Three inducted into Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame

Savvy Shopper This year’s Chesterfield Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame inductees are (from left) Charles L.T. Ellis, Ruth G. Sims and Patrick Shellenberg. Shopper Photo courtesy of Chesterfield County Charles L.T. Ellis, Patrick Shellenberg and Ruth G. Sims are the 2009 inductees into the Chesterfield Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame. In its 27th year, the hall of fame recognizes county residents 65 years old or older who have given outstanding service to the community. Each of the 19 people nominated this year were recognized during a ceremony last month. Ellis volunteers at Chesterfield Community High School, where he mentors students and supports the Student of the Month program. He also serves as chairman of the Commonwealth Baseball League, an organization that promotes baseball for youths. Since he turned 65, the retired Verizon maintenance technician has volunteered 432 hours of his time to these organizations.

Virginia State University has honored several faculty members with teaching and research awards (from left): Dr. Freddy L. Thomas, professor in the Department of Languages & Literature, received the Spencer and Ruth Timm Outstanding Faculty Award; Dr. Gerald L. Burton, professor in the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, was given the Bank of America Outstanding Faculty Award; and Dr. Yaguan Xu, associate professor in the Department of Computer Information Systems, received the Ukrop’s Supermarket School of Business Outstanding Faculty Award. Photo courtesy of Virginia State University Shellenberg gives his time to Meals on Wheels, CJW Medical Center, Freedom House and Senior Connections, The Capital Area Agency on Aging. Since turning 65, he has volunteered 12,240 hours. He is a retired American Tobacco engineer.

Sims is a year-round volunteer at Grange Hall Elementary School, assisting in the cafeteria and library. She also helps kindergarten teachers prepare their classrooms. Since she turned 65, Sims, a retired telephone operator and bookkeeper for Central Virginia Bank, has l ogged 5,952 volunteer hours.

Organizations

The Richmond Animal League (RAL) reports that 92 cents of every dollar donated to the organization is spent directly on its programs and other efforts on behalf of animals. RAL operates with a paid staff of six and a volunteer force that exceeds 450 people. Donations are used to offer animals basic medical care and vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, food and shelter, and treatments for animals that arrive sick, injured or emotionally scarred. The organization is funded solely by public donations, grants and fundraising activities. Donations are accepted in person or by mail at 11401 International Drive, Richmond, VA 23236, or online at www.ral.org.

The Cosby High School boys junior varsity volleyball team took first place at the Ninth Annual J.R. Tucker High School Volleyball Tournament. Team members Jeremy Feister and Derek Sullivan made the All Tournament Team, and Sullivan was named All Tournament MVP. Team members include (front row) Sullivan. Second row from left: Feister, Dominic Vacca, Sean Clarke and Nick Katzman. Third row: Coach Dede Feister, Brandon Cole, Quinn Rutledge, Bryan Miltenberger and Karson Clark. Fourth row: Thomas Negron, Hunter Ritchie, Graham Gresham, Andrew Sydow and Will Newton. Photo courtesy of Diane Vacca Reverend Dr. Tom Lovorn (right) recently kissed a pig after his congregation met his challenge to have 100 people present for a Sunday service. Lovern is the new pastor at God’s Storehouse Baptist Church, located at 5007 Jessup Road. Photo courtesy of God The Bon Air Rotary Club raised over $30,000 in its first Lindsey Cushing Memorial Charity Golf Tournament and auction. The money raised by the 108 players who participated in the tournament at the Stonehenge Golf & Country Club will be shared among the Association for the Support of Children with Cancer, the Alexander Kalata Memorial, Bon Air Charity and Jim Mims Fund.

The new gym at the Midlothian Family YMCA, 737 Coalfield Road, is now in use for childcare, youth sports, group exercises, basketball and volleyball. The facility has also opened new group-exercise and mind/body studios. The Midlothian YMCA is offering three free visits for those who would like to take in all the new additions and improvements to the facility. Visit www.midlothianymca.org or call 379-5688 for more information.

J. Matthew Scott is the new Chesterfield Stake president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Maurice L. Stocks will serve as first counselor, and Mark T. Evans will be second counselor in the church’s Chesterfield First Ward Bishopric.

Athletics

Andrea Dowdy is the new college recruiting coordinator for Midlothian-based Mid Atlantic Volleyball Club, an organization founded by a group of parents who are dedicated to promoting the sport. Co-directors of the club are Tim Holt, recent recipient of the county’s Youth Leadership Award, and Stephen H. Parham.

Chesterfield resident Nichole Howarth, a cheerleader at Virginia Tech, was recently named Cheerleader of the Week by Sports Illustrated online (www.SI.com).

U.S. Professional Tennis Registry certified pro Cris Robinson, who is also the director of tennis at Willow Oaks County Club, is working with Chesterfield County Public Schools to create tennis programs at middle schools in the county.

Individual achievements

Chesterfield resident Donna Strother Deekens has published “Memoirs of a Snow Queen,” a book about her 20 years of experiences playing the Snow Queen alongside the “real Santa” at Miller & Rhoads’ downtown store. She will appear at Barnes & Noble Booksellers at 4600 Commonwealth Circle Parkway on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 2-4 p.m., and at Serendipity Art & Consign, 2717 Buford Road, on Friday, Nov. 27, from 3-5 p.m.

Emily Allen Burns, Mackenzie Lyn Furman, Taylor Diane Lenhart, Jessie Cate Mitchell, Kerry Anne Mitchell, Emily Elizabeth Warwick and Jessica Elizabeth Wert, all of Girl Scout Troop 652 sponsored by Saint Mark’s United Methodist Church, have attained the Gold Award.

Christopher S. Anderson of Boy Scout Troop 829, sponsored by Saint Matthias’ Episcopal Church, and Matthew Christopher Johnson of Troop 184, sponsored by Wesley United Methodist Church, have attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Midlothian resident Margaret Lappe won Redskins season tickets for two club seats at all 2010 pre- and regular-season home games at FedEx Field in Washington, D.C., and other prizes as a Virginia Lottery second-chance drawings winner. “Redskins Mania” players entered their non-winning tickets for the drawings.

Business

Chesterfield Towne Center, located at 11500 Midlothian Turnpike, will hold its second annual outdoor tree lighting and Santa arrival to kick off the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign at the mall on Friday, Nov. 13, from 6-7 p.m. The event, hosted by Bill Bevins and Shelly Perkins of Lite 98-FM, will take place outside near Red Robin; it will be moved inside near Coldwater Creek if the weather is bad. There will be holiday music and giveaways, as well as displays by mall merchants and community partners. For more information, call 794-4661 or visit www.ChesterfieldCenter.com.

The Holiday Inn Select Koger Conference Center, 1021 Koger Center Blvd., will host a New Media Seminar on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Learn to maximize online marketing through new and social media, create a media marketing strategy, expand a brand’s online reach and implement customerservice tools through social-networking Web sites. The cost of the seminar, presented by Madison + Main and NetSearch Direct, is $299. For more information or tickets, call 623-6246 or visit www.NewMediaSeminars.com.

Firestone Complete Auto Care will celebrate a grand opening for its new shop at 12150 Iron Bridge Road in Chester on Nov. 19-22. There will be refreshments and activities that include special prices and offers each day; a Big Foot monster truck, Thursday-Saturday; ribbon-cutting ceremony, Friday at 11 a.m.; and face painting, cartoon tattoos, balloon animals, mini carnival games, bowling, ball toss and candy, Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with a SpongeBob and clown appearance scheduled during that time.

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.