Wooden Camera Sculptures and Photography Photos by Lucas Moore
Lynchburg Living Editor Shelley Basinger: John, where can you trace your love for photography and cameras back to? John Shuptrine: It started when I was a teenager and continued through college. I grew up on film and at a time when it took longer to learn the craft of photography because you didn’t have that instant feedback. I started to get serious about photography about 25 years ago. Most of my photography is black and white.
SB: This was while you were working as an anesthesiologist? JS: Yes, photography was a wonderful outlet. Along with the support of my family, it helped me stay centered during some of the busier work times of my life.
SB: Where did the idea for these wooden camera sculptures come from? JS: After I retired, I literally woke up one morning with the idea of building these wooden bodies and then adding on some old camera parts. I had dabbled in woodworking all my life. It quickly evolved from that. They were a little crude at first but got more finished over time. Now, I display them in local and regional craft shows, and have won some awards. I’ve also been published in Artful Home magazine.
SB: About how long does each camera take? JS: I would say at least a couple of days—from gluing different pieces of wood together to shaping the wood to adding the parts. I look at the piece for a while and I kind of just let it tell me what to do next. I just let my mind go.
SB: What’s your favorite part when you are creating? JS: For me, it’s all about the wood—the beauty of some of these pieces of wood and incorporating them and their colors. It’s got an energy and a life to it. I also feel really good about repurposing old or non-working camera parts, give them a new life.
SB: How many have you made so far? JS: About 300. Of those, I’ve sold or donated about 150. Occasionally, a local organization needs one for a fundraiser and that means a lot to me that I can help that way.
SB: What’s next for you? Are you itching to start up any new projects? JS: I have started to create more furniture, some end tables and coffee tables. It’s delightful to make functional woodworking stuff. And I have ideas for some huge boxes of leftover metal camera bodies. But first I need to learn how to weld. I recently joined Vector Space on Fifth Street so I can do that.
SB: What’s your advice to aspiring artists, young or old? JS: Be patient. And be kind to yourself. Let yourself make some really ugly stuff… until you don’t. I’m learning how to paint right now. Painting is very challenging for me. So I’m having to be patient and kind to myself. And let myself make some really bad-looking paintings.
“I’ve found a greater need to spend my quiet time being creative. I’ve found with all of the stress around us, it’s been a place of sanctuary.” – John Shuptrine
Living Out Loud May/June 2020
Special Delivery In the midst of hospital restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Centra Health contacted Lynchburg Living to see if we could deliver boxes of our March/April magazine to Lynchburg General Hospital. They wanted to distribute them to patients who were unable to receive visitors because of visitation changes due to the coronavirus. It was our pleasure to get our publication into those hands—and we hope our Home & Garden issue was an uplifting read during a time of very difficult news.
Hip-Hop Hooray E.C. Glass High School teacher Casey Wood sent us a message after the release of the March/April issue, which included a feature about his “Exploring Language and Culture Through Hip Hop” class. “Just wanted to say thank y’all so much for the wonderful article. It means so much to these kids to be surrounded with that kind of positivity.”
No, thank YOU Casey for thinking outside of the box and inspiring your students!
Hill City Eats When restaurants were forced to close their dining rooms in mid-March, we took action. Our Hill City Eats list was a resource for readers to use to find take-out, delivery and more from their favorite local eateries. At Lynchburg Living, we truly #supportlocal and are passionate about our small business community.
We Want To hear From You! Send us an e-mail to shelley@lynchburgmag.com. Correspondents must identify themselves; names may be withheld on request. Lynchburg Living may edit or condense.
Editor’s Letter May/June 2020
Following the approval of our March/April issue in mid-February, I was ready to move forward—per usual. Home & Garden Issue, check. Food Issue—you’re on deck. Let’s do this.
But my once-predictable, formulaic plans—like all of yours—slowly started to change as we moved into March. As the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up, Lynchburg Living’s big food-related features were postponed; some photo shoots were cancelled. Once the dust settled from those disappointments, it was time to refocus and take a different perspective… the good news, I guess you could say: We now had the opportunity to tell a more timely story.
As I looked around during the pandemic (virtually), I saw that alongside the negative—school closures, job losses, challenges in the health care industry—there were countless examples of the positive. Donations, manpower, random acts of kindness. We were separated in our households, but still found ways to be there for each other.
So, the Community Issue was formed.
Our main feature, “Coming Together,” only scratches the surface of the good deeds and selfless acts taking place across the region during the pandemic. We also joined in on an international photo movement, The Front Steps Project, by highlighting various members of the community in different professions—on their front porches, of course. Also, our special “LYH” illustrated cover is another example of coming together. We asked Heritage High School art teacher Jon Roark for help and he didn’t hesitate to say “yes.”
The concept of community is also represented in other ways. From Tarsha Joyner’s decision to keep her “absolutely fabulous” bakery downtown to a unique outdoor art initiative in Bedford, this magazine is full of what we do best—positive, uplifting stories about the greater Lynchburg region.
I sure hope this continues. Not the bad stuff—we all are ready to get back into a “new normal” as it’s being called—but the generosity. That shouldn’t be a feeling that rises and falls with Christmas, like a seasonal flu that comes and goes.
Let’s make this concept of community contagious year round.
Everyone is Excited that Tarsha Joyner Decided to Keep Her “Absolutely Fabulous” Bakery in Downtown Lynchburg (Where it Belongs!) Photos by LaShonda Delivuk
Due to her popularity on the local and national level—including the disappointment when news broke last year that she might close down—you might assume that Tarsha Joyner (aka Mrs. Joy) has been baking delicious treats her whole life.
Nope.
“The cookies I made for my kids when they were little were a joke,” Tarsha says. “It was like a Christmas tradition to see how screwed up the cookies would be that year.”
So how did she end up running her own bakery and win $10,000 competing on Food Network? It started with a class project at the University of Lynchburg (then Lynchburg College) in 2012.
Tarsha was working as a secretary and raising teenagers when she decided to go back to school. She wanted to be a computer programmer. Classes at Central Virginia Community College led her to Lynchburg College, where she ended up gravitating toward the graphic design program.
For Professor Ursula Bryant’s class, Tarsha had to do branding for a product line from start to finish. She decided to name her fake business Mrs. Joy’s Absolutely Fabulous Treats. Why Mrs. Joy?
“I was getting a brand-new bowling ball at that time,” Tarsha says. “I wanted to get my name inscribed but you could only have six letters. It was either going to be Tar Joy or Mrs. Joy. And that first one just didn’t sound as nice.”
Tarsha decided to go ahead and try to bake something for her business: shortbread. Her son was looking for a summer job, so she made a deal with him. If he sold her shortbread at the Lynchburg Community Market, he could keep half of the money. After her shortbread sold out, she started branching out: cake pops, brownies, donuts and more. She watched videos on YouTube and started practicing recipes.
Then came the decision to open her own store. Tarsha found a spot she liked on Commerce Street, the old Bailey Spencer hardware store. No banks would lend her money to open, but she says Phillip Jamerson, who owned the building, trusted that she would be able to pay for the buildout.
Going on Food Network gave her instant credibility. In 2015, Tarsha found out through a bakery group on Facebook that they were casting for a show called “Christmas Cookie Challenge.” The network flew her out to Los Angeles where she brought her five cookie recipes and competed against more experienced bakers—she beat them all.
“When I did that, it was like I became serious. People took me seriously,” Tarsha says.
She was a hit at Food Network too, invited back to compete in “Dessert Games” in 2017 and “Haunted Gingerbread Showdown” last year.
As Tarsha grew Mrs. Joy’s, she learned valuable lessons along the way. She says finding and retaining good employees has been the biggest challenge. Right now, she has a team of six, including two of her daughters. She’s tried to stay away from hiring bakers who might want to put their own spin on her recipes, and she wants people who have basic science and math knowledge. “If you can follow instructions, we’re good. Because I can teach you to do anything,” she says.
The fact that Mrs. Joy’s is still open in Lynchburg is pretty remarkable. Tarsha was all set to close and move her business to Mechanicsville last year to be closer to her oldest daughter and young grandson. Her daughter found her a spot in a shopping center, but the owner abruptly backed out and said she couldn’t have the space.
As recently as last December, she thought she was just going to close the Lynchburg store and take a well-deserved break. Her husband had already gotten a job closer to Mechanicsville and she had a hard time keeping up with the workload. She found one potential group to take over her space on Commerce Street. But then she ran into some issues with them, and on Christmas Eve decided to pull the plug. After two weeks off around the holidays, Mrs. Joy’s opened back up in January.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you walk in the store are the huge cinnamon rolls, which Tarsha says are “as big as your head.” One roll can feed a family of four. Her donuts are very popular as well. If you remember the old Bill’s Pastries shop off of Memorial Avenue, these donuts are the closest you’re going to get. In fact, when Bill’s wife passed away, the family came to Mrs. Joy’s to get donuts for the funeral.
Besides a variety of baked goods, you can get an education at Mrs. Joy’s. She teaches classes all the time on subjects such as cookie decorating. At kids’ birthday parties you can learn not only how to make delicious cookies beautiful, but also the science behind why each ingredient in the cookie is important. Like quilting or knitting, Tarsha hopes baking is a pastime that doesn’t get lost.
“I feel like we need to make sure that these things are still done and taught to everyone so that they don’t fade away,” she says.
Spend five minutes with Tarsha and you will realize how much passion she has for what she does.
“I’m not afraid of failing. I really have no fear of failure,” she says. “If you know anything about me, I always tell people when they say, ‘I’m afraid to do this or that,’ fear is of the devil. Fear and faith cannot exist in the same space.”
Tarsha has been on quite a journey since growing up in and out of foster homes in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. She didn’t have family recipes or memories of cooking with parents and grandparents.
“They didn’t take that kind of time with us. We didn’t have those opportunities,” she says. “Nobody spent time with us to do anything.”
And she doesn’t forget the people who have helped her along the way. That includes Janet Dunford, one of her professors at CVCC.
“I learned so much from her that was applicable to everything that I do. In art, in baking, in raising my kids. She taught me so much,” Tarsha says. “I don’t think she’ll ever understand the impact that she had on my life.”
Just like she’s been helped, Tarsha wants to share what she’s learned with anyone who might be in her shoes. One of her best pieces of advice: know your worth. “If you don’t know how much you’re worth, someone else will gladly tell you what you are worth,” she says. “And then you’ll never be worth anything.”
During the Pandemic… “Some people came into my shop, they didn’t know what they wanted, they didn’t even care… they just wanted to help us out. People bought certificates, food for their neighbors and their friends to support us and I appreciate that more than they will ever know.” – Tarsha Joyner on the widespread support she received during the COVID-19 restrictions
The Art Abides
New Artistic Amenities in Bedford Await Brighter, Busier Days Ahead
Art, in its many forms, has become a source of distraction and comfort to many of us during these disconcerting times. Community-driven art initiatives are especially important—they serve as tangible reminders of what we can accomplish and share with the world when we work together.
Bedford’s recent beautification initiative, known as “The Loop Project,” is a shining example of what community partners can achieve. Some of the most recent additions to the Loop, the town’s popular walking route, are steel-fabricated benches and bike racks that display a local artist’s unique design.
Last July “The Loop Project” received an AARP Community Challenge Grant, a grant awarded for projects that aim to make immediate improvements and jumpstart long-term progress to help residents of all ages. The project was one of 159 projects selected from over 1,600 applications.
“The Loop is well-known within the town and beyond as a walking destination,” says Bedford Economic Development Coordinator Mary Zirkle. “The existing pedestrian amenities (concrete benches and wood-slat trash cans) were also starting to show wear and needed a facelift.”
The task of beautifying these amenities within the timeframe stipulated by the grant (about four months) was a challenge in and of itself, then town staff decided to add another challenge on top of that: the designs used for the proposed benches and bike racks would be chosen from submissions from the general public.
Fortunately, local artist Megan Davies was up for the task. She submitted the winning designs for the benches and bike racks and was also asked to come up with a sign design based on the findings of a “Design the Sign” public workshop. Her painting of the Peaks of Otter, called “Shape Our Land,” was selected for the bench design, and another one of her drawings of the Peaks was used for the bike rack design.
“So many people in this area love the iconic mountains, so I felt that design was a great fit for a public piece,” Davies says. “I love simple line-work. The lines and sections of the painting could be constructed into a bench several different ways, giving the fabricator more freedom and flexibility.”
To ensure that the design guidelines would call for proper functionality, Zirkle touched base with David Hanowitz, owner of Central Virginia Manufacturing. “I had met Dave in 2018,” Zirkle recalls. “I remember him saying they like to make different things that aren’t [always] industrial. I needed expert advice as we tailored the design guidelines when putting out the call for designs.”
After several businesses put in a bid for the project, Hanowitz’s manufacturing proposal was ultimately selected, and he and his team were excited for the unique challenge.
“I have worked with customers in the past to recreate artworks using our metal fabrication abilities, but this project was unique in the fact that there were several pieces of art to be incorporated into the different builds,” Hanowitz says. “Many times we cannot 100% recreate a drawing or painting to transfer over to cut-and-formed steel due to limitations within the material or machinery used.”
But after what Hanowitz describes as “many hours” designing the benches, they feel like they came as close as they could to making Davies’ painting come to life on a steel canvas. “At the end, we were very pleased with the outcome,” he says.
Central Virginia Manufacturing produced six benches, all of which have been placed, and six bike racks, all of which were in the process of being placed in mid-April. Two of the six benches are smaller, backless benches, and all six benches bear the new town brand on their legs. All the signs that have been produced have been placed, and a few additional signs are being made.
Although neither Davies nor Hanowitz reside in Bedford, they both feel strong ties to the town and are delighted to play a role in its beautification and advancement.
“Whenever I talk to other artists about how and where to get involved, I always stress to plant some artistic roots in Bedford,” says Davies. “The art community in Bedford is more like family and everyone is so supportive of each other. Bedford is my art home.”
“The community will embrace a project like this, especially when members of the community are directly involved with the design work,” Hanowitz notes. “These projects always benefit local companies that are involved as it gives examples of their abilities and can help foster future projects with other local businesses.”
Zirkle hopes this initiative will be the first of many art-focused projects, and community collaborations, in Bedford.
“I hope the benches and racks will encourage people to add more public art of their own and to request that of the town,” she says. “I want visitors to see that we are a creative and welcoming community, and these pieces can help convey that. Maybe one day we can have an ‘Art Walk’ of some kind for people to discover unique pieces and appreciate them. I think art should be a year-round celebration of what Bedford is.”
During the Pandemic… “Public Works placed these benches while this pandemic was going on. The director and I talked about how important it was for people to see things like this happening, that work on improving the community continues. The bench installation came at the perfect time with people needing to get out safely and to see something new that brightens their day.” – Mary Zirkle, economic development coordinator in Bedford
CULINARY MATCHMAKING
USING SIMPLE INGREDIENTS TO CREATE DISTINCT FLAVOR PROFILES Photography by Jenna McKenney
The art of cooking has just as much to do with your taste buds as your technique. According to Jason Arbusto, pro chef and culinary director at the Bluffwalk Center, the challenge is identifying “what goes with what to make it taste good.”
Enter flavor profiles: these are the “secret weapon” of flavor combinations (herbs, spices, etc.) that can take your home meal preparation to another level. “Flavor profiles will guide you to be more creative and venture out of your comfort zone while remaining fairly simple to prepare,” he says.
On the following pages, Arbusto will not only break down three distinct profiles but he will also show you how to use them in three tasty recipes. But don’t let that stop you from experimenting with his combinations in your own unique way!
Thai Flavor Profile
Four simple ingredients can turn your basic chicken salad into a flavor bomb: Mint, Cilantro, Basil, Lime Juice
INSTRUCTIONS In a small bowl, combine 6 oz. of shredded chicken with a good pinch of rough chopped mint, cilantro and basil. Squeeze in lime juice and add olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Mediterranean Flavor Profile Five simple ingredients can turn your Sunday Salmon or shrimp into something special: Capers, Lemon, Olives, Tomato, Parsley
Ingredients 6 oz shrimp Cherry tomatoes 1 T capers 2 sprigs of rough chopped parsley Juice of 1 lemon Olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS Place shrimp in an oven safe casserole pan. Add a handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half. Place in the oven for about 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees. Once finished cooking, add a little bit of fresh parsley. Crush the tomatoes up a little bit to create some juice. Baste the seafood and serve with all the remaining ingredients on top.
Israel / Middle Eastern Flavor Profile
Four simple ingredients can upstyle your next batch of roasted veggies: Yogurt,Pine, Nuts, Mint, Pomegranate Seeds
Ingredients: 2 large sweet potatoes 4-6 T yogurt 3 sprigs of chopped mint 2 T toasted pine nuts 2 T pomegranate seeds
INSTRUCTIONS Peel and dice sweet potatoes. Roast in the oven for 25-35 min at 350 degrees. Remove and let cool slightly or serve cold as a salad. Spread a thin layer of yogurt on bottom of plate. Add sweet potatoes and top with mint, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.
Coming Together
LOCAL RESIDENTS, ORGANIZATIONS UNITE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
As unprecedented shutdowns from the coronavirus left people without work, food, or places for children to go, local governments, schools, and nonprofits stepped up to be sure people could meet their basic needs. Likewise, volunteers began helping neighbors and strangers alike during these unsettling times. People found creative ways to thank those who kept working, to keep businesses open, and to entertain each other— proving that in times of crisis, our greater Lynchburg community unites.
LENDING A HAND TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS
With nationwide shortages of masks and hand sanitizer, Central Virginians decided to take matters into their own, well, hands.
The Junior League of Lynchburg created “Mask-Her-Aid,” a project to sew masks for Centra. Existing sewing groups such as Patches ‘n Pieces Quilt Club and the Seven Hills Quilt Guild also jumped in to help.
Throughout the region, other women formed groups of their own. Emily Harris said friends at Blue Ridge Community Church called area hospitals to see if they would want cloth masks made by volunteers. The answer was a resounding, “Yes!” After receiving an “influx of requests” to donate masks, Centra Health said on Facebook that cotton masks would be used by patients and visitors upon entry in low-risk areas or used for covering coughs and preventing someone from touching their face.
Harris, a hair stylist and makeup artist, was unable to work because of the pandemic. With both a sister and a brother-in-law who are doctors, as well as friends who are nurses, she felt especially compelled to do something. “It makes me feel better to be of service,” she said. “It makes me feel helpful and hopeful.” Harris, who used to make designer bathing suits, had plenty of elastic on hand so she got busy, along with nine others on their sewing team.
In early April, about a week after getting a call from a family that works at Lynchburg General Hospital, nonprofit Vector Space organized an effort to create 3D-printed face shields for nurses in the non-COVID intensive care unit. After delivering 28 face shields to the hospital, Vector Space also started conversations with local anesthesiologists about prototyping ventilator parts and intubation boxes.
“We are so grateful for those that have stepped up to offer help with this project. Individuals and organizations have volunteered time and money, fired up their 3D printers and sewing machines, and sourced all kinds of materials to contribute to the cause of getting personal protective equipment and other needs to our medical community,” said Elise Spontarelli, co-founder of Vector Space.
Price Blair, a professor of physical therapy at the University of Lynchburg, learned that Centra needed glassware and alcohol for making hand sanitizer. Lab instructors Desi Justice and Steve Burris teamed up with mathematics professor Mike Coco to pull the supplies together from the university’s labs.
Randolph College also put some unused personal protective equipment to good use by donating items such as gloves, disposable lab goats, isolation masks and protective masks to Centra Health. “Our healthcare workers are on the frontlines and shouldn’t have to worry about their safety,” said Bradley W. Bateman, Randolph’s president.
Liberty University’s respiratory therapy program, which launched in 2019, loaned two mechanical ventilators to Centra Health for use at Lynchburg General Hospital. Dr. Brian Walsh, the program’s director, and his staff also provided online training to area medical personnel on how to operate ventilators.
Other notable donations to Centra Health include 3,700 masks and 100 hazmat suits from the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia. The Centra Foundation released funding to purchase six new ventilators and five portable x-ray machines as well as conduct a public health campaign about COVID-19 for the region.
FEEDING THE MASSES
In response to school closures, Lynchburg City Schools immediately mobilized to prepare and bag meals for delivery to children age 18 and younger at school bus stops, beginning March 16. In just two weeks, the schools delivered 24,000 meals. In addition, Lynchburg Parks & Recreation supplied vans for meal delivery in many of the city’s housing complexes and at six community centers for meal pick-up. Other area school systems soon followed suit.
“I was honored to have been able to volunteer and take food out to the students of Lynchburg,” said Karl Loos, representative for the Lynchburg Educators Association. “Our food service colleagues are amazing. Everything was safely and perfectly prepared. Our bus drivers are outstanding ambassadors for LCS, as they spoke to every student and parent and represented us so well. Lynchburg should be proud.”
Park View Community Mission’s Food for Thought program continued to provide weekend food bags—with up to 7,000 pounds of food each weekend—at bus stops on Fridays.
Many area soup kitchens and food banks made sure individuals and families kept eating as well. Lynchburg Daily Bread started serving to-go meals instead of a sit-down meal. “We are the busiest we’ve been in six years,” said Tracey Dixon, executive director. “We have lots of new faces every day.”
The Daily Bread typically feeds 80 to 130 people a day, but were averaging 175 a day by late March. And while fewer restaurants were open to contribute donations, lots of individuals, businesses and churches stepped up. One man dropped off 10 hams, for example. “It’s been amazing,” Dixon said. “This community really is stellar.”
RESTAURANTS CHANGE GAME PLANS
Many customers were making a point of getting takeout from their favorite restaurants to help them stay open, while some restaurants changed their business model more significantly. “I was stressing really bad and my husband said we’ve got to try and think of something different,” said Adi McCauley, co-owner of Magnolia Foods.
So they turned her restaurant into a small grocery store, providing juice, milk, fresh produce, bread, and chips instead of pre-made salads and meals. Waterstone Pizza unveiled a similar idea inside their Jefferson Street restaurant, selling items that might not be found in local stores such as bread and toilet paper.
Mama Crocket’s Cider Donuts food truck began taking orders online, preparing the donuts, and then sliding them through a shoot to protect both their workers and their customers.
Myke Barron, one of the new owners of White Hart Café, has been continuing to provide curbside carryout to his customers, but has found another reason to work during this crisis. “What we’ve latched onto is a community kitchen,” he said.
Partnering with LOJ Ministries, a local nonprofit, and local churches, White Hart is preparing hot meals to be distributed to folks in need. For example, The Ramp Church has a relationship with James Crossing, so White Hart cooks and Ramp members deliver.
“We are building community and relationships with people, even if six feet away,” Barron said. “People are scared and isolated. Isolation is not what we’re built for. …We need to get the ‘why’ that we can all latch on to so we can come out stronger on the other side.”
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES KEEP WHEELS TURNING
Government policymakers pitched in to help businesses and individuals stay afloat. Lynchburg delayed business license tax payments, waived late fees on water, and promised not to cut water off to those who couldn’t pay. The Greater Lynchburg Transit Authority suspended fare collection to protect drivers and help people get to work, grocery stores, and essential services.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
Local schools—both public and private—quickly switched gears to map out online education plans for the rest of the school year. “It’s our intention for students to be better prepared when schools resume,” Dr. Tommy Coleman, LCS Director of Curriculum and Instruction, said in an online message in early April. LCS school administrators also addressed that virtual learning opportunities were created with an understanding that most parents are not teachers.
Local organizations also were fast on their feet to provide ways for residents to stay connected. A few examples are:
More than 1,000 people joined the live Facebook page hosted by the YMCA of Central Virginia to enjoy programs about exercise, crafts, cooking and more. The Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance started hosting Wednesdays@One, a webinar series to support local businesses. The Academy at Home Series, hosted by the Academy Center of the Arts, features live-streamed performances, tutorials and living room concerts from area performers.
CHANGING THE VIEW
All of the extra time at home together helped families unite in creative ways, including artistically. Here, siblings Bobby Vinson and Rebecca Spitzer used painter’s tape to section off the glass on their front door. Then, they painted the shapes different colors, creating a beautiful stained glass effect.
The Front Steps Project
When staying at home shows we are coming together Photos by Laura Beth Davidson
The idea of the Front Steps Project originated from a photographer in Massachusetts, who recommended having participating photographers take family portraits in exchange for donations for a charity. Photographer Laura Beth Davidson, of Forest, brought us the idea. After taking a few photos for Lynchburg Living, she put a call out in the community and requested donations for Miriam’s House. As of mid-April, more than 50 families had signed up and over $1000 had been raised! Learn more about her efforts at www.frontstepslynchburg.com.
Here and on the following pages, we highlight a few of her family portraits—they represent members of our community in various professions. Everyone is experiencing this pandemic differently, so we asked them all to answer the same question:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have learned…
The Health Care Workers
“…how amazing our team in the emergency department is. I always knew the people that work in the ED are special, but watching how everyone has come together to protect and care for our community has been so inspiring. In the face of something that could so easily paralyze in fear, the staff in the ED has continued to function at a high level while displaying kindness, strength and courage.” – Leigh Anna Tucker, nurse at Lynchburg General Hospital. Her husband, Drew, is also a frontline health care worker and works in the emergency department as a physician’s assistant.
The City Manager
“…that unprecedented times call for a focus on innovation and epic kindness,” said Bonnie Svrcek, city manager of Lynchburg. She says this pandemic is unlike any local government emergency she has experienced in her 40-year career. Svrcek is set to retire June 30.
The Nonprofit Director
“…that we are all incredibly adaptive as we develop and implement innovative ways to stay safe while caring for our community,” said Sarah Quarantotto, executive director of Miriam’s House. The nonprofit had to quickly develop protocols and processes that would allow them to continue serving the homeless while ensuring everyone’s safety.
The School Principal
“…that kindness and serving others can help us overcome the most challenging obstacles. Central Virginia is a powerful community full of resilient and inspiring citizens,” said Derrick Brown, principal of Amherst County High School. Brown said the lack of internet access in rural parts of the county was their biggest challenge as they implemented a virtual curriculum.
The Restaurant Owner
“…that we really are all in this together, despite all our differences,” said Dave Henderson, owner of The Water Dog. Despite seeing “unreal” unemployment numbers in the local restaurant industry, Dave says is proud to be a part of a resilient group of people who are “driven with grit and determination” as they had to redefine their businesses overnight.
The Religious Leaders
“…the importance of washing hands, staying socially and spiritually connected while physically apart, and of my faith in family and friends,” said Rev. Dr. Diane Vie, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Vie and her husband, Rev. Todd Vie, say two tech-savvy employees helped the church learn how to stream services online and that learning how to preach to a camera was a “strange” adjustment.
The News Anchor
“…how love, understanding, compassion and kindness—something we call LUCK in our house—are the qualities needed now more than ever to help us defeat the fear and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic,” said Mark Spain, news anchor at ABC-13. Mark and his wife, Lynita, decided to use this time to create some custom t-shirts for themselves—one of their designs includes LUCK.
The Police Officer
“…that sadly it takes tragedy or an epidemic to really bring people together. We are being neighbors again, having family structure again, and praying hard for people who are affected,” said Det. Rob Miller, Lynchburg Police Department. Miller and his wife Kelly have four daughters; they celebrated the birth of their first grandchild, Riley, in March.
Freshly Flipped & French-Inspired
Batter Bar brings its crepe creations to Downtown Lynchburg
It’s been a whirlwind six months for Nicole Davidson and Chelsea Doebler, the Lynchburg natives and sisters who opened Batter Bar. The eatery debuted as a food truck in November 2019; by late February, they were already expanding to a brick-and-mortar presence inside the Gilded gift shop on Church Street. “It’s a really cool collaboration,” Nicole said.
Nicole came home to Lynchburg after spending four years in Nashville working as a sous chef at an upscale Japanese restaurant and a catering company. Not only was she ready to take on a new challenge, she wanted to be closer to her family. “Before I left, I got to see Lynchburg start to grow,” she explained. “Then in the little bit I was gone, it really boomed.”
Once she convinced Chelsea to open a restaurant with her, they landed on the idea of crepes. The thin pancakes hail from France and are very popular in Nashville—but there wasn’t much of a market in Lynchburg. “My sister and I are really into Japanese culture and she was like, in Japan, there are these cool Harajuku-style street crepes. They roll them into a cone shape and super stuff them with fillings,” Nicole said. “It’s your traditional French base, but it’s a little quirky and different.”
And perfect for a food truck, where you can grab a cone and go—no utensils needed. Since they started serving locals, Nicole says their savory crepes are the best sellers, with the “Avocado BLT” coming out on top. The sweet crowd usually gravitates toward the “Hazelberry,” which includes Nutella, strawberries and whipped cream.
Fresh baked goods are another staple of the Batter Bar menu—and when restaurants were forced to close in March, the eatery decided to pause on their crepes and only sell bakery items to-go. But that’s okay, because Nicole says they chose the name “Batter Bar” to hopefully allow them room to expand the menu in the future. “Brownie batter, cake batter,” she said. “I think it’s important to have long term goals but I’m trying to be present in the moment.”
Batter Bar
1103 B Church Street, Lynchburg (Inside Gilded Gift Shop) Tues – Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sat, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sun, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Closed Mondays (Operating hours may be affected by COVID-19 restrictions.)
For the food truck schedule and to book a private event, visit www.batterbarlyh.com.
During the Pandemic…
“Switching to a pre-ordered, grab-and-go system has its challenges, but we are trying to stay positive through everything. The response and support from the community has been so very supportive from those buying gift cards, ordering our mystery baked boxes, and the kind words on social media from those who can’t wait for us to open the doors again.”
PRESSING ON
LOCAL WOMAN OVERCOMES MUSCLE DISORDER TO BECOME TRIATHLETE
There was always a chance 28-year-old Laurel Graham could have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder—but growing up, she tried to push the thought out of her mind.
A hereditary disease, Charcot-Marie-Tooth affects the muscles in the feet, causing them to become weak, and hardens the development of bones.
“I knew it ran it my family, but we were optimistic,” Graham, a Lynchburg resident and Sweet Briar College alumna, said. “I would walk on the sides of my feet and running was always difficult. But I played soccer. We just thought maybe it was just that my feet were a little deformed.”
But in eighth grade, she received her official diagnosis. Soon, Graham hung up her soccer cleats and was unsure of what her future held.
“I couldn’t play sports anymore, which I just accepted,” Graham said. “I was still able to do equestrian so I could still be active.”
But in college, Graham decided she no longer wanted to be so limited and opted to have reconstructive surgery on her feet. She knew the road to recovery wouldn’t be an easy one. One foot would be operated on at a time and require at least a year to fully heal.
“Imagine having your feet completely ripped apart and then stitched back together,” Graham explained. “It was a lot like that, but I’m still grateful for it. [After the surgery], it was the first time I could feel my feet. There was hardware in my feet where they had screwed in bolts. The first real part of recovery was learning to walk again, and it was painful.”
As she slowly recovered, Graham set a goal: “I told myself that if I could make it through the pain, I would start running. It gave me a new lease on life.”
Graham’s doctors, however, weren’t so optimistic.
“They told me that I shouldn’t expect to run,” Graham said. “And even if I did, it would be too painful to do.”
Still, Graham wanted to try. After getting married to her husband, Mike, in 2013, she decided to start with something attainable and began training for the Virginia 4-Miler. In 2014, she crossed the finish line and was hooked.
“It felt amazing,” Graham said. “I was never a runner before my surgeries, but I wanted to try and see how far I could go.”
It was then Graham decided she wanted to try to train for a triathlon. She had always been a fan of swimming. For a year, she followed a rigorous training schedule that involved running two or three miles after a bike ride, followed by intense workouts during the week. The following summer, she completed her first triathlon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“I felt pretty good about it,” Graham said. “I was trying to be smart about not hammering on my feet and trying to take it easy. But the real joy was in finishing, despite the soreness.”
As she continued to train for triathlons, there was a nagging desire in the back of Graham’s mind to complete an Ironman. While an Ironman is still a form of a triathlon, it’s much more intense. An Ironman race includes a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and a full marathon.
Graham competed in a half-Ironman first in 2016 and quickly began preparing for a full.
“It’s a very time-consuming process,” she explained about training. “You’re running 10 or more miles at a time and setting aside other responsibilities to train. You have to sacrifice a lot—time with friends and family. And it’s hard to explain to people.”
Finally, in 2018, Graham was ready for Ironman Chattanooga. But eight days before her race, she got into a bike accident on one of her last training rides and was unable to compete. She ended up needing surgery on her collarbone and acromioclavicular joint.
“It was a really hard setback,” she said. “For a year, you’re set on this goal and consumed with training and then suddenly it was over.”
Friend and fellow triathlete Lisa Peltier said it was devastating to watch her friend be unable to compete. Peltier and Graham had met early on in Graham’s training.
“I just couldn’t believe it happened,” Peltier said. “I see Laurel as a daughter, and it was hard to see it come crashing down in a weekend after she had this commitment to train for so long.”
But Peltier said Graham didn’t give up and set her sights on Ironman Louisville—another year away.
“Laurel is a ‘glass half full’ type of person,” she said. “She’s never let a disability stop her and once she has her mind made up, she’s determined.”
Graham said she’s convinced that her surgeon for her bike injury thought she was crazy for wanting to get back into training: “But he did all he could to support me and get me back on my bike as soon as possible.”
A year later, Graham finally completed her first Ironman in Louisville, Ky. Peltier traveled with her to watch her friend finally cross the finish line that she had worked so hard for.
“It was the first time I had attended an Ironman as a spectator and Louisville was such a fun event to be there for,” Peltier said. “It has the most amazing atmosphere for those competing. The finish line is bright so you can’t see anyone except the end.”
Graham called the entire experience surreal.
“The pain I felt through racing just melted away,” she said. “It made every single moment to that point worth it. I couldn’t believe that I had crossed an Ironman finish line after years of dreaming about it.”
As for her doctors, Graham said they are still in awe of what she’s been able to accomplish.
“My orthopedic surgeon who worked on my feet and ankles isn’t completely thrilled due to the stress and wear it places on my hardware and the negative impacts it could have,” she said. “But my physical therapist has been incredibly supportive and thinks it’s amazing.”
Through training, Graham said she has become part of a tight knit community of triathletes, who she says have become her closest friends over the years.
Triathlete Kayla Long met Graham through her job where Graham served as a scribe.
“One of the doctors that she was working for told me that she was training for a triathlon and that I should talk to her about it,” Long said. “I trained with her while she was working toward Louisville and I’ve just seen her go through the highs and lows of training.”
When we first started talking with Graham earlier this year, she was intensively training for Ironman 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge in Roanoke. She kept up her training schedule as best she could during the COVID-19 pandemic, although she couldn’t swim since pools were closed and had to limit bike rides to reduce the risk of an accident or injury that would send her to the hospital.
However, around the time this magazine went to print, the announcement was made that the triathlon was rescheduled to 2021.
While it’s “definitely a bummer,” Graham says she’s going to continue training because she enjoys it. She’s also signed up for an Ironman in North Carolina in October.
Graham also has her sights on a new goal too—medical school. She said it’s a career path she’s always come back to and has begun applying.
“I had so many great physicians and medical personnel care for me,” she said. “What I’ve been through has given me this empathy because I’ve been there.”
Ultimately, Graham wants to continue to use her story to encourage others.
“People should never sell themselves short or count themselves out,” she said. “Everyone has their stuff. You either find a way [through] or you’ll find an excuse.”
