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The Roanoke Star-Sentinel Community | News | Per spective

4/11/08

TheRoanokeStar.com

[Fitting tribute]

King’s death commemorated

City loses $49,700 in real estate exchange > Recipient has ties to

purchasing manager

Quick stick P8– Coach Chris Pollock’s North Cross middle school team takes down Salem 136. The team advances to 3-0 on the season.

[

Photo by Stuart Revercomb

Truly

Inspiring P8– Born with no eyes and crippled limbs, Patrick Henry Hughes has accomplished a lot in his short life and is working towards more. He recently visited Roanoke.

Kick in the Grass P8– Kelly Jacobs helped boost the Roanoke Catholic Celtics past North Cross this week with a last minute goal. The Celtics won 2-1.

Roanoke citizens and dignitaries gathered on Friday, April 4th to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. This image captured a variety of architecture, light and Roanoke landmarks with the statue of the Reverend King framed up against a well-lit concrete pillar. (Did you see the Star?) Speakers included Representative Bob Goodlatte, Mayor Nelson Harris, the Reverend Kenneth Wright, Perneller Chubb-Wilson and outgoing SCLC President Jeff Artis whose comments that night are offered in an abbreviated form in his bi-monthly column found on page 4.

City employees strut their stuff at talent show

> CONTINUED P2: City Spending

funny situations that rattled Roanoke City employees had some audience member’s funny a chance to shine like stars on bones throughout the evening.

Friday, April 28 as they showFor instance, emcee Darlene cased their individual talents Burcham, Roanoke City Manduring the 2008 City of Roaager, kept stalling for time in noke Employee Talent Show. between each performance by The show was held at the Roabringing children up for a little noke Performing Arts Theatre. singing or dancing. One young A total of 13 acts were judged boy decided he would yell out by a distinguished panel of four. like Tarzan, and that filled the The four judges included Pearl theatre with laughter as the Fu, executive director of the Locrowd patiently waited for the cal Colors program, Roanoke next act.

Times Travel Editor of Inside The most memorable perOut, Stephenie Ogilvie, Downformance of the night might town Inc. Executive Director, Bill Carder, and Superintendent have to go to River Laker and Photo by Michael Beaulieu Steve Langston for their “Tipof Roanoke City Public Schools toe through the Tulips” rendiRita Bishop. After the judges Roanoke City’s Steve Langston, performs a rendition of Tiny Tim’s tion. Langston came complete picked the top three performers, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” with a black curly haired wig the audience then chose the best ite, “He’s Alive” brought the audience to and an eccentric looking black and white out of the three. their feet. During some songs the audisuit-jacket. Laker and Langston danced on The talented group of city employees ence danced in and around the isles of the stage, in a comedic way, while surrounded brought their “A” game for the audience Performing Arts Theatre. “He’s Alive”, perby Tulips in basas well as creativity to the show. Vocal formed by Chastidy Anderson was one of kets. The Tulips > CONTINUED acts belted out their favorite songs like the few acts that received a standing ovawere thrown into P2: Talent “No One”, “Heat Wave”, “Runaround Sue”, tion. the audience af“Amazing Grace”, and clear crowd favorThere were unique acts and unexpected

Wishneff campaign kicks off

Board votes to change school start times

Celtic Pride P7– Roanoke Catholic beat North Cross Monday with Steven Allman leading the way. Allman had three goals and added three assists in the victory.

Roanoke City project records indicate a large loss of money on a real estate exchange involving a 5,000 square foot storage City Spending building that was built in the Roanoke Civic Center parking lot. The building, which the city originally built for $51,700, was eventually given to a company owned by a city employee’s family member for the cost of a demolition license, which amounted to $2,000.

BT Construction was the recipient of the building in the Spring of 2007. The only price paid for the building was the demolition license. BT Construction’s owner is Bobby Twine who is the father of Roanoke City Purchasing Manager Sharon Twine Gentry.

Sharon Twine neither confirmed nor denied any involvement in the transaction, and would not comment on the hiring of Bobby Twine, nor would

The city school board approved new start times for the high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools at their April 8 meeting.

All the board members, except one, agreed that enough research had been done to reach a decision. Mignon Chubb-Hale was the only board member that disagreed, and when asked why, she stated concerns for people who don’t have enough money or resources to make the proper time adjustments.

“Change of time won’t fix instructional issues,” Chubb-Hale

said.

Deputy Superintendent Curt Baker methodically laid out his case in front of the board. The discussion was open and forthcoming as one by one, each issue of concern was addressed.

He reassured the board that the research had been done but the changes wouldn’t be without challenges.

“We found that the time changes will present significant challenges such as, expanded > CONTINUED P3: School

“Teeth Whitening at the Speed of Light”

Photo by Michael Beaulieu

School board members discuss school start times.

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Wishneff speaks to reporters

Brian Wishneff waited until the last minute to file his paperwork for another term on Roanoke’s City Council. He also waited until the last minute to get his campaign started, by having his official press conference after Tuesday’s council meeting. The timing leaves only four weeks until the election.

“Serving is a huge time commitment,” Wishneff said, “but I saw the wheels coming off Election 2008 so quickly on council that I decided to run.”

Wishneff said his focus would be on two areas he has a strong background in, economic development and education. He served as Director of Economic Development for the city for 16 years and on the school board for six.

“I remember a time when our school’s academic performance was very competitive with the other Virginia urban school systems,”

[

> CONTINUED P3: Wishneff

]

Page 2 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 4/11/08

TheRoanokeStar.com

Roanoke City neighborhoods take out the trash

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The Roanoke Star-Sentinel

For the last 12 years Christopher and Sarah Muse have organized and mobilized Roanokers twice a year to clean tons of trash up in their Roanoke neighborhood. Everyone from Cub Scouts to residents to the Roanoke City Fire Department takes part in this bi-annul volunteer clean-up event.

The Muse’s clean-up mission began simply because they were tired of how their neighborhood looked. “12 years ago this neighborhood was considered the worst in the City of Roanoke in terms of crime, poverty, and trash on the streets. When we first started out we used to pick up drug needles, and kids weren’t outside playing because it was dangerous. But now it’s changed, there are actually children that come and help us,” said Chris Muse.

Cub Scout Pack 50 of Roanoke was onhand to help clean and plant flowers. “We’ve done this for a couple of years now. We’re giving back to the community and the kids are learning about volunteerism,” said pack leader Peggy Todaro.

According to both Chris and Sarah Muse the neighborhood managed to rid the historic Roanoke area of almost 15 tons of garbage each spring and fall. “We start from 5th street and go up to 10th street and from Day and Marshall Avenues and the alleys in between.

We have expanded up to the 400 block as well.

We typically get about 12 to 15 tons of trash each time we do it,” said Sarah Muse.

“We pick up more trash than the City of Roanoke and the City of Salem. Everyone’s invited including any city employees who want to help. This is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Roanoke. People think

Photo by Michael Beaulieu

Citizens participate in cleaning up the block on Clean Valley Day. the city of Roanoke is supposed to pick up all their trash but in reality they don’t,” said Chris Muse.

Sarah and Chris have also partnered with the Clean Valley Day initiative. There are about 77 Clean Valley volunteer outreach groups representing several counties in Southwest Virginia. “Clean Valley organizers asked if we would partner with them each April and we said yes,” said Sarah Muse.

Clean Valley is a local group that is trying to educate residents about local environmental issues. One issue they are trying to promote is the way in which waste water is filtered. Ac-

cording to Sarah Muse, some of Roanoke City resident’s waste water goes directly into the Roanoke River and not to the water treatment plant. “People are pouring toxic chemicals down their drain and it goes into the river,” said Sarah Muse.

The Muses have wanted to expand their program in other neighborhoods but have faced community participation problems. For now they plan to continue rolling up their sleeves and gathering the neighborhood trash to uncover and discover the beauty of their Roanoke City

By Michael Beaulieu block. mikejamieb@yahoo.com

> City spending From page 1

she confirm that she is his daughter. Bobby Twine could not be reached for comment.

In 2002 the city contracted for a 5000 square foot storage building for $51,700 which it used prior to the construction of the Roanoke Civic Center’s new special events facility. After the new facility was completed, the city tried to sell the structure. Their first and only sales effort was to post a ‘for sale’ sign on the structure. According to Mina Boyd, Director of Civic Facilities, during the four months it was for sale, the price of the storage building dropped from $40,000 to $25,000. Unable

to sell the structure city officials decided to dismantle it.

“It was probably put in storage and might still remain there,” said Steve Swain, who works in the City of Roanoke’s Planning Building and Development department.

According to one city official the city was more than happy to have a company dismantle and take the building away.

“It was easier for the city to let a contractor incur the cost of demolishing it. The company

that did the job was able to take the structure,” said City Engineer Charles Anderson.

At the time of this writing no city officials could provide an answer on how BT Paving and Construction was selected to remove the building. However, the company did have to provide the labor and pay a $2,000 permit fee to do the job. All told, the City of Roanoke apparently lost $49,700.

serve. “This is a great way to see another side of city employees, they’re all very talented,” said City Manager, Darlene Burcham.

All of the city employee’s who performed were greeted with enthusiasm and warmth by the fairly large family filled crowd, but there could only be one winner. The judges chose Chastidy Anderson, The Bu-

reacats, and The Bluegrass Boys as the top three. Out of those three Chastidy won the audience over with her powerful presentation of “He’s Alive”.

Roanoke City employees and their family members exited the theatre with big smiles on their faces. It was their night to shine and they did it well.

By Michael Beaulieu mikejamieb@yahoo.com

> Talent From page 1

We are a volunteer driven organization and welcome your involvement.

Rec sign-ups start April 1st through June 1st

SW VA Try-outs will be May 11th - 18th

terwards.

The talent show also featured live country and rock bands (Mayhem, and The Bluegrass Boys), a Mid-Eastern Duel Medley Gothic Tribal Egyptian dance act, and even a husband and wife comedy routine. The City of Roanoke employees organize the talent show every year as a way to give back to the community they so proudly

By Michael Beaulieu mikejamieb@yahoo.com

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4/11/08 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 3

TheRoanokeStar.com

Patrick Henry Hughes visits Fellowship Community Church

Nineteen year-old wheelchair-bound musician Patrick Henry Hughes and his father, John, visited Salem last weekend as part of worship services at Fellowship Community Church (FCC). FCC’s ““In His Image”” ministry sponsored Hughes’ visit as part of their ongoing effort to include people with disabilities in the life of their church.

Hughes, who is a trumpeter in the University of Louisville’s pep band, has become something of a national celebrity. He was featured on ESPN’s College Game Day telecast last December and most recently on the February 17th broadcast of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Even though he was born with no eyes and crippled limbs, Patrick Henry Hughes does not think of himself as disabled. Although he is confined to a wheelchair and cannot see, Hughes overflows with optimism and talent. He is a sought-after inspirational public speaker, a gifted singer and pianist, a member of U of L’s pep band, and a star student.

But 20 years ago, the news of Hughes’ disabilities was devastating to Patrick Henry’s 26-yearold father.

“Many dreams died when Patrick Henry was born,” said Hughes’ father during the packed Saturday evening service at FCC. He had dreamed of his first-born son becoming a star athlete, perhaps being on television someday. But when the doctors explained to the elder Hughes that his son had no eyes and lacked the ability to fully extend his arms, he knew he would have to rethink his expectations.

The elder Hughes said to the audience that he even briefly considered revising his plan to name his first-born son Patrick Henry.

“I thought to myself, ‘maybe I should save that name for another son,’” he said.

Photo by Daniel Vos

Patrick Henry Hughes and his father John on stage during Patrick’s address to Fellowship Community Church.

But there’s an old proverb that says: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” As they look back over the past twenty years, Patrick Henry Hughes and his father hear God’s laughter ringing loud and clear.

Today Patrick Henry Hughes’ father spends his time helping to make his son’s dreams become reality, whether it means working the graveyard shift, pushing Patrick Henry’s wheelchair during pep band performances at football games, or traveling the country with his son to tell their story during school assemblies, church worship

services, or fundraisers.

Who could have guessed 20 years ago the young man that Patrick Henry Hughes would be today?

“In His Image”, an outreach to people with disabilities by Fellowship Christian Church, was started four years ago after Pastor Ken Nienke and FCC’s leadership team recognized that the temporary building in which they were worshiping at the time was not wheelchair accessible.

Investing the money to make their building wheelchair accessible was a step of faith for FCC, because at the time no one in the congregation

used a wheelchair. However, their risk was rewarded.

“Several families with a child or a parent with a disability soon began attending FCC,” said Ed Hamilton, leader of “In His Image”. Since its founding in 2004, interest in serving the disabled has grown, and “In His Image” has expanded its programming to include a weekly Sunday school buddy program, monthly recreational programs for people suffering from cerebral palsy, and annual visits from nationally-known speakers and performers such as Patrick Henry Hughes.

Hamilton, who works as Director of Academic Grants at Roanoke College, has used a wheelchair since July 2001, when an automobile accident left his legs paralyzed.

“Though [I was] initially quite distressed and depressed by my situation,” Hamilton said, “God began to show me that he had much more in store for me.” After his accident, Hamilton went on to earn his Ph.D. and to serve as the president of Easter Seals Virginia.

Patrick Henry Hughes and his father are the most recent celebrities brought to Roanoke by FCC’s ministry to people with disabilities. Past visitors have included Coach Harold Jones and ‘Radio’ from the movie ‘Radio’ and Heather Whitestone McCallum, the first deaf Miss America.

During his visit, Hughes played a variety of songs, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz and “Believe” by Brooks and Dunn.

“There’s more to life than just what I can see,” he sang. His message of hope and contentment in the face of adversity continues to inspire many.

By Daniel Vos davosster@gmail.com

Nash’s first council meeting hits home Investment group seeks new members with Countryside Golf Course sale Council chambers had mostly emptied as newly-appointed member Alvin Nash closed his briefcase. It was the end of his first public meeting as a member.

“How did you do your first day,” one of the city employees left in the room asked Nash.

He waved his hands over his portion of the council bench and said, “I don’t think I broke anything.”

His first two weeks were spent playing catch up on information, he said, through briefings given by city employees and council.

“I made a few votes today where I followed my instincts and I think we made some good decisions,” Nash said.

He said the briefings gave him new insight into some issues he felt strongly about, like Countryside Golf Course, which the council voted unanimously to sell an acre of to Trane for $55,000.

“I was opposed to the Trane purchase because, beforehand, I

thought that it would lead to the demise of the golf course without proper consideration,” Nash said.

“After reviewing and looking and receiving information and asking questions and going out there I felt comfortable that that did not do that.”

Nash said the issue is close to him because he plays the course about two times per week and was the president of the club’s golf association.

Valerie Garner, a vocal opponent of the city’s development of Countryside and council candidate, said she was pleased by Nash’s appointment. She said she was disappointed over the city’s decision to sell the acre, but wasn’t surprised by the action.

“You can’t take it back,” Garner said. “It’s not like the zoning is going to make any difference.”

The issue will come back in front of council again when the property is rezoned from an open space to an industrial site.

During the meeting the council took steps to seek exemption from HUD’s conflict of interest provisions due to the appointment of Nash as a council member.

The conflict is due to Nash’s position as executive director of Blue Ridge Housing Development, which receives HUD funding administered through the city. If HUD approves of the exemption Nash will not be able to vote on administration of the grants.

“I feel positive that it can be managed,” Nash said. “You have to manage the conflict.”

He said it is possible he may be able to take a voluntary position with the agency to remove him from possibly receiving benefits associated with grants.

“If I could afford to do that, that’s another option,” Nash.

From page 1

tees to take back some of the city manager’s powers, hold some council meetings in each of the city’s quadrants and allow residents to have a referendum on a council ward system.

“I think obviously, what I’m describing, really only works if we get a new mayor,” Wishneff said. “I think with that change at the top, change all the way through the administration, there’s an opportunity to move the city in a direction that it hasn’t been in a long time.”

He said he’s aligned himself with former mayor David Bowers. Both candidates were Democrats who are now running as independents.

“I urge people, that if you want to vote for me, please vote for David Bowers too,” Wishneff said.

By Lawson Koeppel lkoeppel@theroanokestar.com

> School From page 1

protocol for discipline on buses will be used to not mix high school and middle school students on the same bus and the five-hour guarantee for bus drivers will not change. We also intend to utilize the proper software to optimize routing,” said Baker.

Other issues talked about at the meeting include adjusting report times for teachers, ensuring elementary students will have the same amount of time for breakfast before instruction, and finally, conveying the fact that a communications plan will be put in place throughout the time change transition.

Parents and school board members mirrored concerns about the new start times. One major concern is making sure that after school programs are still available to students.

“We will talk to principles to ensure every school has after school programs,” said board member, Rita Bishop.

There was little discussion about why these time changes should take place, but there were a couple of reasons brought up by board members. One of

open to both experienced investors and novices. One meeting every month (first Thursday, 6:30pm) is a teaching session at National College in Salem, the other is a 7am breakfast meeting the third Wednesday of every month at Sunnybrook Restaurant on Plantation Road in Roanoke.

“We have people from their 20s up to their 70’s,” said Wentworth, who feels this is a good time to buy. So does RREIA executive director Charles T. Dudley Sr. “The market in Roanoke is not as bleak as some economic reports may claim,” said Dudley in a news release, adding that, “several local investors have seen a noted upswing in activity since the beginning of 2008.”

Wentworth himself is bullish on some of Roanoke City’s older housing stock. “There is some interest in that and it’s actually a personal desire of mine, to renovate some of the older downtown areas.” In the meantime the Roanoke Regional Real Estate Investors Association is looking for new members, with information available on line at roanokeregionalreia.com or by calling 400-0252. “It’s the only [forum] in Roanoke that provides this type of service,” said Wentworth, “for anyone that has an interest in real estate transactions- whether its commercial or residential.”

By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

By Lawson Koeppel lkoeppel@theroanokestar.com

> Wishneff Wishneff said in a prepared statement. “Now only the city of Petersburg school system performs more poorly than ours.”

He said to correct that situation, he wants to allow residents to have a referendum on elected school boards and move teacher pay to the national average.

He said he would push to have a community-wide effort to cut the dropout rate in half and have all schools accredited by 2009.

He called job growth “anemic” over the last eight years. Among other initiatives Wishneff said he would push to create an ombudsman for the Economic Development Department to assist existing and new businesses in navigating the city bureaucracy.

He said one of the biggest issues the city faces is poor governance, especially in the area of closed session meetings. Among other proposals Wishneff said he’d push for are recreating council working commit-

The real estate market in the Roanoke area isn’t as bleak as it may be elsewhere, if you believe those ominous media reports.

So said William Wentworth, a spokesman for the Roanoke Regional Real Estate Investors Association, a group of about 50 people that meets twice monthly in Roanoke to discuss real estate, often with guest speakers. The year-old RREIA includes member from all over the valley and Blacksburg as well. “We have teaching sessions and networking… we’re the only forum in the Roanoke Valley for this,” said Wentworth, “[although] other cities have this on a much larger scale.”

Wentworth said the club is

the reasons was children will learn better as a result of the changes, and the other reason being dangerous situations they might face waiting at bus stops in the dark, especially in crime-ridden areas.

“I believe the data is true that time matters in learning, and students waiting at bus stops in the dark is an issue. I think we will surprise the public by pulling this off,” said board member Todd Putney.

New times for high schools will be from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for middle schools it will be 8:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and for elementary schools it will be 7:45 a.m. to 2:25 p.m.

“We want to do what’s best for our kids,” said School Board Chairman, David Carson. Board member Courtney Penn gave his support for the changes and said he believes it’s the right thing to do. The Assistant Director of Transportation fully supports the changes as well. The changes will take affect on the first day of the next school year - Sept 2, 2008.

By Michael Beaulieu mikejamieb@yahoo.com

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PERSPECTIVE

Page 4 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 4/11/08

TheRoanokeStar.com

How would Martin Luther King Increase taxes to pay for free trolley rides for a few Roanoke citizens? view the America of today?

I

f Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., founder of would be troubled that our education, political the Southern Christian Leadership Confer- and economic institutions could care less about ence, were alive today, what would he think poor Whites. He would be equally troubled that of America? Would he think America has fulfilled these institutions scapegoat minorities in order to his dream of economic and racial jushide their ineptitude, apathy and contice, as well as, his dream of a color tempt toward poor Whites. blind society?

Dr. King would be outraged at the Dr. King would be happy about the Bush Presidency trampling our civil Presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinliberties and the Constitution in Amerton and Barack Obama. But he would ica’s “War on Terror.” He would never be troubled by the Clinton campaign have supported President Bush falsely running one of the most racist Presileading America into war in Iraq. He dential campaigns in the last 40 years. would be outspoken about the overall Dr. King would be happy that more overwhelming failure and general ineducational opportunities are available competence of the Bush AdministraJeff Artis to minority students. But he would be tion, especially the Hurricane Katrina troubled that many minority students fiasco. equate academic excellence with being White. He Dr. King would ask why America has ignored would be equally troubled by the growing num- the recommendations made by the 1968 “Kerner ber of minority children who have given up hope Commission on Civil Rights,” and its subsequent of achieving the “American Dream;” who have report which gave America good, solid solutions instead chosen the fast money lifestyle of drugs, on how to address the problems of race, class and guns and gangs. poverty in this country. He would demand that Dr. King would be happy with the growing America’s conservatives stop misrepresenting his number of minorities in all levels of government words. and the growing number of minorities in AmeriBabies having babies, America’s incarceration ca’s public and private sectors and economic insti- rate, school shootings, the diversity of America’s tutions. He would speak out against any minority hate groups, HIV/AIDS, police brutality, inequalmember in government who would rather pimp ities in our judicial system, the problems of drug their community for personal gain than work to addiction and corporations more interested in solve their community’s problems through new profits than in their people would be disturbing to and innovative programs. He would be troubled Dr. King. Still, Dr. King would say that America by our society’s abdication of personal respon- is a better country today than it was on April 4, sibility and accountability, especially minority 1968. If he were alive today, Dr. King would say members who too often blame Whites and White America has come a long way in the past 40 years. racism for their own personal shortcomings.

However, America has yet to achieve his dream.

Dr. King would be happy to see more economic opportunities for minorities than ever before reContact Jeff at sulting in an expanding minority middle class. He jeff@jeffartis.com

I

thought we were in a transportation “crisis” in Virginia! That’s what our state legislators have been using as an excuse to raise our taxes the past couple years. They said we don’t have enough money to pay for our crumbling roads, and congestion in Northern Virginia and other populous parts of the state is choking our economy and environment, as workers wait hours in traffic to go 10 miles. Yet this week, our state legislators are giving transportation funds to Roanoke to buy four new buses at a quarter of a million dollars each to give free rides to people downtown.

I have been told that $3.25 a gallon for gas is not a high enough price to pay – that Richmond needs to increase the gas tax to pay for critical transportation needs around the state. Are new buses painted to look like 1940s trolley cars a critical transportation need? Are free rides downtown for people who work at Carilion (who can certainly afford bus fare) a reason to raise your and my gas price another 16 cents a gallon?

The city is also pitching money into this venture. Are free rides downtown a reason to raise our city real estate taxes another $300 - $600 this year?

The stated purpose of the buses is to shuttle people throughout the day from Carilion and

stops along Jefferson Street to costs) of taxpayers’ money to run downtown Roanoke to patronize free buses along one street so that downtown restaurants downtown businesses and other businesses. can prosper, then why It would give those shouldn’t our governworking at Carilion a ments pay another sense of connection million dollars to with downtown. I have run free buses along nothing against CarilWilliamson Road to ion workers. Some of help those businesses my good friends work prosper, and another there. But I am against million dollars to this shell game of govrun free buses along Brian Gottstein ernments telling me Melrose Avenue to they have to raise my help those businesses taxes to pay for the most critical prosper, and another million dolof government functions, then lars…? turning around and spending the And if our governments are money on the most frivolous of paying a million dollars (plus things. annual operating costs) to run I realize a million dollars is not free buses along one street to a lot of money when it comes give people far from downtown to government spending. But a sense of being a part of downmultiply that million dollars by town, then how about doing that 10 or 20 more costly schemes for the rest of us? I’d like a free our local politicians want every bus for Advance Auto employees year, and then multiply that by going through my neighborhood, the 138 jurisdictions in the state, and I’m sure several other neighand you can see why our taxes go borhoods would like the same up almost every year, even when thing. our incomes don’t. (By the way, Enough of these shell games. someone forgot to tell our gov- If our city, state, and federal buernment planners that during a reaucracies confiscated less of our recession, you look for ways to money for schemes like this in the cut spending, not increase it, be- first place, we wouldn’t need “free” cause fewer people are making buses, because we’d all have more money and paying taxes to fund than enough money left over to government). pay for our own bus fares!

Another issue is fairness. If our Contact Brian at governments are paying a million gottstein@createpositiveimdollars (plus annual operating pact.com

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As temperatures warm there is an urge by most homeowners to do something in their lawn.

Heck, most even enjoy the first few mowings of the spring and the smell and look of freshly cut turf (unfortunately, you won’t feel that way later this summer).

There also is immediate emphasis on getting the turf greened up and one of the quickest ways to do this is to fertilize. However, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about spring fertilization. The Fertilizer Institute has a great phrase regarding fertilizer applications: right rate, right place, right product, right time. Let’s review the right steps in spring fertilization.

Don’t guess—soil test. There is no better money spent than to have a soil test done on the lawn and garden areas at least every third year. A soil test is the only way to determine if the soil needs lime, phosphorus (P) or potassium (K). Apply nutrients as recommended by a soil test and you’ll be taking a huge first step towards protecting water quality.

Nitrogen gets the most attention. The one nutrient that won’t be analyzed in a soil test is nitrogen (N). That is surprising

The Roanoke Star-Sentinel C o m mu n i t y | N ew s | Pe r s p e c t i ve Publisher | Stuart Revercomb | stuart@theroanokestar.com | 400-0990 Editor | Lawson Koeppel | lkoeppel@theroanokestar.com | 400-0990 Advertising Dir. | Vickie Henderson | advertising@theroanokestar.com | 400-0990 Technical Webmaster | Don Waterfield | rpgivpgm,r@gmail.com | 400-0990 Star: to lift up that which is right, real and genuine about our community – the people and events that make us who we are – the real spirit of Roanoke that past residents and leaders have worked hard to create, that points us towards the bright and shining future that we all desire for our valley.

Sentinel: to guard the truth, with consistent and complete coverage of key local issues that provides balanced reporting and equal editorial opportunity. To fully tell all sides of a story so that readers can make their own informed opinions, and express them to positively impact others and our community.

The Roanoke Star-Sentinel is published weekly by Whisper One Media, Inc. in Roanoke, Va. Subscriptions are available for $44 per year. Send subscriptions to PO Box 8338, Roanoke, VA 24014.

We encourage letters from our readers on topics of general interest to the community and responses to our articles and columns. Letters must be signed and have a telephone number for verification. All letters will be verified before publication. The Star-Sentinel reserves the right to deny publication of any letter and edit letters for length, content and style.

All real estate adver tised herein is subject to national and Virginia fair housing laws and readers are hereby informed that all dwellings adver tised in this newspaper are available on an equal oppor tunity basis.

since N is the focal point of lawn fertility programs. The reason is that N levels change rapidly in a soil and test results usually have little meaning by the time you receive the report. The test results will provide recommendations on appropriate N application levels suitable for the grass and location.

Spring is one of the trickiest times to optimize N fertility.

Cool-season grasses have their most significant period of root development in the spring, so some N is beneficial. High rates of N promote a lush, dark green lawn, but there is too much emphasis on shoot growth rather than roots, and this often leads to serious problems with disease, insects, or drought later in the year. Warm-season grasses don’t initiate much root growth until after shoot greening is complete, so the ideal scenario is to wait at least until 50-75% green-up before applying N. Excessive spring N fertilization that promotes a lot of shoot growth can be disastrous to the turf if there is a late freeze.

Choosing a N source. When selecting a fertilizer for the spring take a close look at the fertilizer label. It tells exactly what nutrients are contained in the product on a percent by weight basis

and indicates the N release rate.

Most garden fertilizers typically contain large amounts each of N, P, and K.10-10-10, 19-19-19, etc.). The N in these sources is almost always entirely water soluble (WSN) and provides quick plant response. Specialty lawn fertilizers contain high N percentages and lower levels of P and K (e.g. 29-3-7). This doesn’t mean the P and K aren’t needed by the plant, but history and experience show that repeated applications of garden fertilizers over the years by many homeowners results in soils testing very high in P and K. Specialty lawn fertilizers also often contain different forms of N that provide varying N-release rates and the label indicates the percentages of both WSN and water insoluble N (WIN) making up the total % N in the product. The plant does not care what the source of N is, only that its needs are met with appropriate application levels and timing.

So how much N? The level of N depends on the fertilizer source, the grass, and where you reside. However, here are some basic guidelines. Fertilizer sources that contain more than 50% WIN can be applied up to 1.5 lbs N/1000 sq ft; those that are predominantly WSN should

be applied at no more than 1 lb N/1000 sq ft. Recommended N levels from now through the end of May on cool-season grasses should not exceed a total of 1.5 lbs/1000 sq ft for Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, or perennial ryegrass, and no more than 1 lb for fine-leaf fescue. The rest of the recommended seasonal N fertility shouldn’t be applied until this fall. For warm-season grasses, allow some greening to occur before applying N, and resist the temptation to initiate standard N fertility programs of up to 1 lb N/1000 sq ft until the average last frost date has passed.

Final tips. Any fertilizer, regardless of its cost or its composition, is an environmental concern if it ends up on hardscapes.

Keep fertilizers and other chemicals in the turf and water quality is protected. Your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office can provide more details on best management practices specific to your area. Contact them or visit the VCE website at www. ext.vt.edu/ to learn more about doing things right in your lawn and landscape.

Mike Goatley, Extension Turfgrass Specialist,

Scrapping the Tax Code With spring underway, warmer This comes as no surprise to weather is returning, the days are American taxpayers and busigrowing longer, and everything nesses who devote a total of 6.6 is in bloom. Unfortunately, the billion hours each year to comply arrival of spring also kicks off a with the tax code. We are in dire second and largely unwelcomed need of tax simplification. For this season. This season reason, I have introRep. Bob Goodlatte duced the Tax Code is marked by piles of forms, confusing Termination Act. instructions, and the prospect of This bipartisan legislation, which turning your hard-earned money has the support of over 85 Memover to the government - tax sea- bers of Congress, is quite simple. son.

It will repeal the entire tax code, The current federal tax code except the portions that deal with is broken beyond repair and it Social Security and Medicare by is obvious that tax reform is ab- December 31, 2010, and calls on solutely necessary. In their 2006 Congress to approve a new FedAnnual Report to Congress, the eral tax system by July of the same National Taxpayer Advocate, an year. The American people are fed independent organization within up with the current system - and the Internal Revenue Service rightly so. The only way to solve (IRS) which assists taxpayers who this problem is to fully confront it are experiencing problems with and abolish the current tax code.

While many questions remain the IRS, listed “the complexity of the Internal Revenue Code” as the about the best way to reform our most serious problem facing tax- tax system, the Tax Code Termipayers today. nation Act takes the important

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first step by forcing Congress to address this critical issue. There are a number of possibilities to replace the current tax code including the fair tax, a flat income tax and a number of other proposals.

Whichever tax system is adopted, the key ingredients should be: a low rate for all Americans; tax relief for working people; protection of the rights of taxpayers and reduction in tax collection abuses; promotion of savings and investment; and encouragement of economic growth and job creation.

Taxes may be unavoidable but they don’t have to be unfair and overcomplicated.

We can all agree that the current tax system is broken, and keeping it is not in America’s best interest.

Whatever form the new federal tax system takes, it should be a simpler, fairer, and less burdensome tax code which will ultimately benefit our national economy and our hard working citizens.

PERSPECTIVE

TheRoanokeStar.com

4/11/08 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 5

Life on a wire? Give me terra firma PREACHER’S CORNER

C

arl Walenda, late patriarch of the world famous “Flying My cohorts and I were to negotiate the course without touching Walendas” circus family once said “Walking a rope is liv- the ground one foot below the cables. For a person such as I who is ing, everything else is waiting.” While I admire people terrified of heights (not crazy about widths either) this twelve inch like Mr. Walenda and his zest for adventure, I suppose that I fall plummet seemed safe and reasonable to handle. into that “waiting” category.

First, some of my more engineering savvy teammates developed Last week the company that I work for bused a group of employ- a strategy. The congregation then mounted the suspended cables ees to a small farm on the outskirts of a town. The goal of the outing one person at a time and formed a human chain. The chain linked was to impart critical information about our comeach person to another and the end people to trees that pany and combine that data with an outdoor group held the cable. The concept was strong, however, there Jon Kaufman activity. Sounded like a harmless enough plan to me. was one variable that our masterminds didn’t consider, We would go over some spreadsheets, look at some me. cows, maybe pet a goat or two, and return to the office refreshed With a fair amount of struggle, the group shuffled through the and educated. course, snaking through the turns like a slow moving python. I, on Following lunch we were introduced to a large, burly gentleman the other hand, traversed the course with the grace of a drunken who was twisting a rope into a noose as he spoke. “Could this be gorilla carrying a piano. I can’t remember how many times I fell off our new performance review process?” I thought, tugging on the of this apparatus (forcing me to start again from the beginning of top button of my shirt “Would an afternoon lynching denote a the course) however, I imagine my teammates can recall that num“Needs Improvement” score for a below par employee?” ber vividly. The hour was getting late.

As the man continued it became apparent to me that a mid-day Determined not to fail, I soldiered on. My teammates were waithanging didn’t sound too bad after-all. He went on to describe a set ing at the end of the course urging me on, their out-stretched arms of rules in case one of our parties strayed into the wilderness. Stray- hoping to reel me in. Rubber-legged, I hula-ed on the cable resolved ing into the wilderness? For me “straying into the wilderness” was to steady my knocking knees. Anguish etched the faces of my still getting off at the wrong subway stop in Brooklyn. I was worried. balancing troop, hoping against hope that I would make it to safety We were then split into clusters of twelve and introduced to our and end the agony for everyone. In a moment of awkward desperaguides. Our guide was a rustic, yet pleasant looking young lady who tion I hurled myself forward into the waiting arms of my brethren, looked as though she had stepped from the meadows of Wood- knocking them down like a row of duck pins. stock, New York circa 1969. Short of wearing a Buffalo Springfield On the bus ride home I recalled the words of Carl Walenda and t-shirt, she was the real deal, floppy wool hat and all. thought “Perhaps Carl meant his message metaphorically? If this The first few events were somewhat benign, challenging the team was truly “living,” I believe that I will find a shady spot to park myto problem solve and work together. Even a belly heavy desk jockey self and wait for something better.” like me relished the adventure, that is, until we reached the ropes Contact Jon at course. jkauf@cox.net

Join us to shine the light.

Dear editor, As most Roanokers know the Star will be turned off the night of April 16th. At his Easter Service, Father Joe Lehman of Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church, spoke in dismay at this. He said that we should “Shine The Light” into the darkness in lieu of extinguishing it. (See the condensed version in The Roanoke Star Sentinel “Preacher’s Corner” dated 04/04/08).

So the night of April 16th beginning at 7:45 PM BRING YOUR FLASHLIGHT or even brighter light to The Roanoke Star.William Fleming students and teachers will participate - Susan Willis, Jackie O’Neill and others. Students from Ms. Turner’s Choir will lead us in Amazing Grace. A Teacher will speak Father Lehman’s sermon words (Joe Lehman will out of town or he would do it himself). A teacher of Henry Lee’s (2006 graduate of William Fleming who was a victim of the Virgina Tech Tragedy) will speak about Henry Lee.We will then gather at 8:15 to SHINE THE LIGHT into the darkness and the students will lead us all singing Amazing Grace.

Please come join us and help shine your light in the darkness!

Valerie Garner Roanoke

Response to “Narrowing down candidates” Dear editor, I write in response to Suzanne Osborne’s letter to the editor of April 4, 2008 titled “Narrowing down the city council candidates.”

In her letter, Ms. Osborne states that I have been an “integral part of Valley Forward.” While I am impressed by the group’s proactive efforts to do what they think will make Roanoke a better place to live and have a number of friends in the group, the reality is that I have never been to a meeting of Valley Forward. I am an active member of NewVaConnects, a six hundred member strong group that seeks to increase networking and social opportunities in the valley for younger Roanokers.

Ms. Osborne goes on to claim that she and some of her neighbors witnessed me display “rude and abrasive behavior” last December.The reality is that Ms. Osborne is citing the reorganization of the Roanoke City Democratic Committee that took place in December at which she ran for a position and I voted for her opponent. I apologize to her if she felt like my support for her opponent, whom I felt was more focused on the future and moving Roanoke forward in a positive, progressive way, was rude and abrasive.

Regardless of my participation in local organizations, I decided to run for City Council because I believe that I offer a fresh, new perspective to our local government – a perspective that has historically been lacking on City Coun-

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LETTERS

cil. I am committed to working in a civil, positive and productive way to make Roanoke a better place to live, work and call ‘home.’

We will never all agree on everything, but I will always listen to our citizens, always take their opinions to heart, and always share where I stand on issues and why I believe what I believe.

Court Rosen Roanoke

Alvin Nash a questionable choice.

Dear editor, I have this, apparently, strange idea that the Roanoke City Council works for me and all other city taxpayers. I consider them the Board of Directors of the organization (i.e. City). We pay the Chairman of the Board (Mayor) $20,000 a year. The other members receive $15,000. They are expected to set policy for the City. Their executive agent, the City Manager (i.e. Chief Executive Officer) executes the policy. The City Manager is “well” compensated for her duties.

Unlike (most) for profit organizations, possessing actual qualifications to run the organization are not a requirement for election to the Board of Directors.

Think about it. We have a minister leading the pack, a corrections officer, a housewife, a psychiatrist, a former economic planner and businessman who has been marginalized by choice, Bev Fitzpatrick, and now Alvin Nash.

Am I the only one who finds the “appointment of Alvin Nash to the vacant council seat “interesting”? The Roanoke Times apparently approves of the appointment; given the laudatory article it ran which was long on superlatives and short on specifics. In my opinion, out of a field of 22 applicants the City Council didn’t come close to selecting the four most “qualified” candidates for consideration. Unless that is, “representational diversity” is the qualification standard.

Some one correct me if I’m wrong but I seem to remember that during the four years Mr. Nash sat on the school board: Marvelous Marvin Thomson was hired and fired as Superintendent, and $1.25 million was wasted hiring 15 teachers more than was needed because no one could count and divide and the only person who knew how the staffing model worked had left.

In addition, wasn’t Mr. Nash asked to do an audit of a nonprofit organization in North West that ran into trouble? I don’t recall that he completed the audit but do remember he cast aspersions on the competency of the Executive Director of the nonprofit for which he ended up publicly apologizing.

Finally, Mr. Nash announced his work was done on the School Board, everything was shipshape, and he was off to explore new opportunities. Shortly after that, he opined that why golly gosh there should be a 7000-seat football stadium at William Fleming High School! I can only opine

that Mr. Nash was asleep at the switch while he was on the school board and the stadium issue was a hot topic. Or, no one told him what to say until “later”. I vote for “later”.

Frankly, I’d characterize his qualifications to set policy for a City with a budget the size of Roanoke’s as being about equal to those of Bev Fitzpatrick or Nelson Harris and I think both of them are incompetent council members.

Now we find out that Mr. Nash comes to the council with “baggage”. But not to worry it is only a conflict of interest involving a “mere” $500,000 annually in federal housing funds which pass through the City to the nonprofit he is the Executive Director of. No big deal since we have a Mayor who accepts vacations from developers who do business with the City and a council member who has publicly announced he has never knowingly done anything wrong. Besides, the City can always ask for an “exception”.

Nash knew he had a conflict of interest when he applied for the council vacancy. The council members were aware that he had a conflict of interest when they put him in the final four and then subsequently unanimously confirmed him. Then Mr. Nash had the chutzpah to say he wouldn’t have accepted the appointment unless it was unanimous. I’m not one for conspiracies but that is a bit much.

I can’t figure out if the council members have mud for brains, think the citizens do, or just do not care what the citizens think.

I’ve looked at the list of candidates and there were others who were better qualified than Alvin Nash and I don’t mean Rupert Cutler.

So why did the council chose to put themselves in the position of doing something so egregious as appointing a guy with baggage to the council?

I went to dictionary.com and looked up “hubris”. It’s defined as overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. After watching the City Council consistently do the wrong things, when given a choice, for the last ten years – and get away with it, I’d say “hubris” was a good definition of why Alvin Nash was appointed. The overbearing arrogance of the council that it can do anything it wants to and the presumption that the citizens won’t care, or remember, or forget by the time elections roll around.

Well elections for City Council are May 6 and I hope Roanoke City voters won’t forget what the council just did. As far as I am concerned, voting to appoint Nash to the council is sufficient reason not to vote for C. Nelson Harris, Brian Wisneff, or Sherman Lea. As for Mr. Nash, the decent thing for him to do is resign from the council and apologize to the citizens of Roanoke for his egregious behavior.

Robert Craig Roanoke

Valley Forward’s Flawed Rockledge Business Plan Dear editor, Valley Forward has painted a rosy picture of the revenue they predict would be generated if the Rockledge restaurant complex is built on the summit of Mill Mountain Park.

However, their financial plan is deeply flawed. Despite dangling promises of profits for the zoo and other mountaintop amenities, the proposed venture will likely not pay for itself, much less generate profits.

Valley Forward’s cash flow projection assumes 100% occupancy with 3% annual increases in rent each year for 20 years. This is an extremely aggressive assumption.

Many, perhaps most, restaurants will sign no more than a 5 year lease with flat rental payments - no annual increase. Valley Forward’s proposal includes no provision for down time or vacancy between tenants. A realistic analysis should include a provision for 6 months or one year vacancy between tenants, and a 5% vacancy factor built in to account for credit loss.

Then there’s the overly optimistic expectation of 150 revenue-generating rentals of the community room. If this target is missed by just 30%, the whole Rockledge project will be in the red. Furthermore, even though budgeting for 150 rentals, they projected clean-up costs for only 102 events - that alone is a $12,000 hole in the budget. Another promise being dangled is that of free use of the community room space for non-profits.

However, nothing is budgeted for clean-up after non-profit use - another hole in the budget.

They project operating expenses of only 20% of gross income, but a responsible business plan would project expenses in the 45 to 50% range. Such low expense estimates are not reflective of the actual costs of the type of commercial project they have proposed.

These young professionals have violated the most fundamental budgeting principle of projecting revenues lower than anticipated, and projecting expenses higher than anticipated. Furthermore, they propose a community foundation to manage the Rockledge restaurant complex.This would be a management structure that frees Valley Forward members of any responsibility for the likely failure of Rockledge.

Roanoke city’s mayoral and council elections are just a few weeks away.Voting for any candidate who supports the flawed Rockledge proposal is voting for the likelihood that the city will be saddled with a white elephant bleeding red ink in a city park. Red ink is not the color of progress!

Gail Burruss Roanoke

By Barkley Thompson as Jesus really resurrected? It’s not an uncommon question for me to receive as a priest, especially in this Easter season. It’s a fair one, both from nonbelievers and from the faithful who nevertheless harbor doubts. It’s also a question that’s been asked ever since the days immediately following that very first Easter.

By the time Luke got around to writing his Gospel, it had doubtless been asked of him scores of times. Luke answers the question the way Jesus might have. That is to say, rather than answering directly, he tells the story we know as the Road to Emmaus, in which two peripheral disciples of Jesus meet a stranger on the road on Easter afternoon. At the end of a long walk and a deep conversation, they sit at table together. The stranger takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to the two. And then, suddenly, their eyes are opened.

The scene has not changed, but in an instant they see it differently.

The man at table with them is not a stranger; he is Jesus.

The answer to the question, “Was Jesus really resurrected?” is, it seems, “It depends upon what you see.” It is amazing how two can look at the same thing and see things so very different. I remember a book I once read of optical illusions. There was a page of kaleidoscope designs, and if you looked at it directly the designs seemed to be moving. You could put your finger on the page to insure that the swirls were standing still, but to the eyes they skipped and jumped delightedly over the paper. Depending upon your vision, you either saw a dead page or something magically alive.

On another page there was a drawing in black of a wizened old witch, like the one from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But if you cocked your head to the side just so, the white space in the midst of the drawing revealed a beautiful maiden. Depending on your vision, you either saw something dark and foreboding or something luminous and lovely.

And yet, the book was one of mere illusions. What the Emmaus story reveals to us is that sometimes the differences in what we see are as real as the very air we breathe.

In that room in Emmaus, the eyes of Cleopas and his friend are opened. Their vision shifts, like my eyes looking at that book, and they see in their companion not an illusion but the deeper truth of who he is. They see in him the Jesus they thought was dead. And they discern that this same Jesus is the one whom they feel burning with warmth and power in their own hearts. With newly open eyes, these two get up at that late hour and retrace their steps back to Jerusalem on a dark and dangerous road to share this Good News.

How does this happen? How do these disciples gain new sight?

We are told that their eyes are opened when Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. But the bread here, like the bread at Holy Communion, is a symbol for what Jesus has done on the cross, and indeed what he and the disciples do on the road. On the cross, Jesus has taken his life, broken it open, and given it away.

On the road, in their intimate conversation about life, love and hope, the stranger and the disciples do the same, breaking their lives open to one another in vulnerability and faith.

In those moments, their hearts catch fire in a new way. They see one another at a depth impossible before, and the new fire that burns in the heart of each of them is discerned by the others. At table, they cease asking whether Jesus has been resurrected, because with their lives broken open to one another they see the risen Jesus there with them. The question becomes mute when Jesus stands before us face-to-face.

We all look out upon the same world. Do we break open our lives to those we meet—to strangers and to loved ones both? Do we fan the flames when we feel that fire in our hearts? Does our vision shift, and are our eyes open?

Was Jesus really resurrected? In the end I have to answer that question with a question: What do you see…and who do you meet on the road?

The Rev. Barkley Thompson,Rector St. John’s Episcopal Church

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SCHOOLS

Page 6 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 4/11/08

TheRoanokeStar.com

Roanoke native, PH grad a finalist on Oprah’s show

Cameron Johnson, a Patrick Henry High School alum who was an entrepreneur in his teens, is one of three finalists on Oprah Winfrey’s ABC-TV reality show “The Big Give”, wherein contestants are challenged to do charitable deeds, to change the lives of strangers as best they can. Along the way they give out thousands of dollars in creative fashion. The ultimate winner as chosen by the daytime talk show queen will receive a million dollars from Oprah – but they didn’t know that during filming. Johnson, also the author of a motivational book “You Call the Shots,” was back in Roanoke with a Harpo Pro-

duction film crew a while ago and that segment will be shown Sunday night at 8pm in an episode entitled “Going Home.”

The Big Give was actually taped last year but its debut was delayed by the writer’s strike.

Roanoke City will hold a party Sunday night to commemorate Cameron Johnson’s appearance on The Big Give, at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall, beginning at 7pm. The show can be viewed there on big screen TV at 8. “We’ve all been watching weekly and we’re excited he’s coming home,” said Darlene Burcham, Roanoke City Manager, in a news release. Johnson, a self-made millionaire, started,

ran and sold twelve successful companies by the time he was twenty-one years old. His business successes have been featured in Time, Newsweek, Business Week, USA Today, as well as on national prime-time television. At age fifteen, Cameron was named advisory board member for a Tokyo-based company and his autobiography, “15-Year-Old CEO”, was published and became a bestseller in Japan.

Roanoke City special projects coordinator Stuart Mease said Johnson, who spent one semester at Virginia Tech but dropped out to continue his already thriving business career,

may or may not be at the Civic Center on Sunday, since ABC doesn’t want him to spill the beans about the show’s progress. Mease, hired specifically

by Roanoke City to focus on ways to attract and retain young professionals, likes the fact that Sunday’s episode and Cameron Johnson’s appearance on The Big Give will put a spotlight on the Star City. Mease helped Johnson last year with the filming done in Roanoke, which he can’t talk about much. “It was very intense,” the Virginia Tech graduate does note. The “community spirit of helping,” he saw during Johnson’s shoot in Roanoke will be evident on Sunday

night said Mease. “You’ll have to watch,” he adds.

Johnson’s appearance on The Big Give also helped raise $10,000 for a state program, Jobs for Virginia Graduates (JVG), which serves at-risk high school students, helping them start careers and pursue quality jobs.

Rita Bishop, now the Roanoke City Schools Superintendent and a mentor to Johnson when he was at Patrick Henry, suggested Jobs for Virginia Graduates as a worthy cause. Johnson mentions Bishop, a JVG board member, in his book.

Local corporate sponsors have committed financially to implement the Jobs for Virginia

Graduates programs at Patrick Henry and William Fleming High Schools, including Adams Construction Company, Lanford Brothers Company, Inc. and Oakey’s Funeral Service & Crematory. “17 million people watching,” says Mease of ‘The Big Give’ audience and the appearance by Johnson. “[If] there is a way we can piggyback on his success by being tied to him in as many ways as possible, then I have to think that’s advantageous for everyone involved – for the city, for the schools, Jobs of Virginia Graduates, et cetera.”

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For one day each year, millions of youth from across the world gather in their respective communities for what has become the largest service event in the world, Global Youth Service Day. On Saturday, April 26, hundreds of young people from throughout the Roanoke Valley will join in this effort by volunteering in 19 different service projects.

According to Leah Hatcher, the Youth Development Coordinator at Family Service of Roanoke Valley, participating in events like Global Youth Service Day is vital in the development of young people. “It gives them a chance to educate themselves about the community and it also develops youth leadership.” And perhaps even more importantly, Stephanie Koehler, Director of Development and Communications at Family Service of Roanoke Valley points out that “volun-

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teering gives kids a feeling of value within the community, which is very empowering.”

The unique aspect of GYSD is that the ideas for all of the projects were created by youth.

“Kids are driving the projects,” says Hatcher. Family Service of Roanoke Valley, which is the lead agency for GYSD in Virginia, in accordance with United with Youth, began planning for this event in September of last year. The idea was to get input from youth leaders as to projects that would be both helpful and fun. One such project that will be undertaken on GYSD is called “Colorful Youth” where volunteers will paint the skatepark at Wasena, which is tagged often by gangs. Another interesting project, “The CAT Walk” is a “Community Awareness Tour” through downtown Roanoke where volunteers will learn about a variety of non-profit

agencies and what roles they play, as well as how youth and others can volunteer at a particular agency where they feel they can help. “All Star Safety for Seniors” is an intergenerational project where volunteers will teach safety tips through entertainment and games to seniors who live alone.

But youth (defined as anyone between the ages of 12-25) are not the only ones encouraged to participate on GYSD. Families of the youth involved, local businesses and others are all welcome to volunteer. In fact, the more diverse the group is from an economic, social, and generational standpoint has proven to be a sign of strength within the community. “Communities with a high level of volunteering normally have a stronger economic base, and tend to come together in times of trouble, such as a recession,” says Koehler.

All service projects on GYSD are from 12pm-3pm. Afterwards, all of the volunteers will be invited to attend a special post-service celebration at the Virginia Museum of Transportation where there will be free food, drinks, music and fellowship. For any questions, or to register, contact Leah Hatcher at (540) 563-5316 ext. 3039, or email her at lhatcher@fsrv.org Global Youth Service Day is sponsored by State Farm Companies, Oakey’s Funeral Service and Crematory, Virginia Building Services of Roanoke, and the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Family Service of Roanoke Valley is a private, non-for profit organization that provides critical human services to Roanoke Valley residents.

Matthew Reeves info@theroanokestar.com

Children’s Advocacy Center and CASA Merge Resources Members of the boards of directors of the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) announced today that they will merge to form Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley. The joint organization will coordinate services, promote awareness about child abuse, provide family support through education, and advocate in the courts for the best interests of abused and neglected children.

Those in attendance were reminded that April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and that the 3,400 pinwheels* decorating the entrance to the Jefferson Center (which houses CAC and CASA offices) represent the 3,400 local children who were served last year by the two organizations.

“After several years of working together, both CASA and CAC are now able to combine efforts formally to deliver even more services for abused and neglected children,” says Judge Philip Trompeter. He has served as a Judge of the Juvenile and Do-

mestic Relations District Court for the 23rd Judicial District of Virginia for 20 years and was instrumental in the founding of CASA in 1986.

“Children’s Trust will utilize the programs of these two organizations to provide needed public education, outreach, effective advocacy and a strong network of support for Roanoke area children and families,” he adds.

The goal of Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley, which will be comprised of leaders from CAC and CASA, is to explore and manage the merger of the two groups in the next year towards combined and streamlined operations and continued services of each of the groups’ existing programs as well as new joint endeavors.

Leah Russell, associate dean and registrar for Roanoke College was chosen to chair the new board of directors. Ruth Dickerson was named vice chairman for CAC and John Church was named CASA’s vice chairman. Janice Dinkins-Davidson will serve as the executive direc-

tor of Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley.

The Children’s Advocacy Center has been a leader in child abuse prevention in the Roanoke Valley for more than 30 years. Established in 1977 with the help of the Junior League of Roanoke Valley and Family Service of Roanoke Valley, CAC has offered a multidisciplinary team approach to ensuring the safety of children in the community through innovative education programs and quality public awareness activities.

Court Appointed Special Advocates has been the child’s voice in court for thousands of Roanoke area children for more than two decades. Comprised of dedicated volunteers from across the region, advocates come together with the common goal of improving the quality of life for the abused and neglected, each serving as a constant companion of support for a child throughout the long and difficult court process.

By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

Fleming, Faith Christian students receive appointments Fleming Student ac- Faith Christian stucepted into Harvard dent receives West University Point appointment Fleming senior Salena Marie Sullivan has been accepted into Harvard University. Sullivan is part of the French Honor Society and a member of the Colonel’s Theatre Company at school. She is also a member of the Forensics team and the Fleming-Ruffner Eclectic Expression (FREE) Dance Company.

Bo Waldo, a senior at Faith Christian School in Roanoke County, has received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. This is the second academy appointment for a Faith Christian School senior in the past four years.

Bo is the son of Suzy and Doug Wilson of Roanoke, and Mark Waldo of Montgomery, AL.

[Bo Waldo]

SPORTS

TheRoanokeStar.com

Photo by Bill Turner

North Cross ‘ Hallie Martin advances the ball against Roanoke Catholic Monday afternoon. In a battle of two undefeated teams, Roanoke Catholic’s Kelly Jacobs scored a goal late in the second half to break a 1-1 tie and secure the Celtic victory. Roanoke Catholic improved to 7-0 on the season. North Cross fell to 2-1.

4/11/08 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 7

Sixth Annual Virginia DeRailer Series

It all begins with the addition of a sixth race and a late spring-early fall schedule.

“We are so excited to announce the addition of a new race hosted

by Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia; ‘Assault on Liberty Mountain’,” a spokesperson said.

The series starts with three races in late spring beginning with the Southside Scramble in Danville on May 3, Fat Tire Frenzy at Falling Creek in Bedford County on May 17 and Peaksview Park Race in Lynchburg on June 1. The final three races will finish in the fall with the MW Windows Mountain Bike Race in Franklin County on September 6, Assault on Liberty Mountain in Lynchburg on September 20 and the final race Poor Mountain HillClimb in Roanoke County on October 5. Camp Roanoke will once again host the championship award ceremony

for the entire series.

Each of the six races brings their own identity and importance to the series. Each features special amenities for the competitors as well as a post-race feed. Riders can also register for races individually, but in order to qualify for the series championship, you have to ride in at least 4 races. The series was designed to attract local casual racers, as well as serious regional racers and professionals.

Races for children are also included so as to promote the sport and involve those interested at an early age. However, due to course difficulty, no one under 14 years of age can participate in the Poor Mountain Hill Climb. Contestants may pre-register now through May 3 for all six races for the price of four. This will truly be a great series for all participants.

2008 Spring Sports

North Cross School

Baseball – The Raiders are off to a 4-1 start and play at Carlisle on the 8th.

Girls Tennis – The Lady Raiders are 2-2 with a victory over Holy Cross 6-3. Lara Min, Kendall Patterson, Farrell Irons and Erin Wynd all won their singles matches. The Doubles teams of Erin Wynd and Farrell Irons and Anna Mathews and Kendall Patterson won their matches.

Roanoke Catholic

Catholic remains unbeaten as it takes two from cross town rival North Cross in Lacrosse and Girls Soccer.

The Boys Lacrosse team is now 5-0 as they beat the Raiders at home 10-4. The combination of Stephen and Mark Allman was too much for North Cross as they net-

ted 6 goals and three assists in the win. Zac Zoller added five points on 2 goals and 3 assists. North Cross was led by Patrick Delbuono with 1 goal and 2 assists, Jamie Willis with 1 and 1 and Matthew Turner with two goals.

The soccer team improved to 8-0 as they won on the road at North Cross 2-1. The Raiders also entered the game undefeated. The Celtics scored first on a goal by Allie Dominguez in the 10th minute on a breakaway. North Cross Junior Jade Donaldson scored to tie the game at 1 right before the half.

In back and forth play where the Raiders hit two posts and outshot the Celtics, it was Kelly Jacobs goal with under 11 minutes to play that was the difference maker. The rematch is scheduled for April 24th at Roanoke Catholic.

Photo by Bill Turner

Celtics and Raiders faceoff in Monday’s game. The Celtics are now 5-0 with the 10-4 defeat of North Cross.

Roanoke Catholic Kelly Jacobs takes a shot against the Raiders.

Photo by Bill Turner

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Virginia Tech study explores link between sports success and student applications College basketball teams that made this year’s cut for the Sweet 16 may boost the number of students applying to their schools by as much as 3 percent next year, while the winner of the NCAA basketball tournament, often called “March Madness,” may see a 7 to 8 percent jump in applications, according to the Jaren Pope of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Jaren Pope, assistant professor of agricultural and applied economics, has co-authored a paper to be published in Southern Economic Journal that finds a link between college sports success and college admissions around the country.

“We looked at how highprofile sports success influences where students choose to apply for college,” Pope said. “Anecdotally, college administrators have known for some time that

basketball and football success translates into increased applications. What we have done is to move a step beyond previous research and anecdotal evidence by quantifying the average effect across all NCAA Division I schools using a credible empirical methodology,” he said.Pope combined data from the Peterson’s college guide, which records information about the incoming freshman classes of 330 NCAA Division I colleges and universities, with information on how well these schools did in football and basketball each year from 1983 to 2002. According to the study, the 64 schools that make it into the NCAA basketball championship tournament have a 1 percent increase in student applications the next year, schools in the Sweet 16 have a 3 percent increase, the Final Four have a 4 to 5 percent increase, and the championship winner has a 7 to

8 percent increase.

In addition, colleges and universities with football teams in the top 20 have a 2.5 percent gain in the number of student applications the next year while teams in the top 10 have a 3 percent gain. Schools that win a football championship see a 7 to 8 percent jump in applications.

For each school, the spike in the number of applications due to basketball or football success continues for several years before returning to normal.

“These numbers tend to be larger for private schools than for public schools,” Pope said.

“For example, private schools in the Sweet 16 see a 4 to 5 percent increase in applications compared to a 2 to 3 percent increase for public schools.”

The study also used data from the College Board on where students send their SAT scores to show that the extra applica-

tions include students with both low and high SAT scores. Some schools appear to utilize the larger pool of applicants by selecting higher quality students, thereby improving their admission outcomes.

“Although this study identifies short-run, indirect benefits of athletics for colleges and universities, it does not address whether putting more money into sports programs is the best use of resources,” Pope said. Nonetheless, he added that the study does demonstrate the importance of high-profile sports as a marketing tool for some schools.

The title of Pope’s paper, which he co-authored with his brother Devin Pope, an assistant professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, is “The Impact of College Sports Success on the Quantity and Quality of Student Applications.”

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TheRoanokeStar.com

Photo by Stuart Revercomb

Photo by Bill Turner

North Cross and Salem players all take a knee as North Cross Coach Chris Pollock looks on after an injury to a Salem player in Wednesday Lara Min, playing in the #1 position for North Cross, serves afternoon’s match-up. North Cross went on to defeat Salem 13-6. against Holy Cross. Min is an eighth-grader.

Photo by Stuart Revercomb

The North Cross middle school Lacrosse team jumped in front of Salem and never looked back as they cruised to an easy win.

Above #13 Paul Ross holds off a Salem attacker early in the action.

Bart’s Tailoring Quality Alterations on Quality Clothes 59 Years of Experience

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The North Cross middle school boys baseball team faced Carlisle in a double header on Weds but came up short in both contests falling 11-4 and 10-3. Above #2 Kevin Bronson prepares for the bunt.

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> April 10

Travel Join a group to Belize this summeronly $35. 342-2083 Cool Cheap Stuff Place your ad in Cool Cheap Stuff, for items costing $150 or less, free!

Ads are published for 1 week. If item doesn’t sell feel free to run it again!

Cool Cheap Stuff is available to private individuals who advertise one item costing $150 or less. Cost of item and telephone number must appear in ad copy. First 10 words are free. Additional 10 words are $5.00.

Some restrictions apply. Limit 8 Cool, Cheap Stuff ads per month! > Haiku ads Oceanfront condo, Sleeps six to eight with comfort; Kids will love the pool.

Art Lessons private art lessons drawing ,painting and sculpture ages 6 and up

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3:25 PM

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Lunch ‘N’ Learn: Personnel Matters Bruce Wood, HR director of Miss Utility, will discuss hiring and keeping good employees. Please bring your lunch; cookies and drinks will be provided.

When- Noon - 1 p.m.

Where- Roanoke Regional Chamber Boardroom For more- 540-983-0717, ext.

239 Elementary and Middle School Information Session Parents looking at schools for fall 2008 are invited to an Elementary and Middle School information session at Community School. Parents will visit individual classrooms and meet the teachers. Community school is now accepting applications for fall enrollment.

When- 7p.m.

Where- Community School For more- 540-5635036

> April 11

Presbyterian Community Church Fundraiser Dancing Under the Stars, An evening of music and dancing in support of the Pathways For Youth programs of the Presbyterian Community Center in Southeast Roanoke.

When- 7:30 p.m.

Where- Vinton War Memorial For more- www.pccse.org or call (540)982-2911 Hokie Volunteer Day This day of service is designed to allow participants to fulfill their 10 hours of pledged community service for the university’s VT-ENGAGE effort through the planting of Hokie flowers and shrubbery.A pizza luncheon will be served When- 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Where- Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center For more- Alumni who are interested in participating in this event should RSVP by e-mail to Marjorie Musick (mzmusick@vt.edu) or call (703) 771-6881 prior to Wednesday, April 9 Reception for Artist Joe Rowell Pamela Jean Gallery presents “Antiquitas” by Artist Joe Rowell with a reception to meet the artist.

From April 11th through May 2nd, this is a rare opportunity to view an intriguing broad range of petite, finely detailed drawings that are an easy addition to your home or office art collection. A resident of Roanoke, Joe received his Bachelor of Arts from Savannah College of Art & Design and a Master of Arts in Illustration from Camberwell College of Art in London. He now teaches at Virginia Western Community College.

When- 5 - 8 p.m.

Where- Pamela Jean Gallery, 115 Salem Ave, SE Roanoke,VA 24013 For more- 540-905-7797

> April 12

Roanoke Master Gardener Spring Plant Clinic & Sale Tea Thyme Tea Room with Brunch or Lunch at the Brambleton Center, 3738 Brambleton Avenue, SW near Cave Spring Corners Plant Sale & Clinic is 8:00 AM until Noon Brunch in the Tea Room is 10 AM until 11:30 AM OR Lunch from Noon until 2:00 PM Advance tickets are needed for the tea room - $12.00 For more- about the Plant Sale or Tea, please call Shelby Snider - (540)-992-3644 Wildflower Walk Wildflower Society -- Lapsley Run Field Trip - Meet at 9:00 am at Botetourt Commons next to Bojangles off US 220 north of Daleville. Bring lunch. This area offers some of the best early spring flowers plus a beautiful waterfall. Little walking required.

When- 9 a.m.

For more(540)384-7429.

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Getting Out the Women’s Vote in Your Community AAUW of Virginia is pleased to present a workshop on “Getting Out the Women’s Vote in Your Community.” This workshop will cover the components of planning and implementing an effective campaign to engage and turn out women in your community to vote.

The training will utilize AAUW’s well-received guide, Woman-toWoman Voter Turnout: A Manual for Community-Based Campaigns to Mobilize Women to Vote, which provides step-by-step instructions and examples for leaders as they plan and implement a campaign of personal, woman-to-woman outreach that will turn out women voters. Deadline for Registration: Friday,April 4, 2008 When- 1-5 p.m.

Where- Holiday Inn,Valley View Cost- $10 For more- Carmen Garrido (776-1516) New River Valley Symphony at Virginia Tech Virginia Tech’s Department of Music presents the New River Valley Symphony with the Blacksburg Master Chorale and the combined University Choirs in concert in Burruss Hall Auditorium on the Virginia Tech campus. The groups will perform Johannes Brahms’ Ein deutches Requiem. Brian Gendron, director of choral activities at Virginia Tech and artistic director of the Blacksburg Master Chorale, will conduct this choral masterpiece in a performance featuring English supertitles by Kathleen and Paul Zweifel. Solo parts will be sung by guest artists baritone Eugene Galvin and soprano Saundra DeAthos.

When- 8 p.m.

Where- Burress Hall, Virginia Tech For more- (540) 231-5200

> April 12-19

ArtsFusion 2008 ArtsFusion 2008 is seeking participation by arts organizations and artists both on campus and throughout the New River Valley working in music, film, theatre, dance, creative writing, and the visual arts.The ArtsFusion 2008 kick off event will be the New RiverValley Symphony performing Johannes Brahms’ Ein deutches Requiem on Saturday, April 12, in Burruss Hall Auditorium on the Virginia Tech campus.The performance includes the combined university choirs and the Blacksburg Master Chorale.

The first half of the program fea-

tures the Marching Virginians performing a concert band composition written especially for them.

The New River Valley Symphony is a community orchestra made up of 80 community residents and Virginia Tech faculty and students and is sponsored by the Virginia Tech Department of Music in the School of the Arts.

Where- Burress hall,Virginia tech For more- Louise Adams at (540) 231-5200 or louise@vt.edu

> April 13

Lyra Vocal Ensemble Russian Singers from St. Petersburg performing music of the Russian Church and Russian Folk Songs.

When- 4 p.m.

Where- Greene Memorial United Methodist Church, 402 Second Street at Church Ave. in downtown Roanoke Cost- free For more- 540 -344-9225

> April 14

Eco-Friendly Food Class Reduce your fuel consumption every time you eat. Come learn how with enthusiastic cook, Nancy Maurelli When- 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Where- Local Roots Cafe, 1731 Grandin Rd., Roanoke Cost- $5 For more- Nancy Maurelli 540-345-3405 First Steps to Starting a Business Thinking about starting your own business? Learn the basics on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur at this introductory seminar for prospective business owners.

When- 5:30 - 9:00 PM, Where- Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce Boardroom.

Cost- $25/person. Prepayment and pre-registration required by Friday,April 11.

For more- to register, contact Taryn at 983.0717 ext. 239

> April 15

Young Professional Groups to Host Forum NewVaConnects, The Roanoke Jaycees and Valley Forward will jointly host a Roanoke City Council Candidates Reception and Forum in Downtown Roanoke. All Roanoke City Council and Mayoral candidates have been invited.

The forum will give Roanoke’s young professionals an opportunity to meet the candidates running for Roanoke City Council and hear each address the issues of importance to this vital demographic.

The event is free, non-partisan and open to the public.

When- Reception @ 5:30, Forum @ 6:30

FREE!!!!

We’ll run any ad from a private party written in traditional Haiku form (5,7,5 syllabic format).

Telephone number at the end of the listing is excluded from the format requirements. Email info@ theroanokestar.com

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> April 16

Virginia Tech Memorial Service The Wednesday Downtown Noonday Service for that day will include a time to remember those who died, to pray for their families, and to pray for those whose lives were forever changed by that event. Janet Fuller-Caruthers, the Chaplain at Hollins University, will be the guest preacher for this special service of remembrance.

The Wednesday Downtown Noonday Services are sponsored by the Churches of Downtown Roanoke and hosted by Greene Memorial United Methodist Church.

When- 12:05 - 12:30 p.m.

Where- Greene Memorial Methodist Church, 402 Second Street at Church Avenue, SW Downtown Roanoke For more- 540-344-6225

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> April 17

Athenian Art Society The Athenian Society for the Arts and Sciences will hold its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, April 17. Program presented by local artists Al and Leone Bomberger.

When-10 a.m.

Where- Community room of WDBJ7, 2807 Hershberger RdCost- VIP $10 For more- contact Donna Grabarczyk 540-772-3369

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> April 17

Business & Technology Expo The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce will host Business & Technology Expo. The Chamber’s annual business-to-business and consumer trade show will showcase more than 100 exhibitors and is free to the public from noon to 4 p.m. A special VIP Night will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. as part of Business and Technology Expo.

When- Noon- 4 p.m.,VIP 5 p.m. -7 p.m.

Where- RCC’s Special Events Center Cost- VIP $10 For more- contact Jamie Snead at 540. 983.0700, ext. 231 or jsnead@ roanokechamber.org.

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