameras – Basics of a digital camera, taking digital pic­tures and downloading them to a computer, and basic image editing and printing.

6–9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research – 434.766.6700.

March 4 (thru 20)

e-Commerce Workshops – Six workshops aimed at assisting businesses and individuals with the application of e-commerce processes and technologies. Tues & Thurs 6-9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning & Research – 434.766.6709.

March 4 (thru 25)

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

Mons 6-7:30 pm. City Auditorium.

434.797.8848.

March 4 (thru 27)

Fitness For Older Adults, Ladies & ABSolute Fitness. Tues/Thur, 9–11 am; Ladies 10 am–12 pm; ABSolute Fitness 10:30-11:30 am. City Armory. 434.797.8848.

March 4 (thru 29)

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

Auditorium. 434.797.8848.

March 5

Senior Bowling Tournament.

10 am-12 Noon. Riverside Lanes – 434.791.2695.

Averett Softball vs. Virginia Wesleyan.

2 pm. Averett University – 434.791.5600.

Fetch! Lab - Design a hook to retrieve an underwater package and transport it to dry land. Ages 8–12. 3:45–4:45 pm.

Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

Averett Lacrosse vs. Hollins. 4 pm.

Averett University – 434.791.5600.

March 6

Alzheimer’s Presentation – Long Term Health Care – How To Pay for It. 12-1 pm.

United Way Meeting Room. 434.792.3700 ext. 30.

Beginners Cross Stitch Class. 1-2:30 or 7-8:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Averett Baseball vs. Lake Erie (Doubleheader). 1 pm. Averett University – 434.791.5600.

Buy & Sale on EBay – Learn the tricks of the trade. 6–9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research – 434.766.6700.

Caswell County Chamber Banquet – Guest speaker Brad Craver will do humor, music and magic. 6:15 pm. Caswell Pines Golf Course. 336.694.6106.

Gardening Workshop –Vegetable gardening. 6:30–8 pm. Boscov’s.

434.797.8848.

March 7 (thru April 26)

PAA Exhibits - Michael McCurdy: Words into Images. Portraits by Nicodemus Hufford, and ProAm Photographers Club Exhibit.

Opening Reception & Gallery Talk, 3/7 – 5:30 pm. Piedmont Arts, Martinsville – 276.632.3221.

March 8

Short Stack for a Tall Cause – Flapjack Fundraiser Breakfast. 7–10 am.

Applebee’s. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – 434.724.2124 or 434.792.4462.

Purgatory Overlook AT Hike – Mild to moderate hike. 8 am–6 pm. Meet at Ballou Park. 434.799.5215.

Instant Piano Classes – 9 am-12 pm.

Ballou Annex. 434.797.8848.

March 10

Bluebird Watching - Learn about the birds and how to protect them and their habitat. 7 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

March 11

Averett Baseball vs. Guilford. 1 pm.

Averett University – 434.791.5600.

March 2008

March 2008 S M 2 9 16 23 30

T W

T

F

3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28 31

S 1 8 15 22 29

Polliwogs & Science Stars - Take an imaginary journey to Japan and learn about Japanese culture. Ages 3–4 1–2 pm; Ages 5–7 3:45–4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

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

Monday Steppers – Performing dance troupe. 7-8 pm. Hatcher Center, Blairs.

434.799.5216.

Line Dancers Boot Camp – Learn the basic steps and a few dances using those steps. 12-5 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Mardi Gras Dance – Wear your favorite purple, gold, green to honor the occasion. Sounds by DJ Danny Daniel. 7:30-10:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Spring Classical Concert – See page 4.

Strategic Planning & the 21st Century Leader – Learn the challenges for today’s leaders. Understand the difference between leading and managing. 9 am– 4 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research – 434.766.6793.

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

434.797.8848.

Wreaths for Spring Class. 1-2:30 or 5:30–6:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Stencil Rugs Class. 1-2:30 or 5:30– 7 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Coffee Tasting Around the World Class – Featuring Latin American Coffee. 7 pm.

Starbuck’s. 434.797.8848.

Home Expo. Institute for Advanced Learning & Research. Builder’s & Associates of Southern Virginia.

March 13

March 14

Barbecue Dinner – Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary.

5:30–8 pm. Dan River Post 1097. egor1@ comcast.net.

Cherryholmes Concert – See page 5. and ad on page 11.

St. Patrick’s Day Gala – Fun, food, music & a silent auction. Prizery, South Boston. Halifax Regional Hospice – 434.517.3339.

March 15

Shamrock 5K Run/Walk. Registration 8:30–10 am. Race 10:30 am. Riverwalk Trail, Crossing. DDA – 434.791.6813.

Bunny Lunch & Eggstravaganza Hunt – Lunch, prizes, crafts and pictures with the bunny. Ages 3-10. 11 am–1 pm. Ballou Park. 434.797.8848.

Averett Baseball vs. Gettysburg (Doubleheader). 12 pm. Averett University – 434.791.5600.

Pi Day – Break down this irrational number with hands-on measurements, a little light physics to honor Einstein, and a pizza calculations treat. 1-3:14 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

March 15 & 16

March 15 (thru April 23)

Maud Gatewood Legacy Exhibit.

In conjunction with the DMFAH exhibit.

Caswell County Civic Center – 336.694. 4591.

March 16

Averett Baseball vs. Tuft. 1 pm.

Averett University – 434.791.5600.

March 16 (thru April 27)

Averett Student and Alumni Art Show – Runs concurrently with the Maud Gatewood Legacy Exhibit. Opening Reception 3/16, 2–4 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History – 434.793.5644.

March 16 (thru May 11)

Maud Gatewood Legacy Exhibit – In conjunction with the CCCC exhibit.

Opening Reception 3/16, 2–4 pm.

Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History – 434.793.5644.

March 17

Averett Lacrosse vs. Christopher Newport. 3 pm. Averett University – 434.791.5600.

North Theatre Film Club – See page 5.

March 17 & 18

AARP Drivers 55 Alive Classes.

9 am–1 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

March 17 & 20

Management Through Film - The Hunt For Red October. 6-9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research – 434.766.6700.

March 18

Career and Networking Fair.

11 am–2 pm. Danville Community Market. 434.797.8520 or 434.791.5629.

Averett Women’s Tennis vs. Peace College. 3:30 pm. Averett University – 434.791.5600.

White Oak Mountain Quilt Guild.

7 pm. St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Alisa Seamster – 434.388.2881.

March 18 (thru 27)

Roll, Roll, Roll Your Kayak – Learn about whitewater kayaking. Tues/Thurs 6:15–8:15 pm. YMCA. 434.799.5215.

March 19

With a Warm Handshake - One-man performance on Vincent van Gogh. See page 13.

A Taste of Southside: Growing Your Food-Based Business – See page 14.

Fetch! Lab - Design and build a hovercraft. Ages 8–12. 3:45–4:45 pm.

Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

March 20

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

March 2008 Bob Ross Technique Workshop – After the Rain. Piedmont Arts, Martinsville – 276.632.3221.

Skywatchers – View Saturn, the constellations, the Great Bear (Ursa Major) The Big Dipper. Nightfall. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

March 21

Averett Women’s Tennis vs. Methodist University. 1:30 pm. Averett University – 434.791.5600.

Women of Faith, Walking by Faith of Danville. 11 am–1 pm. The Colonade Room. Jennie - 434.793.8140 or Catherine - 434.836.2660.

March 22

Averett Men’s Tennis vs. Methodist University. 1 pm. Averett University – 434.791.5600.

Auto Racing – Late Model/Limited/ Pure Stock/SV Modifieds. South Boston Speedway – 877.440.1540.

RuggerRoast. 7 pm. The Crossing. Dan River Rugby Club – www.danriverrugby. com.

March 24

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

March 25

Polliwogs & Science Stars - Learn how rainbows are made and why they are so colorful. Make your own rainbow to take home. Ages 3–4 1–2 pm; Ages 5–7 3:45–4:45 pm.

Danville Science Center 434.791.5160.

March 26

Gardening Class – Springtime Soil.

12:30-2:30 pm. Ballou Center.

434.799.5215.

Averett Softball vs. Greensboro. 2 pm.

Averett University – 434.791.5600.

• The Queen of Bingo Comedy Show – In the tradition of the hilarious Harvey Korman and Tim Conway sketches. 7:30 pm. GWHS. Arts & Humanities – 434.792.6965. See ad page 5.

March 30

Goody’s Cool Orange 500 – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

12 pm. Martinsville Speedway – 877.722.3849.

Averett Softball vs. Guilford. 1 pm.

Averett University – 434.791.5600.

March 31

Author on Campus – Joanna Catherine Scott. See pages 6 & 13.

March 31 (thru April 4)

DCC’s Celebration of the Arts. See ad page 14 and story page 2.

Upcoming Events

April 3

Adult College Fair – Learn about educational programs designed to meet the needs of busy adults, working professionals, and nontraditional students. 5-8 pm.

Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. 434.766.6709.

April 4 & 5

Nano Days – Explore the inner workings of the tiniest science around. 4/4, 6-8 pm; 4/5, 11 am–3 pm.

Danville Science Center 434.791.5160.

April 5

DDA Honoree of the Year Benefit – Roasting & toasting of Senator Charles Hawkins. 6–9:30 pm. Stratford Courtyard. Downtown Danville Association – 434.791.4470.

March 26 (thru May 1)

Art with Flo – Wet on wet technique.

Weds or Thurs, 6–9 pm. Ballou Annex.

434.797.8848.

March 27

Fostering Creativity, Generating Innovation – Learn personal techniques for increasing your own creativity, as well as creative collaboration techniques for inspiring others to be innovative! 9 am– 4 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research – 434.766.6700.

Jammers & Coffee House – 4-6 pm.

Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

March 28

Pole Day – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 12 pm. Martinsville Speedway – 877.722.3849.

Night in the Park – Hike and a campfire with snacks. 6:30-8:30 pm.

Ballou Park. 434.799.5215.

Soundcheck – Teens are invited to share their talents. 7-8:30 pm. The Cellar, Chatham Baptist Church. Farida Hughes – 434.432.0347.

March 29

Kroger 250 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. 12 pm. Martinsville Speedway – 877.722.3849.

Averett Softball vs. N.C. Wesleyan. 1 pm.

Averett University – 434.791.5600.

Garden Stepping Stones Class.

1-2:30 or 5:30–7 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.

Intro to Disc Golf. 1–4 pm. Ballou Park. 434.799.5215.

Averett Lacrosse vs. Ferrum. 4 pm.

Averett University – 434.791.5600.

Animals, Arts and Culture Gala – Fundraiser for the SPCA of Martinsville & Henry County. 7 pm. Virginia Museum of Natural History. SPCAMHC – 276.638.7297.

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Evince Is Growing Come Grow with Us. Great news for our readers and advertisers! Current and past issues of Evince can now be read online at www.evincere.net. You can check on an ad, calendar item, or story before you pick up a printed copy at over 100 locations in the Danville area.* For advertisers this means your ad will remain in the public’s view months after the paper copy has been recycled. Payment is easier than ever too because of the new charge card option.

With expansion comes opportunities. Evince is looking for a sales representative with experience to join our team. This self-motivated person must be out-going, dependable, and computer literate. Hours are flexible and salary is based on commission. Send resume to sales@starmark.net.

If you want to submit a newsworthy story, email it to managingeditor@starmark.net.

Calendar items are sent to calendar@starmark.net.

Support all that is good about Danville. Be an Evince reader, writer, advertiser, and/or employee. * For example: Danville, Chatham, and Halifax Public Libraries. See website for all locations.

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

Nanotechnology Is Bottom-Up Engineering

by Brian Holloway, Director Nanomaterials Research Group, Luna Innovations

So, how much are you worth?

What are your basic components -the elements that make you you -worth on the open market today?

Your make-up is mostly oxygen (in the form of water), quite a bit of hydrogen (again, mainly as water), and a large amount of carbon. These three elements alone make up over 90% of your body weight. Unfortunately, these elements are also some of the most common elements on the planet, so in terms of your “elemental composition,” you are not worth that much. About $4.50 on today’s open market. However, I would suggest that every single person on this planet is actually worth more than $4.50 (which is contrary to the arguments of my niece about her younger brother).

People have personalities, talents, skills, and abilities that make them much more valuable than the sum of their elemental parts. This is because people have been constructed out of simple, inexpensive elements to become very complex machines with astounding capabilities.

Nature has perfected the use of nanotechnology by taking everyday components and making complex organisms.

Scientists would like to do the same thing; make complex machines by building up from simple parts. This is one of the holy grails of nanotechnology— make something very complex and valuable by efficiently combining inexpensive components in unique ways.

Building from the bottom up makes sense, especially both from a financial point of view (it uses only the resources it needs), and from a complexity point of view.

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For example, Intel is the leading manufacturer of computer chips.

Computer chips are clearly stateof-the-art technology. They take days to build, contain hundreds of different layers of material, and have features that are less than 1/1000th the diameter of a human hair. Clearly, Intel is a leader in modern technology. Now, let’s translate Intel’s current state-ofthe-art manufacturing processes to something a little closer to home.

If Intel were in the home building business, it would create a subdivision by bulldozing an entire field absolutely flat (can’t have any standing trees, existing shrubs, or even grass); they would then build a fence around the entire subdivision and fill it with concrete 12 feet thick. After the concrete dried, men would spend days jackhammering out streets, yards, and the walls of houses.

When the houses were done, the entire subdivision would be filled with tar to the top of the walls and another layer of concrete would be pored over the entire lot to make up the roofs, and the tar would be washed out of the houses. If a roof did not fit onto the walls exactly, well that house would be no good. A 90% yield of houses would be considered great. Modern luxuries like indoor plumbing, doors, windows, and multi-story buildings would be out of the question. Also, the cost would probably be somewhere in the millions per house.

Clearly, there is a better way.

Building up from a foundation by adding parts in a defined pattern allows for much more complex structures while also minimizing waste (no carting off truck loads of jackhammered cement). Bottom up engineering’s entire goal is to build computer chips, electronic components, and other technology from the ground up rather than from the top down.

While cost savings are a part of the goal, the real goal is to be able to enhance technology by creating more and more complex structures in smaller packages.

Luna Innovations Inc. is located on Bridge Street in Danville.

March 2008

Around the Table

by Annelle Williams

Let’s have a Soup Swap!

Need a good theme for a friendly, cold weather get-together? Have a Soup Swap! All you need is a group of friends (my party consisted of 5 couples) who are willing to do a little pre-party cooking and you’re more than half-way there. Each couple brought 5 containers of soup (one to be used for the tasting and the other four frozen to be taken home—the swapping part) and 4 copies of their recipe.

For our party, each couple also brought their favorite hors d’oeuvre or dessert, and the host prepared an extra pot of soup for the meal. It was a great evening, and we’re already planning next year’s event.

Did I mention prizes? We had everything from wooden soup spoons to condiments for the Best Soup in Show, Most Unusual Ingredients, Best Tasting, etc., but you can create categories and prizes to fit your guest list. It’s best to have a printed ballot with all the categories listed. Oh, and do include a “storytelling,” where each couple promotes their soup with a story. After the storytelling, the guests draw numbers to determine the soup-picking order, and the cycle is repeated four times so that by the end of the evening each couple has chosen four quarts of soup to take home.

Tips: Creamy and potato-based soups don’t freeze as well as brothbased soups. If you have vegetarian guests, plan accordingly. Send the invitations out early, giving your soup makers time to plan, prepare, and freeze their soup. Be creative, have fun, and look forward to the four meals you’ll be taking home.

Hot and Spicy Chicken Soup (This soup is not only delicious, but is good medicine for colds.)

3 chicken breasts 2 tsp. salt 1-2 stalks of celery, chopped bay leaves Cover 3 skinless chicken breasts (with bones) in water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, a stalk or two of roughly chopped celery with green tops, and a couple of bay leaves. Simmer until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from broth and cool.

Remove chicken from bones and shred into small pieces. Reserve broth and shredded chicken. Discard bay leaves and celery.

1 medium onion, chopped 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped 2-3 carrots, chopped 4 tsp. of chopped garlic 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes 1 T butter 1 T olive oil 1 (16oz.) can shoe-peg corn, drained 1 T Mongolian Fire Oil (Asian section of grocery store) chopped parsley

Sauté the vegetables and pepper flakes in the butter and oil until soft. The onions will become transparent. Add corn, cooked chicken, and broth. Add enough water to broth to make 32 ounces. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add Mongolian Fire Oil and simmer for 5 minutes. Top each bowl with a little extra Mongolian Fire Oil and chopped parsley. Double this recipe to make 4 quarts.

Food Competition Slated at Ialr

by Amanda Wilson Are you the next Mrs. Fields? Are you on the road to being the next Paul Newman food success story?

Whether your dream is to operate a food-based business or you are currently managing a successful endeavor, The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) and Virginia Cooperative Extension invite individuals and businesses to participate in A Taste of Southside: Growing Your FoodBased Business. This symposium will give participants new insight into the food business, as well as offer the opportunity to compete in a food judging event.

The morning sessions include: Partnering with Virginia Agencies, Branding and Labeling, Health Department Regulations Governing Catering and Food-Based Businesses, and Connecting with Retailers.

Following the afternoon food competition, ribbons will be awarded for: barbecue sauce, beverages (wine is not included in this competition), breads, cakes, candies, cheeses, chutneys, cookies, hot sauces, jellies (including jams, spreads, and butters), marinades, meats, condiments (such as mustard and catsup), pickled foods, pies, salsas, sauces with meat, sauces with no meat, snack foods (chips, pretzels, peanuts, other), and sweet sauces.

There will also be an opportunity to network with other members of the food-based industry.

Conceived to spur entrepreneurial development in the agricultural sectors of Southside Virginia, this symposium is funded by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Grant awarded by the USDA and the University of Georgia.

The symposium is scheduled for Wednesday, March 19, from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. at The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, 150 Slayton Avenue. It is free, but registration is required. To register, email amanda.wilson@ ialr.org or 434-766-6709. For more information visit www.ialr.org.

March 2008

•

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Learn about Vincent van Gogh at One-Man Performance

Page 13

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by Joyce Wilburn

Boone, North Carolina resident and artist, Joe Miller, will be at the Wednesday Club on March 19th to present a one-man show on the life of Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, as seen through the eyes of his brother, Theo.

In With a Warm Handshake, Miller becomes Theo and shows the depth of Theo’s love and unequivocal support of his brother. An audience member summarizes his response to the one-man show by saying, “I once researched a thesis on Impressionist and PostImpressionist painters, but your portrayal of the reminiscences of Theo van Gogh taught me more about Vincent, both facts and feelings. I’ll not soon forget you.�

Miller, a pharmacist and avid artist, delivers a very compassionate and highly believable portrayal of Theo’s key role in the creation of some of the world’s most cherished

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Miller is also well-known in the art community as the founder and owner of a mail order art materials company, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, which is one of the nation’s leading suppliers of art materials.

With a Warm Handshake will be presented at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, at the Wednesday Club, 1002 Main Street.

It is free and open to the public. For more information, call 434.792.8977.

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.

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon with no family or work obligations gnawing

by Laurie Moran at my conscience. The Gretna Theatre’s showing of P.S. I Love You seemed an by Joycetheir schedules. When patrons Wilburn ideal retreat from my everyday life. I indicated they wouldn’t be able to jumped into the car and made the short return, she gladly provided them a full trip to the restored 1950s movie house. refund. Marie treated each patron’s Midway through the movie, the situation individually to ensure that track lights flickered and the screen every person had a positive experience. went black. Following some muffled In the end, the movie aired two discussion in the projector area, the more times at no cost to the Sunday movie was soon playing again. A few afternoon patrons. When I returned to minutes later, though, gusting winds the theatre on Monday evening to finish crippled the town’s electricity, abruptly the movie, I was greeted by a cheerful ending our movie experience.

Marie who expressed her gratitude for What could have been a frustrating our patience and understanding. occurrence was soon diverted when Showing a movie twice at no cost was theatre owner Marie Young stepped up obviously an expense for the theatre, to apologize for the power outage–an but Marie understands that, more event obviously beyond her control–and importantly, it was an investment in offered options for every patron in the exceeding her customers’ expectations. theatre. When she suggested showing For Marie Young, customer service the movie the following evening, and isn’t about doing business. It’s about some patrons couldn’t attend, Marie doing business the right way. asked them for alternate times when they could come and accommodated

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March 15 • 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

March 16 • 1-5 p.m.

Institute for Advanced Learning & Research 150 Slayton Avenue • Danville, Virginia 24540

Page 14

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March 2008

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College basketball has March Madness. Major league baseball has spring training. Which team will make it to the Final Four or the World Series this year? And what can you learn from them about playing your A-Game at home and stay married forever?

Here are three tips:

Ask For Opportunities Spouses in a successful marriage ask for opportunities rather than just hope they’ll happen. What if you absolutely love to play baseball, but as a kid, you never asked your dad to play catch with you? Would you learn to play very well?

If you desire to be an A-Game player at home, ask for opportunities to enjoy your mutual passion with your spouse. Find a mutual passion, an activity which the two of you really enjoy doing together. How? Ask your spouse: What are some great times we’ve

Couples who stay married forever have a plan that they perfect each day. My wife’s nephew, Dan Uggla, is the starting second baseman for the Florida Marlins. Two seasons ago, he broke the homerun record for rookie second basemen. How did he do it? Dan attributes his success to a strong work ethic, and his coaches say he learns constantly. Do you act on your plan daily to improve your marriage relationship? Desire without action is just a dream.

Be Accountable to Your Partner The spouses who successfully play out of their A-Game are accountable to each other. Can you imagine Fred Astaire without Ginger Rogers? The Lone Ranger without Tonto? We all need someone to keep us accountable for what we do. Someone to say, “Did you ask for an opportunity?� or “Did you act on your plan today?� If you know your spouse will ask these kind of surgically honest questions, you are more likely to do what you must in order to be an A-game spouse.

Catch March Madness at home.

Train yourself to be an A-Game player. And Stay Married Forever.

For more information visit www.StayMarriedForever.org.

March 2008

Southern Virginia’s New Tobacco-The Business of Art and Design

by Lee Sandstead

The other day I was standing in one of the newest educational computer labs in the region. The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (HEC) in South Boston has launched a new educational-model called “the Business of Art and Design,” and their new graphics design lab is one of the core pieces to this model.

On the floor of the lab stood 18 of Apple’s latest and greatest boxed-up state-of-the-art computers. Needless to say, we were all pretty excited to rip open those boxes and see what was inside.

When the first was opened, we were surprised at what we saw--in a tiny font that we had to lean over and squint to see, simply read: “Designed by Apple in California.”

There wasn’t a list of computer specs or promotional flyers or a letter from their president or throw-away computer manuals.

There was simply: “Designed by Apple in California.”

We live in an era of design in the United States. Apple is a great example. Their design philosophy has set them apart from almost every other technological brand.

More and more, companies are looking at art and design in order to remain competitive. For instance, GM, one of the world’s largest car makers, is not in the car building business any more—they are in the “art business,” says GM highup Robert Lutz. He continues by referring to cars as: “art, entertainment and mobile sculpture, which, coincidentally, also happens to provide transportation.”

Many leaders in Southern Virginia are seizing these great opportunities in the design world by advocating an educational model where students take the lead in arts-related fields.

For instance, Dan H. Pink reports in his NY Times best-selling book A Whole New Mind that: “In the United States, the number of graphic designers has increased tenfold in a decade; graphic designers outnumber chemical engineers by four to one.” He continues: “The wealth of nations and the wellbeing of individuals now depend on having artists in the room. In a world enriched by abundance but disrupted by the automation and outsourcing of white-collar work, everyone, regardless of profession, must cultivate an artistic sensibility.

We may not all be Dali or Degas. But today we must all be designers.”

If you are interested in arts and design and what they mean for our future—read that book. W. W. “Ted” Bennett, Jr. has read it. He is the HEC’s Executive Director, and he asks everyone to read it. “We’re developing a significant design and

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arts four-year program for students across Southern Virginia starting with dual enrollment students,” says Bennett. “The business of art and design will play a significant role in our economic and cultural future.” With strong emphasis on K-12 outreach and strong relationships in higher education, Bennett is fighting to do just that.

When completed, the Business of Art and Design will be housed in the 40,000 square feet historic “bag” factory located next to the Prizery in South Boston.

Space is allotted for computerbased design labs, the wood arts, performing arts, fine arts, fashion design, interior design, architecture, culinary arts, photography and animation.

It’s a visionary and ambitious project, but maybe one day, Apple’s next generation of badboy computers will be designed by regional students, and when we open these boxedup computers, they could very possibly read: “Designed by Apple in Southern Virginia.”

Author Lee Sandstead, host of Travel Channel’s “Art Attack,” has recently joined the Business of Art and Design, an initiative of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. The HEC is transforming the region by seeking to provide broader educational connections and opportunities through partnering institutions. For more information, visit www.svhed.org or call 434-572-5488.

Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

by Debra Dodson The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is currently accepting applications for 22 different scholarships.

Area college-bound high school students or potential graduate school students who are interested should contact their guidance offices for the application, or print it from the Foundation’s web site at www.cfdrr.org. The deadline for all applications to be received is March 20.

The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region is a public charity established in September, 1996, by a steering committee of civic leaders. The Foundation strives to meet a wide variety of social, educational, cultural, and other charitable needs in the region from Martinsville/Henry County through South Boston/Halifax County, as well as the neighboring North Carolina counties.

For more information, the Foundation can be contacted at 541 Loyal Street, P.O. Box 1039, Danville, VA 24543, call 434.793.0884, or visit www.cfdrr.org.

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March 2008

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