Evince Magazine December 2018

Jenna Belcher & Steve Scott Changing Lives One Marathon at a Time Page 5

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Page 8

Where’s the Music?

Page 13

DHS Holiday Tour page 8 (ad) and pages 20-21 (Photo Finish)

Page  2 December 2018

December Contents

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

3 Editor’s Note

Editor’s Note

An extraordinary event will happen today. Allow Evince to show you how to participate, create your own special occasion, or both.

Jenna Belcher and Steve Scott (page 5) are participants and creators. They are running marathons to raise awareness and money for cancer patients and they are offering ways for you to become involved.

Jacinta Ferrell and Esther Dalton are lucky recipients of the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award (page 8) because someone wanted to make their day special. Why don’t you nominate someone? A very dedicated group of Danville citizens organized the 46th Annual DHS Holiday Tour for your enjoyment (see cover picture of one site, ad on page 8 and pictures on page 2021). Be a participant, take the tour. Profits will be used to help preserve Danville’s history.

If you are ready to organize a group event, read “The Wine Spot” on page 18 for a few very unique suggestions. Also, learn about all the special events that you can attend this month on page 14. “Meditation Moment” (page 10) will help you recognize that special events happen frequently. You just have to slow down and allow yourself the time to see them.

5 Jenna Belcher & Steve Scott

Changing Lives One Marathon at a Time

by Celeste Lynn

Sincerely,

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks

Contributing Writers

8 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Sandie Currie

Diane Adkins, Kim Clifton, Sandie Currie, Leslie Dobbins, Mary Franklin, Joyce Fuquay, Adam Goebel, Telisha Moore Leigg, Celeste Lynn, Kathy Milam, Carla Minosh, Casey Molloy, Bernadette Moore, Diana Schwartz, Danielle Staub, Dave Slayton, Joyce Wilburn, Larry Wilburn, Isla Wiles, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams, Margaret Wooding

9 Second Thoughts / Joy to the World

by Kim Clifton 10 Some Gifts Change Over Time - Others Don’t

by Mack Williams

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349)

Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy

Marketing Consultants For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

12 Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 13 Where’s the Music? / Norm Aquilo

by Larry Wilburn

Kim Demont (434.792.0612) demontdesign @verizon.net

14 Calendar 16 What to Give the Plant Lover

by Isla Wiles 17 Book Clubbing / Deep Run Roots: Stories and

Recipes from My Corner of the South

by Vivian Howard

a review by Diane Adkins 18 The Wine Spot / Plan a Unique Wine Event

by Dave Slayton

Lee Vogler (434.548.5335) lee@evince magazine.com Ernest Galindo ernest@showcasemagazine.com evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW

19 Around the Table / Pecan Bourbon Truffles

by Annelle Williams

20 Photo Finish

Deadline for submission of January stories, articles, and ads is Tuesday, December 18, at 5:00 p.m.

Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Editorial Policies:

Evince is a free monthly magazine with news about entertainment and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject, and edit all submissions and advertisements.

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com

Community Strong Jenna Belcher & Steve Scott

For subscriptions to Evince, email info@evincemagazine.com.

Cost is $24 a year.

VoTe For YoUr FaVorITeS

Changing Lives One Marathon at a Time

2019 RAVE Awards

Page 5

© 2018 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Page 8

Credits: Amber Wilson: hair; Catherine Saunders: skin care and makeup; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville.

Janelle Gammon: nails; Salon One 11, 111 Sandy Court, Danville. Clothes and accessories: Rippe’s100 Years of Fashion, 559 Main St. Danville.

OICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS

Associate Editors Jeanette Taylor • Larry Wilburn

PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

Thank you for the compliments and support Evince receives.

They make our days special.

THE

Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com

6 Renovation Reality / Part 29

by Carla Minosh

Evince Magazine Page 3

Where’s the Music?

Page 13

DHS Holiday Tour page 8 (ad) and pages 20-21 (Photo Finish)

On the Cover:

The home of Brenda Brokaw, 284 West Main Street, is one stop on the 46th Annual Danville Historical Society Holiday Tour. See ad on page 8 for details.

www.showcasemagazine.com

| December 2018 | ShowcaSe magazine 1

Don’t Forget to Pick Up the Community Strong December Edition of Showcase Magazine

Page  4 December 2018

Evince Magazine Page 5

Photo by Alan Dalton Photography.

Jenna Belcher & Steve Scott Changing Lives One Marathon at a Time

by Celeste Lynn

A

t some point in life, everyone

comes to a crossroad where

a crucial decision must be made that will have far-reaching consequences. Danville resident Jenna Belcher has done just that. A breast cancer survivor diagnosed in 2016, the Roanoke native was told that beating cancer wouldn’t be a sprint. It would be like running a marathon. Jenna realized that there was purpose behind the pain and she wanted to share her journey with others.

“I knew God gave me cancer for a reason and it wasn’t just for me to go through a course of treatment and be done; it was for me to use it to help other people,” she says.

The treatments were successful, prayers were answered, and Jenna went into remission. At that point, she remembered

her doctor’s words and took them to heart. She decided to run a marathon. Serendipitously, she crossed paths with a lifelong friend, Steve Scott, a Pittsylvania County native, known for running several marathons. He shared with Jenna his mother’s journey as a breast cancer survivor. The two bonded over their common experiences and teamed up to form Run for Health, a non-profit that raises money for the Danville Pittsylvania Cancer Association.

As part of their fundraising efforts, Steve has begun training to run the 7-7-7 in January 2020. “I’ll be running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days,” he explains. Jenna’s goal is to train alongside Steve and run the last of the seven marathons with him in Florida. They are being helped by Jenna’s husband, Trey, a Danville firefighter and athletic

trainer. Steve’s wife, Amanda, and adult children, Chris and Kelsey, along with two-year-old grandson Warren, are his cheerleaders.

To prepare for the 7-7-7 challenge, Steve runs an average of 100 miles per week and up to twenty miles per day. His running routine is intertwined with strength building exercises and other cardio workouts. As part of his ongoing training, Steve recently ran a marathon in Erie, Pennsylvania, that subsequently qualified him for the Boston Marathon in April 2019.

In addition to the training and fundraising, Steve speaks at local events, sharing his personal story and the details of the mission.

“For me, it is all about making a positive difference in the lives of others and raising awareness about cancer in our community.

It’s about letting cancer survivors and people currently battling cancer know that they have a friend and advocate in me,” says Steve. Jenna agrees and looks forward to crossing the finish line with him in 2020 at the final marathon. She doesn’t foresee any problems, stating emphatically, “If I can beat cancer, I can run 26.2 miles.”

• A 7-7-7 Run for Health Stew will be held on Saturday, December 8, at Woodson Marathon, 3109 Riverside Drive, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Danville Pittsylvania Cancer Association, 223 Riverview Drive, Suite J, Danville.

• Monetary contributions to support Steve’s efforts can be made at www. gofundme.com/7-marathons7continents-7-days • For more information, visit www.runaroundthe worldforacure.com.

• For information about Danville Pittsylvania Cancer Association, call 434.791.3227.

Page 6 December 2018 they were simply overpainted rather than cleaned. A favorite color to overpaint with was a gold spray paint--so often found on antique cast-iron radiators that it has been dubbed “radiator gold.” Unfortunately, it is a common treatment, and we rejected many specimens due to the gaudy bordello look of the overpainting. This specimen, however, was in original finish, nicely aged to a mellow tone. The ocean waves on top were crowned with a garland of vines and flowers supporting and encircling a fat little putti. (For the uninitiated, a cherub is a fat little baby with wings, whereas a putti is a cherubic-looking fat little baby without wings.) The glass was flanked by twisted columns with Corinthian capitols, floral accents, and intricate deeply-carved patterns.

Renovation Reality Part 29

by Carla Minosh Unlike HGTV shows where home renovations are completed within thirty to sixty minutes, the Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for eighteen years. This series explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that. If you missed any of the articles, visit www. evincemagazine.com.

I

n addition to lighting, paint colors, wall treatments, and furniture, a major feature and focal point in any Victorian home is the fireplace mantel and the overmantel mirror. In our case, the music room contained a simple white Carrara marble mantel, the overmantel mirror having been lost to time and memory. The filled-in bolt holes high up spoke of a grand mirror, but none existed in that space when we arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, finding a mirror tall enough to fill the space between the mantel and the twelve-and-a-half foot

ceiling would prove challenging, but we are good at hunting down the unusual. Eventually, our resources led us to a lovely gilded piece still with its original finish.

So many of these mirrors ended up darkened with the dirt and grime of soot and time and were so delicate and intricate that

Upon taking off the rear board to lighten the massive glass, the signatures of the original craftsmen were revealed on the tongueand-groove slats underneath, proclaiming the origin of the mirror to be New York, New York, dated October 19, 1894. At least eight separate signatures in bold flowing script decorated the rear of the piece. We loaded it onto a U-Haul for the ride from Baltimore to its new home in Danville, where it lay on its side for many years until we were ready to hang it in its forever home.

(to be continued)

Evince Magazine Page  7

Page 8 December 2018

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

Jacinta Ferrell and Esther Dalton

by Sandie Currie

One evening recently, I placed a pick-up order at Home Depot, 175 Holt Garrison Parkway, Danville. Due to a family emergency, I needed to pick up the order first thing Saturday morning. I knew the staff would not have had time to pull the items so I planned on finding them myself. Jacinta Ferrell in the service department greeted me immediately when I walked in and insisted that she would have all the items on the order within minutes.

Jacinta recruited sales associate, Esther Dalton, and the two of them set to work to collect everything from all areas of the store. Both were friendly, helpful, efficient, and went above and beyond. Between the time I walked in, did additional shopping, and picked up my order, it was less than fifteen minutes.

I always appreciate friendly, professional service but rarely do I expect (or ask) for something out of the ordinary. Often, staff isn’t trained or prepared to address unusual situations.

For these reasons I nominate both women for the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award. My thanks to Jacinta and Esther. I was only disappointed in the fact I couldn’t take them home with me!

Evince and the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce want to encourage and recognize exceptional customer service. When someone gives you exceptional service, please let us know. In 300 words or less, tell us what happened. Email your story to joycewilburn@gmail. com or chamber@dpchamber.org. It’s a nice way to show appreciation for a job well done. We look forward to hearing from you.

Evince Magazine Page 9 grab trouser socks that match and slacks that aren’t wrinkled when I’m running late for work. Nothing beats having keys and a fully-charged phone in hand to start both my car and my morning off right.

And when night falls, there’s nothing sweeter than to hear these three words from my husband when I open the door: Dishwasher’s been emptied.

For some, joy can come from hurting others, but I don’t see how that’s possible. I’m not a fan of schemers and revenge seekers. While I’m irritated by jokes at another’s expense, I’m not without blame myself. On those occasions when I have told someone off who richly deserved it, the satisfaction lasted about as long as a good sneeze. The regret, however, stays forever.

It’s easier to be contented at Christmas. There’s so much goodwill toward men you’d wonder if pixie dust had been sprinkled into our drinking water. Before I wrote this

Second Thoughts

by Kim Clifton ©2018

Joy to the World It seems ambitious, the thought of bringing joy to the entire world, I mean. Universal happiness is about as realistic as Congress balancing the budget. It’s a great sentiment.

It’s a wonderful wish. It’s a Christmas carol. Too bad it’s very often not any more than that. Granted, the holiday season is certainly a special time. People do seem to be more pleasant. The food definitely tastes better, but smiles encircling the globe are impossible, especially if left up to me. I can’t even manage a nice day.

As often as folks wish me to have one, you’d think I could do it, but I never have. Sometimes in the evenings, they’ll modify the expression to suggest I

simply enjoy the rest of my day. Even that’s out of reach.

My bliss doesn’t come in whole days or partial ones. My happiness comes in pockets.

Little pockets of joy, I call them.

Let me explain. It’s most often the unexpected that makes my heart lift and spirits soar. It’s those “Thank You, Jesus” feelings of relief such as spotting a vacant chair in a crowded waiting room or a cashier with no one in line.

It doesn’t have to be earthshattering to lighten my load.

Having enough wiper fluid to get the pollen off my windshield or finding seat covers and toilet paper in a public restroom will do it. My needs are very simple when it comes to making my day nicer. I’m thrilled when I

column, I did a little soulsearching to see what it takes to make my heart lighter after those sleigh bells stop ringing.

What I discovered is painfully corny but true. My heart is happiest when I feel like I’ve lifted someone’s burden or just made them smile. That’s what makes my day pleasant, as trite as it may sound. So, there, I’ve said it, right here in front of God and everybody… which brings me to the little Baby born in Bethlehem: the One who spent His life teaching about kindness and forgiveness the One who first showed us how to have a nice day here with the promise of better ones in the hereafter the One who brought complete joy to the entire world, even if our own sometimes only comes in little pockets.

This Christmas, let there be peace on earth... and let it begin with me.

Page 10 December 2018

A

due to atomic half-life, I am reminded of the Timex slogan “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” My watch took a licking and maybe keeps on glowing.

mong my remembered

childhood Christmas gifts

are my first radioactiveradium watch and the Magic 8-Ball.

During that Cold War time of my youth, we all worried about atomic bombs being dropped and everything, including us, glowing in the dark. Upon receiving the radium watch and being an encyclopedic child, I grabbed the “C” volume (yesterday’s version of Google) and researched Madame Curie, the woman who developed the theory of radioactivity, to learn more about what made my watch glow.

While today we worry about cell phone rays, I slept wearing my glow-in-the-dark radioactive watch—fortunately, not with my head resting on my wrist.

I swear I could see little pinpoint explosions within the radium when I looked closely.

I think my watch found its way to the landfill after the inner workings gave out. But

Some Gifts Change Over Time—Others Don’t

by Mack Williams

I can still see my Magic 8-Ball in my mind’s eye and feel it with my mind’s fingers. Of course, those of you who are 8-Ball age (the toy, not billiards) remember the proper procedure for using it. Ask the Magic 8-Ball a question, turn it over, and repeatedly rub the little clear spot until the answer appears.

In retrospect, I think the answer would have appeared despite the rubbing, but rubbing made it seem more interactive. More often than not, at least in my case, the Magic 8-Ball’s answer was “Ask again later!” That’s how it probably would be if I were to go digging in the landfill of my youth. I might find my old radium watch still glowing and my old Magic 8-Ball, its answer, despite 50-plus years of burial, might still be, “Ask again later!”

I

t’s that time of year again!

Faces are aglow with perspiration from running to and fro preparing for the holidays ahead. Personally, the past year has been somewhat of a blur. Juggling school and teaching, while trying to cherish time with family and friends, and attempting to plan a wedding has been putting my time management skills to the test.

When tuning into the moment, the days feel longer, while the years seem shorter, passing at an alarming rate.

The same can be true for the holiday season. We turn around and think, “Wow, it’s December already!” I have a passion for the heart-warming holiday season and cherish its arrival every year in anticipation of heading to Vermont for a quintessential white Christmas with my family. I can never get enough of being in the home where I grew up and gazing out the window at weather that resembles a snow globe. Despite all the joy those days bring me, I still have moments when my mind reverts to the dread of my coveted holiday vacation coming to an end. Why is it that even when we

Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy, RYT

The poses and breathing practiced in yoga were created to prepare the body and mind to sit for extended periods of time in meditation.

Meditation is a way to practice mindful stillness for the cultivation of inner peace and clarity. Photo by Clark Davis

are as fulfilled as we can be, that little voice reminds us that our contentment may be over soon?

Rather than succumbing to the melancholy nature of the pessimist within, perhaps we can embrace its not-so-gentle reminders. If we embrace the

truth that nothing is permanent, and that, in the flow of life, there is constant change, then perhaps we will be motivated to live more fully in each precious moment.

By acknowledging the beautiful moments that grace us with their presence, we may notice that they occur more frequently than we

realize. My invitation to you this holiday season is to cultivate gratitude for your ability to wake, breathe, and be, and you will remain grounded in the midst of the chaos. Let your special events this holiday season be truly special. Enjoy them while they last.

Evince Magazine Page  11

Page 12 December 2018

Tidings of Comfort and Joy fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg Kwon, I don’t want you to think this world ain’t kind sometimes.

‘Cause it is. Pretty much kindness is all what matters. (Christmas card from Mean Keisha to her son, Kwon) At one place I stayed, the lady who kept me collected postcards and Christmas cards in a big, gold-and-grey striped, wrapped shoe box on a shelf in her small, figurine-cluttered living room.

The box had a top to match that barely stayed on ‘cause there were so many. She was kind. Her name was Ms. Millicent. She really liked her Christmas cards. She showed them to me. I remember even though I was just six then.

My thinking still go back to her that Christmas, Kwon, the Swiss

We’re

on Danville!

Janet Donna Holley • Gibson Owner Owner

HOLLEY & GibsOn REALTY COMPANY

339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540

Office: (434) 791-2400 Fax: (434) 791-2122 Visit our website at

www.holleyandgibsonrealty.com

Miss cocoa, the Baby Jesus in the plastic scene on her living room coffee table, her smell of talcum powder and sugar cookies. Her brown fingers trembled as they opened that box; she opened this one card from Japan with a pop-up Kyoto city where there was glitterfrosted snow. It was bumpy on my fingers.

But...things always change.

The oven left on too long until something in the kitchen caught fire and burned? The lost keys left?

My name a tangle of gone? That long drive in September when we couldn’t find our way home? That same year, they told me I had to leave her because she couldn’t take care of me no more good like she wanted to. On the day I had to go, my young caseworker bent to her knees as she buttoned the winter coat Ms. Millicent had taken me to this real good department store to pick out. My caseworker said Ms. Millicent was losing time, and when I couldn’t understand, she said her mind was like sugar seeping out of a five-pound bag. My caseworker said they would find me a new home just as good. But they didn’t.

Kwon, out of all her children she had cared for, I was the last one. When I was ten, I heard from this girl Rosa (who never really liked me) that Ms. Millicent went into that mediumgood, nursing home back on Page Street and died with her fingers curled like claws and her mouth wide open. I punched Rosa right in the nose and knocked her to the ground. She knew not to get up. I knew then that I couldn’t never go visit Ms. Millicent again, and that it didn’t matter at that moment if I had known how bad off she was, ‘cause by the time she died, I had had so

many homes, and my heart was just gone.

But, Kwon, I do know this one thing she did. This was back when we had those fat phone books. Ms. Millicent would look up random people, just strangers and send them a postcard around Christmas.

One she sent to the man down the street that she knew was lonely.

She sent dozens of Christmas cards to soldiers with no hope being home for the holidays. She sent them to the sick at those homes no one visits. Sometimes she sent them with her return address, sometimes not. Sometimes they wrote back, most times not, but if they did, their cards went into the box.

And sometimes Ms. Millicent put cards in the coat pockets of little girls like me before they left crying and screaming, snot rolling and burning holes in the snow. And the little girl who would find a card would hold it like a bible, while sniveling in the back of a dark blue Honda Civic watching from the rear-view window, watching the road eat happiness. “Merry Christmas, little Keisha,” the card said in a scrawl like a spider climbing the bottom left of the card. On the right edge was her phone number. She had tucked her number and name on a slip of paper and put it inside my right sneaker. On the label of my coat, she had written her number again.

Kwon, I never saw her again. I outgrew the coat. But you can’t outgrow good like that kindness.

You be good like that, Kwon. Be a good man.

Merry Christmas, Keisha aka Mama

Evince Magazine Page 13

Norm Aquilo & Sarah Moss

Where’s the Music?

Norm Aquilo

by Larry Wilburn

Y

ou may have heard the expression the journey is as important as the destination and that is certainly true in the case of Norm Aquilo, local performing musician and Director of Liturgy and Music at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Although he had friends that were musicians, it took an epiphany of sorts to kickstart his musical adventure.

In 1983, Norm attended a Catholic Diocese Youth Convention where the openingnight activities included a coffeehouse setting featuring a duo playing acoustic guitars and singing songs by artists such as James Taylor. The then ninth grader was blown away by their exceptional sound.

“They were really good,” he remembers, “and all the girls were swooning.” Even more astonishing was the following day when that duo played music for the liturgy with the same skill and emotional depth as the secular music. “That was it for me, that was the moment,” he remembers. When he shared his desire to learn, a nun loaned him a guitar and taught him a few chords. Later, he was invited to play at Sunday liturgies. What followed was a series of musical experiences that honed his guitar skills and

shaped his stage presence.

His first solo performance was at Bogie’s in Danville. Later, he hosted Open Mic Night and Jimmy Buffett Night at Sir Richard’s and was featured at local popular restaurants, Cuco’s and Ray’s Ribs. Norm learned from the experiences in both worlds--playing in church and performing popular music.

After moving to Charlottesville in 1996, he and his friends from Danville performed as Sticks and Stones, and when the schedule permitted, he continued playing at church.

After a six-year stint there, Norm returned to Danville to become the co-owner of Riverland Music where he taught guitar to forty students weekly. When the position of music teacher opened up at Sacred Heart School, the parents of those students recommended him. He was hired and eventually, his enthusiasm, skill, and the student concerts led to his becoming the church’s music director.

Catch Norm’s act, solo or often performing in a duo with Sarah Moss, in the Danville area. I have heard him at the downtown plaza, Golden Leaf Bistro, Festival in the Park, Derby Day at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, and, of course, Sacred Heart Church. Yes, his journey is complete, he is home where it all began.

If readers would like to recommend a local musician for a future article, email lewilburn46@gmail.com with contact information.

Page 14 December 2018

December Calendar Abbreviation Key

• AU=Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • DMFAH=Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • DSC=Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org • HNT=Historic North Theatre, 629 North Main St. Danville 434.793.7469 www.TheNorthTheatre.com • PA=Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com

Pittsylvania County Public Main Library: 24 Military Drive, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.3271 South Boston Public Library: 509 Broad St. 434.5575.4228 www.halifaxcountylibrary.org

December 1

South Boston Christmas Parade: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” 5pm downtown Christmas on the Plaza: Danville JTI Fountain Main St. 3-6pm 434.791.0210

Parade: “A Christmas Story Book” Main St. Danville 3pm

December 4

Open House Decorate Trees for a Cause: Institute for Advanced Learning & Research, 150 Slayton Ave.; 4:30-6:30pm Vote for your favorite and a local non-profit will benefit. 434.766.6722 www.ialr.org

your “castle”.

Enjoy access to all galleries and handson activities.

Discounted general admission $5; free for members and college students with ID.

December 8

Ongoing

Guided Walking Tours – Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District.

Danville Historical Society. www. danvillehistory.org. 434.770.1974.

DMFAH self-guided audiovisual tours. 434.793.5644.

Danville Historical Society Fundraisers: historic pictures of Danville made into puzzles; 336 pieces, 12”x18” $15 and a tree ornament depicting a tobacco barn $20; To order email davidc522@ comcast.net or buy at Foxglove, 1011 West Main St., or Vintages by the Dan, 312 Main St. Brosville Library: 11948 Martinsville Highway www.pcplib.org 434.685.1285 Danville Public Library: 511 Patton St. www.readdanvilleva. org 434.799.5195 DPL Westover Branch: 94 Clifton St. www.readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5152 Gretna Library: 207 A Coffey Street, www.pcplib.org 434.656.2579 Gunn Memorial, Caswell County Public Library: 118 Main St, Yanceyville, NC www.caswellcounty.gov/library 336.694.6241 Halifax County Public Library: 177 South Main St. www.halifaxcountylibrary.org 434.476.3357 History Research Center and Library: 340 Whitehead Street, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.8931 Mt. Hermon Library: 4058 Franklin Turnpike www.pcplib.org 434.835.0326

December 2018

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

December 5

Rainier Trio Concert: “Christmas Traditions” with soprano Leslie Mabe; The Wednesday Club, 1002 Main St. Danville 3:45pm free, open to the public. www.The WedClubDanvilleVa. org

December 6

Painting with Ed Gowen: Daises at Dawn; PA 9am-3:30pm $75 member/$85 non-member; All supplies provided. Register at PiedmontArts.org or call 276.632.3221. Advanced registration required by December 5.

Yoga in the Galleries: PA; free for members/$10 non-members noon1pm

Artspiraton Kids: PA 10:30am-noon $30member/ $35 nonmember Register by December 7 Polar Express Pajama Party: DSC; Wear your pajamas to view this classic movie. 10am & 2pm $15/12 Registration required.

December 6 (thru 9) December 1 (thru 20)

Decorate Trees for a Cause: Institute for Advanced Learning & Research, 150 Slayton Ave. Vote for a favorite tree to benefit a local non-profit. Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; 434.766.6722 www.ialr.org

December 1 (thru 29)

The Art of the Quilt - Trends: 40+ quilt artists from across the Southeast exhibit work; also Works

by Virginia Foothills Quilters Guild. free PA

December 2

Rainier Trio with Leslie Mabe: “Christmas Traditions” Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 55 North Main St. Chatham; 3pm donation Riverview Rotary Christmas

Annie: Patriot Players at Patrick Henry Community College, 645 Patriot Ave. Martinsville 7pm; Sunday 12/9 @ 2pm; $15/20; 276.656.244

December 7

Holly Jolly Holiday Party: Ballou Rec Center, 760 West Main St. Danville; 12-2pm $12 www. playdanvilleva.com COAY Christmas Ball: Ballou Rec Center, 760 West Main St. Danville; Doors open 6pm; band plays 7-10pm. $7 www.playdanvilleva.com Science after Dark: Watch Home Alone in the DSC Digital Dome Theater. Engineer a “trap” to stop make-believe intruders from entering

Danville Symphony Orchestra Concert: Christmas traditional and pops music featuring Suzanne Martin soloist with DACAS; First Presbyterian Church; free www.danvillesymphony. net 434.797.2666 Konstantin-Classics to Cabaret: featuring worldrenowned classical pianist Konstantin Soukhovetski; The Prizery, 701 Bruce St., South Boston 7:30pm 434.572.8339

The deadline for submitting information for the January calendar is Tuesday, December 18, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Evince Magazine Page 15 Gala Legacy: honoring the 55th anniversary of Wendell Scott’s first NASCAR win; Institute for Advance Learning & Research, 105 Slayton Ave. Danville. 7pm wendellscott.org

December 8 & 9

DMFAH: free admission

December 8 (thru 25)

Community Holiday Light Show: Ballou Park Danville $7 per car/$15 for 15-passengar van www. playdanvilleva.com

December 9

DHS 46th Annual Holiday Tour: Danville Historical Society 11am-5pm www.danvillehistory. org See ad page 8 and Photo Finish pages 20-21.

Roanoke Symphony Holiday Pops: Martinsville High School Auditorium 7pm $25 reserved/$15 general admission/$5 student; nonperishable food items collected for Grace Network. Doors open at 6pm.

Tickets at PiedmontArts.org.

December 10 (thru Jan. 28)

Forms in Clay: DMFAH Mondays 6:30-9:30pm taught by Jonathan Scollo $95members/$105 nonmembers; register 434.792.5355

December 11

The Dr. Betty Heard Christmas Readings for Children: presented by Linda Lemery AU Student Center, Multipurpose Room, 204 Woodland Dr., second floor; 7pm

December 15

Holiday Zip Express: Ride the zip line solo or with a friend. Dan Daniel Memorial Park, 302 River Park Drive, Danville. 1-2:30pm Register by December 11. $12 for ages 8+ 434.799.5150 The Children of Langhorne House: exhibit opening 117 Broad St. Danville; a retrospective funded by the Womack Foundation; free admission every Saturday 2-5pm

December 31 (thru January 1)

New Year’s Eve Party: Council on Aging Youthfully at Ballou Rec Center, 760 West Main St. Doors open at 7pm. The first band plays at 8pm.

Bands Country Pride and City Limits will play. $10 www.playdanvilleva. com

Plan Ahead January 11

Corks & Forks: DSC; 12 wines from California, Oregon, Washington, specialty brews, heavy hors d’oeuvres, auction items. $50; 6:30-9:30pm Proceeds benefit DSC Reimagine Campaign. See ad page 22.

DSO Holiday Concert in New Venue

by Mary Franklin There is one community holiday happening that is a real stand-out in the Danville area and attracts more than 900 in attendance yearly-the Danville Symphony Orchestra concert with guest soloists from the Danville Area Choral Arts Society. When sixty musicians voluntarily gather to play beautiful celebration music after countless hours of rehearsal, it is a special event! Featured musical pieces at the Saturday, December 8, concert will range from traditional to modern composers: excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker; Hanukkah Celebration; Annunciation from Messiah; ‘Twas the Night before Christmas; Frozen; Polar Express and more.

Working through some challenges presented by Tropical Storm Michael, the venue has changed for the 2018 concert. First Presbyterian Church, 937 Main Street, is hosting the concert. Drivers can drop off passengers at the church entrance, park in designated nearby lots for free, and enjoy shuttle service back to First Presbyterian Church.

The concert is free to the public but, honoring the DSO tradition, attendees are asked to bring two or more non-perishable food items for God’s Storehouse. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the first note is at 8:00 p.m.

Page 16 December 2018

What to Give the Plant Lover

by Isla Wiles, Master Gardener

I

n this season of special gifts for special people, don’t forget those who like plants.

In the winter, plant-lovers turn their attention to indoor environments and the plants that can be used for beauty and air purification.

Plants need light, something that is in short supply this time of year. Gifts of light include indoor grow-light gardens ranging from simple one-shelf, one-light structures to the sky-is-the-limit on price and complexity. An entirely effective grow-light system can be constructed with little expense and modest effort using items found in local hardware stores.

ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR WHO'S DREAMED OF OPENING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? ARE YOU A CURRENT BUSINESS OWNER WANTING TO EXPAND? THE RIVER DISTRICT ASSOCIATION HAS LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM SEEKING TO OPEN BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES IN DANVILLE'S RIVER DISTRICT!

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! ENTREPRENEUR BOOT CAMP

[A 6 SESSION INTENSIVE WORKSHOP] ONCE WEEKLY BEGINNING IN JANUARY | FREE TO ATTEND

PITCH NIGHT

PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETE BOOT CAMP MAY ELECT TO COMPETE FOR CASH AND OTHER INCENTIVES THAT TOTAL OVER $100,000.

VISIT WWW.RIVERDISTRICTASSOCIATION.COM/DO-BUSINESS A HUGE thank you to all those who voted in the Partners In Preservation Campaign. Danville could not have done it without you!

For those who have a window that receives a number of sunlight hours, especially morning light, a windowsill garden is a welcome gift.

Parsley and rosemary do well in a sunny window and have the bonus of being edible.

Blooms can also be in short supply during the winter.

Although African violets have a reputation for being finicky, their bright blooms offer spots of color. Orchids are another bloomer and like African violets are reasonably priced. When choosing an orchid, look for one that has unopened buds so the lucky recipient can enjoy the blooms for up to three months.

Interesting non-blooming house plants include jade plants, snake plants, ZZ plants, and succulents. Jade plants, with their sturdy stems and plump glossy leaves, are low

maintenance. Do not water too much or too often. In addition to the solid jades, variants with variegated leaves are available.

Another hardy, easy-care plant is the snake plant. Its coloration varies from almost solid green with characteristic mottled markings to green with yellow edges. It tolerates benign neglect and may bloom although its blooms are small. This plant is good for air purification. A plant relatively new to the indoor plant scene is the ZZ plant (zamiocula zamifolia). Its branching habit and glossy, dark green leaves give both airiness and mass simultaneously. It tolerates low light and air, something most winter homes have in plentiful supply. Jade plants and the ZZ plant store water in their leaves and are plump when adequately watered. Both also suffer root rot when watered too much or planted in poorly draining soil.

Succulents are touted for their ability to thrive with little care.

They can be planted in various types of containers and even put in hard-to-reach places because they don’t require frequent water or attention.

Choosing a special plant for that special person, along with a decorative pot, is a win-win.

While enjoying your special gift, the lucky recipient can dream, plan, and look forward to the special outdoor growing season to come.

• Learn more about indoor gardening at Spring to Green on Saturday, February 2, 2019, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 336.340.1981.

Evince Magazine Page 17

Book Clubbing a review by Diane Adkins

Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South

by Vivian Howard

Turnips or collards?

This is just one of the existential questions raised by Vivian Howard in this, her first book. By now her story is well-known, especially to viewers of A Chef’s Life on PBS. She and her husband met while working in New York restaurants. Her parents offered them the opportunity to start their own restaurant, but the catch was it needed to be near the home place in Deep Run, North Carolina. Chef and the Farmer restaurant opened in Kinston in 2006 and the TV show began airing in 2013.

Deep Run Roots is a love letter to rural eastern North Carolina foodways. It’s packed with Howard’s recipes but also with stories that illustrate how she learned from people who have been cooking with foods native to the area all their lives. Howard admits that at first she was “cooking down” to her customers, thinking she had nothing to glean from the local people. While telling the story of learning how to make collard kraut from an older gentleman, she says, “He…and maybe all the older people around me were planets of wisdom orbiting around a bunch of young people who didn’t even know enough to ask the right questions.”

She realized finally that she could embrace the food she grew up eating. She began to celebrate fresh, locally-grown ingredients, cooking traditional dishes but adding her own twists, elevations that remain true to their roots. Deep Run Roots chronicles that transformation. In the process, she recognized the resourcefulness born of economic necessity to use and to preserve every bit of the area’s food resources. What we now know as modern sustainable farming practices were just simply a way of life for past generations.

The excellence of Howard’s writing is a nice surprise. She penned the book without a ghost writer, and she weaves stories with a polish that does credit to her degree in English. An extension of her work as a chef and her show, this large, beautiful book is a revelation. I would gladly trade a minimalist plate of tomato caviar, preciously composed by a famous chef, for Vivian’s Elbow-Lick Tomato Sandwich. As she notes in talking about her mom’s recipe for chicken and rice, “Simplicity is very hard to pull off, and there are some recipes you just don’t mess with.”

By the way, that existential question? My answer will always be turnips.

Diane S. Adkins is a retired library director.

Page 18 December 2018

W

hat and where is your next wine event? Want to add excitement? When planning, consider adapting some of these activities as described in Epicure & Culture for your party.

1. Get Squirted with Wine (St. Augustine, Florida): The annual Spanish food and wine festival ends with the Batalla de Vinos, where participants wear white and squirt each other with red wine.

2. Art and Wine Pairing (Las Vegas, Nevada): Bellagio Hotel’s Fine Art Manager chooses selections from the casino’s art gallery and the Master Sommelier pairs them with wine based on colors, aromas, flavors or other sources of inspiration.

3. Bike through Vineyards and Refresh Yourself with a Wine Bath (Umbria, Italy): After cycling, refresh by drinking wine and relaxing with wine-inspired spa treatments. Try a wine bath, or a purifying scrub with red vine

The Wine Spot Plan a Unique Wine Event

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers Photo by Dave Slayton

leaves, a massage with grape seed oil or a cold wrap with wine.

4. Run and Taste Your Way through 26 Miles of Vineyards (Bordeaux, France): The marathon takes

runners through vineyards and chateaux, tasting wine along the way. Each year has a different theme and the majority of entrants dress accordingly.

Interesting and different, but my favorite choice involves sharing good wine with friends and family.

May your holidays always be safe and happy wine events. Cheers!

Evince Magazine Page 19

by Annelle Williams ‘Tis the season or as Aunt Sook said in A Christmas Memory, “It’s fruitcake weather.” I’ve only tasted one fruitcake I really liked, and that was from Texas--shaped like the state and filled with chocolate chips and pecans and very little fruit. If you’re a fruitcake maker, now is certainly the time to be gathering your ingredients. I do have pecans on my grocery list but only for rum cake and pecan truffles.

I don’t make pecan pies anymore. There’s so much to eat and drink during the holiday season that I don’t want to take in that many calories with one little piece of pie. Pecan pie is probably the most calorific part of a holiday meal and most of the calories are particularly offensive, coming from butter, sugars and high fructose corn syrup. I’ve found a way to satisfy my love for pecan pie with just a fraction of the calories and very little guilt. Pecan Truffles are merely a bite or two with no butter, no corn syrup, and much less sugar per bite. These truffles also have an added attractionjust enough bourbon to add another layer of flavor to an already decadent treat. There’s no cooking involved, so we can’t claim that the alcohol evaporated leaving only the flavor. It’s all there but a very small amount per truffle. Preparation is short but there is a two-hour freezing time. Freezing will allow the balls to retain their consistency while being dipped in melted chocolate.

Eat these while reading the short story A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. It always awakens wonderful memories for me and the beloved people I shared them with. Happy Holidays!

Pecan Bourbon Truffles (makes 24) (adapted from New York Times Cooking)

2 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and finely chopped 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1/2 tsp. salt 3 T melted butter 2 T honey

2 T maple syrup 1/4 cup bourbon (may substitute apply juice, orange juice, or any other flavored liquid) 1 tsp. vanilla (2) 10 oz. bags of dark chocolate morsels

Stir together the pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Add melted butter, maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Use your hands to make sure all the ingredients are completely combined. Form into tablespoon-sized pieces by filling a tablespoon with the ingredients and pressing it firmly against the side of the bowl, then slip the formed piece on to a cookie sheet or roll into balls. If you’re rolling into balls, keep hands wet to aid in rolling. Place on cookie sheet and freeze for two hours.

Melt 2/3 of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or use a metal bowl-let bottom of bowl touch water) over simmering water. Don’t stir until all is nearly melted, then stir. Remove from heat and gradually add the remaining chocolate, stirring all the time until chocolate is melted, silky smooth, and shiny. Dip balls in chocolate. If chocolate begins to harden in bowl before you’re finished dipping, put it over simmering water again for only a second or two to loosen it. Be very careful not to drip water into the chocolate. This process is called tempering. Place the balls on parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Set until chocolate is firm, about fifteen minutes.

Questions or comments?

Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!

Page 20 December 2018

Photo Finish One of the stops on the 46th Annual Danville Historical Society Holiday Tour is the Prizery Lofts at 300 Loyal Street.

Its quick transformation from a historic tobacco prizery to contemporary residential spaces has occurred over the past year.

Here are a few before shots.

Final touches to its re-creation are being made this month and its doors will open to the public for the tour on Sunday, December 9, from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Tour participants can use the parking lot at the corner of Lynn and Loyal Streets and enter through that door.

The West Main Street house pictured on the cover is also on the Holiday Tour. See ad on page 8 for details.

The building at the corner of Lynn and Loyal Streets was beyond repair and, unfortunately, had to be razed.

Developer Stephen Staats watches as the former Virginia Hardware building is carefully dismantled.

Using bricks from the demolished building designed by J. Bryant Heard, Allen Alford builds a decorative wall on two sides of the tenants’ parking lot.

While the work outside progresses, the interior construction also moves forward. The grey building on the right is the former Smith’s Seeds store which now houses Smith Seeds Lofts.

All photos by Von Wellington.

For more info visit www.vonwellington photography.com or call 434.770.3553. See more pictures on Facebook.

The stairway near the Loyal Street entrance leads to the first floor lofts. The space on the ground level is available for retail use.

The large open space inside the historic prizery is divided into three units on each level.

Evince Magazine Page  21 Drew Reynolds and Felipe Bucio install lights in the parking lot.

This one-bedroom unit waits for kitchen appliances and granite countertops. The original wood floors run throughout the unit.

The elevator entrance for tenants has a modern look in contrast to the 1886 historic tobacco prizery.

This large one-bedroom unit has a view of the Dan River.

One of the two-bedroom units on the fourth floor is almost ready.

Long hallways are illuminated with contemporary lighting.

One entrance to the Prizery Lofts is on Loyal Street. Another is adjacent to the parking lot on the right. Notice the “ghost� sign on the building advertising Virginia Hardware Mfg. Co. harness repaired, saddles, bridles.

Natural light and a view of the Dan River makes this unit especially appealing.

Page 22 December 2018

Corks&Forks

Presented by the Danville Science Center

Friday, January 11, 2019 Doors Open at 6:30pm

Tickets $50 each

Featured wines from California, Oregon, and Washington along with specialty brews and heavy hor d’oeuvres!

Auction Items Include: Day Badge Masters Golf Tournament for 2

Trip to One World Series Game for 2

Trip to the Kentucky Derby

for 2

Trip to the US Open Tennis Tournament

Trip to Paris & Prague

677 Craghead Street, Danville, VA • www.dsc.smv.org • 434-791-5160

Evince Magazine Page  23

Page  24 December 2018