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TheRoanokeStar.com community | news | perspective

July 13 - July 19, 2012

Conference Costs To Taxpayers Questioned

[Summer Weather]

The Perfect Storm Mill Mountain Memories P5– Johnny Robinson takes Roanokers back in time as he recalls what Mill Mountain Zoo was like in the 1960’s.

Photo by Terry Aldhizer

Optimistic Wahoo P7– UVA Radio Broadcaster Dave Koehn told the Roanoke Sports Club that he is bullish on the university’s football and basketball programs for 2012-13.

Overnight Sensation P9– Gene Marrano reports that the six short plays written and produced in 24 hours as part of “Overnight Sensations” were the best to date.

Or at least a perfect storm picture . . . The Roanoke Valley has seen its share of thunderstorms and interestingly named “weather events” this summer. (Can you say Derecho?) Local photographer Terry Aldhizer has captured some amazing shots since early June and this is one of her finest taken on June 13th as an incoming storm arrived over downtown Roanoke. To see and/or purchase more of her remarkable work go to www.terryaldhizer.com.

Elmwood Park Renovations To Begin In Fall Elmwood Park will close on a through street and the greenOctober 16 and (if the weather way is now more clearly incorcooperates) the revitalized park porated into the design. will reopen 12 months later in Some trees and plants will the fall of 2013. be removed or relocated. The first phase was expected “Overall the park will have to begin in mid-July and reopen more trees when we are finin the summer of 2013 but that ished,” said Hill. The walkway will not happen according to will be reconfigured to create Steve Buschor, director of Parks a “much better curve” that will and Recreation. The upside is better accommodate amphithat some events that had been theater seating. “That bought scheduled for elsewhere now us 200 more seats,” he said. have the option of using ElmThe terraces themselves will wood Park through this sumhave about 1356 seats. The mer. west wing will accommodate Phase one of the $4.7 million An Artist rendering of the Elmwood Park Amphitheater area. 253 seats and the orchestra project received only one bid and area will seat 372 people. The trying to get the major part of this project City Engineer Phil Shermer said concourse tables will hold 100 that they don’t like to award a project on a done and if we need to spend more money people and the lawn will seat 1800 people. single bid. “Plan B is to combine the two lets not spend it until we have it,” he said. Finishing the available concert seating will The long magnolia tree lined entrance be an area for 80 people at the top, 15 peocontracts together,” he said. Councilman Ray Ferris was concerned to the park that features lily ponds was ple at the gazebo, 180 people at the library about going over budget at the July 2 re- named “Saucer Magnolia Allee” in the first balcony and 120 at various other spots. vised presentation made by David Hill of presentation. It has now been more simply The performance venue terraced seatHill Studios. “Frills and some things con- named “Memory Lane.” The long debate on ing will be 3 ft. 8 sidered to be frills can be adjusted so they whether Bullitt Avenue would be a through in. wide and the > CONTINUED can be built later … What I’m looking at is street has finally been settled. It will not be design will embel- P2: Elmwood

VT Carilion Students Enter Clinical Rotations for First Time

Short Stories P9– Leisure Publishing Editor, Kurt Rheinheimer, releases his second book entitled “Finding Grace” and says the short story format suits him best.

Five doctors-to-be toured the Internal Medicine Department at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital earlier this week. They looked like any other doctor but this was a big day . . . a “monumental day,” said Dan Harrington, VP for Academic Affairs at Carilion Clinic and the senior dean for Academic Affairs at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. “It’s because it’s the transition from being in the classroom to all of a sudden working with patients. And in every medical student’s life, the first day of clerkships is a huge deal.” These five are part of the third-

year class of 42 students starting their clinical rotations for the first time in the history of the school, which opened its doors two years ago. They’ll spend six weeks in internal medicine before rotating to various hospital departments. And with this step comes a lot of responsibility, says Harrington. “A clerkship is where the medical students rotate throughout the third year on core rotations such as pediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, psychiatry, OBGYN, pediatrics - and here

> CONTINUED P2: Rotations

Left to right: Dr. R. Allen Blackwood, director, Internal Medicine Clerkship, Christopher Vieau, Caroline Osborne, Rebecca Kirschner, Matthew Joy, and Sean Fletcher.

Looking at the $12,691 cost for city staff to attend the Government Finance Officer Association’s 2012-2013 annual business conference and the benefit derived might create some angst among city taxpayers. City Manager Chris Morrill and seven other staff members attended the Chicago conference with Morrill and others bringing their families at their own expense. Besides Morrill, Finance Director Ann Shawver, City Treasurer Evelyn Powers, Director of Management and Budget Amelia Merchant, Andrea Trent Assistant Finance Director, Mike Shockley Budget Administrator, Susan Lower Real Estate Assessment Director and Kathy Cox Assistant Director of technology attended the conference. Susan Lower did not attend on city business according to Shawver. It was a prestigious moment for Roanoke’s city manager who was named president of the GFOA. In his GFOA speech Morrill expressed his thanks to the mayor and city council for recognizing the value that his association with the GFOA brings back to Roanoke. Former City Manager Darlene Burcham was not a member of GFOA but was “very active in other professional organizations such as the International City > CONTINUED P2: Conference

Upward Bound Not Funded by Government Roanoke College recently was notified by the U.S. Department of Education that their grant for the Upward Bound program has not been funded by the federal government for the coming fiveyear cycle. The summer residential program for 70 high school students was set to begin in June, but was cancelled due to funding issues. Roanoke College Upward Bound staff members notified the teaching staff, students and their parents and have notified the seven area target high schools served by the program. Roanoke College officials say they are making every effort to appeal to the U.S. Congress for restoration of Upward Bound funding. However, due to the uncertainty of the funding situation, the College had to cancel the entire 2012 summer residential program. “We sincerely regret the cancellation of the summer program and had hoped to avoid this drastic step,” said Theresa Jackson, director of Upward Bound at Roanoke College. If efforts to appeal the fund> CONTINUED P2: Upward

Page 2 | TheRoanokeStar.com

Temperatures will be in the low 80s for Thursday and Friday as the chance for showers and storms continues. Warmer air arrives for the weekend. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s with afternoons showers and storms possible. Hit or miss showers and storms will again be possible for the afternoon hours Monday and Tuesday with highs near 90.

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> Conference Managers Association, Alliance for Innovations, and National League of Cities,” said Shawver. Shawver also said, “Roanoke was very fortunate to be featured in two sessions at the conference. It is wonderful for our community to be recognized for best practices in budgeting and retirement benefits.” Shawver serves on one of GFOA’s national standing committees. With the city just completing its FY2013 budget pinching exercise it may irk some residents that $12,000 was spent on a conference. “The GFOA is essentially the premiere organization for government finance so we are very lucky we can be as involved as we are and bring back great ideas to Roanoke,” said Shawver. Mayor Bowers read a resolution recognizing Morrill’s distinction at the June council meeting. “We support you

7/13/12- 7/19/12 From page 1

– we’re watching your back to make sure you are successful as President of the GFOA and as city manager of Roanoke,” said Bowers.

To learn more about GFOA go to their website at gfoa.org.

> Elmwood lish the acoustical experience. The stage itself is 70 feet wide and 40 feet deep. The back will be constructed so as to separate musical performances from road noise. To the side there will be restrooms available to the public and dressing rooms for entertainers. The circular library plaza that

From page 1

is rarely used will incorporate a playground for all ages said Hill. Swings and a climbing net will be in the children’s park and the rocks that already look like a dragon will have a sculptured dragon head added at one end and a tail at the other. Lantern designed entrances to the park will match the li-

> Rotations

brary. Food vendor trucks will fit in the rear of the library at basement level along with umbrella tables and seating. Other non-food vendors will be positioned around the outer perimeter and Memory Lane totaling about 100 tents. In front of the stage there will be an expanded 2400 square

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From page 1

we also do neurology and radiology to learn environment and it’s amazing to see every- care to a certain extent. So it sort of brings meaning to all the book learning we’ve done the basic skills of taking care of patients.” He one at work.” says they’ll be examining patients, taking He hasn’t decided on a specialty and is to the point where you have to apply your care of them, and participating in rounds. considering everything equally at this point. knowledge and also apply your personal Rebecca Kirschner is a VTC student from “My goal is just to be like a sponge and learn skills to interact with patients and establish Winterpark, Florida. “I’m a little nervous. as much as I can and to get my hands on as relationships with them so you can treat We’re going to be getting a lot more respon- many patients as I can ! and to see as many them as best as possible.” He’s leaning tosibility now moving from our second year patients as I can and to see as many proce- ward specializing in surgery but said he too of medical school into our third year.” She dures as I can and to read as much as I can is open to all areas. about my patients.” While the third-year students begin their says she’s excited to get started. She’s interProfessional House Cleaning Matthew Joy from California is the!third- clinical rotations, VT Carilion is getting ested in pediatrics, but says “everything that General Home Repairs we are going to learn here for the first six year class president. He spent part of the ready to welcome its latest set of first year Complete Bathroom Remodeling Blvd in rotations learning where to students first morning next month. • Tile Work weeks is going to be applicable 1618 later.” Roanoke Interior/exterior Carpentry • Plumbing Christopher Vieau from Syracuse, New Suite go A and where to find things. “We actually By Beverly Amsler with real patients York, says he was overwhelmed by the have the chance to work Window/door installation • Hardwood Flooring Salem, Virginia 24153 info@theroanokestar.com move to clinical rotations. “It’s a brand new in real time and are responsible for their For a Free Estimate Call or email James 540-389-5252 725-7343 jss25@cox.net

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City Responds to June 29 Storm During the days that followed the June 29 storm, the City of Roanoke says they made extensive efforts to address the resulting damage and to aid residents affected by the unusual "Dorecho" event. Most visible to residents has been the work done by the Solid Waste Management Division crews, who have been working 14-hour days to clear brush and debris from city neighborhoods. As of July 5, 86 workers had spent 4,214 hours collectively, picking up 447 tons of brush from the storm enough to cover a football field nearly four feet deep. Historically, crews have collected a total of 300 tons of brush from the entire city for the month of July. It is estimated that crews will collect a total of 1,500 tons (3 million pounds) of brush by Friday July 13th. Work is not expected to be completed until July 30. Other responses to the storm provided by city workers include the following: • In the first 12 hours after the storm, 6:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., public safety telecommunicators in the E-911 Center processed 1,603 calls,

sometimes handling from 200 to 300 calls per hour. A total of 972 calls were entered into the dispatch system, and staff from Police and Fire-EMS assisted in directing responses to the calls; Police and Fire-EMS staff served as first responders to emergencies caused by the storm. • Parks and Recreation crews responded to 217 emergency calls about city trees that were downed, and worked with Public Works crews to cut up trees and haul away debris. • Public Works sign crews deployed more than 300 traffic barricades and traffic barrels to hazardous locations involving downed wires, closed streets, intersections with inoperable traffic lights, etc. • Staff worked with Roanoke County and the American Red Cross to establish and open a cooling center/shelter. • Operations at the Police Academy were suspended, and cadets were assigned to assist officers in directing traffic at intersections; At one point 50 out of 158 signalized intersections were without power. • Additional police officers were assigned to patrol areas

A South Roanoke sidewalk roped off due to a downed tree limb on a power line. of the city that were without power. • As power was restored, traffic signal technicians needed to reset signal operations at each intersection. Traffic signals at several intersections also required repairs to damaged components. • Staff from Fire-EMS and the Office of Communications shared information with the public regarding safety, the city's cooling center, and updates on brush pickup. In a news release the city stressed that they wished to, "thank employees for their

ongoing dedication to serving citizens during this unprecedented storm situation." The city also said that efforts to work with Roanoke County and the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority were crucial to the progress made in the city's response to collecting the debris resulting from the storm. Also, the city's partnership with the American Red Cross and Roanoke County was essential in providing shelter to those who lost power because of the storm.

TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 3

7/13/12- 7/19/12

Student Researchers Take A Walk On The 'Wild' Side

Memories are Made on Vacations; Tips for the Road Don’t worry about recordbreaking gas prices – the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates prices to be $3.79 a gallon this summer, less than in 2008. That’s good news for families considering reviving the tradition of a road trip vacation, one of the best experiences parents and kids can share, says Michael DiLorenzo, author of Adventures with Jonny: Road Trip to Tyler Williams holds a red-backed salamander in a wildlife the Parks! (www.adventureecology laboratory in Cheatham Hall. swithjonny.com). grass fields to cold season grass can determine the everyday be“This is a shared experience, fields in the eastern U.S. in the haviors of the salamanders, they and one that will be talked about 1950s and 60s, for cattle feeding might be able to implement during family gatherings for purposes," Garretson said. "It conservation practices to help years to come,” says DiLorenzo, doesn’t bode well for the birds them. Specifically, Williams is because they need high nutrient testing the addition of mineral a father of three. “For busy parents, this is a time to savor their levels in mid-summer." oil to the fluorescent powder. To test this theory, Garret"Mineral oil may offer several children’s youth. As moms and son is collecting wild grasshop- advantages, like longer pow- dads eventually find out, they pers (a primary food source of der retention and increased grow up fast.” Loggerhead shrikes) from both resistance to moisture, specifiIt’s also a chance to get chilwarm and cool season grass cally rain," William said. "This dren outside and away from fields. He records the number is important because reticulated their computers, he says. Chilof grasshoppers he finds in flatwood salamanders are com- dren today already have a deepeach field and compares their monly active on rainy or moist rooted interest in technology, abundance in each grass type, nights and that moisture can which is why a road trip to a in addition to collecting some decrease fluorescent powder natural, outdoor destination grasshoppers for carbon isotope tracking abilities." analysis. Williams is testing the meth- is an opportunity to “give your Garretson and Haas are in- od on red-backed salamanders, child the gift of the outdoors, terested in analyzing carbon which are indigenous to Blacks- which is a gift for life,” says DiLorenzo. isotope levels of grasshoppers burg. caught in different fields, in orDuring the summer of 2012, The journey to a national der to tell whether the grasshop- the Fralin Life Science Insti- park in the United States or pers fed on warm or cold season tute Summer Undergraduate Canada – perhaps Yellowstone grasses. Garretson is also mak- Research Fellowship (SURF) in Wyoming or Banff in Alberta ing behavioral observations of program and the Division of – is as bonding an experience as the captive shrike population at Undergraduate Education's Sciwhatever happens at the destithe Smithsonian site, and hopes eneering program have banded to determine whether there is together to offer an unprec- nation. “And there are parks in every a difference in foraging suc- edented number of students — state, ” he notes. “If you don’t cess between shrikes hunting 82 — paid research fellowships. have the time or money to go in patches of cool season versus For more information, visit the warm season grasses. Fralin Life Science SURF web- cross country, pick a park closer Lastly, Williams is evaluating site www.undergraduate.vt.edu/ to home.” a fluorescent powder tracking Scieneering DiLorenzo offers these helpmethod used on reticulated ful tips for the road: flatwood salamanders, which O URKeyS UMMER C AMPS • Games, games, games! Yes, By Lindsay are endangered in Florida due there is ample entertainment for info@theroanokestar.com Sizzlin’ Safari to a decline in the habitat where both drivers and riders in cars Join us for a jungle safari! they lay their eggs. If scientists

these days. BUT, the goal is to bond with the family, so consider some of the traditional Road Games like “Counting Cows” (remember graveyards on your side put you back to zero cows!) and the “Licence Plate” game where the object is to see who can find the most license plates from different states. • Beware of dairy drinks (and other smelly snacks): A spill in the backseat can eventually create quite a stink during a summer road trip. But do pack plenty of healthy snacks to save on pricey pit stops and avoid all the sugar and salt in junk food. • Avoid big-city rush hours: When traveling through metropolitan areas, consider the busiest traffic periods. Whether you plan to stop and check out the city or simply zip through it, bumper-to-bumper traffic is something to avoid. A bit of consideration can save your family hours of grid-locked misery. • Tech help: Various apps and websites can help drivers find the cheapest gas prices, food options, hotel rates and travel routes. Also, don’t forget a music mix that appeals to the

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We’ll make safari maps, and follow paw prints to find elephants, lions, monkeys and more! We’ll explore the sizzlin’ hot jungle, learn about exotic wildlife and taste some unique delicacies it cannot act as a watchdog for the public, !which is its constitutional

Don’t Let Big Government Choose Your News A proposed new plan for government control of television news, and perhaps Internet news, is now pending before the Federal Communications Commission. It would enable the government to suppress opposing points of view, reduce diversity and chill speech. The new "Localism, Balance and Diversity Doctrine" has much in common with the FCC’s old "Fairness Doctrine" – a policy the agency itself found deterred and suppressed news and chilled speech and which it revoked in 1987. An FCC-sponsored Future of Media Study has recommended that the Localism Doctrine proceeding be ended as ill advised but FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has refused; the administrator of the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Cass R. Sunstein, has long recommended that the government regulate news content broadcast by stations to advance the incumbent government’s political and social objectives. The new doctrine would suppress news, impose unnecessary and heavy burdens on television station news and be enforced by threats of license termination from both the FCC and a local control board at each station. Under the proposed plan, news broadcast by television stations would have to satisfy government criteria for “localism” in production and news coverage – as well as government criteria for balance and viewpoint diversity. Internet news sites stand to be affected as well. The FCC is planning to transfer the broadcast spectrum used by local television to the Internet and the agency already has begun regulating the Internet. Five federal communications commissioners in a central government agency in Washington, D.C., would review local news. The majority vote of three commissioners appointed by the president would make a final determination of news acceptability, overriding the news judgments of thousands of independent, local TV reporters and editors. The stations would be threatened with loss of their licenses to broadcast if found to be non-compliant. In addition, a local control board would be appointed for each television station to monitor its programming, including news, and recommend against license renewal if board members concluded the station is not complying with the FCC policy. This would impose a new blanket of government control over news. Much of the proposed new rule has not been made public including, for example, who would appoint the members of the local boards. Requiring journalists to comply with a central government agency’s policy on how to report the news and what the news should be means those journalists would no longer be free and independent of government. If the broadcast press is not free and independent,

role. News gathering is not just taking government handouts; it’s probing sources for what is really going on. It’s important that the TV and radio press continue to be able to do that so the public will be informed. FCC history shows government regulation of news conExploring the Arctic tent deters and prevents effective news-gathering. Explore the Arctic, learn about the unusual Corydon B. Dunham iswildlife a Harvard graduate. His new thatLaw callsSchool this extreme climate it’s book, Government Control of News: A Constitutional Challenge, home. We will play some icy (http://freespeech.authorsxpress.com), details the study tracing the games, some cool history of the FCC’s Fairness Doctrine andmake development of crafts the Lo-and calism, Balance and Diversity Doctrine. As an NBC executive discuss the importancefor of 25 this years, Dunham oversaw legal and government matters and Broadcast beautiful . Standards. He served on the board of directors of theenvironment National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences and American Corporate Counsel July 16-20 Association.

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Turn to The Oakey Collection at the Roanoke Public Library. Through donations provided by Oakey’s, the Roanoke Public Library has amassed a deep collection of books, magazines and DVDs that can provide answers, comfort and information when you are facing some tough issues. From end of life issues, chronic illness and caregiving to estate planning, what to say to grieving families and even helping a child deal with losing a pet, there is certain to be a title that can help you. To view the numerous titles and topics available, log on to www.rvl.info and enter “Oakey Collection” in the search field. Oakey’s has been here for over 100 years because we are dedicated to the families we serve.

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Michael A. DiLorenzo is a married father of three living in the outdoor-rich environs of Michigan. He created the “Adventures with Jonny” series to entertain and educate children (and parents!) about the activities available in the great outdoors.

Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church Come join us for lots of great Preschool is seeking a positive, summertime fun! Each weekenergetic Christian leader with a long session will feature a different heart theme.for We will learn, servant the position of play Preschool and explore together with Director. stories, games, arts and crafts. If interested in this position please C a m p contact h o u r s Leigh w i l l Sackett b e f r at om 9 : 0 0 Aleigh@rcpres.org M to 1:00PM daily. Please provide a lunch for your or call the church at 343-5541.

Down on the Farm

We will spend our week learning about farm animals and functions that make Did you the farm an important and amazing place! Chickens, pigs and cows, oh my! Jump on the ol’ wagon and join us as we “moo-”ve to silly songs and make some “farmtastic” crafts.

entire family on one of these devices. (Remember, leave work at home – forget about work-related calls, texts and emails! Use a non-work-related smartphone, if needed.) • Schedule pit stops: Being in a hurry should be left for the morning commute; vacation should be different. When traveling across states and provinces, consider local culture. For example, barbecue in South Carolina is very different from Missouri’s version. Enjoy diners and unique attractions, and don’t be afraid to take notes. “The greatest family memories are created in shared adventure,” DiLorenzo says. “Outdoor recreation is filled with these memories just looking for a family to bring them home.”

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What do Florida bog frogs, Loggerhead shrike, and redbacked salamanders have in common? This summer, the species are being studied by Virginia Tech undergraduate researchers, in hopes that humans might better understand their behaviors and habitat preferences. Jeronimo Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Alex Garretson of Rockville, Md and Tyler Williams of Wirtz, all seniors majoring in wildlife science, are working as research assistants to Carola Haas, associate professor of wildlife ecology. Each received a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) appointment from the Fralin Life Science Institute. Silva is studying a bog frog native to western Florida and not known to exist anywhere else in the world. Using markand-recapture data collected by other scientists from 2002-03, and again from 2006 to 2008, he employs a computer program called MARK to analyze trends in the population over time. "Florida bog frogs are considered a vulnerable species because they are so endemic," Silva said. "They were discovered in the 1980s and no one knows much about the population, such as whether it is increasing or decreasing." The goal of the project is to estimate the population size and apparent size of the adult frogs, in order to better understand population dynamics. Meanwhile, Garretson is stationed at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal where he can observe one of North America’s only captive Logger head shrike populations. Known as the ‘Butcher Bird’ because it skewers its prey on branches or barbed wire before eating it, these song bird populations have declined in the northeastern United States. "A theory for the decline is the replacement of warm season

Family Time, Unplugged & Outdoors

PPerspective erspective

Page 4 | TheRoanokeStar.com

Law And Order Sometimes I feel like I’m fight. Commander-in-Chief of Camp Owning a few dogs, Sabrina Krazy. and I are used to little scraps, a I arrive at work; 7 a.m. Maybe snap, a growl, and it’s over. a half hour later, I get a call from As Sabrina continued to exSabrina. She’s out of breath. plain, this morning’s aggres“Gahv! Gahv! Have we ever had sion was serious; one or both of some excitement around here the contenders was going to get this morning! A dog fight!” badly hurt. So, picture this: two But, wait a minute. Let me not large dogs going at each other get the plow in front of with homicidal intent, the horse. The story will the rest of the pack in mean nothing unless I full throat, this close to tell you about one of our jumping in; my Sabrina cats, Ozmitron [or ‘Oz.’] pulling at two collars Oz is colored orto break up the chaos, ange and white, a cat of while pushing wouldtypical size with a most be participants out of unusual coat. It’s not the way. fur; it’s hair; long hair. Then, over all the Lucky Garvin Were you able to atfray, Sabrina hears, tach a handle to him, “Budda, budda, budOz would make the perfect dust- da,” - a running across the floor?mop. This is the same mane he and out of nowhere, something brings to Sabrina each morning orange and white flashes past her for a brushing. It is this brushing vision, and lands on the dogs! which has created a most unusual Screaming, biting, and clawing depth of connectedness between maniacally on their backs… It he and she; a connectedness we was Oz, who’d busted through had not fully appreciated. the stair cat-door in a rage, comAnother thing Oz does, the ing to help his momma! significance of which we did not Then, not wishing to be Dodetect: he likes to spend most of bie-Brunch, Oz leaped mightily his day on the stairs which lead away, running in mid-air. He hit from the kitchen to the cellar. If the hardwood floor and discovSabrina or I use those stairs, we ered something: be it hasty, strahave to go around him; in fact, tegic, or otherwise, any retreat even our Dobermans step over ultimately hinges on traction. him. Oz does not move. We He landed on hardwood floors. missed that significance, until, He kept running, but now his that is, the morning of the dog- speed equaled five ‘budda’s’ for

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every inch of linear progress. By the time he hit carpet, Oz was already in ‘passing gear’ and disappeared as if into another dimension. But, the dogfight was still on. Oz did a U-turn and jumped back into the fray hissing, spitting, clawing, and biting, only to flee once again. But still the fight continued. As crazy as it sounds, over the barking, for the third time, Oz was in the middle of the melee like a lioness attacking jackals! He was giving those two dogs the business end of a hissy-fit. Then the fight broke up, the dogs were kenneled, and Oz retired to the stairs uninjured, licking his coat calmly. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s Osmitron the avenger! Although out-weighed and out-dogged, he was not outOz’ed, thus, he had the advantage. I suspect Oz is going to ‘live large’ for the next few months, thanks to his momma’s gratitude. Sabrina, no doubt, would have prevailed over the dogs, but it never hurts to have a little orange and white back-up. Oz still maintains his redoubt on the cellar stairs; we and the Dobies must still make our way around or over him. The Dobies walk quietly now. There is a lawenforcement presence in our home. To the Dobies, Oz seems to warn: check your guns at the saloon, boys, no fighting in my jurisdiction. There’s a new sheriff in town… Sheriff Dustmop. Look for Lucky’s books locally and on-line: The Oath of Hippocrates; The Cotillian; A Journey Long Delayed. Contact Lucky Garvin at info@theroanokestar.com

Jim Parker, now living in Texas and a Patrick Henry classmate of my older son Harry, reads The Roanoke Star.com online. He e-mailed me with a suggestion – I should write about the bluegrass band Harry and he played in at PH during their junior and senior years, 1974-75. “We had a blast,” he said. I replied that, being a mother, I did not have insight into the activities that caused them to “have a blast,” and would appreciate some help. My only knowledge concerned Harry’s interest in the banjo, that he frequently

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7/13/12- 7/19/12

Arguing About Health Care

It’s truly amazing what politi- care, the true national debt is cians will argue about! Not only close to 60 trillion dollars, not was everyone caught by surprise the piddling 16 trillion that we with Chief Justice Roberts’ sid- are currently told. No one is ing with the liberals in the Af- talking about that. fordable Health Care decision, it If you are, as are many, unwas equally amazing how polar- happy with the ACA, with what ized the language became about would a republican administrawhat it meant. “It’s a tax . . . the tion replace it? The optimistic greatest tax increase in words, “We must have history.” “It’s not a tax, health care reform,” it’s a penalty.” That always draw applause. people on all sides of the “We must have truly issue were saying both competitive health at the same time added care.” What does that to the confusion. Neimean? That’s equally ther of those statements disingenuous. Has is true nor do they add anyone heard a declarity to what we tailed program of Hayden Hollingsworth are facing. how that would be One thing, I accomplished? Our haven’t heard is, “All right, the congressman proudly claims he Court has spoken; let’s get on has voted more than 30 times with figuring out how we’re go- against the ACA but we’ve heard ing to deal with it.” Our gov- nothing but fatuous promises. ernor has decided to sit on his The suggestion to just get rid of hands and not investigate setting the current administration and up a health exchange. Precious all will be well is a message than months may be lost in the hope only assumes the stupidity of that if Romney prevails, then the voters. he will overturn the law “on my That the United States is the first day in office.” Never mind only developed nation that that the law is basically what he doesn’t have some plan in place proclaimed as a rousing success for health coverage for all its during his tenure as governor of citizens is worth a comment. Massachusetts. We often hear how dissatisfied There are a number of things residents of France, Germany, depressing about the whole Britain, and Canada are with business and no one is address- their health care and the current ing those problems. How the debt crisis in Europe is partly Affordable Care Act will be fi- due to their health care system. nanced is a matter of smoke and When you talk to individuals, mirrors. That it will cost more the story becomes different. than we can afford goes without Most don’t seem anxious to lose saying. Where will the money their care and are pleased with come from? Entitlements will the service they have personally have to be reallocated or the received. Here at home, have debt will soar to unbelievable you heard anyone on Medicare heights, not that it isn’t already claiming how much they want it out of sight. Counting Social repealed? It was ironic that durSecurity, Medicaid, and Medi- ing congressional writing of the

ACA, many senior citizens were railing against it ignoring the fact that Medicare has worked quite well for them. I recently read a survey that showed more that 30% of health care costs in this country are expended on paper work. Electronic medical records are a great boon but it does take time away from patient care and it’s expensive. Most of us have had the experience of visiting a physician, and after initial greeting the rest of the encounter finds the physician or nurse at the keyboard entering data. When a patient was asked, “Are you depressed?” he answered, “Of course, I’m depressed. I’ve been with you for 20 minutes and you haven’t taken your eyes of your computer!” The most depressing thing of all and it goes far beyond health care, is that those who make our laws seem to have only two things in mind: Defeating the opposition and getting reelected. I hope that accountability can be brought into the elections, but I certainly am not counting on it. We ourselves must assume a lot of the blame. We want all the benefits, we don’t want to pay for them ourselves or increased taxation, and we don’t want the government intruding on our personal freedom. Whoever can figure out how to balance that equation has a Nobel Prize in economics waiting.

Contact Hayden at jhayden2003@cox.net

A High School Bluegrass Band: 1974-75

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went out with friends to play, whoever showed up for pracpracticed his banjo at home and tice and the purpose was to sometimes the band practiced get together and have fun; they at our house. never got around to naming the Knowing that teenagers often band. lose interest shortly after acquirPeter Meek, who played ing expensive equipment for standup bass, managed somepursuing a current hobby, we how to get that giant instruwere dubious about ment into his VolkHarry’s request for swagen. Nancy a banjo. We agreed Thatcher and Anne if he raised half the Overstreet played money required we guitar and sang. would give him the Jim said Nancy now remainder. He kept lives in Florida and his part of the barstill sings folk music gain and we kept with a few friends ours. I gave him a on weekends. tape, “Learning to Also on guiPlay the Banjo,” tar were Kenand soon he was neth Roller and Mary Jo Shannon taking a class in Wade Ballou, who banjo at Virginia Western and played a Dobro (trademark for practicing every spare moment an electric guitar with a metalhe had at home. lic resonator). According to Jim was more than happy to Jim, Wade’s father, Judge Balfill me in on what I did not know lou loved bluegrass -- “He was a about the band. He said Rich- hoot!” Jim said -- so they pracard Greer, a postal carrier who ticed at Wade’s home frequently. worked with his dad at the Post Chuck Jennings was also a guiOffice, taught the class Harry tarist. He now lives in New York took at VWCC. He also taught City and Harry sees him ocJim at his home. “Richard didn’t casionally. Harry says Chuck is teach us to read music—we just an accomplished and respected basically mirrored him. We jazz musician making his way both picked it up rather quickly through life doing what he loves how to play by ear,” he said. because he loves it and not for Soon both boys knew “Crip- the money. ple Creek” and “Foggy MounJim recalls that after hearing tain Breakdown,” which is the the PH band play, a Roanoke theme of any banjo player. They bluegrass band (“The Dreadful got together in their junior year Snakes”) invited fiddler David with other interested PH stu- Thatcher to join their band. dents. The band was open to And where did they play?

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As juniors and seniors they played at the PH Talent Show, they played at the Lithia Fiddlers’ Convention, and once they played at the Elks Club, where Jimmy remembers they received $5.00 each. From my perspective, this bunch of high school kids had a good time playing music and that was wholesome. Harry always let me know where they were going, though sometimes in a humorous way. For instance this note which I found on my refrigerator one day when I came home from school (and which I saved, obviously): “Omnipotent Matriarch, I have donned the wings of Achilles and in a flourish of farewells have departed with my companions of the arts for parts hitherto unknown to the inhabitants of this fair household. I, along with the noble Chuck Jennings, have gone from this warm home into the cold unknown of a friend’s farm, where under guidance of our minds and senses, we will express our innermost emotions with our instruments. Alack, fear not, for I will return safe, unharmed and full of life’s pep and vigor nigh onto four or five hours hence. Save not dinner, for my humble soul will partake of the ambrosia of the illustrious Texas Tavern upon returning from matters away and hence. My time draws near, so for now I must close. . . Leaving only these words for the memory of the hours that will separate my soul from thine… (over)” And on the back this translation: “Mom, I’m going with Chuck Jennings to play some banjo. We’re trying to get a group together. I’ll eat at the T. Harry” Ah, the joy of the teenage years!

Contact Mary Jo at maryjoshannon@ymail.com

Perspective

TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 5

7/13/12- 7/19/12

Memories of Mill Mountain Zoo Wild Bill’s Weekly Sports Roundup

I can hear it now: the cheerfully wailing whistle, and the chug of the "Zoo Choo" as it circled the perimeter of the zoo. I particularly remember hearing the whistle as we walked up the gravel path to the zoo entrance; the anticipation was great, and when inside the magical place I think I was too distracted with other things to notice the whistle as much. This month is the sixtieth anniversary of the opening of Mill Mountain Zoo, and, having been enjoying it myself for close to fifty years, I've built up some memories of the place. Early on it was known as The Mill Mountain Children's Zoo, and it definitely lived up to the "children's" part, for every detail about the place seemed to cater to little ones' imaginations, mainly through a storybook theme. At the entrance, visitors were greeted by a huge shoe, from "old lady who lived in a shoe" fame. Framing the big blue boot were stacks of giant alphabet blocks which spelled out the words "baby pets," (?!) and arching above them was colorfully lettered "Children's Zoo." Talk about a grand entrance. Upon entering the zoo proper, through an ingenious tunnel in the shoe, it was easy for a little kid to get pleasantly overwhelmed by all the distractions. First there was the Mary had a Little Lamb enclosure for, yep, a few sheep. It was complete with even a miniature schoolhouse that kids could enter and sit at the little desks. Next door was the craggy domain of Billy Goat Gruff, home to a few scruffy goats. On the way to the miniature castle, which held the reptile exhibit, one would be waylaid by the ever-popular funhouse mirrors. You can never get enough of those. There were many other memorable exhibits at that breezy, shady enclave of a mountaintop zoo. There was the small cement pool with a facsimile of Noah's ark in the middle of it. I've forgotten what animals were ex-

The original entrance to the Mill Mountain Zoo included a giant shoe through which the children could walk. hibited within the ark, but alas I'm pretty sure it was not two of every creature on earth. I remember asking my mother about that one. Following in the small-cement-pool-with-something-inthe-middle-of-it theme, there was a concrete, open-mouthed whale, like Jonah in the Bible, which housed, perhaps a little unexpectedly, the zoo's bird exhibit. I loved that one. The whale was painted bright blue. Of course, most of the animal enclosures were no-nonsense chain link fence affairs, and they held for our observation - and amusement - creatures like foxes, rabbits, a bobcat, some large birds with identities I don't recall, and goodness even a lumbering old bear. The concession stand in the center of the zoo sold not only hot dogs and popcorn, but Yahoo chocolate drinks too. The Yahoos alone are worthy of a fine, lingering memory. A ramp led up to the roof of the concession stand where you could eat at the picnic table there or just look out and soak up the view. Riding the Zoo Choo was, and still is, a fine way to take in the lovely mountaintop scenery and soak up some of the character of the zoo. Besides the ding ding of the "rail crossings" and the sound of the whistle, I remember best riding through the tunnel, where the chug-chug of the engine sounded especially

exquisite. The rustic little log mill, complete with water flowing over the wooden wheel, was situated down the hill by the Zoo Choo tracks, and it housed a small gift shop. Once, when on a Vacation Bible School field trip to the zoo I bought a cheap sheath knife with a four-inch blade. My teacher, Miss Andrews, with a somewhat horrified expression on her face immediately confiscated it. Oh well. There was one exhibit that stood out above all the rest, and mesmerized kids of all ages: The magnificent prairie dogs. What can I say? Watching the little dogs scamper around their circular cement pen, seeing them converse, argue, fight, and love each other, not to mention eating their bushy-ended carrots, was always a treat. I think it was hard for our parents and grandparents to drag us away from them. Even today the prairie dogs seem to embody the innocent magic of the Mill Mountain Zoo, and imagining what I supposed as a kid their network of endless tunnels and cozy homes beneath their pen will always stick with me as an example of one of my best childhood memories. Contact John Robinson at jwrobinson77@gmail.com

The Happy Chef by Leigh Sackett

No Electricity needed - Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap What do you do when it is 100 + degrees and you have no electricity? Well you don’t find yourself in the kitchen with the oven on. Maybe YOU are cooking in the heat but the food is not! Disaster preparedness is important but so is making a fun time out of a unique experience. Alongside your disaster relief equipment store some party supplies. When the lights go out next time invite the neighborhood over to your yard to pass the time and celebrate the sense of community we lost when we became so “plugged in.” A distraction from the heat is always good. Provide shade and a sprinkler or two for the kids and buckets of cool water for the weary adult to rest their toes in. Serve these no bake wraps with some chips and cut up a cool watermelon! 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile

in adobo sauce 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded red cabbage 1 medium carrot, shredded 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed 1 ripe avocado 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons minced red onion 4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine. Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Wild Bill concluded his weeklong run at The Greenbrier Classic Sunday afternoon as two virtual unknowns battled through a three-hole playoff for the $ 1.098 million winner's purse. It was a strange week from start to finish. The historic storm that wreaked havoc on the Roanoke Valley two Fridays ago, left similar damage across the Greenbrier Valley. Consideration was made to postpone the tournament to a future date, but player commitments, a blockbuster musical lineup and a pre-tournament sellout of tickets, gave Greenbrier Classic officials little choice but to go on with the show. Greenbrier owner Jim Justice made pleas to all volunteers to help with the monumental cleanup of downed trees and debris that had brought The Old White TPC to its knees. The cleanup crews answered the call, and by Monday's opening day, less than 72 hours after the storm, The Old White showed little effects to the casual observer. By Thursday's opening round of the 72-hole event, The Greenbrier was abuzz with excitement as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Tom Watson joined former Classic champions, Stuart Appleby and Scott Stallings in the chase for the Springhouse Trophy. Woods, Mickelson and Appleby were never a factor as all three failed to make the 36-hole cut. Friday's second-round saw record crowds line the fairways, with spectators often fifteen deep hoping to catch a glimpse of Woods. Webb Simpson, winner of the 2002 Scott Robertson Memorial at Roanoke Country Club, and 2012 U.S. Open in June, looked to be the clearcut favorite after holding a two shot lead going into Sunday's final round. But, a funny thing happened on the way to the clubhouse. Simpson, who had made only one bogey in his first 65 holes of the tournament, suddenly found himself making 4 in the last seven holes. Meanwhile, Ted Potter, Jr,, who started the week ranked # 218 in the world, and Troy Kelly, who began at # 464, fought to a 72-hole draw at sixteen-under par, forcing the sudden death playoff. Give Potter credit for perseverance. He had to finish regulation with eagle-birdie on the par-5 seventeenth and par-3 eighteenth just to make the playoff. Then, Potter seemed ready for a slam-dunk win by default

on the second playoff hole when he waited patiently for his fivefoot birdie putt while Kelly made a scenic tour of the hole with a flubbed sand shot, and worse chip from the rough, before sinking a do-or-die putt from 25 feet that stunned Potter into a miss, sending the players back to the 18th tee for the third time in less than an hour. This time, Kelly's good fortunes ran out. His tee shot fell short on the lower tier, while Potter put his shot to within five feet. Kelly made a good effort on his 40-footer that rose, broke and fell down the mound to within 18 inches. Potter followed by finding the jar from five feet to secure the championship. The tournament, despite missing the big names at the finish, was still a huge success. And, the musical appearances of Toby Keith, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart and Bon Jovi were worldclass. During the week it was announced The Classic has been extended to 2021 and is in the running to be a U.S. Open site. Finally, we close with a Wild Bill Five-Star late-night product update that seems appropriate after our recent widespread power outages left many readers in the dark. We will therefore review the "Olde Brooklyn Lantern," a truly miraculous device available for $ 12.99. I'm going to comment that I get suspicious

when I see the letter 'e' added to the word 'old', but you make the call on this one. The Olde Brooklyn Lantern is pitched as a luminary device that can light up an entire room, outperforming any group of flashlights assembled in one's drawer. Conveniently, all the flashlights in the commercial have dead batteries. But, the Olde Brooklyn Lantern is quite the tool when it comes to longevity. The ad says the battery will last for 100,000 hours. (No typo here, that's 100,000 hours.) It's time to go inside the numbers. If this is accurate, the Olde Brooklyn will stay lit continuously for nearly 11 1/2 years . . . but, wait . . . If you call now you get a second Olde Brooklyn for free. Now, you've got uninterupted illumination, even if your next power outage lasts for 23 years. Gives AEP plenty of leeway to get the juice back on. Sometimes they seem to need it. In the meantime, I'm considering changing my column name to Wilde Bill; I'm sorta getting hooked on the extra 'e'. If you can see to write, send your inquiries to: info@newsroanoke.com

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TheRoanokeStar.com | Page 6

7/13/12- 7/19/12

Foundation for Roanoke Valley Awards Grant to The Rescue Mission

The Foundation for Roanoke Valley has announced it has awarded $35,000 to The Rescue Mission from the Foundation’s Earl D. and Carrie Leigh Doran Fund. This Fund, which was established through the estate of local barber Earl Doran, has a number of purposes, including supporting agencies which provide shelter, care and assistance to battered women. “Many people do not realize the number of abused women sheltered at the Rescue Mission,” said Kim Gembala, Director of Administration for the Rescue Mission. “In a recent survey of our family shelter, 76% reported being a victim of sexual, physical, and/or verbal abuse from a spouse or partner.” Carly Oliver, Foundation Associate Director, noted: “The Foundation is happy to support The Rescue Mission through this initial grant from the Fund and grateful to Mr. Doran for es-

Left to right-Sherry Gearheart, Manager of the Women and Childrens Center and Carly Oliver, Foundation Associate Director. tablishing a significant fund that will assist many women who deal with domestic violence issues in the years ahead.” The Rescue Mission refers all women who report active abuse

by a partner to other local shelters who specialize in domestic violence; however, special circumstances make some of these women ineligible for services at these shelters. “This grant will make a huge impact here at the Rescue Mission,” said Sherry Gearheart, Manager of the Women and Children’s Center. “These funds will allow us to continue providing the services for these women while ensuring their safety.” The Rescue Mission of Roanoke is a grassroots organization serving as a Christian Crisis Intervention Center for Southwestern Virginia since 1948. The Foundation for Roanoke Valley has worked for more than two decades to administer and make grants from hundreds of named endowment funds on behalf of the community. For more information, visit their website at www.foundationforroanokevalley.org or call 985-0204.

History Museum Desegregation Exhibit To Open The History Museum of Western Virginia and the Harrison Museum of African American Culture will hold an opening reception for School Desegregation: Learn, Preserve, and Empower on Friday, July 13, 2012. The exhibit, which will run from July 13th-31st, was created by the collaborative partnership of DOVE, the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, and AARP to preserve the stories of those who lived through Massive Resistance in Virginia. It will include photographs and documentaries of the history of school desegregation in Virginia. Along with this exhibit, the History Museum will be hosting The Whisper Room, an oral history interview booth, which will allow visitors to tell their story about desegregation. It is the hope of the museums that this exhibit will allow for the collection and preservation of local oral histories about the desegregation process here in the Roanoke Valley. Please contact the History Museum of Western Virginia if you would like to share your story. OPENING RECEPTION: July 13, 2012 6 – 9 p.m. EXHIBIT: July 13 – July 31, 2012 Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm - www.vahistorymuseum.org

Celebrate “Second Saturday Science” in July with a BANG! The Science Museum of Western Virginia has announced its July Science program: “WHIZZ! BANG! POP!: Things That Go BOOM!” that will be held on Saturday, July 14, from 11:00

a.m. – 12:00 noon. July is fireworks time, and the Science Museum of Western Virginia has just the thing to help enjoy how the show works. What’s powering those rockets?

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What creates those flashes and explosions? “Whizz-Bang-Pop” demonstrations will keep you and the kids on the edge of your seats! “The science behind the artistry of fireworks is not something people often think about, but it’s fascinating stuff,” said Jim Rollings, Executive Director. “This presentation will provide a brief explanation each step of the way, from the rocket’s red glare to bombs bursting in air!” The Museum opens at 10:00 a.m., and these programs fill fast, so come early to get your seat. Program is 11:00 AM – NOON, and included with regular Science Museum admission. The museum has interactive exhibits for all ages, including weather exhibits, geology exhibits, light, color and sound exhibits and the “Bridge of Fire.” The museum is located in the upper level of Tanglewood Mall across from Belk. For more information, call 540.342.5710 or visit the Museum’s page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ScienceMuseumofWesternVirginia.

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PROSTHETICS – IT’S NOT ALL WE DO.

Blue Ridge Parkway Offers Old Time Craft Workshops

Skilled park rangers and master cultural volunteer demonstrators will once again be leading hands-on workshops this summer at the historic area of Mabry Mill, milepost 176 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The public is invited to come and learn a new skill and help keep these traditions alive. There is a small fee to cover materials so participants can take their handiwork home. Space is limited and advance reservations are required. Call the Park Service Visitor Center at (540) 745-9662 for more information or to reserve a spot.

Broom Making Workshop at Mabry Mill Saturday July 14 1-4 pm Learn to make an Appalachian style whisk broom using string, broom corn, and a

few simple tools. Materials Fee: $10 Chair Bottoming Workshop at Mabry Mill Saturday, August 18 Weave a split bottom seat for a wooden chair. We provide the reed. You bring a wooden chair without a seat to finish in class. Materials Fee: $10 Basic Blacksmithing at Mabry Mill Friday, September 14, 1-4 pm Explore the mystical world of blacksmithing in a century old shop. Learn the fundamentals of the trade and take home your own hand-forged wall hook. No fee - class is limited to five students.

Coalition To Hold Synthetic Drug Awareness Seminar

The Synthetic Drug Awareness Coalition will host a Roanoke Valley Synthetic Drug Seminars at two separate locations. The coalition consists of the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, The U.S. Attorney's Office, The DEA, Carilion Medical, RAYSAC and Straight Street. Synthetic drugs, commonly referred to as Bath Salts, have alarming effects on the human body. For the past several months, local public safety agencies have been concerned with public safety and health issues involving synthetic drugs. Likewise, Carilion health and medical professionals have been concerned for the rise in health issues related to the use of synthetic drugs. The informational seminar will educate parents, children and others on the dangers of synthetic drugs. The seminar will be offered in two locations; the Roanoke Police Academy, 5401-B Barnes Ave NW, Roanoke, VA 24019 and the South County Library, 6303 Merriman Rd, Roanoke, VA 24018.

Roanoke Weekly Gas Price Update and Outlook

Average retail gasoline prices in Roanoke have risen 13.4 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.12/g yesterday. This compares with the national average that has increased 3.8 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.41/g, according to gasoline price website RoanokeGasPrices.com. Including the change in gas prices in Roanoke during the past

week, prices yesterday were still 26.2 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 5.9 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 15.2 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 21.4 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago. After a dramatic decline in gasoline prices in virtually every region in the

past month, gasoline prices have started to rise," said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. "While I don't necessarily believe that the recent uptick in crude prices will stick, I also don't see prices falling considerably lower until after the conclusion of the summer driving season, when demand declines, and more expensive blends are phased out," DeHaan said. For more information contact: Patrick DeHaan at pdehaan@gasbuddy.com.

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Sports

TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 7

7/13/12- 7/19/12

West All-Stars In Commonwealth Cave Spring National 9-10 AllStars Knock Off Covington 9-7 Games Baseball- Area Players Cave Spring used a three-run rally in the last inning to overcome a 7-6 deficit, as the National 9-10 year-old All-Stars defeated their counterparts from Covington 9-7 at Starkey Park.

(L-R) William Byrd's Devin Cassity and Collin Hill

(L-R) Hidden Valley's Jack Moore and Nic Ratliff National's hitter Spencer Craig connects for the Cave Spring All-Stars.

Nationals Charlie Urgo stirs the dust as he slides across the plate with the eventual game-winning run or Cave Spring in the final inning.

Northside's Lucas Nowlin swings for the fence during Saturday's matchup against the East.

Cave Spring third baseman Marqui Claytor blocks the base as he drops the tag on a Covington baserunner. By Bill Turner info@theroanokestar.com

The Voice Of UVA Expresses Optimism At Sports Club Meeting It’s hard to miss the deep bariBy Bill Turner tone voice of Dave Koehn, heard info@theroanokestar.com on local radio, as the voice of the University of Virginia football and men’s basketball programs. Koehn, who also broadcasts Cavaliers baseball games, was in town recently to address the Roanoke Valley Sports Club. A Colorado native who attended the University of Kansas, he broadcast Jayhawks basketball games and studied journalism. Koehn replaced Mac McDonald in the UVA booth four years ago. He recently announced that Cavs football and men’s basketball broadcasts will return to WFIR 960 AM and 107.3 FM this fall. WFIR was previously the Roanoke outlet for UVA games, which were heard on 101.5 FM the past several years. Koehn came to Charlottesville after stints at Sam Houston State in Texas and in Vermont, where he called games for the University of Vermont and the Vermont Lake Monsters minor league baseball team. Encouraged to chase his dreams, Koehn said he was often told by his parents to “find something you would do whether you got Griffin Kauffman of paid or not.” Castle Rocks skirts Since he couldn’t find a job the lane in his sitting on the couch all day, eat25-meter freestyle. ing and watching sports, he did the next best thing and aspired to be a sports broadcaster. “I get Katie Lorens of Forto do what I love and get a front est Hills waits for row seat.” Koehn grew up as a instructions as she steps to the platform. Denver Broncos fan, idolizing John Elway as he engineered By Bill Turner comeback after comeback. info@theroanokestar.com At UVA, Koehn has had a front row seat as he watches Mike London and Tony Bennett Olympic Park's Chas Downs,III sets try to turn around the Cav’s forfor the horn in his 50-meter event.

RVAA Swim Meet- Olympic Park and Castle Rock Visit the Otters at Forest Hills

Forest Hills swimmer Jack Collier stirs up the water as he puts on a strong push to the finish line.

UVA broadcaster Dave Koehn (right) with Sports Club president Dave Ross. tunes in football and basketball, respectfully. Both pulled out wins last season “when they had the deck of cards stacked against them. They didn’t have the talent that a lot of other teams did have [yet] they were able to do some pretty amazing things.” High on that list was UVA’s upset win at Florida State, the first time they had ever won a football game in Tallahassee. “It comes back to that idea of overcoming the odds,” said Koehn, who marvels at the power of the human spirit. “Sports provide that opportunity to inspire.” Koehn also marvels at inspirational stories like that of Jared King, a UVA baseball player who lost both his parents to cancer. His mother Brenda King, hired to coach Hidden Valley High School’s girls basketball team, never was able to do that as she battled cancer unsuccessfully. When UVA baseball Coach Brian O’Connor suggested he take some time off after his mother passed away, King told him, “You guys are my family now.” In his first game after being away for the funeral, King hit a home run. “It’s that kind of stuff that gives you chills. It’s

what makes sports so special to me,” noted Koehn. He also believes London is on the right track with the Cavs football team and said the current recruiting class can go toeto-toe with Virginia Tech. Keeping that momentum going – in large part by winning on the field - will help UVA keep up with the Hokies football-wise in the long run he believes. Still learning his craft after graduating from college 12 years ago, Koehn listens to all of his broadcasts, critiquing his own performance, and counts on long time national broadcaster Gary Bender as a mentor. “I got a feeling that sports was that thing [for me],” said Koehn, who once broadcast Little League baseball games in Texas while sitting at a picnic table between screaming parents as fire ants crawled up his leg. Scott Stadium and John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville must seem like a universe away. “This was the first time I had a chance to have a destination job,” said Koehn, who called himself a long shot for the UVA position when it became available. His first broadcast at Virginia was a football game against vaunted USC. “I wouldn’t trade my path here for anything.” The Roanoke Valley Sports Club welcomes assistant coaches from UVA and Virginia Tech at two separate meetings on July 23 and July 30. Non-members can call Tom Marchi at 5882969 for more information. By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

Come To Apple Ridge For Your Next Corporate or Group Retreat! Our beautiful 96-acre mountaintop facility in Copper Hill, only 30 minutes from downtown Roanoke, is the perfect destination for meetings, retreats, workshops, and group outings of all sizes. Our environment and team-building activities teach individuals to work collaboratively, communicate quickly, and solve problems creatively.

Our amenities and exciting outdoor adventure programs serve groups of 25 to 100 and are available for an afternoon, a day, or a multi-day, overnight experience, and include: • Indoor & outdoor meeting, reception & classroom space • Commercial kitchen & catering • Jr. Olympic size pool • Team Challenge & High Ropes Course with Climbing Tower • Athletic fields & tennis/basketball courts • Dark Sky Observatory • Over 5 miles of hiking trails including a Universal Access trail • Overnight facilities as well as camping space Your Retreat Supports The Apple Ridge Mission

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Valley Business Sports

Page 8 | TheRoanokeStar.com

7/13/12- 7/19/12

Construction Warranties: A Primer Advancement Foundation / Rowe

Anyone considering the purchase or construction of a new residence or an addition or renovation of an existing residence should be interested in the warranties that may apply to the new home or construction. In Virginia, certain warranties are implied by law while others only apply if expressly set forth by contract. Implied Warranties Virginia follows the common law of England except as altered by acts of the Virginia General Assembly. In accordance with the common law, Virginia recognizes an implied warranty in every contract for construction that the work shall be done in a workmanlike mannerand according to good usage and accepted practices in the community in which the work is done. [See, Mann v. Clowser, 190 Va. 887 (1950).] A contractor breaches this implied warranty by furnishing defective materials or workmanship. However, the common law applied the rule of caveat emptor (buyer beware) which does not recognize any implied warranty of fitness in a purchase of real property as opposed to construction services. Accordingly, until 1979 a contract for the purchase of property in Virginia in which the seller/builder agreed to construct a new residence did not include any warranty on the residence not expressly set forth in the contract and deed. In 1979 the Virginia General Assembly altered this common law rule by enacting statutory warranties that are implied in the sale of a new dwelling by a developer/ builder that the dwelling and all fixtures are (1) free from structural defects, (2) constructed in a workmanlike manner, and (3) fit for habitation. [See, Va. Code Annot. § 55-70.1.] However, the seller is permitted to

STOP IN

Mark Feldman waive, modify or exclude these statutory warranties and sell a new home as isby conspicuous language in the contract. If not waived, etc., the statutory warranties extend for one year from the date of transfer of title or the buyers taking possession, whichever occurs first, except the warranty against structural defects in the foundation which extends for five years from such date. The statutory warranties only apply to a new dwellingor a dwelling that has not been occupied for a period of more than 60 days by anyone other than the seller or the buyer or has not been occupied by the original seller or subsequent seller for a cumulative period of more than 12 months. Also, the term structural defectsis limited to defects that reduce the stability or safety of the structure below accepted standards or that restrict normal use. Express Warranties An owner considering the construction of a new home, or an addition or substantial renovations to an existing home, should require certain express warranties in their contract for construction. A reputable contractor should agree to include, for example, express warranties such as those in the AIA Document A201 General Conditions (2007) that (1) all materials and

equipment furnished will be of good quality and new unless the contract requires or permits otherwise; (2) all work will conform to the requirements of the contract, plans and specifications; and (3) the work will be free from defects. Most contractors typically agree to an additional call-backwarranty or guaranteethat any work found to be defective within one year after substantial completion (excluding defects caused by alterations or improper operation or maintenance by the owner) will be corrected promptly after written notice from the owner. Standard construction contracts also include provisions for special warranties, like those issued by manufacturers on roof materials, major appliances, etc., to be transferred by the contractor to the owner. Warranties on construction implied by law or expressly set forth by contract are important forms of protection for owners against defective workmanship or materials on construction projects. Anyone contemplating the purchase of a new dwellingshould resist the sellers attempts to waive, modify or exclude the protections afforded by the statutory warranties. Anyone contracting for construction of an addition or renovation of an existing home should require express warranties of workmanship and materials and provisions for transfer of special warranties in the construction contract. A seller or contractor who insists on waiver or exclusion of implied statutory warranties or is unwilling to provide reasonable express warranties should not be considered. Mark Feldmann is an attorney with Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte visit www.gfdg.com to learn more.

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Furniture Partner In Job Training

The Advancement Foundation has announced successful results from a partnership it formed with Rowe Furniture in creating a job training program. From the initial training class all those who participated completed the course and are now in line to receive positions as soon as there are openings. Two of the most outstanding trainees accepted job offers directly out of their completion of the course. The two participants who were the first to be given positions of employment working with Rowe Furniture are also part of the Advancement Foundation’s LEAP (Lift, Educate, Advocate, Proclaim) program. The goal of the LEAP program is to assist economically disadvantaged men and women in the Roanoke Valley by helping them achieve personal and professional satisfaction and success in their lives. Through the partnership, The Advancement Foundation has been able to encourage those involved with LEAP to join the training and gain skills they can use to secure stable jobs.

Candidates learn new skills on their first day of training. “It has been an amazing experience," Said Kristen Fleming, LEAP participant offered employment after completing Rowe Furniture job training."I have had the opportunity to up my life skills and gain experience. This has given me the opportunity to get a good job to support my daughter. I am very thankful.” By partnering with The Advancement Foundation Rowe Furniture hopes to invest in a skilled workforce that will appreciate the opportunity given because it was earned through

hard work and dedication by those who have limited resources. For participants who successfully complete the training courses with positive results, Rowe Furniture will offer the individuals employment which includes good pay and generous benefits. The planned outcome of this partnership is the benefit of helping to provide opportunities and hope to those in need of employment opportunities, a more skilled workforce, increased community morale, and a stronger local economy.

BBB in Western VA Issues Consumer Alerts:

Utility Scam Hits Virginia Residents Residents of Virginia are being misled into believing they are getting up to $1,000 from the government to pay their cable, gas, and electric utility bills. This scam is providing thieves access to consumer confidential information, and leading the consumers to use non-existent grant funds in their accounts to pay other bills. The fraud puts consumers at risk of identity theft, utility shutoffs, fees for non-sufficient checks, and more. Scammers Replicate UPS & Verizon Emails Consumers nationwide are receiving fake emails that are almost identical to the real emails many Verizon and UPS customers receive to remind them of their monthly payments or shipping status. BBB Serving Western VA has also received calls from con-

sumers stating they received text messages, supposedly from National Bank of Blacksburg, threatening to deactivate accounts if the consumer does not follow the link attached to update information. National Bank of Blacksburg has informed their customers with an alert posted on their website, http://www.nbbank.com/. Many of the recipients who contacted BBB were not customers of the bank. The Verizon and UPS phishing scams are notable for their painstaking replication of each company’s emails. Only the large Verizon bill amounts (from $45 to almost $2,000) and links to third party websites are tip offs to the real nature of these emails. You can spot a fake email by hovering over the links and checking whether the URL leads to the company’s website or, in a scam email, to a third

party site. Consumers Say Collectors Hounded Them for Bogus Hollywood Video Late Fees A number of former customers of Hollywood Video stores in the coverage area of BBB Serving Western VA are among hundreds of consumers nationwide who say they have been contacted by debt collectors claiming they still owe the defunct business for overdue rentals. Over a dozen consumers from the BBB Serving Western VA area have filed complaints in recent months against Universal Fidelity of Houston, Texas. The company is working on behalf of the bankruptcy trustee for Movie Gallery, owner of the closed Hollywood Video chain, trying to collect what the trustee believes may be millions of dollars in unpaid bills. For more information, please visit www.vawest.bbb.org

Shears Appointed Financial Center Manager at StellarOne Bank’s Franklin Plaza Office

StellarOne Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Vareni Lewis Shears to Financial Center Manager of the Franklin Plaza office located at 111 Franklin Plaza in Downtown Roanoke. In her role, Ms. Shears is responsible for generating, maintaining, servicing, and managing the business and retail relationships within the Franklin Plaza Financial Center. Most recently, Ms. Shears was the Store Manager at Wachovia, now Wells Fargo, however, her prior eighteen years was spent in the Roanoke Valley serving as the owner and operator

Vareni Lewis Shears of two local Allstate Insurance Agencies. Ms. Shears is a graduate of Northside High School in Roa-

noke and attended Virginia Western Community College with an emphasis in foreign language. She resides in Roanoke with her husband, Dexter and two children Sian, 16 and Malachi, 10. She serves as a board member of Youth Sports Inc. and The Harrison Museum of African American Culture. Ms. Shears and her family are also proud members of First Baptist Church Cloverdale. StellarOne Bank is a traditional community bank, offering a full range of business and consumer banking services.

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Arts & Culture

TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 9

7/13/12- 7/19/12

“Overnight” May Have Been Better Than Ever This Year

Perhaps it was Todd Ristau’s edict beforehand or just the right mix of writers, but the six short plays created and presented within a 24 hour period last Saturday during Overnight Sensations seemed snappier and in many cases funnier than ever. Ristau, who heads up the playwriting program at Hollins University, implored the writers and directors the night before to adhere to the ten minute long guideline for the play’s length. In some cases previously they had stretched to 15 or even 20 minutes long, with meandering plot lines as well. This time out, Overnight Sensations – billed as “pulling an all-nighter for art’s sake,” stuck close to the 10-minute rule. The event, created six years ago as a way to highlight live theater in the Roanoke area, featured local playwrights and several from out of town. “The perfect expression of everything I love about theater,” said Ristau, after the last of the six short plays wound up on the stage at Hollins University, where Overnight was moved for this year only since Mill Mountain Theatre’s Trinkle stage is closed for renovations. Ristau noted that the main theater hall at Hollins, built in 1924, was only air-conditioned this year. That was good news for attendees looking to beat the heat wave for a few hours. “It still looks like 1924, but it’s state of the art,” said Ristau. As part of the Hollins theater renovation (a million dollar grant helped pay for it), dark blackout curtains came down automatically just before the six plays began, covering the tall, distinctive arched windows that harken back to 1924. The plays, created after the genre, themes and settings were drawn randomly from a hat last Friday night, included comedic bits like The Last Secret of the Titanic – as the captain and first mate choose a singer from among the passengers. What could go wrong in the North Atlantic, in the middle of the night, at the edge of an iceberg field? asks the captain, aptly played by Dan Smith. The Lonesome Whale featured Gary Reid as a crusty lighthouse keeper, spurning advances from a bevy of female suitors due to his obsession with the sea. Eggwhites & Thumbprint Stains on Canvas with

Director Kris Laguzza (right) watches her cast rehearse. Shadows spoke to, with humor, the pretentiousness of fine art and the way some regard pieces that may be nothing but a pile of junk. Veteran local actor Kris Laguzza directed that one; her husband Ross starred as a cad in another Overnight play, Unhospitable. Both had appeared as actors in an Edward Albee play recently. Earlier that day, director Miriam Frazier put her cast of seven through its paces as they rehearsed #Ragnarok – as in “hash tag” Ragnarok for the non-Twitter crowd. Set in a newsroom, the employees of a newspaper deal with changing technology like blogs and Twitter as they also encounter Norwegian gods sent down to announce the end of the world – Ragnarok in Norwegian. Cast member Celie Holmes, born in Norway, actually spoke several monologues during the play in Norwegian. “I can’t believe how much we have done in a couple of hours,” said Frazier as the cast read through their lines and “blocked” where they would come in, stand, etc. At one point she said it was time to do a run-through without help, after everyone had spent time memorizing. “We just need to get to the end of it – no calling for lines,” ordered Frazier, artistic director for the GAMUT troupe that mounts productions at Community High School. “It’s a ton of fun, it’s a challenge,” said Frazier of the 24hour Overnight Sensations concept. “You have to work really smart, really fast. Everybody comes here with an attitude to get the work done.” Many of the actors in Overnight Sensations

are not actors at all, which is part of the charm. “People underestimate themselves all the time. They’re able to do whatever they need to do to get it done. As long as they’re willing to take direction there’s very little difference.” Frazier has directed at Overnight Sensations several times; it’s a project of the Hollins Playwright’s Lab. “It’s really one of the true collaborative events that go on in town.” Brian O’Sullivan, a semi-retired actor who did theater work in New York and San Francisco, appeared in Frazier’s play (written by Will Coleman) as a Norse God. “I’m just kind of going on the broadness of the play,” said O’Sullivan, who has also directed plays at Studio Roanoke. He likes the Overnight Sensations concept, in part because it brings many players in the local live theater world together. “You meet a lot of people you normally wouldn’t have contact with,” said O’Sullivan. It was also nice to be on the Hollins campus for a change, drawing that theater world into the fold. “It’s very vibrant,” said O’Sullivan of the local theater scene, “there’s a lot going on here.” He does wish more people would turn out to watch it on a regular basis. Ristau welcomed everyone back to Overnight Sensations next year, as he urged those in the audience to also support live theater venues in Roanoke. “[And] bring about ten friends with you,” he added.

Neurologist in Roanoke, VA

By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

Short Story Author Says He Is 5k Guy, Not Marathoner

Kurt Rheinheimer, editorin-chief for Leisure Publishing in Roanoke, has just released a second collection of short stories, works that he has written over the past several decades. Many have appeared in literary journals and popular magazines elsewhere. Finding Grace, from Press 53 in Winston-Salem, features tales of a Maryland family in the 40’s and 50’s, mainly through the eyes of a son, Alex. It is fiction based loosely on Rheinheimer’s own upbringing near Baltimore; playing ice hockey back in the days when the Chesapeake Bay actually used to freeze, dealing with a kid brother, the early signs of romance, and a fractured family unit. Rheinheimer’s nostalgic, smooth writing style evokes a past era and may make older readers remember their own upbringings fondly. His previous collection of short stories, Little Criminals, was also well-received and won awards when it was released in 2005. Compared by one reviewer to such well-known writers as Frank McCourt and William Maxwell, Rheinheimer said the short story genre suits him just fine. He’s tried writing a novel “but didn’t like it and didn’t go back to it. The parallel might be a 5K [race] and the marathon. I’m just not a marathon guy.” A long time runner and avid hiker, Rheinheimer said the popularity of the short story has dwindled over the years, but there are still outlets for the type of prose he likes to write. His stories have appeared everywhere from Glimmer Train Stories and the Michigan Quarterly to Redbook and, of all magazines, Playgirl. That happened when Rheinheimer briefly took on an agent who landed him that placement. The New Yorker still runs short stories, he also notes. Seeing the stories in Finding Grace collected and printed in one book, Rheinheimer realizes it might have been more autobiographical then he first thought when they were written over the past 30 years. His father Walter – Edwin in the

Kurt Rheinheimer book – read one of the stories some years ago and asked his son, “I thought you wrote fiction?” Edwin buys a second house, leaves his wife Grace and moves in with a Norwegian woman at one point; he’s also a packrat with an obsession for stamps. Rheinheimer said the “writer’s curse” is often losing the distinction between what is real and what is created to help formulate a good story. The actual events concerning his family are sort of a “muddle” at this point for the 60-something Rheinheimer, who oversees The Roanoker magazine and Blue Ridge Country. Many of the stories are centered around Alex at age 12, growing up in a factory town on the peninsula in Maryland,

surrounded by water, playing baseball constantly. Giant planes manufactured and tested there buzzed by in the sky overhead on a regular basis. Men left their row houses in the morning, headed for the airplane factory, while mothers like Grace hung laundry out on lines and kept an eye on outdoor-loving kids. Life was simpler. Edwin is somewhat demanding and wants an intellectual life for his children in the stories of Finding Grace, according to Rheinheimer, while Grace comes off as a more sympathetic figure. “She’s always careful and loving of her children. [Perhaps] a little bit in the extreme.” Alex and his brother are “addicted to being outside,” noted Rheinheimer, adding that parts of the book deal with Alex realizing that his parents, grandparents and siblings are real people, not just family members. That’s a lesson many children learn as they grow up, and one of the revelations some may uncover in Finding Grace. See press53.com or amazon. com to order Finding Grace. By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

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TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 10

VT- Carilion's Director of Computational Psychiatry Introduces Idea Worth Spreading at “TEDGlobal” 2012 Conference

Read Montague asked for a show of hands: How many audience members possessed a behavioral superpower? “Oh! I actually see hands!” he said. “TED is a special conference.” Montague’s quip came in the first minute of his presentation last week at the TEDGlobal 2012 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. Montague, Director of the Computational Psychiatry Unit at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, kicked off the conference’s “Misbehaving Beautifully” session, which focused largely on mental illness. Montague took as his topic the brain’s subtle, yet masterful microprocessing systems. The few hand-raising audience members were not the

only ones to possess a superpower, he contended. “We all have a behavioral superpower in our brain,” he said. “We can deny every instinct we have for survival for an idea for a mere idea. No other species can do that.” Montague used as an example the cult Heaven’s Gate, whose members committed mass suicide in 1997 in their quest to reach an alien spacecraft they believed to be trailing the Comet Hale-Bopp. “It was an incredibly tragic event,” Montague said. “But the point here is they were able to deny their instincts for survival using exactly the same systems that were put there to make them survive.” Those systems are deep in the brain and involve dopamine, a neurotransmitter,

During the TEDGlobal 2012 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, Read Montague spoke about state-of-the-art computational approaches that can enhance the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. Montague said, “that makes us chase sex, food, and salt that keeps us alive.” Dopamine drives valuation mechanisms in the brain, allowing us to navigate our world, whether foraging for berries or interacting in a complex social exchange.

Montague identified two advancements that now allow scientists to probe the role of the human brain’s deep processing systems in making valuations. The first is functional magnetic resonance imaging, a noninvasive technique that allows

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scientists to use microscopic blood-flow measurements as a proxy for brain activity. This discovery “revolutionized cognitive science,” Montague said, but omitted an important element: other people. Isolating mental functions in individuals is important yet incomplete, he said, because “even when we’re alone, we’re profoundly social creatures.” Montague noted, in fact, that we cannot really know ourselves until we interact with others. The second advancement is one that Montague and his team invented hyperscanning, a technique that enables subjects in different brain scanners to interact in real time, whether across rooms or across continents. Hyperscanning allows scientists, Montague says, to “eavesdrop on brain activity during one of the most important acts we do as humans interact with other humans.” People are exquisitely sensitive to the social gestures of others, Montague said, and understanding that sensitivity may provide important clues to mental disorders. At the heart of many mental disorders is a deficit in the ability to interact with others. And in these cases, using people with good mental health as coalmine-dwelling canaries may be one of our most promising avenues for capturing the subtle behavioral hallmarks of mental disease. This approach, said Montague, is “our way of redefining with a new lexicon a mathematical one, actually the standard ways we think about mental illness.” Several of the speakers who followed Montague illustrated the critical need for tools that allow mental illness to

be better understood. Comedian Ruby Wax, for example, touched on her own experience with the stigma of mental illness. “Your friends say, show me the lump, show me the X-rays, and of course you have nothing to show. … How come when people have mental damage, it’s always an act of mental imagination? How come every organ can get sick and you get sympathy except the brain?” Montague, a physics professor, has long worked to bring mathematics and computation to mental health, said Michael Friedlander, executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, in introducing a Roanoke-based simulcast of Montague’s talk. “Read’s use of rigorous, computationally based analysis of brain function and his invention of hyperscan technology have led to the development of a new field, computational psychiatry, which has been shaking up the world of psychiatry,” Friedlander said. “It has already led to tremendous, exciting new insights into a range of psychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, borderline personality disorder, and addiction.” Computationally based insights may one day allow psychiatry to achieve the diagnostic precision of such fields as cardiology, Friedlander added. “With an angiogram, for example, a cardiologist can say, ‘Your left anterior descending artery is blocked by 73 percent; you need a stent.’ We’re hoping Read’s work will bring such precise measurements to psychiatry, to enhance both diagnosis and treatment.”

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