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For the second year in a row, we asked readers of The Botetourt View to pick The Best of Botetourt. The votes poured in; nearly five times as many as last year. In some cases, we had repeat winners, and we’ve noted those with an asterisk (*). But we also had some new winners — and some new categories, too.
So without further ado, here’s who you picked as this year’s Best Of . . .

Best reason for living in Botetourt:
1. Scenery*
2. People
3. Blue Collar Joe’s

Best place for breakfast:
1. Cracker Barrel*
2. Blue Collar Joe’s
3. North Star

Best coffee:
1. Blue Collar Joe’s
2. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea
3. McDonald’s

Best iced tea:
1. Bojangle’s*
2. McDonald’s
3. Hardee’s

Best place for happy hour:
1. Rancho Viejo*
2. Pomegranate
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best pizza:
1. Lil Cucci’s*
2. Pizza Hut
3. Papa John’s

Best place for lunch:
1. Bellacino’s
2. Three Li’l Pigs
3. Blue Collar Joe’s

Best place for a fancy meal:
1. Pomegranate*
2. Three Li’l Pigs
3. The Rhein River Inn

Best restaurant to take the kids:
1. Country Cookin’*
2. Bellacino’s
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best place to go after a game:
1. Bellacino’s*
2. Pizza Hut
3. Wendy’s

Best place for a first date:
1. Pomegranate
2. Buchanan Theatre
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best place for a family hike:
1. Roaring Run*
2. Appalachian Trail
3. Peaks of Otter

Best spot for a picnic:
1. Roaring Run*
2. Troutville Park
3. Blue Ridge Parkway

Best place to go for a bike ride:
1. Blue Ridge Parkway
2. Greenfield
3. Carvin’s Cove

Best fishing spot:
1. James River*
2. Jennings Creek
3. Craig’s Creek

Best place to keep fit:
1. Botetourt Athletic Center*
2. Curves
3. Green Ridge Recreation Center

Best teacher:
1. Peter Walton, science teacher at Lord Botetourt
2. Susan Woody, third grade teacher at Buchanan Elementary
3. Barbara Kolb, biology/physics teacher at James River

Best school staff member:
1. Martha Alphin (James River)*
2. Dave Moran (B-TEC) and Missy Phillips (Greenfield Elementary), tie
3. Tony Brads, school superintendent

Best bus driver:
1. Melvin Burrell (Central Academy and James River)*
2. Gene Simmons
3. Pam Markham (Bus 45)

Best school event – high school:
1. Basketball
2. Football
3. Prom

Best school event – elementary and middle school:
1. Basketball
2. Greenfield Fall Festival
3. Central Academy Middle School Dance; dances (tie)

Best local politician:
1. Terry Austin, Buchanan District supervisor*
2. Don Meredith, the late Fincastle District supervisor
3. Bill Cleveland, House of Delegates

Best coach (non-school sports):
1. Danny Agee, girls rec league basketball
2. Mike Woody, Buchanan United 10U soccer and Buchanan Dodgers baseball
3. Travis Jones, Botetourt Pee Wee Football Wasps

Best parks and rec activity:
1. Basketball
2. Baseball
3. Fishing carnival

Best place to take the kids for the day:
1. Camp Eagle
2. Troutville Park
3. Roaring Run

Best hair salon:
1. Pzaz*
2. Hair Gallery / Mane Perfection (tie)
3. New Reflections

Best nail salon:
1. Pzaz*
2. Elite Nails
3. Classic Nails

Best place to get pampered: (new category)
1. Pzaz
2. Divinity Spa
3. New Reflectionis

Best place to get your car fixed:
1. Troutville Automotive
2. Cavalier Automotive
3. Fleshman’s Service Center

Best place for music lessons:
1. Blue Ridge Academy of Music
2. Mike Lee
3. Guitar Dojo (Cheryl Lunsford)

Best preschool or day care:
1. Mill Creek Child Care Center*
2. Bonsack Baptist Weekday Early Education
3. Fincastle Preschool

Best dentist: *New Category*
1. Dr. FremontVess
2. Dr. Misty Lenk
3. Dr. Michael Adams

Best family physician: *New Category*
1. Dr. Elizabeth Polk
2. Dr. Kenneth Luckay
3. Dr. Clarke Andrews

Best pharmacy: *New Category*
1. Kroger
2. Downhome Pharmacy
3. CVS

Best lawyer:
1. David Spigle*
2. Buck Heartwell
3. Ronnie Clay

Best plumber/electrician/home repair service:
1. Appliance Medic
2. R&R Guttering
3. Austin Electric

Best place to go for financial advice:
1. Bank of Fincastle
2. Bank of Botetourt
3. Michael Wade (Edward Jones)

Best lawn or landscaping service:
1. Botetourt Lawn Express*
2. Earl Eubank’s Lawn Service
3. AJS Landscaping

Best place to shop for antiques:
1. Buchanan*
2. Kelly’s Real Deals
3. Eagle’s Wings Antiques & Uniques

Best bargains:
1. Dollar General*
2. Walmart
3. Apple Barn II

Best place to buy unique gifts:
1. Cracker Barrel
2. Apple Barn II
3. Cackleberry Ridge
Best place to buy fresh food:
1. Ikenberry’s*
2. Kroger
3. D&J Produce

Best dry cleaner:
1. Valley Cleaners*
2. Air-Lee Cleaners
3. A Cleaner World

Best convenience store:
1. Old Mill, Fincastle
2. Stop In
3. Thriftway

Best insurance agent:
1. Larry Wood (Virginia Farm Bureau)
2. Richard Pauley
3. John Alderson Agency

Best real estate agent:
1. Todd Wampler
2. Rodney Spickard
3. Pete Wood

Best real estate firm/brokerage: *New Category*
1. Long and Foster North
2. RE/MAX Allstars
3. Wampler Realty

Best pet grooming/pet sitting/pet boarding service:
1. Botetourt Veterinary Hospital
2. The Pet Place
3. Country Pet Grooming (Crystal Wright)

Best frame shop: *New Category*
1. Apple Barn
2. Picture Frame Outlet / Blue Ridge Moulding
3. Graphics Etc.

Best customer service: *New Category*
1. Cavalier Automotive
2. Blue Collar Joe’s
3. Cahoon’s Florist

Best value for the money: *New Category*
1. Camp Eagle
2. Classic Floors
3. Blue Collar Joe’s

Best sporting event:
1. Fincastle 5K Run
2. Basketball
3. Lord Botetourt football

Best coach (school sports):
1. The late Don Meredith, Lord Botetourt boys basketball
2. Mike Goad, James River boys basketball
3. Chuck Pound, Lord Botetourt girls basketball

Best place to go trick-or-treating:
1. Fincastle*
2. Weatherwood
3. The Glebe

Best place to take relatives from out of town:
1. The Rhein River Inn
2. Blue Collar Joe’s
3. Blue Ridge Parkway

Best place to meet new people:
1. Church*
2. Pomegranate
3. Blue Collar Joe’s

Best park:
1. Troutville Park*
2. Blue Ridge Park
3. Greenfield Park

Best place to access wi-fi:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea*
2. Three Lil Pigs
3. Cavalier Automotive

Best church outreach program:
1. Fincastle Baptist Church*
2. Young Life
3. Bonsack Baptist

Best community event:
1. Buchanan Fireman’s Carnival*
2. Mountain Magic
3. Relay for Life

Best place to hear local music:
1.Three Lil Pigs*
2. Pomegranate
3. Buchanan Theatre

Best new thing in Botetourt County in the past year:
1. New Reflections
2. Food Lion
3. Roanoke Valley Chiropractic & Clinical Nutrition Center

Best thing not on this list: *New Category*
1. Roanoke Valley Chiropractic & Clinical Nutrition Center
2. Blue Collar Joe’s and New Reflections (tie)
3. Bella Pizza & Italian

Got ideas on what categories we should add for next year? Let us know at news@botetourtview.com.