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SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY 02.02.12

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Seniors lead young MHS wrestling team Page 6

INSIDE SPORTS

Dr. Nancy Hoover and Delegate Roxann Robinson hold a special proclamation from the Assembly of Delegates recognizing Dr. Hoover’sachievements in the Chesterfield School system.

Networking opportunitiesabound at Chamber event

ExhibithonorsBlackhistory

CONTRIBUTED REPORT

The ChesterfieldHistorical Soci-ety of Virginia(CHSV) will honor

Black History Month withthe opening of a new exhibiton oral histories entitledFourScore and More, PartII at the County Museum,6813 Mimms Loop in theChesterfield County govern-ment complex.

The exhibit will open at11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb.4, and continue throughMarch 31.

Developed by the Afri-can-American History Com-mittee of CHSV, the oral his-tory project began in 2005with the first interviews ofAfrican American Chester-field County residents aged80 and older. Their wordsspeak fervently as they de-scribe the life experiences ofAfrican Americans who wereborn or lived in ChesterfieldCounty from the first 30years of the 20th centurythrough the first decade ofthe 21st century.

The exhibit reflects manycommon themes and chal-lenges they faced growingup in a mostly rural andsegregated environment.The stories include theirearly education, families andcommunity life, militaryservice and chosen fields ofwork.

This year’s exhibit addsnew interviews to compli-ment those exhibited inFebruary 2011. Artifactsdepicting the era and cultureof these African-Americanelders will also be included.

Museum hours are 10a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdaysand 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tues-day through Friday.

Admission is $2.As the center for Ches-

terfield County history, themission of the ChesterfieldHistorical Society of Vir-ginia is to collect, preserve,interpret and promote thecounty’s past for the educa-tion and enjoyment of pres-ent and future generations.

For more information, orto volunteer, call 796-7121or visit www.chesterfieldhis-tory.com.

FourScoreand Moreopens Feb. 4at museum

Above: Keynotespeaker NASAengineer DonnerGrigsby delivershis address.Left: FirefighterKC Selhorstaccepts the2012 CommunityHero Award.Police OfficerJohn S. FarmerJr., center, alsoreceived a 2012Community HeroAward.

Carl Duffey of Heritage Insurance Consultingdiscusses the importance of health and fitness withTerri Moore of the ACAC.

Tom Amos of TAW Construction networks with CarriePearson of Main Line Broadcasting and JonathanYoung of Virginia State university.

PHOTOS BY PATRICK DOBBS

NASA engineer serves as keynote speaker at annual banquet

PHOTO BY EARL SHAFFERThe Cosby Titan Band is shown rehearsing on Jan. 17.

INSIDE

McDonald’s restaurantmanager wins majorcompany award Page 2

Cosby Titan Band to perform at Disney WorldGroup will lead prestigiousparade on March 30CONTRIBUTED REPORT

The Cosby Titan Band has been selected to leadthe prestigious “Disney Main Street Electric LightParade” on Friday, March 30, at the Magic King-dom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The parade will be viewed by thousands of park guestsfrom around the world. This parade is considered Disney’smost coveted performance opportunity.

The students will enjoy three days in the Disney Parks,culminating with this performance experience.

The Titans last performed in Walt Disney World in2008.

For director Earl Shaffer, this marks his ninth Disneyappearance in his 32-year teaching career.

The Titans were selected by virtue of competitivescreening consisting of video recordings, audio recordingand photographs. The invitation was issued to the band inOctober.

Upcoming Titan Band events include: their Pyramid

BAND page 4

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Award leaves McDonald’s manager ‘lovin’ it’

PHOTOS BY JIM RIDOLPHITop: Ronald McDonald and a company prize crewsurprised Yvette Neville at the Hancock VillageMcDonald’s last week to present her with the prestigousRay Kroc award. Above: Owner-operator Dave Traubmatched a $2,500 check presented by McDonald’s toNeville, making her total prize money $5,000. She said shewould share some of it with the community. Left: Nevilleshed tears as she realized she’d won the company’s mostrecognized award.

An employee since 1982,Neville surprised by honorBY JIM RIDOLPHISpecial Correspondent

Lunchtime is alwaysbusy at the HancockVillage McDonald’s,but the real excite-

ment began last week as oneof the midday shifts wrappedup.

Ronald McDonald poppedin, accompanied by a crew ofregional officials seeking oneof the restaurant’s own for aspecial recognition.

Yvette Neville, McDon-ald’s restaurant manager atHancock Village in Chester-field, was named a 2011 RayKroc Award winner, and thesurprise visit alerted her tothe special recognition.

Neville, a McDonald’semployee since 1982, saidshe no idea the prize crewwas coming for her, and wasmomentarily overwhelmedby the honor.

“I was totally surprised,”she said. “I knew I was nomi-nated but had no idea that Ihad won.”

Each year McDonald’sbestows the prestigiousKroc award on less than onepercent of its managers. Therecognition carries a $2,500check from headquarters,but Neville walked away withdouble that amount, thanksto appreciative owner-opera-tor Dave Traub. He said em-ployees like Neville are hardto find and she deserved theone-of-a-kind recognition.

“Yvette’s exceptionaldedication to her customersand crew is what makes her avalued member of McDon-ald’s,” said Traub. “She is atremendous asset to my teamand I congratulate her onreceiving this honor. Yvettetruly embodies the charac-teristics of the elite Ray KrocAward winner. She’s as goodas it gets and she’s the goldstandard for McDonald’sstore managers.”

The admiration is mutual.

“Dave’s an awesome guy,” shesaid. “He’s a hands-on ownerwho is in the restaurant andwill help with whatever youneed.”

In addition to the money,Neville received congratula-tions from top McDonald’sofficials, a bouquet of flow-ers, balloons and a cake. She’sbeen the manager at theHancock location since thestore opened in 2009.

But, for Neville, McDon-ald’s has become a part of herlife, and has even touchedmany of her family members.“My brothers and sisters alsowork for McDonald’s becausethey’ve seen my success. It’s afamily affair,” she said.

Neville is married to an-other McDonald’s employee,Rick, and they have fourchildren, most of whom havetaken a turn at the counter atthe national landmark.

The longevity of hercareer hasn’t diminished herappreciation for a long andsteady climb through theranks. “I owe everything toMcDonald’s. I tell my em-ployees that I wouldn’t havethe car I drive or the roofover my head if it wasn’t forMcDonald’s,” Neville said.

Neville splits a healthydose of dedication betweenher customers and her crew,often visiting the store duringher time off to ensure thingsare running smooth. Sherewards her employees withspecial gifts and parties whenthey go the extra mile.

“I love my team. Iwouldn’t be where I am with-out them. They do wonderfulthings for me,” Neville said.

With four kids, Nevillesaid the extra money willcome in handy. And, in herusual humility, she said sheplans to share the money.

“I plan on giving some ofthis back to my community.This award has really touchedmy heart.”

BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

You might have read aboutthe Bermuda HundredCampaign in historybooks, but a lecture at

Pamplin Historical Park today(Thursday, Feb. 2) will shed lighton the events that happened duringthe two-week Civil War campaign.

The Bermuda Hundred Cam-paign is a series of battles that hap-pened in May 1864.

During the campaign, UnionMaj. Gen. Benjamin Butler com-manded the Army of the James totake Richmond, but his offensivewas halted by Confederate Gen.P.G.T. Beauregard’s troops.

Since 1994, A. Wilson Greenehas been the executive director ofPamplin Historical Park’s Educa-tion Center.

A professional historian, Greenewill present Thursday’s lecture.

“Well, the campaign representsthe primary military action thathappened in Chesterfield County

at the time,” Greene said. “It wasthe premier event, and fortunately,the county has done quite a bit topreserve the remnants of its physi-cal history that still exist.”

“It intended to capture Rich-mond and very well could have cap-tured Petersburg, so it’s a campaignof missed opportunities for theUnion Army. But the Confederateswere outnumbered and outgunnedand very fortunate to keep theUnion out.”

In short, the series of battlesspanned a few weeks. But, as his-tory teaches us, the campaign wasultimately ineffective for the UnionArmy.

“When Gen. (Ulysses S.) Grantcame to Virginia in the spring of1864, he planned a coordinatedoffensive that would have gone ourway south of Richmond,” Greenesaid. “The offensive was supposedto cut off supply lines and captureRichmond.”

“Gen. Butler was to take awaterborne force, transport them

and disembark in (the town of)Bermuda Hundred and movenorthward toward Richmond tocoordinate with Gen. (George G.)Meade. They wanted to end the warwith a combined offensive, and ofcourse, neither Meade nor Butlerwas able to do it.”

A significant portion of Greene’slecture will focus on Gen. Butler. AsGreene puts it, Gen. Butler is oneof the most misunderstood militaryleaders of his day.

“He’s a fascinating characterwho is reviled in the South, but Iargue that he was not as much ofa military buffoon as people havesaid.” Greene said. “In fact, I wouldsay that he was someone who wasperceived in the South as being anagent of social change.”

According to Greene, Gen.Butler didn’t return the runawayslaves who went to Fort Monroe inHampton during the Civil War, anaction that brought about his nega-tive reputation in the South. Publicdisdain for Butler also grew duringthe Capture of New Orleans afterhe was accused of stealing silver-ware from a family there.

“Gen. Butler’s image was placed

at the bottom of chamber pots,and he became known as ‘Spoons’Butler,” Greene said. “He was hatedin the South, but he was also a verysmart and savvy political animalwho knew how to survive.”

In any event, Greene saidtoday’s lecture won’t present anynew findings about the BermudaHundred Campaign. Instead, hesaid he hopes that the speech willspotlight a pivotal Civil War battlethat helped to shape ChesterfieldCounty’s past.

“There are several good bookson the campaign, so I’m notpretending to present new infor-mation, but it is overlooked andovershadowed by larger battles,”Greene said. “But for people in ourarea, it really is our local history,and it’s something that isn’t talkedabout that often.”

A. Wilson Greene’s lecture aboutthe Bermuda Hundred Campaignwill be presented at 7 p.m. today atPamplin Historical Park’s Educa-tion Center at 6125 Boydton PlankRoad in Petersburg.

The event is free of charge.For more information, call 861-

2408 or 1-877-PAMPLIN.

Lecture recounts thrilling Civil War campaignBermuda Hundred Campaign the topicof event at Pamplin Historical Park

CONTRIBUTED REPORTConcerts for a Cause

presents Around the Worldin 60 Minutes featuring Irishsoprano Anne O’Byrne ac-companied by David Fisk at7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3,at the Salisbury PresbyterianChurch, 13621 W. SalisburyRd., Midlothian.

O’Byrne and Fisk, execu-tive director of the RichmondSymphony, will explore theworld through the songs andarias of Handel, Debussy andPuccini, as well as others.

The performance “willtravel from the sublime, inone of the Four Last Songs ofRichard Strauss, to the ridicu-lous in ‘Delaney’s Donkey’.”

A free-will offering willbe taken to benefit EmbraceRichmond.

The public is invited toattend. For more information,call 794-5311.

Concert tofeature Irishsoprano

CONTRIBUTED REPORTPeggy Singlemann, direc-

tor of horticulture at May-mont, will present a power-point presentation, “Historyof Maymont Gardens,” to theMidlothian Garden Club at10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7,at the Bethel Baptist Church,1100 Huguenot Springs Road.

Horticulture specimensand artistic floral designs alsowill be displayed by members.

Refreshments will beserved at noon.

The meeting is open to thepublic. Guests and prospec-tive members are alwayswelcome.

For more information,contact Dolores at 794-3002or Sandy at 379-4515.

Event to focuson MaymontGardens

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23112Jan. 912200 block of ChattanoogaPlazaProperty removed from victim’sunlocked vehicle while parkedat location.

Jan. 123900 block of Liberty PointDriveVictim reported his propanetank was stolen from outsidehis residence.

Jan. 137300 block of Count FleetDriveSuspect/s gained entry to thevictim’s residence through aside door. No signs of forcedentry were noted. Property wasreported stolen.

Jan. 1513300 block of Master StagDriveUnknown suspect/s kicked inthe rear door and gained entryto the victim’s residence. Prop-erty was reported stolen.

23113Jan. 9600 block of Watkins CentreParkwayProperty removed fromunlocked truck, left parkedovernight at construction site.

Jan. 103700 block of James RiverRoadMultiple vehicles parked atlocation were entered. Several

of the vehicles had been leftunlocked and others had theirwindows broken out.

Jan. 141200 block of Huguenot RoadSuspect was observed in theladies’ bathroom at location.

23114Jan. 1013000 block of Ardara Lane.Items were taken from two ve-hicles at location. Both vehicleshad been left unlocked.

23235Jan. 11100 block of Gateway CentreParkwaySuspect admitted to the victimthat he took item from hervehicle.

2300 block of McKessonDriveSuspect/s gained entry to thevictim’s residence through anunlocked side window. Severalareas inside the residence wererummaged through and prop-erty was reported stolen.

23236Jan. 103500 block of CourthouseRoadItems taken from victim’s un-locked vehicle.

Jan. 129900 block of Hull StreetRoadComplainant reported propertyhe placed outside location wasstolen.

Jan. 14600 block of Moorefield ParkDriveUnknown suspect/s gainedentry to the location by forc-ing open the front door anddisabling the alarm system.Property was reported stolen.A vehicle located near the loca-tion was stolen.

Jan. 152500 block of Dorel LaneUnknown suspect/s gainedentry to the victim’s garageand forced entry to his vehicleparked inside. Property wasreported stolen.

8200 block of MidlothianTurnpikeUnknown suspect/s rummagedthrough victim’s vehicle andtook items.

800 block of Georgiana CourtKnown suspect had called thevictim, asking for money. Asshe opened her door to him,the suspect pushed the victimand took her wallet. The sus-pect later returned the stolenitems to the victim.

23832Jan. 117200 block of BarkbridgeRoadUnknown suspect/s removeda screen from the rear kitchenwindow in an attempt to gainentry to the victim’s residence.Entry was not gained and atthis time nothing has beenreported stolen.

Jan. 166200 block of Verdict CourtVictim was walking home,when the suspects ap-proached. The armed suspectordered the victim to theground, while the unarmed onesearched the victim’s pockets,taking items. Suspects thenran off.

All data are based on the publicly available Chesterfield County Police Department daily arrest and crime releases and are reportedaccording to Federal Incident Based Reporting rules.

CRIME REPORT

Advertise inMidlothianExchange!

Call Julie Abse at(804) 356-4810

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BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Chesterfield Countynative ConnorSenning is flyinghigh these days.

Not only is he earning aneducation at The Universityof the Arts in Philadelphia,Pa., but he’s also doing aerialwork and modern danceroutines while on tour withperformance troupe BrianSanders’ JUNK.

Senning started dancingwith Chesterfield Dance Cen-ter when he was 8 years old.Around the same time, healso began performing withChesterfield School of Ballet.

When Senning was 12years old, he won a nationalaudition for the Broadwaytour of “Oliver.”

At first, Senning wasselected as an understudy,but he eventually became afull cast member when hetook over the role of Spider, amember of Fagin’s gang.

“That was my first bigperformance,” Senning said.“And I traveled for ninemonths with my mom whilewe were out on tour.”

“It was a normal Broad-way audition with a cattlecall, and it was an out-of-no-where kind of thing when ithappened. They cast me as anunderstudy, and I learned allof the boys’ parts.”

After the young man whohad originally been cast asSpider left the show, Sen-ning took on the role whenthe production stopped in

Richmond. He portrayed thecharacter from 2003 to 2004.

“We stayed in cities forone or two weeks at a time,so I took that time to relearnthe parts,” Senning said. “AndI did Spider’s role during thelast couple of shows in Rich-mond, but Philadelphia waswhere I really started doingthe part full-time.”

When the show’s runended, Senning returned toChesterfield County to per-form with the ChesterfieldDance Center again. Soonafter, he attended a board-ing program for high schoolstudents at University ofNorth Carolina School ofthe Arts in Winston-Salem,N.C.

And when it was time forSenning to select a college, heapplied to Point Park Univer-sity, Purchase College – StateUniversity of New York,University of North Caro-lina School of the Arts andThe University of the Arts.Senning was offered scholar-ships at all four schools, buthe said he accepted a full rideto The University of the Artsbecause the institution gavehim flexibility in choosing amajor.

“Well, it has three verydistinct programs,” Senningsaid. “Modern, jazz and bal-let, but you study all of thoseduring your first two years.”

“But, my junior year,which I’m in now, is whenyou choose your major, and Ichose modern. Also, being ina big city like Philadelphia is

a huge draw for me becausethere are a lot more opportu-nities there.”

Brian Sanders, one ofSenning’s first-year instruc-tors, immediately recognizedhis talent and recruited himto join Sanders’ dance andtheater troupe. Since 2011,Senning has been touringwith Sanders’ latest show,“Patio Plastico Plus,” an actthat combines dancing anddaring aerial work with out-of-the-ordinary props.

“He’ll find an object, likea big metal cube that hangsfrom the ceiling, and wedance inside of it,” Senning

said. “And there are ropesthat hang from the ceilinghorizontally.”

So, what are Senning’s as-pirations for the future? Well,he said he hopes to tour witha modern dance companythat will help him to see theworld, but, more than that,he just wants to be paid to dowhat he loves.

“Ever since I startedperforming at 8 years old, it’sbeen natural for me, and it’ssomething that I can alwaysstrive to be better at,” Sen-ning said. “But I’ve alwaysloved the arts, just because(they’re) inside of me.”

Senning’s performances marrymodern dance with aerial work

SUBMITTEDPHOTOChesterfieldCounty nativeConnorSenninghas beenperformingsince he waseight years old.

4 || FEBRUARY 2, 2012 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMEXPLAIN NEWS || FEATURES

3229 Anderson HighwayPowhatan, Va 23114Office: (804) 379-6451Fax: (804) 379-6215Mail: PO Box 10 Powhatan, VA 23139

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Vol. V, 52nd edition

© 2011 by Richmond SuburbanNews, a Media General Company.All advertising and editorialmatter is fully protected and maynot be reproduced without thepermission of the publisher.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WASABI THE SUDOKU GAME WITH A KICK!

Debates drama: Holdyour applause, maybe!

Advertise in Midlothian Exchange!Call Julie Abse at (804) 356-4810 for details.

BY JIM RIDOLPHISpecial Correspondent

I’ve been watching most of the Republicandebates. I’m not sure if that’s the result of ahunger for entertainment or information,but the hint of drama is too tempting to

resist.From the beginning of this year’s series of

debates, it was clearly evident that a change informat was in effect, with audience participation,applause and cheering welcomed.

It made the debates more engaging, and, nodoubt, created a better television environmentlikening it more to a competition than a discus-sion. At first I was annoyed with the constantdelays caused by audience applause, moans andgroans.

For most of my politically aware life, I’d pa-tiently seen the moderator remind the audienceto hold all applause until the end, in the interestof time and so candidates would have more of itto provide answers. It seemed like the quest fortruth won over the desire to provide home fieldadvantage.

That all changed when the debates began lastyear. Last month, in South Carolina the audiencebecame the story by creating a near pep rally at-mosphere that propelled Newt Gingrich into thelead and an eventual win in the Palmetto state.

Some astute political survivors even surmisedthe victory came when Newt went after modera-tor John King with a wildly enthusiastic endorse-ment from the audience. Who knows what reallycaused Mitt Romney to lose a near 20-point leadand fail to end the nomination process rightthere in Charleston?

When NBC’s Brian Williams attempted toappease debate purists like myself by not allow-ing applause during the following debate, theaction grew painfully slow, resulting in a lessthan jaw-dropping performance from Gingrichor Romney.

Gingrich promptly demanded that all future

debates allow applause, at least the ones he choseto take part in. Networks quickly obliged andCNN, which had previously allowed applause,made no effort to limit audience participation.

Be careful what you wish for or where you placeyour righteous indignation. The crowd in Jackson-ville last week was clearly for Romney. Whetherthat was just the well placed luck of the draw ormore organized attempts to ensure outcomes, theaudience that one state away gave Newt politicallife, quickly took it away in Jacksonville.

Couple the enthusiastic audience with a reju-venated front-runner, and the results resembleda clear-cut victory for Romney. If it proves noth-ing else, it illustrates just how finicky audiencescan be and how quickly their choices change.

That brings us back to applause at presidentialdebates. It just might be a generational debaterather than a political philosophy question. Ipersonally prefer a well ordered question andanswer session to a pep rally, and I certainlydon’t want nominations awarded on who getsthe loudest applause or has the most vocal sup-porters. At the risk of overreacting, it might beconsidered the first sign of mob rule.

I’ve also lived long enough to know that audi-ence involved debates are here to stay, and soonthe numerous cable news networks will be offer-ing “mob” specialists to ensure every candidatehas the right mix at any given event. So muchfor the merits of argument, the absolute neces-sity for a level playing field and the rules of civildebate.

Realizing that I am probably in the minoritywith my somewhat snobbish observations oncivil debate, I’m prepared to live with the newformats.

I’m just wondering who will bring the firstcowbells through the door, and how long beforewe see the wave flowing through the audience.Doesn’t that image rattle your patriotic pride?!

Bottom line, there’s a thin line between politicsand entertainment, and getting smaller every day.

M I D L O T H I A N

EXEXCHANGECOM

BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Plant seeds aren’t often con-sidered historical artifacts,but the Chesterfield His-torical Society of Virginia’s

upcoming Heirloom Seed Exchangechallenges that notion.

The program will give par-ticipants the chance to learn aboutheirloom seeds and their healthbenefits.

Patty Watts is a member of theChesterfield Historical Society ofVirginia and the chairman of thegroup’s Heirloom Seed Exchange.

As Watts said, heirloom seeds areopen-pollinated, which means thattheir pollen has been passed fromplant to plant by natural sourcessuch as bees and the wind.

Watts, who has been gardeningoff and on for more than 40 years,returned to the pastime after shewas diagnosed with non-alcoholicliver cirrhosis. And she changed herdiet immediately in response to thediagnosis.

“My doctor said, ‘You have toturn it around, or you’ll be a can-didate for a liver transplant’,” Wattssaid. “But he didn’t know whatcaused it, and I figured that it hadto be coming from the food I waseating.”

Watts’ daughter suggested thatshe take up a totally organic diet.And, according to Watts, her healthimproved in less than a month.

“I took everything out of myrefrigerator, cupboard and freezer,and, in three weeks, my liverenzymes went back to normal. Thechange I made was the food, and(my doctor) couldn’t quite believeit.”

Soon, Watts started gardeningagain and began to grow her ownfruits and vegetables. Then, shedecided to share the lessons thatshe learned during her ordeal withothers.

“So, I went to the HistoricalSociety, and I said that I wanted toturn my lemons into lemonade,”Watts said. “By that time, I hadstarted growing all-organic food formyself, and I wanted to help otherpeople to learn to eat healthier.”

Watts had been aware of heir-loom seeds before she was diag-nosed with her illness, but she onlydiscovered that they hadn’t been

genetically modified by humansafter she did additional research.

“During my research, I foundout about some really horrendousthings that happen in the foodindustry with chemicals, preser-vatives and pesticide residue,”Watts said. “It’s like some of thesevegetables are producing their ownviruses, and that’s why organics isthe answer.”

Over the next few months, Wattsalso will teach various seminars atCastlewood that cover topics suchas canning and preserving food,drying and saving seeds and gettingchildren to eat their vegetables.During these classes, she will bejoined by horticulturalist JoanJackson, another Historical Societyof Virginia member.

At any rate, planning this typeof event hasn’t been easy for Watts.In fact, she researched heirloomseed companies on the Internetfor months and solicited them forpackets to distribute during themeet-up.

At this writing, Watts hasamassed more than 2,300 herb,flower, fruit and vegetable seedpackets. And the ongoing programwill operate much like a lendinglibrary where users will be expectedto return twice as many seeds asthey take.

“Many seed companies have al-most uniformly dropped heirloomsfrom their inventories, and they’reonly growing hybrids or geneticallymodified organisms now,” Wattssaid. “So, if we don’t save theseseeds, they’re going to be goneforever, kind of like how we’re (indanger of) losing the rainforest.”

The Chesterfield HistoricalSociety of Virginia’s Heirloom SeedExchange will start be held from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. today (Thursday, Feb.2) at Castlewood on 10201 IronBridge Road in Chesterfield.

Admission is $5, which includesan annual membership in the SeedExchange and 10 seed packets.

Then, the Heirloom Seed Ex-change will continue from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. every Thursday throughMay 31.

For more information, call 768-0616 or check out the ChesterfieldHistorical Society of Virginia’swebsite at www.chesterfieldhistory.com.

Seed Exchange helpskeep plants pure

CONTRIBUTED REPORTIn December, Breath Matters in

Midlothian was recognized by theOne Good Turn Project, a philan-thropic endeavor by CommotionPromotions to help nonprofit orga-nizations spread the message abouttheir organization.

Starting a year ago, for eachmonth, the One Good Turn Projectreviewed applications and selecteda recipient based on several criteria,including, but not limited to, audi-

ence served, timing, value and meritof the cause, impact.

The designated organization isthen awarded $500 worth of promo-tional products to use to promotethe good they’re doing. BreathMatters was the only organization inVirginia to receive such recognition.

Twelve more organizations willbe awarded the donation this year.To apply, or to learn more about theOne Good Turn Project, visit com-motionpromotions.com.

Breath Matters recognizedby One Good Turn Project

Concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday,March 1, in the Cosby Theater.The Titans and the Advanced Bandfrom Tomahawk Creek MiddleSchool, under the direction ofAndrew Brock, will perform. Ad-

mission for this concert is free.The Titan Band will present its

6th Annual Concert at 7:30 p.m.on Friday, May 18.

The show will feature a celebritymaster of ceremonies, a wide vari-ety of music and a rousing Patriotic

Finale. Alan Chez, the trumpetplayer on the CBS’s David Letter-man Show, will return to Cosbyas guest soloist. He last performedwith the band in May 2010.

Tickets will go on sale the weekof the concert.

PHOTO BY EARL SHAFFERThe Cosby Titan band will lead the Disney Main Street Electric Light Parade on March 30. The parade isconsidered Walt Disney World’s most coveted performance opportunity.

BAND from page 1

Historical Society’s program teachesparticipants about seeds’ benefits

FEBRUARY 2, 2012 || 5MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM EXPLORE YOUR WORLD || TRAVEL

STUFF TO DOE-mail your event to editor@midlothianexchange.com. Subject line: EVENT

FRIDAY, FEB. 3The Bon Air Artists Associ-ation’s monthly meeting willbe held at 9:30 a.m. at theCongregation Or Ami, lo-cated at 9400 Huguenot Rd.,Richmond. The Associationwill welcome speaker ChuckLarivey, a businessman whochanged his career path to acareer as an artist. For ques-tions, contact Nell Chesley at217-8950.

Concerts for a Cause pres-ents “Around the World in60 Minutes,” featuring IrishSoprano Anne O’Byrne ac-companied by David Fisk, at7:30 p.m. at Salisbury Pres-byterian Church, 13621 W.Salisbury Rd., Midlothian. Formore information, call 794-5311. A free-will offering willbe taken to benefit EmbraceRichmond.

MONDAY, FEB. 6Eligible taxpayers can receivefree help preparing their 2011income tax return — andpotentially increase their re-funds by claiming the EarnedIncome Tax Credit (EITC) — atsite hosted by MetroCASHand Powhatan County. TheEITC is a refundable creditdesigned to help families andindividuals who work and earnmodest incomes — gener-ally, families with childrenearning less than $49,078 andindividuals without childrenearning less than $13,660. Thebenefit could provide a federalrefund of $5,751 for familieswith three or more childrenand $464 for individuals.Trained volunteers will helpeligible taxpayers prepareand file returns at 13 sitesthroughout the metropolitan

area, including one in Pow-hatan County, Commissionerof Revenue Office, 3834 OldBuckingham Road, Powhatan,from 5 to 8 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB. 7The Midlothian Garden Clubmeets at 10:30 a.m. the firstTuesday of every month atBethel Baptist Church, 1100Huguenot Springs Road. Feb-ruary’s meeting will featurePeggy Singlemann, xirectorof Horticulture at Maymont,who will give a power-pointpresentation titled “History ofMaymont Gardens.” Horticul-ture specimens and artisticfloral designs will also be dis-played by members. Refresh-ments will be served at noon.The meeting is open to thepublic. Guests and prospec-tive members are welcome.For more information, contactDolores at 794-3002 or Sandyat 379-4515.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8The New Virginians, a club forwomen new to the Richmondarea in the last two years, willhave its monthly luncheonat 11:30 a.m. at StonehengeCountry Club, 1000 FarnhamDr., Richmond. The guestspeaker will bwe Paul Lev-engood, head of the VirginiaHistorical Society. The costfor the luncheon is $25.Prospective members arewelcome. For more informa-tion, contact Linda Egglestonat 744-2025.

THURSDAY, FEB. 9The Farnsworth Invention byAaron Sorkin (The West Wing,A Few Good Men and TheSocial Network) will be pre-sented by the Midlothian High

School Theatre Departmentat 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9, 10 and 11.The cost is $5 for Thursdayand $10 for Friday and Sat-urday. For more information,visit www.midlotheatre.org.

WEEKLY TUESDAYSOvereaters AnonymousGroup #51606 meets at 2p.m. each Tuesday at CentralBaptist Church, located at1510 Courthouse Rd., Rich-mond (Misson House in rearof church). For more informa-tion, call Peg at 379-9558.

The Bethia United MethodistChurch Mothers of Pre-schoolers (MOPS) programis accepting registrations andaccepting new members.Bethia MOPS meets from 9:30a.m. to noon on the first, thirdand fifth Tuesdays from Sept.20 through May 15. For moreinformation, contact Kara Har-ris at 763-6067 or karaharris@verizon.net. Bethia UnitedMethodist Church is locatedat 10700 Winterpock Road,Chesterfield.

WEEKLY THURSDAYSMoms of Tots to Teens(MOTTS) meets from 9:45a.m. to noon at Bon AirBaptist Church, 2531 BufordRoad, every first and thirdThursday of the month. Pre-school childcare is available.For more information, contactLoretta Sherwood at tiandlo@aol.com or go to www.bonair-baptist.org/motts.

The Al-Anon meeting Awakento Hope is held at 7:30 p.m.each Thursday at St. JohnNeumann Catholic Churchlocated at 2480 Batterson Rd.in Powhatan.

Advertise in Midlothian Exchange!Call Julie Abse at (804) 356-4810 for details.

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BY LATIKA LEESpecial Correspondent

Whether the vis-it is during theday or night,the Martin

Luther King Jr. Memorial inWashington, D.C., provides aspectacular cultural site.

The 30-foot granitemonument − which washand-carved from one stonesymbolizing the “mountainof despair” and transformedinto three separate stones −is the newest memorial at theNational Mall and MemorialParks.

The living memorialpreserves the memory of theRev. Dr. Martin Luther KingJr., who was a visionary, min-ister and public intellectual.

Born on Jan. 15, 1929,Dr. King took a leading rolein the African-AmericanCivil Rights Movement in the1950s and 1960s. He also wasa tireless advocate for racialequality and social justice.

The non-violent philoso-pher was an activist for thenation’s working class andoppressed people around theworld. He was awarded theNobel Peace Prize in 1964.

The Martin Luther KingJr. Memorial was conceivedby members of the Alpha PhiAlpha fraternity, where Dr.King was a member, and com-pleted under the leadershipof the Martin Luther King Jr.Memorial Foundation.

After a lengthy review andselection process, as well asan exhaustive fundraisingcampaign, the memorialwas completed last year anddedicated on Aug. 23, 2011,the 48th anniversary of the“March on Washington forJobs and Freedom.” It wasduring this march − beforean audience of 200,000people − that Dr. King de-livered his famous speech “IHave a Dream” at the LincolnMemorial.

This year’s Dr. King holi-

day commemoration, whichwas observed on Jan. 16, wasthe first where visitors to thenation’s capital could visit thememorial.

Known for its monumen-tal scale, the memorial standsin the vista between theLincoln Memorial and theThomas Jefferson Memorial.The four-acre site, locatedat 1964 Independence Ave.,incorporates the elements ofstone, earth and water.

An inscription wall,carved with 17 of Dr. King’squotations in relief, stresshis four primary messages offreedom, democracy, hopeand love. Free-flowing watercascades down the walls andis illuminated at night.

Detached from the Moun-tain of Despair, the lifelikeimage of Dr. King, sculptedby Chinese Master artistLei Yixin, emerges from the“Stone of Hope.” It was madefrom 182 blocks of an uniquewhite granite and is inscribed

with two quotations: “out ofthe mountain of despair…astone of hope”. It faces theTidal Basin and neighborsthe Franklin D. RooseveltMemorial. The MLK Memo-rial is the first memorial tohonor a United States citizenwho was not a war hero orpresident.

An international compe-tition for the design of thememorial was held wheremore than 1,500 entries wererequested from 52 differentcountries. Construction on itbegan in 2010 and was man-aged by the oldest minority-owned architecture/engineer-ing firm in the United States,McKissack & McKissack.

One hundred eighty-twoflowering Japanese cherryblossoms have been plantedon the site and will bloom inearly spring as a reminder ofthe assassination of Dr. Kingin Memphis, Tenn., on April4, 1968. He was 39 years oldat the time of his death.

Memorial a monumental testimony to King

SUBMITTED PHOTOThe Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial stands between theLincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial in Washington,D.C. The granite monument is 30 feet tall and was hand-carved from a single stone.

CONTRIBUTED REPORTThe Richmond Youth

Peace Project, in commemo-rating the life and legacyof Dr. Martin Luther KingJr., will present its seventhannual Youth Educoncert,Generation Dream 2012.

Shows are scheduled for 7p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3, at theRichmond Public Library’smain branch, 101 E. FranklinSt. (free), and 2 p.m. on Sat-urday, Feb. 4, at the ScienceMuseum of Virginia (freewith museum admission).

The Friday show is beingpresented as part of FirstFridays Artwalk; the Satur-day performance is present-ed in conjunction with theScience Museum’s exhibit,Race: Are We So Different?which opened on Saturday,Jan. 28.

Generation Dream 2012

features talented youth per-formers from throughout theRichmond metropolitan area.

Performers will includeMinds in Motion Team XXL;Taaluma African dance; Indi-an dance and music from Ap-saras Arts Dance Group andGandharva North America;dance from Rave’ Williamsand the Noelle ConnectDancers; instrumental musicfrom Pranay Vissa and SethVickers, songs from KristaOlson and Nyenda DiamondAnderson; rock and roll fromthe Firehawks Band; andspoken word by Angelica DeJesus and Vibha Patel.

The young perform-ers will be supported localprofessionals Ezibu Muntu(Saturday only); Theresa Gand Drums No Guns.

The Richmond YouthPeace Project (RYPP) is an

program of the RichmondPeace Education Center,along with Drums No Guns.

In addition to the annualconcert, RYPP also trainsteens in conflict resolutiontechniques, promotes leader-ship as RYPP youth sharethose skills with other chil-dren and youth; and spon-sors an annual Youth PeaceSummit (scheduled for April28) at which teens participatein a variety of workshopspromoting social justice,conflict resolution, leadershipand positive self-expressionof the arts.

For more information onGeneration Dream 2012, orany other RYPP program,contact The Richmond PeaceEducation Center, 3500Patterson Ave., Richmond;232-1002; rypp@rpec.org; orwww.rpec.org.

Generation Dream 2012honors King’s Legacy

Paranormal tour to explore history,haunted activity of Magnolia GrangeCONTRIBUTED REPORT

Spirited History Investiga-tions, a team of professionalparanormal investigators, willexplore the rich history andhaunted activity of historicMagnolia Grange Plantationfrom 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturday,Feb. 4.

The plantation is locatedat 10020 Iron Bridge Rd.,Chesterfield.

During the tour, you willhear spine-tingling tales andthe fascinating history of thetreasured site.

The cost is $20 per per-son. Ages 8 through adult

are invited.Those planning to par-

ticipate may bring camerasand records as they pursue aghostly experience.

To register, visit www.chesterfieldhistory.com.

For more information, callDiane Dallmeyer at 796-7131.

The Chesterfield CountyDepartment of Parks andRecreation is offering aseries of classes for seniorsbeginning in February.

Beginner Bridge willbe held from 10 a.m. tonoon on Wednesdays, Feb.1 through March 7, at theBon Air Baptist Church,2531 Buford Road (course22752). The fee is $42 perperson, and registration isrequired.

Watercolor for OlderAdults will be offered from

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. onMondays, Feb. 6 throughMarch 19, at the MidlothianYMCA, 737 Coalfield Road,(course 22565). Learn basictechniques and principlesof designs. Supplies will beavailable for purchase fromthe instructor. The fee is $63per person.

Beginner Drawing alsois offered from 1 to 3 p.m.on Mondays, Feb. 6 throughMarch 19, at the MidlothianYMCA (course 22569). Em-phasis will be on the begin-

ner student, but individualinstruction will be availablefor all. Supplies will be avail-able for purchase from theinstructor. The fee is $63 perperson.

For a full list of classes,including continuing bridge,watercolor and drawing,visit chesterfield.gov/parksand download the currentProgram Guide.

For more informationabout these programs, callJudy Jones at 751-4135.

To register, call 748-1623.

Parks Department offers classes for seniors

� || FEBRUARY 2, 2012 MidlothiAnExchAngE.coMsports || fitnessEXERCISE

PHOTO COURTESY PERCELL BROWNAlyson Brown will trade in her red-and-white Richmond Kickers uniform forthe red and white of North Carolina State after graduating from James River.

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLManchester's Shayne Mims (left) battles Patriot's Zach Catron during the 182-pound final at Saturday's Lancer Invitational.

By JIM MCCoNNELLjmcconnell@midlothianexchange.com

As sophomores andjuniors, Jonathan Tomsand Shayne Mims hadthe luxury of coming

to practice every day and focus-ing solely on improving their ownskills. That was no longer the casewhen Manchester High’s wrestlingteam gathered in November forits first workout of the 2011-12season.

Everywhere they looked, Tomsand Mims saw new faces. It didn’ttake long for the Lancers’ loneseniors to realize that they’d havehelp their mostly inexperiencedteammates deal with the mentaland physical challenges of highschool wrestling.

“It’s a big responsibility,” saidToms, who was selected as thetournament’s outstanding wrestlerafter winning the 145-pound titleat Saturday’s Lancer Invitational.

“When I was coming upthrough the program, I was look-ing forward to being a leader. Itwas a hard adjustment at first. Thecoaches had a lot of expectationsfor me and I wasn’t really liking ittoo much. But it’s really rewarding,

Senior momentsCaptains Toms, Mims take leadership role with young Lancers

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLManchester's Jonathan Toms works for points in the 145-pound finalagainst Patriot's Gabe McGinniss.

being able to have this role.”Toms is unquestionably

Manchester’s best and most expe-rienced wrestler. He reached the135-pound final at the DominionDistrict tournament last season

before falling to Midlothian’s JerryRonnau, then won one match atthe Central Region championships.

Hoping to build on that perfor-mance, Toms spent much of theoffseason traveling to out-of-state

camps and tournaments.By the time he reported for the

Lancers’ initial preseason workout,Toms had added strength and theexperience of having tested himselfagainst a bunch of top-level wres-tlers.

Manchester coach Jesse Longwasted no time naming Toms andMims as captains. That didn’tmean they were immediately readyfor the assignment.

“They’ve had a learning curve,too,” Long said. “They oversteppedtheir bounds a little bit early in theseason. I had to remind them thatthey’re not the coach and they can’tsay things to people the way I saythem.”

Long reminded the veteran duothat because so many of the Lanc-ers were first-year wrestlers, theteam would have to return to thebasics during preseason workouts.He also advised that a more posi-tive approach to leadership wouldwork better than constantly harp-ing on what the kids were doingwrong.

Upon reflection, both seniorshave been able to put themselves

By JIM MCCoNNELLjmcconnell@midlothianexchange.com

Alyson Brown just com-pleted the first semesterof her junior year atJames River High, but

she knew she couldn’t afford towait much longer without risking ascholarship offer from her favoritecollege suitor.

While many of Brown’s class-mates are just now starting to takethe SAT and evaluate their collegeoptions, the 16-year-old soccerstandout now is subject to theNCAA’s rapidly accelerated time-table for Division I recruiting.

So rather than holding out forother offers that may never havematerialized, the gifted teenagergave a verbal commitment to playcollege soccer for North CarolinaState out of the prestigious AtlanticCoast Conference.

“The longer you take to makeyour decision, the more opportu-

nity you give other girls to decideand maybe take your scholarship,”Brown said last week. “I knew ifI didn’t commit this semester, Iprobably wouldn’t get a chance toplay for my first choice.”

Brown knew she wanted to at-tend N.C. State from the first mo-ment she and her parents set footon the Raleigh campus. She lovedthe school, its business programand the coaching staff, was excitedby the opportunity to play in oneof the nation’s most competitivecollege soccer leagues and thoughtthe university’s location offereda perfect mix of “close enough tohome, but not too close.”

“Everything seemed perfect,”Brown said.

Brown, who has been playingelite-level club soccer for sev-eral years, knew long ago that shewanted to play the sport beyond

Brown makescollege choice

LAnCers p7

BroWn p7

localteam,globalflavor

By FREd JETERspecial correspondent

Introductions are inorder …

It’s time forMidlothian to say

howdy to the SportsQuestSpartans, the area’s newest(and certainly most uniqueand global) high schoolbasketball squad.

Wearing black and orangeuniforms, the Spartans13-person school and rosterare one in the same, withjump shooters as far away asCanada, France, Montenegro,England and The Philippines.

The team is coached byTony Tucker, who orches-trated a similar residential,sports-minded school inLas Vegas before being luredto SportsQuest by CEO Dr.Steve Burton.

Director of Operations islong-time Richmonder MikeDavis, a former VirginiaTech basketball player whocoached and mentoredyoung athletes for nine yearsat U-Turn Academy.

The boarding athletesreside, several to a room, in adormitory at IndependenceGolf Club.

The Spartans practiceand play home games atRichmond Volleyball Club,off Staples Mill Road, onthe same court used for theNCAA Southwest Regionallast winter in San Antonio.

With a somewhat overlap-ping roster, SportsQuest hasboth prep and post-gradsquads, with young menranging in age 14 to 20.

They are in the midst ofa 30-game schedule againstprimarily private schools outof state.

To put into perspective:On Jan. 12, the prep Spartansdefeated Meadowbrook, 53-52, at Virginia State, snap-ping the Monarchs’ six-gamewinning streak.

The yearly cost forroom, board and training is$39,500; or $29,000 for thefour commuters. Scholarshipaid is available based on fam-ily need.

Here’s a typical schedule:6:30 a.m. – Rise and shine,

shower, eat catered breakfast,pack bags for training andschool. Take SportsQuest vanfor half-hour ride to gym.

8:30-11 – Skills trainingand drills under Tucker andDavis at RVC.

11-1 p.m.: Relaxation andcatered lunch (sometimeshot food, other times sand-wich and salad).

1-2 – Strength and condi-tioning at RVC. Shower andchange clothes.

2-3 – Ride van to newClover Hill High School forclassroom studies.

3-7 – Take on-line classeswith laptops; Clover HillHigh faculty is involved withhands-on teaching.

7:30 – Back to dorm andeat catered dinner.

8-10:30 – Study hall andsocial time in “junior club-house” with wide-screen TVand various video and boardgames.

10:30 – Lights out foryounger boys

11:30 – Lights out forolder boys.

“It’s not the first time I’vedone something like this, andwe’re way beyond the pace ofmy previous ventures,” saidTucker.

“The first year is alwaysthe hardest part, but I’m

QUest p7

SportsQuesthas attractedplayers fromall over world

SportsQuest Baseball Academywill host its first “Meet the Pros"fundraiser tonight at 7 p.m.

The event's goals are to reachout to the local Richmond areato offer the opportunity for men,women, boys, and girls to interactwith current major league andminor league players.

Professional athletes scheduled

to attend include:* Adam Jones (09’ All Star,

MLB Orioles)* Willie Bloomquist (10 year

veteran, MLB Diamondbacks)* Danny Hultzen (U.Va. / 2nd

overall draft pick in 2011)* Tyler Wilson (Midlothian

High / U.Va. / Single-A Orioles)* Justin Wright (VT/ Single-A

Cardinals)* Jake Lowery (Cosby High /

JMU / Single-A Indians)Will Roberts (U.Va. / Single-A

Indians)Tickets for the event are $15,

which includes a dinner buffetfrom 7-8 p.m.

Other activities include an au-tograph session, photos and Q&A

session with the pros, as well as a50/50 raffle.

Proceeds from the “Meet thePros" fundraiser will be used topurchase new baseball trainingequipment for youth in the localcommunity.

The event will be held at theRISE Building, 2300 Oak LakeBlvd in Midlothian.

Professional baseball players coming to Midlothian

FEBRUARY 2, 2012 || �MidlothiAnExchAngE.coM sports || fitnessEXERCISE

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PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLManchester's Ben Causey dominates the 182-pound consolation final against Caroline's Daronte Rollins.

in the shoes of their muchyounger teammates.

“My freshman year, I wasterrible. I lost every one ofmy matches,” Toms said.“But I see the same drive anddesire to win in a lot of theyoung guys.”

Added Mims: “I was intheir place a couple years agoand I know what they’re go-ing through.”

Leading by example hascome naturally for Mims,who finished second in the182-pound class Saturday.

“Knowing these guys arelooking up to me, I knowI have to come to practiceand work hard every day,” hesaid. “Even if I don’t feel likeit, I’m doing it for them andhelping them get better.”

The Lancers’ effort isalready paying dividends.In addition to the seniors,Manchester also had threeyoung wrestlers advance tothe consolation finals:

Roger Causey placed thirdat 132 with a pin of Tabb’sDrew Lee.

Robert Rose claimed thirdat 160 with a victory overCulpeper’s Dmitri Dwyer.

Causey’s older brother,

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLManchester's Roger Causey gets his arm raised after pinning Tabb's Drew Lee in theconsolation final of the 132-pound weight class.

Ben, dominated his third-place match at 195 and beatCaroline’s Daronte Rollins.

“I see potential in a lotof these guys to be good,”Mims said. “When we leave,they’ll be the bigger guys onthe team.”

Instead of rushing outinto the commons and en-

joying a hard-earned dinnerafter receiving his first-placemedial, Toms showed howmuch he’s learned aboutleadership by stickingaround the gym and cheer-ing on his teammates.

He was the first one togreet Ben Causey with ahigh-five and a hug after

Causey’s victory in the con-solation final.

“I couldn’t think of any-body better-suited to helpyoung guys get better,” Longsaid of his senior captains.“If this team sticks togetherand does well, they’ll be ableto look back and know theystarted the ball rolling.”

get a quality education andlay the groundwork for herfuture.

“They always asked mewhat I thought [about aparticular school] beforethey told me what theythought,” Brown recalled.“We didn’t agree aboutevery school. Fortunately,they loved N.C. State just asmuch as I did.”

Already one of the tophigh school defenders in Vir-ginia, Brown acknowledgedthat the recruiting processwas “pretty stressful.”

She played in a numberof high-level showcasetournaments where everyplayer on the field was scru-tinized and evaluated bydozens of college coaches.Whenever she got nervous,she’d remind herself howmuch she still loved just be-ing able to play the game.

“I knew as long as Iplayed like I can, everythingwould work out,” she said.

Brown, who expects tostart her college career as anoutside back before eventu-ally moving to the center,said her greatest strengthis her instincts – an innateability to “just know whatto do on the field.”

Ihor Dotsenko, one ofher coaches with the Rich-

mond Kickers Elite, believesthat’s no accident. He saidBrown is a student of thegame and knows how to useher knowledge and experi-ence to her advantage.

“She reads the gamevery well, anticipates wherethe ball is going and putsherself in good positions,”Dotsenko said.

Brown is now in theenviable position of havingmade her college choiceand working to get betterbefore she can officiallysign her national letter-of-intent with the Wolfpack inthe fall.

“I still have to try hardand get good grades,” shesaid, “but it is a pretty bigrelief.”

Despite the risk ofinjury, Brown insisted shenever seriously considerednot playing her last two sea-sons of high school soccerat James River.

She loves her teammatesand coaches too much tosit out. Plus, her club teamdoesn’t compete during thespring and she’s got way toomuch energy to spend all ofher time in the library.

“I definitely thoughtabout how getting hurtcould affect my scholarship,but I love the game,” sheadded. “I can’t imagine notplaying.”

the hardest part, but I’mpleased with what we’vedone and excited about thefuture.

“This is going to begreat not only for our kidsinvolved, but for the com-munity, too.”

Tucker and Davis areworking to find living ar-rangements and a playingfacility closer to the mainSportsQuest campus offGenito Road.

Also, a girls’ team is on

the planning board for nextseason with Davis as headcoach.

Tucker believes muchfalse information is beingvolleyed around.

“I want people to know,because many have thewrong idea about us,” hesaid.

“This isn’t necessarily abunch of kids wanting toplay NBA or even big-timecollege … just kids with apassion for basketball, likesomeone might have for theviolin or piano.”

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