Take everyday dishes up a notch this holiday season
Photos by Jenna McKenney

While very much beloved, those old faithful side dishes can often get the short end of the stick in terms of our creativity. As we prepare to gather around the table with friends or family this time of year, consider spicing up that stuffing or adding a little pizzazz to those mashed potatoes. On the following pages, The Virginian Hotel Catering Team shares four of their tasty favorites.

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Cranberry-Apple Cornbread Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 medium tart apples, cored and chopped
6 ounces dried cranberries
6 cups dry, unseasoned cornbread cubes
14.5 ounces chicken broth
8 ounces apple juice
1 teaspoon: parsley, rosemary, and thyme, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion. Cook until softened (~5 minutes). Add apple, cranberries, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.
2. Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Add the mixture, broth, and juice. Toss to combine.
3. Place mixture in a greased casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Remove foil, bake for 20 more minutes until heated through and lightly browned.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Topped with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

INGREDIENTS:
One 3 lb butternut squash
(or 4 cups peeled and diced)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil)
1-2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, freshly grated
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt to taste
2-3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 dash maple syrup
Heavy cream (to finish)
Pumpkin seeds (toasted)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice squash vertically and remove the seeds. Place the halves cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Rub the outside with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.
2. Allow squash to cool. Peel and dice into cubes.
3. In a large stockpot, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Sauté shallots 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add the nutmeg, salt, ginger, and cayenne. Cook for 1 more minute.
4. Add 2 cups of stock, brown sugar, maple syrup, and squash. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for ~10 minutes (until very tender).
5. Puree with a stick blender, traditional blender, or food processor. Add heavy cream to reach desired consistency. (Use the remaining stock to thin if necessary.)
6. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired.

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Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
5 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled
and cubed
1 lb butter
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint half and half
1/2 lb smoked gouda, shredded
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt, pepper, & garlic powder to taste

Directions:
1. Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil or steam until fork-tender.
2. In a separate pot, melt butter, add half and half and heavy cream. Mix in cayenne and paprika.
3. Mix in shredded cheese until melted and smooth.
4. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl. Pour in gouda mixture in small batches, mixing until absorbed.
5. Season with white pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. There should be a strong smoky and garlic flavor.

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Roasted & Stuffed Delicata Squash

INGREDIENTS:
6 small delicata squash
(~1lb each)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, diced
1 bunch of red kale (~1lb), trimmed and chopped
6 ounces whole-grain bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (~3 cups)
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, rough chop
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Cut one inch off of the top and bottom of the squash. Scrape out the seeds. Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper and stand upright on an oiled baking sheet.
2. In a large saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam add onions and sauté until softened and translucent (~6-8 minutes). Add kale and continue to cook, tossing until kale begins to wilt (~5 minutes). Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.
3. Toast bread cubes on a sheet pan until they begin to crisp (~7-9 minutes). Add to the bowl with the vegetable mixture, then add bleu cheese and cranberries. Mix until combined.
4. Put pecans over medium heat in a dry sauté pan. Heat and toast nuts until they become fragrant (~4-6 minutes). Add syrup and cook for 1 minute, scrape into the veggie mixture and stir to combine. Taste and season the mixture.
5. Lower oven to 400°F. Divide the mixture between the squash. Cut the remaining butter into 6 pieces and top each squash. Roast for ~45 minutes (until the skin of the squash is tender and easily pierced with a fork).
6. Slice stuffed squash into one-inch rings to serve.
7. Sprinkle with parsley.

Mosaic Artist

Lynchburg Living Editor Shelley Basinger: Dotti, there are very few people teaching and specializing in mosaics. How did you develop an interest for it?
Dotti Stone: Back in the late ’70s and early ’80s,
I started doing some stained glass commission work while having a career doing portraits, weddings, and corporate photography in Northern Virginia and D.C. until 2005. In the early 2000s, when I went to visit a cousin in Rochester, we went to an art show and I saw some mosaics there. I thought, “This is kind of interesting,” so I started taking some classes.

SB: What intrigued you the most about mosaics?
DS: The history of it goes back so far, thousands of years, and it’s such a solid, durable artform. There are a lot of excavations going on in parts of the world, and they uncover these magnificent floors. That’s what I love about mosaics. You can make things that go on the wall, sculptural works, or, in some cases, you can walk on them. It became a passion of mine to get this out to people, to appreciate the history and enjoy it as an art form.

SB: You are able to do that through your mosaics classes at Bower Center for the Arts in Bedford.
DS: Yes, I teach beginner kids all of the way up to more experienced adults. A lot of people enjoy just taking a pot and putting a lot of different colors on it. But in all of my classes, I try to get more into the art form of it. Even with kids, they like to play with things, but they like to see something that takes on some shape.

SB: What is one of your favorite pieces you’ve created so far?
DS: “Breaking Down the Barriers to Cultural Diversity” is one of my favorites (see photo at top). It was a part of the Immigration exhibit the Bower Center hosted last year. When we did that exhibit, we had no idea what kind of response we would get. But it was very well received.

SB: And coordinating exhibits like that one is another role you play at the Bower Center?
DS: I’ve been associated with the Center since 2009 or a little before. I started teaching a class at that point. Then, somewhere along the way I became the exhibits manager. There is an exhibit committee, and we plan what exhibits we are going to have. Several years ago, Bower Center began reaching out to artists in other states to participate in one or two annual national juried exhibits, in order to diversify the artwork the community can enjoy in addition to following their favorite local and regional artists.

SB: What are you working on now?
DS: I’ve been working on a mandolin that I’ve had for ages. I mosaicked a travel guitar and a violin. At one point, I wanted to do a cello, until I realized how many square feet I would be working with!

SB: That would be a LOT of work! How do you plan out your mosaics?
DS: I usually start with a few sketches, but when I want to be able to move or resize one or more components without constantly redrawing, using a computer facilitates these design changes, experimenting with color, plus enlarging to the final size to make a “cartoon,” which is mosaic vocabulary for the pattern.

SB: Seems like patience is important if you are interested in mosaics.
DS: It does take a long time to complete a piece, and you do have to have patience. The time doesn’t matter if it’s really something you are just drawn to and, as warn I my students, it’s very easy to get hooked on mosaics.

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Get in Touch d.stone@bowercenter.org

In 2020, 2002’s miracle drug is not only used for wrinkles… (and people aren’t afraid to admit getting it!)

Smart phones. Electric cars. Botox. Twenty years ago (remember Y2k?) none of these items were exactly mainstream yet.

Out of them, only one hasn’t really changed much since its inception—and that’s Botox, an injectable, skin-improving drug that can only be administered by a licensed medical professional. What has changed since Botox debuted in 2002 is its range of uses as well as the stigma it carries.

For those unfamiliar with the lingo, Botox differs from filler, which is also used to improve the look of the skin. Botox freezes the muscle to reduce the look of wrinkles, while filler does what its name implies, fills out wrinkles and creates smoother skin.

When it comes to Botox, most patients are looking to erase wrinkles, but according to Craig Petry, M.D., owner of Wyndhurst Medical Aesthetics, it only temporarily binds the neuromuscular junction so the nerve cannot cause a contraction of the muscle. Botox generally lasts about four months and wears off as the muscle regains its function. Dermal filler can last between six months and two years.

Dr. Petry says one of the most important things to consider when it comes to injectables is that experience matters. “Any medical professional with a license can order Botox and, because of such, we often have to correct errors in injection,” he explains. Dr. Petry also has a master’s level training in Botox and fillers. “Be sure that your injector knows facial anatomy and has experience with thousands and thousands of patients because every patient is different and needs Botox in slightly different areas and amounts. A skilled injector is worth the price.”

With all the hype surrounding Botox and dermal filler, Dr. Petry is pleased to see training improve for injectors. Instead of just correcting a fine line, there is now more of an emphasis on fixing the underlying problem. “We see more of filling the cheeks to work against gravity and atrophy whereas before injectors would see lines around the mouth and think, ‘let’s just fill these lines.’ But now training emphasizes that the injectors work up and out with cheeks and then down and in,” he explained.

Fillers can be used in the lips, and small amounts of Botox can correct a lip flip or “gummy smile,” Dr. Petry says, adding that he has also used Botox to correct some minor facial asymmetries such as one brow being higher than the other.

Botox is not just cosmetic but could be therapeutic in some cases. Some people who suffer from chronic migraines are turning to Botox for relief. Botox is injected around pain fibers that are involved in headaches; it blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission. According to the American Migraine Foundation, Botox is only FDA-approved for those with chronic migraines (more than 15 per month).

Botox also could be an option to consider for excessive sweating. In the face, the drug cuts down on the output of the sebaceous gland so people are less oily and sweaty. It is used in the hands and armpits to reduce sweating from a condition called hyperhidrosis.

According to a review in the June issue of Current Sports Medicine Reports, there also is growing evidence that Botox can be an effective treatment for certain sports injuries and chronic pain conditions.

In terms of cosmetic Botox, Dr. Petry says the risks are minimal, but bleeding and bruising are the most common side effects. “In all the years and hundreds of thousands of units of Botox that I’ve injected, I’ve never seen an allergic reaction, infection or any adverse events,” he said. “It is probably one of the safest cosmetic procedures ever invented.”

Another major change in the Botox world—the drug isn’t nearly as taboo as it once was. While the industry is still dominated by women, more and more men are interested in the benefits of Botox. According to the 2018 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, about half a million men try Botox every year.

Botox Parties are the latest trend. Wyndhurst Medical Aesthetics offers discounted group rates for 8-10 people in their office, meaning you would not be keeping your Botox injection a secret but instead sharing the experience with a few friends. Lynchburg native and life purpose coach Kessley McCormick says when she was beginning her own research on injectables, not many people were talking about it.

Once she began to receive Botox from Dr. Petry, McCormick says she talked about her experience with anyone who was interested, describing the process as liberating and a major confidence boost. “This wasn’t just about vanity,” she said. “This was about doing something for myself no matter what anyone else thought.”

Financial investments, in-kind donations, mentoring programs—there are numerous ways that local businesses contribute to the overall betterment of the greater Lynchburg region.
To complement our Giving Back Awards, the Lynchburg Living Community Impact Appreciation feature is a way to give local businesses a pat on the back as well. This year, we selected eight businesses to recognize for their outstanding efforts behind the scenes.

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Apocalypse Ale Works

How does your business impact the community?
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March, the service industry was abruptly decimated. Not only did that affect our own livelihood, but it also affected all of our friends within the restaurant and service industries as well. We quickly partnered with Sysco for a food drive for all furloughed workers. We have continued collecting non-perishable foods to help support our community. Additionally, we have been working closely with local officials on improving infrastructure and have already committed another $24,000 on a project that will help dozens of local businesses in our area. Finally, this November will be our Apocalypse Helps Give Back Month, where we will partner with a different local charity every Saturday and help raise money, food, and clothing for our local neighbors.

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes? 
Our goal is to help move our community forward. Big box stores provide jobs and goods to our community, but we strive to be more than that. Whether it’s providing food, hosting fundraisers for families in need, or helping our local infrastructure grow, a rising tide floats all ships.

Founded: 2012
Located: 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest
Number of Employees: 9

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Beacon Credit Union

How does your business impact the community?
Beacon Credit Union understands the importance of giving back to the community. We have sponsored events and campaigns that have raised awareness and more than $57,000 for our nonprofit organizations. In addition, we understand that our employees want to serve in the community as well, so we award PTO hours to our employees who volunteer at approved charities. Beacon also believes in the investment of children and their futures. Each year, we award six scholarships, $12,000 total, to students in our community to assist them in their educational journey.

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes? 
Ultimately, it is our responsibility as human beings to care for one another. It’s an honor to be part of this community, and we want to pay it forward. We believe that a charitable focus is imperative to any business organization and that it brings both the community and employees together for a common goal.

Founded: 1939
Located: Branches in Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Bedford, Danville, Buena Vista
Number of Employees: 80

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Brownstone Properties, Inc.

How does your business impact the community?
Since our company’s beginning, we have supported programs and events focused on children and education. This past year, we sponsored the Bedford Hills Elementary School Carnival and Linkhorne Middle School Color Run. These events helped raise funds to support the PTO at each school and also provide assistance to teachers for programming needs. We also were the title sponsor of The Optimist Club of Lynchburg Oratorical Contest. This contest was created to encourage middle and high school students to participate in public speaking as part of a global competition through Optimist International.

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes? 
Our company set a goal to support local causes very early. Over the years, as our owners got involved with their own children’s schools, education became a recurring cause. Through personal involvement it was impossible to ignore both the financial need and the need to encourage and engage these young people to be their best. In addition, we have supported various athletic, band, and theatrical programs of local schools because we also recognize the importance of extracurricular activities in the development of our youth.

Founded: 1998
Located: 3720 Old Forest Road, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 18

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CloudFit Software

How does your business impact the community?
CloudFit exists to generate funding for nonprofits including KidFit and JobFit. KidFit provides mentoring and opportunities via athletics for all youth whether they can pay or not. KidFit trains youth in Lynchburg in speed, strength and agility as well as enables athletic camp and travel ball opportunities for youth. JobFit enables students and career changers to get real training and real experience, including paid internships, to lower the barrier to entry for great IT careers. CloudFit employees get to volunteer a number of hours per year as PTO for CloudFit.

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes?
CloudFit was literally founded to enable KidFit and other charities—the company bylaws require that CloudFit support KidFit and other charities. CloudFit’s founders believe that their mission on earth is to change the industry through CloudFit, but more importantly to use CloudFit to generate revenue that will help change lives through KidFit, JobFit and beyond. CloudFit is headquartered in Lynchburg because of a desire to help the Lynchburg region by providing hope and game-changing job opportunities for the wonderful people in this region.

Founded: 2018
Located: 300 Lucado Place, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 140

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I Scream You Scream

How does your business impact the community?
This has been a difficult year for all, but we did not want our local nonprofit groups to suffer or be unable to continue their great causes, so we continued our Community Give Back program. Our program started in 2016 with the goal to help local nonprofits, organizations, and individuals in need. This year we have donated a percentage of sales to local schools, church groups, humane societies, sports organizations for individuals with disabilities, a local fire department and other organizations.

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes? 
We believe we all have the privilege and responsibility to use our talents and gifts to help others. Reflecting on our business, we feel we had a platform and opportunity to help and connect people, businesses, and organizations by giving financially, using our large social media following to advertise the efforts of local nonprofits, and provide a place for these groups to connect with the families of our community. Communities are stronger when people are united and working together for the betterment of all. Loving people is what it is all about.

Founded: 2012
Located: 13955 Wards Rd. Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 17

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Jersey Mike’s Subs

How does your business impact the community?
• Month of Giving Fundraiser, raised $7,087.89 for The Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lynchburg
• Three times per year, Meals on Wheels Fundraiser generates $12,000+ in donations
• COVID Donations
• Donated 850 subs to feed both hospitals
• Donated 150 subs to feed the Lynchburg Police Department
• Donated $6,176.03 to local schools through Spirit Fundraiser Nights
• Donated 1,100 Free Sub Coupons to local teachers
• Donated $3,576 to local organizations through our BOGO Fundraiser Coupons
• Donated 115 lunches to the Boys and Girls Club Golf Tournament

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes? 
Jersey Mike’s Subs as a company has a long-standing tradition of giving back and supporting the community that supports us. Our mission is Giving… Making a difference in someone’s life. We believe that making a great sub sandwich and making a difference can be one in the same. It gives us great pride to know that we have been able to make such an impact on the Lynchburg community since opening our first store in 2008.

Founded: 2008
Located: 3919 Wards Road, Lynchburg; 3901 Old Forest Road, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 40-45

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Sentry Equipment & Erectors, Inc.

How does your business impact the community?
Sentry makes a community impact through working with the youth of Lynchburg. Our engineers and shop team have welcomed many students into our facility to demonstrate first-hand how our equipment is designed and assembled. Last fall, Sentry hosted Ross Learning Academy’s STEM program students, during which our team gave students thought-provoking, hands-on exercises and a tour of the facility. Additionally, our engineers often visit Lynchburg City Schools to explain how our Electrical Engineering group brings our systems to life.

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes? 
Sentry’s passion is to ignite the young minds of Lynchburg. We love our community and hope to help the next generation get excited about their education in a hands-on environment. Here at Sentry, our team takes great pride in the work that they do, and to share that with the youth of Lynchburg is an honor.

Founded: 1980
Located: 13150 E Lynchburg Salem Turnpike, Forest
Number of Employees: 221

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The Water Dog

How does your business impact the community?
Since opening our doors in Downtown Lynchburg, we have made it a priority to give back to the organizations around us, including the Downtown Lynchburg Association, Riverviews Artspace, Lynchburg Humane Society, Miller Home for Girls and many others. We also enjoy bringing our community together through a variety of events such as Pints After Pedals, Oktoberfest, and TWD Runner’s Club. In 2019, we reinvested in Downtown Lynchburg by purchasing The Glass House and have made an economic impact with that venue by donating a portion of our proceeds from the events we hold.

Why does your business choose to focus on these causes?
At face value, what we try to do is pretty simple: bring together great craft brews and tasty food with an awesome environment and some pretty rad people. But on a deeper level, we are passionate about connecting with the people and organizations around us that call Downtown Lynchburg home.

Founded: 2016
Located: 1016 Jefferson Street, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 50

How the 1960 Sit-in Was a Catalyst for Civil Rights in Lynchburg

Sixty years ago, six college students sat down together for a cup of coffee at the lunch counter at Patterson’s Drug Store in downtown Lynchburg. But because two of those students were Black, all six were arrested and charged with trespassing.

Their Dec. 14, 1960 arrest and subsequent conviction, which included a sentence of 30 days in jail, sparked a number of other sit-ins, forcing residents to grapple with the ugly inequality in their segregated city.

“Oh my God, that was a wonderful day,” recalls the Rev. Virgil Wood, then pastor at Diamond Hill Baptist Church who helped plan the sit-in. “I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s indelibly imprinted in your spirit.”

Now 88 and a resident of a Houston suburb, Wood said the sit-in “was an originating moment in some ways” and was significant because of the institutions involved.

Barbara Thomas, 21, and Kenneth Green, 28, were students at the all-Black Virginia Theological Seminary, while Mary Edith Bentley, 20, and Rebecca Owen, 20, were students at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. James E. Hunter, 19, and George Terrill Brumback, 20, were students at Lynchburg College.

“It was just an obvious moral issue; (segregation) was wrong,” said Hunter, the only one of the six interviewed for this story. Two have died, one is ill, one can’t be found, and the other declined an interview.

Hunter, who will turn 80 in December, has not talked about the sit-in much over the years, but summed up the action this way: “Two things I would emphasize are that nonviolence can work, and things can change.”

Hunter, who had a career in social work and lives in Maine, acknowledges that racism remains a problem, but says things have improved vastly. He had seen signs of segregation, including separate drinking fountains, as a child. “You saw that kind of thing all over the place,” said Hunter, who grew up in Indianapolis. “It irked you.”

The decision to become involved in civil rights was a no-brainer for Hunter. He said a group of students had been meeting at Diamond Hill for a few weeks and realized they needed to take action. They chose Patterson’s Drug Store because of its prominence on Main Street and hoped to convince drug store owner William S. Patterson to get on the right side of history.

Instead, Patterson called the police and had the students arrested for trespassing. A patrol wagon took the students to jail. Hunter said a Black businessman posted his bail that evening.

Rebecca Owen called her good friend Alice Hilseweck (now Ball), who got word to R-MWC President William Quillian. Quillian arranged for bail for his students.

The very next day, Ball participated in a sit-in at Peoples Drug Store. “We didn’t want to go home for Christmas vacation and leave (the people of) Lynchburg thinking there were just six bad guys in the town,” Ball, now 81, said in a phone interview from her home in Atlanta.

Ball joined four other R-MWC students and Miriam Thomas Gaines, a Black student from Campbell County High School, at Peoples. Miriam’s sister, Barbara Thomas, had been arrested the day before.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it,” Ball said. “This is an issue now and has never not been an issue.” Her book club in Atlanta is reading The Race Beat, about how the media covered racial issues from 1958 to 1960, which makes her realize “the things that I as a white woman don’t have to wake up thinking about.

“I believe some of the material that’s being written now is beginning to get white people to wake up,” Ball said, adding she is hopeful because white Episcopal parishes in her area are talking about white privilege.

Ball’s life reflected her early beliefs. Her work to help battered women, foster children, and young girls earned her national recognition. She has also worked as a mediator and trainer for an alternative dispute resolution center in Atlanta.

For Miriam Gaines, now 77 and a resident of Forest, her decision to join the Peoples sit-in was prompted by the racism she experienced as a child. Until very recently, she has been reluctant to talk about it. When she was asked to tell children about the sit-in at Pleasant Valley Church earlier this year, however, she couldn’t resist. She shared the notes from her talk.

Gaines said her father worked three jobs to support his nine children. He owned a store and a barbershop and was a porter carrying mail and packages at a railroad station. Her mother stayed at home and periodically did day jobs cleaning the homes of whites.

“One of the things that bothered me was how the white men, women, and children would call my mother, Sallie… even though she was much older than they were,” Gaines said.
Her mother had to use the back door to those white houses. On vacations with her family, Gaines learned that Blacks couldn’t stay in hotels or motels, eat at restaurants, or use restrooms that were for whites only, much less attend the same schools or live in the same neighborhoods.

Photo courtesy of News and Advance“We had a white school one block from our house,” she said. “We had to pass that school and attend a Black school about 10 blocks away. We used to walk to school. As we passed the white school I can remember being teased and being called the “N”-word as we walked by… .

“Finally, unrest developed in the Black community and we felt that we had enough living as secondhand citizens,” she said. When the movement came to Lynchburg, Gaines was 18. She tagged along with her sister Barbara.

Barbara, who died in 2004, was one of those arrested at Patterson’s Drug Store, but Gaines joined the next day’s Peoples sit-in without hesitation. “The four white girls ordered Cokes; I was ignored. When the drinks came, one of the girls slid her drink to me. I sipped it. Immediately, the manager told us to get out. He said this is the end, good-bye, and showed us the door.”

Alice Ball was the one who slid her drink to Gaines. She grew up in Texas with parents who were part Choctaw and taught her to treat all people fairly. “It was the air to breathe and the water to drink at my house,” she said.

In Lynchburg, the attempts at integration were resisted forcefully by many whites, including one woman who lived on Rivermont Avenue. She invited the R-MWC students to tea to try to coax them to reveal who at the college put them up to participating in the sit-ins, Ball said. The students let her know it was all their doing.

The day after the Patterson sit-in, the two R-MWC students were brought before the Judiciary Committee where they learned they would not be expelled, but received “stern” disapproval from the College administration for breaking the law, according to a story in the fall 2010 Randolph College Bulletin. They had to promise not to be involved in more protests.

The College lost several large financial supporters and three R-MWC trustees resigned publicly after Dr. Quillian refused to let the Board handle the decision. “It was a difficult time,” he said in the 2010 Bulletin article. “The lines were pretty well drawn in our community. I was devoted to all of our students, and I was torn as to how best to deal with a situation like this. I respected them and I shared their concerns, but I wasn’t sure this was the best way under the circumstances to try and bring change when others were trying to bring change in a different way.”

When the students returned to campus in January 1961, they faced a packed court hearing where they were found guilty and received the maximum sentence, 30 days in jail. They appealed the verdict, but later decided to drop the appeal, and on Feb. 6, people were shocked as the six students were led away in handcuffs.

Jim Hunter joked that they got out after 20 days for good behavior but weren’t sure what that meant. Unlike the R-MWC students who said they read and studied, Hunter said he and Terrill Brumback mostly played poker with their cellmates.

While in jail, Hunter, who smoked, had been sent cartons of cigarettes as a way to show appreciation for his participation in the sit-in. Cigarettes were the currency of poker. “I wasn’t a great player so that made me a popular player,” he said.

Hunter added, however, that he did manage to read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, while behind bars.

Ball said the students’ jail time served its purpose. “They decided Lynchburg would never confront what was going on unless their own college students were in jail,” she said.

About the same time as the sit-ins, a group of Blacks were preparing to start the court case that would desegregate E.C. Glass High School. Owen Cardwell, who became one of the first two Black students to attend the school on Dec. 29, 1962, said he has thought a lot about the events that got his attention as an eighth-grader in 1960.

“The key thing that stands out for me was there was a two-fold strategy: public accommodation and public education,” Cardwell said.

Caldwell believes the sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina from February to July 1960—which were a pivotal part of the national civil rights movement—brought greater awareness to the Blacks in Lynchburg. “In a real sense, the Patterson sit-in launched the Civil Rights Movement here in Lynchburg,” he said.

PHOTO BY National D-Day Memorial Foundation/Ryan Anderson

A bird’s-eye view of the National D-Day Memorial shows just how breathtaking the grounds are at the base of the Peaks of Otter. The Memorial officially opened on June 6, 2001, and stands in honor of those who died on June 6, 1944 in the Allied invasion of Normandy, France.

Most of the Memorial’s events in November and December will be virtual this year, with the exception of the Flames of Memory luminarias display December 4-6.

For a full calendar of events and other information, visit www.dday.org/events.

ETC Shop: DONATING PROFITS TO THE COMMUNITY FOR HALF A CENTURY

Run by a volunteer committee and a tiny staff of part-time employees, the ETC Shop, a cozy philanthropic consignment shop on Old Forest Road, is celebrating 50 years of operation.

Members of the Lynchburg Junior Woman’s Club (LJWC) opened the ETC Shop in August 1970 with a goal of donating all profits back to the community. 81-year-old Becky Spetz, a member of the founding committee, remembers the vision they had. “We needed a way to fund the important projects we wanted to do in the community,” says Becky. “In particular, we were trying to fund a petting zoo in Miller Park… . We operated the zoo for awhile, but it was the ETC Shop that really stuck.”

Originally, E-T-C stood for Everyone’s Thrifty Cottage, but now folks refer to the thrift store as The “Etcetera” Shop. Prior to opening, Becky and a committee of women from the LJWC visited an established shop in Pittsburgh and modeled the ETC Shop after that business. Amazingly, the Lynchburg store is still open while the one in Pittsburgh closed long ago.

The original location of the shop was on Boonsboro Road in the Kroger shopping center. “We have four generations of families coming into the shop,” says Susan Spetz Kidd, Becky’s daughter and shop employee for more than 20 years. Susan, like her mother, was also a member of the club for a number of years. “We had a woman who came into the shop several months ago who remembers her mother buying the dress she wore to her wedding—47 years ago—at the ETC Shop. She also bought a little boy’s navy suit and told her at the time whichever brother fits the suit would be the one to wear it.”

All sorts of clothing and household items find their way into the shop. “We even had someone sell a worm farm kit through us,” says Anne Gerhardt, ETC Shop employee and past member of the LJWC. “And, wouldn’t you know, the person who bought it still comes in and lets us know what a success that worm farm was.”

The highest priced item sold by the ETC Shop was a beaver coat for just under $1,000. “People don’t wear fur coats anymore,” says Susan, “but what a find for someone years ago! A few years back, we also received what turned out to be someone’s diamond engagement ring, but, when we realized it was a valuable diamond and probably sentimental as well, we returned it to its rightful owner.”

The ETC Shop accepts 20 items per week/per consignee and prefers them to be less than three years old, in good condition, and seasonal. The consignee and the shop split the sale of the item 50/50. After eight weeks, consignees can retrieve their items or donate them to the shop.

“Over the last 50 years, the LJWC has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars—all profits from the ETC Shop—to Lynchburg and surrounding counties through a wide variety of groups,” explains Marilyn Norfield, treasurer of the thrift store and past member of the LJWC.

The LJWC has funded projects for Centra Health, the Lynchburg Humane Society, Girls on the Run, Miriam’s House, Miller Home, Boys and Girls Club, and many more. One of the largest funded gifts was toward the purchase of the first neonatal van in Lynchburg in the 1970s. Also, for decades, the LJWC has funded the Sterling Silver Award—each Lynchburg City Schools library receives a monetary award and the staff receives recognition.

“It’s amazing what we can fund from the profits of a $3 pair of shorts,” laughs Susan.

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The ETC Shop is located at 2912 Old Forest Rd. #B, Lynchburg and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Have you ever experienced a major gift-giving fail? I have—and it was just last Christmas.

My daughter asked for a play kitchen, and Santa shipped it to our house the first week of December so that we could assemble it (wink wink). Instead of actually opening the cardboard box and inspecting its contents, we did what most normal, busy parents do—we pushed it to the side, of course.

You can tell where this story is headed.

Once the kids were asleep on Christmas Eve, we rolled up our sleeves, finally opened that box, and found a heavily damaged kitchen in such disrepair we couldn’t even assemble it. Thankfully, my daughter was young enough that she believed our story about Santa accidentally leaving the kitchen in his sleigh and how he was going to have the mailman drop it off in a few days. Crisis averted, but I had learned my lesson.

This year, I started doing my shopping very early—September to be exact—as I started looking around town for local items to include in this year’s Holiday Gift Guide. While we couldn’t feature everyone, we did our best to highlight a range of gift options from stores across Central Virginia. As we all know, it’s been a tough year for the retail industry, and local stores need you to shop small now, more than ever. I hope as you flip through this year’s guide, starting on page 75, that you either see something you have to buy or, at the very least, are simply inspired to visit one of our area’s numerous locally owned stores.

Also inspiring in this issue, our annual Giving Back and Community Impact Awards. The needs in the region are even more pronounced in 2020, but local nonprofits and businesses haven’t missed a beat in filling the gaps. We chose 15 outstanding nonprofits and eight community-focused businesses to feature in this year’s respective features. As you make a budget for your Christmas shopping, consider carving out a donation for a cause that speaks to you or even giving the gift of your time.

Even though it feels like 2020 has been the longest year ever, I personally don’t want the next two months to fly by. Here’s to being present this holiday season—and remembering to check your presents too.

Cheers,

Shelley Basinger, Managing Editor
Shelley@lynchburgmag.com

It’s Easier Than It Seems

Somewhere in my house, my scale is shoved in a box, hidden away from the rest of the world. And as the holiday season looms closer and closer, it’s not coming back any time soon.

If you’re like me, then COVID-19 has not been great for your fitness routine. At the beginning of 2020, I found myself in the gym at least three times a week, hammering out long workouts. Now the only thing I use my workout clothes for is napping.

It hasn’t made me too confident heading into Thanksgiving and Christmas. If I’m struggling to be active now, then how will I ever stay active during the busiest time of year? Especially when I know my jeans are looking pretty tight (and not in a good way).

But according to Lauren Morris, owner and personal trainer at New London Athletics, even the smallest of habits can help jump start a return to the fitness world.

“Exercise looks different for everyone,” Morris said. “But being active even 10 to 15 minutes a day can make a difference. Sometimes, that looks like taking the dog for a walk or parking further away from the entrance of the store. Getting 10,000 steps in a day is a good place to begin.”

High-tech accessories like an Apple Watch or a FitBit can encourage getting those extra steps in and are a great way to keep track of your movement. According to Morris, the true key is being more active more days than none. “[The pandemic] easily changed things for a lot of us, so you’re not alone,” she said. “You can start slow and ease your way back into being active.”

Thanks to my Apple Watch, implementing small habits during the week has been helpful. I added the step counter to my phone to make sure I’m hitting those 10,000 steps each day, even when I don’t close my activity rings.

But what about my ultimate weakness? Holiday sweets. Usually during Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can find cookies and pies stuffed into our fridge.

Morris said good nutrition is all about balance, especially when it comes to food-centered events during the holidays.

“Everything in moderation,” Morris said. “The average person can gain five to seven pounds during the holiday season. But you still want to be able to enjoy yourself and you should. It doesn’t mean that you need to avoid foods you love.”

Switching out a mixed drink or a soda for a sparkling water can be a great way to save calories for the things that matter, Morris said. You can also avoid the extra calories by swapping some ingredients for healthier alternatives, such as apple sauce as a butter substitute, coconut milk instead of heavy cream, or wheat flour versus white flour.

“And don’t keep those extra treats on the counter,” she adds. “Throw them away after a few days or send them home with someone if you need to.”

For those who do want to get back into working out before New Year’s Resolutions hit but are nervous to go back into a gym mid-pandemic (like me), Morris said there are plenty of resources out there.

“Start by looking at beginner workouts on Pinterest or look into virtual classes or training at a boutique gym in town,” she said. “For a smaller gym like ours, our clients have plenty of space to work out, but we’ve also been holding outdoor classes or meeting with clients online.”

Also, Morris says remember to build in some rest time between workout days.

“Your body needs time recover and to rebuild,” she said. And though social media can be a great place to find workouts or follow fitness influencers, remember that everything isn’t always what it seems.

“Trainers have busy lives too,” she said. “I love working out, but I don’t have time to always work out four or five times a week. Sometimes, I record my workouts all on the weekend and switch out outfits. Don’t be discouraged by what you see.” That’s always the kicker, but after talking with Morris, the holiday season in a COVID-19 world doesn’t seem too overwhelming.

(Just as long as I can get a sugar cookie or two in there.)