the roanoke sta-sentinel

12
Community | News | Perspective December 11 - December 17, 2009 NewsRoanoke.com The Roanoke Star-Sentinel PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID WHISPER ONE MEDIA POSTMASTER: Dated material, please deliver by publication date www.texastavern-inc.com "We seat 1000 people...10 at a time" 114 W. Church Ave • 540-342-4825 Always Open - Downtown Roanoke 4341 Starkey Road Roanoke, VA 540-774-4777 1376 Towne Square Blvd Roanoke, VA 540-265-6550 50% Off Diagnostic Testing Call Huntington today. We’re nearby and affordable. If your child is struggling in school, success starts here. •Certified Teachers •Customized, Individual Program of Instruction •Private Tutoring for SAT/PSAT/ACT Prep •Low Student to Teacher Ratios, Individual Instruction Copy Hard P4– Hayden Hollingsworth loves the convenience of new digital technologies but says that the best memories should be preserved on paper. Life New P6– Laura Washington overcomes big challenges to discover fresh new beginnings as a writer and wife. Game The P7– The Northside Vikings knock off Cave Spring to go to the State Title Game for the first time. Joy Comfort & P11– Vocalist Kerry Hurley joins the Lenny Marcus Trio to spread comfort and joy via some hot holiday jazz at Roanoke’s Main Library. Get the Roanoke Star - Sentinel delivered to your doorstep every week for only $44 per year! 400-0990 [email protected] PO Box 8338 Roanoke,VA 24014 Not much appears changed on the exterior of the former Fincastle Baptist Church but for Wendy and Bob Jones, a lot has changed on both the interior of the historic church (it is now their home) and in their lives since they became owners of the unique building. According to Wendy, it was her “husband’s dream to live in a church building” and they “had been looking at small churches out of town, including Rocky Mount and Lynchburg.” Loca- tions there just didn’t pan out and when the “huge building” (by Wendy’s estimation) in Fin- castle came on the market she went along with her husband’s desire to bid on it, actually hop- ing they would not be the win- ning bidders. ey received the phone call a short time later notifying them they had won, and even though Wendy was in shock for about two weeks, they have since moved in and become quite enamored with the church and are interested in trying to “maintain and continue some of its history.” e oldest part of the building, the sanctuary, was built circa 1895. Wendy and Bob have launched a new ministry, “Op- eration Christmas Cheer,” in an effort to reclaim a piece of the [Honored Veterans] > CONTINUED P2: Operation WWII Pilot Receives “Legion of Honor” Photo by Linda Webb Bond Award Seen As Conflict of Interest for City Council Member City council members faced a December 15 deadline and a conflict of interest concern as they began discussions about stimulus funding allocations at Monday’s Roanoke City Coun- cil meeting. Roanoke’s flood reduction project was a no-brainer for the $1.6 million Recovery Zone Economic Development Bond (RZEDBs). e flood reduction project easily qualified as a gov- ernmental purpose project. e Recovery Zone Facility Bonds (RZFBs) were a different story. An independent financial advisor to the city rated all the projects vying for these funds. Karen DeMoors, Senior Manag- ing Consultant with the Public Financial Manage- ment, Inc. ranked the top five projects. e criteria included rat- ings for financing plans, job creation and project readiness. e top five ranked were: the Patrick Henry Hotel, ranked fiſth; Advance Auto IT consoli- dation to Crossroads, fourth; [City Council] > CONTINUED P2: Conflict Area Doctors Clear the Way for Cataract Patients Many people in south- west Virginia are seeing bet- ter than they have for some time, thanks to an initiative by several area eye doctors who donated their services at the Vistar Roanoke Valley Center for Sight in Salem, where they performed cataract surgery for free. Friday, Dec. 4th was set aside to do the procedure on 12 patients who were pre- screened to be sure that they qualified for the program. Beth Kolnok, Director of Marketing with Vistar, said that cataract surgery “is not a long procedure—it lasts about 10 to 15 minutes per eye.” Patients can oſten see “dra- matic improvement, fairly quickly,” according to Dr. Mark Robinson (Vistar Eye Center), who served as liason and coordinated the event, and will be doing the bulk of follow-up care, also free of charge. e doctors and staff on hand were clearly thrilled to be able to offer this service for people who otherwise cannot afford the procedure. Robinson says they hope to make it “an annual event” with one of their challenges being getting the word out to area free clinics who don’t know where to refer patients. As part of that effort they have supplied fli- ers to optometrists, clinics and practices in the area. ere is a minimal screen- ing process once the patients are referred through Vistar Eye Center. Robinson pointed out that “some peo- ple don’t realize that they have a cataract – they may not be going to an eye doc- tor to begin with,” and especially never dream that they “can have it done for free.” In some cases, patients “wait un- til they can’t see” which is the result of a “white cataract,” which causes their vision to be completely obstructed. According to Robinson, “these patients are especially excited, because aſter the procedure they can now see – it’s pretty immediate.” Some patients came from as far away as Danville; Scott Epperly traveled from Chris- tiansburg, accompanied by his wife Lisa, and their young- est son, a 17-month-old. While the typical candi- date for cataract surgery is usually older, Epperly is a young man of only 35. His doctors speculate that he had a cataract at this age because he is outdoors and in the sun a lot; he owns a concrete refinishing busi- ness. According to Epperly’s wife, her husband first noticed a problem when one of his co-workers asked for his as- sistance in reading a measurement and “Scott noticed he couldn’t read it either, so he called to ask me to set up an eye ap- pointment.” When they found out he was qualified to receive the surgery for free, they were elated. en, she added, “He Photo by Cheryl Hodges Dr. Mark Robinson consults with Antoine Fontus following his recent cataract surgery. > CONTINUED P2: Vistar City Market Vendors and Farmers Remain Anxious e threat by market vendors and farmers to permanently move their operations else- where spurred Mayor David Bowers to issue a press release last ursday. Bowers said that he has “had it with the adminis- tration’s handling of the Market building; they’re not going else- where – not on my watch.” e vendors and farmers are contemplating permanent moves to Tanglewood Mall. It has even gone as far as meeting with Tanglewood representa- tives from New Jersey. At Mon- day’s council meeting Bowers summed up the situation say- ing, “what we have here is a fail- ure to communicate.” e Market building is sched- uled for renovation beginning July 1 with architectural and en- gineering plans to be completed by April 1. e Market vendors are on a month-to-month lease and anxiety over the future of their businesses became evident as emotions ran high at the 2:00 council meeting. e strain of the last 10 years manifested itself as Anita Wil- > CONTINUED P3: Market New Owners of Fincastle Church Building Continue Historic Tradition Wendy Jones stands in front of the sign announcing the up- coming benefit concert for “Operation Christmas Child.” Mark Woods addresses council. I t was bitter cold but clear, as the last strains of “La Marsellaise” resonated into the air around the statue, “Le Monu- ment aux Morts,” at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford Tuesday morning. As a crowd of friends, colleagues, and well wishers – some in uniform - from all over the country waited, a somewhat stooped, 88-year old man with smiling eyes bluer than the late fall sky made his way up the cobblestones with his walker to the front row of seats - to begin a solemn ceremony about to take place in his honor. > CONTINUED P3: Overstreet Hayden Hollingsworth

Upload: theroanokestar

Post on 16-Mar-2016

219 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

News from the Roanoke Valley for December 11, 2009.

TRANSCRIPT

Community | News | Per spect iveDecember 11 - December 17, 2009 NewsRoanoke.com

The Roanoke Star-SentinelPRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

WhISPER ONEMEDIA POSTMASTER: Dated material, please deliver by publication date

PAGE 2WEEKEND www.texastavern-inc.com

"We seat 1000 people...10 at a time"

114 W. Church Ave • 540-342-4825

Always Open - Downtown Roanoke

4341 Starkey RoadRoanoke, VA540-774-4777

1376 Towne Square BlvdRoanoke, VA540-265-6550

50% Off

Diagnostic Testing

Call Huntington today. We’re nearby and affordable.

If your child is struggling in school, success starts here.•Certified Teachers•Customized, Individual Program of Instruction•Private Tutoring for SAT/PSAT/ACT Prep•Low Student to Teacher Ratios, Individual Instruction

CopyhardP4– hayden hollingsworth loves the convenience of new digital technologies but says that the best memories should be preserved on paper.

LifeNewP6– Laura Washington overcomes big challenges to discover fresh new beginnings as a writer and wife.

GameTheP7– The Northside Vikings knock off Cave Spring to go to the State Title Game for the first time.

JoyComfort &

P11– Vocalist Kerry hurley joins the Lenny Marcus Trio to spread comfort and joy via some hot holiday jazz at Roanoke’s Main Library.

Get the Roanoke

Star - Sentinel delivered to your doorstep every week for only $44 per year!

[email protected] Box 8338 Roanoke, VA 24014

Not much appears changed on the exterior of the former Fincastle Baptist Church but for Wendy and Bob Jones, a lot has changed on both the interior of the historic church (it is now their home) and in their lives since they became owners of the unique building.

According to Wendy, it was her “husband’s dream to live in a church building” and they “had been looking at small churches out of town, including Rocky Mount and Lynchburg.” Loca-tions there just didn’t pan out and when the “huge building” (by Wendy’s estimation) in Fin-castle came on the market she went along with her husband’s desire to bid on it, actually hop-

ing they would not be the win-ning bidders.

They received the phone call a short time later notifying them they had won, and even though Wendy was in shock for about two weeks, they have since moved in and become quite enamored with the church and are interested in trying to “maintain and continue some of its history.” The oldest part of the building, the sanctuary, was built circa 1895.

Wendy and Bob have launched a new ministry, “Op-eration Christmas Cheer,” in an effort to reclaim a piece of the

[Honored Veterans]

> CONTINUEDP2: Operation

WWII Pilot Receives “Legion of Honor”

Photo by Linda Webb

Bond Award Seen As Conflict of Interest for City Council Member

City council members faced a December 15 deadline and a conflict of interest concern as they began discussions about stimulus funding allocations at Monday’s Roanoke City Coun-cil meeting.

Roanoke’s flood reduction project was a no-brainer for the $1.6 million Recovery Zone Economic Development Bond (RZEDBs). The flood reduction project easily qualified as a gov-ernmental purpose project.

The Recovery Zone Facility Bonds (RZFBs) were a different story. An independent financial advisor to the city rated all the projects vying for these funds. Karen DeMoors, Senior Manag-ing Consultant with the Public Financial Manage-ment, Inc. r a n k e d the top five projects.

The criteria included rat-ings for financing plans, job creation and project readiness. The top five ranked were: the Patrick Henry Hotel, ranked fifth; Advance Auto IT consoli-dation to Crossroads, fourth;

[City Council]

> CONTINUEDP2: Conflict

Area Doctors Clear the Way for Cataract PatientsMany people in south-

west Virginia are seeing bet-ter than they have for some time, thanks to an initiative by several area eye doctors who donated their services at the Vistar Roanoke Valley Center for Sight in Salem, where they performed cataract surgery for free. Friday, Dec. 4th was set aside to do the procedure on 12 patients who were pre-screened to be sure that they qualified for the program.

Beth Kolnok, Director of Marketing with Vistar, said that cataract surgery “is not a long procedure—it lasts about 10 to 15 minutes per eye.”

Patients can often see “dra-matic improvement, fairly quickly,” according to Dr. Mark Robinson (Vistar Eye Center), who served as liason and coordinated the event, and will be doing the bulk of follow-up care, also free of charge.

The doctors and staff on hand were clearly thrilled to be able to offer this service for people who otherwise cannot afford the procedure. Robinson says they hope to make it “an annual event” with one of their challenges being getting the word out to area free clinics who

don’t know where to refer patients. As part of that effort they have supplied fli-ers to optometrists, clinics and practices in the area. There is a minimal screen-ing process once the patients are referred through Vistar Eye Center.

Robinson pointed out that “some peo-ple don’t realize that they have a cataract – they may not be going to an eye doc-tor to begin with,” and especially never dream that they “can have it done for free.” In some cases, patients “wait un-til they can’t see” which is the result of a

“white cataract,” which causes their vision to be completely obstructed.

According to Robinson, “these patients are especially excited, because after the procedure they can now see – it’s pretty immediate.”

Some patients came from as far away as Danville; Scott Epperly traveled from Chris-tiansburg, accompanied by his wife Lisa, and their young-est son, a 17-month-old.

While the typical candi-date for cataract surgery is usually older, Epperly is a young man of only 35. His

doctors speculate that he had a cataract at this age because he is outdoors and in the sun

a lot; he owns a concrete refinishing busi-ness. According to Epperly’s wife, her husband first noticed a problem when one of his co-workers asked for his as-sistance in reading a measurement and “Scott noticed he couldn’t read it either, so he called to ask me to set up an eye ap-pointment.” When they found out he was qualified to receive the surgery for free, they were elated. Then, she added, “He

Photo by Cheryl Hodges

Dr. Mark Robinson consults with Antoine Fontus following his recent cataract surgery.

> CONTINUEDP2: Vistar

City Market Vendors and Farmers Remain Anxious

The threat by market vendors and farmers to permanently move their operations else-where spurred Mayor David Bowers to issue a press release last Thursday. Bowers said that he has “had it with the adminis-tration’s handling of the Market building; they’re not going else-where – not on my watch.”

The vendors and farmers are contemplating permanent moves to Tanglewood Mall. It has even gone as far as meeting with Tanglewood representa-tives from New Jersey. At Mon-day’s council meeting Bowers summed up the situation say-ing, “what we have here is a fail-ure to communicate.”

The Market building is sched-uled for renovation beginning July 1 with architectural and en-gineering plans to be completed by April 1. The Market vendors are on a month-to-month lease and anxiety over the future of their businesses became evident as emotions ran high at the 2:00 council meeting.

The strain of the last 10 years manifested itself as Anita Wil-

> CONTINUEDP3: Market

New Owners of Fincastle Church Building Continue Historic Tradition

Wendy Jones stands in front of the sign announcing the up-coming benefit concert for “Operation Christmas Child.”

Mark Woods addresses council.

It was bitter cold but clear, as the last strains of “La Marsellaise” resonated into the air around the statue, “Le Monu-ment aux Morts,” at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford Tuesday morning. As a crowd of friends, colleagues, and well wishers – some in uniform - from all over the country waited, a somewhat stooped, 88-year old man with

smiling eyes bluer than the late fall sky made his way up the cobblestones with his walker to the front row of seats - to begin a solemn ceremony about to take place in his honor.

> CONTINUED P3: Overstreet

Hayden Hollingsworth

Page 2 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 12/11/09-12/17/09 NewsRoanoke.com

Arthur DunkinPresident,

KD Capital Solutions

Providing businesses with Accounts Receivable Financing

and Equipment Leasing

540-354-7773www.kdcapitalsolutions.com

Culligan Stoner5201 Williamson RoadRoanoke 800-678-6203culliganstoner.com

It’s easy to enjoy the bene�ts of

Holiday Bonus Gift with the purchase of aCulligan Gold Medallist Series

Water SoftenerThe Culligan “300” Soap Pack

Expires 12/31/09. Limited time o�er. Not good with other discounts or specials.

A $700 value of concentrated cleaning, laundry and personal grooming products. Should last the average family of 4 up to 3 years.

The Country Store Deli on Starkey Road caters

to your needs. Offi ce meetings, tailgates, parties, any event,

serving 1 to 1,000. Go to countrystoredeli.com to place an order today or

call 774-6875.

Great food at a great value, homecooked.

on Starkey Road caters to your needs.O�ce meetings, tailgates, parties, any

event, serving 1 to 1,000.Go to countrystoredeli.com to place an

order today or call 774-6875

Lays Extra Large Potato Chips Buy One

Get One Free

Open Christmas Day For Your Convenience

You are not alone in hospice and our experienced and loving staff will care for you as family. Our comprehensive care provides a full range of services including:

Long term employees with experience in palliative pain & symptom management, emotional support and grief counseling

Spiritual and bereavement care from a perspective that strengthens your faith, brings encouragement and inspires hope

Grief support groups for adults and children

We’re There When You Need Us Most.

24/7 Referrals... Same Day Admissions

GSH0909-10.875x5.38 Roanoke StarSentinel Ad.indd 1 9/9/09 2:11 PM

Boxley Residences third; Bil-ly’s Restaurant / The Rowland Hotel second; and in first place Councilman Dave Trinkle’s Shenandoah building project.

Being the building’s owner, Trinkle left the briefing room prior to the beginning of any of the Recovery Act funding discussion. Stan Breakell of Breakell Inc. is general contrac-tor for the project. He said “it would be the first LEED Plati-num candidate for downtown Roanoke...all consultants and contractors will be local.”

Colonel Robert Craig spoke up calling it a “conflict of inter-est.” This led Councilman Court Rosen to say, “The heartburn I have is that I agreed to do ex-actly the opposite. Voting for a colleague in the same exact po-sition is difficult for me.” Rosen said he has excluded his own business for conflict of interest reasons. Council member Anita Price was of like mind saying

that her husband Charles was ineligible for any work with the city. Price said she was “flabber-gasted” by the award.

Council members Rupert Cutler and Gwen Mason were satisfied with the integrity of the process. They made the case that DeMoors was indepen-dent of the city and that there is no city money or manage-ment involved. Mayor Bowers also thought the process was “entirely transparent.” He did admit to being surprised by the rankings.

Vice-Mayor Sherman Lea was “very uncomfortable” with Trinkle’s project being awarded the $2.4 million. Lea compared it to his son Sherman Lea, Jr. be-ing rejected from school board consideration years ago because of his council position. Later in a phone call he confirmed his misgivings.

During the challenging dis-cussion, City Manager Darlene

Burcham received an email on her Blackberry that said the December 15 deadline had just been extended to January 12. This took the pressure off of council to make an immediate decision.

Though there was confu-sion on the bond resolution in council chambers, it was re-solved by moving it to the De-cember 21 council meeting. In the meantime the Director of Finance, Ann Shawver, will take updated information from the top ranked five project owners back to the committee. “There is a chance it could change the ranking,” said Shawver.

In his own defense, Trinkle said that he felt he was clear of any conflict under the circum-stances but said he would un-derstand if his colleagues voted against it. The flood reduction bond resolution was passed separately.

> Conflict From page 1

By Valerie [email protected]

got scared and a little nervous about having it done.” Epperly was resting and feeling fine post-surgery, apparently no worse for the wear.

Another patient, Antoine Fontus had one eye done dur-ing his visit. He had been to a doctor who “sent me to Dr. Kinsler. When that other doc-tor told me I might have a chance to have the operation done [for free] it made me feel very good.” He said the opera-

tion was easy; “I didn’t even know he [the doctor] was do-ing it.” Just a short while after surgery he happily exclaimed “I can see better now!”

The idea for this commu-nity outreach originated with Dr. Frank Cotter, who saw it being undertaken in Florida and thought it was a remark-ably effective program. He felt doctors in Roanoke needed to step up to the plate and do something similar. He passed

the idea along to Dr. Mark Robinson who put the pro-gram together and recruited the help of other doctors.

The doctors who donated their services included Dr. William Thompson of Eye Care and Surgery, and Dr. Da-vid Kinsler and Dr. John R. Wood of Vistar Eye Center. In addition to Dr. Mark Rob-inson, Dr. Jon Brisley (also of Vistar) is involved in follow-up care.

Based on the success of this year’s program everyone involved is hopeful it can be implemented again next year and reach even more people. This is an exciting prospect for Vistar and the volunteer doc-tors and staff, but especially for the patients who stand to benefit so greatly from their expertise and generosity.

> Vistar From page 1

By Cheryl [email protected]

church’s past. Beginning around 1955, the church had sponsored a Christmas min-istry complete with a pageant, a 12 ft. tall Christmas tree, and Santa, who would jump on stage and pass out a toy off the tree, an orange, and hard candy to each of the chil-dren.

In pondering how to “morph this tradi-tion into ‘now’” the Jones’ came up with Operation Christmas Cheer - now in its second year. They focus on helping area needy children and their families who are invited to the church for an afternoon of fun-filled activities along with a rather gen-erous donation of items for their families at Christmas time.

Wendy Jones has been working hard to put it all together, hoping to have enough to give each child a toy, coat, blanket, mittens, Christmas stocking, an outfit and a food basket including a turkey dinner donated by Kroger. According to Wendy, this year they are “on pace” partly because she “has some really good elves to help me,” although she

admits being nervous about “how dona-tions will go, especially in this economy.” She has sent letters to folks who donated last year, and hopes to get the word out to even more people. They are also in need of someone to play Santa.

The project has also received a huge boost because of the generosity of Marvin Matthews, who will perform two benefit concerts in the church’s wedding chapel on Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday Dec. 13 at 3:30 p.m.

Matthews is a “tireless concert artist and a natural-born entertainer” who has worked with many popular artists including the late Bob Hope and CeCe Winans. Matthews was in town this fall for a revival and was on hand for the Fincastle Heritage Day; dur-ing this visit “he happened to come into the sanctuary and fell in love with it” explained Jones. He offered to help with their ministry and thus the idea for “A Marvin Matthews Christmas” concert was born. Jones is in high hopes for a good turn-out; patrons

won’t be disappointed.Jones is excited about the project and

hopes it will continue to grow each year; it provides these families and their children a joyful Christmas in spite of hard times. The parents’ tears of joy at seeing their children’s excitement have helped fuel her desire to keep the ministry going.

The Melvin Matthews concert will be held at The Historic Fincastle Wedding Chapel at 45 E. Main St., Fincastle VA. Tickets (Adults $15; children 10 and under $7.50) can by purchased at Air-Lee Cleaners-Daleville, or by calling (540) 798-1653 or at MarvinMat-thews.com If you would like to make a dona-tion, contact Bob & Wendy Jones at (540) 798-1653 (45 E Main St. PO Box 115 Fin-castle VA 24090).

> Operation From page 1

By Cheryl [email protected]

Photo by Valerie Garner

Councilman Dave Trinkle reviews information prior to Tues-day’s meeting.

Friday looks mainly sunny at this point and it will stay chilly with highs near 40. The weekend looks 50/50… with Saturday looking better than Sunday for any outdoor plans you may have. To begin the weekend, anticipate a mix of sun and clouds (more sun early, more clouds later) with highs in the lower 40s. To end the weekend, we are looking at mostly cloudy skies with a showers a good bet. Right now, it looks like most of what we see will be in the form of rain, although the higher elevations could see a wintry mix. Monday will be partly sunny and warmer with highs near 50.

NewsRoanoke.com 12/11/09-12/17/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 3

Kingery Brothers

5437 Franklin Road • 540- 774 -9463

Time to order your Christmas Ham!

Sun. - Thur. 11am - 9pm Fri. & Sat. 11am - 10pm•

Let us make your Holidays more enjoyable!

Come Celebrate at The Great 611 Steak Company

3830 Franklin Rd Roanoke VA 24014540-989-4675 • www.thegreat611steakco.com

105 SOUTH JEFFERSON ROANOKE, VA 24011 • WWW.ALEXANDERSINFO.COM

Classic Cuisine ~ Innovative StyleEST. 1979

(540) 982-6983

Please Join Us For Our Annual Christmas Eve-Candle Light Service

December 24th At 5:00 P.M.

Westminster Presbyterian Church 2216 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke 24017

540-562-0924

Westminster Presbyterian Churchson, co-owner of Burger in the Square with her husband Louis, became tearful as she spoke to council. “All we ask is that you do a little more work before toppling all these busi-nesses,” said Wilson. Wilson, president of the tenants asso-ciation, along with the other tenants anxiously await the fate of their businesses.

Even though last Thursday Bowers wanted to push any consideration for renovating the market building until af-ter a new city manager came aboard, his stance softened Monday. Assistant Manag-er Brian Townsend was not named “the market czar” as ad-vocated by Bowers at the press conference but he was named the “go-to” person for vendors and farmers.

Mark Woods, a multi-gener-ation farmer from Boones Mill whose family has sold peaches and apples in market square as far back as the 1920’s, sought clarity from council and the administration. He wondered how the farmers and crafts vendors would be shuffled dur-ing the Center in the Square renovations. The market build-ing works in concert with the farmers and by closing the

market building it “takes one of the cogs out of the wheel,” said Woods.

Council decorum was set aside for discussion as Townsend explained to Woods and council how the Center in the Square renovation would be handled. The first phase “on the Church street side would not disrupt the farmers at all” claimed Townsend. This phase would begin in January 2010 with anticipated completion in November. The second phase would follow, requiring market square to be blocked while el-evator cranes carry material to the planned fifth floor. An at-tempt would be made to mini-mize impact by delivering on Sundays.

Until Center in the Square gets the final engineering plans in January, a Gantt chart of activity is on hold. Townsend felt secure in their ability to shuffle farmers as phase two progressed. The sites would be carefully choreographed to maintain continuity. Reloca-tion sites suggested were the Church street garage, Century Plaza, and Wachovia Plaza. City Manager Darlene Bur-cham said that the “staff is ea-ger to get policy direction from

council.” The current concept plan requires a 12 to 18 month closure.

Vice-Mayor Sherman Lea said last Thursday that “[coun-cil] has not sat down and given the city manager any direc-tion…we’re all over the place.” A 24 / 7 construction schedule is what Lea would like to see. It was done with the Hotel Roa-noke and Lea believes renova-tions of the Market Building could be completed in as little as four months with an acceler-ated schedule.

Councilman Court Rosen thought that a rental abate-ment incentive would assist the market vendors but the Direc-tor of Finance thought the cost to taxpayers could not be re-couped.

Townsend compared the market building renovation to Roanoke’s living room saying it is shared space that would prevent the project from being done in phases while vendors continued in their stalls. Coun-cilman Dave Trinkle floated the possibility of phasing the renovation.

The farmers and vendors came hoping that council would address their issues and there seemed to be some reas-

susrance that council was lis-tening. They felt council had sent a clear message to city ad-ministration that they should maintain a continuous dialogue with farmers and vendors.

Anita Wilson was asked by Bowers “What can we do to make you stay?” Wilson’s voice quivered saying “we have a passion for that building…I’m a little bit tired going back and forth with city administration and different councils.” Bow-ers asked her to “hang in there for a little bit longer.” Wilson thanked Bowers for sticking by the tenants and doing what he promised when he cam-paigned. “You’ve showed that this week and I appreciate it,” said Wilson.

Wilson was invited to attend the first briefing when the ar-chitects meet with Burcham and several council members on Friday. This will be the first look at the actual engineer-ing plans. Townsend believes that after a review of the plans a strategy can be defined that would identify the cost and likelihood of success.

By Valerie [email protected]

> Market From page 1

Walking slowly behind Bill Overstreet, World War II fly-ing ace of the 357th Fighter Group, came His Excellency Pierre Vimont, the Ambas-sador of France to the United States of America. He was in Bedford to present his coun-try’s highest honor to Cap-tain Overstreet: the Legion of Honor.

Having met Bill last year at United Way of Roanoke Val-ley’s Tocqueville Society din-ner, Ambassador Vimont took a special interest in Over-street’s case, and, when Bill was too frail to travel to France to receive his award, His Ex-cellency offered to come to the National D-Day Memorial to present it to him personally there.

Moments after the Invoca-tion from Chaplain Captain Jeffrey Clemons, a group of five J-3 aircraft, symbolic of the P-51C Mustangs that Bill Overstreet flew on 102 mis-sions in Europe (including one in which he pursued a Ger-man fighter pilot under the Eiffel Tower) passed overhead, one veering off in the “missing man” formation.

Overstreet has continu-ally stated that, should he live long enough to receive the Legion of Honor, which cannot be awarded posthu-mously, he would be accept-ing it in memory of his fallen brothers in arms, particularly his dear friend Eddy Simp-son, who died fighting back the Nazis on the ground with

the Free French so his com-rades, including Bill, could escape. Many tears were shed as the planes disappeared out of sight and their sound died away, and the Soprano Rebec-ca Ravenshaw began to sing “America the Beautiful.”

Ambassador Vimont was lavish with his praise of Cap-tain Overstreet, stating that his valorous deeds helped liberate France from the Nazi Occupa-tion. He also alluded to Eddie Simpson and all of the many brave Americans who never made it home from Europe af-ter WWII. Once Vimont had pinned the beautiful Legion of Honor medal to Overstreet’s coat and given him the tra-ditional two-cheek embrace, Captain Overstreet, standing

straight, sans walker, made his way to the podium and issued a strong “Thank You” several times.

He and the Ambassador then placed a wreath of re-membrance at the base of Le Monument aux Morts. Ma-jor General Lloyd Ramsey, (U.S. Army Retired) who had listened to the ceremony wrapped in warm blankets against the weather, now threw them off and gingerly made his way up front to make the closing remarks of the emotional event. He looked his long time friend Bill Over-street in the eye, and the two old soldiers shared a private moment, before the General thanked everyone for coming and braving the temperature

to honor their local hero. Later, at a private lunch

hosted by AREVA at the Mill Stone Tearoom, located in the middle of a farm not far from the Memorial, generals, colo-nels, an ambassador, various friends and family, and a very jubilant captain, now a modest retired CPA named William B. Overstreet Jr., laughed and talked and ate French food and made several moving toasts. Congratulatory letters from Governor Kaine, Sena-tor Warner, and Congressmen Perriello and Goodlatte were read aloud to and cheered by the assembly of 50. Congress-man Bob Goodlatte was origi-nally responsible for introduc-ing Bill Overstreet and Pierre Vimont, when he invited His

Excellency to come to Roa-noke for the United Way event where they first met last year.

As the Ambassador prepared to take his leave of the compa-ny to return to the Capitol for an early evening engagement, Bill Overstreet stood to pres-ent him with a signed print of four P-51C Mustangs in flight – it was of him and his team in those long ago dark yet coura-geous days. Eddy Simpson’s plane, he pointed out to His Excellency, was that one, right there, the one in the missing man position.

> Overstreet From page 1

By Linda [email protected]

Local control over the start of the school year was top on the agenda for Roanoke City Schools according to school board member Lori Vaught. The Roanoke City School Board and Council met with three legislators at Monday’s council briefing.

Senator John Edwards said that each year he voted against local control because “Labor Day was the biggest family holiday of the year.” Edwards believes that students are not attentive prior to the holiday but said he favored year-round school.

Both Delegate Onzlee Ware and Delegate-elect Bill Cleave-land felt differently. Cleave-land vowed to push it forward. School Board chairman David Carson said “we’re educating students, not moms and dads.” Council member Anita Price said she would “have a con-

versation” with Edwards in an attempt to change his mind.

Other Business:•Vaught voiced concern

over the negative 21.1% in the fiscal year 2009 pension fund that may jeopardize continu-ation of current retirement benefits.•On the City’s wish list: Pas-

senger rail service beginning with funding for bus service in order to prove that there is demand for rail between Roa-noke and Lynchburg.

•Another item on the agenda was to authorize locali-ties to recoup the $1,500 of the city’s unpaid parking tickets by having an agreement with the Department of Mo-tor Vehicles during license renewal.•Dog rabies vac-

cination reporting requirements that would allow veterinarians to send a certifi-cation of vaccination directly to the treasurer of the locality where vaccination occurs.

•The city wants to limit ex-pensive publishing of legal ads in newspapers and use other means as a way to reduce ex-penses.•Preventing business license

renewal while delinquent in the payment of certain taxes when the business applies un-

der a different name to avoid paying delinquent taxes.•Council member Gwen

Mason’s request to authorize localities to impose a refund-able fee on each cigarette sold. The “butt” would be returned for a refund.

Legislators, School Board and Council Meet to Press Programs

By Valerie [email protected]

The Roanoke Valley Garden Club won big at The Garden Club of Virginia 71st Annual Rose Show, Restorations and Roses, in Franklin, Va. RVGC won first place blue in its class for a federal arrangement honoring Belle Grove-Middleton. In addition, RVGC won Quad-Blue Best Inter Club arrangement in the show for same Federal arrangement. Pictured with the arrangement are committee members Cyndi Fletcher, Rosemary Francis, Christy Izard, Joyce Rice, and Eileen Dickey. Not pictured Lainy Wilhelm, Ann Lawson, and Tracy Budd. In the individual artistic arranging class, Joy Rice won second place red for her Art Nouveau design honoring Hollins University.

Roanoke Valley Garden Club Brings Back Honors

Recently elected delegate Bill Cleaveland

Local Crossword 12/11/2009

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22 23

24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31 32

33 34 35

36 37 38 39 40 41

42 43 44

45 46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53

54 55 56 57 58 59

60 61 62 63

64 65 66

67 68 69

www.CrosswordWeaver.com

ACROSS

1 Dame 6 Floral leaf

11 Supersonic transport 14 Where you were at crime

time 15 Eat away 16 Ball holder 17 Christmas __ 18 Cliff dwelling bird 19 Clever 20 Go aboard a train 22 Rice broth cheese meal 24 Dynamite 25 Throw 26 Was 27 Drains energy 30 Excuse me! 32 Tops 33 Wing 34 Indication 35 Distress call 36 ______ training 38 Melodious 42 American Football

Conference (abbr.) 43 Car company

44 Often poetically 45 Ascot 48 Lotion ingredient 49 Walked 50 Rabbit 51 Climbing vine 52 Number of times Salem was

attacked in the Civil War. 54 Not inside 56 Doctor’s tool 60 Usage 61 Asian bird 63 Tight at the top, flaring at the

bottom (2 wds.) 64 Sticky black substance 65 Last planet 66 Punitive 67 Slick 68 Partly frozen rain 69 Statistics

DOWN

1 Spice 2 Actor Alda 3 Filth 4 Ends 5 Downtown tobacconist since

1912 6 Was looked at 7 Time period 8 Organized massacre 9 Improvise a speech

10 Dregs 11 Says 12 Seven 13 "Grand" mountains 21 Slanted font 23 Heavy-set 25 Downwind 27 Pouch 28 Boxer Muhammad 29 Average work performance 31 Shelter 32 A great sci-fi writer and

Roanoke''s own. 34 Slap 35 Security 37 Worries 38 Also 39 Pro 40 Unidentified flying object 41 Limited (abbr.) 43 Pilot 45 Speaks loudly 46 Causative 47 Aorta 48 Boulevard's partner 49 Loo 51 Poem 53 Outerwear 55 Pixies 56 What a doctor gives 57 One of Columbus' ships 58 Tiny insect 59 Snaky fish 62 Snacked

Find the answers online: TheRoanokeStar.com Have a clue and answer you’d like to see?

email: [email protected]

Star~Sentinel Crossword

By Don Waterfield

PersPectivePage 4 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 12/11/09-12/17/09 NewsRoanoke.com

The Roanoke Star-Sentinel

The Roanoke Star-Sentinel is published weekly by Whisper One Media, Inc. in Roanoke, Va. Subscriptions are available for $44 per year. Send subscriptions to PO Box 8338, Roanoke, VA 24014. We encourage letters from our readers on topics of general interest to the community and responses to our articles and columns. Letters must be signed and have a telephone number for verification. All letters will be verified before publication. The Star-Sentinel reserves the right to deny publication of any letter and edit letters for length, content and style.

All real estate advertised herein is subject to national and Virginia fair housing laws and readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Communi ty | News | Perspect ive

Publisher | Stuart Revercomb | [email protected] News Editor | Gene Marrano | [email protected] Editor | Cheryl hodges | [email protected] Editor | Stephen Nelson | [email protected] Webmaster | Don Waterfield | [email protected] Director | Vickie henderson | [email protected]

540-400-0990 • NewsRoanoke.com

The Roanoke Star-Sentinel is a proud Media Partner with WSLS 10

If you have been traveling and using hotel facilities, I suspect you have noticed

the 300 pound TV lodged in the massive chest has been replaced by the ever-so-sleek thirty-inch flat screen. My question is this: What happened to the thou-sands of serviceable sets that have been removed?

I called my local purveyor of electronics who told me there is a recycling system in Salem for old TVs, but the many of them go into the landfill. There’s a problem for you. These sets have significant amounts of tox-ic stuff in them that will even-tually get into the ground water and who knows when we will be seeing two-headed frogs?

There’s an attractive alterna-tive for those who will have Santa delivering your new home theater with its 72 inch screen. Before you have it arrive tell the merchant you want to donate your old set to a worthwhile

site. There are any number of these and if you need sugges-tions, think of Goodwill, Habi-tat for Humanity, The Rescue Mission, The Salvation Army, Roanoke Area Ministries, or smaller churches that might need a good set for their youth program. It is possible, al-though I hope unlikely, that the delivery service may balk at the idea of the trip. Offer to accom-pany them, or at least get them to load the old set in your car. A ruptured lumbar disk may be in your Yuletide plans if you try this by yourself. Pick up the tax deduction form but don’t fill in the price of your new set; make it something believable, else your friendly IRS agent may be viewing some shows with you while you explain your chari-table contributions.

The new set will surely be equipped with the latest record-ing devices; TiVo, DVR, and who knows what else. That

brings me to my second holiday suggestion. Remember when your big recording decision was VHS vs. BetaMax, cassette vs. 8 track? Good luck on getting those players repaired which leaves you out of luck if that’s how you have stored entertain-ment. In my experience, I have saved for posterity only two TV programs that are of historical importance, so it’s not a prob-lem for me, but photography is.

As a semi-professional pho-tographer, I have thousands upon thousands of pictures stored on my computer. The day will come when new com-puters will not be able to read those files. What to do? I have 35 mm slides from by parents a half century ago. One burned-out projector bulb and there would be a lot of holding them up to the light. What was once state of the art is now worth-less.

It took me a while to aban-

don print cameras and move to digital. I finally packed up 5 very expensive SLRs with their lenses and moved into the digital age. You can’t beat it for conve-nience and on-the-spot entertainment. This past weekend I took hundreds of shots of the grand-children, each fol-lowed by choruses of “Let me see! Let me see!” I did let them see. . . then deleted about 90 percent of them. The remain-der I will put in a digital album and send to their parents. In return, we will receive at some time in the next year a DVD of all their school plays, birthdays, and trips to the beach, all set to music.

This is all wonderful while the technology to play it still sur-vives, but rest assured it won’t

. . . Unless you have prints you won’t be looking at the won-drous sight of Christ-mas mornings a half century from now when such memo-ries bring a mixture of smiles and tears.

In 1939, my par-ents made an at-

tempt to record Christmas Eve and the joys of Santa’s

offerings the following day. The only photographic technique available was to screw a flash bulb into a lamp, open the shut-ter, and turn on the lamp with the instantaneous illumination. Unfortunately, the lamp was al-ready on when my dad inserted the bulb which ignited with a thousand degree flash for his fingers. When we finally got the picture my sister and I were a glum looking pair in front of the socks we had hung by the chim-

ney with care. I do have the pic-ture of the fire truck that Santa could not possibly have gotten down the chimney, leading me to ask questions that required a truthful answer. Christmas was never quite the same, but I have the pictures which stir memo-ries of how blessed we were.

Make some prints. When you’re as old as I, if you rely on equipment you will have only your memory which will be a pale comparison to the photo album you take the time to pre-pare.

In my experience, mothers generally are better at this than dads. Men like technology but not the tedium of collecting the results. Get it done, nonethe-less; you and your children will be glad you did.

Hayden Hollingsworth

Contact Hayden [email protected]

Save Those Memories On Paper

Everyone, despite their disposition, has some sort of task that they

dread completing more than any other mundane mission. Some fear public speaking, oth-ers tremble at the mere mention of the dentist's chair. For me the specter of spending an af-ternoon at The Department of Motor Vehicles amounts to pur-gatory (or worse) on earth.

At age seven I first experi-enced the horrors of the DMV when accompanying my Mom who was renewing her license. In Long Island, New York (where I spent my formative years) there was one DMV lo-cation for every 728,000 peo-ple, the vast majority of whom seemed to be present on the day Mom, my sisters and I braved the gauntlet.

We arrived at 6:45 a.m. to find hoards of equally distressed mo-torists huddled by the entrance. The doors opened at 7:00 a.m. A man with a distinctively bad hair piece peddled newspapers and coffee as the cattle line coursed through the lobby. My younger sister Sally seemed to be transfixed by the man with the toupee, trying to discern whether his hair was real or was the growth from some kind of fur bearing critter which had found a warn nesting place. She continued to shuffle along in line, mesmerized and curiously entertained.

Time seemed to stand still as we inched our way towards the front of the line. For chil-dren, remaining poised in such a situation is nearly impossible. Whether it was the DMV, the carpet store or the wallpaper store, it didn't take long until I slipped into a catatonic state of

boredom. Weighed down by the mo-notony, I began to lose control of my body, eventually slumping to floor, a listless lump of de-spondency. Mom, not amused by this behavior, cast a sear-ing, menacing glare in my direction, yet not even the scowl we lovingly referred to as "The Tiger Stare," could al-ter my supine form.

Over the years, my experi-ences with the DMV remained much the same as those I had endured during my youth; how-ever, advances in technology have somewhat changed the ambiance. Plastic chairs have replaced the lines and drivers are now summoned to a specific window by an ultra-calm elec-tronic voice. Progress is always a positive thing, yet sometimes innovation creates other chal-lenges.

Following my latest proba-tionary driving period (there have been several), I had some business to take care of at the DMV, and was provided with a computer generated num-ber (B184) and proceeded to wait. At first I was a bit tense as the female voice methodically called numbers. On and on she droned "A245, C993, D559, B177" every so often sneaking in a rogue number like "Q227" which created some nervous and puzzled faces in the waiting area. Hypnotized by the rhythm of her patter I fell deeply asleep, my number still clasped firmly in my hand. Startled by a wail-ing baby (a staple of any DMV visit), I awoke to hear "B197

please proceed to window number twelve." "B197! I gasped, I missed my call!" Crestfallen, I was forced to repeat the process and start all over again.

Recently, my friend Stephanie found herself re-turning to the DMV three times in the same day and was

issued a new number for each trip. On her fourth go around they did not require her to have yet another ticket and waived her through to the window. Stephanie suspects that they were perhaps trying to keep her from getting BINGO. She might be right.

For the past eight months my son Will has been mounting a steadfast campaign for a new vehicle. Several times a day I would receive text messages with photos of Jeeps attached as he staged his multimedia at-tack. I am a firm believer that text messaging is an anti-paren-tal device used to confound an older generation by the use of technology. Have you ever tried arguing with your kid through text messaging? It just doesn't work. By the time you have a snappy comeback formu-lated in your head you receive yet another text piling on the first message. Most adults can-not type on their phones fast enough to defend their position. It's kind of like trying to have a conversation with auctioneer; every time you try to speak the price goes up!

Defeated and beaten down, I eventually surrendered and helped Will buy the vehicle of his dreams, knowing that a trip to my least favorite place was imminent.

Yesterday, we all ventured down to the new DMV location at Valley Point. Documentation in hand, Will would commence his lifelong relationship with the closest thing to Hell this side of it. To the credit of the extremely polite and helpful people who work at the DMV, the stagna-tion was kept at a tolerable level, although the security guard did insist that I refrain from lying down on the floor and whining with boredom.

Old habits are hard to break I guess.

Jon Kaufman

Contact Jon [email protected]

Nothing Beats a Trip to the Department of Motor Victims

Book now for your Special Holiday Evening

&New Year's Eve Packages!!

Elitelimo4u.com • State required licensed and insured DMV permit # 40CALL TODAY - 540-537-5358

Elite Limousine & Sedan

My favorite Christmas tradition in my family is climbing into bed with my two little ones and reading “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson. We read a chapter a night, sometimes two, if there is lots of begging. We have done this for three years now and they must have just hit the perfect age for this story because my 6 and 8 year old children absolutely love it! It is a very funny book and my kids laugh so loud that I have to stop and wait for the laughing to die down before I can continue reading. It is just so much fun. I wish the book was longer than 7 chapters. It is such a complete Christmas story. It has all of the hysterical, busy, chaos that the Christmas season brings but then “lo and behold” in the end it all gets quiet as a young, wild and rough little girl finds out who Mary and the baby Jesus really are. They look like her – poor and disheveled taking life day by day. She realizes the reason they are like her is because God wanted it that way for her sake, for our sake. This is the news that breaks into a busy Christmas season, year after year and God’s hope is that it would stay in our hearts day after day. The Herdman’s (the hooligan children in the book) thought a ham (one they were given by child services) was a more practical gift for the Holy family than gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So in their pageant that is what the wisemen present to the baby Jesus. So for your next Christmas party use the “great gift of ham” and make these delicious ham biscuits to warm up your Holiday crowd. Merry Christmas!

3 tbsp. prepared mustard 1/2 lb. softened butter 3 tbsp. poppy seeds 1 chopped fine onion

Salt and pepper16 slices of ham16 slices of Swiss cheese1 package of party buns

-Make an assembly line of the following: 16 slices ham 16 slices Swiss cheese 16 sq. pieces aluminum foil

-Spread buns with butter mixture on one side. Top with slice of ham, then Swiss cheese. Wrap up whole thing in foil.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

By Leigh [email protected]

The Recipe of the Week from The Happy ChefPoppy Seed, Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

A Gift Subscription to the

Roanoke Star-Sentinel is only $44!

Place your order by Dec 18th and we’ll make sure a Special Gift Card arrives with their first

paper on Dec 23rd!

Call 400-0990 Go Online: NewsRoanoke.comEmail: [email protected]

Still looking for the perfect gift that keeps on giving every week of the year?

Townside Shopping Center 3617 Franklin Road, SW(540) 345-4267

Mon - Fri 10 am - 6 pm • Sat 10 am - 4 pm • Closed Sunday

is your Holiday Ham Headquarters

Send a ham as a gift as you pick up your own!

PersPectiveNewsRoanoke.com 12/11/09-12/17/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 5

As bizarre as that may sound to many of us, this was apparently

a serious consideration on the part of some members of the President’s Administration ac-cording to various news reports that filtered out in a article pub-lished by the New York Times on December 4th following a White House Luncheon. As was reported by persons pres-ent at the meeting, when the announcement was made that the traditional White House Nativity crèche would not be displayed an audible gasp from others present could be heard following the Social Secretary’s initial announcement.

Thankfully the tradition of including this beautiful hand-made depiction of the Nativity in the east wing of the White House was upheld and is today on display as it’s been in years past. However, the very idea that removing Christ from the celebration of Christmas was ever announced in the first place ought to be unthinkable for every American who rec-ognizes the historical Christian heritage of our nation. More than two centuries of Ameri-can presidents, congresses and courts have both acknowledged and honored America’s Chris-tian roots. The admission that Christmas is a distinctively Christian holiday isn’t a mat-ter of personal intolerance but plain ole’ common sense backed up by the facts of history.

Still, what is more alarming is the titanic shift which has oc-curred in our culture regarding how this special season of the year is now viewed by so many of our fellow citizens who hold significant influence within the

echelons of education, govern-ment and media. I can remem-ber as a little boy walking with my Mom and little sister while Christmas shopping and seeing religious reminders of the birth of Christ in the windows of businesses, stores, churches and even public-government build-ings and parks. Wishing some-one a “Merry Christmas” was a common and cheerful expres-sion of good will and a remind-er of what makes the season so special in the first place.

Could it be that the ever rising tide of criticism and contempt for Christmas is because the baby whose birth we celebrate has truly lived up to His name… Emmanuel, God with Us! At Christmas we’re reminded that He is King of kings and Lord of lords, therefore we ought to practice “peace on earth, good will to men.” Christmas under-scores the mystery of God’s love for us as revealed in the gift of His only begotten Son who for our sakes would lay down His life and shed His blood on the Cross so that God’s redemptive plan for mankind might be of-fered to everyone who would repent and believe.

Christmas reminds us that Christ is the only person worthy of dividing history and time with the designation of B.C. “before Christ” and A.D. “anno domini” – “in the year of our Lord.” His one solitary life has shaken and shaped the world as no one else either before or since. Is it not because of this one special life that Christmas means so very much after all? President Har-ry S. Truman in his Christmas Eve address of 1952 said, “Now, my fellow countrymen, I wish for all of you a Christmas filled

with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and many years of future hap-piness with the peace of God reigning upon this earth.” As we celebrate Christmas this year may each of us do so in recogni-tion, respect and reverence for the fact that Christmas is more than a religious holiday, it is the announcement of God’s uncon-ditional love for us so personi-fied in the virgin birth of His Son, whose name is Jesus and He was God with us then and He is still God with us today.

The poem “Christmas Bells” was written by Henry Wad-sworth Longfellow during the American Civil War. His words are just as appropriate for our nation today as they were when he first wrote them while America was still months away from Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House. The poem would later become a beloved Christmas Carol whose final lines read as follows:

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-

will to men!”Then pealed the bells more

loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth

He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-

will to men.”

Dr. Bryan Smith, is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Roanoke. Visit them on the Web

at: www.firstroanoke.comWorld’s Softest Socks & Wrap!

Just $20, while they last! Tue - Fri 11 to 6 • Sat 10 to 5

540.400.8555 WWW.VIDABELA.NET

Vida Bela

Find everything you need in . . .

Mary Margaret,Linnie,

Kristen &Lewis Clark

Featuring First Run, Documentary, Foreign, Independent

& Children’s Films

www.grandintheatre.com1310 Grandin Road, Roanoke

www.blackdogsalvage.com

vivalacupcakes.com1327 Grandin 540-204-3100

World’s Softest Socks & Wrap!

Just $20, while they last! Tue - Fri 11 to 6 • Sat 10 to 5

540.400.8555 WWW.VIDABELA.NET

Vida Bela

64 | CITY Magazine | September 2009

Shopping, Outdoor Dining & So Much More!

Visit our Community Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until Noon.grandinvillage.org

Wallpapers& Fabrics

Designer Items ~ Consignment Prices!

540.345.6177www.grandintheatre.com

1310 Grandin Road, Roanoke

GRAPHIC DESIGNILLUSTRATION

DIGITAL RETOUCHCORPORATE

COMMUNICATIONS 540.343.3290

GRAPHIC DESIGN | ILLUSTRATION | CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

Better than Estate Sale Prices!One of a Kind Christmas Finds!

1504 GRANDIN RD, ROANOKE

Historic Grandin Village, located just 2 miles from Downtown Roanoke, has something for everyone for the holidays.From stocking stuffers & gift certificates to that extra special gift. Avoid the stress of crowded malls & traffic jams.

Relax & enjoy the spirit of the holidays in a friendly neighborhood setting.For an hour, a day, or a lifetime, Life is Grand in the Village. Come see for yourself, we’re expecting you!

1418 Grandin Rd • RoanokePh: 540.982.2441• Fax: 540.982.2291 [email protected]

Harwood Paint & Decorating

Harwood Paint & Decorating

We carry a full line of “GREEN” products.

Individuals or small groups

Lisa Wade1415 Grandin Rd.

Roanoke, VA 540- 521-0313

Call for Private YOGA instruction

Visit us for your prescriptions needs...or we’ll come to you!

WESTPharmacy

1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke (540) 777-3403Across from the Grandin Theatre beside the Co-op

2012 Electric Rd, (Oak Grove) Roanoke (540) 774-5500

“”

I am the slowest carpet cleaner in Roanoke.

WilliamsCarpet Cleaning

I will give your carpet the time and attention it deserves to produce the best results possible.

2 rooms and a hall for $755 rooms and a hall for $155

Furniture cleaning also available!

Danny Williams989-1825

Christmas comes but once a year” -- and we often have such high

expectations for that special day. We want everything to be perfect – just the right gifts for everyone, outstanding deco-rations, tempting foods and special parties. Seldom do we achieve this goal; such perfec-tion is a fantasy.

Sometimes the most memo-rable Christmases are those when something went awry. Ev-ery year when our family gath-ers for the holidays, someone will say, “Remember when we had potato soup for Christmas dinner?” Then everyone laughs as we recall the circumstances

that caused such an unusual menu for that special meal.

A few days before Christmas our sewer stopped up. Until you have experienced this dire situation, you cannot appreciate what difficulty this can cause for a young family. Fortunately, our daughter was dog-sitting for the next-door neighbors and had the key to their house. Our other neighbors must have thought those dogs were getting a lot of attention from all five of the Shannons.

Other homes on our street had previously experienced the same sewer problem. We learned the builders of this subdivision used “orangeburg”

pipe instead of iron pipe sev-eral years before we bought the house. Made of fiber, it was un-able to withstand the pressure of six feet of red clay, and through the years had gradually flattened until it finally collapsed -- a few days before Christmas!

The only solution was to dig it up and replace it. Since my husband is the sort of guy who does all the maintenance him-self, he began to dig. School was out and our seventeen-year old helped his father dig. Deeper and deeper through the red clay they dug, until Harry could no longer reach the surface to empty his shovel. Now he filled a bucket, tied a rope to the han-

dle and our son hoisted it up and deposited it on the mounds of red clay beside the trench.

To add to their discomfort, mixed snow and rain began to fall and they erected a shelter with tent poles and a tarp. But the digging continued. Mean-while, I spread newspapers on the floor to keep muddy tracks from ruining our carpet, fixed sandwiches and canned soup for meals, and tried to adjust my expectations for a perfect dinner to the reality of the situa-tion. It could have been worse, I thought. We still had water and electricity! And the key to our neighbor’s house!

At six feet plus, the pipe fi-

nally appeared. Harry relented and called for help since heavy equipment was necessary to excavate beneath the stone wall that bordered our lot and the sidewalk. These workers would also remove and replace the pipe, restoring our facilities and my sanity. But not before Christmas. I had to face the fact that without using the drain I could not prepare a big meal – or wash the dishes.

So I peeled some potatoes and made a big pot of potato soup. Our weary workers gath-ered around the table. Harry gave thanks for the soup, for the gift of the Christ Child whose birth we celebrated, and the way

our family had worked together through this ordeal. I took some pictures of this momentous oc-casion for our Christmas al-bum.

Several days later, once life was back to “normal,” we had our turkey and all the extras. But somehow we don’t re-member much about that. Af-ter 36 years the pictures in our Christmas album are somewhat faded, but the memory of the Christmas when we ate potato soup for dinner is still vivid for each of us.

Ain’t life grand.?

Contact Mary Jo [email protected]

The Worst Christmas Memories are Sometimes the Best

Some of you might re-member a great slogan that came out in the 70’s,

“Have you hugged your kid to-day?” The Director of the Ken-tucky Bureau of Social Services, Jack Lewis, came up with the idea after seeing something sim-ilar while traveling. The slogan was put on bumper stickers and it caused such a stir at the state fair that they had to set a limit of one per family. The idea was that every kid needed a hug, no matter what. No matter where they came from, what they had done, or who they were; they just needed this demonstration of love. This message is a great demonstration of uncondition-al love….this is the message of Christmas!

What is unconditional love? It is not just loving a child when they make good grades, or even when they try hard; it is loving them when they don’t. It is not loving a child when they behave or are nice with their friends; it is loving them when they are not. Unconditional love is not

loving a child when they are obedient or show respect to their parents; it is loving them when they are rude and abrasive. It is deciding to show love to a child just because they are there, just because they exist. There is no pre-qualification, no earning or re-ward for good effort. Unconditional love is given just because.

Without realizing or planning on it, we often fall into the pat-tern of conditionally loving our kids. It is easy to praise them when they do good. They are fun to be around when they are laughing and joking and want to spend time with us. We feel like hugging them when they are cute and friendly. On the contrary, when they are rude, abrasive, disrespectful or just plain ugly with their behavior, we often just want them to go away. It truly is hard to hug a porcupine.

When we love our children when they are behaving, it is good. But undeserved love is gold. Our children internalize more about what we think of them and who they are when we show them love in a nega-tive state. It is at these times that they learn that we love them just because. As one child told me several years ago, “I know they love me, they hug me when I’m a brat.” This becomes the build-ing block for self-confidence and a positive self-image. To do this we have to break the cycle of conditional love and reach out to them when they are un-desirable.

How is this the message of Christmas? Often our focus

at Christmas is the lights, the family time, and of course the giving of gifts. The whole gift giving process is modeled many times after the story of the wise men giving gifts to the baby Jesus. There are two problems with this. Don’t tell your kids or the Christ-mas play director,

but the wise men didn’t show up until Jesus was a toddler. The second is that the importance of the gift giving was not what they gave Him; it is what God gave us….the Christ. He didn’t give us Jesus because we were good, well-behaved or even nice; he gave us Jesus when we didn’t de-serve Him. He reached out to us when we were undesirable. He loved us just because.

This is the unconditional love that God so freely has given us and what we are to give our chil-dren.

If you are up for a challenge over the weeks leading up to Christmas, here it is. First, pay close attention to when and how you show love to you kids. Identify when it is conditional and when you avoid them. Sec-ond, target your children when they are undesirable and love them. Be prepared, they aren’t going to give you the warmest reception, they are in a negative state. Remember that physical affection is hard to ignore, even in a bad mood. Third, repeat. Spend some time loving your children just because they are your children…….just like God did with the first Christmas. Go hug a kid for Christmas!

Hug a Kid for Christmas!

Keith McCurdy

Contact Keith [email protected]

A “Non-Religious” Christmas?by Dr. Bryan Smith

Page 6 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 12/11/09-12/17/09 NewsRoanoke.com

She took piano lessons when she was nine in Blacksburg; the teacher talked about how lan-guage is like music. That’s when the serious little girl first began toying with writing poetry. It was the medicine that helped her get through a childhood so tragic that she can’t talk about it now.

“Later I read E.A. Poe, and listened to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen,” said Laura Washington, 51, whose pen name is Rose. Cohen’s “The Stranger Song” struck a real chord with Washington, who

has felt like an outsider since she suffered from a nervous breakdown in her twenties. She attended Virginia Tech for sev-eral years (studying philosophy and business) before the panic attacks became so severe that she had to drop out.

Some thirty years later she is the mother of a fine, red-haired, accomplished son. “George is a senior, graduating in the spring from the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia,” Wash-ington said, her china blue eyes dancing with pride. She is now

a philosopher and a published poet, a rummy player and most recently -- a bride -- as of the fourteenth of November. But she also lives in a shadowy, as-sisted living facility for men-tally ill adults, where she will continue to reside with her new groom.

“I’ve been in and out of men-tal hospitals and adult homes since I was in my twenties,” admitted Washington. There’s a brilliant, light quality to her smile that unleashes itself when she launches into soft, undulating ripples of laughter.

A reporter recently asked her if she was at all mad at God for the fact that she is a brave and bright woman who, in a sense, fell through society’s cracks. She answered with part of one of her poems entitled “Every-thing’s Okay.”

Everything’s okay in an ulti-mate way,

Everything’s fine, thine and mine,

The course thread, The crust of bread, The fingered tear, the Savior

fair. Her work in The Snow

Child, Selected Works of Lala seems inspired by other greats ranging from Shakespeare to Gertrude Stein. “I started writ-ing, in earnest, after a tumultu-ous divorce,” said Washington; “I wrote four volumes of my anthology by the time I was forty.”

An ongoing struggle for the bride/poet now is the on-

slaught of environmental stim-uli that fills her head all at once, resulting in anxious, depressive episodes and headaches. That’s when she finds her identity as a poet as cathartic as the work itself. “The poet becomes a friend somewhere in time and space, a kindred spirit, with recognition of a lonely circum-stance,” said Washington.

She was living in the Rich-mond area when her son was small and another serious de-pressive episode hit. “My ex-husband (George’s father) was rich, so I let him rear George, but I visited twice a week,” said Washington, who is still friends with her son’s father.

Washington moved back to Blacksburg after George had grown tall as a sturdy, oak tree. But the talented Rose had seen better days; she moved to an adult home in Southwestern Virginia soon after. It’s fitting then that one of the poems in

The Snow Child is entitled, “When That Light at the End of the Tunnel is an Oncoming Train.”

Yet, on the back cover of Love Shows, The Collected Works of Lala, Washington writes: “Finding love is like finding a waterfall in a moun-tain forest. Words are like a handful of leaves to prove there was a forest with a waterfall.” Washington believes that her illness is not separate from her writing, or her creativity. “The love of the language makes it possible to describe an ex-perience in such a way that one does not feel alone, like a strange, ethereal creature,” said Washington.

These days she sees a differ-ent kind of light at the end of the tunnel; Washington was married to Bill Schriner recent-ly at the historical Enon Baptist Church. She was as radiant as any happy bride. There were candles galore, and pink roses; son George was there and a few friends who had come from afar. The writer’s journey was fi-nally on track with her dreams, but there were no trains whis-tling in the distance - only the sound of wedding bells.

Ernies RestaurantLocated on Roanoke’s

Historic City Market210 Market Street(540) 342-7100

Free Homemade Dessert with purchase of lunch Expires Jan 31,2010

Ernie’s, it’s all good!Ernie’s, it’s all good!

Come in and Enjoy Roanoke’s BestSat/Sun Brunch!

Located in Piccadilly Square • 3117 Franklin Rd. SE Roanoke VA 24014540-982-SORO (7676) • SoRoGrille.com

Here are just three of our delicious brunch items...• Crab Cake Eggs OscarA delicious pan fried lump crabcakes topped with eggs sunny side up and a hollandaise sauce – served with asparagus. • Sweet Potato PancakesTwo large fluffy sweet potato pancakes, topped with candied walnuts and sliced bananas; served with your choice of one side.• Shrimp Huevos Rancheros topped with Fresh Tomatillo SalsaBlackened Shrimp with Refried black beans and cheese grilled in a flour quesadilla topped with fried eggs, fresh tomatillo salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

Serving Brunch 10 am - 2 pm Saturday & Sunday

Kitchen open late all week!

Located in Piccadilly Square 3117 Franklin Road SE Roanoke, VA 24014 540-982-SORO (7676) SoRoGrille.com

ere you will find an eclectic blend of Southern favorites, many with a Cajun twist, such as the Jazzy Wings or Pasta Mardi Gras. And with original specials added regularly, there’s always something new to try - stop by for a taste today.

H

Stop and Chill at Roanoke’s Newest BAR & GRILLE

Kitchen open late 7 days a week

Open at 10am on Sundays for Roanoke’s best brunch

MON-WEDBuy one lunch,

get one free! (maximum value $9.00)

Expires 12/2/2009

32232232Roanoke.indd 1 10/29/09 11:41:09 AM

When the Light at the End of the Tunnel is Not an Oncoming Train

Photo by Paul Calvert

Laura Washington and Bill Schriner on their happy day.

By Mary Ellen [email protected]

RSS Dining Guide

sPorts 12/11/09-12/17/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 7

Send sports pictures, announcements and story ideas to

[email protected]

NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

NCAA® DIVISION IIIFOOTBALL

CHAMPIONSHIP

540/375-3004NCAA.com/tickets

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19SALEM STADIUM - 11 A.M. KICK

On Saturday November 29 three YMCA Fencing Competitive Team members traveled to Charlottesville for the Cavalier Novice Fencing Tournament. All three fencers earned a medal during this challenging compe-tition. Nic Penthorn won the tournament, placing first in foil. James Cole placed 5th, and Pierce Holt finished 7th. This was only the team's third competition and fol-lows a team silver and bronze medal performance at the 2009 Virginia Commonwealth Games. The YMCA offers instructional fencing programs (including all necessary equipment) for beginner, intermediate, and competitive children and adults ages 6-106. New classes begin Saturday January 9 at 1:00 pm. at the Kirk Family YMCA.

Northside (11-2) will play for its first-ever state football title in the Group AA Division 3 fi-nal this Saturday. The Vikings will travel to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg to take on Bruton (11-2) at noon. Northside domi-nated Cave Spring 28-7 at snowy Bogle Stadium last weekend in the semifinals, disappointing the home field Knights fans. North-side’s Philip Scott ran wild (248 yards on just 18 carries) against Cave Spring to lead the Vike’s of-fensive attack. Knights QB Josh Woodrum could muster only 56 yards passing under the adverse weather conditions.

Vikings to Play For Championship

Photos by TJ Witten

The Cave Spring band braves the snowy weather on the sidelines.

Photos by TJ Witten

Michael Cole tries a run against the stingy Vikings defense.

Photos by TJ Witten

Philip Scott (right, with ball) was a hand-ful for Cave Spring all day.

Photos by TJ Witten

Philip Scott scores the 1st TD for Northside.

Patrick Henry hosted E.C. Glass at its home gym Tuesday night, for a girls-boys basket-ball doubleheader. The boys team was 3-0 after winning while the girls team fell to 1-2 with a loss.

Patriots, Hilltoppers Play Two

Photos by Wade Thompson

Patrick Henry Head Coach Jack Esworthy challenges his players in Tuesday night’s game against EC Glass in Roanoke. The Patriots scored early and often as they raced out to a 23-5 first period lead.

photos by Wade Thompson

Patrick Henry’s Ter-rell Wilson glides effortlessly to the basket while scor-ing against EC Glass on Tuesday night in Roanoke.

Photos by Wade Thompson

Patrick Henry’s Sarah Williams stretches for the basketball in a game against EC Glass on Tuesday evening.

YMCA Fencing Team Competes

Pictured above from left to right Kian Kilillian (did not compete), Pierce Holt (7th), Coach Dave Filer, Nic Penthorn (1st), and James Cole (5th).

Page 8 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 12/11/09-12/17/09 NewsRoanoke.com

Hours:Available by phone 24/7

540-265-7297www.oakeypetloss.com

DON’T TRIP!

Carpet Restretching & RepairSteven W. Durrance Floors

776-9591

Glazed Bisque-ItPottery Painting Studio

Create personalized gifts for the Holidays at...

Hours: Sat: 10-6 • Sun: 1-5 • Tues, Wed, Fri: 11-6 • Thurs: 11-9120 Campbell Ave, SE 985-4567 • www.glazedbisque-it.com

Downtown, between Market Sq. & Williamson Rd.

You Paint it! We fire it! No experience necessary!

Phase 1 and 2 Sold Out!Last Phase of Pheasant Ridge Now Available!

1 to 3 bedroom condominium units - 7 floor plans to chose from!

“Live the life you’ve dreamed...” ~Henry David Thoreau

There is no better time to buy - seller will offer $5,000 towards purchase!

4444 Pheasant Ridge Road,South West Roanoke

(Across Rt. 220 from Hunting Hills)www.pheasantridgecondos.com

• Private road with gated entrance• Underground parking, automatic garage door opener• Nine-foot ceilings / Ceramic Tiled Foyer • Crown moulding and chair rail in dining room• Master bedroom with huge walk-in closet • Master bath with double sink and walk-in shower • Kitchen furnished with top of line G.E. appliances • Gas heat/central air / Closet Organizers• Pre-wired for internet, cable TV and telephone • Views, location and quality!

Let Delivery Boyz take the Hassle out of your Holidays!

We also Provide... Transportation to Holiday Events, Airports, and Train Stations! Member of

Roanoke Regional & Salem/Roanoke County Chambers of Commerce

CertifiedVirginia SWAM

Dealer

• Banking• Grocery Store• Hair Appointments• Doctor Appointments

• Merchant Shopping• Concerts & Plays• Personal Errands• Simple Transportation

Our professional drivers will transport you to your destination and stay with you in order to help with whatever needs you may have. We’ll even help you

take your merchandise into your home. And you’ll never have to wait -

We are there with you for the time that you reserve.

Our professional staffis bonded & insured &

offers kind & thoughtful serviceHourly rates with Senior Discounts Available

Delivery BoyzHas Expanded Their Services

We Deliver... • Gifts of all kinds • Holiday decorations• Party foods from a store or restaurant• Floral arrangements & Fruit baskets

Member of

Roanoke Regional

& Salem/Roanoke County

Chambers of Commerce

Certified

Virginia SWAM

Dealer

• Banking

• Grocery Store

• Hair Appointments

• Doctor Appointments

• Merchant Shopping

• Concerts & Plays

• Personal Errands

• Simple Transportation

Our professional drivers will transport you to your

destination and stay with you in order to help with

whatever needs you may have. We’ll even help you

take your merchandise into your home.

And you’ll never have to wait -

We are there with you for the time that you reserve.

Our professional staff

is bonded & insured &

offers kind & thoughtful service

Hourly rates with Senior Discounts Available

Delivery Boyz

Has Expanded Their Services

Hurt Park Townhomes was awarded the Best Housing Development Award during the presentation of the 2009

Virginia Housing Awards at the Governor's Housing Con-ference held in Norfolk, Vir-ginia.

The Best Housing Develop-ment award is given each year to a housing development that is innovative in its concept and design and exceptional in meeting the needs of the tar-geted client population.

Hurt Park Townhomes of-fers 40 affordable two and three bedroom townhomes. Amenities include covered front and rear porches, rear parking with private drive-ways, patios, washers and dry-ers, and central heat and air. Additionally, the homes offer the latest in energy efficiency features and are "EarthCraft" certified. The townhome com-munity is located on the City bus line and is convenient to downtown Roanoke, as well as parks and schools. An on-site community center provides

opportunities for recreation and educational programs.

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) program administered by the Virginia Housing Development Au-thority was instrumental in construction of these apart-ments. The program serves as an incentive for private investors to participate with developers in the construc-tion of affordable housing. The Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority is manage-ment agent for the property, which is owned by Hurt Park, L.P.

The Roanoke Redevelop-ment and Housing Author-ity was created by the City of Roanoke in 1949 under the provisions of the United States Housing Act of 1937. RRHA is an independent, political subdivision of the Common-

wealth of Virginia with three primary responsibilities to the citizens of Roanoke: to provide housing and home ownership opportunities and to accom-plish neighborhood revital-ization; to take a leadership role in providing programs and resources for residents that promotes and encourages self-sufficiency, self-esteem and self determination; and to maintain a leadership role in fostering economic develop-ment and job opportunities through redevelopment.

In addition to managing these apartment communities, RRHA currently owns and manages nearly 1,300 units of public housing in Roanoke and administers approxi-mately 1,600 units of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. To learn more, visit www.rke-housing.org

Hurt Park Townhomes Win Top Award

C & EGun & Knife Traders Show

Dec. 19-20SAT 9 - 5 SUN 10 - 5

BUY, SELL & TRADE$1.00 Off One Adult Admission

Free Parking Adults $7

C & E Gun Shows, 4225 Fortress Dr., Blacksburg, VA 24060 (540) 953-0016

SALEM CIVIC CENTER

www.cegunshows.com

RSS

I-81 to Exit 141. From the exit ramp, take Rt. 419 South. Continue to follow signs towards Salem Civic Center.

One brother killed in a car wreck...another dead from a rare form of childhood cancer. Then a husband shot down in Vietnam and the loss of a father. Cathy Caspole needed therapy, and she found it—the equine variety. An Anglo-Arab horse named “Therapy” helped Cas-pole get through some tough times thirty years ago, and she's been riding with a passion ever since.

It was 1966 and the Vietnam War was heating up. Caspole was a schoolteacher at the Ma-rine Corps base in Quantico, VA, married to Captain Ralph Caspole, a Marine Corps pilot who had piloted both Presi-dents Eisenhower and Kenne-dy. In June of that year, Captain Caspole's A4-B Skyhawk was shot down by hostile ground fire, and he died in the crash.

“The irony was he was flying

jets at that time, and I thought he would be okay because it was the helicopter pilots that were getting it,” said Mrs. Caspole, now 72 and a resident of south-west Roanoke County. “But he wasn't a POW ...you count your blessings.”

Back then, with so many family tragedies weighing on her, Caspole's older brother told her she needed a hobby. Her thoughts turned to something she had always loved – horses. She had been around them since childhood, as the fam-ily had a horse when she was a little girl. “His name was ‘Light-ning,’ because he would go off like the speed of light,” said Cas-pole. She decided it was time to take up riding again. Caspole, who was seeing a therapist at the time, recounts the turning point. “When I told her what I was thinking, she said 'You're on your way to recovery, '” said Caspole. “I've never forgotten that.”

“At Quantico they had a sta-ble. The man that was in charge of the stable was a retired ma-rine. He could have been an Olympic rider, but the Marine

Corps sent him to Korea in-stead,” said Caspole. “He took me under his wing and found “Therapy” for me.” The irony of that horse’s name was never lost on her.

Riding Therapy did won-ders for her mental and spiri-tual health. “I just loved riding,” Caspole said. “It was a boost to pick me up and love some-thing.” Caspole competed with Therapy in dressage competi-tions for several years until old age necessitated that he be put down. Caspole donated his body to the veterinary school operated by Virginia Tech in Leesburg, VA.

Her next equine love, “Fritz,” was an Oldenburg, a German warm blood breed known for their excellent gaits and jump-ing ability. It was with Fritz that Caspole achieved her greatest success in the dressage ring. She and Fritz won a major compe-tition in northern Virginia in which Fritz competed in the second (intermediate) level of competition. In nearly 30 years of competition, Caspole esti-mates she won about 200 rib-bons.

In 1999, she retired and moved to Roanoke to help her brother, a Roanoke rheumatolo-gist, care for their ailing mother, who has since passed. During that time her riding had to take a back seat to family.

When Fritz died about seven years ago, Caspole bought a new horse, Dasan, a thorough-bred-Hanoverian cross. She found it difficult to find the time to compete because of family obligations and then her own subsequent bout with can-cer, which is thankfully now in remission. Today she feels en-ergetic enough to give competi-tion another try, and she has a new goal -- to compete when

the combined age of rider and horse totals 100.

“I would love to do it with Dasan, but he's 17 and I'm 72,” laughs Caspole. “I've seen pic-tures of these old people, and I mean they are old ... there was a lady sitting on her horse and she had her cane in her hand. If I can find a horse that would be of the age—of course, it wouldn't be real peppy—it would be fun to do it.” The twinkle in her eye has returned – and the peace she sought all those years ago is evident in her smile.

Equine Therapy Gives Roanoker New Life

By Dave [email protected]

Cathy Caspole

The award-winning Hurt Park townhomes.

NewsRoanoke.com 12/11/09-12/17/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 9

All Wrapped Up

In Style!Gift Certicates! Always the perfect fit! Gift certificates have

no fees and are valid at all mall stores!

From national retailers to restaurants and specialty shops to cinemas, you’ll find

everything you need for everyone on your list. Tanglewood Mall, where great

shopping is always in style!

AC Moore • Barnes & Noble Belk • JCPenney • Staples

Stein Mart • TJ Maxx

540.989.4388 shoptanglewood.com

A highly successful First Annual Car Show sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Volkswagen Club has turned into a very generous donation to the Virginia Mu-seum of Transportation. Club President David Montgomery recently presented a “Big Check” to Museum Executive Di-rector Beverly T. Fitzpatrick. The $1,000 Club donation is designated for the Mu-seum’s Advance Auto Parts Auto Gallery.

With the cars that are on display that date back to 1904, “we really wanted to support the automotive gallery at the Museum,” said Montgomery. “Support-ing the Museum was overwhelmingly the Club’s choice, because the Museum is not federally or state funded.”

The donation was provided from the proceeds from the Club’s First Annual Car Show, held at Tanglewood Mall. “We anticipated 25-30 cars, but we had that in the first two hours,” explained Montgom-ery. “We had to start parking them closer

together or we would have run out of room. It was great that it all came together so well. We’ll be looking for a larger space next year.”

“We are humbled and grateful for their hard work and this very generous dona-tion from the Roanoke Valley Volkswa-

gen Club,” said Museum Executive Direc-tor Bev Fitzpatrick, Jr. “The auto gallery is special to us because we can often bring in new exhibits—our most recent addition is an Earl truck built in 1922. The Club’s gen-erosity will help us keep bringing in more ‘new’ vehicles and taking care of the ones currently on display. People really love the old cars and the stories behind them, and it means a lot to us that the Club has stepped forward in this way.”

The Club’s leadership includes David Montgomery, President; Gene Bennett, Vice-President; Jeff Whittaker, Vice-Pres-ident; Mary Palmer, Secretary; Linda Jen-kins, Treasurer; Duane Palmer, Advisor; and Grant Whittaker, Communications. Upcoming Club events include the Club’s Christmas Party at the Salem Civic Cen-ter on December 12. For more informa-tion and a complete calendar of events, visit http://rvvwc.com/.

Roanoke Valley Volkswagen Club Presents Donation for Auto Gallery at Virginia Museum of Transportation

Valley Metro is now providing the rear displays of five city buses to help the RVSPCA advance its mission to “improve the quality of life and the people they touch in the Roanoke Valley.”

Beginning in November Roanoke city buses began featuring RVSPCA programs and adoptable animals on the rear displays. As the buses cruise around the Roanoke area, offering public trans-portation to the residents, those traveling alongside or behind the buses now have the opportunity to learn a little more about the RVSPCA.

The RVSPCA relies on the generosity of the community for the funds needed to provide food, shelter, medical care and compan-ionship for thousands of homeless and unwanted animals during the year. The RVSPCA does not receive funding from any state or national organization. One of the bus displays is a call for donations – both of food and funds - to sustain the organization.

Another display will feature the foster program. In calendar year 2008, more than 1,100 animals got their second chance because of the temporary care they received from foster families. Infant and orphaned pups and kittens, too small or weak to be available for adoption are able to grow and thrive and become beloved pets. Adult animals, recuperating from medical procedures, or in need of socialization or a respite from the shelter environment, experi-ence love and consistency in a temporary home.

Through the PET (Pets Eat Too) Program, the RVSPCA provides food for the pets of recipients of Meals on Wheels, as well as pet food to the Bethel Baptist Church, Botetourt County and Manna Ministries food pantries, helping to keep pets and people united. One bus display will promote this program and drive donations of dry dog and cat food for the program.

Two bus displays have been dedicated to helping long-term resi-dents of the RVSPCA find the home they deserve. Bart is a canine with a heart of gold. A big, furry creature, he is looking for a home with room to run and a lot of TLC. Nicki is a feline who has grown up in the shelter. She was a small kitten of only two months, and now she is a beautiful nine month old tabby looking for a warm window sill and a lap to fill. As these animals find their forever homes, the photos will be changed so that others may have the op-portunity of this community-wide exposure.

For more info: www.rvspca.org

Valley Metro Partners with SPCA to Help Pets in Need

Dear Star-Sentinel Reader:Well folks, since it's almost Christmas and soon to be the new

year, I thought I'd let you know the brand new 2010 Church Mouse Calendar is on sale now! Once again this charitable production is chock full of my original drawings that explore the amazing and blessed everyday adventures of the "Church Mice" in their church and secular world. Thanks to all who bought last year's calendar, your purchasing efforts enabled the church to donate $3,500 to the S.W. Va. Second harvest Food Bank and donate about $2,200 to Christ Church's Millennium Development Goals (the building of a school in Idukay Peru), and also pay for the production of the calendar! We hope to be equally successful with the 2010 Church Mouse Calendar whose proceeds will once again go to S.W. Va. Second harvest Food Bank and Milennium Development Goals (clean water project) at Christ Episcopal Church. Just like last year, the new calendar sells for $10 and is available at the following locations: Tinnell's Finer Foods, Wheeler's Fast Service Laundry & Dry Cleaning, Cantos Booksellers, Metro Paint, Aesy's Restaurant and of course Christ Episcopal Church, (540-343-0159). Your patronage is greatly appreciated ... have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Your Pal, Shep

2010 Church Mouse Calendar

(Left to right): Gene Bennett, Grant Whittaker, Bev Fitzpatrick, Linda Jen-kins, David Montgomery, and Charlotte Ferguson.

One of the new RVSPCA signs provided by Valley Metro.

valley BusinessPage 10 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 12/11/09-12/17/09 NewsRoanoke.com

At Your Service!Your Hometown Business Directory

Haley Toyota2711 Franklin Rd.

Roanoke, VA 24014

At Your Service!Your Hometown Business Directory

Save your carpet!Carpet re-stretching and repair

Also new installationsSteven W. Durrance

Floors

776-9591

540-904-7104SERVING THE ROANOKE VALLEY

Haley Toyota2711 Franklin Rd.

Roanoke, VA 24014

1334 S. Main St., Blacksburg, VA (beside Kroger) 540-951-HAIR Offer Expires July 12, 2009 No Appointment Necessary

$5.99HAIRCUT

COUPON

NM599

2022 Electric Rd. Roanoke, 24018 (725-2007)3940 Valley Gateway Blvd, Roanoke (New Bonsack Kroger) (977-1107)

Offer Expires Sept. 1, 2009 No Appointment Necessary

STAR

!

!

JSSHome ImprovementsGeneral Home Repairs

Complete Bathroom Remodeling • Tile WorkInterior/exterior Carpentry • Plumbing

Window/door installation • Hardwood Flooring

For a Free Estimate Call or email James725-7343 [email protected]

Licensed/insured with 24 years experiencereferences available

Use it to call Mr. Handyman.

“The tool I recommend most? The telephone.”

“The tool I recommend most? The telephone.”

www.mrhandyman.com

RICHARD KARN TV star and “home improvement guru.”

540-977-4444Fully Insured-General Liability and Workers’ Compensation.

Each franchise independently owned and operated.

6.991334 S. Main St., Blacksburg, VA (beside Kroger) 540-951-HAIR

Offer Expires July 12, 2009 No Appointment Necessary

$5.99HAIRCUT

COUPON

NM599

Our Blacksburg location, located ½ mile from VT campusis hiring FT / PT stylists. Management opportunities may

be available. Please call 540-525-4643 or go online to:www.greatclips.com

NOW HIRING°

Kitchen Cabinets Restored540 366 1640

Clean • Touch Up • Clear Coat

Smart KitchensCall“A Beautiful Kitchen...In Just One Day!”

Joe Kleinman

Have your businessplaced here for $30

a week

540-904-7104SERVING THE ROANOKE VALLEY

!

!

JSSRemodelingGeneral Home Repairs

Complete Bathroom Remodeling • Tile WorkInterior/exterior Carpentry • Plumbing

Window/door installation • Hardwood Flooring

For a Free Estimate Call or email James725-7343 [email protected]

Licensed/insured with 24 years experiencereferences available

Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa

and

Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa

Welcome... Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa

_

Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa

Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa

Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa

15 E Main Street • Salem (Beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara Henderson Martin

Stylist/Color Specialist

welcome

&

(located beside Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea)

Sara is offering $25 Haircuts

through the Holiday Season!

Call today for your appointment at 309-9089

Pampered & Polished

Salon & Day Spa

Brian BurkePresident/Loan Officer

[email protected]

O: 540-966-3570 C: 540-293-1036 F: 540-966-3595

Doug Mitchell Loan Officer

1423 Roanoke Road Daleville, VA 24083 • 540-353-5272 • Virginia License # MC-5340

“Mortgages Made Easy”[email protected]

“Mortgages Made Easy”

Doug MitchellLoan Officer

[email protected]

1423 Roanoke Rd., Daleville, VA 24083Virginia License # MC-5340

1618 Roanoke BlvdSuite A

Salem, Virginia 24153540-389-5252

www.dustbunniescorp.comgift certificates available

Dust Bunnies, Inc.

Stan Breakell of Breakell, Inc. was caught completely by surprise at a recep-tion honoring volunteers last Thursday afternoon at the William Fleming High School Auditorium. The yearly recep-tion is held to honor those who serve on Authorities, Boards, Commissions and Committees.

Breakell, Inc. employees quietly entered seating in the back rows of the auditorium unseen by Breakell. When Mayor Bowers announced him “Citizen of the Year,” his employees clapped, whooped and hol-lered as he took the stage. Family hid-den from view poured onto the stage to Breakell’s surprise and delight. Vice-May-or Sherman Lea, Council members Anita Price, Court Rosen, Dave Trinkle and Gwen Mason were also present to honor

him. In addition to a plaque for Citizen of the Year, Breakell received the key to the city from Mayor David Bowers.

In separate comments following the presentation and an “all-you-can-eat”

buffet, Breakell said that he is preparing a “project downtown that he couldn’t talk about.” He did say that “near term proj-ects [will] include carbon neutral and net zero energy buildings.”

One of the carbon neutral buildings al-ready being planned is the Roanoke City “super library” which will be located on Peters Creek Road and is slated to be built in 2011. Breakell Inc. is a company com-mitted to the environment, specializing in LEED (Leadership in Energy and En-vironmental Design) buildings – Breakell Inc. currently has eight LEED Accredited Professionals on staff.

The William Fleming High School Chorus, who sang an inspiring rendition of “You Raise Me Up” with soloist DeVon-te Saunders, kicked off the event.

Stan Breakell is 2009 Citizen of the Year

Access Advertising & Pub-lic Relations has received the Citizen Recognition Award from the Roanoke Police De-partment in recognition of the firm’s pro bono efforts in developing the “SaferCity Roanoke” crime prevention and awareness campaign. The award was presented at a cer-emony held at the Jefferson Center on December 2.

Through the use of inven-tive online, community out-reach and traditional media components, the “SaferCity

Roanoke” campaign, launched in November 2009 aims to educate Roanoke citizens on measures to prevent larcenies.

“When we were approached by the Department to create this campaign, it quickly be-came apparent how great the possibilities were for them to engage directly with the com-munity they serve,” says Access CEO and Founder Tony Pear-man. “Access was dedicated to this cause from the beginning and we were extremely proud of the work we accomplished.

This recognition from the Roanoke Police Department is such an unexpected honor – we continue to feel privi-leged to have been given such a wonderful opportunity.”

Access created a new web-site, Facebook page, and Twit-ter account to promote cam-paign messages, along with traditional advertisements that feature strong imagery and clever plays-on-words that illustrate how quickly posses-sions can be stolen. Campaign messages advocate that proper

precautions can prevent a “bicycle from turning into a BYEcycle”; a “barbeque from turning into a BYE-BYE-q”; or a “Moped from turning into a NOped.”

Access also developed cam-paign branded car sun screens and faux parking tickets with tips and reminders as fun but informative tools to speak di-rectly to citizens.

Visit www.rpdsafercity.com for more information about the “SaferCity Roanoke” cam-paign.

Access Honored with Citizen Recognition Award

The Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club is a not-for-profit club that has supported Ama-teur Radio in the Valley area for over 40 years, by training classes for new Ham Radio Op-erators, working with local High School and Middle School radio clubs and working with local Emergency groups in case of problems to help furnish com-munications in and out of the local area.

The club also has an Annual Auction Fundraiser each April and a Hamfest (buy, sell and trade event) each summer to help support the radio repeater located on Poor Mountain. In May of each year there is a Field Day event held to test commu-nication. The RVARC meets at 8:00 p.m., the second and forth Friday of each month at the American Red Cross Chapter House located on Church Av-

enue in Roanoke. Anyone inter-ested in Amateur Radio is wel-come to attend the next meeting in January 2010.

For more information con-cerning the RVARC please con-tact, Ray Ramsey, President of the club at 540-774-9474 or his e-mail at [email protected]. The club also has a website that can be found at www.w4ca.us

Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club Elects Officers for 2010

Stan Breakell receives his award from Mayor Bowers, while his family looks on.

(L to R) President – Ron Ramsey AB4A, Vice President – Phil Roark K4WFO, Secre-tary – Nancy Wood KG4ETP and Treareasurer – Ray Pillow KK4HR.

A leading index of economic growth shows a dramatic improve-ment for the Roanoke Region. Roanoke rose 42 positions to No. 126 out of the 200 largest U.S. metro areas, according to the 2009 Milken Institute / Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best-Performing Cities Index. The Roanoke Region was the highest-ranking of Vir-ginia’s major metropolitan areas for high-tech GDP growth from 2007-08.

The overall index ranks U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth. The compo-nents include jobs, wages and salaries as well as technology growth. While Roanoke’s overall position improved, other Southern metro

areas, including Asheville, N.C., Greenville, S.C., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Raleigh, N.C., fell in the overall ranking. Roanoke was higher than Chattanooga (172) and Greensboro, N.C. (154).

“Once again, a comprehensive national index shows the Roanoke Region improving in a variety of measures,” says Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “What’s particularly gratifying is that the Roanoke Region climbed in the rankings while many cities in the South declined.”

The complete index can be found at: http://bestcities.milkeninsti-tute.org/bestcities2009.taf?rankyear=2009&type=rank200.

Roanoke Region Improves in Latest Index of Economic Growth

CBIZ Century Payroll, Inc. of Roanoke announced the tally of their month long “Pack on the Pounds” food drive aimed at supporting the South-west Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank. The total pound-age of food donated was 31,469 pounds.

The 116 employees rallied together to make a significant contribution to their struggling community as many individu-als still feel the repercussions from the recent recession. They hope their efforts will temper the widely reported shortage at food banks for at least a short while. The Roanoke CBIZ Cen-tury Payroll, Inc. collected the second largest amount nation-wide. Only slightly behind the

number one collectors from the San Jose CA, CBIZ office that collected 34,944 pounds

CBIZ Inc., is a publicly owned company with offices nation-wide. This inaugural food drive brought in a grand total of over 400,000 pounds, which was disbursed to the participating offices’ local community food banks.

CBIZ Roanoke Collects Over 15 Tons for Second Harvest Food Bank

National College has signed on as the Peak sponsor for the Blue Ridge Marathon which will be held on April 24, 2010 in Roanoke, Virginia. Caril-ion Clinic and Valley Bank are Overlook sponsors, while Fink's Jewelers in association with TAG Heuer will be the event's official timekeeper.

"National College didn't hes-itate when presented with the chance to be our Peak spon-sor," said Race Director Ronny Angell, who explained that the sponsorship levels were named after mountain features in honor of the peaks that mark the marathon's first 16 miles. Angell is President of Odyssey Adventure Racing, and Nation-al College has also sponsored a series of Sprint Adventure Rac-

es through Odyssey."I'm pleased for National

College to be a part of some-thing that signifies health and fitness, while showcasing the Roanoke Valley," said National College President Frank E. Lon-gaker. National's involvement is in keeping with its ongoing push to promote healthy living among its employees. Recently the college implemented two wellness programs. Now Na-tional College is offering to pay the entry fee of its employees at each of its 26 campuses who are interested in participating in the marathon.

Carilion Clinic and Valley Bank have taken two of the three available Overlook spon-sorships. "We saw this as an op-portunity to support wellness

in the Valley and the region's outdoor attractions," said Dr. Edward Murphy, President and CEO of Carilion Clinic. Murphy said Carilion Clinic employees and others will be encouraged to walk the 13.1-mile half marathon.

Ellis L. Gutshall, Presi-dent and CEO of Valley Bank

echoed those thoughts. "We have a wonderful city nestled in the mountains, and this marathon showcases all of it. We feel like it's a perfect fit for Valley Bank."

Roanoke-based Fink's Jewel-ers in partnership with Swiss watch maker TAG Heuer will be the official time keeper for

the event, and will also pro-vide watches valued at $5,000 to the overall men's and wom-en's winners. "The Blue Ridge Marathon is going to be a great thing for Roanoke and I knew Fink's needed to be a part of it. TAG Heuer is our leading timepiece for the sports en-thusiast, so it was a natural fit," said owner, Marc Fink. Fink's will also provide a $500 gift certificate toward TAG Heuer merchandise to all participants of the event.

The inaugural National Col-lege Blue Ridge Marathon be-gins and ends in downtown Roanoke. Marathon runners will ascend Mill Mountain and later Roanoke Mountain before returning to the Valley for the final 10 miles on rolling

terrain. A substantial portion of the run is on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Organizers felt the best way to attract a national audience was to create an event that stood out.

"We are seeing the desire of runners to come here to match themselves against this course," said Race Co-Chair Pete Eshelman, who is also di-rector of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partner-ship one of the event's Switch-back sponsors. "We are excited that the business community is embracing our vision," he said. Eshelman pointed out that the committee has many more sponsorships available and hoped to be making more announcements soon.

Blue Ridge Marathon Secures National College as Peak Sponsor

A creative food display by CBIZ

Runners trace part of the route of the upcoming marathon.

arts & cultureNewsRoanoke.com 12/11/09-12/17/09 |The Roanoke Star-Sentinel |Page 11

EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF LIVING AT THE PARK-OAK GROVE

(540)989-9501www.parkoakgrove.commbelfiore@parkoakgrove.comMonth-To-Month Lease

Off Route 419Across from Oak Grove Plaza

4920 Woodmar Drive SWRoanoke, VA 24018

Independent Carefree Lifestyle

Three Delicious Meals Served Daily

Assisted Living Services as Needed

Wellness Program 24-Hour Staff

Medication Administration and Monitoring

Personalized Care in Your Own Apartment

Small Pets Welcome

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE 1989-2009

Our Little Cherubs Boutique

Finish your holiday shopping with

3536 Electric Road Promenade Park \ 10-6 Mon-Sat 540-725-7777 · www.ourlittlecherubsboutique.com

30% Off All Toys

Since 1984 GOLDSMITH JEWELERS 2203 Crystal Spring Avenue

985-3700 Featuring ‘Personality’ Bracelets

43 years Expertise

Roanoke has a Saltwater Fish Store!

• Large selection • Live corals

• Aquariums & equipment • Delivery & set-up

• Maintenance for home or business540-580-7755 1428 Roanoke Road

(Across from Lord Botetourt High School)

T-F 3-7 pm, Sat 12-6 pm, Sun 1-5

Roanoke College English professor Robert Schultz and local freelance writer James Shell have put together a mem-oir, “We Were Pirates: A Torpe-doman’s Pacific War.” Published by the Naval Institute Press, it’s the story of Bob Hunt, an ordi-nary young man in extraordi-nary times. Hunt survived 12 consecutive war patrols on the U.S.S. Tambor submarine dur-ing World War Two.

The Tambor witnessed the destruction of Pearl Harbor just days after the Japanese attack that drew the United States into World War II; Hunt’s boat shad-owed enemy ships at the Battle of Midway, ferried guns and supplies to American guerilla fighters in the Philippines and endured a 17 hour depth charge attack. Hunt later received a commendation from Fleet Ad-miral Chester W. Nimitz.

Hunt, who was one of Shultz’ neighbors in Iowa, heard that Schultz was a writer and sat down with him over the past few years for a series of taped interviews that became the basis for “We Were Pirates.” Ordinary life aboard a submarine, as well as the ways sailors dealt with stress while on liberty, is fair game for the book.

“That’s been the most com-mented upon part of the book so far,” said Shell – talking about the “wild times off the boat,”

which Hunt described after two months at sea. He was only 22 when Pearl Harbor took place – and was one of the older sea-men. The men never knew if the next time they went to sea would be their last, so they packed as much living as they could into two weeks of shore leave.

“He taught our daughter Lucy to downhill ski when he was 75 years old,” recalled Schultz of Hunt, who showed him a di-ary, a battle flag from the U.S.S. Tambor and a “treasure trove of primary material,” that later be-came part of “We Were Pirates.”

With World War Two veter-ans passing away in great num-bers these days, Shell, whose father served in that war, said many probably have interest-ing stories to tell. “It’s amazing when you get these guys to start talking about what they’ve done. They tell you some remarkable things.”

Robert Hunt, still fit in his 80’s, led what some might call an ordinary life after the war, but his service in the Pacific theater and a Zelig-like ten-

dency to have witnessed some of the campaign’s fiercest battles provide interesting reading for war buffs. In one sequence he describes a battle from below deck, where he was writing in his diary, drawing lines for each time the deck gun on the Tam-bor was fired - as he listened to radio chatter. “On this particu-lar page you’re seeing the narra-tion of a battle…as it occurred,” said Schultz.

There have been many books written about the towering fig-ures of WII, giving the “grand scheme,” of the United States at war, said Schultz, but this work is different. “We enjoyed telling this remarkable story from a seaman’s point of view. He was a torpedoman in the belly of the beast,” noted Schultz, whose novel The Madhouse Nudes was warmly received several years ago. “[Hunt] told an un-varnished story.”

(See www.nip.org for more on how to get the memoir).

Two Roanoke Writers Combine For WWII Memoir

By Gene [email protected]

Roanoke resident and writer Katherine DeLorraine has pub-lished a book, “Human Bridges,” that has drawn praise from the likes of writers Nikki Giovanni and Fred Chappell. The writ-ing consultant and sometime teacher – she’s been an educa-tor at local public and private schools, and at several local col-leges – mixes poems about the lives of African women with others about life in Roanoke and Virginia.

There’s even a brief five-act play, titled “Power Play,” in the 136-page volume from Plain View Press. DeLorraine will read from the book and sign copies at the Tanglewood Mall Barnes and Noble this Saturday at 2 p.m.

“I’ve studied writing for a long time,” said DeLorraine, a Farmville native who attended Longwood University and later earned a master’s in creative writing from a small Vermont school. She’s also a writing coach who runs her own busi-ness, “Moving Write Along,” which can be found at the web-site of the same name. “It’s to help writers of any kind … who aspire to achieve something.”

DeLorraine is now working with a female firefighter who wants to tell her story. Most

people have a tale to tell, but sometimes they need help. “If you can talk, you can write,” says DeLorraine. She encourag-es all of her students to “get out of the box,” when they sit down to write creatively. “That’s what is near and dear to my heart – to help people tell their stories.”

In the poem “Market Street Blues” she writes about the fel-low “on a bench in front of the theater…he plays harmonica, a tin cup wedged between his knees … feet tapping the rapid beat.” One of her poems about African women (Manena), de-

scribes the person in the title: “my name means mountain… and everyone says that I am made of rock inside, because I never show how I feel … no one has ever seen me cry.”

“Human Bridges” is a compi-lation of “many years of work,” according to DeLorraine, add-ing that all sections of the book are linked by two characters. Some poems are based on her childhood. “We repress memo-ries,” noted DeLorraine, who finds that writing helps free those memories.

DeLorraine believes that technology “has put a damper on education,” and creative writing, but on her website movingwritealong.com she also takes advantage of the Internet to post chapters from a novel in progress. “Technology is al-lowing the universality of our lives to come together,” she con-cedes.

“DeLorraine is singing a new song of expectation and hope,” writes Nikki Giovanni, the Vir-ginia Tech distinguished profes-sor in her review. “We all should be pleased.” Katherine DeLor-raine will be at the Tanglewood Mall Barnes and Noble, this Sat-urday Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.

Katherine DeLorraine’s “Human Bridges” Draws Praise

By Gene [email protected]

Katherine DeLorraine is the author of “Human Bridges,” which has received a nod from the likes of Nikki Giovanni.

It may have been cold and pouring rain outside. But on the mezzanine inside the Roa-noke Main Library on Tuesday evening, folks were enjoying a performance by the “Lenny Marcus Trio” -- “Comfort and Joy, Holiday Spectacular,” with a special appearance from vo-calist Kerry Hurley. The show’s theme echoed the name of the trio’s most recent CD (Comfort and Joy), released at the event.

Lenny Marcus, joined by Phil Riddle on drums and Jeff Hoff-man on bass, wowed the audi-ence during the performance of Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown songs. When introducing those songs, Marcus enthused, ”I love Vince Geraldi and what he did for all the Charlie Brown shows.” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-men” evoked hand clapping and shouts of “Whoo Hoo!”

Prior to the end of both the first and second set, Hurley joined the trio on stage. He performed a satin rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and said he thought the song was “one of the best Christmas songs out there” be-cause “it says it all.” Hurley then sang “Blue Christmas,” and re-marked that Elvis “was one of the best Christmas singers out there.” Additional highlights

were “Silent Night” and “Chest-nuts Roasting on an Open Fire.”

Other songs performed in-cluded “Silver Bells,” “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” and “Fly Me to the Moon,” reminis-cent of “ole blue eyes” Frank Si-natra.

Those attending the event were privy to a spectacular per-formance that was both refresh-ing and uplifting.

Marcus is a highly trained jazz pianist who brings a unique musical style that ranges from a high energy to contemplative approach. He hails from Wash-ington, D.C., but worked for

several years in New Orleans, studying and performing with legends such as Ray Bryant, Charlie Byrd, and Jane Powell.

The trio provides a fresh, in-novative and highly creative approach, which was embraced by the audience. A unique sounding bluesy-jazz group, the Lenny Marcus Trio is very well schooled and the seamless in-teraction of this trio is extraor-dinary.

Hurley, who sings for Roa-noke’s Fat Daddy Band and who founded Blue Ridge Blues Soci-ety, is a veteran blues performer who has traveled the east coast for the last decade and used his

knowledge and experience to create a musician friendly en-vironment at Blue 5 Restaurant, which he owns in downtown Roanoke.

This was the Trio’s second an-nual holiday performance at the Roanoke Main Library; Marcus said he “hopes to continue the tradition” and return next year.

Lenny Marcus Trio with Kerry Hurley, second from right.

Lenny Marcus Trio Spreads Comfort and Joy

By Susan [email protected]

Page 12 | The Roanoke Star-Sentinel | 12/11/09-12/17/09 NewsRoanoke.com

Annual Election

PeriodNov. 15 - Dec. 31.

Call today for yourfree

information kit!

If you have questions, are shopping for anew plan or just want to knowmore about the newCarilion Clinic Medicare Health Plan, join us for a free,no-obligation seminar.You’ll want to know about this new plan if you’re eligible for Medicare andyou live in the Carilion Clinic Medicare Health Plan service area: Bedford,Lexington, Radford, Roanoke and Salem, and the counties of Bedford,Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery and Roanoke.

To learnmore about the Carilion plan and discover how you cangetmore out ofMedicare, come to a free, no-obligationpresentation at a time and place convenient for you.

H8050_Ad0913h©2009 Carilion Clinic Medicare Health Plan (1-1-609)

To register, or for accommodation of persons with specialneeds at salesmeetings, call toll-free 1-877-494-3051,TTY 1-877-225-3157, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.A sales personwill be present with information and applications.Formore information about the plan, youmay also:

• Call toll-free 1-800-811-0422, TTY 877-225-3157,8 a.m. – 8 p.m., seven days a week

• Visit our website at www.CarilionMedicare.com

Carilion Clinic Medicare Health Plan is a Medicare Advantage organization with aMedicare contract and an approved Part D sponsor. Youmust reside in the CarilionClinic Medicare Health Plan approved service area in which you enroll.

DoYouHaveQuestionsAboutYourMedicareCoverage?Is YourHealthPlannoLongerOfferingCoverage in2010?

Bedford Bedford Visitor Center Dec. 9, 10 a.m.; Dec. 11, 2 p.m.Dec. 14, 2 p.m.; Dec. 17, 10 a.m.Dec. 22, 2 p.m.

Christians-burg

Carilion New River Valley Medical Center Dec. 10, 10 a.m.; Dec. 17, 2 p.m.;Dec. 18, 2 p.m.; Dec. 23, 10 a.m.

Roanoke Carilion Clinic’s 3 Riverside Building – ConferenceRoom 2

Dec. 21: 10 a.m., 2 p.m.

Roanoke Friendship Retirement Community – Community’sResidents’Center

Dec. 7: 10 a.m., 2 p.m.

Roanoke Holiday Inn Tanglewood Dec. 10: 10 a.m., 2 p.m.

Roanoke Sheraton Roanoke Hotel & Conference Center Dec. 8: 10 a.m., 2 p.m.Dec. 16: 10 a.m., 2 p.m.Dec. 18: 10 a.m., 2 p.m.

Rocky Mount Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital – Auditorium Dec. 9, 2 p.m.; Dec. 11, 10 a.m.Dec. 14, 10 a.m.; Dec. 22, 10 a.m.

Vinton VintonWar Memorial Dec. 14: 10 a.m., 2 p.m.

Carilion Clinic Medicare Advantage Plan’s HMO and HMO-POS plans will be presented.

New

sRoanoke.com

Before you go over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house this holiday sea-son, consider what a University of Wisconsin-Madison infectious-disease specialist calls key myths about travel and illness.

“Many people have misconceptions about how viruses and bacterial infections are transmitted from person to person, especially on airplanes,” says Dr. Jim Conway, an associate professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) and pediatric infectious-disease physician at the American Family Chil-dren’s Hospital.

“If you combine common sense with accurate information, you’ll have a much better chance of staying healthy during the holidays.”

Conway says the myths fall into three general categories.

Myth #1: Stale airplane air is a major source of contagious disease.

“There are very few things that fly through the air and magically infect other people,” says Con-way. “Viral infections like flu and colds spread when you have contact with a droplet from some-one’s sneeze or cough. It’s transmitted because humans can’t seem to keep their hands away from their faces,” says Conway. Viruses last sev-eral hours on surfaces while bacteria can last for weeks.

Myth #2: Immune-boosting products will pro-tect you from holiday illnesses.

Conway says there is no reliable evidence that

shows products marketed as “bolstering the im-mune system” work. While the products contain heavy doses of vitamins, Conway says it’s not ever been demonstrated in any clinical studies that a few chewables or tablets will instantly make the immune system stronger.

Myth #3: Surgical masks provide more protec-tion against contagious viruses.

Conway says this is a myth with a shred of truth in it. Surgical masks won’t stop colds and other viruses because these viruses are not airborne like the pathogens causing tuberculosis, smallpox and measles.

“Since it would be rare to come in contact with a contagious disease that’s airborne, the only rea-son to wear a mask on a commercial airplane is

that you don’t trust yourself not to touch your mouth, eyes and nose, not to prevent someone from breathing in contaminated air OR if you are coughing and sneezing yourself, and want to pro-tect other people by minimizing spread of your own secretions,” he says. “To protect yourself, though, you’re much better off spending 89 cents for a bottle of hand sanitizer and keeping your hands below your neck.”

Conway says people may be tired of hearing it, but the prescription for staying healthy during the holidays is frequent hand-washing, the use of hand sanitizer and keeping your hands away from your face. In addition, make sure everyone in the family has received their influenza vaccine, and that sick people try to avoid close contact with others.

Spread Joy, Not Germs, During Christmas Holiday