Showcase Magazine July 2015

See page 14

A heart attack can be a real pain in the neck (as well as the arm, back, jaw or stomach).

Protect Your Heart Schedule a heart check up today.

Many people think a heart attack is a sudden and intense stabbing pain in the center of the chest. But the truth is that many heart attacks start slowly, as a pain or discomfort in other parts of the body. Symptoms may even come and go. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help.

Learn the symptoms of a heart attack. If you feel heart attack symptoms, do not delay. Call 911 immediately.

Remember, minutes matter!

Heart Attack Symptoms

• Discomfort in the center of the chest – uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in the upper body including one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

• Shortness of breath.

• Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.

Danville Regional provides comprehensive heart care.

Should you need emergency heart attack care, Danville Regional provides comprehensive heart care, right here in Danville. Through Danville’s affiliation with Duke Medicine, a leader in defining emergency heart care standards, DRMC’s care is based on national standards and guided by Duke Medicine.

DRMC’s cardiovascular services include open heart and valve surgery, lung and vascular procedures, diagnostic and treatment catheterizations, pacemaker and automated defibrillator insertion and management, multiple cardiac diagnostic imaging services, and cardiac rehabilitation.

DanvilleRegional.com DanvillePhysicians.com

Prayer Garden Quiet Places, Sacred Spaces See Story Page 14

On the Cover The Art of Larry Oldham

Contents { J U LY 2 0 1 5 } S H O W C A S E M A G A Z I N E

FEATURES

14

20

PRAYER GARDEN Quiet Places, Sacred Spaces

By Erin Thackston

DISCOVER THE GREAT OUTDOORS at Smith River Fest ARMSTRONG DENT EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

By Aeyess

ALSO INSIDE 6

9 HE SAID SHE SAID Eating for Free

By Larry Oldham and Dena Hill

10 A BETTER YOU

Healthy Summer Fitness Tips

By Jennifer Doss

28

SECTIONS

by Dave Gluhareff

ART OF 12 THE LARRY OLDHAM

34 37 41

AREA EVENTS GUIDE PAWS FOR THE CAUSE

By Paulette Dean

WEBSITES YOU MUST CHECK OUT NOW

By Sebastian Bradbury

42 MYSTIFIED

like us Showcase Magazine

RTA

@ | JULY 2015 | www.showcasemagazine.com

FUN AND GAMES

Crossword, Word Seach, & Sudoku

OF THE MOST AMAZING, 26 17 COOL, AND AWESOME

by Misty Brooks

4 SHOWCASE Magazine

FROM THE EDITOR

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

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| JULY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 5

FRO M T H E E D I TO R Art is a small word with a huge job — to educate, entertain, comfort, and advance society. Throughout history, the most powerful people in our country have understood the importance of art. In 1941, when the country was deep in World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the National Gallery of Art, which today houses some of the most remarkable art. Roosevelt’s reasoning for dedicated the Gallery during wartime related back to President Lincoln’s insistence that the Capitol dome be completed while the Civil War was raging. Lincoln’s reasoning…”If people see the Capitol going on, it is a sign that we intend this Union shall go in.”

If you haven’t guessed, the theme of this issue is Art. Our very own Larry Oldham shares his passion for art with readers.

If you would like a closer look, Larry’s work can be viewed in Danville’s River District. Erin Thackston visits The Prayer Garden in South Boston. And we introduce readers to the action adventure world of Armstrong Dent via an excerpt of the book Armstrong Dent and the Edge of Earth by local artist, Aéyess.

Art is something to be embraced and never taken for granted.

Remember that next time your favorite Justin Bieber song comes on the radio and cheers you up.

Enjoy the issue.

SHOWCASE – M A G A Z I N E – JULY 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

Paul Seiple

JULY 2015 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Aeyess |Sebastian Bradbury |Misty Brooks Paulette Dean | Jennifer Doss Dave Gluharef | Dena Hill | Larry Oldham Paul Seiple | Erin Thackston

*Editor’s Note. On the June 2015 cover, Ralph and Ruth Hess were photographed at the beautiful grounds of Stratford House.

JULY 2015 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Martinsville-Henry County Tourism Division Erin Thackston

EDITOR

THANK YOU to the ADVERTISERS who make this publication possible.

Please be generous in supporting our local businesses.

17 24 43 11 39

Barkhouser Ford Lincoln Beacon Credit Union Centra Medical Group Cloverdale Quarters Danville Community College Educational Foundation 8 Danville Dental Associates 5 Danville Gastroenterology Center, PC 36 Danville Historical Society 23 Danville Regional Foundation 8 Danville Science Center 2 Danville Regional

Medical Center

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44 8 17 41 17 9

41 7 24

Danville Toyota Scion Demont Deisgn Excelen Performance Genesis Day Spa & Salon Golden Leaf Bistro Goodwill Industries of South Central Virginia, Inc. M&M Furniture Martinsville Henry County Michelle Dalton Photography 24 Dr. Jessica Owens

Family Dentistry 7 San Marcos

Restaurant

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5

17

36

36 36

33 7 5

Shh... Intimacy on a New Level Southside Urology & Nephrology Southside Virginia Wildlife Center Stratford House URW Community Federal Credit Union Westover Christian Academy World of Sports Yates Home Sales

Don’t miss the July 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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| JULY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 7

Now Open!

DANVILLE

Science

Ce n t er

Sign up now

for our Summer Camps! ages 4-12

THE DANVILLE SCIENCE CENTER dsc.smv.org • (434) 791-5160 • facebook.com/DanvilleScienceCenter

8 SHOWCASE Magazine

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SHE SAID...

To me, July is all about freedom.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m as patriotic as the next person, and I do sincerely appreciate all of the service men and women who have served this great nation to permit us all to be free.

You seem to have forgotten that your doctor told you to be cognizant of not only what you eat, but the portions of what you ingest.You have the “freedom” of making the right choice, don’t blow that freedom.

I’m not talking about that kind of freedom.

Keep your eye on the long term goal of losing weight and PHOTO BY MICHELLE DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY keeping your A1C on the right I’m talking about the freedom side of diabetes.You can’t do to eat all that I want on the Fourth of July. I mean that very well eating all the apple pie you want or the doctor said, “Use your own discretion about the gorging yourself with deviled eggs and ham biscuits. diet.” Eat smaller portions, watch what you eat, and You want to trick your doctor, but you sure can’t don’t eat too many sweets. He also said, “If you want trick your body. I will be watching you every day to eat one fat meat occasionally just consciously getting dressed and I’ll be able to tell you what a make up for it in the coming days to negate the fact that you cheated on your diet.” I say eat what I want pickle you are getting yourself back into. Plus the on July 4th, stuff myself to the gills, and pay it back in readings from the doctor on your blood sugar and another month. weight gain will not negate the fact that you say you are on a diet, but you have these free days to stuff September would be a good month when things are yourself. quiet and we can eliminate goodies in the cupboard.

The doctor only sees me twice a year and if I play it The one thing I have learned about dieting is right, I see him again in December, so that gives me consistency. Stay with the program. Eat what’s good plenty of time to get back in shape. for you every day and only deviate from that when you make me eat ice cream. I think your Eat for Free I starve myself all year. I don’t sneak Snickers Program is just another excuse for you to cheat anymore. I don’t drink milkshakes, so one good meal on your diet and I am not going to be a part of it. I over the summer won’t kill me. I call it my Eating for won’t have to call your doctor and warn him about Free Program and this might just catch on with all my your new diet plan either. He will see for himself friends who are dieting.You might even want to give when you get weighed and have your blood work this a try yourself since you’re always watching what done. you eat and doubling watching what I eat. Maybe I can do this once a month: eat one great big meal, and “EATING FOR FREE” only you could have thought then starve myself the rest of the month. This could be the start of a whole new diet revolution. “Eating this up. At least you are not on the streets with a for Free,” I like that. sign that says “Will work for Food…Free”.

www.showcasemagazine.com

he said...she said...

HE SAID...

by Larry Oldham and Dena Hill

EATING FOR FREE

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health

A Better You

Healthy Summer Fitness Tips

By Fitness Professional and Healthy Writer Dave Gluhareff

Summer is in full swing. July marks the beginning of the second half of the year. Let’s talk about those New Year’s Resolutions you committed to 6 months ago…how are they going?

A popular resolution is to drop some pounds, tone up, and just feel better. Whatever the goal, there was a reason behind it. If you haven’t hit that goal, it’s okay. Never give up.

It’s never too late. Here are some summer health tips to put into action.

Healthy Summer Tips: 1) Replace all regular sodas, diet sodas, fruit juices, and sugary drinks with WATER! 2) Cut-out all junky foods like processed white flour, sugary, bad carb foods such as cookies, crackers, pastries, and chips.

Don’t play “food dumb” either — you know a doughnut or bag of chips isn’t healthy for you.

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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and grow strong after workouts.

9) Do a Cardiovascular Workout at least 3 times per week for around 30 min each session. Start easy or medium and build your intensity as you get stronger. If 30 minutes is too much then start with a time you can handle.

10) Take 1 hour each day just for you to do something you really enjoy for yourself to relieve stress and give you some “You Time.”

11) If you are on a silly diet…STOP Immediately. Do not complicate healthy eating. It’s not that hard.

12) Find a friend or family member who will partner with you and hold you accountable to your 3 meals, 3 snacks, every 3 hours, with 3 Strength Training days, and 3 Cardio days.

13) No more fried foods, no more heavy creamy sauces, and no more heavy cheese dishes.

14) Choose low-fat or skim dairy products unless allergic.

3) Eat 3 Meals and 3 Snacks Daily about 3-4 hours apart! Eating more frequent meals/ snacks speeds up your metabolism to help you burn fat more efficiently.

15) Eat only healthy (GOOD) complex carbohydrates that absorb slower and have higher fiber like whole grains, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and brown rice.

4) Sleep about 8 hours per night if possible.

Sleeping a solid 8 hours each night works wonders for the body. Good Sleep strengthens your immune system, helps your body recover from physical stress, keeps your mental stress levels lower, and helps you stay happier.

16) Take a daily multi-vitamin, but only supplement more with extra vitamins and minerals if you have your blood tested for deficiencies and you doctor suggests it.

5) Take a nap each day for 30-90 minutes if possible. Naps re-energize your body and mind mid-day to help give you more sustained energy to finish out the rest of your day active and strong.

6) Cut down on TV watching, surfing the net, and video games. Use the extra time for walks, jogs, workouts, bike rides, and hikes.

7) If you add too much sugar, cream, or milk to your coffee then cut back or cut those excess calories out.

8) Strength Train 3 times per week for at least 30 min each workout. Take a day off in between each workout to let your body rest and recovery. Your joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles need time to heal

Visit www.TrainWithDave.com

17) Cut out candy. Candies lead to mindless snacking that gives you too much sugar and high calories.

18) If you want to splurge or reward yourself with a cheat meal/snack or two each week, that’s fine, but do not go overboard and gorge yourself. Save your splurges for special occasions such as a social gathering.

19) Practice moderation with your Exercise, Nutrition, and Rest every day.

20) Learn new things to avoid boredom and burnout.

If you have gotten off track with your New Year’s Resolutions, you can jump right back into a healthy lifestyle with these tips and make a positive change. You can do this. Have a wonderful July.

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

| JULY 2015 | www.showcasemagazine.com

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R A E

TH

F O T

LARRY OLDHAM

12 12 SHOWCASE SHOWCASE Magazine Magazine || JULY 2015 |

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Larry Oldham is well-known for being the male voice behind He Said – She Said. But, what you might not know is that he is an accomplished painter with artwork on display in studios and websites throughout the world.

You can see his original artwork on display, and purchase a piece you like, now at River District Artisan Center at 411 Main Street and Zinc Total Salon at 308 Craghead Street in Danville.You can order prints of the pieces featured here at LarryOldham. com.You can even show him some love with a few kind words at www.facebook.com/larrywoldham.

(He’ll also read the unkind words as well if you just want to take this opportunity to tell him how much he is wrong and Dena is right every month in their column.)

Art Left Page: Top - Black Eyed Cherries; bottom left - The Street; bottom top right - Street Eats; bottom right - Art. Art Right Page: Bottom - Moon Landing; top - Sailboats; middle - Home in my Mind; far right - Atomic Rain.

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feature

Quiet Places, Sacred Spaces

Seniors:The 2015 Guide

Continued from page 13

by Erin Thackston Photos by Erin Thackston

Quiet Places, Sacred Spaces

The Prayer Garden

My daughter nestled into me on the small wooden bench, her head pressed into my shoulder, my left arm wrapped around her small frame.

“When I grow up,” she said, “I am going to come here every day.” This quiet time alone in the prayer garden was just what she and I needed at this moment. We had way too much on our calendars and been rushing more than usual.

The children were tired, I was feeling stressed, and my impatient tone had led to tears. We needed a moment of stillness, a moment of peace, and time

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to reconnect with ourselves and each other. We needed to recharge our spiritual batteries, so to speak. The Prayer Garden of Main Street United Methodist Church in downtown South Boston seemed like the perfect place for that.

When retired art teacher Sally Lambrecht returned to South Boston from an art seminar she attended in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1998, she brought with her the inspiration from a long time established prayer garden she had visited there.

Lambrecht suggested a prayer garden as a use for an unoccupied plot of land located between Main Street United Methodist Church and First Baptist Church, and just across the street from First Presbyterian Church. The idea was well received, a committee was formed, and work began in 1999 on the project, with the goal of developing a garden which would be open to the public to serve as an ecumenical quiet place for prayer or meditation. Initially, the land had to be cleared,

which meant that trash, debris, and poison ivy were removed by the truckload. Materials and labor were then donated by church and community members. The first plantings were seven crepe myrtle trees all donated by committee members as memorials to their families. Members of the Main Street UMC congregation shared bulbs from their yards and home places and over six hundred bulbs were planted that fall.

Instead of Easter lilies, the congregation brought more than seventy azaleas to church the following Easter. These were then planted in the Shade Garden area next to the fence by the Methodist Continued to Page 16 www.showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

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Prayer Garden Education Building. An armillary, donated by the Memorial Committee of the church, and memorial St. Francis statuary were placed there. Azaleas were also planted in the Children’s Garden, in which stone benches, a walkway, the beautiful Burton Memorial Fountain, and St. Anthony statuary can be found. Stones were hand selected at a local quarry to build the retaining wall, while old curbstones from South Boston city streets were used for the steps which lead to a beautiful aggregate sidewalk leading into the Garden from Main Street.

The first item to be placed in the Meditation Garden, the area closest to Main Street, was a nine-foot copper cross, designed and donated by the late artist and sculptor Robert Cage. This was set in a huge stone for the second Easter of the Garden. Because the cross is visible to the three churches in the immediate area, he created a three-dimensional rather than a flat cross. Cage previously said that he wanted to create something in which a cross could be seen when viewed from any direction. The meditation area is planted in only green and white blooming flowers, shrubs and 16 SHOWCASE Magazine

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Continued from page 15

trees, including a Star Magnolia. The surrounding garden space is filled with azaleas, peonies, tulips, dogwood trees, and a myriad other flowers and growing things. Because of the creative choice of garden plants and flowers, and because of the efficient and water-saving irrigation system, the garden blooms beautifully year round.

The Prayer Garden’s organizers, planners, and volunteers describe the garden as truly a community effort, in which volunteers came from around the community and from different churches and neighborhoods to contribute. Twelve years after the April 2003 dedication, my daughter and I sat together in The Prayer Garden, realizing its mission as “a quiet place, to be still and know that He is God.” This tucked away garden spot is a place of beauty, a place of reflection, and a place of peace.

Gardens are beautiful, peaceful, and can be a pleasant change of pace for young children, encouraging wonder and reflection even for Continued to Page 18

Make Reservations online at www.goldenleafbistro.com or by calling (434) 791.3191

Make the most of your dining experience.

Dine outside and enjoy our NEW Tobacco Road barn bar.

Three Secrets to Providing Customer Service the “Old Fashioned” Way It’s getting harder these days to find good old fashioned customer service. Not only are service providers apparently less motivated to deliver good service, but a lot of customers are making it harder for them to do so!

On a trip to The Homestead, founded in 1766, in Hot Springs, VA, I experienced old fashioned service at its best. Three positive things they did made a big impression!

215 Craghead Street • Danville, Virginia 24541

Mon-Thur: 11AM - 10PM • Fri-sat: 11AM - 11PM Sunday: 10AM - 3PM

Now Serving Boar’s Head Box lunches With Free Delivery.

Work like a team - After check in was complete, the front desk clerk called Frank, the bellman, over to usher us and our luggage to our room. It was then that we spotted our favorite bellman Keswick walking over to greet us. As we stopped to speak to Keswick, Frank was perceptive and generous enough to hand us over to his teammate. A brief but respectful exchange between teammates resulted in Frank remaining behind to help the next guest while Keswick helped us to our room. It was so refreshing to have our customer experience elevated above some ritualistic employee procedure.

Pay attention to individual customer tastes - As my husband selected his second cup of tea during afternoon tea in the Great Hall on day one of our stay, tea server Ashley pointed out that his first cup had been decaf and that he had just selected regular for his second.

Although my husband intended to switch, we

were impressed that Ashley had noticed and felt compelled to check. She was doing more than just serving, she was paying attention.

Handle difficult customers with grace At breakfast in the dining room one morning, the omelet chef was making pleasant conversation with four of us while we waited for made-to-order omelets. Another guest who had abandoned the omelet station suddenly reappeared and immediately received her waiting omelet. This guest then rudely snipped, “It’s cold. I don’t want a cold omelet!” Without hesitation or change of facial expression, the chef pleasantly offered to either place the omelet back on the griddle or immediately make a fresh one. The rude guest conceded that it would be ok and disappeared.

While the rest of us were mortified by the unjustified rude behavior, Chef Cathy handled it with a grace that further endeared her to the four appreciative customers in front of her.

Though old fashioned customer service is becoming less common, it’s still every bit as satisfying as it was in the days of old! Think back to the higher standards we enjoyed not that long ago, and then find ways to incorporate those timeless behaviors into YOUR customer service today.

Kristina R. Barkhouser, CPLP Direct: 434.797.6770 • Mobile: 434.489.1309 kbarkhouser@ExcelenPerformance.com 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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Continued from page 16

Prayer Garden little ones.Years ago my husband and I visited the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, North Carolina.

Unsure of how our children would react to visiting manicured floral gardens while at the beach, we were reluctant to take them along. On the contrary, our children were enamored with the gardens, which have become a favorite attraction in the Outer Banks. They particularly enjoyed the garden scavenger hunt. Each child was given a checklist of items for which to search upon entering the gardens. Items included butterflies, various flowers, rose bushes, bumblebees, statuaries, frogs, ladybugs, fountains, and the like.

Finding each item increased their excitement about spending time in the garden.

When visiting a garden with children, consider introducing your child to the garden with very

Charlottesville • Ash Lawn-Highland, home of James Monroe, features boxwood gardens overlooking a working farm.

• Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, is an architectural masterpiece with winding paths bordered by flowers and beautiful oval-shaped flowerbeds.

Chase City • MacCallum More Museum and Gardens features an arboretum, herb, wildflower, rose and themed gardens as well as nine fountains and eclectic imported works of art.

Lynchburg • The Anne Spencer House and Garden was home to the internationally acclaimed poet of the Harlem Renaissance. The garden served as an inspiration for much of her poetry and may be toured by appointment only.

• Old City Cemetery features a butterfly garden, lotus pond and a garden of 19thcentury shrubs and roses.

Montpelier Station • Montpelier, home of James and Dolley Madison features a 200-year-old-growth forest as well as a landscape arboretum, beautiful restored

simple, minimally structured activities. Take books to read, snacks for a picnic, or a sketchpad with colored pencils. Take a stroll, enjoy the flowers, and talk about what your child sees. Plan your own scavenger hunt, but allow your child to make the checklist himself. For young children, see how many colors you can find in the garden.You may have a favorite hidden garden spot close to home, or you may choose to visit one of the large and well known gardens throughout Virginia teeming with both beauty and history.

Consider visiting one of these gardens this summer, and when you do, be sure to heed the advice written in stone at the Prayer Garden, which reads, “Let the peace of this place surround you as you sit or kneel quietly. Let the hurry and the worry of

formal gardens all overlooking the breathtaking vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Richmond • Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden features more than 25 acres of gardens, including a children’s garden with colorful plants and shrubs to attract butterflies, birds and other nectar.

• Maymont is a 100-acre Victorian country estate.Visitors can wander the geometrically shaped beds in the Italian Garden and enjoy the relaxing noise from the cascade fountain, designed from a similar feature in the Villa Torlonia near Rome.

• Agecroft Hall is a Tudor estate that originally stood in Lancashire, England, and was reconstructed on the rolling banks of the James River. Agecroft’s grounds include the fragrance garden, a sunken garden that’s modeled after the pond garden at Hampton Court Palace in England.

• Virginia House, is a reconstructed 12thcentury priory also dismantled and brought to Richmond from England in 1925 with terraced gardens overlooking the James River.

• Tuckahoe Plantation, Thomas Jefferson’s boyhood home, includes rambling gardens beautiful from March through October.

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-beaten-path 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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Let the peace of this place surround you as you sit or kneel quietly. Let the hurry and the worry of your life fall away.

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Smith River Fest

feature

by Jennifer Doss Photos courtesy of Martinsville-Henry County Tourism Division

Discover the Great Outdoors AT SMITH RIVER FEST

Ready to hit the rivers, lakes and trails? Summer is here and it is the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy nature. Outdoor enthusiasts looking for new places to explore as well as beginners wanting to get started can find all the resources needed at Smith River Fest on August 8. This annual festival is held the second Saturday of August each year at the Smith River Sports Complex in Axton,Virginia from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both admission and parking are free at the event.

Smith River Fest began in 2008 as a celebration of the Smith River and the many recreational opportunities that it and surrounding public lands offer. The 45 mile long lower Smith River begins at the base of Philpott Dam and flows to its confluence with the Dan River in Eden, NC. Along the path are many opportunities for fishing, boating, hiking, biking and nature observation that can be enjoyed year-round.

More than one hundred vendors and numerous events at the festival showcase those opportunities as well as offering the flavor of Southern Virginia

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through food, arts and crafts, music and family fun.

Highlighted events to participate in include the Smith River Race and the Helgramite Hustle Mud Run. The Smith River Race offers paddlers on kayak, canoe and stand up paddle board (SUP), the opportunity to challenge themselves in a timed race along a 4.8 mile course. Free river shuttles are offered from the festival grounds upstream to the South Martinsville River Access where this race begins. The finish line and take out are both at the festival so spectators can cheer on the boats.

Runners can challenge themselves mentally and physically along the 5K mud run course of the Helgramite Hustle.

This event is named for the aquatic larvae of the dobsonfly that is native to the Smith River. The large aquatic larvae, called Helgramites are frequently used by fishermen as bait. They feed on aquatic insects for Continued to Page 22

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Smith River Fest Continued from page 20

three years and then emerge to pupate on land. Once fully grown, the nocturnal flying insect can be as long as 5 inches and the male has sharp mandibles half as long as his body. Sound fierce enough? Make it to the end of the hustle’s 10 mud pits, slides, jumps and other obstacles and you too, might earn your jaws!

Registration for both races is available online at SmithRiverFest.com or racers can register on-site the day of the event. A rinse-off station and changing areas will be offered for the racers to clean up following their romp in the mud.

Guests to the festival wanting to learn more about outdoor recreation can experience a variety of handson activities. At the Kids Cycle Station, youth of all ages can borrow a bike and try their skills at a kidfriendly bicycle obstacle course. Teens and adults can also borrow bikes onsite from the YMCA’s Mobile Bike Barn and those wanting to take their skills to the next level can learn tips from members of the Henry County Bike Club.

The Smith River Fest Casting Pool is another popular activity area. In this man-made 20’ x 50’ pool there are no fish but you’ll find lots of targets to aim at and challenge your casting skills. Members of Smith River Trout Unlimited will be on hand to teach fly rod casting and fishermen from the Patrick

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County High School Bass Fishing Team will teach bait casting techniques. While in that area browse boats available for sale and for rent from various boat stores, outfitters and guides. At the Smith River Trout Unlimited Booth, participants can also watch the artistry involved in transforming feathers, beads, thread, felt and other materials into beautiful, yet functional works of art. The hand-tied flies are what fly fishermen use to catch Rainbow and Brown trout on the Smith River.

Participants wanting to learn more about paddling can test out Liquid Logic kayaks and stand up paddleboards (SUP) during a free demo that morning offered by Smith River Outfitters. Martinsville Parks and Recreation will offer free canoe rides in the afternoon during the Smith River Experience and several regional outfitters and clubs will also lead guided trips. Free shuttles are offered throughout the day for paddlers that want to explore the river both upstream and downstream of the festival grounds on their own.

Guests to the festival looking for family fun can enjoy the Blue Ridge Duck Race where more than 8,000 yellow rubber ducks will be released into the river.

Participants can adopt individual ducks or an entire flock and the duck that crosses the finish line first will Continued to Page 25

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race fans are welcome to take photos in front of the iconic stage where NASCAR racing giants like Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon have stood to accept the famous Martinsville Speedway Grandfather Clock.

Smith River Fest Continued from page 22

win it’s adopted family $2,500! Proceeds from this event benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge.

Other family fun activities include bounce houses, inflatable slides and climbing walls. A petting zoo and pony rides will be offered, as well as a scavenger hunt and corn hole. Best of all, all these activities are free of charge! In the Nature Exploration Zone, children’s author Mary Clark Dalton will be on hand to share her books about butterflies and other exhibitors will offer a variety of nature-themed activities.

For those wanting to relax, enjoy time in the Hammock Village or browse the booths of local and regional artisans and businesses. A variety of Virginia craft brews and locally produced wines will also be for sale at the festival.

Throughout the day live entertainment will be offered at the Smith River Fest Victory Lane Stage, presented by Martinsville Speedway. At 9:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., the staff of Woodchuck Woodcarvings will be giving demonstrations of chainsaw carving and creating unique works of art resembling native Virginia wildlife. At 1:00 p.m. the Southern Shine Band will take the stage to provide a variety of modern and classic country mixed with a little rock and a little blues music. In between performances,

Whether you are interested in hiking, biking, running, paddling, cycling or fishing, there is truly something for every outdoor enthusiast at Smith River Fest. Come join the fun and discover your next new outdoor hobby!

Smith River Fest is organized in partnership between Henry County Parks & Recreation, MartinsvilleHenry County EDC’s Tourism Division, MartinsvilleHenry County YMCA, Dan River Basin Association, Martinsville Parks & Recreation, Smith River Sports Complex and Boys & Girls Club of the Blue Ridge.

Schedule of Events

ALL DAY - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Vendor Booths Open • Fly Casting Lessons • Bait Casting Lessons • Fly Tying Demos • Mobile Bike Barn • Kids Cycle Station • Rock Climbing Wall • Bounce House & Inflatable Slide • Hammock Village • Petting Zoo & Pony Rides • Scavenger Hunt

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

9:45 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

10:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

B99 Super Country Live Remote Liquid Logic Kayak and SUP Demos Chainsaw Carving Demo Smith River Race Beer Garden Open Blue Ridge Duck Race Southern Shine Band Helgramite Hustle 5K Mud Run The Smith River Experience - Canoe Demos Liquid Logic Kayak & SUP Rides

www.showcasemagazine.com

| JULY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 25

17 of the Most Amazing , Cool , and

Awesome

Websites You Must Check Out Now Excerpted from the Amazon-exclusive book Because, the Internet:The 100 Most Amazing, Cool, and Awesome Websites You’d Be Foolish Not to Bookmark

by Sebastian Bradbury

1. Lonely Tweets – Just a site with a scroll of people complaining on Twitter of being lonely.

It will make your day feel just a little bit better.

Category: Social Media

lonelytweets.com

cooltext.com

2. Let Me Google That For You – Is there really anything more annoying that someone asking a stupid question on Facebook like “Where do you find Levis jeans?” or “When does the next Avenger’s movie come out?” Well, this simple website is a sarcastic way to help them help themselves. And it might actually be the coolest website on the Internet. Category: Social Media

6. Rainy Mood – This site makes it rain – through your speakers, it doesn’t accompany you to the club – and it sounds very realistic like it’s actually raining outside. Category: Helpful Life Improving Sites

3. Creepy Girl – If you thought the Mona Lisa’s eyes were watching you… Category: Humorous

www.mantelligence.com

lmgtfy.com

www.cubo.cc/creepygirl

4. How-Old – Just like the guy at the fair who guesses your age, this site will use a picture to guess your age. The majority of the time, it nails it.

But, the fails are super fun too.

Category: Photo Sites

how-old.net

5. Cool Text – We could have hired a graphic designer to create the text graphics for this list but instead we used the free Cool Text. When you

26 SHOWCASE Magazine

need a little cool text for your next presentation, this should be your first stop.You can save your creations in all the popular file formats including transparent PNGs. Category: Design Sites

| JULY 2015 | www.showcasemagazine.com

www.rainymood.com

7. Mantelligence – This site is the sum of all knowledge on how to be a man. Or, so it claims, just like a man. It’s definitely a very good start.

Category: Helpful Life Improving Sites

8. Snopes – You should be aware of this site by now, but, unfortunately, too few actually know about it and are still forwarding around email “proof” that President Obama was born in Kenya and a CIA agent confessed on his deathbed to murdering Marilyn Monroe. It works like this, someone shares something on social media that sounds too good or too bad to be true. (In other words, any email forwarded to you by your parents.) This site lets you check the validity of the rumor. Category: Helpful Tech Sites

www.snopes.com

9. Camel Camel Camel – This site tracks and reveals the price history of pretty much everything on Amazon. It will alert you to a price drop and is compatible with your entire Amazon wish list.

us.camelcamelcamel.com

10. Get Human – This site lets you skip the ridiculous automated phone queues and actually speak to a human within a few seconds instead of a few minutes. It is an absolutely vital tool whenever you need to call a company.

Category: Shopping Tools

gethuman.com 11. Two Foods – If you make your eating decisions based on calories, carbs, fat, and protein, this site will compare two foods quickly so you can make informed decisions. Category: Food Related Sites

www.twofoods.com

12. A Good Movie to Watch – Streaming services like Netflix have a ton of crap you don’t want to watch. This service finds you awesome movies you will want to watch. Category: Entertainment Site

agoodmovietowatch.com

13. BookSoleil – Once a day, BookSoleil will email you a few curated list of discounted eBooks matched to your favorite genre. If you like to read, and you like to save money, this newsletter is mandatory. If you don’t want to subscribe, you can

read the list on the site daily.

Category: Entertainment Sites

booksoleil.com 14. Virtual NES – You can play classic Nintendo Entertainment System games like Contra, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out and Tecmo Bowl for free.

Category:Video Games

www.virtualnes.com 15. Online Etymology Dictionary – Instantly tells you the history and derivation of any word.

Category: Writing Sites

www.etymonline.com

16. Mental Floss – Prepare to be bombarded by a ton of useless facts like France’s last execution via guillotine was in 1977, and a poinsettia’s red petals are actually leaves. Category:Trivial

mentalfloss.com

17. Nerd Fitness – Nerd Fitness could fall under several categories. It’s education, fun, and helpful, among other things. Most importantly, it’s actually the coolest fitness site on the web for people who would never be caught saying, “Do you even lift, bro?” Category: Educational

www.nerdfitness.com

For the full list of 100 of the most Ultimate Websites ever visit ShowcaseMagazine.com or buy the book at Amazon.com www.showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

|| JULY JULY 2015 2015 || SHOWCASE Magazine 27

Armstrong Dent Exclusive Excerpt

feature EDGE OF EARTH

28 SHOWCASE Magazine

Danville-based author and musician Aeyess created the world’s first book series with a fulllength original soundtrack. The complete box set titled The Adventures of Armstrong Dent – The Complete First Season reached #26 on the overall Amazon bestsellers list for a week earlier this year. The soundtrack was completed at Skywalker Sound at Star Wars creator George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch. Check out this exclusive excerpt from the first story in the series. Look for a full-length interview with the author in a future issue of Showcase.

•••••••••••

ARMSTRONG DENT and the

Edge of Earth A Classified Armstrong Dent Tale You don’t get a medal pinned on you in The Pit. Most folks are lucky if they walk out without an indictment. The buildings in Washington, DC, sparkled on the first cloudless day of spring, but, it was a dreary day for a congressional hearing.

Inside The Pit’s windowless conference room, there were no smiles.

“Commander Dent, thank you for assembling your team on such short notice,” Senator Ford Rockefeller said. “As Committee Chairman, I now call this hearing to order.”

Fifteen senators and congressmen sat side by side behind a long ornate desk on an elevated podium. They faced Armstrong Dent and the members of Eagle Ops, who sat at two plain wooden tables on the floor a few feet below.

“We appreciate the invita—” “Please limit your responses to actual questions asked,” Senator Rockefeller barked out while shuffling a large stack of papers. “Let’s get right down to it, shall we.”

Dent wrinkled his nose and glanced to the left at the members of his team, and then to the right.

One by one the nine of them looked back at him and nodded.

“We’ve called this top-secret hearing of the Congress of the United States Permanent Joint Committee on Operational and Informational Transparency to ascertain just how much of a threat to the national security of the United States is posed by Commander Dent and his team of presidential special agents.” Rockefeller inhaled deeply through his nose and drew out each syllable. “Celebrities posing as an elite military force operating on behalf of the government of the United States of America. Almost laughable | JULY 2015 2015 || www.showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

when you say it aloud.”

“Senator,” interjected Speaker of the House Adam Jefferson so quickly that spit flew from his mouth. “You have misidentified the reason for this hearing.”

“I respectfully remind the Gentleman from Missouri that we take turns speaking in this committee and he would be best served to wait his turn,” Rockefeller said. “As Chairman, I expect you will respect my authority.”

Representative Jefferson shook his head but held his tongue.

Rockefeller feigned at his comb-over, careful not to nudge a hair. “Mr. Dent, in my home state of Connecticut, we have a saying that goes: ‘Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.’ We are here today for facts, not distortions. I expect that we are on the same page.”

“Is that a question, Mr. Chairman?” Dent stated, knowing the answer.

“Well, I guess it’s kind of a rhetorical question, for that matter,” Rockefeller said.

“Well, first off, let me state for the record that your quote was not a Connecticut saying. It was actually a quote from Mark Twain, quite famous for being raised in Missouri, the home state of Representative Jefferson, I might add. And secondly, I only deal in facts. Politicians deal in distortions.”

The crowd of spectators, all congressmen and senators with NSA clearance to attend the closed top-secret hearing, laughed. Rockefeller’s face turned light purple, but his smile grew bigger. “No matter where Mark Twain was born, he was a Connecticut Yankee by choice.” He sipped from

a glass of water. “Where, sir, were you born?”

“The Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth. My parents were both Navy chaplains,” Dent said.

“Your file says that during your childhood, they were both killed in a terrorist bombing during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. How has that experience colored your opinion of Palestinian freedom fighters?”

“Freedom fighter, terrorist, it’s all just words,” Dent said. “But at the point where your actions intentionally harm innocent people, you’re not fighting for freedom. You’re a terrorist.” He paused for a second and just before the senator was about to speak, he continued. “I don’t like terrorists.”

“You don’t like terrorists or you don’t like Muslims?”

Dent held out his index finger. “I find your line of questioning to be, well, flawed. I never said terrorists were Muslim. Terrorists are terrorists.

If you’ve got a bomb strapped to your chest, you’re a terrorist. It doesn’t matter whether you’re holding a Bible or the Koran or Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.”

“Of what faith are you, Commander Dent?”

“I’m a proud member of the First Amendment Church of the United States of America.”

“That’s clever, Bill of Rights and all.” Senator Rockefeller leaned into the microphone. “So Palestinians killing your parents didn’t sour you towards Islam?”

“It’s never been determined who killed my parents, at least not in the information that’s been shared with me. But, may I ask, why are you so interested in my religion? I have an excellent relationship with many people of all faiths, throughout the world, Muslims included.”

“Is your excellent relationship with Muslims the reason you set out to destroy the image of Jesus Christ?”

Dent’s face darkened, but he didn’t respond.

“We need to know exactly what happened on this quest of yours. Every single detail.”

Dent began breathing in controlled and slow manner. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, he rhythmically counted off the states, utilizing his anger-management techniques as inconspicuously as possible. His mind jumped to a meeting with the president, not even two weeks earlier.

•••••••••

Armstrong Dent sat across from the president in the Oval Office. The suit he was obligated to wear to visit the White House was tailor-made but still didn’t fit well over his shoulders. His dark brown hair was neatly combed away from his face allowing his brilliant blue eyes to explode

from his face. It had been several months since the two of them had found the time for a relaxed conversation, and this one had quickly moved into uncomfortable territory.

Pieces of a copper scroll written in a dead language were laid out on the coffee table between them.

“I need you to get to the bottom of this,” the president said.

“Sir, I’ve done a lot of things for you, but I haven’t quite mastered time travel yet,” Dent said.

“You know that’s not what I’m asking. I just want you to solve this cold case for me. If anyone can get to the bottom of it…”

“Right. A two-thousand-year-old mystery to be exact. You might as well be asking me to find the Holy Grail.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Indiana Jones already found that.”

Dent shook his head and his dark bangs fell into his eyes before he pushed them away. “You realize that’s a movie?”

“A documentary.” The president chuckled in the boyish way that got him elected thirty months earlier over the more qualified candidate. “In all seriousness, this isn’t a simple treasure hunt.

In the Presidential Book of Secrets, which we both know doesn’t really exist, Eisenhower made a note that this copper scroll has the power to change the world. It’s high time we find out if that’s true because the world’s in need of change.”

Dent glanced over the translation. “It’s just a bunch of obscure locations in the desert where there might be some buried treasure if it hasn’t been found at some point over the last two thousand years by this tomb raider or that archeologist.” Dent held his hands out as if pleading. “This is a wild-goose chase and a big fat waste of my time.”

“Here’s what you aren’t seeing. Do you know of a man named Marian Rejewski?” the president said.

“He was a Polish guy who—let me see— broke the code of the Enigma machine.”

“I’m impressed you know that. But, the whole truth is even more significant. That man won World War II for the Allies. Eisenhower looked up

EDGE OF EARTH

Continued to Page 30 www.showcasemagazine.com

| JULY 2015 2015 || SHOWCASE Magazine 29

Armstrong Dent to him, and once Ike became president, he would secretly utilize Rejewski’s council on many occasions.”

“OK, and?”

“And – Rejewski told Eisenhower that this scroll was a cipher and that the hidden code led to the location of the remains of Jesus Christ.”

“Is this some kind of joke?” Dent shook his head and sucked in air through his teeth.

“From 1960 until his death in 1980, Rejewski spent every waking moment trying to solve the code he saw in the copper scroll. He made progress but was unsuccessful.”

“That should tell you something. It’s either unsolvable or it was never a code in the first place.”

“I said Rejewski didn’t solve it—I didn’t say it was unsolved.” The president clicked a remote control button, and an image appeared on a pull-down screen. “Four hours ago, one of our analysts reported that an all-star archeological team was being secretly assembled to excavate the remains of Jesus Christ. The person pulling the team together is-” The president paused for effect. “Marian’s grandson, Pascal Rejewski.”

•••••••••

“Mr. Dent,” Senator Rockefeller said, “you haven’t answered the question.

How long have you had a vendetta against Jesus Christ?”

Dent rolled an ancient Venetian ducat along his knuckles as if he were a sidewalk magician. The coin from 1140 bore the image of Jesus in a crown of thorns. “Senator, your question is insulting on so many levels. The simple answer is that I do not have a vendetta against Jesus.”

“If that’s so, then, when you were asked to investigate the Copper Scroll of Qumran, which purported to show the location of the burial place of Jesus Christ, why was your first thought to bring a Muslim onto the case?”

“That’s not true,” Dent said.

“Really now? Your first phone call, after you left the president’s office, was 30 SHOWCASE Magazine

Continued from Page 29

to Lamare Jackson, more popularly known as Little Sugar.” Rockefeller pronounced the name very articulately and nodded his head at Lil Sugar as if he were a prosecuting attorney in a murder case pointing out the criminal to the jury. “Little Sugar, if you don’t mind me calling you by your stage name, I’d like to read into the record a few lyrics from one of your songs: Muhammad is the master, majestic disaster. Ali takes a head faster than your grandma plays canasta. Sir, how do you explain your lyrics condoning beheadings?”

Lil Sugar was a round-jawed AfricanAmerican man of calm nerves. He wore Italian designer suits, each articulately paired with a pair of custom basketball shoes. He had his hair styled to look like it came off an ancient Greek statue.

Black Greek, the bloggers called it, and it was popular worldwide. He was equally at ease in front of a stadium full of screaming fans or staring down the barrel of an M16 rifle. Despite that, his heart was racing, and he struggled to stop his muscles from shaking. The muscles in his neck tightened, and he glanced at Dent, who gave him a supportive, albeit slight, smile. “Excuse me, Senator, what was the question again?” he said, making sure to pronounce each syllable distinctly.

“Does your Muslim heritage justify your lyrics that endorse Islamic violence?” Rockefeller said with irritation in his voice.

“Sir, the truth is that those lyrics come from a song I wrote called ‘Twelve Rounds’ . . . .”

“Yet another reference to violence.

‘Twelve rounds in the chamber’ is the most typical number of bullets in a shotgun or grenade launcher.”

“It’s also the number of rounds in a championship boxing match. And Muhammad Ali was, and still is, my hero. Not because he was a convert to Islam, but because he was the greatest boxer in the history of the sport and a poetical genius. When Ali took a head, I was referring to a knockout.”

Rockefeller didn’t bob or weave

| JULY 2015 | www.showcasemagazine.com

before he went for the knockout. “That’s a rather convenient explanation but your father was a Muslim, here in America from Zimbabwe where he fled religious persecution. And you, if I’m not mistaken, were the NSA’s top Arabic linguist before your career as a rapper took off.”

“Sir, Commander Dent spoke of the First Amendment, which gives me the freedom of speech and the freedom of religion, and as a senator, you should respect them both. I am only going to answer your blatantly racist question because of my respect for Commander Dent and my love for this team, of which I’ve only been a member for nine months.” Lil Sugar looked at Dent, who shook his head, letting him know he didn’t have to answer. He looked back at Rockefeller and stared him straight in the eyes. “I am not a Muslim but I respect Islam. I’ve never met my father.

My mother raised me to be nothing like the kind of man who abandons his responsibilities. And yes, I was the NSA’s top Arabic expert, but I was also its top Aramaic expert, its top Latin expert, and countless other languages.

When I was a kid-” “I didn’t ask you about your childhood,” the senator said.

“Sir, I haven’t finished my answer yet.

Do I need to remind you that we take turns speaking in this committee?”

Congressman Jefferson smiled and cut his eyes at Senator Rockefeller, who held his hand out in acknowledgment of his mistake.

“When I was a kid,” Lil Sugar continued, “I had a gift for learning languages. In kindergarten, when other kids were learning the alphabet, I was reading Atlas Shrugged. By first grade, I was reading Don Quixote in its native Spanish. When I turned nine, my mom spent every dime she had to send me to Estonia to study with the most prestigious linguist in the world who helped me master my talents.”

“Impressive,” Rockefeller said and nodded in acknowledgment. “So why did you decide to invest all that talent into

making rap songs? Is that what you call them? Songs?”

“Yes, they are songs. And I make them because they’ve given me the opportunity to move my mother from a place where politicians have endorsed and institutionalized poverty as a way of life to a place where her next door neighbor is the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She no longer goes to sleep wondering if a stray bullet from a drug deal gone sour is going to come through her window and leave her paralyzed the way it did her nephew. People like you promise the Holy Grail but deliver epic fails. Meanwhile, millions of other women like my mother watch the news and see politicians arguing over what’s the best way to take care of them.

Instead, I took it upon myself to change our lives. So when someone questions my integrity, I don’t feel obligated to hide my feelings just because you may have been, or might be in the future, the deciding vote on a program that my mom only qualifies for by proving the false negative that she was a failure at taking care of herself and her son.”

“Boy, now that’s a lot of words. Calm down, son. Take a breath. Well, you are truly an American success story.”

Lil Sugar looked at Chief sitting beside him and mouthed with a scrunched up face, “Did he just call me boy?”

An aide came up behind Rockefeller and whispered in his ear before quickly exiting.

“Mr. Jackson,” Rockefeller said, “Congratulations on your recent Grammy Awards. I’m sure they’ve made the world a much better place.”

•••••••••

Lil Sugar stepped off the Staples Center stage after his Grammy Awards performance. He performed “Cracked Glasses,” written in honor of the kids who live their lives in the shadow of a bully. The audience roared as loud as he’d ever heard a crowd roar before.

On the front row, his mother cried every time they opened an envelope and gave him a Grammy. Eight times he had been called to stage that night, tying Michael

Jackson’s record. Record of the Year was still to be awarded, and Lil Sugar planned to bring his mom up on stage with him if he won.

He looked at his phone, which flashed with an incoming call from Armstrong Dent. “Hey, Boss Man, what’s up?”

“That was an incredible performance.

The president and I watched it together, and I’m pretty sure he downloaded your album on his phone during the song.”

“Man, that’s crazy. I hope he paid for it. The president, now, that’s what’s up.”

“I’m pretty sure he got it from a torrent site,” Dent said with a feint of seriousness. “But, don’t get too caught up in the festivities. We’ve got a pretty big emergency on our hands, and I’m going to need you to be at the airport in forty minutes. I’m picking you up on the Scrambler.”

Lil Sugar glanced at his favorite Beatle, backstage, about to hand out the big award. “Yes, sir. No problem.” Lil Sugar disconnected the call and turned to his manager who walked up with his arms outstretched for a hug. “I’ve got to head out. If we get that last award, have my mom go up and accept it.”

His manager threw his hands up.

“You can’t leave now. You gotta keep your priorities straight, Sugar.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

•••••••••

Thirty-nine minutes later at Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles, Lil Sugar stared at the X-43D Scrambler.

The hypersonic airplane incorporated technology of supposedly unknown origin. The extreme design of the plane with its Japanese throwing star look gave it an intimidation factor not lost on him. He nonchalantly crossed his heart and stepped onto the plane where Dent and Chief, the team’s cryptologist and resident bestselling author, were laying out large photographs of a copper scroll on the floor.

“Congratulations on that last Grammy,” Chief said to Lil Sugar. “Nine.

You’re the man. And, your mom. Sugar Mama. Whew. She’s a firecracker.”

“She holds her own,” Lil Sugar

said while squatting down to view the pictures. “No distractions. Right, Cap?” he said to Dent. “Focus right here, right now.”

Dent nodded and turned to the pictures. “This document supposedly holds the key to the location of the human remains of Jesus Christ,” Dent said. “There are those who have a seventy-year head start on us who are right this very minute planning a recovery mission. No one knows what they are going to find, but I have seen far too many unbelievable things on this planet to think that the bones of Jesus could be anything other than the most powerful artifact ever discovered. We might uncover every theologian’s dream or we might find. . .”

“A nightmare. That’s more like it,” Chief said.

“Either way, we gotta get there before anyone else,” Dent said.

“You don’t have to sell me,” Lil Sugar said. “This is the Real Deal Holyfield right here.” He looked at the pictures for several minutes. “The writing here is a mixture of Mishnaic Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and is really just a set of locations where treasure has been hidden.”

“We know that already,” Chief said.

“But, the treasure map angle to it is all just a wild-goose chase designed to throw people off from its real purpose.

It’s classic misdirection on an epic scale.

This, my friend, is The Jesus Code.”

Lil Sugar shifted his eyes back and forth between Dent and Chief like an actor is a b-movie and then said to Chief, “That sounds like a line from one of your books.”

“How do you know it isn’t?” Chief said.

•••••••••

Senator Rockefeller banged his gavel. “Let’s continue.” He banged the gavel once more for good measure.

“Joann Creekstone, it’s an honor to have such a distinguished Navy veteran before us. Thank you for your past service to this country.”

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Continued to Page 32 || JULY JULY 2015 2015 || SHOWCASE Magazine 31

Armstrong Dent “I am still in service to my country,” she said with a serious nod.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

The senator picked up a hardcover copy of The Last Templar, for which Creekstone won the National Book Award. “Are you the actual author of this bestselling novel or was it written by a ghostwriter with your name attached to enhance its marketability?”

“I wrote the book alone, sir.”

“Excellent. Let me say that I quite enjoyed it. I especially like the part where you blaspheme the Bible and make Judas out to be the hero of Christianity.”

“It’s a fictional book,” she said.

“Really now? Well, how about this instructional book you wrote titled The Sunday School Guide to Deciphering Biblical Messages Found in The Last Templar. Was your intent to rehabilitate Judas with this book, or were you merely trying to rewrite the Gospels?”

The senator tapped his forefinger on the table beside his microphone.

“Interestingly, that book was written by a ghostwriter, and I attached my name to it to enhance its marketability.”

She laughed and the crowd joined her.

“But, you endorse its contents?”

“Honestly, Mr. Chairman, I’ve never read it and only agreed to its publication so long as all of the net proceeds went to charity.”

“And would that be one of the alternative-lifestyle organizations you openly support?”

“Of course. In the Native American culture in which I was raised, I was taught that we should all actively spread love and seek to find a way to love one another without judging each other for who we love. But, that’s just me. I don’t imagine speaking for anyone else.”

Chief rarely mentioned her childhood growing up on a reservation and her personal style was more Manhattan punk than Apache Indian.

The senator considered his words for a moment before he continued. “Your psychiatric file points out that you have a fascination with conspiracy theories. The 32 SHOWCASE Magazine

Continued from Page 31

New World Order and Freemasonry and alien colonization . . .”

“I’m not into aliens, but all that other stuff—yes, sir—I find it all fascinating.”

“Well, my question wasn’t going to be whether you find them fascinating, my dear. My question is, how do you expect me to recommend extending your NSA top-secret clearance when your cryptological,” he paused as if unsure of the word, “analysis is heavily influenced by your obsession with conspiracy theories?”

Chief continued to smile. “First of all, ‘my dear’ is condescending and insulting to women. And second, all cryptology is based on conspiracy theories because a cipher exists to convey a secret message from one party to another, which is part and parcel of the actual definition of conspiracy. And without a theory, you never get a solution. All cryptologists are conspiracy theorists.

It’s the basic job description.”

“You don’t say?”

•••••••••

It was 4:00 a.m. when Chief and Lil Sugar finished arranging all the enlarged photographs of the Copper Scroll in the Operations Room of Eagle Ops’ headquarters in the catacombs of the Library of Congress. Michelle “Wolf” Wolstein, the group’s chief technology officer, stepped through one of the four holographic display boards surrounding Dent, Chief, and Lil Sugar, who each held “grande”-sized—more like childsized—espressos.

“Wolf, you should market these holographic things you designed,” Lil Sugar said. “The corporate world, well, everyone, would suck ‘em up. You’d make a fortune.”

“I’ve already made a fortune,” Wolf said with a wink.

Chief marked on one of the holographic boards with her fingertip.

“Codebreakers and archeologists have been trying to figure this scroll out for half a century. And if we had to literally start from scratch, it would take us just as long. Fortunately, we have a few clues.” She wrote the following words as

| JULY 2015 | www.showcasemagazine.com

she said them aloud: Map and Cipher.

“It’s a map to the bones of Jesus. It’s definitely a cipher or a code. We’ve cut twenty years off finding the solution just by knowing these two facts.”

“So . . . fifty minus twenty . . . .” Wolf feigned like she was counting on her fingers. “We’ll only have to work for thirty more years to solve it.”

“We’re going to need larger coffees,” Lil Sugar said.

“It’s not going to be that hard,” Chief said. “Really not that hard at all.” She tapped her chin with her fist. “Most cryptologists would start by looking for patterns in the words—perhaps throw it into one of a dozen or so computer algorithms to analyze if any obvious solution presents itself. With our access to supercomputers, we could probably eliminate all the known types of codes in a few weeks at most.”

“We don’t have that much time,” Dent said.

“I know that, Captain. That’s why I said ‘most cryptologists.’ I’m not ‘most cryptologists.’”

“That’s for sure,” Wolf said.

“We need to discover the third clue.

I like to call it the Triangulation Clue.”

Chief stepped between Lil Sugar, Dent, and Wolf and motioned for each of them to back up several steps.

“Now close your eyes. I represent the Copper Scroll. You can each hear me speak. Individually you can only say that my voice is coming from a general direction. But, by working together and interpolating those three general directions that each of you report, you can pinpoint my exact location.”

“Like the way GPS works,” Lil Sugar said.

“Exactly,” Chief said. “Triangulation.

We need to find the one additional point of reference that unlocks this scroll, and once we figure that out, we’ll be able to decipher this in no time.”

“So what’s the plan?” Dent said.

“Let’s brainstorm and throw out anything that seems to make any kind of sense whatsoever,” Chief said.

Continued to Page 35

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| JULY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 33

games Fun &

ACROSS 1 Chinese flavoring 4 Zest 8 To incite 12 Estimated time of arrival 13 Navy color 14 “I dream of __” (old TV show) 16 Center 18 Schedule 20 Musical instrument 21 Ventilates 23 Central daylight time 24 East southeast 25 Have 26 Eye infection 27 Singing voice 29 Kampala resident 32 Good day 33 Unite 34 “Two __ don’t make a right” 38 Cranny 40 Computer sharing system 41 Peaceful 42 Snaky fish 43 Fear

Name the

ARCH WORD SE E THEM

! & WeIdN o’s II

$25 M ificate gift cert

44 German dessert 46 Southwest by west 47 Coming 50 Free of 51 Behold 52 Compass point 53 Gasp 55 Netherlands’ capital 58 Be curious 60 Striving for ideals 63 Time being 64 “Cheers” regular 65 Admiral (abbr.)

66 Space administration 67 DNA component 68 Negative

15 Whirl 17 El __ 19 Dined 22 Lodge 25 Look 26 Frozen rain 27 What children learn 28 Harp 29 Stomache sore 30 Inhabit 31 Branch of learning

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DOWN 1 Note 2 Toss 3 Gizmo inventor 4 Cut of beef 5 Boxer Muhammad 6 Catholic sister 7 Vacation 8 Seaweed substance 9 Prays 10 East northeast 11 Color with dye

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

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HOW TO ENTER

33 Am not 35 Norse 36 Eats 37 Alter 39 Chest wear 40 Want 42 Revising 45 Vase 46 Apply a varnish 47 Compass point 48 Black

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RATING: EASY

BALI BENGAL CASPIAN CLIMATE

EXTINCTION

INTERNATIONAL

HABITAT

LIGER

INDOCHINESE

MALAYAN

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| JULY JULY 2015 2015 || www.showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

PROTECT SIBERIAN SUMATRAN WILDLIFE

ANSWERS ON PAGE 40

Armstrong Dent “Like, uhm. If this were one of my novels, I’d say there were sixty-four treasures cleverly coded within twelve treasure sites. Plot them out and maybe connecting the dots will draw a symbol that leads to the next step.

Mathematically, any random selection of sixty-four points can be connected with exactly twelve lines, and thus we’d be back where we started confirming that twelve is the magic number. With twelve lines, you could make a six-point magic star, also known as the Star of David.”

“There are twelve treasure locations and twelve numbers on a clock,” Lil Sugar said.

“And twelve months in a year,” Wolf said.

Chief wrote all of their ideas on the holographic board.

“There are twelve disciples,” Dent said.

Chief was busy brainstorming and purposefully didn’t acknowledge Dent.

“Twelve is the cosmic number,” she said.

“Oh, and Jesus broke twelve baskets of bread or something like that.”

“Bread is high in magnesium, and the atomic number of magnesium is twelve,” Wolf said.

Chief shook her head. “The relationship needs to be direct.”

“There are twelve disciples,” Dent said again but was spoken over by Lil Sugar, who said, “There are twelve zodiac signs.”

“There are twelve principal gods in Greek mythology and twelve acts of Hercules,” Chief said, feverishly writing with her fingertip in midair.

“There are twelve simple letters in the Hebraic alphabet, each linked with one of the twelve constellations,” Lil Sugar said.

“Excellent,” Chief said.

Dent raised his voice. “Everybody stop.” He paused for a second and was about to speak before Chief chimed in.

“There were twelve disciples to Jesus,” Chief said.

Dent rolled his eyes. “Remember him? The one we’re looking for? Write that up there.”

Continued from Page 32

“That’s a good one, Chief,” Lil Sugar said.

“Really? Ya think?” Dent said.

Chief held her hands out to silence everyone as she sipped her coffee. “I think we have our first lead. Each of the twelve disciples has a Gospel attributed to them.”

“There are only four gospels in the Bible,” Lil Sugar said.

“Well technically, yes, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But, the early church decided which ones got in and which ones didn’t and only one of those is actually attributed to one of the original disciples. The ones that didn’t make it into the Bible were mostly destroyed by the church. But, the Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the same general area as our Copper Scroll, have preserved many of the other disciples’ gospels.”

Chief was unconsciously nodding her head as if she agreed with her own thoughts. “Wolf, can you write a code that compares the text of each individual treasure map from the Copper Scroll to the original text of each of the books attributed to the different disciples?”

“What would I be looking for?” Wolf said.

“Oh, well that’s where it gets a little tricky. We’re going to need to use every known cipher or code key in your analysis to see if any anomalies jump out at us. And then Lil Sugar is going to have to translate each hit to see if it

makes any kind of sense.” Chief shook anxiously as if waiting in line for the next Star Wars movie. “I’ll take all of the hits Lil Sugar translates and figure out how they work together to solve this riddle.”

“And what am I supposed to do?”

Dent said like a child being left on the sidelines of the game.

“Cryptanalysis isn’t really your thing, Boss,” Chief said. “You need to get the rest of the team ready so that when it’s time to move out, we can be ready.”

“You know I figured out the whole . . .”

Dent said but stopped when he realized no one was listening.

Wolf furiously typed on a keyboard with one hand and wrote on the holographic board with the index finger of her other hand. Lil Sugar had images from the Dead Sea Scrolls on the holographic display in front of him; his lips moved quietly as he talked to himself. And Chief swallowed the rest of her coffee in one gulp.

“I love you guys, too,” Dent said in a huff as he walked away.

••••••••• “Let’s talk about the love affair between Commander Dent and Michelle Wolstein for a minute,” Senator Rockefeller said. “Wolf, is that right?

Wolf, yes. Well, Agent Wolf, how long have you and Armstrong Dent carried on an illicit affair?”

To finish reading this story online, go to ArmstrongDent. com and enter code SHOWCASEAEYESS. You can also find links to nine more Armstrong Dent stories. Sign up for the Armstrong Dent email list and you’ll receive a couple of songs from the original soundtrack for free as well. Remember, support local authors and buy the complete set of all ten tales at Amazon by searching for The Adventures of Armstrong Dent – The Complete First Season. www.showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

|| JULY JULY 2015 2015 || SHOWCASE Magazine 35

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S M T W T F S

DANVILLE

Conversations with Researchers – We are excited to notify you of the next program in our series, which are broadcast from the lower level of the Cancer Research and Resource Center via videoconference. Presentations in this series are brought to you from the Cancer Prevention & Control Program, the School of Medicine and also from Bench Researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center. We hope you can join us for: Conversations with Researchers - Sean David, MD, SM, DPhil, Associate Professor of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine. Genomic and Personalized Medicine for Smoking Cessation.

Monday, July 6, 4:30-5:30 PM. Cancer Research and Resource Center, Kennedy Hall, 103 S. Main Street, Danville (lower level). Feel free to bring a friend.

JULY ‘15

Pain Specialist Speaks on Controlling Your Pain – Dr. Eduardo Fraifeld presents Controlling Your Pain: the old, the new, the future. Pain. We all live with it, young and old alike. Whether you have a sports injury, arthritis, pain issues caused by cancer treatment, back problems or just periodic aches and pains. Whether it is temporary or chronic. The list could go on and on. According to pain specialist Dr. Eduardo Fraifeld, “Pain should not control your life”. Find out what he means and how it can help you. Join us for this free program on Tuesday, July 14, from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm at Ballou Recreation Center, lower level. Dr. Fraifeld, a dynamic speaker, will present Controlling Your Pain: The old, the new, the future, and answer your questions. This is part of the popular, free Keeping Well in Mind, Body & Spirit Series for those concerned with cancer prevention and survivorship. The entire community is welcome and will find it beneficial. Even if you are not dealing with pain now, you will at some point in the future. This exiting program is brought to the Dan River Region by the Cancer Research and Resource Center of Southern Virginia/Danville, An outreach initiative of VCU Massey Cancer Center in partnership with Danville Parks & Recreation. Please being your lunch and a friend! Drinks and dessert are provided.

Boxed lunches can be ordered in advance for $6.50. Call the Resource Center to make a reservation, 434.421.3060, or email cllitzenberg@vcu.edu. The Cancer Resource Center is located in Kennedy Hall, 103 S. Main Street, Danville. We encourage the community to stop by and see what we have to offer. The Cancer Research and Resource Center of Southern Virginia is funded by VCU Massey Cancer Center and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission.

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

www.showcasemagazine.com

HELPING HANDS

6-10:30pm. Carrington Pavilion.

434.793.4636.

10,24 – Movies in the Park – The Lego Movie (7/10), Planes; Fire and Rescue (7/24) Enjoy watching family movies underneath the trees in Ballou Park. This series of movies plays on the big screen at the Ballou Park stage on Friday Nights. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets. Movies are suitable for all ages. 9-11pm. Ballou Park Stage. 434.799.5215.

15 – Camp Half-Blood – Are you ready to face monsters and gods? Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, a state-of-theart training facility for young demigods. Celebrate the world of the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan. 3-4pm. Danville Public Library Children’s Area.

434.799.5195 ext.4.

21 – Summer Camp Play Day – Danville Parks and Recreation is sponsoring a Summer Camp Play Day, for children 6-12, to celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month. Children will have a day of fun, crafts, games, water activities and entertainment.

Please register by July 17. 10am3pm. Crossing at the Dan.

JULY 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 fun-filled journey to discover the secrets of the sun, moon, planets, space travel and more. Danville Science Center. 434.791.5160.

1 – Animal Heroes with Infinity Acres Ranch – Check out the Mobile Petting exhibit hosted by Infinity Acres Ranch from Martinsville. Meet new animal friends and pet a few too. All ages. 3-4pm. Danville Public Library Children’s Area.

434.799.5195 ext. 4.

1-5 – Artios Outpost – A one-week visual and performing arts day camp for students aged 7-17. Campers participate in worship, small groups, games, workshops, a talent show, and more. 9am-3:30pm. New Life Community Church.

Artiosoutpost.com.

4 – Tank Museum Family Fun Day – 10am-4pm. Tank Museum.

4 – July 4th Celebration – The annual celebration will feature entertainment, arts and crafts and Captain Jim’s Magical Illusion Show. Performance by the Danville Symphony Orchestra. Food concessions and amusement rides will be available. Admission is free.

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AREAEventsGuide

Sean David, MD, SM, DPhil

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AREAEventsGuide

434.797.8961.

29 – Community Heroes Truck Parade – Do you love big trucks?

Are fire fighters your favorite heroes?

Would you like to learn how the new garbage trucks work? Check them out at our big summer finale.

We will have real community helpers and their vehicles for you to learn about and explore. All ages. 3-4pm.

Danville Public Library Children’s Area.434.799.5195 ext. 4.

Arts/Exhibits/ Entertainment

Thru Aug. 2 – DMFAH Exhibits – Three Artists, Mending a Nation and To Be Sold:Virginia and the American Slave Trade. Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History. www. danvillemuseum.org. 434.793.5644.

3 – COAY July 4 Dance – Enjoy a hotdog with all the fixins’ courtesy of the COAY! This dance is free and open to the public.7:3010:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.799.5216.

2 – Johnny Cash and the American Legends – Take a walk down memory lane with Ken and Sandra Culbertson as they perform hit songs from Johnny Cash, June Carter, Loretta Lynn and many more.

12-1:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.799.5216.

4 – July 4 Concert – Danville Symphony Orchestra presents Grand Ole Flag - 7-9:30pm. Carrington Pavilion.

4 – All American Pie Baking Contest – You can turn your favorite pie into an award winner - whether it is an apple pie or chocolate cream.

Winners will be announced at the Pavilion Main Stage. Rules and registration forms are available online or at the Danville Welcome Center.

Grand prize winner will receive $500 cash. 2-3pm. Pepsi Building.

434.793.4636.

7,14,21,28 – Let’s Dance – Veteran dance instructor, Donna Robbins, teaches a variety of dances in a fun atmosphere. A partner is not necessary to enjoy this class. Adults 18 and over. 7-8:30pm T. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

10 – Danville Comedy Club – 8 pm. North Theatre. 434.793.7469.

10,17,24,31 – 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.

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11 – 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.10:30am-3:30pm.

Ballou Annex Building. 434.799.5216.

11 – Family Fun Magic Show.

Celebrity Magician Wayne Alanmentalism, mind reading and psychic magic. 8 pm. North Theatre.

434.793.7469.

16 – Music on Main Concert Series – 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. 6:30-8:30pm. Main Street Plaza. 434.793.4636.

17 – Painting with Pepper – After just three hours in this acrylic painting class, you will create a piece of art you can treasure. All materials are included and light refreshments will be served. Whether you have painted before or this is new to you, artist Pepper Martin will guide your artistic talents. 1-4pm. Ballou Annex Building. 434.799.5216.

21 – Cruise Smith Mountain Lake on the Virginia Dare – Enjoy lunch and a cruise on Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta,Virginia, on board the Virginia Dare. The Virginia Dare is a 19th Century Replica side wheeler that is 63 feet long.

The cruise comes with sightseeing and a diverse lunch menu.10am3:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.799.5216.

22 – Impressions Theater – Robin Hood and His Merry Band.

Danville Public Library Auditorium.

434.799.5195 ext. 4.

Lifestyle/Lectures

1-31 – Danville’ Farmers’s Market – Get the best selection of fresh, local produce, baked goods, meats, arts and crafts, and much more. Everything you need for a fresh, locally grown supper. (W) 3-6pm, (SAT) 7:30am-12pm. Danville Community Market. 434.797.8961.

2 – 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.

7,21 – Toastmasters – Toastmasters members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. 6-7:15 pm. National University. 434.793.1431.

11 – Welcome to Medicare – This seminar explains Medicare and the coverage options available including: supplements, Advantage Plans and Part D Prescription Drug Coverage.12-1:30pm. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

14 – Keeping Well in Mind, Body & Spirit – For those concerned with cancer survival and prevention, Cancer Research & Resource Center of Southern Virginia presents “Keeping Well in Mind, Body & Spirit.

Open to the entire community. A variety of professional speakers will answer your questions.11:30am12pm. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.421.3060.

16 – Antique Appraiser Roadshow – Have you ever wondered what that priceless family heirloom is worth? Celebrate “National Cherish an Antique Day” with B & H Auctions to learn more about your favorite items and have them appraised. Limit of two items per person. Spectators are welcome to enjoy this event for free. 9:3011am. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.799.5216.

16 – Garden Basics – Plant’s Biggest Pests - Do you have questions about your plants, flowers or how to design your yard? 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. 12-1:30pm. Pepsi Building.

434.797.8848.

21 – 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.

25 – Deals 4 U Sale – Name brand merchandise at extremely low prices, coach, Michael Kors, Fisher Price, Play School, Craftsman, and so much more. 8am-3pm. Tank Museum.

434.836.5323.

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AREAEventsGuide

Hobbies/Sports

4 – Patriot Challenge 5k/10k Trail Run – Featuring a 5K/10K and Children’s Fun Run, the Patriot Challenge is a great way to start off Independence Day. An ice cream social will follow the race. Beach towels for the first 100 who register.

8-11am. Anglers Park. 434.793.4636.

6 – 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.

11 – Zip Line – Wet and Wild Cool off this summer by riding the zip line through streams of water being sprayed along your flight path.

Ages 8 and up. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.34:30pm. Skate Park at Dan Daniel Park. 434.799.5215.

16 – Kayaking Moving Water – Practice eddy turns and peel outs in the rocky water then splash through the chute at the breached dam.

Stealthy paddlers may be entertained by a group of otters playing in the river. Participants must have previous paddling experience. Ages 12 and up.6:30-8:30pm. Newton’s Landing.

434.799.5215.

17 – Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge – The rules are simple: All your car needs to do is

pass a NASA safety inspection. Run any tire and any suspension type; add seven turbos, superchargers, displacement, spinning triangles; mount it to a production-based chassis or tube frame; use chromoly, carbon fiber, lexan—whatever your wrenching heart desires. All Day.VIR. 434.822.7700 ext. 117.

ROXBORO

Lifestyle/Lectures

10 – Art Reception – Work by Bob Zirillo - Paintings. 6-8pm. Kirby Gallery. Roxboro, NC. 12 – Classic Movie – Star Trek V: The Final Voyage. 3-5pm. Kirby Cultural Arts Complex. Roxboro, NC.

MARTINSVILLE Lifestyle/Lectures

1-31 – Martinsville Farmer’s Market – W and SAT. 7am-12pm.

Martinsville,VA. 1-26 – Living on the Water – All Day.Virginia Museum of Natural History. Martinsville,VA. 276.634.4141.

8-10 – Woodworking – Making a bird feeder to take home. 9am.

Spencer-Penn Centre. 276.957.5757.

11 – Science Saturdays – Mammal Mania. 10am-3pm.VMNH. 276.634.4141.

13-16 – Lego Camp – A beginner camp for students who love Legos. 9am. Spencer-Penn Centre.

276.957.5757.

16 – Canning Vegetables – Making

Jellies and Jams. 1-4pm. Spencer-Penn Centre. 276.957.5757.

17 – TGIF Concert Series – The Dirt Road Scholars. 6-10pm. Uptown Martinsville at the Broad Street parking lot.

17 – Third Friday Art Walk – Third 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 happening. 5-7pm.

Uptown Martinsville.

21 – Cooking Camp – A class for teens. 1pm. Spencer-Penn Centre.

276.957.5757.

SOUTH BOSTON Arts/Exhibits/ Entertainment

1,2 – Children’s Summer Theater – Wizard of Oz. W 2:30pm, TH 7:30pm. The Prizery. South Boston. 434.572.8339.

3 – Auto Racing – NASCAR/ Whelen Late Model 200/Limited 100/ Pure Stock 50. 7pm. South Boston Speedway.

10-19 – Children’s Summer Theater – Anything Goes. Times vary. The Prizery. South Boston.

434.572.8339.

11 – Auto Racing – NASCAR Late Model T-75/Limited 50/Pure Stock 30/ Hornets 15/Modified 50. 7pm. South Boston Speedway.

25 – South Boston Truck & Tractor Pull. 7pm. Halifax County Fairgrounds.

fun & games solutions Continued from Page 34

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by Paulette Dean Executive Director, Danville Humane Society In Salt Lake City today, a bronze monument to the sea gull reminds visitors of the miracle of the seagulls. Portions

of the story come from President Gordon B. Hinckley’s account as found in Truth Restored.

On July 24, 1847, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) first entered the Salt Lake Valley.

They had been driven out of their homes in Illinois and Missouri.

Thousands moved west, either in covered wagons or walking.

As soon as they entered the valley, they began preparing the soil for harvest the next year. Until harvest time, they lived off stored food or sego lily roots. Ute Indians living in the area helped them hunt for meat. After a long, freezing winter, they finally planted crops in the spring of 1848. That is when the miracle of the sea gulls took place.

With irrigation, the crops flourished; however, large crickets began eating the grain.

The insects came by the hundreds of thousands, eating everything in their path. The pioneers fought them, with shovels, brooms, fire and water. Still the destructive crickets came. The situation was desperate, yet the pioneers who had already been through so much knew they could not give up.

The Church president, Brigham Young, called on the settlers to put their faith to work. The pioneers throughout the valley prayed and fasted for help, pleading for their crops to be spared.

To their amazement, they saw huge flocks of white-winged seagulls fly from the Great Salt Lake to settle on their crops.

They thought at first that another enemy had arrived, and their despair deepened.

However, the gulls began eating the crickets. They ate for hours, then flew away, disgorged, and came back for more. The crops of 1848 were saved by the seagulls.

Those of you who love animals will not be surprised by humans being saved by seagulls. Animals help us in so many marvelous ways. SM

Peanut

Peanut is about three years old. He’s a very friendly Chihuahua mix. He came to us as a stray, after being picked up wandering around late at night.

Danville Humane Society,

434.799.0843

www.showcasemagazine.com

| JULY 2015 | SHOWCASE Magazine 41

RTA

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 15, 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.

…Spencer is a high-schooler this school year! …I graduated from Danville Community College in May!

I have so many things to say this month. It’s all too random to even attempt to put into an article. Plus, random thoughts are what my brain does best — it’s how I operate.

While not every thought I have comes one at a time, they almost always have nothing to do with the other.

Welcome to my world.

Going on in my mind right now: …Hello. My name is Misty. I’m addicted to Candy Crush. …If I were a boy, my name would be Benjamin Paul Gregory. …Two of my hens are actually roosters, so I gave one away. …My girls will start laying EGGS this month! …Kendall has a lot of energy.

Some call it ADHD, I call it personality. …Corey turned 15 in May, and I forgot to say “Happy Birthday” to him in that issue. …Jason works at Barkhouser Ford Lincoln now. Go see him! …Tucker thinks it’s a crime not to have popcorn chicken on hand 24/7.

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...My children provide me with an endless supply of ‘your mama jokes’ and each one is funnier than the next.

and mother. …I loathe garden weeds. …I love thunderstorms. …Fresh hair color can make a girl forget her house is a mess. …My idea of a “me” day is being all alone, cranking up some loud music, doing laundry and mopping floors. …My idea of a “me” day is pathetic.

…Jack Black is almost as funny as Jim Carrey.

…Around our house I have a saying, “I can’t find my phone”.

…Some of my children have a natural singing talent.

Unfortunately, they want to keep it to themselves.

…Scott has a saying, too — “stop running in the house”.

(The children have to remind me, too.)

…My dishwasher is broken.

…I’m still waiting for a honeymoon.

…My children need more responsibilities. …I really don’t know how to be anything anymore — except a mom.

…A text message is worth a thousand tones. …What goes around really does comes around.

…I’m thinking of moving the children outside into tents this summer.

…Mean people suck.

…The pool has been my best friend so far this summer.

…I am so thankful that I sleep well at night — until someone starts snoring, anyway.

…I’m obsessed with sunscreen.

I take at least two tubes and three spray cans to the pool, just in case. …A chair umbrella at the pool makes all the difference. …I go to the beach way too many times per year, yet, not enough. …I’m going to the beach this month. …Life is too short to let others ruin your spirit. …When I look back on my life, I’ll regret not being a better wife

…I have degenerative arthritis in my big toe.

…My granny says two things are ruining this world — drugs and cellphones. …I’ve been eating low-carb since March and I’ve never felt better! …I saw a pack of crackers on the kitchen floor earlier and I forgot to pick them up. Now, I hear the dog eating them in his crate. …I’m hungry.

The End. SM

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