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Community | News | Per spective
June 19 - June 25, 2009
Still No Secretary for Bowers; Miller recognized
Tito Talks P3– Tito the Builder came to Roanoke to give his take on America at the annual Republican BBQ last week.
Jon Kaufman
Invisible Man
P4– While not yet world famous, Jon Kaufman gets his identity back by writing for the Star-Sentinel.
P9– Those wily Kids in the Valley Adventuring folks are still up to great outdoor fun - check out their summer schedule!
Pen Women P11– The Roanoke Valley Branch of the National League of Pen Women to receive Perry F. Kendig Award
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Cleaveland Touts Getting Back to the Fundamentals
Bill Cleaveland
Bill Cleaveland wants to “get America back on track.”
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> CONTINUED P3: Council Notes
KIVA Kicks!
Silver Tears Campers Born in Roanoke
Despite his protest that “the mayor needs a secretary,” David Bowers didn’t get his way Monday night, when city council voted down his request 4-2 to save Joyce Johnson’s job, even on a part time basis. Bowers made the last minute plea when another secretary in City Clerk Stephanie Moon’s office decided to retire. Johnson, a victim of budget cuts, was offered a job in parks and recreation but may turn it down a year short of full retirement. Bowers has said on more than one occasion that he can keep a secretary plenty busy, even though the M a y o r ’s City Council position is part time. Councilman Court Rosen said before the vote that he didn’t want to “micromanage things,” and wondered if employees in other departments affected by cuts “might want someone to go to bat for them,” like Bowers was for Johnson. Gwen Mason accused the Mayor of “having difficulty communicating,” with Moon on how to handle his workload among others in her department. It was Moon who made the decision to cut Johnson’s position. “It could easily be taken care of with a discussion,” said Mason. Vice Mayor Sherman Lea said he was “not comfortable even
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TheRoanokeStar.com
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ust when you thought you’ve seen it all, you run across something unique, original, and by some estimation, extraordinary. In fact, a warning to the reader: you will probably want (maybe even “need”) one of these after you read this. Tucked away in a quiet corner in Roanoke’s Industrial Center, John Davis runs his small company, Silver Tears Campers. He refers to himself as an “industrial designer,” but “artist” and “craftsman”
would also be apt descriptions. Davis designs and manufactures custom teardrop campers. The design first hit the American highway in the 1940s. They were usually hand-built in neighborhood garages from surplus war materials, so the teardrop was a personal statement. According to Davis, “Silver Tears Campers expands the personal state> CONTINUED P2: Camper
The Botetourt lawyer says one of the reasons he wanted the Republican nomination for the 17th District House of Delegate seat was that “the nation must return to basic values.” Cleaveland won a tough June 9 primary, taking 28 percent of the vote to runner-up Chris Head’s 24 percent. He beat three other GOP primary candidates also, living in an outpost of the sprawling 17th District – southern Botetourt County. Fellow Republican William Fralin – who came out in strong support of Cleaveland after his win on primary night - is retiring after three terms. “We can make it pretty simple and go back to the fundamentals in the [Virginia Republican Creed] and put ourselves in a position where we’re all proud to be American again,” Cleaveland said in > CONTINUED P2: Cleaveland
West End Center Gets Makeover No Decision on Fate of Approaching a 30th anniversary celebration in September, the West End Center on Patterson Avenue in Roanoke received an overdue facelift last weekend. Roanoke County supervisor Charlotte Moore’s Dreamscapes landscaping business donated the “manpower” – Moore included – while local nurseries and home improvement centers donated plants, flowers, trees and mulch. When Moore visited the center, she took one look at the after school hub for inner city children and realized it could use her services. “We’ve been here every day this week,” said Moore last Saturday. A grant helped pay for the upgrades Patrick Patterson helped with and several dozen volunteers Center. donated their time. Annette Patterson’s Ad- and begin an endowment is vancement Foundation, which about $175,000 towards its works with non-profits to se- goal. Patterson, whose husband, Patrick, is runcure funding, helped ning for the Board of coordinate the makeCommunity Supervisors in Roaover. noke County’s Vinton According to PatterDistrict, wanted to help the son, the Foundation’s mission West End Center “make the is to “help build sustainability most of it, ” when the 30th anniand capacity. We go in and do versary celebration takes place strategic planning, [working] in a few months. one on one with the directors.” “Peacebuilders,” tutoring Patterson and West End and literacy programs based at Board members have asked West End Center, has resulted former donors to, pledge $1,000 or more. The favorable in higher graduation rates and response has been “unbeliev- much lower incidents of teen pregnancy for children attendable,” she said. A $2 million campaign that ing, according to Patterson. “It will wipe out the center’s debt is like a community. The kids
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Fleming Administrators
Photo by Gene Marrano
Photo by Gene Marrano
landscaping at the West End feel safe.” Sounding like the school guidance counselor that he is, Patrick Patterson was rolling up his sleeves to help with the landscaping. “Investing in students …and kids is the best investment a community can make,” Patterson said. The facelift last weekend was just one more example of “a real commitment to the kids.” Board member Frankie Robbins vowed that if she beat a problem with vertigo she would volunteer at West End Center – and that’s what has happened. > CONTINUED P3: West End Center
School Board chair David Carson (center) and Superintendent Rita Bishop (left) after closed meeting on Monday: “no comment.”
The Roanoke City School present,” said Spencer. Board met with SuperinIn fact, Bishop and an attendent Dr. Rita Bishop and torney for the school board the school division attorney were asked to leave the room Monday in a closed meeting, at certain points in the meetwhere ramifications of the ing, said Spencer. School Department of Education Board Chairman David Carreport on the Standards of son, Bishop and other board Learning scandal at William members in attendance let Fleming was the focus. What Spencer do the talking. “This was just merely wasn’t decided, said Roanoke an opportunity schools attorney for [the School Tim Spencer, was William Fleming Board] to receive the fate of princi[legal advice] … pal Susan Willis or four other Fleming staff on process and procedures that are outlined by state members. “There was no discussion regulations regarding perof any personnel item with sonnel matters, as well as the the school board, while the superintendent or the [school > CONTINUED system’s] legal counsel was P2: William Fleming
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