Are you a leader for change? Do you want to be involved in making your school and community safe and drug free?

Join RAYSAC’s Empowered Activist Leadership Training
A FREE (Lunch and Dinner included) team building and youth leadership training for any high school youth (including rising 9th graders).
2131 Valley View Boulevard Northwest Roanoke, VA 24012 (Boy Scout Council Office near Valley View Mall). June 15 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

For more information please contact Sheila Lythgoe at (540) 982-1427 or e-mail at slythgoe@brbh.org. Register at www.RAYSAC.org

Good news for the Pioneer District Boys soccer champs! Final score 6-2 for James River High on Memorial Day. Though  school was closed and it was a holiday,  round 1 of the Region C playoffs pitted James River High School boy’s soccer  against Patrick Henry Glade Spring. Unfortunately due to the state trooper shooting on I- 81 the Rebels arrived two hours late. The game began at 7:30 instead of 5:30.

A steamy evening replete with bothersome black gnats on the field,  the Knights came out feet flying and went ahead quickly thanks to headers. The score was 4 to zip at the half. PHGS came back to score two goals in the second half and the Knights added two more as well.

James River will take on Galax High school on Wednesday at 5:30 at the Radford High School field for round 2, regionals.

All types of activities and fish at the annual Fishing carnival!

The Botetourt Childrens’ Fishing Carnival will take place on Saturday, June 4th from 9am to 1pm. The event will take place on the Buchanan Carnival Grounds in Buchanan, VA. Children 15 and under are invited to enjoy a multitude of activities, including but not limited to Casting Contests, Water Rescue Challenge, Kiddies Games, Gold Fish Eating Contest, tattoo art, face painting, coloring contest door prizes and much more. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Many exhibitors will be on hand. Lunch will be served to children and family. Goodie Bags and Door Prizes for the first 300 kids registered. There will be drawing for a grand prize at 1pm. Register on site. Event is FREE of charge. If you have a fishing pole and bait bring it, there will be poles on hand for those that don’t.

Participants DO NOT have to be a resident of Botetourt County to join in on the fun, so bring your kids, grandkids, neighbors kids and come on down!

Submitted by Angie Crawford

Fincastle Winery invites you to the Fincastle Vineyard & Winery Summer Concert on Sat., June 4th, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Fincastle Winery (203 Maple Ridge Lane, Fincastle, VA 24090).  To get to the event from I-81 Exit 156, follow the blue Winery signs.

The concert will feature Stone Canyon Band, which combines great vocal harmonies and outstanding musicianship, to bring you a delightful evening of lively light rock. The band plays music in the style of Eagles, America, Doobie Brothers, Alan Jackson. For more information visit http://www.stonecanyonband.com.

There will be food for sale by Mike and The Girls, or you can bring your own picnic. The menu is available at http://fincastlewine.com/festivals.htm.

Tickets are $10.00 (includes souvenir wine glass and tasting) and $5.00 (non-tasters). Bring your own etched Fincastle wine glass and save $2 off a tasting ticket. Children under 12 are free.

Bringing blankets and folding chairs is popular at the event. It can get chilly up there when the sun gets low, so having a sweater or windbreaker at hand would be wise.

Please do not bring your own alcoholic beverages. At these types of events, the Virginia ABC only allows alcohol provided by the festival licensees.

Future events:

June 25 Second Whynd 6-9PM

July 9 Exit 162 7-10PM

July 23 Tim Martin & Project Four 7-10PM

August 13 No Strings Attached 6-9PM

September 3 Three bands in 1 night 6-9:30PM

Conner & Miller

Sparks Will Fly

Solrevolt

To contact the winery, visit www.fincastlewine.com or call 540.591.9000.

Kami Meador wants to be a Veterinarian

Maybe guidance secretary Brenda Simmons said it best, “There is nothing typical about Kami.” Indeed within moments of meeting her, the “personality plus” was evident. It is doubtful that Lord Botetourt senior Kami Meador meets many strangers!

Her senior year has been full of the most rigorous classes including Senior Seminar and Calculus.  She has a 3.9 GPA. The Daleville resident has one younger sister, Kelsey.

In her four years at Lord Botetourt she has accomplished much. She was one of the captains of the LBHS swim team. She is a member of the National Honor Society. She is a youth helper with Wyld Life, the Middle School version of Young Life and a member of Church of the Holy Spirit, Orchard Hills. Also, Meador  was selected to go on a Rotary Club leadership retreat at Virginia Tech.

In her spare time she has worked the front desk and the kennel area of Valley Animal Hospital in North Roanoke. There she found her calling. Meador was accepted early decision at Virginia Tech. Among her plans is to finish college and veterinary school in six years. She hopes to  minor in Spanish and if she can work it in, get a massage therapy certificate through Blue Ridge College.  “I have lots of plans, I am just not sure how they will work out,” she said with a laugh. “My senior year has been awesome and I am getting a little sad to leave,” she finished.

After graduation she will take an ocean cruise with cousins from Texas to Cozumel, Mexico and Jamaica as ports of call. “I haven’t been anywhere like this before and I am so excited!” Meador said.

Lord Botetourt graduates on June 9 at 10 a.m. at the Salem Civic Center.

Senior Renee Hogan of James River High School

A little over a week remains in the high school career of Renee Hogan who is  the 2011 most typical senior at James River High School. Hogan relaxed at the senior lunch area just out side the new gym at the school to discuss her years as a Knight.

She was born in Roanoke and came to Botetourt as a Kindergarten student. She lives in Troutville.  In her school years, she attended Troutville Elementary School, Central Academy Middle School and James River High School as an out of district student granted to come to River by the school board. She has two younger sisters Stacie at JRHS  and Kayla at Central Academy Middle School.

Hogan has been on the swim team for four years and on the girl’s volleyball team for three years.  She did not play volleyball her senior year. Her favorite activity this year was the regional win for the swim team.  She has been working hard at school and getting ready for graduation. In her free time she has been hanging out with her friends and attending sporting events. Her hard work has produced a 3.3 GPA.

She attends Wheatland Lutheran Church. After graduation, Hogan plans to go to Jefferson College of health Sciences and become a registered nurse. She hopes to see some of the world after she begins her career and perhaps live in another area. Her dream vacation would be  to explore  some California fun.

James River holds graduation on June 8 at 7 p.m. on the school football field.

The following area students were among 1,295 students graduating from the University of Mary Washington. U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) delivered the commencement address for master’s candidates on Friday, May 6 and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) gave the undergraduate commencement address on Saturday, May 7.

Elisabeth Hancock, a resident of Eagle Rock, Va., graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. degree in art history and Spanish.

Sarah F. Hagan, a resident of Fincastle, Va., graduated cum laude with a B.S degree in biology.

Bluefield College has released its President’s and Dean’s Lists for both traditional and inSPIRE degree completion students for the spring 2011 semester.

Eighty-six BC students were named to the President’s List for earning a grade point average (GPA) between 3.9 and 4.0 during the spring semester, while 99 students were named to the Dean’s List for earning a GPA between 3.5 and 3.8.

Among those students earning placement on the spring 2011 President’s List with a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA:

Rachael Cook, Troutville, VA

Heather Dillow, Troutville, VA

Kelly Thompson, Cloverdale, VA
Among the students earning placement on the spring 2011 Dean’s List with a 3.5 to 3.8 GPA:

Casey Germain, Troutville, VA

Submitted by Chris Shoemaker, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Bluefield College

Updated with photos, May 29.

James River baseball won its 7th straight Pioneer District tournament championship in dramatic fashion Saturday, topping Parry McCluer 4-3 in extra innings in Buena Vista.

With the score tied 3-3 after the regulation seven innings, James River held the Fighting Blues scoreless in the top of the 8th (for tournament purposes, James River was the home team.) In the bottom of the 8th, Brandon Welch banged a double to centerfield. Dustin Winand followed with a hit of his own, which scored Welch from second. He came in with a head-first slide into home plate, which stirred up a huge cloud of dust — and the James River players rolled out of the dugout to form a dogpile on Winand at second.

James River plays a regional game at home on Tuesday.

We now have this photo gallery from the game.

Does anyone have photos from James River softball? Or Lord Botetourt softball?

We rely on parents and fans for most of our sports photos, so if you have some, you can share at news@botetourtview.com or use the “share” tool at right to upload 10 at a time.

Updated with photos and new information, May 29.

Tyler Duke of James River was named the Pioneer District baseball Player of the Year Saturday.

The shortstop/pitcher was one of three James River players named to the first team All-District team; also honored were first baseman/pitcher Jaret White and first baseman/third baseman/pitcher Dustin Winan.

Three other James River players were named to the second team All-District team: second baseman Kyle Fialla, left fielder Brandon Garrett and designated hitter Keith Yancey.

James River Coach Harry Falls was named Pioneer District Coach of the Year.

We have photos here.

Does anyone have photos from the all-district honorees with other sports at either James River or Lord Botetourt? We rely on parents and fans for most of our sports photos, so if you have some, you can share at news@botetourtview.com or use the “share” tool at right to upload 10 at a time.