Sports Physical Therapy That Gets Results
From young athletes pushing their limits to active adults looking to stay fit, sports physical therapy isn’t just about recovery—it’s about performance, prevention, and long-term health.
At Professional Rehab Associates in Radford, our team of experts will work with you to build strength, improve flexibility and prevent injuries. From customized plans to performance-focused care, our goal is to get you back to the activities you love, as quickly as possible.
Whether you are looking to get back onto the field, or just trying to get back to your normal exercise regimen, we are here to help! Call our office or visit our website to schedule an appointment today!
The PRA Difference
•Customized Plans: Designed specifically for your sport and goals.
•Performance Focused: Improve speed, strength, and agility
•Preventative Care: Keep injuries at bay and stay in the game longer
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan 13 Tongues
Wednesday., October 30, 7:30 PM
Contemporary dance is alive with Taiwanese folk songs, Taoist chant, and projections of brilliant colors, shapes, and images, all inspired by a legendary 1960s street artist from Taipei.
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NEW RIVER VALLEY
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Blacksburg, VA 24062
o: 540-961-2015
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PUBLISHER
Country Media, Inc.
Phillip Vaught
MANAGING EDITOR
Joanne Anderson
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Vickey Lloyd
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
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WRITERS
Joanne Anderson
Emily Alberts
Jo Clark
Becky Hepler
Nancy Moseley
Caitlyn Koser
Evan Hull
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Tom Wallace
Christy Wallace
Kristie Lea Photography
Kevin Riley
Madison Underwood
Jon Fleming
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pPasture Talk
Perspective can be a vague concept. Defined as “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view,” it is shaped by our personal experiences and influenced by people, world events and a host of external factors.
The heat was oppressive this summer for people whose least favorite season is summer. There are a few of us in the New River Valley. It is interesting, however, to note that the alltime highest temperature of 105°F in my home state of Vermont occurred on the 4th of July in 1911. It was also 105°F in Maine six days later that year.
The highest day time temps in Virginia of 110°F were recorded on July 5 and 7 in 1900 and again on July 15, 1954. The coldest was recorded in the New River Valley at the Mountain Lake Biological Station on Jan. 21, 1985. Minus 34°F.
Home buyers are thinking mortgage rates are high in the sevenpoint-something range, but throughout the 1970s into the mid-1980s, mortgage rates fluctuated between 7.3% and 9.78%. In 1990, the interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 9.97%, down from 10.25%, 10.38% and 10.40% the previous three years, respectively. In October of 1981, rates hit a whopping 18.6%.
The same day that I started writing about spontaneous combustion for the fire prevention article, I pulled a few stain products off the shelf over my
workbench in the garage. I was trying to decide what to use to refinish the bottom of a gateleg table. Two surprises. One was the active wasp nest. I have reached under and over it several times, within two inches. I never saw it. We are coexisting for now.
Second surprise is the Cabot wood stain can has this on it [lightly edited]: Danger: Rags or steel wool soaked with this product may spontaneously catch fire … place these things in a sealed, waterfilled, metal container. I do not always read warnings simply because there are so many, often far more warnings than instructions.
It is common to think “this [fillin-the-blank] will never happen to me.” On that note, I plan to use this stain, and you can bet I’ll dispose of the rags in a “sealed, water-filled, metal container.”
I have also contacted Potomac Services, the folks at chimneysafetyguys. com, to check my chimney before the fireplace season arrives. Benjamin Franklin had it right with his quip: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Getting a chimney inspected is far less expensive than dealing with fire and/ or smoke inside your home if it doesn’t burn to the ground.
As Autumn ushers itself in, it’s the time of year we say: Go Hokies! And we mean it!
Joanne Anderson ManagingEditor jmawriter@aol.com
Cover Photo by: Jon Fleming
Interconnected Athletes Seeing Double
Blacksburg twins champion unique brotherhood and sisterhood in sports
HHokie football twins, Jayden and Jorden McDonald, are quick to roll their eyes at how everyone expects them to be the same. While the 2021 Salem High School grads, as identical twins, sure do look the same (and sound the same, much to the chagrin of my interview audio), they are different enough, in all the fun ways.
"He eats stuff that I wouldn't touch," #38 linebacker Jayden offers. And #39 defensive line Jorden agrees, "And he eats stuff that I wouldn't touch!"
Text by Nancy Moseley
Photos by Jon Fleming
The two spent their early years playing recreational peewee football in Greensboro, N.C., before moving to Virginia in the 6th grade. A not-so-fun way they differed was as opposing forces vying for the same spotlight. "We didn't like each other. It was a love/hate relationship. We were competitive about everything to the point it got toxic," Jayden says. Now, of course, with maturity and perspective, they laugh about it. Jorden agrees: "That's really all it was ... just ... competition."
Their mom, Sharon Jennings, adds: "As they got older and mature, they began to help each other and hold one another accountable on the football field. They would call each other out on anything and everything that the other one was doing wrong."
Coming to Virginia Tech
With no choice but to play football together in high school, when it came time to decide on a collegiate program, they were still insistent on staying together. As boyhood Carolina
fans, they had eyes on UNC and Duke. But that changed when the Hokies played North Carolina at home in 2019 and won after six overtimes. "It was an eye opener," Jayden reveals. "When we got the offer [from Virginia Tech], we took it."
Jennings adds: "We told them during recruitment, you two have always been together, and there is no need to separate now. Jayden and Jorden were a package deal. Virginia Tech ended up their dream school. It makes us happy seeing them both live out this dream."
These days their childhood competitive fire has dialed down a bit. They play different positions and admit it's now mostly about encouragement and motivation. They want to perform well for the team, but there is an extra spark to perform well for each other.
"We feed off each other's energy," Jayden offers. "When he makes a play, I get excited. And vice versa. If we're having a bad day, we're able to pick each other up and encourage one another."
When asked if they
thought their connection gave them a slight advantage on the field, they exchanged a quick glance that seemed to represent a whole conversation that only those who once shared a womb would understand, and then diplomatically answered the question.
"As a team we all feel like brothers anyway. But at the end of the day, we are more connected," Jayden gestures toward his twin brother. "We've been with each other since we were born, and we need to have each other's back."
"We know we have someone dependable in our corner. As far as the team, everyone has that, it's a brotherhood here. But outside of the team, we've been with each other through everything," Jorden states.
Young Athletic Twins
Photos courtesy of the McCoy family
Hattee and Marlee McCoy are 5-year-old fraternal twins at the beginning of the journey, feeling out how to be a distinctive athlete and a twin at the same time. Having an older, sports-minded brother has instilled an early sense of competition.
"Our son puts a fire in them to be competitive, but they're not at the crazy stage with it. They play the same sport but play differently. They have dissimilar strengths and weaknesses," Mom Alicia says. "They're very independent, but also rely on each other. They have separate friends, but then they always come back together."
Marlee is the quieter, sensitive one (and a righty). Hattee is more business, more mother-hen (lefty). But what happens when one of them makes a great play - maybe even a hypothetical home run. "Do you give each other a high-five or a hug?"
"No," Hattee is certain with her toughlove approach, "I just watch." Marlee, however, happily admits she would give Hattee a hug when she comes across home plate.
Hokie Fans and Hokie Players
While the McCoy girls are looking forward to kindergarten and their second season of Little League® Coach Pitch, the McDonald twins are heading into their third full season as Hokie football players. Hattee and Marlee plan to attend every football game, as they do every season, and Dad McCoy adds: "They always have their eyes on where the Hokie bird is." After all, for the McCoy twin
girls and two twin Tech men alike, this is home and Hokies are family. "The environment here and our values align with Virginia Tech. We are all about family. I love that about this place," Jayden says. Jorden agrees: "It strengthens us."
What are the McDonald twins looking forward to the most this season? Cue an exclusive wombbased glance again ... however, this time they chose to share out loud ... “championship."
Being around twins is like perpetually being on the outside of an inside joke. But if the punch line is, in fact, "championship," I think we'd be A-OK with that joke being on us.
Nancy S. Moseley is a freelance writer from Blacksburg who has interviewed all sorts of folks, in all sorts of emotional, physical and professional realities, but never twins. It's not the easiest thing, people.
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An Enchanting, Magical Place to Live
Text by Joanne M. Anderson | Photos by Tom and Christy Wallace
The Knowltons moved to the New River Valley the same year that General Motors launched the first electric car and Mariah Carey topped the charts with “Always Be My Baby” and “One Sweet Day” ~ 1996. The following spring they purchased a 2-story Cape-style house with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, full basement and 2-car garage on three acres.
“Terry loved the house because of the small acreage, flat yard and accessibility to work,” Sandra explains. “I liked the tree-lined driveway, and it’s a pretty house with hardwood floors. I always wanted a Victorian, but after an exhausting search with three young children, we were more than ready to settle down.”
Vision, Skills and Motivation
While the couple did not do many renovations the first few years, they brought with them the skills and creativity to transform every room and the entire outdoors.
“Terry is self-taught in woodworking, construction, welding and blacksmithing,” Sandra says. He has always loved mythical and magical themes, while she comes from a gardening family which “grew vegetables out of necessity and flowers for their beauty.”
Once married, they spent their free time at craft festivals, antique shows, salvage stores and exploring quaint towns. “We bought several pieces of small art, but most of our outings gave us ideas and inspired us to make something of our own.” Sandra recalls in their first home asking Terry to make a kitchen table with leaves cut in the corners. “Another time, we went to St. Augustine, Fla., and after seeing beautiful Victorian homes, we returned inspired to replace all our porch railings with colorful detail railings instead of standard straight wood pieces.”
Their complementary skills, vision and innovation have spawned dozens if not hundreds of home projects. “Most changes came out of desire, cost and necessity.
For example, we had a broken glass and gold fireplace door. After looking at replacements,” Sandra explains, “we decided to make our own. I traced a picture of fairies on a piece of metal, and Terry cut it out and added trees on each side for a beautiful one-of-a-kind fireplace screen. That blossomed into more functional iron art pieces including a metal tree handrail going up the stairs.”
The Team Approach
The Knowltons work on everything together. Today’s charming, whimsical, ultra-inviting backyard was originally a blank space with a concrete patio and walkway in the hot sun. When she suggested a pergola, Terry decided to craft it from metal. He hand forged whimsical corner pieces, then made a screen on one side in the form of a tree. Sandra traced about 50 of two kinds of leaves on metal for Terry to cut, heat and shape, adding stems. Sandra painted everything, and together they spent an afternoon welding them in some unique pattern that struck their fancy at the moment. Planting wisteria provided shade over the top in a year or two.
Sandra can draw a picture of what she wants for new cabinets, bed frames (wood or iron), dining room table, light fixtures, gates and other things, indoors and outside. “Furniture is expensive, and Terry makes things with high quality to fit our spaces with less cost,” she shares.
Sometimes, he even over-creates. “We needed a tool shed, and I decided to make it whimsical to fit in with our look,” Terry explains. “We loaded it with tools, then decided it was too nice. We removed all the tools, added windows, comfy furniture and an old wood stove. Now, we enjoy a fire in our cozy little shed on cold winter days!”
Terry is the construction powerhouse behind the gardens and home. “We design most things together. I assist him with labor, color, plants and decor to complement his work and pull it all together. I am the gardener, and he tills for me and has created trellises and plant holders, along with several water fountains and the beautiful fence and gate entering the vegetable garden area.”
Retirement Arrives
Sandra left her job in 2019 to care for one of their sons, and Terry retired from the Virginia State Police a year later. “We have more time to enjoy the garden and sitting areas, but we have also been remodeling bathrooms and adding to the outdoor spaces while enjoying the freedom that comes with retirement,” Sandra declares.
“We have more projects, and we know some day there will be another family here to take our place. The house can be repainted and the furniture replaced, but I hope that with our gardens, we have made it just a little more magical for the next owners to enjoy.”
An Artist Inside Everyone
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
Photos by Jon Fleming
Bob Ross, the fluffy-haired, bearded, soft-spoken television painter said that “anyone can put a masterpiece on canvas with a little practice”. His PBS TV show, The Joy of Painting, ran for 11 years, and inspired many viewers, including Katie Mallory.
“Really, my foray into art started with drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon,” she relates. “I would draw horses and trees mostly. I constantly checked out the book Draw Horses with Sam Savitt from the library. He was an amazing artist.” Savitt is regarded as the most accomplished equine artist of his generation.
“Bob Ross made art look so easy, and he had such positive energy. My parents bought me a set of his oil paints and brushes, and I would stink up the house with
paint thinner.” Katie began painting with oils in her teens and learned the basics of watercolor and acrylic in her high school art class.
She has taken a couple classes and follows artists on social media for inspiration and to study their techniques. Despite being a wife, mother and working full-time as Communications Director for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, Katie stepped out at the beginning of this year to sell on Etsy and have a booth at craft fairs. Her art is for sale at Southwest Virginia Cultural Center in Abingdon, Gardner's Grill in Christiansburg and Blacksburg True Value at First & Main.
Coming to the New River Valley
Katie came to a cadet-run drill meet at Virginia Tech as a member of her high school drill team. She was impressed with everything and intended to pursue a military career, so Virginia Tech became her top choice. “My dad is a retired Marine, my brother is a Marine. My cousin is a Marine, an aunt and uncles have served in the Marine Corps. I was the first Navy officer, though,” she states. She left her hometown of Jonesborough, Tenn., for Virginia Tech and the Corps of Cadets in 1999. “The landscape here is much like where I grew up, and this area has that same small-town feel.” She majored in communications (class of 2004), then served four years in the U.S. Navy on the USS Carney and USS Theodore Roosevelt, seeing 11 countries new to her. “My goal was to serve as a public affairs officer, but because attrition from surface warfare at the time was so high, no one was allowed a lateral transfer into different fields. Once I learned that, I decided the Navy would not be my career.”
After her service, Katie and her husband, Ken, who met at Virginia Tech, lived, worked and started their family in eastern Virginia. “When the chance to work at Virginia
Tech came up, I jumped at it. Moving back here five years ago has been the best thing for our young family. Ken also works with the Corps of Cadets. Our middle-school daughter, Abby, is a far better artist than I was at her age.”
The family has two dogs, loves to hike around the New River Valley and play card games. They also enjoy trivia at Iron Tree Brewing. “I often bring my paints because I am not the trivia powerhouse in the family,” she concedes.
Back at the Easel
Though she has filled the basement with craft and art supplies, Katie credits her gracious husband with turning a blind eye to her painting in the dining room, or the back porch and outside in good weather. “Painting on the back porch with a cup of coffee in the morning is sheer heaven,” she says.
FYI: Trivia evenings at Iron Tree Brewing run every other Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m. You can show up solo, as a pair or part of your own group and join others. It’s general trivia, no specific theme, and winners of each round receive gift cards!
Katie is hesitant to cite a favorite medium. “They all have special traits. I love the vibrancy and consistency of oils and how forgiving oils and acrylics are. I'm still learning watercolor and what draws me is the fluid nature of the art - dropping color onto damp paper and watching it bloom on its own. It's almost poetic.” As for subjects, she could fall back easily into landscapes and, recently, loose flowers. “I love to draw horses in water-soluble ink and drop water onto the ink to see it move in the water across the paper.”
I'd love to give a shout-out to New River Art and Fiber in downtown Blacksburg. The store in itself is wonderful, and the people who work there always share in my enthusiasm for whatever I'm working on. As a newer watercolor artist, I tend to have questions about products, and they always take time answering my questions, sharing ideas, and being really kind people. –Katie Mallory
This lady artist, Navy veteran, quilter and photographer echoes Bob Ross’s observation about anyone
being an artist. “Sometimes, people at shows look at my work (or someone else's work) and say: ‘I could never do that. I'm not artistic at all.’ And that's not true. I think all of us have an artistic spark, some creative space inside our souls. It may not be something everyone can put on canvas or paper. It might lie in another medium. Maybe it's music. Maybe it's writing or sculpture or design. The tighter we define art, the more people we push away from being artistic.”
So, perhaps it’s your turn to drop into New River Art & Fiber for a few paints, canvases and brushes, watch reruns of Bob Ross in The Joy of Painting and check out Draw Horses with Sam Savitt, which happens to be in the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library.
https://creativekatiegifts.etsy.com www.facebook.com/skmallory
Instagram: @ssansbur
Email: ssansbur@hotmail.com
New River Valley
FLOYD COUNTY High School
8/25 CHRISTIANSBURG
9/1 @ FORT CHISWELL
9/8 @ BLACKSBURG
9/15 GRAYSON COUNTY
9/22 @ JAMES RIVER
9/29 PATRICK COUNTY
10/13 @ CARROLL COUNTY
10/25 @ GLENVAR*
10/25 RADFORD*
11/1 @ GLENVAR
11/8 ALLEGHANY
BLACKSBURG High School
8/30 GILES
9/6 @ LORD BOTETOURT
9/13 FLOYD COUNTY
9/20 @ ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY
9/27 CAVE SPRING
10/11 CHRISTIANSBURG
10/18 @ PULASKI COUNTY
10/25 @ HIDDEN VALLEY
11/1 PATRICK HENRY
11/8 @ SALEM
CHRISTIANSBURG High School
8/30 @ FLOYD COUNTY
9/6 ABINGDON
9/13 @ WILLIAM BYRD
9/20 @ CAVE SPRING
9/27 PULASKI COUNTY
10/4 RIVERHEADS
10/11 @ BLACKSBURG
10/18 HIDDEN VALLEY
10/25 @ PATRICK HENRY
11/1 SALEM
EASTERN MONTGOMERY High School
8/30 HOLSTON
9/6 @ RURAL RETREAT
9/13 @ NORTHWOOD
9/27 FORT CHISWELL
10/4 @ GILES
10/11 CRAIG COUNTY
10/18 @ BATH COUNTY
10/25 NARROWS
11/1 @ TWIN VALLEY
11/8 @ MCCLUER
The 2024 Football Schedule brought to you by Blue Ridge Heating & Air
Football Schedule 2024
GILES High School NARROWS High School
8/30 @ BLACKSBURG
9/6 RADFORD
9/20 @ NARROWS
9/27 @ GRAYSON COUNTY
10/4 EASTERN MONTGOMERY
10/11 GEORGE WYTHE
10/18 @ GALAX
10/25 TAZEWELL
11/1 BLUEFIELD
11/8 @ FORT CHISWELL
9/13 @ CHILHOWIE
9/20 GILES
9/27 @ JAMES MONROE
@ MCCLUER
8/31 @ VANDERBILT
9/7 MARSHALL
9/14 @ OLD DOMINION
9/21 RUTGERS
8/30 @ WYTHE
9/6 @ GILES
9/13 VIRGINIA HIGH
9/20 @ GALAX
9/27 @ ALLEGHANY
10/4 GLENVAR
10/11 @ JAMES RIVER
10/18 PATRICK HENRY
10/25 @ FLOYD COUNTY
11/1 CARROLL COUNTY
COUNTY High School
8/25 @ NORTHSIDE
9/8 @ LORD BOTETOURT
9/15 @ PRINCETON 9/22 CHRISTIANSBURG
9/29 @ PATRICK HENRY
10/6 SALEM
10/13 @ BLACKSBURG 10/20 GRAHAM 10/27 @ HIDDEN VALLEY 11/3 CAVE SPRING
9/27 @ MIAMI
10/5 @ STANFORD
10/17 BOSTON COLLEGE
10/26 GEORGIA TECH
11/2 @ SYRACUSE
11/9 CLEMSON 11/23 @ DUKE 11/30 VIRGINIA
2024 Football Schedule brought to you by Crab Creek Country Store
Shouldering the Responsibility of Shoulder Care
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
From carrying the burdens of life on one’s shoulders, putting forth a cold shoulder or offering a shoulder to cry on, to looking over your shoulder, taking a weight off your shoulders or carrying a chip on one, the shoulders need to be strong. They bear a lot of responsibilities – figuratively and literally.
Our shoulders are the most mobile joints in the human body due to their wide range of motion. Such extensive flexibility, however, can contribute to myriad injuries and issues, the most common being sprains, strains, rotator cuff tears, dislocation and frozen shoulder. Surgery, the last resort for remedy, is most often done for arthritis, severe rotator cuff tears and fractures.
Protecting your shoulders as a lifestyle measure helps avoid problems later. Nolan Stewart, president, clinic director and physical therapist at Professional Rehab Associates in Radford states: “It is recommended to work, play, rest and
sleep with optimal posture. A more forward head position and rounded shoulders can increase improper movement and position of the shoulder blade. This may contribute to pinching the rotator cuff and biceps tendons.”
History and Fashion
The shoulder pad for protection was invented in 1877 by a Princeton University football player. It was fairly thin, crafted from wool and leather.
On the fashion front, shoulder pads might have first been worn at courts in the 17th century. They came into style in the 1930s in the U.S., after Joan Crawford wore a white silk gown with large shoulder pads in the movie Letty Lynton. The shoulders naturally slope, and men’s suits and jackets project a more refined appearance with shoulder pads. They were everywhere for a couple decades, then disappeared in
the 1950s and ‘60s, except for men’s suit or sport coats. They have returned on the fashion runway.
On the Football Field
A wide variety of shoulder pads are found in football locker rooms. They can absorb impact, offer protection, minimize fatigue and increase ventilation. Some help regulate body temperature to avoid heat-related incidents.
“The primary function of our equipment staff at Virginia Tech is to help ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of student-athletes,” explains equipment manager Stewart Carter. “A key component of that mission is shoulder pads, which have seen significant changes over the last couple of decades.”
“Shoulder pads from the mid ‘80s to the early teens offered great protection through the use of air management foam, but tended to be bulky and restrictive. Players in the professional ranks looked for lighter shoulder pads that would enhance their performance, sometimes sacrificing the protective qualities. That trickled down to collegiate ranks,” Carter continues. Kevlar® and PORON® have become prevalent in the last several years to accomplish this by making them sleeker and lighter.
Lighter-weight shoulder pads are ideal for wide receivers and defensive backs who rely on speed and agility. It’s a strategic balance of having adequate protection for the
shoulder and clavicle region while not inhibiting range of motion to run, catch, turn and maneuver one’s way down the field.
“We strive to find the balance between protection and performance,” Carter relates. “Each football player is fit with custom shoulder pads from a variety of companies. Quarterback Kyron Drones, for example, looks to achieve more mobility for his throwing arm to ensure accurate passes and beefed-up protection on his opposite side to safeguard blindside hits.” [QB photo here?]
In the Surgical Suite
Teresa Hall of Radford went through a lot of therapies to address shoulder pain. “My left arm began throbbing, and I experienced shooting pain when swinging the pickleball racket,” she recalls. Her first step was to visit Ortho Virginia. She received a steroid injection, then tried physical therapy, exercises, anti-inflammatory medicine and Celebrex®. When a radiologist found nothing noteworthy in her MRI, Hall, 68, got second and third opinions. “Dr. Jonathan Mayer at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center explained everything, and one year after the pain began, I had surgery.” Though the first six weeks post-surgery are very awkward, she has enjoyed a complete recovery.
A retired hairdresser who moved to the New River
Valley almost four years ago shares a similar experience. Mary True, 61, played pickleball four days in a row in December of 2022. “All was fine until I went up to hit a ball and fire shot through my arm. The pain was excruciating,” she relates. She also jumped through the hoops of steroid shots, physical therapy, massage and dry needling. Her x-rays showed arthritis.
“The last straw was exhaustion. I simply could not function or sleep for the pain.” True’s surgery at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery was also a success, following the uncomfortable sling holding your arm away from your body and doing nothing for six weeks. Pickleball? Both ladies love it, but are quick to say pickleball doesn’t love them.
At the Physical Therapist
Physical therapists throughout the New River Valley see patients frequently for shoulder discomfort. “Most often we treat patients suffering from subacromial impingement syndrome, which is a pinching of the soft tissues under the tip of the shoulder and upper arm, which limits function in overhead activities,” Nolan Stewart relates. “For strains
and partial tears, we focus on manual therapy to provide stretching and mobility. Therapeutic exercises can restore strength. Neuromuscular education promotes optimal posture of the shoulder blade and proper movement of the upper arm.”
Physical therapy and conservative care is a good place to start reducing pain and regaining strength and range of motion. Stewart succinctly declares: “Surgery restores the anatomy. Physical therapy restores functional use.”
Stewart is spot-on about being cognizant of posture. According to mayoclinichealthsystem.org: “Looking down at electronic devices causes neck muscles to strain and shoulders to slump forward. Musculoskeletal fatigue and pressure on the nerve supply in the neck can cause pain in the neck, which may initiate referred pain in the arms and hands. Staying in this position increases the force and effort on your shoulders, neck and upper back muscles and puts uneven pressure on your spine.”
Our figurative shoulders can carry a lot of emotion for ourselves and for others, but our real shoulders need to be cared for as much as our eyes, skin, feet and everything else.
The Motorcycle Bug
You do not need a therapist if you own a motorcycle, any kind of motorcycle!
-- Canadian and American actor and comedian Dan Aykroyd
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
by Tom and Christy Wallace
The motorcycle bug touched this mother and son riding duo early. Cindy Schiffer started with small mopeds as a child, moving on to dirt bikes and dual sport bikes. Her first bike was a yellow Honda C90 in the mid-70s. She gave up her motorcycle license when she and her husband, Bill, moved here from California in 1992.
Fast forward a couple decades, and their son Daniel thought it would be a lot of fun to ride. “I spoke to my mom about it right after I got my driver’s license, and she was totally anti-motorcycle for me,” he recalls. “The last time I brought it up, she said if I mentioned it up again, she’d take my car away! In my senior year, she asked if I wanted to take the motorcycle course with her.”
For Cindy, it was inevitable. “I got my motorcycle license again because Daniel said he wanted a motorcycle. It seemed clear that he would get his license. I wanted to do what I could to help him be a safe rider.” The pair took the motorcycle safety class together at New River Community College. “I’ve always enjoyed the
challenge and freedom of riding,” she adds.
In February of 2019, they purchased these 2017 Benelli TNT 300 bikes, one black and one green. They are only available in black, green, red or white to honor their Italian roots.
History of Benelli
Some folks will remember 1911 for Chevrolet entering the car market or the first Indianapolis 500, with an average speed of 74.601 mph. Average speed today exceeds 170 mph. In northern Italy, a widow poured her life
Photos
savings into a new business in Pesaro on the Adriatic Sea. Mrs. Benelli wanted to assure that each of her six sons had a stable job.
Initially, the company was a service garage, and the young men built spare parts for cars and motorcycles. Eight short years later, the brothers made a 2-stroke 75cc engine and attached it to a bicycle, with disappointing results. Not to be deterred, the band of brothers presented two models of their “Velomotore” 98cc, 2-stroke, lightweight motorcycle in 1921, followed by a 147cc version in 1923. One of them began winning races on their motorcycles, which spawned more designs, a larger production scope and increasing sales.
Why Benelli?
The Schiffers chose the Benelli brand because “they are nice looking, comfortable, fun, easy to ride, inexpensive and sound great.” They are identical except for color with 300cc, engine is in line, twin-cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid cooled, eight valves. There are six speeds with a wet slipper clutch.
“They have a maximum speed of 95 mph,” Daniel explains, “but don’t accelerate well over 65 mph. It’s not for interstate or fast highway driving, which makes it a great first bike. It gets around 60 miles per gallon.”
The pair enjoys rural 2-lane highways, like going out Glade Road, along the New River and out into Giles, Bland or Pulaski counties. Daniel loves it
for commuting to work or class in warm months. “I play some Black Keys or Elton John, which I can only hear at the stop lights. It’s a much more enjoyable commute, not the mention improved parking choices.” He’s known for taking the long way home for the fun of riding.
Why the New River Valley?
Bill and Cindy love to travel. He is from Pennsylvania, she from Minnesota. They met in Flagstaff, Ariz., when Bill was residing in Colorado and Cindy in South Dakota. Most years, they spend six weeks in the west on vacation, traveling with as many family members and friends who can make all or part of the trip. They love to explore national parks and forests and particularly
Left: Daniel, Cindy and Bill in Yellowstone National Park
Above: Daniel and Cindy cooking out of the truck in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone
enjoy showing these wonderful sites to people who have never been there.
The couple decided to leave California before starting their family to be near relatives in the East. They wanted a college town in the midAtlantic region with multiple U.S. Forest Service offices within an hour. Blacksburg fit the bill for its small-town feel, down-home attitudes, amenities and opportunities. Daniel sums it up succinctly: “The New River Valley is an incredible place with outdoor activities, beautiful landscapes and great people!”
Both parents retired from careers with the U.S. Forest Service. Cindy remains active as a Logistics Section Chief, supporting Incident Management by responding to large wildfires and hurricanes all over the country. They have served as
emergency foster care parents and still enjoy time with kids – “anybody under 40! We have great hope for the future because of what we see in young people.”
Daniel holds a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech, where he was a member of BOLT, a design team which converted a Yamaha motorcycle from gas to electric. He works at a local brewery and has been a wildland firefighter and mountain guide.
The Therapy Angle
An article on webbikeworld. com by Kathy Koewler is titled: “The Mental Health Benefits of Riding Motorcycles”; and subtitled: “It’s Real & Not Just An Excuse To Ride”. She shares what most people already know,
that riding a motorcycle requires more focus and concentration than driving a car. “Scientists believe that this added concentration actually increases brain function and health.” She goes on to cite studies about the advantages of being outside, healing power of nature, solitude inside the helmet, improved mental clarity and stress reduction. It’s a nice class of people who enjoys this form of therapy, like Brad Pitt, Pink, Keanu Reeves, Christian Bale, Stephen King, Angelina Jolie, Cindy Schiffer, Bill Clinton, Matthew McConaughey, Tim Allen, Cher, Miley Cyrus, Daniel Schiffer, Jewel, George W. Bush, Alanis Morissette, Tom Cruise, David Beckham and many more, Dan Aykroyd included.
Photos courtesy of the Schiffer family
Can You Hear Me Now?
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
You don’t have to be a rock star or an old person to experience hearing loss. It affects more than 60 million Americans over the age of 12, though half of them are over 65. Hearing loss can occur in one or both ears, mildly to completely, and it is not reversible. Thus, dealing with it sooner than later improves not only hearing, but also social skills, speaking better and not annoying others.
People who do not hear well tend to avoid groups, entertainment and going out to a restaurant. Hearingimpaired men and women may speak louder or softer because they cannot hear themselves. Annoying others occurs when they constantly ask people to repeat what they say, turn up the television or speakers extra loud and look blank when asked “Do you want a tuna sandwich for lunch?” because they did not hear the question.
Eric Clapton, 79, blames his hearing loss on cranking up amps during his youth, and he regrets not heeding
warnings to turn down the volume and wear earplugs. The organization Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers estimates that 60 percent of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are hearing impaired. It seems to be especially prevalent with baby boomer generation musicians like Bob Dylan, Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon and Stephen Stills.
Research studies indicate that untreated hearing loss increases one’s risk of anxiety, depression, social isolation, falls and cognitive decline. “Only one in five people who would benefit from a hearing aid uses one,” according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. The American Academy of Audiology [audiology.com] reports that “cost, confusion about and access to hearing care, and gradual hearing loss going unrecognized, are all reasons for this underutilization. Vanity plays a role, though hearing aids continue to become smaller and sleeker.”
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Hearing Aids
Noteworthy dates in hearing aid development are 1634, 1898, 1920, 1948, 1970s and onward to today. There are several options in hearing amplifiers and Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs) for anyone with mild hearing loss. But they are not a replacement for real hearing aids for those who have moderate to severe hearing loss.
Hearing aids are relatively small, simple devices designed to improve hearing by amplifying sounds. There are many different styles, and until a few years ago, commanded a very high price tag. Becky Cherry, 81, has experienced hearing loss in both ears across the past decade. “First I tried the Medicare hearing aids, but they weren’t very good. Hoping to hear better, I paid a whopping $6,300 for a pair which came with a 3-year contract.”
Not wanting to spend that kind of money twice, Becky cruised the internet and switched to Jabra hearing aids for $2,000. “They are wonderful, and I control them with my iPhone. When the 3-year contract ended, I purchased them again for $1,100.” The contract covers parts which need replacing monthly, plus tips, wires and anything that ceases to work. Becky especially appreciates that someone is always available to help her resolve problems.
Joan Behl of Blacksburg worked in early childhood
invention years ago and took babies to audiologist Dr. Richard Harrell for testing. When she was pressed into getting hearing aids by her husband, Harry, and her eye doctor, she sought him at The Hearing Clinic. “I stalled because I didn’t want something in my ears,” she relates. “I’ve worn Widex brand ones all day every day for a few months. Sometimes they bug me, but other times I forget they are there. They help a lot – with my hearing and on the home front. Harry does not have to repeat himself often, and the TV is no longer on such a high volume.” While hers can be connected and controlled by her cell phone, she is content using them without doing that.
OTC Hearing Aids
Prices come down with competition. “New covid rules allow the manufacturer to sell now directly to the consumer,” reports a Giles County resident. “That lowered the prices dramatically. My wife tried three direct-toconsumer products, and returned all of them for a full refund. My mother and mother-in-law have hearing aids, too, and disappointment seems to be an ongoing theme.”
One issue with ordering directly is not having a professionally-trained audiologist evaluate the degree of hearing loss and counsel people on which hearing aid options are best in their specific case. “Basic hearing tests may be found online and through smartphone apps. Selfguided hearing tests should be used with caution. When the audiologist is removed from the diagnostic process, ear conditions that require medical attention can be missed,” states information on audiology.com.
Diane Coleman of Dublin has had three sets of hearing aids she ordered online from Bossa. “They are less than $100 per pair, basic, no frills. They work very well, and I don’t worry about losing one.” She had an audiologist exam last spring and discovered these hearing aids cover what she needs. “The hearing aids aren't sophisticated enough to block background noises in places like restaurants, and traffic sounds are somewhat harsher, which is irritating. But the good news is I can hear crickets and peeper frogs again, something I missed.” Her husband, Donnie, is also happy the TV sound is lower.
I Can Hear You Now
Because loss of hearing can contribute significantly to a lower quality of life, other unpleasant issues and distress on the home front, it is important to get tested. Most TV sets and audible devices have volume numbers, so it’s easy to see when you have the sound up higher and higher. Hearing aid technology has come a long ways, and with the right set of hearing aids, you will again be able to say, in a normal volume voice of your own: “I can hear you now.”
HomeSweet Home
Senior Living – Renting vs. Owning
Like your family tree, owning property gives you roots, but renting gives you wings.
Is it better to rent or buy after age 65? Well, isn’t that the $64,000 question? The short answer is “yes”. Either option can be correct. Maybe selling an existing home, pocketing a profit and downsizing into a condo, rental, motorhome or house boat is the way to go.
Advantages of Renting
Possibly the greatest advantage of renting is being released from most or all of property maintenance and repair expenses and labor. Read the fine print in a lease to understand precisely what you will be responsible for
beyond keeping the interior, including large appliances, in good shape. If the washing machine wears out or the microwave oven quits or a tree falls, well, you might just need to make one phone call.
Concerns about rent increases are valid, especially as building insurance and property taxes rise. Renters need personal property insurance, as the landlord and/or HOA insurance covers the building and maybe large appliances, not any personal contents.
If you choose to rent in a senior assisted living community, you can live independently, increasing assistance as you need it in coming years. Renting elsewhere offers other benefits, and you can still hire senior care professionals when appropriate.
Text by Jo Clark
Perks of renting can include:
• Flexibility (Don’t like a place? Pack up and move when the lease ends.)
• Travel for extended vacations with fewer concerns about maintenance, water, yardwork, etc.
• Freedom from most chores like lawn care and interior painting
• Vastly reduced repair and maintenance expenses
• Neighbors and socializing opportunities in some settings
• Accessible living choices (one-story, elevator, ramps)
• Equity from home sale can provide additional monthly income via investments
• More time for walks and coffee, reading and stopping to smell the flowers.
Advantages of Owning
According to a 2023 Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies survey, about 59% of homeowners enter their retirement without a mortgage. Even with an affordable mortgage payment, there are good reasons for staying in your own home, like:
Mike Weber, REALTOR® with Long & Foster, is seeing retired people staying in their homes or downsizing to a smaller house. “If older homeowners have a primary bedroom suite on the main level of a multi-story home, they are likely to stay put, avoiding the hassle of moving at all. But, most of those who embrace downsizing, still want a house to avoid close neighbors, HOA, parking issues and so on.”
• Continuing to build equity in your home, not someone else’s
• Having a source of money in a line of credit or reverse mortgage
• As property values increase, your net worth appreciates
• Mortgage interest deduction
• Stability and familiar surroundings
• Your insurance policy includes furnishings and valuables
• Making interior and exterior renovations as you wish
• Predictable monthly mortgage payments with possible tax or insurance tweaks
Mike Weber, REALTOR® with Long & Foster, is seeing retired people staying in their homes or downsizing to a smaller house. “If older homeowners have a primary bedroom suite on the main level of a multi-story home, they are likely to stay put, avoiding the hassle of moving at all. But, most of those who embrace downsizing, still want a house to avoid close neighbors, HOA, parking issues and so on.”
A former occupational therapist and advocate of aging-in-place, Dwight Atkinson sings praises to companies like Bruno and Harmar. Both American companies carry
“It’s the therapist in me that wants to fix things for older people to be comfortable in their own homes,”. . . " I recently helped a client sell her house to downsize and rent in our area.”
- Dwight Atkinson, Nest Realty
impressive stair lift products. “It’s the therapist in me that wants to fix things for older people to be comfortable in their own homes,” he relates. “I see several retirees who sell their home in the New River Valley and relocate to The Villages in Florida, though I recently helped a client sell her house to downsize and rent in our area.” Atkinson is a REALTOR® with Nest Realty. While he’s in the business of selling houses, he loves when people can modify their homes for aging and contract caregiving, housekeeping or personal support services as needed.
After spending her married life in a rural setting in Giles County, retired teacher Judy Keating moved to a townhouse in Christiansburg. “My [late] husband took so much pride in the home he built with local rock and chestnut logs from old barns. Leaving our farm was incredibly hard, but I was ready to pass on the large house and property to someone who had the excitement and energy to take over. Downsizing was a challenge, but honestly, I found it freeing and love the smaller floor plan and ease of the townhome.”
Weber observes an interesting domino effect in the NRV real estate market. “With many retirees choosing to stay in large homes, the next generation, like ages 40-50-ish, do not have a large pool of bigger homes to advance upward. As they are staying in what was likely their first home, the 30-somethings seeking their first home are finding many of them not coming on the market because the retirees, two generations ahead, are aging in place, or something like that.” It’s an interesting conundrum.
The Bottom Line
Renting has an appeal for the active retiree who prefers traveling over mowing and walking over replacing a broken window. Fieldstone Apartments in Blacksburg are affordable with a club house and 24/7 fitness center, while The Adams at Peppers Ferry in Christiansburg offers luxury everything.
While not marketed solely to the older crowd, the very nice and very popular Villas at Peppers Ferry in Christiansburg and The Vistas in Blacksburg attract the downsizing, retiring homeowner for precisely what Keating stated in a “smaller floor plan and ease of townhome living” or patio home lifestyle for the Villas. Both Weber and Atkinson concur on the difficulty buying at either place because they often sell by word of mouth when neighbors know a change in residence is imminent for them or for a friend.
People approaching retirement need to evaluate all the angles of housing, finances, tax and investment perks, neighbors, location, activities, health care support and more with a long-term vision of forever here, wherever that may be.
Jo Clark is retired, but still works as a travel writer and photographer. She bought a house where she loves living on the coast, with the plan that it will be her forever home. Follow her exploits on her podcast at JoGoesEverywhere.Podbean.com or find her on Instagram @ JoGoesEverywhere.
You Do Not Need a Spark to Start a Fire
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
Fire trucks and firefighting equipment have come a long ways since the bucket brigades. Organized fire departments in the U.S. began in the mid-1800s, and more than 60% of firefighters are volunteers. Advances in building materials and fire-resistant fabrics and goods have contributed positively to fire reduction.
It is alarming still that some 358,000 house fires occur every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association, resulting in more than 2,500 deaths.
Chimneys
According to the Federal Emergency Management Association [FEMA], some 25,000 chimney fires every year cause extensive structural damage and personal injury. As the ChimneySafetyGuys.com ad in this magazine alerts: What You Can’t See, Can Still Hurt You. “Creosote is the byproduct of burning wood,” explains Jeff Peterson, CEO of Potomac Services and retired U.S. Army Colonel. “It rises as a vapor and cools into a combustible material.”
Peterson recommends annual inspection for chimneys with wood burning stoves or fireplaces. “The typical family burns a cord of wood per year, and that’s a
good measure of when to have the chimney checked, after every cord is burned,” he states. Many people will load up a wood-burning fireplace at night while reducing air flow by closing the damper somewhat. This permits products of combustion to have a longer dwell time inside the chimney. “Big fires are better than small ones, and opening a window for new air every time a wood stove is lit is recommended.”
Every chimney should have a cap on top to deter birds, leaves, squirrels, water and anything else especially in heavily wooded areas. Peterson cautions that water inside a chimney can damage mortar. “New house or old, every chimney needs a sufficient chimney cap, which also helps deter sparks from flying out. Some builders do not install them, thinking it is a homeowner responsibility.”
Spontaneous Combustion
“It is so easy to assume there must be some spark for a fire to ignite,” one New River Valley man declares, after he and his wife were out of their house for six months due to a fire with no spark.
Spontaneous combustion occurs when a fire starts without a match or any external source of heat. Combustible
materials, like dirty rags with stain or oil on them, large round hay bales, creosote inside your chimney and compost materials can self-heat to a high enough temperature to ignite. The National Fire Protection Association reports that more than 14,000 fires a year are due to spontaneous combustion.
And you think it will never happen to you? “After wiping a stain product on a stairway banister in our home, I left the rags in a bucket in the basement and went out of town,” the NRV man says. “When I received an alert on my phone that smoke alarms were going off inside house, I checked my outdoor cameras. I called a neighbor who walked over and saw nothing.” Because the alert stayed on his phone via a Ring listening device connected to the door bell and security system, he called 911 where he was and asked them to refer his call to Montgomery County, Virginia.
“The fire department responded, and I walked them through disengaging the security system, so they did not break through the front door. When they opened the basement door inside the house, smoke and soot quickly filled the entire [3-story, 5,500-sq ft] house. Every surface, crevice and item in the house had soot and smoke on it or in it.”
The heat was sufficient to melt electric outlets, and the extensive damage included the insulation in the attic. The finished basement is now unfinished down to the studs. SERVPRO® used special cleansing solutions everywhere to clean every square inch and every single item in the home. The couple rented a pod and removed and cleaned many things themselves, as the weeks turned into months of cleaning, painting and restoration.
The couple’s takeaway from this most unpleasant experience is being thankful for (1) working smoke alarms, (2) Ring security system connected to his cell phone, (3) fire department response, and
(4) house insurance. “In our case, nothing could be seen from the outside. The entire house would have burned down, if we had not had the Ring interior listening system connected to the cell phone.”
A few months ago, a National Park Service fire crew in California conducted routine maintenance of their hand tools. One task involved applying linseed oil with a rag to the tool handles. The crew took precautions with the rag, placing it outside to dry flat on a workbench. The rag caught fire by itself, started the workbench on fire, and spread up the wall of an attached shed.
Rags and towels soaked with oils, including cooking oils; hot laundry left in piles; large compost, mulch, manure, and leaf piles; moist baled hay; and the creosote accumulated inside a chimney can spontaneously combust in the right conditions. Because you do not need a spark to start a fire.
October is Fire Prevention Month
National Fire Prevention Week, October 6 to 12 Theme: “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!”
The week is specific to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in which 250 people died and 17,400 structures were destroyed.
Activities and info for kids: sparky.org
Smoke detectors are a lot like income taxes: We need to deal with them once a year, not a whole lot of people understand them, and issues with either can be particularly, well, alarming. Simple yet essential heroes of home safety and security, smoke detectors tend to be forgotten until they go off (a good thing) or fail to function in an emergency (a potential tragedy). [Bobvila.com]
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VT
Blacksburg Battles Cancer olf To urnament
y, Septembe r 23
Presented by
For the past ten years, Blacksburg Battles Cancer, under the banner of the BlacksburgCountryClubCharitable Foundation(BCCCF) has raised more than $350,000 for cancer-focused non-profit organizations that serve the local community. We invite you to join us for our annual golf tournament as we strive to reach $400,000 in 2024!
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Building
Relationships One House at a Time
“Anne Collins is amazing! We felt so comfortable with her as our agent We appreciated her friendly and professional style of selling real estate We actually enjoyed the entire process of listing and selling our beloved home of 23 years. Anne Collins came highly recommended to us and we are extremely happy we took our friend's advice to call her. Anne Collins is a true professional. She works efficiently and effectively Anne Collins knows the real estate market and has a firm grasp on how to sell a home We have also gained a new friend in this process. Do not hesitate if you are buying or selling a home in the NRV - call Anne Collins!”
“We have worked with Rayne for many years. She is very knowledgable and always responds in a timely fashion. Most importantly, she values us and considers our interests to be the highest priority. She also understands that this is a stressful process, and always makes sure that we are comfortable at every step (she never pressures us).
Furthermore, she is willing to continue to help us after the transactions. In fact, she is our go-to person whenever we have questions related to houses. We feel extremely fortunate to have found her to help us”