Staff report

The first event of the 2005 Suffolk Peanut Fest is just around the corner and the ladies of the Pilot Club of Suffolk are busy preparing.

They are hosting the 28th annual Queens Luncheon to be held Sept. 29 at the National Guard Armory. Denison’s and Richardson and Nash Clothiers will present the fashions.

The co-chairpersons of decorations, Georgia Lee Copeland and Fan Panton, and other members have been meeting every Tuesday since the first of June. They have been working on table decorations for the event that will consist of peanut wreaths, stuffed turkeys, and stuffed pumpkins. Each wreath takes about four hours to complete. All of the decorations will be sold immediately following the luncheon. In past years, proceeds from the luncheon have exceeded more than $1,000.

All of the proceeds are donated to various community agencies.

The Pilot Club consists of 36 members from various parts of the city. Three of these ladies are active charter members who joined the club during its inaugural year of 1974.

Robert and Marie Baker opened the doors of the Constantia House to allow the members to meet and work on the preparations for the event.

The Constantia House was moved from the Cedar Hill cemetery piece by piece and relocated behind R W Bakers funeral home in 1994.

Tickets are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce-Suffolk Division at 127 E. Washington St. The office is closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. daily and parking is available behind the building.

For more information, contact Margaret Smith at 539-0409 or Jacque Edwards at 923-5960.