A special honor for Virginia Beach’s former mayor and I was honored to be a part of it.
The Diocese of Richmond and Catholic Charities of Eastern Virginia presented its Bishop’s Humanitarian Award to Meyera Oberndorf on March 4, 2013.

According to the program, “The award honors those whose service exemplifies the ideal that society is worth improving and that sharing and caring are part of a well-lived life”.  Mayor Oberndorf certainly fits the description.

Her daughters, friends, and colleagues attended the luncheon at Beth Sholom Village.
The event was originally planned for last fall, but her husband Roger passed away around that time.
Oberndorf is now battling Alzheimer’s disease, but I can tell you- she’s as witty as ever. Speakers included Rabbi Israel Zoberman, The Reverend James E. Parke, Mary Russo, Joel Rubin and others.

All praised her for her work before during and after her term to help the community- particularly children and families. As always, she was very gracious and shared stories about her family and how they supported her through her busy days as mayor.

My mom Becky, dad Henry, Meyera and me!

So, how do I know “Auntie Meyera” so well?
She and my grandfather John Perry served on Virginia Beach city council together in the late 1980′s.  Her daughters Heidi and Marcie were in school with me at Kempsville, too.

Mayor Oberndorf at my high school graduation (That’s my Nana on my left)

In fact, here’s a picture of her at my high school graduation.  Small world, huh?

Some Virginia Beach teens are reaching out to help the less fortunate.   When I visited Ocean Lakes High School on February 5, 2013, I told them about my mission trip to Haiti and some of the community service programs I participate in and I encouraged them to also give back. Well, they told me about the “Teens For Jeans” program that they were working on.

They just sent me these pictures of boxes full of new and gently worn jeans collected at the school.  They received 380 pairs!

The project is part of a larger drive sponsored by Aeropostale.  OLHS dropped off the jeans at the Aeropostale at  Lynnhaven Mall  and they will make sure they get to Union Mission Ministries in Norfolk. Other local schools also collected jeans, and the organization has received 2.5 million pairs to date from across the country,  so this should really benefit a lot of folks who need it!  Maybe you have some jeans to donate? Check out the Teens For Jeans  website for more information.

It’s becoming an annual tradition:  Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach invites me to be a guest speaker during its Founders Week.

The theme changes every year. This year’s  was “Beyond These Walls”.  During my visit on February 5, 2013 I started by reading some quotes. These are just a few:

“Education is that whole system of human training within and without the school house walls, which molds and develops men.” — W. E. B. Du Bois

“Home is any four walls that enclose the right person.” — Helen Rowland

And I asked my Facebook friends what they would share with the kids and Darnell Jordan posted this,   “As I stood at on your High School door entrance and pondered; that beyond these walls are educated minds. A wall that will forever stand for education. As the school bell rings at the end of the school day, a wall will appear. But this wall shall always remind me that ” I have entered now I will pursue and lead by the example that is now bestowed in me.”

I talked to the students about how their lives are really just beginning and the choices they make now will shape the way their lives turn out.  They’ll make mistakes, but they must know how to recover from them. I warned them about watching what they post on social media sites and also told them how taking care of their minds, bodies and spirit now will benefit them in the future as they begin to age.  They asked me a lot of questions about the TV news business. I told them it’s changing rapidly with so many platforms for people to get their news. We are all doing so much more with less and it can be a difficult career for people who are trying to take care of their families. I told them with anything, they should pursue a career by starting with doing something they love and would do even it paid nothing- or close to nothing.

What a great group of kids! I have a soft spot in my heart for OLHS because my youngest brother, Nick graduated from there and continues to thrive in an engineering career.

Oh, and thanks for the cool Tervis cup with the dolphins on it. I’ve already used it at the gym!

Happy 100th Birthday to Mrs. Pearle Robinson of Chesapeake, Virginia.

A special party with cake was thrown for her at the Spine and Orthopedic Pain Center.   Dr. Winifred Bragg emailed me to tell me about her first centenarian patient.

Mrs. Pearle Robinson, Chesapeake

Dr. Bragg says Mrs. Robinson credits her longevity to drinking eight glasses of water daily, exercising routinely and walking on a daily basis. Dr. Bragg told me “Mrs. Robinson is an example of how you can get rid of back pain without surgery and lead a full life at 100 years old.”

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Pearle Robinson. may you enjoy many, many more!

If pirates, planes and patriotism are your thing, you have plenty to keep you entertained this weekend. Be aware, we’re hearing about road closures that could affect your plans. Details below.

HAMPTON
BLACKBEARD PIRATE FESTIVAL STREET CLOSURES
The annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival is this weekend, June 1-3! The following streets will be closed for the event: Queensway from Mill Point Park to King Street will close Friday, June 1 at 5 a.m. Eaton Street from Queensway to Mill Point Drive will close Saturday, June 2 at 5 a.m. Both streets will reopen Sunday, June 3 at 9 p.m. For more information, click here.

VIRGINIA BEACH
PATRIOTIC FESTIVAL
Following is the closure schedule for Saturday and Sunday :
Atlantic Ave. from 17th to 5th Street:
*From 9 a.m.-3:30pm – local through traffic only will be allowed on Atlantic Ave. from 17th to 5th Street
*From 3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. – no vehicular traffic will be allowed on Atlantic Ave from 17th to 5th street
Click here for more information.
Streets will reopen at approximately 7 p.m.
This time is subject to change depending on crowd size.

Dozens of Virginia Beach children took a pledge today, to stay drug-free. Bayside Elementary School invited me to be the guest speaker for its fourth grade D.A.R.E. graduation.

Students take D.A.R.E. pledge

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. The program is available for children in kindergarten through 12th grade. It’s a collaborative effort between school and law enforcement personnel.

Over the past few months, the students learned about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Families of the D.A.R.E. grads

Many of the kids had family members there for today’s event. I spoke to the group about peer pressure and shared stories about athletes, entertainers- even a family friend- who fought addiction.

When I posted a picture and a word about my visit on Facebook, a few people posted comments opposing the program.

Deputies Foy & Driscoll leading the D.A.R.E. pledge

Curtis posted, “No one wants kids doing drugs but DARE is a useless project that just spends taxpayer dollars in an attempt to forge support for the unconstitutional prison industrial complex and its pet project the bloody war on drugs and ethnic minorities.”  Maggie added, “Good on the kids for completing the program, but there are some sobering statistics about D.A.R.E.; ”Scientific evaluation studies have consistently shown that DARE is ineffective in reducing the use of alcohol and drugs and is sometimes even counterproductive — worse than doing nothing. That’s the conclusion of the U.S. General Accounting Office, the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. Department of Education, among many others’. She cited this link: http://alcoholfacts.org/DARE.html

We know people are human and sometimes have to learn lessons on their own. We can only hope by citing real life examples and explaining that everyone’s body chemistry is different and addiction is hard to shake once you get caught up in it, it will keep kids from ever trying and or abusing drugs.  I shared these quotes from singers Kurt Cobain and Billie Holiday and the sad stories about their deaths which can be attributed to their substance abuse and addiction:

“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with with your self esteem.”
– Kurt Cobain, Grunge Musician, who struggled with drug abuse and depression and died at 27.

“Dope never helped anybody sing better or play music better or do anything better. All dope can do for you is kill you – and kill you the long, slow, hard way.”
– Billie Holiday, Singer who struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and died at 44.

February is a busy month for those of us who work in television news. It’s one of four major ratings/sweeps months, but it’s also a busy month for speaking engagements.  I visited two different schools in the first two weeks of the month.

Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach invited me back to speak to students for its Founder’s Week celebration on Wednesday, February 8. This year’s theme is embracing differences.

Speaking at Ocean Lakes' Founder's Week event

I spoke to the teens about how they could learn a lot from people who come from different backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs. They had a lot of great questions about my career path and the stories I’ve covered and the people I’ve met.

This is at least my fourth visit to Ocean Lakes. I have a soft spot for the Dolphins because my youngest brother Nick is a proud grad and he’s gone on to do wonderful things and I know these students will, too.

I also visited Regent University in Virginia Beach on Thursday, February 16. The staff of the school newspaper, The Daily Runner  invited me to speak to a group of students about journalism.  They also asked great questions.

I told them about my career path and  talked to them about the importance of learning digital and multimedia tools- since the journalism field is evolving to include all forms of media.

They have a lot of great equipment in their broadcast lab and they are hungry to learn more. It makes me smile with pride to know they’ll be successful professional journalists someday soon!

Families at several local shelters got a special early Valentine’s gift!

Volunteers from across Hampton Roads gathered Saturday, February 11,  at the Judeo Christian Outreach Center at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for the “Stone Soup” project.

The United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council and their families prepared meals for various agencies.

I brought my niece and nephew and we helped put together casseroles, soup, and hot chocolate mixes.

We also made Valentine’s cards with encouraging words for the recipients.

75 people registered for the group project and United Way officials say it’s one of their biggest aside from the Day of Caring. I was glad my niece and nephew wanted to help out. Even at 11 and 14, they understand how lucky they are to have a roof over their head and food to eat.

My nephew was so excited, he read the book Stone Soup to us in the car during the ride to the center.

It’s an old story about creating soup from a stone to feed the hungry. Each of us had an assignment to bring in ingredients for our various meals. We brought mushrooms, ground beef and shredded cheese.

We made a casserole with rice, peas, cream of mushroom soup, chicken and milk.

The meals will feed families at the YWCA, PARC, The Dwelling Place, Samaritan House, and Seton Youth shelters.

It was a fun day!  We met a lot of nice people and got a lot done in an hour and a half! Teamwork and volunteerism- what’s better than that?

“What you give ought to be in direct relationship to what you’ve received.  If you have been blessed with a great deal, then you have a lot of giving to do.”Johnnetta B. Cole

**UPDATE** Michelle Thrift, from Circle of The Bridge, emailed me on January 18 to say they raised $5,700!

I had a great time bowling at  AMF Lynnhaven Lanes in Virginia Beach Saturday.

Our team was made up of WAVY & Fox 43′s Liz Palka and Stephanie Harris, Liz’s boyfriend Mike and Stephanie’s sons.  The other local t.v. stations had teams, too and we all had a great time interacting with each other and folks who came out to support the cause.

I hadn’t been bowling in a few years and my skills certainly didn’t get better during that stretch.

Chesapeake native and New York Mets star David Wright was the main attraction (for many reasons).

He is a huge supporter of Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk.  He has donated a lot of money and equipment for the kids who spend time there for medical treatment.  This bowling event was organized by  the “Circle in the Bridge” of The King’s Daughters.

Circle In The Bridge (from their Facebook page)

They are career women who raise money and awareness for CHKD. The group is made up of the most caring folks. The smiles on their faces and willingness to help was really evident. They had a silent auction and sold raffle tickets to help raise money. I have seen first hand how CHKD helps local sick children and their families.

Nijel hanging out with Alvin from The Chipmunks

A dear family friend named Nijel was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010. Doctors successfully removed most of it and treated Nijel for a few months and when I visited him, his spirits were good and he received great care and attention. I spent time with him in the play room on his hospital wing. The toys, games, and electronics were amazing. I made sure I told David Wright about it when I met him. Folks were tugging on him for pictures and to chat (and he was actually bowling, too) but he made time for all of us with a gracious smile.    That’s what I’m talking about!

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” — John Cassis

What a night at the 18th Annual Signature Chefs Auction at the Founder’s Inn and Spa in Virginia Beach on Sunday, October 16, 2011.

The March of Dimes exceeded its  goal. Not only did they set a record for the Live Auction thanks to the generous chefs, they broke records with the Fund the Mission portion of the auction where guests raised their paddles to donate $50 or more. They raised more than $63,000 total!

The money benefits the March of Dimes research and programs for healthy babies.

Ariane Aramburo and I served as emcees. We tasted some delicious soups, entrees and desserts.

Many of the chefs who participated have personal stories about premature babies.  The March of Dimes shared the stories of a few ambassador families who watched their preemies grow into strong productive young children and adults.

Chef Matt Knack from Croc’s 19th Street Bistro in  Virginia Beach, won the Dish of Hampton Roads for his shrimp and grits and pork butt. He and his recipe will be featured as the cover story of the annual food issue of Hampton Roads Magazine in January.

Here are the other winners:
Best Booth – Eric Doarnberger, Atlantic Shores
People’s Choice – Scott Simpson, Founders Inn
Best Presentation – Kevin Chang, Zushi
Chef’s Choice – Eric Doarnberger, Atlantic Shores
Best Dessert – Leon Buenviaje, Smithfield Gourmet Bakery and Cafe
SOL Food – Mike Farrell, Still

Check out many more pictures of the chefs, the food, the guests and the auction on my Facebook page. If you missed it this year, come join us next year! You can still make a donation to the March of Dimes anytime and check out the activities it has planned throughout the year.