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SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY 03.15.12

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JRHS welcomes Olympic hopeful home Page 6

INSIDE SPORTS

BY BECKY ROBINETTE WRIGHTSpecial Correspondent

An elderly lady who was on home oxygen accidentally pulls her oxygen tubing over a lit candle, which ignites the tubing, causing

severe burns to the patient’s chest and face. Matoaca Fire Station #8, including fi refi ght-er Jason Elmore, was dispatched to the call.

“There have been numerous calls in the 18 years of my career that would be consid-ered life changing,” Elmore said. “But that [elderly burn victim] will be a call I will

always remember. She had severe burns and we called for MedFlight, and then trans-ported her to the landing zone behind the Bank of McKenney on River Road. She was having signifi cant trouble breathing.

When the MedFlight medics arrived, they needed to give her medication that would relax her and cause her to lose consciousness so they could put a breathing tube down her trachea to help her breathe.

“With the extent of her injuries, and her past medical history, we knew she would not survive her injuries,” Elmore

said. “Before her medication was adminis-tered, I placed my hands on her shoulders and I shared a prayer with her in hopes of comforting her. That is a call I will always remember because it made me realize that I will not always be able to “fi x” everybody, but I can do my best to comfort them in a very diffi cult time.”

Elmore began serving the community in his teen years.

“Growing up I always wanted to be a

Moseley man has fi ery faith

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON ELMOREPastor Jason Elmore holds a young child at the baptismal font.

Ironworks event brings the past to life Special Olympics athletes

bring their A-game to the courtBY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Falling Creek Ironworks was the fi rst iron blast furnace in North America, and, for that reason, it will always have a place in the annals of history.

Co-sponsored by the Falling Creek Iron-works Foundation and the Chesterfi eld County Department of Parks and Recreation, the annual Falling Creek Ironworks Day event that will take place on Saturday, March 17, will observe that fact while educating visitors about the location’s obscure past.

From 1619 to 1622, the blast furnace helped to bring heavy industry into the New World. And from 1750 to 1781, Archibald Cary, a key supporter of the American Revolution, had a forge there, although it shut down sometime during before the end of the war.

Lyle Browning is an archaeologist who has performed exploratory work for the Falling Creek Ironworks Foundation. On Saturday afternoon, Browning will lead hourly archaeo-logical tours and give talks to groups.

Browning is considered an authority on the site’s historical contributions, but he also is skilled in making an explanation of iron production come to life, which makes it easy to

BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Women’s efforts in the aviation industry aren’t often celebrated in public forums, but that con-cept is the focus of the upcom-

ing Gathering of Women Pilots event that will take place on Saturday, March 17, at Chester-fi eld County Airport.

On that day, the Virginia Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, a world-renowned group of fe-male pilots, will celebrate the efforts of women who fl y throughout the state.

Betty Vinson is the event coordinator and membership chairperson for the Virginia Chapter of the Ninety-Nines.

The group holds its meetings every third Saturday at a different state airport, but, since they have held most of their meetings at Chesterfi eld County Airport, Vinson said it was appropriate for the group to gather there on Saturday.

Pilot and fl ight instructor Sarah Morris, who also is a member of the Virginia Chapter of the Ninety-Nines, will be the featured guest speaker. In 2011, Morris won the Air Race Classic by fl ying more than 2,365 nautical miles

Women pilots assemble at county airport

Shamrock 5K Run celebrates St. Patrick’s DayBY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that is traditionally characterized by Irish food, festive music and fun. But, on Saturday, March 17, the fi rst-ever

Westchester Shamrock 5K Run and Kids’ 1K Fun Run will add fi tness to the mix.

Sponsored by Bon Secours St. Francis Watkins Centre, the races will travel through

the Westchester Commons Shopping Center and the Shoppes at Westchester in Midlothian.

According to Rob Hargett of the Rebkee Company and the Shoppes at Westchester, the Westchester Shamrock 5K is a collabora-tive effort that was conceived by notables in the local business community.

Along with Adrienne Rich of Free Agents Marketing, Brad Bailey of Gregg and Bailey,

CPAs, Julie Gordon of Westchester Com-mons Shopping Center and Zaremba Group, LLC and Lisa Kopeko of RaceIt, Hargett is one of the co-organizers for the event.

The fundraiser will benefi t two charitable efforts. The competition’s School Challenge will give a $500 donation to the area school with the most participants for physical

SUBMITTED PHOTOThe annual Falling Creek Ironworks Day educates visitors about North America’s fi rst blast furnace and its obscure past.

FIERY page 3

IRONWORKS page 3

PILOTS page 3 SHAMROCK page 4

PHOTOS BY PATRICK DOBBSAbove: Area 6 Chesterfi eld Blue Heat’s Michael Marshall snares a rebound against Chesterfi eld Green Heat’s Deion Gilbert. Right: Chesterfi eld Blue Heat’s Reginald Williams celebrates his two-pointer. Below: Chesterfi eld Green Heat’s Chelsea Gaughran leads a fast break with Chesterfi eld Blue Heat’s Ryan Rieck hustling back.

Left: Chesterfi eld Green Heat’s Robert Stowers scores to close the gap to one point.

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BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

When a father has a hand in his daughter’s

upbringing, it can have a monumental impact on her development. For that reason, Camp Diva will present its 5th annual Date with Dad Dinner and Dance celebration at the Cultural Center of India in Chester on Sunday, March 18.

Camp Diva is a Rich-mond-based nonprofi t organization that hosts af-ter-school and summer in-structional programs in the Central Virginia region that help teenage girls to raise their self-esteem. Specifi cal-ly, the organization targets African-American girls who are between the ages of 11 and 17 because its director and founder, Angela Patton, said that the need to do so exists in the local African-American community.

“We’re a nonprofi t that prepares girls for their passage into womanhood,” Patton said. “We have programs that enrich them spiritually, intellectually and academically.”

“And we think about the challenges that African-American girls and women face and try to equip them with the tools they need so they can fi nd their spark. That way, they can fi nd their ‘it’ and then excel towards developing their goals.”

Indeed, the occasion has grown substantially since its inception. “The fi rst year, 20 dads and 20 daughters came out, and it was all about connecting and reconnect-ing,” Patton said.

Because the event high-lights the importance of the bond between dads and daughters, it will recognize its members’ fathers. During the evening, the men and girls will take photos to-gether on a red carpet, share a meal and show off their dancing skills.

At the same time, the celebration will take time to acknowledge community leaders who have helped Camp Diva to further its mission. The festivities also will feature appearances by some well-known televi-sion and radio personalities, which Patton said she is excited.

Actor and Richmond native Chad L. Coleman, who portrayed the character Dennis “Cutty” Wise on the HBO series “The Wire,” will attend Sunday’s event with his daughter.

Patton said that Clo-via “Miss Community” Lawrence, the news director for Richmond’s Radio One stations and the executive director of the nationally syndicated radio show “The Tom Joyner Morning Show,” will present a video message to the fathers and daughters that Joyner taped especially for them.

But before the event hap-pens at the Cultural Center of India on Sunday, Camp Diva will host another Date with Dad Dinner and Dance event titled A Dance of Their Own at the Richmond City Jail on Saturday, March 17, for imprisoned fathers and their daughters.

“Fathers that were incarcerated wrote us and the girls read the letters that they wrote, so this year we have two dances, two events and two venues,” Patton said.

Sunday’s affair will be an acknowledgement of the strong bonds that exist be-tween the dads and daugh-ters who attend. Patton said she has seen the results of what strong paternal fi gures can contribute to adolescent girls’ lives fi rst-hand.

“Well, from my work with girls in the African-American community, I have experienced that girls who have fathers in their lives have better self-esteem, are more likely to continue their educations, and have better relationships in wom-anhood,” Patton said. “So, we want to break the cycles of fatherless homes.”

The Date with Dad Dinner and Dance will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 18, at the Cultural Center of India at 6641 Iron Bridge Parkway in Chester.

Tickets are $42 for each father and daughter couple and $15 for each additional daughter.

Advance registration is required, and tickets must be purchased online on or before Friday, March 16.

For more information, call 852-4385 or go to www.campdiva.org.

Dinner, dance celebrates dads and daughters

BY BECKY ROBINETTE WRIGHTSpecial Correspondent

The occasion was solemn but also joyous as building superintendent

Billy Keller and the Rev. James (Jay) H. Carey Jr., pastor, prepared to place a cross on the steeple of Bethia United Methodist Church.

Renovations have been completed and a new sec-tion added. Members of the congregation, the construc-tion crew, Keller and Carey gathered in a circle around the cross. A prayer was said and then Keller was lifted high in the bucket of special-ized work truck and the work was fi nalized by the placing of the cross.

The church’s history began in 1885 when a letter was sent to Rev. H.G. Cowan, a minister serving the Hallsbor-ough Charge, near the present day area of Midlothian and Huguenot roads, requesting he help several families form a Methodist Protestant Church in the Winterpock area.On Nov. 16, 1886, Rev. Cowan and the Rev. S.C. Orhum formally organized the Bethia Methodist Protestant Church.

In 1892, the church purchased the Bethia Baptist Church building and a half-acre of land for $75. The building had served as a ha-ven for sheep and horses, and been used as a school and a shelter for travelers.

A merger of three Meth-odist denominations in 1939 that created the Methodist Church, Bethia became part of a seven-church charge.

In 1957, the Winter-pock Charge was formed

with Centenary and Bethia Churches. The churches shared a pastor, men’s, women’s and youth groups.

In 1968, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Bretheren Churches merged to form the pres-ent-day United Methodist Church.

In 1976, a decision was made to purchase land for a new church and a ground breaking service was held for phase one of the building program.

The original church build-ing was sold to another de-nomination. The cornerstone and memorial were moved to the new location.

Carey has served as pastor since 1998 when he received his fi rst offi cial pastor’s ap-pointment.

“I received my ordination in Blacksburg at the annual conference,” he said.

Carey said he labored faithful and sought to be educated.

“I went to college and earned a business degree and became part of the Discov-ery Church. The Discovery Church became a place of renewal for me.”

Preaching seemed to be a natural path for Carey to follow.

“I felt like I was called at a young age,” he said. “I used to practice behind a closed door and in front of a mirror.”

Later in life, Carey said he had a time while he was at-tending business college that he wanted to prove to him-self that he wasn’t called to preach. But, he said, that was when he became involved with the Discovery Church and “instead my fi re was rekindled and I felt a surety that I was called.”

The pastor said that being part of Winterpock area’s his-tory is exciting.

“We’ve become a rural church the suburbs have grown to,” Carey said. ‘This church has struggled through the depression and come through. It’s been a church that was nestled in a kind of rural oasis and now the area has grown with businesses and homes.”

A special series of Easter worship services are sched-uled.

Carey said Easter season begins with Ash Wednesday. Then, there is Holy Week with Palm Sunday, Easter weekend and something special the church will be doing this year. “We’re go-ing to have a ‘Mock Tomb

Wake,’ ” said Carey. “Enough people don’t remember Jesus Christ dying. We are going to remember his time in the tomb.”

“On Easter Sunday, we will have a sunrise service starting 6:30 a.m. We’ll stand together outside of the church on the front porch and watch as the sun comes up. There have been some humorous moments in hav-ing the sunrise services,” the pastor said.

“One of the residents in the area had a rooster, “ Carey said, chuckling, “and every year for several years we would be standing and waiting on the sun. All of a sudden that rooster would start crowing and sure enough the sun came up.”

“The week of Easter Bethia United Method-ist Church will be offering shelter to Caritas. We think Easter is an especially great time to welcome visitors and to help others,” Carey said. “Sometimes we have guests from Caritas join us for Eas-ter services.”

Carey and his wife Ann have been married for 26 years. They have three chil-dren with one attending col-lege and two attending Cosby High School.

“History (of the church),” Carey said,”is not over – it’s still being written.”

The church is located at 10700 Winterpock Road.

For more information, visit http://www.bethiaumc.org or call 739-3459.

Bethia United Methodist Church past, present, future

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BETHIA UNITED METHODIST CHURCHBethia United Methodist Church recently underwent renovations and additions as shown in these photos of the construction work. Before the cross was placed atop the church, prayer was said.

Camp Diva’s 5th annual event set for March 18

CONTRIBUTED REPORTConnor Morgan Spangler, a fresh-

man at Virginia Tech and the son of Mark and Maresa Spangler of Midlothian, was recently awarded a rare Air Force ROTC scholarship that will cover his entire tuition for his remain-ing three years as a member of the university’s Corps of Cadets and Air Force ROTC program.

The scholarship also provides an annual book allowance and a monthly stipend.

Cadet Spangler attended the Math and Science High School at Clover Hill in Chesterfi eld County.

The Air Force ROTC In-College Scholarship Program (ICSP) is open to college freshmen and sophomores in any major.

To be eligible for the ICSP, a student must pass the Air Force ROTC physical fi tness test, have at least a 3.0 cumula-tive college grade point average, and display excellent communication and leadership skills among other criteria including community service.

Spangler’s record was submitted to the National Air Force ROTC Head-quarters by the Virginia Tech Air Force ROTC Leadership Team. He was then

selected from the national pool of nominees.

“Connor’s hard work is apparent with a 3.28 GPA last semester, and an excellent score of 96 on the physical

fi tness assessment. We are glad to have him on board and see his potential as an [United States Air Force] offi cer grow,” said Capt. Geffrey Moy, assis-tant professor of aerospace studies at Virginia Tech.

In addition to his Air Force ROTC ICSP scholarship, Spangler was one of only fi ve recipients of a $2,000 scholar-ship awarded by the Richmond chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association this past fall.

The chapter’s scholarship committee is comprised of Virginia Tech alumni from the Richmond area and selects their scholarship recipients based on academic merit, fi nancial need, community service and extracurricular activities during a student’s tenure in high school.

Spangler also was the recipient of the Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets Emerging Leader Scholarship.

Spangler, an Eagle Scout, is pursuing a double-major in aerospace engineer-ing and computer engineering, and he will earn a minor in leadership studies.

He plans to be a commissioned offi -cer out of college and serve his country.

His immediate career goal is to be a pilot in the United States Air Force and, ultimately, an astronaut.

Va. Tech cadet receives rare Air Force scholarship

SUBMITTED PHOTOVirginia Tech cadet Connor Morgan Spangler is pursuing a double-major in aerospace engineering and computer engineering. He hopes to ultimately become an astronaut.

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police offi cer, but I had sev-eral friends that volunteered for the fi re department and they encouraged me to join. Once I joined as a volunteer, I knew that I wanted to make it a career. I joined Colonial Heights Fire Department in 1993 as a volunteer when I was 19,” Elmore said. “I was hired as a career fi refi ghter with Colonial Heights in 1996.”

“There were two of us as-signed to a station,” he said. “If we received a fi re call, we jumped on the engine; if we received a medical call, we jumped on the ambulance.”

Elmore now makes his home in Moseley, serving as a career fi refi ghter with Chesterfi eld Fire and EMS. He has served as a fi refi ghter and advanced to the rank of lieutenant. He serves as the department’s public information offi cer (PIO) and Community Programs coordinator.

As a PIO, Elmore acts as a liaison between the depart-ment and the media.

“I interact with the media as the department’s spokes-person on behalf of the fi re chief,” Elmore said. “Within this role, I am on several committees and boards such as Chesterfi eld TRIAD, Cen-tral Virginia Media Council and Media Advisory Council at Clear Channel Communi-cations.”

What makes a public safety career stand out? “It’s a career that is very rewarding, “Elmore said excitedly. “Every day you come to work you have the potential to make the difference in someone’s life. You just have to take each opportunity that is presented and do the best you can for the citizen, and by doing that you will make a difference. The fi re service has some of the best men and women in this world and I have been so blessed to get to know and work with so many of them.”

Elmore said his faith is central in his life.

At Bethia United Method-ist Church in Winterpock, he serves as an associate pastor.

“My family was looking for a new church once we moved to the area and found a United Methodist Church that was friendly and full of love,” Elmore said. “The assistant pastor was the Rev. Bill Terry at the time we started visiting. My young-est daughter had just been born (4 weeks old) and the week after our fi rst visit to the church she was taken to Chippenham Hospital for a severe respiratory virus. When we came home from

the hospital, Rev. Terry stopped by the house to visit (not knowing what we had just gone through). I felt that this was a sign from God that we were supposed to be a part of the Bethia church family. Rev. Terry prayed for my daughter that day and has been a mentor/inspira-tion to me ever since.”

Emergencies happen at church, too.

“With a congregation of around 300, there have been many opportunities for me,” Elmore continued, “to use my medical background to help those while at church.”

“We have had members pass out, have chest pains, trouble breathing, etc., that I have been able to step in and begin treatment while waiting on the men and women of Chesterfi eld Fire and EMS.”

Members of the congre-gation have been trained by Elmore to use an AED (automated external defi bril-lator) device.

“Our church had put money aside to purchase two AEDs about a year prior to making the purchase,” Elmore said. “I knew if we purchased these devices that we would need some basic training on how to use them. Our United Methodist Men’s group sponsored a training class for any member that would be interested in learn-ing how to operate the AED. I provided the training to about 30 members. Hope-fully they will never have to use it, but if they do, they will know how.”

“As I look back and think about how God called upon me to go down the road of ministry, there were so many events that I could relate but during those events I was not ready to listen.”

“It was not until 2005,” Elmore said, “that my ears were opened to the wonder-ful voice of God. My father became sick with cancer and died after a short nine-month battle. During those nine months, my only com-fort was through the Lord and the assurance of know-ing that my dad was at home with God. I started listening to God and His voice became so clear. He was calling me to into a service oriented role other than my fi re depart-ment job. He was calling me to be a pastor.”

Elmore and his wife Christy have been married almost 13 years. They have two daughters, Reese, 10, and Kenley, 7.

“Focusing on God, my family, and serving God’s children is what I desire most out of life,” Elmore said.

FIERY from page 1understand why Falling Creek Ironworks deserves to be preserved.

“The Falling Creek Ironworks is the earliest blast furnace in the New World to make iron ore, smelt it and make pig iron,” Browning said. “With pig iron, you can cast it and pour it into a mold to make cannonballs. And the other thing you can do is to forge it into wrought iron that you can beat with a hammer and turn it into something, because it takes more carbon out of the iron.”

“But this thing is the beginning of North American heavy iron industry before U.S. Steel and (Andrew) Carnegie, who wouldn’t have been here otherwise. So, that’s what the place started as.”

Although chronological fi ndings will certainly be mentioned, they will only comprise a segment of Saturday afternoon’s festivities. That is, in ad-dition to the tours, there will be other activities that will help attendees to see what it was like to live in Chesterfi eld’s past days.

The Henricus Militia will exhibit drills and musket demonstrations, and the Youghtanund drum group will perform traditional Native American dances and songs. There also will be blacksmithing and candle-making demonstrations and period children’s games throughout the day.

Although Browning said that the Fall-ing Creek Ironworks Foundation hasn’t found concrete evidence that production actually happened there, it’s important

that Chesterfi eld residents realize that its existence made an impact on American history. And that’s what this weekend’s observance is all about.

“We’re about trying to preserve, excavate and interpret the Falling Creek Ironworks,” Browning said.

“And (we want to) let people know this is one of the few places where you can say something started in the New World,” Browning added. “It’s like going to Jamestown, which was the fi rst settle-ment in the New World, because Falling Creek is the fi rst place where iron was manufactured.”

So, what kind of atmosphere should event goers expect during Saturday’s

proceedings? “An informative one, from my end of it,” Browning said.

“They can see fi rst-hand how Native Americans and colonists dressed and see what people did back then. Then, they can come to me and learn more than they might ever want to know about 17th-century iron-working.”

Falling Creek Ironworks Day is sched-uled from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Falling Creek Ironworks Park at 6407 Jefferson Davis Highway in Chesterfi eld.

Admission is free. For more information about the

event, call 751-4946 or go to www.fall-ingcreekironworks.org.

IRONWORKS from page 1

SUBMITTED PHOTOVisitors to the event will get to see fi rst-hand how Native Americans and colonists lived during the 17th century.

CONTRIBUTED REPORTThe Pi Rho Omega Chap-

ter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. will host its 25th Anniversary Luncheon at noon on Saturday, April 7, at the Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center.

Tickets are $35. They may be purchased online at www.proaka.com by clicking the banner on the right.

The Chapter is celebrating Professionalism, Resiliency and Opulence that it has

brought to Chesterfi eld and surrounding counties over the past 25 years.

The celebration will consist of lunch, an awards presenta-tion, live interviews and a pre-sentation to those individuals who chartered the chapter.

Chartered in 1987, the Pi Rho Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. has provided service to Chesterfi eld County and the Richmond Metropolitan area for more than 24 years.

Pi Rho Omega is a part of the Sorority’s Mid-Atlantic Region and actively partici-pates in a variety of com-munity activities, including Relay for Life and the annual Breast Cancer walk.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Soror-ity is America’s fi rst Greek-letter organization founded in 1908 by, and for, African-American college women.

Headquartered in Chi-cago, it is one of the world’s leading service organizations.

The Sorority’s members have made a commitment “to serve all mankind” through a nucleus of more than 260,000 women in more than 975 chapters in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, Ger-many, Korea, Japan and in the continent of Africa.

For more information about Pi Rho Omega, go to www.proaka.com. For more information about Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., go to www.aka1908.org.

Local sorority chapter celebrates 25 years

over a four-day period.After Morris began teach-

ing at Liberty University in Lynchburg in 2011, she trans-ferred her membership to the Virginia Ninety-Nines chap-ter. Shortly thereafter, Vinson learned that Morris had won the race and asked her to be this year’s guest speaker.

“I got the notice from our headquarters, and we started emailing each other,” Vinson said. “She said she had fl own in the Air Race Classic and didn’t tell me she had won.”

“Before I composed the email (to ask her to speak publicly about the Air Race Classic), I decided to go back and Google Air Race Classic 2011. And, lo and behold, I discovered that she placed fi rst.”

Vinson said the Air Race Classic is a rigorous fl ying competition, which is why her group is so enthused to have Morris tell her story to the at-tendees at Saturday’s event. In fact, Vinson said that winning the timed contest is down-right challenging because a pilot has to know her aircraft well in order to succeed.

“In order to be precise, you have to understand how your plane is going to perform,” Vinson said. “Airplanes fl y better in cool weather with low humidity, and things like that have to be taken into consideration to come up

with the best estimates for the times.”

The event will conclude with its Fly Market, which is an opportunity for the Virginia Chapter of the Ninety-Nines to sell aviation-themed wares. Although the pilots are allowed to sell their own gently-used items, the majority of the items will be new, and proceeds from those goods will be donated to the International Ninety-Nines organization’s scholarship fund.

“We’re women, and we all love to go shopping, so we’ll have t-shirts and sweatshirts there with various sayings such as “REAL Women Fly,” or just fun things like that,” Vinson said. “We also have caps and some log books that we designed together (that can) be used by passengers.”

A complimentary lunch also will be served that day.

For that reason, Vinson is ask-ing attendees to pre-register for the event, although she said her organization doesn’t want to turn anyone away.

“We do want to stress that if they don’t know if they can make it, they need to come and not feel like they’re im-posing on anybody,” Vinson said. “But we would appreci-ate a phone call.”

Nevertheless, Vinson said she hopes that the event will not only draw pilots, but she also wants women who are interested in aviation careers to attend. When asked what the general public should be aware of about women’s achievements in that industry, Vinson said they should know that women are defi nitely involved in air travel.

“Lots of women pilots who fl y for the airlines and for the military, and (it’s) not a

male-only thing,” Vinson said. “But women experience fl ight training and approach it dif-ferently, and that’s why they need to have the camaraderie of other female pilots.”

The Gathering of Women Pilots will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Chesterfi eld County Airport at 7511 Air-fi eld Drive in North Chester-fi eld.

Admission is free, but advance registration is sug-gested.

For more information, call Betty Vinson at 720-1132 or e-mail bettyvinson@verizon.net.

PILOTS from page 1

Rescue squad sponsors drug seminarThe Manchester Volunteer

Rescue Squad is sponsoring a Community Drug Awareness Seminar at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 18, at the Winfree Memorial Baptist Church to inform adult community members about the recent increased use of prescription drugs, designer drugs (25i), synthetic marijuana, and general substance abuse in the youth population.

A variety of experts from the medical fi eld, law enforcement, treatment and recovery, and SAFE

Inc. (Substance Abuse Free Environment) will discuss current statistics, trends, effects, dangers, signs, symp-toms, treatment options, and methods to mobilize the community.

The event is free of charge, but, due to the na-ture of the material covered, it is only open to adult com-munity members.

The church is located at 13617 Midlothian Turnpike, Midlothian. For more infor-mation on the Manchester VRS, visit www.mvrs.org.

4 || MARCH 15, 2012 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMEXPLAIN NEWS || FEATURES

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Vol. VI, 6th edition

© 2012 by Richmond Suburban News, a Media General Company. All advertising and editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

WASABI THE SUDOKU GAME WITH A KICK!

Area enjoys thewinter that wasn’tBY JIM RIDOLPHISpecial Correspondent

It’s offi cial. Richmond just recorded its fourth warmest winter on record, according to National Weather Service records. The agency has records from as far back as 1880,

and for those of you who thought this winter took a vacation, you were right.

I suppose many will make a strong case that the warmer winters are a clear trend refl ecting the well-debated effects of global warming. Others contend the climate changes are cyclical, and data does not support a prolonged warming of the earth’s surface.

For many of us, the signs of this year’s lack of cold weather were more subtle. When you only have to dig a quarter of the way through your sweater chest you know something is wrong.

Who knows what was happening in 1889 when Richmond recorded its warmest winter on record with an average temperature of 49.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Those statistics seem skewed on fi rst examination, and it’s easy to account for the anomaly, considering record-keeping methods in the 19th century.

But, there’s no doubt the warmest winter be-ing recorded in the 1880s doesn’t support current arguments that global warming is increasing at an alarming rate. Given those assumptions, how do you account for the fact that the city recorded its second warmest winter in 1931?

It’s not that the winter of 2011-12 will be remembered for its summer-like days. There were only six days with temperatures above 70 F. That’s only one above the average. The lack of days with temperatures below 40 F, only six for the entire year, made it feel like winter never arrived.

So, what we can we gather from the statis-

tics? Probably nothing. But there’s no doubt that 2011-12 will be remembered as warmer than usual. While we always count on an ample snowfall each winter, this season’s totals were, not surprisingly, below average. And when the snow did arrive, it didn’t last because temperatures rarely were below freezing for two days in a row.

There is one more aspect of the warmest win-ter in memory. March does not always signal the end of winter, and some of the city’s most signifi -cant snowfalls occurred in March and April. So, don’t put those snow shovels away just yet. On April 3, 1915, the city received 10 inches of snow.

The majority of people I spoke with didn’t even miss our usual seasonal winter. And some welcomed the prospect of lowered heating costs, more days outside in the sunshine, and the lack of windshield scraping that accompanied this past winter.

The Virginia Department of Transportation’s snow removal budget got some much-needed relief, and the usual infl ux of spring potholes is almost not noticeable. This is all good news for Virginians who felt more like Floridians, at least for one winter season.

Area hospitals saw fewer falls due to ice and snow, and sled sales probably plummeted during the unusually warm season.

Refl ecting on a warmer than usual winter reminds me of the most simple words of wisdom that always warned that you can’t do anything about the weather. The only other option is head-ing North or South, depending on your meteoro-logical preferences.

I’m not sure how this weather pattern works, but, if the winter is any indication, I’m not look-ing forward to summer. For now, I’m just enjoy-ing the nice weather.

M I D L O T H I A N

EXEXCHANGECOM

23112Feb. 193500 block of Stoney Ridge RoadBoth plates were stolen.

Feb. 237700 block of Gallant Fox CourtVictim stated suspect/s gained entry to his residence and at this time noth-ing has been reported stolen. No signs of forced entry were noted.

Feb. 2413300 block of Prince James DriveUnknown suspects went into the victim’s unlocked vehicle; nothing was taken.

Feb. 2614700 block of Mill Spring DriveItems were taken from victim’s un-locked vehicle.

Feb. 276500 block of Woodlake Village CourtItems were taken from victim’s un-locked tool box attached to his pickup truck.

23113Feb. 221900 block of Castlebridge RoadSuspect/s forced entry through a screen door and then forced entry through a bathroom window. The interior was rummaged through and property was stolen.

Feb. 2311800 block of Midlothian TurnpikeMultiple vehicles had been entered and rummaged through, but nothing reported stolen at this time.

Feb. 251200 block of Buckingham Station DriveUnknown suspect kicked open the front door and gained entry to the victim’s apartment. At this time noth-ing has been reported stolen.

Feb. 271600 block of Danhurst DriveSuspect/s forced entry through a rear

window and stole property from the victim’s residence.

23235Feb. 201800 block of Irondale RoadUnknown suspect/s siphoned gas from victim’s truck.

1000 block of Koger Center BoulevardSuspect/s attempted to pry open several coin operated machines at the location. At this time nothing has been reported stolen.

Feb. 212100 block of Old Indian RoadStole “year” decal.

Feb. 231000 block of Koger Center BoulevardSuspect/s attempted to pry open several coin operated machines at the location.

23236Feb. 2210700 block of Haverford LaneSuspect/s used a drill to remove screws from the hinges on the victim’s locked shed. Property was reported stolen.

600 block of Research RoadMultiple vehicles at the location were rummaged through and it’s unknown at this time if anything was stolen.

Feb. 2311500 block of Smoketree DriveItems were taken from victim’s unse-cured vehicle.

23832Feb. 206900 block of Laughton DriveSuspect/s entered the residence through an unlocked rear door and stole property.

Feb. 229600 block of Tree Line TerraceSuspect/s attempted to force entry to the victim’s locked shed. At this time nothing has been reported stolen.

All data are based on the publicly available Chesterfi eld County Police Department daily arrest and crime releases and are reported according to Federal Incident Based Reporting rules.

CRIME REPORT

fi tness equipment, while Movin’ Mania is Bon Secours’ wellness initiative to fi ght childhood obesity in the Central Virginia region.

“There’s a team of fi ve of us, and the connection between the fi ve made it a perfect storm,” Hargett said. “And we wanted to bring in Bon Secours as our title sponsor, and when Bon Secours came on, they brought in Movin’ Mania.”

So, what was the inspiration for doing a St. Patrick’s Day-themed exercise event? Hargett admitted that he and his collaborators looked at the calendar after the concept was already underway. And, despite the logistical issues with setting up a race route near a major access road like Midlothian Turnpike, the planning committee remained undaunted.

“When Brad Bailey originally passed the idea around to Midlothian Rotary, they didn’t want to take on another project at the time, but St. Patrick’s Day seemed like the right time,” Hargett said. “Plus, Brad and I started talking, and, originally we were going to make it an 8K, but the logistics for shutting down Midlothian Turnpike were impos-sible, so we rethought it, and the distance (for a 5K) worked out right.”

The 1K Kids’ Fun Run will ensure that youngsters get the chance to stretch their limbs while their parents participate in the adult run. Teams from Running With Those Who Can’t, a group comprised of runners with disabilities, also will

take part in the Westchester Sham-rock 5K by using adaptive strollers.

It should be noted that cash prizes will go to the 5K Run’s fi rst, second and third place winners. That’s because, as Hargett said, some people need to have incentive to participate in an inaugural race.

“The initiative is Movin’ Mania, and all of us have kids, so anybody who goes out to run, it’s good to run with your kids,” Hargett said. “And we hope it’s going to be an event that will return year after year, but we knew we needed an initiative to get people excited.”

The event will still give sprinters the chance to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day after the run. Performances by local bands and Irish dancers, sports demonstrations and a costume con-test with cash awards will round out the occasion. And don’t be surprised if you happen to see Hargett getting in on the fun during Saturday’s festivities. “My business partner and I will be in kilts,” he said.

The Westchester Shamrock 5K Run and Kids’ 1K Fun Run will be held from 7 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 17. The races will start at Westchester Commons Shopping Center in Midlothian.

Registration for the Westchester Shamrock 5K Run is $25 on or before Friday, March 16, and $30 on Saturday, March 17. For the 1K Fun Run, registration is $5 on or before Friday, March 16, and $8 on Saturday, March 17. To register, go to www.westchestershamrock.com.

SHAMROCK from page 1

CONTRIBUTED REPORTAltrusa International of The

Capital City of Virginia, a grass-roots Chesterfi eld-based club that promotes better communities through service, has been awarded a grant by the Altrusa Interna-tional Foundation Inc. Grants program.

The grant is to assist with the provision of literacy scholarships given annually to women in need of basic training to re-enter the workforce or to obtain skills for better jobs.

The sole purpose of the Foun-dation is to be an avenue through

which Altrusans can assist Altrusa clubs throughout the world, to carry out their programs of com-munity service and assistance to individuals in need.

Funding is provided by volun-tary contributions from members, Altrusa clubs, and the general public.

Since the inception of the schol-arship program in The Capital City of Virginia in 1993, the local club has awarded about 47 state-wide competitive scholarships to deserving women that range from $250 to $1,000.

The Foundation’s grant, in the

amount of $750, will be used by the local club to obtain match-ing funds for scholarships to be awarded in 2012.

The club does not receive local or state funding.

Joanne Cash, the Ida Hill scholarship’s committee chair, said, “My committee will continue to work closely with the VCU Literacy Offi ce to select deserving award-ees and with club fundraisers to increase the number of recipients.”

The scholarships are given in honor of Dr. Ida J. Hill to recog-nize her work with adult literacy programs in Virginia.

Altrusa group awarded grant

CONTRIBUTED REPORTA bone marrow drive is sched-

uled for Sunday to help a Clover Hill High School student.

The Journey Christian Church at 3505 Old Hundred Road, Midlothian, is hosting the drive from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for a 17-year-old named Keith (his last name was not released) through the Be The Match organization.

A senior and wrestling star at Clover Hill, Keith enjoys football, video games, listening to music, telling jokes and comedy.

In January, he was diagnosed with leukemia. Keith is receiving very intensive chemotherapy, but, if he does not stay in remission, he will need a bone marrow transplant.

Registering only involves some paperwork and four swabs of the cheek.

Those who are a match for someone will be notifi ed. At that time, the individual would be informed of the options to donate bone marrow to save that person’s life.

There is no cost for registering.A contribution box will be

available at the event to make a donation in any amount to sup-port adding more people to the registry.

Lunch and snacks also will be provided.

For more information about the church, visit www.journey-christian.us.

More information about the organization Be The Match can be found at http://www.bethematch-foundation.org/goto/journey.

Bone marrow drive to help student

MARCH 15, 2012 || 5MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM EXPLORE YOUR WORLD || TRAVEL

STUFF TO DOE-mail your event to editor@midlothianexchange.com.

Subject line: EVENT

THURSDAY, MARCH 15Rev. Glenn Maddox will be in revival at 7 p.m. March 15-18 at the Ches-terfi eld Baptist Church at 16520 Hull Street Rd., Moseley. A dinner will begin at 6:15 p.m. Friday.

SUNDAY, MARCH 18Three Chesterfi eld County Lions Clubs – Brandermill, Midlothian and Woodlake – are joining to host the Bland Music Scholarship Foundation’s annual music com-petition at 2 p.m. at the Brandermill Church at 4500 Millridge Parkway in Midlothian. For more information, go to http://www.bmw-lions.org and http://www.blandfoundation.org/.

TUESDAY, MARCH 20The Salisbury Garden Club will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Church of the Redeemer. This month, the club will spotlight Chuck Bateman’s presen-tation, “Landscape Design 101.” For more information about the club, contact Doris Morris, president, at doriskmorris@comcast.net.

SATURDAY, MARCH 24Midlothian Christian Fellowship at 905 Southlake Blvd. will hold its annual craft bizarre and yard sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is a need for crafters, food vendors and yard sellers. To register, or for more information, call 441-3557 or e-mail butterfl yzai@gmail.com.

Southside Moms of Multiples Everything For Kids Sale, featuring gear, clothes, shoes, toys, books and more, will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. at Manchester Middle School, 7401 Hull Street Road. Cash only. The nonprofi t group is on Facebook. Proceeds benefi t local groups and families in need.

TUESDAY, MARCH 27Advocacy Meeting will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the FACES Center. What is addiction? How can we understand relapse and how families can help with recovery? The session will discuss how the underlying disorders such as anxiety, depres-sion or trauma are factors that can lead to addiction or relapse. Video interviews with Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph .D., and Nora Volkow, M.D., will explain the necessity of treating mental disorders and addiction simultaneously. They also stress the brain’s enormous capacity to

recover with the right comprehen-sive treatments. FACES (Family Advocacy Creating Education and Services) is located at 11601 Lucks Lane, Midlothian. For more informa-tion, call 378-0035 or visit www.facesva.org.

Come2Life Ministries will pres-ent “Bible Talk,” a town hall-style meeting, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Midlothian Public Library. The program that will explore questions including “What’s in the Bible?” “How do I know it’s reliable?” “Who exactly is Jesus?” “Does the Bible apply to me today?” For more information: call 245-4551 or visit www.Come2LifeMinistries.org. The organization is on Facebook.

WEEKLY TUESDAYSOvereaters Anonymous Group #51606 meets at 2 p.m. Tuesdays at Central Baptist Church at 1510 Courthouse Rd., Richmond (Mission House in rear of church). For more information, call Peg at 379-9558.

The Bethia United Methodist Church Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) program is accepting registrations and new members. Bethia MOPS meets from 9:30 a.m. to noon on the fi rst, third and fi fth Tuesdays through May 15. For more infor-mation, contact Kara Harris at 763-6067 or karaharris@verizon.net. Bethia United Methodist Church is located at 10700 Winterpock Road, Chesterfi eld.

WEEKLY THURSDAYSMoms of Tots to Teens (MOTTS) meets from 9:45 a.m. to noon the fi rst and third Thursday of the month through May 17 at Bon Air Baptist Church, 2531 Buford Road. Preschool child care is available. For more information, contact Loretta Sherwood at tiandlo@aol.com or go to www.bonairbaptist.org/motts.

The Al-Anon meeting Awaken to Hope meets at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday at St John Neumann Catholic Church located at 2480 Batterson Rd. in Powhatan.

Pastor James C. Vinson of Resourc-es for Life presents services from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays at St. Matthias Episcopal Church, 11300 West Huguenot Rd, Midlothian. For more information, call 305-5100 or e-mail jamesvnsn@yahoo.com.

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CONTRIBUTED REPORTMost Virginians want to stay fi t

and physically active but have dif-fi culty fi nding the time, energy and motivation to get moving.

Fit Extension, an eight-week physical activity program developed by Virginia Cooperative Extension, helps Virginians improve their exer-cise habits, diet and overall quality of life in a fun and challenging way.

When the New Year comes in, most people say they want to lose weight and exercise more. Getting started is easy, but staying with it is much harder.

The fi rst two weeks are the hard-est because your body isn’t used to moving yet. By keeping at it and after a month, you’ll have a new lifelong habit.

FIT Extension encourages all

participants to engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activ-ity such as brisk walking, running, yoga, or biking on fi ve or more days of the week. This adds up to at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, the amount of aerobic physical activity recommended for adults by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Although FIT Extension is not a competition, co-workers, friends and family members join together in teams of six. Each team has a captain who helps the group set goals for its personal achievement. If each member of a six-person team does the recommended amount of physical activity, the team would walk the equivalent of 480 miles, the length of Virginia.

Anyone age 5 and up who is

willing and able to participate in an eight-week physical activity program may sign up for FIT Exten-sion.

The program also includes a nutrition component that promotes increased fruit and vegetable con-sumption.

The Fit Extension program will be offered April 1 through May 26.

There is a group registration fee of $30.

A Fit Extension Kickoff will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Friday, March 23, at Chesterfi eld Coopera-tive Extension.

If you are interested in FIT Extension, or have questions about the program, contact Linda Jackson Cole at licole2@vt.edu or 751-4401 before the March 30 registration deadline.

Program aims to encourage regular exercise, fi tness

CONTRIBUTED REPORTThe third annual Lucy Corr Founda-

tion Rock ’n’ Roll Dance to benefi t a free dental clinic will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23, at the Cultural Center of India, 6641 Iron-bridge Parkway, Chester.

Tickets are $50 each for a dance with live music by the Kings of Swing, full buffet dinner, adult beverages and door prizes.

Tickets are available at www.lucycorr.eventbrite.com or by calling 706-5706.

Lucy Corr Foundation supports the Lucy Corr Village free dental clinic.

The Foundation has received a $47,000 one-to-one challenge grant from The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation to modernize the clinic.

All proceeds from the dance will help to meet the challenge grant.

Sponsorships are available by e-mail-ing dmarlow@lucycorrvillage.com.

Lucy Corr dance to be held March 23CONTRIBUTED REPORT

The Chesterfi eld County Department of Parks and Rec-reation, in partnership with the Chesterfi eld Historical Society of Virginia, will con-tinue its three-part series of historical programs about the Civil War on Saturday, March 24. The fi rst was presented on March 3.

Participants will visit some of the sites that played major roles during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign.

This tour will visit Dutch Gap, Battery Dantzler, Point of Rocks and Drewry’s Bluff.

The tour will depart from Henricus Historical Park at 10 a.m. and will return at 2 p.m.

The $15 fee includes trans-portation to all sites.

A walking tour of Butler’s Offensive at Point of Rocks

will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 31.

Discover the history sur-rounding the military strategy of Butler’s Offensive in May 1864, including Benjamin Butler’s headquarters, the Union hospital where Clara Barton served and the impos-ing Union signal tower.

The tour meets at the trail-head at R. Garland Dodd Park at Point of Rocks at 201 Enon Church Road in Chester.

The $8 fee includes a tour guide.

Participants in each tour are encouraged to wear com-fortable shoes.

Registration is required. To register, visit chesterfi el-

dhistory.com. For more information,

contact Bryan Truzzie at 751-4946.

Civil War tours continue March 24

� || MARCH 15, 2012 MidlotHiAnExCHAngE.CoMsports || fitnessEXERCISE

DE

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Each week, the Midlothian Exchange willtrack the progress of Chesterfield nativeDenny Hamlin as he pursues his firstNASCAR Sprint Cup championship

Last week: After qualifying 17th at Las Vegas, Hamlin patientlystayed out of trouble while waiting for opportunities to work onthe No. 11 car, which had been tight from the start of the race.Few cautions hampered his chances, however, and he settledfor a 20th-place finish at the 1.5-mile oval.

Where he stands: Through three races, Hamlin is third in theSprint Cup points, 12 behind leader Greg Biffle and just twopoints behind second place Kevin Harvick.

Up next: The series comes back east to the legendary Bristolbullring. Qualifying will take place Friday afternoon and thegreen flag will fly Sunday at 1 p.m.

WeLLs p7

Olympic hopeful returns to JRHS

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLJames River High alum Kellie Wells, one of the world's top hurdlers, speaks to students at the school Friday afternoon.

Wells brings inspirationalmessage to alma materBY JIm mCCONNELLjmcconnell@midlothianexchange.com

As one of the world’s top hurdlers, Kellie Wellsspends most of the year training at her home basenear Orlando or traveling to track-and-field com-petitions across the globe.

When the 29-year-old Chesterfield County native trippedover a hurdle last month and suffered a broken right armthat ended her indoor season, she made the best of the situa-tion by proving she can come home again.

Wells, who is healing and preparing for the Olympic Trialsthis summer in Eugene, Ore., took advantage of some rarefree time last Friday to address students at her alma mater,James River High School.

Calling it “a blessing” to be back at the school where shebecame a state champion, Wells delivered words of inspira-tion and answered questions from students before grace-fully fielding an unexpected invitation to prom during anautograph session.

“I know when I’m on the track, I’m not just out there formyself; I’m representing my hometown,” Wells said, drawing

MEDFORD BASKETBALL FINALS

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLmeadowbrook's Cristian Chuga charges toward the basket during Thursday's medford League final while Prince Edward's Antonio Baker defends.

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLmeadowbrook's Lauren Johnson tries to knock the ball awayfrom Prince Edward's Zach Nunnally.

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLmeadowbrook's players celebrated with the trophy after defending their title.

Created and developed to give individuals with intellectual disabilities theopportunity to train and compete in the sport of basketball, the local MedfordLeague held its annual Finals Day last Thursday at James River High School.The Meadowbrook Monarchs defended their league championship with a38-26 victory over Prince Edward. There were also four exhibition games,giving players from the league's other teams a chance to showcase theirtalents for the fans. James River's No. 2 team and Matoaca's B team finishedin a 12-12 tie, while Clover Hill defeated James River's No. 1 team by a 12-6margin. Manchester downed L.C. Bird 22-4 and Matoaca's A team claimed an8-6 victory over Monacan.

Hurlersthrive innew roleBY JIm mCCONNELLjmcconnell@midlothianexchange.com

Two former stand-out pitchers forlocal high schoolshave flourished this

season since moving fromthe starting rotation to thecloser’s role in college.

Blake Hauser (Manches-ter) looks to be fully recov-ered from the arm issues thatbothered him early in hiscareer at VCU. The juniorhas been dominant out ofthe Rams’ bullpen in histeam-high 10 appearances,allowing only four hits andtwo earned runs (1.59 ERA)in 11.1 innings pitched.

Hauser was 6-for-6 onsave opportunities and hadstruck out 23 -- for an aver-age of two Ks per inning --heading into Tuesday’s gameat East Carolina.

Ronnie Shaban (Cosby)has also been highly efficientfinishing games for VirginiaTech. The senior righthanderhas three saves in his firstfour appearances and hasn’tallowed a run in 3 IP whilestriking out four.

Shaban is also batting .333(10-30) with three doublesand four RBIs.

Another former Cosbystandout, sophomore out-fielder Mitchell Shifflett,drove in the game-winningrun with a two-out single inthe eighth inning Saturdayas his Virginia squad nippedVirginia Tech 4-3.

Shifflett, who was usedprimarily as a pinch-run-ner and defensive replace-ment last season as the Cavsadvanced all the way to theCollege World Series, is bat-ting .400 (10-25) with sixruns scored and is 3-for-3 onstolen bases.

No local player has beenhotter at the plate than JoeyCujas (Manchester). TheVCU sophomore is off to ablazing .455 start, with 25hits in his first 44 official at-bats. Cujas also has a team-high 12 doubles and 16 RBIs.

Senior Tadd Bower(Cosby) is also off to a goodstart offensively, batting .317(13-41) with five doubles, ahome run and seven RBIs forWilliam & Mary. Bower hasamassed a .512 slugging per-centage in 12 games playedand also has stolen four basesin five attempts.

Sean Tierney (CloverHill), the top returning start-er on JMU’s pitching staff, is2-2 with a 5.32 ERA and hasallowed 13 earned runs in hisfirst 22 IP this season. TheDukes’ ace will need to get itrolling if they hope to over-come a slow start (just fivewins in their first 16 games)and defend their ColonialAthletic Association title.

Tierney’s teammate,junior Bradley Shaban(Cosby), leads JMU with a.296 batting average and has13 RBIs in his first 15 games.

MARCH 15, 2012 || �MidlotHiAnExCHAngE.CoM sports || fitnessEXERCISE

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Mechanicsville, 23111 - 2100 Sq. Ft. Brick Rancheron 3 acres. 3-bedrooms, 2.5 baths, living room, din-ing room, family room, eat-in kitchen, closed-inside porch, deck, 2 car detached garage & 2sheds. Asking $269,900. Call 779-7345.

2 bdr, 1 bath, in Bon Air. Pool, playground, desig-nated parking. Enclosed patio, washer & dryer,and storage area. Utilities, trash pickup includedin rent, except electricity. Must be Responsible. Nosmoking, no pets. Credit & References Req.$865/month + $865 security deposit. 804-572-5956.

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û FREE TOWING û No Title Needed. $375/upCASH PAID for all Junk Cars/Trucks. 804-247-8640.

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Establishing gardens as far as you want to go. Ifyou want a vegetable garden or a flower garden Iwill come in till, add balance nutrients & amend-ments. If you would like to go further, raised beds& container gardens no problem. Chris the Gar-dener, 804-938-0752 or creech7133@comcast.net

The Home Worker – Electrical, plumbing, carpen-try, renovations, painting, decks, fences, wallpa-pering, repairs, installs. Always free estimates.Call Chris, 378-7233, joso4032@yahoo.com.

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Bed - New Mattress Set in Plastic w/ warr. Full$99, Queen $109, King $189. Delivery/Lay -A-Way.Call 804-340-0143.

SEDONA TAPHOUSE IS NOW HIRING EXPERIENCEDSERVERS and BT’s! Business is boomingand we need a few more great people. Mustbe able to work well under pressure, be a teamplayer, and have a great attitude. Apply onlineat www.sedonataphouse.com, 379-0037.

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NOW HIRINGCompanies desperately need employees to assem-ble products at home. No selling, any hours. $500wkly potential. 1-985-646-1700 , Dept. VA-2713

On March 17th and 18th, 2012 arepresentative of Ashley DistributionServices will be at the WyndhamRichmond Airport Hotel in Richmond,VA to meet with you about thejob openings listed below. Call608-863-1149 to contact our RoadRepresentative to schedule aninterview. Our Drivers average over$65,000 per year; paid day-payand drop-pay. Weekly home time,great benefits and the security ofdriving for the #1 home furnishingscompany in the world make thisvery attractive. We deliver to retailfurniture stores in VA, MD, W. VA &PA. 1 year recent OTR experience,

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SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY

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Sunday, July 31, 2011 ONLY

$1.25!

SundayTimes-Dispatch

Just $1.25 per copy atyour local Walgreens!

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLKellie Wells received an impromptu invitation to James River's prom as she signed autographs at the high school Friday.

cheers from both studentsand faculty. “The 804 is stillin my heart so strong.”

Wells urged her fellowRapids to persevere and“believe you can be whateveryou want to be” – a particu-larly powerful message whenyou consider the obstaclesshe’s already overcome togive herself a legitimate shotat the Olympics.

Wells revealed last sum-mer on her blog that bothshe and her mother, Jeanette,had been subjected to physi-cal abuse from Jeanette’sfiancé, Rick Gomes. Wellsalso alleged that Gomes sexu-ally assaulted her when shewas 16.

Not long after thatincident, both Gomes andJeanette Wells were killed in acar accident.

It was around that timethat Wells’ immense talentbegan to shine through onthe track. James River trackcoach Vatel Dixon was thefirst to recognize potentialgreatness in the girl he stillconsiders “like a daughter.”

“She was just so muchbetter than the femalesaround her in the region andthe state,” Dixon recalled.

Dixon told Wells she hadthe ability to compete in theOlympics one day if she waswilling to work hard andmake the necessary sacri-fices.

Wells was dubious, to saythe least.

She clashed often inthose days with Dixon, whoattributed their differencesto a battle of wills betweena “typical teenager” and anequally “bullheaded” adult.

Knowing Wells was try-ing to navigate the alreadychallenging teenage yearswithout her mother, Dixonwasn’t about to let her getoff the right path and fallvictim to drug/alcohol abuseor teen pregnancy.

The turning point in theirrelationship came whenDixon “benched” Wellsfor a Dominion Districtmeet against Clover Hill. Adistraught Wells watchedher teammates lose themeet, knowing she could’vemade a difference if she’d

been able to compete, andrealized it was time to get onboard with the coach’s plan.

Wells went on to becomeJames River’s first state trackchampion in 2001, garnereda scholarship to HamptonUniversity and earned all-American honors beforegraduating and pursuing aprofessional career in trackand field.

“He saw a light in me thatI didn’t see in myself,” Wellssaid of Dixon.

The coach’s Olympicprophecy nearly came truefour years ago. Wells ran apersonal-best 12.58 in thesemifinals at the 2008 Olym-pic Trials and earned a berthin the finals, where a top-3finish would’ve secured aspot on the U.S. team.

But as she was slowingdown after crossing the fin-ish line, Wells suffered a tornhamstring that preventedher from running in the fi-nals and eventually cost hermost of the 2009 season.

“I cried for her because Iknow she’s worked incred-ibly hard,” Dixon said. “Weget emotional sometimes

because we know wherewe’ve come from. But whenI talk to her, I tell her ‘Keeppushing. We’re gonna getthere.’”

Now the girl who usedto watch the Olympics ontelevision and dream of be-ing Jackie Joyner-Kersee andGail Devers is running in thefamous footsteps of thoseformer track stars.

Wells is ranked No. 2among American femalesand No. 4 in the world in the100-meter hurdles. Barringanother injury, she’ll be aheavy favorite to representthe U.S. at the LondonOlympics.

But while she knowsnothing is guaranteed, Wellsmaintains a “total commit-ment” both to her goal andinspiring others to chasetheir dreams.

“I’ve always wanted to goto the Olympics and I justcan’t give up on that,” shesaid.

“If I make it, a little pieceof the national anthem willbe just for me. On hardtraining days, that keeps megoing.”

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLWells lives in Florida but remains close to Vatel Dixon,her former track coach and mentor at James River.

WeLLs from p6

8 || MARCH 15, 2012 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM

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CALL 746-1235 X3 OR EMAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@MECHLOCAL.COMTO PROMOTE YOUR SERVICES IN THIS DIRECTORY.BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

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Steve’sPainting & Pressure

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357-1164 (cell)Licensed & Insured

CROSSROADS SHOPPING CENTER:Angelo’s Italian Restaurant - 11643-B Midlothian Tpke

Schlotzsky’s Deli - 11607-A Midlothian Tpke

CHESTERFIELD CO. PUBLIC LIBRARY:Clover Hill Library branch - 3701 Deer Run Dr.LaPrade Library branch - 9000 Hull Street Rd.Central Library - 9501 Lori Road, Chesterfi eld

SYCAMORE SQUARE:The Italian Café - 1002 Sycamore Square

GOODWILL:Goodwill - Hull Street - 11749 Hull Street Rd

Goodwill - Alverser Drive - 1211 Alverser DriveGoodwill - Chesterfi eld - 8535 Midlothian Tpke

THE SHOPPES AT BELLGRADE:Starbucks at Bellgrade - 11307-F Polo Place

VILLAGE MARKETPLACE SHOPPING CENTER:deRochonnet Delights - 13228 Midlothian Tpke

Midlothian Book Exchange - 13195 Midlothian Tpke

OTHER DESTINATIONS:Kroger at Ivymont Square - 14245 Midlothian Tpke

CJW - Hioaks Building - 500 Hioaks RoadMidlothian Apothecary - 13502 Midlothian Tpke

Midlothian YMCA - 737 Coalfi eld Rd.One More Bite Café & Bakery - 212 Heaths Way RoadACAC Fitness & Wellness Center - 11621 Robious Rd.

Shoney’s - 9963 Hull Street Road

Pick up a Midlothian Exchange at any of these locations