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SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY 04.12.12

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BY BECKY ROBINETTE WRIGHTSpecial Correspondent

Carrie Roarty is a familiar name at James River High School. The teacher is battling a recur-rence of cancer.

Her abilities as a teacher and outstand-ing personality have left a mark on her students and the faculty at the school.

On Thursday, April 5, Roarty was the center of a school-wide event and received a special gift.

In the spirit of helping their stricken teacher, and to honor cancer victims everywhere, the school “Painted the Town Pink” and then held a special pep rally for Roarty.

It wasn’t just an ordinary pep rally – Roarty’s fellow

Hunt visits RIR ahead of debut Page 7

INSIDE SPORTS

BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Often, high school show choir per-formances look effortless to the

audiences that watch them. In truth, those routines

can be physically exhausting experiences for the students who execute them onstage, and refi ning them requires hundreds of hours.

So, it’s fi tting that the show choirs at Cosby High School, Clover Hill High School and Manchester High School won numerous awards and placements dur-ing the 2011-2012 perfor-mance season.

Cosby High School’s women’s show choir Rhapsody and its mixed men’s and women’s group Spotlight competed at the Blue Ridge Invitational, the Central Virginia Show Choir Invitational, the Hanover Lee-Davis Festival of Choirs and the Powhatan Show Choir Invitational. Choral director Heather Andre said

that both choral groups came away with two grand championships by the end of the season.

Sandi Thomas, choral di-rector at Clover Hill School, said that the women’s group Iridescence achieved fi rst place at the Powhatan Show Choir Invitational, the Hampton Roads Stage and Show Choir Invitational and the Music and Motion Show Choir Invitational in Solon, Ohio. And in addition to winning fi rst place at the each of those competitions, the mixed New Dimensions group also was chosen as show choir of the month in March 2012 on the national Show Choir Rank System website.

Robyn Kim, choral direc-tor at Manchester High School, said her mixed group Capital Swing took fi rst runner-up at the Fame Nationals in New York City in March and that one of their members, David

Chesterfi eld high school choirs give good showings

CONTRIBUTED REPORTTaffy Jones-Hayes, who works as Title I parent liaison at

Harrowgate Elementary School, recently received the Patricia M. Cullen Keeping Our Promise by Keeping Our Children Safe Award.

Presented during a conference sponsored by the Ches-terfi eld-Colonial Heights Positive Parenting Coalition, the annual award recognizes someone who serves children and families with exceptional excellence.

Jones-Hayes has worked for Chesterfi eld County Public Schools for 21 years, providing resources for parents and students of the Harrowgate community.

She coordinates more than 40 parent workshops each school year designed to equip parents with knowledge and materials to aid their students’ academic success.

She created a Special Friends mentoring program for students and launched a Parent Partner program, which provides incentives to draw parents into Harrowgate.

Harrowgate Elementary staff member wins award

SUBMITTED PHOTOCongratulating Taffy Jones-Hayes, shown holding the plaque, on her success are, from left, Harrowgate Elementary principal Fred Scott, School Board member Carrie Coyner and superintendent Marcus Newsome.

‘BEYOND BARBIE’

BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Co-sponsored by the Chesterfi eld County Depart-ment of Economic

Development, the Chester-fi eld Chamber of Com-merce and the Chesterfi eld Business Council, the 2012 First Choice Business Awards spotlight the best and bright-est of local businesses. This year marks the 29th iteration of the annual awards, and the deadline for online nominations is Friday, April 13.

Department of Economic Development project man-ager Tina Shreve planned the

competition with devel-opment manager Karen Alyward.

According to Shreve, the county has provided awards to area companies since the contest began, but it was only after the presentation was re-branded in 2003 that the Business Council and the Chamber of Commerce became involved.

That is, Chesterfi eld County exclusively organized the event until it teamed up with those organizations to give the occasion a new name and provide more specifi c award categories that celebrated a wider variety of companies. Shreve said that

new classifi cations provided more chances to recognize small businesses.

“Basically, the Depart-ment of Economic Devel-opment sat down with the Chesterfi eld Chamber and Chesterfi eld Business Coun-cil to re-brand it,” Shreve said. “Years ago, we used to just give a small, medium and large business award, and that was it.”

“We wanted to have more awards because there would be years that we would have zero people in that small business category because it was numbers-driven. Now, our awards are more specifi c, so we felt like that would

be more of an opportunity to be focused on awards categories.”

Nominees should consistently contribute to community efforts or deliver innovative products or services to its customers. Businesses also should value their employees, and their practices should adhere to high ethical standards.

Additionally, a company must be sited in Chesterfi eld County for at least three years in order to qualify for a nomination.

Shreve said that indi-viduals and groups can

First Choice Business Awards nomination deadline closes soon

CHOIR page 2

BUSINESS page 4

James River High School students and staff rally for cancer-stricken teacher

SHOWING SUPPORT

their

PHOTOS BY BECKY WRIGHTCarrie Roarty, in the white cap, has an emotional moment with students after they presented her with gift certifi cates worth more than $1,000 to help with her needs.

Two staff members of the school show their talents in the school’s version of “Dancing with the Stars.”SUPPORT page 3

Event confronts body image issues women faceBY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Domestic violence victims must gain confi dence before they can escape toxic romantic relation-

ships. Regrettably, poor body image is one of the reasons that a woman might have diffi culty reclaiming her self-assurance.

Sponsored by the Chesterfi eld County Department of Domestic and Sexual Violence, the upcom-ing “Beyond Barbie” event that will be presented from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at the Holiday Inn Koger South Conference Center will ponder why body image is such a widespread issue among modern girls and women.

Since 2004, Patricia Jones-Turner has been the domestic violence coordinator for the Chesterfi eld County Department of Domestic and Sexual Violence. Her depart-ment brings awareness to the do-mestic violence issue and supports area organizations that aid sufferers.

“We provide training and techni-cal assistance to (members of) the

community if they’re interested in starting a shelter or a support group,” Jones-Turner said. “We also do public awareness training for the community at large and for the county.”

As Jones-Turner asserts, girls are introduced to body image issues for

BARBIE page 3

2 || APRIL 12, 2012 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMEXPLAIN NEWS || FEATURES

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Ramirez, won best soloist. And a week later at the Blue Ridge Invitational, Capital Swing won fi rst place, and Ramirez won best vocalist again.

What makes their tri-umphs even more impres-sive is the fact that show choirs typically compete during shorter stints than sports clubs, and they don’t all start their seasons at the same time.

That is, their schedules may begin earlier or later than their competitors’ cal-endars, which gives them less time to accumulate wins.

“It’s different, in that, not every show choir goes to the same set of competitions,” Kim said. “When a group’s season starts and ends varies, and (Manchester’s choirs) usually start the third weekend in February, and they are done by the fi rst

weekend in April.”“It’s very much individu-

alized for each show choir for each school,” Thomas added. “The season begins in November for some, but we start in mid-February, so it depends on where you want to go to compete and what your schedule dictates.”

At the same time, judging at choral competitions is subjective. Basketball and football teams earn points by making baskets or touch-downs, but show choirs have to win over judges, and that’s sometimes easier said than done.

“It’s like a sports event combined with a musical theater production because it’s very intense, but it’s all subjective,” Andre said. “In that way, it’s more like fig-ure skating, and you don’t put points on the board by going up against another competitor, but, instead, it’s

all up to opinions.”“I would say it’s similar,

though, in the sense that you have to practice, and it’s a teamwork thing that involves everyone,” Kim said. “If you’re missing someone, it’s like being down a player.”

“During a 15- to 20-minute show, you have to do conditioning to perform it all the way out, so there are defi nitely similarities. In fact, some of the kids will joke and say they’re in the best shape of the year when they’re in show choir.”

According to the direc-tors, each of these show choirs achieved their goals this year. But, overall, nur-turing teamwork was more important than worrying about win-loss columns.

“With Capitol Swing, I worked very hard with them to build a sense of unity and camaraderie, and I think they defi nitely have,” Kim said. “Each week, their goal was to win, but their show as a whole was recognized in different ways, so I’ve reminded them that, through it all, they became

a team and saw their results improve as well.”

“We wanted to do the best possible job that they could do,” Thomas said. “They wanted to come together as a family, bond and feel like they were working as a unit, and this is one year that they just all got along, and that’s helped their performance level.”

And, not surprisingly, each of the choral directors agreed that television shows such as “Glee” give a roman-ticized perspective of the show choir experience.

“I’ll be honest,” Thomas said. “I’ve never watched ‘Glee’ because we live and breathe the real thing, and it is a very unrealistic show.”

Andre echoes Thomas’s sentiments and suggests that the series promotes miscon-ceptions about what it’s like for pupils like her’s to par-ticipate in show choir. “It’s nothing like ‘Glee,’ because we don’t break into song and dance on the fl y, even though the students enjoy performing,” Andre said.

In any event, the show

choirs found time for fun after their awards had been won. While the students at Clover Hill celebrated with cake and ice cream after their last concert, Cosby’s choral groups celebrated their wins by taking a much-deserved trip to Disney World.

But even though the choral groups have already celebrated their triumphs, they all plan to leave their fans with a few more songs and dances before year’s end.

Cosby High School’s and Manchester High School’s spring concerts will be pre-sented on Wednesday, May 23, and Thursday, May 24, respectively. And Clover Hill High School and Manchester High School will perform at a charity concert sponsored by the Brandermill Men’s Club on Sunday, April 29, at Clover Hill.

On that note, it’s good to know that the competition between Chesterfi eld Coun-ty’s high school show choirs has always been friendly, and, behind the scenes, each of the directors speak very highly of each other.

“Outside of competi-tion, we all try to get along, and with this benefi t, we get to help the community,” Thomas said.

CHOIR from page 1

BY BECKY ROBINETTE WRIGHTSpecial Correspondent

Early morning show-ers and a few clouds in the sky didn’t damper the spirit

of the community event as fi refi ghters at the Wagstaff Volunteer Fire Department hid a cache of eggs around the outside of the fi re station located on Adkins Road.

The community was in-vited to join in for some fun on Saturday, March 31.

“Kids were lined up at the door at 10 a.m. ready for the hunt,” Capt. Matthew

Glasser of the fi re station said.

Giggles could be heard in the air as delighted children scampered around a large fi eld discovering hidden eggs.

The children’s hands tightly clutched their bounty as they hurried to show their family their rewards.

Firefi ghters gave station tours, had safety pamphlets available, had the brush truck and fi re engine on display, and children had the chance for a special activity.

Station crew members had a hose attached to the

brush truck, providing participants an opportunity to spray water on a training house that had simulated. Some children liked the hose activity so much they took several turns. A fi refi ghter held the hose along with the children to make sure the children were safe.

Wagstaff Volunteer Fire Station is an icon in the community, having been organized in 1952.

A parcel of land was do-nated by a Sam T. Wagstaff at 2101 Adkins Road. The community then pitched in and helped with the con-

struction of the fi re station. Because of long distances

between fi re stations, Wag-staff fi lled a need by being built in the middle.

The early station was a popular place for various county meetings.

The original building had two bays for fi re vehicles and a room upstairs on the sec-ond fl oor. It still stands today but has had additions and has undergone renovations.

This month, Wagstaff cel-ebrates 60 years of providing protection to the commu-nity.

Wagstaff Volunteer Fire

Department is one of two all volunteer fi re stations in Chesterfi eld County, the other being Enon Volunteer Fire Station. Other fi re sta-tions in the county are either combination departments

(meaning volunteer and ca-reer members) or all career.

Wagstaff works in a part-nership with the county fi re and EMS department.

The Easter Egg hunt is an annual community event.

Wagstaff Volunteer Fire Station egg hunt a success

PHOTOS BY BECKY ROBINETTE WRIGHTWagstaff Volunteer Fire Station held a Community Easter Egg Hunt on March 31. Children laughed with glee as they discovered hidden Easter treasures. Firefi ghters gave tours of the fi re station, taught safety tips to visitors, and youngsters were able to handle a fi re hose on a simulated blaze.

Huguenot players to present ‘Harvey’CONTRIBUTED REPORT

The Huguenot Com-munity Players will present Harvey, a comedy by Mary Chase, April 20-22 and April 27-28 at the Hu-guenot United Methodist Church, 10661 Duryea Drive, Richmond.

Performances are sched-uled at 8 p.m. April 20 and 21, 2:30 p.m. matinee April 22, 8 p.m. April 27 and 2:30 p.m. matinee and 8 p.m. April 28.

The Pulitzer Prize-win-ning comedy offers sharp wit, a bit of romance and unforgettable characters.

When Elwood P. Dowd introduces his imaginary friend Harvey, a 6-foot-tall rabbit, to his sister’s friends, the audience knows the fun is about to begin.

All tickets are $12 and include admission and dessert.

For reservations, call 272-6820 or e-mail HCP-Presents@gmail.com.

APRIL 12, 2012 || 3MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM EXPLAIN NEWS || FEATURES

teachers and school staff members held a creative version of “Dancing with the Stars.”

From zombies dancing to “Thriller,” poodle skirts to hip-hop break dancers and even a Panda Bear who performed “Kung Fu Fight-ing,” the sky was the limit for the display of talent and merriment.

There was barely a dry eye in the gym as a student pre-sented Roarty with a special gift basket.

And what was in the basket?

Many hours of efforts from students and staff who collected gift cards to assist with their beloved teacher’s many needs and expenses.

Their efforts made an of-fering of more than $1,000 in gift cards.

Tears of joy and thank-

fulness fi lled the grateful teacher’s eyes as she humbly accepted the token of the school’s love.

As the pep rally came to a close, students appeared to not want to leave − not without a hug to their friend

and teacher anyway.Students swarmed around

Roarty.As the event came to

a close, James River High School was fi lled with an emotional overfl ow, thanks to the spirit of giving.

Advertise in Midlothian Exchange!

Call Julie Abse at (804) 356-4810 for details.

Calendar approved for 2012-13 school yearCONTRIBUTED REPORT

After incorporating changes suggested by teachers and parents, the Chesterfi eld County School Board has approved the

calendar for the 2012-13 school year. � Students will start school Sept. 4, which

is the fi rst Tuesday after Labor Day.� Thanksgiving break will be Nov. 21-23.

� Winter break will begin Dec. 21, and schools will re-open Jan. 2.

� Spring break will be April 1-5.� Students will be released three hours

early on eight days to provide professional development and workdays for teachers.

� The last day of school for students will be June 14.

SUPPORT from page 1

PHOTO BY BECKY WRIGHTThe school showed its support for cancer victims by “Painting the Town Pink,” which included parts of the school.

the fi rst time when they play with toys such as the iconic Barbie doll.

“Barbie is held up as a standard for young girls,” Jones-Turner said. “And society emulates those body images and says that if I don’t wear a size 2 or 3, then I’m not acceptable.”

“So, if I go to school and people pick on me because of my body image, that’s when bullying comes into play, and more often, nowadays, individuals (are committing) suicide. So, what we’re doing is offering young ladies an alternative to celebrate who they are today.”

The evening will feature dances, dramatic renderings and musical performances that depict scenes where body image is a prevailing problem.

“We’re trying to impress upon the community that (it) shouldn’t be so caught up on image,” Jones-Turner said.

According to Jones-Turner, the event is targeted at mature audiences. To be more specifi c, she said that the subject matter shown during Saturday’s event will be aimed at ages 17 and up, although younger adoles-cents can attend if they are accompanied by a parent.

“Well, it’s the content,” Jones-Turner said. “If victimization hasn’t been explained to a child, they shouldn’t be sent without the parent, and it could cause re-victimization in young children (who have previously been sufferers of domestic violence).”

In any case, Jones-Turner blames popular media for perpetuating the myth that women’s appearances should adhere to a widely-held stan-dard. Furthermore, she said that the recent crop of popu-lar reality television shows hasn’t helped adolescent girls to understand that they don’t need to look like their favorite stars to be successful in life.

“Our teens have a hard time distinguishing fantasy from reality,” Jones-Turner said. “These reality shows don’t project reality, and they don’t realize that these people are acting.”

“We’re all different, with different heights and weights. If everybody looked the same, there wouldn’t be any creativity, and we would all live in a homogenous society.”

Jones-Turner also said she is convinced that domestic violence should be discussed in public forums because it brings attention to the problem. And the body im-age topic is a great place to begin the groundwork for the conversation.

“It’s important that the community knows that it’s not an individual’s prob-lem,” Jones-Turner said. “It’s a community problem.”

Tickets to “Beyond Bar-bie” are $10, and they must be purchased or reserved in advance. For more informa-tion, call 318-8265.

BARBIE from page 1

CONTRIBUTED REPORTScott M. Foster has been named to the

Dean’s List at Hampden-Sydney College for the Fall semester of the 2011-2012 academic year.

A sophomore, he is a graduate of Hermit-

age High School.His parents are Lisa P. Blake of Glen Allen

and John M. Foster of Midlothian.To be named to the Dean’s List, students

must achieve at least a 3.3 semester grade point average out of a possible 4.0.

Local student on Hampden-Sydney Dean’s List

4 || APRIL 12, 2012 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMEXPLAIN NEWS || FEATURES

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Vol. VI, 10th 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!

Death of the State Fair — did anyone even notice?

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I am writing concerning the “Letter from the editor” published in your March 29 issue under the byline of

Jim Ridolphi.Your front page banner pro-

claims that your paper is “Serving the communities of Chesterfi eld County.” So, I must ask, how does such an editorial serve our com-munities?

We can all agree that the death of Trayvon Martin is a tragedy. And I am not writing to defend what George Zimmerman did or didn’t do, his state of mind at the time or any other things that might cast light on what led to that tragedy. The question I ask you is why you considered this piece to be important for the citizens of Chesterfi eld’s com-munities?

Do you think we are living under rocks? Do you think we missed the coverage on televi-sion, in the newspapers of general circulation, on the Internet, in magazines and every other form of communication that has blared this story for days on end? Or did you just feel that it was necessary to add your special touch to the

story? If the last, I submit that you added nothing.

Mr. Ridolphi states that it is “hard to know where to begin” with his comments. Perhaps that is because he should have left this to others and focused on matters more appropriate for your read-ers. But he goes on, and so will I – at least for a few more lines.

Mr. Ridolphi refers to what he calls “a non-proportionate (sic) response to a simple assumption.” His piece is laden with his own disproportionate assumptions about what happened and, more importantly, why it may have happened. And his attribution of cultural/racial motives to this kill-ing adds nothing to what others have written, unless he means to imply that we in Chesterfi eld are particularly prone to such.

I could go on in more detail, but, suffi ce it to say, that I think we in the Chesterfi eld communi-ties you serve, and your paper as well, would be better served by sticking to what you do best and not simply adding to the heat without shedding any light.

John McGillMidlothian

23112March 2014500 block of Sailview CourtProperty was reported stolen from victim’s vehicle.

2900 block of Woodbridge Crossing DriveLicense plates were stolen from victim’s vehicle.

March 2112900 block of Genito RoadWheels stolen from location.

March 245000 block of Commonwealth Centre ParkwaySubject was observed masturbating.

23113March 2211200 block of W. Huguenot RoadProperty reported stolen from victim’s locked vehicle.

1100 block of Salisbury DriveSuspect/s gained entry to the location and stole property from inside. No signs of forced entry were noted.

March 231500 block of Unison DriveSuspect/s forced entry through a side window and gained entry into the victim’s residence. Property was reported stolen.

11400 block of West Huguenot RoadRear passenger window broken out. Property removed.

23235March 208600 block of Woodshill CourtProperty reported stolen from outside the victim’s residence.

March 2110900 block of Olympic RoadVictim advised he looked out to see suspect at his vehicle. Victim claims property was removed.

March 2211500 block of Midlothian Turnpike.Suspect entered the business, walked up to the clerk at the counter, and, demanding everything from the register, displayed a handgun. Upon getting the money, the suspect walked out of the store. Shortly thereafter, responding offi cers took the suspect into custody.

8200 block of Hull Street RoadSuspect admitted to forcing entry to location and stealing property from inside.

March 231400 block of Bargrove RoadVictim stated he arrived home and discovered unknown vehicle parked in his driveway and unknown suspect in-side his residence. Suspect displayed a weapon, left the residence and was later seen entering the vehicle. At this time, nothing has been reported stolen.

March 252000 block of Huguenot RoadSuspect/s pried open the front door at location and stole property.

10800 block of Center View DriveRear passenger windows on two ve-hicles parked at location were broken out. Money removed from one vehicle.

9100 block of Midlothian TurnpikeLeft rear window broken out of victim’s Honda Accord while parked at loca-tion. Property removed.

9900 block of Midlothian TurnpikeThe vent window on the rear passen-ger’s door was broken out of victim’s Honda CRV with property taken.

23236March 209800 block of South Wagstaff CircleVictim stated suspect rattled the door handle of his camper. Entry was not gained and at this time nothing has been reported stolen.

March 2210100 block of Hull Street RoadLocked tool box on the victim’s Ford F150 pickup pried open with items taken. The passenger window was forced open, allowing suspect/s to remove additional items from the cab’s interior.

March 231000 block of Pineville Rd.Suspect/s forced entry into the victim’s residence through the front door and stole property.

March 2611200 block of Jimmy Ridge DriveProperty removed from garage. Door to the garage had been left open.

23832March 206300 block of Qualla RoadSuspect/s gained entry to the resi-dence through an unlocked rear door. Property was reported stolen.

March 2614300 block of Fox Club ParkwayProperty removed from unlocked vehicle while parked at location.

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

CONTRIBUTED REPORTSarah Elizabeth Mulligan, daughter of

Larry Mulligan and Mary Platteter, both of Midlothian, has been named to the President’s List for the 2011 fall semester at Elon University in Elon, N.C.

The President’s List is composed of stu-dents who had no grade below an A- minus in a minimum of 12 semester hours.

Midlothian student named to President’s List at Elon University

nominate local companies and that businesses can also self-nominate. Categories include the Commu-nity Impact Award, the Employee Impact Award, the Environmental Stewardship Award, the Innovation Impact Award and the Minority Business Award, and winners in any of those categories are also eligible to win the Business of the Year Award.

Judging will be handled by a collection of community represen-tatives, and Shreve said that group won’t include anyone from any of the organizations that sponsor the First Choice Business Awards.

“We are not part of the selec-tion committee,” Shreve said. “We have local business owners and members of the community.”

Shreve said she isn’t sure when

the awards will be presented to the public. That’s because, as she said, the awards presentation’s original date confl icted with another event that the many members of the previously mentioned groups will attend, but she aims for a June 2012 date.

So, the awards presentation’s new date will be announced soon, but that shouldn’t stop citizens from nominating their favorite lo-cal companies for consideration.

On a related note, Shreve said that one of the biggest challenges her group encounters each year is getting nominated businesses to respond after they have been contacted.

“Probably, one of the hard-est things is getting replies to the letters that we send to the busi-nesses who have been nominated,”

Shreve said. “We need them to tell us about (their) businesses, their employees, their revenues and their community impact.”

So, why is it so important to celebrate the achievements of area businesses? Well, as Shreve said, local companies contribute to Chesterfi eld County’s long-term success.

“Well, existing businesses keep communities thriving,” Shreve said. “We recognize that they’re important to us, so it’s a way for us to give them a thank you and recognize their efforts in the com-munity.”

The deadline for online nomi-nations for the 2012 First Choice Business Awards is Friday, April 13.

To nominate a local business for consideration, visit www.chester-fi eldbusiness.com/award.

BUSINESS from page 1

CONTRIBUTED REPORTThe Chesterfi eld County

Department of Parks and Recreation is offering Estate Planning 101 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, at Bon Air Baptist Church 2531 Buford Road, North Chesterfi eld.

Christopher Wallace from

Financial Dynamics and the Estate and Elder Planning Center of Virginia will an-swer questions about proper legal documents, income planning, and life and long-term insurance.

This program is free. To register, call 748-1623,

and mention course 23101.

Parks and Recreation offering estate planning course free on April 18

BY JIM RIDOLPHISpecial Correspondent

With thousands of foreclosures taking place across the nation, it’s not front page news to learn of a doomed property close to home.

Almost every street in our area can point to at least one house where a family abruptly moved out, and the bank moved in.

With a fl urry of personal foreclosures, it’s easy to overlook the sad news that the site of the State Fair, Meadow Farm, is scheduled for auction in May. It leaves many of us asking, “How did it ever come to this?”

After 156 years, the neon will go dark on the midway when the crisp air of September rolls around. The economic downturn has claimed one of Virginia’s treasured and time tested tradi-tions.

The fair’s fi nances are complicated and the company that operates the annual event could not reach an agreement with the project’s lender, ArborOne Farm Credit of South Carolina. The property was used as part of the collateral for the loan.

Fair offi cials learned what many homeowners across the nation already know. Sometimes, lend-ers are not anxious to work with recovery plans. But the bank may not get the last laugh in this case. The Meadow Farm site is restrictively zoned for just state fair operations, and future uses seem limited. In the end, the fair’s offer to lease the property from a potential real estate developer was rejected. With a price tag of $5.5 million, ArborOne chose to proceed with liquidation.

Now, to the novice observer, it seems like pre-serving a valuable tradition and receiving some income beats the heck out of a large piece of land that will surely sit vacant for years. I guess that also explains why the bank and I don’t see eye to

eye on a lot of issues.While the business side of the closing is

distressing, the emotional cost to the community of losing its state fair is almost immeasurable. In a state where agriculture still matters in many communities, the state fair is a once in a lifetime opportunity to show your wares. The closing also amplifi es the effects of a diminishing compo-nent of our American culture, the family farm. To many in the Richmond area, the State Fair is embedded in our memories, and many can point to their earliest recollections from the site on Laburnum Avenue. Unfortunately, many did not follow the fair when it moved to Caroline County in 2009.

Rising costs of admissions and a changing market dogged the new venue from the begin-ning. While the time for criticism has probably passed, management seemed slow to respond and less eager to embrace the down-home roots associated with the fair. In any case, the end came last year when the company fi led for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Most of the employees were uncer-emoniously fi red.

Not only did that put the kibosh on the fair, but the Strawberry Hill Races and an annual Celtic Festival also are nixed.

The obnoxious barker who tirelessly tempted passersby to take a chance, the smelly rides, the creepy guy in the dunk tank . . . all gone in the blink of a bank’s blind eye.

And Meadow Farm is once again quiet with only memories to testify to its glorious past. The ghost of Secretariat, returning to the place he was foaled, is the only inhabitant. If the State Fair has gone the way of the Camptown Races, it’s a sad day for all of us who remember a simpler, hap-pier time when September meant only one thing — rain and the State Fair.

How sad!

APRIL 12, 2012 || 5MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM EXPLORE YOUR WORLD || TRAVEL

BY KOREY HUGHESSpecial Correspondent

Making the move from journalist to novel-ist is no mean feat, but Stacy Hawkins

Adams has achieved the aforemen-tioned deed with aplomb.

Adams will sign copies of her latest novel, “Coming Home,” dur-ing two upcoming appearances at Chesterfi eld County area Barnes & Noble stores in April.

So far, she has published seven novels and one nonfi ction work. Her fi rst novel, “Speak to My Heart,” debuted in 2004, while her inspirational book, “Who Speaks to Your Heart? Hearing God’s Whispers,” was released in 2010.

And even if you aren’t famil-iar with Adams’ authorial career, you might recognize her name from the bylines she acquired as a former Richmond Times-Dis-patch reporter or her long-running “Life Notes” column that appeared

weekly in the newspaper since 2007. “The title is a metaphor that refers to the notes in every parent’s life,” Adams said.

But, frankly, taking the leap from correspondent to fi ction scribe wasn’t much of a stretch for Adams, who said that her news-paper career prepared her for the world of book publishing.

In fact, Adams added that, even after publishing numerous novels, she still considers herself to be a journalist.

“You study people and analyze the meaning in situations,” Adams said. “I think it makes my charac-ters more believable, so my jour-nalistic skills have defi nitely helped me to be a better author.”

So, the question begs: Are imaginary tales harder to write than truth? Well, as Adams said, it’s more diffi cult to create characters and situations from scratch than it is to restate facts.

“I think it’s harder to write

fi ction because you have to create characters from nothing,” Adams said. “You have to give them back-ground and history, whereas, with journalism, you’re just trying to get the facts straight.”

“When I’m writing a journal-istic piece, I want to get the facts straight and understand the issue to make the column or story as accurate as possible. But, my goal as a novelist is to make my read-ers believe that my characters are real.”

It should come as no surprise that Adams credits her successful stint as a local journalist as the springboard that helped her sec-ond career to take off. And that’s why her local book signing tour, which will conclude in Chesterfi eld County, is so important to her.

“Well, locally, it’s because I had written an inspirational column for six years and was a journal-ist for 13 years, and those readers have now followed me into my

novel writing,” Adams said. “It was helpful to have readers who knew the types of writing I had done and followed me from a journalis-tic setting to a fi ctional setting.”

Her latest novel, “Coming Home,” was released in March 2012. The book focuses on a love triangle, but Adams said the plot changed after she began writing it.

“My inspiration for that book was (that) a lot of women fi nd themselves in mid-life, and they may be unmarried or newly single,” Adams said. “It wound up being a story about two women who have to fi nd a way to forgive each other to help this man (who they had both been romantically involved with) to die with dignity.”

“Coming Home” is gaining momentum among critics and readers, and Target recently named the novel as one of its recommend-ed reads. But Adams isn’t resting on her laurels, and she is currently working on the follow-up titled

“Lead Me Home.”At any rate, Adams said that

receiving feedback from readers is her favorite part of her book sign-ing events.

“A lot of readers thank me for creating characters that show them who they are,” Adams said. “They read about a character, and they say that character’s experience helped them to grow in some way.”

“And I like doing signings be-cause it gives me a chance to hear from the readers in person. That way, I know that they can relate to it in some way.”

Adams will appear from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Barnes & Noble at 4600 Commonwealth Centre Parkway. She also will appear from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, at the Barnes & Noble at Chesterfi eld Towne Center at 11500 Midlothian Turnpike.

For more information, visit www.stacyhawkinsadams.com.

Local author signs books at Barnes & Noble stores

CONTRIBUTED REPORTThe 2012 schedule for free shred

events for members of the Chesterfi eld County community has been an-nounced by the Chesterfi eld Federal Credit Union.

Residents are invited to bring in personal documents for shredding, including old account statements, bills, receipts, tax documents or other docu-ments containing personal informa-tion.

The 2012 schedule is:3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 20,

Chesterfi eld Courthouse Offi ce (6737 Public Safety Way).

10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 19, Midlothian Village Offi ce (13601 Public Safety Way).

10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 16, Brandermill Offi ce (4900 E. Mill-ridge Parkway).

3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 20, Chesterfi eld Courthouse Offi ce (6737 Public Safety Way).

10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 18, Midlothian Village Offi ce (13601 Public Safety Way).

10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept.

15, Brandermill Offi ce (4900 E. Mill-ridge Parkway).

3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, October 19, Chesterfi eld Courthouse Offi ce (6737 Public Safety Way).

10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 17, Midlothian Village Offi ce (13601 Public Safety Way).

10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 15, Brandermill Offi ce (4900 E. Mill-ridge Parkway)/

Chesterfi eld Federal Credit Union recommends shredding of personal documents as an important precaution against identity theft and fraud.

Confi dential information isn’t lim-ited to account statements. Hard copies of sensitive materials are produced daily in every household.

As the fastest-growing form of fraud, identity theft threatens to destroy one’s fi nancial security and stability.

Chesterfi eld Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profi t fi nancial cooperative organized by and for people who share the common bond of working for or providing a service to our members and the community.

CFCU has three branch locations: in Chesterfi eld on Public Safety Way, in Brandermill in the Market Square Shopping Center, and on Midlothian Turnpike in the Midlothian Station Shopping Center.

Members also can access the Credit Union through over 4,000 shared branches and 50,000 free ATMs na-tionwide.

Unlike other fi nancial institutions, Credit Unions are owned and con-trolled by their members. There are no outside stockholders and no paid Board of Directors.

All of the Credit Union’s excess earnings are returned to members in the form of lower interest rates on loans, higher dividend rates on depos-its, lower fees and additional services.

The all-volunteer Board of Directors is democratically elected by the mem-bership, and each member is entitled to one vote regardless of the amount they have on deposit.

For more information, contact Chris Miller at 639-8023, extension 108, or by e-mail at cmiller@chester-fi eldfcu.net.

Chesterfi eld Federal Credit Union schedules monthly shred events

CONTRIBUTED REPORTWould you like to design

a backyard sanctuary for wildlife or a garden for cut fl owers?

Would you like to create a beautiful t-shirt design using science?

Are you interested in learning more about the latest online programs and application?

Would you like to chal-lenge your strategy skills with a chess tournament?

Do you like to get creative? Is science your passion?

Are you interested in the languages and cultures of for-eign lands? Is staying healthy a priority?

Have you always wanted to learn to dance?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then mark your calendars for

Fool for Art. This annual festival held

by John Tyler Community

College in partnership with Chesterfi eld County will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

on Saturday, April 21, at the college’s Midlothian Cam-pus at 800 Charter Colony Parkway.

Fool for Art is a day packed with family fun, in-cluding art, music, hands-on activities and free educational sessions, and much more.

Highlights include: Art and craft area:

Stroll through this area and shop from a selection of paintings, ceramics, wood-work, glass art, jewelry, pho-tographs, folk art and more.

Art of Learning Tent: Get ready for lots of fun hands-activities. Inside the tent, visitors will get to make a volcano erupt, build a rocket, identify the bones in the human body, write their names in hieroglyphics, learn where germs hide, and create Maharaja Medallions

with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts – and that’s just the start.

Celebrate our Earth Tent: Want to go green? Chesterfi eld County wants to show you how. Learn about environmentally friendly landscaping, regional wildlife, and the newest eco-friendly cars. You can also play games, win prizes, and meet Tim, the talking trash can.

Free educational ses-sions, demonstrations and activities: Head inside the Academic and Science build-ings for activities and ses-sions sure to interest people of all ages. Use science to decorate a t-shirt, learn about various computer programs and applications, learn how to make a fi lm or take a great photo, enjoy adventures with the Story Lady, fi nd out how

your teens can sketch out their futures, have fun with robotics, and much more.

Music, dancing and comedy: Get ready to have more fun in the courtyard, which will be fi lled with mu-sic, dancing, and skits.

Paper shredding: Free document shredding will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in parking lot D.

Rain barrels and com-posters: Purchase rain barrels and composters at reduced prices, while supplies last.

Food: Yummy of-ferings will be available throughout the day.

To learn more about Fool for Art, to get directions to the campus, and to fi nd a complete list of art and craft vendors, activities, sessions, and food vendors, visit www.jtcc.edu/foolforart.

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

SUBMITTED PHOTO

FRIDAY, APRIL 13The Bon Air Artists Associ-ation’s monthly meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Congregation Or Ami, located at 9400 Huguenot Rd., Rich-mond. Larry Robinson will introduce the VCU art stu-dents who have received the art scholarships from Bon Air Artist Association. For ques-tions, contact Nell Chesley at 217-8950.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18The Salisbury Garden Club meets at 9:30 a.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the Church of the Redeemer. This month, the club will spotlight the Salisbury Garden Club Biennial Garden Tour. If you have any ques-tions regarding the Salisbury Garden Club, contact the president, Doris Morris, at doriskmorris@comcast.net.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19Spring Arbor of Salisbury located at 14001 Turnberry Lane, Midlothian, will host a free Alzheimer’s Community

Forum at its Salisbury loca-tion. A panel of profession-als will be in attendance to give insights on the medical, legal and caregiver issues that arise when caring for an Alzheimer’s patient. The event is free and a light lunch will be provided to all attend-ees. RSVP by Monday, April 16, by calling Jennifer Kelsey at 897-2727.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21“Sing and Ring” concert will be presented at 7 p.m. at Salisbury Presbyterian Church located at 13621 W. Salisbury Rd. by the Senior Adult Community Choir and The Salisbury Ringers. For more information, call 794-5311.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25The Newcomers Club of Richmond will hold its month-ly luncheon at 11 a.m. at the Westwood Club. The program will be a fl oral arrangement demonstration. Call Brenda by April 15 or visit newcom-ersrichmond.org.

WEEKLY TUESDAYSOvereaters Anonymous Group #51606 meets at 2 p.m. each Tuesday at Central Baptist Church, located at 1510 Courthouse Rd., Richmond (23236) (Mission House in rear of church). For more information, call Peg at 379-9558.

The Bethia United Methodist Church Mothers of Pre-schoolers (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 from Sept. 20 through May 15. For more information, contact Kara Harris at 763-6067 or kara-harris@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 every fi rst and third Thursday at Bon Air

Baptist Church, 2531 Buford Road. Preschool child care is available. For more informa-tion, contact Loretta Sher-wood at tiandlo@aol.com or go to www.bonairbaptist.org/motts.

JTCC’s Fool for Art Festival offers a day of fun for all

CONTRIBUTED REPORTThe Chesterfi eld County Offi ce of Cooperative Exten-

sion is offering county residents the opportunity to learn how to cope with their landscaping challenges.

The program, Learn Your Landscape, includes a site evaluation from a master gardener to obtain a basic land-scape inventory, a follow-up consultation, and a personal-ized reference landscape binder.

The cost for the program is $25. Space in the program is limited. For more information, or to register, call 751-4401.

Learn how to fi x landscaping issues

CONTRIBUTED REPORT Mark Maloney recently captured fi rst place in the

Chesterfi eld Toastmaster Club Speech Contest for 2012.Nicole Sitler, contest chair, said Lisa Eget and Julio Del

Corso came in second and third, respectively.Maloney went on to compete in the Toastmaster Area

33 Speech Contest.

Mark Maloney named winner of Toastmaster Club speech contest

APRIL 28-299:00 AM - 6:00 PM

THE NELSON BLANTON ANTIQUE TRACTOR PULL & SWAP MEET

NOALCOHOLALLOWED

SILENT AUCTION: (donations needed or willsell items for you at 20%)CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES: Jonathan theJuggler, Barrel Car Rides, Games, Crafts andSO MUCH MORE!LIVE ENTERTAINMENTSUNDAY GOSPEL HOURLOTS OF GREAT FOOD & BAKED GOODSFood Donations welcome

� SAVE LIVES by Giving BloodSunday Noon until 4pm Virginia Blood Services

Sponsored by the Coalition ofPowhatan Churches

Location: 2455 Academy Road, PowhatanAdmission: $5.00/Children $2.00/2-12

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL:804-598-4464 or 804-598-4913

www.powhatanpowershow.com

Nelson Blanton

ANTIQUE GASENGINES ANDTRACTOR DISPLAYCRAFT SHOW ANDFLEA MARKET(spaces available)ANTIQUE CARS &TRUCKS BY THEPOWHATAN CRUIZERS

2614342-01

FISH DAY!IT’S TIME TO STOCK

YOUR POND!Delivery will be:

Saturday, April 28Goochland 10:45 - 11:30

at Southern StatesMidlothian 1:15 - 2:00

at Southern StatesRichmond-Broad Street

2:45 - 3:30at Southern States

Richmond-Williamsburg Road4:15 - 5:00

at Southern StatesSPECIALS!!

Catfish $45.00/100Bluegill $45.00/100

FISHWAGONTo Place an Order Call1-800-643-8439www.fishwagon.com

m

6 || APRIL 12, 2012 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMEXPLORE YOUR WORLD || TRAVEL

800-263-2890www.fortiscollege.edu

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For consumer information visit www.fortis.edu

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Ticket outlets and on-line ticketingat: Chesterfieldchamber.com and(804) 748-6364 x.2. Purchase 6 ormore tickets at Flagstop Carwash& Quick Lube and receive a freecar wash. Purchase tickets at areaMartin’s stores in Chesterfield andreceive a $2 discount.

Taster Tickets*Advance $20Gate $30Non-Taster TicketsAdvance $10Gate $15

Tickets purchased in advance must bepresented at the gate for admittance.

*Valid ID required for taster ticket holders.

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY

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Presents

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CONTRIBUTED REPORT

With mounting gas prices, many people are looking

for ways to cut transporta-tion costs and one father and son team has an answer.

Owned by father and son Patrick and Matthew Dobbs, Street Rockets of Virginia LLC is dedicated to provid-ing local motorcyclists and scooter riders with valued products at competitive prices.

Street Rockets of Virginia LLC, a locally owned retailer specializing in new and used motorcycle apparel, helmets and parts, offers motorcy-clists and scooter riders a unique shopping experience with new and used inventory.

“Customer service is what we’re all about,” Patrick said. “Street Rockets is a place where any rider is welcome to come, shop, and share stories.”

Street Rockets of Virginia LLC’s grand opening will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, at 10020 Chester Road in Chester in the Shops at the Whistle Stop Junction.

Grand opening activities will include free photographs of riders with their bikes and the opportunity to register for a $50 Street Rockets gift certifi cate.

Street Rockets of Virginia LLC carries AGV, Scorpion, Speed and Strength, and KBC helmets in stock.

“AGV helmets are made in Italy and are a great value. AGV helmets are big sellers at Virginia Beach,” Matthew said. “We’ve tried to fi nd the best products at reasonable prices to fi t our customer’s budgets.”

“With gas prices soaring, I think more people are going to be looking at motorcycles and scooters for transporta-

tion,” Patrick said. “Helping area riders fi nd the right gear at the right price is what

we’re all about.”Street Rockets of Virginia

LLC is open from 10 a.m.

to 8p.m. Monday through Saturday and gives active military and fi rst responders

10 percent discounts. The telephone number is 796-6417.

Street Rockets of Va. revs up for businessFather and son offer riders unique shopping experience

SUBMITTED PHOTOPatrick and Matthew Dobbs stand in Street Rockets of Virginia’s showroom at 10020 Chester Road in Chester. The father and son duo are launching a new retail concept to the Central Virginia motorcycling community.

BY BECKY ROBINETTE WRIGHTSpecial Correspondent

The restaurant is quiet as broth-ers Paulo and Nelson Benavides prepare for the crowds that will soon arrive.

On the wall, old photos – ome of which are black and white – along with authentic Mexican art are the décor.

Pepe’s, which has been open about four months, is located at 9550 Midlothian Turn-pike.

The brothers hail from Mexico where they were taught a strong work ethic by their father.

“We have worked in the restaurant business since we [the brothers] were very young,” Paulo said.

Paulo and Nelson’s dad recently owned three restaurants, until the brothers bought one of them.

Paulo said their dad believed managing three restaurants was getting to be over-whelming.

“It was the perfect opportunity for us,” Paulo said, “Nelson and I were ready for our own business. It was just the right time. We just took the plunge.”

The fi rst item of business was a name change for the establishment. Under the name Don Pepe’s, the brothers changed the name to just Pepe’s.

Why? “Don is a very special title,” Paulo said. “It means ‘Mr.,’ but is a special respect title. Someone younger wouldn’t be called ‘Don.’ ”

“Some people were a little nervous,” Paulo said. “They were worried we would change the food, but we didn’t; the food will be the same.” He said the restaurant offers classic Mexican food like tacos, burritos, tostados, chimichangas, quesadillas and fajitas. They also have steak, beans and rice on the menu.

There is a wide selection of vegetarian dishes, such as veggie fajitas.

“We kept the original staff, even the same cooks,” Paulo added.

With the tough economy, how will the restaurant fair? “It’s a restaurant boom right now,” Paulo continued, “especially for Mexican. It’s risky but exciting. It’s not as risky for us as it would for someone who has family and children. Being single, Nelson and I aren’t putting all our eggs in one basket.”

“I am happy because I get to work with my family,” Paulo said.

Paulo, 26, and Nelson, 27. moved to the area in 1995.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The restau-rant is closed on Sundays.

Father’s footsteps lead two brothers to follow dream

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEPE’SNelson Benavides, front, and his brother Paulo have opened Pepe’s.

CONTRIBUTED REPORTThe Chesterfi eld County

Public Library and the Friends of the Chesterfi eld County Public Library will present a series of free seminars this spring to help parents negotiate the fi nan-cial-aid process.

For more information, or to register, visit library.chesterfi eld.gov.

Financial Aid 101Learn the six steps to cre-

ating a successful fi nancial-aid package in this work-shop presented by GRASP, the Great Aspirations Schol-arship Program. Get infor-mation on different kinds of

aid and sources for grants, loans and scholarships. Get help fi ling the FAFSA form. Discover the signifi cance of the grade point aver-age, and the benefi ts and requirements of community college transfer programs. Each seminar will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Dates and locations are: April 16, Midlothian Library; April 23, Enon Library; April 30, Meadowdale Library; May 7, Clover Hill Library; and May 14, LaPrade Library.

Making College Affordable

Parents of all income levels will discover how to

use the fi nancial-aid system to benefi t their families, including how to determine what a college actually costs and how to benefi t from the current tax provisions. This workshop is for any family with a college-bound high school student, including those who don’t think they will qualify for need-based fi nancial aid. Each seminar will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Dates and locations are: April 17, Midlothian Library; April 24, Enon Library; May 1, Meadow-dale Library; May 8, Clover Hill Library; and May 15, LaPrade Library.

Learn how to pay for college with free series of seminars

APRIL 12, 2012 || �MIdLothIAnExchAngE.coM sports || fitnessEXERCISE

By JIm mCConnElljmcconnell@midlothianexchange.com

A dislocated shoulder prematurely ended Sam Hunt’s football career last fall, but the James River High School senior is feeling no ill effects from the injury

as he navigates his rookie season as a stock-car racer in the K&N Pro Series.

Hunt joined fellow 18-year-old driver C.J. Faison at Richmond International Raceway last Thursday, where they shared their stories and addressed a variety of racing-related topics with a large group of students from Henrico County Public Schools automotive classes.

The drivers also gave the students a tour of their race haulers and even let a few of them slide into the cockpit of the cars they’ll pilot in the

Blue Ox 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race later this month at RIR.

While Faison made his debut on the .75-mile oval last spring, the April 26 event will be a sig-nificant racing milestone for Hunt, a Midlothian native who has many fond memories of sitting in the grandstand with his father and watching NASCAR’s stars turn laps at RIR.

“It was always a dream of mine, but it really did seem far away,” Hunt said of the opportunity to race in Richmond. “It will be a big deal for me and I’m sure there will be a ton of butterflies, being on this big stage. But once you’re strapped up and out on the track, it’s amazing how fast all that stuff goes away.”

Hunt has been most comfortable going fast since the first time he raced a go-kart as a 6-year-

old. He got interested in racing when his family moved to Holland and continued to work his way up the motorsports ladder upon returning to the United States a few years later.

Hunt started racing Late Models before he re-ceived his learner’s permit, quickly earning kudos for his ability to protect his equipment and avoid the type of “over-aggressive” mistakes that have dogged so many teenage racers.

Hunt spent last season with FDJ Motorsports, running Late Models at South Boston Speed-way. He was on the verge of breaking into the top-10 in points when he took a helmet to his right shoulder during an October football game against Midlothian and sustained a torn labrum.

hunt p9

PHOTOS BY JIM MCCONNELLVCU third baseman Joey Cujas leads the Colonial Athletic Association in batting average and on-base percentage and ranks among the leaders in five other offensive categories.

Cujas is VCU’s king of swingManchester alum putting together spectacular sophomore season for Rams

By JIm mCConnElljmcconnell@midlothianexchange.com

At first glance, there’s nothing particularly exceptional about Joey Cujas.

By today’s standards, the VCU sophomore’s 6-foot, 180-pound frame is actually on the small-ish side for a Division I third baseman. His biceps don’t strain the sleeves of his jersey and he

doesn’t cast an imposing shadow in the batter’s box.

But put a pitcher on the mound and a bat in his hands, and Cujas might as well be conducting a symphony at home plate.

“Joey’s always been a good hitter,” VCU coach Paul Keyes said after the Rams’ 2-0 loss to George Mason last Saturday at The Diamond. “He’s calm at the

plate. He sees the ball well and his swing is his own. He knows it so well that he can make adjust-ments very easily.

“He’s a very humble guy. But deep down, he knows he can hit.”

Cujas, a 2010 Manchester High graduate, was billed as a big-time slugger after setting the Lancers’ single-season (13) and career (23) home run records.

Fortunately for VCU, which plays its home games in a cavernous ballpark where home runs routinely go to die, he’s already been so much more.

A starter from day one, Cujas was named to the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association’s all-rookie team after batting .321 with 41 RBIs in 53 games – and he was just getting warmed up.

The righty-swinging Cujas

has taken his offensive game to another level this season. He was honored as the conference’s co-player of the week (ending April 1) after batting .588 (10 for 17) with a homer and eight RBIs while leading VCU to four consecutive road victories.

Through Sunday’s games, he led the CAA in both batting

PHOTO BY FRED JETERmolly novak (left) and Gina D’orazio contribute to Cosby’s girls track team in many events.

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLJames River High senior Sam Hunt (left) talks to a couple of Henrico County automotive students in the garage area at Richmond International Raceway.

lIFE In THE FAST lAnEStill just 18, Hunt learning on the fly as rookie in K&N Pro Series

Versatility makes duo ‘main cogs’ for TitansBy FRED JETERSpecial Correspondent

Any effort to list all of Cosby High’s female track stars would be like trying to count all the stars in the sky on a clear night.

There’s sparkle everywhere you gaze upon a roster of the reigning district/region/state indoor champions.

While diva Megan Moye may be tabbed the leading lady (double state individual winner), there’s a glowing supporting cast, too.

That intro leads us to Molly Novak and

Gina D’Orazio, described by coach Bryan Still as “main cogs … talented girls willing to do anything you ask.”

Long, lean sophomore Novak and D’Orazio, a gifted junior with an unlimited energy source, contributed mightily, in mul-tiple events, to the Titans’ gold rush.

Novak and D’Orazio ran powerful legs on Cosby’s victorious 4-by-400 and third-place 4-by-200 at the state meet at Boo Williams SportsPlex in Newport News.

“What I like so much abut Molly and

titAns p8

CuJAs p8

Taylor stars in U.S. winFRom STAFF REPoRTS

James River High graduate Shannon Taylor continues to impress in her role as a starting forward for the U.S. women’s national field hockey team.

Taylor scored one goal and nearly had another as the American squad claimed a 2-1 win over Australia last Friday in Buderim, Australia.

The U.S. posted its second consecutive win in the three-game international “friendly” series with the world’s sev-enth-ranked team.

The Americans had an outstanding start, piling on the pressure early, which resulted in a 1-0 lead at the 14 minute mark with a goal by Michelle Vittese (Cherry Hill, NJ). Vittese sent the ball across the circle in what ap-peared to be a reverse sweep pass to Taylor. But before the ball reached Taylor’s stick, it was deflected into the cage by an Aussie defender.

Australia tied the match with a penalty stroke in the 29th minute.

But the U.S. responded quickly and within minutes had a second goal tallied on the boards. Vittese collected the ball at the penalty stroke mark and sent it to team-mate Katie O’Donnell (Blue Bell, PA) at the left post. O’Donnell sent a quick, de-ceptive pass to Taylor waiting at the right post.

Taylor dove to get a touch on the ball and was able to send it into the cage, scoring her second goal of the series.

It proved to be the game-winner, as neither team man-aged to score after halftime.

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Gina is you can put them in about any event … they’re good from 55 meters indoors to 800 outside,” said Still.

“On top of that, they’re some of my best jumpers.”

Good golly, Miss Molly Novak is an athlete that flamboyant musician Little Richard would appreciate … in addition to her track ‘n’ field skills, she toots the trombone in the Titans’ marching band.

And if you’re ever in over your head, give her a shout – Molly spends summers life-guarding at Foxfire pool.

Novak typically competes in five events per meet and was fourth individually in the Region 500.

She won the 200 in the Ti-tans’ recent tri-meet victory over Manchester and George Wythe.

Novak is part of a stun-ning cluster of CHS middle-distance runners that features her old middle school foe, Alexandria Moseley.

In the Chesterfield County Middle School meet two years ago, Moseley (Bailey

Bridge) beat Novak (Toma-hawk) for the long-jump crown … by a mere inch.

They’re also friendly rivals in the 400 – the event Novak feels she may contend for state honors, down the road.

“My goal is to run 56 [seconds],” she said.

The problem is 10th-grader Moseley (second in region 500, third in 300) isn’t going anywhere.

“That’s fine,” said Novak. “She pushes me to run faster.”

Titan two-timerD’Orazio is Cosby’s mas-

ter multi-tasker.“Miss Apostrophe” splits

time in spring between the track, jump runways and the soccer field, where she is a swift center midfielder for the undefeated Titans.

“It can be tough … I really don’t feel like track practice after I’ve already done soccer,” she said. “But the winning makes it all worthwhile.”

She’s holding up well. D’Orazio recently set a personal-best of 5-2 in win-ning the high jump versus

Manchester and Wythe.D’Orazio, while durable

enough for longer hauls, really excels in the more explosive events.

Indoors, she was third in the district 300 and 11th in the region 55 meters.

Eleventh may not sound that impressive until you consider that she was the 11th fastest sprinter in the whole Central Region, from Ashland to Dinwiddie … while doing it part time.

One must wonder what this versatile athlete might achieve if track was all she had on her plate.

Still’s Titans, feeling frisky from all the success, are in a mood for running the table.

They’ll be favored at the Dominion District (May 14) and Central Region (May 23-24) meets.

Then, last, comes the Group AAA state cham-pionships June 1-2 at Richmond’s Sports Backers Stadium – the grand finale.

“We have one state cham-pionship,” D’Orazio said. “Now we want another.”

If victorious, when they roll the Titans’ credits it will be a long list.

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLJoey Cujas’ ability to stay ‘inside the ball’ and drive it to the opposite field has been a key factor in his CAA-leading .442 batting average this season.

CUJAs from p7

average (.442) and on-base percentage (.535) and ranked among the top-5 in five other categories: slugging percentage (third, .602); hits (third, 50); doubles (third, 13); RBIs (fourth, 31), and total bases (fifth, 68).

Asked to reveal the secret to his success, Cujas pondered the question for a moment before settling on a one-word answer: focus.

“I compete for every at-bat,” he said. “I just try to take a good approach at the plate and do whatever I can do to get on base.”

Cujas’ determination and consistency were on display Friday night late in VCU’s 7-4 loss to George Mason. The Rams trailed 7-0 heading to the bot-tom of the ninth inning and Cujas had been held hitless in his first three plate appearances, but he promptly ripped a line-drive single and eventually came around to score one of his team’s four runs in a late uprising that at least made the final score more respectable.

“That’s Joey,” Keyes said. “He has a lot of ‘old school’ in him. He goes about his business quiet; he doesn’t do a lot of yell-

ing out there. Every at-bat, he’s the same.”

Perhaps the most impres-sive aspect of Cujas’ season has been his plate discipline. While batting third in each of VCU’s first 32 games, he’s drawn 19 walks and been hit by seven pitches while strik-ing out only five times.

Five strikeouts all season?It’s no misprint. Don’t

bother adjusting your glasses. You read it correctly.

So how does a guy who bats in a prime run-produc-ing spot balance the need to drive the ball with his desire to make contact?

“When I get two strikes, I just focus on putting the ball in play because nothing good comes from striking out,” Cujas said.

Keyes, who believes Cujas “has a No. 2 hitter’s mentali-ty batting in the 3 hole,” sug-gested that fatigue was the main factor that prevented him from posting similarly gaudy numbers during his freshman season.

That’s no longer an is-sue. Cujas feels noticeably stronger after he stayed in Richmond last summer and worked out four times a week with Tim Kontos, VCU’s assistant athletic director for sports perfor-mance.

Cujas also spent the win-ter working with new hitting coach Jeff Palumbo on a

variety of drills designed to help him drive the ball more consistently to center and right field.

“When you’re able to hit the ball to all fields, it’s easier to get hits,” Cujas said.

And when you’re having the kind of season Cujas has enjoyed so far, you expect to get a hit every time you walk to the plate.

Baseball doesn’t work that way, of course.

In a sport where failing to get a hit seven times out of 10 can land you in the Hall of Fame, batting .442 for an entire season against Division I pitching would be truly exceptional.

Every hitter goes through stretches like the one Cujas faced last weekend. George Mason pitched him tough and his batting average fell nearly 20 points after he went 4 for 13 in the three games.

But his belief remains unshaken.

“At this point, I feel like I have to get myself out,” Cujas added. “I don’t worry about who the pitcher is or what he’s doing. I just take it one day at a time.

“My goal is to get mul-tiple hits every game, but if I don’t, I have to keep it in perspective. I put it behind me and come out with the same confident approach tomorrow.”

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CONTRIBUTED REPORT

After weeks of preparation the gates at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway will swing open for the 2012 season this Friday and Saturday for the much anticipated Commonwealth 100.

This year’s edition will have a new twist as the Lucas Oil Late Model series will now sanction the $25,000 to win event. The weekend will also include a $3000 to win non-qualifiers race.

The $25,000 to win dirt late model crown jewel event will once again see the best of the dirt late model world converging on the ½ mile speed plant in Jamaica, Va. With some of the industries top names headed in at-tendance this is a must see event for any and all race fans.

To help out the fans the speedway has announced it will extend the discounted two-day advance ticket pricing through the end of business on Friday.

Fans have until April 13 to grab a two-day advance adult ticket for just $30; Senior / Military are $27 and students (7-17) just $15. All tickets are general admission. No reserved seats will be sold for the event.

Saturday only ticket prices will have adults at $35; senior and military at $32; students 7 – 17 at $15 and children 6 and under free.

Fans can purchase tickets by visiting www.vamotorspeedway.com, downloading the advance ticket order form and sending it to the track with a money order or cashier’s check (no personal checks), or by calling the speedway office at 804-758-1867 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and using a Mastercard, Visa or Discover card.

Competitor gates for Friday and Satur-day will open at 3 p.m., with spectator gates opening at 5 on Friday and 4 on Saturday. There will be a BB&T “Meet and Greet” with the Lucas Oil Series drivers from 4:15–5:15 on Saturday.

VMS opening 2012 season Friday

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Surgery ended both his football career and his race season, and forced him into four months of physical ther-apy to regain both strength and range of motion in his shoulder. But the “bad break” would soon be followed by a golden career opportunity he never saw coming.

On Nov. 29, Precision Per-formance Motorsports owner Rick Gdovic announced his operation had added Hunt to its Driver Development Program for the 2012 K&N Pro Series season.

“I wasn’t looking to move up because I didn’t think I’d be able to find funding,” Hunt said. “I kept my nose clean and my eyes open, and fortunately it came to me.”

Now it’s all about learning on the fly. Hunt made his K&N Pro Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway last month and posted a respect-

able 24th-place finish in his first race on the legendary ½-mile bullring.

The series moved on to Greenville-Pickens Speed-way, where Hunt found himself more than a second off the pace in practice on a track he had never even seen on television.

“I told my guys on the ra-dio, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing here,’” Hunt recalled with a smile. “Every track is going to be something new; that’s what it’s like when you’re a rookie on any series. Following guys who have been doing it for a long time is the way to get up to speed quickly.”

As the top step in NASCAR’s “Home Tracks” program, the K&N Pro Series has become a launch-ing pad for developmental drivers looking to move into the three national series.

Among its alumni are current Sprint Cup drivers

Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr., as well as 2011 Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne and other young up-and-coming talents such as Austin Dillon and Ricky Carmichael.

Hunt, who is moving to Yorktown so he can be closer to the PPR team’s base of operations, knows he has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same sentence as those racers – but he’s willing to do what-ever it takes to get there.

It’s the same message he shared last week with the students, many of whom are also high school seniors and preparing to embark on their post-graduation lives.

“It almost makes it easier talking to kids because I can relate everything to my own life,” Hunt said. “I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices that most kids don’t and I’ve had to grow up faster, but it’s been a good thing for me.”

PHOTO BY JIM MCCONNELLJames River High senior Sam Hunt held a question-and-answer session for approximately 100 Henrico County high school students last week at Richmond International Raceway.

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