If someone told me my family would be riding a banshee through the air over the mystical world of Pandora on vacation, I would have questioned the person’s sanity. But a few months ago, that’s just what we did, thanks…
From local high school productions of Shrek, Footloose, and Little Shop of Horrors to Broadway shows like School of Rock, Aladdin, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in New York City, my husband, two children, and I have delighted in…
Maggie Lena Walker – daughter of a freed slave and an Irish American newspaperman and the first woman to open and operate a successful bank in the United States – would be proud to behold her old neighborhood, Jackson Ward,…
Her origin story is pure Cinderella, but here the heroine is waif, prince, and fairy godmother rolled into one. Her rags-to-riches ascent is well-told, but let’s revisit: Single mom – living on government assistance – rides train and conceives a…
[Updated on March 16, 2021] Deborah Nickerson loves watching her son Justin, sixteen, whirl through the air with no cares or worries on the swings at PARK365 in Richmond. “He could swing for hours on end. He loves the park,”…
At age seven, Madeline Frazier of Chesterfield was an active, sociable kid who made good grades and excelled in gymnastics. Her mother, Laura Frazier, describes her as “very independent – the kid you drop off anywhere and you’re like, ‘See…
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. I Love You Because You’re You by Liz Baker. Olivia by Ian Falconer. My kids postponed their bedtimes by begging me to read “just one more” of these titles. I…
Enter to win a family field trip to Historic St. John’s church here. The reoccurring thought – Get it right! – floods through actor Charles Wissinger’s mind every time he steps into the sanctuary of historic St. John’s Church. As…
Wednesday evenings tend to be met with dread in the Tucker household. The midweek blues have hit, and after a long, hard day of work and play and school, my husband and sons just want to relax and spend time…
Seventeen-year-old Sarah Owens feels true acceptance in her Live Art classes at School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC). That feeling isn’t something she experiences in other situations. “It’s difficult for her in some settings,” says her…
