Home of the Virginia Slice

Tucked into a cozy block on Main Street, Benny Scarpetta’s is just one of many (more than ten!) for pie shop owners Zach Toth and Chris Brown. With locations in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, I was curious what made them bring their gooey, piping hot, HUGE slices of pizza to our town for their next venture.

Chris and Zach live in Blacksburg and Moneta respectively but really love the history and character of Downtown Lynchburg. Already fans of the “pizza by the slice” shops they had seen in New York City, the guys wanted to bring this concept to Southwest Virginia. But it seems we have another person to thank for getting these gigantic slices to Lynchburg. Chris and Zach received a letter from a boy by the name of Cooper Cook asking them to open a shop here, and they just couldn’t refuse!

The guys tell me, “We really enjoy the excitement surrounding historic downtowns and in terms of landscape, Downtown Lynchburg is our favorite in Virginia. The old Famous building on Main Street presented a perfect location for us where it housed a business that had been part of Lynchburg for almost 100 years.” They also say they have received more support from Lynchburg locals than anywhere else and are so excited to be a part of our downtown.

The menu and concept at Benny’s is simple. No frills, fresh ingredients, delicious pizza, cold drinks. One of the most popular local pies is Buffalo Chicken, but the Classic Pepperoni “trumps all.” The least popular pie was the Hotdog Slice so don’t anticipate seeing that one again. For now, there is no delivery option.

Chris and Zach like the face-to-face interaction and prefer that the phones aren’t ringing constantly.

Bring your kids, bring your friends or pull up a bar stool solo…just get to Benny’s ASAP. The owners are awesome, and the pizza is the best I’ve had in awhile (ever?). Welcome guys—and thanks Cooper Cook for getting them to town!

By Rachel Dalton

I don’t remember my first day of school very clearly. But from what my mom told me, I didn’t even look back after she dropped me off in my kindergarten classroom.

I was still 4 years old, one of those kids with a September birthday right near the cutoff deadline. But I was READY. Ready to play on that playground in front of the school, break out my Care Bears lunchbox for the world to see, learn Spanish from the zany Mrs. Cass I had heard about from my older brother.

That feeling in 1989 carried over year after year. The excitement waned a bit, of course. But I always felt this little tug of excited anticipation the night before “The First Day of School.”

I believe there is something refreshing about this time of the year—a combination of the beginning of school and the start of my favorite season, fall. Everything feels new. New school supplies, new friends, new teachers. A new, fresh slate for everyone to (hopefully) start out on the right foot.

Then a few weeks into the school routine, new crisp weather that snaps us out of our summer stupor, and new, beautiful scenery as the leaves begin to change and the Blue Ridge Mountains turn shades of gold, orange and red.

In this “Back to School Issue” of Lynchburg Living, we aim to capture that feeling of rebirth in a special section. Quite literally, this is a brand new start for Heritage High School students, teachers and staff as they begin the year in a brand new building. We took a special tour to see the coolest parts of the facility on page 60. Also, parents and students are celebrating a new addition at Linkhorne Elementary School. On page 70, we tell you the story behind their new playground and how the community came together to make it a reality.

Then on pages 73-78, adjust your “Back to School” attitude in a special feature. Counselors and school officials offer their advice on navigating some of the biggest problems students of all ages face. We’re also diving into an issue that’s on a lot of parents’ minds in this 21st Century—their children and those gadgets. Flip to page 81 as we try to answer the question—how much is too much time on a smartphone, tablet or laptop? And how do schools try to balance this out in the classroom?

On a side note, by the time this issue comes out, I will be adjusting to life at home with a newborn. Many thanks to former editor Jennifer Redmond for stepping in as I take a few weeks off.

I don’t even want to think about my daughter starting school.

But once we get to that milestone, I hope she is as excited as I was—so excited and confident, in fact, that she doesn’t even think to look back at me, her tearful mom.

Shelley Basinger, Managing Editor
Shelley@lynchburgmag.com

“The Dog Days of Summer” at Mister Goodies

A man and his dog, both riding a moped, made a pit stop for some ice cream at Mister Goodies on Timberlake Road.

Her pink glasses aren’t just for giggles.

In fact, a brand of dog sunglasses, known as “Doggles,” are a popular safety product for our furry friends, protecting their eyes from wind, sun or debris.

Photo by Jim Pile for Lynchburg Living

At Anne Spencer Garden

“A lover muses
Flame-flower, Day-torch, Mauna Loa,
I saw a daring bee, today, pause, and soar,
Into your flaming heart;
Then did I hear crisp crinkled laughter
As the furies after tore him apart?
A bird, next, small and humming,
Looked into your startled depths and fled….
Surely, some dread sight, and dafter
Than human eyes as mine can see,
Set the stricken air waves drumming
In his flight.”
—Excerpt from “Lines to a Nasturtium”

Words By Anne Spencer
Photo by Jim Pile for Lynchburg Living