Greater Richmond Grid #12 by Palari Publishing LLP

wheeLs of fortune

the region’s big bike boom how a CitY got CYCle savvY

occupying siLicon vaLLey:

Drew LittLe’s

carLotz

Cause-Driven soCial network

CONNECTING LIVE + WORK + PLAY

innovates auto buYing also on the grid:

bLogs books music famiLy fashion biz savvy community innovators

free | ISSUE #12 | NOV/DEC 2011

rid G R E A T E R R I C H M O N D

upLoaDing rva on instagram

a new way to seLL useD vehicLes

rva’s worLD-cLass events transform Downtown into a sprawLing street festivaL of cheering crowDs & LocaL banDs for the officiaL race guiDe see page 29 in AC T i V E

dancing at thE dEucE

diREctoR’s cut: going viraL

Ejay Rin:

2nD street

‘love what You FinD’

2 southern DuDes

touring the jazz, choraLe , hiphop & pop taLent of

with rva’s Latest marketing tag—

manchester’s new pan-asian nooDLe house by

LIVE

is published in the months of

sociaL meDia Occupying Silicon Valley

Grid

JANUARY, MARCH, MAY, JULY, SEPTEMBER & NOVEMBER

Through his real-life social network, Drew Little hopes to create a breeding ground for emerging social entrepreneurs—as well as to “help humanity live creative, purposedriven lives in a sustainable world.”

Greater Richmond Grid

Executive Publisher Ted Randler 804-355-1236

page 4

Ted@RichmondGrid.com

Hot Tweets

ACTiVE

Richmond Tweeple

RVA’S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

page 5

Executive Publisher David Smitherman 804-355-1035

Shutterbug Social Launched one year ago, Instragram, a free photo sharing application, is enjoying a feisty outcropping clicking away right here in the region.

Dave@RichmondGrid.com Palari Publishing Interns:

Colleen Callery | Megan Field Go to

page 6

the magazine’s distribution locations throughout the Greater Richmond Region. Also online, connect with Grid’s writers and photographers.

RVa residents chat about their favorite smart phone apps.

Richmond Grid.com for a complete listing of

What’s In Your Pocket? page 8

richmonDmom.com magazine

T0 ADVERTISE CALL

804-355-1035

General comments, story suggestions and letters to the editor for publication consideration should be directed to Ted Randler at Ted@RichmondGrid.com.

PO Box 4 Montpelier VA 23192 All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Opinions, views, treatments, diet regimens and business recommendations or resources represented in any aspect of this publication are those of the authors or advertisers and are not an endorsement by Palari Publishing LLP.

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Picture This... by TeD RanDLeR

hen you’re responsible for publishing a magazine like greater richmond grid, you basically end up editing a lot of photographs. Perhaps for every one you do see in these pages there are many images that, for whatever reason, don’t make it into the article. This issue has blossomed into a veritable portfolio of photo galleries that capture RVa in multifarious ways. With instagram [ see page 6 ] the iPhone app revamps the classic snapshot into social media. everyman images—from nutty self portraits to nuanced and often poignant details of one’s life—can be captured, artistically ﬁltered and shared. emerging Media editor, paul spicer has collected a sampling of RVa images by these shutterbugs. If you ever need an uplifting vibe to your day, sit down for twenty minutes and shuﬄe through the hundreds of images of Ted Randler

participants crossing the finish line of the suntrust richmond marathon, mcDonald’s half marathon and hca virginia 8k. These shots exhibit the pure joy—or sometimes tears of relief, or raised fists of bravado—when athletic achievement and emotional stamina come together in a singular moment of attaining your goal. you can find some examples and read more about these RVa favorite events in active’s special edition beginning on page 23. Downtown’s richmond folk festival continues in its tradition of enticing over 200,000 music lovers to the region. Fortunately for us, one of those individuals, skip rowland is a local—and talented—photographer who spent all three days capturing the fun, food and festivities that comprise this homegrown extravaganza [ see page 54 ]. Want more cool images? Check out grid’s photo albums of other fun RVa events on facebook. David Smitherman

ll of my kids love tech‑ nology. This should not come as a surprise as their mom is a blogger who fre‑ quently tweets, facebooks and generally adores her iPhone. Lately, though, itʼs been a challenge to get them interested in much of anything besides movies and videos, and weʼve been declaring “digital‑free” times to try and reconnect. So when I arrived home from work today and my nine year‑old whipped his library book out of his backpack and plopped it on the island in front of me̶a cookbook̶ my eye‑ brow raised in interest. “Mama,” he said, “letʼs make somethinʼ.” I was all ears. We poured through the pages together and I promised him that what‑ ever recipe he chose, weʼd go to the store RIGHT THEN and buy the ingredient s. Cream Puffs was the final decision. Darn, I thought, I was hoping for the ice cream floats on the first page. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not exactly Martha Stewart in the kitchen (more like were in the store. Marie Callender, the queen of mi‑ Soaked, we headed crowave‑&‑serve meals) home so this was and set out the ingredient a feat for me. But when s for the instruc‑ our baking adventure. tions were in giant font, well, I knew I could handle it. So we headed out to the store in the monsoon where my middle kid swore WE WERE GOING TO DIE IN THE FLOOD OF RAIN but luckily, we made it, and of course they talked me into ice cream floats (ahem) while we

Kate Hall, publisher We measured and poured

with anticipation Now of the golden buttery yummines s that was anyone who about to evolve from this amaz‑ ingly‑easy combinatio knows n of a handful of ingredient s. The New Norm: me knows The kids spooned the cream Brushing Your Teeth and puffs on the baking that I am sheet with Dishes in The Same Sink little help from me and I geared not exactly up for the next round̶the chocolate Martha Stewart sauce. Once we had that simmering, since we were in the kitchen (more like Marie Resolving to move forward Callender sometimes means letting go of the past. Michelle Garcia the queen employs creativity, clarity of and forgiveness to reconstruct Donʼt even accuse her family. me of taking this photo from a magazine microwave‑ – these &‑serve meals) working are all ours! so hard, we treated our‑ GIRLS ARE SAYING selves like any good so bakers to ‘STOP IT!’ some fabulous, well‑earne d root this was TO HARMFUL beer floats. ADVERTISING In eighteen minutes a feat our cream puﬀs were ready, weʼd whipped for me. the cream ﬁlling (mom, that is

: PAIGE STEVENS

PHOTO | KATE HALL H EADSHOT

Greater Richmond Grid & RichmondGrid.com

November/December 2011 • Volume 1 • Issue 6 • #6

Connecting With My Digital Kids

In This Issue

seri‑ ously cool how that cream turned into solid stuﬃng!) and were ready for the grand ﬁnale. There wasnʼt a peep made for several minutes as we dain‑ tily nibbled (read: inhaled) our fabulous masterpiec es together. There was so much choco‑ late all over their hands and faces I just told ʼem to go on up and hop in the bath, which they did without a sound. This was one of the most de‑ licious nights weʼve had together in a long, long time.

Katie Mardigian Confronts the Misguided Media Manipulation of Marketing to Children

THE LOWDOWN ON SLUSHY MAGIC ‘AS SEEN ON TV’

PARENTS RECOMMEND KIDFRIENDLY RESTAURA NTS RICHMONDMOM.COM

Connecting With My Digital Kids

Girls are saying ‘Stop It!’ to Harmful Advertising page 9

communities Page Views: The Book Crowd page 13

Wheels of Fortune: RVA’s Big Bike Boom Richmond is quickly gaining a worldwide reputation for being a bike-loving city.

R I C H M O N D

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on the grid

Greater Richmond

LIVE CONTENTS

WORK CONTENTS

Occupying Silicon Valley

biz savvy Regional Business News page 16

Asking for Investment May Get Easier page 17

Just Ask Peter: The Cloud and the Printed Page— What’s the connection? page 18

innovators CarLotz Offers a New Way to Sell Used Vehicles page 19

companies & careers #rvavideo: Behind the Scenes Documenting the Documentary

Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc.’s Marketing Consultant jennifer yeager journals the making of the region’s latest multi-media project.

page 20

Creative Commerce: Downtown Design District

With events in november signaling the launch of the Shockoe Design District, andy thornton is conﬁdent that Downtown Richmond is ready to realize its potential as a world-class center of production, consumption and innovation.

page 22

R I C H M O N D

by PaUl SPICER

very morning Drew Little wakes up on a couch in a home other than his own. Over a year ago he gave up the roof over his head and all forms of guaranteed income. Little even went as far as to give away most of his personal belongings to the homeless. Living each day as part of what he calls “The Dream Journey,” Little aims to shake up Richmond and beyond. “The hoarding of wealth stops a lot of production from happening and creates a host of socioeconomic problems in our communities,” opines Little, a web social entrepreneur. To address his concerns, Little is developing Producia, a cause-driven social network that he says will, “remove the financial barriers that keep humanity from reaching its full potential by utilizing a local-based, abundant social currency called ‘The Fini,’” a form of mutual credit. To help his idea stick, however, Little felt he must first spend a year living out The Dream Journey in RVa, an experience that he blogs about at tdj.illvp.com and on Twitter (@illvp), where he posts links to videos, pictures, and notes of his new lifestyle. along the way he has created relationships with local supporters and businesses that he now hopes to cultivate to help run his socially conscious web startup. Little sees his Dream Journey as part of the creation of Producia, a real world social network that “gamifies a new economic model called Producism” to create what he calls, “people-powered stimulus packages and sustainable local communities.” Positioned as a social network, bank, marketplace,

tdj.illvp.com

Little sees his Dream Journey as part of the creation of Producia, a real world social network that “gamiﬁes a new economic model called Producism” to create what he calls, “peoplepowered stimulus packages and sustainable local communities.”

and startup incubator all-in-one, Little looks to use gamiﬁcation to fully engage each member’s speciﬁc interests and to create purpose for participating. He says his overall mission is to, “foster the evolution

Little feels that his web community, Producia, is a way to add a needed game layer to the local economy. Through his real life social network, Little hopes to create a breeding ground for emerging social entrepreneurs—as well as to “help humanity live creative, purposedriven lives in a sustainable world.” He says that he ﬁrst wants to bring this new way of thinking to college campuses throughout the country, starting with Virginia Commonwealth University and then eventually open up to entire communities. Producism, he says, is all about making the change you want to see by using local digital currency. “The ultimate goal of the game is to get people to sustainably and passionately produce and consume local goods and services using a monetary model called mutual credit, which works very well in social networks,” concludes Little.

rough his real-life social network, Little hopes to create a breeding ground for emerging social entrepreneurs—as well as to “help humanity live creative, purposedriven lives in a sustainable world.” of money, enterprise, and education for social good.” brimming with hopes of bringing a Silicon Valley atmosphere to youth in urban areas, Little says, “It is time for us to play a new economic game. a game that is based on abundance instead of scarcity. a game where everyone has value. a game where people are passionately productive. and most importantly, a game where the creation of money is in the hands of the people.”

greater richmond grid’s emerging media editor paul spicer is a marketing consultant who has led small, medium, and large-sized businesses to prestigious awards and appearances on NPR, CNN, New york Times, and Fortune Magazine. he serves as a partner at Etre Communications, a boutique marketing and public relations ﬁrm, where he works on accounts such as health Diagnostic laboratory. Prior to Etre, Paul cofounded Compleo, a digital agency responsible for applications on interactive platforms. Paul is a former

Style Weekly Top 40 Under 40 recipient, and VMFa Muse award winner.

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Paul Spicer

19 Oct

30 Sep

It’s embarrassing when you’re traveling and you’re watching a movie on your iPod and you are crying like a baby because the movie is so sad. 14 Oct

This time I was caught singing by the lady in the car next to me. Windows down. Loud. Head & hands going. Yeah buddy. 29 Sep

OWWWWWWWWWWWWW. I just stood up on my chair... and hit my head on the fan while it was spinning on high. OUCH OUCH OUCH. 20 Oct

Dang iTunes keeps playing random Mannheim Steamroller songs. Getting me too hyped for @BuschGardensVA’s Christmas Town. I can hardly wait. 24 Jun

I’m hangry! That’s so hungry you are angry. Photog Bill says it is time to feed the beast! #RVA 13 Oct

Please no rain for the next hour! Would love a dry live shot sans umbrella! #RVA #mercy 11 Oct

see extended tweet talk on richmondgrid.com

@scott_wise

RIChMOND TWEEPlE COMPILeD by PaUL SPICeR

Following: 602+ | Followers: 1,166+ | listed: 88 + SCOTT WISe Web: http://www.facebook.com/ScottWiseCbS6 bio: @CbS6 news eP. TV, web and social media duties. Story ideas and news tips welcomed: swise@wtvr.com Look forward to telling your stories.

PLAY CONTENTS active: rva’s recreation & weLLness community

ACTiVE

RVAʼS RECRE ATION

social Media

If you tweet someone is “doing it wrong: because they don't tweet like you... you’re doing it wrong.

Hot Tweets

LIVE

More Facebook friends linked to bigger brain. What does Twitter increase the size of?

& WELLNESS COMMUNITY

VOLUME 1 • IS SUE 5 • NOVE MBER | DECEM BER 2011 • #5

“I started tweeting for work. I think it was 2009 and I was working the overnight shift for a few weeks. I joined Twitter to a) keep myself awake b) become THe (only) source of breaking news tweets from midnight to 6am in Richmond. I remember joining the #2amtweetclub and the #3amtweetclub. I’m pretty sure I was the only sober one in the bunch. now I tweet when tweet-worthy information comes into the @CbS6 newsroom. Mostly breaking news. Twitter also oﬀers me one glimpse into the community I serve while sitting in the newsroom writing.”

SunTrust Richmond Marathon EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE OF THE

FEATURING THE

MCDONALD'S HALF MARATHON AND THE

HCA VIRGINIA 8K

@psiLovespam

page 23

Following: 508+ | Followers: 604+ | listed: 40+ GIna IVey Web: http://psilovespam.tumblr.com bio: I adore @MichaelCIvey. My small biz is @PinkyUpGlass. I love to #Shop and #Tweet yo. “This year I enjoyed tweeting the most from my Las Vegas vacation. I was with a great group of people. We tweeted our adventures together from the Grand Canyon, the strip, about the Manny Pacquiao fight, the Stacy Kiebler sighting, running after apl.de.ap from the black eyed Peas, our visit to the Zappos headquarters and just about any restaurant hot spot. It was tweerific. See what I mean, bragfest. I am concentrating a lot on what social media has to offer in terms of business and building relationships between our organization and patrons. ”

gLitz & gLam What’s Kyra Wearing? Autumn at Ellwoods: Leather, Leopard and Jack ‘O Lanterns

EasyAndElegantLife.com Fall’s Colors, Patterns and Textures page 50

fooD

@austinprime

Following: 1,262+ | Followers: 3,219+ | listed: 178 aUSTIn (PRIMe) MOORe Web: http://austinpri.me bio: Self proclaimed “cool” kid. Longing to be the next big thing. “I called [a member of the Westboro baptist Church] out for tweeting from an iPhone while saying they were going to picket Steve Job’s funeral. The tweet was featured in a Washington Post article. Talk about lots of mentions that day. I’ve had a few famous people tweet me. but I think my favorite one was from the TV cook, Paula Deen. I tweeted her during class one day and she promptly responded: ‘It would be great to see you here in Savannah, but don’t neglect the books #notweetinginschool’”

@rachelDepompa

Following: 1,692+ | Followers: 2,851+ | listed: 174+ RaCHeL DePOMPa Web: http://nbc12richmond.wordpress.com/ bio: I’m the Richmond Reporter for nbC 12. I love city living. Originally from the great state of Maryland. Crabcakes and Football! Diehard Redskins Fan! Go Caps! “I tweet every day, especially during breaking news situations. If you ever see me at an event and I’m looking at my phone, I swear I’m paying attention but, I’m also tweeting what’s going on! During the day I mostly tweet nbC 12 news updates or funny stories from around Richmond. at night, I’d say you’ll get an earful about my Washington Capitals and Redskins and Maryland Terrapins. I broke that Ukrop’s was selling to Martin’s over Twitter and it went viral. Retweeted 600 times in a matter of hours. ”

A Pan-Asian Noodle House by Two Southern Dudes ejay rin’s menu is inspired by the Far east, and born of a simple concept.

page 51

songfest RVA VIBE ‘Getting Loose at the Duce’: Showcasing RVA Talent.

grid Tours 2nd street festival’s dynamic mix of local entertainers as young performers to seasoned players, local vocalists, dancers and ensembles wow the crowds.

page 52

Touring The Richmond Folk Festival Photos by skip rowland.

R I C H M O N D

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SOCIal MEDIa

first r0w

Shutterbug Social

mile and say cheese—RVa has always liked its picture taken, especially when there are instant results. and of late, we apparently get our kicks from not only being in front of the camera, but also by snapping spontaneous photos too. Launched one year ago, instragram, a free photo sharing application, is enjoying a user base that is over 10 million strong, with a feisty outcropping clicking away right here in the region. Inspired by the old school magic of Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid, Instagram users routinely capture images of their daily lives using their mobile device and share their vision across multiple social networks. To jazz up the experience, Instagram offers 16 active filtered effects to make stunning photos with your phone. “I like taking photos and when I don’t have my nikon around, I use my phone’s camera,” explains amanda robinson, Founding executive Director at gallery5. “Instagram is a great way to document your experiences— and yes, it’s also great that it has fun filters that express the mood or environment that you are in.” Robinson also sees a possible downside. “The obvious debate is that Instagram is a tool created so that anyone can turn their crappy photographers into something visually pleasing,” she explains. “at first I was uninterested in trying out what sounded like just another picture ‘thing,’” admits emily birchfield, a Richmond based HR Professional. “However, I quickly got in the Instagram groove with its easy-to-use photo enhancing features that added a creative spin to my pics without me having to study graphic design to make it happen.” birchfield is apparently not the only mobile shutterbug, as Instagram is enjoying first-year results that took Twitter two years to accomplish, while easily growing twice as fast as Flickr. With a strong community component, Instagram users regularly interact with friends through “likes” and adding comments to photos that have been uploaded, sometimes enhanced, geotagged, and more. “It’s fun to see the world through others’ eyes and also share some glimpses of how I see the world when I can, in an instant Instagram second, share my moments in time with others,” says birchfield. Like birchfield, RVa man-about-

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TREVOR DICkERSON

by PaUl SPICER

rva instagram user tag

name

TISha MCCUISTON

jENNIE aRaUjO EMIly GRIFFEy

seconD r0w kaTE hall

lESlIE kINGERy

TREVOR DICkERSON

thirD r0w ROb SMITh aMaNDa RObINSON

EMIly GRIFFEy

fourth r0w ROb SMITh

aMaNDa MEaDOWS

ChaD bROWN

find out more @ blog.instagram.com ERIC DRUMhEllER town, johnny hugel, was also hesitant at first. “I was slow to come around on Instagram, but now am addicted,” he says. “Many times I'm looking to show off what I think is a good natural shot and using the #nofilter hashtag, but other times I just use it to remember something interesting I did, saw, or—hopefully not too often—ate.” Hugel says that with weaker photos he uses the filters to create a more unique image to commemorate an event. Hugel, birchfield, and Robinson are but a few of the active Richmonders currently creating instant photos with the popular mobile app. Instead of telling you about Instagram, grid felt it best to show off what some RVa photographers are creating with their mobile devices. browse a handful of our favorite photos, and then download Instagram to create and comment on the instant images strike your fancy.

C O M

LIVE instagram rva

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SOCIal MEDIa

What’s In Your Pocket? With possibly more cell phones than toothbrushes on the planet, grid felt that it was time we took to the streets to find out what’s in the pocket of the average RVa resident. What interested us most was not the actual handy dandy device, however, but the mobile apps (other than Twitter, Facebook, and the like) that occupy the time of our fine citizens in the region.

What mobile app tickles your fancy these days and why?

travis oLiver Freelance ad guy/ﬁlm extra/Internet sensation/beard guy (this week).

I was just introduced to beluga by some friends from austin and it has quickly become one of my most used apps. It’s a group chat/text app that makes coordinating with multiple people ridiculously easy.

how often do you ﬁnd yourself tinkering with it?

by PaUl SPICER

Multiple times throughout the day.

ashLey tayLor brown Merchandiser for Poshtots.

getglue, just to keep up with the many sources of free-time fillers—TV, movies, music, video games and books.

Every time I sit down to catch up on the DVR or grab a new music album.

What keeps you coming back for more?

It makes group texting easy and finding friends even easier with its built-in map function. Instead of having to talk to 5 people to coordinate one thing, I can set up a group and just let it roll.

The stickers; similar to foursquare, GetGlue rewards you for certain achievements, watching a show on the premiere night or regularly watching Glee, except GetGlue actually snail mails you sticker versions of your merit badges.

What would you tell grid readers about this app to convince them to give it a test drive?

Free texting, works across platforms including non-smart phones, free texting, free texting, free texting!

It keeps you in touch with the latest trends in any category, television shows, books, music, sports and hobbies, while having a way to manage the evergrowing list of things to keep you busy.

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sterLing stokes, jr. Chemist by day, craft beer lover & foodie.

Right now, the app I enjoy using the most is untappd. Think of it as Foursquare for beer complete with badges. before I used Untappd, I really had no idea how many different styles of beer I had tried.

I use it just about anytime I’m out having a beer. Even more so now that Untappd has a native app versus the mobile web application. I love the new ability to take pictures of your beer; I wish I could go back and take pictures of past check-ins because some beers were absolutely beautiful. I guess I’ll just have to go drink them again.

Uh, the beer! Seriously, though there’s so much more to Untappd that I’ve barely scratched the surface. I’ve yet to use the recommendations feature but can’t wait until I get the chance.

Really, if you’re a craft beer lover then this is the app for you.

November/December 2011 • Volume 1 • Issue 6 • #6

connecting with my digital Kids ll of my kids love technology. This should not come as a surprise as their mom is a blogger who frequently tweets, facebooks and generally adores her iPhone. Lately, though, it’s been a challenge to get them interested in much of anything besides movies and videos, and we’ve been declaring “digital-free” times to try and reconnect. So when I arrived home from work today and my nineyear-old whipped his library book out of his backpack and plopped it on the island in front of me—a cookbook—my eyebrow raised in interest. “Mama,” he said, “let’s make somethin’.” I was all ears. We poured through the pages together and I promised him that whatever recipe he chose, we’d go to the store RIGHT THEN and buy the ingredients. Cream Puffs was the final decision. Darn, I thought, I was hoping for the ice cream floats on the first page. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not exactly Martha Stewart in the kitchen (more like Marie Callender, the queen of microwave-&-serve meals) so this was a feat for me. But when the instructions were in giant font, well, I knew I could handle it. So we headed out to the store in the monsoon where my middle kid swore WE WERE GOING TO DIE IN THE FLOOD OF RAIN but luckily, we made it, and of course they talked me into ice cream floats (ahem) while we

PHOTO | KaTe HaLL HeaDSHOT: PaIGe STeVenS

Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not exactly Martha Stewart in the kitchen (more like Marie Callender the queen of microwave&-serve meals) so this was a feat for me. were in the store. Soaked, we headed home and set out the ingredients for our baking adventure.

Kate hall, publisher We measured and poured with anticipation of the golden buttery yumminess that was about to evolve from this amazingly-easy combination of a handful of ingredients. The kids spooned the cream puffs on the baking sheet with little help from me and I geared up for the next round—the chocolate sauce. Once we had that simmering, since we were

IntheThis Issue new norm: Brushing your teeth and washing dishes in the same sink

Resolving to move forward sometimes means letting go of the past. michelle garcia employs creativity, clarity and forgiveness to reconstruct her family. Don’t even accuse me of taking this photo from a magazine – these are all ours!

working so hard, we treated ourselves like any good bakers to some fabulous, well-earned root beer floats. In eighteen minutes our cream puffs were ready, we’d whipped the cream filling (Mom, that is seriously cool how that cream turned into solid stuffing!) and were ready for the grand finale. There wasn’t a peep made for several minutes as we daintily nibbled (read: inhaled) our fabulous masterpieces together. There was so much chocolate all over their hands and faces I just told ’em to go on up and hop in the bath, which they did without a sound. This was one of the most delicious nights we’ve had together in a long, long time.

girls are saying ‘stoP it!’ to harmFul adVertising

katie mardigian Confronts the Misguided Media Manipulation of Marketing to Children

the low-down on slushy magic ‘as seen on tV’

Parents recommend Kid-Friendly restaurants RICHMONDMOM.COM

see extended article on richmondmom.com

the new norm: Brushing your teeth and washing dishes in the same sink Resolving to move forward sometimes means letting go of the past. Michelle Garcia employs creativity, clarity and forgiveness to reconstruct her family. recently had lunch with a new friend, but she was diﬀerent than any friends I’ve met in the past. It all started out very much the same as any new friendship. a woman walked into the restaurant where I was waiting to meet someone. She was very pretty with a dynamite smile and sandy blonde hair loosely clipped up in back. you know—one of those really blessed women who can toss her hair up into a clip and look glamorous! She was stylishly dressed in slim dark denim jeans and a beautiful turquoise waist-coat jacket with over-sized gold buttons for trendy emphasis. She was void of any earrings or other jewelry, which actually was eye-catching and simple—making her look stunning and youthful. I noticed her designer bag right away and thought how lucky she was to be so slim, have such a beautiful face that needed no make-up, and be dressed so well. and then she spoke. “are you Rhonda?” This was the person I was supposed to meet and our conversation progressed. It was obvious that her appearance and her actual life’s circumstances are no longer congruent. you may recall that Michelle found herself and her 3 young children homeless overnight. Her dream home and family fell apart when her husband snapped under pressures of work and life, and became abusive. Michelle could take it no longer and before she knew it, she was living in a shelter with little money, a broken car, no job, and 3 children. as I talked with Michelle it broke my heart to hear her story, but she wasn’t looking for sympathy. She was searching for answers and ways to improve her situation without encroaching on others and asking for hand-outs. She has come a long way in a few months, but she has a long way to go.

making a shelter an adventure Michelle and her 3 children, ages 3, 5 and 9, live in a one-bedroom apartment in undisclosed location. Their bedroom is also their living room and kitchen. They share a

small bathroom. They have a microwave and a small refrigerator, with little room or appliances to prepare a healthy meal. She told me how she tried to make their situation an “adventure” for the kids. “This summer, I would take the George Foreman grill outside and we’d pretend we were grilling out. The kids thought it was so much fun. I just had to do something to get out of the one room we share,” she explained as she smiled. For Michelle, life is different today and it’s nothing like she had ever envisioned for herself. Leaving her comfortable 4-bedroom home in the West end that included a beautiful front porch, a fenced-in backyard with a jungle-gym set for the kids, and wonderful neighbors was the hardest thing she’s ever done—or so she thought. now she’s finding that the hardest thing is ‘keeping on.’ “I can see how women return to bad relationships after a while. It’s hard trying to make it on your own, especially with 3 kids. Some days I don’t want to get out of bed. Some days I want to give up. but I know I can’t go back for the sake of the children and for myself. I know there’s something better for me and I just have to keep working and fighting for it,” she laments. the new norms Michelle told me how she has become accustomed to some things being normal that were once so far from her everyday world that she had never considered them. She describes them as “my new norms”: Sharing one small bathroom sink with her 3 kids for brushing their teeth, washing their faces, and washing their dishes (there is no sink in the kitchen area). Sharing a bedroom with all 3 children—2 in the bed beside her and her youngest tucked in bed with her. eating frozen and microwaved dinners routinely because there is no stove and little money for food to prepare. arriving at an undisclosed location at 6:45 a.m. each weekday

a FULL-TIMe FReeLanCe WRITeR, Day IS aLSO a WIFe, MOTHeR anD GRanDMOTHeR.

RICHMONDMOM.COM

morning to meet the person who safely shuttles her children to school many miles away. Hanging her clothes and the clothing of her 3 children on hangers around the room because there is no closet space. Sharing what little she has with a woman she met in a similar situation who lives in the tiny apartment next to hers. When our ﬁrst article about Michelle ran in Richmondmom.com several weeks ago, her world lit up like a Christmas tree. Her email inbox was filled each day when she came home and she hurriedly opened it to see what people were saying. It was exhilarating and encouraging to ﬁnd so many people who cared. There were some who gave money or gift cards that helped her buy gas and groceries,

by RHOnDa Day

and she was eternally grateful—but the friendships and emails were also some of the best gifts she received. Interestingly, she forgives her husband because she says that she can only move forward by forgiving him and it’s actually a gift she gives herself. To do anything less would just cause her more pain and anxiety. She walked away with a smile after hugging me and telling me how blessed she was to have her kids and a chance to make it on her own. Michelle loves getting encouraging emails and comments so please feel free to email her at michelledgarcia@hotmail.com

the low-down on slushy magic ‘as seen on tV’

by KaTe HaLL

or weeks, we have anxiously awaited the arrival of the little, square cardboard box that contained the coveted Slushy Magic “as Seen On TV.”

The kids wore me down one day after a long day of work and I thought, what’s $19.95 plus shipping? This could potentially revolutionize my life! Six weeks later, after awaiting a backorder, the mail lady, looking exceedingly annoyed, walked up the front steps with our Slushie Magics “buy one get one free.” The box contained two simple, plastic cups with lids and groovy spoon-straw combos, directions and what turns out to be the secret ingredient: six tiny packages remarkably resembling silicone breast implants.

Pop those babies in the freezer for a few hours, put ‘em in the cup with your favorite beverage. add a ridiculous amount of shaking (your kids will likely defer this chore to you if they’re anything like mine) you’ll have a fabulous, icy-cold beverage “Shaky, Chilly, Makes you silly!” We think it was well worth the “investment” for the delicious slushies we are whipping up. and, to be transparent, we were not compensated for our endorsement of this product. as payment to myself (for being a kick-ass mom & shelling out the dough), I will be enjoying an adult version of this drink later this afternoon, experiencing my own special magic thanks to our new toy.

girls are saying ‘stop it!’ to harmful advertising Confronting the Misguided Media Manipulation of Marketing to Children by KaTIe MaRDIGIan he inappropriate and unhealthy nature of much of what’s being marketed to our children is a hot topic these days. Kids are online and plugged in—and are exposed to a record number of advertisements, many of which include harmful messages that promote negative body images and the objectiﬁcation or sexualization of girls and women. Some companies have decided that in order to grab their audience’s attention they need to be shocking, and often it’s young girls who are being used as material. Ranging from JC Penney’s misguided attempt to catch the almighty tween girl dollar by printing shirts that say “I’m too pretty to do homework,” to disturbing images of young girls in make-up, very little clothing and suggestive poses used by companies to sell everything from shoes to Halloween costumes to video games. The accumulation of all of these images sends a strong negative message to our children, girls and boys, and undermines what we’re trying to do as parents to raise healthy, happy kids. It’s frustrating that no matter how often or how loudly we tell our daughters: you are valuable because you are smart, you are kind, you are strong, you are yOU, they are being told by the outside world that they would really be valuable if they were skinnier, prettier, talked less and posed more. We also try to teach our boys to respect themselves, respect their female counterparts, and to do what’s right. and yet the message they get from many companies is that girls are to be valued by their appearance and are here for our visual enjoyment. So what can we do to stop this? We as parents can directly express our opinions to the companies marketing to our children (I’m looking at you, abercombie), and we can support companies who help to enforce positive messages. but we can also involve our children in the discussion. What would happen if we gave them the power

to take a red marker to today’s ads to express their opinions about what they’re seeing and how it makes them feel? a magazine and on-line resource called new Moon Girls, founded in 1992 by a mom in Minnesota with the goal of empowering girls to create their own media messages based on respect for self and others, has done just that. In a new campaign called “Girl-Caught” they ask kids to literally put their stamp of approval or disapproval on the ads and images they see every day. Kids can download a digital stamp or print out stickers that say “Stop it! This disrespects girls and women” or “Thank you! “ This allows kids to actively voice their opinion about harmful ads as well as applaud the ads that actually get it right. Kids all over the country have picked up the gauntlet and are uploading their Girl-Caught images to newMoonGirls.com to show the marketing industry and the world examples of acceptable and unacceptable ways to use girls in the media. Giving kids a voice in the debate is a powerful tool in this fight against harmful advertising. It opens up discussions between kids and adults about the consequences of objectifying girls and women, placing value on unhealthy and unrealistic body types, and downplaying girls’ strength and intelligence. It also shows our kids that they can be a part of the solution and make a difference in this world. Go to newmoongirls.com to check out the Girl-Caught campaign. It’s encouraging to see the ads that girls view as negative, stamped with the big red “Girl-Caught” logo, and lets in a flicker of hope that maybe the kids of today are going to be the ones to finally hold companies to a higher standard.

richmond rocks! Now available in paperback. just in time for the holiday season, in its second printing, this full-color book is a fun tour of Richmond’s history and sights for little ones ages 4-8, but adults will get a kick out of reading it aloud, too! available a local book and gift retailers and online @

richmondmom.com

MaRDIGIan IS a FReeLanCe WRITeR LIVInG In RICHMOnD WITH HeR HUSbanD anD THRee yOUnG CHILDRen. SHe FInDS THe JOyS anD InSanITy OF CHaSInG aROUnD 3 LITTLe OneS PROVIDe COnSTanT InSPIRaTIOn FOR HeR aRTICLeS On MOTHeRHOOD. RICHMONDMOM.COM

see complete list on richmondmom.com

Parents recommend Kid-Friendly restaurants Below is a list* of RVA restaurants and comments that parents offered for fun, family meals. angelo’s italian pizza & restaurant in midlothian: The owner’s whole family is there running the place. every time we go they are ready with crayons for the boys and after dinner the boys get to see a saltwater fish tank full of colorful fish. They have an amazing kid menu and always make my family feel like part of theirs. applebees: I love them because they’re the only place (in Richmond and as a chain) that serves Kraft Mac and Cheese—which is the only type acceptable to my youngest daughter. LOL! but aside from that, they have a great menu for kids, including healthy options. Plus, my kids love the ice cream for dessert. california pizza kitchen: Great food for adults and children. Good location, you can walk around Short Pump Mall before or after dinner. can can: It’s noisy enough to drown out any sound kids make, they are equipped for and welcome children during the hours children are normally awake, and it’s not a chain! casa grande: We love this place for dining out with our kids! Casa Grande at Short Pump, off of Pump Rd. They have chips and salsa for the kids to eat while waiting for the main dish. The service is always fast. Friendly servers. affordable great tasting food and they can easily accommodate large parties. chick-fil-a (Richmond locations): There are so many reasons to love Chick-Fil-a. They have Tuesday night free kids’ meals. They have great play areas with a clear glass wall so parents can see in. The play areas are safe and the cleanest of any of the fast-food restaurants. chuck e. cheese restaurant (Richmond locations): My family loves Chuck e. Cheese, we have an 8-year-old granddaughter and a 4- year-old grandson, they both love to play video games and the rides and the menu has both pizzas and salad bar for people that don’t want pizza, there is one near our house as well as one near my daugher’s house, everyone has fun and gets to spend time together. el toro Loco: I love taking our 4 kids to el Toro Loco because they

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always give a table in the back, where my kids are free to be kids and less likely to disturb other diners. The kids love the chips and salsa. They have no problem with our children sharing plates of food. The service is fast and friendly. We can dine there with our family of 6 and spend right around $40 including tip, so it is very economical for us. firebirds richmond: I love Firebirds because the service is great, the food is great and best of all, it’s loud! no one notices my kids at that noise level. but I still get a grown-up meal. glory Days richmond: TVs everywhere so the kids always have something to look at; video arcade in the back of restaurant; memorabilia on the walls; basketballs and goals hanging from the ceiling. The servers are friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. My 5-year-old always picks it as the place he wants to go. even took Mommy on a date there once. hot tamale cafe: Friendly wait staff and family-oriented owners. Supports the community and families in need and has age-appropriate food and seating area. Inexpensive and non-smoking and not many alcohol signs around. islamorada fish company (bass pro shops): Islamorada Fish Company is such an awesome place to eat! They have wonderful food, friendly staff, and a great atmosphere. My kids love the giant fish tank at the bar and all of the amazing fish/ocean decor hanging from the walls and ceiling. They even have a super cute tackle box that you can purchase with your kids meal! and, when you’re all full and happy, you can go shopping and have a blast inside the bass Pro Shops! jason’s Deli: Great easy place to dine with kids. Love the muffins on the salad bar and the frozen yogurt always encourages the kids to finish their meal for the sweet dessert! Lots of healthy choices, convenient locations, fast service, and ICe CReaM! joe’s inn (bon air): ample seating so we have not had to wait for a table. The best thing? They have some toys and books to entertain little ones while we wait for our food.

joe’s inn (Fan location): love that they bring my meal quickly, that I can get breakfast anytime, that they have a kid’s menu, and that it’s loud enough that my son’s squeaky little voice blends in with the noise. johnny rockets (Richmond location): I love everything about this restaurant. The staff is super friendly. They draw faces for the kids with their ketchup. There is great ’50s music playing that the waitstaff even dances and plays air guitar to. The kids love that the jukebox is 5 cents. They love the decorations and that there is a crane game that lets you play until you win. also, the food is great especially all the different milkshakes. We all have a great time and don’t feel worried that kids want to be kids there. kabuto richmond: My kids love to be entertained by the chef cooking at the table right in front of us. It allows my husband and I to actually eat our food without having to entertain the kids ourselves. The food is always great and our four year old loves to use the kids chopsticks. kitchen 64: Great food selections, laid-back atmosphere, kids can be loud and won’t disturb others! Fun for kids and parents too! mexico restaurant: Service is great, food comes fast and is good, and there are little activities on the table to keep kids busy before dinner. mimi’s cafe: I honestly have not been to the Mimi’s in Short Pump yet, but I went to one in new Mexico. That one was great. They gave the kids a plate of food to munch on while waiting to order our food. They won me over with that. I do hope that the one here does the same thing and look forward to checking it out.

by RHOnDa Day

the way of hot food in servers’ hands. o’charleys: They don’t try to sit us away from other people. Service is fast. outback steakhouse: I love the fun, healthy food choices for little ones at Outback. When there is a long wait, they offer a snack to your child—usually animal crackers, which I usually just stash away for his dessert. also, I love that it is fairly loud, so my little hollering 2- year-old blends right in with the noise! palani Drive: We like to sit outside and the kids love their healthy smoothies. They have a healthy menu for all too. red robin: One of my children’s favorites. Lots to look at and games to keep the kids entertained before the food arrives. We had my son’s t-ball end of the season party there this past summer and the kids had a ball. The staff was great! river city Diner (Parham Rd.): The staff is amazing! We had my son’s 5th birthday party there last December and everyone was helpful, polite, upbeat and awesome. ruby tuesday: We love Ruby Tuesdays because my son eats everything we give him there. He adores the cheddar biscuits, salad bar, and the entrees. They are always quick to seat us and very quick to serve us food so it’s great for parents with a hungry toddler!

moes southwest grill: Well, they always welcome you with a yell, “Welcome to Moes!” every kid loves to yell indoors. They make eating veggies and meat fun for kids! My kids looove their cheese sauce!

sakura: I named Sakura but I think any Japanese Hibachi place is a great place for kids. When my parents wanted to take me to dinner for my birthday, I knew they really wanted to take my son (3+) out and just have me along for the ride. I know their priorities. It’s the grand kid. It’s cool. but taking kiddo anywhere that I would have loved would have been a nightmare. a Japanese Hibachi steakhouse was the only place I could think of where the sushi and food (and cocktails) would be a treat for me and there would be entertainment for kiddo.

nuevo mexico: The service is fast, which is a plus when you have little ones who get antsy staying still for too long. The food is always fresh and delicious. They always ﬁnd a great spot for us so we and our two infant car seats are out of

silver Diner: you can get breakfast all day long and the kids love to play with the jukebox. We order yogurt parfaits and fresh fruit. They can color and keep themselves busy too. There is rarely a long line.

*Several listings had multiple recommendations that are available online.

STIll SPINNING WITh IDEaS GlEaNED FROM ThE jaMES RIVER WRITERS CONFERENCE? bRaCE yOURSElF, ThERE aRE MORE UPCOMING aUTUMN bOOk EVENTS. by sam Kirby Facebook were the obvious modes of promotion, but there was also discussion about blogs and guest blogging. The idea being that you are interviewed or asked to post on a blog of which there is an aﬃnity in subject matter. The panelists overall seemed to agree since much of social media is text-based; this was a great time for building a brand as most authors should like the option to self-promote through writing as opposed to making personal appearances. Speaking of personal appearances, between sessions I caught up with erica orloﬀ the author of contemporary romances—including Illuminated due out in December—who said her latest technique in book promotions has been through guest appearances at book clubs through Skype video

conferences. She says it’s a great way to connect with intimate groups of readers all across the country without actually having to travel. vcu cabell first novelist award the first novelist award (now in its tenth year) recognizes an outstanding debut novel published in the preceding calendar year. Two days of celebration (nov. 15th-16th) will include an interview with this year’s winner, David gordon (The Serialist) as well as his agent and editor; panel discussions with past winners victor Lodato (Mathilda Savitch), michael byers (Long for This World), maribeth fischer (The Language of Good-bye) and nPR book critic and author alan cheuse. Get more details at novelist.library.vcu.edu.

a publishing trifecta The grid November|December issue launch party (at Chez Foushee, check palari.eventbrite.com for day and time ) will also feature not one but two books from its publishers. ted randler has a new novel out called anyone Whose heart's been had, a fun romp through the lives of several women in Richmond. It’s paperback and will be available for $14.95. Dave smitherman will be on hand with his book that just came out called Two Versions: The Other Side of Fame and Family (in paperback available also at $14.95). It’s a memoir that he co-wrote with bill hudson of the 1970s group the hudson brothers.

FALL LUNCH MENU samplings Fresh Herb Gnocchi Mornay with Grilled Vegetables $9

LUNCH Monday thru Friday 11:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m. DINNER Friday and Saturday 5:30—9:30 p.m. (Bar ’til 11 p.m.)

Chicken Fricassee with Dried Cherry and Mushroom Sauce $10 Lunch Steak with Maître d' Butter and Potato Röstis $13 WEEKENDER MENU Saturday Lunch & Sunday Brunch

WEEKENDER Saturday Lunch & Sunday Brunch 11:00 a.m.—2:30 p.m. FREE PARKING AT ALL TIMES

Oyster Pan Roast with Creamy Bacon Sauce $13 Brunch Burger with Bacon and Fried Egg $11

BOXED LUNCH DELIVERY FULL SERVICE CATERING

Smoked Salmon and Herbed Goat Cheese Omelet $8

www.chezfoushee.com • Corner of Grace and Foushee • (804) 648-3225 R I C H M O N D

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Page views: the book Crowd

here was a lot of social media chitchat at October’s james river writers conference held Downtown at the Library of Virginia. The threeday event featured the requisite panels on ﬁction, poetry, creative nonﬁction and, of course, pitching to agents. but this year, there seemed to be emphasis on author as a brand. Thursday afternoon’s panel “O Platform, Where art Thou?” featured kit wilkinson as moderator with speakers randy freisner whose background is with advertising and The Martin agency, Palari Publishing’s partner Dave smitherman and the literary agent arielle eckstut. In essence, we learned a writer’s “platform” is comprised of the various social media and online presence that will—hopefully—garner interest in one’s books. Twitter and

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The Book Crowd

COMMUNITy

Wheels of Fortune: RVA’s Big Bike Boom ThaNkS TO ThE PaSSION, CREaTIVITy aND haRD WORk OF lOCal CyClISTS, RVa IS qUICkly GaINING a WORlD-WIDE REPUTaTION FOR bEING a bIkE-lOVING CITy. ThE NExT FEW yEaRS WIll bRING a VaRIETy OF TWO-WhEEl-FRIENDly INITIaTIVES FROM ThE CITy, a PRO RaCE ExPECTED TO DRaW 450,000 VISITORS, by MeGan FIeLD bIkE-ORIENTED ChaRITy EVENTS aND lOTS OF OPTIONS FOR FUN lOCal RIDES. top-Down initiatives First and foremost among the city’s initiatives is the recently created position of Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Trails Coordinator (P.B.T. Coordinator). mayor Dwight c. jones—interested in making Richmond greener, healthier, and more progressive—created a pedestrian, bicycling and trails planning commission in 2010. The Commission, which consists of local cycling enthusiasts, spent several months researching other cities’ projects, surveying local citizens, and developing a succinct list of recommendations for the city. champe burnley, one of the commission’s co-chairs, says “Cycling is healthy, it gets cars oﬀ the roads, it’s economical, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for our communities.” Chief among the commission’s requests was jakob helmboldt’s newly created position as P.B.T. Coordinator. Helmboldt, who previously worked as VDOT’s State Bicycle Coordinator, is tasked with pulling together the city’s many departments in order to improve infrastructure, educate the public, and generally make the city less car-dependent. “Bicycling should be accessible and attractive to everyone, whether as a means of recreation or transportation,” Helmboldt says of his vision of normalizing cycling. “Cyclists are often grouped into categories; the competitive road cyclists that primarily ride for training, touring or club cyclists

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that ride for recreation, urban hipsters, etc. I’d like to see more people simply riding for daily travel whether going to work or running errands.” In a time of increasing gas prices, congested roads, and growing rates of obesity, cycling oﬀers a cheap, green, and healthy means of transportation. “National statistics indicate that 40% of all trips are less than 2 miles. Those are trips that can easily be taken by bike, whether to

a modest amount of routine trips by bike it would reduce gas consumption, improve physical and mental health, improve air quality, reduce congestion, and even improve water quality. Riding bikes won’t save the planet, but it can certainly help.”

worLD-cLass pro-cycLing, 2015 At the same time that Richmond is working to become more convenient and appealing to area bikers, it is also preparing to deal with the inﬂux of 1,500 pro cyclists. On September 28th, the union cycliste international oﬃcially announced that Richmond had won the right to host Champe burnley co-chairs the the world road cyPedestrian, bicycling and Trail’s cling championships Planning Commission. in 2015. The race, work, school, a mid-day meet- which is known as “cycling’s pinnacle event,” is broadcasted ing, lunch or errands.” Helmboldt’s vision for Rich- annually by 500 media outlets mond includes more than 75 and watched by 300 million miles of “sharrows,” or shared viewers. The event is expected lane markings, by summer to draw over 450,000 visitors to 2012; one major North-South the Greater Richmond area and route, one East-West route, and is to generate more than $135 enhancements to the US Bike million in revenue. Lee kallman, of richmond Route 1. The city’s other immediate 2015 inc, says that Richmond projects include installing bike was chosen because of “our racks in areas where there’s mild climate, challenging tersignificant bike parking de- rain, and central location of the mand and helping turn the east coast.” Richmond 2015 has also Main Street Station into a “multi-modal transportation garnered considerable support hub,” including ideas to make from local businesses that plan “bike commuting a more attrac- to work together with the city to make the improvements necestive alternative.” Helmboldt says, “If we as a sary for the Championships. community were to make even Kallman also says that, “A big

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part of [Richmond 2015’s] mission will be to get Richmonders of all ages, abilities and income levels on a bike—could be for recreation, ﬁtness, transportation or competition.” Over the next 4 years, RVA can look forward to events including talks from “well-known speakers from the industry and pro peloton, rides (geared towards a wide variety of ages and abilities) as well as competitive races,” fundraising galas, and much more. “Details on such events will be announced over the next month or so.” The race is scheduled for September 19-27, 2015. gooD oLD-fashioneD, two-wheeLing fun For cyclists interested in recreation, Richmond has a wealth of road and mountain biking, BMX, and kid-friendly options. Helmboldt says, “There are some great rides for the recreational cyclists since you can get outside the city quickly, and of course Richmond has some of the best urban single-track trails in the nation.” For people looking to bike on paved paths, john bolecek, vDot’s state bicycle coordinator, indicates that “the urban core from Carytown all the way east to Church Hill has a perfect mix of homes, shopping and offices that make it great for bicycling.” Luke stevens, owner of bunnyhop bike shop, recommends “the cemeteries north of the river including Hollywood and Mt. Calvary,” or the Southside Floodwall. “These would be two nice rides for people that

LIVE rva’s bike boom

[left] The VCU bike Raﬄe winner and [above] bike Registration. both events were part of Richmond’s ﬁrst annual bike Week.

“I feel fortunate to live in the city and a neighborhood where amenities are close by and it’s both possible and practical to bike to many things.” karen townsend

are just getting into city riding.” Those interested in mountain biking should try out the james river park Loop which is “among the best in the country,” according to riderichmond’s michael gilbert. The 8-13 mile loop consists of Buttermilk, Buttermilk Heights, the North Bank, Belle Isle, and Forest Hill Park, and has a wide variety of challenging terrain. bob wheatley, of richmond bomb (Businesspeople on Mountain Bikes), also recommends Pocahontas Park, which “has an amazing network of well maintained single-track trails.” BMXers should be sure to check out Gillie’s Creek, in the East End of Richmond, and Laurel Skate Park, on Hungary Spring Road. As for families looking for

RVa will host the World Road Cycling Championships in 2015.

outings, Belle Isle also offers a middle of Richmond. Route 76 Richmond is full of organizaflat, gravel route which is about runs from Newport News to the tions putting on events and 1 mile long. The Pony Pasture, border of West Virginia, and holding frequent rides. Ride the Wetlands, Huguenot Flatwa- runs through Mechanicsville Richmond, in conjunction with ter, and Deep Run Park VCU and Carytown also offer flat, gravel or Bicycle, held Richdirt paths which allow kids mond’s first annual to safely explore nature on Bike Week in April their bikes. 2011. The week inVirginia Capital Trail, cluded a Flying a 55-mile trail between Squirrels ride, a free Richmond and Williamstune-up and bike burg, also offers kidregistration with friendly paths. The trail the police, a bike-in currently has 4 open secmovie, cycle sympotions and is scheduled to siums focused on be finished by 2014. safety education, a student taps into VCU’s bike air compressor station. For those intrepid cyand a pizza drive. clists looking for longer rides, and Richmond. Next year will be Locals can keep up to the US Bicycle Route 1 and the 25th year for the bike vir- date with RideRichmond’s Route 76 can’t be missed. Route ginia tour, an all-ages, multi- plans for the 2012 Bike Week, 1 runs through Virginia from day ride that travels a different as well as a Holiday Bike Drive DC to the border of North Car- route each year. and planned Bike Co-op, at olina, and crosses through the Last, but certainly not least, RideRichmond.net. R I C H M O N D

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aLL PHOTOS aRe COURTeSy OF THe ReLaTeD ORGanIZaTIOnS OR InDIVIDUaLS CITeD In THe aRTICLe.

bikers on the suspension bridge to belle Isle.

bIZ SaVVy

GREEN TECH: Maymont Earns High Marks Ranks in ‘Top 10’ of National Public Spaces University of Richmond Adds Another LEEDs Certification

In October, the american planning association (apa) announced the designation of maymont as one of 10 Great Public Spaces for 2011 under the organization’s Great Places in America program. APA Great Places exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role planners play in creating communities of lasting value. APA singled out Maymont, a 100-acre estate that serves as a public park, as a place where art and architecture harmoniously blend with the surrounding plants, animals, and water elements. A cooperative venture between the City of Richmond and the nonprofit Maymont Foundation, the estate is a model of public-private management and remains free and open to all. Its gardens and amenities provide opportunities for reflection, relaxation and edification. “Maymont is a great place. Any conversation regarding the future of parks, interpreting history, habitats or horticulture in our Greater Central Virginia area must consider and study Maymont’s impact,” said richmond city council member charles samuels. “Maymont serves as a leader in the areas of public-private partnerships, as a nonprofit foundation manages and maintains a Richmond City public park through a thoughtfullycrafted agreement.” Through Great Places in

America, APA recognizes unique and exemplary streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces – three essential components of all communities. These authentic places have been shaped by forwardthinking planning that showcases diverse architectural styles, promotes community involvement and accessibility, and fosters economic opportunity. APA Great Places offer better choices for where and how people work and live every day. Since APA began Great Places in America in 2007, 50 neighborhoods, 50 streets and 40 public spaces have been designated in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. “Maymont’s beauty lies partly in its ability to be different things to different people,” said apa chief executive officer paul farmer, faicp. “It is referred to as 'everybody's backyard.' For some it’s a refuge, a place of contemplation. For others it’s a place of enchantment, and for still others, it’s a place of discovery and exploration,” he added.

In October, the u.s. green building council (usgbc) awarded university of richmond’s robins stadium its LEED Silver certification, in recognition of environmentally friendly design and construction of a building. Design of Robins Stadium included numerous features intended to earn LEED certification, said David merchan, the university’s project engineer. Among them are: • Cool roof—roofing that is light in color that reflects instead of absorbing solar energy. • Water use that is 43 percent less than LEED code minimum, achieved by low-flow water fixtures and artificial turf. • Significant (42 percent) use of construction materials extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of Richmond.

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ing by the largest margin in the history of the study. This marks the third straight year that Virginia has held the top spot in the Pollina rankings. In july, CNbC also named Virginia as america's “best State for business.” C O M

Merchan noted that versatility of the stadium’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, as well as controlled lighting fixtures for efficient interior lighting, also contributed to the LEED Silver certification. The university has applied for LEED certification of five other buildings. Three additional structures have received LEED certification: Heilman Dining Center, Weinstein Hall and Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness, which received LEED Gold status in 2010.

Commonwealth Architects Wins Virginia AIA’s Highest Award Presented at the Virginia AIA’s Visions for Architecture gala at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on November 4, Commonwealth Architects will receive the 2011 T. David Fitz-Gibbon award. The highest honor bestowed by the Virginia Society to a Virginia-based architecture ﬁrm, the Fitz-Gibbon Architec-

National Study Awards More Biz Praise to Virginia Virginia has been named the most pro-business state in the country by the Pollina Corporate Real Estate study: “Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-business States for 2011: The Rise of the West.” Virginia won the 2011 top-rank-

• Signiﬁcant use of recycled construction materials (90 percent of the aluminum bleachers and 20 percent of overall construction materials). • Use of sunlight in 96 percent of regularly occupied space.

804-515-5700

ture Firm Award recognizes a ﬁrm that has consistently produced distinguished architecture for at least ten years. Only one award may be bestowed each year. The award celebrates Commonwealth Architects’ more than 13 years of distinguished architectural and professional leadership. cobb technologies Cobb Technologies is a Richmond-based, Family-owned oﬃce technology dealer, headquartered in Richmond. 20 years serving Richmond businesses with digital copiers, printers, scanners, and fax solutions. You've heard the radio ads with Freddy Cobb; we invite you to talk to Peter Larsen at Cobb Technologies and learn the rest of the story!

Snagajob: ‘Best U.S. Small Company to Work’

Legal Brief

by CHRIS GaTeWOOD

aSkING FOR INVESTMENT May GET EaSIER

However the same town that brought us the restrictions, may also soon provide an escape valve.

from washington, here to help, maybe However, the same town that brought us the restrictions may also soon provide an escape valve. Two proposals are pending this fall in Congress. One would do away with the restriction on “general solicitation” of potential investors, as long as the investors were “accredited” (i.e., rich and sophisticated investors under cur-

crowdsourced investment may also get a break For those familiar with online group investment platforms, you may be wondering “What about Kickstarter.com and its ilk?” a second bill, sitting there on Capitol Hill, would speciﬁcally allow crowdfunding and raise its limits. So far, these services have kept their possible investment levels low. as the laws and regulations exist without this proposed crowdsourcing allowance, Kickstarter users are limited in the investments they can raise. The proposed new law would raise that limit, allowing companies to sell up to $5 million worth of securities as long as individual annual investments are limited to the lesser of $10,000, or to 10 percent of the investor’s annual income. Still not a replacement for big checks from big investors, but it would open up a lot of room. These two Congressional proposals would open up conversations and investor-opportunity matching in some useful ways. Keep your ﬁngers crossed that they will pass.

Providing outside general counsel services to companies with or without a legal department, Chris Gatewood is an attorChris Gatewood ney & founder of Threshold Counsel, PC, (www.thresholdcounsel.com) R I C H M O N D

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rent guidelines), and so long as other existing requirements for disclosures and types of securities are met. These existing requirements include the requirement that all sales within a certain time period must be treated as one offering, that thorough information and disclosures must be provided, and that the securities have restrictions on their resale.

and camaraderie. “The foundation of what we look for in ‘Snaggers’—our employees—is great people who love doing great work together as a team,” said shawn boyer, co-founder and ceo of snagajob. “I’m incredibly proud of this honor especially because it’s based on employee feedback. This award is further validation that our maniacal focus on people and culture is the right approach, particularly as we grow at a rapid pace and have doubled our size in the past year.” “The companies featured on this year’s list are truly extraordinary in their practices and achievements,” said susan Lucas-conwell, ceo of great place to work. “Their leaders recognize the value of creating great workplaces and the competitive edge it provides them.”

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Raising cash for your business’ launch or growth is not an easy thing. approach it in the wrong way, and it can get a lot worse a lot faster. Public offerings of ownership shares in exchange for investment are regulated by the Securities and exchange Commission. Securities registration and other compliance steps are expensive and time-consuming—beyond the budget of many start-up and growing companies. Failure to comply is even more expensive, and more timeconsuming, given the enforcement actions and fines that can result. you have heard of and maybe worked with angel Investors, Venture Capitalists, or other private investors. Companies can sell ownership interests to those entities because everyone involved is savvy enough to know how not to create a public securities offering. One important way that they do that is by not advertising shares for sale outside of existing networks. It is sort of a “don’t talk to strangers” rule that keeps private placements private. Obviously, not all companies are connected to the private funding grapevine. For those companies, including many who would get the boost they need for lower dollar amounts, the regulations provide a barrier to the kinds of publicity—talking to strangers—that would connect interested investors with interesting investments.

In October, snagajob was named for the fourth consecutive year as a top small company to work for in America on the Great Place to Work® annual listing. This year however, the company took top honors, ranked as number one in the nation. Snagajob offers the largest online community of hourly workers and is a leading provider of workforce solutions for employers. Selected among hundreds of small companies (50-250 employees) competing for the best place to work honor from the Great Place to Work Institute (the same ﬁrm that compiles the annual Fortune list), Snagajob was judged based on employee surveys, an in-depth questionnaire and factors such as credibility, respect, fairness, pride

bIZ SaVVy

Top 20 Reasons to Live Work & Play in RVA

Just Ask Peter

1. Ranked one of the 20 happiest Cities for young Professionals in america by Forbes.com, September 8, 2011.

ThE ClOUD aND ThE PRINTED PaGE – WhaT’S ThE CONNECTION?

2. One of the nation’s 50 best places for business and careers by Forbes.com, June 29, 2011.

“I hear about Cloud computing. What is it and why should I care? and what’s all the buzz about printing from the Cloud?” This article will be the ﬁrst in a brand new 4-part series I have entitled: “The Hottest Oﬃce Technologies to excite you now.”

3. Ranked the 12th most ﬁt among the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas by the american College of Sports Medicine american Fitness Index, May 2011.

Like it? I thought so. Print documents anytime, anywhere from Google Docs or the Cloud.

4. Richmond City has been named the best Small american City of the Future. It also ranked as the third Top Small Cities FDI Strategy and ﬁfth overall for Small Cities business Friendliness in Foreign Direct Investment (fDi) Magazine’s north american Cities of the Future 2011/12, april 2011.

now imagine you are traveling to atlanta for an important client meeting. you scan your presentation from your copier to Google Docs and hop on the plane. When you arrive in atlanta, your documents are available anywhere with Internet access to print and distribute. no PC or laptop is required. With Cloud Portal software from some of the leading manufacturers, users can easily scan hardcopy documents to Google Docs or the Cloud, or print documents already stored there. Cloud Portal software is a serverless, driver-less solution designed for companies already using—or considering using—Microsoft SharePoint Online and Google Docs cloud services. This unique solution enables end-users to access their Cloud content easily, quickly and securely. beneﬁts of Printing From Google Docs and the Cloud: • Cloud services connectivity right from your copier, • Scan to or print directly from Google Docs or Microsoft Sharepoint Online, • no servers, drivers or accessories are required, and • access and manage the cloud

5. The nation’s 17th healthiest housing market for 2011 on builderonline.com, March 3, 2011. by Peter larsen

content as you would from your desktop. Oﬃce technology has gone mobile and is way cool. you can print documents from your iPhone or iPad. We now have the ability to scan documents to Google Docs and print them half a world away. Simply click and point for key-free data entry of forms. Using these revolutionary new tools, Cloud technology allows communicating with customers easily and more cost-eﬀectively. So join me in the new way of printing and sharing information; my feet are on the ground—but my head is in the Cloud!

Peter Larsen is with Cobb Technologies and has been in the document management industry for 13 years. Prior to Cobb, he worked for Xerox Corporation & IKOn Oﬃce Solutions.

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6. The 7th best metro center for business, rated by the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch.com, December 20, 2010. 7. One of the top 10 cities for IT professionals to live in, according to Microsoft Certiﬁed Professionals Magazine, December 12, 2010. 8. The top digital city in 2010 for its population size according to the Center for Digital Government, november 2010. (Virginia was one of four states to receive an a grade in a similar survey.) 9. Ranked 12th on a ForbesWoman list ranking of america’s Top 50 U.S. cities for working mothers, Forbes.com, July 26, 2010.

10. Ranked 25th among best Cities for New College Grads by businessweek.com, July 16, 2010. 11. america’s healthiest city and one of the best cities for families, in Parenting.com, June 18, 2010. 12. Ranked ninth lowest among 50 cities for the cost of operating a corporate headquarters, according to the boyd Company, Inc., november 30, 2009. 13. Ranked 65th among the nation’s 100 best bang-For-The-buck Cities by Forbes.com, november 30, 2009. 14. One of america’s 50 fastest-recovering cities by Forbes.com, november 19, 2009. 15. The second-most charitable city in america, according to Men’s Health magazine, December 2009. 16. The sixth-best place in the nation to start over in a study by Manpower reported in businessWeek, June 9, 2009. 17. One of the 20 best cities of its size for young professionals to live and work, by next Generation Consulting, June 10, 2009. 18. a top-10 city for ﬁnding a job in 2009 in a study by ajilon Professional Staﬃng reported in Forbes.com, January 5, 2009. 19. named a Top Ten City to “live, work, and make movies” by MovieMaker Magazine, February 2011. 20. Ranked 4th in the 10 best cities for commuters, Kiplinger.com, March 2011.

WORK innovators

the carLotz team: michael bor, Justin moyer, aaron montgomery and Will boland model the company t-shirt.

ou know the feeling— that long, tedious, and uncomfortable journey of buying or selling your favorite ride. carLotz, a newly launched consignment shop for automobiles, is putting the customer in the driver’s seat. Located on Midlothian Turnpike, CarLotz is oﬀering a completely new—and improved—experience for Richmonders on the go. “Last year, I was shopping for a used car, and I would often see ‘For Sale’ signs in cars parked along Grove Avenue on my way to work,” explains michael bor, cofounder of CarLotz. “The thought of calling a stranger, ﬁnding a time to meet, negotiating, and not

knowing if the car was a lemon was so unpleasant, I ﬁgured there had to be a better way to buy or sell a car privately.” That's when the idea for CarLotz was born. Bor quickly partnered with will boland and aaron montgomery to launch RVA’s latest breakout. Since then the buzz of the CarLotz success story has already hit The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, and The New York Times. “The early feedback from our customers has been awesome, and we believe CarLotz has potential to be a multi-unit concept both in Richmond and other geographies,” explains Bor. While its current focus is on continuing to improve the cus-

by sam Kirby

tomer experience and building awareness throughout Richmond, the CarLotz gang is already moving into the preliminary stages of exploring new locations as it aims to help more people in the sale-byowner car market. “Richmond has been an awesome place to start a business,” says Will Boland, part of the dynamic trio that launched CarLotz. “We’ve found that if you serve someone here well, they will spread the word—a large number of our early customers have been through referrals. We also have a ton of fun together as a team, whether bouncing ideas off one another, giving each other a hard time for a slip-up at the lot, or grab-

bing a beer after we close. We all love coming into the office every day,”he notes. While many consumers aren’t satisfied with the existing options for buying and selling cars in the sale-by-owner market, CarLotz is offering an alternative that gets buyers and sellers a value for their cars without the traditional hassles. Aaron Montgomery, says that results have been well above initial expectations. “CarLotz recently sold its 100th car in just the fifth month, which was an exciting milestone for our team. Many of our customers walk in and tell us, ‘I should've thought of this idea,’ which signals to us that there is pent-up demand for our service,” reports Montgomery.

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PHOTOS COURTeSy OF CaRLOTZ.

The partners at their Midlothian location where they recently sold their 100th car.

CarLotz Offers a New Way to Sell Used Vehicles

COMPaNIES & CaREERS

#rvavideo: Behind the Scenes Documenting the Documentary

by JennIFeR yeaGeR

Jennifer yeager is a marketing communications consultant in Richmond.

GREaTER RIChMOND PaRTNERShIP’S MaRkETING CONSUlTaNT jENNIFER yEaGER jOURNalS ThE MakING OF ThE REGION’S laTEST MUlTI-MEDIa PROjECT. ou know what we need? A video. One that really shows off everything Greater Richmond has to offer. One that makes you want to live here, work here, and do business here. It should be snappy, upbeat, fun, appealing to many walks of life—and it needs to go viral.

You know what else we need? A website. One that shares the experience of living in Greater Richmond and highlights the region’s incredible quality of life. It should be easy to use, resourceful, engaging, vibrant, and make talented, smart people want to move here. That’s just what the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc. (GRP) has set out to do. In October, the GRP unveiled a new video and a new website to help market Greater Richmond’s best assets to businesses and people looking to relocate here.

grp staﬀ member, michael ivey, captures photos of the branching ﬁlming scenes at conch republic rocketts and at suntrust sending tweets along the way.

Left and opposite page: screen shots of the Lovewhatyoufind.com website that supports businesses and people relocating to greater richmond.

Teaming up with the Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau (RMCVB) and the Retail Merchants Association (RMA), the “Greater Richmond: Come and Visit, Come and Stay” video series is in the making. The high-deﬁnition videos will serve as a vital marketing tool promoting Greater Richmond’s business and tourism opportunities. It will be viewed in board rooms, in living rooms and, of course, online.

tour the new site @ Lovewhatyoufind.com

The creative vision for the video series was developed by staff and a local production

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video footage shot at the national historic landmark st. john’s church.

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agency, The Branching, as well as a local screenwriter, Maryann Neary-Gill.

"Finding the awesome" in Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. #rvavideo It's a gorgeous day at the Martin Agency! #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/kj1soqoj 30 Sep Post-lunch shooting at St Johns Church in Church Hill. #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/j25ftoj 28 Sep Now starring at the Civil War Center #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/nxyjjbgj 27 Sep Patrick Hussion at Williams Mullen. #rvavideo Thanks to Kristen, Mary and the staff! http://yfrog.com/18bxqnj 27 Sep Just left Riverfront Plaza. Thanks 2 Melissa Ziglar for her assistance & the GRP staff 4 starring as extras. #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/h3ki6wkuj 27 Sep Finishing up at Conch Republic. #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/g0xb7pmj 26 Sep Time to take advantage of the blue sky at Rocketts Landing. #rvavideo thank you Amy & Rob http://yfrog.com/kklz3ryj 26 Sep Now arriving at RIC, #rvavideo! Thank you to @Flack4RIC and his staff! http://yfrog.com/j2xxgbkj 26 Sep Reaching new heights with the #rvavideo Thank you to the courteous and help staff of Peak Experiences http://yfrog.com/mm2p5kbj 25 Sep The slight disturbance in Carytown -- yeah, it's us. #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/kgw3mnjj 25 Sep Definitely a family-friendly set! @ Maymont #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/h8dduwdj 25 Sep Sunday funday at Maymont. #rvavideo http://yfrog.com/nxx6nej 25 Sep

“Come and Stay” videos are targeted to business decision makers and the talent they plan to hire. The series helps build the business case for selecting Greater Richmond to locate a company. Several more videos will be released throughout 2012 focused on the region’s diﬀerent assets as well as key industries and can be seen on YouTube.com/GRPVA. While developing the video series, the GRP also developed the

Jennifer yeager

of the localities. The video resides there, too. The website and video are two unique and valuable tools that showcase Greater Richmond’s ﬁnest qualities. They help businesses and people discover what we already know—that Greater Richmond is a fantastic place to live, work, play and do business! You know what else we need? You. Watch the video. Visit the website. And, most importantly, share with your friends.

Capital Ale is next! #rvavideo Last location to a very long day. 24 Sep Now at Short Pump Town Center. Perfect time to shoot with plenty of free talent. Thanks Pam! #rvavideo 24 Sep Thank you to Vicky at the Museum of the Confederacy. #rvavideo yfrog.com/kfal4kcj 24 Sep Just wrapped Monument Ave. Thanks to Carolyn & Ed at Long and Foster! #rvavideo 24 Sep Finished up Bass Pro, now at Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center! Here's a pic of our talented crew at work. yfrog.com/nxwb6lj 23 Sep I wish we were capturing smell with this #rvavideo! yfrog.com/h7mi3yloj

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Companies & Careers

First in the series to be released is an overview piece for the “Come and Stay” portion, which debuted October 27th at GRP’s annual investors’ meeting.

LoveWhatYouFind.com answers the questions people have about what Greater Richmond has to oﬀer their lifestyle. They can ﬁnd cost of living information, career and networking opportunities, housing information, schools, a variety of fun things to do and information on each

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During a few weeks in September and October, the production team and GRP staff member, Michael Ivey, toured the region filming “the awesome” and the historical. They stood near the RIC runways, on the rocks of the James River, and inside businesses. They shot beautiful footage in Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and the City.

“Find What You Love, Love What You Find” relocation website (LoveWhatYouFind.com) and, for businesses, an accompanying print piece. Local agencies The Flores Shop and Rick Whittington Consulting worked together for the creative and web development under the direction of GRP’s senior vicepresident, Sara Dunnigan.

Creative Commerce: Downtown Design District WITh EVENTS IN NOVEMbER SIGNalING ThE laUNCh OF ThE ShOCkOE DESIGN DISTRICT, anDy thornton IS CONFIDENT ThaT DOWNTOWN RIChMOND IS REaDy TO REalIZE ITS POTENTIal aS a WORlD-ClaSS CENTER OF PRODUCTION, CONSUMPTION aND INNOVaTION. by anIKa IMaJO Richmond is ideally positioned for the creation of a robust retail environment in the area. “A lot of cities create the experience, then have a hard time getting people to move downtown,” she explains. By securing the Downtown population ﬁrst, “Richmond did it right.”

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increasing rva’s appeaL Increasing Richmond’s appeal to talented young people from other towns, Thornton explains, is another reward that a dy-

Bolstered by a broad base and propelled by mounting momentum, the Design District is rapidly taking shape, with new business life already springing up in the area. Fair trade retailer ten thousand villages, for example, celebrates the grand opening of its new Shockoe Slip location this month. A collective of local artisans will display their crafts through November and December at the virginia street gallery, located near the Turning Basin.

A strong retail district Downtown yields far-reaching benefits; a key to promoting it will be in creating a hospitable mercantile climate.

thornton: “We’ve got the capacity. We’ve just got to believe in ourselves.”

Let’s just expand on it.” According to Thomas, a strong retail district Downtown yields far-reaching beneﬁts; a key to promoting it will be in creating a hospitable mercantile climate. For example, to make commercial spaces in the area more accessible to a diverse spectrum of ventures, she suggests the possibility of developing open indoor markets with kiosks available to multiple vendors. Citing the boom in new housing developed throughout the downtown area, and the corresponding inﬂux of new residents, Thomas points out that

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namic Design District promises to bring. “From a strategic standpoint, how do you get the best in the business?” he asks, “You’ve got to give them an exciting place to go.” And Thornton views the world road cycling championships, which Richmond will host in 2015, as an opportunity akin to hosting the Olympics. “We get this one chance to show oﬀ for the world—and we want to be in our best form.” michel zajur, founder and CEO of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, describes his ﬁrst reaction to Thornton’s idea as one of excitement. “I think it’s a catalyst to help innovate within the community.” And he sees the Design District as an opportunity to highlight Richmond’s cosmopolitan character. “We’re a city of the world,” he remarks. “We’re not just a sleepy Southern city.”

The exhibit was organized by karen atkinson and will feature, “everything from culinary artists to jewelry makers and photographers. It’s a total mix.” According to Atkinson—whose company, the market umbrella, promotes local businesses and artisans through such ventures as south of the james market and the market at first fridays—Thornton and other Design District planners approached her with the project “to include an art component to it—and they wanted it to be local.” While Andy Thornton’s aspirations for the future of Downtown Richmond are gaining traction, he envisions a simple mark of success—when the Shockoe Design District is globally known simply as “Shockoe!” “We’ve got the capacity,” he says, “We’ve just got to believe in ourselves.”

PHOTO: PaLaRI PUbLISHInG LLP aRCHIVeS

e’re a creative community. We have great schools, great artists and crafts people. We actually do make stuff here. Why don’t we celebrate that and create a district to showcase them?” Thornton asks. Along the picturesque canals and cobblestone streets of the Shockoe Slip area, Thornton envisions a hub of industry and exposition where area businesses co-exist in mutual support, where local producers display their crafts, and where visitors from the outskirts of Richmond and beyond find a concentration of activity and innovation. Viewing the Design District as a potential draw for tourists from all over the world, Thornton also hopes it will give residents of the counties surrounding Richmond—“internal tourists”—a reason to spend more time Downtown. Considering the myriad ways in which Richmond might reap the benefits of—and contribute to—a thriving Design District, Thornton has reached out to such entities as venture richmond, vcu, the martin agency, the hispanic chamber of commerce, and the city of richmond to join forces and make it happen. “Andy’s really created a buzz,” says nancy thomas, president and CEO of the retail merchants association. Noting the significant presence of established Shockoe Slip enterprises such as LaDifférence, these four walls, and custom shirt-making firm Ledbury, she adds, “People are seeing that we have so much already in place.

ACTiVE RVa’S RECREaTION & WEllNESS COMMUNITy voLume 1 • issue 5 • november | December 2011 • #5

everything you neeD to know to cross the finish Line of the

unTrust S Richmond Marathon featuring the

mcDonaLD's haLf marathon anD the

hca virginia 8k

ACTiVE RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty voLume 1 • issue 5 • nov | Dec 2011 • #5

jumpstart ............................................................................ 26 the Dusty toes ‘run richmond’ while overseas: The Dusty Toes is a club sponsored by the United Service Organizations (USO) that is open to anyone who wants to run with a group

or needs a battle buddy. meaningful marathon: beyond the sheer joy of taking on the events’ physical challenge, many participants of the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, McDonald’s half Marathon and hCa Virginia 8k use the competitions to mark life milestones and celebrate their loved ones.

proper nutrition + physical activity = a rx for better health: So why would one want to knowingly sabotage all of their well-intentioned eﬀorts in the gym by not fueling up afterward? all for one and one for all: y staﬀ sets sights on running the half marathon. stem cells or no cells: V.I.P. Sports Medicine joint injections designed to stimulate new, strong tissue growth are now available in RVa.

the oﬃcial race guide of the suntrust richmond marathon, mcDonald’s half marathon and the hca virginia 8k ..............29 pre-race ......................................................................31 race Day ......................................................................32 event maps ..................................................................35 post race ......................................................................38 party zones ..................................................................39 sports backers upcoming events ................................40 past winners ................................................................42 ready for round two ..............................................................45

Overcoming Injury, Reed Engdahl will take on SunTrust Richmond Marathon.

care corner news: coping with alzheimer’s............................46 If you’re a friend or relative caring for someone with alzheimer’s, you may elect to use home health care to help manage the disease.

caregiver stress test ..............................................................48 questions to consider when you become the care provider of a loved one with alzheimer’s.

care advantage president Debbie johnston wins ms society’s 2011 women on the move award ......................49

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

J U M P S T A R T

A C T i V E NOV|DEC 2011

the Dusty toes ‘run richmonD’ whiLe overseas

They’re soldiers. They’re patriots. They’re runners. They call themselves The Dusty Toes, and on October 9, 2011, they hit the ground running from Forward Operating base (FOb) Sharana in the Paktika Province of afghanistan for the Coast to Coast Marathon Series. The Dusty Toes is a club sponsored by the United Service Organizations (USO) that is open to anyone who wants to run with a group or needs a battle buddy. There is no minimum training or racing requirement, just a group to run and have fun with. The club is open to soldiers and civilians, enlisted and oﬃcers. The only requirement is that you want to run. This group of nearly 40 soldiers runs seven days a week and participates in at least one racing event per month. each event helps them prepare for the much anticipated Coast to Coast Marathon Series in October, where each solider selects the race closest to his/her hometown to run. The SunTrust Richmond Marathon was proud to be selected as one of the 16 participating events in 2011. “Our unit is made up of guard and active duty units from

all over the United States and Germany so [we tried] to get a few marathons to represent each part of the country,” said Captain Jeﬀ Johnson, MS, who helped organize the event and recruited the SunTrust Richmond Marathon as a partner in the Coast to Coast Marathon series. Richmond represented the South and east Coast for the soldiers from that area. Other participating races in the United States included the austin Marathon, baltimore Marathon, big Sur Marathon, California International Marathon, Long beach Marathon, Los angeles Marathon, Kona Marathon, Malibu Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, napa Valley Marathon, new Jersey Marathon, Portland Marathon, San Diego Marathon, San Francisco Marathon, and the Steamtown Marathon. “When we were ﬁrst contacted, we immediately knew we wanted to be part of this Coast to Coast Running Festival,” said Jon Lugbill, Sports backers executive Director. “It is really thrilling to be

meaningfuL marathon Running for Milestones suntrust richmond marathon o Elizabeth Severson-Irby, 30th birthday o Cindy Shufflebarger, 40th birthday o annie Cohen, 30th birthday o Ekaterina Stepanova, 30th birthday mcDonald’s half marathon o Tiffany Tucker, 30th birthday o Teal lundy, 30th birthday o Terri Tomoff, 50th birthday o Sharon Reilly, 60th birthday o Tammy jacquet, 30th birthday

able to give soldiers an opportunity to be a part of an event happening in or near their hometown while they are stationed overseas.” The SunTrust Richmond Marathon shipped large quantities of race-speciﬁc goods such as shirts, signs, and medals for the participants. “We sent banners, noisemakers, race shirts, and medals to make it feel as much like the streets of Richmond on race day as possible. We wanted to do as much as we could to help create a sense of normalcy for the soldiers while they are running,” Lugbill stated. Captain Johnson said the race shirts, which were worn by

BY JACKIE HOLT

the participating soldiers on race day, were important because this is one of the few times they can wear a civilian running shirt instead of their aRMy physical ﬁtness uniform shirt. “The support is not just coming from us as race organizers,” said Lugbill. “We’ve seen an outpouring of support from race participants, volunteers, and other Richmond residents that want to share words of encouragement and connect with the soldiers in afghanistan.” best wishes to The Dusty Toes. Thanks for running Richmond, and we hope to see you out on the course here in Richmond when you return safely to the States. A

beyond the sheer joy of taking on the events’ physical challenge, many participants of the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, McDonald’s half Marathon and hCa Virginia 8k use the competitions to mark life milestones and celebrate their loved ones. here’s a sampling of this year’s tributes.

hca virginia 8k o hernan Garbini, 50th birthday

Running to Celebrate suntrust richmond marathon o jonathan Martin is running his first full marathon after he quit smoking 2 years ago. o jessica Geist is running her first full marathon after losing 60 lbs. o Penny hendricks Wagner is participating in her first full marathon to celebrate losing 100 lbs.

mcDonald’s half marathon o amanda Cj Moreland is competing to celebrate losing 100 lbs. o james brian jessee will celebrate being 2 years cancer free as he takes on the half marathon. hca virginia 8k o kamari Dunston Parris takes on her ﬁrst race since giving birth.

Running in Memory o Elizabeth Watson is running in memory of her mother who had alzheimer’s Disease.

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

o Donia Spott is running in memory of bernetta loan Shively. o Matthew brown is running in memory of his grandparents. o jennifer johnson is competing in memory of her brother. o Rey lowe is running in memory of Va State Trooper Mark barrett.

J U M P S T A R T proper nutrition + physicaL activity = a rx for better heaLth your car would not run very well on unclean fuel nor would it be able to get you where you need to go if the tank is on “e.” I liken this scenario to the human body. It must be replenished with proper nourishment after it has been broken down due to physical activity. So why would one want to knowingly sabotage all of their well-intentioned efforts in the gym by not fueling up afterward? Perhaps they are uninformed or deliberately neglect their exercise regime.

Whether you exercise a little or a lot, you still need to follow a healthy, balanced diet and watch your portion sizes. I suppose it seems relatively easier to throw some dumbbells around in the gym but it takes a more concerted effort when paying attention to the proper fuel consumption and when to execute your meals. For those who think they can diet without exercising and those who think they can eat whatever they want because they exercise, are sadly misguided. common mistakes The american Council on exercise offers up ten common mistakes committed by active people: 1. Skipping breakfast. Skipping the most important meal of the day means you’ll be hun-

grier later, which can make it more difficult to control both your diet and your weight. 2. Not eating before a workout. Providing the body with food for energy allows for a better, more productive exercise session. Try eating a pre-workout meal consisting of carbohydrates, a little fat and some protein. 3. Waiting too long after exercise to eat. One of the best things you can do to prepare for your next workout is eat a small meal that includes both carbohydrates and protein within two hours of your last session. 4. Replacing meals with energy bars or replacement drinks. Many energy bars offer little more nutrition than your average candy bar and replacement drinks may lack adequate fiber. There’s really no substitute for healthy whole foods.

BY STEPHEN P. SOWULEWSKI, M.A

Stephen P. Sowulewski, M.A. is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Health & Physical Education at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and an American Council on Exercise (ACE) group exercise certified instructor at American Family Fitness teaching indoor cycling.

that weight control becomes a challenge. 8. believing that exercise means you can eat whatever you want. Whether you exercise a little or a lot, you still need to follow a healthy, balanced diet and watch your portion sizes. 9. Not drinking the right amount of fluids. Dehydration can be a serious problem, especially if you exercise in hot, humid environments. Drinking

fluids before, during and after exercise will help you maintain adequate hydration levels. 10. jumping on the latest diet craze in search of that elusive “edge.” It’s tempting to believe there is some magic formula out there that will dramatically improve our performance or lose weight, but the best approach is to stick to the basics and follow a healthy, balanced diet. A

5. Eating too much protein and not enough carbohydrates. The once popular “low or no” carbohydrate diets in the earlyto-mid 2000s had many people trying to fuel their workouts with poultry instead of pasta. but carbohydrates are essential to effective workouts. In fact, these carbohydrate naysayers have fallen on hard times as the notion of their diets simply does not make sense physiologically. 6. Trusting the accuracy of dietary supplement labels and claims. because the supplement industry remains largely unregulated, manufacturers can make unproven and untested claims about their products. Do your homework before putting anything into your body. 7. Not consuming the right amount of calories for the amount of activity you do (i.e., too many or too few). your caloric intake should be sufficient to support your active lifestyle, but not so abundant

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

J U M P S T A R T aLL for one anD one for aLL: y staff sets sights on running the haLf marathon

Just before participating in the Richmond Half Marathon, james center ymca operations Director, Lauren reyes would still say, “I am one of those people that doesn’t work out consistently.” but that self-portrait is evolving. She and fellow y employee and training team buddy, jana smith, had already reached a major goal of completing the Monument 10k this year, but had lost their momentum after the completion of the race. When a few of her coworkers started circulating emails about the Half Marathon Training Team, Lauren knew the positive peer pressure would get her training again. “I knew if I agreed to do this race they would hold me accountable and make sure I could ﬁnish,” she says. Lauren’s teammates, holly austin and patricia green, completed a half marathon in 2007 and motivate their less experienced teammates. “your body can do anything you train it to do,” says Holly. Her positive and determined attitude has kept team morale high. “I’m just so proud of Lauren. She’s done an awesome job. To think

lauren DeSimone, Patricia Green, lauren Reyes, and holly austin before an early Saturday morning training run.

back to this spring, and how hard the 10k race was for her—she was struggling at mile three— and just last Saturday she completed a 10-mile training run, no problem. It’s amazing.” Their ﬁfth team member, Lauren Desimone is a triathlete and sends out jogging routes for the team each night. Lauren Reyes sarcastically states, “Sometimes we hate her because she’ll take us running through Hollywood Cemetery which has a lot of hills.” but she notes that those runs through the hills have really made her stronger and brought the team together. When asked what she

brings to the team, Lauren laughs and says, “They do more for me than I do for them. If it wasn’t for me knowing that they are waiting for me in the morning, I would stay in bed.” The y team follows the Sports backer’s training schedule and meets three times a week, plus they participate in the Saturday morning runs from city stadium. “It’s been a lot of holding everybody accountable,” says Lauren. “We give each other a hard time if we don’t show up for a run.” This self-described “inconsistent” athlete has accomplished more this year than she

lets on, and with the completion of the race she can drop her current title altogether and just say ‘I’m a half marathoner!’ Keep the training momentum alive this winter! Visit the y’s booth at the Suntrust Richmond Marathon Health and Fitness expo, november 10-11, to pick up information about the yMCa 10k Training Teams. Registration opens December 1. A

Details are available at www.ymcarichmond.org/10k

stem ceLLs or no ceLLs

terrell owens, kobe bryant, peyton manning, tiger woods, bartolo colon, hines ward, jarvis green, troy polomalu...

you have heard the buzz of professional athletes going overseas for V.I.P. Sports Medicine joint injections designed to stimulate new, strong tissue growth. These procedures are not just for the extremely wealthy and desperate. In fact, we are lucky to have all of these injections available here in Richmond. Prolotherapy: Prolotherapy is literally an injection of an irritant (a simple mix of dextrose and saline) into the injured tissue. by irritating the area, the sugar water concoction increases blood ﬂow to the area, which

brings the body’s own growth factors and oxygen to the area. This promotes healing. nFL star brett Miller had undergone 7 knee surgeries when he ﬁnally tried prolotherapy. Miller now has a pain-free knee.

Platelet Rich Plasma: In January, 2009, PRP injections into Hines Ward’s knee allowed him to play in the Super bowl just two weeks after tearing his MCL, normally an 8-week recovery. also, Tiger Woods had this treatment for a speedy return to golf after a knee injury in 2010.

BY TERESA STADLER, MD, FACSM

PRP is a concentrate of the growth factors of one’s own blood injected right into the injured area. It involves removing the blood from a vein in the arm, then spinning it in a centrifuge to separate the different types of blood cells. Then the platelet cells, which contain powerful healing factors, are isolated and used in the treatment. autologous Stem Cells: Terrell Owens recently traveled all the way to Korea for this treatment. Undifferentiated cells can be removed from one part of the body and injected into the injured area. In the injured area, the undifferentiated cells grow into strong tendons, ligaments, and cartilage.

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

Placental Stem Cells: The blood cells from a human placenta are able to grow and change into other types of tissue. This blood can be concentrated and donated, just like a routine blood donation. When injected into an injured joint, ligament, or tendon, the donated cells change and regrow the desired structure. A Teresa Stadler, MD FACSM is mom of 3 little runners; marathoner; Ironman Finisher; and Medical Director of Commonwealth Sports Medicine (CSM). For more info on injury prevention check out CSM on Facebook.

ceLebrating its 34th year

featuring

saturDay, november 12th, 2011 OFFICIal RaCE GUIDE

Welcome pre-race ....................................page 31 Packet Pick-Up/Race Expo Expo Parking Free Downtown Shuttle to Expo Walk-Up Registration Switching Races Marathon Course Tours Event Merchandise Donate life race Day ....................................page 32 Race Day Parking Parking Near the Start Parking Near the Finish UPS bag Check Pre-Race Support Complimentary McCafé beverages Disposable Timing Tag race Day (continued) ................page 33 Important Note about Race Start Times Starting Corrals accel Gel and POWERade Flavors Medical assistance Course Time limits CapTech Runner alerts race Day (continued) ................page 34 Prize Money/awards Event DOs and DON’Ts Expo Packet Pick-up Map event maps Start & Finish areas............................page 35 SunTrust Richmond Marathon ........page 36 hCa Virginia 8k ..................................page 36 McDonald’s half Marathon ..............page 37 post race ..................................page 38 Post-Race Celebration Race Results Race Coverage on Richmond’s NbC12 Race Photos Finisher Certiﬁcates Results in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Post-Race Massages Shower Facilities lost & Found Party Zones..........................................page 39 Sports backers Upcoming Events ..page 40 Past Winners ......................................page 42 Sponsors ........................................page 42

Dear race participant, Race weekend is finally here! To help guide you throughout the weekend’s activities, we have created the 2011 SunTrust Richmond Marathon Participant Guide; it includes all the key information you need to know to be prepared and ready to have a great race on November 12th. So much of race day comes down to planning and execution. you’ve put a lot of time and energy into your training, and what we’ve set out to do with the Participant Guide is to give you a step-by-step manual that will help you navigate smoothly through the health & Fitness Expo, the start and finish areas, and the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, McDonald’s half Marathon and hCa Virginia 8k courses. Dubbed “america’s Friendliest Marathon” by Runner’s World magazine, our race relies on the support of a vibrant community of volunteers and outdoor enthusiasts. hundreds of volunteers spend countless hours preparing for race weekend and supporting the athletes on race day. Thousands of residents will line the course, whether in their front yards, on medians, or at one of our four Party Zones to encourage you and enjoy the event. We love our city and look forward to showing it off to you! It’s our mission to make sure you have a safe, fun and successful experience at our event. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please let us know. Race staff and organization volunteers will be manning information booths at the expo and will be present at numerous locations on race day. My team and I wish you all the best and we’re looking forward to seeing you on the roads in Richmond. We hope you have a great time! Lisa randolph race Director

SCHEDULE

thursday, november 10 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. health & Fitness Expo, Packet pick-up and walk-up registration at the arthur ashe athletic Center friday, november 11 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. health & Fitness Expo, Packet pick-up and walk-up registration at the arthur ashe athletic Center 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. bus tours of Marathon course leaving from The Diamond (adjacent to the expo) (advance registration recommended) 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pasta dinner at the Omni hotel (Sold Out) saturday, november 12 7 a.m. sharp 8k start (9th & broad St.) 7:30 a.m. sharp half Marathon start – Wave 1 (8th & broad St.) 8 a.m. sharp Marathon start (7th & broad St.) 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Finish line Festival 11:30 a.m. half Marathon course closes 3 p.m. Marathon course closes

| www.richmondmarathon.org

PRE-RACE

packet pick-up/race expo

Packet pick-up will be available at the Health & Fitness expo held at the arthur ashe athletic Center (3001a n. boulevard) on Thursday, november 10 from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Friday, november 11 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. there is no race Day packet pick-up! a photo id is required to pick up your race packet. you may pick up a race packet for another pre-registered runner, provided you have a copy of their photo id.

walk-up registration

The Richmond Road Runners Club has lined up experienced pacers to help marathoners achieve their ﬁnish time goal. Visit www.richmondmarathon.org in advance or stop by the Richmond Road Runners Club booth at the expo.

switching races

suntrust richmond marathon merchandise

expo parking

The arthur ashe Center has 2,000 FRee parking spaces located in the surface lots outside the building. For directions, visit our website.

If you are already signed up for one race and want to switch to another, you may do so, in person, at the Race expo. There is a $10 fee to change races, along with any applicable entry fee diﬀerence. There are no refunds of entry fees if you are switching to a less expensive event.

free Downtown shuttle to expo

marathon course tours available on friday

Participants staying in downtown hotels may wish to take advantage of the free shuttle service to the expo/packet pick-up. The shuttles will run from the atrium entrance of the Omni Richmond Hotel on Cary Street near 12th Street. Three 47-person shuttle buses will run on a continuous loop between the Omni and the arthur ashe Center during expo hours, leaving each location every 20 minutes. The last shuttle will depart from the Omni at 8:40 p.m. each day with the ﬁnal return service leaving the expo right after closing time.

marathon pace teams

Walk-up registration will be held at the Health & Fitness expo at the arthur ashe athletic Center on Thursday, november 10 from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Friday, november 11 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. there is no race Day registration or packet pick-up!!!

Members of the Richmond Road Runners Club will lead bus tours of the SunTrust Richmond Marathon course on Friday, november 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. all buses will depart from The Diamond, the baseball stadium adjacent to the site of the Race expo/ packet pick-up. each bus has a capacity of 46 passengers plus one tour guide. each tour of the marathon course will last approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. To guarantee a spot, sign up on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis at www.richmondmarathon.org.

Leave time at the expo to check out the latest event merchandise. With a great selection of running apparel and commemorative items, there’s sure to be something for everyone on your shopping list.

Donate Life

Donate Life, the oﬃcial race charity, will be on hand at the expo and on race day to register anyone interested in becoming an organ and tissue donor. They will also be giving away special signature Donate Life gear to be worn during the event by anyone whose life has been touched by organ or tissue donation.

www.richmondmarathon.org |

RACE DAY race Day parking

With over 90 parking decks and lots in the downtown area, there is plenty of parking available on Race Day. The Start & Finish lines are located only six blocks apart. For a complete map of downtown public parking, visit www.richmondmarathon.org. It is recommended that 8k runners park near the start to allow for more parking near the ﬁnish for marathoners and half marathoners. Here is a partial listing of the parking decks/lots open and oﬀering special rates on Race Day:

parking near the start (recommended for 8k entrants) 3rd & Marshall 5th & Marshall 7th & Marshall 8th & Marshall (surface lot) 5th & broad (surface lot) 8th & Grace/Franklin

parking near the finish Federal Reserve (5th & byrd) James Center (10th & Canal) Crowne Plaza (5th & Canal) 3rd & Main (surface lot) 4th & Main 4th & Cary (surface lot) 12th & Canal 14th & Cary 8th & Main 8th & Cary 12th & Canal 14th & Cary 15th & Cary Virginia & Canal

race Day

on course support Marathon Course = M

mile Start 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Finish

half Marathon Course = h

diamond springs Water M h 8k

mountain blast PoWerade

M h 8k

Mh h Mh h Mh

M M M M M M

M h 8k

Porta Johns M h 8k

Mh h Mh h M M

M h 8k

music M h 8k M h 8k Mh h 8k M 8k M h Mh M Mh h Mh Mh M M M M M M M

Party Zone

Junk Food

Wet Wash Cloths

Mh h

M M M M

M h 8k

pre-race support

• Pre-race water will be available at the start area on the north side of broad Street near 8th Street. • Medical Tents will be located in the start area, on the north side of broad Street between 8th & 9th Streets, and adjacent to the ﬁnish area. Medical support is provided by HCa Virginia.

complimentary mccafé beverages available to runners

all event participants can pick up a complimentary Mango Pineapple Smoothie, Premium Roast Coﬀee or apple Slices provided by McDonald’s beginning at 7 a.m. in the post-race area at 10th & Cary Streets (while supplies last).

ups bag check available to all runners

UPS will offer bag check on race morning on broad Street between 10th & 11th Streets. Trucks for the Marathon and 8k will be on the south side of the street and trucks for the Half Marathon will be on the north side of the street. Volunteers will be on hand to help you attach the tear-off tag on your bib number to your bag. Once you have finished your race, you can pick up your bag at the Finish Line Festival.

accel gel

8k Course = 8k

| www.richmondmarathon.org

IMPORTANT! event features disposable bib timing tag

The marathon, half marathon, and 8k are all timed using the ChronoTrack “b-Tag,” a light-weight disposable timing device that comes attached to your race bib and requires no additional application. Do not remove the timing tag from the back of your bib anD Do not foLD or crumpLe your bib.

important note about race start times

each race will begin promptly at its designated start time. Participants are responsible for being on-time for the start of their race. Starting mats must be turned oﬀ and moved immediately after the start of each race, so latecomers are in danger of not receiving an accurate start time.

starting corrals/waves

Marathon and 8k participants have been assigned a bib number that corresponds to one of the four corrals at the start of each race. your bib number must be visible to enter your corral. If you would like to run with another participant, you are permitted to start in the slower person’s corral. you may not move up into a faster corraL.

accel gel and powerade flavors

assorted ﬂavors (vanilla, chocolate and citrus orange) of accel Gel will be oﬀered at Miles 14 and 21 on the marathon course and Mile 8 on the half marathon course. Mountain berry blast POWeRade will be served at every water stop.

suntrust richmond marathon – 8 a.m. start corral #

bib sequence

predicted times

1 – 2000

3:45 & under

2001 – 4000

3:46 – 4 hours

4001 – 6000

4:01 - 4:30

6001 – 7500

4:31 & over

hca virginia 8k – 7 a.m. start corral # 1

bib sequence

predicted times

20001 – 21500 21501 – 23000

:49 - :59

23001 – 24500

1 hour – 1:10

24501 – 26000

1:11 & over

wave starts for half marathon Due to the size of the race, the McDonald’s half Marathon utilizes wave starts. Participants start in waves with others of the same general speed based on the predicted time indicated on their entry forms. look for the sign at the entrance to the wave that corresponds to the letter preﬁx on your race bib. your bib number must be visible to enter your wave. If you would like to run with another participant, you are permitted to start in the slower person’s wave. you may not move up into a faster wave. mcDonald’s half marathon a b Ca Cb D E F G h j

7:30 a.m. 7:32 7:34 7:36 7:38 7:40 7:42 7:44 7:46 7:48

HCa Virginia will provide medical assistance at the start and ﬁnish line, as well as Mile 22.5 on the marathon course (Mile 9 on the half marathon course). bike medics will also be patrolling the course.

:48 & under

wave # start time

medical assistance

bib sequence

predicted times

7501-9000 9001-10000 10001-11000 11001-12000 12001-13000 13001-14000 14001-15000 15001-16000 16001-17000 17001-18000

1:45 & under 1:46 – 1:59 2 hours 2 hours 2:01 – 2:10 2:11 – 2:15 2:16 – 2:29 2:30 2:21 – 2:59 3 hours & over

seven hour marathon and four-hour half marathon time Limits

The marathon has a course time limit of 7 hours and the half marathon has a 4-hour limit. If you are unable to maintain this pace, you will be asked to move to the sidewalk to enable the reopening of the streets to vehicular traffic. at that time, there will no longer be traffic protection, medical aid, or water stops offered. There will be four designated checkpoints along the marathon course with shuttles available to take participants back to the finish area if anyone does not reach a checkpoint by these times: Mile 7 by 9:53 a.m. Mile 11 by 10:57 a.m.

Mile 16 by 12:17 p.m. Mile 20 by 1:21 p.m.

friends & family can follow your progress electronically

CapTech is proud to oﬀer live splits and results for all event participants on the race website. The site will provide 6.2, 13.1, and 20-mile splits for marathoners, 10k splits for half marathoners, and ﬁnish results for all three races. you can also sign up race week for Mobile Text alerts by visiting www.richmondmarathon.org or at the CapTech booth at the race expo.

www.richmondmarathon.org |

prize money/awards

Prize money and other awards will be available as follows: half Marathon $1,000 $500 $250 $150 $100

event Dos and Don’ts

8k $1,000 $500 $250 $150 $100

For the enjoyment of all participants and spectators, please adhere to the following event rules: • no strollers, baby joggers, animals on leashes, skateboards, skates, bicycles or handcycles will be allowed on the course. This will be strictly enforced. • no one other than registered race participants may cross the ﬁnish line. Please do not have anyone join you for the ﬁnal stretch. This is strictly enforced.

additional awards will be presented to the top ﬁve ﬁnishers in all age groups in all three races. Overall awards are determined by clock time; age group awards by chip time.

Expo/Packet Expo/P acket Pick-up Map

Do w Pic nto k-u wn p/D Shu rop ttle -of f

Hermitage Road

course recorDs: double your money! new in 2011, bonuses will be oﬀered for course records for both male and female athletes.

Nor th

The awards Ceremony for overall winners will take place in the ﬁnish line area immediately after each race. awards for age group winners in all races will be mailed out after the race.

• The post-race food area is for runners only. Please do not bring family members in with you.

Bou lev ard

Overall Place Marathon 1 $2,500 2 $1,500 3 $750 4 $500 5 $250

• $2,500 bonus for SunTrust Richmond Marathon course records • $1,000 bonus for McDonald's Half Marathon course records • $1,000 bonus for HCa Virginia 8k course records

Expo E Exp p po Entrance Entra E ntrance

bonus Money for Fast Marathon Times: also new in 2011, bonuses of $500 will be awarded marathoners that ﬁnish under these times: • Male – 2:20 • Female – 2:46

B ou leva rd Nor th

Arth Athl ur Ashe etic Cen Jr ter

Parking

Nor

th B oul eva rd

Greyhound Bus Lines The Diamond

En E tra P a x it n c e rk to / in g

Av e

n of

Parkin Park Parking kinn mp

ions

Entr a to P nce/Ex arki it ng

Rob in H Ent r ood anc Roa d to P e/Ex arki it ng

Expo/Packet Pick-up

Please note: Plaques will be awarded to the top three local male and female ﬁnishers in the McDonald's Half Marathon and HCa Virginia 8k.

od R oad

se ur s Co our T

place amount 1................................$500 2................................$300 3................................$100

in H o

| www.richmondmarathon.org

Hermitage Road

Richmond-area Marathon Championship The SunTrust Richmond Marathon is awarding the top local finishers with cash prizes! any current resident of the Richmond-Petersburg MSa is eligible to win prize money for being the first Richmond resident to cross the finish line at the SunTrust Richmond Marathon. Prize money will be awarded to the top three males and females as follows:

Rob

Sports Backers Stadium

Entrancce/E Entrance/Exit Exiit to Parking Parrkinng

11th Street

10th Street

Startt Area Star Area

Half Marathon Start

10th Street

11th Street

8k Start

Marathon Start

FFinish inish Area Ar ea at the James Center Medical Area

Ambulance

Barricades

Photographer

Water W ater Food Vendor V endor

Cary Street

Finish

Post-Race Food Race Merchandise Sponsor TTents en nts

Announcer

VIP

Barricades

Sports Backers Training Training TTeams eams

Omni Hotel Plaza

Live Music

www.richmondmarathon.org |

12th Street

Fond Memory Graphics

10th Street

9th Street

Food Vendor Vendor

G E L

Joseph Bryan Park

ve Ave

vue evvue llev Belle B Bel

J WC

lvd NB

NB lvd

WM ain nS t

W W

Maymont M ym m Park 161

Br oa d

St Gr ac eS t

N 3r St d

Sc ott vie Dr w

S Belvidere S St

Win ndso rview Dr

Br oa d

Rivverside Dr Rive

Ca ry St

9 th

mb ar dy

Maple Ave

rel an dS t

tR d

Av e

We stm o

Hug g guenot R d

Av e

Brook Rd

Str

nu me nt

ge Rd age mita Herrmit

Ca ry

River Rd

Gr ov e

195 5

W Mo

v ve rlayne A

Chambe

Rd Hermitge

MAP KEY Marathon Course

Mile Marker

Water/POWERade

Fo re st Hi ll A ve

Course Out

Course Back

Party Stops

WC Wet Wash Cloths Cl

Accel Gel

S Start: 7th St & Broad St

Junk Food Stops

F Finish: Cary St and 9th St

W G E L

Port-O-Johns

Mile Marker

Water/POWERade ater/POWERa

G E L

e Av es mm Se

lvd NB

Mu lbe r

2 yS

rd m ba

3 NM

ead ow

ND avis

Ave

F Finish: Cary St and 9th St

Mo nu me nt Av e

on Broad St

S Start: Between 8th & 9th St

Port-O-Johns

Hemitage Rd

MAP KEY 8 K Course

15 13

W W

igh

Br oa dS t

Gr ac eS t

195

Ca ry St

F W

| www.richmondmarathon.org

St 8th

S St

9th

S Belvidere St

3r dS t

Br oa dS t

5 th

1 195

W 95

7 8

G E L

MAP KEY

Mile Marker

Water / POWERade

G E L

195

Accel Gel Port-O-Johns

S Start: 8th St & Broad St W

F Finish: Cary St and 9th St

U W

1 95

G W

Party Stops

U-Turn: intersection of Loxley ey y,, Rennie and Brookland Pkwy

www.richmondmarathon.org |

pick up the richmond times-Dispatch marathon edition

Post Race post-race celebration race coverage after crossing the ﬁnish line, all on richmond’s nbc12

race participants will be greeted be sure to by helpful volunteers who will watch for provide plenty of complimentary stories and marathon food and beverages. enjoy great live music, free massages, and coverage on Richmond’s nbC12 bring your family to enjoy the va- news the week leading up to the marathon. On race morning, there riety of post-race activities. will be live coverage of the marathon start and ﬁnish. and on race results Sunday, nov. 13 at 1:30 p.m., tune in Full results will be available at for a half hour race recap show that www.richmondmarathon.org by will capture all the sights and Saturday evening, November 12. sounds of america’s Friendliest Marathon...only on nbC12.

race photos

brightroom professional photographers will take participant photos along the course for the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, McDonald’s Half Marathon and HCa Virginia 8k. be sure to wear your bib number where it can be seen, and smile when you see the brightroom team. Then, visit www.richmondmarathon.org late in the week of november 13 to see your photos.

finisher certiﬁcates

The event has teamed up with brightroom Photography to provide FRee ﬁnisher certiﬁcates to any marathoner, half marathoner or 8ker who wants one. Just visit your personal photo page on the brightroom website beginning December 1 to redeem it.

On Sunday, november 13, the Times-Dispatch will feature a special section with stories, photos, top results and more from the marathon, half marathon and 8k. Order your keepsake copy of this edition at www.TimesDispatchShop.com or pick it up at newsstands Sunday, november 13.

post-race massages

The american Institute of Massage will provide complimentary massages for marathoners and half marathoners on race day inside the Omni Hotel adjacent to the finish area. Over 20 different massage therapists will be available to provide a helping hand for those tired muscles. Massages will be available from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

shower facilities available for out-of-town runners

The Downtown yMCa will provide shower facilities to participants after the race. The Downtown yMCa is located at the corner of n. adams Street & Franklin Street, about 10 blocks from the ﬁnish line. Please bring your race number with you on race day and show it to the front desk. Towels are not provided, so be sure to bring your own.

Lost & found

• Lost and found items will be taken to the Sports backers office on Monday, november 15. If you lose something, you can call 804-2859495 or email marathon@sportsbackers.org. • If you find valuables on race day, please turn them in to the SunTrust Richmond Marathon Volunteer Check-in table on the 2nd floor of the Omni Hotel adjacent to the Finish Line.

suntrust/nbc12 party zones cater to spectators

Friends or relatives are invited to cheer on participants from our special SunTrust/ nbC12 Party Zones. each location will feature music, refreshments and an on-air personality. These Party Zones will serve as a hub for spectators to show their support and enthusiasm. Marathon supporters may follow the recommended routes to catch the action at the Start, Finish and three Party Zones. Half Marathon friends and family can catch the Start, Finish and Mile 7 Party Zone.

suntrust richmond marathon party zones recommended Directions

Recommended Directions start (broad Street and 7th Street) It is recommended that you park north of broad Street for the start of the race. There is a large surface parking lot just off 9th Street north of Marshall. This is a good lot for spectators. after watching the start of the race, you will want to go to the first party spot at River Road Shopping Center. starbucks river road shopping center (Mile 7) Take 7th Street north to Interstate 95 north. Once on 95 north take 64 West. Get off at the Glenside Drive exit (heading south). Make a right turn on Forest avenue. Follow Forest for several miles and it will cross Patterson avenue. Continue on Forest and it will eventually turn into Ridge. Stay straight on Ridge until River Road. Go left on River Road for ½ mile. River Road Shopping Center is on your right. Park in the shopping center lot and the party spot will be across Huguenot Road in front of Starbucks. Do not park on the Starbucks side of the road. you will get trapped by the runners. cvs on forest hill avenue (Mile 12.9) From River Road Shopping Center proceed south on Cary Street across the

Huguenot bridge. Continue on the Huguenot bridge until Chippenham Parkway (Route 150) and take the second exit heading east. Take Chippenham Parkway east until Jahnke Road. Make a right turn onto Jahnke Road and go back under Chippenham Parkway. Make a right turn onto Forest Hill avenue. Park in the parking lot on the right-hand side of the road and cross the street by foot to the party in the CVS lot. cvs on the boulevard (Mile 19) Turn right out of the parking lot back onto Forest Hill avenue. Make the first right onto Westover Hills blvd. Stay right onto W. 49th Street. Make the first right onto Clarence Street. Turn left onto Jahnke Road and proceed to Chippenham Parkway. Get on Chippenham Parkway heading north.Take the first exit onto the Powhite Parkway heading north. Have 70 cents ready for the toll booth. Stay on Powhite Parkway across the river. Stay in the left lane and continue on 195 north. In two miles you will see an exit onto 95 South. Take 95 South and at the first exit after ¼ mile get off on the boulevard. at the bottom of the exit ramp take a righthand turn. Stay in the right lane and you will cross an overpass over the railroad tracks. The party spot is on your left prior to the intersection with broad Street. Park on the right-hand side of the road. (Do not drive across the runners’ path or you will get trapped by the runners). finish Line festival (Mile 26.2) Take the boulevard to the north and get onto I-95 north. Once on 95 stay right and exit right away onto 64 West and 195 South. Get into the left lane on the exit ramp and take 195 South. after 2 miles exit onto the Downtown expressway (50 cent toll). Get off at the 7th and 9th Streets exit off of the Downtown expressway. Stay right on the exit ramp and this puts you onto byrd Street. Go left at 10th Street and park on the street or in parking lots in this area. The finish line is at 10th and Cary.

mcDonald’s half marathon party zone

Recommended Directions start (broad Street and 7th Street) It is recommended that you park north of broad Street for the start of the race. There is a large surface parking lot just off 9th street north of Marshall. after watching the start of the race you will want to go to the Party Zone in bryan Park. bryan park party zone (Mile 7) Take 7th Street north to Interstate 95 north. Once on 95 north take the Hermitage Road exit (exit 80). at the end of the exit ramp stay to the right onto Westbrook avenue. Make a right turn at the light onto Hermitage Road. Go past the entrance to bryan Park and make a left turn at the bottom of the hill on bryan Park avenue. Park on bryan Park avenue or in the surrounding neighborhood. Walk across the 2nd bridge over the lake to the bryan Park Party Zone. finish Line festival (9th and Cary Streets) (Mile 13.1) Take bryan Park Drive back to Hermitage Road and make a right. Get onto Interstate 95 heading south. after 5 miles take exit 74a onto the Downtown expressway. Stay in the right lane and get off at the first exit onto Canal Street. you will need to pay a $.30 toll. The exit ramp puts you on Canal Street at 10th Street. you are one block from the finish line. There is on-street parking as well as parking garages in this area.

www.richmondmarathon.org |

Sports Backers Upcoming Events

for more information about any of these events, visit www.sportsbackers.org Whether you’re promoting health in the workmarch 31 ukrop’s monument avenue 10k Whether you’re in it to win it or just here for the place, building corporate pride, or even just getting outdoors for a great summer night with party, the Ukrop’s Monument avenue 10k’s got friends, there’s good reason to participate in this it all! named one of the best races in the counThursday evening event. With post-race festivtry (thanks, USa Today!), Richmond’s biggest ities featuring plenty of food, drinks (including block party is the place to be come Saturday beer!), live music and fun, this event has quickly morning. With over 42,500 participants, you’re become Richmond’s biggest office party. bound to be entertained – whether it’s by costumed runners, Spirit Groups, Party Stops or live music. Throw in the one-mile race for the kids june 23 henricus Dauber Dash and a rockin’ post-race party, and you’ve got This 5-miler may start and finish on a historic yourself one of the best social events of the year! settlement and wind through a scenic conservation area, but it is definitely nOT a walk in the may 5 anthem stride through time 10k park! Take a trail that’s fun to run any day of the The anthem Stride Through Time is excited to week and throw in a bunch of intense obstacles, announce an all new course for 2012! Come out and you’ve got yourself one heckuva race! Did and see Richmond like you’ve never seen it be- we mention there’s a muddy 1-miler for the kidfore. We will wind our way in and around some dos and a rockin’ post-race festival? yeah, it all of the city’s greatest treasures including historic amounts to this strangely awesome combo of sites and landmarks, restaurants, and boutiques. history and nature mixed with mud, sweat and don’t be surprised when you turn a corner and...beer. and see Patrick Henry, elvis (he played at the Landmark in 1958, you know) or other characaugust 4 anthem moonlight ride ters from Richmond’s past. Take in the sights and sounds of RVa by bike . . . may 18-20 Dominion riverrock Dominion Riverrock is the east Coast's premier outdoor lifestyle festival, bringing athletes, spectators, musicians and even dogs to brown’s Island for a three-day festival against the backdrop of downtown Richmond’s urban riverfront. The festival features a variety of outdoor sports including trail running, kayaking, biking, bouldering, stand up paddleboarding and dog jumping. june 7 connects federal credit union corporate 4 miler Show your boss who’s really boss in this 4-mile race. Or team up with your friends and coworkers to take down that cross-town industry rival.

under a full moon . . . with 2,000 other riders decked out in crazy lights and costumes. Then top it oﬀ with pizza, ice cream, a live concert and a blue Moon beer (for you 21-and-uppers!). With plenty of exhibitors and some interactive activities for the fam, you’re bound to have one fabulous night on the town! august 25 patrick henry half marathon named for Hanover County’s famous Colonialera patriot, Patrick Henry, who proclaimed the Revolutionary War’s rallying cry, “give me liberty or give me death,” the 13.1-mile course features rolling countryside and scenic historic districts with a start and ﬁnish on the beautiful campus of Randolph-Macon College.

Race Committee

bill berry Dan blankenship turner broughton alison burnette kelly carr matt carr Doug cutter patti Dean will Dixon jeﬀ fitch jay fournier ro gammon betsy garber Don garber marcy george michael george fran gilday melissa gordon mary marshall graeber karen nelson Leah harms faith hecht

Finish Line 8k Training Team Head Coach Signage Merchandise Walk-up Registration/Training Team Support Signage Medical Director Lifenet Set-up/break-down Sponsorship Course Marshals Half Marathon Training Team Head Coach Registration Marathon Training Team Head Coach Post-Race Food/walk-up Registration Start/Finish Line Registration/Finish Line McDonald's Volunteers HCaVirginia Course entertainment expo Support

| www.richmondmarathon.org

september 28-29 maymont x-country festival Maymont is a cross-country runner’s dream. From the lavish 1893 Maymont House to the scenic wildlife areas that house bison, bald eagles, deer, bears and other animals, the estate is the perfect backdrop for a fall race. you couldn’t ask for a better place to host one of the country’s premier cross-country festivals. With an open 5k, an 8-mile trail run, an elementary school 1-miler, a middle school 3k and a competitive high school invitational, the Maymont X-Country Festival has something for everyone. october 6 whatifcreditunions.com Dragon boat festival Rally your coworkers, friends and family, and join us for Richmond’s newest spectacle on water – dragon boating! Led by the rhythmic beat of a drum, teams of 20 synchronized paddlers, one drummer and one steersperson race 500 meters up the river in 40-foot canoes rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. The sport brings social groups and businesses alike down to the water to bond and compete, building a stronger sense of “team” with every stroke. november 10 suntrust richmond marathon, mcDonald’s half marathon & hca virginia 8k The SunTrust Richmond Marathon has been recognized in Runner’s World magazine as a “Must Do” marathon. Come experience "america’s Friendliest Marathon” - 26.2 miles of smiles - the course tours Richmond’s old neighborhoods and follows Monument avenue’s statues of Confederate soldiers, through the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, then alongside the James River.

jackie holt chrissy jenkins brian kealey meghan keogh hugh kerr stephanie kirksey Dona Lawson jay Lenzi mike Levins jon Lugbill eric mann chuck mcbride ray patterson john raigins Lisa randolph rick salamida scott schricker megan schultz thom suddeth tiﬀany sy ben wade evie wilkerson carl wilson

PR/Communications event Charity expo Support/Shuttles expo Party Stops awards accounting Water Stops Registration executive Director SunTrust Water Stops Community aﬀairs equipment/Warehouse Race Director Water Stops Media & Marketing Medical Support/Signage elite athletes Sponsorship Course Support Sag Wagon Coordinator Start area

Past Marathon Winners year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978

maLe Mark Chepses jyocel basweti jyocel basweti Mohamed awol asnake Fekadu andrei gordeev Elly Rono Elly Rono Elly Rono Reuben Chesang Michael harrison Davis kamau Tim Covington Mike Fitch Tim Covington Michael harrison Tim Covington Michael harrison Michael harrison Thad jones james Coleman Walt adams Walt adams Walt adams Walt adams Sean O'Flynn Sean O'Flynn Robbie Perkins Sean O'Flynn Robbie Pecht ben Wilson hillary Tuwei David Ruggles

time 2:19:13 2:18:28 2:22:22 2:22:20 2:20:23 2:14:32 2:17:55 2:15:36 2:16:02 2:17:49 2:31:00 2:24:48 2:23:51 2:30:13 2:33:31 2:33:20 2:26:41 2:35:18 2:28:15 2:30:15 2:35:31 2:30:17 2:24:14 2:27:51 2:22:10 2:21:50 2:29:55 2:20:12 2:22:54 2:19:16 2:23:22 2:22:26 2:28:49

femaLe Tezeta Dengersa Salome kosgei kristin Price Casey Smith Maureen ackerly Marina bychkova Tammy Slusser Dorota Gruca Maggie Chan-Roper Dorota Gruca irina suvorova Mindy Sawtelle Senoria Clarke Shelia Gallop bee andrews Patty Valadka Patty Valadka bee andrews Shelia Gallop Cecil astrop albina Galiamova Cecil astrop bee andrews Deborah Snagg Marge Rosasco Patty Croasdale Carolyn harrison kathy Thomas kathy heckman jennifer amyx kathy Thomas Susan Crowe bobbie allen

time 2:49:10 2:40:51 2:45:02 2:44:57 2:53:14 2:42:40 2:56:40 2:44:22 2:37:53 2:36:16 2:31:25 2:46:13 2:48:51 3:17:43 3:02:06 2:55:21 3:01:32 2:59:07 3:02:14 3:04:47 2:42:50 3:11:40 2:54:18 2:57:18 2:58:25 3:06:17 3:13:56 3:04:40 2:54:43 3:05:04 3:06:18 3:09:31 3:15:40

Past Half Marathon Winners year 2010 2009 2008

maLe george towett nicholas kurgat Derese Deniboba

time 1:03:44 1:06:02 1:06:50

femaLe maria elena calle alemtsehay misganaw alemtsehay Misganaw

time 1:16:05 1:16:34 1:18:34

time 23:07 22:47 22:42 22:41 22:20 23:03 23:24 23:21

femaLe Samia akbar Teyba Naser jane Murage Caroline Chepkorir magdalene mukunzi Tetyana hladyr Teresa Wanjiku jou lia Gromova

time 27:00 26:31 25:48 26:20 25:24 26:00 26:22 25:47

22:39 22:36 22:58 22:50 23:05 25:42 24:37 25:48 24:52 25:00 24:35 25:12 23:46

lyupmila biktrsheva Caroline Zajac-Tynan Svetlana Zakharova Tania jones Irina bogacheva Cristi Ferran kate Dolan kristi lynch Terry bruner Terry bruner lynn MacDougall Inna Pushkariova Olga Markova

26:44 26:16 25:36 26:53 26:45 30:11 30:19 32:27 30:26 31:15 27:54 27:03 27:47

Past 8k Winners year 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

maLe Daniel kipkoech Elkanah kibet Robert letting Rod koborsi samuel ndereba Vyacheslav Shabunin Ian Connor joseph Mwai

2002 Shadrack kosgei 2001 Shadrack kosgei 2000 leonard Mucheru 1999 leonard Mucheru 1998 Terrence herrington 1997 Walt adams 1996 Paul Vandegrift 1995 bruce berger 1994 jeffrey hough 1993 jeffrey hough 1992 Des Proctor 1991 larry Cluff 1990 Mikhail Dasko boLD indicates race record

special thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers and participants who make the suntrust richmond marathon possible.

| www.richmondmarathon.org

Ready for Round Two OVeRcOMIng InJuRy, Reed engdAhl wIll tAke On SuntRuSt RIchMOnd MARAthOn

PHOTO COURTeSy OF SPORTS baCKeRS

Last year, with eight half marathons under his belt, Reed Engdahl of Alexandria, VA, decided it was time for the major leagues. He signed up for the 2010 SunTrust Richmond Marathon. However, after months of rigorous training and preparation, just five weeks before he would take on the 26.2-miler, he suffered a torn calf muscle. Rather than admit defeat, Engdahl opted to run the McDonald’s Half Marathon, a companion race of the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, instead. The injury was no match for this half marathon veteran; he set a personal record of 1:48, shaving six minutes off his previous finish time. “I woke up, felt great, and just never got fatigued,” Reed said. “You don’t come by many days like that one.” Despite his comeback performance in November’s half marathon, he was not satisfied. In March of 2011, Reed completed his first 26.2miler at The National Marathon in Washington, D.C., noting his biggest training challenge was the harsh winter weather. “I didn’t mind the distance, but trying to run 16 miles through the snow? I had to be creative.” This November 12, Richmond is happy to welcome Reed back to the course through RVA to give the full marathon another shot. While Reed calls Alexandria home, he was drawn back down south to compete for several reasons. “The [SunTrust] Richmond Marathon is largely flat, features a very well-laid out course, it’s inexpensive, and has a great atmosphere—it was a natural choice.”

reasons for running Engdahl’s reasons for running are why the SunTrust Richmond Marathon is tagged “America’s Friendliest Marathon.” It’s also the small things like wet wash cloths on the course, hot pizza

at the ﬁnish line, and complimentary massages for all runners that make Richmond stand out in the running world. Runners also enjoy the downhill ﬁnish, which leads them into an exciting post-race celebration in

BY NICOLE FULK

the heart of historic Richmond. Engdahl once again points to tricky Virginia weather as his main training challenge—this time the scorching summer temperatures. “No matter how early you wake up, when running miles in the double digits, you’re bound to run into some heat.” Lucky for Engdahl, by the time November rolls around, temperatures will be much more moderate. The average temperature in Richmond during mid-November is about 50 degrees, generally making for a very cool and comfortable start to the race. With his resolute mindset and goal-oriented attitude, running would appear to have been a lifelong pursuit for Reed Engdahl; but it wasn’t until age 45 that he started training. What began as simply a way to lose weight quickly became part of an active lifestyle, beginning with a local 5k. He now runs five days a week, clocking about 35-40 miles. From novice to seasoned athlete over the last six years, what’s next for this 51-year-old? “I would really love to qualify for the Boston Marathon. That’s my final goal.” Having completed over 150 miles worth of races through injuries, snow, and heat, Reed is sure finish strong at the SunTrust Richmond Marathon in November and cross many more finish lines in the future. A

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

CaRE CORNER NEWS

Coping with alzheimer’s If yOu’Re A fRIend OR RelAtIVe cARIng fOR SOMeOne wIth AlzheIMeR’S, yOu MAy elect tO uSe hOMe heAlth cARe tO helP MAnAge the dISeASe.

what is it?

lzheimer’s is a progressive neurologic disease of the brain that leads to the irreversible loss of neurons and dementia. The clinical hallmarks of the disease are progressive impairment in memory, judgment, decision making, orientation to physical surroundings, and language. A working diagnosis of Alzheimer disease is usually made on the basis of the neurologic examination. On a cellular level, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by unusual helical

Another American develops Alzheimer’s disease every 69 seconds. In 2050, an American will develop the disease every 33 seconds. Most people survive an average of four to eight years after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but some live as long as 20 years with the disease. protein filaments in nerve cells (neurons) of the brain. These odd twisted filaments are called neurofibrillary tangles. On a

functional level, there is degeneration of the cortical regions, especially the frontal and temporal lobes, of the brain.

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

fast facts

According to The Alzheimer’s Association, the number of Americans with this devastating and heartbreaking disease is growing—and fast. • Today, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease—5.2 million aged 65 and over; 200,000 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s. • By 2050, as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease. • Two-thirds of those with the disease—3.4 million—are women.

• Of Americans aged 65 and over, 1 in 8 has Alzheimer’s, and nearly half of people aged 85 and older have the disease. • Another American develops Alzheimer’s disease every 69 seconds. In 2050, an American will develop the disease every 33 seconds. • Most people survive an average of four to eight years after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but some live as long as 20 years with the disease.

• On average, 40 percent of a person’s years with Alzheimer’s are spent in the most severe stage of the disease—longer than any other stage. • Four percent of the general population will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80. • But, for people with Alzheimer’s, 75 percent will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80. A

Care advantage is a sponsor of an UnForgettable evening gala (nov. 11th at the 2300 Club from 7:00pm - 10:00pm) to beneﬁt the alzheimer’s association-greater richmond Chapter that is dedicated to the elimination of alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, and providing and enhanc-

what can you Do?

ing care and support for all aﬀected by alzheimer’s

If you’re a friend or relative caring for someone with

Floor, a dynamic and entertaining ﬁve-piece band

alzheimer’s, you may elect to use home health care

comprised of accomplished professionals with years

to help manage the disease. Care advantage has

of touring, recording and performing experience. in

provided some useful information on what to look

addition to the exceptional showmanship of second

for in a care provider: • Request a certiﬁed aide who has completed training given by the alzheimer’s association • ask for a speciﬁc service plan tailor made for your situation because alzheimer’s is an individualized disease

disease. attendees will enjoy live music by second

Floor, guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar while bidding on a number of unique silent auction items. thank you to matt dinardo, meteorologist for WriC Channel 8, who will be the master of Ceremonies. tickets for the event are $75 per couple or $40 each. Call 420-5386 or email ttate@seniorlivingguide.com for more information.

• look for comprehensive care from PRN respite care all the way to guaranteed 24 hour availability. • Since the aide will be in your home, make sure they are drug/alcohol tested and background checked. • Make sure the company is licensed, bonded, and insured For more, visit the alzheimer’s association at

WWW.alZ.ORG

Check out the event Facebook page.

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

Caregiver Stress Test QueStIOnS tO cOnSIdeR when yOu BecOMe the cARe PROVIdeR Of A lOVed One wIth AlzheIMeR’S

nlike many debilitating diseases, knowing when to get professional help for daily care isn’t always readily apparent—particularly if the Azheimer’s patient is a close family member who had been living independently up until the onset of the illness. Here are some questions to think about when developing the best strategy for assisting your family member and—just as important—looking after your own wellbeing:

More than 60 percent of family caregivers report high levels of stress because of the prolonged duration of caregiving.

do you: Feel like you have to do it all yourself, and that you should be doing more? Withdraw from family, friends and activities that you used to enjoy? Worry that the person you care for is safe? Deny the impact of the disease and its eﬀects on your family and your own health?

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

Feel grief or sadness that your relationship with the person isn’t what it used to be? Get frustrated and angry when the person with dementia continually repeats things and doesn’t seem to listen? Have health problems that are taking a toll on you mentally and physically? You don’t have to do it alone. There are many diﬀerent ways Care Advantage can help. Call 540-213-7770 for a free, no obligation assessment with Supervising RN, Donna Etherton. She can go over tips and strategies for: Anger/Agitation, Sleep Problems, Paranoid/Delusions, Eating/Feeding, Dressing, Bathing, Incontinence, Wandering, Screaming, and Repetitive Actions. You owe it to yourself and your loved one to make the call that will help change your current lifestyle. A

fun shoes.

Debbie’s assistant, ben Fitzwater and VPO jill klinchock enjoying the event.

Downtown administrator Sarah Ventura, all about Care administrator adam Greene, and VPO kimberly Nunnally were there to honor Debbie.

Director of Community Relations, Mandy hudson, is always there to support Debbie and Care advantage. attendees to the event were encouraged to wear a favorite pair of “fun” shoes. one of the gorgeous care advantage tables.

[left] Debbie with her sister Wendy who attended the event and is battling with MS.

more fun shoes.

Thank you to Suzanne of Wells Fargo for nominating Debbie for the award.

Debbie’s neice ashley McGaughey was also on hand to celebrate the award as was johnston’s father.

COO of Care advantage, Michelle johnston [right] accepts the award on Debbie’s behalf.

Care advantage President Debbie johnston Wins MS Society’s 2011 Women on the Move award

JOhnStOn wAS RecOgnIzed fOR heR “OutStAndIng PROfeSSIOnAl AccOMPlIShMentS And heR cOntRIButIOnS tO the gReAteR RIchMOnd cOMMunIty.”

resident of Care Advantage, Nurse Advantage, and All About Care, Debbie Johnston, won the MS Society’s 2011 Women on the Move Award. The Central Virginia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced Debbie as the winner at the Awards Luncheon on September 22nd, 2011. The Luncheon helped to raise funds for “A World Free of MS” and took place at the Richmond Marriott Downtown. The event included a silent auction, lunch, and touching speeches from doctors and those struggling with MS. Atten-

“This award is near and dear to my heart because of all the MS Society has done for my sister, Wendy, who has been battling with MS for years.” dees were asked to wear their “favorite pair of fun shoes to show oﬀ how they move.” Johnston was chosen from 11 women who were recognized for “their outstanding professional accomplishments and their contributions to the Greater Richmond Community,” according to the MS Society. “Myself and my company do a lot for the community,

but this award is near and dear to my heart because of all the MS Society has done for my sister, Wendy, who has been battling with MS for years,” said Debbie Johnston. Women on the Move is a nationwide educational and fundraising event that helps to increase public awareness of MS and the National MS Society while acknowledging and en-

couraging the advancement of women philanthropists, community leaders and volunteers. The goal of the MS Women on the Move Luncheon is simple, to raise funds and empower each other to create a better future for those living with MS. While men are always welcome at the luncheons, the event was founded by women who wanted to come together in bringing us closer to a world free of MS. A Visit www.careadvantageinc.com to learn more about Debbie johnston, Care advantage, and Multiple Sclerosis.

A C T i V E RVA’S RecReAtIOn & wellneSS cOMMunIty

EASYANDELEGANTLIFE.COM

Autumn at Ellwoods: Leather, Leopard and Jack O’ Lanterns

Fall’s Colors, Patterns and Textures

GlITZ & GlaM

WHAT’S KYRA WEARING? by Kyra oliver | Photos: adam laCy

as the smeLL of firepLaces Loft in the air anD the coLors of autumn aDorn our streets, we sense the crispness that’s to come—that bLanket of change Leaving us with the feeLing of newness of the season anD nearness of hoLiDay cheer. it is aLso a time to think about how you wiLL stay warm with styLe throughout these upcoming months.

I found this soft and sensuous brown faux leather jacket ($128) and paired it with classic denim [photo below ]. being well dressed while searching for the best pumpkin only added to the nostalgic seasonal fun. Feeling and looking comfortable is key. The supple material of this jacket gives just the right balance between chic and comfort. To further explore the possibilities of the season, Philosphie provided me with an adventurous leopard print short trench ($110). Layer this over a mini or with denim and it

adamlaCyPhotograPhy@gmail.Com

faLL is fuLL of coLor, pattern anD texture anD it shouLD carry over into your warDrobe, too. insteaD of sticking with the trieD anD true worsteD three season suit, white shirt anD siLk tie, consiDer mixing things up a LittLe.

finD your great pumpkin at eLLwooD’s my emotions took over and i could not think about anything but fall colors in the midst of the ellwood thompson’s (4 n. thompson street) pumpkin patch and autumn ﬂorals that garnish the outside of their store front. but of course, shopping in the comfort of leather or the protection of a leopard made it even more fun. Daring prints Fall is a sexy time of year because you can take a layer oﬀ when you need to and still be comfortable. but wearing the right top layer is where the sexy comes in. i toured the town in search of the jackets of the season. my curiosity led me to philosphie, located in Carytown Court at 3132 West Cary street, where fun conversations were had about the best ways to drape oneself this season.

begs for attention that dares you to remove it. I added a red scarf (Love Quotes, $88) for a pop of color and the energetic delight of red and orange. and you simply cannot go

by Chris Cox

R I C H M O N D

wrong with a pair of gold hoops ($52). I love the hoops at Philosphie—they have diﬀerent sizes to suit your taste and the best thing about them is they are lightweight (so you can avoid the not so sexy ripping earlobe look). inspiring changes What I enjoyed most is that there are no rules for how to dress in the pumpkin patch or simply while shopping—though you can certainly take advantage of the inspiration the season provides and have fun with it. Wear what brings out the vitality of the season—layer it in case it gets warm, and take it into the night by adding a scarf and some fun jewelry. Seasons are definitely a time for refreshing changes and the opportunity to add a special touch to your wardrobe. Check out Philosphie and enjoy a bite to eat at ellwood’s hot bar—they have tables outside so you too can sit amongst those special pumpkins and find your own Great One to take home or to a barbecue for an added touch of fall. What a great way to make an entrance! Dress well. always.

rid.

C O M

Checked shirts make it easy. they’re everywhere this season and carry nicely into today’s casual environment. Pair the shirt with classic accessories: a tweed sportcoat and knit tie and punch it up with some fall color. i’ve made it easy by sticking with the same colors in the shirt and coat, both are black and white, making an almost neutral ground for the rest of the kit. What colors would you throw in with them? here’s an easy cheat, especially if there is a logo on the shirt. most manufacturers will choose a color that goes perfectly. here, mr. lauren chooses purple. so i did, too. i’ve added color, texture and more pattern with ties and pocket squares. most of the ties are silk knit, but would be just as interesting in cashmere or wool, like the solid purple by the tie bar. add complementary textures—smooth silk against rough tweed is the tried and true—but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with the combination. a silk and wool square like the one here (drake’s) is a stylish alternative because it’s unexpected. add patterns by making sure that the scales vary. if your eye starts to spin around when you look in the mirror, change something. i realize that some of you just won’t wear ties. so, consider a cardigan in an interesting deep color. it will pair well with everything and keep you presentable in all but very formal situations. Photos by Chris Cox

A Pan-Asian Noodle House by Two Southern Dudes Ejay RIN’S MENU IS INSPIRED by ThE FaR EaST, aND bORN OF a SIMPlE CONCEPT.

BY ANIKA IMAJO

PLAY Food

alexandra burfeind, a waitress at Ejay Rin, holds the menu notable for its pan-asian delights and the somewhat ribald names of the specials.

t’s what we like to eat with an asian twist to it,” explains bill foster, who with partner andy howell opened the Manchester noodle shop in July. Recognizing the universal appeal of such common dishes as noodles in broth and glistening buns stuffed with savory meats, Foster and Howell have adapted culinary elements from Korea, Japan, and Southeast asia to accommodate local tastes and ingredients. a time-honored and global culinary tradition that has spawned some of the world’s most celebrated cuisines—often by necessity—such blending of influences is not so much trendy as it is simply resourceful. “It’s pan-asian prepared by Southern dudes,” explains Howell, who has been cooking in Richmond restaurants since 1983 and whose former ventures include Zeus Gallery Café and Café Rustica. ejay Rin’s recently expanded menu offers such amalgamations as grits with Japanese ramen broth, kale with Korean fried chicken, and ramen noodles

topped with crispy pork belly and pulled pork. “We try to use what’s in season here, as opposed to what’s in season in Peru,” adds Foster, a Culinary Institute of america graduate whose Richmond restaurant résumé boasts The Frog and the Redneck, acacia, Zed Café, and Café Rustica, where he first worked with Howell. Offering an insight gained from his extensive experience, he remarks, “The longer I cook, the more I realize that everything’s the same.” While basic elements of comfort cooking may transcend cultural boundaries, so also does the allure of freshly prepared food. ejay Rin delivers this quality by making almost all components—ramen noodles, dough

for the steamed buns, desserts—in house. Fittingly, the restaurant’s name is itself an asian and Southern fusion; which, according to Foster, combines his South Carolinian grandmother’s name (“ejay”) with an informal Japanese honorific. Recalling his grandmother’s own prowess and resourcefulness in the kitchen, Foster remarks, “She held the family together and she held it together with food.” ejay Rin’s weeknight special—available Monday through Thursday—is notable for its name, “I’m not cooking tonight you cheap bastard!” (Who among us can resist a dinner special pitched with salty language and common sentiment?) Designed to serve parties of two or multiples of two, the special of-

Who

among us can resist a

dinner special pitched with

salty

language and

common

sentiment?

fers a three-course meal featuring some of the restaurant’s most remarkable offerings for a base price of $28. The deal includes a dessert composed of heavenly almond cookies perched atop a bowl of rice cream, a sweet and creamy house creation composed of rice and minimal dairy. Located at the base of the Corrugated box building on W. 7th Street, ejay Rin’s bright and airy presence both complements and contrasts with the industrial atmosphere of its Southside locale. Foster believes common misconceptions about the site’s accessibility from the other side of the river may discourage some potential customers; but is confident that Manchester, which he describes as, “the last up and coming neighborhood in Richmond,” is rapidly becoming more familiar to folks throughout the city. Pointing out ejay Rin’s close proximity to the downtown area, he adds, “you cross anything from the Lee bridge to the 14th Street bridge, we’re right there.”

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‘Getting Loose at the Duce’: Showcasing RVA Talent griD TOURS 2ND STREET FESTIVal’S DyNaMIC MIx OF lOCal ENTERTaINERS aS yOUNG PERFORMERS TO SEaSONED PlayERS, lOCal VOCalISTS, DaNCERS aND ENSEMblES WOW ThE CROWDS. BY ANIKA IMAJO

artful entertainment: an illustration of the diverse oﬀerings at the festival including left: the Richmond youth jazz Guild; center: The Remedy’s Marrell Elam and right: The Virginia State University Gospel Chorale.

PHOTOS OF aLL enTeRTaIneRS COURTeSy OF THe aRTISTS. PHOTOS OF THe ReMeDy anD DebO Dabney by SOnIa THIeRRy

richmond youth jazz guild at last year’s 2nd Street Festival, Dexter moses delighted in talking to a young saxophonist who performed there with a group of school-aged Jazz musicians. One year later at the same event, it

was 12 year-old Moses’ turn to take to the stage with his saxophone. both young performers got the gig—and the chops they displayed—through their participation in the Richmond youth Jazz Guild. artistic Director ashby anderson, an accomplished jazz pianist and composer, founded the Guild in 2008 to provide children from throughout the Richmond area with a musical education that goes far beyond scales and chords. “I hear a desire to express,” anderson notes of his students, “There’s something they’re trying to express that they can’t get to any other way.” The Guild, housed at the muse creative workspace in a converted Shockoe bottom warehouse, oﬀers students of ages six through 18 a curriculum of rigorous musical instruction, as well as access to mentors, guidance toward professional development, and the opportunity to explore the unique signiﬁcance and history of Jazz. “Jazz is the greatest music in the world,” anderson remarks, “It

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expresses all cultures—it’s non-verbal communication at its best.” emphasizing the value of preserving this heritage for younger generations, Program Director terri anderson notes, “We want to let them know that this is american music. We want to make sure that kids who grow up here in the US understand the roots,” she adds, “this is just another way to ensure that people are still listening to Duke ellington.” Guild students gain the important socializing experience of performing in a group. “It’s healthy competition,” comments Dexter Moses’ mother, gwyn griffin, “They hold each player accountable for holding their tune.” but they also benefit from qualities specific to the genre, a primary example of which is the tradition of improvisation in Jazz. Through his program, anderson explains, “They learn to play an instrument, improvise, and participate in a group setting. They can apply those experiences to any endeavor.” The Guild, while still young, already boasts some notable accomplishments. Through its partnership with the berklee city music network, The Jazz Guild has helped a number of students secure scholarships to participate in The berklee College of Music’s summer program in boston. and this year trombonist myrish spell became the Guild’s first recipient of a four-year scholarship to the berklee College of Music. (Having lost a trombonist, anderson points out, the Guild is need of a replacement. “We need brass. We need more trombones, trumpets, and basses.”) This year, the Guild will embark upon a couple of new endeav-

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ors. Its big band will enter the essentially ellington Competition, for which they will study and perform music distributed by Jazz at Lincoln Center and composed by such Jazz legends as Duke ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. The Guild will also submit entries in a number of categories for Downbeat Magazine’s Student Music awards. Through their achievements, ambitions, and performances, the students of the Guild demonstrate the hard work they invest into their musical studies. The discipline, it appears, is fueled by their shared passion. “Jazz really changes your focus, where you really see the possibilities,” anderson explains. and by all appearances, his enthusiasm has proven infectious to his students. Debo Dabney a bit of a virtuoso in the 2nd Street Festival line-up is Debo Dabney who contributes more than just his talent on the keys and ﬂair for multiple genres to the spirit of the event. Dabney—who appeared at this year’s festival with his own band, Debo Dabney and the happy band, and the remedy—has graced the stages of the annual Jackson Ward celebration for all of its 23 years. Recalling the roots of his musical evolution, Dabney is generous in sharing the history and his insights into the vibrant community to which the event is dedicated. Describing his childhood exposure to 2nd Street, Dabney says that he would join his father to collect money from the “piccolos” (or

jukeboxes) that his uncle provided to establishments throughout the Richmond area and beyond. “2nd Street was honestly like Harlem,” he explains of that bygone era, “People would walk the streets all night long.” When his uncle was employed booking bands at the Mosque, which would later become known as the Landmark, Dabney encountered such R&b luminaries as Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. “My father used to pick them up,” explains Dabney, “and I got to interact with them. That pulled me in the direction of wanting to be a musician.” Dabney, who began his musical studies at around the age of eight with trumpet—for which he learned he had little aﬃnity—and piano, has remained steadily employed in the music business for decades. He attributes the success and longevity of his career, which has included a touring gig with The average White band, to his stylistic adaptability and solid personal convictions that have kept him grounded in an industry riddled with potential pitfalls. “I’m 60 years old and have never had a job,” he points out. the virginia state university gospel chorale based in Petersburg and enjoyed throughout the globe, the Virginia State University Gospel Chorale brought its world-class performance to the streets of Jackson Ward this year. “It’s always nice to know that a church is not just four walls and a roof,” remarks business Manager michael rainey of the Chorale’s 2nd Street Festival debut.

the virginia state university gospel chorale the firehawks band’s current line-up consists of four ten year-olds and one 11 year-old.

the remedy

The Remedy made its 2nd Street Festival debut in 2010 and returned for another appearance this year. Seeking a regular venue for The Remedy’s crowd-pleasing brand of entertainment, elam says he expects to start making appearances at a local club early next year. “My main focus is dance and making sure that everyone is having a good time and forgetting about their stresses.” the firehawks band Like many musicians, the members of The Firehawks band have sacri-

Inviting audiences to experience a passion they’ve shared for decades, Donna and garry burns [ inset photo ] enlist spectators to become part of the spectacle. The husband and wife team formed D&g Line Dancing one year ago in order to perform and teach Soul line Dancing. Donna burns explains, “This dance genre is intended to bring family, friends and the community together to help build energy levels with fitness, fun, and self-gratification.”For the burns, D&G line Dancing is a family production. joined by their numerous children, relatives, and students, the duo took to the stage for the first time at this year’s 2nd avenue Festival. “Soul line Dancing is our way of nurturing the mind, body, and spirit of Togetherness,” says burns. ficed precious weekend hours to rehearse. but unlike many other bands, The Firehawks have to get to bed early on school nights. Inspired by earth, Wind and Fire, richard D’abreu, III, formed the band in 2008 when he was eight years old. Richard’s mother, makeba D’abreu patiently recalls the early days. “after many long months and attempts to reach out to friends to participate in a ‘play date’ in our basement music studio, Richard formed a band with three other boys,” she says. Having suffered through a period of “screaming and discor-

dant notes,” Richard’s parents encouraged their son to enlist budding musicians who would take a more serious approach to their instruments. In april of 2010, the band’s current line-up of four ten-yearolds and one 11-year-old debuted with “Let’s Groove Tonight” at their school’s talent show and received a standing ovation. From that moment on, demand for The Firehawks has kept the band busy with gigs throughout the Richmond area, including appearances at the 2nd Street Festival for the last two years.

Drawn together by their zeal for fitness and dance, the spicy Divas are a diverse group of women who spread the joys and benefits of line dancing to crowds at events. “We all share a love of wellness and doing it through dance just adds flavor and fun,” explains jen acome. led by La toria tookes, a fitness instructor and president of the organization, The Spicy Divas have appeared twice at the 2nd Street Festival, whose crowd is, “always very excited and ready to interact,” according to acome. Initially formed in 2009 when the women entered a line dancing competition (which they won), the group performs and holds classes throughout the area. Recently, they’ve been invited to make appearances in hampton and Charlotte, NC.

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the remedy With lead singer marrell elam at its helm, The Remedy’s repertoire covers Rock, R&b, Hip-Hop, and “whatever moves the crowd.” elam, along with fellow vocalist sherry goodlowe and a talented group of musicians, approach their performances with open minds and a sense of atmosphere. “That’s why we call it The Remedy,” he explains, “We

provide exactly what that audience wants and needs.” elam has been cultivating his vocal versatility since he was eight, when he began singing in church choirs and school choruses. He performed with a Jazz ensemble and a number of Contemporary Gospel choirs while he attended James Madison University and, after meeting his mentor (and keyboard player) Debo Dabney in 2009, he formed The Remedy.

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This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Chorale—originally named the Virginia State College Choir—which was founded in 1971 by Larry bland and Jackie Ruﬃn. In its distinguished history, the choir has toured throughout north america and europe and has enjoyed the audience of the last two popes at the Pope’s Vatican Christmas Concert. The Chorale, recognized for both its sound and its choreography, took ﬁrst place and was awarded top honors in 11 of 13 categories at the black Music Conference Choir Competition in 2003. Currently boasting a membership of roughly 120, the VSU Gospel Chorale makes appearances throughout the tri-city area and will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a concert on november 14. For more information visit www.vsugospelchorale.com or the Chorale’s Facebook page.

congratulations from

venture richmond to the richmonD foLk festivaLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2011 sponsors and volunteers for a fabulous three days of music, mirth and magic!

all PhOTOS by SkIP ROWlaND PhOTOGRaPhy Inc.