Showcase Magazine May 2015

VISITING THE FUTURE THROUGH WORDS See page 14

See page 14

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Global Cuisine with Chef Colleen See Story Page 22 ING VISIT URE FUT H THEHROUGDS T WOR

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Contents

On the Cover Visiting The Future Through Words Photo by Beverly Martin Pictured from back to front: Angela Andrepont, Rachel Rohlfsen, Tiasia Saunders, Tianna Pounds

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{ M AY 2 0 1 5 } S H O W C A S E M A G A Z I N E

FEATURES

14 20

VISITING THE FUTURE THROUGH WORDS GIRLS’ NIGHT IN: Host Your Own Art and Wine Party

By Erin Thackston

22

SECTIONS

ALSO INSIDE 6

9 HE SAID SHE SAID I Never Met A Beach I Didn’t Like

By Larry Oldham and Dena Hill

12 A BETTER YOU

Benefits of Healthy Living

by Dave Gluhareff

34 MYSTIFIED

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Tilled

26 29 33

FROM THE EDITOR FUN AND GAMES

Crossword, Word Seach, & Sudoku

AREA EVENTS GUIDE PAWS FOR THE CAUSE

By Paulette Dean

by Misty Brooks

GLOBAL CUISINE WITH CHEF COLLEEN

like us Showcase Magazine

By Jennifer Doss

@ 4 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MAY 2015 | www.showcasemagazine.com

we’d love to hear from you! info@showcasemagazine.com

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FRO M T H E E D I TO R About fifteen years ago I tried guacamole for the first time.

I hated it. I didn’t even think about testing the waters with it again until a few years ago when I ordered food and forgot to tell the waiter to hold the guacamole. When my food arrived it was smothered in the green stuff. I don’t know why, but I decided to try it again. That time, I loved it. Today, if you ask me what my favorite food is, my go-to answer is avocado.

The whole point to that is life is about trying new things. There is the possibility you may not like something the first time. Give it a second chance. I’ve had guacamole just about every week since that food epiphany.

The underlying theme of this issue of Showcase is taking that step to try new things. In the feature, Global Cuisine with Chef Collen, Jennifer Doss joins a cooking class and discovers many new things that she can

take home and share with her family. In Girls’ Night In, new Showcase contributor, Erin Thackston, offers a creative way to host your own art and wine party. In the cover feature, Visiting the Future Through Words, we meet three bright students who use writing as tool to plan their futures.

Ralph Waldo Emerson viewed life as an experiment. And experiments are made up of new things. Pablo Picasso said that he always tried things he couldn’t do, because that was how he got to try them. For me, giving guacamole another chance not only brought joy and happiness into my life, it also allowed me to part of the classic meme crowd that walks into Chipotle and says “I know guac is extra.”

Enjoy the issue.

Paul Seiple

SHOWCASE – M A G A Z I N E – MAY 2015 STAFF

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks, scott@showcasemagazine.com President Larry Oldham, larry@showcasemagazine.com Editor Paul Seiple, paul@showcasemagazine.com Graphic Designer Kim Demont, demontdesign@verizon.net Finance Manager Cindy Astin, cindy@showcasemagazine.com ADVERTISING 1.877.638.8685 Larry Oldham, Director of Sales and Marketing larry@showcasemagazine.com, 434.728.3713 Lee Vogler, Marketing Consultant lee@showcasemagazine.com, 434.548.5335

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Subscribe to Home Delivery for $24 per year 753 Main Street #3 | Danville, VA 24541 Phone 1.877.638.8685 | Fax 925.380.5404 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com MAY 2015 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Misty Brooks | Paulette Dean | Jennifer Doss Dave Gluharef | Dena Hill | Larry Oldham Tianna Pounds | Rachel Rohlfsen Tiasia Saunders | Paul Seiple | Erin Thackston MAY 2015 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kim Buck | Beverly Martin

EDITOR

THANK YOU to the ADVERTISERS who make this publication possible.

Please be generous in supporting our local businesses.

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27 13 35 5

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Altavista Chamber of Commerce Barkhouser Ford Lincoln Beacon Credit Union Centra Medical Group Cloverdale Quarters Event Center Danville Dental Associates Danville Gastroenterology Center, PC 31 Danville Historical Society 8 Danville Regional Foundation 2 Danville Regional

Medical Center

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10 Danville Pittsylvania Community Services 36 Danville Toyota Scion 7 Demont Deisgn 27 Excelen Performance 18 Golden Leaf Bistro 9 Goodwill Industries of

South Central Virginia, Inc. 13 M&M Furniture 7 Martinsville Henry County 31 Michelle Dalton Photography 17 Out Town 18 Dr. Jessica Owens

Family Dentistry

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Shh... Intimacy on a New Level Southside Urology & Nephrology Southside Virginia Wildlife Center State Farm Jimmy Russell Stratford House University of Richmond URW Community Federal Credit Union Yates Home Sales YMCA

Lauren Mathe na & Jeff Gignac Are yo u pic in Photo tured Finish?

Losing

Mimi Grubb

Herself

in Live Theatr

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3

e

Don’t miss the May 2015 issue of eVince

We have so many reasons to celebrate! Pack up your family and come visit us in Martinsville足 Henry County, Virginia. You're sure to have fun in record time!

Oktoberfest / October 3

Smith River Fest / August 8

Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival / May 21足24

Start planning your trip at VisitMartinsville.com or call us toll free at 888足722足3498.

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| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 7

2015 Speaker Series Joshua DuBois

Presented by the Danville Regional Foundation and the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce

Monday, April 13 • 5:30pm Averett University’s North Campus Mount Cross Road • Danville, VA 24540 DuBois is the author of the bestselling book, The President’s Devotional: The Daily Readings that Inspired President Obama, and one of the country’s leading voices on community partnerships.

DuBois led the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships in President Obama’s first term and was called the President’s “Pastor-in-Chief” by TIME magazine. He spearheaded the White House’s work on responsible fatherhood, grassroots community partnerships and religion in foreign affairs, and brought together religious leaders from across the ideological spectrum to tackle the nation’s biggest challenges.

DuBois now leads a consulting firm, Values Partnerships, that creates faith-based partnerships for the public, private and non-profit sectors, teaches at Princeton University and is the weekly religion and values columnist for The Daily Beast.

Peter Kageyama Tuesday, September 22 7:30 - 9:00 AM Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (IALR)

150 Slayton Avenue • Danville, VA 24540 Peter Kageyama is an internationally recognized expert on community development and grassroots engagement. He is the co-founder and producer of the Creative Cities Summit, an interdisciplinary event that brings together citizens and practitioners around the big idea of the city. Peter is the former President of Creative Tampa Bay, a grassroots community change organization. He has spoken all over the world about bottom up community development and the amazing

Daniel H. Pink

Wednesday, November 4 • 11:30 AM Institute for Advanced Learning & Research (IALR) 150 Slayton Avenue • Danville, VA 24540 Daniel H. Pink is the author of five provocative books about the changing world of work, including the long-running New York Times best seller, A Whole New Mind, and the #1 New York Times best seller, Drive. His books have been translated into 33 languages. Currently, Pink hosts Crowd Control, a series on National Geographic Television that takes problems and creates solutions using unique design, technology and behavioral science principles.

For his visit to the Dan River Region, Dan will be speaking on DRIVE: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, using 50 years of behavioral science to overturn the conventional wisdom about human motivation. Pink shows that carrot

people that are making change happen.

The mutual love affair between people and their place is one of the most powerful influences in our lives, yet we rarely think of it in terms of a relationship.

As cities begin thinking of themselves as engaged in a relationship with their citizens, and we citizens begin to consider our emotional connections with our places, we open up new possibilities in community, social and economic development by including the most powerful of motivators—the human heart—in our toolkit of city-making.

Peter explores what makes cities lovable and what motivates ordinary citizens to do extraordinary things for their places. From Peter, we will meet those amazing people who are truly in love with their cities and how they are key to the future development of our communities.

and stick motivators have been oversold and that high performance depends much more on the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things and to do better by ourselves and the world. Drive is a New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times bestseller—as well as a national best seller in Japan and the United Kingdom.

A free agent himself, he held his last real job in the White House, where he served from 1995 to 1997 as chief speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. He also worked as an aide to U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich and in other positions in politics and government.

He received a B.A. from Northwestern University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Pink lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and their three children.

There is no cost to attend the series but reservations are required and will be made on a first-come, first served basis. Reservations can be made with the series’ co-sponsor, the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, at 434.836.6990 or at chamber@dpchamber.org.

Sponsored by

For more information about the Chamber and services and programs they provide, visit www.dpchamber.org, or contact Chamber President Laurie Moran at 434.836.6990 or email at lmoran@dpchamber.org.

To learn more about DRF, its grant opportunities, the 2015 Speaker Series and partnership opportunities, visit the DRF website at www.drfonline.org or contact Lori Merricks, Director of Marketing & Communications at 434.799.8969 or lmerricks@drfonline.org.

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SHE SAID...

The old “Do you want to buy a place at the beach” argument has raised its controversial head and once again I am thwarted by your ability to convince me that I don’t need a place at the beach. It isn’t that I NEED it; I just WANT it.

Since I have known you, I have heard nothing but “Can we live at the beach, can we buy something at the beach, when are we going to the beach again?” You hate the beach, remember? You walk on the beach, usually at my persuasion, in July with a long sleeve shirt and Last month we drove down to dress pants. The beach to you is Topsail Beach to look at a friend’s a place to shop, a place to eat, place that had just come on the and several times you have even PHOTO BY MICHELLE DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY market. The price was right, the taken me to the movies, which place was beautiful, but it had a few we could have done at home, and much cheaper also. I quirks about it that neither one of us could adapt to. (I don’t understand your addiction to living at the beach. It is know I ended that sentence with a preposition, so you can crowded, expensive, smelly, four hours away, and really not save yourself the trouble of correcting me, but it sure did any better shopping than say Roanoke or Greensboro. We fit nicely with what I wanted to say.) have been many times since we have been together and it is the same routine each time: At least this trip seemed to get you back into the mood of being open to the idea of looking again. One of the Get up at 6 am problems with Topsail is the distance to North Myrtle Walk on the beach where I like to eat and shop. It is at least two hours Go to breakfast and eat too much away and we (at least I) need to be somewhat closer. We Go to stores before they are hardly open proceeded to drive on to Sunset Beach which was very Go to Five Guys for lunch quiet, inexpensive, and fifteen minutes from North Myrtle.

Go shopping again until five You liked that one also because it was only five minutes Go to the early bird special at our favorite seafood restaurant from Calabash, North Carolina where you love to shop.

Go for ice cream afterwards Go shopping again until nine or ten o’clock at night Once again I was excited about the possibility of you Go to Krispy Kreme doughnuts giving in to buying a place somewhere in the beach area.

Go back to the condo and fall into bed.

We looked at several places, talked to a realtor, did a bit Go, Go, Go....I like to just enjoy the beach and relax. of shopping, and then drove into North Myrtle to eat at our favorite seafood restaurant. On the way back home, It is the same every time we go. For two days I can do this we talked about all of the scenarios of moving to the because it makes you so happy.You are like a little kid with beach and once again I felt the excitement in my bones. I a new toy. Asking me to do this every day of my life for the sensed you were coming around to my way of thinking on rest of my life would not only make me fat, but would bore this beach event. That was a month ago and you haven’t me to no end. Why don’t you just stick pins in my skin mentioned it again. Shall I assume my dream of living at the and roast me over an open fire? It would be less painful. beach is over?

Couldn’t that make you just as happy?

www.showcasemagazine.com

he said...she said...

HE SAID...

by Larry Oldham and Dena Hill

I NEVER MET A BEACH I DIDN’T LIKE

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A Better You

health

Benefits of Healthy Living

By Fitness Professional and Healthy Writer Dave Gluhareff

A healthy lifestyle offers many wonderful benefits.

It’s a chain reaction. Healthy living takes care of “you” which helps you to better take care of others. Those who are healthier are happier, more positive, and enjoy a better quality of life.

Von Wellington Photography

Dave Gluhareff In the late 1990s David Gluhareff lost over 100 pounds. Dave then became a certified personal trainer with the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) and began his career as a personal trainer. In June of 2009 David earned the elite status of Master of Fitness Sciences (MFS) by the ISSA, their highest level of personal training qualifications. As a personal trainer, Dave has been helping people take charge of their physiques to help them feel, look, and move better through life. Visit www.

VirginiaBootcamp. com for more information.

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Many times we view things as routine, but take a minute to reflect on your daily “routine.” How many people depend on you in some aspect? Life is beautiful and exciting with so much to see and do. We have to take care of ourselves to be able to live life to the fullest and share it with the people that matter the most. Even if life throws a curve ball in the form of illness, no matter how big or small, we all still have to maintain a healthy lifestyle to build a stronger immune system to fight. Living healthy is also a key component in staving off preventable diseases and conditions.

I lost over a hundred pounds years ago. At times, I made mistakes. I figured the journey out all on my own and it was trial and error. Eating healthy and cardiovascular exercise became a part of my daily routine. It sort of worked, so in a year and a half, I had lost over 100 pounds. But, I learned some big lessons. Things that could have helped me lose the fat faster, easier, given me muscle tone, and also allowed me to eat more all day.

The biggest thing I learned was that the most important factor in fat loss and healthy living is “muscle.” Only doing cardiovascular activities and eating very light meals was helping me to shed the weight, but it wasn’t making me as healthy as I could be. I was working too hard at walking, running, and hiking — only burning calories when I worked out — and taking in a very low-calorie

| MAY 2015 | www.showcasemagazine.com

diet. This approach led to more work and less food freedom. What took a year and a half should have taken me half the time.

I went from a flabby 305 pound guy to a flabby 205 pound guy. I was getting on track but I was desperately missing an important piece to the weight loss puzzle. On a ranking scale of “Good, Better, or Best” I was only Better. A friend introduced me to resistance training (strength training) and my body began to immediately take shape and firm-up. The added muscle tone gave my physique a whole new and improved athletic look.

My posture became better, fat burning increased, metabolism sped up, and I became stronger. Over a short period of time my outlook became more positive. I was able to eat more healthy foods and still burn even more fat. Muscle was my missing link to the fat loss chain. I was doing most everything right except for incorporating strength training. Muscle burns fat continuously, so the more muscle I added, the better and more efficient I was at melting off the fat even while I slept.

Every pound of muscle can burn up to 50 calories per day. Muscle is the ultimate defense to fat. It’s important to also add adequate rest.

There are three keys to healthy living — Exercise, Nutrition, and Rest. It’s crucial to follow them in that order because it’s nearly impossible to know nutritional needs until exercise and activity levels are measured. Rest and quality of sleep hinge on nutritional intake and exercise.

Map out a plan today and start reaping the benefits of healthy living. SM

Visit www.TrainWithDave.com

and click on Nutrition Plan for Dave’s FREE nutrition plan!

A Secret You Can’t Keep

Shh... Intimacy on a New Level

3920 Franklin Tpk. • Danville, VA • 434.429.0788

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| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 13

Visiting The Future Through Words

feature

Dan River Middle School teacher Angela Andrepont envisioned an exercise to help students understand how their words play a vital role in their everyday lives. Andrepont says, “I wanted the students to see how writing influences the way we think and view the world.”

To celebrate Future Business Leaders of America week and Career and Technical Education month, Andrepont asked students to write about something important to them. “I wanted to show them that writing across the curriculum is an important part of their education and future,” Andrepont continues.

Andrepont used this project to show students that writing is a way to identify their voices. It’s also a wonderful way for students to tell their stories. Student Ashleigh Morris says, “A writer begins with imagination which follows into a story, but it will always end within the reader.” The staff at Showcase read through the essays and chose three to feature in this issue. It’s important to note that all of the essays are winners and tell the stories of bright futures for the students.

In May, all of the essays will be featured on showcasemagazine.com.

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The art of writing is incredibly important in shaping who you are as a person. It comes from within, student Abigal Alderson says, “Writing is from the heart.” Whether it’s writing the next great novel, blog post, or a journal entry, writing allows you to get to know yourself a little bit better. Student Lauren McFalls says, “Writing can inspire, encourage, and amaze people.

Don’t stop writing!”

Tia

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Continued

to page 16

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Visiting the Future Through Words

Continued from page 15

ss ine s Bu ll ou re s we e’s P u t a u Sh ,a nn e F ican lub. ol a h i t r e C T d n ho s i f Am Beta ersc ng an s, i a y i t o r n a d f Tia ders unio ny a erlea na s a a J Lea the in m che e. Ti the o e t o s a ved s lik servic ck to ided l int o e v s i a c n i de nes ivit nity e b act mmu o giv So I kind t co like ity. rk of n “I mmu spa t co tha t se rds.” wo

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| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 17

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Visiting the Future Through Words

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| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 19

Girls’ Night In: Host Your Own Art and Wine Party

feature

by Erin Thackston, Southern Virginia Mom

Have you seen pictures of a group of girlfriends enjoying wine and learning to paint? Have you wanted to try your hand at painting but didn’t know where to start?

Consider hosting a wine and art party yourself. Why travel out of town or wait around to be invited to an event, when you can take matters into your hands and host your own? Here’s what I did to plan and host a ladies’ wine and art night recently in my home.

Determine Interest. I pitched the idea to a few girlfriends and made a mental note of who expressed interest, inviting them, and taking their ideas into consideration when planning.

Determine Location. The basement in my own home proved to be the perfect spot for our party.

Furniture was rearranged to create an open space large enough for long folding tables and chairs.

Consider your basement, great room, a large dining room, patio, deck, well-lit garage, or yard.

Secure an Instructor. Wyatt Ramsey, who is the son of artist Phil Ramsey and local author, blogger, and speaker Shelley Ramsey, is well known in our community and agreed to teach our class. Wyatt studied at Savannah College of Art and Design, and is now an art student at VCU. Each participant paid $20 for the class, and Wyatt provided all materials.

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Consider asking a local artist, art student, or an art teacher in a local school to teach your class.

Plan the Menu. Each participant at my party was asked to bring a bottle of wine or an appetizer to share with the group. I stocked up on wine, cheese, crackers, and fruit to add to the mix.You could provide the food yourself, have your event catered, have a covered dish, go with a theme, have a sign up list, or assign foods and beverages to participants. Consider serving beverages from a local distillery, a local brewery such as 2 Witches or nearby Sunken City, or local wineries along the Southern Virginia Wine Trail.

Create a Guest List. Consult with your instructor and consider your space when creating your guest list. Wyatt and I decided that 6-10 participants would be ideal. Make sure to have an accurate headcount in advance to ensure that the instructor has enough supplies.You will need space for long tables, chairs, table easels, instruction space, as well as room for food and beverages.

Name the Event and Get the Word Out. You don’t have to have a clever name, but Art by the Glass, Belles with Brushes, Colorful Corks, or Wine and Design sound like a lot of fun, don’t they? I named my event “Corks and Canvas,” and promptly shared the private, invitation only event on facebook. In the invitation, I asked that each person bring $20 to pay the instructor, and to bring a bottle of wine and/or an appetizer to share with the group. I described what we would be painting and emphasized the need for an accurate headcount.

The Results

My guest list got a little out of control, and we ended up with 14 friends. We made do with what space we had, and it turned out perfectly. The more, the merrier! I was limited due to space and the nature of the event, so it did feel crowded at times. My basement if fairly large, but with 14 women, one art instructor, 4 tables, chairs, easels, a buffet, and enough wine bottles to mistake us for the Southern Virginia Wine Trail, we easily filled the space. Believe me when I say that Wyatt had the patience of Job with our group. He was very professional and a pleasure to work with. He walked us through what paint colors to mix, how to use water with the paint, what to put on the canvas and in what order. He discussed value, light, and shading. He talked us and walked us through drawing out the shape of the vase and measuring the branches with our eyes. By the end of the party, we had created fourteen different, yet all beautiful paintings. They were the perfect souvenir to remember our Girls’ Night In. Here are just a few more tips should you decide to host a party of your own: 1. Plan for more space than you think you will need.

2. Turn on the AC well before your guests arrive.

If your instructor brings special lighting, it turns warm quickly.

3. Make sure you have ample lighting. If you have your party outside on a deck or in the garage, plan according to daylight.

4. Have something to munch on at the table. Bowls of crackers, fruits, and nuts work well.

5. Place several bottles of wine around the paint tables so cups can be refilled without having to leave the paint stations and disrupt the flow.

6. Have extra wine bottle openers. Put one at each

table, and put those ladies to work!

7. Remove any carpet from underneath the tables, and/or put down plastic underneath.You don’t want to end your party by scrubbing acrylic paint off the floor.

8. Encourage guests to wear something they don’t mind getting dirty or that can easily be cleaned.

9. Enjoy! Wishing you inspiration, creativity, and lots of fun as you sharpen your hostess skills and get in touch with your inner artist. Enjoy your wine, your art class, and your Girls’ Night In! Erin Thackston lives in South Boston with her family, where they appreciate the balance, lifestyle, and easy pace that their charming small town provides. She is the author of the regional blog Southern Virginia Mom, where she enjoys telling others about both popular and off-the-beatenpath gems in and around Southern Virginia.You can read her blog and more articles like this at www.sovamom.blogspot.com.

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| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 21

Global Cuisine with Chef Colleen

feature

by Jennifer Doss Photos by Kim Buck

I love dining out to enjoy international flavors.

Doesn’t everyone? I also enjoy cooking at home, but sometimes those dishes seem a little intimidating to tackle on my own. In March, when The Artisan Center of Martinsville began hosting the series “Global Cuisine with Chef Colleen,” I knew that I had to be there!

Five culinary classes are offered in the series, and you can attend them all or just the ones that you are interested in. I signed up immediately for the first class, which focused on French Crepes, and I asked a friend to join me for a fun girls’ night out.

The Artisan Center, located on Church Street in Uptown Martinsville, is a division of Patrick Henry Community College. Inside the Artisan Center’s commercial kitchen, stainless steel work stations and shelves are lined with all the tools and ingredients needed to prepare and plate a gourmet meal.

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The course instructor, Chef Colleen Butker, greeted each student with a smile and warm welcome as we all filed into the kitchen. Her enthusiasm for cooking was contagious. Chef Colleen is a self-taught chef; her Italian and Irish ancestors have passed two generations of recipes and instruction down to her. She also brings flavors of Polish and Hungarian food to the table that she learned from members of her extended family. In addition to teaching culinary classes at The Artisan Center, Chef Colleen bakes and decorates cakes and cupcakes in her very own bakery called Uptown Sweets.

She opened the class by talking about French crepes as a dish and how versatile they are.

The basic crepe recipe uses only three main ingredients: egg, milk, and flour, but can be dressed up with flavorings and filled with a wide assortment of items both sweet and savory.

Continued to Page 24

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Global Cuisine Continued from page 23

In the class we began by mixing the simple batter and learning the proper technique to pour the batter and cook the crepes. Learning when to flip the crepes and getting the wrist movement just right took a little practice but was soon mastered by all.

For our savory crepe recipe, we made Chicken Normandy Crepes. The dish consisted of rolled crepes filled with diced chicken and apples that had been cooked in a rich cream sauce and garnished with parsley. For dessert we used the same basic crepe but added an orange flavoring to the batter. We then filled the crepes with whipped cream and strawberries, folded them into quarters and topped the crepe with a dollop of crème, mint leaves, and a drizzle of chocolate.

Both recipes were incredibly simple to make but looked very impressive. The dishes tasted great also. We made enough of each dish during the class that everyone was able to take a to-go plate home to share with friends and family. My family loved having a tasting session when I returned home, and within the following week I made crepes as a dessert for my family. It was fun to be able to impress them with a new skill and dish.

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In April I attended the second course offered, on Italian food. We learned to make authentic pasta, Alfredo sauce, gnocchi, and cannoli. I loved hearing Chef Colleen tell us about her grandmother’s style of old-world Italian cooking. While we mixed our pasta dough in bowls, she demonstrated how her grandmother would pour a mound of flour right onto the counter, crack eggs into an indention on top of the mound and then mix the dough by hand. Kneading, rolling, and then running the dough through a pasta roller and cutter was a time-consuming process, but the end result was so worth it. Pasta made from scratch tastes so much better than the store-bought varieties.

The most interesting part of the class to me was making gnocchi. I do not recall ever eating gnocchi before but am very familiar with the name as my young son loves to watch Curious George.

Gnocchi is a potato dumpling, and making the dough for it was very easy. Once the dough was prepared, we rolled it into a long breadstick and cut it in to many small nuggets. We learned from Chef Colleen that the secret to a great gnocchi is the texture on its surface. Gnocchi made without ridges or bumps will not hold any sauce. We used forks to make ridges around the surface, and Chef Colleen demonstrated the authentic way her mother and grandmother made a textured surface by rolling the gnocchi on a kitchen towel.

Cooking was so simple! Once the water is boiling, toss the gnocchi in and they sink. When the gnocchi floats to the surface, wait one more minute and they are done. We scooped them out with a strainer and coated them with the creamy Alfredo sauce.

For dessert we made cannoli. Due to the length of the class we did not have time to make shells from scratch but Chef Colleen gave us each a recipe and discussed the methods that work best for making a batch of these.

We took store-bought cannoli shells and filled them with a rich and creamy cannoli filling that we made from scratch. My classmates and I all devoured our meals.

My family was impressed by the togo plate. I have been asked to make gnocchi for dinner at our house very soon. And the best part of all — thanks to Chef Colleen — now I have the skills and confidence to say, “Yes.” Global Cuisine with Chef Colleen continues on Thursday, May 14. That evening we will make authentic Greek specialties such as dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and baklava (a rich, layered pastry with honey and nuts). On Thursday, June 11, our taste buds will travel to Poland as we make savory pierogi (stuffed Polish dumplings) and a traditional pastry for dessert. Finally, on Thursday, June 25, we will focus on Japan as we learn the art of making sushi. Chef Colleen, along with a special guest chef, will teach us to make the perfect pot of sticky rice and how to prepare a maki roll with a variety of fillings. All classes are $30 each and space is limited.

Looks like we’re in for a tasty summer! You can discover more about these and other classes offered by The Artisan Center at www.theartisancenter.org/ or by calling 276.656.5461. www.showcasemagazine.com

| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 25

games Fun &

ACROSS 1 Father 5 Volume (abbr.)

8 Stay 12 Mumble 13 Helped 15 Eve’s garden 16 Pained 17 Ragu’s competition 18 Not any 19 Educe 21 Definitely 23 Santa __ 25 Ump 26 White poplar 29 Extremely high frequency (abbr.)

31 Baseball gloves 35 Eaters 37 Alien’s spaceship 39 Ripped up 40 Pot 41 Abducts 44 IBM Competitor 45 Wall support 47 2,000 pounds 48 Morsel 50 Before fourth 52 Cobweb

Name the

ARCH WORD SE E THEM

&

54 Punching tools 55 August (abbr.)

57 What a house cleaner does 59 Camel seat 62 Cleaned the house 65 Labor 66 British princess 68 Famous cookies 70 Island 71 Apple 72 Cuts off “in the bud” 73 Posttraumatic stress disorder 74 Encounter 75 Oak

13 Capital of Western Samoa 14 Glum 20 Record keeper 22 Radioactivity unit 24 Ostracized 26 Burned 27 Beginning 28 Boredom 30 Future Farmers of America (abr.)

32 Crypts

33 Attribute 34 Cults 36 Perch 38 Choose 42 __ Jones Industrial average 43 Passes through a sieve 46 Spoken slowly 49 Remote 51 Flop 53 Australian parrot

56 Fish hook 58 Lawyer dress 59 Legion 60 Lubricates 61 Not his 63 Native ruler 64 Idiot 65 Slant 67 Fear 69 South southeast

DOWN 1 Fire remains 2 Unhappy 3 Tree growth 4 News medium 5 Purity 6 Poem 7 Body appendages 8 Behalf 9 False god graven image 10 Renounce 11 East northeast

HOW TO ENTER

WIN!

o’s II $25 Medificate t r gift ce

Email paul@showcasemagazine.com with the theme of this Word Search (May 2015) for a chance to win a $25 Medo’s II gift certificate. Winner will be announced on Facebook (Showcase Magazine) on May 1, 2015.

RATING: EASY

CELEBRATION

FIFTH

MARIACHI

FRANCE

MEXICO

HOLIDAY

MUSIC

CULTURE DANCING FIESTA

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PUEBLA TRADITION VICTORY WAR

ANSWERS ON PAGE 32

What is Professionalism?

Business etiquette used to be synonymous with “professionalism”. However, today’s business world is finding more and more “professionals” who don’t seem to know the meaning of the word. I recently presented a program to Administrative Professionals in honor of Administrative Professionals’ Day. My first question to them was “What makes you a professional?”

The answer is not about the job you do, it’s about how you do your job.

There are doctors and lawyers who are unprofessional. There are grocery store cashiers who are very professional. It’s not about what you do, it’s all about how you do it! Everyone can be professional, regardless of the job they perform.

The technical definition of “professionalism” is: The skill, good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.

However, very few employers actual train on professionalism. The professionalism of an organization has a big impact as most people more readily recognize the lack of professionalism than its presence.

an attitude that is helpful to others, to the situation, and to yourself, that’s a “beneficial” attitude.

Appearance: Most people think of attire when they think of professionalism, but professional appearance doesn’t have to involve suits!

There is one thing everyone should wear and it never goes out of style. It’s called a smile!

Pair that with clean, neat and appropriate attire for the job and you can project professionalism without saying a word.

Over the phone: The first thing to remember about phones is that they need answering!

A ringing phone should not go unanswered.

Work as a team to ensure phones are answered within three rings. When the phone is answered, be sure you’re prepared with an appropriate greeting and an offer to help.

In writing: Be responsive and accurate.

Written communication can be easily misunderstood, so be clear, friendly and efficient in business correspondence, paying close attention to spelling and grammar.

Remember that professionalism is a reflection on your organization, your community, your family and yourself. No matter what you do for a living, be worthy of the title “professional.”

Kristina R. Barkhouser, CPLP Direct: 434.797.6770 • Mobile: 434.489.1309 kbarkhouser@ExcelenPerformance.com

Here are just a few of the things that exhibit professionalism: Attitude: Be willing to help, seek and share knowledge, take ownership of mistakes and portray a “beneficial” attitude. If you have

Kristina R. Barkhouser is the founder and President of Excelen Performance, Inc. She has over 20 years of experience in technical and interpersonal skills development.

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| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 27

EARN YOUR DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND IN DANVILLE. Our Weekend College program at Danville Community College works with your busy personal and professional life. And your budget.

Attend class Friday evenings and Saturdays at DCC. Enjoy classes with real-world applications.

Take one highly- concentrated course at a time.

And pay just $430 per semester hour.

New cohorts start each August. Attend an upcoming information session to learn more.

spcs.richmond.edu/weekend

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DON’T

MISS!

S M T W T F S

DANVILLE

1 2 3

May 4, 11 & 18 Step by Step through Life Club - Enjoy connecting with others touched by cancer on the beautiful grounds of the Stratford campus.

Energizing and uplifting fun, fellowship and fitness with a focus on lifestyle changes which can aide in the prevention or recurrence of cancer. Light refreshments served. Cancer Research and Resource Center, Kennedy Hall 103 South Main Street. Please call or email with questions. Dianne Whittle 434-421-3060, dwhittle@vcu.edu or karen.stadler@lpnt.net

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

MAY ‘15 A RT S

AREAEventsGuide |

Kids/Family

HELPING HANDS | H O B B I E S / S P O RT S | KIDS | LIFESTYLE/LECTURE

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|

Thru May 15 – DMFAH Exhibits – Works of Fritz Janschka, an internationally celebrated painter, sculptor and graphic artist and Civil War Redux Exhibit - Photographs by Richmond photographer Willie Anne Wright of re-enactments on or near original Civil War sites using a pinhole camera.

3/20 - Receptions 5:30-7pm.

Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History. www.danvillemuseum.org.

434.793.5644.

1 – Stonewall’s Spring Prom 2015 – Join over 100 dancers for a night of dancing, having fun and meeting new friends! Live music provided by “City Limits Band” on the first, third and fifth Friday.

The “Country Pride Band” plays on the second and fourth Friday of each month. Sponsored by the Ballou Recreation Center Council on Aging. Ages 50 and over. 7:3010:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

2 – Artfelt Expressions of Bob Ross – Here is your opportunity to learn to paint the Bob Ross way. Ed Gowen, certified Bob Ross instructor, will help you complete a beautiful painting in just one day. Please bring a roll of paper towels and a 16x20 canvas. All other supplies are included. Adults 18 and up. 4/3 -10:30am, 4/4 3:30pm. Ballou Annex Building.

434.799.5216.

5,12,19,26 – Let’s Dance – Veteran dance instructor, Donna Robbins, teaches a variety of dances in a fun atmosphere. April and May will feature Swing as you will learn new moves, make new friends, and have loads of fun in the process. A partner is not necessary to enjoy this class. Adults 18 and over. 7-8:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

8 – Danville Comedy Club – 8 pm. North Theatre.

434.793.7469.

8,15,22,28 – Friday Night Fun and Dance – Join over 100 dancers for a night of dancing, having fun and meeting new friends. Ages 50 and over. FRI 7:30-10:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

8 – A Night With Legacy – The Legacy from Kernersville, NC, gracing the stage of the Community Market playing hits from artists like: The Drifters, The Coasters, Earth, Wind & Fire and many more. 6:30-9:30pm. Danville Community Market. 434.799.5216.

9 – Family Fun Magic Show.

Celebrity Magician Wayne Alanmentalism, mind reading and psychic magic.

10 – Mother’s Day Tea – The event includes light refreshments and self-guided tours of the house, and Avoca’s Victorian Garden and Arboretum. All mothers are admitted free. 1:30-4:30pm.

Avoca Museum, Altavista. www. avocamuseum.org. 8pm. North Theatre. 434.793.7469.

15-17 – Festival in the Park – Celebrated annually in May, the festival offers everything from arts and crafts to children’s activities and entertainment. This year’s festival features a children’s area, daily entertainment, a Color Run, concessions, Nestle 5K race and much more. Hours vary. Ballou Park. 434.793.4636.

16 – Danville Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Pops Concert Series – Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain. 8-10pm. GWHS Auditorium.

21 – Music on Main – Les Moore Trio - Bring a chair, blanket and picnic basket for a relaxing evening. In the event of rain, concerts will be held indoors at the Community Market. 6:308:30pm. 434.793.4636.

MAY 2015

Ongoing – Digital Dome Theater – Open for guests to fully explore the known universe as well as some fascinating phenomena right here on Earth.

The immersive dome setting showcases the scientific wonders of space, engages visitors with live astronomers, and offers large format films. Danville Science Center. 434.791.5160.

Ongoing – Estlow’s Trains Exhibit – John “Jack” Estlow, Jr. originally constructed this “N” Scale Train layout which was donated by his daughters and grandson so visitors can enjoy trains running in the train station. Danville Science Center.

434.791.5160.

Ongoing – Magic Tree House Space Mission – Now showing in the Digital Dome Theater at the Danville Science Center, this presentation was developed by UNC Morehead Planetarium and based on Mary Pope Osborne’s popular book series. It begins when a mysterious character known only as “M” sends the intrepid Jack and Annie on a funfilled journey to discover the secrets of the sun, moon, planets, space travel and more. Danville Science Center. 434.791.5160.

2 – Free Comic Book Day Celebrate comics at the library.

Stop by all day and pick up your free comic. All ages welcome.

10am-7pm. Danville Public Library Children’s Area. 434.799.5195 ext 4.

14 – Teen Movie Night – Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13) Popcorn and lemonade will be served as well. Ages 13-18.

4-6pm. Danville Public Library Auditorium. 434.799.5195 (ext 4).

Arts/Exhibits/ Entertainment

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

DANVILLE

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AREAEventsGuide

30 – Senior Prom – Ever wanted to relive your high school senior prom?

Well, here is your opportunity. The Senior Prom will pull out all the stops to make this occasion memorable: from couple photos to a sit down meal. Music will be provided by the Bullet Band of Eden.6:30-11:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

Lifestyle/Lectures

2 – Spring River Clean Up – Join the many citizens who take pride in the Dan River and the beauty of the River District. Gloves, litter-getters and trash bags will be provided. Cosponsored by the Danville Science Center and Danville Parks and Recreation Ages 12 and up. 11am-1pm. The Crossing.

434.799.5215.

2-30– Danville’ Farmers’s Market – Join Visit the Farmers’ Market to meet the vendors and farmers, get the year’s first taste of fresh local produce, purchase meats, baked goods, arts and crafts and much more! Free tomato plants for each patron while supplies last. 7:30am-12pm. Danville Community Market. 434.797.8961.

2 – Ballou Spring Yard Sale – Out with the old and in with the new!

Make room for summer by selling your gently used items at this multi-family yard sale. Outdoor parking spaces are available for $5. 7am-12pm/ Ballou Park.

434.799.5216.

5,12,19,26 – Toastmasters – Toastmasters members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. 6-7:15 pm. National University. 434.793.1431.

5 – God’s Storehouse Eat Out to Help Out – Local restaurants donate 10% of their total proceeds for one day to God’s Storehouse. As the need for help with food increases among many of our neighbors, this is an opportunity for the rest of the community to help the less fortunate by eating at the participating restaurants. Look for announcements and signs at the participating businesses. 434.793.3663.

7 – Job Corps Information Session – Job Corps helps young adults learn a career, earn a high school diploma, and gain the real world skills needed to succeed.Vocational training is available in rapidly growing career areas, such as certified nursing, carpentry, culinary arts, auto repair, electrical, welding and many more. 10:30am-12:30pm. Workforce Development Center. 434.455.2521.

9 – Letter Carrier Food Drive – Leave non-perishable food items (no glass please) at your mailbox before your carrier arrives.Volunteers or Postal Workers will collect. Donations may be dropped off at God’s Storehouse 750 Memorial Drive. Food collected in and around Danville benefit God’s Storehouse. 434.793.3663.

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14 – Welcome to Medicare Seminar – The information provided can help you make smarter choices as to the most cost effective and best Medicare health plan and options for you. The seminar is for anyone on or soon to be on Medicare, as well as caregivers and those on Medicare.

5:30-7pm. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.799.5216.

19 – Danville Memory Café – A place for relaxed conversation and interaction for persons who are diagnosed with early stage symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, or another related memory disorder. Care partners/family are invited to this social opportunity, too.

11am-12pm. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.799.5216.

19 – The Big Launch Challenge – Live Final Pitch - The Launch Place, an established entrepreneurial development organization headquartered in Danville, Virginia, and First Flight Venture Center, the largest technology incubator in the Research Triangle, North Carolina, have come together once again to host a contest with two awards totaling up to $20,000 for first place and up to $10,000 for second. 1-7pm. IALR. 19 – Robert Haley (Elder Law Series) – Join Certified Elder Law Attorney, Robert Haley for this informational presentation. Free seminar and lunch provided by the Stratford House.12-1:30pm.434.799.5216.

21 – Garden Basics - Perennial Plants – Join Stuart Sutphin,Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent, as he shares information and answers questions about landscape design. There is no fee, but registration is required. 121:30pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

30 – Comfort Foods Made Light – Learn how to make your favorite comfort foods with less than half the fat and calories, but all the flavor. 10am12pm. Stonewall Recreation Center.

434.797.8848.

30,31 – Intensive Teen Safe Driving Course – Teen Driving Solutions School’s Safe Teen Driver Course is a two-day class that provides teens with behind-the-wheel and mental training to improve vehicle control in a structured and safe setting. It goes beyond traditional driver’s ed curriculum with a more in-depth, safety-focused approach.

10am-6pm.VIR.

Hobbies/Sports

1,2 – 14th Annual NASA HypeFest – HyperFest was designed to offer automotive enthusiasts the opportunity to drive their own car on a racetrack, watch from the sidelines, and everything in between. With an emphasis on a fun, family atmosphere, HyperFest provides a great destination for families looking to spend a day at the track. 2pm.VIR. 434.822.7700 ext. 117.

4 – Deco Mesh Wreath Making – Beautiful deco mesh wreaths are the hottest trend going and it is no wonder because they are so easy and quick to make. Deco mesh can be used indoors or out. It is perfect for celebrating the seasons and holidays, as well as life’s special events. 3-5pm, 6-8pm. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

7 – Kayaking - Beginners – Develop kayaking skills in preparation for fun in the summer sun. Basic strokes will be taught and existing skills honed. Build strength and endurance to travel local waterways. Ages 10 and up. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.6-8pm. Abreu-Grogan Park.

434.799.5215.

15-17 – MotoAmerica Mid-Atlantic Superbike AMA/FIM Road Racing Championship – MotoAmerica is an exciting new motorcycle road racing series owned and operated by KRAVE Group, LLC. Its humble goal: to increase the relevance of the AMA/ FIM North American road racing and to help prepare North American road racers for the international stage.VIR. 434.822.7700 ext. 117.

16 – Nestle 5K Run/Walk/ Wheelchair Race – 8:30-10:30am.

Ballou Park. 434.793.4636.

16 – Zip Line - Saturday Soar – Spend part of your Saturday zip lining with friends in Dan Daniel Memorial Park. Ride solo or tandem for a more thrilling experience. Ages 8 and up. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. 1-2:30pm.

Dan Daniel Memorial Park (Skate Park).

434.799.5215.

16 – Boating Demo Clinic – This is a great opportunity for those who are interested in trying kayaking, canoeing or stand up paddle boarding. 2-5pm.

Abreu-Grogan Park. 434.799.5215.

16 – Color Me Danville 5K – Run/ Walk will be the start of a night of fun at Festival in the Park with a party of color. This run is less about speed and more about the color experience. The only requirement for this race is to wear white. Once the race is completed, make sure you stick around for the best color party in the state of Virginia.5:3010pm. Ballou Park. 434.799.5150.

21 – Kayaking - Race Preparation – Increase speed, build endurance and perfect your strokes in preparation for Danville’s upcoming boat race or to get in shape for summer. Ages 12 and up.68pm. Abreu-Grogan Park. 434.799.5215.

30 – Splash and Cache Boat Race – If you can paddle it, you can race it for Danville’s spring boat race. Racers will choose from canoe, kayak or stand up paddle board categories. The racers will paddle one mile up river and back to the start. All participants will receive finisher medals and awards will be given to the top male and female paddlers in each

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AREAEventsGuide

boating category. 10am-12:30pm. AbreuGrogan Park. 434.799.5215.

CASWELL CO. Lifestyle/Lectures

2 - Dan River History Harvest: Find Your Roots Genealogy Event – Find your past professional and local genealogists guide you through your family history enter for the chance to win a Ancestry.com DNA kit. 10am3pm. Caswell County Civic Center, Yanceyville. 434.799.2176.

ROXBORO

Lifestyle/Lectures

10 – Dreamgirls – Fundraiser for Person County Safe Haven - Donations welcome.3-5pm. Kirby Cultural Arts Complex, Roxboro.

MARTINSVILLE Lifestyle/Lectures

1 – Leading the Way in Dementia Care: A Person Centered Approach – This daylong event includes a lecture about the basics of the Alzheimer’s Disease and “other” Dementia’s given

by Andrew Heck Ph.D. In addition Annie Marrs, LCSW, will talk about Effective Communication Strategies. And the day will end with the showing of the film Alive Inside, and a Panel Discussion. $25 per person. Register Online at www. naswva.org by April 27. 9am-4:30pm.

New College Institute. 191 Fayette Street, Martinsville.

1 – First Friday Art Walk – First Fridays are a great time to visit Uptown.

Enjoy art, food, music and fun along Martinsville’s historic streets. Over 20 galleries, restaurants and shops are open with live music and other events. 5-7pm.

Uptown Martinsville 2 – First annual Cinco de Mayo festival – We will have music all day, local latino band Ruta 58 will be playing for part of our entertainment authentic mexican food, street vendors, jumpy castles and inflatables for the children, salsa music and dancers, a beer garden and lots more. 2-6pm. Uptown Martinsville.

2,3 – Lake Sugar Tree Motorsport Park District 13 MX Race – This race is packed with intense leaps and bounds that will make your heart stop.

You’ll be thrilled to see just how high these bikes can get. Lake Sugar Tree Motorsport Park, Axton. 276.650.1158.

8 – Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds – Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds is a seven-piece powerhouse that puts a modern spin on classic soul. Also performing - Major & the Monbacks.

8:30pm. Rives Theatre, Martinsville.

276.403.0872.

9 – Science Saturdays: Bug Bash! – Dr. Kal Ivanov, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology. 10am-3pm.VMNH, Martinsville.

276.634.4141.

14 – Science Talks – Dr. Nancy Moncrief,VMNH Curator of Mammalogy. 6-7pm.VMNH, Martinsville.

276.634.4141.

21-24 – Rooster Walk – Musical genres will include funk, rock, bluegrass,

country, blues, reggae, jazz, Americana and more. In addition to music, there will be food, children activities and arts & crafts. Hobson Road Festival Grounds, Axton. 919.606.5815.

27 – Doodle Bugs! – Engineering: Technology. 3-4pm.VMNH, Martinsville.

276.634.4141.

SOUTH BOSTON Arts/Exhibits/ Entertainment

1-3 – Halifax County Heritage & Antique Machinery Festival – Times vary. Halifax County Fairgrounds.

434.572.2543.

3 – HALIHEATH – Health Fair located at the Farmers Market in the Town of Halifax. 12pm. 434.572.2543.

4 – Longwood University Jazz Ensemble – The Longwood Jazz Ensemble, in its twenty-second year under the direction of Dr. Charles Kinzer, presents a free concert, including music from the libraries of Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and Miles Davis, among others. First come, first serve.

7:30pm. The Prizery, South Boston.

434.572.8339.

14 – The Richmond Symphony The Richmond Symphony is dedicated to excellence in presenting all types of orchestral repertoire. It incorporates classical, gospel, jazz, and contemporary and popular music into its programming, making great music accessible to everyone. 7:30pm.The Prizery, South Boston. 434.572.8339.

fun & games solutions

Continued from Page 26

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by Paulette Dean Executive Director, Danville Humane Society

In 2012, the board of directors established a Rudy Kramer Award to honor companion animals that had overcome challenges and had been adopted from the shelter. When we talked about the award, the name Rudy Kramer quickly came into our minds. Since then, Rudy has attended our annual meeting to present the award to the recipients.

One Sunday afternoon in 2006, I received a call from the shelter about a black Lab that had been shot. He was friendly and gentle, despite his pain; we took him to an emergency clinic in Reidsville and he was stabilized. A couple of days later, his right front leg was amputated.

Life became wonderful for Rudy after Stuart and Patrice Kramer adopted him. He recently passed away after a battle with cancer. He taught us such lessons about not letting challenges defeat us.

The first recipient was a dachshund named Candy who came to us paralyzed after a fall down a flight of stairs. Amazingly enough, a woman who had just lost her paralyzed dachshund fell in love with Candy (actually, we had named her Scooter) and adopted her. Candy gets along quite well with her little wheelchair; in fact, she now visits in nursing homes. Candy was given the award in gratitude for teaching us that life can be filled with joy.

In 2013, the Rudy Kramer Award was given to George, a deaf cat who was the only survivor in a hoarding case. He lived in Camp Meow Meow, and took it upon himself to make all the newcomers feel welcome. George was adopted by a couple who fall in love with all cats. He was given the award in gratitude for teaching us that challenges can be overcome, and kindness can make a difference.

Last year, the award was given to Dawn, a pit bull that had been cruelly treated. She taught us that hearts can remain gentle, even when faced with cruelty.

We will miss Rudy this year, but we are grateful for the lessons taught and learned. SM

Stash

This little one year-old lady may be sporting a mustache, but she is actually quite the little lady.

Danville Humane Society,

434.799.0843

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MAY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 33

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Tilled

mystified Misty Brooks

Welcome to my world. Maybe you’ll find something entertaining, or maybe you’ll find something to relate to.

Maybe you’ll find both.

Sometimes this page won’t even make sense to you.

Sometimes it won’t apply to you. And sometimes you’ll think I stalked you and wrote a story about what I saw.

My world consists of five children, two dogs, two cats, and a husband. Jason is 22, Corey is 14, Spencer is 13, Tucker is 12, and Kendall is 11. Scott, my husband of four years, is still trying to figure us all out. Every day is a winding road.

I recently got a crash course in garden tilling.

My garden soil has always been tilled up by someone else. This year, the task was all mine. And I had no idea that this piece of machinery is so unforgiving.

This past Christmas, Scott bought me the best present a girl could ever ask for — a garden tiller! I was SO surprised on Christmas morning when I saw it that I wanted to go till something right then, even while wearing the new (not-dirt-friendly) boots he also bought me. I was ELATED! All these years I’d watched others prepare my precious garden soil for me but this year I was doing it myself.

Choke… throttle… crank string thingy….got it! I was like a teenager leaving the driveway for the first time in my new car.

My garden space is about 20x20 — piece of cake, right? I knew it was going to be hard on me, but I had no idea what I was in store for that day. The ground seemed to be the perfect condition. Scott positioned the tiller at the edge of the garden at the first row, and I was off.

Clearly this tiller had a different agenda. This thing was like a toddler escaping from his crib during a midafternoon nap. What was I thinking?!

Can I handle this? My shoulders were in for the workout of their lives. It was hard to get the hang of at first, but I wasn’t backing down from this beast. I was determined to keep this tiller in one place for more than a second. I was gonna own it!

The first pass wasn’t all that bad.

Turning the thing around at the end was tricky, though. As I headed back, I wondered what my strategy would be for gauging how deep I was tilling. I just sort of eyeballed it. Some places were harder than others. There were a few rocks, a few dry spots, and a few big clumps of grass that really tested me. After going over a particularly big rock and really shaking the whole thing one good time, the bar in the back fell. Suddenly, I knew how to tell how deep I was getting in the soil.

Genius.

After a few rows, I came to a place in the garden where the rows from last year (the tomato rows) were a lot higher than the rest of the garden. I didn’t think anything of it at first, until I tried to till them.

Oh em gee. Have you ever tried to push a tiller sideways on a hill? That doesn’t exactly work, unless you are way stronger than me. To level it out I used both hands to press down on

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the elevated side. But it was almost impossible to hold in one place while using all my strength to push down. I would have loved to have seen myself doing this.

After one miserable row of this, I got the bright idea of going perpendicular to the rows. That was Ok but still not as easy as I was hoping for. So, I opted for doing what was probably double the work, and spaced the tiller to where it was never half on a row and half off of it. But I’d easily do double the work in this case.

Halfway through, my neck, my shoulders, and my arms were really feeling the effects of handling this thing. But my hands were KILLING ME! I figured halfway was good enough for my first day. I walked the tiller to back entrance of the garage to put it away, but I couldn’t make either of my hands turn the doorknob. They just wouldn’t work. This machine is the most unergonomic apparatus I have ever used. With no rain in the forecast, the tiller got to sleep outside that night.

The next day, I woke up and felt like I’d been in a car wreck. Everything hurt. My ankles even hurt.

Apparently, I used my feet a lot to help hold the tiller in place while it did its thing.

Luckily, it rained for days after that.

I couldn’t finish until the following weekend. I don’t think the ground was as favorable for the second round. I was literally in tears when I was all done. But it’s ALL DONE! I couldn’t be prouder of myself for tilling my garden all by myself. And Scott is pretty happy that he had nothing at all to do with it this year. SM

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