Credit union stars are born

The Evergreen Eagles Boys Minors Division B basketball team won the regular season championship, losing only one game by one point while playing most of the fourth quarter with only three players. They also won the Chesterfield Basketball League A-B Tournament Championship. Players included (front row from left) Frankie Falchi, Zach Ritter, Aaron Shrewsbury, BJ Beckwith and Rayyan Hasan. Second row: Jacques Boyd, Jaewan Boyd, Jaleel Lang and Enrique Gomez. Back row: Coaches Chip Shrewsbury and Tony Atriga. Photo courtesy of Julie Beckwith Virginia Credit Union members are featured in two commercials as part of a new television ad campaign for the organization. The featured members were chosen based on their singing and dancing abilities.

Half of the 12 members that appear in the first commercial, which began airing last week, are Chesterfield County residents. It may be viewed by visiting www.youtube.com and searching for “Virginia Credit Union commercial.”

The Chesterfield stars include:

• Jessica Harmon is a 15-year-old Thomas Dale High School freshman who studies singing and theater. In the YouTube clip, she sings, “I can’t drive a car…”

• Emily Madden is a music teacher at Falling Creek Elementary School, who sings, “I’m prim and proper…” in the clip.

• Benaja Reid is a health-center office manager and a professional back-up singer. In the clip, Benaja sings, “I’m not a model….”

• Brittany Warthan of Chester hopes to be a professional country singer and has pursued her career aspirations in Nashville and Hollywood. In the clip, she sings, “I’m not a star…”

• Jonathan Walker graduated from Manchester High School in 2007, where he was a member of the Capital Swing show choir. He sings, “I’m not an actor…” in the clip.

• Michael Niro Gionatan, who works at Brandermill Woods retirement community, graduated from Manchester High in 2009. He was also a member of the show choir and sings, “I’m kind of a slob…” in the clip.

Business

The Midlothian Athletic Club Spring Fling will be held on Saturday, April 9, from 9 a.m.-noon, at the facility located at 10800 Center View Drive, Richmond. Receive a complimentary tour, discounts, food, games and prizes. For more information, call Julia Hendrix at 330-2222 or visit www.macrichmond.com.

Patty Grogan of SCENIQUE Interior Design has been certified in interior redesign and now offers one-day decorating for your home or business. Redesign uses a client’s existing furnishings and accessories to achieve dramatic decorating results. For more information, call 590-3564 or (972) 965-8445 or visit www.decorscenique.com.

Martin’s Food Markets is donating $100,000 to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund. Through April 3, the food chain will collect donations in all stores, including Chesterfield locations, for the relief fund.

Walmart, 12000 Iron Bridge Road, Chester, has offered use of a trailer in its parking lot to Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Alliance for Social Ministry to collect nonperishable food items from April 11-16.

Woodlake Animal Hospital will hold a “spring fling” on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at 6511 Woodlake Village Parkway, Midlothian. Meet the staff, take a tour of the facility and meet animal-rescue groups. There will be an Easter egg hunt for kids and dogs and an Easter parade starring pets dressed in costume. For more information, visit www.woodlakeanimalhospital.net, call 639-1159 or email woodlakeanimalhospital@gmail.com.

During April, Curves gyms in the Midlothian area will participate in the 13th Annual Curves Food Drive to collect nonperishable food items and cash donations to benefit area food banks. Current members who make a $30 donation or an equivalent donation of food will receive a Curves reusable grocery bag. And, from April 4-17, Curves will waive the membership fee for new members who donate a bag of nonperishable food or make a minimum donation of $30. For more information, contact Curves of Midlothian, 10829 Hull Street Road (276- 3330); Curves of Richmond, 9722 Midlothian Turnpike (327-5030); Curves of Midlothian, 6725 Lake Harbour Drive (639-1533); Curves of Midlothian, 117 Browns Way Road (594- 2590); or email dvddhill@yahoo.com.

Holland Registration is ongoing for Mathnasium’s TriMathlon competition for kids in grades 3-6. Mathnasium of Midlothian, 15508 Westchester Commons Way, Midlothian, and Mathnasium of Richmond, 3151 Lauderdale Drive, Henrico, will host the competition on May 14 at their learning centers. Registration is free and open to all students in grades 3-6 who attend public or private schools, or are homeschooled. For more information or to register, visit www.mathnasium.com/TriMathlon.

Jim Holland and Bill Brown have formed a CPA partnership, Holland and Brown, to offer tax and accounting services. The office is located at 9517 Amberdale Drive, Richmond. For more information, visit www.hollandbrowncpa.com.

Brown Puritan Cleaners, with Chesterfield locations at 11665 Midlothian Turnpike and 12026 Southshore Pointe Road, has been awarded the Corporate Service Award from the Urban League of Greater Richmond. The award is given out annually to a company that has demonstrated outstanding humanitarian service to the Richmond community.

Sports Clips Haircuts franchisees Tony and Debra Sawyer of Midlothian have been recognized as Runner-up Team Leaders of the Year for 2010 by the national company.

Organizations

Wythe G. Wythe Michael received the 2010 Chairman’s Award from the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce for his service to the group. Michael is a founder of Ramey | Michael Business Law Group in Midlothian.

Branch’s Baptist Church, 3400 Broad Rock Blvd., Richmond, will host a series of free vocal workshops, “Glee for Grown-ups,” sponsored by the Greater Richmond Chorus, on May 2, 9, 16 and 23, from 7-9 p.m. each evening. Attendees will learn vocal techniques and basic choreography, and perform in a concert with the Branch’s Baptist Church chorus in June. For more information, visit www.GRCSings.com.

Jim Ingle of Centennial Homes is the recipient of the 2010 Guy B Hazelgrove Jr. Membership Development Award at the Home Building Association of Richmond. Ingle was selected based on demonstrating the most significant contribution to membership recruitment and retention, as well as overall contributions to the association.

Roger Langford of Professional Warranty Service Corporation was recently inducted into the National Association of Home Builder’s Society of Honored Associates based on his involvement in HBAR, the Home Builders Association of Virginia and the National Association of Home Builders.

Jarek Muchowski has been promoted to director of summer camp and respite services for the Greater Richmond ARC’s Camp Baker program in Chesterfield. Camp Baker provides year-round programming for individuals with developmental disabilities. Also at Camp Baker, a group of students from Rutgers University volunteered to help refurbish the camp while learning about developmental disabilities in discussions held by the camp’s senior director, Dr. Shirley O’Brien. During February and March, the camp hosted students from the University of Maine, University of Indiana, University of Western New and the College of William & Mary for the same purpose.

The Huguenot Republican Woman’s Club has selected new officers for 2011. They include Bretiss Zacek, president, Ellen Nau, first vice president, Tarina Buehler, second vice president, Toni McDavid, recording secretary, Jo Garey, corresponding secretary, and Tara Carroll, treasurer.

Adams Sharyl Adams, substance abuse prevention specialist for the Chesterfield County Department of Youth Planning and Development, and Wayne Frith, executive director of SAFE, recently presented workshops at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Annual National Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C.

Frith Nurturing Parenting programs, family-centered initiatives designed to build nurturing parenting skills as an alternative to abusive and neglectful parenting and childrearing practices, will meet at Central Baptist Church, 1510 Courthouse Road, Richmond, on Monday evenings beginning at a date and time to be announced. The programs target all families with children birth to 18 years old who are at risk for abuse and neglect. The programs feature activities to foster positive parenting skills and self-nurturing, home practice exercises, family nurturing time and activities to promote positive brain development in children. For more information, call the sponsoring organization, Stop Child Abuse Now, at 257-7226.

High school seniors who plan to attend Virginia Tech this fall are invited to apply for five $2,000 scholarships offered by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association – Richmond. Scholarship selections will be based on academic achievement, essay responses, extracurricular involvement, community service and financial need. Those interested in applying should visit www.richmondhokies.org/scholarships to download and print an application and review requirements. The deadline for postmarked submissions is May 2. For more information, contact Paul Louie at scholarships@richmondhokies.org or 741- 1156 ext. 560.

The Millwood School Youth Leaders group participated in a fundraiser to benefit the Foundation for Children with Cancer, a nonprofit organization that assists families who are financially challenged when a child has cancer. The project, called Hats on Day, gave students, teachers, parents, grandparents and trustees the opportunity to donate money to FCC and wear a hat of their choice for the day. The studentorganized event raised $2,082. Photo courtesy of Millwood School Chesterfield-based Keep Virginia Beautiful is enjoying a resurgence. The group’s mission is to encourage Virginians to improve the commonwealth’s natural and scenic environment by linking them to volunteer opportunities and information about litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education. Find out more by visiting www.keepvirginiabeautiful.org.

A Chesterfield-based website, www.thetallgirlexperience.com, has been launched for girls who are 5 feet 6 inches tall to 6 feet 8 inches tall and their parents to read about the good and bad times of other tall girls.

The Hopewell Humane Society rescues and cares for stray, abandoned animals, including those found in Chesterfield County. Some of the organization’s adoptable cats are currently available for viewing at PetSmart, 1276 Carmia Way, Richmond. Volunteers from the humane society are usually on-site at the store each Saturday to talk with potential adopters. The humane society is also seeking volunteers to help in its mission. For more information or to volunteer, call Barbara at 748-3252 or Carol at 458-3734.

Richmond Hero has opened a brand new thrift store to benefit homeless pets at 13501 Jefferson Davis Highway, Building No. 30, Chester. Business hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, abandoned and abused pets and to educating the public on the importance of spaying and neutering. Proceeds from thrift-store sales will go to the care of these pets until they are placed in new, loving homes. Tax-deductible donations of items are welcome. Item pick-up may be available by calling Sheila at 901-9011, Deanna at 586-1529 or Valerie at 402-9409. For more information, visit www.richmondhero.com.

Members of the Midlothian High School FIRST Robotics Team #1541, the Midlocanics, comprised of students from Midlothian, James River and Cloverof HillPlaces high schools, walked away from the Pittsburgh FIRST Regional competition with three awards. The team came in second in a field of 39 teams and received Team WORSHIPthe Judges’ Award, given to a team for its unique efforts, performance or dynamics. member Jared O’Hara was selected as one of two regional finalists for the FIRST dean’s list award, which celebrates a student’s outstanding leadership and effectiveness at building appreciation for engineering within their community and school. Photo courtesy of Jeriann Crawford New officers of the Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center Community Advisory Board include Joyce Lanier as chairperson and Tom Flood as immediate past chairman.

Midlothian Ruritan Club members Ron Stewart, Barbara Stewart, Larry Ford, Teresa Albertson, David Nelms, Steve Harris, Joanne Thompson, Bruce Thompson and Phil Burks volunteered to take phone calls for pledges during WCVE Pubic Television’s recent fundraiser.

The Bon Secours Richmond Health System, including St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian, has been ranked as the No. 1 nonprofit for executive women in 2011 by the National Association of Female Executives. The list of the top 50 companies and top 10 nonprofits recognizes organizations whose policies and practices encourage women’s advancement and whose numbers at the highest levels of leadership demonstrate that commitment.

In conjunction with National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs in Chesterfield- Colonial Heights and Henrico will cosponsor a “Superhero Run” on April 9 at St. Joseph’s Villa, 8000 Brook Road, Richmond. The run to raise awareness and support for local victims of child abuse will feature a 5k race, kids’ mile run and post-race fair. For more information, email chcasa@comcast.net or call 276-7660.

One of the most notable facets of Virginia history is the Civilian Conservation Corps, a federal work program in place from 1933-42 that was designed to ease unemployment during the Great Depression. The CCC employed people between the ages of 18 and 25 to improve natural resources and help build the nation’s outdoor recreation infrastructure. The CCC Museum is at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield. March 31 has been designated as Virginia CCC Member Appreciation Day, an annual celebration of the contributions of the 107,000 men who served in our commonwealth. Those interested in learning more about supporting the heritage of the CCC may contact Joan Sharpe, CCC Legacy, at (540) 984-8735 or ccc@ccclegacy.org.

Thomas Dale High School Class of 1991 will hold its 20-year reunion on July 23-24 at the Richmond Convention Center, 403 North 3rd St., Richmond. For more information, call Parag Shah at 594-7295.

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.