After four months of planning, interviewing, photographing, writing, designing and proofreading, our 2011 Progress edition is done.

Produced annually to profile Western Tidewater’s business community, The Tidewater News did something different this year. We focused on what workers across the region do within a 24-hour time frame.

The Progess edition will be included with your Sunday paper. Enjoy!

Celebrated in conjunction with Dr. Seuss’ birthday, the event will include staff, parents and community representatives reading to children.

Readers will include Paul D. Camp Community College President Dr. Paul Wm. Conco, Franklin Mayor Jim Council, PDCCC Associate Professor Martha Kello, Smart Beginnings Executive Director Ellen Couch, Franklin Kiwanis President Pat Ballard, state Sen. Frederick Quayle, R-Suffolk, former Children’s Center Board Member Robert Meredith, Southampton County Department of Social Services Director Michelle Stivers, PDCCC Workforce Development Center Director Randy Betz, Prime Media’s Susan Duke and Isle of Wight Director of Communications Don Robertson.

After the reading program, the children will have green eggs and ham for lunch.

• Paul D. Camp Community College first-year nursing student Denise Gephart received a second-place award for her poem, “Through the Eyes of the Heart.”

The Ivor woman’s inspiration was a patient who suffers with macular degeneration and dementia. Denise won the award from the Virginia Nursing Student Association’s Torch magazine writing contest.

She is vice president for the PDCCC Nursing Student Association, secretary for the nursing class of 2012 and a member of the Omega Zeta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

• Justin Sumblin and Ashley Roberts raised more than $800 combined during a Feb. 12 pancake breakfast at Applebee’s in Franklin.

More than 120 people ordered eat-in and takeout breakfasts.

Both juniors at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School in Petersburg, Justin and Ashley will use the money for an eight-day trip to Spain with their school’s Spanish Club. The trip will cost $2,700 each.

The pair will leave June 20 and fly into Madrid before seeing more of the country.

The students continue to accept donations. Justin can be reached at 562-2286 and Ashley at 569-1057.

Justin is the son of Lynnora Sumblin of Franklin. Ashley is the daughter of Anna and Chuck Roberts of Franklin.

• Joe Everett of Newsoms won a handmade quilt during a Valentine’s Day raffle at East Pavilion nursing home in Franklin.

Residents, with help from volunteers, made the quilt and sold raffle tickets, said activities director Melissa Decker. The $300 in proceeds benefited the East Pavilion’s activities fund.

GWEN ALBERS is managing editor of The Tidewater News. Her email address is gwen.albers@tidewaternews.com.