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TheRoanokeStar.com community | news | perspective

June 29 - July 5, 2012

[Presidential Election]

Romney Calls on Roanoke Very Big Science P3– A scientific meeting featuring Nobel Laureate Robert S. Grubbs and others makes a big impact on our regional economy.

Photo by Bill Turner

Mitt Romney drives home a point to enthusiastic supporters during the political rally held for him at Carter Machinery on Tuesday.

Bluebirds Ahoy P4– Hayden Hollingsworth shares some good Bluebirding tips gained from plenty of trial and error experience.

June Football?

P7– You bet - and it turned into a classic as the Southwest All Stars put 21 unanswered points on the board to come back from a 17-14 first half deficit.

Happy Fourth!

P6– We wanted to become the next sponsor for “Music for Americans” but decided a dedicated page would fit the budget better.

Romney Brings Message of Free Enterprise / Less Goverment

There was little advance rumored that coal execunotice but tickets to see Retives attended the event at publican presidential canCarter. McAteer did say he didate Mitt Romney were had heard that N&S was all spoken for by Monday considered.

Congressnight. There were 1500 man Morgan Griffith, in tickets available and somea phone call, said prior to thing just over that numthe rally there was an earber filled the gated area lier meeting at the Medical behind Carter Machinery, Facilities of America and Inc. by the time Romney there was a representatook the podium. tive from the Eastern Coal The short notice had Council.

Carter service personnel Griffith said that his scurrying over the week“contact at Norfolk Southend according to Carter ern wanted to make sure Marketing Manager Kelly that the Romney people McAteer. “It’s been a long knew they were definitely 48 to 72 hours … We were Photo by Valerie Garner available either here or in happy to have him,” he said. Many Carter Machinery employees stood in support of Romney. Norfolk.” He passed that Men and women in Carter information on and he The hourly workers put the time uniforms lined the stands and stood plans to follow-up on it for the future. spent preparing for Romney on separate atop the monster equipment that surGriffith thought that Carter Machinery work orders and it was unclear if their rounded the site. being smaller made it easier for them to hours along with other expenses were Buttons and $20 T-shirts lined the enjump at the chance. an in-kind donation to the Romney trance to the event as did bomb sniffing Griffith spoke first at the rally. “The campaign. Congressman Morgan Grifdogs and secret service agents. Carter faces of coal are not just the coal minfith said he would assume so but could truck mechanic Davy Trout was waiting ers but it’s the people who sell the equipnot confirm it. The Romney campaign in line with friends and quipped, “Anyment to the coal did not respond to the question. thing to get off work while on the clock.” mines as well,” > CONTINUED Norfolk Southern was the other opHe wouldn’t say who he was going to he said. ConP2: Romney tion for the rally location and it was vote for though. gressman Bob

Local Economy Benefits From Ferrum College’s $93 Million Impact

Ferrum College contributes in excess of $93 million annually to the local economy according to the results of a recent study. The findings show a strong impact in Franklin County, Roanoke and the surrounding region generated from student and employee spending as well as philanthropy and the College’s day-to-day business activities.

“We have long known that the College is the economic engine for western Franklin County,” said Jennifer Braaten, Ferrum’s president. “Now, we can quantify this, and show that our impact

reaches even farther - north into Roanoke and south into Henry County and Martinsville.”

The study revealed that Ferrum contributed over $28 million to the local economy during the 2011-2012 timeframe in capital projects alone, including the construction of new residence halls, the renovation of the Blue Ridge Institute, and construction of the recently dedicated Hank Norton Athletic Center.

Nearly all of the investment was

> CONTINUED P2: Ferrum

Ferrum College Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kim Blair shares results of the recent economic impact study.

Mickenberg Holds Frank Talk About Taubman’s Future

While Taubman Museum of Art President and CEO David Mickenberg listed success stories regarding the museum’s attendance and exhibitions over the past fiscal year at a public meeting of over 130 attendees on Monday night, he also opened up about projected budget shortfalls and the downtown museum’s precarious future.

The inaugural “Taubman Talk About” did mention signs of progress. Mickenberg was proud to announce that over 120,000 visitors came to the museum last year, an increase of 40,000 attendees over the previous year. Membership also rose from 2,800 to over 4,000. Since reopening, the museum’s Art Venture program for children has swelled during the museum’s free Spectacular Saturdays program from 150 to 400 attendees.

Mickenberg claimed that the past year “positioned [the Taubman] for the future,” as it carried out the museum’s revised mission - to focus on regional artists in > CONTINUED P2:Taubman

Historic Rain Teaches Concrete Lesson

The Map of Hurricane Agnes.

You’ll read in various accounts that Tropical Storm Agnes, the great and hurtful deluge that struck Chesapeake Bay 40 years ago in June, was the magnitude of storm that only strikes every two or three centuries on average— maybe even a 500-year storm.

But from the Bay’s standpoint it was arguably unique; nothing else like it in the thousands of years the estuary has existed. To this day, significant parts of the Chesapeake ecosystem have not regained their pre-Agnes health.

Agnes’ winds were nothing much, seldom topping 50 miles an hour after it made Florida landfall on June 20, when it was downgraded from hurricane status.

Agnes was all about historic rainfall, about never-before-recorded runoff, an estimated 25 cubic miles of water dumped in > CONTINUED P2: Rain

Page 2 | TheRoanokeStar.com

6/29/12- 7/5/12

> Romney Showers and storms are possible Friday with temperatures in the upper 90s.

Dry conditions are expected Saturday with a few showers and storms possible Sunday. Temperatures will approach 100.

Hit or miss showers and storms are possible Monday and Tuesday with highs in the low to mid 90s.

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Goodlatte energized the crowd to a fevered pitch before introducing Jim Parker, Carter Machinery, Inc. CEO. Referring to President Barack Obama, Parker said, “One of the things we need to do if we are going to be successful is to recognize when we have made a bad choice and as quickly as we can - fix it.”

William Dunlap of Bedford was skeptical at the prospect of creating an environment for more jobs. “I don’t know how he is going to do it without Congress working together – if they don’t it won’t work.”

Political Analyst Dr. Bob Denton thinks that the demographic of married white women has shifted toward Obama.

“Women are more complicated than men,” he said, somewhat sheepishly. Thirty percent of the vote is in Northern Virginia and twenty percent is in Hampton and that leaves all of southwest and central Virginia as the key to winning Virginia. Denton expects the southwest Virginia region to see many more visits from Romney.

Denton said the candidates would be hitting all the “up-forgrabs” states hard. The swing states have increased to twelve; besides Virginia they include Pennsylvania, Colorado, Flor-

From page 1

ida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin.

An incumbent presidential candidate “gets a longer grace period” and therefore an edge, said Denton. Voters are more apt to give the incumbent longer to turn things around. Independents in Virginia are only slightly leaning towards Romney by one to two percent, he said. “Look for ads targeted at the demographic or issue they are weakest in.” Obama will be hit hard on jobs – it is his “Achilles heal,” he said.

To energize their base, candidates target their regions of strength; then they move to the swing areas saving the “enemy’s territory for last,” Denton said.

Late in the campaign he expects to see whichever candidate is trailing visiting Virginia often.

He compared that strategy to Sarah Palin’s late visit to Roanoke to give Senator John McCain a boost in 2007.

The demographic shift in northern Virginia makes the Commonwealth more and more in play, he said. Likeability plays a big part for voters who don’t pay attention to the issues.

“Likeability relates to trust,” said Denton.

Romney, in his 20-minute address, wasted no time in addressing President Obama’s failure to reform the immigration system. He pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike Arizona’s immigration laws criticizing “Obama’s failure to lead.”

Romney gave no specifics on what his immigration plan would be but did say he would “get rid of Obamacare.” He said that Obama was in a tight spot because of his promise to turn the economy around. “If he couldn’t turn around the economy within three years he promised he would be a one term president … he said the private sector is doing just fine.” Romney pointed to the over eight percent unemployment rate and two percent growth rate. He said that people tell him, “This private sector’s not doing so hot … and so the president had to change his tune” by convincing voters that “his programs just take a long time to be effective.”

Romney said he would “crack down” on China’s stealing of intellectual property and promised to get America “on the track to a balanced budget.”

The only thing Romney agreed with Obama on was that every American deserves a fair

> Rain

shot. “If they work hard, get an education and have the right kind of values they have a fair shot for a bright future,” said Romney.

He railed on Obama’s defense of teacher’s unions, jobless college graduates, using tax dollars for the businesses of his contributors, closing down coal mines and rejecting oil and gas exploration. “If there’s ever been a president of the United States that has not given a fair shot to the middle income families of America it is President Obama,” said Romney.

Romney said he would do just the opposite and promised “a resurgence that’s going to surprise a lot of folks.” He’d take better advantage of trade with other nations by opening up markets for American goods and faulted Obama for not negotiating any trade agreements during his term.

In relaying three business success stories, Romney said that each prospered because of free enterprise and not government intervention. “The Creator endowed us with inalienable rights not the government,” said Romney.

By Valerie Garner info@theroanokestar.com

From page 1

More than a sixth of downtown Richa few summer days into the James, Potomac throughout the Bay watershed, minimizing mond, almost 200 blocks, flooded as the and Susquehanna River basins. It would what ran off to the rivers.

From the early 1950s through the early James peaked 70 times above normal flows. have raised the whole Chesapeake 2 feet had 1970s, only a few years approached average Flash flooding drowned 16 along DC’s Rock there been a dam at its mouth.

The ecological impact of so much water river inflow to the Bay — and several years in Creek, where flows doubled anything ever has a lot to do with the watershed it falls on. the 1960s were so droughty there were fears recorded. A mother of three toddlers in BalIf there were other Agneses before the his- that the Washington, DC, region would run timore struggled to unbuckle her children from their car seats before the Jones Falls torical record began, they fell on a landscape out of water to drink.

Agnes, in effect, pulled the trigger on sins swept her into the limbs of trees downstream cloaked in deep forest, blanketed with soft, and drowned her family. spongy leaf duff, soggy with swamps and the that had been abuilding.

For a time there were fears that ConowAnother thing made it uniquely destrucponded streams of a million beavers.

Agnes fell on a watershed paved and sew- tive. It happened in June, the only one of ingo Dam might not hold. The dam was ered, ditched and drained, fertilized and the Bay’s historic storms of record to do evacuated and explosives installed to blow so. It was a supremely vulnerable time for a section if needed. It held, but a crack had farmed by 12 million moderns.

Nutrients applied to farmland had dou- the Bay’s underwater grasses, then flower- opened down one side, shutting U.S. Route 1 bled and tripled, even since the 1950s, as had ing and reproducing. They took a hit from across the dam’s top for months while it was concentrations of manure from livestock the silt-choked, nutrient-laden water from re-anchored.

On a personal note, Agnes has been humwhich they have still not recovered. (This is and poultry.

Sediment, about 20 million tons, trapped not just because of Agnes; nutrient and sedi- bling. It was probably the biggest Chesapeake for decades by the big Conowingo hydro ment loads remain at unhealthy levels to this story of my 40-year career, and it happened when I had been reporting for the Baltimore dam that plugged the Susquehanna in 1928, day).

Also unable to cope were Bay oysters, Sun only about six weeks — so green I didn’t scoured into the Bay. Throw in sewage overflows; drums of which could not keep their shells closed even get bylines on my front page stories.

It also reminds us how puny is the human chemicals washed from as far off as New in warm weather to survive the prolonged York state; and farm animal carcasses from flows of freshwater that swept most of the lifespan for understanding the workings of ! nature. A single event, lasting for days, ocWest Virginia — the upshot was a massive way down the Chesapeake.

Called by federal emergency officials “the curring on the order of centuries — milinsult that literally could not have occurred most massive flooding in the history of the lennia even — may have more impact than in previous centuries and millennia.

Professional House Cleaning eastern United States,” Agnes also took a hu- everything you might measure during years All of this landscape alteration did not just ! General Home Repairs and decades. start in 1972 of course, it had gone on for a man toll, killing 122.

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> Ferrum

returned to the community through the use well. Grants, gifts, tuition, summer camps, Museum, the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre, of local contractors and other vendors and athletics and other activities comprised a and the College’s prominent position on “The I recommend most?Road Music Trail gensuppliers. large percentage of the total withtool $16 milVirginia’s Crooked erated hundreds of thousands of dollars in With just over 300 faculty and staff mem- lion attributed to those areas. bers, the College ranks among the largest The economic benefits from Ferrum stu- revenue which was then returned to the Usenearby it to callcommunity.

Mr. Handyman. employers in Franklin County. The total $17 dents were felt most strongly in the “Because the arts are an important ecomillion payroll and benefits package town ofCleaning Rocky Mount with Roanoke a close Tree annual Removal • Deadwooding • Gutter translates to aSpring $23.5 million impact on the second.

The report showed student spendnomic driver, colleges, with their array of Aeration • Overseeding region. The study showed that employees ing in Roanoke was most likely to be fo- artistic and cultural offerings, are extremely Mulch Delivered Spread • Spring spent nearly $12 millionand annually in the imcusedCleanups on restaurants, entertainment and important to the economy of the communiwww.mrhandyman.com mediate Franklin County area. Ferrum Col- Insured shopping. ties where they are located,” said Kim Blair, Free Estimates • Fully 540-977-4444 lege employees and students contributed The College’s cultural and artistic attrac- vice president for Institutional AdvanceRICHARD KARN TV star and “home improvement guru.” close to $750,000 in charitable donations as tions, such as the Blue Ridge Institute & ment.

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the southeastern United States.

That was one result of what was learned from focus groups.

“The model of ‘Bilbao in the Blue Ridge’ is dead,” he said, referring to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain that looks similar archtecturally. Now the Taubman’s goal, said Mickenberg, is exhibitions that better serve Roanoke – not trying to compete as a flashy international museum.

This isn’t to say that the museum will shy away from international artists. Upcoming exhibitions will feature works from John Cage and Yoko Ono, along with paintings from America between 1760 and 1860. However, more regionally-focused exhibitions such as the works of Jean Helion, a French artist living in Virginia, will be in the spotlight as well.

Mickenberg said he was proud in particular to announce “This Light of Ours,” a collection of civil rights photographs from the South. He hopes to have

eight living photographers represented in the exhibition come to the museum to discuss their work.

Other steps forward will include reinstalling the museum’s American Art Galleries to include folk art and an expanded curatorial team that includes Floyd artist Donna Polseno and local artist Bill White.

The meeting then took a sharp turn to the subject of the museum’s finances. While the museum ended this fiscal year with balanced budget, which Mickenberg claimed has been the case for the two-plus years he’s been director, projections for the fiscal year 2012-2013 forecast an $1.4 shortfall below the revenue needed to cover $3.4 in expenses.

Mickenberg was candid about the seriousness of the situation.

“If we don’t raise the $1.4 million, we will close. That is a fact,” he stated solemnly.

A endowment of $20 to $30 million is needed for the muse-

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David Mickenberg um’s long-term survival in order to cover a portion of the operating costs. While the museum is seeking grants, Mickenberg noted that those would only cover programmatic costs, not the operating budget.

He called upon the audience to “pass the word” that cultural institutions need community support. “Don’t support an institution,” he said. “Support your institution.” Mickenberg noted that the programming had been changed to fit feedback from citizen focus groups but that support from this same community was essential.

Several audience members asked questions and gave sug-

gestions on building community support – like a “United Way of the arts” fundraising organization and expanded marketing to nearby communities like Blacksburg, Floyd and Radford. Local artist Tif Robinette asked Mickenberg what ways he would use to engage younger people between the ages of 16 and 30.

While remaining blunt about the struggles that the museum has had to and will continue to face, Mickenberg expressed his belief in the community’s potential for support: “It is incumbent that the donor class and arts professionals get together and work this out...there is a lot of expertise in this community and in this room,” he said on a night that could be described as a reality check.

For more information on the Taubman Museum of Art, visit www.taubmanmuseum.org.

By Aaron Layman info@theroanokestar.com

TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 3

6/29/12- 7/5/12

Roanoke Youth Earns Congressional Award Congressman Bob Goodlatte made the following statement after presenting Elizabeth Higgs of Roanoke with the Congressional Award at the 2012 Gold Medal Ceremony in the U.S. Capitol last week: “The Congressional Award is presented to youth who have taken up the challenge of bettering themselves and their communities. Elizabeth has not only achieved her personal goals, but made a lasting contribution to the Roanoke community through volunteerism. Congratulations to Elizabeth on this remarkable achievement. I encourage other youth in the Sixth District to take up this challenge as well.”

Elizabeth, the daughter of Diane and Steven Higgs of Roanoke, is a 2012 graduate of Patrick Henry High School and plans to attend the University of Virginia in the fall.

To earn the Congressional Award, Elizabeth was required to achieve several goals including completing over 535 hours of Voluntary Public Service as a camp counselor, collecting food for the Presbyterian Commu-

Arizona Couple Serving Across America Stops at Rescue Mission

Elizabeth Higgs with Congressman Bob Goodlatte. nity Center, constructing a therapeutic garden at the VA Hospital, and participating in a service trip to Chavies, Kentucky.

To complete her Personal Development goals, she attended dance classes and developed the skills to take, develop, and print black and white photographs. In the Physical Fitness category, she played volleyball, achieved First Team All-District, and earned the Coach’s Award.

For her Expedition she planned a trip to New York City to explore the culture.

Elizabeth’s sponsoring organization for the Congressional Award was the Girl Scouts of the USA.

The Congressional Award is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive. The program is open to all 14to 23-year-olds. Participants must achieve set goals in four program areas; Volunteer Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration. Congress established the Congressional Award in 1979 to recognize initiative, achievement, and service in young people.

For more information, please visit www.congressionalaward.org.

Teachers and Arizona residents, Tim and Dixie Reed, are traveling this summer to all 48 lower states, visiting and serving in at least one rescue mission in each state in just over 50 days. On Thursday their “Serve Across America, Thank You Tour” brought them to Roanoke to help serve dinner to the men, women, and children who came through the doors at the Rescue Mission that night.

“After two years of dreaming, one year of planning, endless hours of looking at maps and missions, we are on the road!” said Tim Reed. “Our purpose of traveling to each state and serving in a mission or shelter is to thank and encourage the staff and others who are mentoring the young and helping the hurting, raise awareness for ministries that are serving their communities, and challenge people to give their time and money to local organizations.”

As of Thursday, the Reeds had already served in 20 states at 24 different missions in less than one month. In a recent blog post, the couple described their adventure up to this point by saying, “In the midst of despair, people sometimes feel that hope is a long way off, but we’re finding out as we visit each rescue

Tim and Dixie Reed mission that it’s just down the road. Whether the mission is two city blocks long or a small storefront, many are finding hope and the first steps towards a changed life. Each mission has been different and special in their ministry.”

Ending each blog post is the simple phrase, “So…catch the vision. Feel our heart. Join the movement as we serve across America!”

Tim and Dixie Reed have been married for over thirty years and have taught and mentored young people during those years in Arizona. Tim has been a professor at Arizona Christian University in Phoe-

nix since 1990 and Dixie has been a teacher for over twenty years and is currently teaching at Scottsdale Christian Academy. They have been actively involved in helping the needy, raising awareness, and equipping others to serve. This includes inner city work, mission trips, work projects in needy areas, and taking groups of students to serve at numerous local agencies in Arizona.

For more information on their journey to serve across America, visit their website at www. serveacrossamerica.com.

Scientific Meeting At Virginia Tech Makes $2 Million Economic Impact More than 1,500 scientists descended on Virginia Tech last Sunday bringing with them not just cutting-edge research information but also an economic boost to the Blacksburg area in excess of $2 million.

The World Polymer Conference, "MACRO 2012", is one of the largest conferences ever held in Blacksburg with 13 simultaneous sessions daily during the six-day meeting. It’s all about large molecules – macromolecules – that are having a huge impact on such diverse areas as delivering drugs more accurately to cells and finding better alternative energy storage. Faculty members in Virginia Tech’s Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, which initiated the proposal to host the conference at the university, are some of the world leaders in this research field.

“When people think of polymers, they usually think of plastic packaging, but what scientists are studying now extends beyond plastics and focuses on improving the quality and quantity of our lives,” said Timothy Long, one of the conference organizers and a professor and associate dean of the Virginia Tech College of Science. “Through internation-

al collaborations, researchers are finding ways to use polymers for energy, health, and the environment to create a safer and healthier world.”

Scientific collaborations were clearly in evidence at the conference with attendees coming from 52 countries (60 percent coming from outside the United States.) Experts in the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development estimate that the amount spent locally for rooms, food, and transportation will be about $1.8 million. The total expenditures in the regional economy will be close to $2.5 million when such things as conference registration fees, subsidies for graduate students to attend, meals, and refreshment breaks are added into the impact.

Attendees flew into Roanoke Regional Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, from which meeting organizers arranged shuttle service to Blacksburg. They stayed both on the Virginia Tech campus and in a number of local hotels. In addition to the scientists from many institutions and industries, more than 500 students participated in the conference.

The meeting is the 44th

Attendees at the World Polymer Conference listen as Geoffrey Coates, a professor from Cornell University, describes new strategies for using non-petroleum resources for the design of high performance materials. The venue is Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech. edition of the congress of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

For the conference, which is titled “Enabling Technologies for a Safe, Sustainable, Healthy World,” there will be about 775 oral presentations and 475 poster presentations. Twelve plenary speak-

ers from prestigious research institutions around the world made presentations.

They included Nobel laureate Robert H. Grubbs, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005.

His talk will be “Controlled Synthesis of Functional Polymers.” Grubbs also spoke at

the Science Museum of Roanoke on Tuesday where he gave a short presentation and met the public.

The College of Science at Virginia offers programs in cutting-edge areas including, among others, those in energy and the environment, devel-

opmental science across the lifespan, infectious diseases, computational science, nanoscience, and neuroscience.

The college is dedicated to fostering a research-intensive environment that promotes scientific inquiry and outreach.

Did you Know

We may have been here for over 100 years but, we are constantly moving ahead while maintaining the same level of trust families have come to expect from Oakey’s. One example of staying current is our commitment to greener practices. Oakey’s has added a fuel efficient hybrid car to our fleet, we have been recycling our office products for years and now you can choose an environmentally friendly wicker casket.

Oakey’s has been here for over 100 years because we are dedicated to the families we serve.

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PPerspective erspective

Page 4 | TheRoanokeStar.com

T

Bluebirds: Success at Last!

here was a time in to do. the not too distant In talking with bluebird afipast when bluebird cionados we have picked up a sightings were a cause of cel- few tips. While I have never ebration. The advent of the had any trouble in my yard, Peterson bluebird box and The Beloved has never been able to Virginia Bluebird Society has have a successful nesting. The reversed that. Now, it’s not sparrows have always won, unusual to see the blue streak leading us to give up and close of the male racing across the the box down rather than find yard to the roosting place. In a dead bird in the box. House the last five years I have at least wrens are equally viscous, but one successful brood, less in number. most years two, and one Sparrows like an year three. That comes unobstructed flight out to about three dozline into the box. en new birds over the Hanging a weighted time I have been workfishing line in front of ing at this. the hole is supposed Much has been writto be a deterrent. It ten about box design worked for a while, and placement. Ten until a red-winged Hayden Hollingsworth yards or so from a blackbird got tanwooded area, five gled up in the line feet above the ground, and and was about to kill himself preferably facing northwest struggling for freedom. Forshould bring results. I have tunately, he finally escaped. found that not everyone is so The sparrows may have been fortunate. watching, because the next Sparrows, of which there are day they ignored the warning several thousand varieties (so string and started a nest which it seems) and tree swallows we promptly removed before are also cavity nesters that they were near completing. are more than happy to fight This year we heard of anothfor squatter’s rights. The tree er tactic. Sparrows apparently swallows are not nearly as seri- don’t like things waving in ous as the sparrows in compet- the breeze in a landing zone. ing with the bluebirds. After This seems counter-intuitive whirling around the box for a when you think about leaves day or two they usually give up in the wind, but we thought and move on, Not so with the we would give it a try. We atsparrows. Not only will they tached an American flag to the take over a box that has a blue- back of the box and bravely bird nest in it, they will kill the did it wave. The birds, all of bluebird, attack the hatchlings them, were curious and inand then build their own nest. spected it from a distance but The trick is to destroy any by the second day, it was obvinesting attempts they make ous who had the upper wing, in an empty box, but once the so to speak. A male bluebird bluebirds are brooding then was perched on the top of the it’s up to them to defend their flag watching his mate pick turf, which they frequently fail feathers from under her wing

O

. . . a sure sign they were going to nest. The next day, the nest was complete, as neat as a pin and totally unlike the mess the sparrows throw together.

Soon we had four hatchlings.

Bluebirds are naturally easygoing. They don’t mind you opening the front of the box and checking on them. Early after dawn, they lay their eggs, one at a time. They do not start brooding until the clutch is complete, usually four to six eggs. They will hatch in about 16 days after the last egg is laid.

The sparrows watched all this, figured out (even though they are English) that the flag was no threat, so in they went.

Beloved then had an excellent idea: hang a yellow plastic ley (courtesy any Polynesian restaurant) on the side of the box.

The sparrows freaked out, the bluebirds built a nest and now we have four more chicks.

After they fledge it will be interesting to see if the sparrows return. If they do, a wind chime is the next step.

This is great fun and you likely will be rewarded. It’s worth the effort. They don’t call them the Bluebird of Happiness for nothing.

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The Curiously Sad Case of Lonesome George

n Sunday, 24 June Research Station and the Ga2012, the world lápagos National Park offices) witnessed an in- were dusty, unpaved avenues credibly rare event: the notable through which cattle were passing of the last individual sometimes driven. My last of a race of living things with trip took place in 2003 where I a lineage 3.5 billion years old. found those same streets covHe was “Lonesome George,” ered and lined with tzotchke the last survivor of a subspe- tourist shops and cyber-cafés cies of giant tortoise native to with scratchy links to the outthe Galápagos Islands called side world. Each time I apthe Pinta Island Tortoise. proached Lonesome George, When he was dishe clambered into covered 40 years ago the leafy vegetation by park authorities, of his enclosure – he was rushed from with a seemingly his goat-ridden isnimble intent NOT land to another locato engage. Tortoise, tion in the archipelhuman, no matter – ago where scientists his riposte appeared could protect him less about reclusive and even encourage H. Bruce Rinker, PhD behavior and more him to mate with about a lingering females from closely aligned memory. subspecies. Not only would What happened to his he refuse to procreate, but he brothers and sisters? With would often lumber off into clutch sizes up to 16 eggs (and the surrounding shrubbery to one to four clutches per seahide his huge, gentle ET-like son), the giant tortoises of the head from all the attention. Galápagos Islands were origiWhen he died on Sunday, nally divided into 15 subspeprobably from a heart attack, cies. Now, thanks to buccathe 200-pound, five-foot-long neers, whalers, and fishermen reptile was around 100 years over hundreds of years (yes, old. Born about the time of human impacts … again), the sinking of the RMS Ti- only 11 subspecies still exist. tanic and the Piltdown hoax, Oops – make that 10. As these Lonesome George had no waves of human opportunists known human witnesses to arrived, they hunted tortoises his birth. When he died, how- as a source of meat; they also ever, TIME, ABC, CNN, and deposited – sometimes innumerous other international tentionally, sometimes inadnewsfeeds took note. vertently – their pigs, goats, I was fortunate enough to burros, cattle, rats, and even have met Lonesome George house cats that then ravaged not once, but during each of native species with few or no my five research expeditions defenses against these exotic to the Galápagos Islands. invaders.

The first trip took place in In the days of buccaneers 1985 when the islands were and pirates, Isla Pinta, the sparsely inhabited, and the home of Lonesome George streets of Puerto Ayora (the and his subspecies in the home of the Charles Darwin northern part of the archipel-

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Tenor American Football Conference (abbr.)

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The place farmers go for all they need in Lexington Tenderness Proposal position British Thermals, But not underwear.

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53 Roanoke City Council's new 'Eat-For-Education' tool.

54 With Rays, this is a shop on Hardy Road in Vinton.

55 September (abbr.)

56 Alternative (abbr.)

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Mr. Russell Terrier I presume.

Roanoke's Texas Tavern Footwear adorning aid Chief Henry said in order to be an Indian you had to have one of these and 10,000 feathers.

Entire Weakly Raccoon-like animal Heat giver What grew in the middle of Carolina Ave., came down in a storm, and was replanted?

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By Don Waterfield Find the answers online: NewsRoanoke.com Have a clue and answer you’d like to see? email: puzzles@newsroanoke.com

6/29/12- 7/5/12

TheRoanokeStar.com Community | News | Perspective 540-400-0990 Publisher | Stuart Revercomb | stuart@theroanokestar.com News Editor | Gene Marrano | gmarrano@cox.net

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ago, was a popular stop. These sea-faring folks would gather up as many of these obliging reptiles as their ships could hold, stacking them one on top of the other for months at a time like gigantic, writhing hamburger patties until ready to devour them. The female tortoises were often the first to be collected because they were smaller, easier to handle, and simpler to stockpile than the giant males. As the numbers of tortoises quickly diminished, the buccaneers and pirates began to use the island to restock their fresh meat supplies while at sea. Since the tortoises were no longer available, they released goats into their makeshift Pacific pantry that then flourished and stripped away the island’s vegetation. Imagine the surprise of authorities from the Galápagos National Park when, in 1971, they eradicated the goat population from Isla Pinta and then found Lonesome George: a solo survivor of some of humankind’s conceit and callous disregard for the natural world.

Did Lonesome George somehow “remember” all this ugly history only to shuffle in his enclosure for 40 years as a sentinel against our naiveté?

Seeing his brothers and sisters trampled, eaten, and carried off, did Lonesome George refuse us forgiveness like a priest withholding absolution from an unrepentant sinner?

We scientists estimate 30 million species on Earth (though that number ranges from 10 million to over 400 million in the scientific literature): 30 million different kinds of bacteria, algae and protozoans, fungi, plants, and animals on Earth interwoven and co-evolving on a watery planet. Pulitzer-prizewinning scientist E.O. Wilson and others estimate that the background rate of extinction (i.e., minus human influence) is one to three species per year. In the 1970’s, about the time of Lonesome George’s discovery, that rate accelerated to one species per day. In the 1980’s, the extinction rate climbed to one species per hour. Now, in these first decades of the 21st century, we may see 100 species or more per day fall prey to human ignorance and appetite. With each species as a vital, ancient thread tied to all other species, the implications of mass extinction for the tapestry of life upon which we depend are absolutelye horrifying.

Lonesome George is gone as are our hopes to preserve his venerable lineage of giants. With the undeniable specters of mass extinction, climate change, and human overpopulation now knocking at the door, will we take positive, unequivocal action to conserve Earth’s natural resources sustainably? Or will we lumber off in our own little enclosures, hiding our heads in the jungles of our own creation and pretending that all’s well on a planet wracked by our selfish ways?

H. Bruce Rinker, Ph.D. Director of Scientific Advancement and Development Biodiversity Research Institute bruce.rinker@briloon.org

Perspective

TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 5

6/29/12- 7/5/12

E

Both Sin and Salvation Have Their Standards

very deck of cards is printed. pretty much the same.

The "King James deck" is Same number of cards, therefore a snapshot of the Eusame suits, same face cards and ropean world view of 1611. The number cards. But it wasn't al- number of cards represents the ways that way. When the first 52 weeks of the year, broken playing cards entered into four seasons the western world in (suits), ruled over by the 1300's (courtesy famous Jewish, Greek, of Italian traders Roman and Medieval returning from the nobles, who may Orient), they were a also represent the 12 hodgepodge of difsigns of the Zodiac. ferent versions. The The Kings are largely earliest deck that rebelieved to be David sembles our modern (Spades), Charleversion appeared magne (Hearts), in Rouen, France Caesar (DiaMike Keeler in 1565. After that monds) and Altime, card-playing became in- exander (Clubs). The Queens creasingly popular throughout are the Greek Minerva, Judith Europe. of France, and the biblical RaSomeone soon realized that chel. The fourth is Argine, an cards are for gambling, gam- anagram of "Regina" meanbling makes money, and that ing "Queen." The Jacks are the revenue can be taxed. That soldiers Ogier, La Hire, Hector someone was King James I of and Judas Maccabee.

England. In 1611, he standardThere have been a few changized the English card industry es since then. Jacks were origiaround a consistent deck, and nally called Knaves, but it was required that card manufactur- confusing to have both "K"s ers be licensed and pay a fee to and "Kn"s in the corners, so a the crown for every deck they term was stolen from the game

All Fours, where the Knave of the trump suit is called the Jack. Aces became more powerful than face cards after the French Revolution, to symbolize the power of the common man over the King. The Joker is an American invention, naturally. It was invented as the highest card in Euchre, also spelled "Juker," and evolved from there.

But for the most part, the modern deck owes its form to King James. So when you are sitting at a blackjack table in Sin City, you have him to thank for your hedonism (if you are winning) or for your guilt (if you are losing).

Thankfully, you can also look to him for possible absolution.

Just go up to your hotel room, open up the night table drawer, and there it is: The King James Bible! Yeah, it was also standardized by King James I, and in that same fateful year of 1611.

Contact Mike at info@theroanokestar.com

The Preacher’s Corner by Carey Kinsolving How Do You Sense God’s Presence?

"I feel God's presence when I walk through the woods and take time to look around at all His beautiful creations like the trees and chirping birds," says Lauren, age 10.

As I write, a seagull sits perched like a sentry atop the building next door. Other gulls glide and dive as children throw crackers. If God can provide for these professional beggars, he can provide for you and me. Quit worrying, and start living.

Let's follow Jesus' example by learning a lesson in provision from God's presence in nature: "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26) As the pace of life accelerates and more people find themselves surrounded by pavement and concrete, it's difficult to sense God's presence in creation. Without a sense of God's presence, it's difficult to worship.

If we're not careful, the pace and pressure of modern life will suck the worship and wonder right out of us.

"I know God is always there for me," says Ashley, 10. "You should know that God is always there for you, too! God has made lots of humans, creatures, plants and animals. When you see the sun rising or the sun setting, you always know God is there."

Modern science would have us believe that the Earth keeps spinning on its axis by itself. But we know from the Bible that God created the Earth and the heavens. Without him, nothing would exist (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16).

We have a tendency to think of God as too big to be interested in the details of our

lives. Yet, the Bible tells us that God knows the number of hairs on our heads. For some of us, that task would seem a bit easier as the years pass.

"God created the heavens and the earth," says Dorothy, 10. "I can sense God's presence everywhere. When I see people loving and caring for me at school or in my family, then I feel that people follow the Lord's words.

When I feel protected and comfortable in my church, I feel that God is with us."

Nature provides abundant opportunities to sense God's presence, but they pale in comparison with one godly person in whom God's Spirit is active. Christians who let God's Spirit control them carry the fragrance of His grace. Even people who aren't looking for God can tell something is different.

As the saying goes, "You can run, but you can't hide." Jonah learned this lesson the hard way as he took the first submarine ride in the belly of a big fish. When we believe that God is everywhere, we'll see the wisdom of living open lives before him (Hebrews 4:13).

The Apostle John wrote, "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (I John 1:5).

Walk in God's light today, enjoy fellowship with like-minded believers and grow in confidence that God is working through you to weave your life into a plan more glorious than anything you can imagine.

The beauty of God's creation reflects His power and glory, but the beauty of his Spirit alive in his people radiates his power and glory.

Do you sense God's presence in the beauty of his creation and in people who are walking in his Spirit?

A Small Town, A Different Day

T

he day lilies my mother planted more than 70 years ago are still blooming beside the south wall of the house in which I grew up.

The clematis vine which shaded the porch with its hammock where I spent hours as as teenager reading is still there too.

But a garage with a collection of old cars is where our kitchen used to be and the two big locust trees that marked our front yard are gone though two smaller ones are still in place.

Returning to the place where one grew up brings back many memories. I renewed mine recently when I drove up to Orange, Virginia, especially to visit Montpelier, the plantation home of James Madison. After being in private hands for more than a century --not open to the public-- it has over the past 25 years undergone extensive renovation, and now takes its place with Jefferson's Monticello and Monroe's Ash Lawn as sites to learn of our first presidents.

But since Montpelier is just three miles west of the town in which I grew up, it was a good chance to see how my little hometown had changed. I had made a sentimental visit to Orange four years ago following the death of my husband.

He had had no connection with Orange, but his passing reminded me of my mother whose ghost after more than 60 years lingers for me around my house. She's been gone since my college years.

This time I wondered if my home might have been demolished, like that of a neighbor's down the road. It certainly had seen better days and perhaps was not occupied even though a young man was working on a car in what had been our back yard. But it was still standing, perhaps looking a little better

than it did in 2008. The roof had been patched and the shutters were still intact. A view from the unpaved road that ran up the hill from Virginia Route 20 was all I needed.

I hastened on to Montpelier, a show place I heartily recommend which can be reached from the Roanoke area in about three hours by using Interstates 81 and 64 plus another 25 miles on U.S. 15 which meanders north-south through the middle of Virginia.

I took a longer way to reach Orange for, although I am a Virginia native, I had never traveled through several of the Central Piedmont counties just north of the James River. You can get to U.S. 15, Orange's main road connection with the world, by taking U.S. 460 to Appomattox, following a couple of truly rural roads, crossing I-64 and finally entering the historic courthouse town.

Orange, with its 1856 courthouse, once stretched to the Mississippi River; the county was founded in 1734. In Colonial times it was a center of early Baptist activity. Thomas Jefferson, living not far away near Charlottesville, is reported to have been moved to draft Virginia's Statute for Religious Freedom out of sympathy for the dissenting Baptists. During the Civil War several decisive battles --all won by Confederates-- took place a few miles to the east at The Wilderness, Spottsylvania and Fredericksburg. All this didn't mean much to me as a child living on the edge of town with my widowed mother who supported us by raising poultry in the days before agri-business.

Orange today is just far enough away from Northern Virginia to be beyond the Washington suburbs so it has

not changed greatly since my youth. Norfolk Southern trains and AMTRAK still pass across Main Street, and the banks are still in their familiar places though with differerent names.

The four familiar churches-Baptist, United Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal-- have not moved from the two main streets, but soon after World War II the Catholics, who had come to town to work in a World War II plant, established their own parish, and now there's a Lutheran congregation in the suburbs as well as some Pentecostal groups.

A major change in the town's topography came following my departure for college just after World War II. State Route 20 was rerouted as a by-pass of Main Street and now passes fairly close to my old home on its way to the battlefields to the east. This has caused several new businesses where open fields used to be. My little road up the hill contains several small newer homes.

A striking impression, often noted by others reflecting on familiar places from their pasts, is how distances seem to have shrunk over the years as cars have taken over quiet streets that were once safely walked.

Main Street is only three blocks long, and all the residential areas are easily reached on foot. A long time ago, especially in hot, cold or wet weather, the mile I walked daily to school was no fun. Now it seems to pass in seconds.

Contact Frances Stebbins at info@theroanokestar.com

Local Author to Hold Book Signing Local author, Tom Taylor, will be signing his latest novel, The Summer Between Eternities, beginning at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, July 14th at the Books-A-Million bookstore on Hershberger Road in Roanoke.

Tom, who retired after 34 years with the Norfolk Southern Railway, began writing seriously, if parttime, around 1973. His first novel, “Snare of the Fowler,” was published by one of the world’s largest Christian publishers, Moody Press of Chicago, in 1977. “It did pretty well,” said Tom. “They went international with French and Spanish editions.”

“The Summer Between Eternities” is his fifth

novel. “It’s a romance/mystery/suspense sort of story,” says Tom. “It’s situated in 1987, mostly in the Catawba Valley just west of Roanoke, on an isolated farm that’s patterned after one my wife’s grandparents used to have out there. The story is a celebration of love – an American widow and an Englishman falling in love – but the Brit is running from the law, and he can’t even tell the widow, Laura, the truth about who he is. It’s a novel where, if you look for it, you’ll see the silent hand of God working in good and evil. It’ll leave you thinking, and your heart singing.”

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TheRoanokeStar.com | Page 6

6/29/12- 7/5/12

Celebrate Good Times

. . . Whether it’s July 4th or Grandma’s birthday, backyard parties make the summer memorable. Here’s how to make them easier, and tastier, than ever.

Backyard barbecues and family gatherings define each summer. Make sure you’re at the top of your party-throwing game with a quick look at a few themed ideas.

If you’re throwing a July 4th bash, think tea, as in a Boston tea party.

“Having a Boston tea party for the Fourth of July has all the ingredients not only to be fun, but educational - and it gives us a chance to remember what the holiday is really about,” says Diane Carbo, the Cliffside, N.J.based owner Your Cup of Tea.

Read on for more patriotic and family-focused inspiration.

1) Pick a theme Start by dressing up in a costume to deliver the invitations, Carbo says. Invite your guests to come in costume, with a prize for the best outfit. Create a game of “history jeopardy” with colonial era facts for both kids and adults for July 4th, or a game of 20 questions about the birthday guest of honor. End the evening with fireworks, sparklers or a lot of birthday candles.

2) Set the scene If July 4th is your cup of tea,

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Debra Delaney, the Barrington, Ill.-based owner of Memorable Entertaining, says that an elegant yet patriotic atmosphere can be created with a white, red or blue tablecloth. Spray paint terra-cotta pots in a contrasting color of either red, white or blue and fill with white daisies or red flowers. Apply star appliqués to the outside of the pots. Or fill small buckets with sand, place a pillar candle in the middle and surround the base of the candle with small flags inserted in the sand.

3) Heat things up “Fourth of July means barbecue,” Delaney says. And if the holiday slips by, no worries – there is always a good reason to light up the grill. Cook up burgers, brats, hotdogs, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches and shrimp. Sides can be party favorites like potato salad, coleslaw, roasted corn on the cob and baked beans.

4) Can the cost “Eliminate canned soft drinks and beer and wine with larger thermoses of lemonade, punch and flavored waters,” says Greg Jenkins, a partner in Bravo Productions, a Long Beach, Calif.based event planning company.

“The costs of canned beverages can be substantial in particular for large summer parties.” For a patriotic touch, Delaney suggests using star ice cube trays with combination of strawberry,

raspberry and blueberry puree to create red and blue ice cubes.

5) Go potluck To save money, consider hosting summer gatherings with other people, Jenkins says. “Not only does it save everyone time and frustration, it may serve as a means to avoid using a professional event company,” he says.

6) Get ready to play Entertain guests with oldfashioned games, Carbo says, like hop scotch, leap frog, tag, bowling on the grass, hot potato and marbles. “For the older kids you may include bobbing for apples, three-legged races and even a gunny sack race. These can be some fun activities for all ages.”

7) Dig in Don’t forget dessert. Whip up a local specialty, a family favorite or experiment with a new dish, like Warren Brown’s Cherry Tri-

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fle from his new book “United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2010).

Cherry Trifle For the sugared cherries 2 pints cherries, washed and pitted 1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar For the sugar syrup 1 1/2 cups superfine granulated sugar 3/4 cup water For the whipped cream 3 cups whipping or heavy cream 1/4 cup superfine granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. To make the sugared cherries, combine the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to blend.

Refrigerate for 2 hours, strain, and reserve the liquid.

2. While the cherries are chilling, make the Amazing Vanilla Cake.

3. To make the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove and let cool.

4. When the sugared cherries, the cake and the sugar syrup are ready to use, wash and dry a deep glass trifle bowl.

5. To make the whipped cream, bring the ingredients to a soft peak using a standing mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment or hand beaters. Stop the mixer and whip by hand with a balloon whisk until the cream shows a slightly thick body. It should not be at all stiff.

6. Slice the cakes horizontally with a serrated knife, and place one layer in the bottom of the bowl. Using a pastry brush or squeeze bottle, soak the layer with about one quarter of the sugar syrup and one quarter of the reserved liquid from the sugared cherries.

7. Spoon a generous amount of whipped cream onto the first layer and level it with a ladle or spoon – because of the angle, you won’t be able to use a spatula.

8. Drop about one quarter of the sugared cherries evenly around the first layer. Place some near the edge so they’ll be visible in the bowl.

9. Repeat with the next two layers of cake. (Prepare more whipped cream if necessary.)

Complete the top layer with a generous portion of whipped cream and a few sugared cherries.

10. Serve immediately with a large spoon, or let sit for up to 2 hours before serving – the trifle will improve as the cake soaks up the flavors.

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Sports

TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 7

6/29/12- 7/5/12

Southwest Upends Central 35-17 Roanoke Edges Salem In American Legion Baseball Showdown in All-Star Football Classic High school football fans were treated to a dandy Friday night as the Southwest defeated the Central 35-17 in the second annual Southwest-Central All-Star Football Classic played at William Fleming High School.

The Southwest rebounded from a 17-14 halftime deficit to score 21 unanswered points in the second half, as seventy-three all-star players represented the two teams that played before an estimated 2,000 fans in ideal mid-June conditions.

Roanoke-area high schools

Roanoke Post 3 jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and the advantage held up for the 12-9 win over Salem Post 3 in American Legion baseball action Saturday afternoon at Salem Memorial Stadium.

Roanoke rode the arm of starter Cory Smith, who retired the first thirteen Salem batters he faced. Salem finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with four runs to cut the lead to 5-4, but Roanoke responded with four in the top of the seventh to take control.

Former Hidden Valley and Alleghany Collegebound player Hayden Smith of Roanoke Post 3 checks his swing as the pitch comes in just below the knees.

William Byrd's #41 Keith Jennings before Friday night's kickoff. Jennings brought in two first-half touchdown passes and was named co-offensive MVP for the Southwest All-Stars.

Alan Smith that closed out the scoring and sealed the victory for the Southwest.

Roanoke-area 'Big-11' standouts on the Southwest All-Stars included Hardister and Gino Saunders of Northside, Nick Conte of Patrick Henry, Marty Bishop of Salem, Tyler Francis and Ryan Gerhardt of Cave Spring, Jacob Mabry of Glenvar, and Jennings and Joe Barton of William Byrd.

Salem starter Cody Dooley comes over the top as he deals to the plate Saturday against Roanoke Post 3.

Cave Spring defensive linebacker #20 Ryan Gerhardt makes a decisive stop of a Central All-Star ball carrier. represented included Northside, Patrick Henry, Salem, Glenvar, William Byrd andCave Spring. Tim Fulton was head coach of the Southwest squad and was joined by, among others, former Cave Spring defensive coordinator Jamie Harless, who was named last winter as the new head football coach for Lord Botetourt.

Former Patrick Henry, and new Heritage High School Head Coach Brad Bradley, headed up the Central staff.

Highlights of the game included William Byrd's Keith Jennings catching five passes for 201 yards, includ-

Josh Turner connects for Salem Post 3.

OFFICIAL CALL MASS MEETING OF ROANOKE CITY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE Former Hidden Valley standout Chris Ferguson motors around third as he scores for Roanoke Post 3 Saturday.

Patrick Henry and UVa-bound Nick Conte with his dad before the All-Star Classic Friday night at William Fleming.

Southwest touchdowns.

Jennings and Bradley, who was 11-for-17 in passing completions for the game, shared the Southwest offensive MVP honor.

Bradley also hooked up with Byrd's Joe Barton on a 27-yard touchdown pass, while Hardister fired a 21yard fourth-quarter touchdown toss to GW Danville's

By Bill Turner info@theroanokestar.com

By Bill Turner info@theroanokestar.com

Our Lady of Nazareth

Send pictures, announcements and story ideas to

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Northside's Adam Hardister gets the play from the Southwest sideline.

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Wishing all to have a safe and happy Fourth of July in 2012

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As Chairman of the Roanoke City Republican Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia, and pursuant to the Plan of Organization and as recommended and directed by the Committee, I, John Brill, do hereby issue this call for a MASS MEETING to be held at Roanoke City Council Chambers, 215 Church Ave., S.W., City of Roanoke, Virginia at 6:00 p.m. on July 18th, 2012 for the following purposes: 1) Electing members of the Unit Committee.

2) The transaction of such other business as may properly come before the Mass Meeting.

Qualification for Participation All legal and qualified voters of Roanoke City under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, regardless of race, religion, national origin or sex, who are in accord with the principles of the Republican Party and who, if requested, express in open meeting, either orally or in writing as may be required, their intent to support all nominees for public office in the ensuing election, may participate as members of the Republican Party of Virginia in its mass meetings, party canvasses, conventions or primaries encompassing their respective election districts. All individuals desiring to participate in the Mass Meeting will be required to present some form of identification such as a voting card, driver’s license or other positive identification.

Mass Meeting Registration Registration for the Mass Meeting will begin at 5:30PM and end at 6:00PM. All persons in line by 6:00PM will be allowed to register for the Mass Meeting.

Candidate Pre-Filing Requirements Any candidate who intends to seek election to serve as a member of the Committee may notify the Chairman of the Committee of his or her intention by either pre-filing pursuant to the requirements stated herein, or by being present at the Mass Meeting and so stating his or her intention. Candidates who pre-file do not need to be present at the Mass Meeting to be elected to serve as a member of the Committee. Candidates for the election or nomination at said mass meeting shall file a written statement by mail to John Brill, Roanoke City Republican Committee, P.O. Box 3318, Roanoke, VA 24015, email a statement to John Brill at john@brilldesigns.org, or hand deliver a statement to John Brill, which must be received no later than 5:00PM, July 9, 2012. Postmarks do not govern and the written statement must be received by the above deadline. In the event that fewer qualified candidates pre-file than the number of membership seats, all qualified candidates will automatically be elected members and the mass meeting will be not be held.

Within 30 days of the Mass Meeting, any candidate elected during the Mass Meeting to serve as a member of the Committee must pay $25.00 to the Committee representing the annual membership dues for the year 2012. Any member elected at the Mass Meeting who has previously paid his or her 2012 membership dues is not required to pay any additional dues for the year 2012.

Paid for and authorized by the Roanoke City Republican Committee, John Brill, Chairman

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Page 8 | TheRoanokeStar.com

Two Roanoke Golf Courses Worth a Visit

Shake the dust off those clubs, get your golfing buddies together and go and play these two great public golf courses less than 10 miles from the center of Roanoke! If these barely pique your interest, the Roanoke page at GolfNow has a great selection of the other area courses.

Hanging Rock Golf Club Par 72 | 6,828 yards | Hanging Rock is a championship golf course with beautiful views of the Roanoke Valley. The course, which was designed by Russell Breeden, will definitely provide a stern test of golf. The breathtaking natural beauty will however ensure that your round is enjoyable even if your scoring is not that great.

The club has won the award for "Best Golf Course in the Roanoke Valley" by readers of The Roanoke magazine in 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012. The course has also been named as

one of the “Top 100 Must Play Courses” in the Mid-Atlantic

by Washington Golf Monthly magazine.

The club offers golf lessons, camps and a fully stocked pro shop. Friendly staff and reasonable green fees will add to a most pleasurable outing. Use the number below to book your tee-time, or log onto the website for more information.

Contact information: (800) 277-7497 www.hangingrockgolf.com Blue Hills Golf Course | Par 71 | 6,436 yards | Blue Hills is a very pretty 18hole golf course. The course, which was designed by Clarence King and opened in 1920, provides an enjoyable round to golfers of any skill level. From the back tees, the course plays over 6436 yards with a slope of 115 and rating of 70.1. It is not the most challenging course you

will find, which means that lowhandicap golfers will probably score very well at Blue Hills.

The friendly staff and the Bar & Grill will ensure that your group enjoy a comfortable and relaxed time after your round.

Other amenities include a full driving range with two practice putting greens, golf lessons by PGA professionals, as well as a fully stocked golf shop.

Blue Hills Golf Course is very well maintained and offers a good value for money experience.

Contact information: (540) 344-7848 www.bluehillsgc.com

6/29/12- 7/5/12

Elks Club And Olympic Park Visit Hidden Valley For A Splashdown

Olympic Park's Katherine Maness battles to the Werner Loots has been playing finish line in her 50-meter event. golf for over 15 years and enjoys helping other golfers play better.

You can take advantage of over 85 web pages of great free golf tips at: www.great-free-golf-tips.com

Elks Lodge swimmer Sophie Ericsson steps to the platform in the 11-12 individual medley.

Wild Bill’s Weekly Sports Roundup

Well, July is upon us and the opposing team’s outfield things in the world of sports alignment. are just heating up for area The Greenbrier Classic gets fans. There’s a lot to digest, so underway Monday, with the let’s make a run through the actual four-round tournaarea happenings. ment Thursday through SunThis column may be the day. weekly roundup, but certainly Tuesday, July 3rd, is Youth no roundup will be bigger Day at The Old White TPC in than the July 20-21 Mon- White Sulphur Springs and key Rodeo during the Salem rising Salem High School Red Sox games at Lewis Gale senior Alex Hart will repreField. Have you ever seen a sent First Tee Roanoke Valmonkey in cowboy ley in the First Tee garb riding a dog?

Scramble. Hart will be If you haven’t, come paired with a yet-toout to the ball park to be-named PGA pro see what you’ve been in the four-hole skins missing. format to compete for I’ve got my cowthe $ 10,000 first prize boy hat dusted off for benefitting a First Tee this one, and Wild chapter.

Bill will offer full Wednesday will Bill Turner coverage of the probe the Greenbrier ceedings. Specific events and Classic Pro-Am where galnames of pro rodeo monkey lery members get their best riders have yet to leak out, but chance to see the players upI’m hoping a couple talented close and potentially grab an monkey ropers will lasso in a autograph. Once play begins Saint Bernard or two.

Thursday for the $1.08 million Speaking of the Salem Red first prize, things dramatically Sox; they return home for change. a 3-game series against the The 23rd anniversary of the Potomac Nationals Thursday Commonwealth Games will through Saturday (June 28- hit the Roanoke Valley July 30). On Thursday, I’ll be on 20-22 with the main games, the concourse to carefully opening night ceremonies observe, as many of you al- and the Washington Redskins ready know is now tradition, 80th Anniversary Thank You

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Tour on tap. The Commonwealth Games continue to grow, now attracting 10,000 athletes in 60 sports, as well as providing significant economic impact to the area.

The Wild Bill column is ready to move on to new horizons after Franklin County Speedway owner Whitey Taylor extended an invitation this week for yours truly to view an upcoming Saturday night race from the infield and pit row at the Callaway track.

I took Taylor up on the offer and will be reporting from trackside next month. Quite frankly, I’m excited about seeing the guys trade paint at FCS. I’m bringing a couple of cans of light blue to hopefully swap for some flat black.

Finally, after a week off, we revisit this week’s swelling mailbag.

Dear Wild Bill: You opened a Pandora’s Box with all the Mill Mountain web-cam talk.

Have you ever been up there yet for your remote broadcast?

(Steve, Roanoke) Answer: I’m waiting on my FCC Indian test-pattern.

Don’t laugh- there may be more truth to this than you think.

Dear Bookie Bill: Will you be predicting high school football scores again this fall?

(Wayne, Elliston) Answer: Absolutely. And, here’s my first pick of the season - Grundy over Twin Valley by 24 in the Golden Wave’s season home-opener.

Hidden Valley swimmer Brock Bartlett gets his feet set for the start of the 25-meter backstroke.

Morgan Smith of Olympic Park gets the award for cutest swim cap of the week as she waits for her call to the platform.

Hidden Valley swim coach Shannon Otruba offers Monday's meet a look of Hawaii

Until I get the crystal ball cobwebs swept away, send your inquiries to: info@newsroanoke.com

By Bill Turner info@theroanokestar.com

Gia Byrnes of Hidden Valley checks with the starter as she prepares to enter the water.

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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TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 9

6/29/12- 7/5/12

Floyd Fest 11 On The Horizon

If you intend to purchase tickets for Floyd Fest 11 (July 26-29) you may want to do it soon. The four-day music festival on the Floyd-Patrick County line was a partial sell out last year (14,000 or so on several days) and could be headed for more of the same this summer. In addition the ticket prices will rise July 1.

Themed “Lovers Rock” this time around, Floyd Fest (milepost 170.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) features around 100 bands or performers on ten stages, including Alison Kraus and Union Station, Michael Franti, Brandi Carlile, Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs and Jackson Browne – who called co-founder Kris Hodges about appearing at Floyd Fest.

The company he helped set up, Across-the Way Productions, runs FloydFest with a legion of volunteers each year.

ATW Productions has branched out to help run other events like the Vintage Virginia Wine Festival in Centreville.

Hodges said there are plenty of other musical acts, perhaps less familiar, that true music lovers will appreciate, including Garage A Trois, Gary Clark Jr., Sam Bush, Chris Thile, Wayne Henderson, etc., etc. They’ll appear at venues as intimate as the Workshop Porch (several rows of benches in front of a small shack where a handful of performers will play and talk about their craft) to the massive Dreaming Creek Stage, a wooden superstructure at the far end of a large open field. That’s where many of the big names will play between Thursday and Sunday nights.

Floyd Fest though, for those that have attended in the past, is about more than the music.

It’s the vibe that Hodges and cofounder Erika Johnson – Hodges’ partner and the mother of his children – have striven for since they sold Oddfellas Cantina in Floyd and thought about what they wanted to do next. The answer was Floyd Fest.

Hodges, a musician him-

Kris Hodges greets the crowd at last year’s FloydFest. self, has worked plenty of other music festivals over the years, including the bigger ones like Merlefest and Bonaroo, leaving him a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do at Floyd Fest, which also features environmentally friendly crafts, a wide variety of foods and a children’s play area.

For good measure there is camping (the main camping spot sold out months ago but Hodges said two other offsite camps with transportation to Floyd Fest have been added this year), disc golf, a beer garden or two, mountain biking, hiking and a 5K run on Sunday morning, July 29. In the background the music is all around.

“After the tenth year that was a sellout (2011) we knew the iron was hot,” said Hodges about this year’s star-studded offering, “and we knew it was time to bring the lineup to fruition. I knew that when we were able to get Alison Kraus [dobro player Jerry Douglas appears with her] we were ready.” Kraus closes the show on Sunday, as part of perhaps the strongest closing day at Floyd Fest yet. Hodges also anticipates the appearance of Seattle’s Brandi Carlile on Saturday, bringing her “indie folk” sound to FloydFest.

“The whole Laurel Creel California folk scene,” according to Hodges, appears on the opening day menu with Jackson Browne,

who long ago scored with his album The Pretender and a slew of pop singles. Friday, July 27 brings the blues of Gary Clark Jr., who Hodges deems perhaps “the number one anticipated artist this year. I can testify to that being legit. Truly amazing blues…the modern version.”

Drive By Truckers brings the Americana sound to Floyd Fest on that Friday. Michael Franti closes the event on Saturday and “speaks to the whole vibe at Floyd,” according to Hodges, who once sold organic salsa he produced at the Farmer’s Market in Floyd.

“I’ve worked pretty much every festival in the states, trying to study the art of the festival,” said Hodges, who has aimed to make Floyd Fest family friendly over the years, an event that also appeals to people of varying age groups.

“People want to come and celebrate, they want to feel enlightened, a heightened sense of themselves and they want to take that home with them,” said Hodges; “our lineup speaks to the best of all demographics.” (see FloydFest.com for more on ticket packages; prices rise July 1 according to Hodges, who expects at least several days to sell out.

By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

Overnight Sensations Returns At New Venue

Overnight Sensations, a celebration of local live theater that founder Todd Ristau terms a “friend raiser,” returns on July 7. This time, however, the night of short, impromptu plays will not be held on the Trinkle Main Stage at Mill Mountain Theatre as in the past.

That’s impossible, of course, since Center in the Square is undergoing major renovations that will end early next year.

Instead the main stage theater at Hollins University will host Overnight Sensations on the 7th; the curtain is at 8pm and there is no charge. “We hope we’ll get as many out to campus as we have down at Mill Mountain Theatre,” said Ristau.

The hope said Ristau, who heads up the university’s graduate program in playwriting, is that the event will develop more live theater fans and perhaps encourage donations to live theatre institutions or troupes.

“Overnight” is a unique concept – the night before (July 6) six directors will be paired with six playwrights and about six actors – all the names are pulled out a hat. The play genres and props that must be used are also drawn randomly.

The playwrights – some of whom have gone through the MFA playwriting curriculum at Hollins – are whisked away to the school’s library where they will endeavor to write ten minute plays for all of the actors they’ve just met at an opening reception. The playwright and director tweak things the next morning, the actors come in around noon to start learning their lines and by 8pm that night they’ll be on stage at Hollins in front of an audience. It’s a hectic, frenzied and fun exercise; one Ristau debuted at Mill Mountain Theatre in 2006 while working there.

The graduate program for playwrights at Hollins is a

Creator Todd Ristau sees Overnight Sensations as a “friend raiser.” summer-intensive, six-week program that takes most students 4-5 years to complete, according to Ristau. A recent Hollins graduate, playwright and Los Angeles resident Samantha Macher, took part in Overnight Sensations last year and has a play running now at Studio Roanoke, To The New Girl, through this weekend. She was paired last summer with Broadway veteran Bob Moss at Sensations.

Ristau has tried to pull in the occasional notable director from out of town when he can, drawing on a long list of contacts.

“The [acting] cast has a nice balance of experienced local actors, some local celebrities and people that are influential in the arts community,” said Ristau, who also created the all-comers No Shame Theatre that will be housed at Hollins this summer, on Friday nights, as well.

No Shame has moved temporarily from Mill Mountain’s smaller Waldron Stage – which has been renovated but has no air conditioning since its system is tied to the one at Center in the Square. As for Overnight Sensations, Ristau calls the exercise “A great way to find out what goes into making a play and why it’s so exciting. Even a ten minute play can be a really interesting

conversation between the artist and the community.” Overnight plays usually run the gamut from comedy to drama to crime noir. (Beware: Roanoke Star News Editor Gene Marrano has been asked to take part as an Overnight Sensations actor for a third time.)

“There’s a lot of community support [beyond buying a ticket] that’s required for a theater to continue,” noted Ristau.

“This is a great way for people to get right in the middle of it and be reminded why theater is so important – the experience of audiences and artists coming together.”

Ristau will also point out at the end of the night how the various live theater institutions around town are also a cultural and economic development driver worthy of support. “We do bring all these people in … they go to restaurants, etc.” Ristau points out. See the Overnight Sensations Facebook page or call 556-5396 for more information. The doors open at 7pm and the plays begin at 8pm. “We want to help educate our local audiences – why new plays can be really exciting,” said Ristau.

By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

The Reel Deal: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter There are serious movies, and there are lighthearted movies. There are realistic movies, and there are outlandish ones. Then there are movies that know they are meant to be taken seriously, and then others that take themselves far too seriously despite their preposterous nature. ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,’ an adaptation of the novel by Seth GrahameSmith, is a perfect example of a movie that takes itself too seriously - especially considering its attaching the words “vampire hunter” right next to a famous U.S. President.

The movie tells the “true” story of Abraham Lincoln that the history textbooks know nothing about in which he

lived a double life as both a U.S. implausible nature of the story President and a vampire hunt- undermines the drama and the er. With a plot this preposter- fun of the action scenes. That ous and far-fetched, it would be alone is what kills this movie: it’s striving to be easy to assume that a guilty pleasure this is a movie that filled with outlandeither has a tongueish moments, yet it in-cheek sense of actually tries to tell humor or doesn’t a convincing story take itself seriously, in the middle of all but that is strangely that. not the case.

While the story Right off the bat, is flawed there are the movie tries to occasional moexplain certain hisments of dumb torical events, such Seth Childers fun to be found as the Battle of here. All that is Gettysburg, with vampires. The worst part about required to enjoy the movie’s the movie is that it almost preposterous nature is to susseems like it expects the audi- pend your belief in the laws ence to believe it. Instead, the of physics, logic and historical

lOSe WeiGht aS if yOur life depended On it.

accuracy (especially that last one). If you can’t get past any of those things, this movie is not for you. Otherwise, there are some stylized action scenes that are decent and feature fun vampire deaths that more than warrant the R-rating, which is likely very satisfying to many in an era with the teen-friendly Twilight movies.

Historical inaccuracy and absurd nature aside, ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ falls short not because of its ridiculous nature, but how seriously it tries to take itself while also trying to deliver on everything the title promises. There are moments of laughable implausibility and over-the-top deaths that do manage to entertain,

but they’re bogged down in an inconsistent and underdeveloped plot that is too serious in comparison to the action that is too ridiculous for its own good.

In the end the story only gets in the way of the fun, and despite its visual flair and action,

‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ ends up a misguided and disappointing mess.

Rating: 5/10 (Average)

By Seth Childers info@theroanokestar.com

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TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 10

VT - Carilion School of Medicine Strong RSO Season Will Also Receives Two Key Accreditations Introduce Low-Cost Memberships

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine recently came one step closer to full accreditation when the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) granted it provisional accreditation, the third of four stages in the process.

The LCME, the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the United States and Canada, conducted a threeday site visit of the school in January. Based on the findings of that visit — and the school’s three-foot-tall paper application — the LCME has determined that the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine has met the prescribed standards in the areas of curriculum, educational resources, student affairs and admissions, faculty affairs, and institutional setting. Following LCME protocol, the school will not be eligible for full accreditation until its charter class graduates in the spring of 2014.

“We’re delighted to learn that we’re on track for accreditation,” said Dr. Cynda Johnson, founding dean of the school. “I’m so proud of our

Founding Dean Dr. Cynda Johnson team — our faculty, our staff, and our students — for their remarkable work in making this school a reality and for achieving this milestone.

I’m enormously grateful, too, for the vision and generosity of our founding partner institutions, Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic, and for the dedication of our clinical and community partners. Without the support and participation of all these stakeholders, we could not be building this premier educational institution.”

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine was also recently granted candidacy

status by the accrediting body of degree-granting higher education institutions in the South, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which conducted a site visit in March.

“We’re thrilled to receive this designation, which is a hallmark of educational excellence,” Johnson said. “Equally gratifying for me, though, was a moment at the end of our site visit this spring, when one of the evaluators turned to me and said, simply, ‘You must be bursting with pride.’”

PROSTHETICS – IT’S NOT ALL WE DO. Even though it’s our name, we’re much more than Virginia’s oldest and largest prosthetics provider. For 40-plus years, our board-certified orthotists have fit patients with custom-designed and locally-fabricated orthotics that deliver comfort, mobility and satisfaction. When you consider that we have the knowledge, experience, and convenient locations to help you believe in your possibilities, the choice for custom orthotic or prosthetic devices becomes clear.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra's 2012-2013 season will include five Masterworks Series programs performed in a combination of concerts at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre and Jefferson Center's Shaftman Performance Hall.

This season's Masterworks theme is "Beethoven in the Blue Ridge" featuring at least one work by the classical master on each Masterworks program, along with popular classics by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Vivaldi, Vaughan Williams, Copland and others. Masterworks series highlights include: the RSO's premiere of the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto with soloist Brian Kiser, and the premiere of David Stewart Wiley's Celebration Overture; a performance by pianist and NPR show host Christopher O'Riley with the RSO; Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" with RSO concertmaster and violin soloist Akemi Takayama; Beethoven's Choral Fantasy with the RSO, the RSO Chorus, and David Stewart Wiley at the piano; and Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring.

The RSO has also announced the introduction of a new way to attend concerts.

When subscriptions go on sale July 16, the RSO will begin offering Concert Memberships starting at $9 per month.

Four membership packages will be offered, including an all-inclusive, "as much as you like" RSOMax membership, as well as "partial" membership packages. Each membership can be conveniently paid through a monthly charge to the member's credit card and will be sold through the RSO's

Conductor David Stewart Wiley works with musicians during a rehearsal for a movie soundtrack last year. website at rso.com. Members go on sale on August 20. may choose to have their tickThe Picnic at the Pops Series ets mailed to them in advance for 2012-2013 includes three or they may simply show up for concerts at the Salem Civic the concerts of their choice.

Center. The series begins with a The concept of Concert solo performance by superstar Memberships is the first of its LeAnn Rimes on Saturday, Ockind in the Roanoke Valley, and tober 27, 2012; continues with is a pioneering move among Holiday Pops: It's A Wonderorchestras nationwide. "This ful Life featuring Miss Virginia delivers on our promise to take 2011, Elizabeth Crot, on Deinnovative strides in fulfilling cember 7, 2012; and concludes our mission," stated incoming with Bernadette Peters with the RSO President Joe Ferguson. RSO on March 8, 2013.

"With Concert Memberships, Also this season, the Roawe have a forward-looking noke Youth Symphony Orchesplan to serve a new audience tra and Roanoke Symphony with accessibility and value in Orchestra will perform side-bytoday's terms. It's a win-win side in Sci-Fi Live. This concert situation for the RSO and con- features a 100-piece orchestra certgoers." from members of the RSO and The new memberships will RYSO combined, performing help fill the RSO's silver and music from Star Trek, 2001 A bronze seating sections, with Space Odyssey, The Lord of the conventional (pay-at-once) Rings, Apollo 13, The Planets, subscriptions still offered in and more. the better, gold and platinum, sections. Renewing subscribers Subscriptions and Concert with gold or platinum subscrip- Memberships go on sale July 16, tions may retain their seats and 2012. Individual concert tickets will not be affected by the new go on sale August 20. To order, membership sales. Tickets to visit rso.com or call the RSO box individual concerts will be of- office at 540.343.9127. fered in all sections when they

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