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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=caORcajdPls

A number of  Botetourt students who graduated from Lord Botetourt Class of ’08 are going to college at Longwood. Katie Thomas, Nikki Cash, Kara Keesee, and Jessica Stanovich among them.  A student’s Mom sent this video from the Wednesday night tornado outbreak in Virginia.  And young folks wonder why their parents worry so much about them being away from home!

Tornado Information

Fincastle, VA – In light of the resent outbreak of tornadoes across the state and region, Botetourt County Emergency Management Officials are joining the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in reminding residents to take precautions now and know what to do in the event of a tornado.

Take precautions now.

• Those who live in mobile homes should know where they would go if a tornado

warning was issued for their area.

• Everyone should stay informed about conditions in their area by listening to local

television and radio broadcasts.

• NOAA Weather Radio is an excellent source of information, broadcasting

thunderstorm and tornado warnings directly from the National Weather Service.

NOAA Weather Radios can be purchased in discount stores, boating and marine

stores, sporting goods stores and online. All public schools in Virginia have

NOAA Weather Radios.

o Pay close attention to media and weather reports:

o A tornado watch is issued if conditions in the area are favorable for a

tornado. Residents should maintain an increased state of caution and

awareness in the event of a tornado watch.

o A tornado WARNING means that tornado danger is imminent. Do not

ignore a tornado warning.

If a tornado warning is issued, follow these steps:

Do not stay in a trailer or mobile home. Go immediately to a building with a strong foundation.

Immediately seek shelter an interior room or hallway on the lowest level of your building.

Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection.

Stay away from windows and doorways.

If shelter is not available, lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying area. Do not get under a bridge or overpass.

Plan to stay in your shelter location until the danger has passed.

After a tornado, stay out of damaged buildings and stay clear of downed power lines. Help injured or trapped people. Check on those who may require special assistance, such as the elderly, children and people with disabilities.

Please take the threat of tornadoes very seriously. Quick, decisive action could save your life.

–submitted by Wendy Farkas

Logan Honts of Botetourt County is a 10 year old whiz kid on the Play!Pokemon League  game card scene.  A competitor in the junior division, he just won the  region after  state finals.  This time he has a $1,500 scholarship to show for his efforts as well as a box of 36 booster packs, a card binder and other accessories. The event was held in Quinton, Virginia near Richmond. Logan and his parents have  won an expense paid trip to the national competition in Indianapolis on July 7-10.

At age 7, Logan received his first deck of Pokemon cards. He used the first deck to play at Towers Mall at Cosmic Castle. There he saw the eyeopening strategy of the game. Soon not only he, but his entire family became interested in the game. Joel sometimes competes in the senior division, five year old sister Georgia also plays in the junior and mother Marthe recently became a tournament judge. More importantly they have organized a Sunday event in Fincastle that meets from 3-5:30 at the community room of the Fincastle Library. Children, family members, friends and adults have been coming from Christiansburg, Bedford and Roanoke to play. They call it Fincastle Pokemon Gym. An average Sunday will see 25 people playing, but more than 60 are on roll.

So what is Pokemon? It is a Japanese game with featured cards of Pokemon animated characters (some seen in television and on video games) that have varying powers. He studies and formulates how to play a deck in relation to how the characters work together. In the gifted program at Breckinridge Elementary, Logan is studying Japanese on Rosetta Stone and hopes that one day he can go there. “Of course,” Joel said, “Our whole family is sad about the earthquakes and tsunami and now the radiation problem.”

Logan said about his success, “You have to develop a deck that” plays well” together for the competitions.” Most of all, the strategy of the game is what lures Logan. It is also wise not to talk about what is in the deck as the competition cruises the Internet looking for information! He also so said, “It’s just fun and it is awesome how the strategy and thinking put all of the characters and their powers together. It is just really cool.”

The Honts donate many of their  card winnings and extra Pokemon cards and binders to the Fincastle Pokemon Gym so that others can share in the fun. “Marthe and I have good jobs and not all kids are as fortunate as Logan and Georgia. We don’t mind sharing our extras. Plus it builds interest.” Players can compete for badges at the Fincastle group,too.

Should Logan do well at Nationals, the next step would be the World competition which is held this year in San Diego, California  in August.

Here are Logan’s competitor ranking stats: Ranked #1 in Virginia in his junior division, 17th in the United States, 19th in North America and 25th in the world. Games and wins give him points if he beats someone of higher rank, then he gets more points. “You just don’t want to bomb in a game as loosing to the less skilled player can deduct a number of points,” noted Joel.

Two Play! Pokemon league competitive events are upcoming in the Roanoke Valley at Towers Mall. On May 21, a smaller event will take place at  Cosmic Castle and on June 12 a major Play!Pokemon competition will also be held at Cosmic Castle. “We want to get the word about these two events.” said Joel.  Information is contained on the Fincastle Pokemon Gym website: www.fincastlepokemon.wordpress.com

The Honts blog about 3 times per week on the site and can also be reached by email at  fincastlepokemon@gmail.com

Photos by Honts family

DSLCC CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS –Chris Hemp (far left), project engineer with WW Associates of Lynchburg, points out the progress on one of the construction projects underway on the Dabney S. Lancaster Community College campus in Clifton Forge. This $7.9 million capital outlay construction project targeted for completion this fall includes a total renovation to Warren Hall (shown), along with a 90-seat tied classroom addition, and major updates to the Library and Student Support Services areas of Scott Hall. Standing with Hemp are DSLCC administrators Dr. Richard Teaff, President, and Dr. Joyce Edwards, Vice President for Financial and Administrative Services.

submitted by Judy Clark

Alan Farley in battlefield regalia.

Alan Farley comes to Buchanan from his home near Appomattox as a Civil War re-enactor this weekend. He doesn’t just portray a Confederate chaplain, he actually is one: a chaplain to the re-enactors themselves.

How did he come to this dual role? By getting interested first in the war itself, and then in the role of his ancestors in it. “When I was in school I got interested in the centennial,” he said. “I collected a series of articles in Life magazine about the war. But as I got older my interest waned. But then about 1979, I started studying some of my ancestors who had fought during the war. By coincidence I met a Civil War reenactor who invited me to a reenactment of the Battle of New Market. I went out on a Sunday, and fell in love with it.”

Just as in any army, you don’t immediately move into a high position. He started as a green volunteer recruit, and worked his way up to noncommissioned officer level. But then, “I felt the Lord lay on my heart in 1984 to portray a chaplain.”

This mission led him to give up his career as a heating and air conditioning mechanic in 1991. He and his family then started as full time missionaries to reenactors and enthusiasts around the nation. He sees the throngs assembled for the re-enactments as his mission field, even as he portrays a role from long ago times.

Plus, Farley, 61, is spreading the word about the new National Civil War Chaplains Museum in Lynchburg, on the Liberty University campus. He hopes to recruit volunteer docents as well.

“Our museum is the only one of its kind in existence. It tells the whole chaplain story from the Union and Confederate sides. And tells about the work of the volunteers in the United States Christian Commission, a volunteer group of lay people sponsored by the YMCA to serve Union troops. And Catholic priests served, Jewish rabbis served and Protestants served as chaplains.”

As he portrays a chaplain authentically, he explains the role as far more than holding church services for the troops. “They would follow their own consciences.” They helped bring the wounded off the battlefield, helped surgeons after the battle. Some were even medically trained and did the work of a surgeon. And in field hospitals, they would nurse injured or ill soldiers, and sometimes write letters back to family for the men.

Between battles, especially in winter quarters when new recruits came in for training and all troops practiced drills, they held prayer meetings and taught Bible classes. Even taught men to read and write. Generally, a chaplain would do whatever he could to keep men from falling into the normal vices you find in any army, gambling, drunkenness and visiting women of ill repute. He would point out Bible teaching about ill gotten gains, the evils of spiritous drink and diseases.

Farley’s wife Faith takes part in the encampment by sewing up the pages of Bible tracts to make them ready to hand out. As happened back then, the pages came loose from the printer. Also, she illustrates the great amount of clothing worn. Women had on at least seven layers, including long sleeves. Men too wore long sleeves and vests, even in the summer. His wife makes lace and loves to talk about this old craft to any who come by her site.

Make sure you come to Buchanan to meet Farley and all the reenactors. You can learn how ordinary people and soldiers lived 100 years ago.

For more information about Farley’s mission, go to www.Rmjc.org, about the museum, Chaplainsmuseum.org

For the third year in a row, we asked readers of The Botetourt View to pick The Best of Botetourt. The votes poured in; more than double the number in 2010 and more than 14 times the number of votes we got our first year. So there’s a lot more competition. In some cases, we had repeat winners, we’ve noted those with an asterisk (*) who won last year, as well. Those with a double asterisk (**) have won all three years. 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 . . .
Read more »

Attic Productions presents, with permission of Samuel French Ltd., London, “Wedding of the Year,” a comedy by Norman Robbins.

Wedding of the Year will be performed at the D. Geraldine Lawson Performing Arts Center
May 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21, evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

The Cast of Wedding of the Year:
Ethel Murchinson—Rose Guzi
Peggy Ramskill—Della Mason-Stacy
Walter Thornton—John Mitchell
Frank Edwards— Dan Naff
Alison Murchinson—Cate Carney
HonoriaMurchinson—Mary Evelyn Tielking
Matilda Murchinson—Marsha Campbell
Melvyn Thornton—Micah Crizer
Harry Elphinstone—Gary Reid
Priscilla Edwards — Anji McGuirk
Directed by Nancy Lawrence, with Terry Vaughn as the Stage Manager.

Submitted by Marsha

Willow Pod, billed as provisions and gifts, opened in March and is the first food and fancy shop in the  Daleville Town Center building. Jennifer Aylor, who once operated the White Oak Tea Tavern, is the proprietor of Willow Pod. And yes, Willow Pod does sell tea.

The name came from something earthy– willow. Many of the store products are organic and earth friendly and chocolate is a prime seller that comes from Cocoa pods, so thus the name.

But, oh so much more. Chocolate is a side focus of the store, which is next door to the lighting gallery. Truffles, chocolate pretzels, delightful chocolate bars along with honey, tea, jams and jellies, Sticky Fingers scone kits,  and even some gluten free mixes. “At the Carolina Chocolate Drops concert BBQ sauces and rubs will be given out for sampling,” said Aylor.

She also has Mangiacotti cleaners and soaps made from earth friendly essential oils. “They are among our best sellers,” said Aylor. “We are their store of the month for our sales.” Lemon, Pomegranate, Clementine, Eden and Lavender are a mong the types for sale.

“Soon chicken pies by The Pie Lady will also be available for purchase so drop by on the way home from work and pick one up to take home and bake for dinner,” said Aylor.

There are  Spartina purses, wallets, cell cases  and scarves to match. Children’s toys  occupy a window stand. Handmade magnets and scrabble tile necklaces. Linens that are fuss free and many other items await the discriminating shopper. A great place to find a Mother’s Day gift, satisfy a chocolate craving or find a perfect wedding or bridal shower accessory, Willow Pod is open Monday through Saturday. From 10-6 M-F an 10-4 on Saturdays. For more information, call 992-3200.

Rena Worthen, Librarian at the Fincastle Library, will be the speaker for the May 17 meeting of “Sharing God’s Grace,” the monthly gathering for fellowship, food and entertainment at Wheatland Lutheran Church. Lunch, provided by the ladies of the church, will be served at 12 noon, followed by the program. The speaker will talk about “Friends of the Library,” and discuss the many resources available at the library to members of the community. Please bring your friends and neighbors for a few hours of fun, fellowship, and definitely good food! A free will offering is requested. Please call 992-5403 to make a reservation and to get directions.

Submitted by Natalie Haley

Christine  and Scotia Haxton of Buchanan ride on trail rides competitively.  Both mother and daughter are involved in the 4H Horse and Pony Club that meets at the Fincastle Community Center. On May 7, Christine will be  on her horse, a Haflinger named McDon, in a competition on a Network channel (From what she understands it is one of the major networks CBS, NBC or ABC) as a  reality show hoping to be chosen America’s Favorite Trail Horse.

In order to compete for the title which features $100,000 in money and prizes, Christine had to be 21 and traveled to Palmyra up near Charlottesville. Of the regions, out of 1,000 competitors, only 100 were chosen to go to Blanco, Texas.  Only six riders from Virginia are going to the competition. She has hitched a ride and found a roommate in another competitor from Maryland. They will trailer the horses down in a two day road trip. The events last for a week.

“In September, the show will air. Each episode will engage the viewers to vote for their favorite horse. The winner of the day will get $5,000,” said Haxton. The eventual winner chosen by popular vote will take home big money and prizes.

McDon is a beautiful gelding of about 14.2 hands. Haflingers are sturdy horses from the mountains of Austria and are often confused with ponies. They stand between 13 and 15 hands. They have a golden or brown coat and white mane and tail. He likes people and made overtures to the Botetourt View to take his photo after he was groomed appropriately. “I have been riding for years,” said Christine who also has another Haflinger mare. Scotia piped in (she owns a quarter horse,) “We ride on a neighbor’s farm and also our land.” They ride daily.

Christine trail rides English seat and used a lavender saddle blanket to coordinate with her riding outfit. McDon seemed to know he was a fine looking fellow as he popped through the noodles– a training tool.

“It should be fun and I am so excited about it,” said Haxton.

We’ll keep up for the dates for voting! Good Luck to Christine and McDon.