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Community | News | Per spective
July 2 - July 8, 2010
NewsRoanoke.com
[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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