07/07/2011

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KAYLA WAMSLEYSpecial Correspondent

Lights and other festive decorations line the walls of Kathy’s Kopies, lo-cated at 13144 Midlothian Turnpike. Yes it is July, but Santa Ron Despain,

also known as Mr. Kathy, and Kathy Despain also known as Mrs. Santa celebrate Christ-mas year round.

Kathy’s Kopies recently opened a Christ-mas shop inside of their copy store called Santa’s Chest.

“If you have Santa and Mrs. Santa, you’ve got to have a Christmas store,” Santa Ron said.

They sell ornaments, toys and handmade nutcrackers from a local artist, Glenn Crider. Four of Crider’s nutcracker creations were put onto 42-cent stamps in 2008. The nut-crackers are now on display at the Smithson-ian Museum in Washington, D.C.

Just last year, Santa Ron made his trans-formation into the white-bearded, heavy chuckling man he is today. Previously, he was in the Marines and the Reserves. Ron and Kathy have been married for 31 years, have

fi ve children and eight grandchildren. Santa Ron’s inspiration sparked from a

visit to Lucy Corr Village Memory Center. At the time, Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa had been doing numerous visits for children who wanted to let Santa know what they wanted for Christmas.

Despain said he had an encounter with a man in a wheelchair, who had a blank expres-sion on his face. Despain was unaware of his mental condition.

“As I get closer his eyes are half closed, as we get closer his eyes start to open and his eyes get bigger and bigger and bigger and so I kneeled down right in front of him and I grabbed him by the hand and wished him a Merry Christmas,” he said. “The corners of his mouth just come up…the nurse comes running up to my Mrs. Santa and she says ‘that is amazing, as long as I’ve been here he has never reacted to anything.

“There’s something deep inside us, and Santa has a special place in our hearts with memories and the good things of life,” he said, “and with all of his medical conditions that came through.”

Santa Ron is a member of a group called Virginia Santas. About three times a year, the group meets at a different location to catch up with one another and work on the “Naughty/Nice” list. Their next meeting will be in October.

Despain is also a member of a non-profi t organization called Santa America. The organization was founded in 2003 and is comprised of over 100 national volunteer Santas who visit children and families when they need him. The Santas undergo the same background check as a doctor or nurse. He also receives specifi c training in death, be-reavement, autism as well as post traumatic stress.

Santa Ron volunteers for Noah’s Chil-dren, a program of comprehensive care that serves infants, children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. It is Central Virginia’s only pediat-ric hospice and palliative care program. The hospice is located at Bon Secours Richmond Health System.

Santa Ron brings Christmas spirit all year

KAYLA WAMSLEYSpecial Correspondent

Rockwood Park, located at 3401 Courthouse Rd., is home to Ruff House Dog Park, the only dog park this side of

the James River where dog owners take their canines to play with others.

The Ruff House Dog Park is a part-nership between Chesterfi eld County Parks and Recreation and Friends of Ruff House.

Five years ago, a group of women had a plan to build a park for dogs where they could run free, exercise and be around other dogs.

The women worked together with Chesterfi eld County and got the county to donate the property, helped raise money to build the fence and put in a septic tank for a dump station.

Rebecca Rogers Overstreet, president of Ruff House Dog Park said recep-

tion for the park has been positive, and many businesses and people have stepped up and donated for the park’s cause.

She credits former Ruff House Dog Park president Brian Martin for coor-dinating with the county to get the dog park more organized.

“We got people joining up as volun-teers and getting involved and making the park a better, safer place,” she said.

Since then they have built benches, reconfi gured the fence, added feces bags, trash cans, water trees for shade and signage.

Overstreet said the board has planted a garden at the very front underneath the Ruff House Dog Park sign.

There are two large dog kennel areas and a small dog area. Overstreet said some owners bring their small dogs into the large dog kennel, and that is fi ne depending on the large dogs that are in

the area and the small dogs.“It’s enter at your own risk,” she said. The park is open from 7:30 a.m. until

Rockwood Park closes at dark. There is a list of rules that owners are to adhere to while bringing their dog to the park. Among those rules are owners must fi ll any holes the dogs may dig, children under 10 are not allowed, and owners must have proof of current license and rabies vaccination.

Friends of Ruff House hold events during the year to raise money for the park. Howl-a-Woof, Santa Paws, Dane Day and the Ruff House Dog Park Birthday Bash are among the events held to raise money for new equipment and other necessities to improve the Ruff House Dog Park experience.

“We’re really proud of our fundrais-ing events and what that allows us to do

Ruff House Dog Park

RUFF page 4

PHOTOS BY KAYLA WAMSLEY

Professional musician Kip Williams has lived in Powhatan with his wife Gigi for 18 years. Pattern-ing himself after his heroes, including legendary jazz drummer Buddy Rich and Led Zeppelin’s John Bon-ham, Williams has enjoyed a successful career both as a musician and an entrepreneur. In 1990, he opened Richmond Music Center, a full-service music empo-rium he ran until selling it three years ago.

Williams’ recently released CD, Time, received rave reviews from local critics, even garnering Grammy buzz. He recently sat down with Powhatan Today Editor Roslyn Ryan to talk about his music, his heroes, and why drummers never seem to get the respect they deserve.

Is it really Kip?My real name is Michael, but if you call me that

I’ll have to kill you.

Not a problem. Kip it is. I was looking at your bio—has music always been a big part of your life?

I played sports when I was growing up—bas-ketball and stuff—but music was always a pretty important part of it. I was playing in bands by the time I was 15. I would play in after hours clubs, places that would open up at 12 and go until 4 in the morning. I wasn’t even old enough to be there. [Laughs] That’s how it all started.

You started playing drums when you were 9. How did your mom feel about that?

[Laughs]She’s still in a straightjacket. I go and visit her once a month.

Do you need me to do a rimshot for you? I can do that.

That’s ok. Really, my parents were incredible — I heard them say recently that they were glad they let us do that, you know, let the kids come down and play music because it kept us from get-ting in trouble.

There is a perception maybe that drummers are just crazy guys who like to bang on things and make a lot of noise. I know that’s not the case.

It’s not. There are those that fi t that bill, but I don’t know where that started—probably in the rock and roll part of it. The great drummers like Keith Moon and John Bonham, some of those

TIME page 3

SANTA page 4

KAYLA WAMSLEYSpecial Correspondent

Since October of 2009, Kate Lennox has been in Jordan teaching English and special education to students ages 5 to 21. She is a resident of

Midlothian and a volunteer in the Peace Corps.

Unsure of what she wanted to do after she graduated college, she began her search for a graduate school that specialized in Speech/Language Pathology. Lennox also researched Teach for America as well as the Peace Corps. Her sister Hannah, who has special needs, was her inspiration during her search.

“Because my sister has special needs, I knew I really wanted to work with the special needs community,” she said. “I found out more about Peace Corps . . . I realized that it would both give me a chance to try out teaching, let me work in special education, and give me experience for my future career.”

Lennox said Peace Corps volunteers are

allowed to pick their top three regions where they would like to work. Her choices were Eastern Europe, Latin America and North Africa/Middle East. Ultimately, she said, the Peace Corps determines where the volunteers get stationed.

“Jordan has one of the only special educa-tion programs in Peace Corps, which is why I was placed there,” she said.

She said Peace Corps has three sectors: Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), Youth Development and Special Education (SE). The TEFL and SE sectors follow the school calendar, working in public schools or public and private education centers.

“Youth Development volunteers work at gender-segregated youth centers, six days a week and 12 months a year,” she said.

Members of Peace Corps also are expected to do secondary projects. Lennox teaches English at a Knowledge Station, a tutoring center in a nearby town.

“During the school year I go to my pri-mary assignment, my SE center, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., teaching math, Arabic, English and life skills to about 30 students,” she said.

Her favorite class is a class for teenage girls who are deaf.

“I’ve learned Jordanian Sign Language,” she said, “so I can communicate with them and they’re really receptive to my activities and lessons.”

Lennox takes a bus into the town that is closest to the village where she is staying to teach English. She travels around Jordan to help volunteers with their projects. She said her community hasn’t been willing to help her put on a summer camp at the center where she teaches.

She is currently at an English-teaching summer camp in Aqaba sponsored by the American Embassy.

Lennox recalled a memorable moment she

Local Peace Corps volunteer fi nds niche in teaching

LENNOX page 3

Williams

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE LENNOXKate Lennox with her host mother in Jordan.

PHOTO BY KAYLA WAMSLEYSanta Ron Despain and Mrs. Santa (Kathy Despain) standing in the Santa’s Chest part of Kathy’s Kopies.

SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY 07.07.11

Williams to perform in concert July 23

2 || JULY 7, 2011 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMCELEBRATIONS || LIFEEXTRA

WASABI THE SUDOKU GAME WITH A KICK!

KAYLA WAMSLEYSpecial Correspondent

Four percent of Boy Scouts achieve the rank-ing of Eagle Scout. Andrew Bosch, Gregory Heckel, Scotty McTague and Patrick Crean of Troop 800 in Midlothian have recently joined those four percent.

The four 18-year-olds re-cently graduated high school students achieved Eagle Scout status in June. They have been in Boy Scouts together since the second grade.

They created commu-nity service projects that helped them earn their new ranking. The boys had to demonstrate leadership skills while benefi tting the local community. The projects included building benches and tables for their high school courtyards to build-ing a spiritual fi tness path at a local church.

Other requirements to achieve an Eagle Scout ranking include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout Spirit through the Boy Scout Oath and Law.

A scout ready to take on the ranking of Eagle also has to attend a Scoutmaster conference before his 18th birthday and take part in the Eagle Scout board of review, which can be done after his 18th birthday.

Patrick Crean, who is attending North Carolina State University for engi-neering, recalled his favorite

part of being in Scouts. “You get to hang out

with your friends a lot and go camping, if you’re into outdoor things like I am like hiking and biking and that kind of stuff, once a month,” Crean said. “You get to learn some good skills and values along the way.”

The boys share the same interests in traveling across the United States, and performing recreational activities through scouts. They have participated in activities like Double H in New Mexico, and traveled to Gettysburg, Penn., Washing-ton, D.C. and Disney World. They also have an annual ski trip.

Gregory Heckel, who will attend James Madison Uni-versity this fall, credits Camp Buckskin for helping him with leadership skills.

“That camp taught me a lot about being able to lead and different methods to lead,” he said. “Also besides that camp, every year we have leadership training…they teach you ways to com-municate with the scouts and be able to empathize.”

“It’s an experience that you can’t do really anywhere else and stuff that you’ll probably never get to do again,” Scotty McTague, who will be attending Old Do-minion University and ma-joring in Communications, said. “It pretty much creates a lot of lifetime memories and stuff that you’ll be able to talk to your kids about.”

All four boys had to bal-ance high school extracur-ricular activities and jobs while staying focused on leadership activities and earning merit badges in

scouts. “I had to take off six

weekends, but it’s worth it. It feels really good that we’re done now,” McTague said.

Andrew Bosch, who is attending Virginia Tech for engineering this fall, said going on trips and hanging out with friends have been his favorite parts of being in Scouts.

“Scouting is just fun. You get a lot of friends, you get to go do stuff that you would have never had the chance to do if you weren’t in scouting,” he said. “There are just a lot of once in a lifetime experiences.”

The boys say the key to achieving the Eagle Scout ranking is to keep going and don’t give up.

“Don’t quit. Try to get through all the obstacles that you have to whether you’re involved in sports or academics or something,” McTague said. “We all did all that and we all managed to get through it…it’s defi nitely worth it.”

“It’s not really a socially deemed thing. People think Boy Scouts is just really nerdy and stuff but really it’s not. It’s fun to do,” Crean said. “Looking back, I would defi nitely do it again.”

McTague said he wants to be a leader when he com-pletes his college.

Troop 800’s Scoutmaster is Rodney Parsons, and the troop consists of more than 50 scouts. They have about 20 Assistant Scout Masters. They have their own camp-ground called Camp Justice located in Powhatan, which has shooting ranges, a zip line and a climbing wall.

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Recently ranked Eagle Scouts share achievements Chris Conley, a graduate

of the Mathematics and Sci-ence High School at Clover Hill, is the only student in Virginia selected to perform with the 2011 Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus. Chris performs on the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone in Clover Hill’s band program, which is directed by his father, Steve Conley. Chris has been a member of the all-county band, all-district band and

VCU’s Greater Richmond High School Jazz Band. In July, he will join other students chosen from ap-plicants representing nearly every state when the Sound of America begins its 23-day concert tour of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and Luxembourg. For more information, go to www.soundofamerica.org.

– Courtesy Chesterfi eld County Public Schools

PHOTO COURTESY BY COMMONWEALTH PHOTOGRAPHY 2010

Only Virginian selected

The Government Finance Offi cers Association (GFOA) recently awarded the Ac-counting Department a Certifi cate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its annual fi nancial report for the fi scal year that ended June 30, 2010.

This is the 30th consecu-tive year that Chesterfi eld County has received the award.

The certifi cate is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and fi nancial reporting, and its attainment represents a signifi cant accomplishment

by a government and its management.

The award criteria assists participants to go beyond the minimum requirements to prepare comprehensive annual fi nancial reports that evidence the spirit of trans-parency and full disclosure.

“I want to congratulate all of my staff for the roles they played during FY2010 and subsequent months in draft-ing the report and coordinat-ing the audit,” said depart-ment director Patsy Brown. “I truly appreciate their efforts that have enabled the county to achieve this level of success for thirty years in a row!”

Brown also said that ev-eryone on her staff contrib-utes to the report in a variety of ways:

• Through ensuring that guidance from various authoritative sources is implemented and followed;

• By reviewing transactions and processing checks;

• Through reconciling fi nan-cial accounts and data; and

• Through the development and monitoring of preven-tive and detective internal controls.

– Contributed Report

Chesterfi eld county’s accounting department recognized for fi nancial reporting

The best school offi ce manager in Virginia works at Greenfi eld Elementa-ry School in Chesterfi eld County. Carole Evans was honored as Educational Offi ce Professional of the Year by the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals on June 27. She has worked for Chesterfi eld County Pub-lic Schools for 21 years, 17 of those at Greenfi eld Elementary.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHESTERFIELD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Evans named Educational Offi ce Professional of the Year

For the second year in a row, Leslie Alderman is Virginia’s best school bus driver. She won the conventional school bus category in the statewide road-e-o on June 23 and will represent Virginia and Chesterfi eld County Public Schools during national competition July 16-17 in Baltimore, Md.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LEIGH ANN H. MCKELWAY

Alderman named Virginia’s best school bus driver

The VCU Medical Center will be offering the following free seminars at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s Education and Library Complex, located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue. Registration is required. Free parking available. PLUS, if you come early, you can tour the gardens before the seminar for free.

Call (804) 828-0123 to reserve your spot today.

July 13 | 5:30 p.m.Crohn’s Disease: It Takes a VillageJoin Drs. Stephen Bickston and Homayoon Akbari who will discuss the latest treatments for Crohn’s Disease.

July 19 | 5:30 p.m.Managing DiabetesJoin Dr. John Clore and Linda Thurby-Hay who will talk about the prevention, treatment and management of diabetes.

July 28 | 5:30 p.m.Arthritis of the HandJoin Dr. Jessica Frankenhoff as she discusses treatments for arthritis and pain of the hand and thumb.

August 3 | 5:30 p.m.Depression: Is it All in Your Head?Join Dr. Rashida Gray to learn how depression and stress can impact your health and the appropriate treatments available to help.

Save the Date

Upcoming Free Health Seminars

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JULY 7, 2011 || 3MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM EXPLAIN NEWS || FEATURES

BY JIM RIDOLPHISpecial Correspondent

The Chesterfi eld County School Board believes the county’s schools are headed in the right direction, and consistent leader-ship will help ensure that trend continues well into the future.

Last week, the board unanimously approved a new contract for Chesterfi eld County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Marcus Newsome.

“During his nearly fi ve years in Chester-fi eld County, the School Board has worked with Dr. Newsome to implement a variety of initiatives that have helped increase student achievement, ensure our schools are safe and supportive learning environments, and increased two-way communication oppor-tunities for our staff, parents and commu-nity members,” School Board chair Dianne E. Pettitt said following the approval.

The new contract, which went into ef-

fect on July 1, runs through June 2015. The superintendent’s current contract expires in 2012.

Newsome’s salary will remain unchanged at $207,667 and is subject to a 3 percent cut scheduled for all senior administrators in the school system.

Chesterfi eld County Public Schools is the state’s fourth largest system, with more than 59,000 students.

Newsome took the helm in 2006. He is credited with implementing innovative policies that have consistently resulted in higher test scores and improving academic results, according to a press release issued by the county.

In 2009, the county school system be-came the largest in the state to receive full accreditation at all of its schools.

Newsome arrived in Chesterfi eld after serving as head of Newport News Public Schools, the largest school division in the

state. He also worked in school systems in Prince Georges County, Md. and the Dis-trict of Columbia.

Newsome earned his doctorate at Bowie State University, where he also received his master’s degree in administration and supervision. He also holds a doctorate in religious education from the Interna-tional Seminary in Florida. He received his bachelor’s degree from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.

Education also is a large part of New-some’s family life. He is married to a school-teacher and they have three children.

Pettitt said Newsome’s leadership, com-bined with a supportive local government, has served the county well during some challenging times.

“Focused leadership on the part of the board and superintendent during some trying times has helped keep Chesterfi eld County Public Schools pointed in the right

direction. With the ongoing work being done to support an enhanced vision and mission, our school division is poised to move even closer to being the premier school division we all want it to be,” Pettitt said.

Student achievement and pass rates have achieved best-ever numbers in the county under Newsome’s leadership, all accom-plished with a shrinking budget and tight economic times. The on-time graduation rates now exceed state averages.

“I am blessed and honored to serve the Chesterfi eld County community and humbled to be asked to continue to lead the school division,” Dr. Newsome said. “How-ever, we will not rest on our past accom-plishments. We will maintain a laser focus on continuous improvement and innovative solutions to overcome the many new chal-lenges that lie ahead,” he said in a prepared statement.

School board approves contract for system’s top administrator

KAYLA WAMSLEYSpecial Correspondent

Runners, swimmers and rally teams alike tested their athletic abilities for a cause on Sunday, June 26, Triath-lon at Robious Landing Park located at 3798 James River Rd. for the I Love the Tavern.

The triathlon, which was in its fi fth year, is named after its title sponsor, The Tavern res-taurant located at 7110 –F Patterson Ave.

The restaurant pro-vided barbeque after the race.

Triathlon participants raised money from their sponsors while raising money for Comfort Zone camps. The nonprofi t camps offer a supporting community for bereav-ing children. Last year, the triathlon raised more than $2,000 for Comfort Zone camps.

“Every race that we produce is affi liated with raising money for charity,” Laurie Mehler, owner and president of Richmond Multisports, said.

Mehler, who also is a certifi ed USAT race director for Richmond Multisports, started the company in 2004. She has been racing for 20 years.

“I do it because I love creating the courses, and it’s something for people to race and to be involved with,” Mehler said. “It gives them

something to train for and look forward to. It keeps us all fi t. It’s a good balance.”

Since December, 500 people had been attract-ed to and registered for the triathlon.

Race options in-cluded relay, Clydesdale, Athena, student, aqua-bike and individual. The minimum age for the race was 10. There was no maximum.

The run section of the triathlon was 70 percent trails, and the race dis-tances were 650 meters of swimming, 18.8 miles of biking and 5 kilome-ters of running.

Training locations for the triathlon included the Chester YMCA, lo-cated at 3011 West Hun-dred Rd.; Midlothian YMCA, located at 737 Coalfi eld Rd.; Central Virginia Endurance; and Endorphin Fitness, located at 8908 Patterson Ave.

Upcoming events in Chesterfi eld County offered by Richmond Multisports include the Commonwealth Sports Medicine Power Triath-lon on Aug. 21 and The Brickman Richmond Sprint Triathlon on Oct. 9. Both will be held at the Midlothian YMCA.

Richmond Multi-sports is always looking for volunteers for its athletic events. For more information on how to volunteer, call 389-0588.

I Love the Tavern Triathlon

guys, they got a little…frisky.

How did those guys sound from a musician’s point of view?

They were phenomenal. Phenomenal. John Bonham infl uenced more drummers today probably than anybody.

In any genre? In any genre. There are jazz

drummers whop say one of their big infl uences was John Bonham.

I liked Bonham — and I was defi nitely infl uenced by him — but I was infl uenced by anything I heard. If there was cool drumming going on I was into it. When I was growing up everyone else was listening to the Beatles — I listened to the Beatles but I was also listening to Buddy Rich and stuff like that. That stuff intrigued me. I just thought it was so cool. Plus, every once in a while my par-ents would lat me stay up late and see Buddy on the Johnny Carson show. And that was great.

Do drummers hear music differently than people who don’t play drums?

I hear rhythm. There are songs that I’ve heard a million times and I couldn’t tell you what the lyrics are. I know the song, I know the structure of the tune, I know how it’s played. But if you said ‘sing this’ I couldn’t do it.

But could you play it?Oh yeah, sure. If I’ve heard

it I could play it.

What would you say to kids who love music, live for music, and want to do some-thing with music, but whose parents are telling them to go to school and major in something practical?

It’s individual case but, you know, if they are deter-mined…I’d say follow your heart but use your brain.

I went to VCU for a real short time but I didn’t gradu-ate. I was going for a music education degree, but that would have only meant that I could teach school. And I had no ambition to do that—I wanted to play.

I graduated from high school in 1973 and I wanted to play jazz. I was basically a rock drummer who was infl u-enced by jazz. So I took a year off and just woodshedded on the jazz stuff, just played along

with records and took some lessons.

Have you always supported yourself as a musician?

Well yeah. I mean I had construction jobs growing up, I’ve done a little of everything. But yeah, music has been a big part of it. We had [Richmond Music Center]—we started that in 1990 and we sold it about three years ago.

When I sold it we had 750 students a week. It was a machine. And they still have a high number of students, even with the economy the way it is.

What was the best show you ever attended?

Oh, God, I couldn’t name one. Probably one of the most memorable was seeing Buddy Rich live. I saw him fi ve times live. He used to come to JR Tucker High School. The band director there was in cahoots with somebody, so every year when they would go on tour they would come by the high school.

What’s the best show you’ve never seen?

Probably Led Zeppelin. I never saw them live—that would have been cool.

Ok, who is the better drum-mer: Tommy Lee or Buddy Rich?

Oh, Buddy Rich—although Tommy Lee does what he does really well. I’m not knocking Tommy Lee. He has a lot of cool tattoos…

A lot of cool tattoos, and he did the thing in the spinning orb where he went upside down while playing. I mean, come on.

Oh yeah. [Laughs] I wouldn’t try that…not in a million years.

Finish this sentence for me: ‘If the world was run by musicians…’

It would be a beautiful place. But nothing would get done. Think about it…they do what they do great, but I haven’t met too many musi-cians that could run things.

Kip Williams’ group, Bop-Nation, will be at the Pow-hatan Performing Arts Concert this summer for Jazz in July on July 23. They can also be seen every third Thursday of the month at Capital Ale House downtown. All other scheduling can be seen at www.kipwil-liams.net.

TIME from page 1

had with one of her students in English class while sta-tioned in Jordan.

“A college-aged young woman told me her brother appreciated the extra work-sheets I was sending home with her for him to use,” she said. “She then told me I should come over and visit them because ‘He looks just like Jacob from Twilight.’ ”

According to Lennox, her host family in the training village was wonderful.

“I still visit them every month or two,” she said, “and some of my best experiences in Jordan have been in their home, cooking, cleaning, harvesting olives, playing with the children, or just sit-ting around and talking with my host sisters and cousins.”

She said the hospitality in Jordan has been exceptional, but has had her share of

brushes with diffi culties in the country.

“I can’t count the amount of times I’ve walked down the street and a woman would invite me in for coffee, tea, or lunch, even though I’d never met her before,” she said. “Of course there are the diffi cult experiences as well, [like] getting rocks thrown at me, being harassed by young men, [and] seeing how my students are treated by the greater community.”

“I try and focus on the positive, and seeing the results of my teaching and presence in my village is very rewarding,” Lennox said.

Volunteers in Peace Corps serve for two years with an additional two to three months of in-country train-ing.

Lennox will be leaving Jordan in late December. She

LENNOX from page 1

said volunteers who decide to extend their service for two years in a different country usually have more say in the

post-selection than during their fi rst term.

“It’s going to be hard to go back to America,” she said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATE LENNOXKate Lennox and a student in special education in Jordan.

In response to requests by the Appomattox River Water Authority, the Chesterfi eld County Department of Utilities is asking its custom-ers to voluntarily conserve water by:

• Avoiding lawn watering on Mondays and then follow a lawn-watering schedule of alternating days based on street address. For example, addresses ending with an even number and locations with no street numbers water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and ad-dresses ending with an odd number water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

• Limiting the fi lling and replenishing of swim-ming pools to levels needed to maintain health and safety.

• Limiting noncommer-cial vehicle washing to two days per week.

• Irrigating golf courses between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m.

Chesterfi eld County is a member of the Appomat-tox River Water Authority, which provides water from Lake Chesdin.

The water level in Lake Chesdin has now decreased to an established level to trigger voluntary water restrictions.

If signifi cant rainfall oc-curs, further water-conser-vation measures may not be necessary.

A complete list of voluntary water-conserva-tion measures is available online at www.chesterfi eld.gov/utilities.

For more information, contact the Department of Utilities at 748-1291.

Chesterfi eld county asks customers to conserve water in response to regional requests

Advertise in Midlothian Exchange!

Call Stephanie Childrey at (804) 817-7780 for details.

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4 || JULY 7, 2011 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMEXPLAIN NEWS || FEATURES

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Vol. V, 23rd edition

© 2011 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.

M I D L O T H I A N

EXEXCHANGECOM

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

BY JIM RIDOLPHISpecial Correspondent

There’s really no bet-ter way to spend a Fourth of July than sitting outside on a

hot summer night watch-ing spectacular fi reworks explode (unless Mother Nature decides to unload her fi reworks). It’s the unoffi cial start of the summer, but, more importantly, it’s a date that celebrates the birth of a nation.

Many Americans will gather with family and friends in parks and around lakes and beaches to enjoy the spirit of the holiday. Now, it may be hard to asso-ciate barbecuing a big piece of meat in the backyard to our Founding Fathers, but there is a connection.

In fact, everything we do in this country is directly related to the wisdom and good sense of the men who, at the risk of great personal sacrifi ce, provided the docu-ments we base our freedoms upon.

In the midst of the family reunions, parades and fi reworks displays, all should spend just a moment recognizing the importance of the holiday. After a day at the beach followed by a night of fi reworks, it’s easy to lose sight of the meaning of Independence Day.

America’s Independence Day is a holiday known around the globe. It serves as an annual reminder of the power of democracy and the refusal of a dedicated

few to accept the tyranny of many. It represents the day we celebrate not only the reality of freedom, but also the promise.

A lot has changed in America since that fate-ful day in 1776, but the documents still provide the blueprint for our nation. The signers of the Declara-tion of Independence risked execution and personal ruin to pursue the dream that eventually became America.

It’s a story worth cel-ebrating, and the day still has meaning, whether it’s at a campsite on the lake or a visit to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

And while today’s America would be techno-logically unrecognizable to our Founding Fathers, the promise of democracy would not.

It’s a grand theory — the birth of a nation. What are the odds that the carefully chosen and debated words of a few Patriots over 235 years ago would still remain unchanged, though not unchallenged?

Over the years, the cost of freedom has been high, and thousands of Americans have made the ultimate sacrifi ce to ensure the dream continues.

It’s a worthwhile mission. So, welcome summer and

allow us all to remember, in between the fi reworks and hot dogs, to thank those who made it possible- our Founding Fathers

Local shop tattoos the communityKAYLA WAMSLEYSpecial Correspondent

Located in a small strip of stores on Hull Street Road stands the fi rst licensed tattoo shop in Chesterfi eld

County. Heart & Soul Tattoo, barely a year old, is home to artists and pierc-ers whose canvases are eager to share their stories and to get incomparable body art.

Jason Daiagi and his business partner Evan Somogyi decided to open a tattoo shop and another shop called Kulture next to each other.

Kulture has been in business for 12 years, and has another location at 2 1/2 N. 18 St. in Richmond.

Daiagi, who has been in the tattoo business for fi ve years, also owns a shop in South Beach, Fla., called Rockstar Tattoo. Balancing the two shops does not faze him.

“I fl y back and forth about every month. I do a lot of things from remote access,” Daiagi said. “On my laptops I have cameras that watch both stores. I have programs that look at the registers off of the laptops so I’m really connected to the busi-nesses.”

He said the community has embraced the fact that there is now a licensed tattoo shop in Chesterfi eld. He said police offi cers, fi re fi ghters and paramedics are among the cus-tomers that walk through the door every day at Heart & Soul.

“It’s very welcoming; so far, so good,” Daiagi said. “The commu-nity seems to like it, and we’ve been getting really positive feedback from everybody.”

They had to get approval from ad-jacent businesses around the location of Heart & Soul and had to get sig-natures. The legal process was drawn out over a period of six months.

Daiagi said customer service is

what sets Heart & Soul apart from similar shops. He said most don’t have that, and it is the most impor-tant aspect of owning any business.

Unlike other shops in the sur-rounding areas, Heart & Soul does not have tattoo sample sheets covering the walls. They offer their customers a computer to search for unique tattoo designs, and they have photo books of previously done tat-toos for reference.

“We go above and beyond to help the customers fi nd the tattoos, the references, what they’re looking for -- everything,” he said. “We really like to connect with the customers when they come in.”

Sean Kelly, an artist at Heart & Soul, recalled tattooing customers of all ages. He said he tattooed a sailor anchor on a 79-year-old man.

“Every tattoo has a story -- from military soldiers, their stories from when they were over there, to just crazy, wacky frat stories,” Kelly said. “There’s so many, it’s so hard to remember.”

Kelly worked at Lucky 13 in Richmond and at shops located in California and Florida. He has been in the business for 13 years.

Rachel Beam and Todd King have been the shop managers since the shop opened last July.

Beam said the artists and manage-ment understand getting a tattoo is a big deal for every person who walks in the door.

“At Heart & Soul, we make every effort to put the customer fi rst. Cus-tomer service --along with quality tattoos, of course -- is our top prior-ity,” Beam said. “People are generally pretty nervous walking into a tattoo shop, so we go the extra mile to make their tattoo experience a great one.”

She said the artists and manage-ment connect with the customers and take time with them to ensure they are getting what they want.

“The old adage remains true, ‘You get more fl ies with honey,’ ” she said. “We simply do everything we can to make everyone comfortable.”

America, my kind of place

for the park,” Overstreet said. Some sponsors of the dog

park include Anna’s Pizza, Angelo’s Pizza, Four Paws Pet Resort, CritterTown Bath-House, Southern States, Pet Co. and The Dog and Cat Shoppe.

Overstreet has two dogs, a 4-year-old lab mix and a 2 1/2- year-old Labradoodle named Buddy. She takes Bud-dy to the park every Saturday and Sunday morning and meets with their dog family.

“I’m originally from Roanoke, and I don’t have any family around here. Even if feel like crap I’m going to pull myself out of bed at 8 o’ clock on Saturday and Sunday morning because I want to go see [my dog park friends],” she said. “It’s more

than just letting Buddy play -- but it’s also a social, com-munity connection for me.”

She said the board is in talks to fi nd a spot for a new park. They would like to fi nd a location where dog trails can be created and the dogs can walk around without a leash.

“Not all dogs have a back-yard, not all dogs have an-other dog next door to them that they can play with and it does allow a safe environ-ment for dogs to come and be dogs,” she said. “They can run full-out, and they don’t have to worry about getting hit by a car, they don’t have to worry about kids . . . so it’s really a place where a dog can come and be a dog. And, for humans, if you love your dog, you want him to have a good

RUFF from page 1

Despain also emphasized that everyone has a soft spot for Santa. He recalled a time when he was out to dinner and a curious little girl kept waving at him from another table. Her mother was weary of their interaction, so Santa Ron decided to talk to her mother.

“I got up and I walked over to the mom and I said, ‘your daughter is just so sweet, can I give her some-thing?’ and the mother’s still a little suspicious but I am asking permission,” he said. “And I said, ‘your daughter is being really good and I want her to know she is being good,”

He showed the mother a card that said, “Santa caught me being good, and he gave me this card to prove that I was good today.”

Once her mother saw what it was she let her

daughter have the card. After they fi nished their dinner, her father told her daughter to tell Santa “thank you.”

Santa Ron said he under-stands that children can get tired of waiting in line for long periods of time to see Santa and let him know what is on their Christmas lists. He has previously set up a visit at Powhatan Pharmacy where 12 children can meet with Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa, by appointment.

At the end of the summer, Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa will give families the oppor-tunity to visit Santa’s Chest shop to see Santa Ron and Mrs. Santa. Children can tell Santa what they’d like to have for Christmas and photos for cards will be available.

“Why do we do this? Well, let’s face it, when Santa walks in the room, you’ve got to smile,” Santa Ron said, “you really do.”

SANTA from page 1

PHOTOS BY KENNY MOORETattoo artist Sean Kelly consults with his customer Tim Booker about a tattoo.

Leah Hott is looking happy with her new piercing, along with her friend Mitch Russell.

JULY 7, 2011 || 5MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM EXPLORE YOUR WORLD || TRAVEL

KAYLA WAMSLEYSpecial Correspondent

After 75 years, Pocahontas State Park still draws local crowds and people from out of state looking to go camping, take a swim, or enjoy Virginia’s outdoors.

As the summer temperatures keep rising, the state park offers an aquatic center for all ages. It is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day until Labor Day. People 13 and over can swim for $8 and ages 3-13 can swim for $7. Kids under 3 years swim free.

Upcoming activities at the park include live music at Pocahontas Premieres that goes on through the summer, a twilight canoe in the Swift Creek Reservoir and a celebration of National Hot Dog Month and National Ice Cream Day on July 16. Attendees must register for the Twilight Paddle and the food celebrations by calling 796-4255.

“We have increased our efforts in special events like interpretive programming, canoe trips, hiking programs and nature programs for children, so there’s a summer full of programs like that for kids,” Jim Meisner, of the Virginia Depart-ment of Conservation and Recre-ation, said. “We have more this year than in years past just to keep up with the demand.”

For more than a decade, Pocahontas Premieres, which is exclusive to Pocahontas State Park, has been a meeting place for fans of music and the outdoors. This sum-mer, musicians on the schedule of performers include Casper, a dance music band; ZOSO, a Led Zeppelin tribute band; The Seldom Scene, a bluegrass band; and blues guitarist Tom Principato.

“The series has a wider variety of types of music to appeal to as many folks as we can,” he said. “The concert series is really popular.”

On Sept. 11 the park will hold an

event called “Honoring the Heroes of 9/11.” The Richmond Concert Band, the area’s oldest community concert band, will perform. The event is free and there is a $5 park-ing fee.

Meisner said there are certain as-pects of each state park that draws crowds to them.

“On a hot day, you’re going to have people lined up to get into the pool, and they’re there all day. The pool is a massive local draw,” he said. “It’s a popular campground, so we have people staying at the campground at Pocahontas who’ve come from out of state and they travel to this area just to camp [here].”

Other upcoming activities where families can learn more about nature and wildlife in the park include Birds of Pocahontas State Park, a free program where participants learn common bird calls heard in the park and will be able to identify them; Amphibians of Virginia, where attendees learn more about different species of frogs, toads and salamanders found in the state; and Beaver Hike, where participants learn about the adap-tations beavers use to survive in the wild. There is also a two-mile hike to a beaver lodge after the lesson.

Miesner expressed the im-portance of taking advantage of the opportunities state parks like Pocahontas State Park offer. He said generations of young people have grown up somewhat distant from nature and the outdoors.

“To get children outside in nature in a state park -- where there are rangers, interpreters and natu-ralists who can help reintroduce children and families to nature -- offers health benefi ts and the positive impact for the family and the children,” he said. “The impact helps children grow up to be good stewards of nature who understand and respect nature.”PHOTO COURTESY OF POCAHONTAS STATE PARK

PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL CRABTREE, JR., VA. TOURISM CORP.

Pocahontas State Park offers unique summer activities

STUFF TO DOE-mail your event to [email protected]. Subject line: EVENT

more! Virginia Blood Services will be there collecting blood donations. Free and Open to the Public.

MONDAY, JULY 18Camp Invention, a hands-on sum-mer camp for children, will be held July 18-21 at Weaver Elementary School. Led by local teachers, the full-day camp offers Children’s Engineering, inquiry-based activi-ties disguised as fun for children in grades one through six. For more information, contact Mallory Smith, camp director, at [email protected].

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24The 3rd Annual Dance Shoe Exchange and Costume Purchase

and to register, contact Barbara Palmer at 627-5323 or [email protected].

SATURDAY, OCT. 1Walk to Stop Diabetes walks down Monument Avenue. It’s more fun to Step Out together! Grab your friends, family and co-workers, lace up your walking shoes and join Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital for a fun-fi lled and meaningful morn-ing! Enjoy our kid Zone, Wellness Village, T-shirt contest and other entertainment! Every step you take and every dollar you raise helps the American Diabetes Associa-tion provide funding for education, advocacy and research. When you walk, you help us stop diabetes. To

Extravaganza will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at Spotlight Studio of Dance at 6828 Woodlake Commons Loop inMidlothian. The public is invited to come swap used dance shoes, pur-chase used dance shoes and new costumes. All proceeds will benefi t Soles4Souls, a charity created to facilitate shoe donations worldwide.For more information, visit www.spotlightstudio.net or call 639-1186.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16Bon Secours Hospice will provide volunteer training from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, in the Orvieto Room of St. Francis Medical Center at 13710 St. Francis Blvd. in Midlothian. For more information

register to walk or for more informa-tion, visit diabetes.org/stepoutrich-mond. Check in at 9am. Walk start is 10am.

WEEKLYThe National Alliance on Mental Illness, Central Virginia Chapter (NAMI-CVA) is sponsoring a free 12-week educational class for fami-lies of those who are caregivers of individuals with mental illness. The class will begin Monday, March 7, 2011 at McGuire Veteran’s Medical Center, 1201 Broad Rock Blv, Room D120 (enter by the emergency room entrance) from 6:30pm to 9pm. Registration is required. [email protected] 247-2431 or [email protected] or (804)212-8297.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13The New Virginians, www.the newva.org, (a club for women new to the Richmond area in the last two years) will have a Friendship Brunch from 10 a.m. – noon at Great Sea-sons (11400 W. Huguenot Road, Midlothian, VA). Reservations for the luncheon are requested by noon on June 6. Please contact Sam Gentz – (804)639-7042

SATURDAY, JULY 16Harbour Pointe Chiropractic and Wellness Center, located at 6003 Harbour Park Drive, Midlothian,(23112). is hosting a Pa-tient Appreciation and Community Fun Dau from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.Please join us for food, games, prizes and

6 || JULY 7, 2011 MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COMSPORTS || FITNESSEXERCISELowery named nation's best catcherBY JIM [email protected]

When an umpire once told him he was the worst catcher he had ever seen, Jake Lowery

didn’t lash out or take it to heart. He simply kept working and kept believ-ing that his efforts would eventually pay off.

It did in 2011, when Lowery enjoyed one of the most dominant single-sea-son performances in the history of James Madison University’s baseball program.

The Cosby High School graduate put the fi nishing touches on his college career last Thursday night in Wichita, Kan., when he was honored with the 2011 Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top collegiate catcher.

“I got a lot of other great honors but this is the biggest one,” he said in a JMU press release. “Just being with the other guys as the three best catchers

in the nation was great, but to win the award is a great feeling. Just to cap off a great season like this is pretty special and I’m very thankful for it.”

Lowery beat out fellow fi nalists Mike Zunino (Florida) and Chris O’Brien (Wichita State) to become the fi rst Colonial Athletic Association player to win the award named for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer.

Seated at a table with his family and JMU baseball coaches Spanky McFar-land and Jason Middleton, Lowery realized he was the winner when Bench concluded his introductory remarks with the following question: “Jake, do you have an acceptance speech ready?”

Lowery’s father, Cosby baseball coach Tim Lowery, gets choked up when he relives the moment he heard the legendary Bench call his son’s name.

“Jake has always been a worker,” the elder Lowery said. “He didn’t go to one of the bigger schools. He took his own

path and he went to a school where he felt he could fi t in.

“People said ‘You can’t do this or that,’ but he never let the doubters deter him. He just went on and did his thing. I tip my cap to him.”

Previous winners of the award, which is voted on by coaches across the nation, include TCU’s Bryan Holaday (2010), Oklahoma’s J.T. Wise (2009), Florida State’s Buster Posey (2008), Mississippi State’s Edward Easley (2007), East Carolina’s Jake Smith (2006), Southern Cal’s Jeff Clem-ent (2005), Cal State Fullerton’s Kurt Suzuki (2004), Stanford’s Ryan Garko (2003), Alabama’s Jeremy Brown (2002), Baylor’s Kelly Shoppach (2001) and LSU’s Brad Cresse (2000).

Most of those players had one thing in common: they played for big-time baseball programs in conferences that get much more national attention than

PHOTO COURTESY OF JMU ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONSJMU's Jake Lowery capped his college career by being named the best catcher in the nation.

PHOTO BY JIM RIDOLPHIDevon Braswell of Midlothian puts her horse, Showgirl, through its paces at the Deep Run Horse Show.

Annual show a big hit with local equine communityBY JIM RIDOLPHIspecial correspondent

An appreciative crowd of horse enthusiasts gathered to cel-

ebrate a Goochland County tradition last month at the Deep Run Hunt Club on Manakin Road.

The Deep Run Horse Show wrapped up a fi ve-day run June 26, and, ac-cording to all accounts, this year’s event was a winner for those involved.

“It has been a great show and the crowds have been fantastic,” said Pam Johnson, president of the Deep Run Horse Show Association, the group of volunteers who manage and produce the annual event.

“The weather has been perfect, much cooler than the 100-degree heat of last year, and the response to the event has been wonder-ful,” Johnson said.

Show manager Scott Nunnally agreed and said this year’s edition has proceeded without a hitch. “So far, so good,” he said as the event prepared for its fi nal day.

The show has been a Goochland signature event since around 1950, and many local equestrians trace their roots to the grounds at Deep Run.

Local rider and owner Steffi Gordinier competed in the show and also serves on the show’s board of di-rectors in a volunteer role. She said the convenience, tradition and setting all combine to make Deep Run a special experience.

“I’ve been riding here for years,” Gordinier said fol-lowing a fi rst place fi nish in the. Upper Amateur class. “The rings are riding great and this year’s show has been just great,” she added.

Gordinier and her mount, Bentley, have been together for about a year.

“He’s a special horse. He’s a beautiful mover and usually wins the class,” she said.

The show gives the region’s equine community the opportunity to catch up and compete at a high level. The entry list included riders from Hanover, Chesterfi eld and other Vir-ginia counties mixed with entrants from up and down the East Coast.

“This is a very special event each year with all the vendors and the crowds that come out,” Gordinier said.

Midlothian resident Devon Braswell also has a special connection to Deep Run. “This is a great show and I love coming here to compete,” she said. “I’ve been coming here since I was little,” she added.

Braswell and her horse Showgirl found the reno-vated rings at Deep Run ac-commodating and she took home several champion ribbons during the week.

Aynsley Fisher, a Goochland rider, also is a volunteer at the show. She was making her fi rst ap-pearance at a competition since giving birth to her son Roby six months ago. She, too, notes a strong connec-

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL SHOWCASE

Local players display their talent for college coaches

PHOTO BY JIM RIDOLPHICosby's Luke Lowery represented South Richmond Post 137 at last week's American Legion Showcase and led the South team with four hits.

BY JIM RIDOLPHIspecial correspondent

Virginia’s top college baseball coaches and scouts converged on Ken

Moore Field at Douglas Free-man High School earlier this week to get a fi rsthand look at some of the best scholastic baseball players in the region.

The annual American Legion District 11 Showcase All-Star game pitted rising seniors from north and south of the James River against each other on a stage that highlighted their talents in front of some of the state’s biggest and most prestigious programs.

“It’s a great opportunity for these kids,” said South head coach Byron Ballard of Post 137.

Most of the incoming seniors have not committed to any college, so it was a unique opportunity for many of the players.

Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor and VCU’s Paul Keyes were just a few of the familiar faces who kept a keen eye on the action.

“I came out here to sup-port American Legion base-ball, and see these kids play in a wonderful showcase,” Keyes said.

Asked if he was looking to bolster his Ram lineup with an early look at some pos-sible prospects, Keyes replied: “Always."

The North jumped out to a quick four run lead in the bottom of the second inning, but the South of the James all stars scored two in the fourth inning and took the lead

with a three run fi fth. The North knotted the game at fi ve in the sixth.

Dinwiddie’s Cory Grant got the tie breaking RBI in the top of the seventh, and South of the James added three more runs to go up 9-5. They added to that lead in the eighth with two more runs to go up 11-5.

The North loaded the bases in the eighth but could only push two across on a throwing error by the South.

“They took a command-ing lead and my guys just hung in, and the second time around in our order, they

just fl at got it done. It was a great team effort by the all of the kids on both sides,” Ballard said.

Ballard said he appreci-ated the way his team didn’t quit and came back after trailing 4-0, but he said the real winners were all the kids who got a chance to show-case their talents.

“To be involved in an All Star game is a great oppor-tunity for these kids,” Ballard said. “Just getting a chance to compete in front of all of these scouts is great,” he added.

Post 137's Luke Lowery,

a rising Cosby High senior who has committed to East Carolina, had four hits for the South. He was joined by teammates Michael Carpen-ter, Bryan Miltenberger and James Sink, all rising seniors named to this year’s All Star Squad.

Midlothian’s Connar Bastaich and Jacob Stephens also played on the South squad, joined by Monacan’s Jalen Carter.

North head coach John Boyer said he was also proud of his team’s performance. “I

Cosby alum fi rst CAA player to win Bench Award

AWARD P7

PHOTO BY JIM RIDOLPHICoaches from several Virginia colleges, including VCU and Richmond, were on hand to evaluate rising senior prospects.HORSES P7

SHOWCASE P7

JULY 7, 2011 || 7MIDLOTHIANEXCHANGE.COM SPORTS || FITNESSEXERCISE

The Huguenot Little League Detroit Tigers are 2011 World Series Champions for Instructional Baseball (Machine Pitch ages 7 and 8). Team members are: (Top row, left to right) Coaches Terry Phillips, Richard Wood, Wes Moore and Scott Lewis. (Middle row, left to right) Ben Gobble, Jake Wood, Zach Phillips, Mason Lewis and Colby Scioscia. (Front row, left to right) Sam Diemer, Thomas Henderson, Landen Moore, Thomas (Beaver) Cook and West Hartman. Not pictured were Coach Scott Carreras and John Carreras.

(send your sports news to [email protected])

SPORTS ON YOUR TIME

HORSES from P6

tion to the show.“It’s a great event and I al-

ways look forward to coming here,” she said. “We didn’t do too bad for our fi rst time out in awhile,” Fisher added.

Not bad at all, as she captured a fi rst place fi nish in the VHSA medal and a second and third in the Adult Amateur division.

The week was fi lled with the usual schedule of ring events and a full slate of hos-pitality sessions that included the annual “A Taste of Local Flavor” dinner held earlier in the week.

June 26 marked the 50th edition of the Bryan Cup, the event’s signature event and most sought after trophy.

Final day events included a brunch with a special dedi-cation to Mary Anne Kean, a longtime Deep Run support-er volunteer, show manager and friend. Kean passed away earlier this year.

Johnson said this year’s show met and exceeded all expectations. “It’s been a great show,” she said. “The crowds have gotten bigger each day and all the volun-teers have done an outstand-ing job making sure things ran smoothly,” she added.

Dodson claims fi rst win

Chris Dodson saw the red and white of Nick Smith’s Late Model division car pass him by a nose and hang on for the win in the fi rst of two races for the division Sunday night at Southside Speedway.

No one was getting past Dodson in the second race, however. He fl ew through the fi eld in the fi rst seven laps and never looked back.

Dodson started the second race in fourth position due to an invert of the top fi ve fi nishers in the fi rst race. By lap 3, Dodson was in second place; by lap 8, he’d over-taken the No. 18 car of Brad Davis.

Cautions bunched the fi eld up twice behind Dod-son, but to no avail. Finish-ing in the top fi ve in the race were Dodson, Jeff Oakley, Chris Johnson, Davis and Adam Resnick.

In the fi rst Late Model division race, Smith marched his way through the fi eld into second place by lap 27. Threatening Dodson for the lead, Smith fi nally got an edge on lap 34, taking the bottom line through turn 4.

Top fi ve in the race were Smith, Dodson, Johnson, Brad Davis, and Oakley.

Southside Speedway press release

SHOWCASE from P6

thought the kids did a good job on both teams,” Boyer said. “It’s all about exposure for the kids,” the Post 361 coach added.

He said the game was an indication of just how special Legion baseball is, and said the players couldn’t help but

notice all of the attention from area colleges.

“They get up and see all of those radar guns point-ing and it has to test their nerves… but they won’t admit it,” he said.

Boyer said there are draw-backs to the all star format, and the scouts sometimes

don’t get to see the subtle values of some athletes. “They get to see a good arm, but they don’t get to see how good that arm is in the fi fth inning — how that arm performs with guys at second and third base with no outs,’ Boyer said.

Even with the limited

playing time, Boyer said it’s a once in a lifetime chance for many of the kids.

John Clark, District 11 baseball chairman, said the showcase game is quickly be-coming a favorite among fans and players, and the large number of college coaches present validates the level of

play in Legion baseball.“We’ve about 20 college

coaches in her looking at these kids tonight,” Clark said. “We like to do this every year to showcase the talent in our league, and it’s a great opportunity for the kids who participate,” he added.

AWARD from P6

the CAA.But while Zunino led

Florida to a runner-up fi nish in the College World Series and O’Brien (son of former Milwaukee Brewers catcher Charlie O’Brien) played for longtime college baseball power Wichita State, neither offered a re-sume to match Lowery’s.

In his junior campaign at JMU, Lowery batted .359 with 22 doubles, eight triples, 24 home runs, 91 RBIs, 80 runs scored, 200 total bases and a .797 slug-ging percentage. He set or matched JMU and CAA single-season records for RBIs, home runs, extra-base hits (54) and total bases.

Lowery fi nished as the nation’s leader in runs (80), RBIs (91) and total bases (200). In fact, his 91 RBIs are the most by a college player since 2008 Bench Award winner and cur-

rent San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey had 93.

Lowery also fi nished sec-ond nationally in slugging percentage (.797), fourth in on-base plus slugging (1.239), second in home runs (24) and fourth in triples (8).

Not to be overlooked defensively, Lowery ranked second in the nation prior to regional play with 34 runners caught stealing. He threw out 43 percent of runners for the season while posting a .994 fi elding percentage.

Collegiate Baseball news-paper named Lowery the fourth fi rst-team All-Ameri-can in JMU history. He was the CAA Player of the Year, First Team All-CAA, selected to the CAA All-Tourna-ment Team, honored on the NCAA All-Regional Team and named First Team All-East Region by the ABCA.

“He’s very deserving of the honor,” McFarland said

in the JMU release. “I’m glad that the voters didn’t just casually vote for a big name school but actually looked at his body of work and his value to our team. It’s an award shared by everyone involved with the

program.”Tim Lowery credited

McFarland and JMU’s other coaches for never losing faith in his son after Jake struggled through a me-diocre freshman season in Harrisonburg.

“Other coaches might have said, ‘You can’t cut it here,’ and moved on to someone else,” he added. “They stuck with him and it’s paid dividends.”

Has it ever. Lowery was selected last month by the Cleveland Indians in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball draft and began his professional baseball career with an as-signment to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the Class A New York-Penn League.

He picked up right where he left off at JMU, leading the league with 27 total bases and ranking third with 10 RBIs while hitting .313 in his fi rst 13 games.

He took a brief leave of

absence from the team to attend the banquet, then returned to New York for games Friday and Saturday before heading to Lubbock, Texas for the 2011 College Baseball Hall of Fame annual awards banquet on Sunday night.

“It’s been a rush. Get-ting here was crazy with airport connections. I got to see my parents for the fi rst time in a few weeks. Then of course getting to meet Johnny Bench, a Hall of Famer and the best catcher in baseball history, that was a great experi-ence,” Lowery said.

Tim Lowery acknowl-edged it’s been diffi cult to fi nd the words to accurately describe what the last few months have meant to his family.

“It’s been storybook,” he said.

This is no happy end-ing, though. This story is just beginning.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JMUJake Lowery closed out his college baseball career with one of the greatest single seasons in the history of James Madison's program and was named the nation's top catcher.

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