The Junior League of Lynchburg’s Little Black Dress Initiative: From Fashion Statement to Mission Statement

The “little black dress” is more than a piece of women’s clothing; it is an iconic symbol of sophistication that is considered a staple for every woman’s wardrobe. That said, thanks to the Junior League of Lynchburg (JLL), this symbol of style now represents something much more important: hope for every woman who faces distress in our community.

The JLL is an organization of women who work together to serve the community by serving as trained volunteers, by promoting women’s leadership and voluntarism, and by developing the potential of women. The JLL was founded in 1926 and formally joined the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. in 1929. The JLL’s first contribution to the community was the opening of the Preschool and Birth Clinic in the 1920s, which is known today as the Free Clinic of Central Virginia.

Over the past 90 years, the JLL has helped establish several additional organizations that enrich, uplift, and provide care to Lynchburg and its surrounding communities; among them are The Adult Day Care Center, Amazement Square, CASA of Central Virginia, Kids’ Haven, Lynchburg Sheltered Industries, Genesis House, and Riverside Park Sprayground. The JLL’s focus is exclusively educational and charitable.

In addition to partnering with other organizations to serve the community, the JLL plans events, supports initiatives, and raises grant money for projects that affect women, children, health, arts and preservation, and the environment. The latest JLL focus is the Little Black Dress Initiative: Faces of Distress (LBDI).

The campaign aims to bring awareness to women facing distress, whether it be poverty, violence, or inequality. The LBDI will focus especially on violence against women.

“Every three years, the JLL votes on a community project partnership,” says JLL President Amanda Denny. “After conducting research during the 2014-2015 year, the JLL found a huge need to educate the local Lynchburg community about violence against women. We wanted to share the statistics that women face daily in our own back yard in the hope that others would find value in helping us change those statistics.”

JLL member Jessica Watts spearheaded the LBDI, which originated in the Junior League of London and has become the focus of many Leagues worldwide. Watts has seen the distress local women face often throughout her six years as a JLL member. “I have largely been exposed to the distress and injustices facing our women through our volunteer work,” she says. “I have seen poverty firsthand and the effects that violent situations have had on the women and their families.

We volunteer at a number of organizations (Miriam’s House, Daily Bread, YWCA, to name a few) that aim to address these issues. And, knowing that these issues are still at the forefront in the community is why we have created the Little Black Dress Initiative. Unfortunately, the statistics facing women in our community are not improving fast enough. We want people to know the extent that women are in distress in the Lynchburg area so that changes can be made.”

The statistics and effects of domestic violence are sobering. The YWCA states that domestic violence includes physical, emotional, sexual, and verbal abuse, as well as the threat of such abuse between people in a close relationship. It strikes one family in the U.S. every nine seconds, and it tends to pass from one generation to the next through socialization. Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to become abusers or battered adults, and half of these children are abused themselves. Watts adds that domestic and other forms of violence affect women from all backgrounds: “It is important for people to understand that these injustices do not occur in just one demographic. They are expansive and include dating violence in high schools and colleges, sexual assault affecting all ages, and domestic violence across all socioeconomic levels. They also include inequality in the job market and sexual harassment.

Future LBDI campaigns will continue to expand awareness on these issues.”
The LBDI encourages people to raise awareness by wearing a black dress or other black attire for five consecutive days and donate or fundraise for the YWCA’s Domestic Violence Prevention Center and Sexual Assault Response Program. The campaign is largely driven by social media including the use of #LittleBlackDressJLL. The JLL promoted the campaign in the community October 10-14 and raised approximately $6,000, surpassing their $5,000 goal.

Both Denny and Watts hope that the LBDI will have a lasting impact on the community and help as many women as possible address and cope with the various forms of distress they face. “One goal is to create a grant fund specifically to support organizations that focus on women and to help bring awareness to the injustices that they face,” Denny says. “LBDI is a community-wide campaign, not just League specific,” says Watts. “We would love to see anyone passionate about the cause taking up the initiative. This is how we will see our greatest success, when the entire community becomes invested. We want LBDI to be a known JLL mission so that people are aware of the great work League members are doing in Lynchburg.

Our biggest goals in the JLL are to connect, serve, and lead.”

For more information about the Junior League of Lynchburg and the Little Black Dress Initiative, please visit www.jrleaguelynchburg.org.

By Emily Hedrick
Photos by Caitlin Gibson

Look What I Found!

Have you bought Dad a tie more times than you can count? Or do your kids’ presents always seem to be the same cheap plastic year after year? Whatever Christmas shopping dilemma you’re facing, the 11th annual “Look What I Found!” Holiday Gift Guide is a place to get ideas and inspiration. On the next few pages, check out some items we hand-picked from local stores—a little something for everyone on your list!

Enjoy our Virtual Gift Guide below! You can zoom in to read all the details!

Local High-Quality Brew, International Awareness

Jimmy Thomas is already accomplishing a lot more than most 25 year olds his age. As the owner of the new Third Wave Coffee in Forest, he has a vision for the way we all see our cup of joe—a vision he thought would take him further than 10 minutes from his alma mater.

Thomas was a Global Studies major at Liberty University. He had already developed a love for coffee and that love intensified during trips to China and Rwanda. While visiting China in 2010, he worked at a coffee shop that was also an avenue for missionaries. Thomas decided he wanted that to be his next step. And up until three years ago, he was ready to move there and open up his own shop.

“I’d been there 10 times and had taken Chinese.

Then my health took a turn,” said Thomas. “I went through a long time, about six months or so, going in and out of the hospital. We eventually found out what the disease was and that it was only treatable in the U.S.”

Doctors diagnosed him with autoimmune chronic idiopathic urticaria, or ACIU, and said he would never be able to live in a foreign country. At first, it was hard for Thomas to accept that the life he envisioned wasn’t going to happen.

“During that time, the Lord was working on my heart, getting me to where I needed to be to completely change directions in my life,” said Thomas. “Finally, I had to say to myself…I was doing this for God so the location shouldn’t matter.”

Even during times of sickness, Thomas started working on his next step—opening a specialty coffee shop here in the U.S. He continued to do lots of coffee “research” at home.

“I had a coffee laboratory in my house. I started roasting [coffee beans], first on a small scale,” said Thomas. “I’m really nerdy so I was very
geared towards it. Roasting the same batch over and over again but changing one small variable.”

Then, he drafted a business plan for a high-quality coffee shop in Forest.

“I knew this area needed a shop, a shop of this style,” said Thomas.

His mother and marketing manager, Rhonda Thomas, explains the meaning behind the shop’s name.

“Third Wave is a movement. The first wave of coffee is when coffee came over from Ethiopia. The second wave is coffee as a commodity. The third wave of coffee is taking coffee to the artisanal level. That’s what sets us apart and makes us different,” said Rhonda.

Opening up in late August in the brand new Shoppes at Jefferson Crossing, Third Wave Coffee is already seeing a lot of success for its focus on specialty coffee.

Inside the shop, you’ll notice a few things that you won’t find in Starbucks. A Diedrich Roaster sits in the middle of the room; Thomas uses it to roast fresh coffee on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The menu offers your usual selection: drip coffee, latte, Americana, etc. But you’ll also find options for the newly popular cold brew as well as pour overs, a Japanese brewing method that produces coffee that is so rich in flavor, you should be able to detect specific tastes.

“If you go to any other shop in Lynchburg and order a pour over, it’s going to be hand done. Jimmy’s is digital. It’s all computerized and is exact,” said Rhonda. “The customer picks their country of origin, whether it’s Rwanda or Guatemala, and each [coffee] has flavor notes, such as chocolate, lime or cherry. Those flavor notes tell you what the coffee should taste like.”

Some aesthetic touches also impress customers. All drinks are served in glass mugs unless they are to-go. Baristas specialize in “Latte Art,” creating fun images like hearts or trees by using the steamed milk and espresso as a canvas. Photos on the walls educate customers about coffee farmers in other countries.

“So often we think of coffee as a black drink that wakes us up in the morning. But in reality, it’s a farmer’s life, and some of them don’t even get paid enough to feed their families,” said Thomas.

While his dream of opening a coffee shop in China didn’t happen, Thomas has a plan for Third Wave he hopes will make just as much of a global impact. In the coming years, he wants a team from the shop to travel to other countries, such as Nicaragua, and build relationships with the coffee farmers while sharing the Gospel.

By bringing those stories back to Forest, the shop will serve as a place to raise awareness and money for the people who work hard to bring us those coffee beans—giving us the caffeine we take for granted.

“There are so many cultures and connections and hands behind each cup. That just gets forgotten that’s what we want to emphasize,” said Thomas.

By Shelley Basinger

Mark Your Calendars November/December

Holiday Hoopla: Nov. 11, 5 to 8 p.m.
Get a jumpstart on your Christmas shopping! The downtown area’s shops and restaurants will be open late, offering holiday specials and activities all evening. You can even take the trolley from place to place!

The Nutcracker performed by The Charlottesville Ballet: Dec. 3 at 4 p.m.
Take your family on a magical journey with Clara and her wooden nutcracker. The Charlottesville Ballet will bring their professional production to Lynchburg’s E.C. Glass High School Civic Auditorium. Admission is $25/adults; $20 for children/students/seniors/military.

Lynchburg Christmas and Holiday Parade: Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.
(Pictured Above) The first Lynchburg Christmas Parade was hosted by the Jaycees in 1959. Now, over 50 years later, the Retail Merchants Association organizes this iconic Hill City tradition. This year, the parade with the theme of “Traditions Around the World” will take place in midtown Lynchburg starting at City Stadium, continuing down Fort, Oakley and Memorial avenues and ending at E.C. Glass High School.

Downtown Historic Church Open House: Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Get in the Christmas spirit by taking a tour of the downtown area’s nine beautiful historic churches that are decorated for Christmas and/or advent. The tour is hosted by the Interfaith Outreach Association. Cost is $20/person over age 11.

Local Openings & Closings

Hello! to Timberlake Family Pharmacy on Timberlake Road at the Greenview Drive intersection.

Goodbye to Auburnlea Farms Corner Market in Cornerstone. The butchery and café closed its doors in September.

Hello! to The Manor at Locust Thicket, a new restaurant in a 226-year-old home that is now open on Old Forest Road.

Hello! to Ice Cream Dream, now open in downtown Lynchburg on Jefferson Street.
Hello! to Bean Tree Café’s new, bigger location in Cornerstone. (More on page 121)

Celebrating a Victorian Holiday House

Much like a beloved postcard from the mid-19th century that celebrated the Christmas season, Madison Street in the Garland Hill Historic District of Lynchburg is one of the most fashionable in the city that memorializes Victorian society. Queen Victoria presented many aspects of Christmas to the British that we still honor today, such as trees trimmed with candles, sweets, fruit, homemade decorations and small gifts.

Even the acclaimed Charles Dickens tale “A Christmas Carol” was written during the Victorian era, a time where they were examining Christmas traditions from the past and creating new Christmas customs for the future. No era influenced modern Christmas more than the Victorians.

In that same spirit, “The Wilson House,” as it is commonly referred to by local historians, was built during Queen Victoria’s reign. It resides on Madison Street, which was among the first roads to be paved with brick in 1895.

This prominent street with its elegant homes still entertains and welcomes friends and families to relish in its sentimental charms and rich historic past.

Ghost of Christmas Past
This stately Queen Anne Victorian is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by E.G. Frye, an esteemed local architect well-known among the most prominent landowners of the day. Frye designed many of the larger homes and buildings in Lynchburg, including Jones Memorial Library on Rivermont Avenue and Court Street United Methodist Church, sparing no simplicity in his designs. The Wilson House was built by contractors Wilson & Seay circa 1894 for William V. Wilson Jr., a law partner of Kemp and Hodges and President of the Lynchburg National Bank. While Wilson’s wife died in 1915, he lived for almost two more decades, passing away in 1933. In his will, Wilson left the majority of his estate in a trust fund entitled “Nellie Wilson Trust” in memory of his wife. She often bestowed love on children who fell into her life since she didn’t have any of her own. To honor this legacy, he left the trust to the former Presbyterian Homes & Family Services in Lynchburg.

Through the years, the house had been divided into three apartments, one on each floor. It remained apartments until Bobbi Hurst and her husband Randy bought the historic house in 2004 and began restoring it back into a single family home.

“We discovered the house while driving through some historic neighborhoods with my brother,” Bobbi said.

The couple’s goal was to make the home livable, so they first added heating and air. There were six fireplaces that heated with coal, and since electricity wasn’t original to the house, their first addition was a large undertaking.

Fortunately, they had experience with restorations. Randy restored, remodeled, repaired and built custom homes for a living, so this house certainly rendered the need for his services. Since moving to Lynchburg from North Carolina, he had studied historic homes, as well as Frye and his designs, which helped them reinvent the home’s original authentic charm.

“We hadn’t thought of moving here until we fell in love with the house… saw it, called the realtor to see it the next weekend and bought the house,” Bobbi said.

When they began the restoration, they found some unique oddities. The stairs had been redirected to an outside entrance for apartments. While reconstructing those, they discovered the finished side of the stairs and a hidden five-foot archway. The archway mirrored one on the other side of the entrance hall fireplace. This helped them see where the original stairs, landings and archway had been before removal.

“When we pulled the paneling off, we could see the ghost of where stairs had been,” Bobbi said.

They took great effort to not lose any paneling in their 14 x 25-foot entrance hall. The panels stop at the first landing and act like a chair rail that rises three to four feet up the wall. The parlor fireplace had also been removed, covered up and moved to the terrace level apartment, so they relocated it back to the parlor. They even moved a bathroom to make one of the bedrooms into a master suite.

On the exterior, there is plenty of charm—the home’s inverted columns and detailed use of mixed materials of red slate, pressed brick, wood, corrugated metal and even Spanish copper is indicative of a time period when lavish detail was celebrated.

“The restoration and renovating has been a labor of love, and sometimes hate, but we love living here,” Bobbi said.

Ghost of Christmas Present
By starting their holiday decorating the day after Thanksgiving and tearing down seasonal décor around New Year’s, it takes the Hursts about two weeks to put up and take down all of their decorations. This gives them time to pull their holiday baubles and trinkets together, ensuring their trimmings from nature will last through Christmas Day without causing any fire hazards.

“I do as much as I can with natural things, but since natural things get dried out, I’m afraid to do too much,” Bobbi said.

As a former art teacher with an undergraduate degree in home economics, along with an art graduate degree, Hurst knows how to arrange and artistically present her home’s decorations. She uses that artistic eye to think creatively each Christmas. By intertwining silk flowers and synthetic Christmas trees with natural greenery and boughs, it adds a fullness and realistic element to her arrangements. She elegantly interweaves silk with live greens, velvet bows and ribbons on their intricate stairwell, making the artificial appear genuine. In the Victorian era, ribbons and bows were used in abundance as a festive embellishment in both men’s and women’s fashions, so Bobbi tries to keep her holiday décor as authentic to the home’s original period as possible by using them within her seasonal decorating. She also includes dolls typical of the Victorian time period.

Though she strives for period appropriate décor in much of the house, Hurst recognizes that the original homeowner, William V. Wilson Jr., didn’t always live in the Victorian age. She allows herself the beauty of living in the present by taking detours on occasion. She uses a lot of candles since that would have been indicative of the Victorians, but one advantage to modern living she enjoys celebrating is the use of electricity. Decorating with an array of lights makes the home sparkle, both inside and out.

Throughout this stately Victorian house, eight artificial Christmas trees adorn the home each season. The main tree in the parlor sits by itself within a nine-foot octagon shaped section of the room, framed inside a beautiful archway, creating a grand focal point for the home’s most significant tree. With 12-foot-high ceilings in much of the house, Bobbi finds it a welcomed challenge to decorate vertically. She incorporates a theme of red, white and gold throughout the main living areas of the home, including in the parlor and entrance. At the top of their ornate wooden stairway is a feather tree, much like those originally used in Germany; the branches are made from goose feathers. The master bedroom is an area where Bobbi detours from traditional hues to introduce a more modern color scheme. She chose blue and aqua tones indicative of the Art Nouveau time period, embellishing with balls and ribbons. The guest bedroom is home to a smaller tree that sits on a table draped in beads and angels.

Atop her elaborate mantels, Bobbi decorates using items with value. One of the more sentimental pieces she incorporates into her theme is a nativity that encapsulates Mary holding Christ. It is a resin statue she bought unfinished. She embellished it in a brownish antique color and then varnished it. Randy then built a manger for her, which they married to the crèche. Bobbi places it on the entrance hall’s mantel so when their guests come through the doorway, it is the first thing they see.

“It was a fun way to put it together,” Bobbi said. “We put it in a prominent place because that is what Christmas is about. I love doing the mantels.”

The Hursts take great enjoyment making sure all the rooms are festive for the holiday season even if there’s not a tree in that room. In the bathrooms, Bobbi uses bows, colored glass balls and glittery wreaths. Silk poinsettias, ivy, fruit, pinecones, magnolia leaves and different garlands are also seen throughout the home during Christmastime, along with antique glass balls she purchased locally. Bobbi buys the pieces individually and then puts them together to become a cohesive arrangement.

“I don’t buy very much,” Bobbi said. “I use my own ideas to put it together. We’ve collected things from when we first married. We’ve kept things we like.”

Bobbi’s art studio is home to one of their most whimsical and colorful spaces during the holidays. In the bright and sunny space, Bobbi embraces the creative aspects found in the room by garnishing the tree with angels, butterflies, snowmen and beads, along with whimsical hues of bright lime greens mixed with coral tones.

The couple’s beloved pets, a golden retriever and a cat, Jude and Jazzy, are even given special honor with decorations just for them under that tree and in the windows.

“[In the studio] things typical of the Christmas season are done in an unusual way,” Bobbi said. “I like that room. I don’t mind putting colors together that you wouldn’t ordinarily use together. I tackle the challenge.”

The Hursts have two grandchildren. In the room where their granddaughter Caroline sleeps when visiting, Bobbi decorates with special touches of pink and white décor, incorporating baby dolls.

For their grandson Christopher, Bobbi thoughtfully decorates his room in his favorite sports team colors and with cherished nutcrackers.

While Bobbi focuses on the inside, Randy spearheads all the outdoor decorating. He uses flood lights to highlight the Queen Anne house, but to keep with the authenticity of the period, he uses mostly garlands, wreaths and bows to decorate rather than electrical lights, since candles would have been the only light present during that age. He does detour from tradition slightly though by hanging individual lights on the porch garlands and wreaths.

“My husband is really helpful because he can make basic things that help a lot with decorating,” Bobbi said.

Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
To ensure that the next holiday season is as stress-free as possible, the Hursts incorporate a few key measures that make it easier for decorating the following year. One major advantage that allows them the luxury of ease for the next year’s holiday is their attic storage space. Having a large house, they are able to keep all their trees decorated by covering them with plastic sacks and placing them in the attic. Some trees are prelit, but mostly they use string lights that they keep hung on the trees.

“Decorating from scratch would take too long,” Bobbi said. “We try to do one room at a time.”

By wiring glass balls to branches and using twisty ties for other embellishments, ornaments are less likely to fall off. To prevent dust, all the decorations are either stored in plastic tubs or the Christmas trees are covered with plastic. The tubs are all stackable and labeled by room, making it easy to get everything distributed to the right place each year.

“Having the boxes labeled for the rooms is one of the best things I do,” Bobbi said.

Using the same ribbons each year and storing them on cardboard rolls keeps their vast array of bows preserved. However, Bobbi admits that her plush red bows often come out of the box a tad smushed, which she happens to appreciate. Modern bows that are perfectly symmetrical aren’t her taste. She prefers a more natural heir about them that she describes as “the Victorian look” and if they come out of the box a bit too pristine, she confesses to purposely smashing them up.

“I don’t like things to look too fixed,” Bobbi said. “I don’t want it to look like it was produced by a machine.”

By Heather Cravens
Photography by Tera Janelle Auch

While retail arteries like Timberlake and Wards roads pump economic lifeblood through the city, the heart of Lynchburg culture beats downtown.

An influx of young professionals—post-college aged (22-29) make up for 10 percent of the city’s population, as reported by The Roanoke Times, while births have outnumbered deaths by over 1,000 since 2010—is adding a fresh spike of vibrancy to the community, which was named one of the 25 best places to retire by Forbes in 2012.

Rather than quell one another, however, the older and younger crowds complement one another, creating a cultural melting pot.

“We are still working on developing our personality,” said Ashley Kershner, executive director of Lynch’s Landing. “And that’s OK. What was once viewed as a boring, conservative town is now a growing, quirky, friendly, lovely place.”

Though half of the current downtown residents are 18-34, older individuals and retirees are moving downtown at an increasing rate.

“Older Americans are more active and healthy than ever,” Kershner said.

Knowing how important downtown is to the cultural identity, and economic livelihood, of the community, Lynchburg is committed to investing in that scene.
“A healthy, successful and thriving downtown is essential to a successful city,” Kershner said.

Over the past 20 years, Lynchburg has invested well over $1 million in infrastructure, including Monument Terrace, Riverfront Park and the lower Bluffwalk.

“These public spaces provide essential gathering places and encourage people to spend time in shared space,” Kershner said.

This revitalization effort has gained traction in the past five years as new lofts and condos have drawn more residents, and, in turn, more businesses, downtown.

With the new Academy Center of Arts on the horizon, Kershner hopes to see more locally-owned businesses continue to occupy vacant spaces, and continue to shape the landscape, and personality, as Lynchburg grows.

“Locally-owned businesses are the heart of downtown and are the creators of our urban identity,” Kershner said.

“If our downtown was filled with (national chains) there would be nothing that made it special. But for those who visit downtown, we develop a true connection with these businesses and the experiences we have at them.

“There is a lot of love in these businesses, a lot of heart. And we feel a part of that.”

Restaurants play a crucial role in a successful downtown culture, attracting visitors, bringing people downtown and giving urbanites options on where to walk to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

As the revitalization boom continues, here is a look at some recent restaurant openings and what their owners hope to add to the growing Hill City culture.

Fifth & Federal Station
Here’s to our roots
An old Esso Station off the roundabout at 801 Fifth Street has been reconstructed and reimagined as a smokehouse and whiskey bar—Fifth & Federal Station.

Josh Read, a part-owner along with Travis Hundt, Ralph Beck, and Erich Lebeau, said that the project, which was set to open in early November, is intended to be a destination spot—one that celebrates the city’s heritage.

“We want to play into that Lynchburg culture, bring back some of that history and help to educate people about how important Lynchburg is to whiskey and to bourbon,” Read said, noting that pre-prohibition Lynchburg (which pre-dates its Tennessee counterpart) had seven distilleries.

The station’s rustic design includes several historic artifacts, including hand-blown glass bottles over a century old and an ABC license from 1875.

“It’s like a museum of sorts,” Read added, noting many antique items are incorporated into the décor, such as a giant airplane propeller turned ceiling fan. The bar, still bearing original blacksmith’s nails, was floated to town in the 1850s on bateaus. Also featured are some classic cars, including a 1975 Chevy Bel Air that was at one time serviced at the station.

The restaurant’s Southern fare, including burgers and barbeque smoked in-house—as well as smoked bacon and cheddar—is artful in its own sense, a balance of the daring sensibilities of the owners and the traditional craft of the acclaimed “Chef Rufus Rucker.”

And the selection of over 100 whiskeys and bourbons is sure to draw connoisseurs both local and beyond.

Fifth & Federal also has plenty of its own parking and a spacious green area for outdoor events.

Bootleggers
Kickin’ it on the Bluffwalk
Facing the Bluffwalk from behind Shay’s Unique Gifts at 13th and Commerce streets is the home of Bootleggers, which was set to kick into gear mid-November. It’s a burgers and beer joint with a robust bourbon selection.

The restaurant marks a partnership between two Lynchburg shakers—Steve Parry, owner of downtown hotspots like Waterstone, Shoemakers and El Jéfe Taqueria Garaje, and Mark Borel, a developer/builder who is a part owner of Neighbor’s Place in Wyndhurst, which, along with Cornerstone, he partnered to develop.

Borel said his business philosophy is collaborative rather than competitive. The idea behind Bootleggers was a restaurant that could complement the offerings already available downtown—giving patrons something different, another destination among several great options.

As a downtown dweller for 20 years, Borel loves seeing the downtown lifestyle getting a boost—and doing his part to encourage that with Bootleggers and a condominium project that sold out 21 units before even breaking ground. (He’s also currently building a new home in the same complex as the restaurant.)
“I am all about people having options,” he said. “With the revitalization there are more and more reasons to go downtown.”

In the future, Borel is hoping to see improvements to mass transit in the downtown area. Though there are spaces, many don’t seem to like looking for them. He thinks that parking lot shuttles could improve that. He is also co-charing a committee looking into making the river visible from the Bluffwalk (without compromising the integrity of its banks).

Emerald Stone Grille/Dublin 3 Coffeehouse
Flavor for downtown life
In November, Keith Sweeney and his wife Adrienne were expected to open the Emerald Stone Grille at 1001 Jefferson Street, as well as Dublin 3 Coffeehouse right next door.

The restaurant is a unique hybrid of modern American, Southern and European cuisine, helmed by a Manhattan French Culinary Institute-trained chef, Mick Markley. Emerald Stone includes a house-crafted fried chicken, with a special flair unlike anything else in town, in addition to steaks, shepherd’s pie (adding some Irish charm) and more.

With outside seating plus room for around 150 in the restaurant, and nearly 50 in the coffee shop, the location has plenty of room, which should draw guests from all over town.

But one of the unique advantages to the location is the nearly 60 lofts above it, with plenty more urban housing options popping up in the area lately.

Sweeney has noticed the boom in downtown living and wanted to elevate that lifestyle by adding some unique flavors to the urbanite’s diverse palates.
“We want to tap into what is going on down there … it is a great place (to live),” Sweeney said.

Dining elevates the social scene, offering gathering places—and there’s no better atmosphere to strengthen personal bonds than around great food (or coffee).

The Water Dog
All play and no work
Early in September, a new pub made a splash on Jefferson Street (1016 to be exact), tapping into the qualities that make Lynchburg unique while also adding something fresh and new to the scene.

“A water dog, a Labrador, when they are out there working, they literally don’t know the difference between work and play,” said owner Dave Henderson.

“We wanted to create an establishment that held that same philosophy.”

The craft beer scene is highly social, he added.

“You show up with a couple of your friends and by the time you leave you’ve made a bunch of new friends.”

A 36-line draught line fuels the taphouse, while a simple, fresh menu lends to the atmosphere.

There are plenty of chef-crafted items that are snackable and sharable, as well as burgers and other handhelds, shrimp tacos, seasonal salads, a kid’s menu and oysters, another unique draw to the spot.

For dessert, warm, house-made chocolate chip cookies are available.

Facing the splash park, The Water Dog seeks to help shape the new Lynchburg culture—vibrant, social and relaxed. The restaurant has a “garage” lounge with a massive projector screen, a ping-pong table, a chalkboard for guests to showcase artistic expression and a patio with couches and TVs.

“Downtown has got so much opportunity,” Henderson said, casting some of his vision for the future. “I’d love for the city to turn (Riverfront Park) from a passive park into an active park. We’d like them to build some sand volleyball courts, so we can really cultivate a fun atmosphere for young professionals to come and play.

“I know it has already been doing that, (but) it feels like downtown Lynchburg is on the cusp of becoming a true destination, one that puts its mark on the map. It really just feels like now is the right time.”

By Drew Menard

Title: Altavista High School student/Sketch Artist | Age: 17
Editor’s Note: Deon Calloway has autism and sometimes needs assistance communicating. His teacher and mentor, Jessica Ward, helped him answer the following questions. They were edited only to improve clarity and not take away from Deon’s voice.

You have a lot of talent for a young artist. When did you first realize that you were very good at drawing?
When I was a little boy, I knew I was a great artist.

Pencil sketches seem to be your niche. Why do you like those types of sketches?
I like to use pencil, because it makes me happy. Pencils are cool because [they make] shading, dark, light, and more.

How do you begin your sketches? Do you have a plan or do you just start drawing?
Most of time I look at the pictures. I use photos from my camera. I do assignments from my art teacher.

What types of things really inspire you to start sketching?
Amazing pictures of buildings or cars. I love buildings like Avoca in my town.
Tell me about a few of your favorite pieces you’ve created so far and why you are proud of them.

[My] favorite drawings are motorcycles. I [am] proud of it, and they are fantastic. I get to see Harleys in Lynchburg at Harley-Davidson too when I show my art there.

You’ve taken your masterpieces out to many different art shows. How does it feel to have people want to buy what you create?
The people want to buy my art, because it is amazing. I feel proud and happy when people want my art. I like to go to my bank account and make deposits. I have great Facebook fans too. I have 1300 likes. The likes make me happy. People tell me they love my art.

What kind of encouragement or feedback do you get from your fellow classmates?
My friends think my art is beautiful. My classmates are my fans too because they know I work hard [on] my art.

How have your teachers played a role in your talent through the years?
My teachers [have] seen me working hard They know I am great artist. Ms. Ward helps me talk to my fans and [takes me] to A.C. Moore and art shows and do the TV interviews. My old teacher Mrs. Gail helps me too.

What do you think people misunderstand about people with autism?
Autism means I need help sometime[s] but I can do it.

What kind of message do you want to send to the public about the disorder?
Autism means that some people think I am weird, but I am not weird—I am just Deon.

Are there any other types of art you want to learn?
Oh yes I do. I [learned] painting and pastels in my art class, and at Michael’s I go to classes, and I learn on YouTube.

What’s next for you in your journey?
My goal is to save more gold [Note: this is what Deon calls his money]. I like to make deposits and spend. I like to do more art shows and learn good talking to my fans. I am going to practice new types of art. Some will be big, and some will be small. I like it when people like my art; I do not like to erase and change my art. I only like to make it perfect to me.

Any closing thoughts?
Like my Facebook page. I like people send[ing] me pictures to draw for them.

How can readers get in touch with you?
My Facebook page is ArtByDeon and email ArtByDeon@gmail.com

Mulled Wine
Pictured Above. (Sans Soucy Vineyards)

Ingredients
1 bottle Sans Soucy Oak N’ Berry wine
1 quart apple cider
1 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. orange zest
2 tsp. butter (not margarine)
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Handful of cinnamon sticks

Directions
Mix first nine ingredients in a pot or slow cooker and simmer on low one to two hours. DO NOT BOIL. Serve in cups with a cinnamon stick. Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese
(Pairs well with ports, www.allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
1 pound thin-sliced bacon, cut in half
1 pound pitted dates
4 ounces blue cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice dates in half and stuff with blue cheese. Wrap a half-slice of bacon around each stuffed date. Secure with toothpick. Arrange dates on rack in baking dish. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, turning halfway, until bacon is crispy.

Whisky Mac
Ingredients
2 shots whisky or bourbon
1 shot ginger wine
Ice

Directions
Mix ingredients, stir, enjoy.

Behind-the-Scenes

It’s a rough life for the Lynchburg Living team who took part in the photo shoot for this issue’s Taste feature, pictured above. After the photos were finished, they got to enjoy the holidays a little sooner than usual by sharing all of the dishes. Flip to page 125 for the recipes!

The Water Dog

One of Lynchburg’s newest downtown restaurants got some attention on Instagram. Michelle Snyder snapped this photo of her oyster tacos at The Water Dog. Read more about the restaurant (and three others that are opening up) on page 51!

#LynchburgLiving
Be sure to include the hashtag #lynchburgliving on your posts and your photo may be featured!

When Cinemark Movies 10 left town in the fall of 2015, many were left wondering if they’d ever see a flick on the big screen again. The discount prices were a big draw for thrifty moviegoers—from large families to college students.

“I’ve got a family of five. We could go to the movies and pick something to watch and it wouldn’t kill us,” said Ralph Harrison, Jr.

Harrison, his brother and father joined together to open Venue Cinemas in the former Visulite Cinemas building in the Plaza shopping center.

The family has a background in the business. Harrison worked at Movies 10 in the 90s. His brother managed the theater until it closed last year.

“The biggest hurdle we had [with the Visulite building] was that all of the film projectors weren’t in great shape,” said Harrison.

They did a lot of research and invested in digital projectors. And as time goes on, their plan is to remodel the theaters one at a time, even the concession area.

Movie tickets cost $3/person, with discounts for college students and seniors as well as special deals certain times of the week.