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The Roanoke Star-Sentinel POSTMASTER: Dated material, please deliver by publication date
November 21, 2008
Community | News | Per spective
TheRoanokeStar.com
One year The Wright Kids have all the Right Stuff down, one more day to go [Emerging Artists]
From the publisher
Meet the Doctor P5–West African Dr. Oyidie Igbokidi shares her unique knowledge about women’s cardiac health.
Titans Place 2nd P14– The Hidden Valley Lady Titans finish a strong season with a second place finish in the AA state tournament.
Passionate Leader P17– Mill Mountain Theatre’s education director loves her kids and her profession.
Filming for Life P18– Former Cave Spring grad, Scott Blanding, returns from the Congo to screen his new film in Roanoke.
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Photo by Pam Rickard
Selah Wright demonstrates her young talent in her family’s Rocky Mount home, singing Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” She is accompanied by her sister Sage and brothers Baruch and Levi.
“America’s Got Talent” finalists are the Real Deal It’s about time the “real Parents Barry and true Hollywood story” Suzi Wright admit that was told about The Wright while they both come Kids. from a “strong musiYou know, the adorcal tradition”, and have able brother-sister trio a deep love of music, from Rocky Mount who they didn’t inherit the recently returned from talent genes. Hollywood after making Their children obviit to the top 10 on NBC’s ously have. “America’s Got Talent?” The oldest Wright You’d have to believe, child, Mason, is a sophwith all the attention and omore at Shenandoah hype and jetting around, University’s Conservathey’d have to be spoiled tory of Music. The famprima donnas, probably ily says that he demondriven by the dreaded strated a natural talent Photo by Stuart Revercomb overbearing “Stage Par- The Wright Kids performed on Veteran’s Day to a capacity crowd with the violin at an early ents,” right? as part of the Emerging Artist Series at the Roanoke Library’s main age, ultimately earning a Absolutely not. branch. Fans began gathering hours before the 6:00 PM performance part in the Roanoke SymAre they really as tal- and by the time the Wrights took the stage the Fire Marshall had phony Youth Orchestra. ented, polished, joyful closed off the mezzanine and it was standing room only below on Sage has followed suit and down-home real as the main floor. Development Coordinator, River Laker said that and is currently playing they appear? violin with the RSYO. She it was the most enthusiastic response this year to the very well In the words of a for- received series of city promoted concert events. also plays the mandolin mer vice presidential canand sings. bluegrass trio. didate, “you betcha.” Baruch began to show his musical Baruch agreed with his sister. “We On a recent visit to the Wright’s prowess on a toy guitar, eventually love to play and [our] hard work pays modest home, the family spoke graduating to the ukulele, an instruoff when we get to perform and get openly about what motivates and ment not typically found in bluegrass good results.” drives them. music. The Wright’s first brush with na“We really love to perform,” said 12 tional notoriety and Hollywood was > CONTINUED year-old Sage, who with her brothers, in 2007, when Baruch won Oscar P3: The Wright Kids Baruch, 9 and Levi, 6, comprise the Mayer’s “Sing the Jingle” contest.
City Council approves 2.5 million for Center in the Square Center in the Square’s request figuration continues fine-tunfor $2.5 million from Roanoke ing of the rooftop. These latest City to support a $25.3 million revisions were just completed renovation that includes the by Spectrum Design, an archiScience Museum of Western tecture and engineering firm at Virginia and the Harrison Mu- 10 Church Avenue. The designs seum of African American Art will incorporate a butterfly habiwas approved unanimously at tat and multi-purpose flexible Monday afternoon’s Council teaching area that can also funcmeeting. The funding will be tion as dining space. Interactive provided over a five-year period green energy education will be and requires that Center in the integrated and a rainwater capSquare match each yearly con- ture system is in the works. The tribution with equal dollars. winged structure will be a dyThe project includes first namic skylight that suggests the floor façade improvements, an wings of a butterfly. interactive and open atrium Center in the Square and the area and upgrades to mechaniSpectrum Design concepts for Center in the Square (Rendercal, electrical and plumbing > CONTINUED P2: Center in the Square ings courtesy of Spectrum Design). systems. The most recent recon-
It’s hard to believe that 52 issues ago we launched the Roanoke Star Sentinel under the not-so-modest headline, “A Star is Born!” Counting our quarterly TMC editions like this one, that’s over 660 broadsheet newsprint pages of news, sports, perspective and commentary pieces . . . Not to mention calendars, pictures, captions, crossword puzzles, classifieds and display advertising. Did I mention advertising? Imagine the work that has gone into the production of the creative print ads found on these pages. While we don’t create all of them, we do create many and our lead designers have come up with some remarkably fun and effective concepts, often meeting deadlines in the process that would make a seasoned 1930’s Chicago Tribune editor swallow his cigar. And conditions in our newsroom may closely mirror those of the 1930’s. We work out of a small office with two at a desk on many occasions. There are dogs and cats about and some> CONTINUED P4: One Year Down
“Uncharted waters” ahead for County schools
Principal Karen Mabry (at center) and community members at the playground local residents helped build.
Barrineau speaks to budget crunch
Seems like every time money gets tight in the Roanoke County school system and tax revenues are flat, the issue of Bent Mountain Elementary comes up: whether the small school should be closed, with its 70 or so students bused down the mountain to Back Creek Elementary. But Bent Mountain Elementary is more than just a county facility: “the school is also our ‘community center’ with the butterfly garden, park [playground], trail and library,” said local resident Annie Krochalis via e-mail before a community meeting on Monday. That’s when Superintendent Dr. Lorraine Lange and Windsor Hills > CONTINUED P3: Bent Mountain