(Left to right) Gordon Soderberg, Bill Hudson of Moneta, and Jacob Kimmel outside the disabled Veterans Green Bus on a tow lot in northeast Roanoke. The bus caught fire and almost burned March 20. | Photo by STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS | The Roanoke Times.

By Gordon Soderberg

I want to tell everyone who has contributed to the Veterans Green Bus Project how grateful I am to all of you.

–To Veterans Green Jobs for believing in my concept of biodiesel and used cooking oil to fuel disaster relief efforts. They invested in my first bio diesel plant in 2009. And they purchased the Veterans Green Bus “Large Marge” for me to take veterans from across the country to attend the Veterans Green Jobs training programs in Colorado.

While I was with them they learned about energy conservation and sustainability and how to rebuild historic log cabins for the National Parks and Forest Service. They secured contracts and began weatherizing 1.200 homes a year in 9 counties of the Alamosa Valley and the City of Denver, Colo.

By April of last year that ended for me because of funding dried up from the government with one month’s notice — proving to me that my concept of the Veterans Green Bus Project would not be sustainable under federal funding contracts.

So, I purchased the bus from Veterans Green Bus and folded the program under United Peace Relief, Inc., who thankfully has been helping me since 2006 when after hurricane Katrina I started to design my first biodiesel plant with Steve Richter. We fueled a tractor and cleared lots in the Lower Ninth Ward for people who wanted to rebuild. Eventually Brad Pitt and his Make It Right NOLA program began building sustainable energy homes on the very lots we saved from being seized by the city.

–To Team Rubicon USA for believing in my concepts of using my military RADMF Team development and Veterans Green Job experience to establish an energy sustainable disaster response efforts after hurricane Sandy at forward operating base Hope in Rockaway, N.Y. Read more »

Abu-Dun | Wikimedia Commons

Note: The following guest post is from E. Duane Howard, who lives in Southeast Roanoke.

By E. Duane Howard

I know I had asked [landlord next door] “Please do not rent to someone with a dog.”  His last renters moved out on him and had a small dog which she walked and let poop anywhere without cleaning up.

Now the new people who moved in yesterday have a large dog tied up on the front porch and of course, as to be expected,  is barking constantly.

During the past nice days, I went across the street and cleaned, swept and shovel up the gutter all the way around the corner, trying to be a good neighbor to Dan as if he would care.  I sprayed weed killer along gutter and curb to keep it neat looking.

From my front porch, doing a 180-degree span there are now 18 dogs within sight and now have a new barking problem to add to the mix too contend with.  18 dogs in 11 houses. Out of those 18 dogs, other than mine, only FIVE ever get walked. Read more »

The charter members of Roanoke’s Cultural Social Service Organization, which launched in 1958 and turns 55 next month, with world-renown gospel singer Mahalia Jackson (seated in the front, 4th from the left). She was the first registered African-American guest at the once whites-only Hotel Roanoke. | This photo is from the family archives of Ms. Gayle Graves.

A Guest Post

By Wanda Spraggins

April, 2013 marks the 55th anniversary of an organization whose inception started with a conversation in the hallway of Harrison Elementary School.

Three African-American educators discussed the limited cultural experiences in the community due to racial segregation. Their own college educations opened their eyes to the world, a world that needed sharing.

Mrs. Marionette Shaw-Sprauve, Miss Lillie Patterson, and Mr. William J. Manning transformed the discussions into the Cultural-Social Service Organization, CSSO.

Mr. Julian Moore, a Roanoke educator, developed the name at his church, St. Paul United Methodist Church, in Northwest Roanoke. The church is located on the corner of Fifth Street and Gilmer Avenue.

The photo above features the charter members with the world-famous gospel singer, Miss Mahalia Jackson. Her standing-room-only concerts represented one of the first desegregated audiences in the Roanoke Valley. Miss Jackson was the first African-American guest registered to stay in the Hotel Roanoke. Read more »

The Roanoke Times | File

Note from Dan: Tyler Moore lives in Roanoke County. He sent me this as a reaction to Tuesday’s column.

By Tyler Moore

I have biked the Roanoke section of the Blue Ridge Parkway literally thousands of times for decades and decades (started 1983 or so, so it has been three decades. OMG).  I live just 300 feet from the Parkway.

The issue is that the Parkway is our lovely community’s major natural asset  (Just spoke to an Outer Banks resident who said we have an asset comparable to the coast. And our fantastic asset must be treated and protected as such).

One of the biggest threats to our wonderful landmark is commuters who go to work every morning and come home every evening, not using the parkway for that which it was designed (I, too, when commuting, am not looking at the scenery, but thinking of the work in front of or behind me for the day).

The Roanoke section is special AND WE (ROANOKE) MUST PROTECT IT: Read more »

Anyone have any answers for this guy?

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GUEST POST

By Melanie Willard
Las Vegas, NV

I have a friend who is a former resident of Virginia. He tried to renew his current driver’s license in Texas and found out that the state of Viriginia has a “hold” on his license from November of 2000 for proof of insurance. He lived in Virginia less than a year; by November of 2000 he was living in Texas. The State of Texas won’t renew his license because of this hold.

By November of 2000 he’d already obtained his Texas license and you couldn’t do that without proof of insurance in Texas. Can you direct me to somebody that can help get this resolved without having to pay Virginia over $500?

He’s lived at the same address in Texas since 2000 and in order to renew his plates every year he has to submit proof on insurance. He doesn’t even have the vehicle in question anymore; that was sold in 2005.  It appears that the state of Virginia is trying to rip-off former residents. Read more »

GUEST POST

By Dennis Wade

Recently returned to my Salem roots, from RaleighWood, N.C. I see a lot of growing pains here, paralleling what I saw happen, over my 30+ years in the growing Raleigh area. And ‘group think’ by city planners, resulting in wasted effort and dollar$. I joke that Roanoke, or any city’s planners, should not drink wine before, or during, committee sessions. Grins come often when you hit on some of the local silliness with your tongue-in-cheek columns . . . Like the double St. Patrick’s Day events. Sigh.

I’ve got a FARCICAL idea on the Market Square conversion proposal. The Taubman Museum is underutilized and cash-poor. How about converting the spacious street-level of the Taubman to parking? Or a Drive-Thru and Park Museum! The Taubman’s exterior walls have a retro-look, and could be painted to resemble tail fins of mid-’50s cars, advertising PARKING. Voila! The lost Market Square parking spaces are replaced, and the financially strapped Taubman generates more revenue. in-Win solution! Read more »

Guest Post

Note from Dan: Below are parts of two emails I received and cobbled together Sunday by a reader in Roanoke who was responding to Sunday’s column. He requested I not use his name.

By Anonymous

Thanks for your piece on Roanoke’s St. Patty’s Day.

It was my great fortune to spend some time in Dublin, Ireland in the 1960s.

Among the many shocks was to find that the only day of the year the pubs were closed was St.Patrick’s Day — this seems to have remained the case for ten or so more years.

Another contrasting shocker was that Easter was more like our July Fourth, Soldiers and tanks were on parade. The Easter Rebellion of 1916 was, of course, the origin.

And St. Patrick’s Cathedral was a Protestant place of worship — and had but handful of souls on Sunday. The “Pro-Cathedral,” the Catholic venue, had, as you might suppose, people hanging out the windows. Read more »

Note from Dan: The following guest post is from Gina Holmes, a nurse, PR professional and writer whose third novel, Wings of Glass, will be published next month. I wrote about her struggles breaking into publishing back in 2009.

By Gina Holmes

Hey Dan! It was so good to connect with you at the Roanoke Regional Writers Conference.

I was thinking how funny it is that I like you so much, and, if you haven’t guessed, you and I sit on opposite ends of the political fence, though I try not to be too political since that’s not really my strong suit. I’m not a fan these days of many of those debates for personal reasons.

Anywho, you might consider doing a column on this subject matter.  I think it would be fascinating.

From gun control to Jerry Falwell, I’m guessing that having a two-sided courteous discussion would bring people on both sides to open their eyes a little more and least consider the other side’s viewpoint. Because at least half your readership in this Bible belt-area are Republicans and conservatives, I think showing that you’re good at listening (and I know you are, which is what makes you a great reporter) as well as offering opinions would be really cool for lack of a better word on this bleary-eyed morning.

It could even become a regular feature. Sort of a he-said, she-said deal.

If you want a name of the perfect person to counter you, I think I know one. She’s a local writer. I’m putting together a nonfiction proposal with her basically on biblical promises for women. She’s smart as a whip, conservative but not in an obnoxious sort of way. Great writer.

Anyway, just throwing out an idea of depolarization Thanks again, Dan for the wonderful class at the writers conference. Your stories are always a highlight. Hope to see you next year.

Now I’m going to go and complain to the NRA about you!

Note from Dan: The following open letter is from Roanoke County resident and activist-of-many-stripes Brent Riley.

By Brent Riley

Public Broadcasting People,

We know America is today facing unprecedented challenges and responsibilities. Public Broadcasting was created by Congress to enable citizens to be more responsible through diversity of information . . . to better balance the information mix. It not only enriches us and our culture, but informs us far better than Corporate Broascasting and empowers us to participate in the policy making processes of our democracy.

Keeping it strong, and making it even better, is an imperative. “170 Million Americans” provides an avenue to make a difference. Please review their information below and play a part to keep Public Broadcasting strong!

Listeners and contributors to WVTF, “our public radio station” have been engaged in a campaign to bring further respect for the founding mandate and bring in diversity of information. Since President Reagan’s time efforts have been underway to impede the information flow by claiming Public Broadcasting was too this or too that. Those efforts are still alive and must be overcome. Read more »

Wikimedia Commons

Note from Dan: Roanoke resident George Christenbury sent his proposal for gun control to me last week. The proposal, in the form of a letter to Sen. Mark Warner, is after the jump.

By George Christenbury

I often read your column and think you display good common sense.  I like to think that I too have at least a little myself.

In the days following the recent tragedy in Newtown, CT, I had an idea that I thought my be a simple, effective start in addressing the issue of increasing gun violence.  I wrote a letter to each member of my Congressional delegation with copies to the President and Vice President.

To date I have received a form letter reply from Senator Warner.  I still think that we, as a society, need to make a start toward long-term solutions to the problem.  Is there one answer, of course not, but the complex book length bills now proposed probably stand little chance of implementation.

In my opinion, the best way to make progress is to do something, anything, to get started.  The enclosed proposal would be a bill that is less than half a page long and would effect real change.  Thank you for your time and I would be glad to clarify or discuss the attached.  I think “we the people” need to impress our representatives with the urgency of this matter. Read more »