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eRoanokeStar.comcommunity | news | perspective September 21, 2012

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[National Recognition]

Some of Roanokes youngest citizens kindergarten students from Roanoke City Public Schools and children from local childcare centers gathered last Friday on Mill Mountain for a kickoff ceremony to celebrate Roanokes re-cent recognition as an All-America City. In July, the city was selected by the National League of

Cities as a winner for its Star City Reads campaign, a plan to ensure that more Roanoke children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade. Additional celebrations to involve the community will take place in the months ahead.During Fridays celebration at the Roanoke Star, Mayor

David Bowers, Roanoke City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Rita Bishop, and City Manager Chris Morrill spoke to the children about the award and the importance of learning to read. Afterward, refreshments provided by Roanoke City Public Schools were served under the Mill Mountain Picnic Shelter, and the children were given goodie bags containing books and other surprises.Roanokes Star City Reads plan makes the city a charter

member in the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Com-munity Network a national movement of local leaders, nonprofits and foundations putting a stake in the ground on third-grade reading. As a charter member, Roanoke will have access to a Promising Practices Clearinghouse, an on-

line help desk, peer-learning opportunities, meetings with national experts and policymakers, and a foundation regis-try designed to expand and replicate successful programs.Partners in the plan include the City of Roanoke, Roa-

noke City Public Schools, United Way of Roanoke Valley, Smart Beginnings of Greater Roanoke, Total Action Against Poverty, Roanoke Public Libraries, Blue Ridge Literacy, and Dr. Craig Ramey and Dr. Sharon Ramey from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institutefor their contribution to the development of the campaign.This marks the sixth time Roanoke has earned the distinc-

tion as an All-America City a feat achieved by no other city in the United States. Other years the city has won include 1952, 1979, 1982, 1988, and 1996. This year, Roanoke was one of 32 finalists selected through a peer review process from a field of more than 100 entries selected from across the country. In all, the National League of Cities named 14 communities All-America Cities.

For more information about the Star City Reads cam-paign, contact Sheila Umberger, Director of Roanoke Public Libraries, at 853-2476 or [email protected]. For information about the All-America City Awards, contact Mike McGrath at 303-571-4343, [email protected].

Top of the Class

Roanoke City Schools Superintendent Dr. Rita Bishop reads a book to the children during Fridays kickoff ceremony.

Roanoke Celebrates All-America City Win

Countryside Property Master Plan Amended

Monday evening another episode in the seven year saga of what to do with the old Countryside Golf Course played out with an amend-ment to the year-old council adopted master plan.The master plan was devel-

oped by the Planning Com-mi s s i on at the di-rection of City Council over an 8 month period that began in late 2010.The plan had a former

airport-owned 12-acre par-cel designated for urban ag-riculture. The amendment unanimously adopted by City Council Monday changed its use to recreation and is in-tended to make the area home for three soccer fields as part of a sports complex.The parcel came into the

citys hands when the city swapped golf course land for the 12-acre airport plot that lays in the glide path of Roa-noke Regional Airports run-way 6. It is adjacent to Port-land Avenue on the west and Ranch Road on the east.Miller Court, a neighbor-

hood to the west, nixed a proposal by Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op that the plan-ning commission envisioned would trigger a build-out of a town center restaurant or deli. The co-op would have fulfilled this vision while also supplying fresh vegetables to local restaurants. But the chicken farm in their plan met heavy resistance and the co-op dropped their proposal.Planning commission

members had voted against

[City Govt.]

HazMat Exercises Teach Agencies How to Work Together

The Environmental Protec-tion Agencys regional office in Philadelphia sponsored a three day HazMat exercise at the 9th Street Industrial Park in Southeast Roanoke City last week. Local residents and those who work at the park were asked not to be alarmed if they saw police, fire and hazardous material cleanup trucks flying around or folks dressed from head to toe in HazMat suits. It was all part of the first

large-scale exercise of its kind in the area said Myles Bartos, the on-scene coordinator for the EPA. Participants included Roanoke Fire-EMS and Police, as well as local and state pub-lic safety, environmental, and health agencies. A variety of HazMat scenar-

ios were played out in a vacant warehouse and outdoors with a meth lab being the principal sce-nario. Each agency involved had a role to play. Bartos said

that even though this particu-lar HazMat sce-nario involved the investigation of a meth lab,

Photo by Gene Marrano

Members of the Roanoke based Haz-Mat team practice evacu-ating an injured person during last weeks drill.

[Emergency Drill]

Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan

Promises to Fix the MessWere going to take re-

sponsibility and fix this mess, said Paul Ryan, the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, at a Hotel Roanoke fundraiser Friday evening.Ryan spoke for 12 min-

utes and continued to touch on many of the same themes he had presented while at Northwest Hardware in Roa-noke on August 22nd say-ing rights dont come from government but from nature and God. The very idea of our country is up for grabs . . . Ryan was introduced by 9th

district Congressman Morgan Griffith followed by 6th district Congressman Bob Goodlatte. Griffith cheered the fact that Virginia was a battleground state but then said that the battle

Paul Ryan and wife Janna arrive in Roanoke.

> CONTINUED, P2: Paul Ryan

> CONTINUEDP2: Countryside

> CONTINUEDP2: HazMat

Near 80 for a high on Friday as the pleasant weather continues. Were watching another system which could bring us a few late day showers or storms Saturday into Saturday night. Otherwise, the start to the weekend will be even warmer with highs in the low 80s. A lingering shower is possible Sunday before a cooler end to the weekend, with highs staying in the low 70s.

> HazMat From page 1 Page 2 | TheRoanokeStar.com 9/21/12- 9/27/12

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Community|News|Perspective

540-400-0990Publisher | Stuart Revercomb | [email protected] News Editor | Gene Marrano | [email protected] Writer |Valerie Garner| [email protected]

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where dangerous chemicals can lead to explosions and fire, the lessons learned and the way each agency interacts with each other can apply to many types of disasters, natural or manmade. These scenarios are somewhat canned but we always tweak

them to the venue and the target audience, said Bartos, as he took a break in the regional EPAs command center mobile unit. He is one of 27 on-scene coordinators in the mid-Atlantic re-gion, charged with ordering cleanups when environmental is-sues arise. The National Contingency Plan, noted Bartos, re-quires that localities prepare and train for disaster response. Bartos met with local public service agencies in Roanoke be-

fore the HazMat exercise, asking this question: Are we properly prepared to respond to catastrophic events? It doesnt have to be terrorist activity, adds Bartos. In any case he asks, How do we respond to it? In addition to Roanoke City police and fire/EMS, the state bomb squad, the Department of Environmental Quality and HazMat crews took part. The primary target for last weeks exercise was the regional

HazMat team there are 13 across the state with one based in Roanoke. The scenario involving a crystal meth lab also in-cluded simulated explosives and booby traps set to keep law en-forcement and others away. One scenario included an injured security guard and a fatality. In another, people were trying to rob the meth lab operators. The [Roanoke City] SWAT team came in to clear the building

and find the suspects, noted Bartos, who devised ways to keep

it fresh, keep it real, keep people guessing. The vacant building being used was ideal he added, since it contained rooms set up like a laboratory, making it easier to simulate a meth production facility.In some cases Roanoke City police were the first players in the

scenario exercise, responding to a report of a burglary for exam-ple, when Bartos acted as a dispatcher calling about the possible break-in. Theres been very good communication, said Bartos, who sat down with each agency and assessed their performance on a daily basis during the exercise.Bartos observed how each agency communicated with each

other and how they worked together once the hazardous sce-nario was identified. He pronounced himself pleased with the roles Roanoke City agencies played during the HazMat exercise. All the planning and training we do it doesnt really matter what the [specific scenario] is the assessment and the protocols are going to be the same. Bartos was a contractor for the Environmental Protection

Agency until 9/11 happened; when the federal government freed up more money to train agencies for disasters he came aboard full time. One of his first assignments was testing for anthrax when shortly after 9/11 someone started shipped that deadly powder through the mail. As for last weeks exercise, Its been a good learning experience.

By Gene [email protected]

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has yet to be won.Goodlatte thanked the host committee of Nick and Jenny

Taubman, Patricia Eggleston, Dane McBride and Heywood Fra-lin and said he thought the event was the largest fundraiser ever held in these parts. He later remarked that Virginians can help fire Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid by electing Republican George Allen to the Senate, helping deliver the chamber to the GOP.Ryan arrived at Roanoke Regional airport with his wife and

mother just in time to make it to the dinner set for 5:30 p.m. at the Hotel Roanoke. The $10,000 a plate dinner, $2500 pho-tos and $250 a person reception had about 120 attendees which helped to bring in the coveted high dollars needed in the high stakes presidential campaigns of today.His path to Roanoke started in Washington, D.C. at a Values

Voter Summit. He told them that President Obamas whole case these days is, asking us to forget what he promised four years ago, and focus instead on his new promises. Thats a fast move to get around accountability . . . He made those ringing promises to get elected. If we renew the contract, we will get the same deal with only one difference: In a second term, he will never answer to you again, said Ryan. When a Romney-Ryan admin-istration takes office, we will also take responsibility. Instead of dividing up the wealth, our new president will get America cre-ating wealth again. Referring to mandating contraceptives through Obamacare

Ryan said, As Governor Romney has said, this mandate is not a threat and insult to one religious group it is a threat and insult to every religious group. He and I are honored to stand with you people of faith and concerned citizens in defense of religious liberty. Hes not only a defender of marriage, he offers an example of marriage at its best.Ryan honored the lives of the four good men including the

ambassador to Libya that lost their lives in that country last week. We have all seen images of our flag being burned and our

embassies under attack by vicious mobs. They were there for the most peaceful purposes in service to our country. And today our country honors their lives and grieves with their families.Amid all these threats and dangers, what we do not see is

steady, consistent American leadership. In the days ahead, and in the years ahead, American foreign policy needs moral clar-ity and firmness of purpose. Only by the confident exercise of American influence are evil and violence overcome. That is how we keep problems abroad from becoming crises. That is what keeps the peace. And that is what we will have in a Romney-Ryan administration, said Ryan.At a September 13 press conference in Roanoke former Dem-

ocratic Congressman Patrick Murphy, an Iraq war veteran, took Romney to task for not mentioning Afghanistan or the Ameri-can troops serving there. Murphy said that the Romney-Ryan budget could severely cut funding from veterans health care programs, and that the campaigns 59 point economic plan does not even include the word veteran.After speaking in Washington, Ryan arrived in Harrisonburg

where he was joined on stage by Goodlatte. He focused his re-marks on the economy and the disappointing jobs report for August. Sugar high economics is no substitute for pro-growth economics, said Ryan.Ryan referred to President Obamas visit to Roanoke in July:

Most of the jobs come from successful small businesses you heard it just down the road in Roanoke. I am proud to stand with Mitt Romney who knows firsthand that if you have a small business you built that small business. Thats your achievement.Local Democrats held their own news conference earlier in

the day to counter the Ryan visit:They said they were amazed at the $10,000 a plate dinner

and argued that it showed that having Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in the White House would mean devastation for Virginias middle class families and vouchers for seniors on Medicare. They said President Obama believes in protecting and strength-ening Medicare and laying the foundation for an economy built to last one where everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules.

> Paul Ryan From page 1

By valerie [email protected]

amending the Portland parcel 2-5 retaining its original purpose for urban agriculture in hopes of another taker. The Country-side Neighborhood Alliance, bordering the east side of the Portland parcel, that had fought unsuccessfully to save the former golf course supported the plan-ning commissions decision.The story of what to do with

Countryside is a long one with many twists and turns. In 2005 Toll Brothers had submitted their interest to the city in a response to a Request For Qualification (RFQ) sight unseen. The high-end builder pulled the plug after visit-ing the property, leaving it shift-ing in the wind for many years as interest mounted on the $4.1 million loan the city used for the original purchase.At first council approved keep-

ing the Countryside Golf Course going for 5-10 years hoping the housing market would recover. But in March of 2010 they shut it down. All the while the property went through several iterations of proposed use.In 2006 the issue became a primary topic during city council

elections. That fizzled along with Victory Stadium. Council first did not want to split up the property that was encumbered by both flooding and the Runway 6 Protection Zone in the middle where nothing could be built.A real estate development project known as Colonial Green

spearheaded by Joyce Graham, was originally rejected in 2005 in favor of Toll Brothers.On Monday, the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Association

and Northwest Recreation Club finally made their case suc-cessfully with the support of the Miller Court neighborhood.

Bob Reed, president of the Miller Court Neighborhood Associa-tion, is hoping to work a deal for walking trails and fitness stops similar to the park and trails that are in the works for the 10th, 11th and 12th fairways of the former golf course in the Countryside neighborhood. An unattached portion of the Roanoke Valley Greenway is also in the plan.Now that Council has cleared

the way for the Portland parcels designation change allowing use for three soccer fields, negotia-tions between both groups and the city can begin. Three other sports fields are planned across the street from William Fleming High School and will include re-

furbishment of the Countryside tennis building and an expected addition for basketball and volleyball tournaments.According to Chris Chittum, city planning administrator,

ABear Sports Training is still negotiating use of the barn and silo portion of the Countryside property on Frontage Road to be used for sport fields and athlete training. No other proposals have been submitted for the other parcels on the property that, according to the master plan, still includes residential areas ex-pected to support a town center and future branch library.By now most Roanokers have probably learned that the future

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Part of the 12-acre Portland parcel lying just beyond the last airport guide light.

> Countryside From page 1

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Roanoke Star Sentinel 9-21-12 5.378x11.indd 1 9/11/12 11:18:55 AM

Even After 225 Years,VA Still Holds Sway In Politics

Two-hundred and 25 years ago, Virginia stood at the forefront of a national discussion about the future of the country.Today, more than two cen-turies after the signing of the United States Con-stitution, the Old Dominion could once again prominently shape the future political direction of the nation.Virginias role in the 2012 presidential election

was that of key swing state long before Mitt Rom-ney claimed the Republican nomination, but its emergence this year as an important piece in the path to the White House harkens back to a time when the commonwealth helped guide Americas political destiny.Many of the stars aligned in order to ensure

that Virginia had a large and justifiably impor-tant voice in governance, said Doug Smith, ex-ecutive director of the Center for the Constitu-tion at James Madisons Montpelier in Orange. It shouldnt surprise us that Virginia continues to play an important role on the scape of American politics. Virginia has a long, long history of being a leader and setting the governance direction.In 1787, delegates from the young nations 12

states gathered in Philadelphia to design a more effective government after the Articles of Confed-eration failed to resolve a number of lingering is-sues challenging the United States.Among the delegates was Madison, a Virginian

who Smith said played one of the most integral roles in setting the table for what was to become the Constitution.In 1786, Madison is in Virginia, at Montpelier,

and he is immersing himself in books that really outline what has worked and hasnt worked in ancient government and modern governments, and that is what he uses to pull together the main features of what would be the Virginia Plan, said Smith.The Virginia Plan introduced such features as

the bicameral legislature and population-desig-nated representation in Congress, while provid-ing a blueprint for the debate that would shape the Constitution.Those principles play heavily into the scope

of American governance every election year, but have become a focal point in 2012, as Virginia plays heavily into not only the presidential race, but also a contentious U.S. Senate race between former Virginia governors George Allen and Tim Kaine.Some see today, with an economic turbulence

that mirrors the heady times that formed the Constitution, as a crossroads for the direction of the country.Every time we have a presidential election

everybody says its the most important election

weve had in our lifetime, blah, blah, blah, said Lucas Morel, professor of politics at Washington and Lee University in Lexington. I wouldnt say that. I would say its at least this much: Four years ago, we decided to reject one way of looking at the role of the federal government in peoples day to day lives. The question is, are we on the right track, do we see signs of that now, and how is that connected to our understanding of the Constitu-tion?The debate over the Constitution essentially

breaks down into two camps, said Morel those who view it as an organic, breathing document, the perspective of most law school professors, and those who view it as something concrete and un-changing, as do some tea party activists.Theyve done this much theyve at least

brought the Constitution front and center, Morel said of tea party advocates.John Jaggers, director of operations for the

Northern Virginia Tea Party, said the government has become more intrusive than it was designed to be, and the tea party is helping to lead a course correction this election.I think we have gotten away from the found-

ers vision in a significant way, Jaggers said. The federal government assumes far too much re-sponsibility for activity in our lives, from banning light bulbs to mandating what kind of health care we can have. I think that there is a significant roll-back that is in the works, and you see that mani-festing itself in property rights fights throughout the country.Constitution Party presidential candidate and

Virginian Virgil Goode couldnt agree more that the nation has drifted from the core principles of that governing document after all, thats why hes running, much to the chagrin of the Republi-can Party that fears hell split votes.The federal government, from 1789 down to

the present time, has certainly grown in size and scope, Goode said in an interview on Monday. Its influence is far more than what it was then. No one would have ever thought the federal gov-ernment would be the supplier of so much social services.Smith said the engagement Virginians bring to

political discourse makes the state a natural bat-tleground state.We take our politics and our governance very

seriously Smith said. I think that sense of en-gagement and interest means we have a very well-educated electorate, and that has to be appealing to anyone looking to be in higher office.

kathryn Watson [email protected].

Fralin Trust Commits $5 Million to Virginia Western Community CollegeVirginia Western Community College has an-

nounced that the Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust has made a commitment of $5 million over five years to create an endowment for scholarships at the college. At least 75 percent of the funding will be used for schol-arships in the areas of science, technology, en-gineering, mathematics (STEM) and healthcare. Like all commu-

nities, the economic future in the Roanoke Valley is dependent on the steps taken to en-sure success. The ap-proach to economic development should be changed. Our country no longer has an ener-gy-based economy. The economy is knowledge-based, and therefore, a focus on a more skilled and educated workforce is a must, said W. Hey-wood Fralin, co-trustee of the Fralin Charitable Trust. The focus should be in areas where clus-ters of business activity exist. In the Roanoke Val-ley we have a healthcare cluster and it should have a priority focus. This gift, with an emphasis on science, engi-

neering, technology, mathematics and healthcare, should give the younger citizens of the Roanoke Valley an opportunity to become a part of the Val-leys future economic success, Fralin said. Hope-fully, others will join this effort to enlarge Virginia Western Community Colleges scholarship en-dowment. Its important to the future economic growth of this Valley. The donation is the largest ever made to the

Virginia Western Educational Foundation, nearly doubling its assets to $10.9 million. The gift sin-gle-handedly moves the foundation from the 16th largest foundation among the 24 in the Virginia Community College System to fourth. The gift is the largest donation dedicated to scholarships in the history of the Virginia Community Col-lege System and one of the largest for community college scholarships in the country. The unprec-edented increase in scholarships will help more students prepare for rapidly growing career fields and enhance the local workforce. Virginia Western is extremely grateful for the

generosity of the Fralin Trust, Heywood and Wil-liam Fralin, said Dr. Robert H. Sandel, President of Virginia Western. Their support will make our community stronger as we can see more students pursue STEM and healthcare fields. Those are the areas where local businesses are seeking qualified workers, and this gift allows the College to re-spond to the needs of the local economy.Like the trend nationally, the Roanoke region

is experiencing growth in the middle-skill jobs that require additional education and training past high school. Virginia Western is addressing

the needs of the local workforce by providing as-sociate degree and certificate programs in all the regions most sought-after fields. Virginia West-ern associate degree students have guaranteed

admission transfer options to more than 32 four-year colleges and universities.With our new century

well underway, there is nothing that is a more im-portant differentiator for western Virginia than an educated workforce ready to accept the employment opportunities of tomor-row, Heywood Fralin said. Horace always be-lieved in quality higher education and wanted to do big things for the Val-ley. We think this gift ful-

fills both goals.Virginia Western maintains the second-largest

enrollment, behind only Virginia Tech, of post-secondary institutions in the Roanoke region. Eighty-five percent of Virginia Westerns gradu-ates remain in the Roanoke area and 65 percent are enrolled in programs that fill the workforce needs of the region. With a new center for science and health professions slated to open for students in 2013, the Colleges impact on area healthcare professions will continue to expand.The Fralin familys involvement with higher

education is well known across the state. The late Horace G. Fralin, co-founder of Fralin and Waldron Inc. and a graduate of Virginia Tech, endowed a charitable trust that has provided significant gifts to Virginia Tech and numerous charities throughout the Roanoke Valley. W. Hey-wood Fralin and William H. Fralin Jr. administer the trust and have been active in shaping higher education across the state.W. Heywood Fralin, chairman of Medical Fa-

cilities of America, is the former rector of the Uni-versity of Virginias Board of Visitors, served on Virginia Techs Boards of Visitors and was a ma-jor influence on the states Top Jobs legislation as chairman of the Virginia Business Higher Educa-tion Council.William H. Fralin Jr., who served in the Vir-

ginia House of Delegates from 2004-10, is the president and chief executive officer of Medical Facilities of America and director emeriti of the Virginia Western Educational Foundation Board of Directors.The support of the Fralins is an endorsement

of Virginia Westerns growing importance in our region, said Dr. Angela M. Garcia Falcon-etti, vice president of Institutional Advancement. The College impacts the lives of nearly 13,000 students, paving a pathway to lifelong success through higher education. This unprecedented gift will more than double the number of scholar-ships awarded in perpetuity.

Heywood Fralin addresses Virginia Western supporters during Tuesdays announcement.

PerspectivePage 4 | TheRoanokeStar.com 9/21/12- 9/27/12

If you were in charge of the federal bud-get, would you pay $2.5 billion to investigate the potential for life on a remote rock? NASA did just that with its Curiosity space probe to Mars. Its other objectives include the study of the Martian climate and geology, and the collection of data for any future manned mis-sions to the Red Planet. The one-ton, car-size Curiosity joins five other functioning space-craft on the planets surface, all humming away and sending us bits of information. Marvelous technology to be sure, but $2.5 billion to study the potential for life? For an estimated two-year mission, thats an invest-ment of $3.4 million per day! Cant we do that kind of study more cheaply from Earth?What instruments does Curiosity harbor

to detect life, present or past? At it turns out, despite all the hyperbole, none whatsoever. The little beast carries 10 science gadgets in-cluding a drill, scoop, radiation emitter and detector, magnifying lens, and cameras. Yet nary one can detect either present-day life or fossilized microorganisms. The rover is capable only of verifying three conditions necessary for life as we know it: the presence of liquid water, certain chemical ingredients, and an energy source. Any kid with a whit of curiosity knows that you wont get a beaker of bugs from a simple bouillabaisse of water, chemicals, and an electrical spark even with a lifetime of shake-and-bake! The stuff of life is billions of years in the making, and Mars had its stuffing knocked out of it over the eons by meteor strikes and volcanism. Some sci-entists me included think its not a dead planet, but a nonliving planet and theres a world of difference. Using a little basic biol-ogy and chemistry, we figure it never had life in the first place.Heres the raison dtre. The signature of

life is embedded in a planets atmospheric chemistry. Life and nonlife leave a recogniz-able, co-evolutionary seal on their relations over time including the composition of its sky. Space research affords these features of Earth and its closest neighbors:Venus: 95-96% carbon dioxide, 3-4 % ni-

trogen, trace of oxygenEarth: Trace of carbon dioxide, 77% nitro-

gen, 21% oxygenMars: 95% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen,

trace of oxygenThe devils in the detail, so to speak. Thus,

an alien from a remote location in the uni-verse with the proper instruments might surmise that Earth is a living planet simply

from its surprising atmospheric spectro-graph compared to its neighbors. So there goes mission objective #1: the chemistry is all wrong. Mars and Venus are planets in ex-pected chemical equilibrium; and Earth with its 30 million species interwoven dynami-cally with air, water, and soil is not and that evolving disequilibrium shows up historical-ly in the gaseous composition of our blanket-ing atmosphere.What about the other two objectives: study

of the Martian climate and geology, and the collection of data for future manned missions to the Red Planet? Im just as curious as the next guy about a planet or a galaxy far, far away. But I keep thinking about that price tag. The average cost of bringing a new drug to market is a staggering $1.3 billion. The av-erage cost of listing an animal or plant as an endangered species (with all the incumbent protections) is a mere $85,000. So the Mars mission equates to two new drugs on the market or 30,000 types of organisms afforded the protected status of endangered species! As a less-than-stellar steward of Earth, why would we humans mosey over to Mars to try it again? Weve already left some of our junk there, the working probes notwithstanding. Thats not a great start on stewardship.So my recommendations as a scientist?

First, lets have NASA stop sending these risky, somewhat frivolous toys into space at great expense to taxpayers. Instead lets work on near-space exploration via the in-ternational space station and orbiting tele-scopes. Second, lets invest alternatively in conservation projects on Earth. Species are vanishing across the planet, threatening the tapestry of life itself: lets do something positive about that. We also need to work quickly and effectively on human-acceler-ated climate change. Third, lets fix science education in the country. Lets stop trying to impose religion or politics on science in-struction in public schools (e.g., creationist myth and anti-climate change bunkum) and teach instead the subject matter with rigor-ous methodology and standards. Fourth, lets clean up our home base before venturing far afield to demonstrate the worthiness of our expansionism. I offer these recommenda-tions especially as we move toward 2050, a sure point of no return if we cannot fix our human-caused woes for a planet in crisis. Its a great big universe, but our curiosity needs to be focused first and foremost at home.

A Little Curiosity AboutA Great Big Universe

H. Bruce Rinker, [email protected]

The Preachers Corner

During the past year, I enjoyed the privi-lege of serving the Church of the Brethren as our Moderator, our highest national office. It is truly a humbling experience to have ones name recorded in the same list as those I have read about in our history books. It makes me wonder what God saw in me to call me to this particular role!A large part of this calling involved visit-

ing Church of the Brethren congregations and districts, sharing my hopes and dreams for the church, and learning what is happening in our local congregations. It also provided many op-portunities to think about healthy leadership. Along the way, I observed some things.First, there are many congregations that en-

joy strong leadership, both from the pastoral staff and the membership. By looking around at bulletin boards and church bulletins and talk-ing with members and pastors, I could tell that certain congregations love Jesus, love one an-other, and clearly understand their mission in the Kingdom of God. These congregations are served by strong and compassionate pastors, who have a clear sense that their job takes them outside the walls of the church. Typically, these congregations enjoy long, healthy pastorates.Second, there are some congregations that

will not exist in 10 years. While they get along well with one another and love their Lord, it seems their main purpose is to get together again next Sunday for worshipin the same manner they have for yearsall the while won-dering why more people (especially young peo-ple) dont join them. Somewhere in the past, these congregations have traded the challenge of leadership for the comfort of management, and they have been managed nearly out of ex-istence.As I consider what I observed in visiting

congregations, along with what Ive learned and read about leadership, I offer these four observations, and how they might apply to our congregations. As you read the word leader in what follows, dont only substitute the word pastor. All levels of church leadership are in view here.1. Ineffective leaders focus on weakness;

strong leaders focus on strength. A medical example helps us understand this point. In the long run, we are more likely to experience good health if we practice healthy habits: good diet, regular exercise, plenty of sleep. Congregation-al life is similar; over the long term, we are more likely to create strong churches by strengthen-

ing what is already strong, rather than focusing on our problems. In your congregation, what is your focus: strengthening areas that are already strong? Maintenance of the status quo without really thinking about it? Struggling with con-flict and decline?2. Ineffective leaders focus on symptoms;

strong leaders seek enduring change. Many congregations gather each week, wondering where all the young people are. If we just had more young people is a refrain sung in church-es about as often as Amazing Grace. This is symptom thinking. Rather than trying to hire a rock band to lead worship in an aging, de-clining congregation, strong leaders insist that their congregations take a hard look at them-selves, the Gospel, and their ministry context, identifying the reasons and roadblocks for why people (of any age) arent in attendance, and seek to improve or change those areas.3. Ineffective leaders are stuck trying harder;

strong leaders are fed up with the treadmill. No matter how hard or fast you nail shingles to a roof, you will not be able to stay ahead of a hurricanes wind! Its a losing effort, so dont even try. Working harder is not effective when we are working against the natural forces of the system, or when the congregation (or individu-al) doesnt really want to change.4. Ineffective leaders try to minimize con-

flict; strong leaders recognize that conflict and sabotage are often signs of effectiveness. My friend Keith McCurdy has written numer-ous articles in this newspaper illustrating how this point applies to families: When you assign more chores or expect better behavior, you will get resistance. The parents role is to not give in to the complaining! The same is true in church-es. If we want to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God here in Roanoke (as Jesus said, on earth as it is in Heaven!), we will need to change. We should value and encourage leaders who have thick skin, tender hearts, and backbones of steel. Many churches are already changing in some uncomfortable ways anywaythey are declining to the point of non-existence. So it really boils down to what kind of change do we want to see?As you consider this brief look at four leader-

ship principles for congregations, where does your congregation fit in?

Tim Harvey is the senior pastor at Central Church of the Brethren in Roanoke. Visit them on the web at www.centralbrethren.org

The Keys to Effective Church Leadership-Tim Harvey

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Wow, what a week on the prediction front. From plagiarism to pilfering, the boys with the crystal balls were hit hard. First, one of my esteemed colleagues was victimized by the Copy-Cat Predictor, someone who exactly matched 78 high school football outcomes. Ive got to admit, it made for a hilarious halftime discussion at last Fridays Cavs-Knights game.Surely, you imposters must realize we pros can spot

you a mile away. When you make 39 picks, much less 78, there are just shy of 550 billion combinations pos-sible. I would have also figured the odds for 78, but my logarithm calculator blew up after 39.Closer to home, someone purloined one of my me-

dia passes at another recent game. No worry, Ive got others. But, the culprit should take note the one he or she filched had expired. Youll probably get nabbed if you try to use it to get in the World Series or next springs Masters.A couple of you wise-guys asked me this week if I solicit help

on my picks. Nope, my Ouija is still purring like a kitten. Plus, for the record, I have to get my predictions to the editors by Wednesday morning, and theyre on the newsstand for review by noon Thursday, a full 31 hours before the first Friday night kickoff. With all this going on, its amazing I only had one miss last week, finishing 6-1 in the Big-11.Now, to this weeks non-collaborated predictions where Big-

11 members Byrd and HIdden Valley have an open week.Patrick Henry at Patriot: The Patriots travel to Manassas

to take on Patriot. Actually, the Northern Virginia school is called the Pioneers, so it may be simpler to stay with that. The Pioneers enter the game 1-3, with the brightest star being three field goals in their last two games. Our Patriots are 4-0. The extra s gets the win. Patrick Henry- 28 Patriot- 10.R.J. Reynolds at William Fleming: The 3-2 Demons from

Winston-Salem, NC visit Fleming after losing their last two games to a pair of Forsyths, East and North, by the combined score of 79-12. Could this be the first-ever Colonel win in Fleming Stadium? R.J. Reynolds- 21 William Fleming- 17.Cave Spring at Alleghany: The Knights travel to Low Moor

to battle the 2-1 Mountaineers. Cave Spring has seen a couple games get away from their young defense. This one should be very close. Alleghany- 27 Cave Spring- 24.

Blacksburg at Lord Botetourt: Botetourt comes off back-to-back road wins at Bogle Stadium that have put new life into

the Cavalier program. Jame Harless must guard against a letdown.Homecoming success in Daleville. Lord Botetourt-

29 Blacksburg- 20.Northside at Salem: The Vikings evened their record

at 2-2 last Friday, while Salem stayed perfect with a win at Byrd. If Northside comes to play, the Spartans may be in for a tussle. Its hard to win at Salem Stadium un-der any conditions. Salem: 28 Northside: 27.

Covington at Glenvar: Glenvar had the open week last Friday to mend the wounded and prepare for the

2-2 Cougars who were a 34-point winner over EastMont last week. Covington has averaged over 38 points in its last three games. Can the Highlanders defense stop the train?Covington- 30 Glenvar- 20.North Cross at Blue Ridge: Blue Ridge enters the game un-

defeated after their 23-7 takedown of Blessed Sacrament-Hu-guenot last week. The Raiders short bench and young squad may have their hands full again on Saturday. Blue Ridge- 26 North Cross- 16.Roanoke Catholic at Parry McCluer: For the record, in case

youre wondering, Parry was a former Buena Vista school ad-ministrator. You always learn something in this column. The young Celtics will have to execute to perfection to slip by in this one. Parry McCluer- 26 Roanoke Catholic- 12.One quick look at this weeks mailbag, where a reader sug-

gests guest predictors for the column.Dear Wild Bill: Have you ever considered inviting outsiders

to challenge you in picking the games? (Norman/Salem)Answer: Well, Norman, I thought about celebrities or presi-

dential candidates. But, can you imagine if I had Barack or Mitt giving their best shot? Id print their selections and by next week, theyd swear they had picked the other team.Until next week, take me on

and cast your votes to [email protected]

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In 1919 the United States Supreme Court in Schenck v. United States issued a unanimous decision about what the first amend-ment does not cover. It was Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who said that freedom of speech does not in-clude falsely shouting fire! in a crowded theater. That has been para-phrased into the deletion of the word falsely but the principle still applies. It was construed to mean that speech designed to inflame or incite for no useful purpose was not protected by the first amendment.Oh, Oliver! Where are you when

we need you? We have been strug-gling with this concept for decades. In 1964, a radical by the name of Mario Savio, among others, started what became known as the Free Speech Movement or FSM for short. It began at the University of California, Berkeley and was partly responsible for the pejorative of the time of UC, Beserkly.There was a lot more to it than simply be-

ing able to say whatever you wanted to say, regardless of its offensiveness, lack of purpose, or inflammatory nature. They also wanted to end the UC ban against on-campus political rallies and establish more academic freedom. The movement in various forms spread to cam-puses nationwide and found a new home in the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations. It was a time when liberty morphed into li-

cense in the name of a constitutional right. We are still dealing with the first amendment and the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is but the lat-est. It said, Money Talks so corporation cam-paign contributions cannot be restricted be-cause of first amendment protection. That may well have a major influence on November 6.How does all that play into the disastrous

week we have just been through in the explo-sion of anti-American protests in 23 countries? Heres a humorous example of how times have changed since that 1919 Supreme Court deci-sion. James Thurber was a famed journalist of that era. He once wrote a piece about a crazy man who lived in his hometown of Columbus,

Ohio. Every so often the crazy man would show up in a crowded theater and shout, Get ready!

Get ready! The woorrlldd is com-ing to an end!!! He became known as The Get Ready Man and he was routinely escorted from the movie; no one paid any attention to him.The problem today is that anyone,

even The Get Ready man, has an instant and world-wide audience. While the people of Columbus had the good sense to ignore him, consid-er the mustachioed reverend from Florida and his Quran burning. He nearly incited a major catastrophe because of the media coverage.

Somewhere in the world, there will always be people who will find any message suitable/objectionable as long as it fits their particular set of beliefs. No sensible person would argue that we could or should try to control anyones beliefs, even if they have no useful purpose ac-cording to our standards. The trouble comes when those with widely different beliefs inter-pret a message as an attack on them and then launch an attack on whoever they perceive as the enemy. The violence as a result of a clumsy attempt

in a movie to portray Muhammad in an unfa-vorable light shows what a hair trigger can do. I suspect that the vast majority of the Islamic world is as horrified as we are at the reaction of a few. But in the time of the Internet, YouTube, and all the instant telecommunication there will be some who take extreme action. Its no longer just a crowded theater where words can explode; the whole crowded world can explode.With freedom comes liberty and the line be-

tween that and license is not distinct. We must rely on clear-headed thinking before leaping to the conclusions of self-justification that lead to violence. Lets hope the world can do that and not be led by extremists, regardless of who they are, what they believe, or where they live.

Shouting Fire! In ACrowded Theater

Hayden Hollingsworth

Contact Hayden [email protected]

At about 11:22 PM, EST on Tuesday, Sep-tember 4, 2012, the US national debt clock registered $16 trillion. In case this does not concern you, note that the share per taxpayer is $140,000. And it doesnt end there; our nation also has unfunded liabili-ties of $16 trillion for social security, $21 trillion for the prescription drug program and $83 trillion for Medi-care for a total of $120 trillion.The individual share of this awe-

some amount is over $1 million for each passenger on this 236 year-old ship-of-state called the United States of America.Wherever there is debt, there are

holders of debt (creditors). Thirty-five foreign countries plus other entities hold more than $5 trillion of our US Treasury Securities. The principal debt holders are China, Japan, Bra-zil, Taiwan, Switzerland, Russia and the UK. The national debt has increased $5.4 trillion since January 20, 2009 and interest on the debt was $454 billion in fiscal 2011. As of January 30, 2012, the current debt limit authorized by Congress is $16.394 trillion, meaning that a new debt ceiling will be subject to political demagoguery and wrangling.The uncertainty of tax increases and re-

duced government spending may create a tax cliff after year-end with dire consequences. These two economic changes create turmoil and uncertainty when they collide in govern-ment, industry and throughout the private sector. In addition, there are new regulatory provisions that could be introduced after the first of 2013.The Labor Department will probably intro-

duce The Fiduciary Rule, increasing litigation risks for businesses that offer certain forms of investment guidance for employees. The EPA is expected to awaken the Ozone Rule that was originally proposed in 2010. This rule would be priced in the $90 to $100 billion range for industry. There would be certain geographic locations that would be off-limits for some industries that could not meet the strict EPA-mandated air quality standards. Another regulation that may be offered by the

Department of Transportation requires all ve-hicles to have rear-view cameras with a video display on the dashboard. Estimated cost of this auto and truck upgrade is around $2.7

billion.While the massive debt and add-

ed regulations are discouraging, the unemployment rate in July was 8.3%, continuing the joblessness of 8%+ for more than three years. Sub-dividing segments of joblessness, the rate for Hispanics was 10.3%, adult men 7.7%, adult women 7.5%, teenagers 23.8%, whites 7.4%, blacks 14.1% and Asians 6.2%.The USDA reported that in

June a record 46.7 million recipients received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits costing more than $6 billion. Thats one in about seven people or 15% of our population. The current US population is 314 million with a civilian labor force of 155 million. There are 12,800,000 unemployed, 61,639,000 receiving social security benefits, and just two employed workers for every un-employed and retired citizen. This ratio is un-sustainable but politicians in their quest for votes continue down the myopic path to so-cialist oblivion.Before we reach the untenable position of

Greece and other crumbling economies, there must be a heightened focus on the future of this country. Although there has not been a congressionally approved budget in more than three years, a balanced budget must be created and implemented rigorously.The most important lesson is that we must

all take personal responsibility. The value of liberty and freedom are too great to place total dependence on the patriarchal tenden-cies of government, unions and employers to assure our retirements. Precious financial resources are being hemorrhaged at the rate of $42,860 per second. Time is of the essence.As Winston Churchill once said, I never

worry about action, but only about inaction.

The Statistics Dont Lie

Dick Baynton

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Wild Bills Weekly Sports Roundup

Bill Turner

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Thousands ventured out to the Greek Ortho-dox Church on Williamson Road this past weekend to sample the food, music and ambience of Greece- espe-cially the food. Lines were long as attendees waited to order stuffed grape leaves, spinach pies, baklava, gyros and the like. This was the Roanoke Greek Festivals 25th year.

9/21/12- 9/27/12 TheRoanokeStar.com | Page 6

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The 17th annual Marine Corp Mud Run was held Saturday at Greenhill Park in Roanoke County. Over one hundred participants ran the three mile course that finished with a full body plunge through the specially prepared mud pits.Friends and family cheered the runners on as they made their way to the finish line for obligatory

pictures and a soon to follow rinsing.The run honors military veterans and is a fundraiser for Toys For Tots.

100s Take Up The Challenge At 17th Annual Mud Run

Photo and Story By Gene [email protected]

Oh To Be Greek for a Day

Greek desserts flew off the tables at last weeks festival.Photo by Gene Marrano

By Gene [email protected]

ConstitutionDay

CommemoratedRichard Cummins, Organist and Director of

Fine Arts at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church plays the bells which pealed throughout downtown Roanoke on Monday at 4PM. Bells rang out simultaneously across the nation to com-memorate the 225th Anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

Peanuts Comic Strip Fans Hold Collectors Weekend in Roanoke

The 14th East Coast Peanuts Collectors held their meeting in Roanoke last week the very first time the group has met outside of Pennsyl-vania. The East Coast Peanuts Collectors formed in 1994 as a way for fans of the Peanuts comic strip to stay in touch. Approximately 200 attend-ees from all over the country attended the event. Proceeds from this bi-annual event benefit Ca-nine Companions for Independence (CCI).While here, the group enjoyed a bus tour pro-

vided by Commonwealth Coach & Trolley Mu-seum to the National D-Day Memorial in Bed-ford. Charles Shultz, creator of the comic strip, was a great supporter of the D-Day Memorial project. Mr. Schultz chaired the National D-Day Memorial Foundation Capital Campaign and donated $1 million to the project. Jean Shultz, Charles Schultzs wife, is expected to donate memorabilia from the Shultz Foundation to the National D-Day Memorial Foundation.Weekend highlights for the group included a

Collectors Market Extravaganza, LIVE trivia contest, Scavenger Hunt, Decorated Scarf Con-test, Tee-shirt contest, and Bake Sale. Chuck

Macy, Event Coordinator, stated, This will be the Peanuts party of the year!The Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors

Bureau estimates the group contributed over $120,000 in direct spending to the Roanoke Val-ley economy.

Master Gardener of the Year Awards Received

Virginia Cooperative Extension has an-nounced that two Master Gardener volunteers have received the Master Gardener of the Year Award bestowed by the Roanoke Master Gar-dener Association. This award goes to those who go above and beyond to ensure that edu-cational outreach and programs in horticul-ture and local gardening continue in the Roa-noke Valley.Kathryn Debnar has been a Roanoke VCE

volunteer since Fall of 01, having trained with the local group. Kathryn has been a past Presi-dent and present officer and served on nearly every team and committee over the years so she could really understand all that we do.Kathryn is currently the Corresponding Sec-

retary of RMGA. She has also served on Virgin-ia Master Gardener Association committees and has worked and traveled extensively to shape policy and programming. Her tireless efforts to raise money for the MG Endowment Fund ensures that

Virginia continues to have a State Master Gardener Coordinator. Kathryns dedication, attitude, and example have made her stand out by her exemplary service to the community.Lewis Shontell came to VCE in Fall of 06 after his retirement from

the medical community. Lewis also received his training in Roanoke and has a particular interest in childrens programs and community gardens. His faith led him to start a community garden with chil-dren at his church, which in subsequent years blossomed into a pro-gram for adults. The produce is shared within their church commu-nity. The camaraderie and education it provides lasts way beyond the benefit of the meal.Lewis works with patience and diligence to make sure that lifes

lessons are not lost to the youth. Lewis is very involved with 4-H, being involved with both the Home Garden Project for school- aged children and the 4-H summer camp. A real hands-on gardener, Lewis knows gardening from the soil up. Watching crops grow teaches patience, and Lewis has plenty. Lewis also took the Master Food Volunteer training and volunteers for the Family and Con-sumer Science agent with food and nutrition programming.While there are many people who are involved in the community

from the sidelines, these two volunteers roll up their sleeves and get dirty for what they believe in!

Snoopy paraphernalia dominated the offer-ing.

Lewis Shontell teaches about water conserva-tion, rain barrels and mulching to a group at Virginia Western Community Arboretum.

Sports 9/21/12- 9/27/12 TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 7

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William Fleming spotted E.C. Glass a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and the Colonels valiant comeback effort fell just short, as the Hilltoppers held on for the 17-13 win Friday night at Flem-ing Stadium.Glass used its efficient ground

game for the pair of early touch-downs before Fleming freshman quarterback Tyrell Adams got the Colonels on the board in the sec-ond quarter with a 9-yard pass to senior Malik Bonds, cutting the Glass advantage in half after the Joel Ugochukwa point-after.The Hilltoppers picked up a

field goal later in the second, before Fleming struck with a 92-strike from Adams to Bonds that sent the teams to the locker room with Glass holding the 17-13 edge.The second half turned into a

defensive battle of field position, with neither team being able to add to their first-half totals.Adams was the offensive shining star for

the Colonels, connecting on 8 passes for 170 yards, including the two key hookups with Bonds.

Fleming will look for its first win of the season this Friday as the Colonels host R.J. Reynolds of North Carolina.

Colonels Fall Just Short in 17-13Loss to Hilltoppers


Fleming freshman quarterback Tyrell Adams gets a pass off before being hit by a pair of Hilltopper defenders.

Photo by Bill Turner.

It would be hard to argue that Lord Botetourt Head Football Coach Jamie Harless is feeling right at home at Dwight Bogle Stadium. The former Cave Spring defensive coordina-

tor, who took over as the head man for the Cava-liers this season, returned to Bogle for the second time in as many weeks, this time to face many of his former players at Cave Spring. Only one week prior, Botetourt had used a

grueling rushing attack to defeat Hidden Valley 22-14. This time around, it was surprises through the air that helped knock off Cave Spring 22-17. The Cavaliers had entered the contest only

throwing the ball a combined seven times for two completions in their first three games. Things changed when Cave Spring jumped

out to 14-0 lead in the first quarter after the Cava-liers fumbled the ball away on their first play. Knight quarterback Connor Baker scored on a one-yard keeper and running back James Jackson followed with an 18-yard run that had Botetourt in a quick hole. But late in the first quarter, wide-open Cava-

lier receiver Bobby Staples slipped past the Cave Spring secondary to bring in a 22-yard touch-down catch from quarterback Conner Bronson that cut the deficit to 14-6. Bronson connected on a 12-yard toss to Dylan Gusler and 2-point con-version throw to Thomas Kennedy with fourteen

seconds left in the second quarter that sent the teams to the locker room knotted at 14. Cave Springs defense came alive in the third

and Daniel Seymour connected on a 25-yard field goal to put the Knights ahead 17-14. But, the Cav-alier air show struck again. With a fourth-and-three on their own 30-

yard line, backup quarterback Alex Hampton scrambled before lobbing a wobbly, dieing quail that was brought in by Gusler for a first down. Moments later, with Cave Spring secondary

stalwart Jack Woody forced to the sideline with an injury, Hampton hit a wide open Austin Oyler in stride for the winning 44-yard bomb with just un-der five minutes left. Cave Spring was unable to mount a serious

threat the rest of the way. Its weird, Harless noted after the game, on

beating a team in which he had coached most of the players last year.Cave Spring was prepared, he added. You

take what you get. Tonight, we drew it up in the dirt on the sideline. In the second half, our defense stopped

their running game, Cave Spring Head Coach Tim Fulton said. But, our seconday broke down twice, and that was the difference.

Botetourt Comeback Nets 22-17Win Over Cave Spring


Led by #10 Jack Woody, the Cave Spring defense swarms over a Cavalier ball carrier Friday night.


The early-season showdown between volleyball stalwarts Hidden Valley and Roanoke Catholic ended last Wednesday night with the Titans superior height be-ing the deciding factor in Hidden Valleys 3-0 victory.A packed Roanoke Catholic gym looked

on to see if the Celtics, coached by former Hidden Valley assistant Aaron King, could keep pace with the perennial Group AA powerhouse Titans.Roanoke Catholic came into the match

with plenty of credentials itself, having already taken down Northside and AAA Patrick Henry, along with a pair of wins over Group A Division-1 defending state champs Bath County. The match was dominated by the taller

Titans, who controlled the pace from the outset on their way to the 25-10; 25-13; 25-16 win. Hidden Valley had its A-game going from the opening serve.We played really well tonight, Hidden

Valley Head Coach Carla Poff noted after-ward. It was a total team effort.Titan 62 senior Caroline Boone

launched 15 kills past the Celtics, while junior teammate Madison Morris rejected five Catholic shots.Hannah Podeschi set the Titan front line

in motion all night with 30 assists, and senior Jenny Clark controlled the back line, bringing up 10 digs and firing six service aces.Mairin Guilfoyle led the Celtic attack with

7 kills, while Ava Perez added six. Perez also contributed 15 assists, with junior Anne Deer keeping busy by posting 15 digs against the relentless Titan barrage.Its tough to match up with Hidden Val-

leys height, King pointed out after the match. Plus, they have such a good defense. One good thing- we get right back with a match to-morrow night, so we can move on. Kings message rang true as the Celtics plas-

tered Chatham Hall 25-6; 25-13; 25-9.

Titans Sweep in Three Games In Battle of Volleyball Unbeatens


Hidden Valleys Hannah Podeschi backhands a shot past the Celtic front line.


Cave Spring jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, then held on for dear life to knock off AAA Patrick Henry last Thursday night in a game re-located to Cave Spring Mid-dle School due to ongoing construction at the Knights home court.The Knights took the first

two games 25-22; 25-21 be-fore Patrick Henry got on track to win the third 25-19. The match looked to be headed to a fifth-game, 15-point tiebreaker when the Patriots held a com-manding 22-16 lead in game four.But, Cave Spring scored off the PH

serve for their 17th point, and Knight freshman Alayna Foutz calmly deliv-ered eight-straight service points to put the match away.Erin Holsinger led the Cave Spring

attack with 20 kills. Patriot Sarah Mill-er had 19 kills, with teammate Caroline Brailsford putting up 35 assists.

Cave Spring Holds On for 3-1 Volleyball Win Over Patrick Henry


Cave Springs Piper Roe drops a shot past Patriot defender #4 Lauren Deck.


Roanoke United Volleyball Club is hosting tryouts for the 2013 season on September 30 and Octo-ber 7 for ages 13-18. Please visit roanokeunitedvolleyball.com for more info and to sign up.

Roanoke United Volleyball Club Tryouts

PH hitter Sarah Miller fires one of her 19 kills as the Knight front line looks for a block.


Heidi Bundy is a self-confessed Sixties enthu-siast. Her parents were hippies and she has always been quite taken by the free spirit and the free love that they had at that time. I dont see why we cant continue those traditions on today.Bundy now has the

opportunity to combine her interest in the Six-ties with her livelihood, as the new owner of A Little Bit Hippy. Locat-ed in the upper level of Towers Shopping Cen-ter, A Little Bit Happy originally opened in 1999 and was one of sev-eral stores up and down the East Coastwith a second Roanoke store in addition to the Towers location.The original owner decided to close the stores

so she could spend more time with her sons in California. Attracted to the store by its spirit, Bundy bought the business on June 1, 2011.Now, over a year later, A Little Bit Hippy

The Next Generation (as the sign outside the store reads) has indeed embarked upon a new path by expanding the number of services it provides.The Next Generation, Bundy says, sym-

bolizes a few different things. It was actually a tagline that my marketing girl came up with. It started from really the fact that it was just me purchasing it from Denise [Sweeney, the origi-nal owner]. Our ownership is the second gen-eration. Acknowledging that she herself isnt a child

of the Sixties, Bundy still adheres to the inter-ests and passions of that generation. As she puts it, So here we arethe next generation of hippies. It also symbolizes all the new things that we can do with the store now.Among the new services, A Little Bit Hippy

now offers a natural hair studio and birthday parties. Its kind of a full circle store, says Bundy. Its all about the community and giving

back as much as we can.The parties are as structure-free as possible,

[and available] for any age, and are all inclu-sive. In addition to a Ladies Night Out, the store will be offering an upcoming Dads or Mens Night Out. More-over, the store offers nu-merous craft workshops. We do a lot of leather working, a lot of jew-elry, some basic jewelry services, a lot of things that we can do with hair, just natural crafts, says Bundy, things that they would have done when they were living off the land and trying to be one

with Mother Earth I suppose.Bundy admits that she experienced a huge

learning curve when she initially purchased the shop. Ive never owned my own store be-fore, so there was a lot to learn. Just the same, it wasnt an insurmountable challenge. Ive had amazing employees, from those that came with Denise to those that weve brought in on our own. [Theyve] helped as far as getting the store to where my vision is for it, as well as hav-ing a great rapport with the community and keeping everybody happy.In addition to retaining the stores old clien-

tele, Bundy has also managed to broaden its customer base by offering services that appeal to young people. Weve got a lot of kids and teenagers and families coming in. We are a fam-ily-friendly store and theres nothing that you have to shy away from showing your children in our storenothing that you would have to ex-plain to them, in a darkened corner somewhere thats got a weird connotation to it. We keep it that way. Im a family person myself, so feel-ing that everybody is welcome into the storethats kind of what I want to encourage. Currently A Little Bit Hippy is looking for a

bigger location at Towers. Weve been fight-ing for that since January, and hopefully [it] will still come through for us. Itll be three times the size of the store were in now.The additional space would be earmarked for

the stores product lines. Bundy would also like to provide more and bigger classes. We were hoping to be in there already but were still plugging away at it, working hard.

For more info go to alittlebithippy.com.

Valley BusinessPage 8 | TheRoanokeStar.com 9/21/12- 9/27/12

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

People with serious disabilitieseither physi-cal or mentaltypically receive important gov-ernment benefits that help provide for their ba-sic needs, such as income replacement, health insurance, and special education. Some of the government programs that provide support to disabled persons, however, are based on financial need. Supple-mental Security Insurance (SSI) provides a minimum level of income and Medicaid provides medical services to financially needy individuals. It is critical to structure payments or gifts to a person with disabilities very carefully to ensure that receipt of the payment or gift will not dis-qualify the person from receiv-ing these benefits. There are two types of trusts

that can be used for the benefit of a person with a disability: (1) A special needs trust is a

trust created to hold the persons own money or assets, including funds from the settlement of a personal injury lawsuit or of a claim against the Virginia Birth Injury Fund for injuries that created the disability.(2) A supplemental needs trust, or third-

party special needs trust, is typically created by parents or grandparents from their money and assets to be used for the benefit of their disabled children or grandchildren. While a special needs trust must be created

and approved by the Social Security Adminis-tration before it can be funded, supplemental needs trust can be created and funded at any timeas a revocable inter vivos trust, as an ir-revocable inter vivos trust, or as a testamentary trust created in a will to receive the decedents residual estate. Most people create supplemen-tal needs trusts as a separate inter vivos trust so that other family members (or interested par-ties) can make use of the trust in their own es-tate plans. The primary difference between the two

types of trusts, other than the source of fund-ing, is that the funds remaining in a special needs trust at the time of the beneficiarys death must be paid back to the government up to an amount equal to the total amount of medical as-sistance that the government has paid on behalf

of the beneficiary. Assets remaining in a supple-mental needs trust can pass on to the family of the trusts creator. Special needs trusts and supplemental needs

trust are very different from ordinary trusts. A more typical trust gives the trustee the power

to make distributions to or on behalf of the beneficiary for the beneficiarys health, education, maintenance, and support. Lim-iting the trustees powers to these criteria ensures that the trust as-sets are protected from any po-tential creditors of the beneficia-ry, including the IRS. The focus of special needs and supplemen-tal needs trusts is quite different. Because government disability benefits provide for the health, maintenance, and support of the trust beneficiary, the trust assets are used to pay for extras that can improve the quality of life of the person with the disability. In fact,

if assets from the trust are used to pay for the beneficiarys health, maintenance, and support, the beneficiary most likely will be determined ineligible for need-based government benefits. While government benefits can help a dis-

abled person meet basic income and medical needs, those benefits do not provide for extras that can make a substantial difference in a dis-abled persons quality of life. Special needs and supplemental needs trusts can fill in that gap. Specifically, the trustee of a special needs or supplemental needs trust can make disburse-ments to pay for caregivers (including family members) and personal services, educational and vocational services, pets and pet supplies, travel and vacations, recreation, the purchase and maintenance of a car or van and the pur-chase of gasoline to operate the vehicle, and other such expenses. These extras can make the difference between mere subsistence and an enjoyable life. Failure to make use of special needs or sup-

plemental needs trusts can result in payments or gifts made to or for the benefit of a disabled person being used to satisfy only basic needs for which government benefits otherwise would provide. If not properly structured, receipt of personal injury settlements and well-meaning

gifts and inheritances actually can operate to the detriment of the disabled person. Special needs and supplemental needs trusts are not required in every situation. It is essential, how-ever, that anyone wishing to provide for a disabled relative or friend, as well as attorneys or other representatives pur-suing personal injury lawsuits or negotiating personal in-jury settlements, consider and evaluate whether such a trust would be appropriate.

Amanda Shaw is an attorney with Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte visit www.gfdg.com to learn more.

Using Trusts to Improve the Quality of Life for Persons with Disabilities

Amanda E. Shaw

Sidney Mallenbaum, MD, has been elected co-chair of the Virginia Stroke Systems Task Force (VSSTF). Dr. Mallenbaum is Medical Director of the stroke unit at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.The Virginia Stroke Systems (VSS) is a state-wide collaborative

led by the AHA/ASAs Mid-Atlantic Chapters and the Virginia De-partment of Healths Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Project with the voluntary participation of many service providers across the Commonwealth. Leveraging its partnerships, VSS serves as the action-arm of the newly formed Virginia Stroke Systems Task Force in organizing and facilitating systematic improvements to stroke systems of care throughout Virginia.

More information is available at www.virginiastrokesystems.org.

Mallenbaum Elected Co-Chair of Virginia Stroke System Task Force

Sidney Mallenbaum, MD

A Little Bit Hippy Comes Full Circle

Children enjoy a recent unstructured birthday party at A Little Bit Hippy.

Photo by Melvin E. Matthews, Jr.

By Melvin E. Matthews, [email protected]

9/21/12- 9/27/12 TheRoanokeStar.com |Page 9

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Come for a tour and enjoy a deliCious meal on us!

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