2010 Media Kit
the voice of vinton...2010 and beyond
About Us
The concept of the Vinton Voice dates back to December 14, 2008 and came to fruition with a debut issue on August 26, 2009. The publication was brought to life by Publisher Chris Manning to re-invigorate the citizens of Vinton with what was happening in their town by cover just Vinton, something that was not being done by any other publication. In 2009, the Vinton Voice ran 89 original Vinton area related stories, not counting any of our weekly features, columns, or any sports game coverage. During that same threemonth span, over 440 different Vinton, Bonsack and Mt. Pleasant residents were pictured in one way or another in the pages of the Voice Inside the Voice, there is something for everything. While the publication contains no specific ‘sections,’ readers can expect to hear about local news, sports, politics, lifestyles and events all in a normal week. In addition, the Voice is not some generalized product. If you want to read about all of those things just listed, great we have them. But if you want specific content, we have that too. From a weekly recipe to financial insights, an in-house pharmacist, counselor and more, the Voice offers the specific content that you are looking for.
116 S. Poplar Street - Suite 1 Vinton, VA 24179 540-904-5836 - Office 540-904-5838 - Fax info@vintonvoice.com www.vintonvoice.com GENE MARRANO’S NOTEBOOK pg.21 • WALLACE CUNDIFF’S LEGACY pg.15
With a press run of 3,000 issue per week, the Vinton Voice has found a great following in Vinton and the communities of Bonsack and Mount Pleasant, where it is the most widely circulated publication of its kind in the William Byrd school area. By the end of 2009, the Voice had amassed over 300 subscribers and saw a 93 percent pick up rate of the publication from it’s many distribution locations throughout the three coverage areas and other select locations in Southeast Roanoke.
VINTON’S NEW VOICE
Bootie’s Place pg.2
Advertising in the Vinton Voice is a great benefit, based on how many people you can reach, if nothing else. Based on the rate of pick up of the publication weekly in 2009, an estimated 11,244 copies of the Voice are picked up each month. According to the 2009 study by the Pew Research Center in Washington D.C., between 2 and 3 members of each American household will pick up, look at and/or read any given publication in their home. Judging by that standard, in any given month you can expect between 22,400 to 33,700 people to see your advertisement. For further information on advertising in the Voice, we will direct you to pages 10-11 and encourage you to contact us at 540-904-5836 or info@vintonvoice.com.
Fall Sports Preview with a profile of Jeff Highfill
pgs.22/23
THE TERRIER FIELD TUG-OF-WAR pgs.12/13
Volume I • Issue 1
VOICE August 26, 2009
Staff Chris Manning - Publisher
A Vinton native, Chris Manning began the Vinton Voice in 2009 to bring new, exciting, reliable and relevant news to his hometown. In 2007, Manning penned his first book, “One Team, One Dream” about the 1997 State Championship for the William Byrd High School baseball team. He has worked for publications in many different capacities, from the largest in town to the second smallest in the state of Virginia. He has been married for 10 years to wife Ashlee and has three children (Parker, Piper and Payden). Contact Chris at chris@vintonvoice.com
Dan Vance - Editor-in-Chief
Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Dan oversees the details of each issue from layout to advertising design and photography. It is rare to find a page in the Voice that does not have his fingerprint on it as he makes sure that there is something for everyone. He has worked and freelanced nationwide over the past 11 years. Since coming to Virginia in 2009, Dan has also become involved in the community with The Advancement Foundation in Vinton and judging the Miss Smith Mountain Lake Teen Pageant. Contact Dan at dan@vintonvoice.com
Featured Contributors Bootie Bell Chewning has been writing columns in Vinton for over 30 years. In 2009, she joined the Voice to fill readers in on all of the general information of the goings on in town.
Gene Marrano is a former Editor in Vinton and adds his insight to a story affecting Vinton bi-weekly with Gene’s Notebook. He also is a writer/editor throughout the Valley.
Danny Cruff is an up and coming freelance photographer, who has added his touch to the Voice, mostly through athletics. Late in 2009, he also added his writing touch.
“ Larry ‘Moe’ Mattox
co-owns M&M Insurance in Vinton. M&M Insurance, a local branch of All State Insurance, is an advertiser in the Vinton Voice and was featured in 2009 as a ‘Business Spotlight.’ Mattox is highly involved in Vinton as a Board of Directors member with the Chamber of Commerce, the Fall Festival and Police academy, among others.
The Voice is a contact avenue that can reach many more people in and around the Vinton area than any e-mail that I could imagine sending. The Voice contains current and upcoming information and attracts all age groups with the information within it’s pages. I have even had fortune to have been mentioned in it’s articles on a couple of occasions. Example: the simple ad that mentioned that my office was a Toys for Tots sponsor resulted in an overwhelming response from so many individuals. I received boxes of items that will benefit underprivileged children at Christmas this year. My sincere thanks for everyone who has helped with this event this year. Without the Voice and support from Chris and his staff, many would not have been aware of this. I think that the main factor is that there is a mutual respect , from writers to readers and readers to writers. That makes for a great newspaper that our town can be proud of.
Staff & Regular Contributors
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Brian Manning - Circulation Director If you stop by the Vinton Voice office, chances are you have seen Brian. If you subscribe to the Voice, you have seen his handy work. Brian handles many of the day-to-day behind the scenes work as the Circulation Director and office manager for the Voice. Jacob Clifton - Delivery/General A senior at William Byrd High School, Jacob has been delivering the Voice throughout the area since its inception and also works weekly in the office, helping out here and there with clerical work, among other aspects. Erin DeLauder-Brooks - Pharmacy Columnist The Pharmacy Manager of the Walgreens on Franklin Road in Roanoke, Erin pens a bi-weekly question and answer section for anything and everything pharmacy related. Erin can be reached (or questioned for the Voice) at: AskThePharmacist@vintonvoice.com. Dale Russell - Financial Columnist The publication’s “financial expert,” Russell graduated from Liberty University with a BS and MBA in Accounting and Business respectively. Once a month, Dale weighs in with financial advice and answers questions. He can be reached at WheresMyMoney@vintonvoice.com Michele Gunter - Lifestyle Columnist Joining the Voice’s column writers in late 2009, Gunter is the Founder and owner of Abundant Life Family Counseling, Inc in Roanoke; a private out-patient therapy clinic focused on providing therapeutic interventions to individuals, couples and families. John A. Montgomery One of the Roanoke Valley’s foremost authorities on sports, John owns Play-by-Play and freelances frequently across the Valley. Once a month, he takes the reigns of the popular ‘Sports Spotlight’ feature, often bringing us ‘Voices from the Past,’ about former athlete and coaching greats in Vinton. Danae Wensley Danae, an employee of the Town of Vinton, brings information in ‘From Around Town’ about the many projects going on in Vinton. Amanda Stump New in 2010, Amanda joins the Voice as one of two female perspective writers. The Co-Director of the Miss Smith Mountain Lake Pageant, Amanda penned her first piece in the Voice in 2009, discussing her experience at Miss Virginia USA 2009. Monica West Joining Amanda Stump, Monica will also be writing in 2010 to give our female readers more gender specific content, which was something that was asked for consistently in our 2009 Reader Survey and Sampling. Samantha Hoback A William Byrd graduate and Wake Forest student, Samantha writes sporadically during the 2009-2010 school year to give a college perspective on events, holidays and circumstances. She also writes news and feature pieces for the Voice. Chris Carr The Co-Head baseball coach at William Byrd High School, Carr will transition in 2010 from his usual ‘Coaches Corner’ feature to offer current William Byrd students and Vinton community members his views on things going on with and for the school from the perspective of an alumnus.
Featured On:
Dan Smith - FromTheEditr Throughout its lauch-year on 2009, the Voice was featured on many local media outlets. The first of which was ‘FromTheEditr,’ an online blog from Dan Smith, the Editor of Valley Business Front magazine. Smith, a former Editor in Vinton, was the first member of the media in the area to pick up on the story of the launch of the Voice and wrote about it on August 18, 2009 following Voice Publisher Chris Manning’s appearance at the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge Writers Workshop. http://fromtheeditr.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-weekly-newspaper-for-vinton.html Kimberly McBroom - WDBJ7 –and– Duncan Adams - The Roanoke Times One day before the publication launched in August, also the day of the official Voice ribbon cutting and debut cover unveiling, the paper was featured on WDBJ7 and in the pages of the Roanoke Times. The morning of August 25, Manning appeared in the WDBJ7 studios with Kimberly McBroom to discuss the launch of the Voice. The same day, the paper was featured with Chris discussing the market for newspapers at this time, in the Roanoke Times. http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=10985027 http://www.roanoke.com/business/wb/216499 Dan Casey - The Roanoke Times On October 25, 2009, well known Roanoke Times Metro Columnist Dan Casey wrote about the Voice on his widely read online blog. Casey’s comments were related to the Voice’s exclusive story and interview with popular author/writer/producer Stephen Chbosky. A short time before, Chbosky’s book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” was taken off the shelves of William Byrd High School due to outrage from a parent. Though Casey was following the story for the Times, it was the Voice that landed the exclusive commentary on the situation from Chbosky. Casey’s post begins with “Now why didn’t I think of that? The Vinton Voice, the newest community weekly in these parts, scored an exclusive interview with Stephen Chbosky, the author of the 1999 coming-of-age novel, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower,’” and ends with “Nice move, Vinton Voice!” http://blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/dancasey/2009/10/22/author-of-controversial-novel-talks-to-the-vinton-voice/ Susan Bahorich - WDBJ7 Following up on their story about the Voice’s launch, WDBJ7 ran another feature on the paper on October 25, this time featuring on the paper’s ability to sustain during tough times economically and for newspapers across the country. The WDBJ7 crew also joined Voice Publisher Chris Manning and Editor-in-Chief Dan Vance at a local Candidate Forum where the Voice unveiled their pre-Novemeber election ‘Meet the Candidates’ special issue. http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=11380498 Tom Angleberger - The Roanoke Times –and– FourPoints Magazine The paper itself is not the only part of the Vinton Voice to be recognized in the media. Twice in 2009, columnist Bootie Bell Chewning was featured. On October 12, Bootie was the subject of Tom Angleberger’s question and answer column in the Roanoke Times. The column carried the title “As far as nicknames go, if the Bootie fits, keep it.” In December of 2009, Chewning’s exploits in the world of beauty pageants were highlighted in FourPoints Magazine, a Magazine for Miss America enthusiasts, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. http://www.roanoke.com/columnists/angleberger/wb/222209
“ Tommy Wood
is a local business owner of Woods Service Center and Towing and local property owner. He is highly involved in Vinton as a Board of Directors member with the Chamber of Commerce.
When Chris Manning approached me about the idea of his new paper THE VINTON VOICE I really did not know what to say. It had been so long since Vinton and this side of the valley had any type of real news paper coverage that it was really hard to imagine. The Vinton Voce has definitely been an asset to our community and to my business as a advertiser. The sports coverage, old time stories, current happenings and stories about special interest events make you kinda get addicted to it. I personally want to thank Chris and his great staff for choosing Vinton for their paper and hope that the local business community will support Chris and advertise with his paper. As we all know advertising will keep this paper going for years to come.
Taglines OUR voice is YOUR voice
When the Vinton Voice was founded, there was no better term than this to explain to the public what the Vinton Voice was all about. Yes, even we have joked about how cheesy that it can be, but it rings true. Without each and every reader, fan or follower, we would not be able to provide the service that we do in the way we do. In 2009, 89 original Vinton area related stories ran in the Voice, not counting any of the weekly features, columns or sports game coverage; over 440 people specifically from the coverage area were photographed during that same three-month span. Also, 48 different contributors during 2009 helped make our voice the voice of Vinton.
The Voice is Everywhere
This tagline is most associated with our website, through fun pictures of issues of the Voice at various locations around Vinton where you may not expect to see it (the Vinton Pool, Berkley’s Bottom traintracks, as a placemat at McDonald’s, etc.) That is our fun way of stating just how easy it is to find and see the Voice. From the 80+ distribution locations in and around Vinton, to seeing parents and fans at a William Byrd sporting event flanked around the newest issue or even seeing one of those cars driving around sporting a Vinton Voice sticker. The Voice, be it an actual issue, the logo or general presence, is everywhere.
Everybody Reads the Voice
The phrase of Everybody Reads the Voice grew into reality inside the pages of the Voice weekly. From Roanoke Board of Supervisors Chairman Mike Altizer to the WBHS Volleyball teams to the late Billy Obenchain to Mayberry Deputy, many faces have been seen reading the Voice. From the natural, submitted and set-up, the faces in this feature are always proud to be seen reading the content in the publication. This also goes hand-in-hand with ‘The Voice is Everywhere,’ where you will see people reading the Voice everywhere from sporting events, down at The Dogwood or Jerry’s, all over WBHS or in the doctor’s office.
The Voice of Vinton...2010 and beyond
New in 2010, we want to throw all of those inhibitions into the wind. With a new publication, there can be an expectation of struggle and even abandonment. But that is not the case with the Vinton Voice. In 2009, it was the citizens of Vinton, Mt.Pleasant and Bonsack made their Voice heard and made us the premier outlet for news and information in this part of the Valley. That is a responsibility that we appreciate and don’t take lightly. We are proud to be the Voice of Vinton now and will be proud to be that Voice forever. Consider this a revised version of our original tagline from the publication’s conception in 2009.
On the Web
www.VintonVoice.com The official website of the Voice relaunched in late November with all of the information on the Voice and links to get you to other aspects of our web presence and breaking news about Vinton. Facebook Facebook has been a great outlet for the Voice. As of the end of 2009, the Vinton Voice page (accessed by simply searching for ‘The Vinton Voice’ at Facebook.com) had over 1,400 fans, making it the second most popular Facebook page for any publication in the Roanoke Valley. There are individual people across the globe who are following along with everything the Vinton Voice does, from many states to Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey and the Netherlands. It is a great place to get feedback from our readers and fans, and also keep them informed on what is happening in the pages of the Voice and also in the community of Vinton. Blog (www.vintonvoice.com/blog) In 2010, the official blog of the Voice, where readers can catch breaking news that happens between Wednesday publication dates, will change to this site from vintonvoice.blogspot.com. Issuu (www.issuu.com/vintonvoice) Can’t find a paper issue left around town? Don’t live in the Vinton area? Check out the online version of the publication here. In three months of existence in 2009, the Voice had over 45,000 unique page views on our Issuu page. An added bonus for advertisers in 2010 is the ability to have your name on our online edition. Twitter (www.twitter.com/vintonvoice) The ever growing world of Twitter allows for the same by the minute info as Facebook to be presented.
Community
In 2009, the Vinton Voice made it their mission to be highly involved in the community for two reasons: 1) to raise awareness of the brand new publication and 2) to help make Vinton and Southeast Roanoke the best areas in the entire Region.
W.E. Cundiff Fall Festival / W.E. Cundiff PTA In September, the Voice participated at the Fall Festival of the elementary school, giving a percentage of all subscriptions sold to the school’s PTA. In December, we again worked with the Cundiff PTA in a partnership to sell subscriptions and raise money. Vinton Fall Festival Through previews and coverage, the Voice promoted the Fall Festival and also took part with a table at the event to distribute copies of the Voice, inform the visitors of the area about the publication and sell subscriptions. Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce The Voice works as a platinum level sponsor for the Chamber and their activities. William Byrd HS Pack the Gym Night The publication was a sponsor for the WB Volleyball team’s annual Pack the Gym Night. WBHS Football on FOX 910 AM During the 2009 season, the Voice acted as a sponsor for the radio broadcasts of William Byrd Terrier football. William Byrd HS Football During the 2009 season, the Voice was an advertising partner with WBHS in the Terrier Football program. For home games, the Voice also provided ‘Coaches Corner’ stories and information for the program about the team’s previous game. Vinton Voice stories about Terrier Football also appeared on the team’s website. ESPN in Virginia Vinton Voice fall sports coverage for all William Byrd High School sports appeared on ESPN.com’s website for Virginia. Vinton Voice and Cherry Bomb Tattoo Adult Halloween Costume Contest This Halloween Costume Contest was held as a co-run event at Cherry Bomb Tattoo in Vinton on October 30 for ages 18 and up. The event helped raise awareness of Cherry Bomb’s activities in the community and give adults a chance to dress up too for Halloween. Halloween Costume Contest sponsored by Cherry Bomb Tattoo This Halloween Costume Contest was held at the Vinton Voice offices on October 30 immediately following the Vinton Downtown Trick-orTreat. Children between the ages of 1-to-13 participated with prizes awarded in three age categories. Project Give Goodwill, Second Harvest Foodbank, SPCA and Habitat for Humanity partnered with the Vinton Voice to seek donations of clothes, housewares, non-perishable food items, games, supplies and other items at the Roanoke Civic Center on December 5, 2009. 2009 Blanket Drive The publications partnered with the WBHS Leo Club and Shows Great Home Staging in collecting blankets during the Holiday season. Vinton Holiday Lights Contest Along with Woods Service Center and Towing, Belle’s Blooms, Let’s Party, Goodspeed Learning Center, William Byrd High School and Woods Auto Parts, the Voice held a Holiday Lights Contest during the 2009 Holiday season. Miss Smith Mountain Lake The Miss SML Pageant saw the Vinton Voice as a sponsorship with advertising in their program and a giveaway of a one-year subscription to Miss William Byrd Outstanding Teen Jenna O’Leary. Editor-in-Chief Dan Vance also served as a judge for the Miss Smith Mountain Lake Outstanding Teen Pageant on December 12. Enchanted Eve Enchanted Eve is an alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration held in Vinton at the War Memorial. The even took place on December 31 and celebrated 10 years of ‘fun and merriment.’ The Voice acted as a sponsor for this event. VDOT Adopt a Highway The Adopt-a-Highway program provides an opportunity for families, businesses or civic groups to clean up litter. Every year, more than 6,000 Adopt-a-Highway groups collect about 300,000 bags of trash from 14,000 miles of Virginia’s roads. The Voice joined this cause late in 2009 and adopted a portion of road in Vinton.
Editorial Calendar
In addition to our normal weekly issues, the Vinton Voice will release several specialty issues and publications over the course of 2010 to highlight specific events in Vinton. Specific dates have yet to be set due to the possibility of change. The ‘Special Sections’ will appear in print with a normal issue of the Voice, where ‘Supplementary Publications’ will be their own freestanding glossy print publications. Rates for all of these specials are available upon request. Spring Sports Preview (March) - Special Section While the Voice previewed sports in the Fall of 2009, it was not until the winter that there was an official preview of all of a season’s William Byrd High School. We will continue this in the spring with our look at outdoor track, baseball, softball, soccer and tennis. Vinton Chamber Vinton Image (March) - Supplementary Publication The Voice partners with the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce for their annual Vinton Image publication. The 2010 edition will look at the history of the Chamber as they prepare to celebrate their 60th Anniversary. Dogwood Festival Special (April) - Special Section A preview of the April 21-24 Dogwood Festival. We’ll discuss the history of the event dating back 1956 and what to expect in 2010. Meet the Candidates (May) - Special Section In November 2009, the Voice presented a cutting edge, straight shooting preview of the elections that affected the Vinton area and citizens. We will follow that up with our Meet the Candidates special in May, focusing on the Town Council races. Sports Year in Review (June) - Supplementary Publication This publication will feature the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams from an entire school year and season (2009-2010) from William Byrd High School, highlighting teams, players and coaches that make up Terrier Athletics. Fall Sports Preview (August) - Special Section A preview of William Byrd High School volleyball, football, cross country and golf for the 2010 season. From Around Town (Fall) - Supplementary Publication Taking the lead from the 2009 ‘Nine Favorite Things’ Special Section, in 2010, we will take a look at all of those things around the town of Vinton that make it so special. Meet the Candidates (October) - Special Section Another special prior to the November 2 elections, discussing the contests that will affect the Vinton area. Winter Sports Preview (November) - Special Section A preview of William Byrd High School basketball, swimming, indoor track and wrestling for the 2010-2011 season. Vinton Year in Review (December) - Supplementary Publication The comings, going, events and people who made Vinton what it was in the year 2010 will be featured in this publication that takes you back and shares memories from the year that was, including the Dogwood Festival, Fall Festival, athletics, politics and more.
“ Dr. Richard Turner
is the Principal at William Byrd High School in Vinton. Dr. Turner and the changes with the current renovation at WBHS were featured in the debut issue of the Voice in Gene Marrano’s Gene Notebook feature.
I really enjoy reading the Vinton Voice. I absolutely love our town and our community. The Voice provides the information needed to not only keep up with community activities and events, but to learn new aspects of our community. William Byrd High School is a focal point of our community and the Voice does an outstanding job of reporting not only sporting events, but other events like club activities, dances, pageants, fund raisers, etc. The staff of the Voice has done an excellent job of developing a positive rapport with our school staff. They have quickly become part of our school culture. Advertisers in our community have picked up on this and are joining the growing ranks of Voice supporters. Principals of other schools have told me that they wish they had similar outlets in their communities. Of course we accept only the best at WBHS and the Vinton Voice is the BEST!
Breakout Stephen Chbosky
is an author, producer and writer. Among his accomplishments are co-writing the major motion picture RENT and co-creating the former CBS drama Jericho. In 2009, his most famous book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” came under fire in Roanoke County Schools and at William Byrd High School. Since it’s release in 1999, ‘Perks’ has sold more than one million copies worldwide.
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The Vinton Voice is an intelligent and fair newspaper that serves its community with dignity. While others push an agenda, the Voice shares the facts.
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When an angry parent of a WBHS student took offense to a teacher at the school passing along the controversial book “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” to students, it was newsworthy across the Valley and even nationally. While local television news and publications took turns with their stances on the situation (including speaking to the parent and use of press releases from Roanoke County Schools), the Voice aimed to get a real vivid reaction from the community about the book being pulled from school library shelves, again using Facebook as an outlet to get feedback and thoughts from citizens of the area. In following up an initial column by Publisher Chris Manning, the Voice decided to obtain an important viewpoint on the subject: that of author Stephen Chbosky. Since the book’s release, Chbosky had gone through this situation many times over the years, multiple times with his book winding up on the ALA’s Top 10 Banned Book list. This story from the Voice put the paper ahead of all local coverage and gained admiration in print from the Roanoke Times.
When it comes to the news of Vinton, Mt.Pleasant and Bonsack, we make it our goal to not only bring you the relevant news, but bring it first. In 2009, the Voice was on the cutting edge of some great original stories, being either the first in the area to bring you the news or doing it a way that is fresh, original and/or different than you will find elsewhere in the Valley. Some examples of this include: WBHS Baseball Co-Head Coaches The very first feature of the very first issue was a sitdown interview with recently named co-baseball coaches Chris Carr and David Mitchell. The Voice was the first to tackle this highly questioned, if not controversial decision at WBHS to have two head coaches for the baseball program. In the 08/26 and 09/02 issues, Carr and Mitchell were able to talk first hand about the decision and what it means for the baseball program. Samantha Webster college choice A highly regarded two-sport athlete at William Byrd, Webster made her decision in mid-November to attend Concord University to play basketball. In the pages of the Voice were the first place you could read about the decision and hear directly from Webster. November 2009 Election coverage First unveiled on WDBJ7 and at a Chamber of Commerce candidate forum, the cover of the ‘Meet the Candidates’ issue was unique and eye catching. Inside that issue, candidates were given the chance to speak directly to the public, not through prefabricated stories, but directly as 400 word comments. On election night, through the highly read Facebook of the Voice, up to the minute election results were available from two locations: with local Republicans at the Tanglewood Holiday Inn and local Democrats at Fork in the City. William Byrd Sports Calendar Terrier athletics are a big part of the landscape in Vinton and an important part of the Vinton Voice since its inception. Monthly, we give you a calendar of every William Byrd High and Middle School athletic event for the following month. Pull it out of the paper, hang it on the wall and never miss a single minute of action. < Stephen Chbosky EXCLUSIVE
Chbosky speaks out on controversy >’Perks of Being a Wallflower’ author discusses book and the power of word Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief Since it’s release in 1999, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” a novel by Stephen Chbosky, has made an impact nationwide. For Chbosky himself, to the readers who’s lives have been touched by the book, to a vocal minority who have questioned the morality of the book’s contents, ‘Perks...’ has been on the radar of the American literary landscape for some time. Recently, that impact has been felt in Vinton and at William Byrd High School, where English teacher Kathleen Renard shared the book with many students and one parent took offense to some contents of the book, leading to it’s removal from WBHS. To Vinton and the Roanoke area, it has been a big news story, but to Chbosky, it is something that he has come to grips with over the years and speaks about openly with respect for all views. “I was raised Catholic and I have a very strong moral center. So for me, I would never force any family or any teenager to read my book or accept any of the things in it,” he says. “However, from the same moral center, I would ask anybody to not deny the book to other people if they would want to find it for themselves.” He has developed this mature response to people’s displeasure with his book through years of controversy and bannings. In 2008, the American Library Association listed ‘Perks...’ as one of their Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books. It is the fourth time this decade that the book has made the ALA’s list. Through these challenges, Chbosky has spoke openly about book bannings in many venues, including this past summer’s ALA conference in Chicago. Though the controversy at William Byrd has engaged the community in recent weeks through many news outlets and publications, including the Voice, Chbosky himself is new to this particular situation. “I would thank her for passing on my book,” Chbosky notes on what he would say in a one-on-one conversation with Renard, given the opportunity. “But way more important than her reaction to my specific book, I would want to thank for her trying to reach kids with books that they might respond to, to open up a dialogue about issues that they might be facing in their own lives and for caring that much.” And while he stands strong on the side of books not being banned and voices being allowed to be heard, Chbosky does understand the other side of things and likewise offers kind words to John Davis, the parent who brought
Stephen Chbosky wrote ‘Perks...’ (top left) in 1999. It has continuously been contested throughout the country, leading the author to numerous engagements, including the annual ALA Conference (top right is an ALA poster for Banned Book Week, which concluded October 3). the book into question at WBHS. “What I would say to the father is, basically man to man, I know that he loves his son very much and wants to protect his son very much and I respect him for that,” Chbosky says. “And with that said, and very deeply meant, I would also ask if he hasn’t already, to perhaps read my entire book and see the spirit in which I wrote it. I did not write my book to be exploitative of anyone. I did not write my book to encourage drug use or pre-marital sex or any of the other things that some groups have found morally questionable. I wrote it as a blueprint for... maybe kids who have been through some bad things in their lives to find their way to some personal peace.” Chbosky says that the original message of ‘Perks...’ has not changed at all over the many years and many controversies. Instead, the
message remains clear. Chbosky wrote the book not to be scrutinized or to make money, but to ‘end the silence inside himself’ and also to start a conversation between people who are going through similar things in their own lives or even just passing the book onto another. Several letters, e-mails and meetings, as Chbosky shared, have shown him the power that his book alone is having on young adults. Through these outlets, Chbosky has been told six times by young people that they have chosen not to commit suicide because of the book. “Whenever I hear about any book being taken off the shelf permanently, I do think about those kids, because I never know where number seven is.” He also shared a story of an underprivileged school in Ontario, California outside of Los Angeles, where a group of high school juniors and seniors wrote him a batch of letters telling him how their reading levels progressed from fourth to eighth grade just in the time they were reading the book. Chbosky says that they were progressing just at the same rate that the voice of the main character, Charlie, progresses throughout the book. While he continues to write in his various outlets (he wrote the screenplay for 2005 major motion picture ‘Rent’ as well as co-created the short running CBS series ‘Jericho’), Chbosky wants to make sure the focus in communities remains on education and conversation through a wide array of books, mentioning specifically classics like Charles Dickens, Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The Great Gatsby.’ “Diversity of thought is a cornerstone to our American society. And reading is one of the greatest paths to that diversity,” Chbosky says. “So to me, you cannot distinguish between a diversity of reading material and a great education.” As far the situation at Byrd goes, he will still stand strong by his belief in the need for books of all content to be seen by young adults, but continues to recognize the stance that the school board locally and others around the country have to take in situations like this. “In terms of a school following it’s own procedure for challenged books or to protect itself, I one-hundred percent support that, they need to do what they need to do,” he says, noting that he would never want a lawsuit or any action based on a book, including his, to take a single cent out of the school system. “In a larger sense, I think it is terribly sad and a great tragedy to take these books out of the libraries...closing down a dialogue is encouraging the silence. The point of art is to end silence and I think it is very sad anytime that people choose silence over communication.”
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William Byrd Athletic Schedules DECEMBER 2009 Tuesday
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WBMS Girls & Boys Basketball Home vs. Northside-4:45/6:15pm WBHS Swimming vs. Salem & William Fleming Gator Aquatic Center-7:30/8pm WBHS Boys Basketball @ Salem-6pm
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WBHS Boys Basketball Home vs. Christiansburg-6pm WBHS Girls Basketball @ Christiansburg-6pm
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WBHS Girls Basketball WBHS Home Tourney-TBA WBHS Boys Basketball @ Northside-TBA JV & Varsity
10 VOICE
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WBMS Girls Basketball vs. Cave Spring @ WBHS-4:45pm
WBMS Boys Basketball HOME vs. Cave Spring-4:45pm
Veterans Day On November 11, the Vinton Voice was the only town publication to pay tribute to the Veterans of the area. In this issue, Robbie Robinson wrote about the Veterans and their meaning to the world that we all live in today. The cover, shot outside the War Memorial in Vinton by Danny Cruff, was voted the 2nd favorite cover in 2009 by the readers of the Voice.
All WBHS basketball games times are for JV, followed by Varsity games, unless otherwise noted.
WBHS Girls Basketball Home vs. Glenvar-6pm WBHS Boys Basketball @ Glenvar-6pm
15
WBMS Wrestling @ Central Academy-4:45pm
WBHS Girls Basketball Home vs. Hidden Valley-6pm
Wednesday
2 9
WBHS Wrestling @ Franklin County-5pm WBHS Girls Basketball Home vs. Cave Spring-6pm Varsity Only WBHS Boys Basketball @ Cave Spring-6pm
WBMS Wrestling vs. Hidden Valley/Staunton River Home-4:45pm WBHS Swimming vs. Northside-7:30/8pm @ Gator Aquatic Center
16
WBMS Girls & Boys Basketball Home vs.Staunton River-4:45/6:15pm WBHS Boys Basketball @ Hidden Valley-6pm
WBHS Swimming vs. Patrick Henry Gator Aquatic Center-7:30/8pm
Thursday
Friday
3
WBMS Boys & Girls Basketball @ CAMS-4:45/6:15pm WBMS Wrestling @ Ben Franklin-4:45pm
10
WBMS Wrestling @ Andrew Lewis-4:30pm
29
30
31
WBHS Girls Basketball WBHS Home Tourney-TBA WBHS Boys Basketball @ Northside-TBA JV & Varsity
WBHS Girls Basketball WBHS Home Tourney-TBA WBHS Boys Basketball @ Northside-TBA Varsity Only
WBHS Indoor Track Liberty Christmas @ Liberty-4:30pm
WBHS Wrestling Quad @ EC Glass-10am WBHS Indoor Track Liberty Christmas @ Liberty-9am
12
18
19
WBHS Wrestling Titan Toughman @ Hidden Valley-2pm
WBHS Girls Basketball @ Glenvar-6pm WBHS Wrestling @ Turner Ashby-5pm
25
WBHS Wrestling Titan Toughman @ Hidden Valley-10am
WBHS Indoor Track Asics Elite @ Liberty-9am
WBHS Swimming Pulaski Invitational @ Radford-10:30/11:30am
break With a long Reed ahead, Coach team looks Carpenter’s impact on to make an day two.
WBHS Wrestling @ Turner Ashby-9:45am
26
Today starts JV and Varsity HS Boys Basketball Tournaments at Northside
ISTMAS
CHR
NEW
5
11
WBHS Boys Basketball Home vs. Glenvar-6pm
WBMS Boys & Girls Basketball @ Hidden Valley-4:45/6:15pm
24
WBHS Boys Basketball Home vs. Salem-6pm
WBHS Girls Basketball @ Cave Spring-6pm Varsity Only
17
23
Saturday
WBHS Girls Basketball @ Salem-6pm
WBHS Boys Basketball Home vs. Cave Spring-6pm
WBMS Boys & Girls Basketball @Read Mtn.-4:45/6:15pm
22
Enjoy your holi break day college with plenty around and pro sporof the area ts WB is while out of action.
4
DAY
WBHS Boys Basketball @ Northside-TBA JV Only
YEAR’S EVE
VOICE 11
2009 Reader Survey
In December, in both the pages of the Voice and online through our popular Facebook page, we asked readers to chime in with their two-cents on 10 questions regarding content of the publication. By using this sampling of reader response, we feel we were accurately able to judge just what the people of Vinton and other readers do and do not want in the pages of their hometown weekly. These results were critical for evaluation and during our 2010 Strategic Planning Meeting. Below are some of the results, what they tell us about our product and our readers and how they influence change in 2010. The following is an analysis from Publisher Chris Manning: Some things were pretty clear, an overwhelming majority of you love our sports coverage, love the fact that we cover a business every week and of course, most of you love Bootie. In our survey, our Sports Spotlight was the most popular section we have. As far as sections you didn’t like, nothing really stuck out, there were a couple things that got a few more votes than the others, but with comments like “love them all,” “they’re all good,” and “like them all really” we feel pretty strongly about our sections. We are going to be changing the frequency of some of them, so nothing gets stale. When we asked what you’d like to see more of, nothing really ran away with the voting, it was pretty even across the board. Some of you said you’d like to see more sports, which of course makes us sports nuts happy, but you did also say you wanted to see more arts and entertainment (so do we) as well as lifestyles, schools and opinion. We did have several good suggestions out of this question, some of which we will be giving a shot to see what you all think. When we asked what your favorite cover was, the winner wasn’t the least bit surprising. Cover #10, the “Political Rumble” as we named it, took the top honors. If you’ve stopped by the office, you’ve seen that we have blown that one up and are pretty proud of it too. Rounding out the top five of your favorite covers were “Thank you Vets” and “Two of a Kind” tied for second, then “Breaking the Code” in third, our first ever cover “Vinton’s New Voice” in fourth and then a three way tie for fifth with “Parkway Bridge,” “Train Tracks” and “Nine Favorite Things.” Every cover got at least a vote, showing that we’ve all got different tastes, however we plan to keep outdoing ourselves week in and week out with creative, eye-catching covers that will make all of you happy. The next few questions of the survey is where it really started to get fun (and at times confusing) there were no choices, we asked for your specific answers and boy did we get them. We asked specifically what you would like to see more of in the Voice and we had answers such as -More focus on the academics of schools rather than sports -Less government and more opinions from citizens and business and less about Vinton war memorial and government -Maybe highlight a person in the community making a difference on any level. This could be someone who heads up a nonprofit, volunteer, a teacher or a student etc. -more about Bonsack, add weddings/celebrations -sports, high school and maybe even a college like Ferrum. Also feature stories on WBHS coaches and sandlot coaches- David Justice would be a good one for sandlot football coach. Also Milton Dowdy and Don Oaks. Also: rate the Vinton Restaurants There were tons more, but those are just some of the ideas that were thrown out to us. Several of these things we’ve done and will continue to do, some of them we NEED YOUR HELP with. We need you to send us story ideas, just a simple email to editor@vintonvoice.com will do. We also would love to have more of your pictures, when you take trips, when there’s something going on, whatever the case may be, we want it all. We want to know what’s going on in your lives, but we won’t know without your help. We also asked what you’d like to see less of and you guys didn’t have as many suggestions, but were vocal in your suggestions;
-The feeling that the cheerleaders were cheated out of winning the state title. All of us need to learn and be taught to be gracious in defeat. We as a community did a very poor job of that! (Editor’s note: We’d just like to comment that we never insinuated that our cheerleaders were “cheated,” we did question some things and if we gave the impression that we were accusing anyone of “cheating” them we do apologize, that was never our intention.) -I really like it the way it is. Waaaaaay better than other papers. You have stories not just advertisements. They are important but you give readers something to actually read and focus only on Vinton not Salem and Botetourt too. -Fewer typos and grammatical errors! -Chris saying “Heck” LOL -More variety of sports coverage if you must have so much of it. Generally it is a bit much on sports though. We’ll keep trying to improve on anything you don’t like and if there is something you don’t like, you need to let us know. Some things we can change (like me saying Heck) and some we can’t (like sports, believe you me, there is a ton of sports and we don’t quite cover all of them, although we’re trying.) As far as the typos and errors, there are less and less every week, usually we catch those the same time you do, even though we go over it with a fine tooth comb prior to sending it, we’re human. Your favorite story was pretty clear, although there were plenty of stories mentioned, from Dan’s “Two of a Kind” profiles of Derrick Palmer and Kalyn Molnar, to the “Wish list for Vinton” and Dan’s column after Jake Mankin and William Byrd’s gutsy win in overtime against Salem. In all, there were 32 separate stories mentioned by you the readers, but there was one that was mentioned the most and that was Dan’s exclusive interview with “Perks of being a Wallflower” author Stephen Chbosky, shortly after his book made national news due to the situation that arose at the high school. Over half of you said you would be more likely to subscribe if the Voice were no longer available in as many locations. That’s a good thing, because starting in 2010, as our subscriber base grows, we will begin to eliminate the “free” locations, making subscribing the only guaranteed way to get your weekly copy of the Voice. One of the questions we were most focused on was “Do you feel the staff of the Voice is accessible and easy to get in touch with?” Luckily for us, that answer was a resounding YES, with only two people saying that we weren’t. For the two people that said we weren’t, we apologize and invite you to call us, either on the office or cell phones, or email us, day or night (that information can be found here in the issue). More than likely, you will get an answer. For the hundreds that took the survey, we thank you. We thank you for your taking the time, we thank you for giving us your opinion, we thank you for reading and we thank you for your continued support. We want to continue to be YOUR Voice and want you to know that it is an honor and a privilege to be considered as such. If you have any comments or questions, you don’t have to wait until the next survey rolls around, you can call or email us anytime, we’re proud to be the news source that you, the people of the Vinton area, depend on, starting in 2009 and continuing in 2010 and beyond.
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all rates are subject to change but will not take affect during contracted period
SIZE in INCHES (Wide, Tall)
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27-52x
*COLOR PRICING
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$600
$500
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Half Page (10x6.5)
$400
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1/3 Page (3.33x13) or (10x4.33) $300
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1/4 Page (5x6.5)
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Business Card (3.167x1.917)** $40 $30 $20 **Business Card also available in 1.917x3.167 vertical option
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1/8 Page (5x3.25) or (2.5x6.5)
1/3 PAGE HORIZONTAL
HALF PAGE
Classified Advertising (Real Estate, Employment, Automotive, etc.) Classified Liner Ads - $1.50 per line (contact Advertising Department for specifics or sample) Add $10 each for any artwork for Liner Ads NEW IN 2010! - Online Sponsorship The Vinton Voice’s online presence is one of our biggest tools for our readers and we’d like for our advertisers to be able to take advantage of this as well. In 2009, our editions of the Voice had nearly 50,000 unique page views, a great way to reach your target markets. Pricing Options (Pricing is in addition to print pricing): Full Page- Additional $50 1/3 Page- Additional $20 1/8 Page- Additional $10
1/4 PAGE
1/8
Half Page- Additional $35 1/4 Page- Additional $15 Business Card- Additional $5
Online Only FULL Front Page option (this would be the first thing people see prior to seeing the cover of each issue)$100 per issue.
1/8 PAGE
Special Placement / Advertising Design
BC
Guaranteed Placement is available for an additional 10% over the cost of advertising space with the exception of the Back Cover space, which costs an additional 25%, and inside either the front or back cover, which is an additional 15%. A fee for any requested ‘from scratch’ in-house ad design will be set at 20% over the cost of advertising space. *Color will bare additional cost, plus the original ad price (see Rates by Size for pricing). Without guaranteed placement, no refunds, rate adjustments or make goods will be made due to ad placement. Some conditions and exceptions apply. Advertisers assume full liability for the content of an advertisement published in the Vinton Voice and agree as such when contract for advertising is finalized. Advertiser will assume any/all responsibility for claims against the Vinton Voice that may arise based on their advertisement.
1/3 PAGE VERT.
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Requirements failure to meet requirement may lead to additional convenience charges All advertising orders are due no later than 10 a.m. on the deadline set by the department All changes and/or cancellations must be made no later than twentyfour (24) hours prior to the print deadline on 10 a.m. Monday morning. • Advertising materials are preferred in PDF form, but may also be delivered in the following formats only: EPS, Adobe InDesign CS4 or earlier, Adobe Illustrator CS4 or earlier, or any bitmap file format. We cannot print ads generated in Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint or Corel Draw. If ad is submitted in unaccepted format, you will be asked to reformat it. Any reformatting done by the Vinton Voice will be considered as Ad Design and charged as such. • Bitmap images within ad materials, or ads delivered entirely in bitmap format are required to have a minimum resolution of 300 DPI. Any photos and/or graphics must have a minimum resolution of 300 DPI. Please include all fonts/files. • We accept advertisements submitted via CD, but prefer through e-mail. Ads may be e-mailed to info@vintonvoice.com unless otherwised arranged.
Other sizes may available, but may be subject to additional cost. Contact Chris Manning at 540-597-8633 or
chris@vintonvoice.com
for all Advertising information
Feature Sponsorship
Again in 2010, Advertisers in the Voice have the option of sponsoring one of our consistent Features. In 2009, Advertisers took part in sponsoring Sports Spotlight, Bootie’s Place, Gene’s Notebook, Vinton Retrospective, Terrier Talk and Sports Shots. This year, we will offer the opportunity to sponsor these and other great weekly, bi-weekly and monthly features. Sponsorship packages come in three ranges: PLATINUM $150 per week, includes 1/4 page ad elsewhere in issue, 13 issue minimum GOLD $100 per week, includes 1/8 page ad elsewhere in issue, 6 issue minimum SILVER $75 per week, includes business card ad elsewhere in issue, 6 issue minimum
Weekly Options Bootie’s Place Columnist Bootie Bell Chewning catches you up with all the coming, goings, birthdays, anniversaries and pretty much every thing else going on in Vinton.
Terrier Talk WBHS teacher Chris Steuart’s staff at the Terrier Times bring forward articles weekly about the things WBHS students are doing in their school and community.
Business Spotlight Each week, a business in Vinton, Bonsack or Mt.Pleasant is spotlighted, giving them the chance to remind the town what they have to offer.
Sports Spotlight From WBHS to Rec.League, the past to the present, a different athlete, coach or team is profiled weekly.
From Around Town The Town of Vinton takes their chance to connect with readers, letting them know about important projects, etc.
Sports Shots Sports photos of everything from Byrd, Rec. and Travel sports. If it has a Vinton athlete in it, you will see it here.
Bi-Weekly Options Other Options: Ask the Pharmacist On the 1st and 3rd weeks each month, our in-house Pharmacist answers your health questions of the season. Gene’s Notebook On the 2nd and 4th weeks each month, longtime Roanoke Valley reporter and editor Gene Marrano takes a specific look into a news story affecting Vinton.
Female Perspective New in 2010 On the 1st and 3rd weeks each month, Amanda Stump and Monica West address some of the more lighthearted things in the lives of the women of Vinton.
Other Options: A Voice of Reason New in 2010 On the 2nd and 4th weeks each month, mental health professional Michele Gunter answers questions and weighs in on some of the bigger social issue affecting our communities and seasonal thoughts.
Monthly Options Where’s My Money? The second week of each month brings Voice readers an important look into their monetary lives with Dale Russell.
Other features may available. Contact Chris Manning at 540-597-8633 or
chris@vintonvoice.com
for all Advertising information
Vinton’s Hometown NOW& Weekly BEYOND the voice of vinton
This is your Vinton, your Voice. Why should you subscribe to the Vinton Voice? Chris Manning began the Vinton Voice in 2009 to bring new, exciting, reliable and relevant news to his hometown. For too long, the great community of Vinton, as well as Mt.Pleasant and Bonsack, were left without proper news coverage. On August 26, 2009, the Voice changed all of that. NEWS- From the weather than will alter your life to the people who make Vinton what it is, the most important information for Vinton citizens can be seen first and more in-depth in the Voice. SPORTS- Nowhere in the Valley will you find athletic coverage as specific and in-depth as you will in the Voice. From William Byrd High and Middle School home and away games, the WBHS cheerleaders’ state finals trip to Richmond, the Rec.League Superbowl and everything in between. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT- When the elections that matter hit Vinton, the Voice was there to give you specific, candid, from-the-candidate comments. We follow not only the preparation for office, but also keep tabs on what your government is doing while in office. LIFESTYLE- Chris Steuart’s WBHS Journalism class lets you know what the WBHS students are up to in the community, contributors let you know about some of the great features in Vinton and projects of the citizens and you know there is always something going on at Bootie’s Place.
116 S.Poplar St. - Suite 1 Vinton, VA 24179 540.904.5836 - Office 540.904.5838 - Fax
EDITORIAL
Chris Manning Publisher chris@vintonvoice.com Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief dan@vintonvoice.com Brian Manning Circulation Director brian@vintonvoice.com Jacob Clifton Delivery/General info@vintonvoice.com
FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS Bootie Bell Chewning General Info BOO_TEE@msn.com Gene Marrano Senior Contributor gmarrano@cox.net Danny Cruff Photo Contributor dannycruffphotography@cox.net Copyright © 2010, All rights reserved by The Vinton Voice email: info@vintonvoice.com http://vintonvoice.com vintonvoice.com/blog
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