Commentary

House of Lace, Labor of Love

By Linda Fausz on July 5, 2017 Community, Features

BY L. FAUSZ The “Lace House,” a legacy piece of the former owners of Meadowbrook, has returned to the gardens of its current owner, Meadowbrook Country Club. Known as a summer house, a replica now watches over the reflecting pool and the restored Charles Gillette gardens, thanks to the vision and seven-year effort that included lots of work, lots of hours, and lots of fundraising by the Women’s Club of Meadowbrook and committee members of the Gillette Gardens at Meadowbrook Inc., a public charity. Committee members, invited guests, and descendants of the original creators of the gardens dedicated the Lace…

Beach bum blues

By Press release on July 5, 2017 Mixing Bowl

The Lashley family has just returned from its annual trip to the beach. This is something that I start dreaming about around February, when we are right smack in the winter doldrums. I dream about the small little beach town that we think of as our second home. The quiet streets, the pier, the small little shops in the little town square; there is not much to the place, but it is beautiful, and peaceful, and we start yearning for it each winter. My aunt grew up in this little beach community, just south of Wilmington, N.C. Being able to…

Will it work?

By Pete Hypes on July 5, 2017 Fire & Life Safety

Let me start by saying that I do not claim to be an expert on fire suppression systems, but I do know several experts. The question that I pose in this article is: Will your fire suppression system do what you need it to do if a fire occurs? In other words, does your system provide the necessary protection, or did you buy the cheapest system with the fewest “bells and whistles” to simply get by? Another question that you must ask is: what does my older system do and not do? Fire suppression systems are Band-Aids that operate due…

DOGPOUND

By Walter "JR" Wilson on July 5, 2017 Dogpound

Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Hope you are well rested from the long holiday weekend and came back with all of your body parts still connected where they belong. My den has one of those big double windows that is topped by a big arch window. I had a very difficult time finding a window covering for the top until one day I stumbled across a rather simple covering….made out of thin paper and opens like a peacock fan tail. I cut it to size…spread it out into a fan shape and sticky taped…

You just had to be there

By Pete Hypes on June 29, 2017 Fire & Life Safety, Uncategorized

Guest Columnist Doug Hanky A few days ago, I shared a bucket list item of mine with some friends at dinner. This summer, I will go to the beach and watch a sunrise, take some pictures, drink some coffee, and then have a leisurely breakfast and more coffee! After breakfast, I will climb on the motorcycle and cruise the back roads up to the mountains. I may stop at some little antique shops and yard sales along the way. I will find a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and eat a late lunch on the way to my final destination, the highest mountain peak,…

Dogpound Direction

By Walter "JR" Wilson on June 28, 2017 Dogpound

Hello and welcome back to the patriotic world of the Dogpound. In a few days we will be celebrating our Independence Day…or as we know it, the Fourth of July. On this date the Second Continental Congress approved our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. The colonies had been pretty much left alone to grow and develop as they saw fit, but England finally decided that they should start paying for the common defense and contribute revenue to the homeland. Since the colonies were not represented in Parliament…they did not think this was fair…and the phrase,”No taxation without representation” came…

On my heart

By Pete Hypes on June 28, 2017 Fire & Life Safety

By Guest Author Becky Hypes Becky wrote this on my Facebook page the other day and I felt like it needed to be restated in my column. When anger leads to violence, we have crossed the line. This has been on Becky’s heart and mind for a while. Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our…

What protects us?

By Pete Hypes on June 22, 2017 Commentary, Fire & Life Safety

As we begin to learn more about the tragic high-rise apartment building in London, I want to address what protects us. Thus far, there are 17 confirmed fatalities and about 100 people still missing. There are so many issues that lead to a situation like this, but I will attempt to address some of them. I just heard, in a news report, that there was no alarm system, no sprinkler system, one stairwell and other reported fire safety issues. The building had apparently undergone cosmetic construction on the exterior, which may have contributed to fire spread, but that will…

Matoaca graduate receives agriculture scholarship

By VN Staff on June 22, 2017 Commentary

Nathan Hendrick, a recent graduate of Matoaca High School, was presented the Richard Nunnally Scholarship from the Central Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association. The scholarship was developed to honor the former Chesterfield Extension Agent, and is given annually to an outstanding horticulture student at Chesterfields Vocational Technical Center. Nathan will attend VSU in the fall to study Agriculture.

Dogpound graduate

By Walter "JR" Wilson on June 21, 2017 Dogpound

Hello, and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. My neighbors put up a big tent last weekend to celebrate the graduation of their oldest daughter from high school. I do not know if she plans on attending college or not, but it did kick start my brain cells on the thought…”What would I tell a graduating class of 2017?” What advice would I give them as they move from the safe haven of school into the real world…reality on steroids so to speak? Would I ever be asked to speak to a graduating class??..Probably not, but let’s…

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