the series

Are you still unsure what "Hello, Hanover!" is all about? Then this vlog post is for you! In under 2min, this post shares the skinny on the series' purpose, frequency and visibility.

Are you wondering where the Chamber crew will go next? Then this vlog post is for you! We want to know what area businesses/organizations need a "behind-the-scenes" tour. 

Lastly, do you like to be in the know early? Then this vlog post is also for you - be aware that it *might* contain a few spoilers for 2018.

Check out the video on our YouTube Chanel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch

While you're there, be sure to catch up on the previous episodes!

Simply walking into the color-bursting and toy-filled store ignites your inner child! The shelves are packed with games and activities of all kinds you just want to pick up and test out. Which we did, naturally. We raced push toys, talked about rubber chickens flying across kitchens, smushed clay, pulled train whistles and hugged stuffed animals.

Shop Owner, Suzanne Hemingway, is passionate about finding ways for all ages and all skill levels to enjoy play. She’s encouraged that hobbies like model railroading can be a link to inclusiveness of children and adults across the autism spectrum and other mental challenges. The toys, science projects, games and train building found throughout her store speak to this inclusiveness and remind us that learning happens in so many ways.

Tiny Tim’s inspires “unplugged” time away from screens. Model railroaders will find a train selection that is out of this world; and their Trainmaster, Russell Youens, can help answer questions from beginners to pros. Families and kids looking for better, hands-on activities need look no further than this shop. Puzzles, models, memory builders, train sets and even “silly fun” bring generations of players together – even at the store.

As the holidays are upon us, our Hanover Chamber visitors (Michelle Herbert, Melissa Miller, Amanda Porch, Marianne Powell), encourages you to consider buying local this year. And we hope you enjoy watching the video as much as we enjoyed creating it. Thanks again to Tiny Tim’s Trains & Toys for giving us a tour. All aboard!

*Watch the video on our YouTube Chanel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ghHND9_ABc&feature=youtu.be

Pause. Take a slow breath in as you look over the ranch grounds. Let it go as you nuzzle a horse happily munching on hay. Step away from the rush for a moment and let yourself find your center. “There’s something about horses that grounds you,” Alison Boyd says. As the Executive Director and co-founder of Wings of Hope Ranch, she understands how beautiful healing can be.

Eight rescue horses occupy the barn stalls and they each have a sweet story of recovery. Like Jewel, who arrived so thin she was a 1 on the horse-health scale but is now healthy and full of life. Or Sampson, whose previous owner was going to put him down just because he no longer wanted a horse, but is now a beloved, relaxed gelding anyone can ride.

Each week, 50 kids age 5-18 journey to the ranch to find solace from stress, abuse, illness, anxiety. They are met by a team of youth and adult volunteers, paired with a horse, and head up the hill to learn how relationships can be built on trust and how a calm mind reduces stress. They talk about life, they laugh, they breath deeper. With the horses back in the stalls, the relationships continue as the group converses about real issues with a faithful grounding.

 

As we heard about the ranch’s beginnings, met the horses and greeted volunteers and ranchers, the story unfolded along with our own carried-worries. Our Hanover Chamber group (Josh Holder, Melissa Miller, Amanda Porch, Marianne Powell, Beth Royal) got to see firsthand how therapy takes many forms. And, sometimes, you have to leave the pavement to feel the ground.

We hope you enjoy watching the video as much as we enjoyed creating it. Thanks again to Alison Boyd, the volunteers and ranchers of Wings of Hope Ranch for giving us this tour. Let’s ride!

*Watch the video on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6lJJfzVRqI

Have you ever driven, like in a van, on an airport runway? Stood on a runway? Somehow, it looks like a stretch of paved roadway but you just sense it’s different. To many pilots, the runway is both an escape and home. When we visited the Hanover County Airport, we learned a lot about why.

As a private pilot with a plane of your own, you can be, “in Hanover now and the Eastern Shore in under an hour” Tommy shared. If you hanger your plane in a local airport like Hanover it’s easy to access – convenience is key. Convenience is what makes reliever airports attractive to individuals and corporations. Easy, stress-free flying is a big piece of why this unique business exists.

The Hanover County Airport is owned by the county but run by Fixed Base Operators, Tommy and Kim Grimes. The husband-and-wife team have been in the business for 25 years and raised their 6 kids in and around their aviation “hobby.”

It was a gorgeous, sunny Wednesday when our chamber team toured the airport (Melissa, Ben, Steve, Alexander, Nancy and Christen). Many of us had never been there before and it was a blast! After learning more about what “running an airport” means, we walked the grounds. We passed maintenance hangers and huge gasoline trucks, saw corporate jets and two-seat propeller planes, drove down to the start of the runway and watched planes take-off and land right in front of us. (Chris and Melissa even got to sit in the flight simulator!)

What an awesome field trip! We hope you enjoy watching the video as much as we enjoyed creating it. Three cheers to Tommy and Kim Grimes of Heart of Virginia Aviation for giving us this tour. Let's fly!

Watch the video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/PnOEoD2m7-c