Thursday, December 23, 2004 • Kilmarnock, Virginia • Eighty-eighth Year • Number 12 • Four Sections • 50¢ Fighting cancer, Laurie Keith pursues art, music and her life with new found passion by Reid Pierce Armstrong said, ‘Well, my stomach feels bloated, and my period hasn’t KILMARNOCK—Art and health are intertwined for Laurie stopped, and I am tired.” Keith, and it is impossible to talk about one without discussing The friend told Keith that she had just received an email the other. from a woman warning other women about the symptoms of Keith has had many careers in her 46 years. She has been a ovarian cancer. musician, a business manager, a retailer, an alchemist, a Cajun “She told me to wait while she went to print it out. I almost chef, a jeweler and a left, but she insisted real estate investor to I see it,” Keith said. name a few. But it was “And there it was, all not until she found out of my symptoms listed that she had ovarian in this email.” The Dandelion of Irvington entered the creche above in cancer that she became Keith went back to the annual Festival of the Trees auction sponsored by the an etcher of glass. her doctor and insisted Lower Northern Neck YMCA. The creche represents the Keith and her hus- that he give her a very scene of the birth of Jesus. (Photo by Robert Mason Jr.) band, Steve, were sail- specifi c blood test to ing around the world measure protein levels fi ve years ago, stop- in the blood—the test ping in ports to play for ovarian cancer. music. He had his The test came back Good tidings sights set on Tahiti, high—30 times the Fiji and other far-away normal level – and the Several churches have + Saint Francis de Sales places. But, something doctor sent her to two planned Christmas Eve and Catholic Church at 151 East internal was telling of the best oncologists Christmas Day worship Church Street will hold Laurie that it was time the area had to offer. services. The following Christmas Mass at 5 p.m. to slow down, settle. Just think, Keith churches notifi ed the Rappa- and 10 p.m. Physically, things mused, if her friend hannock Record of their spe- + Claybrook Baptist felt a little off kilter, had deleted that for- cial services. Church at 2242 Weems Road she recalls. Her warded email, like Christmas Eve in Weems will hold a service monthly cycles were most of us do, rather at 7 p.m. out of whack, coming than reading it, or if Friday, December 24 + Campbell Memorial too regularly. Her Keith hadn’t told her + Wesley Presbyterian Presbyterian Church in stomach felt bloated all friend how she was Church at 1272 Taylor Creek Weems will hold a candle- the time. She needed a really feeling that day, Road in Weems will hold a light service with Holy Com- break. So the wander- the cancer may have candlelight service at 6 p.m. munion at 5 p.m. ing couple stopped in been discovered too + Kilmarnock United + Corrottoman Baptist Annapolis for a while, late. Methodist Church at 89 East Church in Ottoman will hold agreeing to live on the During her treat- Church Street in Kilmarnock a candlelight service at 8 p.m. boat and play music ment, Keith had to will hold a children’s wor- + Lebanon Baptist there. re-evaluate what she ship service at 5 p.m. and Church at 2292 Lara Road in During their day wanted to do with a candlelight service with Lancaster will hold a candle- sails around the Chesa- Laurie Keith faces 2005 and the challenges it brings with hope. her life. Chemotherapy Holy Communion at 11 p.m. light service at 10 p.m. peake, the couple dis- made her fi ngers too + Fairfi elds United Meth- + Providence Baptist at covered local waters and bought a house near Windmill Point. numb for the delicate work of making jewelry. She had trouble odist Church at Routes 360 5730 Courthouse Road in Keith began selling her jewelry to antique galleries in Kilmar- remembering the lyrics to her songs or picking her guitar. She and 644 in Burgess will hold Heathsville will hold a Christ- nock, Urbanna and Williamsburg. Her husband continued to needed a new creative outlet. a service at 9 p.m. mas program at 7:30 p.m. play his music, and life took on new rhythms, away from the Along the shore of her home there were many birds—herons + St. Stephen’s Episcopal + Bethany United Meth- boat. and osprey. These birds, particularly the herons, fascinated Church in Heathsville will odist Church in Reedville Concerned still about her health, Keith was seeing a local Keith. She wanted to fi nd a way to capture the images she saw host a choral presentation at will hold a service of Holy doctor, who had told her she was fi ne. Then, three-and-a-half through her window of the birds along her shore. She decided 6:40 p.m. followed by a fes- Communion and candlelight years ago, Keith was in the Urbanna Antique Mall working on to try etching glass. tival worship at 7 p.m. at 7 p.m. her jewelry display when somebody asked her how she was Keith took out a business loan from the bank and purchased + Kilmarnock Baptist + Good Shepherd Luth- doing. a sandblaster, which she set up in her garage. She Church at 65 East Church eran Church in Callao will “I answered honestly,” she said. “I didn’t just say ‘fi ne.’ I (continued on page A16) Street in Kilmarnock will hold a candlelight service at hold a candlelight service at 5:30 p.m. 7 p.m. + Grace Episcopal Christmas Day Church at 303 South Main Saturday, December 25 Street in Kilmarnock will + Saint Francis de Sales hold a service of Holy Catholic Church at 151 East Public hearing held on proposed Eucharist at 4:30 p.m., carols Church Street in Kilmarnock at 10:30 p.m. and Holy will hold Christmas Day Eucharist at 11 p.m. Mass at 10 a.m. and a Satur- + Bethel-Emmanuel Uni- day Vigil at 5 p.m. biosolids sites in Lancaster county ted Methodist Church on + Grace Episcopal Route 201 in Lively will hold Church at 303 South Main by Robb Hoff Rev. Gayl Fowler of the Sal- However, she noted that the ment regulations minimize some a service of Holy Commu- Street in Kilmarnock will LANCASTER—Virginia vation Army Interfaith (SAIF) long-term risk of biosolids appli- of the potential risks because bio- nion by candlelight at 11 p.m. hold Holy Eucharist at 10 Department of Health engineer Water Committee credited the cation remains unknown due in solids applications are limited to + White Stone Baptist a.m. Charles W. Swanson answered health department and Recyc Sys- part to potential content of chem- once per site every three years Church at 517 Chesapeake + The Rev. Richard questions last week about pend- tems Inc., which supplies the bio- icals, viruses and bacteria in fecal and prohibited altogether at sites Drive in White Stone will Gordon, pastor of White ing applications of sludge (treated solids in Lancaster County, for matter. where the groundwater table is hold a service at 7:30 p.m. Stone United Methodist sewage waste) over approximately working with SAIF to address Swanson acknowledged that less than 18 inches or crops are + Saint Andrews Presby- Church, will deliver Christ- 990 acres in Lancaster County for health concerns specifi c to indi- direct drainage from a fi eld with planned for human consumption. terian Church at 435 East mas greetings on WNDJ farming use. vidual sites and for using topo- biosolids into a shallow well The setbacks for buffering bio- Church Street in Kilmarnock Radio/104.9FM from 2 to 3 Swanson said an estimated graphical maps to help establish could pose health risks. However, solids applications from adjacent will hold a service at 5 p.m. p.m. 45,000 to 50,000 acres are spread buffers. he said there’s no evidence that a property are 50 feet if fi elds are with biosolids each year state- “I think we owe them a real biosolids application has directly tilled, 100 feet if not tilled and wide. During 2004, complaints round of thanks for approaching caused health problems in Vir- 200 feet from houses, he added. related to biosolids applications it in that fashion,” Rev. Fowler ginia. Applications are spread thinly as fi elded by the health depart- said. Swanson said health depart- (continued on page A15) ment involved 16 about odor, Planners trim 14 about buffers from adjacent property, 13 about runoff from drainage of sites, 12 about trucks hauling biosolids, and fi ve involv- proposed capital ing groundwater concerns. “We had complaints in 23 counties and no complaints in 28 improvement plan counties,” said Swanson. Chief among the concerns by Robb Hoff funded through the county oper- voiced by several people at last LANCASTER—The county ating budget rather than more week’s meeting were the health borrowing. consequences of applying sludge, planning commission has for- particularly in the vicinity of shal- warded to the board of supervisors “The guidance I have been low wells. a $425,513 capital improvement given is that the board does not plan (CIP) for anticipated county want to enter into another bor- projects over the next fi ve years. rowing round,” said Larson. The commission trimmed some The largest CIP funding under Record takes $984,396 in projects and funding consideration was $614,555 for from an initial draft previously replacement of the school divi- approved by the county school sion bus garage facility, exclud- annual holiday board.