DuPont recognized as outstanding Virginia company
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gwen Sadler
The Virginia Chamber of Commerce recently honored Chesterfield-based DuPont as a recipient of the Virginia Torchbearer Award at its 2008 Virginia Economic Summit.

Photo courtesy of Tamara Klyczek Midlothian resident Sydney Klyczek, a 10-year-old student at St. Edward Epiphany, recently won a regional title in Irish dance. The region includes 13 states. She is also a silver medalist in the national championship and is qualifi ed for the world competition in April.

The 206-year-old company was honored for its products, such as Kevlar and Nomex, which are materials used in safety products helpful to police, firefighters and military personnel, and Tyvek, a product used to reduce home energy costs, create sterile medical packaging and make windmill turbines.

The company's Spruance plant in Chesterfield is its largest in the U.S. It houses DuPont's global business headquarters and the research and development shop for its advanced-fibers-systems businesses. DuPont employs 4,000 people across the state.

Education

Retired Chesterfield school librarian Anne Sutton visited Chesterfield Community High School to participate in Chat 'n Chew with 24 students. The students read "Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog" by John Grogran, then met to discuss the book while they enjoyed breakfast. The next Chat 'n Chew is scheduled for Feb. 5 to discuss "Slam" by Nick Hornby. The Chat 'n Chew fund accepts donations to purchase books for students in the program to read and keep. Call Carol DeMasi at 768-6156 ext. 5119 for details.

Carrie Persing, who taught in Chesterfield County Public Schools until this year, is a Virginia finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She currently is a math educator in grades 6-12 at the MathScience Innovation Center, and previously taught sixth-grade math at Chester Middle School, and was a math specialist at Harrowgate Elementary.

Chesterfield students who recently graduated from Commonwealth ChalleNGe, a free statewide co-educational program offered to at-risk teens, include Michael J. Braxton Jr., Clover Hill High School; Charles J. Fischback and Antonio R. Thrower, Meadowbrook High; Trae A. Hockman, Darius D. Jones and Lashawn K. Thornhill, Thomas Dale High; Jacobie A. Jefferson and Brandon W. Ward, Manchester High; Tony R. Martin, Chesterfield Community High; Giovanni G. Roggiero, James River High; and Chad F. Williams, Monacan High.

Ettrick Elementary recently unveiled a Learning Barn built in honor of Del. Rosalyn Dance (63rd District). The Learning Barn, which is a bookshelf that looks like a barn stocked with 30 agriculture-themed books, was donated to the school by the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom and the Chesterfield Farm Bureau.

Donna Slaughter, general education program director for Bryant & Stratton College, has been named Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Career College Association. The Chesterfield native has been employed at the college since 2000.

Chesterfield resident and Radford University (RU) student Laura Sweat recently traveled to San Francisco with an RU physics professor and two other students to present research findings to the American Geophysical Union. Their research took place at the northwest tip of North America where they surveyed the sea ice near Barrow, Alaska.

Chesterfield Community High School recently held its annual Holiday Social. The catering students prepared food, students' artwork was displayed and student Erica Keyes entertained with a song.

John Tyler Community College recently recognized its nursing-graduate candidates at a pinning ceremony. Among them were 29 students from Chesterfield.

Larry McClanahan, senior vice president of Thompson, Davis and Co., recently spoke to the Millwood Grandparents' Group at Millwood School about the effect of the presidential election on the economy and the catalysts that can have a positive effect in the future. His son is in the school's fourth grade.

The Bailey Bridge Middle School sixthgrade chorus recently performed for the patients and staff at St. Francis Hospital in Midlothian. The group sings under the direction of Audrey Pittard and Shirley Conley.

Business

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Jan. 9, at noon, at Omega Learning Center's new location in the Food Lion Plaza at the corner of Iron Bridge and Beach roads. Omega Learning Center has recently won two Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for community service and customer satisfaction. The Web site is chesterfield.omegalearning center.com, and the e-mail is chesterfield@omegalearningcenter.com.

Liberty Tax Service, located at 10641 Hull Street Road, is a collection site for Cell Phones For Soldiers. Drop off your used cell phones so they can be donated for use by soldiers overseas. For more information, visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

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