Local father to climb for son's cure
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Photo courtesy of Michael Lynn The Chesterfield Little League team recently won the District 5 11-12 year old Invitational All-Star Tournament. Players included (front row from left) Brian Bower, Josh DeAngelis, Zach Mort, Mikey Higgins, Ellis Cooksey and Dan Patrick. Back row: Coach Brian Brown, Will Midgette, Jack Riggs, Micah Lynn, Tyler Davis, David Brown, Justin Leake and Coach Michael Lynn.

Midlothian resident Keven McQueen will climb Mount Rainier in an effort to raise funds to find a cure for Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare, deadly childhood disease that has struck his 9-yearold son, Sean. FA is an inherited genetic disorder that primarily affects children, often more than one in a family, by attacking their bone marrow. Most children with FA don't reach adulthood.

McQueen will climb with Bill McCorey and others who will comprise the FA rope team. The team is soliciting sponsorships to help with their goal of raising $144,410. All proceeds will go to the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund to assist in the ongoing research to find a cure for the disease.

Photo courtesy of Margaret McCabe The RBI Inferno, a fast-pitch travel team, recently won the Softball Nation 12U Nationals. Players included (front row from left) Elizabeth Marcello, Alex Beyer, Wesley Bacon, Kaila Manuel, Mallory Dixon and Ellen Sweat. Back row: Rachel Cumiskey, Morgan Kiefer, Janna Williams, Jessica McCabe and Jennifer Balcom.

For more information about the FA rope team or the research fund, visit www.your ropeteam.com or call McQueen at 306-8781.

In other announcements:

CJW Medical Center - Johnston-Willis campus will host a free "Back to School: Sports Injury Prevention and Treatment" seminar at 7 p.m. on Aug. 27. For information or reservations, call 242-5662.

Village Bank and Trust Financial Corporation reported a net income for the second quarter of 2008 of $179,000, or 7 cents per fully diluted share, which was roughly the same as earnings for the same period in 2007. Earnings for the first half of 2008 amounted to $272,000, or 10 cents per fully diluted share, compared to earnings of $537,000, or 20 cents per fully diluted share for the first half of 2007. During the second quarter of 2008, the company wrote off $300,000 (net of $154,000 in taxes) related to foreclosure proceedings on a long-standing loan relationship.

Photo courtesy of Jenn Kannon The Virginia Titans travel baseball team ended their 10U season by winning all four games, including the championship, during the USSSA Summer Sizzle at the Virginia Sports Complex last month. The team then played the four-day CIB Invitational Tournament at Rockwood and Iron Bridge parks where they swept all six of their games to win it all. Players included (front row from left) Jacob Floyd, Mason Kannon, Noah Klucker, Justin Link, Trey Kelleher and Jordon Moore. Second row: Cameron Magill, Tyler Smith, Logan Allen, Grant Keller, Corey Anderson and Aaron Colyer. Coaches: Aylmer Magill, Chad Kannon, Steve Floyd and John Anderson.

Burlington Coat Factory, located at 10400 Midlothian Turnpike, is offering balloon icons for sale to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Nov. 29. Store employees also will participate in a local Light the Night community walk to support the organization.

LifeStyle Builders & Developers recently celebrated the grand opening of its Chaucer model home in Harpers Mill, a new home community in the county.

Bachrach, an upscale men's apparel and accessories store operating out of Decatur, Ill., will open its first Richmond-area store in Chesterfield Towne Center in November.

A new music program, Vivo, has been developed by Da Capo Institute, a community of musicians that offers musical training through choruses, private instruction and ensembles, especially for elementary-aged children with autism. Vivo classes will be offered this fall at Bon Air Presbyterian Church, located at 9201 W. Huguenot Road, and Huguenot Road Baptist Church, located at 10525 W. Huguenot Road. The 10-week sessions will begin the week of Sept 22. Cost and applicable discounts, registration information and class schedules may be found by visiting www.dacapoinstitute.org.

Dentist Janine Randazzo, D.M.D., has opened River City Dental at 1230 Alverser Drive, Suite 104.

Chester resident Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, who served as chief of staff and key strategist for Martin Luther King Jr., recently celebrated his 80th birthday. Family and friends from across the country gathered to honor the man Nelson Mandela credits as being most responsible for creating the ground swell of boycotts that led to his freedom, and ultimately to the abolition of Apartheid.

Sen. John Watkins of Midlothian was recently awarded the Southern Nursery Association's Slater Wight Award at the association's 2008 annual meeting. The award honors those who have contributed to the advancement of the nursery industry in the south and to the welfare of the association.

Midlothian resident Emily Anne Smithson was named to the spring 2008 dean's list at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Windy Hill Sports Complex recently held its first Jeff Haddix Memorial Tournament. Thirty-five youths, ages 4-17, participated. Winners in the 7 and under category were Luke Van Hook, first place; Mason Schiensker, second place; and Charlie Kennedy, third place. Winners among the 8-9 year olds were Andrew Kennedy, first place; Tyler Moore, second place; and Billy Triavo, third place. In the 10-12 age category, winners were Jack Goodwin, first place; Curt Kennedy, second place; and Ryan Cary, third place. Among the 13-15 year olds, winners were Ben Coucci, first place; Justin Cary, second place; and Tim Britton, third place. Winners among the 16-17 year olds were Jake Shaw, first place, and Patrick Brown, second place.

The Richmond Kicker's U13 boys soccer team qualified to compete in the Super YLeague National Finals. Chesterfield residents playing for the team include Michael Blake, Nicholas Doyle, Evan Fowler, Vaughn Fowler, David Im, Dan Lauretano, Andrew Michon, Brooks Reiber, Grayson Smith and Alex Waite. Thomas Dale High School varsity soccer coach and assistant principal Mark Fowler served as assistant coach.

Ayshia Thomas, a rising junior at Lloyd C. Bird High School, was recently crowned Teen Queen of Virginia in the American Coed Pageant, and will go on to compete for the national title at Disney World in November. She also won first-runner-up awards for modeling and most photogenic. She is the daughter of Claude and Michelle Hataway.

Third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teachers recently completed the MathScience Innovation Center's Build for the Future Conference, providing them with a stipend and recertification points. Conference topics included robotics, hydrogen fuel and nanotechnology. County elementary school teachers who participated included Cheryl Baker, Melanie Gadish, Betsy Hugenberg, Laura Shifflett and Kelly Shultz from Alberta Smith; Melissa Dagenhardt from Bensley; Gayle Dillon, Jolene Fanning, Phyliss Karamarkovich, Shannon Magne and Jill Nalbach from Ecoff; Delores Emery from Watkins; Kelly George from Robious; Keasha Hunt from A.M. Davis; Dana Loy-Anderson and Laura Watkins from Wells; Denise Quigley from Greenfield; Earin Renfro from Clover Hill; Marsha Rogers from Curtis; Patricia Slagel from Spring Run; Kristine Wells from Matoaca; and Melissa Winters from Crestwood. Linda Moore from Bailey Bridge Middle School also participated.

Midlothian resident Maurice Robinson recently published "Ponte Vedra Beach: A History" about the beach in Florida. The book is available through Barnes & Noble.

The Cub Scouts will unveil its "School of Mischief" campaign during its yearly membership drive at area schools beginning in September. Watch for information to come home with second-grade boys about sign-up meetings at county elementary schools.

Virginia Credit Union employees recently furnished 140 backpacks stuffed with school supplies to the Manchester Family YMCA. The backpacks will be distributed by the YMCA branch as part of its Bright Beginnings program.

The Brandermill, Midlothian and Woodlake (BMW) Lions Club recently received the Van Tassell award for making the largest single contribution by a Lions club in the U.S. for 2007-08. The award is given by Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization dedicated to providing seeing-eye dogs for the sight impaired. The BMW Lions Club contributed $8,000 in the name of deceased member Mike Van Orman, who, in 1991, was the first deaf and blind person to receive a seeing-eye dog from Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Compiled by Gwen Sadler

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.