Saving Land in western virginia Spring Potluck is Back! Back to the Farm with Beef School Garden Begins at Westside Elementary
spring 2014 blueridgelandconser vancy.org
Blue Ridge Land Conservancy Promoting the conservation of western Virginia’s natural resources- farms, forests, waterways, and rural landscapes Board of Trustees Sandy Light, President Stephen M. Claytor, Vice President F. Fulton Galer, Treasurer Whitney H. Feldmann, Secretary M. Rupert Cutler Lucy R. Ellett Peter M. Fellers Broaddus C. Fitzpatrick Quinn Graeff William M. Hackworth Robert H. Hunt Anne M. Jennings Betty Lesko Samuel B. Long J.W. “Bill” Mason David N. Maxson Linda W. Pharis Janet Scheid
Advisory Council Liza T. Field Talfourd H. Kemper Robert B. Lambeth, Jr. Barbara B. Lemon Jeanne M. Martin John B. Williamson, III
Staff David C. Perry, Executive Director Meagan R. Cupka, Project Manager
From the Director’s Desk... by Dave Perry
As I write this, on the seventh day of meteorological spring (yet 13 days shy of astronomical spring), it’s snowing outside. I hope that by the time you read this, we’re all enjoying a nice, warm spring day! First, I want to welcome Allison Hegan to our small staff here at the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy. Allison is a California native and a University of Wisconsin graduate (in geography, like me) who arrived in Roanoke when her husband got a job with Carilion as a nurse. (Her resume is much more extensive, but there’s not space for everything). Allison reached out to the BRLC looking for volunteer work, and when the need for a part-time office assistant arose, Allison was the natural choice. Please welcome her and her husband Alastair both to the land conservancy and Virginia’s Blue Ridge region! Second, let me answer why the need for a part-time office assistant arose. It has to do with being strategic about how the land conservancy works to save land. We all know that southwest Virginia’s most vital assets—its farmland, mountaintops, forests, streams and rivers—are under threat from development and pollution. Yet, like most land conservancies around the country, the BRLC doesn’t have unlimited resources to tackle every problem out there. Do the viewsheds from the Blue Ridge Parkway need better protection? Yes. What about conserving small tracts of land for local growers like those you see at the farmer’s markets in your community? Sounds good. How about habitat connectivity? After all, large predators like bears need a lot of room to move, and crossing highways to move from one habitat patch to another is a risky proposition. Water quality? Ridgetop protection? Public access to our natural resources? All worthy initiatives. However, like I said, the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy has a staff of two, so we have to be strategic in how we use our resources to make certain that the most important lands and waters are protected. How do we decide what’s most important? By creating a land conservation plan to guide the organization. This is a lengthy process of gathering input from the community about what grassroots, everyday people value, determining priorities among our diverse board of trustees, creating maps to identify where the most critical lands and waters are, and developing plans to protect those resources. Does that sound like a lot of work? It is, and it’s been ongoing all this spring. That’s why the BRLC board of trustees voted to approve a part-time office position: to free up me and our project manager, Meagan Cupka, to work on the land conservation plan as well as some very creative marketing ideas put together for us by a member of our education and PR committee whom you may know, WSLS Channel 10’s own John Carlin. Allison will take care of our filing, mailing, stuffing, stamping, folding, mail-merging and other tasks so that Meagan and I can get some big-picture projects complete. And we’ll get Allison out in the field some, too, to soak in some of that beautiful Blue Ridge scenery. Otherwise, it would be like working at Homestead Creamery and not ever getting to taste the ice cream—just plain mean! We’ll be sharing our land conservation plan with you as it evolves this year, and please check our website for updates about town hall meetings and opportunities to provide input in your community. In the meantime, welcome Allison to the team—and thank you for your generous support that helps us save the last, most special places in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
PHOTO COVER: “Untitled,” by John Singleton
Dave Perry
President’s Point of View
I
n February I was happy to accompany Dave Perry and Rupert Cutler during their presentation of a Sandy Light resolution to Roanoke City Council on behalf of the BRLC honoring the city’s committment to protecting our natural resources. As the result of conservation agreements on both Carvins Cove Natural Reserve and Mill Mountain Park, the city was commended for its substantial role in promoting our area’s unique quality of life. This includes enhancing recreational opportunities and economic development as well as protecting scenic views, wildlife, and clean air and water and providng “a combination of urban and rural living not found elsewhere.” The Mayor and council members were given copies of a book published by the Piedmont Environmental Council, “For the Love of the Land,” which features these two conserved properties along with 98 other outstanding conservation achievements from across the Commonwealth. This beautiful book offers “a sampling from among thousands of places...that are now protected forever. At a time when many of the special places in Virginia could easily be lost, these stories remind us why land conservation is so important.”
by Sandy Light
Two other properties protected by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy are also included in the book: Grassy Hill Natural Area Preserve near Rocky Mount, and historic McDonald’s Mill near Blacksburg. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention two other local governments that have worked with the land conservancy to protect properties that weren’t included in this wonderful book: Roanoke County, whose Read Mountain Preserve park near Bonsack includes 89 acres along the top of Read Mountain that are protected by a BRLC conservation agreement; and Bedford County, which donated a conservation easement to BRLC along Goose Creek behind Montvale Elementary School on land that has now been restored to its natural wetland state thanks to a partnership with the Nature Conservancy and the US Army Corps of Engineers. I invite you to come by our office to enjoy these wonderful stories with us!
Table of Contents • spring 2014 Departments From the Director’s Desk........................2 President’s Point of View........................3 News and Events...................................4 Education..............................................5 Behind the Scenes.................................7
Features Landowner Raises Beef, Awareness.........6 New Hire at BRLC Office........................7 Small Easement Means A Lot, Too..........8 Governor McAuliffe, Land Saver.............9
Spring 2014
|
3
2014 Race for Open Space Get ready to race! - June 7, 2014 Ladies and gentleman, start your engines! The sixth annual Race for Open Space will be held Saturday, June 7th at Green Hill Park in Roanoke County. There will again be a 5K Classic Run for more advanced racers, and a 3K Run/Walk for people and families of all ages and abilities.
Pre-registration for participants 14 and older will end May 24th. Pre-registration price is $25 and includes a race T-shirt. Race day registration increases to $30. Pre-registered participants 13 and under are FREE without a T-shirt and $10 with race day registration. Additional T-shirts may be purchased for $10.
Visit blueridgelandconservancy.org/race for more information and to register.
The race courses wind around the park, alongside the Roanoke River, through the forest on the Pawpaw Trail, and finish on a grassy stretch of field with views of the surrounding mountains.
Families enjoy getting outside with kids at the 2013 Race for Open Space.
Awards by Appalachian Ironworks will be presented to the top two male and female finishers in the 5K and 3K races. Medals will be given to the top two male and female finishers in each age group for each race.
BRLC’s Kroger Cares Card Buy Groceries, Save Land!
Earn money for the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy simply by buying groceries at Kroger! It’s as SIMPLE as 1 + 2!
1: Ask a cashier to load your BRLC Kroger Cares Card
Need more information? Contact us at (540) 985-0000 or visit blueridgelandconservancy.org today!
4
|
Spring 2014
+
2: Shop for groceries!
=
You get your groceries and Kroger gives BRLC 5% of your purchase at no cost to you!
Easy, right? Start earning money today for land conservation with your Kroger Card. Contact us at (540) 985-0000 and we’ll send you your own Kroger Cares Card with $5 already on it! Use is to spend on any Kroger purchase- food, prescriptions, gas…anything! The card acts just like a debit card at any Kroger and it can be re-loaded indefinitely.
Westside Elementary Prepares for its
new school gArden From Grant to Garden
I
t seems like an eon ago that Dave, myself, and Assistant Vice Principal Steve Sizemore accepted the $1,000 check from the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke. These funds were given to kick-start the beginning of a new school garden club at Westside Elementary. While an impromptu acceptance speech can wreck anyone’s nerves, the real work began in February. We got in touch with our service-learning project group from the Virginia Tech – Carilion School of Medicine who wrote the curriculum for the club lessons. We wrote letters to various local companies asking for donations of anything from seeds to gloves
to soil. I met with Mr. Sizemore and the two teacher sponsors at Westside to discuss the garden plans and where they would want the beds. But most importantly, we built the garden! Thanks to volunteers from the Kiwanis Club and the service-learning group, the beds were constructed on March 22 and were ready and waiting for students to dig in. The beds look great. But what is even better is seeing the kids being so enthusiastic about learning something new to them. Every time our club meets, they gain a little more appreciation of how important the natural
By Meagan Cupka
world around us is, and how much effort goes into making our food. Bugs which may have made us squirm and screech are now “cool” and fascinating. It may have seemed like a daunting task getting kids out and interested in vegetables, but it is well worth the work. A special thank-you to The Landscape Store for their donation of garden soil to fill the beds, Scotts Miracle Gro for their donation of fertilizer and to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange for the seeds!
Special thanks to our sponsors:
Photos by Dave Perry Spring 2014
|
5
This spring, go
native
How native plants aid in conservation and landscaping by Meagan Cupka
S
pring is a time when we flock to the gardening stores in droves, buying colorful annuals and perennials to spruce up our homes and gardens. This spring is no different, especially after the long winter we had. I personally love getting my hands in the fluffy black dirt in the flower pots at my parents’ house. That’s when I know the warm weather is here to stay! Over the years, I’ve learned that I can help my local ecosystem by planting “native” plants to help support the struggling butterfly and bee populations- while simultaneously beautifying the landscape. So what exactly is a native plant species? The definition given by Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is: “…those that occur in the region in which they evolved” and “…possess certain traits that make them uniquely adapted to local conditions, providing a practical and ecologically valuable alternative for landscaping, conservation and restoration projects, and as livestock forage.” What this means is that these native species have
evolved over time to suit the characteristics of a specific region, whether that be climate, soils, timing of rainfall and frost, or interactions with other species around them. As a result, these plants require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. This helps keep our reservoirs full, and helps limit the number of pollutants entering our waterways. Because native plants are specially equipped to thrive in specific areas and have evolved alongside other organisms, other native species are specially equipped to interact with the plants. Enter: wildlife such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These important players in our ecosystems love feeding on native plants, and in turn, the plants get pollinated. These pollinators evolved over time to be able to recognize native plants as a food source, and know how to get to the food. I like to use the comparison of steak and potatoes vs fried grub-worms. Imagine I had grown up eating steak and potatoes. I’d know that steak
So how can you make your yard beautiful AND beneficial to your environment? Visit the Natural Heritage section of the Virginia DCR website at www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage. They have many helpful materials to explain how native plants benefit our surroundings and help you identify ones which may suit your landscape needs. Then you can call your local plant nursery and ask if they carry the seeds or seedlings for the plants you are looking for. Increased demand for native plants will mean increased availability, and that means a more beautiful and lively world for all of us.
6
|
Spring 2014
and potatoes are pretty delicious, and my body would be used to digesting steak and potatoes, providing me with the energy I need. Now imagine someone set a plate of fried grub-worms in front of me one day. I’d probably think twice about eating them, and maybe my stomach didn’t really know how to digest them and they ended up making my stomach hurt! It’s very similar with pollinators and native vs non-native plants. The decline in honeybee populations has come into the spotlight in recent years. According to the USDA, about one-third of the food we consume comes from insectpollinated plants. Of that one-third, a whopping 80% of that food is pollinated by honeybees. Food and nesting resources have become harder to find for bees due to changes in land use. Growing native plants in your garden can help support honeybee populations by providing them with a “buffet” of nectar and pollen!
The Great Roanoke River Duck Race Save the Date: May 31, 2014 10AM – 2PM New this year! Set sail to victory and cash prizes! This year the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy is selling “Ducks for a Buck” as part of the first annual Roanoke River Duck Race. Each duck costs $1 and will be assigned a number. At noon on May 31st, the ducks will be set afloat down the Roanoke River, beginning at Wiley Drive and ending at Smith Park along the Greenway! If your duck is one of the winners, you’ll win a cash prize! Even better, the funds from every duck which BRLC sells will go directly to helping conserve the beautiful land and rivers of our area. This is an exciting and family-friendly event, with crafts, food and fun! Don’t miss it! Learn more at: www.blueridgelandconservancy.org/calendar
In the Winter 20132014 issue of Saving Land, we misprinted a few recognitions in the 2012-2013 Giving List section. We extend our sincerest apologies to those affected. In an effort to make amends, we are listing the corrected recognitions below: Steward ($500-$999) Mr. Bill and Ann Hackworth Ms. Betty Gill Ware
Find us on Facebook!
Familiar Face Joins BRLC Staff Allison Hegan has joined Blue Ridge Land Conservancy staff as our part-time office assistant. She is no stranger to the organization, having volunteered at several events such as Bay Day and the re-carpeting project. She’s also helped with small projects before like designing and updating this year’s donor prospectus. Allison is a graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Geography and Environmental Studies, and has also studied at the Azusa Pacific University. She has had several articles published and has also been published in the Wildlife Waystation emagazine. Make sure to stop by and welcome Allison to the organization!
facebook.com/landtrust
Allison Hegan Spring 2014
|
7
Former Duke Business Dean Wants to Save Franklin Stream By George Kegley Tom Keller poses with Dave Perry, Emily Blanton, and Laura Lemon during the annual monitoring visit of his conserved property.
Water flowing out of rustic Franklin County is probably clearer than in many areas because of the short supply of industry and population. Tom Keller would like to keep it that way. He has a riparian easement, held by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, protecting 11 acres along Roaring Run near the Blue Ridge Parkway. This land is at the headwaters of Roaring Run, which flows into Rennet Bag Creek, Smith River and Staunton (also named Roanoke) River on its way to the Atlantic coast. The Kellers, retired and living in Durham, N.C., bought the Franklin County land in 1984 and built a home there after a search for mountain property with cooler temperatures during the heat of summer. They had looked in western North Carolina but decided that was too far away from Durham. Keller, dean emeritus of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and his wife, Margaret, enjoy the summer home on a 140-acre tract of mostly woodland which borders National Park Service land. “I really believe we’ve got to protect the stream,” he said. Keller has a 50-foot easement along Roaring Run and no livestock so no fencing was required, but a neighbor does have cows across the creek. According to Keller, a beaver was active in this “wild place” last year. With the advice of a forester, he had some selective cutting of timber done on the wooded area outside of the riparian easement. The forester told him seedlings will probably replenish the tree stand. The Kellers considered an easement for the remainder of their land but they haven’t gotten there yet. He’s trying to interest their sons, Neel and John, in the property, but they live in California and Georgia at the moment. Protecting the water and the land is “important,” Keller said. Keller has slowed down after a high-level academic career at Duke. He led the Business School for 22 years; graduated in 1953 and earned an MBA at Duke and a Ph.D. at University of Michigan, taught financial accounting and reporting and wrote several books on accounting. The Thomas F. Keller Center for MBA Education and a scholarship at the university bear his name. He also found time to serve on the boards of Wendy’s International, Nations Funds, American Business Products, La-Z-Boy Greensboro, Triangle Community Foundation and many other companies and organizations. In three years, he once led a capital campaign raising $24 million for the business school—almost half of that came from J. B. Fuqua, a Prince Edward County, Va. philanthropist and businessman. But protecting a Franklin County stream remains high on that long list. 8
|
Spring 2014
Photos by Diana Hackenburg
Governor McAuliffe Sets Easement Goal Aims for 400,000 more conserved acres by Meagan Cupka
G
overnor McAuliffe joined the line of Virginia governors dedicated to the conservation of open space. In January, Governor McAuliffe Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced his administration’s goal for conservation saying, “These grants are the first step toward my administration’s goal of conserving 400,000 acres of open space and working lands across Virginia. I applaud the commitment of my predecessors and the General Assembly to land preservation,
and I look forward to building on the successes they have achieved over the last eight years.” McAuliffe announced the award of over $1,058,000 from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to eight localities: Albemarle, Clarke, Fauquier, Isle of Wight, and Stafford County, as well as James City and the City of Virginia Beach. Rappahannock County will receive an $11,000 grant. Through local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) programs, these localities will use the grant money to preserve farmland. Landowners who work with localities to preserve the land will be compensated by PDR programs with a perpetual conservation easement being placed on the property.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore noted, “Adequate and accessible working lands are the foundation of agriculture and forestry, Virginia’s largest industries. Local governments receiving these funds will be able to use them alongside their dedicated local support, creating new opportunities to preserve working farmland, produce goods for purchase, create jobs, generate tax revenue, and protect our precious natural resources.” The administration’s dedication to conservation highlights the importance of clean air, clean water, and open space within the Commonwealth. BRLC is happy to be a part of this effort which is so significant within our state.
Giving to BRLC Getting outside to enjoy the Spring weather is something many folks in our area enjoy- whether it’s hiking Read Mountain, planting flower beds, or biking around Carvin’s Cove. The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy holds easements and sponsors programs which make our area a great place to live in and enjoy outside! Consider one of these ways of supporting our organization and protecting our enjoyable recreation spots: Kroger Gift Card – Use a BRLC-affiliated Kroger Gift Card! Each time the card is refilled, we receive a 5% commission at no cost to the card holder. Use this refillable card to purchase groceries, prescriptions, or gas, and help the land conservancy at the same time! We have several Kroger Gift Cards waiting at the office pre-loaded with $5. Donation – Honor a family or friend in a donation, and they’ll receive a special letter announcing the gift as well as a year’s subscription to our Saving Land magazine! Amazon.com – Make your amazon.com purchases through the link on the BRLC website. At no cost to you, the Conservancy receives a small commission each purchase. Simply click the “Donations” tab at www. blueridgelandconservancy.org for the link. Larger Gifts – Possible large gifts include those such as used vehicles, real estate, or appreciated stock. Little Things – There are always little things we need to keep running day-to-day. Copy paper, gas cards, and grocery store gift cards are several things we could use!
Photo credit: Pranav Sankar, Flickr Creative Commons
Spring 2014
|
9
David Hurt Goes Back to the Farm with a Herd of Grass-fed Beef By George Kegley
D
avid Hurt, longtime Franklin County conservation easement champion, has turned his fulltime talents to raising and selling grass-fed beef from a family farm on the rolling slopes at the eastern foothills of Windy Gap Mountain. He has 80 satisfied customers to prove a successful start. Hurt, remembered by many as project manager for the former Western Virginia Land Trust for six years, also taught school, worked on easements for Conservation Partners in Lexington and in sales for Wordsprint printing. He also found time to serve two terms on Franklin County Board of Supervisors and on the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority overseeing Explore Park. But he has given up most of that to take care of a grass-fed herd of about 40 Angus, Herefords and Devon cattle at Truman Hill Farm, near his boyhood home in Coopers Cove. Hurt is continuing part-time work as a land consultant, helping with conservation easements and other land use. He and his father, Arnold Hurt, a retired railroad materials accountant who lives down the road, have protected their farms with two conservation easements on a total of about 400 acres—the second for the then-
10
|
Spring 2014
Western Virginia Land Trust and the second in Franklin County. Both farms, more forest than pasture, are co-held by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and Virginia Outdoors Foundation. He grew up with a strong land conservation ethic on a Virginia Century Farm (in the same family 100 years).His Truman Hill Farm has 170 acres. He and his wife, Katrina, own 45 acres and rent 85 acres, next to the Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club acreage while his parents own the rest. “I love doing this,” said Hurt, a fourth generation farmer. “It’s stress-relieving, working with animals.” He spends a lot of time marketing and paying attention to the grass in his pasture. Rotational grazing through some permanently fenced divisions and portable electric fences enables the cattle to fully graze a small area and then move on to give the grass time to recover before grazing again. They are watered by pipes from a well. No medication has been required. Without going through the problems of breeding and birthing, he buys year-old calves and grazes them for a year before hauling them to a processing plant at nearby Burnt Chimney. Before buying, he checked regional farms “to assure the calves are naturally raised,
humanely handled and started on clean, wellmanaged pastures.” He rotates their pasture, providing “a 100 percent grass diet.” In a survey answered by 50 customers, 58 percent rates the Truman Hill beef as “superb” and another 34 percent called it “great.” Janet Scheid, retired county planner and a friend, said Hurt’s grass-fed beef “tastes wonderful...I like to know where it comes from. The animals are well-treated.” The Hurts have three children. His wife Katrina home schools Phoebe, almost 12, and Leo, 8, while Henry, 16, attends Governor’s School and Franklin County High. They also raise chickens. David Hurt’s Truman ancestors grew tobacco, raised livestock and worked an orchard for their brandy distillery. Hurt has an interest in wildlife management and he manages timber on both family farms, earning him a 2012 Outstanding Forest Steward Award from the Virginia Department of Forestry. This work involves fencing and planting trees on formerly grazed creek banks, growing pines on once fertile tobacco fields, selectively harvesting native hardwoods and leaving mature trees for wildlife and scenic benefits. To learn more, visit trumanhillfarm.com
Photo by George Kegley
Potluck Picnic at Mill Mountain Food, Feathers, and Family If you’ve missed our Spring Potlucks from the past, they’re back! All are welcome to join us on Sunday, May 4th at the Mill Mountain picnic shelter in Roanoke at 5 PM. You bring a dish and a serving utensil- BRLC will supply the plates, cutlery, water, and soft drinks! This year we are offering a very special and FREE guided birding tour around the park led by Dr. Rupert Cutler and Bill Hunley. Kids and adults alike will enjoy learning to identify their favorite feathered friends by sight and by sound! This walk will begin at 5 PM and is open to folks of all birding levels- from those who have never looked through binoculars before to those who keep their own extensive bird sighting logs. Dr. Cutler and Mr. Hunley both have extensive knowledge in the world of birds, and this walk promises to be informative and entertaining!
Mr. Hunley is a science and math teacher at Community School, after having worked for many years in forestry, wildlife management, and even zookeeping. He has been a member of the Roanoke Valley Bird Club (RVBC) since 1979, and enjoys leading field trips with the club. He has served as President, Second Vice President, and Field Trip Chairman during his relationship with the RVBC. This Fincastle native loves to combine his hobbies with the great outdoors and looks forward to sharing his knowledge in May. Dr. Cutler is a former assistant secretary of agriculture having served under President Carter from 1977-1980. He was formerly the editor of the Virginia Game Department’s magazine, Virginia Wildlife, an assistant director of The Wilderness Society, and a Senior Vice President of the National Audubon Society. In a word, Dr. Cutler’s knowledge is extensive. We are highly excited to have him share even a small slice of his understanding of our feathered friends around us!
Spring 2014
|
11
The Blue Ridge Land Conservancy is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a mark of distinction in land conservation. BRLC is also a proud member of the Land Trust Alliance, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Conservation Network.
Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Wordsprint, Inc. Permit#172
722 First Street, SW, Suite L Roanoke, Virginia 24016-4120 Phone/Fax 540-985-0000 www.blueridgeconservancy.org Member of:
Volunteer and Donor Spotlight Member One Donation, Volunteers Make Huge Improvements to BRLC Office On the brutally cold morning of January 24th, volunteers swarmed the Conservancy’s headquarters, moving furniture into a storage Pod, trucking unneeded furniture to the local Habitat for Humanity location, and filling the recycling bins to the point of overflowing. It was literally a case of anything that wasn’t nailed to a wall was moved out. The original carpet, worn-out and in some places stained, was torn up and sent to the dumpster. The old floor trim was removed. Enjoying fresh coffee and donuts, our volunteers worked tirelessly and we ended up well ahead of schedule. But that was only the first day! On Saturday, January 25th, volunteers gave up their weekend time to install the new carpet donated by Member One Federal Credit Union. Different from traditional roll carpet, these were two-foot by two-foot squares of carpet, pieced together in a grid pattern. Bud LaRoche and Greg Cupka led the charge on cutting the pieces needed to fit corners, around doorways, etc, while others such as Janet Scheid and Allison Hegan worked non-stop to replace the floor trim. At the end of the day, the final push was to move everything back into the office. Printers, filing cabinets, computers, you name it! It was moved. On Monday, the new desks, again donated by Member One, were assembled and work began to get on as usual around the BRLC office. By Wednesday, we were ready for our monthly board meeting! From the staff and board at BRLC, we wish to extend a huge “Thank You!!” to all those who helped us complete this mammoth task. We could not have done it without you!
Volunteers Greg Cupka Sandy Cupka Rupert Cutler Whitney Feldmann Josh Gibson Chris Hale Allison Hegan David Hurt Christina Koomen Bud LaRoche David Lester Sandy Light David Maxson Billy Mason Mark McClain Janet Scheid Donor Member One Federal Credit Union