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Community | News | Per spective
July 2 - July 8, 2010
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[Roanoke Valley Life]
Salem’s All-American Fair
Teamwork Saves Roanoker’s Life
Tiger Skeeters P3– Roanoke backyards have a relatively new invader that makes hanging out a bit of bite.
Norma Anderson (fourth from right) meets some of the people that helped save her life.
Photo by Mike Stevens
Stephanie Koehler
Warning Signs P4– RSS Columnist Stephanie Koehler says paying attention to life’s “warning gates” is key to our success.
Putt Masters P7– Roanoke’s leading professional putters lay down unbelievably low scores during their weekly outings.
The 23rd Annual Salem Fair gets under way on Thursday July 1st and will run eleven consecutive days through Sunday July 11th. The signature Roanoke Valley event is now America’s largest “free-gate” fair and attracts over 300,000 patrons annually. While the rides throughout the carnival midway are a daily hit, the “state fair-like” attractions, displays and nightly shows within the Salem Civic Center’s main concourse are a big draw as well. One longtime attendee advises that “if you haven’t seen “Hedrick’s Racing Pigs,” you haven’t really lived . . .”
Fire Station 5 Opening Draws Sizeable Crowd
Despite the sweltering heat located at 216 12th Street, NW and humidity, members of the and Station 9 located at 514 community came out in droves 24th Street, NW. Personnel to celebrate the grand opening from both stations have reloof Roanoke’s new Fire-EMS Stacated to the new station. tion 5 held on Monday, June 28. “We’ll remember our past, Roanoke City Manager Chris but are excited about the fuMorrill was pleased to see the ture. We took the poles that large attendance and remarked, were used at Station 3 when it “This is not just a fire station. It’s closed in 2007 because of Capfor the community. I’ve been to tain Chris Brown, who passed a lot of these events in other citaway last October passed ies. It’s quite unusual to see so away. It was his idea that the many members of a community poles could be used at the new present.” station. Firefighters have also Also in attendance and on salvaged other pieces from fire hand for the ribbon-cutting cerstations that have closed and emony were local dignitaries, this has saved a lot money,” Virginia’s Secretary of Public said Chief David Hoback. Safety Marla Decker, commu“Station 5 is Leadership nity leaders, retirees from the in Energy and EnvironmenPhoto by Susan Ayers department and Fire-EMS per- City officials and community leaders cut the ribbon at No.5. tal Design (LEED) certified,” sonnel. said Mayor David Bowers. personnel began moving into the new facilThe Station 5 construction LEED certification provides project started in the fall of 2007 with the ity last week on June 22, one day after con- independent third-party evaluation that a consultant selection process.The bid pro- struction was completed. building project is Located at 1920 Orange Avenue, the new environmentally > CONTINUED cess took place in October 2008. Construction began on January 12, 2009. Fire-EMS Station 5 consolidates the former Station 5 responsible, finan- P2: Fire Station
Farmer Takes Initiative - Bails Hay From Golf Course
River Jam P11– Gene Marrano previews the upcoming “Down by the River” music festival featuring Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.
Linwood Caldwell, 75, has been mowing around Countryside Golf Course for 55 years. Caldwell began mowing the 12th fairway Monday, planning to bail the hay Tuesday morning barring any precipitation. He and his brother have mowed parts of the golf course and airport property for hay to store in his barn. He estimates that 350 rolls will fill his barn to bulging -- he will sell any additional rolls. Caldwell has about 14 head of cattle on his Bradshaw road farm. He said his mower alone cost $4800. He reminisced back to the days when diesel fuel was only 45 cents a gallon and twine
for bailing was $10.95. A team of horses did his first mowing in 1949. He bailed in squares until he got a roller. Nowadays, he pays $2.45 a gallon for diesel and $36.95 for twine. It costs him $400 in fuel just to mow the Countryside property. His papers from the city still sat at home waiting for a signature Monday. He became frustrated at spending the last month dealing with Lynn DeHart of the Parks and Recreation Department. They wanted him to trim and weed-eat in ad> CONTINUED P2: Farmer
Photo by Valerie Garner
Free-spirit farmer, Linwood Caldwell, mows Countryside.
A Roanoke family found out in May just how well the coordinated efforts of public safety units and Carilion Clinic can work when a woman suffered a heart attack while driving on US-220 in Franklin County. The sheriff ’s department used triangulation technology to locate Norma Anderson after receiving frantic cell phone calls; Franklin County EMS transported her to a hospital in that area. Next, Carilion’s Lifeguard 10 helicopter took Anderson to Carilion Roanoke Memorial for further treatment. Last Sunday the Anderson family, Franklin County Sheriff Ewell Hunt and Sgt. Dan Hale, along with the EMS personnel, the dispatcher on duty (on May 16) and the Lifeguard 10 crew that saved Anderson’s life, all gathered to celebrate a true team effort. Franklin County deputy sheriffs used the portable fibril> CONTINUED P2: Teamwork
“Eat for Education” Campaign Begins A campaign dubbed “Eat for Education,” was launched Wednesday in front of the Texas Tavern. The two-percent meal’s tax starts July 1 and Mayor David Bowers recognized that “the meals tax may impact restaurants and their customers.” The two-percent tax will go to combat the budCity Govt get shortfalls for Roanoke City Schools. The campaign, still in its infancy, invites area restaurants to participate in the program. Several restaurants have already taken the challenge ,according to Thomas Becher of the Becher Agency. Members of council and city staff filled the sidewalk in front of the Texas Tavern in support of the effort. Matt Bullington, owner of Texas Tavern, is one of the restaurants who will sport the “Eat for Education” logo in his window. “This is a unique op-
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> CONTINUED P2: Education
]
Page 2 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 7/2/10 - 7/8/10
> Fire Station Sunshine is in the forecast for Thursday with highs near 80. We will continue to see sunshine for Friday and Saturday with highs in the low to mid 80s. A few more clouds start to move in on Sunday as temperatures and humidity levels start to slowly rise. Highs Sunday will top out in the upper 80s.
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cially beneficial and a healthy place to live or work. The $4.8 million new state-of-the-art facility has been built for the use of the community as well. It has a gender friendly environment. Other features include dorm rooms, a fitness room, four bays to accommodate modern fire and EMS apparatus, office space for the Battalion Chief and Station Captain and a police sub station. “This is an example of what we are doing for Northwest. This is just as important as to the City,” added Bowers.
From page 1
“Station 5 also houses the department’s new Pierce ladder truck with a 105-foot ladder on top. The truck itself carries a price tag of $843,000 and with all the equipment included ran close to $1 million. It’s a phenomenal truck,” enthused Hoback. Secretary Deeker’s comments summed up the pride felt by everyone present: “In the design of this building, there has been a place for community. You have been a place for community. You have a commitment from the City at a time when the economy is in a downturn. The City could have turned
> Farmer
they can let it grow up.” He said, “I ain’t a contractor I’m a farmer.” He explained that he was covered by the Farm Bureau. He gets 40 bails of hay when mowing the Lawrence Transfer property across I-581 and “they are grateful,” said Caldwell. While his recent colon surgery slowed him down, his friend Jim Brown took over the tractor to finish the 12th fairway. Caldwell, resting by his pickup truck, was all smiles talking about farming, his children and grandchildren. He is giving them parcels of his property to build their homes. Caldwell’s resistance to the “establishment” has won the hearts and the protection of the community. When they refer to Caldwell he is called the “free spirit of Countryside.” By Valerie Garner info@newsroanoke.com
> Teamwork
> Education portunity to get involved,” said Bullington. John Dudley, president of the Roanoke Valley Hospitality Association said, “This is a great way for restaurants, at no cost to them, to encourage the public to eat for a great cause.” The campaign is a joint initiative through the City of Roanoke, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Roanoke Valley Hospitality Association, and Downtown Roanoke, Inc. Restaurants that participate in the program are invited to complete a form that will allow participant customers to enter a monthly drawing to win a $50 gift card to be used at participating restaurants. To be eligible customers must mention they’re “eating for education.” Every Tuesday night restaurants will be encouraged to offer a special menu to attract families to support public education. Once a month Roanoke City School employees will be welcomed at city restaurants and encouraged to eat out or take
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its back but it didn’t. The firehouse has come to fruition. At this time of economic challenges, public safety has to be preserved. When you say you’re going to put a building in, you have to do it. It says a lot about community. It’s a great thing to commemorate this building. This building is a way to the future and hopefully, will be a model for future buildings, not just in Roanoke, but throughout the rest of the Commonwealth.” By Susan Ayers info@newsroanoke.com
From page 1
dition, he said. Caldwell just wanted to do it for free. He pulled out a map given to him by Parks and Recreation and said, “They didn’t even know what property was theirs and what was the airport’s.” A resident who lived on the 12th fairway helped explain the parts of the land swapped with the airport. Assistant Manager Brian Townsend insists that “legally” they only have to mow a 50 foot perimeter around the golf course and abutting property. Townsend got specific, saying that “it is not a park but open space.” “It is almost too late to get the hay,” said Caldwell. When asked what he meant by that he explained that it could grow too high -- undergrowth can make the hay unusable. He added something about it turning green (that this city slicker didn’t quite understand). The papers he had yet to sign say he needed to post a $500,000 bond and sign a liability waiver. Caldwell said, “If they don’t like it
lation devices they had been trained on to resuscitate Anderson – who had no pulse at one point. “I could tell the dispatcher had a frantic call,” recalled Hunt at a news conference, held at the Lifeguard 10 home base in Roanoke. Hunt added that it was “tremendously rewarding to save someone’s life. This person is able to continue to … be with their loved ones. Everything clicked together, because time was of the essence.” Hale recalled that Anderson “started to come around,” after they used the AED’s (the portable defibrillators used to shock a heart back into normal rhythm), but it took several shocks before her pulse started to stabilize. Franklin County EMS operations manager Capt. Patrick Meeks said, “Everything just fell into place, that day, even
NewsRoanoke.com
From page 1
during a frantic situation.” “It took a lot of people,” said Hale. “Anderson (59) also received six shots as they attempted to revive her,” said Meeks, adding, “all of that training paid off; when you create a system it works.” It was the first “successful save” in Franklin County he pointed out, after installation and training on the AED’s. Deputies started carrying the AED’s in their vehicles about five years ago. One of Anderson’s daughters, Tara Williams, thanked those who were involved; “all of you are responsible for my mother being here.” William’s daughter was in the car with her mother and Anderson on May 16, and “started screaming,” when she noticed that “Nana had passed out.” Anderson, who was on a ventilator for three days, “doesn’t remember anything”
about the incident, said Williams. “We’ve seen the miracle unfold,” added niece Kristie Johnson, who was at the hospital all 11 days Anderson was there. “God has been in my life,” said Anderson, who just kept saying “thank you, thank you” as people stepped forward to talk about their part in saving her life. Anderson said the spirit of her deceased daughter Tracie was sent by God “to bring me back … because God is not ready for me.” There were smiles and hugs all around last Sunday. “I’m fine now,” said Anderson. “I’m just so thankful.” By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net
From page 1
out. All restaurants have been notified of the program and the city and partner organizations are in the process of gathering the names of participating restaurants that will sport the window sticker logo – “Eat for Education.” Landon Howard, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that the board of directors voted unanimously to offer free membership to all area restaurants in the Roanoke Valley for one year. “It’s very important as we know our restaurant community is looking to attract more visitors … our cuisine beats anybody else and we want to prove that,” said Howard, who is just four months into his job. The offer of free membership will be made to Roanoke City, Salem City, Roanoke County, Franklin County and Botetourt County. Bowers asked, “all people of Western Virginia to come into Roanoke and participate in this program – have fun and eat well – and benefit the schools.”
David Bowers addresses citizens in front of the Texas Tavern. For more information visit www.EatforEducationRoanoke. com.
By Valerie Garner info@newsroanoke.com
Miss Virginia 2010 Crowned The 75th Annual Miss Virginia pageant finale was held Saturday, June 26th at the Roanoke Civic Center. The top four finishers were (left to right) Shannon Oliver (Miss Virginia Beach) third runner up, Shannon Beam (Miss Apple Blossom Festival) first runner up, Caitlin Uze (Miss Greater Richmond) Miss Virginia 2010, Lindsay Morris (Miss Arlington) second runner up, and Madison Van Duyne (Miss Roanoke Valley) fourth runner up. Uze was awarded a $16,500 scholarship for winning the Miss Virginia title. She had also won a $500 scholarship Friday night by winning
the swimsuit competition. She will compete in the Miss America contest in January 2011. The new Miss Virginia plans on promoting her platform of “building a positive self image” during her reign. This year the pageant aired live on eight television stations in five states and on the internet. Over $50,000 in scholarships was awarded at this year’s event. Text And Photo By Jim Bullington
7/2/10 - 7/8/10 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 3
NewsRoanoke.com
Tiger Mosquitoes Wreak Havoc Half a World Away from Native Land
Photo by Dave Perry
Jeremy Holmes swats a mosquito while wife Maria St. Clair and daughter Penelope Holmes brave a few minutes outdoors. makes it difficult when it gets warm to enjoy coming into the yard.” Part of the problem is simply locating the mosquitoes' breeding grounds. “We don't have a good idea of the source,” said Holmes, although he and St. Clair suspect nearby rental properties that may not be well-maintained. “All the neighbors seem to have the same problem that we do.” Holmes added, “We've tried all kinds of strategies. We try our best to make sure we don't have the standard issues: no standing water, gutters cleaned out. We've planted lemon grass and verbena and some of these things that are supposed to keep them away, but none of them worked.” Gaines said finding the source of the breeding mosquitoes can be a challenge in an urban environment, because Asian tiger mosquitoes can breed in small pockets of water and tend to roam.“In urban areas where homes are closer together, they are found even around homes that have no suitable breeding containers,” he said. “That is because they spill over from neighboring properties that have breeding sites.” He added that shady, suburban neighborhoods like south Roa-
Sonnie Johnson to Appear at July 4th Tea Party Celebration Sonnie Johnson is a 29 year old woman who has had enough of governmental interference. Don’t call her African-American, call her black -- the description she prefers. She was born and raised in Richmond, VA and was taught “I was supposed to be a Democrat and I believed it.” Prior to the election of Obama, she began to involve herself in politics. “Not only did I realize that I was not a Democrat, but I was very conservative.” She brought God, her culture, lessons learned in the past and history with her into the political arena. Since then, she has been re-teaching herself history and forming her own conclusions on what she thinks government should look like. Johnson is going to be the keynote speaker at “An American Celebration,” an event sponsored by the Roanoke Tea Party and Fox Radio 910 on Sunday, July 4th. The event will be held at Elmwood Park from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is free and non-partisan and all are invited. The Celebration will be equal parts celebration, education, discussion and fun for all, including children’s activities, games and prizes. In addition, there will be a re-creation of Patrick Henry’s historic “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” address and a full reading of the Declaration of Independence. Johnson, the Virginia President of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, was a runaway hit at a previous Tea Party event and was asked back to share her reflections on being an American citizen. Tea Party member John Lawless said, “She was an absolute smash hit at our April 15th rally and everyone loved her from the start. She told me beforehand she was nervous as a cat, this being her first speaking engagement for the Frederick Douglass Foundation. I think everyone can relate to her story of rising from humble beginnings, but never feeling she was deprived or mistreated.” Johnson relates that her biological mother is a crackhead. Johnson says that “God led me kicking and screaming into the political arena and I just have to see what He has in store for me.” She says that “blacks have been living the last 40 years with government intrusion and it is time to stop.” She thanks the civil rights workers for their tireless work in the past, but thinks it is time for them to retire and let the next generation do their thing. “We face new issues now. I never experienced riding in the back of the bus and all my school classes were integrated.” The Maggie Walker Initiative is a new project for Johnson, with its goal being to compare
Photo by Greg Aldridge
Sonnie Johnson addresses the Tea Party event in April. and contrast what our communities were like when we had a true limited government. She explains that Richmond was once known as “The Black Wall Street” because it was built by blacks and they owned and ran their businesses there. Mrs. Walker was founder and CEO of what is now Consolidated Bank and Trust in Richmond. She stated the NAACP and Democrats came into that area of Richmond, took over and turned Wall Street into the projects. Johnson feels she is being ignored by the mainstream media and while she takes it personally, she warns them not to take her lightly. She says Republicans celebrate her and Democrats ignore her because she exposes the Democrats’ role in erasing black history. She pointed out that the Democrats changed the name of the Maggie Walker Governor’s School to just the Governor’s School and are ignoring the history of blacks in the area.
“Blacks suffer under big government and the Tea Party helps us fight back. Tea Partiers are not racists, they help black people.” Johnson believes the Democrats push a “victim mentality” on black people. “Life is not fair to anyone and you have to learn to play the cards you were dealt. Look at Jay-Z, he used to be a drug dealer and now he is a hip hop star and business owner. Look at Michael Steele; he rose to head the RNC. I do not support Obama because I love my country and it is worth fighting for.” She wants people of all color to find positive figures in life and work hard because it is liberating. Next up for Johnson is an appearance in a documentary by Citizens United about Michelle Bachman. She also runs the blog didshesaythat.com. By Carla Bream info@newsroanoke.com
noke “often have a constant background level of Asian tiger mosquito activity.” Holmes and St. Clair say their nightmare usually begins in May and lasts through September, although this year, the bloodsuckers appeared in April. Time of day doesn't seem to matter. “They're bad all day long. We don't get any rest from them ever,” said St. Clair. “We're okay in the front yard,” said Holmes, who was quickly corrected by St. Clair: “We're better in the front.” What about good old-fashioned bug spray? “I don't like to use it and put all those chemicals on Penelope,” said St. Clair. The weather doesn't offer any respite either. “There may be a brief time after a rain when you can come out for maybe fifteen minutes” before being attacked, said Holmes. And because of their unique breeding habits, Asian tiger mosquitoes are largely immune to dry spells. “Asian tiger mosquitoes will be prevalent in both dry and wet years because most of the containers they breed in are sheltered from wind and sunlight,” said Gaines. “Accumulations of water in containers that are shaded and sheltered from wind evaporate very slowly. “For example, in 2002, which was a very dry year, I put a five-gallon bucket full of water under trees in my back yard and left it there from the beginning of June to the end of August,” he said. “Even though Richmond City only had a few rain showers in that period, and daytime temperatures were consistently high, there was still more than half a bucket of water standing after three months.” Gaines added, “Although the water in my bucket was treated with a larvicide, a similar untreated bucket of water could potentially produce 100 tiger mosquitoes a week during the summer months.” Despite starring in their own Hitchcock thriller every summer (think “The Birds,” but itchier), Homes and St. Clair have no intention of packing up and leaving for a less buggy location. “I will cut everything down in this back yard” before moving, St. Clair proclaimed, as much to the clouds of invading mosquitoes, as to this reporter. Contact David at dave@davidperryonline.com
Icimani Adventure Dedication Honors Longtime Volunteer Once upon a time, there was a Girl Scout camp named Dark Hollow. The camp itself was sold in 2007, and Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council bought Icimani Adventure Center on Yellow Mountain Road in Roanoke. A summer camp — Dark Hollow Day Camp — made the jump to Icimani, so the name lived on. For 30 years, the director of Dark Hollow Day Camp was Trish McMahon — a lifetime Girl Scout and powerhouse volunteer who at one time was even president of the council’s board. Trish still serves with the Archives Group, a band of dedicated ladies who meticulously preserve artifacts of the council’s rich history, and she supports Girl Scouting in a myriad different ways. Last year, Trish (whose camp nickname was Roo) announced that the 2009 summer camp season would be her last as director of Dark Hollow Day Camp. Her fans and friends and former campers struggled to find a unique way to honor this dynamic woman. They decided to launch the “Remember Roo” campaign, to raise funds to dig a well and run electricity to a remote part of Icimani, where a camping area is planned. Nearly 200 donors provided the money, and the water and electricity were installed. On June 23, campers at the 2010 Dark Hollow Day Camp joined
Nina Zanella, Development and Public Relations Officer, unveils the Dark Hollow tribute sign. council staff, donors, the Archives Group, family and friends to dedicate the utilities in Trish’s honor. A sign will be affixed at the future camping area: “In
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One Roanoke family has reason to wonder if they live in southwest Virginia—or Southeast Asia. No, they aren't geographically challenged. But they are overrun with winged pests more common to Vietnam and the Philippines than Rosalind Ave., the street Jeremy Holmes, wife Maria St. Clair and daughter Penelope Holmes call home. “We have a nasty seasonal mosquito problem,” said Jeremy Holmes. “Once it gets warm, we almost can't even go in the backyard.” He's talking about the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), an invader from across the Pacific that's made itself at home in the Roanoke Valley and across the southeastern U.S. since 1991. Far more aggressive than its domestic cousins, the Asian tiger mosquito likes to breed in containers commonly found in urban environments, such as potted plants, old tires or clogged gutters, rather than swamps or marshes. “The Asian tiger mosquito is found in most parts of Virginia, and we have collected it in abundance in the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley regions,” said Dr. David N. Gaines, state public health entomologist. According to Robert Parker, southwest regional public information officer with the Virginia Department of Health, there were 17 complaints made about mosquitoes to the health department in Roanoke in 2009, but just three so far in 2010. However, Parker said to “keep in mind most mosquito complaints tend to be later in the summer and early fall when mosquito populations typically are higher.” The complaints are frightening, because Asian tiger mosquitoes can carry diseases. “Last year there were five human West Nile virus cases and one La Crosse encephalitis case identified in Virginia. None of these occurred in the Roanoke Valley,” said Gaines, and “Asian tiger mosquitoes are capable of transmitting either of these diseases.” That's a scary prospect for Holmes, because the mosquitoes have a fondness for his wife and daughter. “My wife and Penelope are particularly delicious apparently, because when they come out they get swarmed,” said Holmes. “It
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Perspective
Page 4 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 7/2/10 - 7/8/10
If Only Life Had Warning Gates Recently, I was at the home of Nepal. As I looked closer of a friend who has done a there was a large ornate gate – great deal of traveling in South or door -- just in front of the Asia – specifically Nepal. As group. What on earth would an artist, her home be the purpose of is filled with specsuch a gate – with tacular paintings, no locks or chains -sculptures, artifacts a 9-hour trek from and treasures. Every the nearest civilizawall, every corner, tion – on a virtually every table and every inaccessible road in bookshelf tells the the middle of the story of her life and most severe mounthe lives of the peotains in the world? ple she has encounWhile image was tered. The space is Stephanie Koehler powerful – the exso alive – it’s as if planation was inyou are transported through an tensely thought provoking. intricate tale of lives and culAccording to the trekking tures – and our interconnect- guides, the gate was placed edness as humans. there hundreds of years ago as As I wandered very slowly a warning to travelers. Not as a through this maze of vivid warning of impending attacks colors and shapes – trying to or violent tribes – but rather soak in every detail – I was as a gentle warning that the drawn to a small photograph road becomes more challengof what looked to be a barren ing ahead. This small point – and jagged mountain range. I on a long and difficult journey began to get a perspective on was simply meant to say, “you the vastness and severity of the are welcome here – but know mountains as my eyes focused the difficulties of what you are in on the tiny people and mules about to face.” wandering along the narrow If only life had such obvipath in the Western Himalayas ous and unavoidable warning
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gates. From the time we are small children, it is easy to be lured into believing we have accurately assessed the path we are traveling and evaluated the possible challenges and pitfalls. However, as the years go by – and the older we get -- do we ever get better at recognizing the signs of what lies ahead? Do we even look for them? Do we consciously ignore them… “overriding” their warning – certain we can make a better judgment? In the weeks since my encounter with that photograph – I have spent a great deal of time looking back on my life -- re-evaluating the moments where I was seemingly “blindsided” by an action, reaction or situation. Had there indeed been warning gates? Did I miss them? Did I ignore them? Did I just crash through them with no regard? I suspect I am guilty of each scenario. While it is useless to punish ourselves for the choices we’ve made and the outcomes that followed – it is perhaps helpful to look back and gain perspective so we can better recognize – and appreciate -- the gates when they appear. And most importantly – the wisdom to heed their warning – by either turning back or proceeding with proper preparation.
Mastering the Art of Truth Tell . . . Er, Stretching
From years ago: I was over at Sabrina's with son Cailan the other day. He and Chester, her same-aged son, were playing outside. I was just cleaning up from setting some new bathroom shower doors into place when the two young scalawags came and Cailan asked, "Can I borrow some work gloves, Dad?" "Work gloves!!" My son is not known for his conspicuous industry. I dropped my hammer and put a parental hand to my son's forehead, suspecting a febrile illness since he had used the words `I' and `work' in the same sentence. "Please, Dad," he persisted. Then, embarrassed by this outburst of civility, he brought it quickly under control. "I really need them!" Were I a more open-minded man, I might have assumed that my son had rather abruptly developed a work ethic. But history instructs that Cailan traditionally defers reform in the interest of self-gratification. My son the voluptuary.
This is not truly hypocrisy; a hat. not like storing your stack "Little rocks, Dad." My son of Playboys in the herewith painstaksame drawer as ingly demonstrated your Bible. It's just the size of a rock a little kid trying which was no largto get by...without er than a mediumworking. sized virus. I gave them the I began thoughtgloves; he turned to fully, "You wouldn't leave, and then said have thought a over his shoulder, rock..." "Hey, Dad? You "Pebble," Honknow those old est Abe Garvin, Lucky Garvin glass shower doors sparing no effort, you set out for the sought to refine trash men? Could Chester my understanding of the and I throw rocks at them?" event. This next I report with "Pebble... that small could shame.... have done that much damI said, "Son, have you by age." any chance already thrown "That's what I told Chester, rocks at it?" Dad!" In a rare concession to full Chester, nodding vigorousdisclosure, my son mumbled, ly, sensing a narrow escape, "Them." confirmed, "He did!" "Them?" I'm too old for this Solo"Both doors," he faltered. mon bit. "They're a little..." "Destroyed?" I offered. Contact Lucky at "Chester threw the rock!" info@theroanokestar.com "Did not! And you threw one too!" Chester turned state's evidence at the drop of
The Happy Chef
I found this recipe at www. By Stephanie Koehler stephaniekoehler@cox,net RecipeGirl.com. It looked so good and Patriotic! I am 39 and on my 40th lap around the sun I have suddenly found myself enthralled with American history. If you view life from eyes that believe an all powerful and extremely lov• Divorce • Traffic ing God created this world • Social Security Disability then you find it quite easy to be amazed by nature, science and history for all these 28 Years things point back to the God Experience who designed it all. I watched the series Amer345-6622 ica – The Story of Us on the History channel and it compacted American History 335 W. Church into 6 – 2 hour episodes. It Ave., Roanoke was pretty wild; a whirlwind (Next to City of explorations, expansions,
Courthouse)
discoveries, inventions, engineering feats, technological advances, bloodshed, defeats and triumphs all in one powerful series! Maybe I was too distracted when I was in school or did not have a heart for history at the time because there were so many things I learned that I had forgotten or never knew. All of human history is full of unbelievable stories of innovative and brave people who create and do amazing things but I guess American history may fascinate me the most because I feel it is so close to us and who we are today. I guess I feel hope in that maybe by discovering who we were we will find our way
Star~Sentinel Crossword for 7/2/2010
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www.CrosswordWeaver.com
ACROSS 1 7 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 26 27 28 29 32 33 35 37 39 40
Cower Royal color Queues (2 wds.) North African country Ceasar's four Gas burner On top Son Beloved Grip Horse's walk And so forth Timid boy Morse code "T" Feel Both Cooking devices Bring up again Finale Before, poetically Mismatched
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Sent by post Except on a condition Lays in the sun Clairvoyance Bumpkin Wrath End Flightless bird Wrest Marsh Stick candy bar brand Laughter sound Mined metals Opposed Greek "N" Chic (2 wds.) Train (2 wds.) Common finch Befitting
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Steel worker’s tool Ontario (abbr.) Swerve Eastern Standard Time Respiratory organs Whelp Card game Phone sound Post script Roanoke''s Chinese sister city. Worlds Outcast Struggle Inflammatory disease American sign language A cozy room (2 wds.) Arab chief Dukes Strangely Movie on tape Meet Not (refix) Our own Gene. Afloat Pervert Clamor Alter Influential Smash (2 wds.) Legume Roanoke bath systems where the best just keeps getting better. White poplar Sandwich meats All Floor covering Seed bread Fasten Southwest Centimeter
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Find the answers online: TheRoanokeStar.com · Have a clue and answer you’d like to see? email: puzzles@theroanokestar.com
By Don Waterfield
by Leigh Sackett
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The Roanoke Star-Sentinel C o m mu n i t y | N ew s | Pe r s p e c t i ve
540-400-0990 Publisher | Stuart Revercomb | stuart@newsroanoke.com Features Editor | Cheryl Hodges | cheryl@newsroanoke.com News Editor | Gene Marrano | gmarrano@cox.net Production Editor | Leigh Sackett | leigh@newsroanoke.com Technical Webmaster | Don Waterfield | webmaster@newsroanoke.com Advertising Director | Bill Bratton | advertising@newsroanoke.com The Roanoke Star-Sentinel is published weekly by Whisper One Media, Inc. in Roanoke, Va. Subscriptions are available for $44 per year. Send subscriptions to PO Box 8338, Roanoke,VA 24014. We encourage letters from our readers on topics of general interest to the community and responses to our articles and columns. Letters must be signed and have a telephone number for verification. All letters will be verified before publication.The Star-Sentinel reserves the right to deny publication of any letter and edit letters for length, content and style. All real estate 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.
to who we should be. It is a beautiful, glorious and tragic past that we share as Americans and it is much like our own individual human experiences - full of joy and pain; victory and defeat. We often take for granted the God who gives us so much and we also often find ourselves taking our freedom as Americans for granted. So on the 4th of July we should not only enjoy our families and this yummy fattening dessert but let us give thought, prayer and thanks to those early Americans who built this place that we love and live in so freely. They are our past, our present and our future. “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.” – Harry Truman 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs ½ stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted 1½ packages (12 ounces) cream cheese ¾ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup milk 2 Tbs cornstarch 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice zest of one lemon 3 large eggs 1 cup fresh raspberries (more or less, as desired) ¾ cup fresh blueberries (more or less, as desired) -Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray. - In a small bowl, mix crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. - In a food processor (or with an electric mixer) blend cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest just until smooth. Do not overbeat. - Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the crumb crust. Scatter raspberries and blueberries on top. - Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until touch to center feels slightly firm and set. - Cool completely before cutting. Use foil to lift cheesecake out of pan and onto a cutting board. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut into cleanlooking bars (wiping blade clean with a paper towel between cuts). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Perspective
7/2/10 - 7/8/10 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 5
NewsRoanoke.com
A Soupçon of Poison in the Air
Poison ivy. Its scientific name says it all: Tox- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Duke Univericodendron radicans,” or “an easily-rooted poi- sity, and other organizations suggests that poisonous tree,” as farmers and gardeners know all son ivy is growing faster and producing more too well. A native woody low shrub that is erect potent oil compared with earlier decades. Apor trailing, or is a climbing vine, the plant is well parently, rising ambient levels of carbon dioxknown for its ability to produce urushiol, an ide create ideal conditions for the plant, prooily skin irritant that causes an itchducing bigger leaves, faster growth, ing rash for most people. And, for hardier plants, and an oil that’s even some of us unfortunates, reactions to more irritating. Studies have already poison ivy can even progress to anafound that a higher level of carbon phylaxis. What a sinister chemical dioxide doubled the growth rate of arsenal evolved by this species and poison ivy, and it made for hardier its relatives! plants that recovered more quickly It’s a member of the plant famfrom the ravages of grazing animals. ily, Anacardiaceae, that includes caIn other words, because of humanshews, mangos, pistachios, and the accelerated climate change, we’re gum mastic tree used in chewing inadvertently creating “super poigums and dental adhesives. One of H. Bruce Rinker, PhD son ivy” across its range in North the commonalities of all these plants America. is the presence of that nasty allergen, urushiol. The naysayers about climate change have All of them have it somewhere in their lovely their heads in the sand. Not only do we have plant bodies so they’re often peeled, roasted, or incontrovertible, systemic evidence about the otherwise altered in the manufacture process to physical changes in the global atmosphere, rid the product of this chemical. but now we have ample biological indicators Though it’s an important food for wildlife that point to the insidious, long-lasting consuch as white-tailed deer, black bear, cottontail sequences of poor land management and our rabbits, game birds, and woodpeckers, most maddening reliance on carbon-based induspeople – an estimated 85-90% of the human tries and transportation. These responses in population – are highly susceptible to the skin poison ivy provide just a few indications that irritant produced by poison ivy. Even one bil- human-accelerated climate change is upon us. lionth of a gram of the sticky, resin-like urush- Until we transition away from heavy deforesiol will trigger a skin reaction. In fact, one- tation and near-exclusive reliance on oil, coal, quarter ounce of the stuff would be enough to and natural gas, we will continue to see similar cause a rash for the entire human population reactions in biodiversity across the planet’s livon Earth! ing landscape. There’s a hint of poison in the air Thus, we all need to recognize poison ivy in that’s beginning to transform life itself. all its variations. Various mnemonic rhymes If you like the idea of poison ivy becoming a describe its appearance to help us avoid the super-organism, then turn your back on global plant altogether: climate change. If you do not, then let’s demand • “Leaves of three, don’t touch me.” a responsible energy policy for the nation that • “Hairy vine, no friend of mine.” considers our grandchildren more highly than • “Berries white, danger in sight.” the quarterly stockholder statements for superUrushiol remains active in poison ivy cilious oil company executives and fickle politithroughout the year, even in the dead of winter. cians. So beware! H. Bruce Rinker, Ph.D. And now for some scary news about ToxicoScience Department Chairman dendron radicans. Due to climate change, it’s BRinker@NorthCross.org spreading like wildfire. New research from the
Preacher’s Corner
ZOTZ Are in Town or is This the Twilight Zone?
I have a confession to make. nocent concept … today if one I have occasionally been driving of my offspring said that, they’d all the way out to Cracker Barrel be on lockdown for a very long in Troutville to feed a nostalgic duration. but mildly addictive desire to Of course there was no suppossess and consume boxes of plier; just us gals hopping on 70s Double Bubble gum wrapped in bikes, (mine a purple Schwinn), comics, Maple Sugar taking shortcuts and candy and ZOTZ. I riding into the ceneasily breeze past the ter of town (McLean boxes of sugar coated VA) a few miles away. fruit slices, TeabWe were not allowed erry Gum and candy to go there so we had sticks in 50 flavors. to come up with anI just want ZOTZ – other story for the hard candies with neighborhood tykes fizzy powder inside — hence the that is soooo sour secret supplier. and soooo good! Our trips became Cheryl Hodges I have no interest routine advenin the silly T-shirts, tures, zig-zagging sale displays of the month, through neighborhoods previbirdhouses, candles, soap and ously seen only through school lotions, tic-tac-toe on a cloth bus and car windows, neighborgame board, and the hundreds hoods we now “owned.” We got of other whimsical, colorful to see so much more – where Cracker Barrel fare designed some of our school friends lived to hook patrons of all ages into that we hadn’t realized until we lining up at the cash register. I saw them outside – who had a don’t care to take time to relax dog, and then there was the great in the many inviting trademark joy of being free in a much bigrocking chairs out front or to eat ger world even though we were a big plate of breakfast food at just a short hop from home. midday. Save all that for a REAL Once the journey neared its road trip. I am going to get my end … it was time to get down brown bag full of ZOTZ!! to business. The final destinaAs much as I love crunching tion: the town’s 7-11 of course. on Zotz candies, I am won- I can still see the “wall” of candy dering if there is another mo- staring back at me the first time tive for the clandestine trips to we went. With wads of money Cracker Barrel — the nostalgia collected from the kids, and a runs deep. As 12 - 14 yr. olds, list of our own, we had work to my best friend Margitt and I do. Oh, to have just one foot long used to trick the younger sibs stick of “Hawaiian” flavored Big and their friends concerning Buddy gum once again. That our constant stash of awesome stuff is pineappley-heavenly! candy. We always had whatever I’m not positive that 7-11 we wanted even though our even had ZOTZ back then but parents rarely took us out just to they remain lodged in long-ago get candy. We told the kids we candy-laden memories. had a “secret supplier.” Back in So imagine my horror when I those days, that was still an in- walked into Fresh Market (only
Contact Cheryl at cheryl@newsroanoke.com
The Best Things in Life are Home Grown like . . .
Lord, It is Good to Be
The Roanoke Star-Sentinel!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, you are great indeed! (Psalm 104) I’m writing this “corner” while at the Institute of Sacred Scripture In Georgetown. I refer to this study week as my Vacation Bible School (without the singing and crafts. However, the snacks have been super!). This year we’re looking at the Gospel of Luke and Paul’s letter to the Galatians. We’re also considering some of the parallels between the Bible and the Qur’an. Having this opportunity to “receive” and “take in” and sit at the feet of experts is truly a gift. Today, Wednesday, the usual schedule of the day was compressed to allow participants some time to tour DC, nap, or use one or more of the University’s state-of-the art facilities. I decided to hop the Metro and head to the Newman Bookstore near Catholic University and afterward to the National Zoo. There I gladly wasted time without the guilt of feeling I was ignoring the files, calls, and emails that were on the desk in my office. “Lord, it is good to be…away!” For a pastor, the Newman bookstore is a candy store for the eye and the spirit. Every bit of space is crammed with books on all kinds of subjects. There are bliblical commentaries, published dissertations, religious text books, worship books of various faith traditions, spiritual writings of religion’s great “saints”, and reflection guides/journals to get a reader to focus, or broaden, or think outside their box. One in the latter group of books that caught my eye was entitled “Well-Seasoned
an 8 minute drive) the other day, sunglasses fashionably perched atop my head, acting appropriately genteel, carefully pouring my Dixie cup sized sample of gourmet coffee, and cruising around the corner – only to run smack into a HUGE display of candy which included ZOTZ! This wasn’t your ordinary cherry, watermelon or apple flavor choices like at Cracker Barrel – there are also lemon, orange and grape flavored ZOTZ at Fresh Market! I was a bit paralyzed at the overwhelming supply staring back at me so I did what had to be done – I grabbed handfuls of the flavors I hadn’t had in years and bought them, and ATE them all! They were very tasty and I enjoyed them (except for the bloat and stomach ache that came later from being full of fizzy powder), but somehow, they seemed . . . well, ordinary. The excitement was gone. I HATE when that empty feeling takes over – especially when there doesn’t seem to be a reason for it. But of course I knew – there had been no “journey” -- no special going out of my way to get the goodies. A grown up like me can rationalize around this fairly easily but it probably won’t help in this case. So next time I share my prized supply of Zotz, it is highly probable I got them from somewhere … well, hopefully from somewhere … far away. Author’s Note: The Zotz company of course has a website: www.zotzpower.com. For a local dentist, consult your yellow pages!
Living: Summer. A Guided Journal for Increasing Your Enjoyment of Everyday Life” (Vicki Kessler and Marabeth Soneson, ACTA Publications, $19.95). The authors invite the reader to approach the season (and in fact, every day and every experience) with “a childhood sense of adventure and curiosity”. Although I didn’t buy the book, it accomplished its purpose. It got me to pause and ask myself some questions. What am I hoping for this summer season? What does summertime permit that other seasons and times don’t? How might I enjoy to the fullest the increased hours of daylight and the lighter load of a parish’s schedule (please, dear God)? What in God’s great and beautiful world and in the acre of it I live and move in could I appreciate even more? In short, how might I be better at “being”? In this second full week of summer, I share these questions with you. How would you answer them? Joe Lehman is the Pastor at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church located at 2505 Electric Rd (Rte 419. Visit them on the web at: www.oln-parish. org
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Page 6 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 7/2/10 - 7/8/10
Summer's Flood of Green Not So Bad
Summer’s green can become tiresome, unless you take it one plant at a time. Some recent botanical discoveries have made the Green Tide more interesting as we suffer summer's heat, so I thought I’d share. The first of my discoveries is the identity of a plant I have driven past since moving to Floyd County that was new to me when I first saw it here in 1997. And though over the years I’ve jumped out a couple of times to grab a sample to identify back home, it doesn’t travel well, it’s parts are tiny to start with, and identification has stymied me— until now. You’ve seen it, and it will be around for a few more weeks before withering in the heat of late July. Look for dense stands of tall, soft yellow plants blowing at pasture edges along 221 and Route 8 and other places in the region. You can’t miss it. This is Yellow Bedstraw, also called Maid’s Hair and Cheese Rennet. Each of these names describes a use. Because it is a soft and fragrant plant, it was once used to stuff mattresses. The yellow dye extracted from the stems and flowers was once used as a hair dye by young women. (The root is said to produce a red dye; I’ll pull up a plant knowing that, to see if the roots appear that color.) And when added to milk, the crushed stems produce both the dye already mentioned and a curdling agent used in making cheese (though the more common rennet comes from a
Spider Wort ... Also known as Blue Jacket, Snotweed, Moses and the Bulrushes and Dayflower. young ruminant’s stomach.) All this is interesting, but I’m just happy this plant now has a name for me after all these years! Then on a drive down the Parkway in mid-June, splashes of deep blue at the edges of the woods caught my attention, never at a spot where I could pull over to take a closer look. But a stop at Saddle Gap overlook confirmed the mauve to blue to purple wildflower I’d been seeing was Spiderwort. I have known this plant since my long-ago Alabama botanizing days. Other names include Blue Jacket, Snotweed, Moses in the Bulrushes, and Dayflower— each of which carries a story about this plant, but not the one I want to tell. (“Wort” signifies medicinal uses, by the way, not fleshy growths.) In 1974 it was discovered that
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the stamen hairs of this plant are very sensitive to both radiation and chemical pollution. These filaments consist of single cells that reproduce rapidly to create the long blue threads of the male flower parts. When exposed to ionizing radiation or a variety of chemicals, the cells mutate and change color to pink. This has been used most widely in Japan to detect both where and when air-borne radiation has spread from nuclear plants. Blue is good, pink is bad. From the sampling I’ve seen, I think we’re safe in Floyd County for now. Lastly, I’ve been proven wrong—and finally getting things right can sometimes be an invigorating dope-slap! Autumn Olive is edible after all! Eleagnus umbellata was introduced from China and Japan in 1830 and is considered an “invasive.” It is one of the few non-legumes that can fix nitrogen in its roots. A single plant can produce 8 pounds of fruit, and when a neighbor asked me recently to identify this bush and then asked if the fruits were edible, I said “only if you’re a bird.” I was wrong. Look for Autumn Olive fruits (obviously by the name) in the fall just before the first frost. The silver-speckled red berries make wine, jelly and “fruit leather.” The plentiful berries are not only tasty (bushes apparently vary in tartness so taste-test first) but also are 14 times higher in the carotenoid lycopene than tomatoes. It is currently being tested for possible anticancer effects, particularly for prostate cancer. The recipe for fruit leather from the berries is worth a look! But use bushes already established. Don’t plant any more! More information—including links to images—at http://bit.ly/ ctVuzA
If they were paid for this work, it would be worth tens of thousands of dollars, but instead they do it for free -- because they want to help make a real impact on the Roanoke Valley and raise the quality of life for everyone in it. Seventy-four dedicated community volunteers devoted close to 1500 hours over three months to United Way of Roanoke Valley’s Community Investment Process, when they could have been doing something else for themselves or their families. Instead, they visited 28 partner agencies and interviewed each of their executive directors. They pored over applications for program support and scored them using a rigorous yet fair methodology. Finally, in smaller groups, they hashed out (over innumerable cups of sometimes less than fresh coffee!) exactly which programs should receive more, less, or the same funding as last year, based on how well they had performed on outcome measurements and how clear, necessary, and redundant their missions were. The following are the categories used to allocate funding: Helping Children and Youth Succeed, Strengthening Families, Promoting Quality of Life for Older Adults, and Improving Health and Self-Sufficiency.
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al fundraiser), and emergency funding that had been set aside for a rainy day. It’s been pretty rainy lately for a lot of folks. United Way of Roanoke Valley and its dedicated Community Investment volunteers are doing their best to mop that water up as efficiently and effectively as possible, as they hope to help create the greatest possible future for all of us. This year, the United Way Board of Directors approved an allocation of $2,905,640 from the United Way Impact Fund to support the following programs and community initiatives aligned with United Way’s four impact areas: Helping Children and Youth Succeed - Total Funding: $888,972 Strengthening Families - Total Funding: $306,869 Improving Health and SelfSufficiency - Total Funding: $1,449,471 Promoting Quality of Life for Older Adults -- Total Funding: $260,327 During the 2009-2010 funding year United Way funding leveraged an additional $4 million to support the community.
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Community Investment Process panelists come from all walks of life. They are teachers, lawyers, accountants, homemakers, retirees, ministers, artists, and doctors. Almost all of them donate not just their time and brainpower but also their hard-earned money to United Way of Roanoke Valley. One veteran of the process, Jeff Marks, President of WDBJ Television, was so impressed by how carefully United Way handles donors’ contributions that he joined the Board of Directors of the organization and is now leading the 2010 fundraising effort as Campaign Chair. Marks is not the only true believer. Kerri Thornton of Carilion Clinic, who has served on the panel for many years and chaired it for the last three, says, “It’s such a great way to see donations turn into real impact in the community and also to see what a good steward United Way is of the people’s generously given money, making sure the programs are doing well and doing what we expect.” Because of the increased difficulties faced by many in the community these days, United Way’s funding also includes serving basic needs -- using a special grant from Bank of America, additional monies raised at BLOOM (a new annu-
Joann McGowan “fiddles around” with a few of her friends at The Bee Box located on the grounds of Grandin Gardens. The Bee Box, a drop in beverage and social stop opened this week in the backyard of the property. For a donation you can Contact Fred First at stop and visit with neighbors and friends as you 9-24-07 fred1st@gmail.com
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United Way’s Impact Fund Invests Nearly Three Million In Roanoke Valley
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Sports
7/2/10 - 7/8/10 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 7
Putt-Putt Tournament Brings Out The Best Putters Around
RVAA Swim Meet -Roanoke Country Club Visits Forest Hills
Monday night’s top 5 PPA and APA putters: Troy Sarber, Mark Smith, Geoff Boyer, Clayton Craft, Dennis Biesma.
Swimmers in the girls' 50-meter breaststroke react to the starter's horn.
Tye Whitlow of RCC is all business as he races to a 25-meter win.
Photos by Bill Turner
Tanner Vogel of RCC skirts the lane rope as she competes in the 25-meter.
Forest Hills' Sophia Desimone gets set on the platform in the 50-meter.
So you think your strong suit in golf is putting? Then take a trip to the Putt-Putt golf course on Peters Creek Road on any Monday evening for the weekly tournament on the lower 18hole links. And, be prepared to be eaten alive. The public is invited to join members of the PPA (Professional Putters Association) and APA (Amateur Putters Association) as they convene for their 54-hole weekly 6 p.m. event. And make no mistake about itthese guys are GOOD. I watched Roanoker, and current PPA member, Dennis Biesma as he cruised through his second round Monday night. He spends most of his round plucking holes-in-one from the cup. With par at 36 on a standard putt-putt course, Biesma is nonchalant about his performance. "A good round for me is around 26,"he says. "My best round was a 21."(an 18 would be perfect) He once made 13 straight holesin-one and estimates he plays 1,000 rounds a year. And, if your complaint about golf is that it takes too long to play-Biesma says if noboby is in front of him, he can play an entire round in 10 minutes. "I have a good idea how to play the banks on every hole."
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Two-time national APA champion Clayton Craft angles a shot through the putt-putt steel logo for a hole-in-one.
the titles in 1995 and 1996 in Michigan and Orlando, Florida respectively. His career-best round is 22. He knows the game and its angles like a geometry professor. Geoff Boyer fired a 22 Mon-
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day night in one of his three rounds- two 2s, a 3 , and 15 aces. The field also included VWCC student Mark Smith who holds the Peters Creek course record with an unthinkable score of 20. With its angled bumpers, mirage-like obstacles and holes on the sides of hills, this game is a true test of anyone's patience. But, with its signature green carpet and orange rails, it's a game everyone loves and is perfect for a great family outing. Throw in the touches Peters Creek owner David Mitchell has added-like palm trees, jungle animals and waterfalls- and you can't help but have fun at a very reasonable price. Mitchell, who has been in the putt-putt business for 35 years, has held these weekly tournaments since 1976. He estimates there are around 75,000 rounds played on his courses each year. And, if the golf gets too tough, they also have batting cages for baseball and softball as well as an arcade room. So, round up your usual foursome and come on out for the challenge. But remember, with these guys, ones don't add up very fast.
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Don't get any cute ideas that you'll sidestep the pro and tackle one of the amateurs-it only gets worse. Roanoker Clayton Craft was on hand for Monday night's competition. Craft is a 2-time national APA champion, taking
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Sports
Red Sox Begin Second Half After falling short by just one game in the first-half title race in the Southern Division, the Salem Red Sox opened the second half with a slew of games on the road. The Sox will play their first six and 14 of their first 17 games in the second half away from LewisGale Field. Through the first four contests, the road was somewhat harsh to Salem, sending the Red Sox to three losses in four games to begin the second half. The lone victory came on Friday night in Wilmington, and it was not an ordinary win for righthanded starter Miguel Gonzalez. The Sox snuck past the Blue Rocks 4-3, and Gonzalez, who tossed five scoreless innings, earned his first triumph since September 1, 2007. The 26-year-old had missed all of 2008 and 2009 with injury, but rediscovered the winners’ circle with his best performance yet for Salem. Gonzalez surrendered only two hits in his five dominant innings. The Red Sox took a 4-0 lead over the Blue Rocks on Friday night and withstood a furious Wilmington comeback in the late innings, stranding the potential tying run at third base with two outs in the last of the ninth. But aside from the enjoyable Friday, the journey through Delaware was unkind to the Red Sox. Salem was shutout 2-0 by a trio of Blue Rock pitchers on Thursday night in its first game back from the All-Star Break. On Saturday,
7/2/10 - 7/8/10 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 8
ID3 Races Hit Roanoke Over July 4th Weekend
The July 4th weekend is coming up and Roanoke will again be the site of the ID3 bicycle races. On Saturday, July 3 at 11 AM the Oakeys Hill Climb will start the ID3 events. This classic uphill time trial covers 1.87 miles & 900 ft. of elevation gain. Previously named one of the top 10 races in the Southeast by the Blue Ridge Outdoor magazine, the competition will be a age-graded Virginia State championship event. On Sunday, July 4th at 9 AM East Coasters Bike Shops will present racers a 5 corner, 1KM course which offers fast, long straight-aways and classic brick sections. There are fantastic locations for spectators along the Transportation Walkway, and along this wide-open fast course. Starts and finish lines are on Salem Avenue with views of the majestic Hotel Roanoke and are just two blocks away from historic downtown Roanoke. The Texas Tavern will be hosting a kids race for ages 9 and under on the same course as the grownups that begins at 12:30 PM. (There will be prizes for all the kids.) On Monday, July 5th at 9 AM is the "show down in downtown," as the Senior Virginia State championships hit the streets of downtown Roanoke. Roanoke Outside.com and Texas Tavern proudly present Ryan Lavarnway cranks one out of the park. a Criterium classic. This "L" shaped course is very technical with a slight uphill in the back stretch and star pitcher Stolmy Pimentel second baseman earned MVP a fast finish and this year an extra section has been added for even more excitement. Texas Tavern will encountered his rockiest out- Honors at last week’s Califor- again be hosting a kids race for ages 9 and under on the same course as the grownups. (More prizes for ing of the season in a 13-5 nia-Carolina League All-Star all the kids!) Be there at 12:30pm as they battle it out on the streets of downtown. setback. Pimentel was rocked game. Tejeda, who has belted for nine runs (eight earned) in eight home runs on the year, only two and a third innings. blasted a solo shot at the AllSalem arrived in Winston- Star game in Myrtle Beach Salem early Sunday morning to spark a Carolina League and did not have much time Comeback. to rest before retaking the field The Salem Sox will be on the Michele Eplion, Shortstop from Northside High School and Grace Putney, Catcher from Patrick at 5 PM. Unfortunately, the road July 3rd thru the 9th, and Henry High School were recently selected to compete in the Queen of Diamonds Showcase South club showed signs of fatigue then will make an appearance (QDSS) event at Winthrop University on September 3rd and 4th, 2010. The QDSS, in its 4th year, is and lost 13-6 to the first-half at Futures at Fenway in Boston part of the Queen of Diamond's series of showcase events held three times a year in different geographic champion Dash. Winston on Saturday, July 10th. July regions of the country. The Queen of Diamond's North (QDSN) event held at Kent State University outfielder Ozzie Lewis contin- 12th the Sox will return home each January is the largest application only showcase in the nation. The 2010 QDSS had over over 2000 applications from 30+ states and Canada. 264 players were seued his dominance of Salem for a doubleheader against the lected to compete over Labor Day weekend. Selection was based on criteria ranging from athletic abilpitching by going 4-5 with two Potomac Nationals, with the ity, developmental potential, academics, travel team competition, and college and travel coach referrals. homers and five RBI. In seven first game starting at 5:30pm. Eplion and Putney play for the Virginia Class Action Scrappers 18U travel team in the summer. games against the Red Sox this Don’t miss all the exciting year, Lewis has hit .519 with special events coming up – nine RBI. Baseball 101 for Women, Girl On a brighter note, the heart Scout Night, Boy Scout Night of the Red Sox batting order and a 1-day Adult/Child Baseawakened against Winston- ball Camp. Salem on Sunday. Alex Hassan, Ryan Lavarnway, and Oscar For more information visit: Jason Myers of Walnut Cove, “Madhouse,” which was seen on points racing in all divisions. Tejeda, batting 2-3-4, com- www.salemsox.com. NC is the latest entry for the the History channel. Free fireworks and a $1000 Any bined to go 6-13 with three Twin 25-lap Southern Modified The holiday weekend will Car race are also planned. doubles and five RBI. Tejeda’s races Sunday night at Franklin feature two days of racing at the General Admission Saturday .336 average is third-best in County Speedway. speedway. is $7 and $15 on Sunday. the Carolina League, and the Myers is fresh off a victory Saturday features practice for Racing begins at 7 pm Saturlast Saturday night, winning the the Late Model Stock and South- day and 6 pm Sunday. first 25-lap feature at Bowman ern Modifieds, plus double Craig County, Virginia Gray Stadium in Winston-Sa- points racing in all divisions. For more information go to: lem, NC. He is currently fourth Sunday features a 50-lap Late franklincospeedway.com call in points at Bowman Gray. Model Stock race and Twin (540) 238-9955. Sat u rd a y, Ju ly 2 4 , 1 2 Noon Myers and his family were 25-lap races for the Southern part of the television show Modified division, plus double 1,159± Acres Bordering
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REAL ESTATE AUCTIONS
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Roanoke Loses a Trooper
Who Decides the Future of Bent Mountain?
Two separate groups recently went to the ridges of Bent and Poor Mountains to look and ponder if it should be developed for industrial use. Comparing our experiences, it is easier to see why we left with very different impressions. May 19, 2010 was a wet, foggy day on Poor Mountain. The self-assigned assessment team of the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition (RVCCC) along with Don Giecek, representing Invenergy LLC, weren’t able to see the extraordinary long range vistas from the highest peak in the region, nor the Lady Slippers at their feet. They saw transmission, radio, and TV towers. So while considering the “scale” of benefits promised by Mr. Giecek, they concluded that he was right and Poor Mountain’s natural environment indeed had already been “trashed.” So, with the promises of “gr-r-reat” benefits including the salvation of the planet , they decided that rainy day that Poor Mountain and the resident Bent Mountain community was a small sacrifice they, the board members, could make for humanity. Nearly a month later, June 18, 2010, members of the Bent Mountain community enjoyed conducting a tour of the mountain including special and protected habitat on a gentle warm, sunny day. We traveled the abandoned Laurel Creek fire trail that was covered with lush green grasses and Lady Ferns. Our guest remarked at the seldom witnessed clarity of the water as he leaned his head outside the truck, looking down at the silt-free stones in the creek gorge below. We stirred up two rafters of turkey, saw several young bucks with their fuzzy antlers, and came upon a strut-
ting Ruffed Grouse. We recognized that Invenergy’s proposed installation will impact an extraordinary area of remote wilderness. Proponents have stated: “The proposed Invenergy project has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 98,000 tons a year.” On existing Wind Turbine installations 15% to 25% of rated capacity is all that can be expected on an annual basis in the Appalachian highlands due to the intermittent and turbulent nature of wind. This proposed installation’s maximum rated capacity is 45MW if it were running at 100% efficiency at 100% of the time. In reality, this project would have a maximum output of 11.25MW. The RVCCC calculation does not include the electricity drawn from the grid to maintain the turbines. Excess electricity from the turbines cannot be sent into the grid, it is drained off into the ground because the turbine system has no capacity to store electricity. A calculation that only addresses the rated output of the turbines, is very misleading, and is not the net gain of power drawn from wind. Using RVCCC’s undocumented calculation factors, this brings the carbon emission reduction down to about 42,000 tons a year, more than 57% less. Proponents have also stated: Average Households Powered: “The equivalent of approximately 8,500 to 10,000 households in the Roanoke Valley.” Based upon an industry recommended residential wind turbine installation of 10Kw rated capacity, the claim is inflated by over 880%. The actual homes served would be 1,125 and there
Fair Tax Versus VAT?
There has been a lot of ongoing discussion concerning Fair Tax versus the VAT versus the current IRS tax system. It is appropriate to take a closer look and compare them in order to better evaluate which kind of tax plan is better for Americans and their families. The current national income tax was put into force by the 16th amendment and is overseen by the Internal Revenue Service. It is the all too familiar tax due by April 15th every year – the bulk of which is taken out of every paycheck. This tax is applied to individuals, corporations, the self-employed, capital gains, estate, gift, AMT and many more. Income tax rates for individuals are 10% to 35%, while for corporations the rate is 15% to 39%. The IRS has a budget of $11 billion dollars, over 100,000 employees and a tax code of over 70,000 pages. An estimated six billion man-hours have been spent filling out 249 million forms in 2010. Undocumented workers and people paid under the table by cash pay no taxes at all. Half of the U.S. population pays 100% of the tax, which is viewed as unfair by many. Under the current tax system, U.S. exports are taxed twice, which favors consumption of imports from places such as China, over domestic products. It also imposes the highest corporate tax rate in the world. This encourages companies to locate overseas before marketing their products back to the U.S. The VAT is a “value added tax,” which has been proposed by President Obama. The VAT would be in addition to the current taxes and would be imposed and collected at each stage in the production, distribution and sales of goods and services. It would be controlled by the IRS. In much of Europe, the VAT is 20% to 25%, making some economies financially unstable. There have been some exclusions and rebates proposed, but much is unknown at this time. Generally, VAT discourages consumption, as people end up buying less. The poor would pay more as a percentage of income than the rich, with VAT on top of the current taxes already levied. The Fair Tax is currently in
the House Ways & Means committee review process with 55 House co-sponsors. Under the Fair Tax proposal, within seven years of passage, the 16th amendment would be repealed and the IRS would be abolished. The Fair Tax plan consists of a single rate national sales tax on the consumption of new goods and services only, making this tax a choice for each individual to manage. The estimated base for the Fair Tax is the 2009 GDP consumption portion, which would equal 23.82%. It would replace all federal income and payroll taxes, including FICA and Medicare, capital gains, self-employment, estate, gift, AMT and more. Exclusions would be available for business to business purchases, used goods, exports and wholesale goods. To offset any unfairness in income levels, each person would receive a “pre-bate” every month calculated to the annual poverty level. Currently the prebate would be about $700 each month. State agencies would handle the collection, and the pre-bates would be administered by the Federal Administration Agency -- the “new” IRS. The Fair Tax would also capture the non-filers and illegal immigrants, since it is assessed at purchase and not from paycheck. Individuals would not have to file tax returns; employees would receive 100% of their paycheck. After the first year, the pre-bates would be funded by the tax collected and the federal debt could theoretically be paid off within 10 years. A portion of the tax will be dedicated to funding Social Security and Medicare. The Fair Tax would ensure equality in taxation since it is based on consumption, and it would enhance upward mobility since it encourages productivity, savings and investments. U.S. exports will not be taxed and imports would be taxed on an equal basis with U.S. produced goods. The Fair Tax would make the U.S. the only advanced country in the world with a zero rate of taxation on income, creating the world’s largest tax haven for direct investment. By Carla Bream info@newsroanoke.com
is no way to determine that they would be in the Roanoke Valley. Invenergy, LLC has a strong financial interest in resuming Federal “energy credits” included in the current “Cap & Trade” legislation. Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va) has repeatedly and eagerly opposed “Cap & Trade” legislation, policies and abuses. The very concept of “Cap & Trade” created a financial trading market in 2003. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) includes Invenergy’s founder & CEO, Michael Polsky as a charter board member. Coal companies and coalfired power plants are actually permitted to increase their carbon emissions into the atmosphere when they PURCHASE Energy Credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. This exchange of “credits” is good for business for coal companies and a nationwide host of other carbon emitting industries. They are willing to pay massive amounts of money for these “credits.” As a result, a small group of people in Chicago are raking in big dollars under the guise of renewable energy. Does this sound like another Wall Street derivatives market scandal that plunged us into the most severe recession since the Great Depression? It is. And who is the source of such great riches? All of us will pay, through our taxes and our electric bills. And the actual reduction of carbon emissions is miniscule - all from the sacrifice of Poor Mountain. Eldon L. Karr, Architect, President, Bent Mountain Civic League
7/2/10 - 7/8/10 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 9
Roanoke lost a dedicated citizen, former city council candidate and beloved activist on behalf of so many of our residents and city employees. I only knew Angela Norman, first from her appearances at city council meetings, and then as a two time candidate for Roanoke City Council. Under the reign of former city manager Darlene Burcham, many, if not most, city employees felt intimidated and threatened to speak out vocally about cities issues and or things that concerned them about their employment with the city. Not so for Angela Norman, she often appeared before council concerning issues of employment, being a voice for others who feared such speaking out. This is why I admired her for her tenacity and perse-
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verance. Having run for city council twice takes a tremendous amount of energy and dedication. It is one of the most challenging and grueling things any person will ever do in their lifetime to put themselves in the lime light of running for a public office. Angela had 29 years of employment with the city. I had not seen her in years and was not aware she will ill, she looked far younger than her
61 years at passing and her death came as a real shock and sadness for so many of us who last knew her though her campaigning days. My thought and prayers go out to her family and friends and they should know she will be greatly missed by many. E. Duane Howard, Roanoke
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“I ran my commercial property ad only in the Star Sentinel...I had 30 calls and 3 offers! My property sold, and I am sold on the Roanoke Star Sentinel!” LeRoy Worley - Francis REALTORS In my 20-plus years of business, I have never had an ad produce better results. In fact, I had to stop running the ad for several weeks just so I could catch up with the back log of calls that it produced. You guys have a winner and as a small business owner that needs to closely watch marketing dollars I am most appreciative. Sincerely, Danny Williams - Williams Carpet Cleaning In today's world of short attention spans, the visibility we get from putting an ad in the Roanoke Star Sentinel, a wonderfully concise newspaper for local area information, helps our Chamber of Commerce reach all demographics. Annette Stamus Marketing & Communications Manager - Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce Just wanted to thank The Roanoke Star-Sentinel for assisting my business with our marketing needs. I have been very impressed with the response we have received from the advertisements we have placed in your paper. We keep a log of the coupons that have been redeemed and have been pleased with how many have been turned in to us. We constantly get comments from customers who have seen our ad in your paper. It has really helped get our name out there and that is very important for a new business. I am also impressed with how effective the service has been and how professional your team is. Thanks again for all your help. Angela Drinkard – SoRo Chill and Grill
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Valley Business
Page 10 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 7/2/10 - 7/8/10
Clean Valley Council Announces New Leadership The Clean Valley Council is pleased to announce the hiring of a new Executive Director. Cristina Siegel joined the Clean Valley Council on June 28. “Cristina has a terrific combination of academic and scientific credentials in soil and forestry conservation and a personal commitment to sustainability, living in a solar powered home,” said James Breakell, President of Breakell, Inc. and incoming President of the Clean Valley Council Board of Directors. Ms. Siegel has a Bachelor’s in Soil Science from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She worked as a soil scientist for the U.S. Forest Service research station before moving to Virginia to pursue graduate studies. She has a Master’s degree and is completing her Ph.D., both in Forest Soils from Virginia Tech. Cristina Siegel has taught natural resource and conservation courses at Hollins University and Virginia Tech and has published several scientific papers. She volunteers at both the
Jefferson Center and the Rescue Mission and has served on the boards of the Healing Harvest Forest Foundation and the New River Biodiesel Cooperative. She enjoys numerous outdoor activities, photography, and is an avid cyclist. “I have a passion for environmental health and sustainable use of our natural resources. I was drawn to CVC by their strong and well respected environmental education program and strong citizen and business participation programs such as Clean Valley Day,” Ms. Siegel stated. “I am very excited about the opportunity to lead these efforts into the future and nurture their growth.” The Clean Valley Council has elected two new Board members, Cindy Shelor of John T. Morgan Roofing Company and Dave Dantzler of Kroger. The Board’s 2011 newly appointed officers are James Breakell, President; Cary Lester, Vice President, and Cindy Simonds, Secretary Treasurer. The Clean Valley Council
Cristina Siegel serves the cities of Roanoke and Salem, the counties of Botetourt and Roanoke and the town of Vinton as an educational resource. The Clean Valley Council provides educational programming about litter prevention and reuse, recycling and reduction of the waste stream for all levels in both public and private schools. Clean Valley Council has been serving the Roanoke area since 1978. For more information, visit www.cleanvalley.org
Soloway Named Marketing Manager For Tanglewood Mall Michael Soloway has been named marketing manager for Tanglewood Mall. In his new position, Soloway will oversee the mall’s marketing, advertising and public relations efforts, and will coordinate all special events. Prior to coming to Tanglewood, Soloway was marketing and communications director for the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. With more than 15 years as a marketing specialist, Soloway received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and is currently studying in the master’s degree program at Hollins University. Soloway has also won several awards for his work, including a
Michael Soloway Grand Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education for his photojournalism skills. In addition,
Soloway designed a specialty license plate while lead graphic designer for the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches in Live Oak, Fla. “I am excited to be marketing manager for the Tanglewood Mall,” says Soloway. “I look forward to continuing the mall’s outstanding tradition of providing the ultimate shopping experience for people of the Roanoke Valley. It is truly an exciting time in the mall’s history, and I am eager to create new and innovative programs to support the mall’s marketing initiatives.” Tanglewood Mall has served Roanoke for over 35 years.For more information visit: www. shoptanglewood.com
Elizabeth Harrington ing and anchoring. She has a degree from the University of Maryland. Harrington and Kiley started their News7 careers this
NewsRoanoke.com
Investors Can Learn from World Cup Teams It’s World Cup time, and soccer fans everywhere are focusing on South Africa, where 32 countries compete for what may be the most coveted championship in all of sports. As a spectator or casual athlete yourself, you can certainly admire the skills of the World Cup players — but as an investor, you can also learn a great deal from them. Let’s look at some key areas of soccer and see how they may apply to your investment philosophy and techniques. • Offense — When a forward, or “striker,” scores a goal in a soccer game, it can look almost effortless. But it’s not that simple. Before the striker could even make the kick, the ball had to be moved around, sometimes by almost the entire team, before it was in the right place for the striker to shoot. As an investor, you, too must position your portfolio properly so that, when the occasion arises, you can take some “good shots.” Specifically, stay invested in the market, so you’ll be prepared to take advantage of good buying opportunities, as when prices drop. • Defense — In soccer, the defenders, such as the fullbacks and the goalkeeper, must antici-
pate the opposing team’s moves and then react to them. And as an investor, you must be ready to cope with threats, such as market volatility, economic turmoil, inflation and so on. When these forces appear, you may need to adjust your portfolio in one way or another. However, your best defense is preparation — and one of the best ways to be prepared for any event that could affect your investments is to build a diversified portfolio. Diversification can help smooth out the ups and downs of the market to help reduce the effect any one investment may have on your portfolio. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification, by itself, cannot guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.) • Stamina — As you watch World Cup matches, you will see very few substitutions. In fact, only three players can be substituted throughout the entire course of a game, which places a premium on players’ stamina. As an investor, you also need to have the staying power to “go the distance,” despite the bumps in the road you will encounter. But if you have the patience and discipline to keep investing for the long term, your efforts may
be rewarded. • Teamwork — For a World Cup team to succeed, it needs outstanding teamwork. The players must know one another’s tendencies, must communicate well and must trust each other to make the right plays. When you invest, you can also benefit from working with a team, which may consist of your financial advisor, your tax advisor and your legal advisor. The investment world can be complex, with ever-changing laws and regulations, so you’ll want to be confident that you’re making the right moves at the right time. You may never get to play in the World Cup, but, by observing the players and the games closely, you can learn some lessons that can apply to your portfolio. Carl Grove is a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones located in Roanoke, VA. He may be reached at 540-344-9211 or carl.grove@ edwardjones.com. Edward Jones, its associates and financial advisors do not provide tax or legal advice.
AECOM Office In Roanoke Receives Environmental Certifications
AECOM Technology Corporation, a provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world, has announced that its office in the Wachovia Tower on 10 South Jefferson Street in Roanoke, Va., received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification for Commercial Interiors and Level 3 Certification from the Cool Green Biz program. The AECOM design and commissioning team worked with Martin Bros. Contractors, Inc. of Roanoke to incorporate numerous sustainable design features into the state-of-theart, 44,375-square-foot tenant upfit. The three-floor renovation features energy-efficient lighting, daylight harvesting, and occupancy sensors to significantly lower energy consumption. The environmentally conscious team carefully selected materials, such as “cradle to cradle” LEED silver-certified carpet and "rapidly renewable" cork flooring. The office also contains appliances and printers that are energy star rated, as well as erKaren Kiley gonomic tools that are available week. Look for their stories for every employee. on WDBJ7, My19, wdbj7.com The project received 27 credand news7now.com. its to qualify for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Silver rating
The AECOM Resource Library in the Wachovia Tower. for Commercial Interiors, version 2.0. The project’s access to public transportation and parking contributes to Sustainable Site Credits on the LEED rating scale. LEED credits are weighted to reflect their potential environmental impacts. AECOM’s portfolio features 67 LEED certified projects and includes 147 registered projects. This is the second LEED certified project completed by the construction team. As one of only three member companies to achieve Level 3 Certification on the Cool Green Biz program’s scale, AECOM’s green office earned 72 Checklist Points and 18 “Critical” items. The Cool Green Biz program is a collaboration between Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition and the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. AECOM is
News7 Expands Reporting Staff
NEWS7 has hired two experienced journalists. Elizabeth Harrington joins News7 as general assignment reporter in News7’s Roanoke newsroom. Harrington most recently worked as anchor and reporter for WBOC in Salisbury, MD. She is a graduate of Towson University. Karen Kiley has been hired to build on News7’s coverage in Lynchburg, Danville and surrounding counties. She works out of News7’s Lynchburg newsroom with bureau chief, Tim Saunders. Kiley comes to WDBJ7 from WBOY in Clarksburg, WV where she gained experience report-
recognized for its commitment to sustainable business practices that reduce waste, promote clean air and water, conserve natural resources, enhance the quality of life, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. AECOM is a member of the city’s Clean & Green Business Coalition. The coalition is made up of a group of local businesses, representing multiple sectors, to set leadership examples in sustainable practices and to demonstrate that the business case for “Green” makes good business sense. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.
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Arts & Culture
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Rollin’ “Down By The River” With A Full Day Of Music The first outdoor concert staged by Kirk Avenue Music Hall on the former Victory Stadium site (featuring John Hiatt) was a success in early May, so promoter Gary Jackson and company are trying it again with next week’s “Down By the River” event. The Sunday, July 11 event kicks off with music on the main stage at 1:15 p.m., continuing until 10:30 p.m. The doors open at noon. The finale features The Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band. He’s a member of the Allman Brothers Band and promises to bring several of his mates with him; Tedeschi normally fronts her own group. Trucks has often been regarded as one of the best rock guitarists around. His uncle Butch, a drummer, was an original member of the Allman Brothers Band -- the epitome of Southern rock. The duo and their band are contracted to play a two-hour finale, according to Jackson, a longtime promoter and concert booker who pulled some strings to get them to the Roanoke Valley. “Elsewhere,” says Jackson, “Trucks-Tedeschi are playing just 20 cities worldwide together on a mini-tour – all in much larger cities.” Jackson would like nothing better than Trucks or Tedeschi to tell him after the July 11th show that “the reception in Roanoke was the best. That’s the goal.” Jackson battled “thousands” of other promoters to bring his headline act to town. “Down by the River is a family-friendly event,” notes Jackson, with pop-up tents, blankets and chairs allowed in the general admission area behind the reserved seating section. Coolers of food can be brought in, but beverages must be purchased on site. Food vendors, some from local restaurants like Martin’s and Issac’s, will also set up shop. A Kids Village (open until 6 p.m.) and a crafts area will help foster that festival “feel.” Shade and mist tents will help keep concertgoers cool. None of the seats are covered. The venerable New Riders of the Purple Sage, BeBop Hoedown and the Cyrus Pace Roanoke All Stars are the early offerings at Down By the River. Jackson suggests parents may want to drop their kids off in late afternoon and return for an evening program that includes Mountain Heart, Southern Culture on the Skids and the Trucks-Tedeschi headliners. Several members of Southern Culture on the Skids originally hailed
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. from Roanoke. “I’m really trying to get families to come,” says Jackson. To help make that happen, parents can call Jefferson Center at 345-2550 and use the passwords KIVA, Bubblecake or YMCA, and get two general admission tickets for the price of one. Kids 12 and under are free in the general admission area. Five acts geared towards children in the Kids Village will take place during main stage equipment changes between bands. Jackson says more tickets have been purchased in advance than were sold for John Hiatt, but “there’s still plenty of room for other people,” on a site he says can hold 5000. Readmission to the site will be allowed for those that may want to leave and come back. “It’s a long day of music – 11 hours,” notes Jackson, who books the acts at Kirk Avenue Music Hall. Carilion is supporting the event by allowing Down by the River ticket holders to use its new parking garage. There will also be a drop off zone near the main gate on Reserve Avenue. “It’s really going to be a great show – a big, bad, having-fun picnic,” promises Jackson. Reserved seats are $53.50 until July 1; 12 and under $27. (See jeffcenter.org for more ticket information) By Gene Marrano gmarrano@cox.net
Hollywood Comes To The Library On Friday, June 25th, the normally hushed halls of the Roanoke City Library echoed with the clash of swords and the crack and pop of a braided leather bullwhip. Rather than rushing – as one might expect – to “shush” the martial cacophony, librarian River Laker merely smiled a satisfied smile as the applause of nearly a hundred spectators added to the sturm und drang amongst the stacks. At Laker’s invitation, movie star and martial master Anthony De Longis brought a bit of Hollywood action to the Downtown Library and – if the roaring applause and lengthy Q&A session afterwards was any indication – the library’s patrons were both thrilled by what they saw and heard and all-too eager for more! For two hours, De Longis dazzled and entertained a rapt crowd packed tight on the library lawn, moving freely back and forth between various weapons demonstrations, telling tales accumulated over 30 plus years as a working actor in the wilds of “Hollweird,” and taking questions and interacting with a captivated audience. Whether cracking whips, slinging swords or spinning stories, however, De Longis continually emphasized the importance of education, training and – particularly – the absolute necessity of reading and the study of history. Quoting freely from both Hamlet and 18th century German historians, De Longis balanced action with learning and spectacle with scholarship. In Hollywood, the name Anthony De Longis sits
New Vintage Wheels for Transportation Museum It’s been a good few weeks for the Virginia Museum of Transportation in downtown Roanoke. Two weekends ago they were packed on a sponsored “free” admission day, and last weekend VMT unveiled the newest addition to its automotive gallery: a 1923 Bush model touring car that was built by a long-defunct Lynchburg firm, the Piedmont Motor Car Company. VMT board member Tom Cox found the Bush car in New York and negotiated for its sale to the Star City Motor Madness group, which for the past nine years has held a huge outdoor vintage car show. The 1923 four-cylinder vintage auto was found in nearly original condition -- making it more valuable than if it had been fully restored. Piedmont Motor Car Co. produced about 3000 cars between 1917 and 1923, when it went out of business. Star City Motor Madness rolled out the Bush Car last Saturday and has donated it to the Virginia Museum of Transportation, where it will go on display in the Advance Auto Parts Auto Gallery. “This is the only known … example of this car [left],” said Cox, a Star City Motor Madness co-chair. The 1923 vehicle had actually been in storage for the past twenty
A 1923 Bush touring car has found a home at the VMT. years. Cox spent more than 15 years looking for the Lynchburg-made car; there is one other in Chicago, but it has been restored. VMT executive director Bev Fitzpatrick said the car actually runs – although it needs a new ring gear. He was like a kid in the candy store after being presented with the vintage auto on Saturday. “This one is very significant,” said Fitzpatrick, “it will be no doubt be the most important vehicle in the museum’s collection.” Fitzpatrick was pleased that VMT’s new prize possession had not been spray-painted or fixed up otherwise. “More and more the collectors seem to be putting emphasis on
7/2/10 - 7/8/10 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 11
non-restored [vehicles] because it’s original. That’s what makes the difference.” A 1924 Metz at the museum is also not restored, “but this is a really rare bird,” said Fitzpatrick of the 1923 Bush touring car. “There are people all over the country that would give their eye teeth for this.” Fitzpatrick also had high praise for Star City Motor Madness, a non-profit organization that originally formed nine years ago to fund the auto gallery at the VMT, which opened three years ago. Entry fees from cars shown during the Motor Madness weekend have helped raise several hundred thousand dollars, used for museum operating funds and auto gallery restoration. The event also caught the eye of Speed TV, who was in town shooting segments at the car show for a segment that will run next year. The auto gallery wing of the museum in an old Norfolk Southern freight warehouse “had to be totally redone before we could open it up,” noted Fitzpatrick. “Star City Motor Madness has become the group that has kept the museum alive, quite frankly, over the past several years.”
Anthony De Longis (L) with Jason William McNeil. near the top of a very short list of elite fight directors and action specialists. “Anthony’s the state of the art in stage and screen combat” says Dr. Joe Scartelli, Dean of Performing Arts at Radford University. In addition to his own numerous movie and television performances (science fiction fans know him from series standout performances on Highlander: The Series and as “First Maje Cullah” on Star Trek: Voyage) De Longis has worked both in front of and behind the camera with a veritable “Who’s Who” of elite Hollywood actors, extensively training both Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford with the bullwhip for their roles as “Catwoman” in Batman Returns and Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, respectively. “Some people thought it a bit strange, at first,” says Laker, “the idea of having an action movie guy lecture and perform at the library. But anyone who looks at Anthony’s resume quickly spots an artist with not only a three decade-long film
career, running the range from Roadhouse (he was the guy with the knife in his boot) to Fearless (where he crossed swords with kung-fu star Jet Li in the movie’s opening scene), but here’s a guy who’s done Shakespeare at the Old Globe Theatre, performing literary heavyweight roles like Iago in Othello. Anthony has worked for a number of years with the Los Angeles Opera, doing eight different runs with Placido Domingo. Add all that to the fact that Anthony continually conveys a love of learning and emphasizes that all the success he has achieved is rooted in study, practice and scholarship – what more could one ask of a library speaker? We were thrilled to have him both lecture and demonstrate at the Library, and we’re already trying to figure out a way to have him back!” For more information about Anthony De Longis, go online to www.delongis.com By Jason William McNeil info@newsroanoke.com
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Virginia Tech “Lumenhaus” Wins International Solar House Competition Virginia Tech’s entry in Solar Decathlon Europe has won the 10-day competition in Madrid, Spain. After being inspected in different categories each day, the solar house -- designed and originally constructed on the Blacksburg campus -- was declared the most efficient structure in the decathlon. During the competition 17 solar houses from seven countries on three continents were judged in 10 different categories. The Virginia Tech Lumenhaus placed in almost all the categories, including tying for first in Architecture, placing second in Communication and Social Awareness, and placing third in both Industrialization and Market Viability and Lighting. “We were successful over a number of first-rate, world-class work under teams with excellent resources and expertise,” said Robert Dunay, professor in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and one of the faculty leaders on the project. A team of faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students from four Virginia Tech colleges — the College of Architecture
The VA Tech Solar Decathlon Team celebrates their win. and Urban Studies, the College of Engineering the Pamplin College of Business, and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, designed and built the solar house. It was inspired by Miles Van Der Rohe’s Farnsworth house and allows occupants space to interact with each other and with the environment outside. The faculty and student team that went to Madrid to resurrect the house after its shipment from Blacksburg to Madrid will return to campus on Friday, July 2. The university’s Lumenhaus
won’t arrive home for several weeks after that. The solar house began its journey from the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg on April 27. It took a truck from campus to the harbor in Baltimore, Md., and then two ships to reach Bilbao, Spain, and another truck to Madrid. The house arrived in the Spanish capital on June 7 so that the team had about 10 days to put it back together for the competition.
Elk Foundation Voices Support for VA Elk Restoration
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has voiced its official support for the concept of restoring elk populations in Virginia, and praised the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for its research and analysis of five proposed alternatives for restoring a species native to the Old Dominion State. “There is no higher calling in conservation than restoring a native game species to sustainable, huntable, balanced populations,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “When the citizens of Wisconsin, Kentucky and Tennessee decided to bring elk back to those parts of their former range, we were there to help, and those successes are among the most rewarding and popular accomplishments in our organization’s history.” Allen encouraged Virginians to get involved in the process. The public can comment on the agency’s proposals online by Aug. 1, 2010. Learn more about elk restoration and management alternatives in Virginia at: www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/elk/management-plan
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