| The names of approximately 200 sailors were etched into a 15-foot granite obelisk at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. Among them is the name of a man retired Master Chief Gerald âJerryâ Gandy saw die. âI donât even want to read about him. I donât want to see his name ... Because he is not dead to me. He is still with me,â Gandy sternly said. The 82-year-old met with a reporter and photographer at his Virginia Beach home to remember those he lost in battle. Memorial Day, then dubbed âDecoration Day,â was first recognized in 1868 to honor soldiers killed during the Civil War. In 1971, the day became a federal holiday. Over time Memorial Day became an unofficial celebration kicking off summer. But for combat veterans, the day has little to do with the beginning of a new, warm season. Rather, it is a reminder of the untimely, violent end of a brother or sister in arms. Read more in the Sunday Main News section
It was a day Erica Walker was looking forward to when she logged on to join the housing choice voucher waitlist. But problem after problem, she found herself once again not being able to get her name onto one of the waitlists thousands of fellow low-income local households are also on. In Hampton, the window to apply for a HCV was from the morning of May 11 to the end of May 13. All those applications would then be put into a lottery and 5,000 of the applicants would be randomly chosen to actually join the waitlist, according to the HRHA website. At least 95% of those randomly chosen were local, according to the website. Roughly 11,000 people applied to Virginia Beachâs HCV waitlist which was open for twelve hours on Nov. 9, 2021 for the first time since 2012. There are still roughly 11,000 people on the waitlist since there were still people on the waitlist from 2012 when it opened in 2021, according to Virginia Beach staff. Read more in the Sunday Main News section Faith Jones graduated college in 2020 into a world that stood still. She wanted to forge a career on the strength of her powerful voice and was well aware that it is hard to become a professional singer even without a global pandemic forcing show closures and choking purse strings in the entertainment industry. Still, Jonesâ ambition exceeded doubt. Now, the Newport News native has a leading role in one of Broadwayâs most iconic rock operas, âJesus Christ Superstar.â She stars as Mary Magdelene in the national 50th anniversary tour that hits Chrysler Hall on Tuesday. Jones performs four of the productionâs best-known songs with others in the cast, but she is on full display while soloing âI Donât Know How to Love Him,â which became a 1973 pop hit after the showâs original run. Read more in the Sunday Break section
The road to adulthood begins for most when they graduate from high school and move on to a first job or college, to paying bills and living on their own. But for people with cognitive disabilities or autism, leaving high school is a more monumental step, one that will transform their relation to their families and the community that supports them. That monumental step has been on the minds of Andrew and Barb Baxter, both 57, of Charlottesville, for years. Their 24-year-old son, Pete, is on the autism spectrum and has an intellectual disability. Read how to contribute in the Sunday Break section
Karen Dutro, executive director of NetworkPeninsula, had a dream. She said she dreamed of developing a hub â a shared office and meeting space for other local nonprofits â since she founded the nonprofit organization in 2007. That dream finally came true when its hub space opened earlier this year. âFinding affordable and accessible office space for a small nonprofit is challenging, particularly when many of their resources are dedicated to providing programming,â Dutro said. Even when a space is found, it is typically only a small office with no room for meetings, she said. Read more in the Sunday Work & Money section
Note To Readers: A reminder that Parade magazine is now only found along with your e-edition of either The Virginian-Pilot or Daily Press each Sunday morning. Print copies of Parade magazine ceased after the November 13th issue.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
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