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August 28, 2009 - Sept. 3, 2009

NewsRoanoke.com

Community | News | Per spective

Community Indicators Report Focuses on Downturn in Economy and Graduation Rates

Lucky Garvin

Bittersweet Day P4– Lucky Garvin recounts the tears of saying goodbye and the joy of a shared passion.

The latest edition of the Roanoke Regional Community Indicators Report, issued last week, details a number of areas of concern related to the current economic climate. “While it’s no secret that we are in very difficult economic times, this report substantiates the financial stress most households are feeling right now,” said Pamela Kestner-Chappelear, President, Council of Community Services. Kestner-Chappelear points to job related indicators such as unemployment rates, unemployment benefits claims and net employment growth, which all fell from the positive to the negative trend column over the past year. While trends were still positive in the income and asset related indicators, the region continues to lag behind the state in annual average wage (-$10,868),

and per capita income (-$7,564.00). At the same time, the consumer price index increased for this region of the state by 4.5%. The growing need families have for assistance can be seen in the fact that children eligible for free and reduced lunch in the region jumped to a high of 37.4% in 2008, said Kestner-Chappelear. Food Stamps also showed big increases moving from 9.03% of the region in 2007 to 21.63% in 2008. In 2007, the percentage graduating high school (77.7%) exceeded that of state (76.8%). One year later in 2008, the region’s performance had fallen to 76.3%, compared to 79.2% at the state level, placing the region below the statewide rate for the first time since 2006. “The value of indicators is underscored when viewed as a constellation of factors affecting the well

being of the Roanoke Region,” Kestner-Chappelear noted. “When these indicators are viewed as a whole they clearly define the beginning of the severe economic downturn of late 2008 and its effect on the people residing in the region. While the 2008 Report contained reasons for optimism, this 2009 Report shows little evidence of specific strengths in the region other than education performance in grades 3, 5 and 8. Even those strengths are dampened by the falling number of high school graduates in the region.” Kestner-Chappelear called the 2009 Edition of the Roanoke Region Community Indicators “a clarion call for government and people to work together across jurisdictional boundaries to find innovative solutions to the growing social and economic problems faced by all who reside in our communities.” (see the full report at councilofcommunityservices.org)

Cameron Johnson Named to 2009 Ten Outstanding Young Americans

[Booker T. Washington National Monument]

Barkley Thompson

Oaks and Kudzu

P5– Barkley Thompson points out that sometimes a little “kudzu” is needed to shake up the “order” of things. Photo by Bill Tucker

The Booker T. Washington National Monument celebrated National Parks Founder’s Day with several special events last Tuesday. Ken Burns’ long-awaited documentary begins September 27, at 8 p.m. on PBS.

Blue Ridge PBS Celebrates “National Parks” with Special Events

Knights Return P8– The Cave Spring football team led by Coach Tim Fulton looks to get back on top.

On Tuesday Blue Ridge PBS partnered with the Booker T. Washington National Monument to celebrate the founding of America’s national parks. The day began with a free screening of Ken Burns’ new documentary film, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” at the Westlake Cinema. The first 200 guests received a free copy of Booker T. Washington’s “Up from Slavery.” Following the screening, the nearby Booker T. Washington National Monument hosted a

Founder’s Day reception followed by a short documentary about Washington’s life and a walking tour of his birthplace. “The Ken Burns film offers a spectacular glimpse into the vast natural and cultural treasures which are under the stewardship of the National Park Service,” said Carla Cowles Whitfield, Superintendent for Booker T. Washington National Monument. “We are thrilled to partner with Blue Ridge PBS to highlight

the contributions of Booker T. Washington, a man from humble beginnings who paved the way for Americans to live a better, more productive life,” she continued. “It is my hope that the Burns film will create a groundswell of renewed interest in national parks and serve as an invitation for the public to rediscover the parks that are in their own backyards.” > CONTINUED P2: Blue Ridge PBS

Roanoke’s Cameron Johnson has been named as one of the 2009 Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA) by the United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees). Johnson, 24, is one of the most successful young entrepreneurs in the world. Author, businessman, entrepreneur, and internationally recognized public speaker, Johnson is President and CEO of Cameron Johnson Inc., and serves as consultant to several Fortune 500 companies. Photo Submitted Johnson started his first business Cameron Johnson when he was nine years old. By age 12, he was making $50,000 per year and by the time he was 15, Johnson’s company was generating $15,000 per day in revenue. That same year, he became the youngest American appointed to the board of a Tokyo-based company, and his autobiography, “15-Year-Old CEO,” was published in Japan and became an instant best seller. Johnson used his platform and recognition in Japan to work with the Japanese government to promote computer literacy, and his book inspired Japanese young people to consider entrepreneurship as a path in life. Especially for someone as young as he is, Johnson has received more awards and recognitions than many amass in a lifetime, but > CONTINUED P3: Johnson

Lewis-Gale Hosts Warner for Private Healthcare Forum Run for the Arts P11– Roanokers will soon have a chance to work up a sweat while gaining a deeper appreciation for public art.

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“I do not believe in a single payer system,” said Senator Mark Warner. “I don’t believe that we need a totally government run system.” Warner spoke to a group of over 150 attending a private Healthcare Forum for employees and staff members of the Lewis-Gale Medical Center Monday. Warner said that every other advanced country in the world has taken on the issue of health care reform – noting that a lot of models are not government run. “Many of the European countries actually have private systems, that might have some government financing, but are privately run. They do it at costs that are less than ours with health care outcomes that are better than ours,” he said. Warner stressed that we need competition in the private system between providers, hospitals, device manufacturers, drug makers, and insurance companies. “I am open to anything that focuses on how we provide quality healthcare to Virginians and Americans at a way that does not break the bank and that ends up respecting people’s choices,” he said. His first principle of health care reform is that it not add to our deficit, but that it actually starts to drive down the cost curve. Warner believes this will take co-

Photo by Dot Overstreet

Senator Warner spoke at the Lewis-Gale Medical Center on Monday. operation and collaboration from those in the health care field. He said that one absolute in this debate is the current health care system’s costs are not sustainable over the next decade. “If we do nothing, the size of the federal deficit will get so large that it will undermine the value of our dollar, will undermine our economy, and will seriously retard any ability for America to main-

tain its economic preeminence in the world.” Warner also warned that if we do nothing, we would see our health care costs double over the next ten years. Some of the health care reform advocates have made a mistake by not setting a framework out at the front end, he said, adding that one of the things he wishes the president had not done was to say that we are going to fix the health care

system in one bill. “You do not transform the healthcare system with a single piece of legislation,” said Warner. “It does not mean that you don’t start; it does not mean you don’t try. But it is going to take continual effort to try to get this right.” “There is not a Democrat healthcare, or a Republican healthcare, but an American healthcare system and it sure as heck will be better for Americans to accept the kind of changes if we can show bipartisan support,” Warner said. Warner acknowledged that there are many areas of disagreement, but the debate needs to be conducted with respect and it needs to be based upon the facts. “I have to say that in more than 20 years that I have been in politics, I have never seen an issue where there has been as much misinformation and just plain outright deceptions being promulgated by both sides,” said Warner. “That’s unfortunate, because fixing and getting health care right in this country deserves serious, rational, factual based discussion.” The millionaire had other ideas: mov> CONTINUED P3: Warner

Page 2 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 8/28/09 - 9/3/09

NewsRoanoke.com

> Blue Ridge PBS From page 1

A chance of showers, with thunderstorms possible. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. Chance of precip is 50%. Friday Night: Chance of T-storms continues and a low around 66.

“The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” is the latest blockbuster project from Ken Burns, an acclaimed filmmaker who gained fame for projects like “Baseball,” “Jazz,” and “The War.” His new “National Parks” film series spans a century and a continent. It contains nearly 2,000 archival images from 262 sources, with breathtaking video from some of nature’s most spectacular locales. Featured parks include Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, the Everglades, and Shenandoah National Park. The National Park Service has a presence in 49 of the 50 states, with national parks, historic sites, and national monuments like Booker T. Washington’s birthplace. Blue Ridge PBS will premiere “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” beginning Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. The six-part, 12-hour film will continue through the week. Visit BlueRidgePBS.org for more information about the Burns documentary.

McDonnell RV Tour Rolls Into Town

A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with Bob McDonnell’s blue tour bus rolled down a high near 83. Chance of precip Rt. 419 in front of Tanglewood Mall honking 50%. Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms with a its horn as a large crowd stood lining the street and waving “McDonnell for Governor” signs. low around 67. When the RV drove into the Roanoke Republican Victory Headquarters parking lot, at the intersection of Rt. 419 and Ogden Road, A chance of showers and McDonnell bounded off the bus with a broad thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, smile, ready to pass out handshakes and hugs. with a high near 81. Chance of About 150 people gathered at the Republiprecipitation remain at 50%. can Headquarters early last Saturday, to meet and talk with the Gubernatorial Candidate and his staffers. McDonnell had just come from Lynchburg and was on his way to Tazewell when he made his stop in Roanoke. He said he was glad to be back in the Star City and was really pleased so many came out to see him on a rainy day. He thanked the many volunteers who staff his headquarters for their hard work and devotion and then introduced all the Republican city and county candidates who are running for local elections this fall. When asked why people in SW Virginia should vote for him,

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he stated, “What people should know about me is that I believe in keeping taxes, regulations and litigation low and I believe in strong right-to-work laws. Right now the most important issue in this race is creating new jobs and new opportunities, and I am the only candidate that has a detailed rural economic development strategy with more tax cuts and incentives for SW Virginia.” McDonnell also added that he is, “the only candidate who stands up for traditional values - I am Pro-Life, I have defended marriage and I am a 21- year veteran of the Photo by Carla Bream Army. I also believe we should have a comprehensive energy policy. We can be the energy capital of the east coast when I am governor.” McDonnell is on a month long “New Jobs, More Opportunities” statewide RV tour and said he plans to visit “every corner of the Commonwealth.”

By Carla Bream info@newsroanoke.com

Virginia Cares Inc. Guides Ex-offenders as They Re-enter Society Anthony West has been on the inside, and now the program/training director for Roanoke-based Virginia Cares Inc. does what he can to help others avoid the same pitfalls when they are released from prison. West, a William Fleming graduate, works with exoffenders who enroll in the Va Cares program, helping with emergency food and clothing, transportation assistance, help with obtaining ID cards, restoration of rights, employment seeking and interview skills, etc. A support network of counselors and peers is also offered. Virginia Cares started as a TAP program under the auspices of Ted Edlich, “grew in to its own entity,” said West, and then was spun off. Grants help fund the agency. West came over from TAP himself. He doesn’t hide what happened to him in the past or his criminal record. “It made me who I am today,” he said. Virginia Cares works all across the state from its home office in Roanoke at the Dumas Center on Henry Street, helping several thousand people “get their lives restarted,” according to the organization’s brochure. “The only thing we

ask of our participants is their dedication to creating positive change in their lives,” it continues. The assistance offered by the non-profit (more than 30 years old) is free of charge. There are 12 Va Cares offices around the Commonwealth. At times, they go in to prisons and jails, preparing about-tobe-released inmates for what they can expect. “A lot of times we get referrals from parole officers,” said West, who spent time in prison on drug charges. First and foremost many are looking for employment. “That will [help] get them situated on the right path,” said West, noting that aspects of the agency’s services have been more difficult in light of the recession. “There’s a lot of people lining up at McDonalds…or Wal-Mart, for jobs.” West spent several stints in prison and was in for three years his last time around, getting out for good in 1996. For those that know little but life on the streets and easy money from drug dealing and the like, he says prisons don’t always provide the best atmosphere and preparation for what comes after release. That’s why so many return to prison and jail, according to West.

Virginia Cares is also part of a larger coalition, PAPIS, a statewide effort to assist exoffenders. “We try not to overlap each other’s boundaries [but] try to come together,” said West. Coming together also makes it easier to lobby for money at the General Assembly. “They know how important this program is.” Executive Director Ann Fisher said the agency fights the image some have of ex-offenders, and is “not the most sympathetic of groups when it comes to funding. When we come up in a budget [cycle] against early childhood care monies or [funding] for disabled veterans … even if you talk culture and museum money - there’s more of a pull for that.” Many private foundations have reservations about providing funds. “We’re caught in the cross fire,” said Fisher, who has been with Virginia Cares for a decade. Fisher said it is often difficult to work with ex-offenders who may have been in prison for many years. “It’s hard to break their concept of who they should be. It’s very difficult to get them to adapt to the outside and make the changes.” Having some-

one like West on board, with his background, “is extremely valuable to me,” she said. Va Cares prefers to help clients look for jobs with brighter futures, but “you have to crawl before you can walk,” notes West. He also talks to potential employers, “trying to sell our program,” to businesses so that they will consider hiring excons. He offers himself as proof positive that some people can turn themselves around. Last March, West was selected as one of 30 “Creative Connectors” by Roanoke City, a group that will brainstorm for a year on ways to make the valley a more attractive place to live and work. Employment opportunities would have helped him the most when he was getting into trouble. West speaks from experience, “I lived it, I know it.” Va Cares will join with TAP to present Voices for the Vote on September 13 at Elmwood Park (1-4pm), a rally for rights restoration. Changing Virginia’s “felony disenfranchisement law,” that leaves many exoffenders without voting rights is a focus. Speakers include 11th District Delegate Onzlee Ware. Contact Paige Hodges/ Total Action Against Poverty at 345-6781 ext-4361 for more information. The local NAACP chapter, the Virginia Organizing Project and the Community Law Center at Oliver Hill House are also sponsors. For more information, visit vacares.org.

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8/28/09 - 9/3/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 3

NewsRoanoke.com

> Johnson From page 1

this one is especially meaningful to Johnson due to the award’s longevity. “It was quite an honor earlier this year to have been chosen as one of ‘Ten Outstanding Young Virginians’ ‌so, to also win the national award, it’s very exciting. The history dates back to the 1930’s and the past winners are a group we can all admire, like JFK, Henry Ford II, Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney, and others,â€? Johnson said. The TOYA selection process begins in the spring of each year. Following the submission deadline, all nominations are forwarded to a panel of screening judges who, working independently, select and rank their top 20 choices. The top 20 point getters become the finalists. The finalists’ nominations are forwarded to a panel of finalist judges who rank their top ten choices. According to his website, Johnson received his first computer as a Christmas present from his parents at the age of nine. Only a few months later, he started his first business printing greeting cards, stationery, and invitations for family and friends using his computer and printer. Just before he turned 10, his parents allowed him to open his own checking account. This allowed Cameron to be in complete control of all of his finances and to learn to manage his money. From depositing his weekly allowance to writing checks for office supplies, he learned how to manage his money and how to keep track of his expenses. Cameron was raised on the principles of giving back to his community and at the same age (just 10 years old), he began giving an annual gift to his local church. Before turning 21, Johnson had started 12 profitable Internet companies and been featured in more than 250 media outlets worldwide including Newsweek, BusinessWeek, and the New York Times. In 2007, Johnson published his latest book titled “You Call the Shots: Succeed Your Way— and Live the Life You Want—with the 19 Essential Secrets of Entrepreneurship.â€?

Today, Johnson primarily spends his time traveling (to speaking engagements) around the world. He is also very involved with several nonprofit organizations, and says he plans to take his platform and use it to promote financial literacy among young people. “True prosperity isn’t something you take from the world; it’s something you share with the world,� Johnson writes in “You Call the Shots.� In 2008, Johnson was a finalist on Oprah Winfrey’s first-ever primetime series, “The Big Give,� and he went on to host Season 4 of “Beat the Boss,� a successful kids’ business competition show that airs on the BBC in the UK. Today, Johnson continues to volunteer his time and speak at various schools across the country, focusing on promoting financial literacy among young people in America, and he has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for a wide variety of charities.  Although he has little idle time, outside of his tenacious passion for his work, Johnson enjoys many of the things a “regular� 24-year-old would. “Outside of the business - author, speaker, TV world - I enjoy traveling, concerts, sporting events, all the same stuff your average 20-something would enjoy. I’ve been afforded a lot of opportunities and I’m fortunate that travel has been one of them,� he said. Even in the midst of tremendous success and accolades, Johnson keeps his eye on the future. “Any award is flattering, and this is especially no exception, but I always try and stay focused about the future and ‘what’s next’?’� he said. The presentation of the 71st annual black-tie awards ceremony will be held September 26, 2009, in the Orlando, Florida Ramada Inn Orlando Celebration Resort & Convention Center.

Up, Up and Away . . . After lying quietly on a section of abandon track just off of Jefferson street for almost 60 years, the Norfolk and Western M2 Locomotive 1151 was lifted off its chassis this week and hoisted onto a truck for a slow move to its new home at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. VMT Director Bev Fitzpatrick was on hand to watch the lift and the move and indicated that everything was going as planned save for a few rogue photographers that were on site without formal permission. (Oh well, Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to get the pic.)

Our Lady of Nazareth

Catholic Church

By Pam Rickard pam@newsroanoke.com

www.oln-parish.org

> Warner From page 1

ing away from a health care system that is based upon a volume of tests, procedures, and drugs prescribed - to one based upon the health care outcome and new financial incentives promoting prevention and wellness. Warner wants to see a health care delivery system that practices a team holistic approach; a system that can extend coverage and take on insurance reforms so that pre-existing conditions are not an obstacle; and medical malpractice/tort reform. Coming from an IT background himself, he believes in using the tools of technology better. “The only profession that has not been totally transformed by information technology is the health care field,� he said. Warner spoke about corporate health care reform that has already been taking place in this country over the last seven to eight years but has not been a major part of the discussion. He cited Safeway Food Stores and Delta Airlines as two examples of companies who have driven down the cost of employee health care premiums by offering incentives to those who do not smoke and live healthier lifestyles. Warner said that reform needs to include a serious conversation about adverse behavior, claiming 70 percent of health care costs in this country are due to chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, both of which can be related to eating and lifestyle habits. He also believes that it is time to start having honest conversations about aging and end of life issues. “It is not a politi-

cal discussion: it is a medical, a religious, a moral, and ethical discussion. It’s not about taking away an individual’s choice or their options.� When Senator Warner took questions from those attending the forum, one from Dr. Charles Gilliland received overwhelming applause. “What if congress and the executive branch were to consider putting themselves under the same medical coverage system as the rest of us,� Gilliland asked. Warner said that he agreed, and laughter erupted from the crowd when he asked, “Does anyone else?� The Senator went on to speak about the health care program that Congress currently has, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. He explained that it is a health care exchange where they can choose from about twenty different private plans based on what is best for their families. “I think that providing that same kind of choice for all Americans makes a lot of sense. You have different systems competing with each other,� he said. One member of the audience questioned a mid September deadline, not taking the time to have more in depth discussion. Warner talked about a Senate procedure called “reconciliation� where if a bill is budget related, it can be passed with 51 votes as opposed to the usual 60 typically needed for legislation. That would make it easier for Democrats to pass health care reform. Warner said there is a

strict time line that was passed as part of the budget bill and the tipping point is mid September; it is an arbitrary deadline that was not set by the administration but by the rules and procedures of the Senate. He also emphasized that even if a bill is passed in the Senate, it will take months of back and forth discussion with the House and the President before it will be signed into law. A physician attending the forum, Dr. Lawrence Monahan, stated the basic principle of insurance “where everyone pays an affordable amount of money to insure the occasional person against an unexpected high cost.� He chastised the first dollar concept instituted by Blue Cross Blue Shield (no deductible) many years ago. “Somehow Americans have lost the idea of insurance. They now expect insurance to pay for everything that anybody wants. It breaks every principle of insurance and is unaffordable,� Monahan said. Warner agreed and said the notion that the government can pay for anything, anytime, everywhere from dollar one is unsustainable and that even the printing press in Washington cannot be going that quickly. Warner has not yet held a public town hall meeting, but hosted a telephone town hall Monday evening in which about 4,000 people across Virginia participated.

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Roanoke Star of the Week Barry Wolfe was born and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, graduating from high school in 1962. He then went to the University of Virginia, graduating in 1966 and then to dental school at the University of Maryland. He served two years in the United States Air Force before finishing periodontal school in 1974 at the University of Kentucky. Barry moved to Roanoke in 1974 and started his dental Barry Wolfe practice. He married his wife, Libba, in 1982 and they make their home in the Southwest City area. Barry’s favorite places in the area are the Blue Ridge Parkway, Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Salem Farmers Market, and the Roanoke City Market area. Favorite restaurants include Alexander’s, Shenandoah Club,Texas Tavern, and Rockfish on Grandin Rd. Publisher’s note: Barry recently set a post implant between my teeth to accept a ceramic replacement tooth and I experienced absolutely no pain. I have no idea how he did this, but I am so thankful for his talents that I had to add this recommendation / note here!

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Perspective

Page 4 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 8/28/09 - 9/3/09

The Bittersweet Day

S

ome weeks ago, we set ‘Big Boy’, our rescued g-hog, free. The time had come. When g-hogs are ready to leave you, they display a restlessness far easier to detect than describe. Perhaps it’s just in their nature; perhaps it’s the evening breeze whispering through the screen at night; Nature’s voice whispering softly, patiently, insistently that it’s time to come home; to be what you were intended to be. Of course, if it weren’t illegal or immoral, you could keep them as pets. Indeed, in captivity, they live twenty years or more; released, their life expectancy is 2 years. But, if we violated the law and kept them safe, they really wouldn‘t be g-hogs any more. So I watched him shamble down the wooded ravine toward an uncertain fate. Outdoors for them is far more dangerous than for us. I tell myself I’m glad he survived, glad he is now free, but my heart knows the rest of the story. I haven’t seen ‘Big Boy’ since that morning. But the food we set out for him everyday is gone, so there’s hope. ‘A good breakfast…” you know. Our other ghog, ‘Baby’, is likely depressed at the loss of his friend, but ‘Big Boy’ simply couldn’t wait. Baby once slept sixteen hours a day he put my cats to shame - but, now he’s underfoot and full of mischief. Every now and then he stops his antics and stares out the window. His time is coming. Maybe he’ll wound up with his

old friend. I am. Long years ago We have three I read that the three baby squirrels now, characteristics of a two days old. One happy life are: somehas a huge hemaone special to love, toma on his head, rewarding work to hitting a branch on do, and good health. his way to ground, I have all three. ejected from his seI would pray for cure home by some all people that they malevolent force. have as special a His tiny candle person in their lives Lucky Garvin flickered as Sabrina as my Sabrina. I struggled to save would pray each him, but this morning he gave person have a passion in their up a fight he could not win; suc- lives. A passion engages the cumbing at last to the weight of soul. It gives us something to go his injuries. We laid him to rest to sleep thinking about, somewith the sorrow that such things times dream about and awaken have to be, that they are part of a excited by the promises of annatural order. He was so small, I other day. Better even than this dug his grave with the toe of my is something I learned living boot. But, the good news is: his with my wife: To have a shared two siblings are thriving. passion with the person you Later that day, Sabrina and I love. In our case, it’s the rehabiliwould have committed to the tation of wildlife, of course, but closest psychiatric institution by it could be nearly anything. To any court in the land. We were share a passion with a loved one running back and forth in our is to never run out of things to aviary, carefully using nets to talk about, fret over, plan for, recapture certain birds therein; joice over, laugh and, yes, somethose that were fully-feathered, times cry over. Together. fully-flighted and self-feeding. When your life is blessed with About ten of them: Thrashers, these three critical endowments, Robins and Doves. We pulled all the rest is detail. Yes, my day them gently out of our nets today, perhaps like yours, had and they flew to freedom from some sorrow, and joy. But when our opened hands – without you have someone to share it so much as a ‘Much obliged” I with it seems, in my case at least, might add. I draw a bit closer to what life’s So, at day’s end, I consider supposed to be truly about. the events thereof. Like you, I’m sure, people often ask me, Contact Lucky at “How are you doing?” I usuinfo@newsroanoke.com ally answer, ‘Fabulously!” And

The Recipe of the Week from The Happy Chef by Leigh Sackett

Accidently Planned Best Ever Lasagna Sometimes you get things right. Cooking is like painting, there are moments when you create something you did not expect, just on a whim, and it actually surprises you and makes you think, “How did that happen?” Other times you plan things out and work real hard on a meal (or painting) and it doesn’t live up to your expectations. I suppose if life always lived up to our limited expectations and we were never surprised by beautiful creations whether it be art, lasagna, or the breathtaking mountains of Grayson County, life would be pretty dull. Sure things would go along merrily, as planned, but I think our hearts would long for a great surprise. Sometimes the surprises of life can be tragic, like losing a loved one, sometimes they seem to make no sense and you might wonder if there is any order to it all. Then a friend tries to explain to you how big outer-space REALLY IS - how it would take a beam of a light 400 thousand years to reach just the center of our Galaxy and that there are billions of Galaxies hundreds of millions of light years away from one another!!! That makes you remember that birth, life, death, art, lasagna, mountains and space are not haphazard accidents. I am glad to know that I am not in charge and I am grateful that my heart finds it all wonderfully surprising and amazing. Well I have been told that this is the BEST lasagna ever. It is a Happy Chef original that I stumbled into creating one day. It is EASY and great for the busy start of a school-year. It does have some perfect combinations - all the right ingredients to make a wonderful surprise; it is in line with the Cosmos! 1 lb ground beef 2 jars of Classico Vodka sauce 12 lasagna noodles 3 cup cottage cheese 4 cup mozzarella cheese 4-6 tomatoes (sliced) About 30 fresh basil leaves Salt and pepper

-spread 1 ½ cup of cottage cheese on noodles -Layer 1 ½ cup of mozzarella on cottage cheese -Spread half of meat sauce mixture on cheese -Layer tomato slices over sauce, season tomatoes with salt and pepper -Place about 8-10 basil leaves on top of tomatoes -Repeat layers beginning with 4 noodles on top of tomato basil layer -After layers are repeated place last 4 noodles on top -Layer with tomatoes (salt & pepper), basil, 1 cup of mozzarella, open 2nd vodka sauce jar and pour 2 cups of vodka sauce over the top -Cover loosely with Aluminum foil, bake for 45 minutes -Uncover bake for 20 more minutes -Let stand for 10 minutes

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees -Brown ground beef in large skillet, season with salt and pepper -Cook lasagna noodles -Stir in 1 jar of Vodka sauce, let simmer and blend with beef for 10-15 minutes -Spread ½ cup of meat mixture in bottom of 13x9 baking dish -Layer 4 lasagna noodles on bottom of dish

Local Crossword

for 08/28/2009 Star~Sentinel Crossword

Local Crossword 1

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for 08/28/2009

4 6

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1 Farm credit administration (abbr.) 4 Protein sources 6 Inclined credit7administration The Virginia cave that has the ''Fried Eggs'' formation and a great organ too. n sources 8 Distress call

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Chickity-Doo-Dah, Chickity-Ay...

o, I haven't lost my mind. This weekend I bought a 40 lb. bag of “Chickity Doo Doo” organic fertilizer from Northwest Hardware on Brambleton Ave. Those folks have everything. Yep, “Chickity Doo Doo,” a 100% organic fertilizer for lawn and garden made from 100%—you guessed it—chicken manure. Now, before you get really grossed out and wonder why anybody would spread chicken manure on their yard, hear me out. It's processed chicken manure—as in, it's been collected from the chicken house, probably run through a sieve, baked in an oven to sterilize it, ground up, and packed together into little pellets with some kind of glue. It hardly even smells like chicken manure. And trust me—I spent four years in the shadow of Rocco Chicken while a JMU student in the Shenandoah Valley, and nine more years in Frank Perdue's back yard in Salisbury, MD. I know my chicken poo. Chickity Doo Doo isn't even the grossest option on the market for those who prefer an organic lawn fertilizer. (We'll get into the petrochemical industry in a minute). Ever heard of Milorganite? A venerable and widely-used fertilizer among the tree hugger set, it's made

from—get this— izers, which require the sewer sludge us to buddy up with dredged up from countries that hate beneath Milwaukee, us like Saudi AraWisconsin. bia, Venezuela, and All kinds of stuff Texas, is that they goes into other ordon't stick around. ganic fertilizers: I won't bore you dried cow blood with the chemistry, (which began its but most of that gifertilizer career ant bag of “quickdraining from the green hydro-plus David Perry slaughterhouse for a bug-free, lush floor), ground up animal lawn all summer long” you bones, crab shells, dead fish, applied in May ended up runbat manure, worm feces, baby ning into the sewer and then seals...okay, no baby seals. But the Roanoke River, where it you get the point. did all sorts of nastiness. Of course, none of this comMy chicken poo, being clospares on the yucky scale to er to Mother Nature's bosom synthetic fertilizers—brands from the start, hangs around like Scott's, Miracle Gro, and for a few months, allowing my others. Made primarily from little grass plants to nurse at petroleum, this is the stuff that the bottle instead of doing an turns your yard day-glo neon inverted keg stand of nitrogen green within 48 hours of ap- like some sort of ExxonMobil plication. Just like nature in- frat boy on Saturday night. tended, right? I'm pretty sure And we all know what hapit's all made in a big plant in pens after you do too many Newark, NJ. Synthetic fertil- keg stands. izers usually go on sale in the Columbia University prospring in the big box home fessor Joan Gussow once said, improvement stores, which “I trust cows more than chemis the wrong time to fertilize ists.” She was speaking of the grass around here, but every- butter vs. margarine debate, one's thinking outdoors, so but I like the analogy. I'm with why not? Grills, lawn mowers, the chickens over the chemists and fertilizer—the holy trin- on this one. ity of Memorial Day weekend sales. Contact David at Probably the worst thing dave@davidperryonline.com about these oil-based fertil-

Sustaining the Power of Language for Change

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ew words or phrases we hear clearly. They gain our attention, rising in the radar of common language and conversation. Again and again on the news and at the local coffee house we hear them, and they are for a while the buzz. But then, exploited and hyped and marketed and morphed into jingles to sell us something, we take note of them less and less and the thrill is gone: we see mouths moving but no longer is the volume at audible levels for the words to reach the thinking parts of our brains. Sustainable and sustainability are words I would not want to grow weak and empty in this way. I find them arising often in what I read and think about. In the vast breadth of their meanings, they are words like just or justice. They have great portent for our day and we hear them often, but they suffer from having an enormous circumference and they lack adequate single-word replacements. In its frequency of use in our common language, sustainability is newly popular. In biology class, it is well worn. In the operation of organisms and organic systems--habitats, ecosystems and biomes--the matter of sustainability has been part of what determines continued existence. In the same way that death is easier to define than life, "un-sustainable" is perhaps easier to understand than its

counterpart, and the planet's present examples are easy to and future generafind: A body withtions alike." out enough calories Sustainability as or water over a span mission supplants of time is unsustainthe "me" with the able as is an animal "us" for generations population that exto come, and inceeds the carrying cludes in it the longcapacity of its acterm health of the cessible range. planet in our lives as A civilization citizens and neighFred First (and the history bors. It is ecology books are full of them) that is married to economy, dynamic overtaken by prolonged heat equilibrium at every level of or cold, drought, flood or soil life and enterprise. With that loss becomes unsustainable in mind, it will be both wise when it cannot adapt quickly and necessary to operate in enough to the changes. When such a way in all aspects of eva species becomes unsustain- ery society. We simply must, as able, it goes extinct. So un- our global human enterprise sustainability, while a distinct of late has been unsustainable possibility for towns, states on many critical fronts (fresh and nations, is not on the water, fuel, soil, ocean fishertable, no matter which side ies and food among others) of the political spectrum we and great change will come come from. whether we're passive or active There are a hundred nuances in that future. of meaning for sustainability, Can we chart an intentionbut here's my favorite because al, sustainable future for the it brings another essential towns and villages of southword into the mix: justice: west Virginia? What would it "Sustainability represents an mean as a matter of intention idealized societal state where and purpose to satisfy our people live long, dignified, own needs in environmentally comfortable, and productive sound and socially just ways? lives, satisfying their needs in That will remain for future environmentally sound and conversations that take care to socially just ways so as to not protect the power and meancompromise the ability of ing of a useful word and an other human beings from do- urgent but well-worn concept ing the same now and into the - new for our times but eternal distant future. It is, in effect, in application. an attempt to merge development and nature conservation Contact Fred at efforts in a mutually beneficial fred1st@gmail.com way for the common good of

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3 This Roanoker developed a move called the Gorilla Press The Roanoke Star-Sentinel is a proud Media Partner with WSLS 10 Unborn 1 Slam and is inlife the WWF Hall of The Roanoke Star-Sentinel is published weekly by Whisper One Media, Inc. in Roanoke,Va. Subscriptions are available Capital of Egypt 2 Fame. for $44 per year. Send subscriptions to PO Box 8338, Roanoke,VA 24014. We encourage letters from our readers on 4 Bad (prefix) topics of general interest to the community and responses to our articles and columns. Letters must be signed and have This Roanoker developed a 3 5 Eye infection 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. move called the Gorilla Press All real estate advertised herein is subject to national and Virginia fair housing laws and readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. Slam and is in the WWF Hall of

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Perspective

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8/28/09 - 9/3/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 5

Drowning My Cancer Fears in Cupcakes

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ertain things strike fear into our hearts; one of mine is when I hear the mention of pancreatic cancer. I feel a little sick and then quickly repress the very thought of this dreaded disease. This reaction is predictably due to a personal connection—my mother died of it in 1995 at the age of 57. I watched, helpless, as she went from a CAT scan diagnosis through 3 months of hell as her body twisted, turned, groaned and wasted its way toward certain death. “My body betrays me,� she wryly observed somewhat early in this trajectory. There was little time for conversation about what was to come or what had been; there was mostly just day-to-day unfolding of the inevitable—in the most unseemly and sorrowful ways. It is no wonder I freeze at

the words. Most all of us have such reference points if we have lived for even a few decades. There is a surprising camaraderie amongst hospice visitors. We are all there to live out an amazing duality. We try to be as helpful and encouraging as possible, to interact as though this is the most normal and natural, acceptable place to be. Yet we are all there to walk our loved one to the very last moment of life, to accompany them to the last fleeting second until they pass on to what comes next‌ leaving us behind to experience the stunning silence that now occupies where they have been. The pancreas is the only organ I know of that has a “tailâ€? on it, which automatically sounds suspect‌it conjures the impression that it is a creature in its own right. Having a tumor in the tail appears to result

in poorer survival rates than in other areas of the pancreas. Tail notwithstanding, if your pancreas has cancer in it, it is a nasty beast indeed. When Randy Pausch, the good-looking, likeable, and extremely gifted Carnegie Mellon professor, entered the public consciousness with his “Last Lecture,� I initially watched in awe as he laid open his life with a sort of reckless optimism that was his signature trait, as he, too, battled pancreatic cancer. He put such a cheerful spin on his situation that I actually visited websites and did a little light research on the subject, believing that perhaps the prognosis of pancreatic cancer was no longer quite the hopeless situation I had known it to be. Sadly, while there have been some advances, in general it is still an aggressive cancer that is rarely cured. Inter-

estingly, he did not sorts of things. One’s make much referblood type supposence to what caused edly corresponds such optimism; he to certain traits or seemed to will it to predispositions and be so—there was all this is taken quite not much mention seriously. Some of faith or a higher companies even power other than a group their employshort explanation ees by blood type. It that he viewed these reminds me of our things as mostly a once-intense horoCheryl Hodges personal matter. He scope fixation – the did not seem terribly concerned common denominator being about what was to come next. that a fixed reality (i.e. star patSome time ago I read of an terns or the molecular structure interesting cultural concept in of your blood) can be consulted Japan that seems somewhat as a guide to one’s life and/or silly, although our own popula- future‌sort of a veiled attempt tion is constantly obsessing over to get a handle on what comes equally ridiculous ideas. The next. Japanese are very interested in Just as I was dismissing this one’s blood type; it has become out of hand, I read of a study a cultural axis of sorts—guiding that linked the risk of pancreatic people concerning decisions cancer to blood type. For the reon jobs, potential mates and all cord, “0â€? blood type carries no

increased risk; type B is greatest at 72% more likely, AB is next at 51% and type A carries a 32% greater risk. I’m not saying I’m over-the-top celebrating, but being a type A might be worth a cupcake party anyway. I’ll bring the sparkling grape juice (drinking also increases the risk of pancreatic cancer). Maybe the Japanese are chuckling at their “in� to figuring out some of life’s mysteries after all. While you are out getting your blood typed, it might be worth noting that even though we can all weigh the risks of whatever happens to frighten us most, the real issue bothering us is the “what comes next,� is it not? We can talk about that over cupcakes.

Contact Cheryl at cvhodges@aol.com

Preacher’s Corner T

Of Oaks and Kudzu by Reverend Barkley Thompson

he driveway is long and straight. Stretching out from it are verdant lawns immaculately manicured. At the drive’s far end rises a structure to rival the palaces of Europe. The mansion is stately, symmetrical, and grand. But even so, it isn’t the house that is most striking. Rather, what captivates the mind and the imagination is the driveway. In addition to the pristine grounds, the drive is lined on both sides by towering oak trees, aged and strong. Think Tara or her sister plantation owned by Ashley Wilkes, which was actually called “Twelve Oaks.� The layout of the drive is designed to enhance the sense of order, control, and majesty. Who from the South hasn’t visited one of the old plantations and wistfully longed for the ordered, serene and peaceful life of which they are the icon? And nothing underscores that life more than those massive oaks. The people of the Bible had their own version of those oak trees, and they served similarly as symbols. In Scripture, rather than Southern oaks we read about the cedars of Lebanon. Indeed, the prophet Ezekiel uses the massive and stately cedar as the very icon of God’s kingdom. Ezekiel’s world is in turmoil, with his people living in exile in Babylon and their homeland destroyed. But he envisions that age when the world will finally be conformed to God’s hopes and dreams for it. And what does the world of Ezekiel’s dreams look like? The prophet instinctively turns to the cedar. When God’s will is fulfilled, he says, it will be as if a shoot from Lebanon’s greatest tree is planted on Israel’s highest mountain. That new tree will grow stately and strong, until it becomes the home for

every flying creature and the shade for every beast. It will bear fruit for all people. The image is the same as that of those plantation oaks: It symbolizes stability, order, majesty, and control. The fulfilled kingdom of God. But wait a minute‌Let’s dig a little deeper into our cultural and iconic imagination. Take the Hermitage Plantation in Savannah, for instance. The plantation is gone, though the oak-lined drive still exists (now part of a golf course, our own century’s version of manicured order). When we walk down that drive, the trees recall an age of gentility, but if we allow the eye of our imagination to pierce the scene more deeply, we may also see the eighty slave cabins that once existed in rows just beyond the oak trees. We may see the fields that existed as part of every Southern plantation, where stately majesty gave way to pitiless, back-breaking labor. We may see families torn asunder and sold like chattel. If we look deeply, we will undoubtedly see exposed a social system that approximated heaven for those who lived in the manor house but was more like hell for everyone else. And so, Ezekiel’s image may pose a problem. It is our human tendency, then and now, to reach for symbols of strength and order, like the cedar or the oak, especially in times of turmoil. But too often we use those symbols not to point to a hoped-for future reality that all will enjoy—which is Ezekiel’s intention—but rather as a screen behind which we can hide. Symbols of order and stability become images that enable us to pretend the world a few of us enjoy is the real world while ignoring the depredation that exists all around us. These symbols be-

come like those oak trees at the Hermitage, allowing us to head toward the serenity of the manor house while masking the rows of slave cabins just beyond them. Jesus knew this. Things were not so different in his day. As so he riffs differently on Ezekiel’s theme. He says, “The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground is the smallest of all seeds; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs‌â€? Mustard plants are not particularly common around here, so let me offer another Southern image. In the late 1800s a plant was imported to the United States from Japan as an effective prevention against soil erosion, and by 1935 the Soil Conservation Service was encouraging Southern farmers to plant this botanical miracle with abandon. Within a couple of decades, the plant became known as “the vine that ate the South.â€? It had a tendency to spread beyond the borders of where it was desired. It had a bad habit of overtaking anything in its path, fields, trees, you name it—a sort of horticultural “Blobâ€?. It was unpredictable, impossible to contain, and extremely difficult to kill once it had taken root. You, of course, know what I’m talking about: Kudzu. Kudzu gives us an idea of what Jesus means when he talks about the mustard plant. Mustard was wild, scraggly, a nuisance. Beginning as just a tiny seed, it could erupt almost overnight into something that could not be contained. Unlike the stately and rooted

cedar, the mustard one in their path. plant would spread And just as this out and change the is true in the world, entire landscape. It it’s also true in bore no respect for the soul. We hide manicured gardens, behind images of overwhelming them stability and orwith its disordered der within us, too. growth. Within, we struggle The oaks along mightily to arrange plantation drives stately oaks so should rightly fear Barkley Thompson that we can avoid kudzu! Just so, the the turmoil— stately and ordered—but also emotional, psychological, spirveneer-thin—majesty of this itual—that churns just beyond world should rightly fear the the trees. But the kingdom kingdom of God. The king- can grow within, too! dom, when it takes hold, grows If we’ll open the gate even in unpredictable and uncon- an inch to the kingdom of trollable ways. It changes the landscape entirely. Have you seen it? Have you ever been in a place where the kingdom has taken root? Like kudzu, the presence of God spreads out and overwhelms every icon, every idol. Suddenly, where there was peace, peace is shattered. Where there was decorum and order, disorder reigns. And yet, the change is so obviously a blessing! When God’s love grows, people trample the grass; they plow over the oaks; and they spread that life-giving vine to all those who have never enjoyed peace, comfort, and stability, who have never known the manor house. This is true in spiritual ways and in material ways. Where the kingdom of God grows, good people give up their manor house pretensions and give of themselves, of their prayer, of the material blessings they enjoy. They labor in love to change the very landscape of the world, to offer the mustard plant’s solace, protection, and shade to any-

God in the world and in our souls, its growth will amaze us. But don’t think it will grow in a stately and ordered way, rooted to one spot. It will overrun us. It’ll be scary (like the movie “the Blob� was scary), but it will also overcome our deepest hurts and those of the world. May we all see beyond the oak trees, and may kudzu abound.

St. John’s Episcopal Church is located in downtown Roanoke at the corner of Jefferson Street & Elm Avenue. Worship on Sundays is at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and 5 p.m.

Aftercare. Pla

Advance discount Just like the comfort of your morning coffee, it’s a comfort to know that tickets on sale

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Oakey’s is looking out for you — long after the funeral is over. Our Aftercare Coordinator, Nicole Drew is here to make sure you are getting along okay

Saturday, Sept. 26 11 am - 6 pm Sunday, Sept. 27 11 am - 5 pm

following the death of your loved one. Nicole will answer your questions with compassion and expertise, and point you in the right direction. Or, if you just

LakeWatch Plantation

need to talk a little bit, Nicole is a good listener too.

Advance Tickets: on sale until Wed. 9/23 Tasters over 21 years of age: $18 Designated Drivers: September$12 26 & 27

It’s a comfort to know that Oakey’s is here for you.

Saturday -11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday - 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. (rain or shine)

Under 12: Free • No Refunds • No Pets • Rain or ShineLakeWatch Plantation Advance Tickets:

For more info., contact the SML Chamber 540.721.1203 or 800.676.8203 or visit: www.visitssmithmountainlake.co,

on sale until 9/23/09, 5 PM

Tasters over 21 years of age: - $18

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Under 12: Free ď€ No Refunds ď€ No Pets

For more information, contact the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber 540.721.1203 or 800.676.8203 or visit: www.visitsmithmountainlake.com

Nicole Drew, Aftercare Coordinator 982-2100

Page 6 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 8/28/09 - 9/3/09

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A New Beginning: Polish Immigrant Recounts Life After World War II In last week’s Roanoke Star-Sentinel, we presented the story of John W. Jay, Jr. Now a resident of Botetourt County with his wife, Jay originally was a native of Poland, whose life was dramatically changed by the German invasion of his homeland at the start of World War II. He was eventually confined in a concentration camp where he spent the remainder of the war. In this edition, we bring Jay’s life forward from the war’s end to the present day. In 1945, just before the war’s conclusion, Jay and his fellow Photo by Chris Manning concentration camp internees were taken from the camp. Jay Democrat candidate for almost didn’t live to enjoy his Governor Creigh Deeds (standing at left) visited the valley new freedom. He was woundover the weekend, meeting supporters in Salem and greeting ed when the railroad car he and canvassers Saturday morning in the rain at Lakewood Park. In the others were in was strafed Vinton, Deeds and state party chair Dick Cranwell talked to by an Allied plane that mistook patrons at the McDonald’s on Hardy Road. Cranwell is a long them for Germans. time Vinton resident and the former majority leader in the “They had no idea who we Virginia House of Delegates. Deeds currently trails Republican are–French or whatever. . .So candidate Bob McDonnell in the polls. they started shooting, and we were in a car. I got out when the car was shot to pieces. Many of &''()*+(,-'. the/0''123 kids were dead,” recalls Jay, “I was wounded. I got out, and Stop In Food Stores...Fast, friendly and Convenient a German soldier helped me. Stop In Food Stores...Fast, friendly and Convenient!"#$% Finally, we got into [an area] where - not the Nazis - but reg2.99 Pet Milk ular Germans helped us. And 2.99 then, from there, we were sent Oscar Mayer Jumbo Hot Dog, Frito Lay Chips and 32 oz. by boat to Flensburg.” Pet fountain drink When Flensburg was taken Nature’s Milk by the British Own Army and the Gallons Breadfrom EngPolish Army arrived 2 for land, Jay was placed in the Pol$4.99 $7.00 ish Army. “Nobody wanted to go to Deer Dozen eggs and Coke Park Poland for one thing,” Jay exPack of !"#$%&$'()*+,-./-'0(1 12 packs Water plained. “So the Polish Army Oscar Mayer 24-pack baconthat came out of England orga-

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nized all of us,” and they were made part of the Polish Army in Germany. “But,” he continued, “like anything else, you want to go home. So, finally, I went home.” Returning to Poland, Jay found his mother but not his father. He also made another discovery while there: the Polish people and government were now Communist. “So I said, ‘I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have come.’ So finally I figured out I have to get back. We still had the Polish Army in the British Zone, and in the French area, there were still a lot of Polish people there,” he said. Jay intended to return to West Germany, where the Holy Cross Brigade was serving occupation duty with the U.S. Army in Firstenfeldbruk. He made it to the German-Polish border, only to be arrested by the Polish border guards and confined in a Polish Communist prison. The plan was to send Jay to Russia for “reeducation” purposes. At the time, Jay had some goods in his possession that he gave to his Polish captors. They, in turn, put him to work on the outside in a park situated between the Polish and German sides of the river. Shortly after, he was joined by a German soldier who had escaped from the Polish prisoner-of-war camp, only to be recaptured. As Jay was the sole individual among the Poles in the prison who could speak German, he reached out to the German POW.

Photo submitted

John Jay Jr. today “I spoke to him, and we were a type of friends. So then we were cleaning the park and, on the other side, was East Germany and, of course, the Russians and the Communists. So I figured, if I can get out of here, I can probably make it.” To do so Jay would have to swim across a river. “There was a flour mill on the other side, and the miller was always looking at what’s going on.” Making his move, Jay climbed up a tree off the river and jumped into the river, swam across and reached the German side, where the miller who operated the flour mill sheltered him from the Communist authorities. He spent the night there while the miller’s wife cleaned his clothes. Leaving the next morning, Jay traveled the side roads, intending to visit the parents of the German POW he befriended. Along the way, Jay was arrested in East Germany, then was ultimately transferred to the Russians. He was in a Russian prison for six weeks. He persuaded his captors that he was a German prisoner-of-war and that

his family was in Konigsberg, in East Prussia. He decided to go to West Germany. To do that, said Jay, “I got together with smugglers. They were smuggling things out of East Germany into West Germany, and I made it there. And then, of course, from that point on, the Polish Armored Division was still in Munich. So I went to Munich and, from there, I went to France.” The division was going to France and its members were preparing to return to civilian life. Reaching France, Jay worked for an insurance company in Alsace. It was while he was in France that he met his future wife, the former Jeanne Tomczak. “I was going away to school in Strasbourg,” Mrs. Jay says of that meeting. “He kept on writing letters to me.” Married in June 1950, they’ve been together ever since. After Jay took off his soldier’s uniform for the last time, he and Jeanne eventually came to the United States, where he entered the banking business, and his wife, the insurance field. Both became American citizens in 1963. After raising their sons, the Jays came to Virginia, where in Blue Ridge they now live a quiet, contented life in retirement. After all he experienced during and after World War II, John W. Jay, Sr. certainly deserves it.

By Melvin E. Matthews, Jr. info@newsroanoke.com

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As the North Cross Raiders prepare for their opening game against Ben L. Smith, Greensboro, NC on Friday night, one might ask the following question: is it even possible for this group to attain the level of dominance they achieved in 2008? To recap: last year’s squad outperformed their competition on every level imaginable. Literally. After a loss to open the season, the Raiders won their next 11 games en route to the VISAA Division III State Championship. In those contests, the Raiders averaged an unheard of 43.6 points per game, and enjoyed an average margin of victory of 35 points. Needless to say even if the Raiders repeat as state champions, they almost certainly will do so without the “style points� racked up by the 2008 team. Fortunately, the Raiders won’t have to measure themselves against history. Instead, this group is looking forward to the task at hand. “Coming into the season we really wanted to put last year behind us, because it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s a new season with new challenges,� head coach Lee Johnson said. The Raiders’ main challenge will be incorporating a host of new faces on offense. Among those lost to graduation include All-State quarterback Glenn Williams, and 4 of 6 starters along the offensive line. “It’s tough,� Johnson said,

Sports

8/28/09 - 9/3/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 7

Raiders Look for Encore

“especially losing so many on the offensive line – that’s one of our holes right now.� Junior Fuller Clark, a twoyear starter at wide receiver, will slide over and assume the quarterback duties in 2009. “We knew going into the winter that it was gonna be Fuller’s job to take,� Johnson said. “He’s a smart kid and a good athlete and should do well for us there.� One thing that should work in Clark’s favor is the presence of Tyler Caveness in the backfield. Caveness, a senior, rushed for 1,900 yards last season, and is the type of back that can take over games, and perhaps more importantly take the pressure off of his new quarterback. “He is definitely the head of what we think is a good, solid running game,� Johnson said. “He’s the kind of guy who can take it 90 yards if you give him a seam.� The success of Caveness and Clark is tied inherently with the performance of the new offensive line, which remains a work in progress. “I think they’re getting more comfortable with each other, and I’m getting more comfortable with them,� Johnson said of the unit. “A lot of it is just getting reps with each other and meshing – which is key with all of the communication that has to happen – and it just takes time.� As the offense finds its way, the defense will be leaned upon heavily early on in the

Raiders head coach Lee Johnson

Photos by Bill Turner

Star Running back Tyler Caveness slips a tackle. season. And that might not be a bad thing, since the unit surrendered fewer than 10 points per game last season. “Our defense is definitely a strong point right now,� Johnson said. “Our offense is not at the point where I would feel comfortable getting into a shootout with anyone.� The schedule doesn’t do the Raiders any favors this season,

either. North Cross will take on two public schools, Ben L. Smith, Greensboro (NC) and James Monroe (W.Va.), as well as Blessed Sacrament, whom the Raiders defeated in the state title game - but the school also dealt North Cross their only loss last season. Also on the calendar are Atlantic Shores Christian, who captured the VISFA Di-

vision II State Championship, and Charlotte Latin (N.C.), who has won 4 of the last 5 NCISAA State Titles. “Obviously, if we can get to the playoffs, we’ll be prepared because of the teams we play,� Johnson said. Ultimately, with the roster changes and daunting schedule, Johnson and the Raiders have committed to taking things one day at a time. Only one thing is certain – the season ahead has the team’s full attention. “I’m hoping we can be a team that gets better with each week,� said Johnson. “If we

can do that, I think we have a chance to be pretty good. But if we’re not focused, we can easily lose some games.� Kickoff in Greensboro is set for 7:30 on Friday night.

By Matt Reeve Matt@newsroanoke.com

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Players on the Patrick Henry High School basketball squad helped out at the “Reach� clinic, held at PH recently. Calvary Chapel .EW CUSTOMERS ONLY .EW CUSTOMERS ONLY invited the group to Roanoke. The inspirational Reach team included Rick Harville, who played professional basketball in Europe after college. He has also been the Los Angeles Lakers volunteer chaplain for the past 27 years. Also on hand was Sherwin Durham, an NAIA All-American in college and at one time a member of Meadowlark Lemon’s Shooting Stars, where teammates included the likes of Curly Neal and the late Pete Maravich. Durham also played with the Harlem Globetrotters for seven years. Camp participants came from all over the valley; some who couldn’t afford it attended on a scholarship. Basketball techniques and “life skills,� were on the three-day agenda.

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Page 8 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 8/28/09 - 9/3/09

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Knights Hoping for Return to Prominence It wasn’t too long ago that the Cave Spring Knights were a force to be reckoned with in the River Ridge District. Back in 2005, Cave Spring went 10-2 and lost to the Liberty Minutemen in the state playoffs. Since then, however, things have been pretty bleak for the Knights. Cave Spring has suffered consecutive 2-8 seasons, and has not won a district game since 2006. Fortunately, a new season brings a clean slate, and with almost all of the team’s starters returning from last year, expectations are higher for 2009. “Last year, we played a whole bunch of young kids,� Head Coach Tim Fulton said. “We used last season as a time to gain maturity and experience, and we had to go through some adversity. Hopefully, the things we learned will show up on the field this year.� Offensively, the Knights look to be much improved from last season, when they failed to score more than 6 points in their last four games, including suffering two shutouts during that span. The unit does have talent, however. Junior quarterback

Josh Woodrum has all the tools, according to his coach, including something he lacked last year – game experience. “When Josh started out last year, he was just learning how to play at the varsity level, and what that was like,� Fulton said. “But he’s grown into that role, and grown as a leader, which is what you expect.� Listed at 6’3�, Woodrum has a terrific arm and good poise, and should also have a ton of weapons at his disposal. That group includes three tall, lanky wide receivers – juniors Nick O’ Keefe (listed at 6’2�), Tyler Kemp (6’2�), and Erik Jacobsen, an Honorable Mention All-State performer listed at 6’4�. “I don’t think there are many defensive backs in the area who can match up with those guys, especially with their height,� Fulton said. In the backfield, junior Michael Cole will lead the Knight’s rushing attack. Listed at 6’2�, 200 lbs, Cole could be tough to contain, according to his coach. “Michael has good speed, but also is big enough to be a power back as well,� Fulton said. Defensively, the Knights return their entire core of linebackers: seniors Coy Hypes,

Tucker Green and Corey Reese, and junior Adam Anderson. “We’re really expecting big things from those guys – they’re gonna be our playmakers,� Fulton said. However, in order to be successful, the unit will have to improve in terms of their ability to prevent big plays – specifically in the passing game. Much like the offense, the Knights defense experienced a meltdown of sorts to Photo by Bill Turner end the season, surrendering 30 or more points three times Tim Fulton in their final four games. turning starters, has led FulFulton believes his team ton to raise the bar of expecis not that far off from be- tations for his team in 2009. ing competitive in the dis“We have a very cohesive trict once again – emphasiz- bunch,� he said. “They’ve ening that the mistakes made joyed being together, they’re last season were typical of work ethic is great, and a young group learning the they’re pushing each other ropes at the varsity level. in practice. So, yes, we have “It was little stuff -- funda- high expectations for ourmentals, that the guys had to selves. We want to continulearn,� Fulton said, referring ally improve week to week.� to things like missed blocks, The Knights’ season bemissed assignments, not see- gins Friday night at Staunton ing the open receiver, and River, where they will take things of that nature. “We on the Golden Eagles. Game hope to reap the benefits of time is set for 7:30pm. being patient.� No matter what happens this season, the group has By Matt Reeve seemed to maintain a posiMatt@newsroanoke.com tive attitude in spite of their struggles in recent seasons. That, coupled with all the re-

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Those in the know in Salem say it was kind of like trying to play football blindfolded, when the United Gridiron Football League posted a news release on their website last week announcing the Salem area would receive a team, and begin play in the spring of 2010. Carey Harveycutter, Salem’s Director of Civic facilities, wasn’t happy no one from the UNGL called before sending out that press release. “It would’ve been nice for somebody to call me or at least send me the press release so I would’ve been prepared when the media called

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me,“ said Harveycutter. Harveycutter said he still supports the team coming to Salem (to the field-turfed municipal football stadium), but he just hopes for better communication in the future. (The UNGL had a false start in Salem earlier this year when it pulled the plug on a 2009 season, citing shaky financing.) “It doesn’t instill a whole lot of trust in the way they’re doing business,“ said Harveycutter, who added that he had a recent conversation with someone at the league office. â€œUntil we have a contract and deposit, we’re not going to do anything here.“ The league’s website was indeed confident about the future of minor league football here, saying “the Vir-

and Syracuse. It ginia Swarm will is expected that be its sixth team the majority of to begin play in UNGL players the professional will come from developmental colleges throughfootball league’s out the country 2010 Inauguas well as from ral Season. The Swarm Logo free agents with Swarm, planned NFL potential. to be based in the Salem VA area, will join All participants must be at the North Carolina Com- least 21 years old, and be no ets, Georgia Slashers (Co- more than five years removed lumbus), Alabama Black- from the expiration of their birds (Birmingham), Miami college football playing eliScorchers, Ohio Maraud- gibility. The UNGL will play ers (Akron/Cleveland) and by all NFL rules and referee teams soon to be announced standards. in Texas and Louisiana. (from media partner 140 players participated in WSLS-10 and UNGL webthe league’s first-ever regionsite) al mini-camp recently, which featured talent from major college programs like Ohio State, Florida State, Iowa

NewsRoanoke.com

Letters to the Editor Kudos from KIVA

Dear editor, I just wanted to let you know about a very neat surprise we found waiting for us while on vacation in Deltaville last week. Jennifer Ward wrote a wonderful book called I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature . Ashley, my wife, gave the book to me for Valentine's Day this year. We showcased I Love Dirt! on our Kids In the Valley, Adventuring! website, www.kidsadventuring. org I wrote to Ms. Ward a few months ago telling her about Ashley's gift to me and about our free nature club, KIVA. Ms. Ward was very pleased that we enjoyed the book and she mentioned that she had a new book coming out in July, Let's Go Outside. We picked up Let's Go Outside!: Outdoor Activities and Projets to Get You and Your Kids Closer to Nature before our family vacation in Deltaville. We were all sitting around the table after a long morning of crabbing, sailing, and swimming. I cracked open the book and started to read. The second chapter I read was about forming a family nature club. And there, right on the page was a very nice write up about Nature Clubs For Families, using our group KIVA as an example! We are very excited about being included in her book and thought we would share this great news with you! We had no idea that she was including our group in the book. It was a super-freaky thing, seeing our nature club Kids In the Valley, Adventuring! listed on the page. Thank you, Pam and the rest of the Star Sentinel staff for helping us spread the word about all the great places and parks to play here in the Roanoke Valley! Chip Donahue Roanoke,VA

Walking the Walk?

Dear editor, I discovered your newspaper while doing online research

concerning Boxley Materials for a community organization I represent in Henry County, Fieldale And Carver Environmental Society. I am concerned that recent articles appearing in your publication, the Martinsville Bulletin, and Roanoke Times are showing a one-sided view of Boxley as a “green” company and “environmental steward”. Money can buy a lot of public relations, but it can’t negate the facts. I would like to offer the following facts concerning this “environmental steward”. This includes documents indicating that perhaps Boxley’s statement in the Times was blatantly inaccurate. I pointed this out to the Times reporters after the article was published, but they chose to do nothing with the information. In the Times article - in “counter” to statements by myself, Boxley stated, “neither the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality nor an insurance investigator has found evidence to substantiate such complaints”. Those complaints were “excessive dust” and potential structural damage. Although it should be noted that at no time have we made any official definitive statement on structural damage. We have published DEQ documents that show in relation to “excessive dust” DEQ has issued documents indicating evidence of it. Furthermore, Boxley did receive a “Notice of Violation” from DEQ, and an Air Inspection Report states “staff members (Lisa Young and Frank Adams) observed excess fugitive emissions from the facility”. We also have a letter signed by Boxley’s Resource Engineer paying a $2,100 civil penalty in reference to a “consent order”. These documents include a copy of Boxley’s check #21687. We also have a Henry County Public Service Authority Complaint Information Sheet dated March 23, 2007. Below are two direct quotes from that document. “The primary problem with this part of the system is the blasting shaking the lines and

Community Calendar

disturbing the buildup resulting in orange water.” “Also it should be noted that line trash in the Carver area can be related back to the quarry blasting.” Also we have documentation that an oil spill took place in August 2001, identifying an “anonymous” reporter as stating up to 40 gallons of hydraulic oil was spilled in the area of Jordan Creek with the “suspected responsible party” being the organization Boxley Aggregates. Clean-up efforts appear to have consisted of dumping some sand and attempting to dig the material up. What amount made it into the water is “unknown”. This was never made public until we uncovered the documents. Most of these documents are published on our website http://fieldale.wordpress.com and I will be happy to provide you with copies of any of the documentation you may want. In 2005 complaint petitions signed by 75 residents of the community around the quarry were presented to the Henry County Supervisors (Martinsville Bulletin September 28, 2005). The citizens went back to the Henry County Board of Supervisors with their concerns in July of 2006 (Martinsville Bulletin July 26, 2006). Do “good neighbors” get complaint petitions? It is not the intention of our group to say that Boxley does no good things, but they have well-paid publicists to say that for them. It is also not our intent to “shut them down” as some would have you believe. Our intent is to present facts about what is going on in our residential community and is in our opinion being ignored. It is one thing to tell everyone what a good “environmental steward” your company is, but “walking the walk and talking the talk” are entirely different things. The documented facts referred to in this letter are evidence of the “walk”.

> August 28

Annual Big Picnic Mark your Calendars for the “Annual Big Picnic” which will be hosted by the Roanoke Valley Democratic Women. It will be held at the upper pavillion # 5 in Longwood Park on Main St. Salem,Va. on Friday,August 28, 2009 from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. All Democrats and their families are invited. Chicken, drinks,and paper goods will be provided. You may choose to bring a covered dish or dessert or make a $5.00 donation at the picnic. Elected officials and canditates in the November election have been invited. For additional information call Mary Bowers @343-1186 Meet the President of the Virginia Society for Human Life, Olivia Gans Topic - Healthcare Debate When - Friday, August 28th, 12:00pm Where - Great 611 Steak Company on Rt. 220 Cost - Dutch Treat For more - jbm98@cox.net

> August 29

Roanoke Republican 20th Annual Shrimpfest When - Saturday, August 29th, 6:00pm Where - Vinton Senior Center 814 E.Washington Ave,Vinton Cost - $20.00 in advance, $25.00 at the door, Kids 5-12 $10.00, under 5 free For more - Trixie Averill gopgirl2@aol.com

> Every 3rd Saturday

Redemption Playgroup A popular Bible-based strategy card game. Bring your own cards or use the group’s. Play against advanced opponents, or just come to learn the game.Ages 8 to 108 welcome. Please call if you have any questions! Family Friendly:YesVenue:Williamson Road Library Address: 3837 Williamson Rd NW, Roanoke VA Time: Every 3rd Saturday of the month, from 1pm to Todd Woodall 4:45pm Free:Yes Contact Name: Fieldale,VA Brent Paschall Contact Email: redadmin@redemptionva.

Commentary: Bowers Fiddles While Roanoke Burns Our Esteemed First Among Equals, Mayor David gave his State of the City speech recently and pronounced all is well. I voted for David, knowing he is clueless, considering him a placeholder and less dangerous than Harris. But all is not well. The City has no coherent, strategic plan. What is executed, is done with endless studies and mind-numbing flip-flops, while we endure a crumbling infrastructure, high tax rates, ineffective city leadership and an inferiority complex that is leaving us in a death spiral. Here is reality. In 2002 Roanoke sold $18 million worth of bonds for the renovation of Victory Stadium OR building a multi-purpose Amphitheater-athletic field. Victory Stadium is gone. I don't know where the multipurpose facility is, but I'm paying the debt service on the $18 million worth of bonds! The original concept for an

Elmwood Park Amphitheater was $6 million. Now it is $12 million. We’re going to spend $1.2 million cash money to determine how much the city will pony up each year (subsidy), in addition to debt service, so our quality of life can be culturally uplifted. In the winter one can attend the money losing Civic Center for cultural uplift, if they can afford it. The City is going to spend $700,000 cash money, so it can sell $8 million in bonds to "renovate" the market building, then give 51% ownership to some unknown (yeah right) non-profit. You didn't know that? Done for the tax credits. Kiss 22 parking spaces good-bye, sacrificed to the Burcham Memorial Streetscapping Project ($1.3 million) for pretty faux brick streets around the market building. Since the market building renovation and amphitheater

8/28/09 - 9/3/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 9

will be easy installment payments (20 year bonds), there is no need to be deterred by reality. After all the, city has the debt capacity to sell the bonds, re-paid with taxpayer revenue which is free money. REALITY CHECK: The state estimates a $1.3BILLION revenue shortfall this fiscal year. I estimate Roanoke’s revenue shortfall at between $7 and $12 million given the current budget. We could go to "Plan B" but there is no Plan B. Council paid the $2.7 revenue shortfall from last fiscal year from the rainy day fund. With a $7 to $ 12 million shortfall this year, when it “dips” again there won't be much rainy day fund left. Kiss our bond rating goodbye. Schools? You thought last year was bad starting with a $16 million shortfall because the state didn't come through?

This year’s state shortfall will be bigger, more robust and intractable. Couple it with reduced revenue from the city, based on its carefully crafted "plucked from air" funding formula then: Kiss the school system gains good-bye. Lest this sound like the sky is falling fear not. Council will raise taxes or the assessment rate, or, or.... The free money pot will replenish. The question is who wants to pay for this incompetence? The one Councilmember who seems to “get it” is Court Rosen. Were it not for his knowledge and leadership, in my opinion, the whole shooting match would have fallen apart by now. As for the Amphitheater fiasco it is like watching Nero fiddle while Rome is burning. Bob Craig Roanoke

com Contact Phone: (540) 354-5376 Website: http://www. redemptionva.com

> September 3

Congressman Bob GoodlatteTown Hall Meeting Topic - To discuss Healthcare and Cap & Trade When - Thursday, Sept. 3rd, 7:00pm Where - HiddenValley High School, 5000 Titan Trail, Roanoke Cost - Free

> September 7

Yard Sale To Benefit March of the Living Participants. Lots of Household items, Furniture, Clothes, Books,Toys and More! When - 8AM - Noon Where - Temple Emanuel 1163 Persinger Road SW

> September 12

Vinton Farmers’ Market Come to the new Art Market at theVinton Farmers’ Market, September 12, 10 AM – 3 PM. Buy and sell paintings, (oil, acrylic, watercolor, and other mediums), pastels, pencil, mixed media, photography, sculpture, stained glass, hand-made jewelry, fiber art (weaving, spinning, painted silk). Live music will be provided by “The Karlotta Tunes Show,” featuring traditional and folk tunes.There will also be a free craft area for children. Those interested in selling their work should call Mary Beth Layman at (540) 983-0613. Cave SpringVolunteer Rescue Squad Open House An Open House on Sept. 12 2009 from 12:00 noon to 4 P.M. It will include vehicle extrication demonstrations, music, food, free items, and an opportunity to see the apparatus up close. For more info please call 540-525-6801.

> September 15

Rain Barrel Construction Workshop Join us at the Blue Ridge Public Library on September 15, 2009, to learn how to construct a rain barrel. Participants will take home

a functional rain barrel, and must be able to load the barrel (55 gallon) in his/her vehicles at the end of class. The class is limited to 20 paid registrants. Supply fee is $40. Tuesday, September 15, 2009 6 – 8:30 pm Blue Ridge Public Library 28 Avery Row Roanoke Please call 772-7524 to register for the class by September 11, 2009.

> September 22

The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge Annual Meeting Carol Dalhouse will be the Keynote Speaker for the Annual Meeting of The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge. Ms. Dalhouse will share stories about the beginning of the organization in 1976 which started with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. When - 5:30 p.m. Where - Hollins University Registration is $20 and light refreshments will be served. Call 540 342-5790 or email info@ theartscouncil.org.

> September 26 - 27

Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival TWhen - Saturday, September 26, 2009 (11:00 AM-6:00 PM) Sunday,September 27,2009 (11:00 AM-5:00 PM) Where - LakeWatch Plantation Smith Mountain Lake Moneta,VA 24121 smlchamber@yahoo.com

> October 3

Mountain Lake & Covered Bridges - BusTour The Singles Travel Club (couples welcome too!), is sponsoring a bus trip to Mountain Lake and four covered bridges on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Passengers can board the bus at the Bonsack Walmart, Route 460, Roanoke.The cost of $69 per person includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation, buffet lunch at Mountain Lake Hotel’s Dining Room,Tour of four covered bridges and a tour host. For further information, call (540) 366-2888.

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Valley Business

Page 10 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 8/28/09 - 9/3/09

Small Business Administration Partners with StellarOne to Retain Jobs Senator Mark Warner joined Ronald E. Bew, Richmond District Director with the United States Small Business Administration Monday in Roanoke to congratulate Al Carpenter on the purchase of Francisco & Bush, a local CPA firm, which employs seven people. Business capital backing from the Small Business Administration and the programs at StellarOne Bank were combined to provide funding to purchase the company, preserving those seven jobs. The new firm is named Carpenter, Francisco & Associates. “With the current economic environment, I felt that purchasing a small business, where I am responsible for my own destiny, was a very attractive option. The lending process started with Karen and I literally sketching the purchase-financing plan out on scratch paper. Afterward, the team at StellarOne, which also included Gretchen Weinnig, was instrumental in developing the entire loan package, and submitting it to the SBA in a timely fashion. The loan went through the SBA approval process the very first time, a testimony to the thorough job the StellarOne team did,” said Carpenter. “As the economy continues to offer challenges for small businesses across the Commonwealth of Virginia, we see opportunity to help small businesses meet their borrowing needs by partnering with the U.S. Small Business Administration to take advantage of strong support programs,” said Karen Turner, Senior Vice President and Corporate Banking Manager for StellarOne, located in Roanoke.

Advance Auto Parts, Inc. has announced that the Roanoke-based aftermarket supplier has entered into a lease to expand its current office space to over 246,000 square feet at the Crossroads Corporate Business Center. The new long-term lease provides Advance the space needed to move employees located at 5673 Airport Road to the Crossroads location at 5008 Airport Road, transitioning from a multi-building office to one integrated corporate campus. The arrangement reflects Advance’s long-term commitment to the Crossroads Corporate Business Center complex in Roanoke. Currently, Advance occupies 156,000 square feet at the Crossroads Corporate Business Center (Crossroads Mall), where the company has been headquartered since moving into the office space in 2005. This expansion includes the former Dollar Duz It store

NCTC to Spotlight Growing Technology Hub The NewVa Corridor Technology Council (NCTC) will host “Demo Day & Tech Expo” September 18, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Roanoke Civic Center, in partnership with the City of Roanoke Office of Economic Development. The event will showcase a variety of both small and large technology companies located in the region including Roanoke, Blacksburg and surrounding communities, known as the NewVA region of Virginia. The NewVA region is home to a diverse and thriving technology and entrepreneurial community, with businesses specializing in the fields of biology, chemistry, nano-technology, materials science, autonomous navigation, software engineering, bio-informatics, fiber optics, water purification, aerospace, and information technology, among other disciplines. The NewVA region is also home to seven colleges including Virginia Tech, one of the nation’s premier research universities. A number of student projects will also be on display including those that have been used in international competitions. “It’s important that we continue to make connections and open dialogue between the academic institutions and the business community in our region.” said Mary Miller, President of the NCTC. “There’s a tremendous economic benefit from the collaborative efforts created when we work together.” For more information, visit www.TheTechnologyCouncil.com/ TechExpo.

District Congressman Bob Goodlatte (forefront, right) was an honored guest at the United Health Group facility on Thirlane Road. The “Part D” prescription drug plan provider is in the process of hiring more than 200 people to field calls from seniors and others on the Medicare-approved program. The Republican Congressman said it was “good to see so many new jobs,” come in to the area. United’s Government Affairs team in Washington D.C. invited Goodlatte; the insurance giant is keeping a close eye on the health care debate in Congress.

Nancy Howell Agee, Carilion Clinic’s Chief Operating Officer, has been appointed to the board of the Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest health care accreditation agency. The board is the Joint Commission’s governing body and consists of 29 voting members, including physicians, administrators, nurses, employers, a labor representative, health plan leaders, quality experts, ethicists, a consumer advocate and educators. Agee was appointed to the board as a representative of the American Hospital Association. “They could not have made a more appropriate choice,” said Carilion Clinic President and CEO Edward G. Murphy, MD. “We are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of Nancy’s inspiring spirit, tireless advocacy and unwavering commitment to our patients. It is not surprising that her leadership is recognized on a national level.” In addition to the new position on the Joint Commission

At Your Service! Deborah Lindsay

Justin M. Barnes

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ployed with AXA Advisors as a case design specialist. Weinnig and Barnes Graduate from the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management Gretchen Weinnig, Corpo2711 Franklin Rd. rate Relationship Manager at Roanoke,in VA 24014 StellarOne Roanoke, and

Justin M. Barnes, Vice President and Financial Center Manager of the Tanglewood Financial Center at StellarOne were among the 78 Virginia bankers who graduated August 7, 2009 from the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Man-

agement at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The three-year school is sponsored by the Virginia Bankers Association in cooperation with the McIntire School of Commerce at the University.

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and space recently vacated by the Department of Motor Vehicles. “I am excited at the opportunities ahead as we continue to expand our Roanoke office space for our Company and our Team Members,” said Darren R. Jackson, Chief Executive Officer. “We have our sights set on the future, and this additional workspace is just another part of Advance’s transformation story. In addition, this new space expands Advance’s presence and economic investment in the Roanoke Valley.” Construction and furnishings for the expansion would represent over $4.5 million in capital investments and is expected to be completed in six to nine months. This is in addition to the $4 million investment currently underway with the IT data center and Store Support Center café construction, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009.

Agee Appointed To Joint Commission

People in Business Roanoke Regional Chamber Names Vice President Deborah Lindsay has been named vice president of sales and membership services of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. Lindsay is in charge of Chamber membership development, member benefit programs, as well as overseeing leadership programs. Lindsay is a graduate of Roanoke College and holds an MBA from Loyola College in Baltimore. Before joining the Chamber, she had been em-

NewsRoanoke.com

Advance Auto Announces Expansion at Crossroads

Rick Frank, StellarOne Executive Vice President, Karen Turner, Sr. Vice President, Corporate Banking, Al Carpenter, President, Carpenter Francisco & Assoc., Sen. Mark Warner, Gretchen Weinnig, StellarOne Corporate Banker and Ronald E. Bew, SBA Richmond District Director.

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Nancy Agee

board, Agee serves on the Radford University Board of Visitors, and currently chairs the Board of the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association and the Foundation of Roanoke Valley. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 16,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States and is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality. Commissioners serve three-year terms that are renewable for up to three terms.

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Arts & Culture

NewsRoanoke.com

8/28/09 - 9/3/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 11

Run for the Arts: Combining Exercise and Art Appreciation

On October 17 you can work up a sweat while also developing a deeper appreciation for public art in Roanoke. That’s courtesy of a 4-mile “Run for the Arts,” being sponsored by the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, the Roanoke Arts Commission and the Roanoke Civic Center. The 9 a.m. run begins at the “In My Hands” public art sculpture that was erected and dedicated last year outside the Civic Center complex. It makes its way downtown, past other public art installations that have been funded by Roanoke City’s percent for art program, which takes 1% of the capital funds budget and sets it aside for such projects. Arts Council Member Services and Program Director Krista Engl said highlighting what Roanoke has to offer in the way of public art is the principle driver. “It certainly has been a collaborative ef-

fort …[highlighting] all of the wonderful public art that we have.” The Run for the Arts will also travel along greenways and includes a jaunt over the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge into Gainsboro. It is intentionally designed so that participants learn to appreciate public art in the city - the race will not be timed, and at designated venues runners must stop, take in the work and then receive a playing card. The Fallen Firefighter outside the Virginia Museum of Transportation and “Comma” at the corner of Salem Avenue and Market Street are two stops along the way. Those with the best hand at the end are the winners; thus it is a “poker run” for charity, like those used for some motorcycle fundraisers. Proceeds from the $25 entry fee ($35 after October 7, $10 for children) will benefit Arts

Council of the Blue Ridge programs. There is also a family walk planned and pets ($5 entry) are welcome also. The Access advertising and public relations firm is promoting Run for the Arts; VicePresident John Carlin is a runner himself and a member of the Roanoke Arts Commission. “I’ve run enough races to know that all I ever see is the pavement right in front of my feet or the back of the person in front of me.” A regular run past public art works wouldn’t be the same when you are just worried about breathing,” added Carlin. “We [had] to have a reason for people to stop by all these pieces of art.” Hence the idea of a poker run was conceived. “The important thing is that you stop and appreciate the art.” The best hand produced by a runner will win a fitting prize - a piece of local art. Carlin is cochair of the new Blue Ridge

Marathon next spring, which will also take runners past some of the cultural icons in Roanoke City, like the Taubman Museum and Jefferson Center. Engl said the running groups she has spoken to thought the new event “was neat and something different for them.” The funds raised “will help us continue to provide services to our local artists, [our] grants for artists program, Roanoke Youth Arts Connection and various educational programs,” said Engl about the Run for the Arts, which she hopes becomes a regular event. Contact Krista Engl at 224-1203 or kengl@theartscouncil.org for more information, or see theartscouncil.org. By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net The public art sculpture at the Roanoke Civic Center is where the Run for the Arts begins and ends.

“Synchronicity” Exhibit at The Water Heater

The Synchronicity exhibition opening for artists Bill (Billy Bob) Beamer and Pamela Rhodes was recently held at The Water Heater, nestled in the neighborhood of Old Southwest at 813 5th Street in Roanoke. Synchronicity in this case explores the intersection of the two artists’ work with the intent to come together in a meaningful manner and to reveal surprise, investigation, and wit. Beamer is a self-taught artist who retired from Virginia’s Department of Social Services after 30-plus years. In the 1990’s he had grown increasingly ill and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndrome. It was through biofeedback that he was able to “induce a trancelike state” by the act of repetitive drawing. These drawings or “messages” are approximately the size of a standard sticky note. Beamer says that it is the process of creating the ink or pencil messages and the tiny interwoven lines that causes the trance-like state. Referring to the value of art to those with chronic pain, Beamer (a distant relative to Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer) said psychologists told him that in addition to creating a distraction, the alpha waves in the brain are affected, thereby creating an alert but relaxed state, which reduces the pain. “Thanks to art, these illnesses don’t have me [down],” added Beamer. He has exhibited in over 50 solo, juried/curated, and invi-

Opening night attendees take in the exhibit. tational art shows. Beamer’s works can be found in numerous public and private collections, including the Governor’s Mansion in Virginia and the Virginia Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley. He also serves as a volunteer and teaches art classes at the Roanoke Rescue Mission, as a way to help people there deal with the pain in their lives. Beamer and Rhodes teach an orientation for his class, a launching pad for those that want to try new things. Pamela Rhodes says Synchronicity derives from the fact that both she and Beamer are Christians, “and that they both have a heart to help others.” Both enjoy contemporary, eclectic, and non-traditional art. Rhodes’ art is on small forms and her works, primarily watercolors, are portable to doctors’ offices and wherever else she goes. Her background includes

dancing, primarily classical ballet. She taught at Floyd Ward School of Dance in the early 80’s and returned in the late 90’s to dance with the Roanoke Ballet Theatre. While she has been drawing and painting since childhood, Rhodes returned to school at age 45 and graduated from Hollins University in May 2002, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio Arts. Rhodes experienced a lifechanging event when her only sibling died in June 2002 which “brought me to a screeching halt,” she noted. Both she and Beamer “have used our art as a release from pain.” After her brother’s death, she started doing smaller artwork patterned after her renditions of models with bigger eyes and “funkier” feet. She went to work at the Roanoke Rescue Mission in February 2003 as Coordinator

of the Arts Studio, where she also teaches. The Roanoke Rescue Mission has “been a good place to seek restoration and to give back.” Her “RutheBeth” character, who is described as ageless, has been a place to channel her pain, both physically and emotionally. Rhodes said the concept came into her life “at a time when she needed to be rescued.” Ruthebeth “began life as a spindly little creature dunking around with designer shoes, with wild hair, wearing haute’ couture or a spunky dancer with the best tutu and worst hair.” The more she drew her, the more personal it became. Ruthebeth is a “wonderful amalgam of the three women in my life that have informed and helped to form the woman I have become,” said Rhodes. “Ruth, my mom…E is my mom’s sister and my true second mother [both strong women and caregivers said Rhodes], and Beth, my daughter, perhaps the most important of the three. You could always tell what the three [of them] were thinking by looking at their eyes.” Synchronicity will be on exhibit at The Water Heater through September 19. For additional information or to make an appointment to view the artwork, contact Beth Deel at (540) 314-0994, or see The Water Heater Facebook page.

Valley Author has Exclusive Biography of Lynndie England

“Make up your own mind about what happened at Abu Ghraib” says Roanoke Valley author Gary S. Winkler, who has just released a book about Lynddie England, the young Army soldier caught up in the Iraqi prison scandal. Winkler, a Brooklyn born writer now living in Fincastle, spent part of his childhood in West Virginia, about ten miles from where England’s family grew up. “Tortured: Lynddie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs that Shocked the World” (Bad Apple Books) is the only authorized biography of England, who later had second thoughts after Winkler spent months coaxing a story out of her. The author feels England, then just 20, was “too immature” when she was thrust into the middle of an incident at the now-infamous Iraqi prison, where inmates were photographed in lurid poses and may have been subject to other harsh treatment. Winkler first met England in a parking lot, with her lawyer present, to discuss a possible book. “It took me three months of working with her one-onone to get her to open up about her experience. She has been conditioned to protect herself.” Winkler said the guarded England had a tendency to repeat By Susan Ayers things “without any emotion.” info@newsroanoke.com He also portrays the ex-soldier with some depth, outlining the

Virginia Tech Faculty to Perform in Chamber Music Masterworks Concert

dreams and aspirations she had as a child, even including some of England’s poetry. “Lynddie’s not a monster…she’s misguided and made stupid mistakes.” Winkler said the alleged abuse was well known at Abu Ghraib and may have only seen the light of day because of personality conflicts. England, who was then married, also had a child with a superior officer while in the Army and had other disciplinary problems, according to Winkler. She spent time in prison and was dishonorably discharged. He has seen more interest to date from the European press than from American news outlets for her story. Not everyone is happy that her version of events is coming out. An invitation for England to attend a Library of Congress event in Washington recently was rescinded, said Winkler, when authorities said they could not guarantee her safety. The project was not an easy one for the veteran writer, who went through “trunks full” of material in preparation. “I had to hammer her for eight months … to get the emotion and depth I needed for this book. I wanted to present her in a more human context.” Winkler wants readers to “make up their own mind about her guilt or innocence.”

By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net

Get set for Back to School and win a $500 Shopping Spree!

The Virginia Tech Faculty Chamber Music Ensemble will perform this Saturday night. The University Chamber Music Series of the Virginia Tech Department of Music presents its first concert of the season, Neoclassical Masterworks, under the baton of Travis J. Cross on Saturday, Aug.29 at 8 p.m. in the Squires Recital Salon. This concert of music by master composers showcases members of the Virginia Tech music department faculty. "This program provides a compelling glimpse into the musical aesthetic of the years between the world wars," states Travis J. Cross, assistant professor of music. "In these works,

master composers look back to classical forms through a modernist eye. They brilliantly challenge audiences with new and interesting sounds within the familiar context of established tonality." The program will feature Paul Hindemith's "Morgenmusik;" Sergei Prokofiev's "Sonata in D Major, Op. 94;" Charles Ives' "General William Booth Enters into Heaven" and "The CampMeeting at the River;" and Igor Stravinsky's "Octuor." Performers include Elizabeth Crone, flute; David Jacobsen, flute; Sue Barber, bassoon; John

Husser, bassoon; David Widder, clarinet; John Adler, trumpet; Peyden Shelton, trumpet; Jay Crone, trombone; James Sochinski, trombone; Tracy Cowden, piano; Theodore Sipes, voice. Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 senior, and $5 student and are available at the University Unions and Student Activities Box Office in Squires Student Center. To order tickets, call (540) 231-5615 or visit the box office online at http://www. tickets.vt.edu/

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Page 12 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 8/28/09 - 9/3/09

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