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JRHS senior Taylor Campbell interviews with Jennifer Hall of Austin Electrical.

“Not everyone is going to go to college after high school.” That is a given fact stated by  Career and Technical Education Specialist Lisa Barnett of BCPS last fall when speaking to members of the CTE  Advisory Board. Yet thousands of hours of teaching and training have gone into preparing students not on the college track as well those who are going to college, at both high schools and at Botetourt Technical Education Center in technical and career training. Classes like welding, agriscience, drafting, technology, criminal justice, building trades, automotives, cosmetology, and many, many others.

A path highlighted by the jobs requiring technical skills that are  often unfilled by the lack of skilled laborers in the US work force and addressed for their importance by the visit to BTEC in the Spring of 2011 by former Virginia governor and now U. S. Senator, Mark Warner. For the CTE non college bound student, all of the years of technical training lead to a job hopefully after graduation. The dots and lines finally connect from school, skills training to job.

On Monday afternoon, Austin Electrical, a local company that has national recognition and is headquartered in  Buchanan, interviewed students at BTEC and James River High School. Yes, something new. The student had to be  18 or soon thereof, to be interviewed by Jennifer Hall of Austin Electrical during lunch period at the school.  “The jobs offered are entry level and will require some travel,” noted Kathy Austin also of Austin Electrical.

Featured in the photo is Hall interviewing JRHS senior Taylor Campbell who agreed to have his photo taken (and so did his mother Tammy.) After a series of questions during the personal interview and the application process, Campbell left the interview hopeful.  From the significant event, he leaves with an interview under his belt and high hopes that when he  gets that diploma on June 7 from James River High School, he has a job lined up and is ready to go forward with life in whatever path that may lead him.

Story by Cathy Benson; Photo by Kathy Austin

Jackie's Girl's at the 2011 Relay for Lfe!

Relay for Life takes place on the Buchanan Carnival Grounds this Friday and Saturday May 18/19! Begins with the Survivor’s walk at 7 p.m. and lasts through the night until 7 a.m.

JACKIE’S GIRLS RELAY FOR LIFE TEAM

Jackie’s Girls are gearing up for another successful Relay for Life Event. This will be our 11th year with the Botetourt Relay for Life. Most of our 26 team members are cancer survivors and are members of the Botetourt County Breast Cancer Support Group. We have had a very successful bake sale and a great yard sale. To date we have raised $4897.00. We will be selling raffle tickets until the relay event as we have over 30 wonderful items in our raffle. Our P. Buckley Moss print “Picnic in the Valley,” #15 valued at $135 unframed, has been beautifully framed at Loving Frame and Art in Covington, VA. Other items in the raffle are an Elizabeth Arden gift basket, a Clinique gift basket, a quilt, boy’s quilt, girl’s quilt, two framed prints, quilted handbag, Pampered Chef item, gas certificates, two pair of fashion sunglasses, Princess House gift, Thirty One tote, bird feeder, Spa set, Macado’s gift certificates, dinner for two at Cracker Barrel Country Store, etc.

See you at the Botetourt County Relay for Life on Friday, May 18, 2012 – Saturday, May 19, 2012 at the Buchanan Carnival Grounds, 1042 Lowe Street, Buchanan – 7:00 pm to 6:45 am!

The survivor’s reception will be held at Faith Community Fellowship Church , 592 Lowe Street, Buchanan, VA at 5:30 pm.

Join Virginia Western Community College’s Workforce Solutions and the Virginia Tourism Corporation for a two-hour workshop that will help you develop great customer service for all aspects of your business. The workshop will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on May 15 at the Greenfield Center. The cost is free.

Customer service is not a department. It is not delegated to only those on the front line. Customer service is everyone’s business. Guest speaker will be Bobbie Walker, partnership marketing education director for Virginia Tourism Corporation.

You will learn to:

• Identify why customer service is beneficial to your business and community
• Identify and practice positive behaviors that enhance customer service skills
• Learn to treat your co-workers as your internal customers
• Give front-line employees the confidence and support they need to shine as hosts
• Lead by example

To register, contact Cassandra Dove at 966-3984 (ext. 16) or cdove@virginiawestern.edu.

– Submitted by Josh Meyer, Virginia Western Community College

Photo courtesy of Sheila Feltis

Troutville Elementary second-graders took a field trip to Krispy Kreme to learn how donuts were made. Special thanks to Manager Jeff Bacon for a very informative and exciting tour. After Krispy Kreme, the kids traveled to Red Palace for a buffet lunch.

– Submitted by Sheila Feltis

Photo courtesy of Sheila Feltis

The Buchanan Theatre is an historic venue showing second run movies but at really reasonable prices!

Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m.

The Vow (2012 drama/romance)

A husband courts his wife again after she loses all memory of him when she is involved in a serious car crash.

104 minutes – Rated PG-13 for an accident scene, sexual content, partial nudity and some language

Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940 drama)

From the John Steinbeck novel of the same name, during the Great Depression a family is forced from their home in the Midwest seeking a better life in California only to find more misfortunes. Stars Henry Fonda

129 minutes – Not Rated

Friday, May 25 and Saturday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Red Tails (2012 action/adventure/drama)

A group of very qualified African American pilots face segregation even when every man is needed during World War II. They finally get a chance to share their talents when called into active duty under Colonel A. J. Bullard.

125 minutes – Rated PG-13 for some sequences of war violence

Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m.

The Woman in Black (2012 drama/horror/thriller)

Daniel Radcliffe plays a young lawyer who is sent to a village to settle the estate of a scorned woman whose ghost is haunting the residents there.

95 minutes – Rated PG-13 for thematic material and violence/disturbing images

$3.00 Thursday Children’s Movies begin June 7

Price Increases Effective June 1, 2012

Adult Admission – $6.00 for non-members (Standing Room Only Members remain $5.00)

Popcorn will increase to $2.00

Kid’s Pack will increase to $1.50

–Buchanan Theatre

Virginia Mountain Vineyards will host its Spring Celebration Concert on Saturday, May 12 between 5-9PM with the band Stone Canyon making its first appearance at the winery.

Stone Canyon is an adult contemporary band whose trademarks are a mixture of great vocal harmonies and outstanding musicianship. Their sets cover a wide variety of styles. Stone Canyon concerts are always upbeat, positive and adaptable to any audience. Food will be available from All Things Healthy, one of Botetourt’s newest food specialty shops, already a favorite with all who have visited in the Daleville location.

As always, admission includes a full tasting of Virginia Mountain Vineyards award winning wines. So bring a chair or blanket and a car load of family and friends for a great evening of fun and entertainment. Don’t worry about threatening rain, as we’ll put up the big events tent if needed.

Admission is $10 tasters/$5 DD & under 12 yrs free. Virginia Mountain Vineyards, 4204 Old Fincastle Rd.

For more information, visit www.vmvines.com or call 540-473-2979

Submitted by David Gibbs

Fincastle Winery Cordially invites you to our May 2012 events:

Saturday May 12 from 6:30-8:30 pm: Picnic dinner on the patio.
This is a free event  on the winery patio. Enjoy live folk music from the 60’s & 70’s they will be performed by Tim Hearn. Bring your own food, please no outside alcoholic beverages. Fincastle’s wines will be available for purchase.
Due to limited seating, reservations are required please call us at (540) 591-9000 to reserve your spot.

Saturday May 19 from 5 to 8 p.m. : Lawn Concert with Beggar’s Circus Irish/Celtic folk music
There are bagpipes, fiddles, whistles and flutes – guitars, mandolins, bouzoukis, dulcimers and dancers – plenty of percussion and a kitchen sink full of instrumental surprises.There are bagpipes, fiddles, whistles and flutes – guitars, mandolins, bouzoukis, dulcimers and dancers – plenty of percussion and a kitchen sink full of instrumental surprises.
Will there be food?
Food for sale by Thrill-of-Grill or you can bring your own picnic.
Menu at http://fincastlewine.com/festivals.htm
Cost: Tickets are $10 (includes souvenir wine glass and tasting); $5 for non-drinkers.
Customer Loyalty Discount: Bring your own etched Fincastle wine glass and save $2.00 off a tasting ticket.
Children under 12 are free.

What you can bring: Blankets and/or folding chairs are popular.
It can get chilly up here when the sun gets low, so having a sweater or windbreaker at hand would be wise.
If you are bringing children, you may want to bring a towel. We have a water mister for hot days.
No outside alcoholic beverages. At these types of events, the Virginia ABC only allows alcohol provided by the festival licensees (us).

Future events:
6/2 Skyler McCurley (Light Rock )6-9 PM
6/23 Stone Canyon (Light Rock) 6-9 PM
7/14 Surrender Dorthy (Rock) 7-10 PM
8/4 Second Whynd (Traditional Celtic) 7-10 PM
8/25 No Strings (Appalachian Folk/Celtic) 6-9 PM
9/1SolRevolt (Rock/Blues) 6-9 PM

Fincastle Winery is located at 203 Maple Ridge Lane in Fincastle. For more information, contact  591-9000 or email info@fincastlewine.com

Submitted by Fincastle Winery

Today’s Daily Deal on roanoke.com is just over the Botetourt-Roanoke county line in Bonsack — at Cafe Asia.

For details, or to sign up for e-mail alerts about future Daily Deals, see dailydeal.roanoke.com.

RMMS students participated in JA"s "Make it Your Business" with Scott Miller.

Here is a picture of  an 8th grade -”Make It Your Business” class with students at Read Mountain Middle School. Students are pictured with Mr. Scott Miller President Of Birchwood Development and Junior Achievement Volunteer.

Students have been participating in the JA “It’s My Business Program” for the past six weeks every Friday. Students have been encouraged to use critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills during these six session spent with Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller helped students discover what it would be like to be a successful entrepreneur. Students finished their last session with Mr.Miller on Friday May, 4th where he awarded them with a certificate of achievement for finishing the program. Junior Achievement is a great way for students to learn about entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

–Tracey Wright, RMMS

Eagle Rock Library is the area's community hub of activity.

Community Yard Sale at the Eagle Rock Library

Do you have stuff you want to sell? The Eagle Rock Library will be hosting a community yard on Saturday, June 9th from 10:00am to 2:00pm  in the library’s parking lot (with a rain date of June 16). The fee for taking part in the sale is $15.00 and all of the monies raised will go to the

Friends of the Eagle Rock Library, an organization that sponsors the library’s children’s programming and other special projects. If you would  like to take part in the sale, sign up by calling the library at 540-884-3880.