It's biscuits vs. Alzheimer's at Western Branch Middle

“I decided to request a fundraiser to aid Alzheimer’s research efforts because of my dear mother,” Lillie Wheeler told me. “This incredible disease is life-altering for everyone involved.” Her mother’s primary caregiver for 12 years, Lillie is a speech therapist at Western Branch Middle School, where breakfast biscuits are sold to the students a couple of times a month. The sales are used to raise funds for a good cause at the request of a teacher who coordinates the event. Lillie organized logistics, recruited volunteers, and collected $5 each from teachers who paid for the privilege to wear jeans to work that day. On the morning of Jan. 20, boys were munching their biscuits while tossing a football in the schoolyard. Others were lined up, waiting their turn to buy from tables covered with purple cloth and purple, white and black balloons. One student didn’t want breakfast, just made a donation. Another gave hers to a boyfriend. The biscuits sold out in minutes, with seven kids still in line.    

  Some talked and some listened at the Grandparents’ Rights Seminar at Jolliff United Methodist Church on Jan. 12. Jim Jones, a lay minister and lawyer who once served as a substitute domestic and juvenile relations court judge, led the event. Experts included Alysha Fulkerson, also a lawyer and family law specialist, and Ellen Comstock, a Methodist pastor, psychologist and counselor. Two dozen grandparents from the community shared stories and sought information. Alysha explained that in Virginia, courts ruled parents have the final say about every facet of a child’s life, including the rights of grandparents. However, different cases can have different outcomes, depending on the circumstances. The courts focus on the best interests of the child, and consider factors such as “parental unfitness, a prior court order or voluntary relinquishment of custody, and if the child would suffer from nonvisitation.” Ellen suggested that a better way to get access to grandchildren could be through mediation. She counseled grandparents to be mindful of being a good grandparent, not to “parent the parent.” They should strengthen relationships with both parents, especially during a separation, and not take sides in disputes. All agreed with Jim’s suggestion to form a support group. Watch for more details on that.

When I first saw the “Royal Farms Coming Soon” sign posted some time ago at the intersection of Churchland Boulevard and Towne Point Road, I thought we were getting a new farmer’s market in the area. I was wrong, of course. It is actually a gas station and convenience store, which according to a recent Portsmouth Partnership newsletter, almost didn’t happen. The economic development nonprofit’s affiliate, the Partnership Development Foundation, buys and sells property for the purpose of creating new business. The newsletter states the Royal Farms site “sits astride the boundary between Portsmouth and Chesapeake” and “was hampered by both cities’ set-back requirements.” It was only after many conversations with authorities of both cities that Bob Williams, the foundation’s president, was able to have the dual 20-foot set-backs waived, allowing the site to reach its full potential.”     

  I was recently in the company of some teenagers trying to make after-school plans. At each suggestion, someone would say, “Nope. Can’t do it. Got Quiz Bowl.” They were staying after to study for the Scholastic Bowl, a sort of “Jeopardy” for smart students. They compete against other schools in the area, answering “really tough academic questions,” says Western Branch High principal John Sykes. Last year, English teacher Brett Riordan coached them to first place in the region, fifth in the state and ninth in the nation. They were practicing hard to do just as well, if not better, this year. And they already have, placing first again in the district competition Jan. 18. Brett says the success is as much about dedication as intelligence. In addition to practicing at school, they also “meet outside of school, of their own volition,” he said. And although they won’t have to prepare as diligently for the regional bowl Feb. 6, she knows they will anyway. The team is: Joey Giacolone, Mary Beaver, Dusty Bizub, Jordan Brown, Coleman Horsley, Kelsey Keverline, Zach McCollum, Parth Patel, Davis Rudisill and Jimmy Timko.             

Tell me your stories at lindalamm@cox.net, 483-9055.

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