THE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF THE COLONIAL HEIGHTS AREA
SPOOKY SIGHTS IN THE HEIGHTS INSIDE, V4
Friday, November 6, 2015
FREE
FABRICS OF ART
LOCAL Veterans Day ceremony COLONIAL HEIGHTS — The American Legion Post 284 will sponsor the annual Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the War Memorial on the Boulevard. Guest speaker will be Brig. Gen. Walt Mercer, Assistant Adjutant General for the Virginia National Guard. The ceremony will also feature third-graders from Tussing Elementary School, under the direction of Michael Saunders, performing for the occasion.
Dunlop House seminar COLONIAL HEIGHTS — Dunlop House Assisted Living & Memory Care will host another in its Survival Skills for Healthy Aging educational series for seniors. The event will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Dunlop House, located at 235 Dunlop Farms Boulevard. The November topic: "Lifelines for Caregivers." Presented by Crater Caregivers Coalition, this event is free and open to the public. Those attending will learn about resources available to caregivers. There will be vendor exhibits and door prizes. Dinner will be provided with advance registration. Seating is limited. RSVP by Friday, Nov. 6, to 804-520-0050.
Turkey Trot COLONIAL HEIGHTS — The City's Chamber of Commerce and Recreation Department is gearing up for its 4th Annual Turkey Trot. The city will continue the tradition initiated in 2012 – bringing over 1,000 participants together annually to gratefully celebrate healthy living in the city. Organizers will again be raising funds for scholarships, special school programs, and Chamber of Commerce college scholarships for high school students. The Turkey Trot is a 1 mile fun run/walk and 5K fun run/ walk on Thanksgiving Day. The run/walk begins at 9 a.m. at Colonial Heights High School, 3600 Conduit Road. Registration fee is $10 with T-Shirt or $25 with hooded sweatshirt Registration is available online. Register by Nov. 7, to be guaranteed a T-shirt or hooded sweatshirt. Same day registration will also be available at the event from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. All those who wear a costume for the event win a prize. For more information on the Turkey Trot, contact Director of Recreation & Parks Craig Skalak, at skalakc@colonialheightsva.gov or call 520-9390.
Ladies Bible study COLONIAL HEIGHTS — Woodlawn Baptist Church, 3120 Woodlawn Ave., will be hosting a ladies Bible study entitled "A Confident Heart", by Renee Swope, on Saturday, from 9:30-12:30 p.m. There will be eight short DVD sessions with discussion. Materials will be provided. Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public, however, a reservation is requested by calling the church at 526-2179. INDEX Classifieds .........V6 Opinion ..............V2 Things to do.......V3
Vol. 13, No. 9
Marti Fann and Judy Harris, co-owners of Side Street Gallery in Colonial Heights are pictured inside the gallery. PHOTOS BY SHELBY MERTENS/PROGRESS-INDEX PHOTO
Quilt show opens at gallery By Shelby Mertens Staff Writer
COLONIAL HEIGHTS — Dozens of quilts are now on display at Side Street Gallery by the Richmond Modern Quilters Guild. The seven quilters from Mount Pisgah Me thodist Church in Midlothian created colorful quilts depicting landscapes, flowers and geometric shapes and patterns. “They challenged themselves to come up with personal themes,” said Judy Harris, partowner of Side Street Gallery. “They used their techniques but then they put a lot of themselves and their emotion and feeling into their quilts using all the elements of arts — line, color, texture — but it’s done using fabric.” Marti Fann, a mixed media artist who owns the gallery with
Currently, Side Street Gallery in Colonial Heights features dozens of quilts by seven artists from the Richmond Modern Quilters Guild. This exhibit will be at the gallery through Nov. 14.
Harris, said some of the quilts There’s also a quilted stool in are wall hangings while others the gallery. are in frames like a photograph. “It doesn’t have to be a flat
piece that goes on a wall or a bed, it can be functional,” Fann said. As a jewelry maker and painter, Harris was impressed with how much the quilts look like paintings. “I just admire the time that went into these,“ Harris said. “I like that they made an actual picture out of it just like you would with a paintbrush, but using cloth.” While quilting was first developed as a means for survival, Harris said it has flourished as an art form. “It’s not just a craft. It was a necessity to keep warm and a way to use scraps that they had and it is its own art form,” she said. “They’re just painting with fabric instead of paints.” Side Street Gallery, located at 127 Pickwick Ave., showcases hundreds of artwork from 50
SEE QUILT SHOW, V3
ELECTION 2016
Luck wins City Council seat By Shelby Mertens Staff Writer
COLONIAL HEIGHTS — A special election was held in Colonial Heights Tuesday for a vacant seat on City Council. E. “Betsy” Gentry Luck won a clear victory with 53.28 percent of the vote, a 16-point lead over runner-up David P. Hoopsick with 36.94 percent, according to the Virginia State Board of Elections. David W. Bucciarelli II came in third place with 241 votes, equating to about 9 percent of the vote. Luck earned 1,405 votes and Hoopsick followed with 974. There were also 17 write-ins. “I just appreciate all the support the citizens have put in me and I’ll do my best to continue to make Colonial Heights the
best possible place to live and it’s really an honor to serve the city and the citizens again,” Luck said. The special election was called for the seat left by former Mayor C. Scott Davis in January. Davis stepped down as mayor in order to serve the city as the director of Planning and Community Development. Milton Freeland took his place on the city council, but decided not to run in the election. Luck served on the Colonial Heights City Council from 2000 to 2012, the latter four years in which she served as vice mayor. She said she chose not to run in 2012 because, at the time, she was also a kindergarten teacher and felt she “couldn’t give it 100 percent” with the lengthy council meetings. Luck continued
teaching but retired in June 2015 so she could then serve the city in full capacity. Luck taught in Prince George County and Colonial Heights Public Schools for 35 years. She served on the Colonial Heights School Board from 1993 to 1998 where she was vice chair for two years and chair for two years. Hoopsick is a contractor and small business owner. He previously worked for Reynolds Metals Company and Tele-media. Bucciarelli has worked in manufacturing, but he’s also been a member of several private sector safety committees with businesses. According to poll volunteers, Lakeview Elementary School had the biggest voter turnout during peak hours among the five polling locations. Voter Sterling Hawkins
said he was looking for a candidate who will continue to improve the property maintenance in the city. “That’s important to me,” Hawkins said. “It was going downhill and it’s being turned around. I hope it continues.” Lloyd Guerin said it’s important to vote for a candidate who “looks out for the city as a whole.” “You have to vote if you want to have any complaints,” he added. Luck had kind words for her opponents upon hearing the election results. “They ran a very good race and I hope they don’t give up their future aspirations to be on the City Council,” she said.
—Shelby Mertens may be reached at 804-722-5154 or smertens@progress-index.com