Chesapeake teacher of year patient, positive

Cherri Wilson, a fifth-grade teacher at Chittum Elementary School, must have felt particularly special during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11. Cherri was honored not only as Chittum’s teacher of the year, but also as citywide elementary teacher of the year. She has taught in the Chesapeake school system for 15 years, with four years at Great Bridge Intermediate School. When I visited Cherri in her portable classroom, she told me, “I firmly, truly believe that every child is unique, and I love my students like I love my own children.” Her students usually move on to Jolliff Middle School, and she loses track of them. But they sometimes come back to visit, and “it’s so nice to see how they have done.” Cherri practices her own philosophy, the “Four Ps of Teaching: to be prayerful, positive, patient and productive.” She prays over her class roster every day. She also prays for patience with her 27 students, some of whom have special needs. What does she like best about teaching? “When that light bulb goes off!”

I was sorry to miss StoneBridge School’s production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” a few weeks back. Drama teacher Kenna Cribb does a fine job with her talented thespians. But I did get to go to the Princess Tea Party on April 21 as a prelude to the play, in the school’s fellowship hall on Jolliff Road. Girls in fancy dresses enjoyed tea and sweets at tables decorated with flowers and nice china. One girl, however, was dressed differently, like a genie in a bottle. She was posing for a picture with Ally Sortino, portraying Beauty, who was indeed beautiful in a long yellow gown. Samuel Hord, however, cast as the Beast, was not in costume, because he didn’t want to scare anyone. When her photo session was over, I asked the little genie about her costume. Lilija Pflanz was dressed as “Jasmine, a girl who rides a magic carpet with Aladdin,” she said. Where was the carpet? “At home, in my bedroom.”

Do you know how to do the chicken dance? The women attending the Mother’s Day Ladies Social at Western Branch Community Center on May 12 did. Wings flapped and tail feathers shook to music by Winds of Grass. This was the event’s third year, and it was started by Sharon Haberman, center director Alvin Pimienta said. Sharon, who lives in Point Elizabeth, has been active at the center for years, playing pickle ball and table tennis. She noticed other community centers in the region had similar events for Mother’s Day and thought WBCC should, too. So, with Alvin’s blessing, she organized the first one and has been doing it ever since. Sharon talked about it as her mother, June Bramble of Chadwyck Terrace, and her sister, Judy Wilson of Stonebridge Landing, set out centerpieces on decorated tables. The colorful wooden flowers had been cut out by June and painted by Judy. They would be door prizes to go along with other gifts and baskets of goodies to be given away. Sharon donated them herself, because “the community center does a lot for us.” Lunch for the ladies was provided by Chick-fil-A, Applebee’s and Olive Garden, and was supplemented with dishes prepared by some of the staff, including Alvin’s famous cookies.

                “Expanding Potential Through Integrative Therapies and Wellness Programs” is the mission of Foxhall Wellness Center. It’s also the passion of husband and wife team Ben Smith and Angela Graciani. The center’s facility, a renovated farmhouse at 4245 Taylor Road, had a grand opening May 5. Catherine Sears, a chiropractor who works at Foxhall one day a week, gave me the tour, introducing me to Ben, Angela and several other practitioners. In addition to chiropractic, massage, yoga, tai chi, acupressure, reflexology, and Reiki are offered. They even have a couple that are new to me: BodyTalk and craniosacral therapy. There’s also nutrition classes, lifestyle coaching, and fitness training. The therapists have come together under one roof to create a healing synergy that I could feel. “So many people don’t know they have a choice about how to get better,” Ben said. There are plenty of choices at Foxhall. Contact Angela at 214-4598 or angela@foxhallwellness.com. Check out these websites: www.fox hallwellness.com; www.eter nawell.com; www.bodytalk center.com.    

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Linebacker pushes reading in Western Branch

James Anderson read to the first-graders at Western Branch Primary School in a playful voice, with plenty of drama. He spoke in a normal tone, which people don’t always do with children, and he was not condescending. I was impressed and assumed he had kids of his own. “No,” he told me, “I’m just a big kid myself.” The big part is right. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 235-pound Deep Creek High School and Virginia Tech graduate is a linebacker for the Carolina Panthers. He was at Western Branch Primary on May 4 to kick off the “Read Like a Pro” program. He recently formed a foundation called “Do the Right Thing” to encourage children to read. He would be visiting two other Chesapeake elementary schools later that day, but he began there, where his proud mother, Brenda Anderson, teaches first grade. James said his grandmother and aunt were also teachers, and getting an education was very important in his family. Onstage, he wondered aloud what the kids wanted to be when they grew up, then asked, “Do you need to read?” as they shouted out “teacher, veterinarian, baseball player!” The answers were yes for the teacher and veterinarian, but no for the baseball player. So, James took a moment to talk about his job as a football player. He said when he goes to work, his coach hands him a playbook to read and study. “My mom made sure I could read. If I give you some books, will you read them?” A resounding “Yes!” At the end of story time, each child got a book bag with bookmark, reading tips, and four books: one about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; another about a wind-up mouse named Alexander; one titled, “A Chair for My Mother,” and my favorite, “Bullies Never Win” the one James read that morning. As they left the auditorium, the kids also got handshakes and high-fives from the linebacker, plus hugs from Clifford, that famous big red dog. The foundation plans to sponsor a contest for children to write about a character that does the right thing in one of their books. James will be back to present prizes and to give more books to the second-graders.

The musical trio of husband and wife Larry and Lisa McCreight plus Michael Strickland lives up to its name, Faithful Friends: They are faithful to their church and each other. They’ve been friends for many years, working with the youth music program at the Aldersgate Campus of New Creation United Methodist Church on Bruce Road. Michael and his wife, Joyce, are even godparents to one of the McCreight children. Lisa and Michael began performing together at weddings in 1996. Then Larry joined them in 1998, bringing experience to the group from playing in his family’s band in Nashville. Now the three of them perform “praise and worship, gospel and contemporary Christian music with a little bit of country thrown in for fun,” states their promotional information. I wanted to hear them for myself, so I attended a Sunday morning service recently, arriving early to watch them practice. Larry sat behind his drums, Michael was at his keyboard, and Lisa perched on a stool. They played through song after song, with Larry and Michael backing up Lisa’s strong, clear voice. Then the service started. Lisa opened with a devotional, Michael read a few words from St. Augustine, and the music began. With the words projected before them on a screen, parishioners sang along to three tunes: one prayerful, another bouncy and cheerful, and the last more contemplative. Pastor Eric Song, himself a musician, sat on the dais, smiling and moving to the music, looking like he wanted to grab his guitar and join the band. If you’d like to enjoy the fine music of Faithful Friends, visit Aldersgate sometime – it’s a nice congregation. To book them for your event, call Joyce Strickland, the band’s manager, at 483-4611.

Actor James Dean died in 1955 without a will, meaning his entire estate, including licensing fees valued at $1 million to $3 million annually, went to his father, who had abandoned him as a child. Singer/songwriter John Denver died in a plane crash in 1997. Though he had a will, he failed to name a beneficiary to his retirement accounts. This resulted in a loss of millions of dollars for his children. According to Scott Alperin, a lawyer specializing in estate planning, even people who can afford the best of advice don’t always get it. Scott’s point was that good advice doesn’t have to be expensive, though he cautioned against using the cheapest lawyer you can find. Scott spoke April 25 at a Russell Memorial Library seminar, “The Dirty Dozen Estate Planning Mistakes.” Of the 12 common mistakes made, the most significant one is that people think estate planning is a “one-time event.” Scott said wills should be reviewed every two or three years and revised as needed. “Life and laws change over time, so your plans might need to change as well.” Contact Scott at 490-3500 or scott@alperinlaw.com. You may not have the money of a rock star, but you’ve worked hard for it, and it is important to have a plan.

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Western Branch church has global reach

“Good News Baptist Church is known all over the world,” pastor Walt Coles, active in an association for independent Baptist churches, told me recently. That’s how the church on Taylor Road started a ministry for the deaf. Machiko Fowler was living in Hawaii with her husband, a Marine. Their pastor recommended Good News when they were transferred here, and Machiko taught church members to sign at Sunday services. About 25 percent of the congregation is military, and the Armed Forces Baptist Mission has an office at the church; Coles serves on its national board. The church just celebrated its 40th anniversary and has had significant growth. In the 21 years Coles has been pastor, other ministries have been established as well. Hispanic parishioners have their own chapel and pastor, Marvin Tobin, who was a missionary in Mexico. And, the church financially supports 60 missionaries in the U.S., North and South Korea, and Italy. Coles talked about his church family with great affection. “ ... they love the Lord,” he said, “and they love me, too – they spoil me rotten!”                   

Western Branch High’s girls varsity softball team was getting no respite during spring break. At 8:45 a.m. on a Saturday, while most teenagers slept, they were fielding grounders with coach Sarah Wright. Looking like a student herself, the coach had them practice hard. When the girls came into the dugout, one said, “Whew! That was a workout!” The Bruins have won the Southeastern District tournament twice since 2008. But last year was disappointing, and this year started slow. “This group plays with passion and heart,” said Wright, also a special-education teacher. “I am confident they will catch a break in the next few games.” With practice, games and lessons, what about family time? Husband Roland also teaches at WBHS, advanced physical education and weight-lifting, and coaches the baseball team. The Wrights’ children – 6-year-old twins Jake and Josh and 3-year-old Nathan – “live at our practices and games,” Sarah Wright said, “and our programs are truly a family affair.”

The Music Staff on Taylor Road doesn’t just teach its students to play instruments and/or develop a singing voice. The school also finds opportunities for them to perform publicly, to develop style and build confidence. The student performed at the annual “Play-a-Thon” at Chesapeake Square, sponsored by the Tidewater Music Teachers Forum. Students Miranda Brooks and Derek Johnson also played at Churchland Shopping Center’s “Spring Fling” a few weeks back. Miranda sang and played an acoustic guitar, with Derek accompanying her on an electric guitar. Music Staff owner Mary Ann Medlin said Miranda sang country-style, and with Derek’s strong backup, “business owners and customers came out to hear them, and just kept complimenting them.” Afterward, they got a gig to play at the Portsmouth Relay for Life. Miranda will also be singing the National Anthem at the Gates County (N.C.) Championship Rodeo. But it isn’t always about getting gigs. At Western Branch Primary’s Fine Arts Festival on April 27, Kyle Clemente, a third-grader at Western Branch Intermediate, proudly played on the piano at his alma mater. Morgan Calowood also played the piano, a lovely classical piece that mesmerized the students. Annie Lewis, who wants to be a singer in New York, belted out a Broadway tune.     

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Western Branch's ‘Club Cro Shay’ helping CHKD

Shay Duncan, a left-handed English teacher at Western Branch Middle School, almost gave up learning how to crochet, a craft designed for right-handers. But she persevered by watching a crochet video for lefties and by sitting opposite her right-handed sister as they crocheted together. Once Shay got good at it, she taught WBMS teachers and students. That’s when Club Cro Shay was born, creating berets, scarves, hats that look like animals, e-book covers, slipper socks, even earrings. When teacher Jeanette Fritts suggested making hats for premature and newborn babies at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, students, teachers and administration joined in to help. Sixty-three hats were made and delivered to CHKD with a cute poem written by Shay. If you’d like to donate hooks and yarn, contact Shay at shay.duncan@cpschools.com.

Sipping jasmine tea, I listened to Clay Senecal talk passionately about the work of the Lions Clubs, “very focused on sight and hearing.” Clay is a Churchland Lion, but I met him at a recent dinner meeting of the Western Branch Lions, where his wife, Barbara, is secretary/treasurer. I learned a lot about what they do and how hard they work. They recycle eyeglasses and reading glasses (there is a recycling bin at Russell Memorial Library on Taylor Road). Lion Jill Morefield is active with eye screenings, conducted by the Lions themselves after professional training. She was recruiting volunteers to screen the homeless, who would also get reading glasses. The Lions have a charity foundation that provides funds to subsidize the expense of eye surgery and hearing aids. The eye bank in our area is one of two in the state, both operated by Lions. Lion Phyllis Bricker told me “diabetes is the leading cause of blindness,” so they support diabetes programs as well. The Western Branch chapter also supports community programs like the H.E.R. Shelter, Meals on Wheels, and The Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation. If you want to help, contact Ellen Bovee at ebbove@verizon.net.          

Would you like for your child to learn how to sail, or take classes in art, music and interpretive dance in a Christian environment? The opportunity is being offered by Westside Church on Portsmouth Boulevard. Westside incorporates the arts in its worship services, so members of the congregation are able and willing to teach children in the community. According to pastor Jim Stamp, there would be “little or no charge,” but art students would need to provide their own supplies, and dance students would need to wear dance attire. Sailing students must have parental consent, and would be learning both in the classroom and on 24- and 36-foot sailboats. Classes will be scheduled after a few students have signed up, so if interested, contact the office manager, Peggy Carter, at 488-6778 or peggy@westsidechurchva.org.          

The Boy Scouts have a program open to boys and girls, aged 14-20, called Venturing. It focuses on service projects, plus activities like kayaking, scuba diving and horseback riding. The program is open to community youth and established Scouts who can either transfer, or remain in a current troop and belong to a Venture crew as well. Venture Crew 212, the Western Branch troop, meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays at the Aldersgate Campus of New Creation United Methodist Church on Bruce Road. Crew 212 is having an open house at Portsmouth City Park on May 5 at 10 a.m. Heather Micelli, a senior at Western Branch High, will be presented with the Silver Award through service projects such as feeding the homeless and planting sea grass in the Chesapeake Bay. She has also been the crew president and served as a national youth leader trainer. At age 14, she became a certified master diver, with 50 dives; at 15, she was a century diver with 100 dives. After the ceremony and lunch at the open house, the crew will play a game of volleyball and go canoeing on the Elizabeth River. To make a reservation, call troop leader Dan Grymes at 535-0419.    

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Bruins enjoyed playing Carnegie Hall

Pictures of Carnegie Hall in New York City show it to be a beautiful place, inside and out. Bradley Blair, however, says the view in person, from onstage, is “absolutely amazing.” Bradley played bass at the famous venue April 7 with the Bruin Sinfonia, the best of the best orchestra students at Western Branch High. Bradley, 17, is a serious musician and is planning for a career teaching music. He has already toured three college campuses: Shenandoah Conservatory, George Mason University, and Christopher Newport University. He favors CNU because it has a five-year program, which means he would graduate with a master’s degree. Bradley’s family is serious about his music, too, having converted their home’s living room into a music room with piano, organ, bass, banjo and accordion. Bradley’s mom, Carol Ann, was one of 15 chaperones for 89 students during the three-day visit to the Big Apple. The kids visited tourist spots such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. They had the opportunity to see “Phantom of the Opera” as well. The Sinfonia sounded perfect to me at a bon voyage concert a few days before. Carol Ann said they played even better the Saturday night before Easter, and they were “very, very wired” afterward. For Bradley, the best part of playing there was “the historical aspect. Tchaikovsky, the Beatles, and Joshua Bell are part of Carnegie’s musical history,” he said. And, now, so is the Bruin Sinfonia Orchestra.                                            

The Taylor Bend Family YMCA on Taylor Road has a senior program that might be the place for you. Active Older Adults includes workshops and outings for senior members. A new component was added not long ago, the AOA social hour, when it was noticed the seniors would often “hang out” together in the lobby after exercising. Now, they meet every Wednesday at 12:45 p.m., for snacks, conversation and table games. Y employee Crystal Collins told me the gathering is very social. Sometimes they work on projects while socializing, like when they made baskets and filled 1,760 eggs with candy for the Y’s Easter egg hunt. It took them only a few hours to get the job done. “If it weren’t for them helping,” Crystal said, it would have taken the staff a lot longer to get prepared for the event. The seniors have fun in other ways, too. Recent workshops have been about arthritis (not so much fun in itself) and flower arranging (even the guys got into it). A trip to the zoo is coming up soon. You might want to check this out for yourself or that special senior in the family.

“Prithee, marketh thy book for the e’en of 9 May, shortly before sundown. Thou should’st attend to Hamlet.” That’s my Elizabethan-speak to tell you, if you like Shakespeare like I do, you should mark your calendar for May 9 to be at Russell Memorial Library on Taylor Road at 6:30 p.m. The library is presenting guest speaker Edwin Jacob, director of theater arts for Tidewater Community College. Edwin directs a series of Shakespearian plays performed throughout the region every summer. TCC students who act in those plays will perform a “short re-enactment” of “Hamlet” at the library. A portion of a DVD about actor Kevin Kline’s Broadway production of the play will also be presented, with discussion led by the professor. I remember my first encounter with crazy Prince Hamlet. It was as a high school senior, on a literature class field trip to see a performance of the play in Richmond. I got bus sick on the way there, but I forgot all about that as soon as I heard those words spoken onstage. I didn’t understand the complicated plot. I didn’t like all the killing. I didn’t think the story was believable. But I loved it anyway. The words are mesmerizing, the writing is wonderful, the story captivating. And it “faire beats any other tale.” The event is free, but you should make reservations by calling 410-7016.

When Wanda Rowley married her husband, Bill, it was at his church, Elm Avenue Methodist in Portsmouth, on Palm Sunday, 1954. Bill helped his pastor, the Rev. Ernest Emurian, prepare for the first presentation of “The Last Supper” before the ceremony. It is an Easter drama written by Emurian and now performed at churches all over the country. Unfortunately, they “didn’t even see it,” Wanda says, because they were on their honeymoon by then. In my column last week, I described a performance of the drama at the Aldersgate Campus of New Creation United Methodist Church on Bruce Road. As it happens, not only had Bill worked on the first set at Elm Avenue, Wanda had also directed the show at Aldersgate for many years. And this is why Wanda would know that I was mistaken when I wrote that the first performance was in 1959. I’m sorry for the error, Wanda, but thank you for the nice story.      

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From building ships to ballfields in Western Branch

If you can manage the construction of an aircraft carrier, you can manage almost anything. John Avery, a Jolliff Woods resident and engineering design supervisor at Newport News Shipbuilding, has done a fine job of managing, coaching and volunteering for the Western Branch Athletic Club. WBAC commissioner Ken Wren says John first coached T-ball for his oldest son, Patrick, who is now a senior playing baseball at Western Branch High. “I offered to help,” John told me, “and next thing I knew, I was on the baseball committee.” He served on the committee for five years, then was league president for seven years. He stepped down as president last season and is coaching one more team this season, his 24th. “John has dedicated thousands of hours of time to our league over the last 12 years,” Ken said, “and his contributions will be hard to replace. I’m not sure he will be able to stay away, and he will always be welcome to stay involved!” John is already working on a project to renovate dugouts, while looking forward to a collaborative effort with the city to upgrade lights. John says he has done it all because “it gives me satisfaction to see the kids on the field.”

Ashley Bennett is a young writer and poet. Last year, when she was in fourth grade, the Chittum Elementary student was honored at a citywide reception for young writers. All Chesapeake school students, even kindergarteners, participate in the young writers program as a way to learn about the writing process. The teacher of each class chooses the best work to be recognized. Ashley submitted a book, “Awesome Animals,” with poems written to represent each style of poetry she had studied. In the same year, she also won honorable mention in the annual PTA Reflections program, again with poetry. Students can submit creations in one of several media. Having first entered the competition in third grade, Ashley seems to get more accomplished each year. Now in fifth grade, she recently wrote a poem about the Reflections theme, “Diversity Means,” which won third place citywide in the intermediate literature category. My favorite part of the poem is the last two lines, “Differences are all around. But look on the inside and you’ll see the same is found.”  So true.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” portrays Jesus and the apostles at their last meal together. Jesus has told them one will betray him, and they are distraught. Only Jesus remains calm. The Rev. Ernest Emurian, a Methodist minister in Portsmouth, wrote a living dramatization of the masterpiece, and the story behind it, in 1959. It’s now performed all over the country by churches of many faiths on Maundy Thursday. The Aldersgate Campus of New Creation United Methodist Church on Bruce Road presented it April 5. The Rev. Dave Drinkard welcomed his congregation and visitors from area churches, calling Easter “most holy.” In the darkened sanctuary, with only the light from outside to illuminate beautiful stained glass windows, actors dressed like Da Vinci’s characters came down the aisles to take their places at a table resembling the one in the painting. They froze in position, faces angry or disbelieving, fingers pointing, Jesus with his eyes closed. Each “came alive” to tell how they first met Jesus and to profess their love for him. Each hoped he would not be the “betrayer,” asking, “Is it I?” Only Judas was more concerned about the cost of the oil Jesus used to anoint the feet of the disciples. At the end, Jesus served the first Holy Communion, breaking bread and sharing a cup of wine. After applause and a standing ovation, four of the actors served communion, then Kathy Williams, a director of the drama with Wanda Rowley, sang “The Lord’s Prayer” a cappella. Congratulations to them and narrator Irv Meyers, as well as the cast: Pete Axson, Bob Barnes, Bill Canady, Bill Jackson, Steve Meyers, Robert Mitchell, Bernie Novakoski, Doug Pillsbury, Mike Ratcliffe, Rick Stapleton, Bob Steorts, Gary Tysor and Ernie Williams.

Jolliff United Methodist Church has hosted two recent seminars on grandparents’ rights, and has established a support group with regular meetings. They will be private discussions led by James Webb Jones, a Methodist lay leader, attorney and advocate for grandparents. If you don’t want to talk about your grandparent issues, go to just listen; some have told me this has been very helpful. Open to the public, not just church members, and with no reservations needed, the meetings will be every fourth Thursday, from 7 to 8 p.m. The first one is next Thursday at the church on 1990 Jolliff Road. Call 488-3640 with questions.   

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2 to leave for Chile mission

“When God calls, you gotta go,” Sara Small said. I talked to her at a March 31 reception for her and husband Michal hosted by Jackson Memorial Baptist Church on Bruce Road. It was a send-off for the couple as they prepared to depart for Chile. They will live there for the next three years, doing mission work financed by a Southern Baptist organization, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, while working in the office of a support center. Sara is particularly suited for this, as she was JMBC’s financial secretary. Mike, retired from Dominion Virginia Power, laughingly said his skills as a nuclear engineer might not be helpful, but he was sure he could do something. This is the couple’s 15th mission trip, but they still had to train for eight weeks, studying the customs and culture, as well as how to stay healthy and keep safe. Now there, they are learning the language. When I asked what they would miss, besides their grown sons David and Robert, I was thinking it might be cheeseburgers or convenience items, but Sara answered, “We will miss this church most of all.”    

A tasty time was had by all during a life-size version of the board game “Candyland” on March 26 at Russell Memorial Library. Planned by the library’s teen volunteers, it required logistics and creativity. Sabrina Hussman organized children into teams, standing on colored squares on the floor. Players advanced and collected goodies as youth services librarian Elizabeth Hope called out instructions. Mary Beaver was a last-minute ginger bread tree with no time for an outfit, but the kids only cared about the ginger snaps. In the Peppermint Forest, Mrs. Peppermint, also known as Claire Rigney, handed out peppermint candies. Next was Gumdrop Mountain, guarded by a dragon, Janaezjah Ryder. Wearing a pair of wings, she looked more like a pretty butterfly. Lord Licorice of the Licorice Forest, Casey Reilly, attired in black hat, red cape and skinny mustache, was giving away red licorice sticks. Moving between the bookshelves, the children found Michelle Dominado wearing a curly white wig and sitting in a chair, as Gramma Nutt, with a basket of circus peanuts. In the Lollipop Course, Laurie Biller ruled as Princess Lolly in an elegant dress and ballet slippers, doing an occasional pirouette while dispensing lollipops. Standing before a turquoise backdrop with silver snowflakes, Snow Flake Lake, wearing a turquoise gown and silver tiara, Caitlyn Stuck distributed snowy white marshmallows as Princess Frostine. The Chocolate Swamp was the most creative. With only her face peeking out from yards of brown material puddled around her, Kaity Blohm sat on the floor next to a bowl of Hershey’s Kisses, looking like one herself. The last stop was King Kandy. With blue hair and a big belly (too much candy), Amanda Topping invited the kids to get even more treats from a treasure chest. Sweet! 

PTA mom Wendy Kelly bragged about the second-graders at Chittum Elementary. “Ask any of them what the capital of China is and they will tell you Beijing,” she said. They, including Wendy’s daughter, Madison, had been studying about the country and enjoyed a Chinese banquet in the cafeteria March 23. The aroma of lo mein, fried rice and egg rolls filled the air. The tables were covered in red, with long, colorful paper dragons snaking down the centers. At the place settings were chopsticks and fortune cookies. It looked great, but the real treat was seeing the children in costume: karate outfits and pretty kimonos; silky pajamas in pink, purple and red; kerchiefs tied around heads and sashes belted around waists; chopsticks and flowers tucked in hair. My favorite was a child wearing a panda shirt and ears, very cute.

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Talent runs in Western Branch family

Jessie Gaines is a good example of what DNA can do. A 2009 Western Branch High School graduate, Jessie is a senior at Long Island University. Excelling in track and field, she is “being scouted,” according to her dad, Jerald Gaines. Where did she get her talent? It literally runs in the family. Jerald, who graduated from WBHS in 1970 was All-American in three sports, and one of only two to have a jersey retired at Western Carolina University. He went on to play wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons and shortstop for the Texas Rangers. His brother, Jerry, was the first African-American to attend Virginia Tech on a scholarship and to be inducted in the school’s hall of fame. He won eight district titles and three regional championships as a football and track coach at WBHS. Their brother Jack began playing professional baseball at 17, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox. Homes in Western Branch and fulfilling careers followed sports for the three brothers. “We’ve been blessed,” Jack said. Now they share a mission. Retired from Norfolk Southern, Jack is the executive director of a nonprofit he founded, “My Brother’s Keeper, NOT My Brother’s Killer,” (also the name of a book he wrote). The foundation promotes reconciliation and forgiveness as alternatives to death and destruction. Jerry is the foundation’s chairman, a motivational speaker, and an author in his own right. “40 Miles High” is about some of the memorable students he taught and mentored at WBHS. With experience as a business owner and corporate executive at Target, Jerald works as the foundation’s director of business affairs. And he serves as his daughter’s personal coach. An exciting life is just ahead for Jessie, and the Gaines brothers have set the bar.

Did you know chickens have ears? That a snake smells with its tongue? That armadillos walk on their tiptoes? I learned this March 26 when animals from the Virginia Zoo visited Western Branch Academy on Portsmouth Boulevard. Zoo attendants brought Clementine the chicken, a Japanese bantam; Vigo the armadillo who was suffering from carsickness; Cadbury, a big black bunny; and Nemo, a beautiful but creepy snake. The 3- and 4-year-olds were allowed to gently touch the critters, using only two fingers, to prevent grabbing a fistful of fur or feathers. They applied hand sanitizer before and after petting each, asking for more “hanitizer.” The children loved touching Clementine’s soft, white feathers and Vigo’s hard, hairy shell. Not having a good day, the armadillo was curled up into a tight ball. Cadbury was the favorite of a little girl who told me she had one just like it at home, named Kitty. The attendant prepared the children for Nemo: “This animal won’t hurt you. Don’t be afraid. You don’t have to touch it if you don’t want to.” Some didn’t want to, but a boy who did announced, “I was very brave!”

Dean Ashman teaches woodworking at Western Branch High and also works part-time at Woodcraft, a Norfolk store for woodworkers. Woodcraft sponsors a program called “Turn for Troops” in which wood is made into pens to be sent to the troops. Students prepare the wood by cutting a small block in two pieces, drilling holes, and gluing the pen parts inside. “The preparation aspect of the pen is the most tedious, and the students do an absolutely great job of that task,” Dean said. Some students voluntarily go to Woodcraft to turn the prepared pens on a lathe. Then the pens are packed up and sent off. Dean puts in “a little note letting the service members know where the pens come from, and my email address at school in case they want to respond.”

When I hear the word “invasion,” I usually think of something negative, like weeds in the garden. But it means something positive for the folks at Western Branch Community Church on Jolliff Road. For the past six weeks, the church has conducted an “Invasion of Hope.” Two hundred parishioners in teams of 10 have invaded the community with good deeds: giving umbrellas to shoppers during a pouring rain; taking goodies to a fire station; helping out at a laundromat; or treating a hungry, begging girl to lunch. Pastor Jim Wall says he was part of a group that delivered a box of goodies to staff at Chesapeake General Hospital. “Nobody ever does anything like this for us,” a nurse told him. He says the effort has “stretched the comfort zone of some of the members,” including himself, because it is “a little awkward at first.” Recipients of the kindnesses are initially suspicious, asking “Why are you doing this?” “We are Christians, and this is how we think Jesus wants us to act,” Jim says. Giving credit for the idea to discipleship pastor Michael Brueseke, Jim says the experience has been so inspiring and the response so favorable that the church plans to do something similar each quarter.         

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

Western Branch boy not slowed by CF

Beau Whiddon is a happy seventh-grader at Western Branch Middle School. His time is filled with homework, friends and activities. But unlike most other kids, Beau goes to sleep every night with a Carnation shake dripping into his stomach. Beau had pneumonia when he was 2 months old, which led doctors to learn he has cystic fibrosis. The disease affects the body’s secretions, creating excess mucus in the lungs and stomach, resulting in difficult breathing and weight loss. Still, Beau is “a very healthy kid for a CF kid,” says his mom, Christen Whiddon. Christen and Beau’s dad, Paul, “are valuable volunteers to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and have been assisting in local fundraisers for several years,” development director Kimberly Johnson said. Christen was honored last year as a “Foundation’s Finest.” The next fundraiser is the Bartender’s Ball in Norfolk on April 15, then the Great Strides Walk on April 21. For the 12th year, Christen is organizing a team of walkers, “Beau’s Brigade,” and so is his school. Its team will be the “Bruins Backing Beau.” If you’d like to walk, contact Christen at 676-4028 or whidd1@verizon.net. If you’d like to donate in Beau’s honor, contact Kim Johnson at kjohnson@cff.org or 446-9267.

On the door of the fellowship hall at Churchland Baptist Church on Churchland Boulevard, a sign read, “Prayer Labyrinth – Enter in Silence.” The room was dim, with candles glowing and soothing music played softly. A large circular rug stenciled in a purple pattern lay on the floor, and candles guided the way. I went March 11 to walk the prayer labyrinth myself and studied the instructions in the peaceful room: “Relax your body – slow and settle your mind.” In three “movements,” walking at one’s own pace, participants were encouraged to “make room for emotions and stirrings that arise,” as well as to consider those things that needed to be “changed, forgiven, cleared, confronted or healed.” Reaching the center of the labyrinth was the moment for reflection and to “receive what there is for you from God.” The return walk from the center back to the starting point was described as a journey “where we carry with us any insights, wisdom, calm or peace we have received … back out into the world.” Capped off by prayers for healing and wholeness in the sanctuary, it was a rewarding experience.

Miscellaneous school news: Western Branch Primary’s physical education teacher, Lisa Knight, reports that the total raised for the American Heart Association in honor of second-grader Michaela Carlsen, a heart survivor, was $7,340, exceeding the $5,000 goal. ... Substitute teachers are being sought among “parents, grandparents or friends of StoneBridge School.” Applications can be obtained by emailing amanda.lepson@stonebridgeschool.com or at the school office on Jolliff Road. ... Western Branch Academy is enrolling for the 2012-13 term and is taking registrations for summer camp. Contact the school at wbacademy@verizon.net, or 488-4306. ... Western Branch High has recently excelled in competitions for academics and athletics. The boys and girls track teams took first and second, respectively, in the state tournament. The Scholastic Bowl team placed third in the state tournament, and the forensics team placed third in the region.

Not long ago, I volunteered to restock the food pantry at Edmarc, the children’s hospice in Olde Towne. It took several hours to organize it all. You’re probably asking yourself, “Why do I care? Edmarc is in Olde Towne, and I am in Western Branch.” The answer is that Edmarc administers to children in their homes all over Hampton Roads. Even the most affluent family with the best health insurance can be affected by the financial stress of a child with a brain tumor or terminal cancer. So when Edmarc nurses visit their patients, they often deliver soup and cereal, along with medicine and compassion. If you’d like to help, here’s what the pantry could use: soup, peanut butter, jelly, meat/fish in cans, baby food, cereal, premade or easy-to-make sweets and desserts, pastas with sauces, and fruit (not fresh), especially applesauce. You can take food to Edmarc, 516 London St., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Or contact me, and I’ll arrange to get it picked up and delivered.   Tell me your stories at 483-9055, lindalamm@cox.net.  

Zumba demo at Chesapeake Square catches on

Ivory Knight, an employee at Studio Express in Chesapeake Square, can really move. Members of a Taylor Bend Family Y Zumba class were at the mall a few Saturdays ago to demonstrate the exercise workout done to Latin music. As soon as the music started, people gathered round to watch, and several jumped in to dance. Knight came out of his store, clipboard in hand, to join in. I could tell some of the mall patrons were already Zumba enthusiasts – they knew all the routines. Knight didn’t at first, but he caught on fast. Soon, he was dipping and swooping with the best of them, with that clipboard still in his hand. Since he has both talent and what sounds like a great stage name, maybe Knight should consider performing.

Isn’t living and working together too much togetherness? I wondered about that when I learned Western Branch Middle School has two sets of married teachers: Jeffrey and Amber Russell and Steve and Meredith Denbow. Both couples felt there were no negatives to this arrangement, except that when the Russells have “an after-school event that we both must attend, we have to arrange for child care” for sons Parker and Peyton. There were many more positives for the Russells, particularly the fact they met at WBMS. Jeff had been teaching there for two years when Amber became a substitute teacher. They’ve now been married a little more than four years. After graduation, Amber began teaching English to gifted and talented sixth-grade students; she is also the cheerleading coach. Jeff teaches health and physical education to grades 6-8, and helps with the basketball team. The Denbows have taught together not only at WBMS, but also at Crestwood Middle School. Meredith, who teaches eighth-grade English, says, “I came to WBMS first and had such a positive experience that Steve wanted to follow suit.” Steve teaches eighth-grade science and is also the school’s athletic director. What they like best about teaching at the same school is “that it helps us to understand one another better,” Meredith said. And does it confuse the students? “Not at all,” the Russells said in an email. “They love the fact that we’re married. They admire our positive relationship, and we believe that’s good for them to see.” The Denbows don’t think so, either. “A lot of students like to know that their teachers are real human beings with real lives outside of school,” Meredith said.

Cammie Phillips is looking for girls who want to play fast pitch softball in the Western Branch Little League. The volunteer organization is operated and funded without any city or school assistance, something league secretary Cammie is proud of. If you would like for your daughter to be in “the little league where girls are first,” visit www.wbll.org/sign-ups, or email registration chairman Tom Conter at tomconter@wbll.org, or give Cammie a call at 754-5013. And hurry – opening day is March 31.

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