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A look at life in Suffolk, Virginia
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september/october 2012
vol. 3, no. 5
suffolk livingmag.com
powwowTracTors, a Tribeand a canoe ride
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13.1
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SOUTHSIDE (757) 466-8683 | Chesapeake • Franklin • Norfolk • Suffolk • Virginia Beach
Downtown dining
SHS turns 90 Gotham Suffolk
Whether it’s a weekday lunch or a weekend night on the town, there are a variety of great dining choices available to folks who find themselves in downtown Suffolk.
The SCCA building had a long previous life in education.
As it turns out, Batman keeps a lot of his stuff at Bennett’s Creek.
40
sept.-oct. | 2012
contents
EDITORIALR.E. Spears IIIEditor
Tracy AgnewNews Editor
Matthew A. WardStaff Writer
Beth Beck LandStaff Writer
ADVERTISINGSue BarnesMarketing Consultant
Earl JonesMarketing Consultant
Tina Louise HarrisMarketing Consultant
PRODUCTIONTroy CooperDesigner
Suffolk Living is publishedsix times per year by Suffolk Publications, LLC. P.O. Box 1220,Suffolk, VA 23439www.suffolklivingmag.com(757) 539-3437
Advertising rates and information available upon request. Subscriptions are $16 annually in-state; $20 annually out-of-state; $24 for international subscriptions.Please make checks payable to Suffolk Publications, LLC• P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439
september/october 2012 • vol. 3, no. 5
suffolk livingmag.com
powwowTracTors, a Tribe
and canoe ride
Photograph by Troy Cooper
on the cover:
4836
GET TO KNOW | Jimmy Weaver has restored more tractors than you’ve ever driven.
WHERE AM I? | Guess the location correctly and you could win a $25 gift certificate.
24
51
UNITED WAY OF SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS
GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.
LIVE UNITED.
JOIN USLET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE
THIS IS OUR COMMUNITYOUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FAMILY, OUR FUTURE
Special thanks to Stephie Broadwater and Harry Lee Cross for their generous commitment to United Way of South Hampton Roads
provides leadership that brings resources together to reduce poverty, increase educational attainment and minimize health disparities for our most vulnerable neighbors.
WE INVITE YOU TO BE A PART OF THE CHANGE. GIVE AT YOUR COMPANY OR ONLINE ATWWW.UNITEDWAYSHR.ORG
• Early childhood education, childcare, health and development services, and screenings and therapy.
• Emergency help for the homeless. Financial aid and counseling for those at risk of losing their home. Utility assistance to keep the lights on and water flowing.
• More than 20,000 meals were served to hungry children, families, and the elderly.
Your generosity helped thousands of Suffolk and Isle of Wight children and families in many ways last year, including:
what to doSEpTEMbER 15 & 29LEGENdS Of MAIN STREET:A SuffOLK GHOST WALKLocation: Meet at Suffolk Visitor Center,524 N. Main St.Enjoy a hair-raising encounter with the spirited side of Suffolk. Follow a costumed guide through the shadows of historic Main Street, discovering stories, legends and "unexplained occurrences" by lantern light. The cost is $10 for adults or $8 for seniors, military and children ages 9 through 12. Reservations required. Call 514-4130 to make a reservation.
SEpTEMbER 17SEcONd ANNuAL bRIdAL SHOWLocation: Hilton Garden Inn,5921 Harbour View Blvd.Are you planning a wedding soon? Then you can’t miss the second annual Bridal Show, a one-stop shop for your special day. The event will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. at Hilton Garden Inn, 5921 Harbour View Blvd. Admission is free with the donation of a canned food item. The event will feature a variety of vendors, including Hilton catering, florists, photographers, décor and music, as well as a fashion show. For more information, call 484-9001.
SEpTEMbER 22RANdALL bRAMbLETTANd fRIENdS cONcERTLocation — Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts,110 W. Finney Ave.Legendary artist Randall Bramblet brings his unique brand of musicianship to songs written by Hampton Roads’ musicians, Jimmy Masters, John Toomey, Julie Clark, Larry Berwald and Tray Eppes. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door and can be purchased at TwartsOutreach.org/events. Proceeds benefit the Tidewater Arts Outreach.
SEpTEMbER 22WESTERN TIdEWATER WALKTO ENd ALzHEIMER’SLocation: Constant’s Wharf,110 E. Constance Road.The Western Tidewater Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held at Constant’s Wharf, 110 E. Constance Road. Registration will be at 8:30 a.m., and the walk will start at 10 a.m. Proceeds will help raise awareness and funds to enhance Alzheimer’s care and support critical research. Register a team by visiting www.alz.org/walk. For more information, call 1-800-272-3900
or 459-2405.
SEpTEMbER 27QuEEN’S LuNcHEON ANd fASHION SHOWLocation: National Guard Armory,2761 Godwin Blvd.Since 1941, the peanut festivities in Suffolk have included the coronation of a queen and her court. This year’s Queen’s Luncheon, produced by the Pilot Club of Suffolk, will include a fashion show by Ann’s Dress Shop. The festival queen is selected from among high school seniors based on a creative writing essay, school activities, achievements and community involvement. Tickets are $15 each, and
the luncheon begins at noon. Call 539-6751 for tickets.
SEpTEMbER 28ART d’VINELocation: Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts,110 W. Finney Ave.The sixth annual wine tasting and silent auction fundraiser for the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets required; adults 21 and older only permitted. Call 923-0003 for more information.
SEpTEMbER 29pEANuT fEST pARAdELocation: Downtown SuffolkCome line the streets of downtown Suffolk at 10 a.m. to watch the annual Peanut Fest parade march through the city. This parade always features the best Suffolk has to offer, including marching bands, animal units and more. The event is free and open to the public. Call 514-4130 for more information.
suffolk living 7
Send us your newsTo submit your calendar
or news item, simply email it to:[email protected]
SEcONd ANNuAL bRIdAL SHOW
8 suffolk living
what to doSEpTEMbER 29TOucH A TRucK, TRAIN & MORE dAyLocation: Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, 326 N. Main St.Sponsored by the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society, the event offers an up-close encounter with some big machines. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $3 per person or $10 for a family 4-pack. For more information, call 923-4750 or at suffolkhistory.org.
SEpTEMbER 29SuffOLK ON THE MOVE 5K RuNLocation: Constant’s Wharf,110 E. Constance RoadGet moving at the annual Suffolk on the Move 5K Run. Check-in is at 6:30 a.m., and the run begins at 7:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.suffolkpartnership.com.
THROuGH SEpTEMbER 29SuffOLK fARMER’S MARKETLocation: Suffolk Visitor Pavilion,524 N. Main St.The Suffolk Farmers Market will be held Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m., Friday’s from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at the Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion, 524 N. Main St. A variety of special events are planned during the Saturday sessions, including live music, petting zoos and information. For more information, call 514-4130.
OcTObER 4SuffOLK RuRITAN SHRIMp fEASTLocation: Suffolk Executive AirportOne of the traditional kick-off activities to the Peanut Fest, the Shrimp Feast annually draws about 5,000 people to enjoy all-you-can-eat steamed shrimp, North Carolina barbecue, chicken, cole slaw, baked beans, rolls and beverages from 3 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 each in advance, or $35 at the gate. Call 514-4130 for more information.
OcTObER 4-7SuffOLK pEANuT fESTIVALLocation: Suffolk Executive AirportThe Suffolk Peanut Festival lasts all weekend, with national and local acts performing on two stages, a tractor pull and a motorcycle rally, as well as traditional fair food, rides and games. Parking is $10 per vehicle per day, or $20 for a four-day pass. For more information, visit www.suffolkfest.org.
OcTObER 5SuffOLK pEANuT fESTIVAL’SdEMOLITION dERbyLocation: Suffolk Executive AirportA festival tradition, come enjoy the Demolition Derby at 6 p.m. The derbies involve local drivers who compete in their own automobiles and battle one another in compact and full-size auto heats until the last one running is cheered as champion.
OcTObER 6HISTORIc cEdAR HILL cEMETERyWALKING TOuRLocation: Suffolk Visitor Center,524 N. Main St.Cedar Hill Cemetery's 32 acres of hilly terrain and ancient cedar trees have many stories to reveal.
Enjoy a guided afternoon stroll at 1:30 p.m. with one of Suffolk's expert historians. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, military and children ages 9 through 12. Reservations required. Call 514-4130.
OcTObER 711TH ANNuAL SWAMp ROARMOTORcycLE RALLyLocation: Suffolk Executive Airport,1200 Gene Bolton DriveRide the scenic 80-mile perimeter of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy a VIP reception and a complimentary parking pass to Peanut Fest. Staging of the bikes is at 9 a.m., and departure is at 10:30 a.m. The cost is $20. Proceeds benefit Great Dismal Swamp educational programs.
10/9 — MONET ANd MERLOTLocation: Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts,110 W. Finney Ave.You are invited to “uncork” your inner artist. Experience an evening of painting on the patio (weather permitting) as you explore the subtle hues of painting in the spirit of Claude Monet while tasting the subtle notes of Merlot. Canvas, paint, brushes, wine and munchies provided. The cost is $35 per person. Call 923-0003 or visit www.suffolkcenter.org to make reservations. Must be 21 years or older to participate.
OcTObER 20cRAfT SHOW ANd fALL fAIRLocation: National Guard Armory,2761 Godwin Blvd.The Nansemond River Pilot Club will host its annual Craft Show and Fall Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the National Guard Armory, 2761 Godwin Blvd. There will be more than 30 vendors, along with hourly raffles, fall flowers, Brunswick stew and barbecue. Vendors can sign up by calling 650-55147. To pre-order food, call 562-3049. To pre-order flowers, call 641-8558. For more information, call 539-6253.
OcTObER 20 & 21dRIVER dAyS fALL fESTIVALANd cORNHOLE TOuRNAMENTLocation: Driver village, 3049 Kings Highway
Enjoy down-home hospitality with good food, live music, the Driver Days Parade, a hot dog-eating contest and more. Single and doubles cornhole tournaments will be held Saturday, with a champion named on Sunday. Proceeds benefit local charities. Call 538-2488 or visit www.DriverEvents.com.
OcTObER 27cRySTAL GAyLE LIVE IN cONcERTLocation: Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts,110 W. Finney Ave.Crystal Gayle has been a favorite of audiences of country and popular music since attaining national prominence with her first chart records in the mid-'70s. Hear her signature song “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” — and more — at her 8 p.m. show at the Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts. Tickets are $45 or $55. Buy tickets by calling 923-2900 or visit www.suffolkcenter.org.
OcTObER 28SHERRI pARKER MEMORIALpOKER RuN & bIKE SHOWLocation: Driver Village on King’s HighwayParticipate in this Driver Village tradition to benefit the Sherri Parker Memorial Fund and the Driver Volunteer Fire Department. The cost is $20 and includes a free T-shirt for the first 250 registrants. The Poker Run registration is from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Bayside Harley Davidson, 211 Frederick Blvd. in Portsmouth. The parade of bikes will stage at Sleepy Hole Park, 616 Sleepy Hole Road, at 12:30 p.m. and ride into Driver at 1 p.m. The bike show registration will be from noon to 2 p.m. in Driver. There will be door prizes and vendors. Contact Holly Hoffler at 538-3944 for more information.
OcTObER 28 & 29LEGENdS Of SLEEpy HOLELocation: Sleepy Hole Park, 4616 Sleepy Hole RoadWhen the sun sets, the lush, serene setting of Sleepy Hole Park will transform into a place full of surprises and scares. Jump aboard a hayride for the thrill of experiencing the legends of Sleepy Hole at 6 p.m. nightly. This event is for ages 10 and up. Tickets are $5 per person, per ride and proceeds benefit Suffolk’s United Way Campaign.
suffolk living 9
on vacation
ON VAcATIONCousins Leigh Burnette and Erin Schlensker took a copy of Suffolk Living magazine on vacation with them when they went to Surfside Beach, S.C., this summer. Next time you go out of town, take us along, like they did, and snap a photo. Send it to [email protected], and we'll try to run your photo in an upcoming edition of the magazine.
Submitted photo
SuffOLK LIVING GOES TO SEATTLEWalter Dobbins, who grew up in Suffolk, looks at a copy of Suffolk Living magazine during a visit to Chihuly Garden & Glass at the Seattle Center in Seattle, Wash., in July.
Submitted photoS
At our retirement community, we place a lot of importance on having a good time. That’s why we offer a completely maintenance-free lifestyle, allowing you to never have to worry about cutting the grass, cleaning the gutters, shoveling snow or any number of other chores. This leaves a lot more time for having fun. And there’s plenty of fun to be had at The Village, with delightful people all around, a full schedule of activities and events and fun trips. So come and get a first taste of life at The Village.
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suffolk scenesuffolk living 11
INdEpENdENcE dAy — EcLIpSEHundreds of residents came out to show their patriotic spirit at Fourth of July celebrations in Eclipse. Clockwise from top, Laurel and Chris Click had a prime position to see the parade with Brandon, 3, and Ryan, 15 months; Enjoying the parade is the Chandler family: Eric, 10, Al, Tisa, and Alisa, 7; Los Angeles’ John and Jeni Cregan enjoy the parade with Flynn, 4, and Fern, 1; Megan Delk and Ally Nierman enjoy the festivities on Chuckatuck Creek; Suffolk’s Kerri Stapleton gets into the spirit of the occasion with Zach, 3, and Alexis, 3.
photoS bY mAttheW A. WARd
12 suffolk living
www.rogerfawcett.com
AUTHORIZED & PAID BY ROGER FAWCETT FOR CITY COUNCIL
SLEEPY HOLE BOROUGHSUFFOLK, VIRGINIA
VOTENov. 6
• Promote Suffolk to work in attracting businesses both large and small, and promote community and business partnerships.
• Make wise decisions about economic development projects that enhance the overall worth of the City and its neighborhoods.
• Fully support Capital Improvement projects.
A True Business Man for SuffolkTHAT WORKS AND LIVES IN SUFFOLK!!
suffolk living 13
suffolk scene
NATIONAL NIGHT OuTOn Aug. 7, National Night Out events across Suffolk saw neighbors come together and get to know each other a little better. Above left, Ashton Prillaman, 3, slides down the slide in Driver; above, Chuckatuck’s Liz Preneta, Felicia Clarke, Keion Clarke, 3, Kiliyah Clare, 10 and Kenya Rivers, 11; at left, from Driver, Amy and Scott Prillaman with Brylee Prillaman, 1; below left, Cassandra Watkins cooks hot dogs and hamburgers at the South Suffolk/Pleasant Hill celebration; below, Dezah and Samye’ McClaim take cover from the rain at the Orlando celebration.
photoS bY mAttheW A. WARd And tRAcY AgneW
14 suffolk living
Left to right: Aubrey E. Myers, DDS, Marvin G. Sagun, DDS; Jana E. Boyd, DDS; Ralph L. Howell, Jr., DDS MAGD; R. Leroy Howell, Sr. DDS
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suffolk living 15
suffolk scene
pASSION fOR pAWS pIcNIc ANd WHISKERS WINE TASTINGThe first Passion for Paws Picnic and Whiskers Wine Tasting, a fundraiser for the Suffolk Humane Society, was held at the River Stone Chophouse on July 14. Visitors enjoyed tasty food and wine, entertainment and stalls, and three dogs were adopted. At right, Jacob and Barbara Hilton, and "Charlie Brown,” with Teresa Mullins, co-owner of event sponsors the River Stone Chop House and the Vintage Tavern; bottom right, Frank Grantz and his three Jack Russell stunt dogs; bottom left, Merrilee Small and Turkan Ertugrul, of The Cove Center of Veterinary Expertise, and Turner Small, 6, enjoy the event with Labrador mix “Horace” and Chihuahua “Vizzini;” River Stone Chophouse manager Terri Truitt, Bryan Hughes, Suffolk Mayor Linda Johnson and Chophouse co-owner Brian Mullins enjoy the sunshine.
photoS bY mAttheW A. WARd, LindA VetteR And KAY huRLeY
Bronco has been serving our friends and neighbors for more than 70 years. We know the area, we know the people. We’re a reliable business with a history of great products and a reputation of exceptional service.
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suffolk living 17
suffolk scene
TGIf — bENNETT'S cREEKTop left, Michael Love, 12, and Edward Marchant and Denise Love, all of Chesapeake; top right, Suffolk’s Tyler Milton, 13, Makaela Milton, 9, Jason and Kristen Mickelson, and Mia Mickelson, 1, look for a good spot on the grass; middle left, Chris and Sandy Young of Chesapeake are ready for an evening of music and fun; at left, Barbara Smiley of Smithfield and Anne Madray of Windsor set up their lawn chairs.
photoS bY mAttheW A. WARd
18 suffolk living
“Dedication to Service Above Self”
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suffolk living 19
suffolk sceneTGIfTGIF, featuring the band Hotcakes, was held at Bennett’s Creek Park on Aug. 3. A large number of residents turned out to enjoy good company and entertainment. At left, Melody Doleman, Suzanne Foster, Rebecca Colleran and Janet Ashley, all of Suffolk, enjoy a girls’ night out; bottom left, Mark and Suzanne Everitt enjoy the show with daughter Skylar, 5; below, Melissa Venable with Samuel Venable, 6, and Maxwell Venable, 3, all of Suffolk; bottom right, Karen and Judy Eide said they were there to see a family member play in the band.
photoS bY mAttheW A. WARd
20 suffolk living
Get to know us ... socially.
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22 suffolk living
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suffolk living 23
Our professional CFS* Financial Advisors at BayPort Financial will work with you
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Analyze your current financial condition
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*Non-deposit investment products and services are offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (“CFS”), a registered broker-dealer (Member FINRA/SIPC) and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Products offered through CFS: are not NCUA/NCUSIF or otherwise federally insured, are not guarantees or obligations of the credit union, and may involve investment risk including possible loss of principal. Investment Representatives are registered through CFS. Newport News Shipbuilding Employees’ Credit Union (NNSECU) has contracted with CFS to make non-deposit investment products and services available to credit union members. BayPort Credit Union is a DBA name for NNSECU.
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24 suffolk living
get to know
Had his connection to it not been so acute, Suffolk’s Jimmy Weaver says he wouldn’t have restored
the 1933 Ford tow truck taking pride of place in his collection of restored vehicles.
His father was photographed stand-ing beside it outside the former Fanney’s garage in Holland in 1944.
“I’d see it from out of the classroom win-dow at school in Holland,” Weaver recalls.
The 72-year-old says he eventually acquired the truck in about 1988, from a man named Rudolph Smith.
After buying it from Mills Fanney’s son in about 1956, following the garage owner’s death, Smith had kept the truck in his backyard for 20 years, Weaver says. “He said he was going to fix it himself.”
But Weaver, with the old jalopy plucking at his heartstrings, was persistent. “One day, (Smith) came to my house, and said, ‘Jimmy, I’m going to let you have that truck.’
“I said, ‘I appreciate that, Rudolph.’”Smith signed the truck over to Weaver
and died of a heart attack before receiving payment.
“I paid his wife for the truck,” Weaver says. “I was supposed to do a job. Once he died, they didn’t want to get the job done.”
With a dangerous-looking hand crank that Weaver says once killed a man who let it spin out of control, the tow truck is among dozens of antique automobiles, tractors and farm implements Jimmy Weaver and his son Gene have lovingly restored.
Like the 1933 Ford, whose restoration took five years, attached to each are stories of times past – the people, their struggles, the triumphs.
Suffolk man brings broken vehicles back to lifestory by Matthew A. Wardphotography by R.E. Spears III
history
See TRACTORS page 26
suffolk living 25
Jimmy Weaver and his son Gene have been restoring old tractors — especially John Deere tractors — back to their former glory for many years. But their passion for restoration extends to old cars, trucks and even an old scooter.
history on wheels
get to know: dog safety26 suffolk living
“I’ve been messing with this stuff since the mid ‘60s,” the elder Weaver says.
He worked for Newport News Shipbuilding for 37 years, “work-ing the pipes in the nuclear reactors in those old aircraft carriers.” After becoming a supervisor and finishing on the Ronald Reagan, he retired in 1998.
“I learned a lot, and it helped me, after I retired, in this stuff,” Weaver says. “A lot of this stuff I did while I was working. I like to take something old and bring it back to life, if I can.”
Weaver’s restorations are meticulously executed and spotlessly presented in a purpose-built 60-feet by 60-feet shed.
Gene Weaver, the 46-year-old son, is a city engineer who his father says is handy with the spray gun.
One recent morning, Weaver interrupted work on an old Cush-man motor scooter to show a visitor around.
Seated on a low stool, was fabricating a new exhaust on the side of the scooter, which had belonged to a friend who died this year.
“It’s just like one that I had when I was a boy,” Weaver says, before explaining a quirk of the machine – a generator-powered head-light, which brightens as the engine revs. “The faster you drove, the brighter the lights,” he says.
Weaver has a restored and fully functional peanut picker that was built in Suffolk by Benthall Machine Co. in 1948. “That’s what we used to pick peanuts with when I was a boy,” he says. “I took it out
Top: Jimmy Weaver stands with his son Gene and grandson, Brennan, both of whom have come to share the elder Weaver's interest in restoring old tractors and vehicles. Above: Jimmy Weaver sits on a Cushman motor scooter that he restored recently.Right: Jummy Weaver holds a photo showing the condition of his 1933 Ford tow truck before it was restored.
TRACTORS continued from page 24
See TRACTORS page 27
suffolk living 27
there and got me some peanuts before we put it in here.”
Almost straight from a Bonnie and Clyde newspaper clipping – they actually drove a 1934 V8 – are two Fords, a 1929 Model A and, featuring a rumble seat, a 1930 Deluxe Coupe.
Weaver said the latter was completed about four years ago and has never been driven on a public road.
“The problem with these old cars is moths,” he says, gesturing at the pale delicate-looking seats. “They eat the damn mohair.”
Some machines came from far away, such as a 1929 Model T that Gene discovered on the Web in North Dakota.
It was too far to go all that way, Weaver says, but after some heavy negotiating by Gene, the seller met them halfway in Fort Wayne, Ind.
“We met there, loaded it on a trailer, and brought it back,” he says. “You can imagine what this stuff looks like when we get it … you’d think it was just a junk pile.”
Weaver is evidently a Ford and John Deere man. The green tractors line one whole side of his shed, and include a 1946 “D” wheatland model, which once popu-lated the Midwest; a two-cylinder Detroit diesel-powered 435, only manufactured in 1959 and 1960; and a 1953 Crawler.
Through the years, Weaver has spent a lot of time on the road hauling restored ma-chines to shows in places like Denton, N.C. and Somerset, Va.
He attended a swap meet in Hershey, Pa., every October from 1973 through 1995. “I’d save my money during the year and go up and buy parts,” he says.
These days, Gene sources a lot of parts online, and John Deere still sells parts for all its machines. “But they’re expensive from John Deere,” Weaver says. “Get them on the Internet, and they’re a lot cheaper.
“With two kids to raise and put through college, I saved what I could, and worked day and night.”
Weaver remarried about six years ago after hit first wife died of cancer in the year of his retirement. “She’s supportive; she re-ally is,” he says of Shirley Weaver, his second wife.
“I don’t fix anything to resell. I just enjoy it, and it’s a good hobby, I think.” ←
TRACTORS continued from page 26
28 suffolk living
Before there was a city of Suffolk, or even a Nansemond County, there were just the Nansemonds.
The Indian tribe, which numbered about 1,200 in the early 1600s, lived in four villages spread down the banks of the Nansemond River. They formed the southernmost tribe of the Powhatan nation, which dominated Tsenacomoco — their word for what is now called eastern Virginia.
Nobody knows exactly how long humans have occupied the area. The archeological record is practically silent on the Nanse-monds.
Besides a breechcloth, they wore only what clothing they needed to protect themselves from cold or briers. Their villages were spread out, with small gardens interspersed among long-houses. Women did the gardening and gathering of wild nuts and berries, while it was the men’s job to hunt, fish and clear the fields. Both sexes bathed every day in the river.
The people were always on the move, working to survive. Because fields were rarely replanted and the fragile longhouses were frequently rebuilt in new locations, the villages moved to new locations over the course of many decades.
Like all tribes of the Powhatan nation, the Nansemonds spoke the Algonquian language, although with a distinct dialect. The Nansemonds got on well with tribes to the south in what is now called North Carolina. They had their differences, though, with
nansemond pride
story by Tracy Agnewphotography by Troy Cooper
See NANSEMONDS page 30
suffolk living 29
nansemond pride
30 suffolk living
the Nottoways and didn’t care for the Mona-cans at all.
But all the tribes soon had a reason to unite when the invaders came.
STILL fIGHTING
Chief Barry “Big Buck” Bass was elected in 2008 — the chief no longer is predestined by lineage, but chosen by popular election. He yearns to see the tribe gain acceptance on the local and national levels before his time is up.
A 61-year-old direct descendant of a 1638 marriage between the daughter of the Nan-semond weroance (head of the tribe) and an Englishman named John Bass, the current chief lives up to his Indian name. Soft-spoken and graceful, his passion is larger than life when it comes to recognition of his people.
“We’re trying to establish our home,” said Bass, an asphalt worker at a plant in Chesa-peake. “I want some of our land back. The place has become so special to us.”
The tribe has worked with the city for more than a decade to gain ownership of a parcel of land in Lone Star Lakes Park, where it hopes to build a tribal center, museum, replica vil-lage, powwow grounds and more. It would become an educational center for folks to learn about what this place was really like before the intruders.
“It will show what was real, rather than the mess they tell you in the history books,” Bass said. “I want it to be an actual working-type village, not something that’s standing there and you see it once.”
The location is either at or very near the village once called Mattanock. (Bass has a “gut feeling” the actual location was closer to the King’s Highway Bridge site, just to the east.) Called Mattanock Town, the recreation would be as authentic as possible, using natural mate-rials and with gardens that actually grow crops the Nansemonds depended on for survival.
“I don’t want it commercialized,” Bass said.The tribe also is embroiled in another fight,
this one on a national level — the hunt to get recognized by the federal government through an act of Congress.
Such recognition usually takes place through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but that’s not as easy as it seems, Bass said. History and lineage must be documented from Day One, with no lapses. In a culture that didn’t have a written language and later was subjected to unconscio-
nable revisions of history and courthouses set ablaze during the Civil War, that’s a challenge.
fIRST SIGHTINGS
The first bits of written history about the Nansemonds do not portray them favorably. After all, history is written by the victors.
Captain John Smith wrote in 1608 that the Indians who attacked the English at Cape Henry were “Nausamd, a proud warlike nation.” Some experts, including Dr. Helen Rountree, believe there is evidence the Indians who participated in the attack were actually the Chesapeakes.
Nonetheless, the attack was avenged upon the Nansemonds the following year. Such be-gan several decades of back-and-forth attacks.
When Christopher Newport explored the river in 1608, people came to the shore and made signs of welcome, according to Roun-tree’s book “Pocahontas’s People: The Powhatan Indians of Virginia Through Four Centuries.”
Suspecting a trap, Newport fired into the Indians, killing one and wounding two more. Only after an exchange of hostages and many messages did supposedly friendly trading take place.
Later that same year, an attack by the intrud-ers left canoes, crops and longhouses damaged. With the winter upon them, the Nansemonds gave up four hundred baskets of life-sustaining corn, as well as a chain of pearls and their king’s
bows and arrows, just to be left alone.Around this time, tribes that formerly
avoided each other united against the invad-ers. But it hardly mattered, for more and more aliens were coming every year.
In 1609, Captain John Martin wanted to settle in Nansemond territory and sent negotia-tors, who never returned. Assuming correctly that the messengers had been killed, the Eng-lish attacked, but the Nansemond counterat-tack was so effective that even reinforcements from Jamestown were of no use. Several prisoners were taken and later found dead in Nansemond territory with their mouths stuffed full of bread, a sign of contempt.
In 1611, the unrelenting attacks continued. Sir Thomas Dale burned Nansemond long-houses and cut down growing corn after being attacked.
An area-wide Indian uprising in March 1622 was avenged with the destruction of houses, ca-noes and corn in Nansemond villages. The next year, another attack left Nansemonds dead.
It seems the Nansemonds had had enough. In the 1630s and early 1640s, they withdrew upriver.
‘I dON’T KNOW WHAT yOu ExpEcT’
Chief Bass blames the hostilities on the different cultures and the predilection of the invaders to attack before attempting peaceful contact.
Chief Barry "Big Buck" Bass is the current head of the Nansemond Indian Tribal Association. His goals are to gain recognition for his tribe on local and national levels before his term is up.
NANSEMONDS continued from page 28
See NANSEMONDS page 31
suffolk living 31
“I think they tried to get along,” Bass said of his ancestors. “I think they tried. But it didn’t work.”
The European concept of ownership of land was just as foreign to the Indians as the invad-ers themselves. For centuries, Indians had lived under the presumption that the land could not belong to them.
“They said, ‘We’ll just conquer you; we own this,’” Bass said. “Our people didn’t know what that was. You’re here to use it and protect it and maintain it, but you didn’t own it. They had the mentality of, ‘We’ll just take it by force.’”
The Indians fought back because their sur-vival mechanisms — shelter, food, transporta-tion — were being threatened, Bass said.
“I don’t know what you expect,” he said. “Somebody comes and burns your crops and steals your canoes. They had guns. We didn’t have no guns at the time.”
Besides, Bass points out, the invaders never would have survived the first few winters if it hadn’t been for the area Indians.
AfTER THE dISpERSAL
In 1638, Englishman John Bass married a Nansemond convert to Christianity named Elizabeth. Most of the Nansemonds surviving today are descended from that marriage.
The “Christianized” Nansemonds stayed on the river until after 1700, when they moved to the northern border of the Great Dismal Swamp. Many descendants, including Chief Bass, still live in that area.
A different faction of the tribe moved south-west to the Blackwater region in the 1660s. This segment, called the Pochay-icks or Pochicks, were living with the Nottoway tribe near what is now the North Carolina border. The affairs of the two tribes became more and more intertwined through the years, and in 1792 the Nansemonds sold their reservation, because so few of them were left. The last of the “reserva-tion Nansemonds” died in 1806.
The “Christianized” segment lived a com-pletely Anglo-American lifestyle, and some were even beginning to prosper materially. An 1834 deed of trust by Joshua Bass lists as collat-eral 14 wooden chairs, tableware, a loom, two pine tables, assorted farm gear and livestock.
But more trouble loomed ahead for Virginia Indians.
‘THEy WERE ALWAyS fIGHTING’
Whether through ignorant census work-ers, burning courthouses or racist registrars, it seemed like everything was working against the Indians throughout the next century and
a half.In the early 1800s, a growing sentiment
against blacks spilled over onto the Indians, who also were guilty of not having white skin. Free non-whites were required to carry certificates of their free birth or manumission, and the Nansemonds registered as “persons of mixed blood” after objecting to being incor-rectly called “Negroes.”
Census workers up until 1930 were es-sentially free to use their personal opinion in enumerating the persons of various races, so Indians were called by a wide variety of labels. The Nansemond County Courthouse burned in 1865, destroying whatever records there might have been.
A researcher counted about 180 people living in the group north of the Great Dismal Swamp around 1900. They had preserved their tribal name but not their language, and were making their living primarily as truck farmers, sailors, shipyard workers and hunting guides in the swamp.
Things were getting somewhat better for the Nansemonds. Indiana United Methodist Church was set up as a mission for the tribe and still operates today with many Nanse-mond descendants as members. A school was built in 1889 after the Nansemonds refused to
Nansemond Indian powwows, held every year in August, include traditional dances, crafts and food, as well as cultural displays and learning opportunities for guests.
NANSEMONDS continued from page 30
See NANSEMONDS page 32
send their children to the black schools and were themselves refused entrance to the white schools. It operated until 1928.
But around 1900, the first signs of legal trouble were also beginning. That was when the members found it necessary to enlist a Portsmouth lawyer to certify them as Indians who associated and married exclusively with whites.
Only a dozen years later came a phenom-enon known today as “Pleckerism.”
“Registrar Walter Ashby Plecker personally made many Virginia Indians’ lives miserable for twenty-two years,” Dr. Helen Rountree wrote in her book “Pocahontas’s People.”
Plecker was at the head of the Virginia Bureau of Vital Statistics. One of his first moves was to require birth certificates for all babies born in the state, which seemed reasonable enough.
However, he shortly began his campaign to wipe out the Indian race through those pieces of paper. He instructed county clerks to change the race of Indian babies to black on their birth certificates.
Fortunately for all Virginia Indians, many did not comply. Fortunately for the Nanse-monds, the clerk of Norfolk County was one of them. He continued to mark Nansemonds as either Indian or white.
But eventually, Plecker simply began chang-ing the birth certificates once they arrived in Richmond and even retroactively changed birth certificates issued many years earlier by writing on the back that the person was “clas-sified as a colored person.” He also threatened midwives who submitted Indian birth certifi-cates with criminal charges for falsifying official documents.
Plecker also attempted to rewrite the lineage of adult Indians. He managed to have more
impact than in 1930 on the 1940 census, which recorded many fewer Indians in most of the relevant counties than had the census just 10 years before. But other records, such as correct Selective Service registrations, make it possible to trace the tribe’s lineage at least to a point, said Lea Dowd, a genealogist and member of the tribe.
“They’re the most traceable tribe there is in Virginia,” she said. “Our ancestors were in court to document who and what they were. They were always fighting to protect their identity and their heritage.”
THE pRESENT ANd fuTuRE
As the tribe prepares to celebrate its 25th annual powwow next year and continue its fights for recognition, Chief Bass is at least glad
things have changed since the days of attacks by intruders, forced dispersal, oppressive laws and racist overtones.
But there still is ignorance to be fought. He has run across people who don’t know that In-dians still exist in Virginia, and certainly weren’t aware that some tribes still have reservations here.
But he still thinks about the way his ancestors fought to make his life possible, and even how some in his own generation denied their own heritage to avoid enduring the glare of racism.
“I do all this to honor my ancestors, and all the stuff they did to survive,” Bass said. “So many of them went to the grave saying they weren’t Indian because of the way things were.”←
Children participate in a traditional dance during a Nansemond Indian powwow. Much of the dress favored by Indians nationwide is typical of Southwestern tribes, Chief Barry Bass said. "You kind of wear what you're expected to wear."
32 suffolk livingNANSEMONDS continued from page 31
The author appreciates the contributions of Chief Barry Bass, Dr. Helen C. Rountree and Lea Dowd.
suffolk living 33
in the news
The 35th annual Peanut Fest prom-ises a good time to all those who attend.
The festival, slated for Oct. 4-7, has become a staple of autumn in Hampton Roads. Originally a celebration of the crop that put Suffolk on the map, it has become a celebration of all things Suffolk — the people, the culture, the musicians, the busi-
nesses and, yes, the peanut still gets a starring role.
The theme of this year’s shindig is “Still Nutty After All of These Years,” and chairman Joseph Patterson will be leading a group of hundreds of volunteers who pull off the festival every year. Co-vice chairmen Butch Twiford and Jack Brinkley will help him put it together.
“American Idol” star Kellie Pickler is set to headline the musical activi-ties at 4 p.m. on Sunday, bringing her country-pop hits, spunky per-sonality and heavy Southern accent to the distinctly Southern country
festival.Pickler said she is excited to perform at
the festival, because she loves peanuts and loves festivals.
“Put the word out that I love boiled pea-nuts,” she said. “Those are the best.”
Pickler also said she enjoys playing at fairs and festivals, because they are more intimate than large stadiums and arenas.
“You feel like you’re really singing to the die-hard country fans,” she said, adding
story by Tracy Agnewfile photography
Peanut Fest promises
good time
See PEANUT page 34
34 suffolk living
that shows at fairs cost far less than in larger venues.Pickler’s show in Suffolk will cost fans nothing but the parking fee
— just $10 per car or $20 for a four-day pass, which can be purchased at the Suffolk Visitor Center or Holiday Food Stores. Admission is free.
“You get more for your money,” she said. “It’s something you can go to and not have to take a loan from the bank to take your family out for a fun night.”
Other featured musical entertainment will include another former “American Idol” contestant Casey Abrams, as well as groups such as Guava Jam, Honkytonk Highway, Thunder Creek Bluegrass Band and River Boyz.
Dennis Anderson will bring his monster truck “King Sling” for the second year in a row. Other annual traditions include a peanut butter sculpting contest, demolition derby, truck and tractor pull, motor-cycle rally, arts and crafts, fireworks, a sidewalk art contest and more.
More fun will be had in the carnival area, where festival-goers can try their hand at games of chance and skill and pick up a variety of delicious treats. They can also visit booths run by numerous area businesses and organizations.
The festival will be held at the Suffolk Executive Airport. For more information about the festival, call Angie Twiford at 539-6751.←
Top, Kaylynn Perry and Joshua Gambill race in a water-shooting game at last year’s Peanut Fest. Above, carnival rides are one of the mainstays of Peanut Fest.
PEANUT continued from page 33
suffolk living 35
SpEcIAL EVENT ScHEduLESEpTEMbER 27The Queen’s Luncheon and Fashion Show at the Suffolk National Guard Armory. The festival queen is selected from high school seniors on the basis of a creative writing essay, school activities, awards and achievements and community involvement. The queen and her court are honored by a luncheon and fashion show by the Pilot Club of Suffolk. Tickets are $15 each. The luncheon begins at noon. Call 514-4130.
SEpTEMbER 29Suffolk on the Move 5K RunCheck-in begins at 6:30 a.m., and the run begins at 7:30 a.m. from Constant’s Wharf, 110 E. Constance Road. The run is put on by Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community. It also includes a 5K walk and one-mile walk. Visit www.suffolkpartnership.com for more information.
pEANuT fEST pARAdEThe Peanut Fest parade will be held at 10 a.m. in downtown Suffolk.
OcTObER 4The Peanut Festival opens to the public from 2 to 10:30 p.m. Pay $25 per person for all-you-can-ride carnival.
OcTObER 5The festival opens to the public at 10 a.m. Parking is free until noon. Senior Day activities will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. At 6 p.m., the Nation-Wide Demolition Derby will start in the arena, coinciding with a horseshoe competition and bingo in the activities tent.
OcTObER 6The festival opens to the public at 10 a.m. A horseshoe competition begins at 10 a.m., coinciding with the beginning of bingo in the activities tent and a sidewalk art contest, which lasts until 2 p.m. At 10:30 a.m., cornhole tournament registration begins, and the tournament begins at 1 p.m. A jalapeño-eating contest will be held at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The world’s only peanut butter sculpture contest will be held at 2 p.m. At 7 p.m., a karaoke contest will begin, which will award cash and prizes. At 8 p.m., fireworks will be held.
OcTObER 7Staging of bikes for the Suffolk Swamp Roar Motorcycle Rally will begin at 9 a.m., and the rally rolls off at 10:30 a.m. The festival opens to the public at 10 a.m. and is open until 7 p.m. Bingo will be held at noon.
ENTERTAINMENT ScHEduLEOcTObER 43 to 7 p.m. — Suffolk Ruritan Shrimp FeastTickets $30 per person in advance or $35 at gate. Call 514-4130 for information.
OcTObER 5Budweiser Main Stage6:30 p.m. — Honkytonk Highway8 p.m. — Guava Jam
Harvest Family Stage10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. — TBA5 p.m. — 4th Day Band6 p.m. — Stronghold7 p.m. — Hicktown8 p.m. — JACT9 p.m. — A New Day Rising
The Peanut Lounge5 p.m. — Keith Shealy and MoJo Collins9:30 p.m. — Big Wide Grin
OcTObER 6Budweiser Main Stage6:30 p.m. — River Boyz8 p.m. — Casey Abrams
Harvest Family Stage11 a.m. — Performance by the Children's Theatre of Hampton Roads sponsored by the Suffolk Center for Cultural ArtsNoon — Morgan Miller1 p.m. — Carolina Mayorga2 p.m. — Rick Elliott3 p.m. — Triple T Sports Center4 p.m. — Peanut City Cloggers
5 p.m. — Virginia Fancy Feet6 p.m. — Dynamic Movement7 p.m. — Karaoke The Peanut Lounge11 a.m. — Show Me Boys1 p.m. — S.P.D. Blues Band3 p.m. — H.M. Johnson Band5 p.m. — Bobby Black Hat Walters Band9 p.m. — Black, White & Blues Band
OcTObER 7Budweiser Main Stage2 p.m. — Thunder Creek Bluegrass Band4 p.m. — Kellie Pickler
Harvest Family Stage2 p.m. — Gospel Showcase
pEANuT fEST ScHEduLE
36 suffolk living
suffolk living 37
Constructed in 1922, Suffolk High School closed its doors for
the last time on June 12, 1990, after having educated genera-
tions of students. From the teens of the “Roaring Twenties”
and those coming of age during the Great Depression, to the young
people who would go on to fight World War II and take part in the
Civil Rights movement; from the flower children of the ‘70s to Gen-
eration X — Suffolk High School educated them all.
After the closed building languished for more than a decade,
the high school was transformed into a cultural arts center. But the
school’s mark can still be seen — grooves in the original steps, chalk-
boards in the repurposed classrooms, hallways hardly changed save
for the lack of lockers.
Celebrate the high school’s 90th birthday with us in these pages.
Above left, Lillian Lipscomb instructs a class of students; above, the
band plays; at left, the sheet music for the school’s alma mater.
suffolk living 37
38 suffolk living
suffolk living 39
Far top left, Betsy Williams Brothers is crowned as Peanut Bowl Queen
in this 1957 photo. She was instrumental in orchestrating the transition of
Suffolk High School to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.
At top left, students learn to type on typewriters in this undated photo.
Far bottom left, Coach Dick White pumps up his football team in the
locker room in this circa 1953 photo. Included in photo are Jimmy
Crocker, Tony Russo, Cabel Birdsong, Jan Ellis, Fred Quayle, Tommy Falk
and Merritt Draper.Bottom left, music students pose with their instruments in
this undated photo. Seated, from left, Hubert Powell and
Samuel Powell; kneeling, John Powell; standing in center
row, from left, Mrs. Nina Oliver Chalkley (leader) and
Dorothy Miller; standing in back row, from left, Miriam
Watkins, W.T. Pond, William Eley, Joel Edward Harrell,
Edward Everett, Taylor Palmer.
Background photo: an undated aerial view of Suffolk
High School.
ALL photoS in thiS feAtuRe couRteSY of
SuffoLK-nAnSemond hiStoRicAL SocietY.
40 suffolk living
downtown dining
Pork cheek biscuits at Harper's Table offer a mouth-watering take on meat.
tRoY coopeR photo
One of the great benefits enjoyed by those who live or work in historic downtown Suffolk is the unusual concentration of top-
notch restaurants offering seated table service.“Downtown” Suffolk is a rather amorphously
defined place, and one man’s coffee shop is another man’s “table service.” Indeed one of the downtown area’s most popular lunch stops is Rosa’s Coffee Cantina on North Main Street, and some popular table-service restaurants are located just outside of the central downtown business district.
This directory, however, focuses on the part of Suffolk within walking distance of the courthouse, and it casts a hungry gaze on the sorts of restaurants where one might be able to grab dinner after work or take a date on a Saturday night.
Next time you’re looking for something unusual for dinner, there’s no need to head out of town. Try downtown Suffolk. You might be surprised at all the tasty choices.
HARpER’S TAbLE122 N. MAIN ST.539-2000Located right at the heart of things, Harper’s Table is one of downtown Suffolk’s newest and finest eateries. Guests can expect the highest standards for their cuisine, but they might be surprised at the reasonable prices. Dinner menus change frequently, as chef/owner Harper Bradshaw looks for local ingredients for his creations. One unusual feature that draws folks to the restaurant is the Coca-Cola advertising mural that was uncovered during renovations this year.
40 suffolk living
suffolk living 41
downtown dining AMIcI’S157 E. WASHINGTON ST.923-5300One of the great surprises for visitors to downtown Suffolk is the fact that they can get real, New York-style pizza cooked over the open fire of a brick oven. Amici’s Restaurant has some of the city’s most unusual pizzas — and a lot more, to boot. And it’s all served in a casual Italian atmosphere, complemented by the exposed architecture of this downtown landmark.
THE pLAId TuRNIp115 N. MAIN ST.923-9740The Plaid Turnip is the older sister of The Plaid Hatter, owned by the same chef, Ed Beardsley, and located just around the corner. But this restaurant fills an entirely different need in downtown Suffolk, offering extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menus and a variety of baked goods, as well. Some of Suffolk’s biggest sandwiches pass through this kitchen’s window.
42 suffolk livingTHE bARON’S pub185 N. MAIN STREET934-3100The Baron’s Pub holds a prime spot at one of Suffolk’s busiest intersections, right in the heart of downtown, and it enjoys a base of loyal customers who enjoy the pub food and laid-back atmosphere they find there. The Baron burgers are a wildly popular, but watch out for the Baronator unless you’re ready to tackle a gargantuan amount of food in a hurry. Beat the clock on this meal, though, and your lunch or dinner is on the house.
cONSTANT’S WHARf GRILL100 EAST cONSTANcE ROAdfIRST fLOOR925-1300At the entrance to historic Suffolk and the edge of downtown proper, Constant’s Wharf Grill has a great view of the city’s growing marina from the first floor of the Hilton Garden Inn or from the porch when dining al fresco. The restaurant has a reputation for impeccable cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it has the aura of a secret pleasure for folks in the downtown area.
MOSAIc cAfé110 W. fINNEy AVE.fIRST fLOOR538-5090Tucked inside the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts (the former Suffolk High School), Mosaic Café tends toward eclectic, world cuisine with an artistic flair. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner and a weekend brunch and offers dining on an outdoor
patio, as well. Mosaic offers guests a great way to enjoy fine dining conveniently in the same building where they can catch a great night of entertainment, too.
KELLy’S TAVERN119 W. cONSTANcE ROAd925-2112Kelly’s Tavern is one of 10 locations for a popular Hampton Roads chain that offers casual lunch and dinner menus and a large selection of adult beverages in a setting that will feel instantly comfortable and familiar to anyone visiting for the first time. The restaurant’s selection of hamburgers will keep diners coming back for something new, and the entrées provide a step up when the occasion calls for a knife and fork.
NduLGE EcLEcTIc SOuL cuISINE200 E. WASHINGTON STREET925-3780Ndulge Eclectic Soul Cuisine helps fill an important niche in downtown Suffolk’s restaurant scene. Offering classic soul-food choices for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is a popular alternative that feels a bit like sitting down at Mama’s table for a bite. Continuing a popular tradition at this location, Ndulge offers breakfast on Saturdays beginning at 8 a.m.
THE pLAId HATTER116 W. WASHINGTON ST.923-3889In what could be downtown Suffolk’s most unusual concept for a restaurant, The Plaid Hatter spends part of the week as a cozy tearoom and the other part as a tapas and wine bar. Lunch menus offer a selection of lighter, vegetarian fare with a selection of 30 loose teas. On the weekend, the Hatter becomes a hip spot for meeting friends over small-sized servings of delectable treats.
THE bARON’S pub
cONSTANT’S WHARf GRILL
suffolk living 43
LOOKING FOR BALANCE? “With five kids under age 10, the Y is my sanity! I take exercise classes and get a break while the kids are safe in Stay & Play or the Interactive Zone. The Y is like extended family; you get to know and trust everyone.”
NICOLE, Y member, pictured with two of her daughters
YMCA OF SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS17 locations • (757) 962-5555 • JoinTheYMCA.orgMission: To put Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
We’re helping our community grow stronger. Become a part of the Y and pay no joining fee through September 25.
44 suffolk living
paddling along the chuckatuck
Although only five and a half miles or so separate its headwaters near Godwin Boulevard from its mouth at Batten Bay, where it empties into the James River,
Chuckatuck Creek flows much longer through the history and life of Suffolk.
Following about 13 miles of twists and turns along the route, a group of explorers along the creek is led through areas represent-ing Suffolk from all its important eras.
With their canoe paddles and quiet voices the only sounds to be heard this summer morning, the voyagers are looking for signs of man’s influence on the creek and evidence of the difference it has made, in turn, on the lives of families, farmers and watermen who have depended on it in one way or another through the centuries.
Karla Smith loves to tell folks about this creek that runs behind her house off of Cherry Point Road near Crittenden, and she relishes the opportunity to travel with a group of visitors along the winding waterway to describe the history of this Chesapeake
story and photography byR.E. Spears III
See CHUCKATUCK page 46
suffolk living 45
Suffolk City Council member Robert Barclay, right, looks upstream as Karla Smith of the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance describes some of the history of Chuckatuck Creek during a recent canoe trip organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Bay tributary.There are places where trails as old as the
area’s native Nansemond Indian tribe end at the water’s edge. There are the skeletal remains of old wharves that were vitally important to the economy as recently as World War II. And there are places where Union and Confederate troops could have watched one other from op-posite sides of the water if not for the inherent danger of such a folly.
There are ramshackle lean-to buildings abandoned long ago and mansions whose modern glass façades afford expansive views of the tidal creek and its marshes. Docks and boatlifts along the route feature everything from jet-skis to luxury cabin cruisers, from johnboats to Chesapeake Bay deadrises.
Portions of Chuckatuck Creek have been important during the Civil War, during the Revolutionary War and during skirmishes between the English settlers and the Native Americans they encountered here, says Smith, who is co-chair of the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance’s education committee and chair of the Crittenden-Eclipse-Hobson Heritage Foundation.
Artifacts more than 3,000 years old have been found along the creek’s banks, she tells the visitors, and its recent history has been chronicled in part in the book “The River Binds Us,” a history of the communities near the mouth of the creek, published in 2007 by the CEH Heritage Foundation.
Just as the Nansemond River helped define what would become downtown Suffolk and the interior portions of Nansemond County, Chuckatuck Creek influenced the communi-ties along the northern end of the border between Suffolk and Isle of Wight.
Sandy Bottom, Hobson, Holley Point and Sawmill Point in Suffolk. Piney Point, Muddy Cove, Horseshoe Point and Cherry Grove just across the water — sometimes less than a stone’s-throw away — in Isle of Wight.
Before the construction of Crittenden Road, which runs roughly parallel to the waterway, Chuckatuck Creek marked the most accessible route for travelers and commerce to reach the then-bustling town of Chuckatuck and from there the interior of what was then Nanse-mond County.
There was a steamboat, the “Teddy,” that made the trek between Norfolk and Chuck-atuck each day, and the creek was busy with commercial traffic at the beginning of the 20th
46 suffolk livingCHUCKATUCK continued from page 44
See CHUCKATUCK page 47
Snails cling to the marshgrass above the tideline along the banks of Chuckatuck Creek one morning this summer.
suffolk living 47
century, with oystermen and ferrymen competing for space in its nar-row channel, Smith says. “Truck farmers” used the wharves to unload produce from the farms of Isle of Wight and Nansemond County and bound for Suffolk and points east.
During the early and middle portion of the 20th century, a Ports-mouth company, Lone Star Concrete, created lakes as much as 30 to 90 feet deep with marl-mining operations at the head of the creek. The materials were transported by train to Portsmouth from the mines just west of Chuckatuck. Deeded to Suffolk in the 1970s, Lone Star Lakes is now a favorite destination of fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts. At high tide, one of those lakes, Crane Lake, would be accessible from the creek but for the signs that warn against crossing a breach formed during Hurricane Isabel.
There are no more steamships to ply the waters of Chuckatuck Creek, and it’s no longer economically important, except, perhaps, to a couple of watermen who moor their boats there. Today, the creek plays a greater role as a recreational destination and as home to a vast array of fish and wildlife.
Bald eagles patrol the skies far above the group of travelers, and kingfishers and egrets watch the marshes along the shoreline. An oc-casional fish breaks the surface of the water, and jellyfish can be seen floating in with the tide. Cicadas buzz from the deciduous trees that take over along the creek as the party moves upstream.
And beneath all this — below and behind and around the canoes silently floating with the incoming tide — one can almost feel the movement of Suffolk through time on this little Chuckatuck Creek. ←
Karla Smith of the Crittenden, Eclipse and Hobson Heritage Foundation leads the canoe trip on the Chuckatuck Creek. Below, participants unload their canoes for a morning on the water.
CHUCKATUCK continued from page 46
Dick Harvey descends to his “Batcave,” and the Bennett’s Creek man’s passion for The Caped Cru-
sader is coaxed from the shadows by white fluorescent light.
Surrounded by action figures, stacks of movie posters and standees, life-sized char-acter models, coffee mugs, board games, Hotwheels Batmobiles — you name it — the 65-year-old is more than a mere citizen.
Standing in what in reality is a base-ment, the devotee of one of the world’s most successful comic book creations is lost in Gotham City’s gritty streets with the crime-fighting title character and his fearsome enemies: the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler and all the rest.
“I started collecting after the ’89 movie with Michael Keaton,” Harvey said. He and his wife made a Batman costume together
for Halloween, and “(the) next thing you know, people were getting me stuff, then I started picking up stuff, then it snowballed from there.”
He estimates he has invested $8,000 to $10,000 in the collection, and $3,000 to $4,000 in action figures alone.
“Anyone who collects anything, you just collect one thing, like Batman,” Harvey said. “But I collect Batman and all the things that go with it, and that’s expensive.
“As far as a favorite thing, I think I have a picture autographed by Bob Kane, the creator of Batman.”
Harvey treasures various other auto-graphed items, including by Val Kilmer, Jack Nicholson, Adam West and George Clooney.
In 1995, Harvey retired from Portsmouth Police Department after 25 years. Before he
became a police officer, one of his broth-ers was murdered in Chesapeake. The case remains unsolved.
Harvey worked homicide for about 17 years, retiring a sergeant in charge of the unit, before working in the Virginia Department of Forensic Science’s Norfolk laboratory.
For anyone searching, therein seems to reside a partial answer to why Harvey is so crazy about all things Batman.
“One of the reason I like the Batman character, he’s kind of like an average guy,” Harvey said. “The guy basically uses his mind and physical strength to stop crime, and that’s what — basically — police do.”
But he realizes that “you have to separate fact from fiction; you can’t be walking around the police department and trying to be Batman. But, as far as the character goes,
story by Matthew A. Wardphotography by Matthew A. Ward & R.E. Spears III
gotham suffolk
48 suffolk living
See BATMAN page 50
gotham suffolk
suffolk living 49
I have always admired someone who can use intelligence to outwit.”
Harvey gets a kick out of showing his collection. For “The Dark Knight Rises,” he said, he was given space on two floors by the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hamp-ton, which showed the film in its IMAX theater.
“I figured it will be another four or five years or more before another Batman movie comes out, so it was my last chance,” he said.
For 2008’s “The Dark Night,” he was given a smaller space at The Commodore
in Portsmouth, and he has loaned parts of his collection to a couple of other theaters in Chesapeake.
Harvey once also collected NASCAR stuff, back when Georgia’s Bill Elliott, who he rooted for, was behind the wheel.
He used to own a reproduction of the military Jeep he drove in Vietnam. As a boy, he built model cars, “and I still dabble in that a little bit.” He also built a model of the USS Los Angeles, which his brother sailed on.
But “Batman is the most involved I got
into” collecting, said Harvey, whose collec-tion spills from his basement into various other parts of the house.
Harvey’s wife, Marylynn, believes she could have been much unluckier in terms of her husband’s main interest. “He could be running around with other women and drinking, but instead he’s collecting Batman toys, so I really can’t complain too much.”
Harvey has no immediate plans to divest himself of his Batman collection. “I guess when I die, I will be the guy with the most toys,” he said.←
Dick Harvey collects all things having to do with Batman, including action figures and autographed pictures.
50 suffolk living
BATMAN continued from page 48
In each edition the Suffolk Living staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Suffolk you really know.
We photograph some location in Suffolk that is readily accessible and open to the public, and see if you can tell us where it is.
If you know where this photo was taken, submit your answer, along with your name and contact information to [email protected]. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to any one of our partner advertisers.
So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner.
Go out and enjoy Suffolk!
where am I?
suffolk living 51
index ofadvertisersAcademy Animal care…...12Autumn care….................18BayPort FcU.................….23Blair Brothers….................53Bronco FcU..................….16celebration church...........22c-Fit studio…...................22chorey & Associates…..…56Davis Lakes...................….32D.B. Bowles Jewelers….....18Denison’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Dragas.......................55Drs. Jett, sellers andLarusso. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Duke Automotive.....…20, 43east end Baptist church…..14ellen Drames…................…2Farmers Bank................….53Franklin Business Incubator....................53harbour veterinary office...32historic obici house...….22Isle of Wight Academy…14
Ivor Furniture company….12Massage envy…................14Mega ‘Dors and Windows...52Mike Duman Auto sales…..22nancy’s calico Patch…....18nansemond-suffolk Academy..............14Parker oil and Propane….18Peanut Fest…...................12rawlings Mechanical…....52r.L. howell and Associates..14roger Fawcett…...............12sentara.........................3suffolk Public schools….....53suffolk sheet Metal…......14the village atWoods edge.................….10United Way…......................6virginia oncology...........…4Womble Generator….......22Woodard orthodontics…....7YMcA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Last edition’sWhere Am I?Shelley Childs was one of a couple of dozen people to have guessed this edition’s Where Am I location correctly. Childs, who was chosen the contest winner in a random drawing, said in her email submission that she had “always thought this beautiful seahorse would make a great ‘guess where am I’” photo. We agreed, and so did many of you. In case you didn’t know, the seahorse can be seen alongside Shoulders Hill Road, in front of Seahorse Plastics Corp. For her winning answer, Childs will receive a $25 gift certificate to the advertiser of her choice. You can get into the fun this time by looking on Page 51 for this edition’s Where Am I photo.
In each edition the Suffolk Living staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Suffolk you really know.
We photograph some location in Suffolk that is readily accessible and open to the public, and see if you can tell us where it is.
If you know where this photo was taken, submit your answer, along with your name and contact information to [email protected]. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to any one of our partner advertisers.
So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner.
Go out and enjoy Suffolk!
where am I?
32 suffolk living32 suffolk living
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