ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gov. Kaine to speak at annual chamber dinner

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will be the featured speaker at the Annual Awards Celebration and Installation of Officers for the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Jan. 25 at the Holiday Inn Koger Center, 1021 Koger Center Blvd.

Reservations for the Mardi Gras event may be made by calling the chamber office at 748- 6364. Reservations including dinner are $50 per person. The deadline is Jan. 18. For more information, visit www.chesterfieldchamber.com.

The chamber board has appointed three new directors to fill vacant seats left by members who have moved out of the area. Filling two-year seats are Frank Beale of Invincia Insurance Solutions, Fred Carreras of Carreras & Associates and Dickie King of King's Corner Catering. A non-voting, ex-officio position on the board was also created and Will Davis, Chesterfield County's economic development director, will serve in this capacity.

In other announcements:

St. Michael's Middle School's Blue Dragons team won the Virginia/District of Columbia First LEGO League State Tournament last month. Led by eighth-graders Jared O'Hara and Marschall Furman, the team is the first in the nation to score a perfect 400 in robot performance during state championships in 2007. Eighth-graders Matias Ambrogi-Torres and Daniel Rhoads, along with seventh-grader Joseph Pankey and sixth-graders Matt Aldridge, Liam Robb and Robert Steilberg, contributed to the team's outstanding performance. The Blue Dragons will represent Virginia at the league's World Festival Tournament in April in Atlanta where they will compete against 83 teams from 27 countries.

Five Chesterfield students have been nominated by Congressman Eric Cantor to be considered for appointment to one of the U.S. military academies. The nominees include

Michael Callahan (James River High) for the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point or U.S. Air Force Academy; Cameron King (Maggie Walker Governor's School) for the U.S. Air Force Academy; Jacob Lassiter (Clover Hill High) for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; Matt Ropelewski (Monacan High) for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; and Rachel Stuhlmiller (James River High) for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The students will now have to complete the congressional nominations process.

The Huguenot chapter of AARP has received the small Chapter Newsletter of the Year Award in Virginia for its effective coverage of AARP local, state and national activities as well as its presentation and design.

John Tyler Community College recognized 61 nursing graduate candidates at a pinning ceremony held at the Holiday Inn Koger Center last month. The pin symbolizes the school of nursing where the students earned their clinical experience, achieved academic credentials and began their socialization into the profession. The ceremony marks the completion of that rigorous training and is often viewed with the same importance as commencement.

Crystal Barnes, assistant manager of the Alverser branch of C&F Bank, has been named a C&F Star for her outstanding performance at work.

Globally acclaimed psychiatrist, author and media consultant Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint spoke at Virginia State University's 2007 Fall Commencement last month when about 300 graduates and their families participated in commencement.

Communities In Schools of Chesterfield (CIS) has awarded 11 Henshaw staff scholarships to individuals and teams at four schools that provide programs and training to benefit at-risk students. Bellwood Elementary received four scholarships, totaling $2,600, for programs that include a traveling cooking unit that integrates a life skill with math, reading, science and social studies concepts; field trips; books to encourage recreational reading through competition; and an expanded healthy lifestyles extended-day program. Chalkley Elementary obtained three scholarships, totaling $1,050, which will be used for a Hands and Pans performing ensemble to help students learn teamwork and selfmotivation; a wellness program for faculty and staff members to prevent illnesses and promote fewer missed workdays; and a writing workshop to offer teachers tools to help their students improve writing skills.

Perrymont Middle received $1,600 for two scholarships to develop curriculumbased field trips to the Science Museum of Virginia to enhance students' study of global warming and the ecosystems of the James River and the Chesapeake Bay and to sponsor two formal luncheons so that students may practice appropriate behavior and table manners. Faculty teams at Chesterfield Community High will make use of two scholarships, totaling $650, for a teen parenting group and a safe dates/healthy relationships group. CIS is a board of the nonprofit Chesterfield Public Education Foundation. The staff scholarship program is named for Dr. Cynthia E. Henshaw, onetime director of the former student services department of Chesterfield County Public Schools.

David Johnson, a 2000 graduate of Chesterfield Community High School, spoke to Mr. Campbell's Discovery classes last month about how attending Community affected his career and life. He joined the Navy after graduation in 2000 and credits the school with helping him to succeed.

Chesterfield Community High School recently named its top 10 seniors. They include Jesse Plaster, Jorel Coleman, Stephen Harris, Altwanet Owen, Alberto Azucena, Shannon Singleton, Janea Crawford, Nicholas Wingfield, Tiera Wynn and Christopher Jennings.

The Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council presented Philip Morris USA with its Soaring Eagle Award during the council's 24th annual year-end gala last month. The award is given for demonstrating the highest quality and commitment to supplier development in the VMSDC network.

Virginia State University was named the best new program, becoming the first historically black college or university to participate and win in the council's history.

Andy and Donna Schwabe recently opened Romp n' Roll, a children's enrichment center that provides gym, art and music programs, birthday parties, camps and more under one roof. Located at 11541 Busy St., the center features brightly-colored walls, ramps, bridges, a trapeze, balance beam and foam flooring. For more information, visit www.rompnroll.com or call 893- 3142.

Announcements can be e-mailed to news@chesterfieldobserver.com, faxed to 744-3269 or mailed to Chesterfield Observer, Attn: Announcements, P.O. Box 1616, Midlothian, VA 23113.