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�eRoanokeStar.comcommunity | news | perspective May 25 - 31, 2012

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Brian Moran, DPVA Chair

Former Gover-nor and Democrat-ic U.S. Senate can-didate Tim Kaine, on Tuesday, sat with twenty women at the Starkey Road Mill Mountain and Tea to discuss and listen to issues that were most impor-tant to them.

On the economy Kaine told them that there are things we have to do right away like ending unnecessary tax subsidies and letting the Bush era tax cuts expire. To sus-tain the economy he proposed a combination of “talent and balance.” Balance in budgeting and balance in politics in the form of compromise. On the growth side he advocated for infrastructure investment cit-ing both roads and rail. “There is an anti-investment mentality right now” that is stifling that growth.

Small businesses have been hit by bank regulations follow-ing the 2008 financial collapse, he said. That has affected small local banks that lend to small businesses trying to expand.

“We have to figure out a way to ease up on local lending regula-tions.”

His talent strategy is educa-tion based. “If you cut educa-tion when you’re suppose to be growing your economy you’re going to hurt yourself,” he said. Kaine called for a national commitment that includes Pre-K learning and college afford-ability. “Women have often had their talents discounted … We still have a ways to go on that,” said Kaine.

Kaine believes that the idea of balancing a budget with 100 percent cuts is flawed. “No

The first thing a visitor will notice when they see the new Masons Cove Elementary School – it opened last Au-gust – is that it looks very different than the average elemen-tary school. For one thing, it looks more like a commu-nity college campus from the outside and seems to blend in perfectly with the rural environment around it; the earth tones used for exte-rior colors have a lot to do with that.

It’s also very green, using a geothermal source on site for heating and cooling, while tak-ing full advantage of natural lighting to keep electricity bills down. Solar technology is used to help heat water in the caf-eteria. Some materials recycled from the old school, like wood from the gym floor, have also been incorporated at the new Masons Cove.

There’s also new furniture and the latest in technology. Coming

in on time and on budget ($12 million was earmarked for the project,) Masons Cove Elemen-tary School replaced a 50-year-old building that was still heated with coal furnaces. It was de-cided that replacing the school, on Bradshaw Road in Roanoke County’s Catawba magisterial district, would be cheaper than renovating the old one. G&H Contractors in Salem designed and built the school.

Phyllis Satterfield came back to Masons Cove as the princi-pal last August, just before the new building was open. She had

been a guidance counselor at the old school before mov-ing to Glenvar Ele-mentary as an assis-tant principal. Even eleven years ago during her first stint at Masons Cove, there was talk of the need for a new facility. “It’s been a long time,” said Sat-terfield. Coal heat-ing was actually very efficient said Satterfield, but “it was a mess.”

The new atmo-sphere for learning is better, for students, teachers and staff. Sat-terfield has heard plenty of good things all year from parents that have come to the school. “[They said] it’s warm and invit-ing and welcoming; that it’s so bright and cheerful – just such a change. They really like it.” Pat-terns made with wood on win-dows throughout the building depict tree limbs.

Last Saturday the school held

Photo by Gene Marrano

Front entrance at Masons Cove Elementary School.

Local Colors Delights Thousands

The Parade of Nations, ethnic food vendors, music and dancing from some of the 70-plus countries involved,

Local Colors, the annual showcase of Roanoke’s wide ethnic roots, returned to Elmwood Park last Saturday for a day of diversity. Founder Pearl Fu was on hand as well, posing for pictures and waving from the stage.

Performers came from the featured country, Poland, and from Germany, the Philippines, Mexico, the Ukraine, South Korea, India, Egypt, North and South Sudan, Brazil, Ireland, Nepal, China, England, the United States, Kenya, Tanzania,

and more. “I would like to remind everyone that Local Colors is an

organization that goes beyond just the festival,” said Fu a few days later. “Our organization works tirelessly through-out the year presenting programs to schools, colleges, busi-nesses and government organizations. We provide advoca-cy, networking opportunities and conflict resolution for the community. Reach out to someone who is different from you - eat, dance and befriend them.”

-Gene Marrano

Photo submitted by Local Colors

Mayor David Bowers is surrounded by local representatives of many countries during last week’s Local Colors Parade. Now in its 22nd year Local Colors draws over 25,000 people to downtown Roanoke.

DPVA Chair Defends His Day Job

Brian Moran, the Virginia Democratic Party chair is still coming under attack for his day job as a spokesperson and lobby-ist for the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities. The APSCU defends for-profit colleges that are said to offer stu-dents little hope of “gainful” em-ployment but leave them with mounds of private and federal student loan debt.

Moran took the reins of the Democratic Party of Virginia chairmanship after Dick Cran-well resigned at the end of 2010. To the chagrin of progressive blogs like Lowell Feld’s Blue Virginia and Ben Tribbitt’s Not Larry Sabato he became chair over their preferred candidate Arlington County Democratic Committee Chair Peter Rous-selot.

They say Moran is in direct opposition to President Obama’s clamp down on abuse by many of the for-profit colleges that prey on minorities and veterans.

Besides having been in the House of Delegates Moran ran

Kaine Holds Roundtable On Women’s Issues

> CONTINUEDP2: Chair

Masons Cove Elementary Shows Off At Open House

Photo by Valerie Garner

It wasn’t a “round table” but Tim Kaine was the center of attention on Tuesday.

> CONTINUEDP2: Kaine

> CONTINUEDP2: Masons

LoansStudent

P5– new Star Columnist Dick Baynton explains the ins and outs of the Trillion Dollar student loan cloud hanging over America.

TimeGarden

P6– Memorial Day means the beginning of gardening season for many homeown-ers. Gardening expert Melinda Myers has some great tips.

TopsTitans Are

P7– Hidden valley knocks off arch-rival Cave Spring to cap-ture the River Ridge District Regular Season Title.

RetoolsFestival

P9– now in its 43rd year, Festival in the Park has a few nice surprises for attendees including music headliner Craig Morgan.

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Council Considers Work Group To Study Possible November Elections

Acting City Attorney Tim Spencer, on Monday, hand delivered a letter of advice to council members detailing the steps he recommended to move Roanoke City’s May munici-pal elections to November. The one-page letter referenced an attached two-page letter that former City Attorney Bill Hack-worth gave then Mayor Ralph Smith in December 2002.

Spencer attached Hack-worth’s letter that advised coun-cil of the change in Virginia Code that states: “The council of a city or town may provide by ordinance that the mayor, if an elected mayor is provided for by charter, and council shall be elected at the November gen-eral election date of any cycle as designated in the ordinance, for terms to commence January 1.”

The law states that this cannot occur between January and May general election dates. There is a section that says no term shall be shortened unless the change to November general elections is implemented in odd-number years from a May general elec-tion in even-number years. In other words, now is an oppor-

tune time.Spencer advised, as did Hack-

worth that, “If council decides to move the municipal elections to November, it is my opinion that the city would need to amend Sections 4 and 16 of the city charter to ensure that our char-ter accurately reflects the No-vember election date. I do not anticipate any problem with the General Assembly in approving such a Charter amendment. I would also recommend that any change in the municipal election date, be “pre-cleared” by the United States Depart-ment of Justice under the Vot-ing Rights Act of 1965.”

At Monday’s council meeting councilman Bill Bestpitch asked colleagues to consider forming a work group to study moving May elections to November. He suggested it be conducted in conjunction with a reduc-tion in precincts as proposed by the electoral board. In January Melvin Williams, member of the electoral board, along with Gordon Hancock and Rev. Carl Tinsley pitched a reduction from 32 precincts to 19 pre-cincts.

Councilman Sherman Lea was not at the 2:00 p.m. council meeting and the other mem-bers wanted to wait to consult with Lea before proceeding. Lea initiated the proposal at a prior council meeting. A reso-lution will be drafted for the June 4 council meeting that will include the composition of the work group. The work group was suggested to comprise of a member of the NAACP Roa-noke branch, SCLC, Roanoke Neighborhood Advocates, elec-toral board and city council.

Councilwoman Anita Price wanted to wait for Lea’s input and Vice-Mayor Dave Trinkle wanted to see the group ex-panded and include forums. “There are many pros and cons,”

he said.Bestpitch didn’t want to see

the issue brushed aside as in years past. “We don’t want to continue to kick the can down the road.”

In a separate conversation, Bestpitch said he would have no problem with his term being shortened if November elec-tions were conducted in “odd years.” Odd years would coin-cide with the governor and gen-eral assembly elections rather than even years where presi-dential races blitz the airwaves.

Council members are still apprehensive on changing to November. They fear their cam-paigns would be overtaken by campaigns for higher office. There is also a concern that voters will either vote straight party line or not vote all the way down the ticket so that local of-fices are included.

With localities feeling the funding pinch from the state and forced unfunded mandates November might turn out to be a good election fit.

By valerie Garnerinfo@theroanokestar.com

for the Democratic nomination for gover-nor in 2009 coming in third behind Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe.

Progressives continue to demand Mo-ran’s resignation. Virginia law states that the chairman or any full-time paid employee of a state political party shall not be employed as a lobbyist by any principal. An attorney concluded it meant a lobbyist for the state and not a federal lobbyist as Moran is for the APSCU.

When asked about the continuing con-troversy Moran said that as an unpaid chair-man of the party, “I have to make a living.” Higher education has always been a passion he said but, “I freely admit that there are some challenges to our sector.”

He said President Obama’s goal is to be number one in the world by 2020 and to reach that goal 10 million more students need to be educated according to the De-partment of Education. Only 41 percent of students go beyond a high school educa-tion, said Moran. Adult learners account for most of the need.

“Our schools educate the adult learners,” he said. “They offer career focused educa-tion … you are not going there for anything

other than education. It’s not a social expe-rience – no football games, no fraternities. They are taking a lot of courses online.” Moran referenced the law signed this year by Governor McDonnell that requires high school students to take one virtual course to graduate. “Our schools are doing that,” he said.

“I’m familiar of the critics, believe me,” said Moran.

He said that the criticism is lodged at the sector but there is a lot of good innovation in the sector as well. “I’m making sure that every one of our students that attends one of our schools gets a quality education that helps them find a job.” The objective is to make sure they are taking courses that equip them for jobs that are in demand like health care and information technology.

When asked about the schools that may be “milking federal dollars” he said that there are regulations at all levels of govern-ment already that includes creditors. For-profit colleges are said to account for the largest portion of student loan debt.

According to Susan Adams of Forbes: “For-profit schools educate 11% of U.S. post-secondary students, but those students

carry 26% of the nation’s student loans and they make up 43% of those who default, according to the DOE.” They cost twice as much as state colleges.

As far as the federal student loan default crisis Moran said that, “For-profit colleges only account for five percent of the one tril-lion of student loan debt.” Students need to consider, “Are you getting into a program that is going to be able to accommodate that debt?”

“All of our schools that are members of our association are accredited nationally and regionally.” Those regionally accred-ited are the same ones that accredit Virginia Tech, he said.

“When things do occur they get slapped down,” said Moran. “They will lose accredi-tation and access to federal loans.”

Moran said that he meets many success-ful students from for-profit colleges who say they received a good education but that “ev-ery time [for-profit colleges] are attacked it is diminishing the value of their education.”

> Chair From page 1

By valerie Garnerinfo@theroanokestar.com

> Masons From page 1

a community open house and ribbon cutting, inviting those who might not have seen what their taxes helped pay for – a new home for 200 local chil-dren, built with plenty of room to grow should the rural areas around the school begin to de-velop.

The joint contingency fund contributed to by the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors and the School Board (both chipped in $300,000 this year) means there is money to pay down debt service for major projects like Masons Cove and Cave Spring Middle School, which is nearing completion, with a target date for opening in August.

Fifth grade teacher Brenda

Agee loves the openness of her new second floor classroom at Masons Cove, which includes a view of the Blue Ridge Moun-tains. “We see more rainbows across the mountainside,” said Agee, who takes full advantage of the “tons of new technology,” as well. Everything is adjustable and can be moved around as

needed. “It certainly is a nice set-ting [for learning]. The technol-ogy piece, I think, is important.”

Agee’s students “are very aware that it’s a green build-ing.” That’s lent itself well to les-sons on resource management and being good stewards of the earth. They even know how geothermal heating and cooling works. “At least the fifth graders do,” said Agee.

Catawba school board repre-sentative David Wymmer was outside greeting visitors, some of who were taking home bricks from the old school as a me-mento. Those who have visited over the past year “have all been thrilled by what they’ve seen.” Wymmer also commends the school board and county super-

visors for working together on capital projects: “It’s a conscious decision by both boards… so that we can do this. We hope as we go forward we can use that [cooperative] environment to our benefit.”

By Gene Marranogmarrano@cox.net

Phyllis Satterfield is the prin-cipal at Masons Cove.

Brenda Agee loves the new technology in her classroom.

> Kaine From page 1

one has ever cut their way to prosperity. If you just make cuts you’re not going to get better, you’re going to get weaker.” As an example he pointed to Presi-dent Eisenhower, a Republican, who invested and built the inter-state highway system following WWII.

Kaine said, his opponent (George Allen) “has taken a pledge of allegiance to Grover Norquist that says, ‘I will never raise any taxes - ever.’”

Kaine supports generating revenue by taking away unnec-essary oil company tax subsidies and letting the Bush era tax cuts expire for the “top end” wage earners. Cuts will only hurt de-fense, federal college Pell Grants and seniors. He called Paul Ry-an’s “radical” revisions to Medi-care, “A cost shifter - not a cost reducer.”

Kaine said he would redirect oil subsidies to alternative en-ergy. It will help the environ-ment and help manufacturing, he said.

Brenda Hale, President of the NAACP Roanoke branch, said that “voter suppression” was a pressing concern to her. Kaine said, “So many states have magi-cally decided to make it harder to vote – it’s only explained by one thing, people are trying to game the system to get an elec-toral advantage.”

The women became vocal when talk turned to wedge issues and women’s health. “There’s a reason why you call them wedge issues – they’re about pulling people apart rather than about bringing people together,” said Kaine.

Kaine pointed to George Al-len’s support for a federal law referred to as “personhood” that defines life beginning at concep-tion. “That would have huge consequences; potentially crim-inalizing FDA approved birth control.” It would also dramati-cally change laws that refer to “persons.” Allen, he said, would also repeal employer-mandated contraception. Kaine, as a Cath-

olic, agreed with the adjustment made that offered contraceptive coverage directly to the em-ployee rather than force it on the employer. “Having contracep-tion actually reduces health care costs,” said Kaine with agree-ment from the women.

Allen and Kaine have dis-tinct differences. As governor of Virginia, Kaine fought to re-tain funding to Planned Parent-hood. He believes that, “Women should be trusted to make their own moral and health decisions … it shouldn’t be government making people’s moral deci-sions.”

In answer to a question about campaign donor disclosure by corporations and “Super PACs,” he said he would propose bills that would prohibit “secret money” and require shareholder votes before corporations could contribute.

The Senate has used filibus-ters to block or delay action and has frustrated Senators and pro-duced government dysfunction.

It takes 60 of 100 votes to break a filibuster. Instead of allowing arcane procedures to block floor votes, Kaine says the filibuster needs to revert back to its ori-gins.

“For anyone to filibuster they should have to stand on the floor and actually filibuster.” Kaine said people could decide if it was obstruction or a person “trying to do the public good.” There should also be a rule that defines use of the filibuster to only a few big things that are important, he said.

When asked about marriage for same-sex couples, he said, “Legally we ought to treat com-mitted couples the same way … They should be treated like everyone else. Churches should have the ability to make their own decisions as they have now. As a matter of law I believe treat-ing couples equally is the right thing,” said Kaine.

By valerie Garnerinfo@theroanokestar.com

Councilman Bill Bestpitch

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5/25/12- 5/31/12 |TheRoanokeStar.com | Page 3

Roanoke River Greenway Expands AgainJust weeks after the bridge

connecting the Roanoke River and Tinker Creek greenways was officially opened, the rib-bon has been cut on yet another piece of the Roanoke River greenway. The newest segment, about a mile long, begins at Vic Thomas Park (just past Wa-sena Park). After a jaunt across Memorial Avenue, which will be widened in the future to ac-commodate two-way greenway traffic, the path dips down along the Roanoke River again near Ghent Park.

Two bridges take users back and forth across the river, fol-lowing the bench cuts made during the Corps of Engineer’s flood control project, to its new terminus at Bridge Street. More than 100 people showed up for the ribbon cutting, including 6th District Congressman Bob Goodlatte, who has helped se-cure funding for the flood con-trol project and greenway over the years.

Roanoke City Mayor David Bowers and members of City Council were on hand to cut the ribbon as well, along with former City Council member Rupert Cutler, honorary chair-man for the Bridge the Gap campaign. State Senator John Edwards and Roanoke County Supervisor Charlotte Moore – who is pushing for greenway construction in southwest Roa-noke County – also helped cut the ribbon.

Also unveiled at the ribbon cutting was a symbolic ther-mometer, showing that Bridge the Gap has brought in 3.6 million dollars to date. That fundraising effort aims to col-lect the seven million dollars needed –via grants and private donations – to finish off the last four miles of the Roanoke River Greenway between Salem and

Roanoke. Once that piece is built, and

Salem/Roanoke County com-plete segments stretching to Green Hill Park, the Roanoke River Greenway will be 18 miles long, when the link to the mile-long Tinker Creek greenway is included. Carilion Clinic and Roanoke Cement have been the largest private donors to Bridge the Gap so far, but government grants make up the bulk of what’s been raised. The stretch from the Tinker Creek Green-way’s terminus in Fallon Park to the new Roanoke River green-way segment near Ghent Park is about nine miles long.

Future plans could stretch it from the Montgomery County line to Explore Park; right now the Roanoke River Greenway terminates at 13th Street in Southeast Roanoke, where it connects to the Tinker Creek Greenway via a small detour on streets near the Water Author-ity treatment plant and the new bridge dedicated recently.

Roanoke Valley Greenways Commission Chairman Mark McClain said that “a whole lot

of individual contributions,” have also bolstered Bridge the Gap to date. He’s pleased that in a year-plus more than half the money has been raised so far. The fundraising thermom-eter may be printed on a banner placed along the Roanoke River greenway, encouraging users to go home and make their own donations.

The City of Salem is engineer-ing a new segment and is finish-ing up construction on another, according to McClain, while Roanoke is also prepping for a new section. “It’s going to be built in bits and pieces,” noted McClain. Those bits and pieces so far have provided a pretty good stretch for runners, bik-ers and walkers. “It’s starting to gel – a lot of things are going on now,” said McClain. “We’ve got a section under construction and another will be done soon.” Expect more ribbon cuttings in the next year or two as the Roa-noke River and Tinker Creek greenways continue to grow.

By Gene Marranogmarrano@cox.net

Photo by Gene Marrano

Mayor David Bowers and company with a very big check.

DAR Good Citizen Award Goes to Northside High Student

At the Northside High School Awards Assembly on May 17, 2012, Carley Elizabeth Edwards was recognized as the recipient of the Daughters of the Ameri-can Revolution Good Citizen Award. Carley is the daughter of Terry and Donna Edwards of Roanoke. The award was presented by DAR committee chair, Peggy Smith. The DAR Good Citizen program honors the outstanding high school senior exhibiting the qualities of dependability, service, lead-ership, and patriotism (love of family, school, community and nation). Edwards demonstrated these qualities with her leader-ship positions in student gov-ernment, sports and drama. In her community she is active in her church and has participated in several mission trips. She also worked part-time while main-taining an “A” average, taking advanced placement courses and becoming a member of the National Honor Society. Other

awards presented to Carley at the Awards Assembly included the World Language Depart-ment award, Social Studies Department award, Roanoke County Scholarship and Vale-dictorian.

By Gail Lambertinfo@theroanokestar.com

Northside High School Awards Assembly. Left to right: DAR Committee Chair Peggy Smith, DAR Good Citizen Award recipi-ent Carley Elizabeth Edwards, Donna Edwards, Terry Edwards.

“Swing Fore A Cure” Golf Tournament To Feature Renowned Golf Instructor

Renowned golf instructor Hank Haney will be this year’s special guest at the fifth annual Smith Mountain Lake Swing Fore a Cure Golf Tournament. The tournament benefiting the American Cancer Society and presented by Advance Auto Parts will be held on June 4 at Water’s Edge Country Club.

Haney is best known for in-structing the former No. 1 golf-er in the world, Tiger Woods and two-time major champion, Mark O’Meara. Hank has also instructed more than 200 tour-ing professionals worldwide. He hosts a popular television show on the Golf Channel, The Haney Project. In addition, Hank has written four books, including his latest, The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Ti-ger Woods, which debuted as a New York Times Best Seller.

“This is a wonderful oppor-

tunity for area golfers to join in the fight against cancer by rais-ing money and helping to in-crease cancer awareness,” said volunteer committee mem-ber Eric Spencer, President of Spencer Home Center. “In its first four years, the Swing Fore a Cure tournament has raised more than one million dollars for cancer research and pro-grams, making it one of the society’s top tournaments na-tionwide.”

The American Cancer Soci-ety estimates that there will be more than 41,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in Virginia in 2012. An estimated 14,600 residents of Virginia are ex-pected to die from the disease this year. Donations made to the American Cancer Society through events like the golf tournament help the organi-zation save more lives from cancer through prevention and early detection screening guidelines, free programs and services for patients and care-givers, research and advocacy.

For more information on the tournament, visit golf.acsevents.org/swingforeacureroanoke. If you are interested in volunteer-ing for the golf tournament, please contact Mark Hurley at 540-774-2716 or mark.hurley@cancer.org.

Hank Haney

PersPectivePerspectivePage 4 | TheRoanokeStar.com 5/25/12- 5/31/12

Notes From HomeSabrina seemed a bit pre-

occupied that morning. I watched for a while, then asked, “You seem to have something on your mind.”

“I hired a lady to help straighten up the animal room, and she’s coming to-day.”

That I could understand. After the months of frenet-ic activity rehabbing wild critters, the winter months are a wel-come respite for her. “So, if you’re going to have help straighten-ing up the room, I would have thought you’d be more re-laxed, knowing help is coming, than if you were going to do it yourself.”

“You don’t understand, Gahv, I’ve got to get in there before she gets here. I don’t want her to see the mess.” This is one of those com-ments all women under-stand, but you could search the planet over and find not the first man who did.

“Sooo… you’ve hired someone to clean up, and you don’t want her to see the mess…? Do I get it?”

“You’re going to get it, knucklehead,” she said, ball-ing up a fist.

I went on to work, [Read: Beat a hasty retreat.] but as I drove, a memory shook loose from the accumulations of my boyhood.

The accuracy of these recollections may be safely questioned given the soft yet persistent abrading of time against memory. I think her name was Mrs. Fitzwater, the lady who came to clean our house every two weeks. Dad felt it worth the five dol-lars; mom worked hard and over-saw three devil-spawn males.

Mrs. Fitzwater lived alone, as I recall, having survived the heart-wrenching anguish of having out-lasted her hus-band. She seemed doddering, but resolute. Without the five

dollars we paid her, who’s to say how long she could eke out a survival.

Her stockings were knot-ted up at her knees; they seemed to be of canvas; Denny and I half-laughed at her, half felt sorry for her [the beginnings of empathy?] Despite our giggling, we felt compelled to shadow her, to stay near in the event she be-

gan a slow toppling; and like some help-less turtle, land on her back unable to rise. We might have worked more dili-gently than she, but it seemed the right thing to do.

Well, if you’ll ex-cuse me, I’ve got

to go clean up my desk; our cleaning lady is coming to-day you see. All of history is repetition… [Sigh.]

…Our latest Doberman is

named ‘Lola.’ You know those ‘fast en-

ergy drinks’ now so popular? Drink a few cases and you’ll be able to keep up with Lola for 10-15 minutes. We had a friend, upon hearing about Lola’s energy, scoffed, “I’ve got an Australian sheep dog; she can run for hours; she’ll put Lola under the wheels.”

So we decided to get them together, and her dog did quite well for about four hours, at which time she lay on the ground exhausted, watching Lola bounce around her ready to play some more.

Maybe I ought to bottle Lola… Think of the possi-bilities!

…“Well, we should have no

trouble winning this basket-ball game.” It was high school; our school was quite small; at 6 feet tall, I was the team center, the tallest guy on the team. [Our coach must have spent a lot of time crying into a towel; his prospects for ever winning a regional title were two: no way, and no how.

The fellow who made the

comment was his school’s center at 6 foot 6 inches. My teammates who had heard the remarks looked at each other in silence. So inspiring was his insolence, we total-ly owned the first quarter. I made ten points, two steals, and four clean blocks against boys far taller than I. Finally, however, we succumbed to their overwhelming advan-tage.

Our coach, however, was far from displeased. “That’s how you guys should play all the time. Tonight you were at the top of our game.”

Hmmm. Good advice for sports; even better advice for life: to play at the top of our game.

I’ve lived long enough to know there’s a lot of things I’m not in charge of, and Life’s one of them. But I can always be in charge of me.

…My wife, Sabrina, AKA,

Herself Who Must Be Obeyed, knows something very important about Time Management. You all know there’s a philosophy in mon-ey management called “Le-verage.” As I understand that term, it means using as little money as possible to earn as much money as possible. It business, this same principle is known as The Time Multi-plier Effect.

Here’s how it works: Her-self and I are outside. She looks around. “Gahv, that tree blew over in the storm; we need to clear it out. [We is a synonym for Gahv, not both of us.] “Oh, we need to plant the twelve geraniums here, and here, and here. Gosh, look at my car; so dirty! We should wash it.” Then she sashays into the house, leav-ing me to fetch the chain saw, shovel, and a bucket of soapy water. Got it?

She invested forty seconds in the chore list; five days later Ol’ Gahv is still heav-ing his way through it. Time Multiplier Effect; an essential underpinning of the Honey-Do List.

Look for Lucky’s books lo-cally and on-line: The Oath of Hippocrates; The Cotillian; A Journey Long Delayed.

Contact Lucky Garvin atinfo@theroanokestar.com

Lucky Garvin

“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.” - Emerson

It's time we admit it: we can-not kill the Lion's Tooth. Every spring we carpet-bomb it with pendimethaline (the toxic in-gredient in Scott's Halts), hose it down with 2,4-D (Weed-B-Gon), and even go on search-and-destroy missions armed with glyphos-phate (Roundup). But after we've spread these nasty chemicals all over the landscape and polluted the ground water, the Lion's Tooth, the "Dent de Lion," just laughs at us. It keeps spreading through the grass, popping up in the garden, and poking out of every crack and crevice.

Isn't there a better way to deal with the dandelion? Well, part of the answer lies in the plant's official name, Taraxacum of-ficinale, which loosely trans-lates to "the remedy for curing disorders." Dandelion is one of the top six herbs in a traditional Chinese medicine cabinet, and

has been used to treat stomach problems and appendicitis for centuries. Native Americans used it in dozens of treatments. Europeans have long used it to

treat liver problems. Today, herbalists use it most commonly as an appetite stimulant and a diuretic. (Mod-ern scientists have yet to prove dandelion's medical efficacy, but thousands of years of usage around the

globe has to be based on some-thing.)

What we CAN prove is that the dandelion is an extremely healthful food. The USDA ranks dandelions as the 4th most nutritious green vegetable. They are loaded with vitamins A and C and have more iron than spinach. They are rich in fiber, potassium, calcium, mag-nesium, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin and trace minerals. Young leaves and unopened flower buds can be added to

salads. Older leaves become bitter, but are still fine cooked into soups. The roots can be chopped and roasted to make an herbal tea very similar to cof-fee. (Which is currently being tested in Canada for its ability to fight leukemia).

If it's time to celebrate this plant instead of vilifying it, the dandelion can help there, too. Just boil a few quarts of the flowers in a gallon of water, add a little orange and lemon juice, plus a little ginger. Throw in some brewer's yeast, and put it in a cool dry place. In a few months, you'll have a dry white wine which tastes great, stays fresh and improves for a year or more. (Extensive field tests HAVE proven it has excellent mood-altering powers.)

Wonder-drug? Super-food? Party-vegetable?

Yep, it's time we stop trying to kill the dandelion, and let it help us live.

Mike Keeler

Contact Mike atinfo@theroanokestar.com

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TheRoanokeStar.com

The Hazards of Spring GardeningYou have to wonder what

God was thinking when He cre-ated poison ivy. Was He having a rough day, or was He just furi-ous with Adam and Eve?

“I’ll teach those darn kids to rummage through my garden in their birthday suites and swipe my fruit,” said God, sprinkling on a liberal dose of Mira-cle-Gro.

Lucky for Adam the first thing he grabbed to cover his embarrassment was a fig leaf, rather than a bunch of poison ivy.

Whatever the reason for its cre-ation, poison ivy has few redeeming qualities. It is little more than Kudzu with an attitude. (If you’re a Kudzu-wea-ry Southerner, you’ll be familiar with this relentlessly annoying, invasive species; if not, think of it as a Kardashian, with leaves).

And just like reruns of abys-mal reality TV shows, poison ivy emerges in the spring to stalk millions of Americans in-nocently exercising their God-given right for the pursuit of happiness.

Such activities might include a hike through the wilderness, a family camping trip, or tackling a fresh batch of spring weeds in the garden. While most people will take steps to avoid poison ivy in these situations, there are some who just seem to forget the power of the wicked weed’s corrosive juices.

Take our neighbor Larry, for instance (name changed to pro-tect his stupidity).

He’s just awoken from his

winter nap and will soon grudg-ingly venture into the yard to perform his spring rituals, which include buffing the gar-den gnome and attempting to start his lawnmower (which he hasn’t done successfully since 1987).

Failing to resusci-tate his equipment amidst much wail-ing and gnashing of teeth, Larry will make a futile dash back to the comfort of his lounge room recliner. But he will be quickly inter-cepted by his wife

who, after decades of marriage, is fa-miliar with her

husband’s spring modus ope-randi.

Booted from the house until the job’s complete, Larry will then begin angrily tearing into his forest of weeds by hand gloveless and shirtless, with flabby, pasty white legs protrud-ing from khaki shorts. Sporting a bare body surface area ap-proaching that of a humpback whale, it won’t be long before the ivy extracts its revenge.

But according to Mrs. Larry, her husband’s mind functions somewhat like RAM storage on a computer it reboots each spring unencumbered by past memories of gardening hazards. As a result, in his haste to com-plete his task, each year he in-evitably succumbs to exposure from irritating plants and other backyard dangers.

She has actually cautioned her husband many times about contact with poison ivy, but Larry rarely listens preferring to

tough out the blistering bouts of discomfort to get the job quick-ly done.

One year, while he was patch-ing weed wacker wounds on his legs, he barely looked up when I even tried explaining that the plant releases a corrosive oily substance called urushiol (sen-suously pronounced oo-roo-shee-ohl) which is rapidly ab-sorbed by the skin.

Another time I informed Larry that he only had 5 min-utes after exposure to wash the urushiol from his skin before it permanently bonded to the proteins in his bleached flesh. But he never even glanced at me too busy plucking thorns from his pelvis, I guess.

Along these lines, nor was he especially attentive when I de-scribed the incredible potency of urushiol, and that most peo-ple will develop a rash if exposed to a mere 50 micrograms. That’s way smaller than the average tick I’ve witnessed Larry dig out of his eardrum during supper, after a day in the garden.

So now, I’ve abandoned any attempt to offer my neighbor advice, leaving him to wallow in his Orchard of Itching. Some folks just aren’t receptive to gar-dening guidance.

And that’s where any similar-ity between Larry and Adam of Eden fame ends.

According to the Book of Genesis, Adam lived for 930 years and, you know, fathered the entire planet. Larry just dreams about moving to an apartment.

Nick Thomas

Contact Nick Thomas atinfo@theroanokestar.com

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Student Loan Program in Need of Major Overhaul

Funding of the education loan landscape changed in March of 2010 when Presi-dent Obama signed the bill that overhauled the ‘Student Loan Program.’ The legisla-tion placed the government in charge of student loans, es-sentially taking student loans out of the hands of banks and other institutional lenders like Sallie Mae (The Student Loan Mar-keting Association, now a private com-pany).

Congress reduced the interest rate for college loans to 3.4% in 2007, but to make the law appear more pragmatic, the rate would double to 6.8% on July 1, 2012. Now, with the economy still trying to climb out of the tank, the President has urged congress to keep the student loan rate at 3.4%.

Will this galvanize Obama votes by students with loans? Probably. But wait; former Governor Romney has agreed that the 3.4% rate should be continued as well! Hooray! But maybe not Hooray be-cause that isn't so great for taxpayers, however as a one-year rate freeze will cost tax-payers a cool $6 Billion.

But $6 Billion is merely a drop in the bucket when considering that total stu-dent loan debt now exceeds $1,000,000,000,000. That’s right, twelve zeros with the name TRILLION.

It is important to remem-ber that the original and other amended legislation regarding student loans is complicated and confusing. For example, there are provisions that if

you enter public service for 10 years, much of your student loan can be forgiven. After 25 years (probably soon to be 20 years), your unpaid student loan will be absolved.

So, these provisions will al-low present and future parents to pay for the educations of both their own children and one or more underpaid, over-

worked college grad that sadly couldn’t manage their assets.

It is time the Stu-dent Loan Program underwent a thor-ough review by a mix of private and government experts. First of all, are some

students ‘gaming’ the system? In its quest to cover all

bases, government regula-tions often provide gaps that encourage or at least allow misuse and fraud. Are there loans to students that are not competent to succeed at the college level? Are some loans provided on the basis of po-litical friendship (quid pro quo)?

Could colleges and univer-sities achieve some reductions in costs? Are leaders in higher education able to cut costs? Are some college staff doing virtually useless research? Is the system of tenure abused and expensive? Are buildings, classrooms and labs multi-purpose or single use? Are we building for luxury or utility?

Do ALL students that want to attend college expect to go directly from their high school to a four-year institu-tion? Could some students put off college and find a job and save money for college? In many cases, a graduating

senior could work and attend their community college for a year or two and build up both savings and transfer credits.

While many willing and able candidates for college are worthy, industry and con-struction and a host of other trades and occupations needs men and women as well. Those who visualize success in college should consider taking courses that are more likely to provide jobs upon graduation rather than eso-teric courses of study that are interesting but have an aim-less path to employment.

In a Rutgers University study, just 49% of students graduating from 2009 to 2011 found a full-time job within a year of graduation. Two thirds of all students gradu-ated with loans totaling more than $25,000.

Government needs to re-turn to some of the prin-ciples that made our country great; self-determination, self control and self-confidence. Student loans have become a debacle and will continue to unnecessarily contribute to the national debt now at more than $50,000 per US citizen.

While special consideration should to be extended in some cases, it is time men and women students be treated as adults with the firm expecta-tion that borrowed money will be paid back to lenders with interest. The USA offers opportunity, not cradle-to-grave insulation from all the hazards of life.

Dick Baynton

Contact Dick atinfo@theroanokestar.com

When Jesus was being taken into heaven, it appeared to his disciples to be over. He was no longer going to be physically among them and he told them his mission was accomplished.

In reality, however, it was far from being over. For, at his As-cension, Jesus passed the baton. It was now the disciple’s time to act and “to shine.” THE mission was now theirs to continue and God’s power and all author-ity were theirs to use. In other words, Jesus’ ascension into heaven was not an ending of anything. It was a changing of the guard and a broadening of the sights of those who had fol-lowed him. And of those who would follow him in the future.

So the above question is not a rhetorical one. Why are

you standing there? And why are your heads in the clouds? What’s got you stuck?

Those questions are ours to answer. After all, wit-nessing to Christ and to his continuing saving and healing presence in the world is the work entrusted to those/us who’ve been called by Christ and are baptized into his death and res-urrection.

Of course, one ev-eryday way we witness to Christ is in the choices we make: in our decisions to act or in our refus-ing to do something because it’s not right or just. We can’t forget that our indifference is actu-ally a choice. Too often, we are “leaving it up to others” to do

what is ours to do. “Let Mikey do it” (from the old Life cereal commercial) we tell ourselves. Unfortunately, Mickey doesn’t

always come through.A few years back,

I was talking with a mother who admitted in casual conversation that she missed ser-vices on Easter Sun-day because of a tour-nament for a travel team her son played on. It got me think-

ing: “Why are we Christians not standing up to those who are scheduling these games on our high holy day– and why are we not saying “no” to those who are “committing” us to do things that take us away from the service we owe to God (as

our love response) – and from nurturing those bonds in our lives that are lasting? Are we not called to influence the culture – that is, to help it be better than what it is and change it where it is corrupt? It's not supposed to be the other way around.

So, in the words of St Leo the Great (pope from 440-461) in his great Christmas sermon: “Christians, remember your dignity!”

Said differently: So, disciples, let’s get with it and let’s get on with it.

Joe Lehman is the Pastor at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church located at 2505 Electric Rd (Rte 419. Visit them on the web at: www.oln-parish.org

High school baseball and soft-ball district play is in full swing this week with numerous teams looking to advance to next week’s regionals.

Most local district baseball ac-tion will require a road trip for area fans. Glenvar plays Thurs-day at Kiwanis Field in Salem in the Three Rivers tournament, while Blue Ridge contenders fight it out at Casey Field in Covington. The River Ridge showcases its final-four at Calfee Park in Pulaski.

On the softball side of district play, area fans have plenty of options. The Blue Ridge con-tenders play at North-side Wednesday and Friday, while the River Ridge teams invade the Moyer Complex in Salem on the same two days. Glenvar and schools from Three Rivers move to the Botetourt Sports Complex for their Thursday/Friday, semifi-nal/final lineup.

In the Wild Bill ‘Big-11’ base-ball Top-3, Lord Botetourt rules the number-one spot with an 18-1 record after their second win of the season over Blue Ridge rival Northside. The Vi-kings stay in the second spot at 17-2. Hidden Valley, after claim-ing the River Ridge regular sea-son title last Thursday with a win over Cave Spring, holds down third at 13-5-1.

In the ‘Big-11’ softball Top-3, Northside is the runaway leader at 19-1. William Byrd follows at 15-5, with Glenvar coming in third at 16-5.

Girls tennis gets attention this week as Cave Spring, led by #1 player Lauren Sledd, stayed un-defeated heading to regional play. North Cross, led by Amherst College-bound Lara Min, fin-ished the season 13-0 although being denied a state tournament berth because other VIS schools

play tennis as a fall sport. Con-grats to Min, a five-year varsity #1 player, and the entire Raider team.

Now, to last week’s column, and the excitement evoked by our noted publisher. As you may remember, it was questioned (I will mention it did not come from me) if people don’t have any idea they’re being watched

on the Mill Mountain web-cam by those in Taipai?

Apparently, our read-ership is more wide-spread than thought, so word quickly spread to Taipei that Roanoke does indeed have an

isolated mountaintop web-cam and that untold numbers of

Taiwanese citizens have been observing our late-night over-look shenanigans. Now rumor has it that Roanoke has become the latest must-see destination among the populous Chinese island tourist crowd. Why go to New York, Washington or Cali-fornia, when, as the web-cam evidences, you can flock to Roa-noke for the guarantee of excite-ment?

I look for the Taiwanese tour-ist influx to hit the Star City by late-July, so in order to be pre-pared for our welcomed visitors, I offer the following ‘Know Your Taiwanese Facts’.

1)Taipei, the capital of Tai-wan, despite what you saw last week from my editor, is spelled with an ‘e’. (Editors note: Taipai is traditionally fermented food . . . Who knew Turner was on top if his far-east capital city spell-ings?)

2)The Taipei Financial Center is the second tallest building in the world.

3) Feel free to refer to Tai-wan, while being friendly to our guests, as Formosa, meaning ‘beautiful island’.

4)There are 29.55 Taiwan dol-lars to a US dollar. That means if you’re working at a restaurant and there’s a $10 check, you need be hospitable and collect $295.50 Taiwan dollars. Taiwan-ese are typically technologically advanced and whizzes at math. We Americans should at least act like we can count money.

Finally, a quick peek through the mailbag, where one reader wants an opinion on a recent Hokie quote and Indians get their credit.

Dear Wild Bill: Any thoughts on new Tech basketball coach James Johnson’s comment that losing recruit Montrezl Harrell wasn’t a big deal since he hadn’t scored a point at Tech or gotten a single rebound? (Steve/Radford)

Answer: Real shocker. I saw the 6’8” Harrell play a couple times and he’s impressive. As far as not scoring a point or getting a rebound- I guess you could have said that about Larry Bird at Indiana State, Magic Johnson at Michigan State, or Michael Jordan at North Carolina before any of those three played their first game.

Dear Future Telecaster: Since you brought it up last week, why did television test patterns have Indians on them? (Louise/Rocky Mount)

Answer: I checked with my TV connections on this one. Apparently it all began in 1938. The Indian test pattern had a specific purpose. It offered the keen-eyed studio technician, after the midnight national an-them signoff, an opportunity to adjust perspective, linearity, frequency response and fram-ing for all cameras. It also gave the late-night movie viewer, after falling asleep during the film, the satisfaction of waking up with someone looking back.

No. I’m not auditioning for a test pattern. But, in the mean-time..... HOW.

Joe Lehman

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5/25/12- 5/31/12 TheRoanokeStar.com | Page 6

Family Time, Unplugged & OutdoorsDon’t worry about record-breaking gas pric-

es – the U.S. Energy Information Administra-tion estimates prices to be $3.79 a gallon this summer, less than in 2008.

That’s good news for families considering reviving the tradition of a road trip vacation, one of the best experiences parents and kids can share, says Michael DiLorenzo, author of Adventures with Jonny: Road Trip to the Parks!

“This is a shared experience, and one that will be talked about during family gatherings for years to come,” says DiLorenzo, a father of three. “For busy parents, this is a time to sa-vor their children’s youth. As moms and dads eventually find out, they grow up fast.”

It’s also a chance to get children outside and away from their computers, he says. Children today already have a deep-rooted interest in technology, which is why a road trip to a natu-ral, outdoor destination is an opportunity to “give your child the gift of the outdoors, which is a gift for life,” says DiLorenzo.

The journey to a national park in the United States or Canada – perhaps Yellowstone in Wyoming or Banff in Alberta – is as bonding an experience as whatever happens at the des-tination.

“And there are parks in every state,” he notes. “If you don’t have the time or money to go cross country, pick a park closer to home.”

DiLorenzo offers these helpful tips for the road:

• Games, games, games!: Yes, there is ample entertainment for both drivers and riders in cars these days. BUT, the goal is to bond with the family, so consider a fun, albeit off-color game like “Road Kill Round-Up.” A point sys-tem might break down like this: two points for the first to spot a poor critter; three for whoever first correctly identifies the species; two points subtracted for a false road-kill call;

three points subtracted for misidentifying the kind.

• Beware of dairy drinks (and other smelly snacks): A spill in the backseat can eventually create quite a stink during a summer road trip. But do pack plenty of healthy snacks to save on pricey pit stops and avoid all the sugar and salt in junk food.

• Avoid big-city rush hours: When traveling through metropolitan areas, consider the bus-iest traffic periods. Whether you plan to stop and check out the city or simply zip through it, bumper-to-bumper traffic is something to avoid. A bit of consideration can save your family hours of grid-locked misery.

• Tech help: Various apps and websites can help drivers find the cheapest gas prices, food options, hotel rates and travel routes. Also, don’t forget a music mix that appeals to the entire family on one of these devices. (Re-member, leave work at home – forget about work-related calls, texts and emails! Use a non-work-related smartphone, if needed.)

• Schedule pit stops: Being in a hurry should be left for the morning commute; vacation should be different. When traveling across states and provinces, consider local culture. For example, barbecue in South Carolina is very different from Missouri’s version. Enjoy diners and unique attractions, and don’t be afraid to take notes.

“The greatest family memories are created in shared adventure,” DiLorenzo says. “Out-door recreation is filled with these memories just looking for a family to bring them home.”

Michael A. DiLorenzo is a married father of three living in the outdoor-rich environs of Michigan. He created the “Adventures with Jonny” series to entertain and educate children (and parents!) about the activities available in the great outdoors.

Growth and Value Investment Styles: Which is Best for You?

As the U.S. economy exits the recession, and balance sheets at publicly-traded companies re-turn to healthier levels, equity investors are paying closer at-tention to companies that are growing rapidly and cheaply priced.

The two main types of invest-ment approaches -- growth and value -- both have advocates on Wall Street because of several unique characteristics that make each style appealing to different types of investors.

Growth Investment Ap-proach

In a growth investment strat-egy, investors opt for companies that post better-than-average earnings gains in hopes that the company will continue to de-liver high profit growth. Often such companies are developing new technologies or products, and are considered by the in-vestment manager to be well-positioned in a rapidly growing industry.

Some common ways to ex-ecute a growth strategy is by investing in emerging markets, recovery shares, blue chip stocks and smaller companies.

Growth stocks do, however, also come with risk. For ex-ample, if the growth rate fails to live up to expectations, the price of the security can tumble as in the case of many technology

companies during the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Value Investment ApproachFor investors who are less tol-

erant of the risk associated with high-priced growth stocks, a value investment style could be a more viable approach. Under this approach, the investment manager buys undervalued companies to capture the po-tential returns that may occur when the market price rises to reflect the companies' hidden values.

These bargain stocks typi-cally have low price-to-earnings ratios, low price-to-sales ratios and high dividend yields. Long-term investors, in particular, benefit from a value approach because the returns may be-come larger over time.

As with the growth invest-ment style, there are some drawbacks to the value invest-ment approach. For example, buying shares in a bear market using the value approach may result in the purchase of shares that are overvalued as the share price could still drop along with the market.

Another potential danger of the value approach could arise when a company has problems that justify its low share price, causing investors to hold on to the security for longer than in-

tended to generate a return.For investors seeking to di-

versify their investment style, building a portfolio that com-bines both growth and value stocks may be a viable option. Sometimes known as core eq-uity portfolios, this approach blends growth and value stocks, emphasizing larger, blue chip quality growth companies with dominant industry positions.

Regardless of whether you se-lect a growth or value approach to investing – or a combination of both – there are professional investment managers available to help.

A financial advisor can help you select the specific growth or value investment manager– or a combination of both – who is suitable to help you pursue your investment goals, and help you with the ongoing review of a professionally managed port-folio.

Michael B. Kemp / Senior Vice President

Meridian Wealth Manage-ment at UBS Financial Services Inc.

The information contained in this article is based on sources believed reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as the ba-sis for an investment decision. Consult your financial advisor, as well as your tax and/or le-gal advisors regarding your personal circum-stances before making investment decisions.

Memorial Day Means Gardening for ManyGet out the shovel and

trowels – its Memorial Day weekend annd that means gardening for many. Spend a bit more time getting your garden off to a good start and reap the benefits all season long. Proper planting and post planting care means less maintenance, fewer pests and more produce and beautiful flowers in your landscape.

Start by selecting healthy

plants free of insect and disease problems. There's no need to spend money on problems. And keep in mind that bigger is not always bet-ter. Instead look for compact plants with sturdy stems. The leaves should be deep green or the proper color for that variety. Avoid plants that show signs of stress such as spots, brown leaf edges, and holes. And when all things

are equal, purchase the pe-rennials with multiple stems.

Keep your purchase prop-erly watered before and after planting. Check transplants daily and twice a day when temperatures rise, watering as needed. Increase success and reduce the stress trans-plants often face. Apply a plant strengthener such as JAZ Spray to protect potted plants from drying out until

you are able to plant. Or ap-ply to transplants to get your plants off to a vigorous start. These organic products are not fertilizers but rather nat-urally occurring molecules that work like an immuniza-tion to help new and estab-lished plants better tolerate heat, drought, insects, dis-ease, and other challenges plants face.

Prepare the soil before planting. Though not glam-orous building a good foun-dation for your garden will pay off this season and be-yond. Dig one or two inches of compost, peat moss or other organic matter and a low nitrogen slow release fer-tilizer into the top 12 inches of the soil.

Now slide, don't pull, the plants out of their contain-ers to avoid damaging their roots and stems. If they re-sist, gently squeeze small flexible pots or roll larger pots on their sides over the ground. This loosens the roots, releasing the pot from the container.

Gently tease any roots that encircle (girdle) the root ball. Or use a knife to slice through girdling roots or the

tangled mass that often devel-ops at the bottom of the pot. This encourages the roots to explore the soil beyond the planting hole. And a bigger root system means healthier plants that are more produc-tive and beautiful.

Set your plants at the same depth they were growing in their container. Tall leggy tomatoes are the exception. These can be planted deeper or in shallow trenches to en-courage roots to form along the buried stem. Cover the roots with soil and gently tamp to insure good root to soil contact. Water new plantings thoroughly; moist-ening the rootball, planting hole, and beyond. Spread a thin layer of shredded leaves, evergreen needles or other mulch over the soil to con-serve moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the roots cooler when hot weather moves in for the summer.

Check new plantings every other day and water thor-oughly and often enough to keep the soil slightly moist. Gradually reduce the fre-quency until your plants only need to be watered once a week in heavy clay soils and twice a week in sandy soils. Of course you'll need to water more often in hot weather.

And don't forget about the rest of your landscape.

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American Tower Corporation is proposing to modify a telecommunications tower at 2707 Williamson Rd NE, Roanoke, Roanoke County, Virginia, 3100903. This property is zoned classi�ed I-1 (light industrial). The existing tower is a self-support design and 102-feet in overall height. The modi�cation consists of a compound expansion of 15.5-feet by 26.7-feet and antennas mounted at 75-feet on the existing tower. As part of this project, 30in all directions from the existing compound and expansion area will be reviewed. American Tower seeks comments from all interested persons on the impact of the tower on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects signi�cant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture, that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Speci�c information about the project, including the historic preservation reviews that American Tower has conducted pursuant to the rules of the Federal Communica-tions Commission (47 C.F.R. Sections 1.1307(4)) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (36 C.F.R. Part 800) can be viewed weekdays between 8a.m. and 5p.m. at the companys o�ces at 10 Presidential Way, Woburn, Massachu-setts. All questions, comments, and correspondence should be directed to the following contact by June 24, 2012:

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Page 7 | TheRoanokeStar.com | 5/25/12- 5/31/12

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Patrick Henry broke open a 2-2 tie with seven unan-swered goals as the Patriot girls lacrosse team advanced in the Western Division play-offs with the 17-7 win over Salem Friday afternoon on the PH turf.

Patrick Henry, 15-1 on the season, got five goals from at-tack Catie Vance, four from middie Ashley Lemon and three from midi Claiborne Lucas to lead the way.

Patriot Girls Lacrosse Advance With 17-7 Win Over Salem

PH attack Anne Johnson works her way past the Sa-lem defender in the Patriot's 17-7 win.

Patriot midi #11 Claiborne Lucas races past a pair of Salem de-fenders to set up a PH score.

PH Falls To Glass 10-7 In Western Division Boys LacrosseE.C. Glass took control in the

second half, and the Hilltoppers defeated Patrick Henry 10-7 in the Western Division boys la-crosse playoff Friday night on the Patriot home turf.

Patrick Henry was led by mid-dies Joe Clifton and Will Adams each of whom found the net twice for the Patriots.

Patriot attack #5 Brock Plantinga races past a Hilltopper defender.

PH #27 Jack Kepley looks to close as Glass at-tacks down the sideline.

Hidden Valley Tops Cave Spring 8-2 To Capture River Ridge TitleHidden Valley followed Cave

Spring's run in the top of the first inning with five of their own in the bottom of the frame, as the Titans won the winner-take-all regular season finale 8-2 to capture the River Ridge District title Thursday afternoon at Titan Field.

Hidden Valley pitcher Hayden Smith went the distance for the Titans to gain the win. Nic Rat-liff led Hidden Valley with four hits, while Drew Trampe con-nected on a lead-off single and late-inning homer to pace Hid-den Valley.

Cave Spring scored on a Jor-dan Bryant RBI double in the first and a Steve Klaiber triple,

one of his three hits, that led to a Knight run in the fourth.

Both teams earned first-round byes in this week's River Ridge District tournament in Pulaski.

Hidden Valley's #3 Hayden Smith moved from his normal catcher's position to throw the complete-game win over Cave Spring.

Cave Spring slugger Jordan Bryant laces a first inning RBI double down the left field line that gave the Knights the early 1-0 lead.

By Bill Turnerinfo@theroanokestar.com

By Bill Turnerinfo@theroanokestar.com

Hidden Valley shortstop Nic Ratliff turns the relay to com-plete a Titan double play.

Hidden Valley broke away from a 5-2 halftime advantage with nine third-quarter goals, as the Ti-tans knocked off Cave Spring 18-5 Tuesday after-noon to advance in the state lacrosse playoffs.

Hidden Valley Advances In State Lacrosse With 18-5 Win Over Cave Spring

Hidden Valley attacker Chris Murden looks for an opening as he closes on the Knight goal.

Titan middie #34 Massi Flici works his way around Cave Spring senior defender #13 Dylan Cohan.

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North Cross Falls in State Lacrosse FinalThe North Cross men's la-

crosse team advanced all the way to the VISAA Division II State Championship game last week by knocking off rival Covenant before falling in the final to Hampton Roads Acad-emy. The Raiders had the state title in their sites leading the #1 ranked Navigators through three quarters before a strong fourth quarter rally evened the score at 9 all.

The favored team from Tidewater then capitalized on a couple of Raider miscues to take home the title by a score of 11-9.

Christoper Pollock led North Cross in the final with 3 goals, Paul Ross had 2 while Kurtis Naslovski, Penn Draper and George Revercomb added one goal each. Andrew Carpenter earned tournament MVP for Hampton Roads.

Midi George Revercomb slips by a Covenant defender in Fri-days' semi-final game while North Cross head coach Stephen Belderes looks on.

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Sports 5/25/12- 5/31/12 TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 8

2012 Roanoke Rails Pre-season Preview

Over the past five years, the Roanoke Valley has produced a strong group of talented high school baseball players, Many of those players can now be found on college campuses, plying their trade and representing their university. During the summer months, these top players gather in Roanoke, pool their talents, and hit the diamond as members of the Roanoke Rails.

The Rails are the brainchild of former Roanoke Catholic pitcher Mike Blanchard and his father Dennis, who, created the team to provide a play-ing vehicle for local college talent. A member of the Carolina Virginia Collegiate League, based in North Carolina, the Rails play ball clubs from North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, and Ten-nessee during their doubleheader-heavy fifty plus game schedule.

The 2012 edition of the Roanoke Rails will fea-ture a distinct local flavor. The Carolina Virginia Collegiate League summer team which begins its fourth season on May 26, offers a long list of dia-mond stars who honed their craft in the Roanoke Valley. Newcomers will include 2011 Timesland Player of the Year Tyler Duke (James Madison/ James River HS) and 2010 Timeland Player of the year Craig Hoelzer (Johns Hopkins/North Cross). James Madison hurlers, and former Northside teammates, Trent Cundiff and Pat Arnold will also join the Rails providing a potent one-two punch to Coach Matt Cox’s revamped pitching staff.

Like Cundiff and Arnold, the Rails will field sev-eral pairing of high school teammates including: outfielder Lincoln Evans (Lynchburg College/Bo-tetourt HS) and high school senior slugger, Dylan Powers (Botetourt HS), ODAC Freshman of the Year, pitcher Zach Whitaker (Hampden-Sydney) and former Patrick Henry catcher Will Kauf-

man of Division II power California University of Pennsylvania, pitcher Aaron Stidham (Hamp-den-Sydney) and third baseman Jacob Clifton (Roanoke College) of William Byrd, along with the aforementioned Duke and outfielder Andrew Tucker (Hampden Sydney) of James River High School.

First year players, infielder Nick Colliver (Pat-rick Henry CC/Franklin County HS), pitcher Tyler Grouten (Roanoke College) and infielder/outfielder Alex Stepp (Roanoke College/Salem HS) will join a strong returning cast highlighted by ODAC stars Mark Manthe (Roanoke College/Blacksburg HS) and Eric Houff (Emory & Henry/Blacksburg HS). Houff’s Emory and Henry team-mates Brandon Lucas (Auburn HS)and Blake Camarillo (Roanoke Catholic) will reunite with 2011 Rails field mates pitchers Carter Brown (VA Tech Club/James River, Richmond) Zach Folger (Roanoke College/ Jefferson Forest HS), Ryan Anderson (Bryan University/Roanoke Val-ley Christian) and Roanoke College catcher Nick Spulati (Blacksburg HS) .

A group of selected college players complete the Rails roster including Outfielder Andrew De-Luca (Adrian College) who returns from the 2011 team, new additions; infielder D.J.Russ (Emory & Henry), catcher Ronald Loy (Glenville State), and switch-hitting outfielder Kendal Fowler (Walters CC) from Mountain View High School in Stafford, Virginia.

The Roanoke Rails home games are played at William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Vir-ginia and admission is free to the public.

For further information please contact Jon Kauf-man (540-819-8040).

Northside Wins Blue Ridge District Girls Singles, Doubles Tennis TitlesNorthside's Karlie Pope de-

feated William Byrd's GraceAn-na Chaney 6-1, 6-2 to win the Blue Ridge District girls tennis championship Friday afternoon at Waldron Park. Pope and Re-bekah Washington knocked off Viking teammates Kelsie Hen-dren and Hallie Cole to capture the Blue Ridge doubles 6-4, 6-3.

Karlie Pope took champion-ships in singles and doubles in Friday's Blue Ridge District girls tennis.

William Byrd's GraceAnna Chaney advanced to the Re-gion III tournament with her second-place finish Friday.

Jutanugarn, Womble Capture Titles In Scott Robertson Golf

Moriya Jutanugarn made it back-to-back wins in the girls 15-18, and Davis Womble used a last-minute opening to take the boys 15-18 in the 29th an-nual Scott Robertson Junior Golf Tournament played Friday through Sunday at Roanoke Country Club.

Jutanugarn, a 17-year-old from Thailand who blitzed the field last year with a 16-under 197 total, battled over the last 9 holes Sunday for a 69 and three-

day total of 204. The 9-under finish bested runner-up Annie Park by two shots.

Jutanugarn joined 4 other girls as the only winners in two straight years, the last of which were current-LPGA pro Paula Creamer in 2002-03, and Isabell Lendl in 2006-07. She will not be eligible to return in 2013 due to her age.

Womble, who was a third-alternate after a withdrawal by another qualifier, played like a seasoned veteran down the stretch. Tied with runner-up Chad Merzbacher with three holes to play, Womble saved par from the sand on the long par-3 16th, duplicated the sand trick for a birdie on the par-5 17th, then calmly got up and down for par on the finishing hole sur-rounded by a sizeable gallery.

Merzbacher finished bogey-par-par to end the tournament two shots back.

In the 14-under girls, Hiu Lam Vanessa Yan won by 6 shots with a 218 total, while Nathan Chowait took the boys 14-under with a three-day score of 215.

The Scott Robertson has be-come one of the top-10 junior golf tournaments in the coun-

try. with the 2012 field includ-ing participants from 22 differ-ent states and 18 countries. This year's field of 168 also included 12 American Junior Golf Asso-ciation All-Americans.

Over the last eight years the tournament has given over $100,000 to The First Tee Roa-noke Valley.

Moriya Jutanugarn became the fifth two-time winner of the Scott Robertson with her 9-under finish.

Davis Womble sinks his birdie putt on the 17th hole Sunday, on his way to a two-shot victory.

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Cave Spring Advances In River Ridge With 5-1 Win Over Bruins

Cave Spring starter Taylor Asimakopoulos pitched one-hit ball for five innings to pick up the win, and Danielle Stump shut down Blacksburg over the final two frames, as the Lady Knights ad-vanced in River Ridge softball tournament play with the 5-1 win Tuesday afternoon at Knights Field.

Cave Spring would get all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first when successive one-out doubles by Dani Duff, Cortney Cooper and Asimakopoulos staked the Knights to a 2-0 lead.

Blacksburg's Hailey Porth led off the Bruin sec-ond with a homer to deep left that would be the only Bruin hit of the afternoon.

The Lady Knights added a run in the second, and got two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Madi Billings' drive to left caromed off the glove of the Blacksburg outfielder for a double.

Cave Spring was anchored by several defensive gems by second baseman and Virginia Wesleyan-bound Kayla Malkos.

"After two or three, I thought they may try hit-ting it another way," Malkos said with a grin.

"I didn't see it fall in," Billings noted of her key hit in the sixth that clearly deflated any Blacksburg comeback. "I knew it was big, especially since we lost to them the last time we played."

"I was waiting on my pitch today," Knight se-nior Hannah Sitze said of her two timely hits. "I've been hitting better and better in the last few games."

"Defense was the key today," Cave Spring inter-im coach Chelsea Kelley pointed out. "We played the ball well. I never thought the two runs in the first would be enough; then Madi came up big with the double."

Cave Spring starter Taylor Asimakopouos gave up one hit in five innings to get the win for the Knights.

Knights Dani Duff connects on a first-inning double to ignite a two-run rally.

By Bill Turner info@theroanokestar.com

By Bill Turner info@theroanokestar.com

Send pictures, announcements and

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Arts & Culture 5/25/12- 5/31/12 TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 9

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Festival In The Park RetooledReturning for a 43rd year, the annual Festival in

the Park event, based at Elmwood Park, has been retooled somewhat this time around. For starters, it has spread beyond Elmwood Park to neighbor-ing streets. And for the first time in over a decade, 1964 The Tribute, the Beatles cover band that was the next best thing to seeing the Fab Four in action, will not return.

Event Zone Executive Director Larry Landolt said part of the commitment to retooling Festival in the Park, which includes more collaboration from local groups that wanted to be involved, was the re-alization that many people had seen 1964 and were perhaps ready for something new. 1964 would typically close out Festival in the Park on Memorial Day night; this year a jam concert featuring area musicians takes its place.

Before that, from Friday (May 25) through Sun-day, there are concerts by headliners The Gin Blos-soms, Lee Brice and Craig Morgan. The Gin Blos-soms had pop hits like “Hey Jealousy,” in the 90’s; Brice was up for the Academy of Country Music’s Song of the year with a tune he wrote for the Eli Young Band (Crazy Love) and Morgan has had seven Top-10 country hits since 2003.

Those concerts require a ticket but there’s plenty of free music (on four stages,) food and arts & crafts during the day. The AEP Festival in the Park 5k and 10K road races kickoff at 8am on Saturday. Day-time activities have been “completely revamped” according to Landolt, and include a sand sculpture being created outside the main library in down-town Roanoke by Carl Jara.

Students from the Music Lab will program a whole stage near Franklin Road; an ensemble from the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra will perform and there will be blues music from the Blue Ridge Blues Society, as well. “If you think you have been to Festival [during the day] and have been there, done that, it’s no longer the case,” noted Landolt. Event Zone also oversees Party in the Park every Thurs-day and the Big Lick Blues Festival in September.

Landolt credits inspiration he received at the CityWorks Expo earlier this year with some of the changes that will take place at Festival over the next few years. Developer Ed Walker staged CityWorks, a symposium focused on small and medium sized cities like Roanoke, where collaboration and com-munity were stressed as ways to grow. “It’s no secret that Roanoke is blowing up in terms of creativity and doing neat things,” said Landolt, “the ques-tion I had was…how can we ask these [creative] individuals and groups to be part of Festival in the Park? It was as simple as asking.”

Many told Landolt they had been waiting for that call. There has been plenty of collaboration and participation by local groups at Festival in the Park, “but this year it’s just been overwhelming,” said Landolt. “I hope that it just continues to blow up and be this incredible movement.” Like the Mar-ginal Arts Festival earlier in the year, he hopes that

FITP is seen as one of those places creative people feel is a “must do” when it comes to venturing out.

The mental shift at Festival in the Park includes taking it to the streets, with parts of Franklin Road and Jefferson Street being closed. RIDE Solutions is also putting on its Open Streets Festival, promot-ing alternatives to driving this weekend at the same time. “This is an urban festival,” notes Landolt, “so the idea of using the streets…is exciting to us.”

As for the music headliners, Landolt said The Gin Blossoms “helped define that whole alternative pop-rock sound of the late ‘90’s.” Sunday’s main at-traction, Craig Morgan, “is a man’s man,” ex-active military and the host of a TV hunting/fishing show. “We’re very excited about the three concert nights this year,” said Landolt. Event Zone has brought in some fairly big country acts over the past few years and has done well at the gate.

“You can kind of tell who’s coming [up in popu-larity],” said Landolt, noting the demographic for country music in Roanoke. Brice crosses over to other genres anyway he adds; opening for Brice is local favorite Mountain Heart.

As for Memorial Day’s Rock the Valley jam, “We have no idea how this is going to work,” said Landolt. “It could be absolutely stunning.” Then again, maybe not, but Landolt points out that the Roanoke music community is tightly knit and many of those who will be invited have probably played together anyway.

This will be the last Festival in the Park before Elmwood Park undergoes renovations that be-gin in July. If all goes well, the new amphitheater should be in place next May. “Anybody would be excited about the changes,” said Landolt, who feels the revamping will only make Elmwood Park more festival-friendly.

See eventzone.org for a complete list of events at this weekend’s Festival in the Park.

Craig Morgan is the headliner this weekend.

Review: “Postcards by Betty”She’s done it

again. A year ago, Betty Cody Pence published her light-hearted memoir titled, “My Very Last Boyfriend,” with proceeds going to the Rescue Mission. This year her project is a book of post-cards bearing prints of original paintings by the Roanoke-born painter and writer herself.

If and when the purchaser can part with a picture, the selected paintings are designed on the back to be mailed out as post-cards. The paintings range from colorful landscapes to whimsi-cal scenes starring cats of many colors and a still life or two.

In all, the book contains a total

of 20 postcard-sized prints of original work not including the still life on the cover. The books are priced at $9.00 with proceeds again going to a charitable organization – this time to the Ameri-can Cancer Society.

“Postcards by Betty” may be purchased at The Discovery Shop of the American Cancer Society and the Herb Cellar at Townside Festival Mall on Franklin Road as well as Tin-nell’s on Crystal Spring Avenue, Too Many Books on Grandin Road and Willow Grove at The Forum on Starkey Road.

By Gail Tansill Lambertinfo@theroanokestar.com

Virginia Tech Comes Alive With Summer Programs, Cultural Events

Virginia Tech will be alive this summer with cultural events, camps, conventions, exhibits, and professional development programs that will bring thou-sands of visitors to its main campus from June through mid-August.

* The Summer Arts Festival 2012: Sponsored by The School of Performing Arts and Cinema and the Town of Blacksburg, this is a smorgasbord of cultural arts events that take place through-out the summer. Included in this list are Friday Night Out Concerts (free live music on Henderson Lawn), free classic movies at The Lyric, movies on the lawn at the Alexander Black house, two free theatre shows including the Roanoke Chil-dren's Theatre production of "Go Dog Go" and, back by pop-ular demand, "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare." Other events include the Sum-mer Solstice Celebration, Art of the Market, and Blacksburg's 33rd annual Steppin' Out street festival. A complete list of events can be found by visiting the fes-tival on Facebook.

* 4-H Congress: From June 25-28, the Virginia 4-H will hold its 92nd State Congress at Vir-ginia Tech. The event will bring more than 500 4-H members, volunteer leaders, and Virginia Cooperative Extension agents to campus. This annual state-wide event offers educational experiences and competitions for outstanding 4-H members and adult volunteer leaders.

* Future Farmers of Ameri-can (FFA) Convention: More than 2,000 Virginia youth, ad-visors, and guests with a pas-sion for agriculture will return to the university campus for the 86th annual Virginia FFA Convention June 18-21. This year's theme, "Ignite the Power," will encourage FFA members to continue the vision for excel-lence and success in agricultural education that the founders of FFA articulated on Virginia Tech's campus in September of 1925. Learn more about the convention.

* Vocal Arts and Music Festival: Opera coaches, sing-ers, and musicians from across the globe will visit Blacksburg June 14-29 to present two weeks of performances and master classes as part of the Vocal Arts and Music Festival. Presented by the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, the festival is one of only three International Vocal Arts Institute programs. Special events will be available each evening, including master classes from some of the biggest

names in opera, a chamber mu-sic celebration, solo and group performances, and a one-act opera. Discounted packages for the entire festival are available.

* World Polymer Confer-ence: Virginia Tech and the Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute are hosting the World Polymer Conference June 24-29. The international meeting will bring renowned speakers to the Virginia Tech campus, including Nobel Prize winner Robert H. Grubbs. More than 1,200 polymer-science experts from around the world will be housed on campus and in se-lected area hotels.

* Master Gardener College: More than 300 master garden-ers from across the state will convene on campus June 20-24 for the 25th annual Master Gardener College. Participants learn the latest in environmen-tally sound lawn and garden practices and share horticultural knowledge. Learn more on the Virginia Master Gardener Web page.

* Virginia Bioinformatics Institute internship: The Vir-ginia Bioinformatics Institute is offering an internship for high-school-age youth July 9-13 to expose them to the fields of re-search in biology, plant pathol-ogy, the environment, climate, and bioinformatics. This week-long program consists of several research activities, related tours, and a discussion and lecture series. Visit the program Web page for more information.

* Newman Library: Don't

forget that materials, including DVDs of current films and pop-ular leisure reading titles, are available for checkout to all Vir-ginia residents. The library will host an exhibit commemorat-ing the sesquicentennial of the enactment of the nation's Mor-rill Act, which paved the way for the establishment of land-grant colleges and universities such as Virginia Tech. A reception to celebrate this historic event will be held July 11. Visit the library online for more information and summer hours.<

* YMCA at Virginia Tech: Open University classes at the YMCA at Virginia Tech offer a wide variety of continuing education programs from pot-tery to salsa dancing, learning Spanish and Turkish to outdoor grilling. The YMCA also hosts regular guided hikes, commu-nity gardens, and service oppor-tunities for all ages. In addition, it operates two thrift shops. The YMCA's website is full of help-ful information.

* Sports camps: The uni-versity will host nearly a dozen youth sports camps, including baseball, soccer, basketball, and wrestling camps, among others. See a complete list on the Hok-ieSports website.

A comprehensive list of sum-mer events coordinated by Continuing and Professional Education can be found online at: cpe.vt.edu/HOME/calendar/index.html).

By Catherine Dossinfo@theroanokestar.com

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2005 CADILLAC SRXStock #:PB4874

All prices plus tAxes, title, tAgs, And $299 Processing Fee. All vehicles preowned unless stAted As new. photos for illustrAtion purposes only. offer ends 5/31/12.

3311 Peters Creek Rd540-366-0888

800-633-1210

6:15 PM THURSDAY MAY 31AUDITORIUMROANOKE MAIN LIBRARY

www.nizer.comInformation: 540-853-1057 libraryevents@roanokeva.gov

“One of the best practitioners of the art.”-Los Angeles Times

“Nothing less than brilliant!”-Performance Magazine

“Fantastic!”-Dave Barry, Miami Herald

5/25/12- 5/31/12 TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 10