Monday, February 3, 2014 Inside: The Abilene Rural Vista girls avenge loss to Solomon Page 8 50 cents, 2 inserts www.abilene-rc.com Clerk Always a dancer validates Abilene native Polzella obscenity finds calling in teaching petition By TIFFANY RONEY Polzella chose to cut her By Reflector-Chronicle Staff [email protected] losses, move home and move forward after 2 years. Though A petition seeking to empanel a She was known in Abilene she did not complete her pro- grand jury to explore whether the Li- for her ballet talents, dance gram of study, the skills she on’s Den Adult Superstore promotes performances and theatrical acquired play a vital role in appearances. Now, she’s liv- obscenity has been filed with Dickin- her current position and her son County Court Clerk Cindy Mc- ing in Mesa, Ariz., and while future goals. Donald. she’s encountered difficulties Moving home, Phillip and Cathy Cosby, with the and changed countries along moving forward the way, one thing has never American Family Association of changed: Jessica Polzella is Polzela moved back to the Kansas and Missouri, headed the pe- always a dancer. Abilene area to be with fam- tition drive. When she was 18, it looked ily and look for a job. “Ten years ago the grand jury did like her dancing career was “I was helping with my indict but no charges came from it,” over. As a freshman in dance grandma, and I spent a lot of Cosby told the Reflector-Chronicle. time going to the fitness cen- performance at Wichita State, “It was unresolved then. The citizen ter and running to keep my- Polzella hurt her back. grand jury process is pretty interest- “When I hurt my back, I self in shape, because I knew I wasn’t going to just quit ing instrument of justice. Only six thought I was done danc- states have that, Kansas being one of ing, and I absolutely hated it (dancing),” she said. “And them.” — I didn’t want to ever do it during that time, I was look- again,” Polzella said. “I was a ing for jobs nationwide.” Cosby said that there have been business major and then I was Out of that search, Polzella some changes in the Citizen’s Grand a psychology major. I couldn’t stumbled upon a children’s Jury process from 10 years ago. figure out what I wanted to do dance studio in Arizona called The petition has been validated and for the longest time. When The Dance Off. She said the contained 345 signatures, he said. you realize that that’s what studio invited her not only to “I didn’t want to overdo it because you’re missing, and that it’s come teach 13 classes, but I didn’t want to saturate a potential also to help them give the bal- your passion, there’s not real- jury pool,” he said. “The Lion’s Den, let department a facelift. ly any way to do it other than if they do face charges, will chal- “There was a really negative to figure out how to get back lenge every juror, ‘Did you sign that to it somehow.” attitude toward ballet when I came to The Dance Off a year petition?’ So we got basically the Fortunately, Polzella even- minimum number required.” tually dipped her toe back in and a half ago, and now most by taking a couple of classes of my classes are full and “Our intent, we believe the obscen- each week. Eventually, she wait-listed,” she said. ity law is being broken,” Cosby said. discovered a passion for Polzella turned the program “It was 10 years ago, it still is today. teaching. around by taking it into the “People don’t blush easily any- Prima ballerina Royal Dance Academy exam more and obscenity laws are being school preparation. ignored,” he added. “But it is still the A different law. Obscenity is not protected free Once her back had healed, way to pass speech. Polzella still had 13 years of intense ballet training under At many studios, students “The courts did understand that her belt, so she auditioned transition to higher levels of San Francisco and Abilene, Kansas, for Canada’s National Ballet instruction based upon how will have two different community School in Toronto. Out of 200 many years they’ve been in standards,” he said. “Every com- applicants, the school selected dance. For example, a student munity has the legal right to pull 10 students, and Polzella was is in level two their first year, that evidence off the shelves, put it one of them. level two their second year in the court room and if the judge or “The program was abso- and level three their third year. jury says it is obscene then the first lutely incredible — I learned Polzella didn’t find that to amendment rights are waved and it’s more than I ever could imag- be the most efficient and ef- illegal. That is process that we never fective way to teach students, ine while I was there that I use fully completed 10 years ago.” so she decided to evaluate her on a daily basis now, espe- McDonald said the 8th District cially with things like music students on a rotational basis judges will review the petition and and my teaching techniques and then move them to the determine if a jury should be sum- and just overall in my danc- level she believes is best for ing, I’ve grown to be a ma- them. moned. ture, fully developed dancer,” “They’ll try a class at what- Photo provided The court has 60 days from last she said. “But on the flip side ever level they think they’re Jessica Polzella, a dance teacher originally from Abilene, performs a move on pointe Jan. 23, when it was presented to the of that, it was an incredibly going to be in, and then I’ll near her current home in Mesa, Ariz. When Polzella was growing up in Abilene, her court, to act upon the petition. stressful program.” talk to the parent and tell mother, Becky Polzella, drove her to Wichita and back for ballet classes five days per “The clock started ticking when we As a result of that stress, See: Dance, Page 6 week. handed the petition,” Cosby said. Pearson ready for Westminster show By TIFFANY RONEY hood helping her mother breed Auss- named Promise holds a bit of the spot- [email protected] ies and prepping for important shows. light. But Anna said there is more of a Pearson and her older sister, Laura, story behind her name than simply the When a girl with Abilene connections took time away from the canines ev- wins she has garnered. grew up on a dog farm in Washington ery couple of years to spend about two “It was actually my mom who named State, she and her sister were required weeks with their extended family in her, because it was supposed to be my to clean dog rooms and sanitize water Abilene and, when possible, to catch mom’s dog, but I kind of stole her,” buckets, and they were also responsi- the Wild Bill Hickok PRCA Rodeo, Anna said with a laugh. “Her grand- ble for bathing and training their own which Anna said is the best in the re- mother’s name is Secret. Secret passed, dogs at the age of 8. gion — especially for bull-riding. but apparently my mom told Secret “We also packed the car, which is Laura and Anna’s great-grandparents when she was older that she needed something my sister and I pride our- had a cabin at Red Bud Lake, and her to ‘promise’ her to send her another selves at being really good at because grandparents — the Violas — started puppy that looked and acted like her we can fit a lot in a small space,” Anna and ran several stores throughout town. — like a ‘mini-her.’ Like a gift. When Pearson said with cheer in her voice. “They have all passed away, and so Promise was born, she looks a lot like Pearson has many reasons to pack have the names of the stores, though her grandmother, so my mom said, ‘I up — and to be cheery — because she the buildings are still there,” Anna’s guess my promise came true,’ so that’s qualified for the invite-only Westmin- mom, Toni Viola Pearson, said. “There where she got her name.” ster Kennel Club dog show, which will is still the RHV store. RHV stands for Though Anna was in Abilene visiting be televised from New York City. Pear- Ralph Harold Viola. So there is a his- her grandpa when Promise was born, son has won seven Best Junior Handler tory of Violas from Abilene.” she said she noticed one thing about Awards for her work with her Austra- Both Toni’s parents graduated from the young puppy when she returned Photo provided lian shepherd, Promise, and another Abilene High School, and her father home to kennel land: Promise was very Anna Pearson, great-granddaughter of Vern “Short” Viola of dog she shows is the No. 1 dog of its lives on Beekman Road. pretty, and “she was definitely our pick Red Bud and great-great-granddaughter of Ralph Harold Viola, breed in the nation. After being part of Anna’s seven han- of the litter.” founder of RHV, receives the honor of Best Junior Handler at Though she spent most of her child- dler wins, it’s clear the Aussie aptly See: Show, Page 6 Vancouver Kennel Club Show.