Vinton Voice (Volume 1, Issue 18) December 23, 2009

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Did we dream of a white Christmas too much? Well I think it worked. Now I don’t mind snow “BUT” when you aren’t finished shopping or have to travel. It’s a bit much, more on the way???? It was Abbie and Drake Lewis’s first big snow ever, since they lived in Myrtle Beach all their lives until 2 years ago, Drake Loved it, Abbie not as much since it messed up her Birthday party for Saturday, now rescheduled. I just don’t like not being able to get out. I did get out last Tuesday Dec. 15 for a wonderful luncheon with the Vinton Historical Society at Vinton Baptist Church. President Barbara Hargis welcomed everyone and read a letter about Christmas past written by Barbara Dillon which everyone there could identify with, Doug Forbes gave the blessing. Special guests were Susan Lewis, Chris Monroe, Chris Lawrence and Jenna Forbes. She worked this summer at the History Museum and did an outstanding job, arranging and rearranging and it looks great. She is the granddaughter of Doug and Mattie Forbes. Thank you Jenna. Love the food Pat & Bobby Barton always do an excellent job. If you haven’t been to the museum try to go someday. You will be surprised as to what is there. Congratulations to Dianne Huddleston & Bill McConnell who Bootie Bell Chewning were married Dec.5 by Rev. David Vaughn at Thrasher memorial. BOO_TEE@msn.com She was given in marriage by her 2 sons Brad & Tommy Huddleston. A reception followed in the Scared Ground Coffee Shop in the church. May you two have a wonderful life together. My prayers and sympathy go out to all losing loved ones this past week. One of our original women VPI Cheerleaders passed away suddenly with a massive stroke. Patsy Stecker Bean, wife of Jim Bean, mother of Tiki Bean Smith, James Earl Bean and Donald Shelton. Patsy made our uniforms we wore for the Class reunions in 1956 & 1958. The uniforms are like the ones we wore in the 50’s, which gained a lot of attention for the squad. She loved Va Tech and was named Miss VPI. She was so proud to have been a cheerleader. She made another uniform to hang in the Hall of Fame / Museum at Tech. Thanks Patsy Your skills made our reunions a huge success and landed us in the Tech Magazine and most recently the Hokie Carol on the internet. Thank You Patsy R.I.P. Happy Birthday wishes go out to Abbie Bell Lewis, 10, Debbie Haynes, Roxanna S. Price, Mike Crowder, Michele Gunter, Mike Stovall,Chuck Cooper,Tom Maxey,Allison Musselwhite, Charlotte Carver,Elizabeth Cranwell And Kip Keith, Diane DeHaven , Elena Boitnott, 10, great skating party. Hope you all had a great birthday Glad that Herb Grant finally got home in Blacksburg safe after spending 16 hours on I81 near Lexington Friday night. And has thawed out and warm. So many people had so many problems. Keep them in your prayers. Remember to those that are risking their lives to protect us by serving our country. Pray for them and their Families during this season and always. Merry Christmas to all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Snowfall reached up to 20 inches in the area. This snow woman was built Parker Manning and Megan Robertson.

Bonuses now certified; Altizer only on Board to vote against Although the bonus issue for teachers and employees of Roanoke County Schools had been discussed in great detail between the School Board and the Board of Supervisors, an official decision was not reached until last Tuesday, December 15. On Tuesday, a public forum was held with teachers, employees and citizens alike weighing in on the issue, followed by a vote by the five Board of Supervisors members on the subject, ending with a 4-1 total in favor of the plan.

Main Photo by Chris Manning, Secondary by Danny Cruff

Catawba District’s Butch Church, Cave Spring’s Charlotte Moore and outgoing Windsor Hill representative Joe McNamara were the most for the plan. McNamara’s vote was part of his final meeting on the board. Hollins Supervisor Richard Flora changed his stance on the matter after appearing passionately against the proposal early in the meeting, leaving Vinton District Mike Altizer as the only vote against the $500 bonus.

Town Council meets on planning and future of Vinton Motors 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

COLUMNISTS Bootie Bell Chewning General Info BOO_TEE@msn.com Dale Russell Financial wheresmymoney@vintonvoice.com Erin E. Delauder-Brooks Pharmacy askthepharmacist@vintonvoice.com

CONTRIBUTORS Danny Cruff Photo Contributor dannycruffphotography@cox.net Michele Gunter Contributor news@vintonvoice.com Danae Wensley Contributor news@vintonvoice.com Barbara Dillon Contributor news@vintonvoice.com Samantha Hoback Contributor news@vintonvoice.com

Copyright @ 2009, All rights reserved by The Vinton Voice email: info@vintonvoice.com http://vintonvoice.com vintonvoice.blogspot.com For advertising rates and information, please call 540-904-5836 Read something you don’t like? Find something in the Voice that you love? Just want to express your thoughts on the town of Vinton? The Vinton Voice accepts and encourages letters to the editor. Letters must not exceed 400 words, must be signed and accompany contact information of the writer for verification purposes. Send to editor@vintonvoice.com with the subject line ‘Letter to the Editor.’

Vinton may be taking a page out of the Charlottesville playbook after feasibility studies of the Vinton Motors. Wiley Wilson, a firm out of Lynchburg, presented plans at the most recent Vinton Town Council meeting last Tuesday. Suggestions were made to turn the area into a European Vintage car rental store, plans were laid out for commercial and residential spaces as well as plans to replace the current building completely. Costs to go forward with these plans were in the ten million dollar range; however there are potential funding opportunities available such as grants and tax credits for various reasons. Vinton Town Manager Chris Lawrence had positive thoughts about the study, “We

are excited to have completed the Vinton Ford Motor Company feasibility study. This study was a joint effort between the Town of Vinton, Billy Vinyard, and the Virginia Housing Development Authority.” “The property is at a critical gateway to our town and we look forward to working with Mr. Vinyard as he decides the future of this property,” he added. “The study identified several development options LAWRENCE for the property and will be used to market a future project for our downtown.”

In Brief

Roanoke County Schools to hold Kindergarten Registration

Roanoke County Schools will hold registration for upcoming kindergarten children, and children presently enrolled in private kindergarten who will attend first grade in public schools during the 2010-2011 school year. All children who will be five years old on or before September 30, 2010, are eligible for kindergarten. Parents should register their children at the elementary school in their home area on Wednesday, January 13 and Thursday, January 14 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Parents should bring the following information when registering their children: * child’s birth certificate * child’s social security card * child’s immunization record * proof of residency (a mortgage, a pending contract, a copy of a lease, or a property tax statement will be accepted as proof of residency)* Note: a current vehicle registration indicating a Roanoke County address and a current Virginia driver’s license with a Roanoke County address listed may be accepted if other proof of residency documents are unavailable. Schools must have the child’s physical and immunization record on file prior to the first day of school or students will not be allowed to attend school. Pupils who are presently attending kindergarten in Roanoke County Public Schools are not required to register. Children currently enrolled in a Roanoke County Public Schools preschool program who are eligible for kindergarten must go through the registration process. If the date of the current physical and immunization record on file exceeds 12 months prior the first day of school, an updated physical and immunization record is required before the first day of school.

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Vinton’s white Christmas? Either with some luck or more “inclement” weather and low temperatures, there is a darn good chance we’ll be having a white Christmas this year. When there is close to a foot and a half of snow on the ground, it’s not going anywhere any time soon, so at minimum there will still be remnants of this storm on the ground on Friday, technically classifying an official white Christmas. It really was an amazing storm, we here at the Voice were sitting in the office for the beginning of it. We had been making jokes earlier in the day that “what if they were wrong.” It got later and later in the day and still nothing happened. People were still flocking to the stores, people were still making sure they had all their supplies in case they got snowed in, but even with all this snow, things were pretty well back to normal, other than a few minor spots, by the end of the weekend. I’m writing this Monday, in the Voice offices, making it here with no trouble. But, there is a big reason why. The town does an incredible job of making sure the streets, in the town limits, are well taken care of. Coming here on Sunday night was a breeze. Tim Greenway made the comment that “this is one place Vinton excels over the other local governments, kudos to the Vinton work force.” That is certainly true, the work is impressive and even more so when you consider how much snow we had just a short time ago. We finally left here at around 4, just in time to get caught up in the storm and have a little bit of a struggle getting home. We did stop to take a picture or two though and we knew Danny would be out with that camera of his too. I won’t lie, we even got to enjoy a little bit of the storm ourselves as Dan came over to my house and had a heck of a “snow fight” (the Friday snow was a bit too powdery for snowballs) with Ashlee, Parker and Piper, while Payden and I sat inside watching (and maybe laughing a little bit when they kept coming in, cold and wet.) When I finally braved the outside, Parker and I took a walk down the store and he looked at me and said “Dad, we haven’t had this much snow in years,” I reminded him that it had been much longer than his nine years since we had this much snow and he of course said “yeah, I know, it’s been years!” Saturday morning, they woke up wanting to go out and do it all again....it was a blast. Our readers certainly thought the storm was amazing, we put out a call for pictures of people in the snow, wanting to see what kind of fun you guys were having and you answered the call. Turn to pages 10 and 11 to see the response we had, it was incredible! With Christmas coming up, there are so many different ways that people celebrate, so many different traditions (like Oyster stew in my wife Ashlee’s family) and so many different things that people do leading up to December 25. My family has some of those traditions, some of which take place before the big day, some of which take place in the morning and even some of those leading into the night. Sadly, with a lot of things going on this year, we weren’t able to do all of the things we normally like to do and I owe Ashlee, Parker, Piper and Payden an apology and a promise that I will make it up to them, which I will. However, the morning of Christmas, when we peek upstairs to see if Santa has made it (I bet he will again this year) I bet whatever we weren’t able to do will be forgotten, at least at that very moment. New Year’s is next and we’re going to be doing something a little different at the Voice, an interactive section for the December 30 edition. If you’d like to participate, send us an email to info@vintonvoice.com and we’ll explain the specifics then (we don’t want to ruin the surprise.) From our family to yours and on behalf of the entire Vinton Voice, we want to wish each of you a very, very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season! Photos by Danny Cruff (top and middle) and Chris Manning (bottom)

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the college perspective on

Christmas Time Samantha Hoback Contributor

An Old Fashioned Christmas in Vinton Barbara Dillon Vinton Historical Society Christmas was always a special time at Vinton Baptist Church and most other churches, I’m sure. There was a big lighted, decorated tree in the main sanctuary. The choir would have special music. There was always boxes of hard candy for the Sunday School children (and at least one child would always spill theirs and it would be stepped in and trailed everywhere), and always a pageant with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus and wise men, shepherds and angels. After the Christmas Eve program put on by our friends and family in the Sanctuary where we saw our dad or a friend in his long bathrobe march down the aisle as a shepherd to he manger people on the stage and the choir behind them who sang wonderful songs along with the audience then Santa would come out to the tree. My how happy the children were because then Santa would call a child’s name and they would go up and receive a wrapped present from under the tree. Our parents could bring on gift per child earlier for under the tree. How thrilling it was to get a package from Santa himself. Then we five brothers and sisters with our mother and dad could hardly wait to walk home and go to bed and go to sleep so Santa could visit us. Few people had automobiles so nearly everyone in town walked wherever they went about town. To the store, post office for their mail, church and school. My mother and dad would get us up after Santa had made his visit and let us see what he had brought us and then open our presents and play a little while. Then we would go back to bed and my sister and I would always take our dolls with us and our three brothers would usually take a small toy with them and when we finally got back to sleep we would sleep later the next morning until mother and dad woke up. Then we would play and play and have to eat a ham biscuit and an orange for our breakfast while the adults were fixing dinner for the crowd. We lived at our grandmother’s big 10 room house on Second Street. Granddad had died when I was two years old but they had nine children. One daughter had died when very young but I still had three uncles and four aunts and lots of cousins. Every Christmas all of the family would come for Christmas dinner. The turkey and ham were cooked there. The ham was local grown, butchered, salted down to cure and then boiled in a boiler and later covered with whole cloves and put in the oven to bake a little. Of course the turkey, dressing, giblet gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, sweet potato pudding with marshmallows on top, celery, pickles, home made rolls, Waldorf salad with lots of nuts, pumpkin pie, fruit cake, fresh coconut cake and boiled custard. Everything was home made and cooked on a wood range. Some cakes were made weeks ahead. When the meal was served there were so many people that the men were served first, then the wives and children. Food filled up the dining room table and buffet so people ate all over the house. There was a large closed in back porch that was used as a dining room during the summer because the windows and screened in back door made it cooler (no air conditioners then) and

Christmas time in Winston-Salem is a magical time of year. Downtown becomes a wonderland of twinkling lights, spectacular trees and festive wreaths. From carolers singing in the streets to special holiday cups at Starbucks, Christmas is everywhere you look. Something very special happens every year in Winston-Salem. In the mid-1750s, the Moravians established settlements in Winston-Salem, then Bethabara, Bethania and Salem, bringing a new religion to the area. Winston-Salem is the southern province of the Moravian faith, which is spread across the country from Southern California to Canada. The Moravian Church is a Protestant religion, sharing many beliefs with Baptist, Presbyterians and Methodists. Christmastime, like in most religions, is a very special time of year for Moravians. The annual Lovefeast is the most well-known Moravian tradition that takes place every Christmas to celebrate the season. The Lovefeast is a service of love in which believers partake in a feast of Moravian sweet bread and even sweeter Moravian coffee and listen to traditional Christmas hymns. Similar to a Baptist candlelight service or a cantata, the Lovefeast is a celebration of the Christmas story as well as a time to gather together and share in the spirit of Christmas. Wake Forest hosts the largest Moravian Lovefeast in North America each year before students are knee-deep in exams. The celebration includes performances by the flute and handbell ensembles, the university choir and several campus a cappella groups. Baskets of sugar rolls and steaming Moravian coffee are passed around the pews as “Silent Night”, “Away in a Manger” and “What Child is This?” fill Wait Chapel. The first Wake Forest Lovefeast was organized in 1965. 200 students attended the traditional gathering in Davis Chapel, a smaller sanctuary in Wait Chapel, and since then it has become a favorite Wake Forest tradition. I have always loved the traditional candle light services on Christmas Eve at my church, Vinton Baptist. However, there is nothing like the annual Lovefeast at Wake Forest when the sanctuary lights dim and over two thousand beeswax candles illuminate the room. This year, I attended the 45th annual Lovefeast. As I walked up to Wait Chapel with my roommate and a few other friends, we were welcomed by the glow of the Moravian star hanging above the entrance. What began as a geometry lesson in Germany in the 1830s has become a symbol of Advent and worship during the holidays. From Christmas tree ornaments to pendants above the front door, Moravian stars are found throughout WinstonSalem as a symbol of faith and love during the holiday season. I love Christmas. It is my favorite time of year. From the lights to the baking and everything that comes with the holidays, Christmas is a magical time. This year, I’m dreaming of a white Christmas: there is nothing like snow to top of the magic of the holidays.

•See ‘RETRO’ - page 15

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Obituaries TYRONE (TY) SCHUYLER FARNHAM, JR., of Vinton, VA went to be with the Lord on December 15, 2009. Ty is preceded in death by his grandparents, Lionel and Veridienne Ferland and Phyllis Farnham Gaudette and niece, Skylar Wilson. Surviving to cherish his loving memory is his soul mate and love of his life, his wife, Dreama. He is also survived by his loving children, Rick and Samantha; parents, Tyrone and Elaine; mother-in-law, Linda Shell; brother, Shawn; brother, Michael and wife, Maryann; uncles, Raymond and wife, Judy, and Paul and wife, Terry; special niece, Isabella; and many more uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Ty was known as Grandpa Ty to his precious granddaughter, Ava. Ty proudly served his country in the US Air Force during the Gulf War. He spent the last 11 years as an engineer for Norfolk and Southern. Ty leaves behind many friends and classmates from Virginia to Hawaii; and his partner-in-crime, Mike. The family would like to send a special thank you to the nursing and respiratory personnel of 8th floor MSICU of Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and to the flight crew from UNC Chapel Hill for all efforts made to keep Ty with us. Funeral services will be conducted 4 p.m. Friday, December 18, 2009 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel with Rev. Diane Scribner Clevenger officiating. Flowers are appreciated or donations may be made to the American Heart Association, 4504 Starkey Road, SW, Suite 115, Roanoke, VA 24014. The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, December 17, 2009 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel, 982-2221.

LARRY WAYNE ROBINSON SR., age 58, of Vinton, went to be with the Lord Tuesday, December 15, 2009. Larry was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. He enjoyed camping and vacationing at Nags Head. He especially enjoyed playing games with his grandchildren. Larry worked for over 28 years at Steel Dynamics. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Martha Robinson; son, Larry Wayne Robinson, II and his girlfriend, Rebecca Spence; daughter, Angie Hefinger; four grandchildren, Scott Weiss, Brittany Heffinger, Austin Heffinger, and Desirae Robinson; three sisters, Rose Burton and husband, James, Glenna Delp, and Debbie McCullock; brother, Pete Switzer; and many other loving relatives and friends. Funeral services will be conducted 2 p.m. Friday, December 18, 2009 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel with the Rev. Burrell D. Baker officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be make to the Salvation Army, 724 Dale Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24013. The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. both Wednesday, December 16 and Thursday, December 17 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel, 982-2221. CLAUDINE LaVADA VEST PILLOW, 86, of Roanoke, Va., passed away on Friday, December 18, 2009. She was the widow of Herbert Pillow. She was preceded in death by her father, Frank T. Vest; mother, Doxie Vest Poff; stepfather, Norris Poff; brother, Douglas Vest; and foster brother, Frankie Warden. Mrs. Pillow was a long time member of Garden City Baptist Church. She is survived by her two daughters, Rita Smith and her husband, John, and Trudy Young and her husband, Tony, all of Roanoke; four grandchildren, Brian Young and his wife, Kathryn, of Guilford, Conn., Michelle Smith, Chad Young and his wife, Melissa, and Stuart (Todd) Smith, all of Roanoke; and five great-grandchildren, Megan, Jessica, Emilee, Ayden and Henry. Funeral service was held 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel. Pastor Jay Fields officiated and interment followed at Sherwood Memorial Park. The family received friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, December 21, 2009, at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel, 540-982-2221.

What better gift than that of knowledge?

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This holiday season, get your loved one a subscription to the only publication made in Vinton, for Vinton! See Page 07 for subscription info.

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HUDSON HOMER CLINE, 86, of Vinton, passed away Monday, December 14, 2009. He was a member of Good News Baptist Church and attended Gravel Hill Baptist Church. He was a Seaman First Class in the Navy. He was retired from Sears. He was preceded in death by his parents, Adam and Armenda Cline; and first wife, Fannie Bishop Cline. Survivors include wife, Velma Keith Cline; two sons, Carlen Keith Cline and Eddy Faron Cline and wife, Denise; granddaughter, Tabitha ClineMills; grandson, Eddy Cline, Jr.; four great grandchildren; four stepchildren, Jerry, Donald and Glenn Brookman and Phyllis Carter; 9 step grandchildren; and 14 step great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, December 17, 2009 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel with Rev. Burrell Baker and Pastor Junior Westmoreland officiating. Burial will follow in Old Dominion Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel, 982-2221. DENNY M. TERRY, SR. (MICKEY), 67, of Roanoke, went to be with the Lord on Monday, December 14, 2009. He was preceded in death by his father, Denny P. Terry, two brothers, Jerry and Wayne Terry and one granddaughter, Billie Jo Bandy. He is survived by his loving wife, Dorothy; ten children, Faith Hemenway and husband, Sid, Denny Terry, Jr., David Terry and wife, Amy, Samantha Mason and husband, Tracy, Daniel Terry and wife, Naomi, Gary Bandy and wife, Ann, Michael Bandy, George Bandy, Tammy Palmer, Jeanne Fisher and husband, Mark; his mother, Beatrice Witt; two sisters, Pat Balough, Deloris Six and husband, Jeff; 16 grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren. A funeral service was held at 12 noon Thursday, December 17, 2009 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel with Bishop Douglas D. Milliner and the Rev. Jeff Gardner officiating. Interment followed in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens. The family received friends on Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel, 540-982-2221.


michele

GUNTER

inONEminute

Single or Married: Single with boyfriend

Introducing Michele Gunter What attracted you to the Vinton Voice? I am impressed with the new newspaper and its format, and am excited to be a part of it. I hope my columns will be well received and help increase the newspaper’s circulation. In this day and age of the internet, so many newspapers are electronic only that it’s nice to still be able to sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee and actually read a physical newspaper. Some days, nothing compares to that. What is your background? Native American; born in Phoenix, Az, moved to Vinton as a child. Two bachelor’s degrees from Virginia Tech, Masters degree from Radford What would you do if you ran Vinton? I would do more to promote the southwest Virginia area in general, and Vinton in particular to let the rest of the country know about our

What do you do in your spare time? Spend time with my boyfriend Rich and my daughter Lauren who is the light of my life. She is a very energetic teenager and I love watching and helping her grow. She can be quite a dynamo! I also love keeping up with people on Facebook; it’s a great way to stay in touch with old friends and meet new ones.

Favorite Movie: A Christmas Story. (“It’s a MAJOR award!!!”) Favorite Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Your “soundtrack” song (song that best describes you) Entertaining Angels by the Newsboys How has your hometown made you who you are? The small town values and work ethic prevalent in Vinton have become a big part of my life. I’ve worked very hard to obtain 3 college degrees, run my own business, and now enter into the corporate world, all while being a single mother and raising a daughter. I owe my values and work ethic largely to the community I was raised in and the people in Vinton who have been a part of my life over the years.

small town charm and appeal. In addition, I would work to ensure the natural beauty of the area is preserved while at the same time attracting new industries to improve local employment opportunities. It makes me sick that we outsource so many of our jobs to foreign countries when we have so many good, honest, hardworking citizens in southwest Virginia struggling to make ends meet. Here is your open forum to talk to nearly everyone in town, what do you have to say? Let’s all be good neighbors to one another. We’re all in this together. If you know someone who is struggling, or you suspect is struggling, be a friend to them. Let them know someone is there, that people care, and that help is available.

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Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock....

Dale Russell, MBA wheresmymoney@vintonvoice.com Hey there folks, hope everyone is having a good holiday season. You should be eating, drinking, and being merry. Enjoy the season, whatever that means to you. Family and friends are priceless all the year long. And finally, don’t forget to GIVE. There are lots of great ways you can give of your money, time and talents. Find one and be a blessing to someone. By the time the Voice comes out, you will have ONE week to so anything you are going to do with your taxes that will make a difference for 2009. Not to beat a dead horse, but you have to take the time to do a tax estimate for the upcoming year. And you have to take just a few steps to prepare yourself for either your trip to the tax office or to save you time when you do your own taxes. First thing is first. If you are absolutely sure that nothing significant changed from 2008 to 2009, then stop reading; flip the page and move on to the Sports Spotlight or Vinton Happenings. If you aren’t, then follow me for a moment. Go to www.IRS.gov and print out a 2009 Form 1040. Give it a good look, I mean really read it

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and get your bearings. Page one of the 1040 is the Income page of the form. It is this side of the form that you list all of the income items such as: W-2’s and 1099’s [such as 1099-misc & 1099-R], Schedule B items which includes interest and dividend income, Schedule C items if you run a certain businesses such as sole proprietor, Schedule D items-Capital gains/ losses[1099-B, some K-1’s], Schedule E itemsRental and royalty income [rental real estate and some K-1’s], Schedule F items-only if you have a farm. Social Security and unemployment compensation, IRA distributions, And other income from various sources not included above. Then move on to part 2 of page one which is where you can deduct some items to reduce your Adjusted Gross Income or as we lovingly refer to, AGI. The highlights are: Qualifying IRA contributions, Student loan interest, Self-employed insurance premiums, Educator expenses, Tuition and fees deductions…More on that later. The total of part two is subtracted from part one to derive your adjusted gross income, or AGI which carries to page 2. Page two is where the real action takes place. This is the page where you can begin to chip away at your income to reduce your tax liability. It starts with your itemized deductions listed on Schedule A. These deductions can really add up and there are a few things you can do to help yourself. How about paying your remaining medical bills, how about making an extra mortgage payment, or maybe making a charitable contribution will help you. Run the numbers and see which scenario works in your benefit. Thing is, itemized deductions is an either or proposition. The IRS gives you a standard deduction based on your filing status and you

take the higher of either the itemized or standard deduction. Then you calculate your personal exemptions. These two numbers are subtracted from your AGI to derive your Taxable Income. It’s this amount that your tax is based on and also indirectly used to calculate any AMT. You remember that term from last time, right? Then comes the credits…let’s talk about them for just a second. A deduction reduces your taxable income incrementally; a credit reduces your tax dollar for dollar. So if given the choice, you will want to take advantages of credits over deductions. Now there are two types of credits; non-refundable and refundable. A non-refundable credit will reduce your tax liability to zero and go no further even if the credit exceeded your tax. Conversely, if a refundable credit reduces your tax to zero, it will refund to you the excess. Let’s hit on education credits. A tax estimate will help you decide if an education credit is more beneficial or if the deduction. You won’t know that until you plan. One final item we will discuss that a tax estimate will expose is your total tax payments. The IRS considers withholding on a yearly basis so they don’t care if it was paid in one lump sum in 2009 or in increments. But if you don’t have 90% of your tax liability paid in by January 15, 2010 via estimated payments, you will owe an underpayment penalty which will add to your tax bill. But you won’t know that until you do an estimate. By the way, one other thing to consider is that everyone files a Virginia Tax Return also. That one is not nearly as forgiving as its Federal counterpart. No need to get caught unaware. Plan ahead and time is running out. Merry Christmas everyone. Have fun, make memories, and relax. Put a smile on your face, enjoy family and friends, and find something you are truly thankful for.


Everybody Reads the Voice Yes, even this week’s Snow Woman cover model,with the help of Piper and Parker Manning, reads the Voice to catch up on all she’s been missing in Vinton since the last snowfall, including Issue 17’s feature on cover subject Jake Mankin.

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SNOWY PHOTOS

These are photos from Dec. 18-20 submitted by our readers and a couple from us from the snowstorm that dumped 14-16 inches on Vinton.

Photos Submitted by Pam Belcher

LEFT, BELOW and BELOW LEFT: The Belcher family sent in these pictures from Chestnut Mountain, along with the phrase “Loving this snow!!!”

Photo Submitted by Tyler Boothe

RIGHT: William Byrd student Tyler Boothe took the weekend to work on his golf swing, also commenting that there is no offseason for WB Golf. Tyler suggested this for the cover, but camera phone pics don’t usually work Tyler!

Above War Memorial Building Photo by Danny Cruff

Photos Submitted by Harrison Austin

LEFT and BELOW: Harrison Austin submitted these pics of a ‘Winter Wonderland.’

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The b and B


Photos Submitted by Nick Jones

LEFT: Nick Jones and his daughter Kamryn enjoy the snow on Saturday. Photo by Chris Manning

LEFT: Snowfall began around 2:30 Friday in Vinton. Here is a shot from less than two hours later exciting the downtown area. Photo Submitted by Sharon Patsell

LEFT: Vinton resident Sharon Patsell shared some photos from around her house on Saturday morning before any of the plows were out. Photo submitted by Cindy Gardner

Photo Submitted by Angie Lewis

LEFT: Abbie and Drake Lewis (grandkids of the Voice’s Bootie Chewning) and Elena Boitnott Abbie and Drake have lived at the beach all of their live so this was the first BIG snow they have ever seen!

LEFT and BELOW: Cindy Gardner sent in this photo of her dog Max, who she says loves the snow.

Photo to Right by Danny Cruff

Photo Submitted by Michele Gunter

LEFT: The total accumulation in Vinton itself was projected at up to 16 inches.

Photos Submitted by Sandra DeLong

ABOVE: Sandra DeLong’s grandchildren Elaina and Fisher Ashe giving the newest family member, Kali, a sleigh ride. Photo by Danny Cruff

back road leading by Vinyard Park between Vinton Bonsack.

RIGHT: Josh Delong next to his new car. “He’s not going anywhere soon!” says his mother Sandra.

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O’Leary proud to take on William Byrd crown Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief A week ago this past Saturday, former Voice cover subject Holly Farris passed on her Miss William Byrd Outstanding Teen to current WBHS student Jenna O’Leary. The crown was officially passed during the Miss Smith Mountain Lake Pageant in which O’Leary competed in, although she did not have to edge anyone out officially for her appointed crown. She began her “As we started to talk I realized that since she was in ninth grade she hadn’t heard that there was a Miss William Byrd High School pageant so I offered her the opportunity to be appointed as our next representative,” said Amanda Stump, the co-Director of the Miss SML competition and local pageant coach. “I thought it was a great fit to give a young lady with such excitement about the program the opportunity to represent her high school.” A freshman at Byrd, O’Leary competed in cheerleading through middle school, helped raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, has been on the Honor Roll since 2009 and is a member of the WB LEO Club. She also has multiple years of vocal, dance and piano lessons under her belt. But pageants, something that she hadn’t done in two years prior to Miss WBHS, are something that intrigue her greatly. “I love doing pageants, they are so fun,” she said. “I like showing people that pageantry is a lot more than you think. You have to be smart, its not about being dumb girl and getting up there like ‘oh I’m pretty,’ there is a lot more to it.” As she now moves forward through her appearances associated with the title of Miss William Byrd Outstanding Teen, O’Leary will also focus on her platform which she discussed during the pageant of organ donation. The subject is close to her heart because in 2007, her grandmother became in need of a new kidney. The organ was ultimately donated by her cousin Tracy, but opened O’Leary’s eyes and heart to the cause. “I’m planning to raise awareness for that not only in my school but the community of Vinton,” O’Leary says. She also plans to have sign up drive for organ donors because many people will say they support the cause but not actually give when it is needed. Next up also is preparation to move on to bigger pageants. Last year after winning Miss WBHS, Farris went on to place in the top 10 in the Miss Virginia Outstanding Teen competition. “Jenna knows she has a lot to accomplish in the next six months to be truly ready for the state pageant,” Stump said. “In January she is booked to appear in two run way shows, appearing at a few pageants throughout the area and also getting in vocal lessons, mock interviews and meeting Jonathan Kayne at the Brides House when he is in town on January 15th. She will be a very busy girl!”

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Photos by Teresa Bernard at Studio Belle Visage in Rocky Mount

RIGHT: The new Miss William Byrd Outstanding Teen Jenna O’Leary. INSET: O’Leary (right) with fellow title holders, Miss SML Teen winner Lauren Waldron and Miss SML Preteen Mary-Kendall Prillaman.


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Vinton PD jumps into new era with interactive site Chris Manning Publisher During 2007’s promotional process for the Vinton Police department, an idea was born. Detective James Testerman, then on his way to becoming Master Police officer, had to give a presentation during this process. The topic was to present something that would benefit the department and citizens, essentially to find a better way of doing things. Testerman began to think about the communication between the police department and the citizens, realizing that the department wasn’t taking advantage of the capabilities that the internet would bring to communication. “Our department uses email constantly to communicate” Testerman said “I figured we could do the same with the citizens.” He began to search around the country, seeing what other departments used and he came across a company, named Bob Cop out of Nevada. “They have developed an online reporting system, but that’s not all it does, it also serves as a website” Testerman said. The department adopted the

Bob Cop system and in it there is an array of options available for the citizens to communicate with the police department. Although it does appear as a simple, every day website, it is much more. The department received a grant for this project. The design was recently finished. “The website will allow citizens to do many things, including submitting some criminal reports” says Testerman. Other features that are “citizen friendly” on the site include submitting feedback to the department whether it is in regards to the staff, or any traffic issues, submit watch requests on homes or businesses, informing the police of any found property as well as registering their property, should it ever go missing, a direct contact with animal control, trap requests for wildlife, submitting missing pet information and finding court information and finding out information about outstanding warrants. This, along with finding regular information, will streamline the process for the citizens and the police, making it a much easier task to get in touch with or pass information along to the local police department. “This is what it’s going to come to in the future” says the Detective

Photo by Chris Manning

Detective James Testerman demonstrates the use of the Vinton Police Department’s new interactive website. “this is how most departments in the country are going to be able to share and receive information.” Sergeants and Master Police officers, the top officers on the shift, will have access to the administrative side of the system, checking periodically for new information sent in to the site. Also, to eliminate any confusion, there is a tracking feature that will allow each shift to know the status of all of the things sent in, “It’s very well developed; you can tell

they sat down and thought about it before they developed it and thought about it from every angle.” “Some people may think, “they’re not going to respond to me” “ says Testerman “ but we are going to be checking this site, we’re going to respond.” The website address is www.vinton.bobcop. com, the features are active and ready to go, the department is monitoring and they are waiting for your feedback.

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PHOTOS (1) Photos by Chris Manning and Angie Lewis (before picture)

Members of the William Byrd Middle School Ham Radio Club await their school bus for a trip last week (1).

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Before (2) and during photos from the massive snow removal at the house of Vinton Voice columnist Bootie Bell Chewning on Monday. Including the snow war that broke out (3). Pictured are Debbie Adler, Christy Vernon, MacKenzie Brewer, Julie Helms, William Webster and Tyler Lyon (4).

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Danae Wensley Town of Vinton Put up Christmas Tree – check. Decorate house – check. Buy gifts – check. Prepare Christmas dinner – check. Does this sound familiar? In the business of the Holiday season, it is easy to get caught up in the rush of things. We get stressed, focusing on our “checklist,” and forget that the Holidays should be joyous, a time to relax, spend time with loved ones and reflect on everything that happened in the past year. We also forget that even our Holiday checklist is a luxury. Many people around us don’t have the luxury of buying gifts, preparing a delicious feast or doing any of the things we view as commonplace. For those poor and needy families among us, Christmas can be difficult because they cannot provide for their families in the way they would like. That’s what makes the work of organizations like Vinton’s Needy Family Program so special and important. Since 2000, Vinton’s Needy Family Program has worked to provide for the needy families and children of the Town of Vinton during the Christmas season. This year they are serving sixty-one children from twentythree families. The chosen families will receive clothing and toys for their children, as well as a box of food. Families are chosen through an application process beginning in October. Applicants must live in Vinton, be financially challenged and have children 14 or younger. Additionally, families may not be receiving any other type of aid.

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Jason Peters has served as president of the Needy Family Program for the past three years. He and the twenty-one member board are responsible for the entire program, from raising the money and selecting the families to shopping for the gifts and delivering them in person. Peters says these personal deliveries are the best part of the program for him. “When you walk in, their faces light up. It makes all the hard work totally worth it,” he said. The cost of running the program each year is approximately $10,000, with $100-$150 being spent on each child. Kroger graciously donates the food. Throughout his presidency, Peters has also been able to establish a rapport with local churches and organizations. Most times, those other organizations are able and willing to help the families and children who have to be turned away. Although the Vinton Needy Family program had to turn away thirty-three children this year, these children are being helped by other people and organizations. When asked how others could help the Needy Family Program, Peters said they are always in need of new board members. Although the board capacity is twenty-one, only sixteen spaces are currently filled. The board is also seeking people and organizations who are willing to donate money to sponsor individual children. What a wonderful way to give back to the community and help those in need. Another wonderful way to give back this Holiday season is the Coats from Cops program, now in its second year. Last year’s event was so successful that the Police Department plans to make it an annual event.

The Police Department began promoting the event in early November, with advertisements on the Town website, Facebook page and in local publications. Citizens were encouraged to bring nice quality spare coats, new or used, to the Police Department for collection. The response was overwhelming and more than 130 coats were collected. Earlier this month, the Police Department held an event at the Vinton Farmers’ Market, allowing families to come receive a coat in person. Those who came were also offered hot chocolate and cookies, graciously supplied by Kroger. The coats that remained after the event were taken to the Rescue Mission. At that time the Rescue Mission was at full capacity, which means that every coat will be put to good use. Detective Monica McCulluogh, who started Coats from Cops last year, fully intends to do it again next year and for many years to come. “Our goal is for the coats to be distributed before Christmas [each year] so that people don’t have to decide between buying a coat or buying a present,” she said. She also encouraged those who may already have extra coats to contact her now, as she will gladly store the coats until next year’s collection. For more information regarding the Vinton Needy Family Program, please call 540-3556783 or e-mail vnfp@cox.net. Those wishing to donate a coat to the Coats from Cops program may call Monica McCulluogh at 540-983-0617, ext. 171.


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Ask the Pharmacist Erin DeLauder-Brooks, Pharm.D., MBA AskThePharmacist@vintonvoice.com Q: What can I do to prevent injuring myself while shoveling snow? A: As many people know or maybe just found out this past weekend, shoveling snow is very intense exercise! Shoveling snow can cause back strain, muscle aches and pain, and even heart attacks. When shoveling snow, take it easy! Warm up and perform some simple arm and leg stretches before beginning. Be sure to dress in layers so you can easily remove a layer if you get too warm. Also make sure you drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Caffeine and tobacco can put extra stress on your heart, so it’s best to avoid these before shoveling. Shovels with smaller blades are best because they limit the amount of snow you can pick up, thus reducing the strain on your body. Remember to lift using your legs and not your back. Above all, take your time and listen to your body. Stop if you feel any pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or dizziness. Seek medical attention if you think you might be having a heart attack or for any unusual or bothersome symptoms. Dr. Erin DeLauder-Brooks is the pharmacy manager of the new Walgreens on Franklin Rd. If you have any pharmacy related questions, feel free to ask her at askthepharmacist@vintonvoice.com.

•‘RETRO’ continued from page 05 this was open up and heated so people could eat out there. Before the meal one of the uncles would always call everyone together and ask the blessing. After the meal was over we were allowed in the parlor where the Christmas tree was decorated and it was covered with candles as well as fabulous glass ornaments in the shape of Santa, balls, bells, birds, and most everything you could think of and a star on top. The live tree was always from my Uncle Joe’s farm in Bedford County. Children were not allowed to go into the parlor and play anytime without permission or with an adult. On this afternoon someone would go in and light all of the candles on the tree and on the mantle and everyone was then called to come in and see the tree lit and then the candles were blown out and the packages were given out. Adults would have drawn names earlier and so would all of the children. Now everyone would get a present from under the tree and we would find out who had drawn our name. The parlor always had a fire in the fireplace and after all the gifts were opened everyone who wanted to would gather around the piano and sing Christmas Carols. Two of my aunts could play well and several aunts and uncles made an excellent quartet and would lead in group singing. My, what a wonderful day this always was. The rest of the days until after New Years when the children had to go back to school each family would visit another family to see what they had gotten for Christmas and usually had a meal or at least cake, cookies or candy with them. Most everyone made lots of home made goodies and boiled custard to serve. No Christmas was complete unless there were dishes of old fashioned hard candy with filled centers, dried raisins on stems, a bowl of mixed nuts with a nut cracker and pick, and oranges, grapefruit and tangerines that were only available at Christmastime. In later years it was always fun to go to the attic and play where the Christmas ornaments were stored from year to year and look at the little holders that would clip on to the branches and hold the small candles. Yes, electric tree lights got popular and were much safer. Today’s families miss all of this togetherness because we can go to the store and purchase everything already cooked and eve an tree can be unwrapped and be set up already decorated and ready to be plugged in. But, oh what wonderful memories.

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(4) Photos by Danny Cruff

William Byrd Middle School wrestling traveled to Andrew Lewis last Thursday for a Meet (1) and (2). The William Byrd High School girls basketball team saw what was going to be a long, action-filled week slow down because of the snow, but not before they did battle with Hidden Valley on Tuesday night. In the JV game, eighth grader Jessica Dawson (3) and freshman Autumn Vineyard (4) helped lead the charge and try to garner some momentum for the varsity match up. However, the varsity girls, including Jodi Overstreet and Jessica Rhodes (5) battled hard to no avail as the Titans came out on top in the end. The girls also fell later in the week in an overtime contest with Salem. WBHS’ swim team concluded their 2009 schedule last Wednesday with a win against Patrick Henry High School (6) and (7).

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Byrd matches Salem physicality in OT loss >Spartans turn up heat to win in extra session; Byrd also drops game to Hidden Valley, Christiansburg game postponed with no definitive makeup date Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief A four-game week stretch was tough for the William Byrd girls basketball team. Losses to Hidden Valley, Christiansburg and Salem all plagued the week for the girls. A Friday game with Glenvar was rescheduled for Saturday, February 6 with a 1 pm start time. The brightest spot in the week for Byrd was another physical affair with the Salem Spartans last Thursday night, though they fell. Byrd opened the game quickly in a hole as the Spartans held nothing back early. But, as the quarter progressed, the Terriers clawed there way back in on the strength of four first quarter points from Samantha Webster and determined play of Jodi Overstreet. “We knew that this was going to a chance for us to prove to people that we were a good team,” Webster said. “We knew they were going to come out in that trap that they started the second half with in the last game. Coach did a good job of preparing us for it the practice before and we were calm and didn’t freak out which allowed us to handle the pressure a lot better.” Byrd trailed 9-7 at the end of the quarter and 21-18 at the half. In the third quarter of play, the Terriers kept getting more physical, returning the blows dealt by Salem not only in this outing, but also their December 4 meeting. An Overstreet threepointer helped complete Byrd’s comeback and pushed them ahead by as many as four points, coming out of the third quarter up 32-30. But Salem kept coming forward, still struggling in ways with the zone defense that Byrd slapped on in the final period of play. Just less than midway through the fourth, with 4:24 to play, Brittany Mattox made a cut

to the basket and received a pass from Webster to score and get fouled. Despite missing the foul shot, Mattox extended the lead to 34-30. The zone defense came back to haunt Byrd late in the fourth as Salem knocked down a three pointer just into the final minute of play to tie the game at 37 and force overtime. In the overtime session, Salem kept their momentum alive, pulling ahead by as many as seven in the closing minute before putting Byrd away by four. Atajah Taylor scored 12 points to lead Salem. It was Webster again leading the way for Byrd with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but this time her post-mate Jessica Rhodes was equally efficient with 15 points and nine rebounds. “Coach tells us all the time that we are the best post pair in the Valley and I believe we are,” Webster said of her and Rhodes’ contributions. “The guards did a very good job of getting us the ball when we were open and not forcing it when we weren’t. The rebounds are all about heart and who wants the ball more, and I think we both have the same intensity for the game.” Byrd Coach Fran Recchia had noted last week that post play was becoming more difficult because of the zone defenses teams were using to shut down Webster and Rhodes. Overstreet and Mattox had five and four points respectively, while Ashley Smith scored two and Lauren James had one to round out the Terrier scoring. On Tuesday, the 15th, the girls had opened their week with a home game against Hidden Valley. The Titans held a halftime lead of 2117, but pulled away in the second half with 15 and 17 point quarters. Byrd was led by 13 from Rhodes and 11 from Mattox, but the Titans held Webster to just a single point. Hidden Valley also hit six three-point baskets in the game to win 53-35.

Photo by Danny Cruff

Jessica Rhodes takes a shot inside while being fouled from behind in last week’s meeting with Salem. Rhodes had a team high 15 points in the overtime loss.

Lineup for the Lady Terriers Christmas Classic next week at Byrd: Dec.28 (first game starts at 2:30, to be followed by next game) – Salem vs. Northside, Heritage vs. Lord Botetourt, Cave Spring vs. WBHS (projected 6pm start), Brookville vs. Staunton River. Games start at 2:30 on 12/29 and 12/30, matchups to be determined. Check out VintonVoice.com/blog or the Vinton Voice on Facebook for updates on game times for this tournament and the boys’ tournament at Northside.

What better gift than that of knowledge?

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This holiday season, get your loved one a subscription to the only publication made in Vinton, for Vinton! See Page 07 for subscription info.

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Both swim teams topple Patrick Henry Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief Last Wednesday at Gator Aquatic Center, the William Byrd swim team took their second win of the week against a Roanoke City school. It was the Patrick Henry Patriots who were downed by the Terriers by a combined 168-113. Both the girls and boys teams were successful. The girls’ overall score was 97-59, while the boys were 71-54 winners. “It was our fourth meet in a week, so I was really proud of them for getting up and ready to go again,” said Byrd coach Krista Martin. The team took a total of ten first place finishes through the meet. Boys first place finishes were both in relays, with the 200 Medley and 400 Free falling into place for the Terriers. Luke Gerig, Holden Fleming, Luke Johnson and Andrew Crocker led the way in the 200 with Johnson and Gerig leading the 400 relay win along with Jacob Pentruff and Corso. One other first place finish for the boys came from Gerig in the 100 Breast. The girls relay teams were equally as strong, with Caitlin Gerig, Michelle Rose, Kacy Edsall and Courtney Heck winning their 200 Medley and Gerig, Edsall and Heck joining Chelsea

Photo by Danny Cruff

William Byrd girls defeated Patrick Henry 97-59 on Wednesday night. Woolfolk for a win in the 200 Free. “I’m anxious to get our girls relays in really good shape to go after a few state cuts,” Martin said. Edsall and Gerig also each took home a pair of first place finishes. The sophomore Edsall took hers in the 500 Free and 100 Breast, while Gerig was in top form during her 200 IM and 200 Back events. The event was big for Edsall, who missed

•‘CARPENTER’ continued from page 20 when the wrestling job came open” he says with a laugh “so when it was all said and done, I finished up my two classes and headed to William Byrd.” Replacing Coach Ron Long, Carpenter was next in a long line of Byrd wrestling coaches, including Barry Trent, Adam Williams, and Jamie Soltis, obviously having big shoes to fill with a program rich in tradition. Just being out of college, there has to be some anxiety and some worry about jumping right in to the head coaches chair in the corner, right? Not so much, “I felt I was ready, I had some great coaches growing up and I learned well from them, I had some great club coaches that were NCAA all-Americans and Tom Brands at Tech, who is one of, if not the best coaches in the country” he said “so I took a lot from them and felt I was ready.” Taking over a high school program at 23 seemed to fit like a glove and Carpenter has continued to see his teams get better. “I’ve had a lot of good kids come through here” Carpenter said, pointing to Brian Wood’s 130 lb state championship in the ’07-’08 season as one of his proudest moments as a coach as well as the Terriers fifth place finish in the state tournament the same year. As an athlete he has won state championships as an individual and a team, qualified for the NCAA tournament and been recognized nationally. As a coach, he has coached state champions and state title contenders. So what’s next for Reed Carpenter? Possibly a job at his alma mater, not even having to change colors? “They don’t have any extra positions, but if they did there are people far more qualified for the job than me” he says with a laugh. For now, Carpenter is happy to be right here in the Byrd colors and one day, with wrestling legends like Trent and Otis Dowdy walking the halls, he may be considered right along with them, a wrestling legend.

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the Salem and William Fleming meet with an undisclosed injury, and also for Gerig who Martin is still expecting big things from. It was the second consecutive meet where Gerig won two individual events. Woolfolk was first in the 100 Fly. The team is in action next on January 6 for Senior Night at Gator against Staunton River. It is the first year that Staunton River will field a swim team and it will be a crucial District meet.


Boys fall to HV in closing seconds >Game with Glenvar rescheduled for January 2 at 1 p.m; Christiansburg postponed Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief The boys’ only other game of the week came last Wednesday as they visited Hidden Valley, falling 51-49 in heartbreaking fashion. With 2.7 seconds left in the game, the Titans’ Carter Wright sank two free throws to seal the victory. Wright had eight points in the win, that came just after Hidden Valley’s JV team also snuck out a close win, 44-43. “We had a lead through most of the game and they hit some big shots down the stretch,” said Byrd coach Dave Culicerto. “It got down to a situation where whoever would execute would win.” Wright went to the line after being fouled on a shot after he pulled down an offensive rebound from his own shot, which had been blocked. Byrd has possession of the ball in the 49-49 game, but ultimately turned it over, leading to Wright’s situation.

Byrd senior Jake Mankin rebounded from a pair of lackluster games the previous week to score 27, no other Byrd player scored more than five points. Those five point contributors were Michael Hammond, Nick Janowicz and Derrick Palmer. Scott Cole had four and Eric Slone scored three. Palmer and Mankin led the Terriers with six rebounds each. “We are going to learn from it and move forward,” Culicerto said. “The season is still relatively young and we still have kids that haven’t been put in a lot of those situations and are learning on the fly.” Mankin’s scoring came in part from his four three-point field goals. Another Byrd post player, Slone, his the team’s other shot from deep. The five three-pointers were a welcome change from the game two nights earlier in Salem where the team had gone 0-for14 from deep. Hidden Valley countered the deep play with eight of their own, including five threepointers from Taylor Walker who led them with 18 points.

File Photo by Dan Vance

Jake Mankin takes the ball up amid Salem defenders last Monday night. On Wednesday, the boys fell at Hidden Valley in the final seconds.

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Photo by Chris Manning

Reed Carpenter:

Success on all levels carries through for Byrd coach Chris Manning Publisher Fifth year William Byrd wrestling coach Reed Carpenter has wrestling in his veins. His father Bill just retired after 29 years of coaching at Bishop O’ Connell, Reed’s alma mater in Arlington. His brothers wrestle. Wrestling is what he did for a long time. He set the Virginia state record for wins, amassing over 200 wins while in high school. “I started wrestling around first grade and just grew up wrestling in rec leagues” said Carpenter “ever since I can remember I was around wrestling.” When Carpenter wrestled in high school, with his dad coaching, he was a consistent four year starter, wrestling at four different weight classes (119, 130, 140, 145) and leading his team to the state championship his senior year. If that weren’t amazing enough, Carpenter was an individual state champion in each year of school. “Being a private school, states wasn’t necessarily our big thing, we went to national preps, where most of the big private schools with top teams go” Carpenter says. In that national event he had a second place finish, losing to an eventual NCAA national champion. That four year success in high school, as well as strong showings elsewhere, is what landed Carpenter his opportunity to wrestle at the Division I level for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He was a four year starter for the Hokies, wrestling at the 149 weight class his first three years before moving up to 157 for his senior year, which included a run in the NCAA tournament, “I do wish I would have been able to wrestle at 149 my senior year, I feel I would have done better at the tournament, but I was talked into wrestling at 157.” Although he may not have four college championships like his high school ones, it only takes a simple Google search to see that Carpenter had quite the successful career as a Hokie. When his college career began to wind down and he had his last time on the mat, Carpenter had to look to the future. His original plans consisted of sticking around to finish his classes, start working towards his masters and sticking around the wrestling program at Tech as a volunteer assistant of sorts, however fate arrived in another form, still in maroon and orange. “Vicki Carroll is my wife’s aunt and she had talked to the school about me

“I had some great coaches growing up and I learned well from them.”

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•See ‘CARPENTER’ - page 18


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