6 minutes into the third quarter: Dan River 29; James River 24

Botetourt View Cathy Benson reporter is at this afternoon’s Group A, Division 2, state semifinal game between the James River Knights and the defending Group A, Division 2, state runner-up Dan River Wildcats. The halftime score at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Knights: 21; Wildcats, 18. Stay tuned for updates.

Will Divers with the giant snowman!

Snow brings out the best in many people. Will Divers, the band director at Central Academy Middle and James River High School sent in this photo of his past weekend  hobby! He explained, “This snowman ended up being 7 foot, 5 inches tall. I’m standing next to it at 5 foot, 10 inches. ” Now that snowman could really tote a tuba! Have you got snow pictures or snapshots of you, friends and family making the best of all of this snow?? Send them to: news@botetourtview.com

Genevieve Journell, a couturier who has a shop called Catrina Fashion’s in Troutville, sews and designs beautiful gowns and wedding dresses and it is no wonder she had an honor bestowed upon her by the Association of Sewing and Design professionals to create one of the half scale models. The ASDP sent the following press release:

“The Association of Sewing and Design Professionals announced the premiere exhibit of Vionnet Identique at the Association’s convention October 18, 2009, Hilton at Indian Lakes Resort, Bloomingdale, Ill.
The exhibit includes thirty-eight half-scale styles designed by the world renowned couturier
Madeleine Vionnet as featured in the book, “Vionnet,” by Betty Kirke.”

“Kirke is being awarded a lifetime achievement award for her work in the fashion industry and particularly for her book on Vionnet,” said Journell from her studio which is filled with beautiful ball gowns , evening gowns and wedding dresses.

Currently a Vionnet exhibit is being held in Paris which Journell plans to see. It opened this past summer and is described as, “Vionnet, dubbed the “couturier of couturiers”, is being honoured with an exhibition, opening today “( June 24, 2009) at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris, which spans her work from the setting up of her house in 1912 to the glory years of the Thirties,” featured in the London Telegraph on June 24, 2009.

Each model will be represented in the toile or muslin drape and also in the fashion fabric similar
to the original full scale model of the period. A noted master designer of the Art Deco era,
Vionnet’s innovative work is timeless and was a major influence upon the Golden Age of
Couture. This is the first major U. S. presentation of Vionnet’s work in the half-scale, and
coincides with a significant French exhibit on Vionnet at the Musee de les Arts Decoratifs at the
Louvre in Paris.

Association members submitted both a sample toile and a fashion sample using authentic
fabrications and technique. Many of the designs feature silks and intricate handwork
details and Vionnet’s famous geometric patterning which emphasized the beauty of the bias cut.
The designs are in the half-scale, and displayed on half-scale forms through an arrangement with
Dress Rite Forms, Skokie, IL.

Journell made a reversible cape with fur collar in half scale for the exhibit. The garment is featured in the Kirke “Vionnet” book. Journell has been a sewing professional since 1991. She takes on work by appointment. From the results of her labors featured in her studio, she is a creator of highly finished garments with trimmings, beading and precise line and seam. The gowns are absolutely stunning and have been worn by Prom queens to beauty queens to beautiful brides. There is little wonder why she was chosen to  create for the important exhibit on Vionnet.

“Not only have the sewing and design professionals gained new insight into the genius of Vionnet’s work, but through the exhibit, others will also be able to better understand her brilliance. Seeing the garments on a 3-D form really accents the visual beauty of her incredible work,” continued the press release.

Journell is a former national president of the organization and  a member of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals that is a non-profit organization, providing education and networking for those working in the sewing and design profession. For
information on membership in the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals, please
Contact: membership@sewingprofessionals.org

Flu view of the USA week ending September 26

Hello! It’s another Terrific Tuesday: How’s everything in your neck of the woods?

Flu is in the air! What type of flu? No one wants to talk about it though one local doc did tell me H1N1 is out there, but would not go on record. Matter fact it seems nobody but me and other Moms want to talk about it.

Botetourt County Public Schools said today they have no definitive numbers on how many students have been out for the past week, but if you read the Facebook and talk to the parents of middle and high school students you will hear there have been many cases. In my home all four of my children aged 12-22 have been sick with it since Thursday. After speaking with Autumn at the Alleghany Regional Health District, she only had statistics current through September 26, and said there isn’t an immediate sense of a flu outbreak though in the same breath, she reported the CDC had Virginia listed a s a state with widespread outbreak. Plus in the most Karl Rove of ways she stated, “Well you never know what makes kids absent from school.” Well, yeah. Like if normal is 15 kids and 78  miss school and another 38 go home  that day, you might figure something isn’t normal.

She said that Botetourt County Schools have been keeping the health district updated on absences, but we would have to get the figures from them.

I tried. It’s like the elephant in the room when talking about the flu outbreak. H1N1? Now I”ve said it but I can’t prove it, ’cause we didn’t go to the doctor. Perhaps all involved feel the potential for panic or they are feeling fearful of being blamed. Good grief. What ever it is there are many people sick here and now.

We had one confirmed report called to our house by a parent but  the Health department said that doesn’t count. A fellow school bus rider, the day before my youngest one, the middle schooler, came down with the flu. The CDC website stated not to take children to the doctor unless they have been fever free and get sick again, so I don’t know if it is H1N1 or not. We didn’t go to the doctor.

But it was about as typical influenza as it could be. As a mother of four, I have seen plenty of it in the past 22 years. Medical authority or not–I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em.  I can tell you we treated it like the regular flu.  That’s how the CDC specs on treatment go for H1N1 or “oink, oink” the Swine Flu.

My baby did run a really high fever of 103.9 on Saturday night. Momma was worried indeed.

She is back to her usual middle school self, but did say that lots of her friends were out of school today. Matter fact I just ran into one of them a few minutes ago and she said the school band at Central Academy only had 7 kids present at the PTA meeting last night. Though it is a small school band, it is normally bursting at the seams down there especially with sixth graders.

“This Wednesday when the report cards come out,” said Julie Baker who is Special Education Supervisor in the Central Office, “division wide all report cards will have brochures on flu shots and H1N1and recommended preventions.” That is the noticification from the Botetourt Public Schools that flu season is coming even though it is upon many now.

Here are the symptoms that manifested at my house. The flu started with a bad head ache, then the tummy hurt on two of four, one had a bit of nausea, another loose bowels. One became very grumpy, all four sneezed, coughed and ran fevers ranging from 99.8 all the way up to 103.9. At one time or another all four had chills. I guess what that tells you is it will effect each person similarly and differently. It lasted about three days on all four. Three of the four now have a cough, too. So far, we two old coots, my husband and I, who were around for Swine Flu back in the 70s, have remained symptom free and have high hopes to remain that way.

If you or your child are sick, stay home!

So here is my  “Mom for 22 plus years” advice. Make sure your children use hand sanitizer or soap and water, cover the cough or sneeze in the elbow like the CDC recommends. Get Advil, Clorox wipes, tissues and have orange juice and chicken soup on hand. Fruity popsicles were a big hit at home, too. Get some Lysol. A spray of Lysol at least makes a mom feel like she is fighting the germs! Run that dishwasher and dry heat those dishes. Warm the blanket for a few minutes in the clothes drier and your children will think you are an angel of mercy.

When and if they or you get the flu, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and take the CDC schedule of recommended treatment. If you or your child gets worse, call the doctor and make an appointment.

Good Luck!

Brynn Busher

Bronwyn (Brynn) Busher as an eighth grader ( now a freshman at Lord Botetourt High School) at Central Academy Middle School in Botetourt County, Virginia, served on a special board as a judge for hand held devices applications. She is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. Brynn enjoys performing and visual arts, tennis, and wake boarding. Future goals include traveling to Italy and perhaps attending Boston College. She served as the student judge with a group of distinguished adults. Apple Apps Mobile Learning is challenging groups to develop more ways to use hand held devices. It is called Learning Without Boundries a project of the Virginia Department of Education.

In June 2009, the following apps were announced as the winners of the Virginia Mobile Learning Apps Development Challenge at the State Educational Technology Directors Association’s Emerging Technologies Forum held in conjunction with the National Educational Computing Conference in Washington, DC. The Virginia Mobile Learning Apps Development Challenge was issued in April by Governor Timothy M. Kaine in collaboration with Virginia’s Secretary of Technology and the Virginia Department of Education for developers to produce mobile learning applications that engage middle school students in mathematics. The mathematics achievement of Virginia students on the sixth-grade mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) test for 2007-08 was 68 percent, up from 60 percent in 2006-07. The Commonwealth wants to build upon this progress by pursuing innovative ways that excite students about mathematics and encourage advanced learning and achievement.

The challenge was part of Learning without Boundaries (LwB), an initiative launched with support from the Governor’s Productivity Investment Fund. This initiative is aimed at understanding the potential benefits of wireless handheld technologies in schools. Nearly all children in the United States have access to a mobile device: 93% of 6-to-9 year olds live in a home with a cell phone; more than 50% own a portable video game device; 30% have a personal cell phone; and 20% have personal digital music players. In short, mobile devices are an integral part of children’s lives. The effort now is to leverage these devices effectively for teaching and learning; however, devices alone cannot achieve this goal. They must be coupled with meaningful learning applications. Perhaps the best example is Apple’s App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. Since its launch in June 2008, more than 64,000 applications have been developed for these devices, ranging from games, to utilities, to social networking, to medical uses. More than 4,000 education apps are currently available. The purpose of the Apps Development Challenge was not simply to add to the growing collection of iPod touch and iPhone apps but rather to meet specific learning needs-as identified through an analysis of mathematics achievement data from the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Assessments and Algebra Readiness Diagnostic Test (ARDT). Furthermore, these new applications should use the features of handheld technologies to represent and model important mathematics concepts and skills that will encourage student-directed learning and enrichment beyond the classroom.– from the website and Karen Busher

How could you chase something this little and cute with a pack of dogs!

It’s Terrific Tuesday again– how’s everything in your neck of the woods! Back To School and Food Lion in Daleville: Wednesday, August 19 is a monumental day in Botetourt County. Food Lion has a ribbon cutting tomorrow at the same time the kiddies are making it up the steps of the bus! I am heading out to the Chamber After Hours at Food Lion this evening. Ahh…the advantage of Chamber of Commerce membership!

Speaking of lions-I am reading “A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion ” a reprint of a 1972 book about two men John Rendall and Anthony “Ace” Bourke and a lion cub they named Christian in London. They repatriated Christian, the son of zoo lions, to Africa under the instruction of Born Free actor Bill Travers and wildlife specialist George Adamson. A YouTube video a couple of years ago brought it back to the forefront. Last week the documentary was on Discovery or one of those channels. There are several videos and altogether they have had 30 million youTube viewings.  The book fills in the gaps. The clip you will see on the video is the reunion of the trio after Christian had been in the Kenyan wild for one year. They say animals are dumb — he remembered them and greeted them like long lost brothers. They never saw him again after the reunion.

For the first year after my father’s death every time I went down to Daddy’s house where my brother lives now, my Daddy’s cat, Kitty King, would run over to Daddy’s bedroom door and push it open, get on Daddy’s bed and turn around and look at me. Many of you know that my father and I were two peas in a pod and I looked after him for many years. I will always think the cat was asking me where my father went and I think he truly grieved for my Daddy who loved that cat like one of us.

Switching gears to other remarkable animals!

Here’s a bear report from Angie:

My husband, Matt, also sighted a large black bear.  He was driving in the Troutville area at about 8:00 pm when he saw a large black furry thing on the side of the road, which he soon discovered was a bear.  The bear darted across the road and Matt slammed on his brakes, nearly hitting it with our truck.  After the bear safely crossed the road, my husband said the large animal turned and calmly looked back at him, as if to say, “I have the right of way here.”

Now from me! Last Friday on the way home from football practice, the biggest bear I have ever seen galloped across the road in front of me and my son Zach. I would say if I were dumb enough to measure it– the bear rump would be chest high on me and I am 5″8. My guesstimate would be about 500 pounds. That is what I call a Bruin. No I am not going to tell where I saw it. Just know it was between James River High School and before I got home. The Bear “chase” season is on and well I am developing some opinions about that, so I will not knowingly contribute to the demise of baby or youthful bears to a pack of hounds and curs.

Bears can be pests that I know — we have had our share. However….

It’s my sense of fair play being abused here with packs of dogs chasing bears–I have in my life seen a video of a bear chase in Buchanan several years ago where one young bear was chased by one pack of bear dogs then another fresh pack until the bear couldn’t stand up and the pack of dogs tore it to pieces. The owners ride around in trucks and listen to radio collars. That hardly seems sporting. I find little fault with the hounds– they are only doing what comes naturally or they are taught.

I will have another bear story to publish soon, I am working on it now, so keep an eye peeled for another chapter “In the Bears of Botetourt,” a drama happening daily in our own fair county.

See ya Next Week!

Just a programming note: This week’s Botetourt View is our biggest yet, weighing in at 40 pages.

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And now, back to news . . .

Chaplain of the Va Tech Football team Johnnie Shelton and Tech football player Colin Carroll came and witnessed to the 180 campers after lunch and then signed autographed cards. Well received by the campers, both men spoke of being a Christian as not always being the most popular thing to be! The sports camp last five days and enjoyed good weather and happy times. Nine area churches helped with meals, Buchanan Baptist Church and Mill Creek Baptist Church and Botetourt Parks and Recreation sponospred the event. Numerous teen athletes helped with the camp, too!

The votes are in!

We asked you to pick the “Best of Botetourt County.” And you did.

And the results are right here — in more than 50 categories, ranging from best community event to the best electrician, from the best school event to the best new thing in Botetourt County, from best place to go trick-or-treating to the best new reason for living in Botetourt County.

So, what do you think? And what categories should we add for next year?

You can leave comments below.

In the print edition, you’ll see several places where we send folks online to find more photos. Here are those links:
* More photos from Party in the Park (Troutville Park voted best park and best place to take the kids for the day)
* More photos from the fishing carnival in Buchanan (voted best parks and rec activity)
* More photos from Young Life (which tied with Fincastle Baptist for best church outreach program)
* More photos from Buchanan Fireman’s Carnival (voted best community event)
* More photos from the show by Michael Lee’s music students (voted best place for music lessons)
* More photos from Roaring Run (voted best place for family hike and best spot for picnic)
* More scenic photos from Botetourt (since scenery was voted best reason for living in Botetourt)

And congrats to all the winners!