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AUGUST 23, 2017 XX NO.1

Village News

Discovering LITTLE

painted rocks

BY LINDA FAUSZ
Jerry Wade has been walking two messages, “Dream Big,” “Fine Beauty in her that this was
to three miles a day for the last 12 years. Simple Things,” “USA” – some of them I one of the coolest
“I shouldn’t be here, but I am,” he said. don’t know what they are supposed to be. things I’d ever seen
In 2004 he had coronary artery surgery I guess you can say when I have found this on Facebook. She
on both sides, each one three days apart. many, it shows you that I walk a lot.” His asked if this was
He began walking as part of his health favorite of all that he has collected is still something that
regimen. Wade and his wife Maurcia live the first one he found with the googly eyes. folks around here
on Womack Road, and his walk includes There have been many various rock would enjoy, and
his neighborhood, Chesterbrook, the projects over the years and many rock I assured her it
Village Green, and Linear Park. He is out painting groups. You might remember would be a huge
most days provided there’s no rain or high Pet Rocks. The RVA Rocks was formed hit, and it was right
temperatures. He has become known as by Jessica Laws and Karen Walton, North up our alley. I’ve
“the Stick Man.” He began carrying a five- Chesterfield residents. Laws’s family lived here off and
foot stick nearly two inches in diameter had moved to Walton’s community from on my entire life
after being attached by two pit bulls that got Tacoma, Wash.. She and Walton had a lot in and I knew this
loose on Linear Park. common and became fast friends. was perfect for this
Recently while walking Linear Park “We hung out every so often, and our area...for Virginia,
he made a discovery of a painted rock with kids and husbands got along good too,” Central Virginia,
googly eyes. Curious, he picked it up and said Walton. “One night, she and I were the East Coast,
turned it over, and painted on the bottom chatting on Facebook Messanger. She sent anywhere. How
was “RVA Rocks.” He carried it home me a link to a FB group. She asked me to could you not
and showed his wife who told him about join and check it out and let her know what love this simple
this movement from a report she saw on I thought. The group was called Tacoma concept that
television news. The following from the Rocks. They had thousands of members. had such a pure
web site of television station WWBT: “If I can’t remember how many back then. purpose: to make
you happen to see a painted rock at a park But it was really cool, and I’ve never seen people happy.”
in Central Virginia, pick it up and take it anything like it. People were painting and Laws created
home or hide it somewhere else - it’s part placing rocks all over Tacoma. Others the Facebook
of a project called RVA Rocks, which is would find the rocks and post pics to the page in January.
designed to get families to explore the group, and then join in the painting aspect In February,
area.” as well. I messaged my friend and told Laws asked a
Since then, Wade has few women from
picked up several during his her church to
walks over the last few months. attend their first
“They are all different sizes,” RVARocks paint JERRY WADE “THE STICK MAN” HOLDING HIS FAVORITE ROCK.
he said. “I have found most of party. Days later, the two of them along with
them on Linear Park and in the some friends and their children got together and hiding as many and as often as
Village. I even found one on the on a cold and windy day and they walked possible. “It was like it was a full time
bench by Walgreens. One is around Rockwood Park and then Belle Isle, job,” Dalton said. “We had to grow the
painted like an ice cream cone, hiding rocks, snapping pictures of clues, group to a self-sustaining level in order
another looks like a night sky and posting them to the group. for this to work.”
with the North Star, there are RVA ROCKS THAT WADE HAS COLLECTED. The small group continued painting Read more on page 3

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