VOICE
Want to meet Miss America Caressa Cameron 2010 And Miss Virginia Chinah Helmandollar, plus Miss America 1979 Kylene Barker . Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson, Miss Kentucky 2009, Miss Louisiana 2009 & Miss California 2009 , Autograph signing Saturday Mar.13 at Hotel Roanoke Pocahontas Room at 1:30 pm. Free to public. Come by and say hi. Other events will be Friday night at the Taubman Museum. Saturday night Homecoming Gala Dinner/ Show at Hotel Roanoke 7:30. Info for tickets to these events can be found on Missva.com website. We are so Proud Of Caressa becoming Miss America and Chinah Our New Miss Virginia. Come join us. Congratulations to Hunter Osborne son of Janet Wolfe Osbourne. Who won second place in the Bland Competition in Vocals at Ferrum College this past weekend . Way to Go Hunter!!! A pre-valentine’s day party was held at Blue 5 , Bootie Bell Chewning Attending were Lynn Chittum Peters, Tammy Entsminger BOO_TEE@msn.com Shepherd, Angie Chewning Lewis, Melissa Ballengee Hall, Sam and Sarah (Ferguson) Wilson, Kay Archer Woodson, Jim Woodson, Chuck Cooper, Rhonda Cornett, Kim Looney Barker, Karen Hubbard, Michelle Gunter, Richard Slan. Valerie Bell & Kyle Hendricks. Sorry for the delay. I think another might be coming up this week end or next I guess this would be to celebrate St Patrick’s day. Anything to have a party. Happy birthday wishes go out to Debbie Arthur Adler, Dawn Brown Windel, Amy Silvers Skaff. Raymond Powers, Susan Benson Anderson, Sam Cundiff, April Hall, Crig Shipp, Rud Peters, Robert Meador, Todd Masse, Jay Minnix, Jerry Dearing, Kasey Lillian Mckee 7th, Sam Wilson 40 but acts 22, don’t blame me Sam, a little birdie told me that. Sally Lamb Griffith. Hope you all have or had a great Birthday. Congratulations to Tommy and Kathy Firebaugh who celebrated their 45th wedding annivesary this past week. Couldn’t be a nicer couple. May you two have many more together. Get well wishes and prayers go out to Bob Gillispie ( Community) . Michele Yeatts at Home, Bill Hufton, Cathy C. Lafferty, Sandra Dickson. You all are in Our Thoughts, Hunter Bell was in London this past weekend where he attended”Silence the Musical” On stage at the Stag Theatre In London. The Show has been running since January.. Hunter was a special guest, he Wrote the Book. What an Honor that is for Your Book now a play to be on
stage in London. His Other Book /Play He wrote along with Jeff Bowen “Title Of Show “ Hunter was Nominated for a Tony for this one, has been playing across the U.S. . Last month it was in 5 states and various theaters. This Month it comes to the Signature Theater in Arlington Va, and the show they wrote for the New Disney Cruise line , is opening this month on the Disney Magic. They have truly been busy beavers. So proud of them. Buy Your Brick Now -- Vinton/ Roanoke County Veteran’s Monument
We tookone of the best checking rates in the nation and added one of the bestsavings rates. 3.51% APY* on Checking balances up to $25,000 when requirements are met. 1.01% APY* on balances over $25,000. 0.10% APY* if requirements not met. No minimum balance requirement No service fee ATM access fee refunds nationwide** Simple requirements Each Statement Cycle: • make 12 check card transactions • have 1 direct deposit or 1 auto debit • accept an electronic statement
** For any statement period that you do not meet the requirements stated above, ATM fees will not be refunded but you still earn a base annual percentage yield of 0.10% APY* on your balance. Plus, you still get many other rewards including a free Generations Gold® membership. * APY= Annual Percentage Yield as of 01/04/10. We use the daily balance method to calculate the interest on your account. APY may change at any time after the account is opened. Minimum opening deposit of $100 for Checking and $1 for Savings. Available to personal accounts only.
VOICE
2.01% APY on unlimited Savings balances. 0.10% APY* if requirements not met. MyLifestyle Checking account required. When MyLifestyleChecking requirements are met, your checking interest and ATM refunds are automatically deposited to your Saver account. No minimum balance requirement. No service fee.
Research all the benefits. Speak with any Valley Bank associate or visit our website.
Member FDIC
ON
E TH
R
E OV
C
In Brief William Byrd Players succeed in NYC
William Byrd Players have once again brought home the GOLD at the National Performing Arts Festival that was held this past week in New York City. Your a Good Man Charlie Brown was a hit. The actors/actresses also attended numerous classes with Broadway Celebrities such as our own Hunter Bell and John Arthur Greene who was in the Broadway Production of Westside Story that the kids got to attend on their trip. Please keep in mind that we are starting production for Annie Get Your Gun that will take place this spring
Lacrosse team still taking registrations Photo by Barry Brooks
WBHS Athletes Jacob Clifton, Brittany Mattox, Brennan Escobar, Holly Thomas, John Williams, Cynthia Stinnette, Emily Hanna and Daniel Gallagher
116 S. Poplar Street - Suite 1 Vinton, VA 24179 540-904-5836 - Office 540-904-5838 - Fax info@vintonvoice.com www.vintonvoice.com
EDITORIAL Chris Manning Publisher chris@vintonvoice.com Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief dan@vintonvoice.com Jacob Clifton Delivery/General info@vintonvoice.com Danny Cruff Photographer danny@dannycruffphotography.com Brian Manning Circulation Director brian@vintonvoice.com
COLUMNISTS Bootie Bell Chewning General Info BOO_TEE@msn.com Erin DeLauder-Brooks Pharmacy askthepharmacist@vintonvoice.com Michele Gunter LIfestyle avoiceofreason@vintonvoice.com Monica West LIfestyle (Female) info@vintonvoice.com
CONTRIBUTORS Barbara Dillon Contributor news@vintonvoice.com David Martin Special Contributor news@vintonvoice.com Danae Wensley Contributor news@vintonvoice.com
The East Roanoke Lacrosse Bandits are still taking registrations for their upcoming season. You can find out more by visiting them on the web at http://www.eteamz.com/eastroanokelacrosse. Interested parties can also reach League Coordinator Matt Viar by cell phone at 597-3793 with questions.
Byrd students among Roanoke County Science Fair placers
About 60 Roanoke County middle and high school students competed in the Roanoke County Science Fair Saturday, February 27th at William Byrd Middle School. Students competed in different categories and school levels. Projects ranged from determining which material best insulates sound to fixing the BCS (in college football) to experimental designs on bridges. In the High School Division, all 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finalists qualified for the regional competition. In the Middle School Division, only 1st place finalists advanced to the regional science fair. The Western Virginia Regional Science fair will be held at Roanoke College March 20. The lone First Place Award Winner from William, Byrd HS is: The Effect of Body Mass Index and Lung Capacity on Range and Volume by Zachary Kemp (Medicine & Health, Cellular & Molecular Biology); Third place finishers from WBHS include: The Effects of Dry Ice on Different Liquids by Luke Johnson (Chemistry); Oxy Acetylene Cutting by Travis Meador (Engineering: Electrical & Mechanical, Materials & Bioengineering); Honorable Mentions at WBHS were awarded to: How Permanent is Permanent by Joel Yost (Chemistry); The Effects of Raising Acidity Levels in the Ocean on Shellfish by Shyvilli Peterson (Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management). William Byrd Middle School also had award winners at the Science Fair. Those winners included a second place for Popping Up Savings by Will Spotswood (Physics, Chemistry II). Third place winners from WBMS were: Ibuprofen by Rebecca Rice (Medicine & Health, Animal Sciences, Biochemistry); Bacteria by Madeline Balliet (Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, Microbiology). A honorable mention went to: Batteries – You get what you pay for by Caleb Smith (Energy & Transportation).
RENWEWANATION Reception
Invite your friends so they can meet and connect with RENEWANATION leaders, staff and volunteers. Tuesday March 2, 2010 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at the Vinton War Memorial. Any questions, contact the Renewanation office at 540-982-1223
Onzlee Ware
Member, House of Delegates Eleventh District
325 N. Jefferson Street Telephone: 540-344-7410 Part of Roanoke City and Town of Vinton Committees: Appropriations, Counties, Cities and Towns, and Education Paid for and Authorized by Delegate Onzlee Ware
Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved by Vinton Voice Newspapers
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.’
VOICE 03
Reserve Your Spot Today– it’s easy!
classifieds
Reach the Vinton Voice by phone at 540.904.5836 By fax at 540.904.5838 Or via e-mail at info@vintonvoice.com
Vinton, Bonsack, Mt.Pleasant CEMETERY
ACTIVITIES
For Sale, 4 cemetery plots in Cedar Lawn Memorial Park. Retail at $1400 a piece, will sell all 4 for $2900. Call 540-589-3936
Pinochole Players Call Pete at 540-345-3342
MARKET
CLOTHING PETS Sweet Cat Needs a good home. Call 540-427-4466
Wedding Dress Size 8, never worn wedding dress with matching flower girl dress, slip, veil and sash. $500. Call 540-910-1203
FOR SALE Matching lounge and chair – both for $1000. Almost like brand new! Call 540-427-4466
German Sofa Large, chocolate brown and orange. Call 540-354-8289
Obituaries HARRY HENRY DAVIS, of Vinton, went home on Sunday, February 28, 2010. He was employed by American Bridge and retired from Trinity Industries. He was a member of Three Oaks Fellowship United Methodist Church and formerly a member of Belmont United Methodist Church. Harry was preceded in death by his parents, George and Lera Davis; and brother and sister-in-law, George Robert and Margaret Davis. He is survived by his wife, Mary Evelyn Davis; two daughters , Linda Davis Jameson and her husband, Steven, Tina Davis; four grandsons and one granddaughter-in-law; one brother, Charles Davis and his wife, Marie; two sisters, Thelma Price, Hazel Henderson and her husband, James; brother-in-law, Roy Minnix and his wife, Jackie; and numerous nieces and nephews. A funeral service will be held at 12:00 Noon Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel with the Rev. Warren R. Carswell and the Rev. R. C. Wagner officiating. Interment will follow in Mountain View Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday from 4 to 7 PM at the funeral home. Those wishing to make a memorial contribution, please consider the Three Oaks Fellowship United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 202, Hardy, VA 24101-0202, or the Stewartsville Rescue Squad, 1152 Turner Branch Rd., Goodview, VA 24095. Arrangements by Oakey’s Vinton Chapel, 540-982-2221.
Worktop side doors and fiberglass covers And guess what, The Price is Right, A+ Price is Right Auto Parts & Supplies 441 Walnut Ave. Vinton 982-8777
WANTED
SERVICES
RENTALS
CARPET
BUSINESS
Vinton Chamber of Commerce Carpet Re-Stretching Professional and/or and Repair Business space has moved offices available, 540-776-9591 and is looking for the approx 400 sq. ft. following things. 116 S. Poplar St. 116 S.Poplar St., Suite Typist available for Woodland Square, 1A – Vinton, VA 24179 professional work off of Washington Ave. 540-354-8289 Call: 540-343-1364 580 4675
MARGOT LANGE BROWN, 82, of Roanoke, died Tuesday, February 23, 2010. She was born May 11, 1927 in Kassel, Germany. She moved to the U.S. in 1948 and became a citizen in 1954. Margot was also a member of St. Marks Lutheran Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, J. Elmer Brown. Surviving are a number of nieces and nephews in Germany. Special thanks to Good Samaritan Hospice, Summerville at Ridgewood Gardens, and especially to Linda Hatcher & her family for the care provided during Margot’s extended illness. A graveside funeral service was conducted 1:00 PM Monday, March 01, 2010 in Sherwood Memorial Park with Pastor John McCandish officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Marks Lutheran Church, 1008 Franklin Road, SW, Roanoke, VA. 24016. Arrangements by Oakey’s Vinton Chapel (982-2221). MEDA PORTER (ANN) BRYSON, 88, of Vinton, Va., went to be with the Lord on Saturday February 20, 2010. She was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church and the widow of Burton Bryson. Surviving are a mice, Jackie Bray Britton, of Kingsport, Tenn.; and numerous other nieces, nephews and friends. Graveside funeral services were conducted 1 PM on Thursday, February 25, 2010, at Temple Hill Memorial park in Castlewood, Va. with Pastor Mark Manning officiating. The family received friends on Tuesday, February 23, 2010, at Oakey’s Vinton Chapel, 540-982-2221.
VA State Licensed
Insured
Carpet Re-Stretching!
Eliminate unsightly wrinkles & trip Hazards! Protect your Investment!
STEVEN W. DURRANCE Floors •Repairs• •Complete Showroom• •Expert Work•
Work: 540-776-9591 Cell: 540-353-7908 www.carpetroanoke.com
2010 the voice of vinton.. this year and beyond
VintonVoice.Photoreflect.com coming in march Every picture, from every issue... at your fingertips.... Visit Danny Cruff Photography on PhotoReflect dannycruffphotography.photoreflect.com
04 VOICE
Reserve your spot today in Housing, Vehicles, Market, Jobs, Services, Notices and many subcategories!
Photo Submitted by Cindy Stump
At Miss Lynchburg/Hill City this past weekend, a slew of Miss Smith Mountain Lake, Miss Blue Ridge and Miss William Byrd crown holders show that even if you are a pageant girl....Everybody reads the Voice.
Ask the Pharmacist
Everybody Reads the Voice
Erin DeLauder-Brooks, Pharm.D., MBA AskThePharmacist@vintonvoice.com Q: I started an antidepressant two weeks ago, but I don’t feel any better. Can I just stop taking the medication? A: The short answer is “no”. Antidepressants can take several weeks to start working and it may take even longer (up to 12 weeks) for the full benefits to become apparent. Continue taking your medication as directed by your health care provider and keep your appointments during the first several months after starting an antidepressant. Your prescriber may also suggest therapy along with medication. It’s very important that you continue with all recommendations made by your prescriber. If you still don’t feel any better after 12 weeks, talk to your health care provider to discuss your options. Discontinuing some antidepressants suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms. It’s important to talk to your prescriber before stopping any medication. 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.
VOICE 05
Town Cook-Off raises Money for Relay
Danae Wensley Town of Vinton What could bring over fifty people, a few dressed in costume, to the same location at the same time? Why, the Town of Vinton Souper Cook-off of course! On Thursday, February 25, fifty-five Town of Vinton employees spent their lunch breaks together enjoying a variety of delicious soups. The “Souper Cook-off” as it was called was a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
Photos by Lauren Hodges
TOP RIGHT: Town employees serve and enjoy their homemade soups at last Wednesday’s “Souper Cook-off.” ABOVE: Cook-off winners: Mary Beth Layman (dressed as snowboarder Shaun White), Mark Vaught and Chris Lawrence.
When coming into the luncheon, each participant paid $3 in exchange for one ticket. After sampling the eleven soups, which were prepared, donated and served by Town employees, participants traded in their ticket for a full bowl of whichever soup they chose. Additional tickets could be purchased for $1 each. In keeping with current events the cookoff had an Olympic theme. The soups had names such as “Triple Axel Taco Soup”, “Black Diamond Chili” and “Half Pipe Pasta Fazool.” Prizes were awarded for best soup, best table presentation and best presenter presentation, and those who won awards were given gold medals. The award for best soup or chili was given to Officer Mark Vaught. Best table presentation was given to Special Programs Director Mary Beth Layman, who dressed as snowboarder Shaun White and sent her “Half Pipe Pasta Fazool” down a half pipe before serving it. The award for best presenter presentation was given to Town Manager Chris Lawrence, who was donned in an apron and chef hat. Other fundraising opportunities included a 50/50 raffle and a table of delicious desserts for sale. All together our Town of Vinton employees raised approximately $250 for Vinton’s local Relay for Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society. The Souper Cook-off is one of several events held each year to raise money for Vinton Relay for Life. Past events have included a Wii-Lay (Wii Tournament) and several other lunchtime events. This is the third year the Town of Vinton has had a Relay for Life team, known as the “TOV
Strong Striders.” Last year the TOV Strong Striders team placed fourth out of thirty-three teams in the state, raising a total amount of $3,659. This year the goal is $4000. Laura Reilly, facilities manager of the Vinton War Memorial, has been chairperson of the TOV Strong Striders team for the past two years. For her the inspiration is personal. Reilly’s mother, Marlene Peters, passed away last year after a twenty-one-month battle with a brain tumor. “Relay for Life is so important because it makes me feel like I’m doing something to fight the terrible disease that took my mother from me,” Reilly said. Unfortunately, Reilly’s story is not unique. Many other Town employees have lost loved ones to cancer as well. Longtime Town council member Billy Obenchain died of Leukemia late last year. “Being part of this team is such a positive way to focus my energy. I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent the Town of Vinton employees [in this way],” Reilly said. Vinton’s Relay for Life will take place on April 16 and 17 at William Byrd High School. To participate in the Relay, or to find out other ways you can help put an end to cancer, please visit the Relay for Life website at www. relayforlife.org
Get Involved in Vinton’s Relay for Life! During the month of March, 20% of all subscriptions to the Vinton Voice will be donated to the American Cancer Society’s Relay event! Event is April 16 at WBHS. Visit ‘Vinton Relay for Life’ on Facebook for more.
06 VOICE
PHOTOS (2) (3)
Photos by Dan Vance (1,2); Submitted by Cindy Stump (3,4) and by Danny Cruff (5,6,7)
(1) (6)
(4)
(5) (7)
Barry Brooks Photography provided another wonderful cover shoot last Thursday as we brought in WBHS athletes for the Spring Sports Preview Issue. While Publisher Chris Manning helped direct traffic (1), Barry took his spot behind the camera and son Scott provided some behind-the-scenes video for the occasion (2). Last week marked IHOP Free Pancake Day to benefit the Childrens Miracle Network, where Miss Smith Mountain Lake Victoria Jordan and Miss Blue Ridge Sarah Fitzpatrick, among other pageant girls, were on hand (3) and (4). On Saturday night, locals Rick Drewery (5) and Travis Barber (6) joined their Solrevolt bandmates for a CD release party to a capacity crowd at Blue 5 in Downtown Roanoke (7).
VOICE 07
Laughlin Shows Longevity Pays Off
Evan Nicely Terrier Times There’s a “dinosaur” walking the halls at William Byrd High School, but it’s not any sort of prehistoric animal. It’s how Kathy Laughlin, a history teacher at WBHS, jokingly refers to herself. This year marks her 39th at WBHS and that makes her the longest tenured teacher at WBHS. “I’m a dinosaur,” she said as she looked at the mound of dirt outside her window. “I’ve been here for every construction project, renovation, and addition they have ever had.” Dinosaur or not, one thing is for sure Laughlin always wanted to be a teacher and has been a good one. She’s positively impacted her students throughout her career. “I always wanted to be a school teacher, specifically a history teacher,” she said. “Growing up I would conduct school in the garage with the neighborhood kids.” In high school, she was a cheerleader and avidly involved her school’s SCA program. Laughlin even attended the prestigious Girl’s State. Upon her graduation from college, her first full time teaching job was at the old Andrew Lewis High School (now Salem High School). That year, she attended the football game (along with fellow history teacher Jon Beach) between Andrew Lewis and T.C. Williams High School at Victory Stadium that has been immortalized in the movie Remember the Titans. “The movie wasn’t accurate at all,” she said. After spending three years teaching at Andrew Lewis she left to become a teacher at William Byrd where she has spent all these years. Her passion for her job has been a key to her longevity. Now, in addition to teaching the college courses Dual Credit and Advanced Placement US History, she is an AP grader. The last four years she has made the trip to Louisville,
08 VOICE
Kentucky to grade tests. “It’s a lot of fun even though it sounds like it wouldn’t be. There are college professors from all over and you get to share stories and make friends. It’s just a great collegial atmosphere,” said Laughlin. This past year, she graded 2,800 essays and
Above photo by Chelsea Greenway
was timed at an average of 29 seconds per essay. “I’m usually the fastest grader at my table and the most accurate too,” she said. Throughout her many years teaching, she has impacted many students across the Vinton and Roanoke area and it shows. “Everywhere I go I always know somebody. Especially at the mall it’s crazy, I’ll have someone with no hair and looks older than me walk up and say ‘you taught me’ and I’m like, ‘I taught you when?!’ I think when I get to teaching people’s grandkids then it’s time to quit,” said Laughlin. During her time at WBHS, she was a long time teacher sponsor for the SCA, started the school’s academic team, and was the originator of the infamous Miss Byrdie pageant. The
drag pageant was based off Miss Cellaneous, a similar pageant during her time at Maury High School. Barry Trent, a teacher at WBHS and the Roanoke County Coordinator of Health, P.E and Driver’s Education, was the winner of the inaugural event. “I remember when he did his talent piece, he played the piano with his feet in an evening gown. It was pretty incredible,” said Laughlin. The list of her former students is long and includes some notable names. They include former Texas Ranger baseball player Billy Sample, John Boyer, who is currently a history professor at Virginia Tech, and writer/ publicist Karen Eden, who visited WBHS last fall. Some notable locals who once has Laughlin as a teacher include Sammy Cundiff, Brian Musslewhite, Wes Nance, Anthony Conner and Mike Stovall. She’s even taught kids who have returned to WBHS as teachers themselves including Krista Martin, Katie Heatherington, James Edwards, Amanda Stump, Jeff Highfill Jr. and Brad Collins. “She was one of my favorite teachers. She was more like a friend,” Collins said. “I had her for DC History and it was the most reading I had ever done till I got to college. She hasn’t even changed at all, except that she has a Facebook now.” With as many years as Kathy Laughlin has spent teaching, it’s only a matter of time before WBHS students no longer see her name appear on their schedules. “I’m going to teach till I die,” Laughlin said. “Just kidding.” She has no immediate plans for retirement. “I will probably teach a few more years as long as my health holds out,” said Laughlin. And when that day comes, the school will lose not only a teacher but a great person that has had a positive impact on a generation of students. A graduate of Maury High School in Norfolk, she attend Radford University and got a B.S. degree in history followed by gaining her masters degree at Virginia Tech. She married her husband (a former Blacksburg High School principal and WBMS teacher) in 1971 and has a daughter. Her daughter Katie graduated from WBHS in 1999 and is now an editor for a newspaper in Hollywood, Fla.
Applying for College Brings Stress, Anxiety and anticipation. Chelsea Greenway Terrier Times Applying for admission to college is a stressful process. So is waiting for a response. Students and parents spend hours filling out the paperwork. Then there are the anxious weeks spent waiting for a reply. Then the envelope arrives with the college admissions office return address. Now, that’s nervous anticipation.
If a student is accepted then there’s that whole realization that either settles in or lands like a thud – “I’m really going to college.” Early admission or regular admission, the feelings are the same. “I don’t want to wait to know if I got in. I’m an impatient person,” said senior Wes Williams, a National Merit Finalist, whose top three choices are Virginia Tech, the University of North Carolina and Columbia College of Chicago. Williams plans to visit UNC,
where he has already been accepted, and hopes to visit and be accepted at Columbia. Now in their second semester, some seniors are scrambling to apply to colleges. So, filling out the mounds of paperwork at the last minute has extra added stress. Some students do not apply for early admission because it sometimes requires students to commit to that college right away. Some haven’t even started. “I don’t know where I want to go, so knowing if I got in early
wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me,” said senior Stephie Broyles. Broyles thinks her decision will be Virginia Polytechnic Institute University, but she didn’t apply early because their admission is binding. “I’m not sure where I want to go and normally [for early admissions] you have to be sure,” said senior Tyler Lyon. Some applied early but still aren’t sure on their decision. On the other hand some seniors know for sure where they want to go and couldn’t wait until regular admissions to find out. Senior Brittany Lane only applied to one school, because it’s the only place she wanted to go and the school has a great nursing program. She was banking on early acceptance to get in because it was the only place she applied. Being proactive is the cure to reducing the stress of the college application process. Many juniors have already begun the process. Junior Sierra Spain will be applying for early acceptance next year because she “doesn’t want the stress of not knowing.”
Stump assists in, out of classroom
Sydney Ransom Terrier Times From the classroom to the Miss Virginia USA Pageant, Amanda Stump mixes a busy lifestyle with providing inspiration to others. Stump teaches Geometry and Earth Science at William Byrd High School, where she also coaches volleyball and tennis. Stump, who graduated from WBHS, was inspired to her career in education by her physical education teacher, Lee Johnson. He “was my PE teacher and he did a great job at making class fun,” Stump said.
Outside of school, Stump participates in many pageants. Not only did they help her build confidence, it also helped her start her career as a teacher. Many different children start pageants as they are in their teens or maybe even younger. Stump was not necessarily a “toddler in tiara.” She started competing in the Miss Virginia pageant when she was 20 years old and has placed in the top 10, including a second runnerup finish. “I basically started doing pageants to see what they offered,” she said. “I kept them up to earn scholarship money.” She used the scholarship money she won
to attend Roanoke College. Stump said she’d recommend that young people participate in pageants. “I absolutely recommend pageants; they are very academic based, which is very important,” she said. “They are also great confidence builder.” Stump was a pageant coach to former Miss WBHS, Holly Farris a senior at WBHS. “Ms. Stump taught me a lot about pageantry, she gave me make-up tips, fashion advice, and coached me with my talent,” Farris said. “She was a great person to look up to and I really learned a lot from her. I could not have done Miss Virginia without her help.” Stump continues with her talent by helping other young women with pageants such as Farris and the current Miss WBHS, Jenna O’Leary. “Coach Stump helped me a lot with my makeup, talent, and really everything. She really got my foot in the door with pageants,” said freshman, Jenna O’Leary.
VOICE 09
A Female Perspective
You can’t move forward if you keep looking back
Everyone and I mean everyone has something in there life that doesn’t go their way. We as women have a bad habit of putting all our eggs in one basket and what we can’t fit we leave behind. Just because we aren’t little girls anymore doesn’t mean we have to stop believing that dreams come true. It just means that we are old enough to realize that the only time they come true is when we get up and make it happen. Don’t get me wrong, your not going marry Johnny Depp and your life consist of shopping and traveling but most likely everyone has an “I wish I had” moment. What’s stopping you? Is it marriage, kids, or money? Maybe Monica West it’s just the drive to find your inner fierce. If you have a logical goal that info@vintonvoice.com you’ve always wanted to accomplish more than likely your husband will support you and your kids will aspire to have that will when they get older. Has divorce taken you over and feel like the world just came to an end? It didn’t! It just opened wide for you to explore. We owe it to ourselves to feel accomplished and to know we didn’t just give up. It’s now time to put our big girl pants on and get to work. I’m twenty-five and single so my goals are a little more heavy but I’ve come up with a 5 year plan. I tend to reach for the stars and push myself to be the best at anything I do. I was raised a West and that’s just how we do it. I came up with a timeline to help me stay focused and on track. Knowing that if I don’t reach the first goal then I can’t move on to the
Roanoke County Library Events for Vinton in the month of March Vinton Book Club ‘Run’ by Ann Patchett Thursday, March 4 2:30 PM
Tween Scene Balloon Science Grades 4-6 Thursday, March 18 4:00-5:00 PM
Teen Council Monday, March 8 4:00-5:00 PM
‘Mid-Week Movie Madness’ Wednesday March 31 -4:00 PM ‘The Princess and the Frog’
LEGO Club Ages 7-12 Thursday, March 4 4:00 PM Registration Required ‘Preschool Spring Party’ Monday, March 22 10:30 AM
10 VOICE
Storytime Through March 18 PreschoolWeather Afterschool- World Read What you Want Monday, March 1
Computer Classes $10.00 CHARGE PER CLASS Word III Tuesday, March 2 6:00-8:00 PM PowerPoint Thursday, March 4 9:30-11:30 AM Photo Editing Tuesday, March 9 6:00-8:00 PM Photo Sharing Tuesday, March 16 6:00-8:00 PM Blogging & Tweeting Tuesday, March 30 6:00-8:00 PM
next will better push me to strive for success. Timelines are perfect for any goal. Savings plans for the house project you really want, going back to school, or loosing the weight. Whatever the case make sure you set reachable goal. Your not going to get a six pack of abs in a month. Be realistic and know that it’s going take time. I’m going to use divorce as an example because it’s hard to get back up on your feet and to know it’s going be okay. It’s time for a pep talk. First step: cry. But go in crying knowing that you give yourself a certain time frame to just loose it. No, not a year. Try a month. Done, over it! Time to collect yourself and move ahead. You can’t move forward if you keep looking back. Always remember, pain is weakness leaving the body! I live by it! Step Two: set a plan for your goal. Make sure to be level headed and ready to go in fully focused and be prepared for things to not be so ABC this time around. Include money savings by a certain date. Go out and get your hair and nails done and get a new outfit to go with your new attitude. Plan a girl’s trip in the future when you know you will be ready to fully relax and have the fun that is in front of you. Just make sure when planning to take a step back and make sure you don’t forget a responsibility that you will neglect due to poor planning. Step Three: make it happen. Time to get dirty. Find a buddy to help you out. Friends are perfect for self-assurance and to be your biggest cheerleader in anything you need. You need to surround yourself with people that believe in you and know you can do it. I WILL finish my timeline with pride that I myself made it happen. I’ll make sure that nobody ever made me feel that I couldn’t. And if there were ones that did, even better to be able to look them in the face and say “ I did this!” So whatever your situation be don’t ever let those moments of could of, should of, would of, pass you by again! You got this!
Michele Gunter, MSW, LCSW AVoiceofReason@vintonvoice.com Ah yes! We’re inching closer and closer to March, which means daylight savings time, longer days, and, at last, SPRINGTIME! Very soon, we’ll be able to turn down our heaters, open up the windows to let in some fresh air, and actually be able to have some daylight after our normal work hours. I think I’ll appreciate spring this year even more after the cold and snow we’ve experienced this winter. For now, though, it is still chilly outside, and the days, while getting a bit longer, are still shorter than I like. However, when spring is here, with daylight savings time, we do have those extra daytime hours after work. Many of us will use that time to go for walks, bike riding, jogging, softball, soccer, or any number of other activities. With all of these activities about to resume, plus after receiving a few suggestions via Facebook, I thought it would be appropriate to devote this week’s column to exercise and mental health. “A strong body makes the mind strong.” Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 19, 1785 There are a number of theories as to why
physical activity is good for the brain, and mental health. 1. Increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain 2. Increasing growth factors that help create new nerve cells 3. Increasing chemicals in the brain such as dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin Exercise alone is a potential preventative method and/or treatment for mild forms of depression. When you engage in physical activity, you help release endorphins. Endorphins are nature’s anti-depressant and pain reliever and have long been believed to be what causes “runner’s high”. In addition, physical activity helps prevent certain conditions such as obesity which by itself, is often linked to depression. After exercising, a person’s endorphin and serotonin levels remain elevated for several days, often resulting in a better, more positive, less depressed mood. Finally, physical exertion helps sleep. People who exercise regularly often fall asleep quicker, and have longer periods of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. So, what type of activity or exercise should you engage in? Well, first, before attempting any type of exercise regimen, it is highly advisable to consult your physician, especially if you have been largely sedentary for a long period of time. Once you get the green light from your doctor, though, you can use your imagination. Take a short walk around the block after work. Enjoy the fresh air and being outside for a short while. Ride your bike on any number of the trails in Vinton and Roanoke. Remember, you don’t have to work out like you’re training for a marathon or the Olympics. Simply getting up and getting moving can do
wonders for releasing those extra endorphins and helping your overall physical and mental health. Often, after the excitement of starting a new program wears off, boredom can set in, and a lack of motivation can follow. Keep some of these things in mind to help you when you’re not feeling motivated. 1. Remember how you feel after a workout. Remember that good feeling, that “good tired” you have. 2. Alternatively, remember the “yucky” feeling you have when you skip part of your regimen. Wanting to avoid that feeling can be a great motivator to keep moving. 3. Get a workout partner. Find a friend, relative, or even a group or class who share the same goals and fitness levels that you’re currently at. Sometimes, being accountable to another person or people is all it takes to keep you from sinking deeper into the recliner each night. 4. Fitting into new clothes. Nothing feels better than being able to fit into smaller-sized clothes. 5. Live long enough to see your grandkids, and be able to play with them. These are just a few of the many ways you can motivate yourself. Typically, once you start and develop this new habit, you won’t want to break it, and you will see for yourself the mind-body connection and how a healthy body can have a positive effect on a healthy mind and mental health. Until next time, I wish you all peace, love, and happiness.
VintonVoice.Com • Breaking News (vintonvoice.com/blog) • Interaction (Vinton Voice on Facebook) • Quick and easy (Issuu.com/vintonvoice)
VOICE 11
Important questions when choosing wine David Martin Special Contributor How is sparkling wine or champagne made? Sparklers start out like still wine. Yeast consumes sugar and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide, which initially is just released into the air. This wine is bottled, and then more yeast and sugar are added. The bottle is then sealed with a steel beer bottle type cap. A secondary fermentation occurs inside the bottle and the carbon dioxide is trapped. The bottles are turned upside down and rotated so the sediment (dead yeast cells) collects in the neck of the bottle. The bottle necks are then frozen, the caps are removed, and only the frozen sediment is removed. This looks like a slurpee when it comes out. Wine is added to fill the empty space and the bottle is sealed with a cork. Vintage champagne is from a specific year and usually costs more and has a more distinctive character. Non-vintage champagne combines years and produces a consistent style of wine. What is port wine? Port is a Portuguese wine that is sweet, fortified with brandy, and of course, delicious. The Portuguese started fortifying wine so it would travel better en route to their main market — 17th century England. Many different types of grapes are used but the main one is Tourega Nacional, the Portuguese national grape. Ports are made in the same way as regular still wine until about halfway through the process. At this point, brandy is added to the must (juice and grape skins) which in turn kills the yeast and stops fermentation. This produces a sweeter wine with a higher alcohol content, usually 18% to 20%. If you take this wine and age it a couple of years in old barrels or stainless steel vats, neither of which imparts taste, you have a ruby port, a fruity style wine. If you take the same juice and put it in an oak barrel and age it from 2 to 10 to 40 years, you have a tawny port which is a nutty, butterscotch, dried fruit, raisin, woody flavored wine. Late bottle vintage (LBV) ports are aged four to six years in barrels, then bottled. They have more dark berry flavors than tawnys and taste a bit like a lighter vintage port.
Wars have been fought over and poems written about vintage port. It is truly magic. Only the best grapes from the best years are used to make vintage port, usually two to four times per decade. Vintage port is only aged a couple of years in barrels before it is bottled. Many vintage ports will last 50 years or more and most should be at least ten years old before drinking them. By then, they will start to show their potential, their pedigree, their DNA. The flavors are complex and powerful. Vintage port has the strength to stand up to the darkest chocolate, the most aromatic cheese, even to pipes and cigars, yet it does have subtle and nuanced flavors. The typical flavor profile of vintage port is dark berry fruit, tobacco, leather, cacao. Nothing finishes an evening like a taste of port. It kind of says, “After this glass, it’s time to go. What is sherry? Sherry is a fortified white wine from Spain that can be made either dry or sweet. A labor intensive art of blending old and new wines, called the “solera system,” offers a consistent product year after year. The first year the wine is made like any dry white wine. The following year the wine is lightly fortified with pure alcohol and some wine. At this point, art, science and magic coalesce. Natural yeast begins feeding on the sugars, oils and trace elements and forms what is called “flor.” It is a film across the top of the wine that protects it from too much oxidation and also imparts beautiful, nutty, creamy, yeasty flavors. The barrels with the most flor are used for “fino” and barrels with less flor are used to make “oloroso.” Palomino is the main grape used to make sherry. The Pedro Ximenez grape is used to make sweeter wine. It has a very rich flavor and is absolutely some of the best nectar on earth. Moscatel is used to make only sweet wine. Ports and sherry have been closely connected to England for centuries. During periods of war with France, England looked elsewhere for their wine. Spain and Portugal were the answer. Originally, their wines were made like everybody else’s, but over time they changed and evolved into fortified wines so they would travel well to all corners of the British Empire. The French never changed their style for the British, would not change their style for
anyone….until recently. (To be continued…) I see the name Meritage on red wine. What is Meritage? Meritage is a name created in California about twenty years ago to signify a Bordeaux blend or a Bordeaux style wine made in California. A typical blend might be 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot. The name Meritage is American, and rhymes with heritage. What are tannins? Tannins produce that mouth puckering sensation you might experience from strong cold black tea. Tannins in wine come from the grape skins. They are a preservative and forms the framework that supports the fruit and other taste components in wine. Tannins soften with time. Most people like wines whose tannins are balanced with alcohol, fruit, oak and various flavors. Over time, as tannins soften and combine with taste components, new flavors called phenols are created. This actually causes a chemical change, so older wines will taste different from young wines, and often better, though only to a point. Tannin and fruit soften or fade, but alcohol does not. When choosing wine, you always want balance. For years I’ve heard people discuss big tannin wines. Often you will hear, “In five years, after the tannins soften, this will be a good wine if the fruit will hold up.” Sometimes you can keep a wine until the tannins are soft, but the fruit will also be gone and then, you’ve got nothing. I’ve heard wise people say, “If it’s not good now, it won’t be good later.” There is a reason good, old wine is expensive. So if you want to enjoy an aged wine, here is what you do: 1. Find a wine you like. 2. Determine if it has enough tannin and fruit to last as long as desired. 3. Buy a case. 4. Drink a bottle every six months to determine how the wine is progressing. 5. After two bottles a year for five years, you should have a pretty good idea how your wine is aging. 6. What do you do with your last two bottled? It’s your call.
Law Office of Onzlee Ware
325 N. Jefferson Street Roanoke, Virginia 24016 Telephone: 540-344-7947
Practicing Bankruptcy, Criminal, Traffic and Family Law for 21 Years
12 VOICE
About Some Older Buildings Barbara Dillon Contributor Upson Hardware Store – First of all I remember my father telling me about a building of Lee Street that was torn down and moved up to the Upson Place. He drove nails out of the lumber. This lumber was used to build Mr. Upson’s Hardware Store. My father, Willie, and his brother Verner worked for Mr. Upson at the hardware store. My dad worked in the hardware section and Verner sold clothing. This must have been about 1905. My dad went to work for the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company in 1907. This became the American Bridge Company. Verner left and went to work with the Virginian Railway Company. I have time books my father kept and he worked a lot of 14 to 18 hour days at the Virginia Bridge Company. I have one of his time books of 1919 and inside on January 12, 1919 is written “baby born, 5 AM.” – that was me. I remember my Dad telling me that on Halloween some boys took Mr. Upson’s wagon apart and took it up on the roof of the hardware and put it together again. I remember as a kid going to the hardware and getting some nails for him. He got a bill for ten cents with two cents postage. My dad went down and paid him the ten cents plus the two cents postage. White Front Drug Store – This was related to me by Kelly Swain. He told me that the building on the corner known for many years as the White Front Drug Store was built by Mr. Upson and that is where his first hardware store was. He moved out into the wood building on the corner of Lee Avenue and Maple Street and rented the building to Mr. Saunders for a drug store. Mr. Saunders sold out to Mr. Furbush and moved down on the next corner. Elizabeth Scott Johnson told me she remembered going to the Saunders Drug Store when she was a little girl. They lived across from the Baptist Church. Concrete Block Buildings – Kelly Swain told me about the concrete block buildings in downtown Vinton. That was also Mr. Upson’s business. Some of the buildings are still standing. They also made concrete blocks for fences and had big concrete balls on top of the corner posts. The garage at the museum is made from the blocks that were made by Mr. Upson’s employees. I remember that Mr. Upson in his store was always wearing a black felt hat. Thrasher Memorial Chapel – I was looking through some old records in the history room at Thrasher Memorial United Methodist Church and found out to my surprise that my great grandmother was a member of the log Thrasher Chapel. She became a member there in 1875. Rev. J.J. Engle was the minister. Her name was Emily Stevens Swain. Her husband, Preston P. Swain died from wounds received in the 2nd Battle of Manassas. She is buried in Mountain View Cemetery on her son J.T. Swain’s square. Dick Horn’s mother, Mrs. Emma Parker Horn was also a member there in 1879. (These notes were recorded by Montague Swain for the Vinton Historical Society and Museum)
Sandwiches, Salads, Entrees, Homemade Soup and More!
! s l a i c e p S h c n u L Daily Teaberry’s Café 540-344-1744
129 East Cleveland VINTON
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm (Closed Weekends)
VOICE
(Open for dinner Wed., Thurs., & Fri. beginning Feb. 3rd.)
Relay team, Boyd: All-State for Track >Coach Eric Royal pleased with strides made, looks forward to outdoor season The William Byrd Indoor track team had a great performance at state, “it went pretty much how I thought it was going to go” said Coach Eric Royal “I thought we had several opportunities for individuals to go all-state and an outside chance for the relays to go all-state.” The 4x800 relay team didn’t disappoint as they ran twelve seconds faster than they ever have, Kevin O’Connor, Josh and John Williams and Nick Lefell finished fifth, “it’s pretty exciting to be able to say that they are the fifth best relay team in all of AA” said Royal. Justin Smith finished fourth in the high jump, he tied the third place finisher in height, but fell to fourth due to misses, but nevertheless, he became all-state. “We hadn’t practice anything at all during the indoor season on the high jump pit at all” Royal said “he’ll jump higher when we go outside.”
With being two for two in their goal of being all-state, the team moved on to other events. The runners in the mile and two mile didn’t make the cut, but Royal was surprised
and the fastest 1000 meter time for us all year.” Royal has been impressed with Boyd’s performance. “He really had a strong second half and I’m looking forward to counting on some points form him in outdoor.” Nick Lefell and John Williams also competed in the 1000. The meet ended with the 4x400 team who was ranked eighth going in and needed a sixth place finish to qualify for all-state, in the first heat, two teams ran five seconds faster than they were seeded and Royal knew that wasn’t a good sign. “Right then I thought we might not get it” he said “they ran their fastest time all year and they competed.” But they didn’t qualify. Royal was pleased with the season and looks forward to seeing the majority of his indoor athletes in the outdoor season that has already begun.
“It’s pretty exciting to be able to say that they are the best relay team in all of AA..” and excited by the performance of Justin Boyd in the 1000 meter. “He raced his way in from a slow heat at regions and he killed his heat in the 1000” Royal said. “He ended up running eight seconds faster than the week before, good for twelfth overall
52 Issues for just $25
or two years for just $40
Subscribe Today! Name Address City, State, Zip Code
Make checks payable to: Vinton Voice PO Box 213 Vinton, VA 24179
OR Card Type (circle): VISA DISCOVER AMEX MASTERCARD Card Number: Expiration Date (MM/YY): CSC (3 digit Security code- 4 digit on AMEX):
14 VOICE
Ben Firebaugh:
Standout star of Fall season prepares to take game to the next level Chris Manning Publisher Ben Firebaugh is a kid with his head squarely on his shoulders. When you have a conversation with him, it is tough to believe that he’s simply a high school senior. He gives the impression, at least when talking about himself and his golf game, that he’s a man among boys. Typically, on the course, Firebaugh is above his peers when it is time to turn in the score cards and he’s got the track record to prove it. Golf is in his blood, as his father was the head golf pro at Chestnut Creek (now Westlake) and got Ben into golf as soon as he could walk and hold a club at the same time. The younger Firebaugh went on to play in his first tournament at the tender age of five, the Roanoke Valley Junior Golf Association tournament, playing against kids who were up to three years older, a huge difference at that age. Unlike most prodigies, Ben played in some tournaments, but wasn’t an every day of the week kind of thing, however that soon changed, “once I got to twelve, I started taking it really serious” he says “I gave up other sports to focus solely on golf.” At this time he started to travel more up the east coast as opposed to just playing in the local events, seeing some success. Like some athletes do, Firebaugh went into what he calls “a little bit of a slump” when he was thirteen and fourteen, but during his sophomore year, his slump started to be over. “I really started playing good and started looking at playing golf in college” Firebaugh says “I started playing up and down the east coast, from Pennsylvania to South Carolina.” While some people from other schools look up to Firebaugh on the golf course, Ben himself got a little brush with fame this year during the Scott Robertson Memorial. Byeong-Hun “Ben” An, a golfer from Korea, was paired with Firebaugh during the first round and realized he was an excellent golfer, but didn’t think too much about their time together until he was watching the US Amateur tournament. “I see where he qualified, which is in itself a great feat, then I turn it on and see he made the quarterfinals, and I’m like ‘man, that’s pretty legit’ “ Firebaugh remembers “then I watch the semi-finals, he wins, then makes the finals and wins the US Amateur and I realize that a kid I played with is going to be playing in the Masters.” While Firebaugh won’t be playing in the Masters himself this year, it is encouraging to know that he has played with and hung with, one of the best amateur players in the world (Firebaugh shot a 76 that round, An shot a 73 and tied him the last day of the tournament,) “if I could have gotten past the nervousness the first couple days, that would have been a really good tournament for me” he recalls “just playing with someone like that and then seeing them win the US Amateur, you know that they’re that good and it would just take a little bit more hard work and you never know what level you could reach.” Firebaugh has spent the last two seasons as the top man on the William Byrd golf team, something the he enjoys, but it isn’t what he was counting •See ‘FIREBAUGH’ - page 27
ABOVE: Firebaugh tees off. LEFT: Firebaugh putts at Harbour Town on number 18. This course is where they have the PGA Tour’s Verizon Heritage event.
VOICE
THOUGHTS on COACH C
‘
players and administration weigh in on Culicerto’s legacy
[He was] the most competitive coach I’ve ever played for; brought a winning mentality to the team, even when some players thought otherwise and it rubbed off on the players. Always believed in us and thought we could win no matter what the circumstances were. -Jake Mankin
’
“Coach C preached about hard work! He always expected us to take charges and dive on the floor after loose balls. Although we didn’t always like him for it you’ve got to respect him.” -Jordan Ronning “Coach C is a great man. He always seemed to fit life lessons into his basketball speeches. He wanted us to play ball like we would go through our life. He preached commitment, heart, dedication, drive, and finding our own identity. He always stood behind us through any situation, I couldn’t ask for a better coach.” -Derrick Palmer
“Something that will always stick with me as I may continue on to coaching myself is the fact that coach would always back us up and argue a call for us in a game if we were playing hard for him. One thing I admire most about Coach is his wholehearted love for the game. He often emphasized the fact that the only place we could get the ‘pregame jitters and excitement’ that we were feeling was in high school sports. And that’s ultimately why he was content with sticking around high school basketball for the rest of his life.” -Will Trent “He was a great coach and always gave it his all.. he never gave up on anyone.. I still wish he was coaching. he was always the coach I talked about and when people said he was awful and that they didn’t like him.. I always had his back. he had a huge impact on me and made me a better basketball player.” -Eric Slone
“Coach C taught me that you don’t have to have the best shot or the best ball handling skills. you just have to go out on the court try your best and have fun.” -Nick Janowicz
“David has been a great coach, teacher and role model at William Byrd. He has done an outstanding job with our basketball program. He has a great rapport with his players and parents. David works well not only with the administration but also with the coaches of other sports. I believe this has helped our student/athletes experience success in more than just one sport, which enhances their experience here at William Byrd.” -Dr.Richard Turner, Byrd Principal
“Hes a really good and fair coach, im gonna miss him and i dont know what to do with Byrd basketball without him. But I promise him I’ll do what he expects me to do and make him proud, but I’m going to miss him and I wish him luck in the future.” -Scott Cole
“Coach C always preached to us about finding the right identity and personality for our team. He wanted us to play hard every second if we couldn’t outscore the opponent beat them by hardwork and out hustling them. I respect him a lot and take his advice on the court to the real world, work hard and you’ll get rewarded in some way.” -Tyreik Talley
16 VOICE
Culicerto retirement ends era at Byrd >Coach spent 25-plus years on Terrier sideline, coached final game last Monday night Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief Hours after ending their 2009-2010 season, William Byrd boys basketball coach David Culicerto has announced his retirement, as first reported by the Vinton Voice last Tuesday, February 23. Culicerto and team finished the season at 8-12 following a Blue Ridge District championship team in 2008-2009. The longtime Byrd coach leaves along with eight seniors from this year’s team; Culicerto came to Roanoke County Schools and WBHS in 1984 and will continue to teach world history at William Byrd into the future beyond his retirement from coaching. “Its just something…” Culicerto began last Tuesday morning before a brief pause to gather his thoughts…“Ive been doing this for 26 years. I’ve had a good run at it but there are other things in my life I want to do.” Though saddened by the loss to their athletic department, many have focused on what Culicerto meant to Byrd during his tenure as a coach. “On behalf of the administration of WBHS we would like to thank Coach Culicerto for his contributions to our basketball and athletic program,” said WBHS Athletic Director Crystal Worley. “He has been a committed and dedicated coach who has not only taught basketball skills but life lessons of hard work and dedication. He and his coaching staff have worked very hard to make our basketball program one that has enjoyed success at the district and regional level.” Culicerto reiterated throughout an early morning conversation last Tuesday how much he loves the game of basketball. It was something that he continued to vocalize one week later. “I know ill miss coaching but there are plenty of things to occupy my time,” Culicerto said one week after his final game. “Most of the things I’ll miss are the kids and the coaches and all the different relationships I have developed. Those things I will take with me and treasure the rest of my life.” The sentiment is shared in return by his former players for their coach. “I learned a lot from Coach C. People don’t give him the credit he deserves,” says Bradley Mattox, who graduated from Byrd in 2009 and recalls fondly seeing Culicerto break out of his box a little bit after the team clinched the District title last year with a win at Lord Botetourt. “I
Photo by Dan Vance
Coach David Culicerto stares off into the distance as his team warms up earlier this season at Northside. Culicerto will leave the Byrd sidelines after 10 years as head coach. have never seen Coach C that happy.” I will always remember him as the guy who pushed me to the limit on and off the court and helped to instill a work ethic in me,” added currentvWBHS senior Will Trent. Another former player, Kevin Tuck first played for Culicerto in ninth grade on the JV team. A call during his senior year at Radford brought him back to Byrd and back to Culicerto, this time to share the sidelines with him. Tuck looks back on his time as a player, assistant coach and friend of Culicerto’s fondly, knowing that he learned much from the man who has patrolled the Terrier sidelines. “He demands a lot out of his players. Even as a ninth grader– you figured that out real quick first day of tryouts,” Tuck says. “Most of his former players will say, he’s probably the most fair person you’ve ever played for. He’s somebody that just has a way of getting kids to play hard. There are a lot of ways to get kids to do it and his way works.” The hard nosed, balanced with friendly approach has worked for Culicerto and is something many of his current players also have remembered him for during the week
since his retirement. For Tuck, who learned of Culicerto’s decision early last Monday morning, throwing out a cliched term just works when talking about the man players refer fondly to simply as ‘Coach C.’ “I think its way to trendy to say so-and-so is old school,” Tuck remarks before a pause. “[But] he is old school. He’s honest with kids, he’s tough on kids but at the end of it, players walk away knowing it was hard while he was there but they appreciate him for it.” For Culicerto, that personal touch with his players was always clearly most important. At 57-years old, his love for the game and how much he will miss it was clearly evident that last Monday night at Byrd, even prior to his announcement. As he emerged from the locker room one last time after a Terrier home game, you could see the moisture welling up in Culicerto’s eyes- an indicator of the decision he had just confirmed with his team moments early. Still, ever humble– a testament to his character, Culicerto continued to let the focus be on his team in their final hours, and what they had accomplished together through the 2009-2010 season.
VOICE 17
GOOD LUCK TERRIERS Greenway and Associates 316 E Washington Ave Vinton, VA 24179 (540) 527-3783 www.urserved.com
Go Cody #20!
We are proud of you!
Good Luck Terrier Baseball!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL TERRIER TEAMS Barry Brooks Photography 219 Walnut Ave Vinton, VA 24179 (540) 345-9355 www.barrybrooksphoto.com barrybrooksphoto@cox.net
We are so proud of you Good Luck Alex Brown Love, Mom, Dad and Aiden Go Byrd Baseball!
GO GET ‘EM TERRIERS Wood’s Service Center 418 Washington Ave. Vinton, VA 24179 540-982-3663 www.woodsservicecenter.com
GOOD LUCK THIS SPRING WILLIAM BYRD ATHLETES
LETS GO TERRIERS!
State Farm - Gregg Lee gregg.lee.rfpp@statefarm.com 231 W. Virginia Avenue Vinton, VA 24179 540-982-0257 – 540-982-0258 www.statefarm.com
GOOD LUCK TERRIERS Video Ventures - Monty Williams mwilliams@videoventures.net 223 West Jackson Avenue Vinton, VA 24179 540-904-7030 www.videoventures.net
Go Terriers! Good luck to coaches Carr, Mitchell, Barton, Royal, Butler, Stump, Perdue, Highfill, Dishman, ALL WBHS and WBMS athletes as you compete this spring season!
WE’RE PROUD OF THE TERRIERS! Allstate- M and M Insurance 119 W Lee Av Vinton, VA 24179 540 342 5355
GOOD LUCK TERRIERS LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREAT SPRING!
Good Luck Justin Smith and Allison Smith! Go Terriers!
GOOD LUCK TERRIERS
Love, your family
18 VOICE
Danny Cruff Photography
dannycruffphotography.com dannycruffphotography.photorelect.com
Grand Rental Station and Grand Storage 1000 Vinyard Rd Vinton, VA 24179 (540) 343-1000 www.grandrental.com
Good luck Jacob Clifton! We expect .450 Chris, Dan and Brian
Good Luck William Byrd Baseball! Go Terriers!
Rebuilding Terriers hope to compete >Co-coaches Carr and Mitchell expect to depend on pitching, improve offense Chris Manning Publisher There is a two-headed monster in the William Byrd baseball program. Now, those of you who read the debut issue of the Vinton Voice may think that I’m referring to the co-coaches of the Terriers, but in actuality the reference is to the two all-state caliber senior pitchers that are returning to the Terrier lineup. Left-hander Jacob McMillan and right-hander Kevin Bowles return to lead the Terrier pitching staff, they combined for 8 wins last year and over a hundred strikeouts. More importantly for co-coaches Chris Carr and David Mitchell, they’ve both pitched and pitched well in big games. Junior Ray Harron returns at shortstop where he was very effective last year as sophomore, making clutch plays in the field and coming up with big hits from time to time. “We have the capability to be pretty good if Bowles and Mac pitch well and if we hit the ball well” says senior Jacob Clifton. And that’s where the similarities to last year’s team ends. Two more every day starters return, but they will be in different positions. Jacob Clifton, who spent the majority of the ’09 season as the starting first baseman has moved to the hot corner of third base, while last year’s starting third baseman, Aaron Stidham, will don the tools of ignorance and move
“Jacob has worked really hard,” Carr said. “He’s made some changes to his swing and I expect him to have a really good year offensively, he’s going to see some innings on the mound and is going to have to contribute offensively and defensively if we’re going to have some success.” Clifton’s time on the mound this year may possibly be in a closers role left vacant by Tyler Brown, who set a new single season ERA record last year. “Those are big shoes to fill” Clifton said, “he was pretty good, but I think me and Stidham can help fill that role.” Stidham provided excellent defense when he was finally named the full time starting third baseman last season, but never could seem to get going with the bat, something that Carr expects to improve this year. Jo Stickney, who spent limited time as the DH before going down with a shoulder injury last year will start the season as the DH until his injured shoulder is fully healed and he can possibly take some of the slack from Stidham behind the plate. The rest of the lineup will be unknowns and untested; Britton Chocklette is expected to be the starting second basemen, his first real experience on the varsity, although he did spend the end of last season as a pinch runner for the Steve Sizemore led team. Easton Riggs is expected to start the season at first base and could see a little time on the pitcher’s mound. Chad Hill is another player who spent last year on Larry Light’s JV squad who will play outfield and be expected to eat up some innings as a pitcher as well. None of this, however, is set in stone, according to both coaches there is only one thing that is completely set with Ray Harron at shortstop, everything else is up in the air. Carr is still confident in his team. “We’ve got some good leadership and we’re going to expect some big things from some
“We have the capability to be pretty good if Bowles and Mac pitch well and we hit the ball well.” behind the plate. Clifton had a rough start offensively due to an injury he played through last year, but came on late in the season to provide some offense that was, at times, lacking for the Terriers.
Photo by Danny Cruff
Jacob McMillan co-heads a pitching duo that the Terriers will rely heavily on if they hope to hang with the BRD’s best. of the younger guys to be able to get the job done offensively.” Mitchell is expecting big things from his two big arms in McMillan and Bowles. “There is no doubt that they are our number one and number two right now and we’re not sure what order they’re in, not sure if there will ever be an order” he said. “We could go as far as seven deep in pitching with Clifton, Stidham, Harron, Hill and Riggs, the only problem is there isn’t going enough innings for everybody.” While it is nice to have that many options, the one-two punch of McMillan and Bowles are expected to eat up the majority of the innings for the Terriers, especially in the big district games, a district that is currently seeing
Northside, who picked up an ace pitcher in Patrick Arnold from Lord Botetourt after already having all-region pitcher Trent Cundiff as their returning ace, as the favorite. But Carr isn’t ready to write off Alleghany either who has made two consecutive trips to the state and returns the Blue Ridge District Player of the year in Jacob Vaughan. With another solid year expected from Larry Light’s JV team and a slew of young talent to choose from, things are looking bright for the program. Gene Riggs and Neil Zimmerman return to assist Carr and Mitchell with the Varsity and Nick Baker will assist Light with the JV’s. Gary LaPrad has taken over at the middle school.
VOICE 19
Barton expects big things from Terriers >2009 squad made Regional play; team now looks to surpass own mark Chris Manning Publisher If you didn’t know him, you’d have to wonder what’s going through William Byrd Softball Coach Greg Barton’s head…it’s March and your field is still feeling the effects of snow and ice, your allworld player from last year’s team is now playing at Virginia Tech and was it mentioned that most of your practice is currently taking place indoors? That doesn’t faze the softball skipper however, he’s focused and knows his team will be ready to play and expects big things out of their 2010 campaign. 2009 was a good year for the Lady Terriers, as they made it to regional play for the first time in six years, Barton’s first year as head coach, led by Sarah Ashby and Jessica Mahoney. The bad news for the Terriers is that Ashby graduated. The bad news for the rest of the Blue Ridge District is that Mahoney is back. “I think I have the best pitcher in the state and I think I had the best pitcher in the state last year [in Mahoney]” Barton says of his Junior fireballer “but we couldn’t score runs. If she
Photo by Dan Vance
ABOVE: Junior Jessica Mahoney fields from second base during a practice Monday at Byrd. RIGHT: Coach Greg Barton takes a swing for fielding practic. its nice to have someone back with some experience. Watching Jess and Danielle working together is going to be something special.” Another young player is Lindsay Brown, who Barton expects to be a major impact player. Senior shortstop Brittany Mattox is another player Barton is expecting big things from, “Brittany is a great all-around athlete” Barton said. Mattox is as confident in her team as Barton is in her, “we have several
“I think I have the best pitcher in the State and I think I had the best pitcher in the state last year.” held them to two runs, we couldn’t put three across to win.” He doesn’t expect the same issues in 2010 “we had a chance to play some young kids last year that is going to benefit us this year” Barton says. One of those young players is going to be Mahoney’s battery mate, Danielle Powell who is coming back as a sophomore “we didn’t have a true catcher and the pitcher is only as good as the catcher behind them” Barton said “Danielle stepped up last year and
20 VOICE
upperclassmen that were on the team last year” Mattox said “so we should be pretty strong for us, our district looks like we should come out with the district win.” Mattox, a multi-sport standout, who will attend Radford in the fall, realizes this is her final season and wants to make the most of it “I just want to leave it all out there” she said “I don’t want to wish I had done this or wish I had done that, I just want to get it all out, this is my last chance and I want to play
every game like this is it, because it is.” First Basemen Jamie Green, the BRD leader in homeruns in ’09 is returning. Barton is hoping for Green to be able to bring in a lot of runs with that power, as he typically plays the speed game, “I’m hoping we can get a couple on base and give her a shot to get a couple runs in with a shot in the gap” Barton said “I believe in speed and sometimes I burn a lot of runs, but I believe you’ve got to play aggressive.” Barton expects Northside to be tough and due to them winning the district last year agrees that they have to be the favorite, but Barton is confident his Terriers are the best team. Prior to the district schedule, they have to get by a terribly tough non-district schedule which dominates the top half of the season. This year, the team picked up Franklin County and Cave Spring, both known for their softball, “I want as tough predistrict as possible” Barton said “I want to play the best and Hidden Valley, Cave Spring, Franklin County and Glenvar are the best.” Barton wants his team to be ready prior and thinks this is how to do it. Hopefully prior to the first game, the field can get ready and mother nature can lend a hand by not dropping any more precipitation of any kind on the
field prior to opening day, “our field is in the worst shape I’ve ever seen it” Barton says “but our field gets so much traffic all year long, from gym classes to football, everyone is on our field.” Right now, however with this year’s winter weather, Barton realizes that he’s in the same boat as just about everyone, who just can’t make it outside to do what they need to do. Barton is also excited about his coaching staff, including Candice McNew who is coming up from JV and Mike Andrews who Barton describes as “the best defensive coach I’ve ever been around in my life.” Barton, his coaches and his team will hopefully get to scrimmage Brookeville this Friday to prepare for their first game of the year, a home contest, March 15 against Cave Spring at 5pm.
Expectations high for run at Region >Finding success in, not just getting to Region the goal for Dishman, team Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief Coach Russell Dishman does not throw out any small goals, does not aim for any moral victories. For the young head coach of the William Byrd girls soccer team, it is all about a return to Region play. “There is no ‘I hope we make it,’ that is the expectation this year. We are going to get there and see how far we can go, whether we will be a one seed or a two seed,” Dishman emphasizes. Last year, despite a disappointing regular season, Byrd bullied their way by Northside in Blue Ridge District Semi-Final play and earned a bid into the Region III tournament, where they ultimately lost 4-3 to Waynesboro, despite leading 3-1 at halftime. Dishman returns four seniors and six juniors to bolster those hopes for a return to Region play. Leading that senior class is Emily Hanna, who herself holds no small goal when it comes to her final season in Byrd orange. “Yes, I do expect to get to regions and hope to do well. First goal is to get past where we got to last year because I think the team we have this year is very capable of achieving that,” Hanna says. “Overall though, I just want to do
Photo by Dan Vance
Coach Russell Dishman points out placement for his players during an early season practice.
which is good,” Dishman notes. Hanna knows how important it is for her class to step their game up if they expect others to do the same and make another run at that Region level. “Senior leadership is a very important key to every team because they need that person or group of people they know they can count on,” Hanna says. Kelly Kitchens, one of the top scorers in the area and Ashley Smith, who Dishman expects to be one of the best center-mids in the District lead the junior class. Laura Woods, who made State ODP this past winter, has improved “head and shoulders” from where “...I’d like to think that if she has been in the past we hit on all cylinders, we’ll according to Dishman. Some players have make a case.” struggled with their fitness at early stages in practice, but Dishman great in Regions and get as far as sees the positives in the teams being we can by working hard to prep for able to do more technical work. it.” While some Byrd spring teams are Hanna will be joined Brianna out of their element stuck indoors Johnson to work the mid and back with the weather, the nature of field with high expectations. soccer has allowed the team to Emily Cook is another senior get outdoors and let Dishman see who will return in goal, but will be a little bit more of what he has on pushed according to the coach by a the horizon especially with players pair of underclassmen. who have been unable to play in “We’ve got some depth in there the last several months because
of swimming and basketball and other activities they have been involved in. “We are a little bit deeper,” Dishman said of the big difference between 2010 and their run into Region play in 2oo9. “I know we’re not favored in the District by any means, but I’d like to think that if we hit on all cylinders, we’ll make a case.” April 20 boasts the opener in BRD play as the girls visit Northside, whom they beat twice just a year ago. Of their wins in 2009, they also defeated Alleghany. But according to Dishman, the big test lies in BRD newbie Staunton River, who has worked to play spoiler throughout all BRD sports in the 2009-2010 season. “Their girls soccer team... they’re legit,” Dishman says of Stauton River, who is led by last year’s Seminole District Player of the Year Jodi Salyer. Staunton River finished second in the Seminole last year before making the jump to BRD. Byrd expects to stand between two and three in District as of right now, but expects the final games to determine regular season championship. Lord Botetourt return a good deal to a team that won the BRD Tournament and Northside has several question
marks according to Dishman. Before District season gets anywhere near, the team has a full non-District slate. That gets started with three exhibition games this weekend at Byrd in the first Byrd Jamboree. Eight teams will visit during the showcase, with each team playing three 35-minute games. Dishman knows that his team has a hard draw in the exhibition as they play Franklin County, Radford and Cave Spring. “Just a lot of soccer being played,” Dishman says with a grin. “I like it because I can throw three different lineups out there...some girls are fighting for jobs, there are a lot of people who are even and this is kind of a way to separate who is going to play where everybody stands playing wise.” He says the plan in the future for the Jamboree is to use it as a memorial to former players in the program who have passed away. Dishman says the most important thing going into this season is the wide array of girls who have played club soccer, even though he emphasizes that he enjoys them playing other sports. “The big thing– we don’t have girls that play soccer...we have soccer players,” he says. “That’s kind of a difference we have made over the past three years.”
VOICE 21
Talented roster may prove dangerous >Depth, experience make Byrd tough team to contend with, very dangerous in Blue Ridge District play Danny Cruff and Dan Vance The 2010 Terriers Boys Soccer team has a lot of experience this season including two juniors who combined for 11 goals last season, some experience in net and even a couple of sophomores with game experience. With all of these options for the Terriers, teams of the Blue Ridge may find themselves asking “Who is Byrd’s most dangerous man?” Early last week, on the first day of practice, the Terriers were out on the practice field. Nevermind the cold temperatures, or even colder wind-chills, the field was a mixture of snow and mud that only became worse as the team sloshed around it. Coach Jeff Highfill led the team through sprint after sprint before moving on to some ball handling drills. In contrast to Highfill’s, and other coaches warm dry outfits, the players were mostly sporting t-shirts and shorts all covered in mud on their backs due to the sprints. Their shirts were only spared a few minutes as the ball handling drills began, soon to focus on heading the ball. The toughness of a team can be quickly ascertained in conditions like these. All of the Terriers dove in, some literally, to head the muddy, wet ball every toss that was given them. The same could be said about all of the drills that first day. Later in the week, the team was out in even worse conditions working on their game. Underclassmen should play a big part Byrd’s game-plan. Nick Janowicz’s goal keeping is a great place to start. The three sport athlete allowed less than one goal per game last season, averaging 0.94 points against per game, helping him to a First Team All-District placement alongside forward Nick Leffell , who led all sophomores last year with 14 points in seventeen games. Leffell’s six goals was third on the team last year behind departed seniors Travis Argenbright and Tyler Snow. You can’t forget Daniel Gallagher, who scored ten points last season. The highlight of Gallagher’s sophomore campaign was a hat trick (three goals) recorded on April 24 in a 9-0 hammering of District foe Northside in route to an All-District nod. Highfill will rely on Gallagher and Lefell to step up and fill the question mark in the scoring area. “That’s the big question, that is where we have struggled the last two year,” Highfill says. During those last two seasons, Byrd has finished second in District play after five straight titles.
22 VOICE
Photos by Danny Cruff
ABOVE: The team has endured the weather since practice began, with Coach Jeff Highfill testing their conditioning. RIGHT: Daniel Gallagher is expected to be a critical piece of Highfill’s puzzle. Gallagher scored five goals as a sophomore a year ago. “Scoring is a big question. Who is going to step up? Hopefully we can pick up the pace a little bit. The last two seasons have been the lowest scoring in the history of the program. The team does lose 22 points in Eric Slone and Kevin O’Connor, both of whom will be spending this season running track. O’Connor was second on the team in assists last season with five. Coach Highfill is hoping to build on a team that, last year, averaged over one and a half points more per game than allowed. Losing three players to graduation adds to that belief that things are looking up. Last season’s deceptive 8 – 6 record could be a great asset to a team that’s building and making any one of Byrd’s boy soccer players the most dangerous man on the field. Also returning for Byrd are senior twins Evan and Jacob Nicely, seniors Alex Murrill
and Phillip Gilmore and sophomores Zack Doss and Matt Guilliams. Highfill says Gulliams has been showing some offensive firepower. The team then splits home and away duty before Blue Ridge District play starts on April 20 with a home match against the Northside Vikings at 7:00. Northside ended Byrd’s season with a 2-0 BRD Semi-Final win a year ago after a regular season split with the Terriers. All three games (9-0 Byrd, 1-0 and 2-0 Northside) were decided in shutouts.
Photo by Danny Cruff
Boys track looking for three-peat >Coach Royal depending on slew of familiar faces, new names you’ve heard before Chris Manning Publisher After a cross country season which saw huge success and an indoor track season that went so well that it isn’t officially over (the 4x800 relay team’s time has been approved to compete in the indoor track nationals March 13th) what do you do next if you’re Eric Royal? You move into outdoor track. Royal and his two-time defending Blue Ridge District champion boys’ track team and poised for another big season. “I expect the us to continue its strong history of mid distance running to help us win the Blue Ridge District Championship for the third straight year while the younger sprinters gain valuable experience” said John Williams, a valued senior member of the team. Royal will have some of the same names that he has had for indoor season such as John Mooney, Justin Smith, John and Josh Williams, Jonathan Murphy as well as have a couple of imports who came from the soccer field, Kevin O’Connor and Eric Slone, as well as senior Jordan Ronning who Royal credits Derrick Palmer for bringing out to the team. Mooney, according to Royal is expected to be a “workhorse” for the team, individually he’ll be competing in the 400, the long jump and the triple jump, as well as being a part of the 4x400 and 4x100 team. “He’s going to carry a big load for us” said Royal. “We’ll try not to wear him out, but he’s an all around worker for us and he’ll score a
lot of points for us throughout the year.” Justin Smith, who was a state qualifier as a sophomore, will be scoring points as a high jumper and just came off of an outstanding indoor season, “he’s a great asset to have” said Royal. The Williams boys will be on the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams as well as competing individually in the 800 and 400 occasionally. “They’ll do a lot of work for us” said Royal. Adding Kevin O’Connor is going to be a big step for the team in the distance department “He decided to make running a career” said Royal. O’Connor will contribute to the 4x800 relay and will compete in the mile and two mile race. Derrick Palmer and his Superman cape will be a part of the 4x100 relay team as well as the 100 and 200. Slone, who Royal describes as “just a good looking athlete” will hopefully participate in the high jump, long jump and “maybe even be talked into running the 300 hurdles” according to Royal. Royal has seen an influx of athletes make their way to his track team such as Slone, Ronning and Palmer and credits the success of the program as to why. “The word has gotten out that it’s a good group of people to be around, you get to compete, you get to run against the best in the state and you can measure yourself against
every 2A school when it comes down to it” said Royal. “The competition in the state is good, and the success of the program has helped.” Sophomores Bryce Conner, AJ Thompson, Tucker Suttles and Caleb Harris are all expected to contribute points as well. While Royal does admit that the addition of lacrosse to the area has taken away some athletes that may have played other sports, he’s excited about his talent level. “We have a balanced team, some good
“We’ll try not to wear him out, but he’s an all around worker for us....” sprinters and good middle distance guys” he said. The aspirations for the team are very clear, Royal wants the three-peat. “I tell them it’s not about today, it’s about May” he said referring to the Blue Ridge District meet “we’re working towards three meets, the district, the region and the state, if you prepare for the state meet, it should take care of itself” he said. Royal feels his team will be able to run with any team in the district and if the indoor track season is any indication, expect some more banners to be hung in the gym.
VOICE 23
Expect the unexpected for girls track >New coach Brian Butler looking to lead girls to their personal bests Chris Manning Publisher The William Byrd Girls’ outdoor track team finished third in the district last year and sent a few athletes to regions and state, having what was described as a successful season. This year, with new head coach Brian Butler at the helm, continued success is expected. “It is kind of a strange year, we’ve got a bunch of new people” Butler said “some that have never run before, so the expectations are kind of unknown right at the moment.” After a week of practice, Butler has a positive outlook and points to the enthusiasm of the girls as a high note. “They really seem like they want to do well and that is encouraging” he says. Butler would love to compete for a district title, however, that isn’t how he measures success. “I like to see people improve themselves” he says. “I don’t measure so much in wins and losses, but I want to see my runners start off the year and by the end of the year have them be able to say they bested their time x-amount of times throughout the season, that’s what I’m all about.” Butler also wants the team to have fun and admits that track is a sport that has some levity. Butler points to some of the indoor track athletes that had good showing in the winter including Cynthia Stinnette, Kara Kingery and Emily Yeatts as girls he expects to help lead the team and score some points. “I’ve got a whole slew of freshmen and sophomores who are coming out for their first time,” he says. “I’m really excited about that and can’t wait to see what they can do for the team.” Butler mentions freshman Kayla Johnson and Kalisha Harris as two other athletes he is expecting big things from. “The middle school team last year was pretty successful” he says. “And a lot of their stronger runners are now freshmen and running for us this year.”
Northside and Staunton River are expected to be the district favorites this year, but with the younger people coming up and gaining experience this year, Butler expects to be competitive late this season and into the next “we might not compete for a district title this year, but in the next year or two we expect to be “I don’t measure so much in wins and challenging for a district title.” losses, but I want to see my runners start Butler, while still getting his feet on the off the year and bu the end of the year ground and getting to have them be able to say they best their know all his new athletes is still looking for more. time x-amount of times...” “That’s the good thing
24 VOICE
Photos by Danny Cruff
about track, we don’t hold any type of tryout, anybody that is interested in coming out, we’d love to have them and we’ll work with them” he said. Butler even points to the fact that some people use track as not only a fun, competitive sport, but a good lifestyle choice “We had some people last year that came out to use it as a fitness and weight loss program” he said. “They joined the team to do that, their whole goal was to improve their fitness and lessen their weight.” Anyone girls interested in competing for the William Byrd girls track team are invited to show up to practice from 3:30 to 5:30 on the track and talk to Coach Butler.
Escobar cornerstones team’s chances >Influx of new talent will push team, led by former Region Player of the Year Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief In tennis, where each individual match counts equally in the end, a team is only as strong as each of its players. If your numberone dominates, but your number-six gets dominated, it all comes out in the wash. However, having a strong foundation helps keep every player on the roster, from top to bottom, motivated and charging forward. The foundation of the team at William Byrd comes, as no secret, in the form of senior Brennan Escobar, who was the Blue Ridge District champion and Regional Player of the Year in 2009. He also made it to the Final Four in the State before being tripped up. “One of the great things about having Brennan at number one is that you are throwing the ball out there and you are probably getting a point there– he’s just good,” says coach Jason Perdue. “Towards the middle and end of last season...we knew we were going to start in good stead.” Escobar is joined by experienced players Joseph Davis and Trevor Perdue, who have played together on the team for two years. Coach Perdue says that with experience, he expects to get more consistency from the two through six spots. “Joseph has made a lot of improvement over the summer, so I expect a lot out of him,” Perdue says. The underclass is led on paper by junior Jim Fisher, who played in the five and six spots one year ago. Sophomore Bryce Martin also returns to the squad with a lot of enthusiasm and is one of may who Perdue feels has made good strides over the summer months. “Those are my five prospects that I know what to expect out of,” Perdue says. Among the dynamics that Perdue and his team face this year is kind of a fun one. Perdue’s son, Trevor, is a junior on the squad “That’s a tough dynamic and I’m sure it is way tougher on him than it is on me, but he handles it very well,” the elder Perdue says. “He treats me like I’m the coach and that’s a good thing.” In addition to the returning upperclassmen, Byrd’s final roster is expected to add three seniors who have no experience on the high school level before in Blaine Mills, Charles McKeever and Will Trent. Sophomore Aaron Hagerman, a sophomore/first-year player, will help fill in a gap, as will freshmen Zachary Kemp and Colin McCoy. Big things are expected in the long term out
Photo by Danny Cruff
After a run to the Final Four in State one year ago, Brennan Escobar will lead the team of talented returners, young hitters and seniors playing their first seasons. of McCoy, who brings a strong skill set to the team according to his coach. “We have a good mix of young, experienced, inexperienced; so we have something for this year and something to carry forward with for next year,” Perdue says. Like all WBHS spring sport teams, the tennis squad has been battling the elements early on through tryouts and the first set of practices, forcing them indoors at RCCC and Lancerlot. When the weather break however, they will go right into the fire with a home match against Cave Spring and consecutive away matches with Salem, Jefferson Forest and a rematch with the Knights. The team also matched up early, on March 24, with Hidden Valley– the runner up team in State last season. Perdue hopes to start better than last year, where they lost the first four matches. “What we took from those [non-District matches] last year was experience– we knew
what we had to do to play in big matches and I look for the same thing,” Perdue says. However, the Terrier coach takes out the positive that he believes that this team is starting at a higher level than his past couple of teams at Byrd have been able to “One of the things I think is different this year than in past years is most of these guys played consistently throughout the summer,” Perdue notes. When Blue Ridge District play rolls around, Perdue seems positive about Byrd’s chances, though knowing that Lord Botetourt will be tough and adding the unknown in Staunton River. Alleghany graduated their top two players and Northside was very young last season. “The rivalry with Byrd and Botetourt will always make the match tough,” Perdue says with a smile. The team will look to repeat as BRD champions and advance further in Region III, after losing in round one last year.
VOICE 25
Improvement the key for girls Tennis >Top two players return for experienced team hoping to make strong Distrtict run Dan Vance Editor-in-Chief Second year coach Amanda Stump return six players from her first season on the courts of William Byrd tennis. Seniors Holly Thomas and Renee Cheaney lead a squad who is still searching for improvement according to Stump. The Terriers are planning to take that improvement in stride as a new season comes calling. Thomas and Cheaney will return at the number one and two spots and will be joined by last season’s fourth through sixth spots, losing only one player who did not come out for the team this season. While the seniors are almost set in their top spots, the team has
indoors at Lancerlot since practice began due to the weather. Stump expects to make those decisions as they soon move outdoors in preparation for their March 15 season opener at Cave Spring. Early season meetings with Cave Spring, Salem and Glenvar are expected to be tough, but Stump feels that they will only make the Terriers themselves tougher as they approach Blue Ridge District play. “I expect us to be pretty competitive in the District considering we do have most of our doubles and singles back,” Stumps says. Though she will note that in BRD play, it is sometimes hard to tell. The team was close in several matches last year that they just weren’t able to squeak out at the end. The addition of Staunton River throws another wrench into the system. T h e T e r r i e r s beat District newcomers Staunton River twice last season, which provides early positives for Stump and her team to look forward to. Alleghany, Northside and Lord Botetourt all lost at least a couple of key
“We want to grow as much as a program as we can.” yet to be able to have any seeding matches to make any definitive decisions as they have been forced
26 VOICE
components from last season due to graduation, something that Byrd does not have to cope with and it keeps Stump positive. She notes that being able to at least split with Northside and Lord Botetourt may be the key to success in District play. While competing strong in the BRD will be at the front of anyone’s mind, Stump lays a much simpler goal: improvement. “We want to grow the program
as much as we can,” Stump says. Whether it leads to a finish anywhere between first and fifth in the District, Stump is making the point of improving the overall game of each of her players, which has been aided by being kept indoors through the early parts of practice. Inside, the girls have been able to focus more on both hitting and receiving skills than they may be able to do if they were outside each day.
Looking for an Internship for college credit? The Voice is currently looking for interns for the summer of 2010. Must have computer, communication, social media and research skills and/or knowledge Contact Editor-in-Chief Dan Vance at dan@vintonvoice.com for more info
•‘FIREBAUGH’ continued from page 15 his future on, “in school golf, you really don’t get noticed by college coaches” he says “in that sense its more laid back, but still there’s kids you have rivalries with and you don’t want to lose to, so its just as competitive.” Firebaugh did get the attention of college coaches with his play outside of school golf, and decided to further his education at Newberry College on a golf scholarship. Newberry College is located roughly thirty miles outside of Columbia, SC. “They’re a top 25 [Division II] program and were ranked number one at one point” Firebaugh says “they’re putting in a new practice facility, that’s one of the things that pointed me in that direction, plus I didn’t want to go up north, I wanted to go a little further south where I could play more.” Firebaugh realizes he could have gone to a small division I school, but wasn’t caught up in the hype of being a “D1” athlete, he wanted to go to a program where he could compete individually and have a chance to win something as a team. Firebaugh looks forward to the transition from high school golf to college golf, including the 3 day-a-week, 6 a.m. workouts in the weight room, “I know I’ll be pushed to reach my full potential and I don’t think I’ve reached it yet” Firebaugh says “I’ve worked pretty hard at reaching it, I put in a lot of work last year and it really paid off.” Firebaugh was planning on having the same rigorous workouts this off-season, but he ended up breaking a finger playing church basketball, showing the he was smart when he gave up the other sports as a youngster. The finger, mixed with the winter weather has kept him off the course, but he’s mentally prepared for the next step. Firebaugh has hopes to one day play golf for a living, whether it is the PGA Tour or the Nationwide tour, but realizes the importance of his education that is being paid for due to his talents on the course. “I’m going to practice and I’m going to play as if I’m going to be playing on tour, but I’m also going to study as if that isn’t going to happen” he says. All these years later and the kid still has his head on straight. Ben Firebaugh’s Golf Accomplishments - 3 time All-Blue Ridge District Regular Season - 2 time All-Blue Ridge District Tournament Team - 2 time All-Region III - 1 time Region III player of the year - 4 time All-Metro selection - 2 time VHSL state qualifier - Roanoke Valley Junior Hall of Fame champion - Qualified and made cut for coveted Scott Robertson Memorial - Athletic Scholarship to Newberry College - Qualified for VSGA Jr. Match Play made quarter finals - Ranked 14th Golfer in the state of Virginia by Polo Junior Golf rankings - Ranked 7th Golfer for 2010 Graduation class VA by Polo Junior Golf rankings - Won men’s hall of fame qualifying at Ashley Plantation 66-76
VOICE
VOICE