What’s the best new thing in Botetourt County?

You tell us in the 5th annual Best of Botetourt reader poll.

Last year voters picked the Willow Pod store in Daleville. Of course, something can only be new once! In 2011, it was Tinker Mountain Music. In 2010, it was New Reflections. In 2009, it was Blue Collar Joe’s.

What will win this year? Feel free to chat up your nominations in the comment field below, just remember to actually cast a vote!

You can find the ballot here (or in the “best of” banner at the top of the page.) If you’re reading us on a mobile device, you may need to click through to the “full site” for it to display.

The voting ends at midnight on Sunday, March 10 and we’ll publish the results on April 19.

Want to promote your business or civic group? You can download free promotional materials at roanoke.com/bestof.

Don’t see a category that fits what you want to vote for? You can always cast a vote in “best thing not on this list!”

Here’s who won in 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

Got friends in other places? We also have “best of” reader polls going on in Salem, Southwest Roanoke County and the New River Valley.

We’ve added eight new categories to the 5th annual Best of Botetourt reader poll.

A few of those are broad questions, with an eye toward creating a category for things that don’t otherwise don’t fit neatly under other headings.

One of the new categories is: Best hidden jewel in Botetourt that more people should know about?

What will win there? We have no idea! Feel free to chat up your nominations in the comment field below, just remember to actually cast a vote!

You can find the ballot here (or in the “best of” banner at the top of the page.) If you’re reading us on a mobile device, you may need to click through to the “full site” for it to display.

The voting ends at midnight on Sunday, March 10 and we’ll publish the results on April 19.

Want to promote your business or civic group? You can download free promotional materials at roanoke.com/bestof.

Don’t see a category that fits what you want to vote for? You can always cast a vote in “best thing not on this list!”

Here’s who won in 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

Got friends in other places? We also have “best of” reader polls going on in Salem, Southwest Roanoke County and the New River Valley.

We’ve added eight new categories to the 5th annual Best of Botetourt reader poll.

A few of those are broad questions, with an eye toward creating a category for things that don’t otherwise don’t fit neatly under other headings.

One of our personal favorites this year — and we hope one of yours – is: “What’s the most fun thing that’s happened in Botetourt County in the past year?”

What will win there? We have no idea! Feel free to chat up your nominations in the comment field below, just remember to actually cast a vote!

You can find the ballot here (or in the “best of” banner at the top of the page.) If you’re reading us on a mobile device, you may need to click through to the “full site” for it to display.

The voting ends at midnight on Sunday, March 10 and we’ll publish the results on April 19.

Want to promote your business or civic group? You can download free promotional materials at roanoke.com/bestof.

Don’t see a category that fits what you want to vote for? You can always cast a vote in “best thing not on this list!”

Here’s who won in 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

Got friends in other places? We also have “best of” reader polls going on in Salem, Southwest Roanoke County and the New River Valley.

Who’s the best teacher in Botetourt County?

How about the best rec league coach?

What about the church outreach program? Or the best community service project by civic group or other non-profit?

Here’s your chance to recognize some of your neighbors, in our 5th annual Best of Botetourt reader poll.

While many of the categories deal with food (best burgers, or best salads) or celebration (best place to go after the game, or best place for a first game) or other businesses (best landscaper, best real estate agent), there are lots of others designed to recognize people doing good work around the valley.

You can find the ballot here (or in the “best of” banner at the top of the page.) If you’re reading us on a mobile device, you may need to click through to the “full site” for it to display.

The voting ends at midnight on Sunday, March 10 and we’ll publish the results on April 19.

Want to promote your business or civic group? You can download free promotional materials at roanoke.com/bestof.

Don’t see a category that fits what you want to vote for? You can always cast a vote in “best thing not on this list!”

Here’s who won in 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

Got friends in other places? We also have “best of” reader polls going on in Salem, Southwest Roanoke County and the New River Valley.

And they’re off!

As of today, we’ve opened the voting our 5th annual Best of Botetourt readers’ poll.

You can find the ballot here (or in the “best of” banner at the top of the page.)

This year we’ve added eight  new categories — two more since the last time we updated you.

The new categories are:
* best middle school event (previously combined with elementary), * best burger
* best salads
* best student-run school club or organization
* best community service project by a civic group or other non-profit
* best summer camp for kids in Botetourt
* most fun thing that’s happened in Botetourt in the past year
* best “hidden jewel” in Botetourt that more people should know about.

Those join more than 50 other categories, that include all the usual favorites — from best teacher and best rec league coach to best new thing in Botetourt in the past year.

The voting ends at midnight on Sunday, March 10 and we’ll publish the results on April 19.

Since our first “best of” in 2009, voting in Botetourt has increased twelvefold, so the competition has become 12 times as fierce. (Yes, you’re reading that right: We got 12 times as many votes last year as our first year!)

With that in mind, we have something else new this year: We have a way for businesses who want to launch their own “vote for us” campaign to download free materials. Just go to roanoke.com/bestof for those.

Here’s who won in 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

Got friends in other places? We also have “best of” reader polls going on in  Salem, Southwest Roanoke County and the New River Valley.

It’s that time again — time to kick off our 5th annual Best of Botetourt readers’ poll.
This year we’ve added six new categories — best middle school event (previously combined with elementary), best burger, best salads, best student-run school club or organization, best community service project by a civic group or other non-profit, and best “hidden jewel” in Botetourt that more people should know about.
Those join more than 50 other categories, that include all the usual favorites — from best teacher and best rec league coach to best new thing in Botetourt in the past year.
We’ll open up the voting about mid-week, first with a low-key soft launch to make sure everything’s working, then the official kick-off on Feb. 8.
The voting ends at midnight on Sunday, March 10 and we’ll publish the results on April 19.
Since our first “best of” in 2009, voting in Botetourt has increased twelvefold, so the competition has become 12 times as fierce. (Yes, you’re reading that right: We got 12 times as many votes last year as our first year!)
With that in mind, we have something else new this year: We have a way for businesses who want to launch their own “vote for us” campaign to download free materials. Just go to roanoke.com/bestof for those.
The actual ballot will be here at botetourtview.com, as always; check the site for when it goes live. Or friend us on “Facebook” or like us on “Twitter” and we’ll send you updates.

Here’s who won in 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

Welcome to the new Cupcake Cottage owned by Botetourt residents, Melinda Amos and Linda St. Clair, who have been friends for five years.  It is located  in Daleville  next to Papa John’s on Roanoke Road.  Inside a teenage girl exclaimed to her  mother, “This stuff is sooo cute and soo hipster !” $125 later, the duo walked away with Christmas purchased not in Roanoke, but Botetourt County. So cupcakes are not their only sideline! It is a store of unique items that will appeal to mother’s and daughters and grandmothers, too!

In the store which is opened  currently  only on Tuesday and Thursdays from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.  The ladies  are serving signature item samples. Divine cupcakes like dreamy Pumpkin Spice with brown sugary icing, Snickers, Pina Colada, Lemon Raspberry– the list is long. ” We went into this business and took classes in baking and cake decorating,” said St. Clair. “We want people to enjoy a quality product.”

Purses, scarves, jewelery, gloves, headbands, house wares– each item not alike, but similar in different colors are also part of the  fare. Cute pins with birthstnes are only $5 so the prices range from there up to  the low  sixties for  some purses. “I have been in retail before,” said Amos, I know we pick one of each color.” Women do not want to  carry the exact same things their girlfriends have.”

The store will open full time in January.  The hours of operation will be Monday through Friday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. ” We hope to have a birthday party site here  where  kids can decorate cupcakes and have  fun at a reasonable price,” said St. Clair.  They also sell helium balloons which are becoming hard to find.

“We are both people,people, ” said Amos.  They are the type who have similar interests but different styles. “I am more classic in style and Melinda is more..  well, funky,”  said  St. Clair with a laugh.

They located the shop in what they felt was a perfect location for the store. ” It is high traffic and volume and fit the need  since we had already picked out the name  “Cupcake Cottage of the small house.”

” We have been so happy meeting those who stop in. We look forward to meeting more customers in the near future.”

Ikenberry’s has posted this sign in front of its store on U.S. 220 in Daleville to thank those who voted it “best place to buy fresh food” in the annual Best of Botetourt reader poll.

You can find the entire list of winners here.

For the fourth year in a row, we asked readers of The Botetourt View to pick The Best of Botetourt. The votes poured in; nearly double the number we had just two years ago. So there’s a lot more competition. In some cases, we had new winners; in other we had repeat winners. Those who have won two years in a row are noted with a double asterisk (**), those who have won three years in a row get three, and those who have won all four years are identifed with four asterisks.
So without further ado, here’s who you picked as this year’s Best Of . . .

Best place to go trick-or-treating
1. Fincastle***
2. Buchanan’s Main Street
3. Wetherwood Subdivision

Best place to take relatives from out of town
1. The Rhein River Inn
2. Downtown Roanoke
3. Roaring Run

Best place to meet new people
1. The Rhein River Inn
2. Colonial Baptist Church Blue Ridge
3. Downtown Buchanan

Best park
1. Troutville Park****
2. Greenfield
3. Big Spring Park, Fincastle

Best place to take the kids for the day:
1. Troutville Park
2. Roaring Run
3. Middle Creek Campground

Best reason for living in Botetourt
1. James River
2. The people
3. Scenery

Best church outreach program
1. Fincastle Baptist Church**
2. BAMA Food Pantry
3. Mill Creek Baptist Church

Best community event
1. Mountain Magic**
2. Buchanan Carnival
3. 12th Night Concert fund-raiser

Best local politician
1. Terry Austin, Buchanan District supervisor
2. Harry Gleason, Buchanan revitalization manager
3. Jack Leffel, Fincastle District supervisor

Best parks and rec. activity
1. Fishing Carnival**
2. Van trips through Parks & Rec
3. Basketball

Best new thing in Botetourt in the past year
1. Willow Pod at Daleville Town Center
2. Mojosportswear Jeff Fralin Team Sports
3. James River Blueway

Best teacher
1. Phyllis Pratt – retired BTEC Cosmetology Instructor
2. Valerie Emerson, Fincastle Preschool
3. Donna Simmons, Greenfield Elementary

Best school staff member
1. Dave Moran, BTEC**
2. Arika Kovach, Greenfield Elementary
3. Judy Austin, Buchanan Elementary

Best bus driver
1. Nellie Cole, Buchanan Bus 33
2. Jimmy Walker, Bus 5 LBHS football
3. Melvin Burrell, Breckinridge & CAMS bus 30

Best coach (school sports)
1. Greg Emerson – LBHS Football
2. Mike Goad – James River High School
3. Renee Guilliams, LBHS JV girls Basketball, and Dan Bowser, James River High School girls basketball (tie)

Best coach (non-school sports)
1. Greg Emerson AAU Basketball & Rec Football
2. Robert Johnson
3. Denny Tincher

Best school event – high school
1. Key Club – Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast LBHS
2, Football
3. After Prom

Best school event – elementary and middle school
1. Greenfield Fall Carnival**
2. Fall Follies – Breckinridge Elementary School
3. Cloverdale Spring Carnival

Best place for a family hike
1. Roaring Run****
2. Apple Orchard Falls
3. Appalachian Trail

Best spot for a picnic
1. Roaring Run
2. Middle Creek picnic shelter
3. Jennings Creek

Best place to go for a bike ride
1. Greenfield Center Park**
2. Blue Ridge Parkway
3. Cherry Blossom Trail

Best fishing spot
1. Middle Creek Campground Trout Pond
2. James River
3. Craig’s Creek

Best sporting moment of the past year
1.James River softball wins state championship
2. Glow-A-Rama indoor miniature golf opens in Buchanan
2. Lord Botetourt vs. Northside overtime football game

Best place for breakfast:
1. Cracker Barrel
2. North Star
3. Blue Collar Joe’s and Buchanan Grill

Note: Blue Collar Joe’s finished third, but closed after the voting ended, so we’ve awarded two third places, one to Blue Collar Joe’s and one to the next finisher, The Buchanan Grill.

Best coffee:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea
2. Blue Collar Joe’s and Buchanan Grill
3. McDonald’s

Note: Blue Collar Joe’s finished second, but closed after the voting ended, so we’ve awarded two second places, one to Blue Collar Joe’s and one to the next finisher, The Buchanan Grill.

Best place to access wi-fi:
1. Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea****
2. Botetourt County Libraries
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best pizza:
1. Pizza Hut**
2. Leonardo’s
3. Lil’ Cucci’s

Best place for lunch:
1. Three Li’l Pigs
2. Bellacino’s
3. Café Asia

Best place for a fancy meal:
1. Pomegranate
2. The Rhein River Inn
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best restaurant to take the kids:
1. Country Cookin****
2. Three Li’l Pigs
3. Bellacino’s

Best place for happy hour:
1. Rancho Viejo****
2. The Lucky Dog Pub
3. Pomegranate

Best place to buy wine:
1. Kroger**
2. Blue Ridge Vineyard
3. Fincastle Winery

Best place to hear local music:
1. Three Li’l Pigs
2. Pomegranate
3. Buchanan Theatre

Best place to go after a game:
1. Bellacino’s
2. Wendy’s
3. Bella Pizza

Best place for a first date:
1. Buchanan Theatre
2. Pomegranate
3. Three Li’l Pigs

Best place to buy fresh food:
1. Ikenberry’s****
2. Kroger
3. D&J Produce

Best pharmacy:
1. Kroger
2. CVS
3. Fincastle Pharmacy

Best convenience store:
1. Brughs Mill
2. Thriftway
3. Greenway Market

Best hair salon:
1. New Reflections
2. Hair Gallery
3. Stylin Shed

Best nail salon:
1. Classic Nails
2. Pzaz
3. D & L Nail

Best place to get pampered:
1. Pzaz***
2. New Reflections
3. Hair Gallery

Best place to keep fit:
1. Botetourt Athletic Club****
2. Green Ridge Recreation Center
3. Curves

Best place to shop for antiques:
1. Buchanan
2. Eagle’s Wings Antiques
3. Kelly’s Real Deals

Best place to buy unique gifts:
1. Cracker Barrel
2. Willow Pod Provisions & Gifts
3. Eagle’s Wings Antiques

Best bargains:
1. Goodwill
2. Dollar General
3. Walmart

Best dentist:
1. Coots, Ward, Cross & Associates Family Dentistry
2. Dr. Misty Lenk
3. Dr. Fremont Vess

Best family physician:
1. Dr. Elizabeth Polk of Carilion Clinic***
2. Dr. Clarke Andrews of Daleville Medical Center
3. Dr. Lianna Lawson of Lawson Family Practice

Best lawyer:
1. David Spigle
2. Buck Heartwell
3. Robert Hagan

Best place to go for financial advice:
1. Bank of Botetourt**
2. Bank of Fincastle
3. Michael Wade of Edward Jones

Best insurance agent:
1. John Alderson Agency, Inc.**
2. Larry Wood of Virginia Farm Bureau
3. Todd Selkirk of State Farm

Best plumber/electrician/home repair service:
1. Appliance Medic
2. Austin Electric
3. Hamren Electrical & Plumbing

Best lawn or landscaping service:
1. Botetourt Mulch & Landscaping
2. Varsity Landscaping
3. Botetourt Lawn Express

Best dry cleaner:
1. Valley Cleaners****
2. A Cleaner World
3. VA Cleaners 1.95

Best place to get your car fixed:
1. Cavalier Automotive
2. Dave’s Garage
3. Fleshman’s Service Center

Best real estate agent:
1. Todd Wampler of Wampler Realty
2. Pete Wood of RE/MAX
3. Janie Harris of James River Realty

Best real estate firm/brokerage:
1. RE/MAX Allstars**
2. James River Realty
3. Wampler Realty

Best pet grooming/pet sitting/pet boarding service:
1. Botetourt Veterinary Hospital***
2. The Pet Place
3. Crystal Wright of Country Pet Grooming

Best place for music lessons:
1. Mike Lee**
2. Blue Ridge Academy of Music
3. Pam Stump

Best preschool or day care:
1. Fincastle Preschool
2. Mill Creek Child Care Center
3. Cloverdale Church of Brethren

Best thing not on this list:
1. T/M MASONERY
2. WillowPod Provisions & Gifts
3. Downtown Buchanan

Here’s who won in 2011 and 2010 and 2009. Got an idea for a category we should add next year? Leave a comment and let us know!

This is the final weekend to vote in the 4th annual Best of Botetourt reader awards. The voting closes at midnight on Sunday.

You can find the voting form right here (or over in the right-hand rail.)

We’ll publish the results in our April 20 print edition.

A few new wrinkles: To make it easier to vote, we’ve gone ahead and listed the top six finishers last year in the business categories — although, as always, you can cast a write-in vote if your favorite isn’t already listed.

If you’ve got someone or some thing you think should be recognized, feel free to start a campaign to drum up votes.

Is there someone or something who should be recognized who doesn’t fit into a category? We always have our “best thing not on this list.”

Happy voting!

Here’s who won in 2011 and 2010 and 2009.

Got friends in other places? We also have Best Of contests underway in Salem, Southwest Roanoke County and the New River Valley.