2009 Pioneer District regular season and tournament champs JRHS!

Coach john Shotwell is very proud of his Knights. “They have performed superbly this season,” he said. He continued the praise, “They won the regular season Pioneer district for the 10th year in a row. Travis Sprinkle shot the eyes out of the course on Monday in Monterrey.”

“These five seniors, Patrick Bennett, Grant Sowder, Travis Sprinkle, Brent Cummings, and Clay Bailey have won the Pioneer District regular season for four years in a row. They have also won the Pioneer District Tournament 4 years in a row,” noted Shotwell.

It’s on to regional play in Galax on Sunday and Monday. Good luck Knights!

JRHS seniors have won the district all four of their high school years: Patrick Bennett, Grant Sowder, Travis Sprinkle, Brent Cummings, and Clay Bailey pictured with Shotwell on left and Ralph McCampbell on the right, the assistant coach.

Photos by the Cummings family

“6,000 square feet of bargains, who wouldn’t want to shop the sale!” said Beth Cross of the Cloverdale area, who is also president of the Roanoke Valley Junior League. Matter of fact she is the first Junior League president to come from Botetourt County. “Child Health and Welfare is the specific cause the Junior League has adopted for the next five years,” said Cross. She values volunteer work in her organization but has also stepped out to help a friend, Ellen Cleveland, with the special consignment sale coming this week and next.

In a way the consignment is to help families in the current economic downturn and certainly fits the bill for her personal outreach, she said. “I really want people in Botetourt County to know about this because it can help people here, too.”  So many people are having to do as much or more with less was the general gist of her remarks about why she is helping her friend with the sale. It is called “Laurens’s Friends and Alex Fall 2009.” This is the fall sale and another for spring will take place on the first week of March.

So here are the details:

October 3-11 at the old A&N store on Rt. 419 next to the Direct Buy in SW Roanoke County. Hours vary but it is open on Sunday as well as through the week.  Most hours Monday through Thursday are 10-6 and weekends earlier and later. Call 904-2440 for more details. Discounted pricing begins on October 9-1.1

Polo, Hartstings, Circo, Abercrombie, Gap, Gymboree, toys, Games, Furniture and more are some of the items found in the space. “Some of the items still have the tags on,” Cross told the Botetourt View. These are gently worn or new items that can really help the family budget. “Any goods not picked up by the consignor at the end of the sale will be donated to Goodwill,” said Cross.

Ridge Rifle Association is sponsoring another women’s Instructional shooting safety clinic. The cost is $20. The event is located five miles north of Fincastle at the Ridge Rifle Association firing range at 5397 Botetourt Road.

Women on Target is an NRA organizational project said to “help provide a safe and comfortable environment where she can learn about and experience shooting sports first hand in the company of other women.” Cathy Cofflin is a contact person at 366-6244 or Bill Moswkowitz 966-5902. Space is limited to the first 50 participants.

Students view Tinkerbell's Castle, an overnight stay along the Trail.

Last week a pair of hikers from the Appalachian Trail teamed up to give a personal testimony of the power of the walk and describe some of their adventures along the trail. The two are Jeff Kuehne, a VMI graduate from Maryland, and Stephanie Bowen of Charlotte, North Carolina. They met a team of James River teachers this summer along the Trail and were invited to speak at the high school. See our previous post. “The Trail to Every Classroom” project featured several James River teachers including Richard Furman, Lori Sibley and judy Mundy. Their first block classes came to hear the hikers.

Life on the trail was described in terms that made the students chuckle at times; for instance, Tinkerbell’s Castle is a home in Mass. that provides overnight stays and laundry facilities for hikers. The owner’s hiking moniker is “Tinkerbell,” a man, and it is also the hiking moniker for Bowen. The slide scenery was spectacular and at times dangerous — looking for the trail in the New England White Mountains is very rugged indeed! Mostly the talks centered around being in the outdoors, accepting the challenges of the trail and learning a great deal about one’s self on the hike.

Kuehne has hiked the entire trail from Georgia to Maine, and that is approximately 2,178 miles long. Bowen is beginning the southbound leg from Virginia to Georgia after hiking the northbound this summer. Along the trail she met Kuehne and they have hit it off. The love of cinnamon buns is known to hikers of the trail and the James River cafeteria staff came in and made homemade buns for the students and the hikers. A cinnamon bun bonding followed the talk in the school cafeteria!

Lawson Family Medicine is open for patients.

Lianna Lawson, MD has opened Lawson Family Medicine for patients and held a ribbon cutting on Saturday September 26.  The office is located across from Lord Botetourt in Daleville. Members of her family and Chamber of Commerce  officials were present for the ribbon cutting. An open house was held all morning showcasing the practice which includes derma abrasion, laser spot and hair removal and family medicine. Lawson is a now a “home” county doctor after practicing in the Roanoke Valley for the past 12 years. She has returned to Botetourt County and is also a graduate of James River High School!

The two John Aldersons son and father in center, lead the ribbon cutting on Friday, September 25.

The John Alderson Insurance Agency has relocated to the new construction next to the Bank of Fincastle operations just south of Lord Botetourt High School. They held a ribbon cutting last Friday September 25.

Photo by Dan Naff

On Sunday October 4, the Roanoke Valley United Methodist District youth will meet at Bonsack United Methodist Church from 4:30 til 7:30 p.m. and make 50,000 meals to feed 300,000 people for the Stop Hunger Now organization. Several hundred Middle and High school youth and adults from around the Roanoke Valley will participate in this terrific undertaking to feed the world’s hungry. Afterward, there will be a special blessing service.

Young people like these from all over the valley will participate in the Stop Hunger Now event.

Monetary donations are greatly appreciated. Contact Tim Craft 819-9386 at Bonsack UMC or Craftytim@msn.com

We have video highlights from Tuesday’s debate between Republican Bill Cleaveland and Democrat Gwen Mason, who are running for the House of Delegates seat being vacated by the retirement of Del. William Fralin, R-Roanoke.

That district includes two precincts in southern Botetourt: Cloverdale and Coyner Springs.

The rest of Botetourt is represented by Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, who faces challenges from Democrat Lewis Medlin and Will Smith of the Constitution Party.

Republican Bill Cleaveland of Botetourt and Democrat Gwen Mason of Roanoke are gearing up for the first forum of their 17 District state House race tonight at 7 at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood.

They are seeking the House of Delegates seat now held by Del. William Fralin, R-Roanoke, who is retiring. It includes two precincts in Southwest Roanoke County — Cloverdale and Coyner Springs — along with parts of Roanoke and Roanoke County.

The rest of Botetourt County is represented by Del. Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, who is being challenged by Democrat Lewis Medlin and Will Smith of the Constitution Party.

For more on the upcoming debate, click here.