Stamp Out Hunger food drive brings in more than 192,000 pounds of food
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank received more than 192,000 pounds of food during Stamp Out Hunger on May 11. That will provide more than 160,000 meals to families in the Blue Ridge region during the first few weeks of summer.
Now in its 21st year, Stamp Out Hunger is one of the Food Bank’s most important food drives of the year, as it helps stock the shelves before the summer slump. While hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation, food and financial donations plummet dramatically between June and September. Stamp Out Hunger provides a much-needed boost.
“We’re grateful to have this generous outpouring of support heading into our most difficult time of year,” said Michael McKee, CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. “We’re also most thankful to the National Association of Letter Carriers, local organizers and every mail carrier who participated in this effort. We know that this food drive prolonged their workday and added to an already heavy workload. Stamp Out Hunger wouldn’t be successful without them and we truly appreciate their service.”
On average, 115,000 people are receiving emergency food assistance each month through the Food Bank and its network of 250 community partners. While the donations from Stamp Out Hunger provide a tremendous lift, it won’t last long. Most of the donations will be distributed by mid-June, well before the end of summer.
Results by Region
Shenandoah Valley: 46,700+ pounds
(Harrisonburg, Staunton and Waynesboro)
Winchester: 41,800+ pounds
Charlottesville: 71,100+ pounds
Lynchburg: 32,400+ pounds
About the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Founded in 1981, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is the largest organization alleviating hunger in western and central Virginia. Headquartered in Verona, VA, the Food Bank serves 25 counties and nine cities through distribution centers in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Winchester and Verona. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank distributes more than 20 million pounds of food annually to an average of 115,000 people each month through a network of 250 community partners – food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, churches and other non-profit groups. The Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, a national food bank association that supports 202 food banks across the United States. For more information, visit www.brafb.org.
Waynesboro fares well in Best of Virginia voting
The “Best of Virginia 2013” issue of Virginia Living has hit stands, and several Waynesboro businesses have walked away with titles for the Shenandoah Valley region again this year. More than 25,000 readers participated in the 2013 survey.
First place winners include: the Virginia Fall Foliage Festival Art Show for best art event; Virginia Chili, Blues n’ Brews Festival for best food festival; Zeus Digital Theater for best movie theater; Iris Inn for most welcoming bed & breakfast; and Fishburne Military School won best independent school.
Second place winners include: WTA’s Gateway for best music venue; Rockfish Gap Outfitters for best sporting goods store; and Cynthia H. Dent, M.D. for best dermatologist.
Third place winners include: The Green Leaf Grill for best seafood restaurant; Woodworth Animal Hospital for best pet boarding; Jane M. Lynch, M.D. for best dermatologist and Rockfish Gap Outfitters took another title for best outdoor outfitter.
The Waynesboro Office of Tourism would like to congratulate all the winners. With our unique attractions and amenities and central location, Waynesboro proves to be a great place to live, work and visit!
Planned Parenthood gives Ralph Northam 100 percent rating
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia gave State Sen. Ralph Northam a 100 percent rating today.
“As a physician, Ralph Northam brings a unique perspective to the State Senate and will do the same as lieutenant governor. He has always been a vocal advocate for issues which effect women’s reproductive health, and he isn’t afraid to stand up for what he believes. As lieutenant governor, the women of Virginia can rest assured that Ralph will continue to advocate for expanded access to quality care and stand with us on the critical issues facing our state including education, voting access and public safety,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement.
Dr. Northam worked with Planned Parenthood to defeat the transvaginal ultrasound bill. Northam has now earned a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood and the endorsements of the Virginia Education Association and the Washington Post.
“I am honored to have received a perfect ranking from Planned Parenthood,” said Northam. “As a doctor, I understand the importance of protecting women’s health care rights from the radical Republican agenda. I worked with Planned Parenthood to defeat the transvaginal ultrasound bill and look forward to working with them as Lieutenant Governor.”
Benjamin Reynolds wins Walmart Bass Fishing League event at Smith Mountain Lake
Benjamin Reynolds, Callands, Va., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division event on Smith Mountain Lake. For his victory, Reynolds earned $4,315 plus $2,000 Ranger Cup bonus.
“It’s pretty special,” said Reynolds about his second BFL victory. “I had a pretty good practice on Friday and felt like I had found some fish that could win the tournament for me. I was feeling pretty good.
“Then Saturday came, I went to my first bed fish and I couldn’t get her to bite. I fooled with her for about an hour and finally decided to move to my next bed and the fish on that bed was gone. I then decided that it was time to chalk my game plan from Friday and try something different.”
Reynolds attributed part of his success to his knowledge of the lake. After working a couple of beds without reward and pulling up on a couple of beds that were empty he decided to fish areas where he knew good fish lived and that he had success on in the past.
“Three of my fish came on crankbaits and drop-shotting around shallow boat docks,” Reynolds continued. “I was able to get two off their beds, a 3- and 7-pounder using shaky head worms on a spinning rod. I just let the fish tell me what I needed to do.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Bobby Rakes, Max Meadows, Va., five bass, 16-0, $2,157
3rd: John Hutchins, Warrenton, Va., five bass, 15-3, $1,439
4th: Gregg Basham, Salem, Va., five bass, 14-5, $1,007
5th: Tommy Little, Chester, Va., five bass, 14-2, $863
6th: Rick McFaul, Phoenix, Md., five bass, 14-1, $791
7th: Mike Altizer, Vinton, Va., five bass, 13-15, $719
8th: Moe Bae, West Friendship, Md., five bass, 13-13, $647
9th: James Cassaday, Wirtz, Va., five bass, 13-11, $575
10th: Thomas Wooten, Huddleston, Va., five bass, 13-3, $503
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Mark Garraway of Fredericksburg, Va., weighed four bass totaling 12 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the co-angler division. Garraway earned $2,157 for his victory.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Larry McCausland, Mount Airy, N.C., five bass, 12-13, $1,079
3rd: Dennis Burdette, Lindside, W. Va., five bass, 11-5, $717
4th: Chris Cundiff, Wirtz, Va., five bass, 11-4, $503
5th: Junior Roberts, Ringgold, Va., four bass, 9-13, $431
6th: Mike Morris, Dover, Del., five bass, 9-8, $396
7th: Edward Louthen, Princeton, W. Va., five bass, 9-4, $360
8th: Robert Coyner, Stuarts Draft, Va., four bass, 8-15, $324
9th: Keith Goldberg, Eagle Rock, Va., five bass, 8-12, $288
10th: Tim Goff, Forest, Va., five bass, 8-3, $239
10th: Bill Naron, Beaverdam, Va., five bass, 8-3, $239
The next BFL Shenandoah Division tournament is scheduled for June 15 on the Potomac River in Marbury, Md. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27–29 on the Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
WVPT to premiere American Shakespeare Center documentary May 23
Earlier this year, WVPT Public Television and the American Shakespeare Center announced a wide-ranging partnership celebrating 25 years of Shakespeare in Staunton. A product of this partnership, Shakespeare’s American Home—a 30-minute documentary about ASC—will air Thursday, May 23 on WVPT.
Through the documentary, WVPT offers a look into the Blackfriars Playhouse—a re-creation of the first indoor theatre in the English-speaking world. William Shakespeare and his colleagues built the original theatre inside London’s Blackfriars Monastery. Featuring clips from a rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet and a performance of Love’s Labour’s Lost, the documentary shares the experiences of not just the theatre’s audience, but also the actors who make each production possible and have come from far and wide to call Staunton their home.
People from all over the world descend on Staunton to study Shakespeare,” says WVPT Creative Services Manager George Lilly, who shot and produced the film. “That’s pretty special.”
Celebrating ASC’s 25th anniversary, the documentary features interviews with ASC Director of Mission Ralph Cohen and ASC Artistic Director Jim Warren, as well as other staff and multiple actors from ASC’s 2013 Actors’ Renaissance Season Troupe.
“It’s been an extraordinary project to work on,” says Lilly. “Every part of ASC and the Blackfriars Playhouse is so interesting and creatively inspiring. They try to demystify ‘Shakesfear’ by making their performances something everyone can enjoy. Shakespeare wrote about common human emotions and themes that have been copied over and over again through the years—we can all relate to his work.”
In 2011, BBC filmmakers visited the Blackfriars Playhouse to film portions of the ASC’s production of The Tempestfor the series Shakespeare Uncovered, which aired nationwide in January. The entire series featured acclaimed actors and directors, including Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Irons, Derek Jacobi, Trevor Nunn, Joely Richardson, David Tennant, Patrick Stewart, Ben Wishaw, Jude Law and Helen Mirren. ASC was the only American theatre company featured throughout the entire six-part series.
Through a grant made possible by THIRTEEN—the flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area and the most-watched public television channel in the nation—WVPT and ASC partnered to createShakespeare’s American Home, a broadcast companion to the Shakespeare Uncovered episode on The Tempest. WVPT was one of 10 public television stations across the country to receive the grant, valued at $15,750.
The documentary will be distributed for national broadcast later this year, sharing with America what Andrew Gurr, former director of research at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, calls “one of the most historically important theatres in the world.”
Viewers can watch the documentary on May 23 at 8 p.m. on the following channels:
About WVPT Public TelevisionSince 1968, WVPT has been the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia’s public television station. But that’s just scratching the surface. WVPT is also a classroom, a concert hall, a conference center, a college and a library of the airwaves. WVPT is one of the most accessible educational institutions in the region, utilizing the power of broadcasting to help carry out its mission of education, culture and citizenship for everyone within its reach. WVPT’s over-the-air broadcast coverage area consists of 40 counties; the signal is also carried on numerous cable channels, including Staunton, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Lexington, Lynchburg and Winchester. WVPT’s sister station WVPY is carried on both Dish Network and DirecTV in the Hagerstown/Washington, D.C. market. For more information, visit www.wvpt.net.
About the American Shakespeare Center
The American Shakespeare Center, located in Staunton, Va., recovers the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare’s theatre, language and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education. The ASC’s Blackfriars Playhouse, the world’s only re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre, is open year-round for productions of classic plays, which have been hailed by the Washington Post as “shamelessly entertaining” and by the Boston Globe as “phenomenal…bursting with energy.” Founded in 1988 as Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, the organization became the American Shakespeare Center in 2005. For more information, visit www.americanshakespearecenter.













