Nashville second baseman Josh VanMeter’s redemption brought the Norfolk Tides frustration.
VanMeter atoned for a costly error by socking a two-run go-ahead homer in the ninth inning of a 94-degree Saturday night at Harbor Park, giving the Sounds a 5-4 victory over the Tides before 6,710.
Norfolk starter Drew Rom had been in line for the victory. He threw a career-high 105 pitches, lasting 5 2/3 innings. The left-hander gave up eight hits but just two runs, striking out six and walking two.
Nashville (54-45, 14-11 in the International League’s second half) ended the Tides’ two-game winning streak and went ahead 3-2 in the six-game series, whose finale is at 4:05 p.m. Sunday.
The Sounds went ahead in the first as VanMeter scored when Skye Bolt blooped a single to right.
Norfolk (62-37, 14-11) quickly tied the game on Connor Norby’s home run to left in the botttom of the first.
Nashville went up 2-1 in the fourth as Bolt crossed the plate on Monte Harrison’s single to center. But again, the Tides answered in the bottom of the fourth.
Kyle Stowers led off with a double and went to third with one out on Cesar Prieto’s infield single. Josh Lester grounded a tying RBI double to center field. Norfolk went ahead 4-2 when VanMeter mishandled a Lewin Diaz batted ball, allowing Prieto and Lester to score.
Relievers T.J. McFarland and Nick Vespi contained Nashville, preserving the lead. But Logan Gillaspie wasn’t so fortunate in the ninth, when the Sounds went ahead without making an out.
Harrison led off with a double to right, and Luis Urias doubled to left to cut Norfolk’s lead to 4-3. VanMeter belted a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left-center, scoring the go-ahead run.
Gillaspie avoided further damage, but Thyago Vieira retired the Tides 1-2-3 in the ninth for a save. Harrison made a leaping catch of a Diaz drive on the warning track in center field to end the game.
A lack of clarity can lead to hurt feelings. Perfectionist Venus scoffs at wispy Neptune in a messy quincunx at 12:25 pm EDT, making it difficult to know what’s appropriate. As the Moon supports Mars, we at least have the courage to work past any misunderstandings and take ownership of our mistakes. Finally, the Moon agrees with Jupiter, showering us with luck and wisdom that should help us make sense of what was previously a confusing haze of emotion. We can find our way through.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
You could get the sense that you’re feeling your way through the dark. It’s possible that a statement of yours won’t land well with your audience, potentially because you weren’t aware that they were sensitive to the topics that you were addressing. While this isn’t completely unavoidable, there’s nothing wrong with taking ownership of what you said and apologizing for your ignorance. They’ll likely appreciate your willingness to grow from your mistakes, and you should be able to move past any awkwardness.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Your friends may feel like you’re avoiding them at the moment. While this probably isn’t the case, you may have recently spent a while on your own, handling situations that you needed to take care of — it might be time to reach out to your friends and remind them that you haven’t cut them off out of the blue. We all have periods of our lives where we’re not able to be as social, but a quick hello can make a big difference.
Gemini
May 21 – June 20
Speak from the heart, not from the mind. You could be struggling with an authority figure, like a parent or a supervisor, whom you find difficult to understand. You are different people who have unique styles of communicating and thinking, so your methods may not make sense to each other. It’s easy to dismiss someone’s way of life when you don’t know their story, but there’s likely a reason they operate like this. Keep an open mind when puzzling things out with them.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
You might be avoiding learning something new. You could feel like you don’t need help or advice at this time, but you’re allowed to need a little boost getting to wherever you’re going. Trying to do it on your own may lead you to do things wrong or to take a lot more time — instead, make a point of listening to someone who knows tips and tricks to get you there much faster or more accurately. Don’t shut yourself off from growth.
Leo
July 23 – August 22
Your fears might distort what’s actually happening. Speaking onstage could feel like everyone is just waiting for you to finish, when really they’re engrossed in what you’re saying. Auditioning for a part or requesting funding could feel like you gave the worst performance of anyone, when really you knocked it out of the park! It’s understandable, since we all have insecurities, but try to see the people around you as being on your side rather than against you. Don’t create an enemy in your head.
Virgo
August 23 – September 22
Someone may be refusing to speak up. It’s possible that a peer is dancing around specific topics with you, or avoiding speaking to you entirely, but seems as though they have something that they want to say. Perhaps they feel hurt but don’t want to look weak, or a secret is weighing on them. Whatever they’re keeping inside, they could be struggling to bring it to the surface. Give them the space to figure it out, and until then, that’s all you can do.
Libra
September 23 – October 22
Someone who currently claims to be your friend might not be what they seem. They may feel enamored with you for myriad reasons, but their intentions could be less simple than companionship — what might they want from you? Whether this is love, money, influence, or just your kindness, you should be aware of the people that you’re sharing your life with during this time. Make sure that those in your circle want the best for you, as you do for them.
Scorpio
October 23 – November 21
You may not be sure what to say today. Someone could bring you shocking information, leaving you unsure whether to try and make them feel better with lighthearted humor or be serious and give them a shoulder to cry on. It might be best to ask them directly what would make them feel most supported or loved, and go from there, because attempting to figure it out through trial and error won’t be fun. As long as they know you care, that’s what matters.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
You might be torn between moving on and trying again. In particular, it could be almost easy to see a future where you go your separate ways from someone in your life that you have fallen out with or just drifted apart from, even if at one point in time you couldn’t imagine your life without them in it. While it will take hard work to repair the relationship should you choose to try, preserving a meaningful connection with a friend may be worth it.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19
It’s hard to know if you should speak up now — especially if you want to talk to someone about a tough topic or say something that won’t be easy for them to hear. You’re possibly not sure if you should clam up and keep the information to yourself, or if they would want to know so that they can promptly address the subject. This decision is difficult, and there’s probably no right answer. It’s more about what you feel inside. So use your intuition.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
Social risks may presently be dangerously uncertain. No matter how fun an acquaintance seems or how long you’ve been interested in getting to know them, listen to your gut. Set aside any shared interests and ask yourself why you haven’t fully approached them yet. Does anything about them endanger your sense of security? While it might still feel tempting to try and form a bond, it’s probably not worth the gamble you would be making. Not everyone has to be your friend.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20
A current choice between the easy way and the hard way isn’t as simple as it sounds. The easy way is potentially riskier or less aligned with your morals, while the hard way is challenging, but should be more stable and provide long-term benefits. Giving yourself an out and taking the simple path is enticing, but life might be more difficult later due to taking such shortcuts. Avoid punishing your future self and take the path that’s more likely to fully satisfy you.
Web Davidson, a 3-star offensive lineman from Macon, Georgia, became Virginia Tech’s 17th football commitment among the senior class of 2024. The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder from Tatnall Square Academy announced his decision on Twitter, becoming Tech’s third offensive lineman in the class.
According to 247 Sports, he also has scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Michigan State, Arkansas, James Madison and Liberty, among others.
Former Old Dominion All-American Yuliia Starodubtseva continued her surge at the $60,000 Dallas Open indoor hard-court pro tournament.
Unseeded in the singles field of 32, she won for the third time in the event — not counting a second-round walkover — by rallying past Yexin Ma of China 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. The triumph advanced the Ukraine native to Sunday’s championship match against second-seeded Yafan Wang of China, who is 182nd in the Women’s Tennis Association computer rankings.
Starodubtseva has climbed to 260th in the world. Her most notable victory of the week was a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 quarterfinal triumph against top-seeded Madison Brengle, 33, who is ranked 103rd and has been as high as 35th (in 2015).
BASKETBALL
Ex-Hokie’s 3-pointer brings TBT victory
Former Virginia Tech player Jarell Eddie banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing to reach the Elam Ending target score of 64 and give the Gutter Cats a stunning 64-62 victory over The Ville in a round-of-16 game of The Basketball Tournament.
The champion team in the winner-take-all event will split $1 million; it features mostly pros without current NBA contracts.
The Ville, mostly a collection of former Louisville Cardinals, was playing before a favorable crowd at Freedom Hall. Russ Smith’s basket put The Ville ahead 62-56, but his team never scored again, missing five shots and committing two turnovers.
Eddie’s game-winner capped a closing 8-0 run. The 31-year-old finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and former VMI player QJ Peterson had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Gutter Cats, who overcame 24 turnovers.
OMG JARELL EDDIE!!!!😱
THE SHOW IS OVER IN FREEDOM HALL!!!
HE JUST BANKED IN A DAGGER AND LOUISVILLE IS STUNNED!!
They advanced to a Monday night quarterfinal at Freedom Hall against Bleed Green, a North Texas alumni squad.
Chane Behanan led The Ville with 18 points. One of The Ville competitors who isn’t a former Cardinal, former William & Mary guard Omar Prewitt, played about seven minutes in reserve but went scoreless.
Herd That, mostly a Marshall alumni team, defeated the Sideline Cancer squad 73-64 in Wheeling, West Virginia, behind Jon Elmore’s 17 points. J.P. Tokoto, a former North Carolina player, hit the winning basket for Herd That and ended with 12 points.
Sideline Cancer got 20 points from Richmond-area native Tyrese Rice and seven points, five rebounds and three assists from ex-Hokie Keve Aluma.
Herd That will stay in Wheeling to face Boeheim’s Army, a mostly Syracuse alumni squad, in a 4 p.m. quarterfinal Sunday.
Anyone who has to use the James River Bridge every day or even occasionally has seen this. You are cruising along at the speed limit or maybe even keeping up with traffic at maybe 63 mph, and all of a sudden a vehicle comes up behind you and darts into the other lane, just missing your bumper and cutting off whoever is in the other lane. He zips around you, and as soon as he has clearance, he cuts back in front of you and speeds away. A minute later you can’t even see him. He had to be going 90 mph.
It’s not the occasional driver going 10 mph over the speed limit, but these folks going 20 or 30 mph over the limit and cutting in and out of traffic. This needs to stop before more people are killed.
I heard of a device called a Flock Safety camera that takes a photo of the license plate. This could be tied to a radar detector and transmitted to a police car waiting at the end of the bridge where there is room to pull him over. The funds derived should be specifically designated to the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office and Newport News Police Department.
I think an officer at each end would only take a few days or a week to put a stop to this dangerous practice.
It seems the National Park Service has implied that security was a problem at the club. The precipitating incident that happened in June 2022 did not occur on club property. The Fort Monroe Authority has security vehicles driving along the boardwalk, but rarely have I seen the officers get out of their air-conditioned trucks. Drinking is widespread on the various beaches throughout Fort Monroe.
The recent article mentioned above about Fort Monroe stated that Old Point Comfort Marina will be transformed into a $50-million development called 37 North at Fort Monroe. The marina’s new docks will accommodate about 300 vessels and will allow for much larger vessels such as superyachts. I’m not sure how many residents of Hampton, Newport News and other communities on the Peninsula own superyachts, but perhaps many of the governor’s friends want to visit Virginia.
In the meantime, thousands of residents in Hampton Roads are not able to enjoy the Paradise Ocean Club this summer. The Fort Monroe Authority and the National Park Service have failed the residents of Hampton and all of Tidewater.
Bill Marsh, Newport News
Grandchild
Having never thought much of President Joe Biden, his latest gesture of not accepting his little grandchild, Navy Joan Roberts, shows me just what a cruel man he has become. After losing his little daughter, Naomi Biden, along with his wife in a terrible automobile accident, one would think he would be thrilled to welcome this precious little girl who came into this world through no fault of her own.
Now Biden has become an angry old man. He should never be president again for his actions of the past, including the high prices of gas, the still-high inflation, the constant chaos at the southern border, and the humiliation of our bungled exit from Afghanistan. These actions show us that Biden should know that the job of being president is too big for him to handle.
Hunter Biden seems to have a strange power over his father that neither of them will acknowledge this precious little girl. It seems to me that Joe Biden is frightened of his own son, and Hunter Biden’s power over his father is truly wicked. Joe Biden and Hunter Biden seem to appease and protect one another. Based on the settlement, the Arkansas girl will get a lot of terrible paintings by Hunter Biden. It is obvious that the Bidens have decided that this little girl does not even exist. What a tragic and sad situation.
Andrew Morton, Virginia Beach
Thank you
I want to express my thanks to someone named Taylor. She or her Navy husband found my wallet and returned it to my previous address. She indicated her husband was jogging on Dam Neck Road and found it. This is the second time the Navy has come to my rescue.
I was assigned to Clark Air Base in the Philippines when Mount Pinatubo erupted. We all drove to Subic Bay in the Philippines and waited for rescue. Everyone was so helpful. I got to go on the USS Abraham Lincoln; the crew enjoyed taking care of all the dogs and cats we brought. I’m retired now from the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. I give my deepest regards for the Navy. They’ve rescued me twice.
A man died of his injures after a shooting in Hampton on Saturday, police said.
Officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 200 Block of Regent Street, near Kecoughtan Road, shortly after 1 p.m., per a release from the Hampton Police Department.
When officers arrived, several people were assisting a man with multiple gunshot wounds behind a building, according to the release.
The man was transported to the hospital and died of his injuries upon arrival, police said.
The man’s identity is being withheld until next-of-kin can be notified.
Anyone with information that would assist police is asked to contact the Hampton Police Division at 757–727–6111 or 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Tipsters can also send an anonymous tip at P3Tips.com.
VIRGINIA BEACH — Nicholas Olenik has battled mental health challenges throughout his life.
As a sometimes anxious child, it took longer for him to process emotions. Four years ago, the 41-year-old fell into a depression when his brother died from a heart attack. The dark days of the pandemic, and his father’s battle with — and later death from — cancer in 2021 only made things worse.
So last year, after a buddy told him about emus and how they can be a great emotional support companion, Olenik decided to give it a try.
That’s right, emus — the large flightless birds from Australia that typically stand about 5-foot-7 and weigh more than 100 pounds.
Olenik purchased an emu egg locally, watched over it until the chick hatched in December, and bottle fed her as she grew. He and wife Sarah named the chick Nimbus and allowed it to roam freely throughout the house they share with their teenage daughter and Olenik’s aunt in the Kempsville area. While they all watched with delight as Nimbus cuddled with them and their other pets, it was clear her closest bond was with Olenik, whom she followed throughout the house and yard.
“I came back to life because of that emu,” Olenik said during an interview Friday at their home. “You can’t be sad when you’re with an emu. They’re the cutest damned things ever.”
Nicholas Olenik’s wife, Sarah, shows a photo of Nimbus mimicking his facial expression at their home in Virginia Beach on Friday, July 28, 2023. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
All that joy came to a halt earlier this year when a neighbor complained to Virginia Beach Animal Control, and Olenik was cited for having livestock in an area not designated for it. In March, a District Court judge found him guilty and ordered him to pay a $50 fine. Because Olenik planned to appeal, the judge held off on ordering him to get rid of Nimbus.
Olenik got the news he’d been hoping for Thursday when Virginia Beach Circuit Judge Kevin Duffan issued a 2-page written opinion finding Olenik not guilty of the charge and ruling he can keep his beloved pet at his home. The judge also dismissed the matter with prejudice, meaning the city can’t refile the case.
According to Duffan’s opinion, the legal definitions of “companion animal” and “livestock” — and how Nimbus fit into those definitions — weighed heavily in his decision.
At the new trial earlier this month, Olenik’s attorney, Alexander H. Bell, presented the judge with photos showing Nimbus roaming in Olenik’s house and cuddling on the floor with the family’s golden retriever, as well as a letter from Olenik’s psychologist, confirming the emu was an emotional support animal. Olenik testified Nimbus spent most of her time indoors and wore a harness and leash when she left the property.
Nicholas Olenik
Nimbus the emu cuddles with golden retriever Tommy Bahama at the home the animals share with the Olenik family in Kempsville in an undated photo.
“What is a trial court to do when presented with evidence that an animal clearly defined as livestock is also defined as a companion animal,” Duffan wrote in his opinion.
The judge noted that while city code prevents livestock from being in areas not designated for it, there are exceptions when the animals are kept as household pets. He also pointed to case law that defined livestock as animals “raised for food or fiber.”
“The record is clear that Nimbus is treated like family,” Duffan wrote. “There is no question that the Defendant is not raising Nimbus for ‘food or fiber’… While it is highly unusual that someone would keep an emu as a pet — or as a companion animal — while residing in the heart of suburbia, Defendant has shown to the court that it is not impossible.”
The news, however, came a little too late for Olenik to have a happy ending with Nimbus.
As the case kept getting continued in the spring, he said prosecutors would only agree to a another continuance if Nimbus were removed from the home until it was resolved. So he decided to take her to stay with the friend in Tennessee who’d told him about emus and also runs an animal rescue and wildlife rehab center. In June, Olenik drove 16 hours there in a minivan with his mother, a friend and Nimbus.
“I cried all the way home,” he said. “It was so hard.”
While in Tennessee, Nimbus has fallen for a male emu on the property, Olenik said. She and her mate seem so happy in videos that Olenik has decided to leave Nimbus there. But he hasn’t given up on emus, he said, and plans to get another to add to the family’s now extensive collection of birds.
After they got Nimbus, Olenik and his wife added six hens, three ducks, and a turkey that all live outside. Emus like watching over other birds, Olenik said, and he wanted to give Nimbus something to do when she was outside. The family’s indoor pets include three dogs and two cats.
Nicholas Olenik holds one of his chickens, named Obama, at his home in Virginia Beach on Friday, July 28, 2023. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
While he enjoys all his pets, Olenik said Nimbus was special, making him smile and laugh all the time. He believes emus can help others like him and wants to get the word out.
The court case even spurred Olenik to run for office: He’s now vying as an Independent for Virginia’s 96th District house seat, facing Democrat incumbent Kelly Convirs-Fowler and Republican Mike Karslake.
At the bottom of his website’s homepage is a photo of Nimbus wearing a red, white and blue hat with the sentence, “It all started with an emu.” In addition to mental health, Olenik’s platform includes supporting military members and veterans, farmers, law enforcement and education.
He said he decided to file for office immediately after being found guilty at the lower court level.
“The judge told me: ‘Mr. Olenik if you don’t like these laws you need to go to Richmond and change them yourself.’ And that’s what I plan to do.”
He knows there are people who probably will laugh at him for having an emotional support emu, and he’s even heard other politicians refer to him as “the emu guy.” But he said it doesn’t bother him.
“It may not be for everyone, but it was for me,” Olenik said. “I needed that bird and she needed me. She brought me back enough that here I am now running for state delegate.”
PORTSMOUTH — Firefighters and emergency workers are again attempting to secure collective bargaining power for city employee organizations to negotiate for better wages, safety measures and working conditions.
The International Firefighters Association Local 539, founded in 1937 and made up of nearly 200 full-time Portsmouth firefighters and paramedics, sent authorization cards to the city last week, displaying support from about 90% of its members, according to union president Lt. Kurt Detrick.
Per state code, it’s now up to City Council, which has 120 days to take a vote and decide.
Virginia was one of a few states with a blanket ban on collective bargaining for public sector employees until 2020, when the Democrat-controlled General Assembly enacted a new law, effective 2021, punting the final say to localities. Allowing collective bargaining means workers can negotiate in good faith with city leaders on a labor contract dictating pay, benefits, safety, equipment and working conditions.
Some cities in Northern Virginia already have approved the collective bargaining process for city workers, but attempts in Hampton Roads have not yet been successful.
Virginia Beach is considering collective bargaining for its employees and officers. In 2020, Portsmouth was the first Hampton Roads city to authorize collective bargaining for city employees thanks to a unanimous City Council vote. The resolution at the time called for a working group of city leaders and subject matter experts to explore procedures on how to make it happen when the law became effective the following year.
But City Council reversed course when that time came after then-Chief Financial Officer Mimi Terry, now interim city manager, informed members that such efforts would likely cost the city $2 million to begin the process while limiting expansion of other services. The council then adopted a resolution to no longer grant employees the ability to collectively bargain.
Because of the conflicting resolutions, Detrick said union leaders went back to the drawing board. They’re optimistic it could happen this time, though, as three of its endorsed candidates from last year’s election are now on City Council: Bill Moody, Mark Hugel and Vernon Tillage.
“We felt like this was the right time to go back at it,” Detrick said. “Now that they’ve been in office for the first half of the year, the dust has settled on the transition … we’re through the budget process and we’ve submitted the authorization cards.”
One reason he thinks the previous effort failed is because it was uncharted territory for Hampton Roads. But since, Detrick said members have talked with the community through civic league meetings and social media campaigns.
“I think the community understands the value and us having that seat at the table,” Detrick said. “And not just having a seat at the table, but having an actual way to handle the disputes when they come up.”
How the city will address the request from the fire union is unclear. Terry told The Virginian-Pilot that council, city leadership and the legal team will publicly provide more information “at the appropriate time to ensure the public is aware of the decisions we make as a governing body on behalf of our citizens.”
If approved, collective bargaining would apply to all city employees, not just firefighters and paramedics. Some processes would follow, such as the selection of representatives and labor administrators to help work toward a contract. Detrick explained that since Virginia is a right-to-work state, union membership is optional. City employees are also prohibited from striking and would be terminated if they did, he added.
“We’re entering into a new world in Virginia with this,” Detrick said. “Everywhere else does it. I can understand the apprehension, but it’s important to understand the facts and not just go off the fear.”
Detrick explained that employees would be represented through different bargaining units comprising workers of similar fields, citing one for police, one for those working trades and one for administrative professionals, for example.
Capt. Levin Turner, vice president of governmental affairs for the Portsmouth Professional Firefighters & Paramedics IAFF Local 539, and President Lt. Kurt Detrick pose for a portrait outside of Portsmouth Fire Station 1 on Friday, July 28, 2023. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Capt. Levin Turner, vice president of governmental affairs for the union, said allowing collective bargaining would prevent the “hemorrhaging” of the city’s personnel to other jurisdictions that can offer better pay and incentives — potentially making Portsmouth a more attractive option for workers. Though more than two dozen recruits are currently in the academy, he estimates about a dozen fire personnel have departed over the past 16 months.
Detrick said the department is almost fully staffed, but added he believes the union’s work to publicly advocate for collective bargaining rights has led to the hiring and filling of vacancies that once plagued the department.
Detrick said it’s about having a method in place to reach an agreement with city leaders beyond discussions.
“(This) is a way that we can amicably find common ground for the betterment of service delivery for the community,” Turner said. “And that’s ultimately our priority. We want to retain qualified and experienced personnel to provide the highest level of service to our community.”
Photographs on the staircase wall inside the Anne Spencer House in Lynchburg show some of its famous visitors: poet Langston Hughes, Justice Thurgood Marshall, inventor George Washington Carver, and actor and activist Paul Robeson, among others.
Spencer was a poet of the Harlem Renaissance, the African American cultural revival of the 1920s and 1930s. Her works, infused with botanical references, explore human relationships, the rights of women, and nature.After being born near Danville in 1882, she lived most of her life in Lynchburg, where her home became a pilgrimage site for Black writers and intellectuals to discuss literature, poetry, politics and her greatest passion, gardening.
Poet Anne Spencer in her garden.
“My grandmother never lived in Harlem, but I would say Harlem came to her,” said Spencer’s granddaughter Shaun Spencer-Hester, executive director of the Anne Spencer House & Garden Museum.
My wife, Carol, and I recently traveled there, where we met Spencer-Hester. The house, on Pierce Street, is remarkably intact: More than 95% of the furnishings are original to her grandparents. Indeed, walking through the front door is like entering a home, not a museum. The house, a Virginia Historic Landmark, is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
The fact that the house and its furnishings remain so intact is thanks to Anne Spencer’s son (and Shaun’s father), the late Chauncy Spencer, who saw the value of keeping his parents’ home available to the public.
Anne Spencer did not publish many poems, about 30. She wrote primarily for herself, not for a wider audience. But her distinguished house guests recognized her talent and urged her to seek publishers. Her poems have been widely anthologized, and she was the second African American to be featured in the Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry.
“There’s so much to admire in the energy and musicality of Anne Spencer’s poems — her life in the Harlem Renaissance, as a practicing artist and as a civil rights leader, is such an important part of Virginia’s humanities legacy,” said Michele Rozga, an associate professor of English at Norfolk State University, in an email.
Anne Spencer’s husband, Edward, built their Queen Anne style house in 1903. He was a parcel postman and entrepreneur. She was a librarian at Lynchburg’s Dunbar High School; she had studied library science at what is now Hampton University. Together they helped found the Lynchburg chapter of the NAACP.
The hand of Edward is everywhere in the house. On his postal route, he’d collect discarded material to bring home. This is apparent in the kitchen, where there are two heavily padded red doors he salvaged from a Lynchburg movie theater when it was being demolished. The kitchen’s floor-to-ceiling cabinets are also products of his collecting.
Pasted on one of the cabinets is an excerpt from Spencer’s 1927 poem “Lines to a Nasturtium” written in a fine hand on contact paper decorated with nasturtiums. The words were copied by Amaza Lee Meredith, a Lynchburg-born artist and architect and a relative of Spencer’s by marriage.
Meredith’s copy reads in part:
… Day-torch, Flame-flower, cool-hot Beauty,I cannot see, I cannot hear your fluteyVoice lure your loving swain,But I know one other to whom you are in beautyBorn in vain: Hair like the setting sun,Her eyes a rising star,Motions gracious as reeds by Babylon, barAll your competing;Hands like, how like, brown lilies sweet,Cloth of gold were fair enough to touch her feet …
It is a dramatic contrast to see this powerful poem placed on a cabinet door next to the kitchen sink and a box of dish detergent. In the dining room, the table is set with Anne’s plates, bowls, silverware and wine glasses. On the mantelpiece is Meredith’s stunning mosaic of multi-colored tiles surrounding orange, red and pink nasturtiums, commemorating the poem.
The sunroom off the dining room was added in 1922. It offers a view of the garden and has a big fireplace. Anne’s and Edward’s easy chairs are here. “It was my grandmother’s favorite place,” Spencer-Hester said.
She led us to the upstairs guest room. Some of the visitors who slept here include scholar W.E.B. DuBois, poet James Weldon Johnson, and politician Adam Clayton Powell and his wife, Isabel Washington Powell, a well-known dancer and actor. The bed is original, as are the blankets, pillowcases and quilt neatly tucked at the foot of the bed.
In Anne and Edward’s bedroom are twin beds covered by Anne’s quilts. In the middle of the night when she got inspired, she would write on the wall. “We called it her nighttime writing tablet,” her granddaughter said.
The writings are no longer visible. In 1944, they were covered up by Dolly Allen Mason’s painting “The Cocktail Party” pasted directly onto the wall. The original has since been removed, and in its place is a print.
A second-floor room overlooking the garden served as Anne Spencer’s dressing room. Her vanity is still there with her hand mirror, lamp, brushes, perfume and a summer hat.
Spencer-Hester envisions her grandmother in this room.
“She’s looking out on her garden,” she said, “thinking about what she’s going to do for the day.”
Much of Anne Spencer’s life revolved around her garden. Carol, the gardener in our family, pointed out flowering flat peas with pink petals, light blue clusters of hydrangeas, flame-like red and yellow lilies, and the soft white blossoms of larkspur. The garden has been re-created to reflect what Anne would have grown in the 1930s.
Edankraal, Anne Spencer’s writing cottage, built by her husband, Edward.
Central to the garden is Edankraal, Anne Spencer’s writing cottage built by Edward — “Ed” for Edward, “an” for Anne, and “kraal” for enclosure. The patio outside the cottage and the floor inside are greenstone rock slabs quarried nearby. Inside is the writing desk, her papers still in place and her shawl draped over the chair. A note from Langston Hughes thanks her for her hospitality.
Anne Spencer’s writing desk in Edankraal. Her shawl is draped over the chair.
Spencer-Hester told us stories about her grandparents. One day two boys from Virginia Beach who were visiting Lynchburg stopped Edward on his postal route and begged him to take their pet bird, which they would be forced to leave behind when they returned home. Edward took the bird and named it Joe Crow. Joe lived in Anne’s garden for the next 10 years. Today Joe Crow is commemorated on a bench in the garden built by seventh graders as a project after they visited the home.
Back in the upstairs dressing room overlooking the garden, we can see a large purple martin house on a tall pole. Was Spencer looking through the same window when she wrote her poem “Another April” later in her life?
She is too weak to tendher garden last year, thisyear — and old.The plants know, andcluster, running free.The wisteria, purple and white,leaps from tree to martinbox dragged down by globsof the fragrant wet petals …And the window from which she stares needs washing —
Anne Spencer died in 1975. She and Edward are buried in the Forest Hills Cemetery in Lynchburg.
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If you go
Where: 1313 Pierce St., Lynchburg
When: Tours are by appointment only Wednesday through Saturday, April through October.
Tickets: $15; ages 65 and older, $10; under 12, $3; college student with ID, $5
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Not long ago, Marine Col. Jennifer Nash, a combat engineer with war deployments under her belt, made a vow to fellow officers as they headed to a dinner in Atlanta: She would get two new recruiting contacts by the end of the evening.
She admits recruiting is not the job that she or other Marines had in mind when they enlisted. But after stints as a recruiter and senior officer at the Eastern recruiting command, she has become emblematic of the Corps’ tradition of putting its best, battle-tested Marines on enlistment duty. They get results.
Marine leaders say they will make their recruiting goal this year, while the active-duty Army, Navy and Air Force all expect to fall short. The services have struggled in the tight job market to compete with higher-paying businesses for the dwindling number of young people who can meet the military’s physical, mental and moral standards.
On that night, Nash achieved her own goal. She had gotten the valet at the hotel and the hostess at the restaurant to provide their phone numbers and to consider a Marine career.
Nash’s boss, Brig. Gen. Walker Field, who head the Eastern recruiting region, says the Corps has historically put an emphasis on selecting top-performing Marines to fill recruiting jobs. He says that has been a key to the Marines’ recruiting success, along with efforts to increase the number of recruiters, extend those who do well and speed their return to high schools, where in-person recruiting stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said his recruiters — who cover the territory between Canada and Puerto Rico and as far west as Mississippi — will meet their mission and expect to have 30% of their 2024 goal when they start the next fiscal year, Oct. 1. More broadly, Marine officials say they expect the Corps to achieve its recruiting target of more than 33,000.
Last year, the Navy, Air Force and Marines had to eat into their pools of delayed entry applicants in order to make their goals. The Marines will avoid that this year.
“That would be a great ending,” said Field, speaking to The Associated Press on a recent steamy day at South Carolina’s Parris Island, along the Atlantic Coast. “I’m bearish for not only concluding FY23 on a strong footing, but also how we set the conditions for FY24.”
The Marine Corps may get some help from its small size. The Army, for example, has a recruiting goal of 65,000 this year, which is nearly double the Corps’, and expects to fall substantially short of that. Air Force and Navy officials say they will also miss their goals, although the Space Force, which is the smallest service and does its recruiting within Air Force stations, is expected to meet its goal of about 500 recruits.
Sitting in the shadow of Parris Island’s replica of the Iwo Jima monument, Field said his biggest challenge is that a number of Marine hopefuls cannot pass the military’s academic test, known as the Armed Services Voluntary Aptitude Battery.
That is a widespread problem, but the Army recently set up a program that targets recruits who score below 30 on the test and provides schooling for several weeks to help them pass. Already more than 8,800 recruits have successfully gone through the classes, raised their scores and moved on to basic training.
The Navy is taking another route with a pilot program that allows up to 20% of their recruits to score below 30 on the test, as long as they meet specific standards for their chosen naval job. Marine leaders, however, do not take those lowest scoring recruits, and so far have no plans for any type of formal improvement program such as the Army’s.
Field said the Marines are repositioning recruiting stations, moving them around based on where population totals have increased in the latest census. More important, he said, the Corps maintains its focus on choosing the right recruiters, encouraging successful ones to stay in the job and increasing the number of Marine reservists tapped for recruit duties from the current 31 to 96 by the end of next year.
Nash, who until last month was assistant chief of staff for the Eastern region, said Marines are hand-selected for recruiting command jobs. Many three- and four-star Marines, including former Defense Secretary James Mattis, will cite their years doing enlistment duty.
“We put our best and brightest in those positions,” said Nash, adding that those chosen for recruiting posts have a proven track record of success in previous assignments and have demonstrated critical leadership skills. “That’s why they got selected, because they were above their peers.”
She acknowledged that the first time she was picked for a recruiting job she was “voluntold.” But now, recounting her sales pitch in Atlanta, her rapid fire pitch comes without taking a breath.
“I say, ‘Hey, ever thought about being Marine? We’re a bunch of Marines. And, you know, I think you potentially could be a good Marine. You ever thought about it?’ And usually you get, ‘Yeah, I thought about it.’ And I’m, like, ‘What’s holding you back? Would you like to learn more about your opportunities?’ ‘Absolutely.’ `OK. Mind giving me your name and phone number? I’ll have one of my recruiters give you a phone call.’”
The Marines have resisted increasing bonuses to attract recruits — something the other services have found helpful.
Gen. Eric Smith, the acting Marine Corps commandant, got some ribbing for his response when he was asked about bonuses during a naval conference in February.
“Your bonus is you get to call yourself a Marine,” he said. “That’s your bonus, right? There’s no dollar amount that goes with that.”
Field, Nash and others also say the Corps prefers to give a lot of recruits a few thousand dollars, rather than increasing the amount and giving money to far fewer people.
Field said that getting Marine recruiters in uniform back into high schools this year, after several years of COVID-19 restrictions, has been a key driver. There, young people line up to compete in pull-up contests, vying for a free T-shirt if they can do 20. And recruiters say many are drawn to the cache of being a Marine.
“If you told me you’ll give me $10 million worth of advertising and I can do something with it, or you’ll give me 10 great-looking Marines in a Marine uniform — what’s going to get the most value? Give me those 10 Marines and give me a day,” Nash said. “We’ll go out and we’ll get more out of that, I think, than $10 million in advertising.”
