Cool looking skunk!

Our area naturalist and wildlife enthusiast has captured a spotted skunk on his motion camera! Thanks to Ben Shrader for sharing!

“Although I gathered much interesting data checking Tinker Mountain Cameras today(10/28/10), this one photo was very special. The once prevalent Eastern spotted skunk has been in rapid decline for several decades for reasons unknown to me. During the last 4 years of camera studies along the Appalachian Trail the Eastern Spotted Skunk has been a target of interest to at least get some photos so that their trend could be projected. It is humbling to realize that when they seemed abundant it was taken for granted that they would just always be common in Virginia. I recall my encounters with them over 30 years ago as being tame little critters often doing hand stands as if they were showing off instead of threatening to spray offensive odors. It is pleasing to me to now know at least one of them inhabits our nearby Tinker Mountain.”

Smithsonian on Spotted skunks:

http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=358

The Flyboys finished the soccer season in 1st place and undefeated. Front Row: LtoR Will Gaul, Zachary St.Clair, Aaron Atkins, Tyler Kingma, Will Barkett, Chandler Beger, Joe Mikalauskas Middle Row: LtoR Noah Stickler, Austin Jennings, Ethan Aylor, Will Farris, Tyler Niday, Corey Crawford, Jordan Zicafoose Back Row: Coach Erryn Barkett and Asst Coach Cameron Bell

Submitted by Janette Jennings

Pete Ragone a few months after the flood of 1985 when Glad Rags rose from the flood waters and was back in business. File Photo The Roanoke Times.

The rains came down for six days and accompanied by the remnants of Hurricane Juan  too soon the ground saturated. Branches and creeks swelled, water rushed across lowlands and into the James River. On November 4, 1985 on Lowe Street in Buchanan, Glad Rags operated as a sewing plant employing 155 workers in the Town of Buchanan. Fortunately by 3:30 p.m. the workers had gone home. The river rose quickly.  Pete Ragone, a small man with tough Italian backbone,  who managed the plant  was already in Roanoke. He got the call from his son, Chris. “Dad,” he said, “the water is almost at the door,” detailed  Pete Ragone who recalled the flood of 1985. At 88, he is spry and willing to recall the event.

Glad Rags in the form of a sewing plant opened in 1978, but it had been part of Kenrose since it opened in Buchanan in 1953. The employees worked for a small wage and were paid for piece work production.  “The Town of Buchanan had it built near  Main Street so employees would be able to easily patronize local business,” said Ragone. The problem? The building was in the James River’s flood plain and in an area where the water in the bend swirled with pressure. Read more »

Buchanan Elementary students are so generous!  In honor of Red Ribbon Week, Buchanan Elementary has been collecting canned food items for donation to Buchanan Area Ministerial Association.  Our theme for the week is, ‘We CAN Say No to Drugs!’  Pictured  are third grade students who are just some of the students who have donated to this important cause.  We still have three more days to collect- we can only imagine how much more food will come in!
Submitted by Angie Hodges, School Counselor

Community Advent Christian Church 4512 Old Mountain Road,Roanoke,Va. 24019

Christmas Bazaar Nov.13th 8am-2pm.41+ local and out of town crafterswill be presenting their talents and have great gift ideas for Christmas.

Breakfast and Lunch will be served.Come and join us in the fun.

For more information call the church 540-366-0893

or Mrs Sharp at 540-966-3268

Nov. 5-6 BOGO and DDay too!

In honor of Veterans Day, the Buchanan Theatre will be showing BEDFORD: The Town They Left Behind on November 5 and 6. This is a documentary film that tells the story of the National Guard Unit based in Bedford, Virginia and how they were among the first to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. The film also incorporates how that Bedford unit was also deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq and the differences in their situations.

To celebrate the ninth anniversary of the theater’s re-opening, admission prices will be BOGO: One free admission with a paid adult admission. The movie begins at 7:30 p.m. both evenings.

http://www.buchanantheatre.com

Rachel Joy Scott was the first student killed on April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School, but her legacy of kindness lives on. Several hundred community members and students came to the auditorium at Lord Botetourt High School to learn more about Rachel’s Challenge. The endeavor is to promote  the keen understanding the young woman had of how people should treat each other. The precepts were discovered in her journals after her tragic death and were included in an essay she wrote for class six weeks prior to her death.

With administration support from Central Office staff like Jonie Poff and Dreama McMillan and middle school principals Tim McClung and Mike Teatrault, the Rachel’s Challenge effort has been bolstered across the school division. For several days this week middle school students at Central Academy and Read Mountain have been learning about the challenge. At Lord Botetourt School on Thursday night, JB Braden a trainer for Rachel’s Challenge brought home the project to the community. Many students at both middle schools have joined FOR –Friends of Rachel groups  at the two schools. Banners with signatures of hundreds of students accepting Rachel’s Challenge exist at both schools.

Here are the five parts to Rachel’s Challenge:

Eliminate prejudice, Dare to dream, Choose positive influences, Kind words and little acts of kindness produce huge results, Start a chain reaction of kindness.

Begun by her father and family, Rachel’s Challenge has aptly reached the millions she eerily predicted with a drawing of her hands on the back of her dresser. “These hands will one day touch millions of hearts,” she had written.

Lord Botetourt’s JV football team defeated Northside on Thursday to complete an undefeated season.

Karen (Cookie) Blair-Mitchell shares this photo gallery from the game.

Do you have photos involving people or events around Botetourt? You can share at news@botetourtview.com.

Looking for a starter home or ready to downsize? This might be a good bet!

The Botetourt Golf and Swim Club has an offer that perhaps some citizen can’t refuse. A cute little brick cape cod  located on the property  is open to the best offer received plus the new owner must move the house to another piece of real estate.

Mike Morris representing the BG&SC owners said the house has three bedrooms and 1200 square feet of living space combined on two floors, one bath and a kitchen with appliances included. It is in good shape, but could use some update and cosmetic work.

He said, “It’s a nice little home and we hate to tear it down. We will accept offers from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30 and the best offer, whatever that might be, will get someone a house that they can move to another spot. They will have to pay the moving expenses, but it is a reasonable deal.”

The Club will be building several houses to sell on the Country Club Road frontage property and want to get this one removed as soon as possible.

Send offers in writing with contact information to:

BG&SC

PO Box 31

Fincastle,VA 24090

Lord Botetourt is home against Northside. James River is on the road at Bath. Both games kick off at 7 p.m.

Here’s what weather journalist Kevin Myatt says to expect weather-wise:

Friday night will continue this season’s undefeated run of perfect weather, with yet another clear, dry night. It could be quite cold, though, with temperatures creeping down into the 40s, maybe even the upper 30s, during the game.

For more weather news, see Kevin’s Weather Journal blog.

If you’re going to either game, you can share photos at news@botetourtview.com.