Duct tape makes a fine dress

Theresa Caffee’s fashion marketing class at Western Branch High School has experimented with creating paper fashions. Using various unusual clothing materials such as bulletin board paper, duct tape and tissue paper, they paraded their efforts in the school library. One student was wearing a tri-color paper skirt with matching top and earrings. Another girl’s green paper dress was accented by yellow and white. The most eye-catching, however, was Jessica Lengyel’s dress. The top was made with blue duct tape and the skirt was white pleated tissue paper. She made the dress with the help of students Tori Lee and Ashleigh Steffanelli.

Huntington Learning Center co-manager Ryan McCoy is helping increase the Foodbank’s intake. The center on Starmount Parkway is a dropoff point for donated food. “We are offering $75 off the diagnostic testing fee with the donation of a nonperishable food item. We like to remind people to keep on giving, even after the holidays. We’ve been very successful and we want to give back to the community. I challenge other businesses to help out too,” Ryan said. The center’s collection for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia runs through the end of February.

Call now to reserve a spot at the 2010 Virginia Regional Apologetics Conference at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church on Bruce Road on March 13 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The conference is subtitled The Answers 2010: A Revelation of Truth and responds to questions like Does God really exist? Or, Why does God allow so much suffering? Apologetics deals with a rational defense of Christianity. The term comes from the Greek word apologia, which means, “to give a reason or defense.” Featured speakers are Mark Mittelberg, Michael Licona, Nabeel Quereshi, David Wood, Mary Jo Sharp and James Swanson. At the end of the night, David Wood and John Loftus will debate: “Does God Exist?” Ticket prices range from $39 to $69 and are least expensive if bought before Feb.16. There are only 300 seats available. Sign up early. For more information, go to www.theanswers2010.com. 

Cub Scout Pack 212 that meets at the New Creation United Methodist Church on Bruce Road is looking for donations of items and services for their silent auction at the annual Blue and Gold Banquet on Feb. 20 at the church. Call 287-5990 or e-mail Pam English at englishpm@cox.net about any donations you might have.  

Contact me at pjcolumnist@ aol.com or call 335-2237.

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Merge, Olde Towne Art Ekphrastic Poetry and Art Night

Taking a stroll through Olde Towne Art on High Street is a delight to the senses. Visions of color, designs of fun and fantasy, every day realism and abstract thought,line the walls and sit atop easels. When Kas Lippa and Michelle Decena invited Hampton Roads poets to interpret art found at the gallery, a good number of writers jumped at the chance.

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Special family gets gift assist

Dave and Jane Daulton of the Dock Landing Road area are a compassionate couple who help people adopt children from  Ukraine. They also provide a home for six adopted young folks ranging from preteen to young adult along with one of their own five children. All seven young people living with the Daultons have Down syndrome. They are Tommy, 26, who works at Creekside Cookies and More in Portsmouth; Ben, 20; Emily, 14; Lani, 12; Anya, 10; and Philip and Jack, both 13. Taking care of that many young folks can be a financial challenge. Over the holidays, a Secret Santa dropped off large bags that were preceded by a card that said, “You appear to be a very special family. Please check your porch on Christmas Eve before you go to bed. Merry Christmas, Santa.” As promised, the bags appeared quietly, filled with educational books, quilts, stocking stuffers, a gingerbread house kit, mugs and candy. It also held a black Raggedy Ann, something that Emily cherishes. “On Christmas Eve once the kids were in bed, we wrapped all the gifts, adding to what we’d already bought. It really made our Christmas special,”  

 The economy has seen better days. Unfortunately, the shortfall in the state budget affects many nonprofit organizations. Recognizing the needs of homeless dogs and cats, The Willett Club at Western Branch High School is donating to the Humane Society of Portsmouth. Kudos to this group for remembering the animals. 

Letting go of a grudge can make you healthier. There’s a program offered at Parkview Christian Church on Western Branch Boulevard called Forgive to Live, based on the book written by Dick Tibbits. “Forgiveness is a tool that can help you let go of anger, improve your health and lower your blood pressure,” Parkview’s the Rev. Marty Phillips said. “Forgiveness can actually prolong your life,” he said. This study starts Feb. 8, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p. m and runs for eight weeks. Call 484-1776 for more information about the class.

 Send your tips and stories to me at pjcolumnist@aol.com or call 335-2237. Thanks!

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Get Ready to Rock and Roll

Got cabin fever yet? Here's something to work off the calories from the brownies you baked while it snowed. Andy Harrell and The New Direction band will be playing at Boomerang’s at 6045 W. High Street on Friday, February 19 at 9:30 p. m. This band plays dance rock and funk music. The members of the band are Andy Harrell, Dana Silvercloud, Greg Markowski and Marty Akerson. Andy has released two solo and band material CD’s titled The Andy Harrell project and Chasing Our Dreams. He also played on the first two Island Boy releases. Dana has opened for the Doobie Brothers and the Average White Band. Andy has shared the stage with Dave Matthews and Michael Utley. Greg has played with Smokey Robinson, the Temptations and the Four Tops just to name a few groups. Marty has been a drummer with the Grammy and Tony award winning Jennifer Holiday and played with a number of bands from Hot Cakes to Plastic Eddie. I’ve heard Andy Harrell and his band perform their music. It definitely got me on the dance floor one night at Paradox!

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They hope their music will inspire you

Loretta and Billy Ricketts of Chadswyck are a husband-and-wife team that enjoys making music. Their joint efforts produced the CD “Loretta Ricketts-Finally” as well as one that included the talents of Nicole Belanus, Matt Matthews and Steve Kolb. Their Web site is www.renewal-artists.com. Another one of their CDs is “December Songs – A Renewal Artists Sampler.” Billy describes the music they produce as inspirational Christian folk. I visited the couple’s basement music studio, known as the “Doodle Pad” and saw them practice, as Loretta sang a beautiful song titled, “September.” Billy is a singer and guitarist and works the recording equipment. A director for congregational ministries at Second Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Billy writes music when he has spare time. Loretta juggles home life with their two sons, Will and Josh, ages 12 and 10, and sings whenever possible. They are always looking for new gigs and love collaborating with other musicians. The type of music they do varies.  “The next CD we’ll produce is probably going to be an R&B gospel with a full band,” said Loretta, who recorded a jingle for Don Comer Ford that ran for 12 years. 

Brittany Woods resident Leonard Rich reports that Oasis, the shelter on High Street that houses the homeless in our community, will be moving. A number of Western Branch residents and church members have helped donate time, money and food to the homeless through this venue. The shelter will move from 1020 High St. to the 1700 block of Columbia St ., several blocks behind I.C. Norcom High School. The groundbreaking is Friday  at 10:30 a.m. “They definitely need a larger facility. They need a place with showers,” Leonard said.    The projected opening date is a year from now.

The location formerly occupied by Circuit City on Portsmouth Boulevard is going to be a Dollar Tree Market with a projected opening in March. This is ironic considering that a Dollar Tree used to occupy a spot right beside Circuit City until they moved it across the road near Kmart. There are no plans to close that store. 

Have any interesting church, school or community news ?  Write me at pjcolumnist@ aol.com or call 335-2237.

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Church program connects women

On Jan. 12, Point Harbor Community Church on Taylor Road had a Connecting Women program. It was a show with lots of laughs, drama and interesting facts for women age 16 and up. The venue is presented four times a year with the goal of uniting women around Hampton Roads for fun and suggestions on how to feel peace and contentment with less emphasis on material things. There was a great mother/daughter team of comediennes, Lynn and Susan Petrie, and a cooking demonstration in which Laura Sprouse shared a poppy seed chicken recipe. A Let’s Make a Deal or Not game and a purse search were fun for the audience. Joanne Forbes gave some sage advice on family finances. While ABC has “The View,” Point Harbor had its own “View Point” with Trina Love, Diane Rigsby, Michelle Newton and Bonnie Berryman who provided banter on what various issues mean to women.

To raise money for Western Branch High School’s varsity and junior varsity baseball teams, there’s a winter social Jan. 30 from 7 to 11:30 p.m. at the Church of the Resurrection on Cedar Lane in Churchland. Tickets are $25 per person or $45 per couple. I went to the social last year and there were heavy hors d’oeuvres, beverages, a silent auction and dancing. For tickets, contact Mike Donovan at mdonovan13@cox.net.

Even though the holiday has passed, I’m still seeing Christmas decorations at some homes. Miars Plantation resident Sheri Blohm, a talented designer, loves putting up Christmas trees. I was invited into her home and saw what she refers to as her “forest.” In one section of her house, she had eight decorated trees of varying heights and sizes. Snowflakes and ornaments hung from overhead, white lit reindeer grazed nearby and a mirror reflected blue lights, resembling a watering hole. Although Sheri was ready to take it all down, she said, her children were reluctant to see it all come down until next year. 

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to make your home more organized? Are you having trouble getting started? Attend a workshop at Russell Memorial Library on Taylor Road on Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. for Mary Frances Ballard’s program, “De-Clutter Your Head and House.” A lot of the problems revolving around clutter control start in the mind. Call 410-7016 or register online at www.infopeake.org. 

Let me hear from you Western Branch. Drop me a line at pjcolumnist@aol.com or call me at 335-2237.

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Deaf can worship at Taylor Road church

Remember that addressing the special needs of others isn’t limited to having ramps and elevators in a building. Those who can’t hear need sign language and interpreters to appreciate worship services. At Good News Baptist Church on Taylor Road, interpreters sign for deaf attendees at the 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday services. For our Spanish-speaking neighbors,  at 11 a.m. on Sunday, there is a Hispanic service and a Spanish Bible study and prayer service on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Kudos to Good News Baptist for filling these areas of need .

Red Lobster has a $6.99 lunch menu if you like shellfish but don’t want to shell out a lot of money. The entrees come with those delicious cheese biscuits. Discounted lunch items are beer-battered shrimp and chips, soup and shrimp salad, salmon and chicken BLTs, wood-grilled shrimp skewers, Caesar salad with chicken or shrimp or crunch-fried fish sandwich.  For just a few dollars more than a cheeseburger and fries, you can have a nice seafood meal.

Looking for ways to fight off boredom on a cold winter day? Go to Russell Memorial Library on Taylor Road. There are books and videos as well as art and photography to admire. If you have little ones, there are story times, Paws to Read (your child reads to trained dogs) and teens enjoy regularly-scheduled activities and mystery nights. Next time there’s nothing on television and you’ve had your fill of Facebook, head to the library.

 If you want a gym for only women, Curves  has a location at Chesapeake Square . On entry, you’re sure to be swept up with energy by the pumping music . Machines are laid out in a pattern so the workout doesn’t take more than 30 minutes – perfect for  rushed scheules.  Curves’ claim is that you can burn 500 calories in a 30-minute workout. If you’re not already under contract elsewhere, give it a try.  You can earn points and prizes for doing well with your  regimen.

If running up and down the aisles of the grocery store is something you don’t have time for, Farm Fresh offers Internet Express . The online ordering service is free if you spend $150. If you spend less, the fee is $4.50. Farm Fresh on Western Branch Boulevard participates in this service but does not have delivery. This is for pickup only. http://shop.farmfreshsupermarkets.com/FarmFresh_App/store/onlineshop.asp

Do you make a mean chili? A.J. Gator’s Sports Bar and Grill is having a chili cook-off at the Chesapeake Square  location Saturday  to benefit the Suffolk Humane Society. For an entry fee of $15, you can compete with your favorite recipe for red or white chili. Participants get a  T-shirt. Judging starts at 12:30 p.m. for the first 50  to register. Chili samples will sell for 50 cents each. The fun will include live music, raffles and prizes. For more details, contact Mike at 729-2554. 

I got to see the interesting sign from the basement of the home owned by Del and Connie Moody in Chadswyck.  The sign was made by former owner Capt. D.V. Chadwick. His sign read “Duncrusen.” At one time, the captain thought he would have his section of land named Duncrusen after completing his sea travels instead of the Chadswyck name that the area off Dock Landing Road bears now. On the other side of Western Branch, there’s a street called Dunworken Drive in the Dunedin section.

Are there any books you’ve been meaning to buy? B. Dalton and Waldenbooks at Chesapeake Square  on Taylor Road are going out of business and have books deeply discounted. B. Dalton is closing  Jan. 14 and Waldenbooks is closing sometime in January . If you have any Barnes and Noble or Borders gift cards, you can use them at these two stores.

 Contact me at pjcolumnist@aol.com or call 335-2237.

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Thoughts on Miep Gies- Woman Who Hid the Frank Family

When I read about Miep Gies passing away at age 100, I thought about how she’d seen so much take place in her life. I thought about how she’d helped hide the Frank family during the Holocaust and how she’d helped preserve Anne’s diary by giving it to Anne’s dad, Pim. A short bio on Miep’s life said how she hadn’t read the diary before she gave it to him. It went on to say that if she had, she would have had to burn it for fear of incriminating herself.

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Queen Bees shop wins window-decorating contest

Western Branch resident Sharon Black, owner of Queen Bees, an antique shop on High Street in Olde Towne, won $1,000 in a window-decorating contest. In November, she got involved in the Christmas contest sponsored by Retail Alliance. The theme was “let it snow.” Customers and supporters voted online. Businesses collected money for Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters and were evaluated by judges who dropped by unannounced to view windows. Awards in the Holiday Window Works were given out at the Courtyard Marriott in Norfolk at a breakfast at the end of December. The Queen Bees shop won Best of Portsmouth and Sharon won the grand prize. Reach Sharon at 397-3939.

If winter vegetables are next on your shopping list, note the Ford truck parked on Raintree Road near the IHOP. Hilton Long and his produce truck are back on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. He has apples, oranges and pecans as well as sweet potatoes, turnips, kale, collards, mustard greens and Hanover salad. “I get my vegetables fresh, most of it from North Carolina,” he said. There are lots of vitamins on those four wheels!

A few days after Christmas, there are usually overflowing trash cans. Even the large brown can doesn’t hold it all. Thankfully, as of late fall last year, Chesapeake residents had two large trash containers. A $3 monthly fee for collecting recyclables is being charged for the 67,000 bins that were distributed throughout the city. Remember that you can put anything recyclable in the bins, including glass, paper, plastic and aluminum. One of my goals this year is to do a better job at recycling. Just in case you misplaced your list of what to put in them, here it is, straight from the Chesapeake guide to big bin recycling: paper bags, glass jars and bottles, tin or steel cans, cardboard (flattened), telephone books, junk mail, newspapers and inserts, office paper and file folders, aluminum cans, foil and pie tins, plastic bottles and containers (No. 1 and No. 2) cereal boxes and paper towel rolls.

Got the winter doldrums and want to learn something new? Chesapeake City Schools adult education is offering 10 weeks of 3-hour-long night classes at Western Branch High School on Bruin Drive. Pending sufficient class enrollment, classes will include drawing, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, woodworking and floral design. Registration is through Jan. 15 so don’t procrastinate. Chesapeake teachers who take any of the courses will get recertification points. Go to www.cpschools.com and look under Adult Education or call the office of adult and continuing education at 482-5680.

Our canine and feline friends need help. Area humane societies are seeking extra donations to help feed the pooches and kitties that wind up in the shelters. To raise money, the Western Branch Community Center had a Bow Wow Spaghetti Dinner. The fundraiser netted $300 for the Chesapeake Humane Society. Anna Van Laetham reported that Harry LeBeof at the community center on Portsmouth Boulevard helps organize it and gets everything donated.  “This is his passion. He’s great!”

What are your New Year’s resolutions? Contact me at pjcolumnist@aol.com or 335-2237. Happy New Year!

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Christmas play was well documented

Nothing is much sweeter than a children’s Christmas play. I attended Covenant Child Care’s presentation of “Angel, Angel” and “The Good News Flash” and saw their portrayal of the holy night. From the well-dressed angelic choir to the robed shepherds and crowned wise men, they delivered a performance that was well documented with camcorders all around. This was followed by an old-fashioned cookie swap. There’s no better way to look like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen.

I visited the open air market on Duke of York Court when the Chesapeake Kids Who Care group was selling crafts to benefit the H.E.R. Shelter, a site that houses battered women. The compassionate children and teens had lots of great items they had made for sale including tree ornaments, scarves, painted glassware and sprayed silver pine cones tagged with a Christmas legend. Kiera Spall, 7, a student at Western Branch Primary and Michaela Ray, 7, a student at Stonebridge Lower School, were manning the tent with their hand-painted tie-dyed T-shirts for babies. After inspecting their crafts, I chatted with Cherie May, a Brittany Woods resident who said being involved in the event is an annual family project. As we talked, Mikayla Mills adjusted some totes made from dog-food bags. They were also selling cute bandanas for dogs and handmade jewelry. Some of the adults were busy passing out hot mulled drinks, something that’s great on a cold day. I was also treated to bratwurst and cookies. The young people raised more than $1,200 that will be used to buy items on a wish list from the H.E.R. Shelter. Cheers to these kindhearted youth and their craftmaking.

Because of the nice exposure and crowd that gathered, the craft show at the Taylor Bend YMCA was a success. There was a wide variety of crafts including monogrammed purses, baby clothing, jewelry and lotions. Brand name companies were represented by vendors and homemade items such as cookie mix jars and iced Christmas cookies made by Denice Suekoff from north Suffolk (dsuekoff@gmail.com) really tempted the taste buds. Shelva Mizelle had a table with her old-time holiday decorations. She has a classic and recognizable style. Suffolk resident Shauna Cain displayed her creative stationery styles from Stampin’ Up.

Gingerbread houses have a certain magic to them. Western Branch Primary School first-grade teacher Stacie Denius’ husband John created a real culinary masterpiece. He built a gingerbread tree house and took it to the school to share with others. As soon as I heard about it, I grabbed my camera and went to see the tasty creation. The trunk was made of Cocoa Crispy treats and the house was the standard graham cracker variety complete with licorice rope swings. And there was lots of candy added to the delicious architecture. Great job John!

Keep sending your news and tips to me at pjcolumnist@aol.com or call 335-2237. Thanks!

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.