Ernie Dale sent in the schedule of trips

Band of Angels at Barn Dinner Theatre – Bus Trip

Date: Sun, Mar 6, 2011

The Botetourt County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is sponsoring a bus trip to the matinee of Band of Angels at the Barn Dinner Theatre, Greensboro, NC, on Sunday, March 6, 2011.

Buster’s back! A country music sensation about the stars of the famous Ryman Auditorium. Featuring a cast of characters including Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Minnie Pearl, Tammy Wynette, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins and more. Held over for 8 weeks when the show premiered due to wildly popular demand! Featuring the Barn Band!

Prior to the show, the group will enjoy a delicious buffet of assorted salads, baked halibut, roast beef, honey glazed ham, a variety of hot dishes and desserts.

The price of $79 per person includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation, an all inclusive buffet lunch, ticket to matinee of Band of Angels and a tour host.

Passengers can board the bus at Bonsack Walmart, Route 460, Roanoke; at Hunting Hills Lowes, Route 220, Roanoke; and at Food Lion in Rocky Mount, VA.

For further information, call (540) 473-8326 or (540) 366-2888.

Bus Trip to Highland Maple Festival

Date: Sat, Mar 12, 2011

The Botetourt County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is sponsoring a bus trip to the Highland Maple Festival in Monterey, VA, on Saturday, March 12, 2011.

Highland County, known as “Virginia’s Switzerland,” will be hosting their 52nd annual Maple Festival. This unique celebration has been designated a local legacy by the Library of Congress. Sugar camp tours provide a unique and educational glimpse of a rapidly vanishing way of American life. The group will view the process of tapping maple trees for syrup making.

Festival fare includes food vendors with local specialties, over 160 quality artists and crafters, clogging groups, folk singers and storytellers.

The price of $62 per person includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation, ticket to Highland Center Arts & Crafts show, sugar camp tour, dinner and a tour host.

Passengers can board the bus at the Bonsack Walmart, Route 460, Roanoke.

For further information, call (540) 47308326 or (540) 366-2888.

Spring Mystery Bus Trip

Date: Sat, Mar 19, 2011

The Botetourt County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is sponsoring a Spring Mystery Bus Trip on Saturday, March 19, 2011.

The group will be traveling to someplace they have never been. Will it be North, South, East or West – come with us and see. It will be a fun time for everyone. Lunch is included.

Passengers can board the bus at the Bonsack Walmart, Route 460, Roanoke, VA.

The price of $69 per person includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation, admission to all attractions, an all inclusive lunch, an area tour guide and a tour host.

For further information, call (540) 473-8326 or (540) 366-2888.

Carter Family Fold with Doyle Lawson – Bus Trip

Date: Sun, Mar 20, 2011

The Botetourt County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is sponsoring a bus trip to the gospel matinee featuring Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver at the Carter Family Fold, Hiltons, VA, on Sunday, March 20, 2011.

Doyle Lawson performed with the Country Gentlemen for eight years before starting his own group.

The Carter Fold honors the memory of the first family of country music, the legendary Carter Family (A.P. Carter, Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter), whose first recordings (in 1927) are credited with giving birth to the commercial country music industry. The Carter Family Memorial Music Center was founded by Janette Carter, daughter of A.P. and Sara Carter.

Prior to the show, the group will stop at the Bristol Mall where they can have lunch (on their own) at the Piccadilly Cafeteria.

The price of $69 per person includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation, ticket to matinee of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver at the Carter Fold, visit to A.P. Carter Cabin, visit to the Carter Family Museum and a tour host.

Passengers can board the bus at the Bonsack Walmart, Route 460, Roanoke; at Food Lion, Wildwood Road (Exit 137), Salem; at stops in Christiansburg, Dublin and Fort Chiswell.

For further information, call (540) 473-8326 or (540) 366-2888.

Cherry Blossom Train to Washington, D.C.

Date: Sat, Mar 26, 2011 – Sun, Mar 27, 2011

The Botetourt County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is sponsoring a train/’bus trip to Washington, D.C., on Saturday-Sunday, March 26-27, 2011, to see the Cherry Blossoms.

DAY 1: The group will travel from Roanoke to Lynchburg by motorcoach. In Lynchburg, they will board an Amtrak train for a scenic excursion. The train goes through Charlottesville, Culpepper, Manassas and Alexandria. The train crosses the Potomac River and arrives at Union Station. The group can eat lunch in the food court of Union Station, visit the shops or go next door to Smithsonian’s National Museum of the Postal Service. The group will then board the bus and stop at the new U.S. Capital Visitor Center. Following this, they proceed to visit the Pentagon Memorial, the Airforce Memorial, Korean Memorial, the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial and the World War II Memorial.

DAY 2: The group will visit the new Air and Space Museum in Dulles, VA. The group then goes to the National Mall where they can visit the Smithsonian Museums of their choice.

The price per person of: $229 double; $224 triple; $219 quad; and $269 single includes: Roundtrip motorcoach transportation, ticket on Amtrak train from Lynchburg to Washington, D.C., one night’s lodging, breakfast at hotel, visits to museums, monuments and memorials and a tour host.

Passengers can board the bus at the Bonsack Walmart, Route 460, Roanoke; at Westgate Shopping Center, Bedford; and at Sheetz, New London.

For further information, call (540) 473-8326 or (540) 366-2888.

Lord Botetourt's Kennedi VanRavestein (3) pushes past Northside's Katie Tomlinson (21) during Monday's Lady Terriers Christmas Classic tournament held at William Byrd High School. Photo by Sam Dean, The Roanoke Times

Here’s another photo from Roanoke Times photographer Sam Dean, from Monday’s opening round of the Lady Terriers Christmas Classic at William Byrd. Lord Botetourt won the first game over Northside, 70-23.

You can see a different photo and read more tournament coverage here.

Megan Rhea of Troutville turned 9 on Christmas Eve!

Happy 9th birthday to Megan Rhea of Troutville who celebrated her birthday on Christmas Eve.

Submitted by Shannen Rhea

Samantha Switzer, age 8 killed her first buck on Christmas Day using a muzzleloader on private land in Troutville.

submitted by  Switzer Family

Turducken!

Hey it’s Terrific Tuesday again! How’s everything in your neck of the woods?

My road still has some ice and snow. The real problem with living in the middle of nowhere is the road less traveled gets little attention. So was your Christmas Merry? Other than snow, mine was peachy.

We had a turducken for Christmas and it was yummy. Friend Becky gave it to us and well it was a strange looking bird as you can see. A boneless turkey breast stuffed with a duck breast  and chicken breast and filled with sausage stuffing. We ate more or less the rest of it last night. Had to go to the USDA website to get cooking instructions. It roasted over night in the oven for 9 hours at 250 degrees. Turned out  very well. The fed gov’t does something right once in a while! LOL.

New Year’s will be fun. We ring it in Fincastle style on a yearly basis.

Do you make resolutions? I don’t really.  But I do make some plans. Every year I hope to loose weight. 10 pounds this year. If that continues each year, in the next decade  I will be of normal size. LOL! I shall wax poetic about stuff I ponder when driving all over Botetourt County for the Botetourt View. Stuff that makes me think of  the new year and beyond.

I always strive to be nicer as I seem to get crustier every year. Well, crusty is me I guess.  I pledge to do more for others. This year was a good year in that regard. I also plan to start cleaning out the junk in my house. I rid myself of a little this year, but  must do better in the next year.

I always hope to go see people from the past. This year I did see a couple of folks, so I was thrilled. Facebook has reconnected me with some folks, too. I always want to see my niece, her husband and her children at least several times at their home in Richmond. I did this year. Score points for me!

I always try to cuss less and pray more. Some days are better than others.

I hope the economy improves and the “50 something” workers like my husband will get full time jobs, but wrestling the Blackberry (from his part time job) from his hands will likely be hard.

I hope that we see as a nation how the world is changing around us and Americans begin to face the reality of an aging group of Baby Boomers heading toward them like an unleashed freight train.  Can you imagine  a group of oldsters like me who listened to too much loud music, deaf as posts and putting down I-81 at 30 mph? One in 4 will be over the age of 65 by 2o25. 77.3 million of the 303 million in our country.

Here comes the New Year!

I hope as a country we see how the world changed 25 years ago when the world economy took foothold with cheap foreign labor and the Internet has leveled the playing field. We have to adjust our sites. We can’t going on playing second fiddle to developing economies like China, India, Brazil and even Russia, if we want a better world for our children and grandchildren. We  have to get some of our initiative back. Quit watching “Survivor” and watch BBC America with me once per week. You will be surprised at how little our national media really tell us about the rest of the world.

Trip to Tangier Island

Politically much of the movement in this country– right and left– are reactions to our decline in  manufacturing, societal changes, smarts– dare I say the dumbing down of Americans? Even our super power stature teeters on the brink. The goobers we keep electing have no answers– just more yakking and many in Congress being on the lobbyist’s take list vote for them and not us when matters are important. After all as my Daddy complained– “How in the heck did the Red Chinese become our bankers….”

So that is what I have to say about a new year. It reflects a new, rapidly changing world out there that we don’t see and if we don’t prepare, plan and move forward it will be a real bummer for future generations of Americans.

Happy New Year! See ya in 2011!

Dennis Hancock, Jr.

The Roanoke County Police Department is seeking assistance in locating Dennis Hancock Jr.  Mr. Hancock is a white male, 39 years of age, 5’4″, 150 pounds,  with brown eyes and brown hair.  Mr. Hancock left Hollins Manor Assisted Living Center on December 14, 2010 and was later reported as a missing person by his mother.  Mr. Hancock has been entered into NCIC/VCIN as a missing person.  Mr. Hancock suffers from a medical condition and does not have his medication. Anyone with any information on Mr. Hancock’s location can contact the Roanoke County Police Department at (540)562-3265.

Submitted by Officer Rick Crosier, Crime Prevention Specialist, Roanoke County Police.

Dallas Simmons, President of the Lord Botetourt Bands Booster Club, wrote the following letter of thanks to residents in Botetourt County.

“On behalf of the Lord Botetourt Bands Booster organization I would like to thank the entire Botetourt County community for your tremendous support and assistance this 2010-2011 marching season. With your help, our students were able to attend three regular season competitions, the State Competition in Richmond, Va. and also the National Competition in Annapolis, Md. Their rankings in the national competition this year earned them a return visit next year!

Read more »

Master Sgt. Robert Eggers, a 1974 graduate of Lord Botetourt High School, is retiring  from the United States Air Force.  He retires after 27 years and four  months. After a stint in the Air Force that began in 1976 when he enlisted, he  has been in the reserves since 1980. He has traveled to numerous foreign posts in the line of duty

Mst. Sgt Robert T. Eggers. Photo from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

during his long and distinguished military career. He also started the Career Advisor Program for the 916th MXS where he will complete his time with the Air Force.

Eggers has been with the 916th Maintenance Air Refueling Squadron at Seymour Air Force Base in North Carolina. He and his wife of 30 years Jackie, have three sons, Roger, Gregory and Joseph.

Taps is played for the old year-- bells will ring in the New Year 2011!

Fincastle will hold the annual countdown to the New Year on Courthouse Square. Where else can you see a man with a shotgun on top of a court house? Crowds gather about 10- 15 minutes before midnight. Park along the street and join the revelers at the corner of Main and Roanoke Streets in the Town of Fincastle. Bells from the local churches ring in the NewYear as the shot gun fires several rounds.

Buchanan will celebrate the New Year at Trinity Episcopal Church in the downtown area where community residents and friends gather to ring in the New Year. Plentiful parking is available along Main Street. Trinity Episcopal Church  is located near the fire house.

Supervisors will join school board members during budget in put meetings

The January budget input meetings ordinarily scheduled for school board members and the public have added significance this year. Supervisors will also attend the meetings. Valley representative Don Assaid commented last week at the joint board meeting on Tuesday Dec. 21, that it appeared many folks were not attending the meetings and hoped some people who have no children in the schools will attend. With the state budget  returning  more to the county for funding than in past years, it is imperative that the boards  know what the citizens of Botetourt County are desiring.

Here’s the schedule.

NOTICE OF JOINT PUBLIC INPUT MEETINGS 2011-2012 SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET

The following meetings are open to the public for input on the 2011-2012 School Board Budget, with members of the School Board and the Board of Supervisors in attendance, in addition to County and School Administration:

January 4 (Tuesday) James River High School – Library 7:00 p.m.

January 6 (Thursday) Read Mountain Middle School – Forum 7:00 p.m.

January 11 (Tuesday) Central Academy Middle School – Forum 7:00 p.m.