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TheRoanokeStar.com community | news | perspective

October 5, 2012

[Glory of Nature]

Saint Andrew’s Rainbow Mercy Run

P3– It’s not often that runners (and walkers) get to try out an entirely new trail, but that’s what will happen at this Saturday’s Run for Mercy 5K.

Repeated rains and scattered clouds have created some unique lighting over the Roanoke Valley in recent days. Roanoke Star contributing photographer Terry Aldhizer captured this brilliant rainbow arching up and over Saint Andrews Catholic Church last week, offering what appears to be a divinely provided shield of color and light. Mass is held in their equally beautiful sanctuary each weekend at 5:30 PM on Saturdays and 7:30, 9:00 and 11:30 AM on Sundays. The church also holds mass on weekdays. Visit them on the web at www.standrewsroanoke.org.

The Code

P5– Lucky Garvin tells two stories that indicate that on occasion human beings have the capacity to bring joy to the face of Heaven.

Quidditch Tourney

P6– Harry Potter fans young and old will gather in Green Hill Park on November 3rd and 4th for the Mid Atlantic Regional Quidditch Championship.

Back Creek Greenway Gains Momentum

building a paved greenway Support for a new greenthat could be used for biking, way proposed in southwest walking and running. Roanoke County seems to be At Cotton Hill Road it growing, based on the foot would take a sharp turn to traffic at a community meetthe left, then join two bike ing held at the South County lanes and a five-foot wide library this past Monday. sidewalk that VDOT will The “Back Creek Greenway” build to Monet Lane at the section shown would take adentrance to The Groves/Orvantage of the roadwork conchards subdivisions. struction by VDOT on U.S. Chris Barlow, a landscape 221, where the highway is bedesigner working as a consuling straightened out and widtant on the project, said bike/ ened to Cotton Hill Road. walking lanes would eventuThe Roanoke Valley GrePhoto by Gene Marrano. ally connect along Cotton Hill enway Commission and the Landscape designer Chris Barlow explains details of the proRoanoke County Recreation posed Back Creek Greenway. to the Blue Ridge Parkway as Advisory Commission have Cotton Hill is widened. Cave capitalized on the success of the Roanoke recommended the first phase of Spring supervisor Charlotte the Back Creek Greenway project, which River Greenway. Moore has long been a vocal supporter The section of the Back Creek Gre- of the sidewalk/bike lane connector to will eventually connect to the Blue Ridge enway shown on conceptual maps at Monet from the rebuilt U.S. 221. Parkway. the informal public input session was Those who support the greenway, “This is an absolutely magnificent about a mile long, beginning at the “Har- piece of property,” said Barlow, who notwhich would be built under the auspices of Roanoke County Parks, Recreation & ris Curve” on 221, just as the road starts ed that VDOT “has been very helpful,” Tourism, see it as a way for southwest Ro- heading up to Bent Mountain. It would as the project has gotten off the ground. anoke County to offer some of the same hug Back Creek in sections, also utiliz- “We’ve been inch- > CONTINUED outdoor amenities now being promoted ing the old roadbed that will be left be- ing along, trying P2: Greenway successfully in Roanoke City, which has hind and existing paths along the creek, to figure out how

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op Finds Spot For Urban Farm

Careful Buying P8– GFD&G Attorney Maryellen Goodlatte says that foreclosure sales are fundamentally different and have their own set of rules to follow.

Ten months after withdrawing its proposal to create an urban farm at the former Countryside Golf Course, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op has submitted a proposal to Roanoke City Council to purchase 17.5 acres of land from the City of Roanoke to serve as the site for its urban farm. The farm will have an on-site farmers’ market and a “u-pick” operation. The property – located on Blue Hills Drive off of 460 in Northeast Roanoke – was home to the Roanoke City Police Department’s Mounted

Patrol until 2009. Along with a horse barn, a historic cabin sits on the property, which the Coop intends to restore and highlight with plantings of heritage crops around the structure. “The land has the look and feel of a country farm just a few miles from our store in the Grandin Village,” said Bruce Phlegar, general manager of Roanoke Natural Foods Coop. The Co-op plan calls for a fruit orchard, honey, cut flow> CONTINUED P2: Co-op

Sweet Providence Farm provides an example of a hoop house.

Elmwood Park Cost Exceeds Budget By $1 Million At Monday’s City Council meeting City Manager Chris Morrill reported that there were three local bids received for the Elmwood Park renovation project. Out of the three, Martin Brothers Contractors was selected. During his report Morrill gave an overview of what had transpired over the years, but he didn’t go into the details of the heated discussions and contentious elections that many Roanokers still remember – especially when another project evokes the same familiar longevity. Elections in 2006 brought down Victory Stadium. In its place an overzealous amphitheater project was promised on the Reserve Avenue site at a cost of $14.2 million. The newly elected “For the City” ticket of Dave Trinkle, Alfred Dowe and Gwen Mason made it the cen> CONTINUED P2: Elmwood

Roanoke Civic Center Subsidy Remains Stable

Robyn Schon, Roanoke Civic Center manager, said that since the facility has been managed by Global Spectrum during the last four years the city’s subsidy has been reduced by 50 percent and is now expected to remain stable. “Decreasing the subsidy is a tricky one. We’ll never get to zero,” said Schon. By adding in the economic impact to the city of patron spending, the taxes generated help make up for the subsidy, according to members of city council who reviewed the numbers at their joint meeting with the Roanoke Civic Center Commission on Monday. In 2012 Global Spectrum generated $2,079,885 in revenue over 263 hosted events. This allowed the Civic Center > CONTINUED P2: Civic Center


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