This photo of Gene Brown taken by Stephanie Klein-Davis on July 13, 2011, led prosecutors to issue a subpoena for her to testify at his trial.

Photographer Stephanie Klein-Davis has spent dozens of hours in courtrooms taking pictures during her 25-year career at The Roanoke Times.

She was in Roanoke Circuit Court again Wednesday but in unfamiliar position — on the stand as a witness subpoenaed by prosecutors to testify in the trial of Gene Anthony Brown, the man accused of killing security guard Steve Orange at the Afton Garden apartments in July 2011.

As Neil Harvey reported in his story today, Klein-Davis was summoned to testify about an encounter she had with Brown when she taking photos near the crime scene hours after Orange’s death.

Given the number of court trials and crimes we cover, it’s not unusual for one of our journalists (usually a reporter) to get subpoenaed to testify. On average, it happens once or twice a year.

However, it’s quite uncommon for one of our journalists to actually end up on the stand. In almost every case, we ask our attorney to file a motion with the court to “quash,” or dismiss, the subpoena and not compel the reporter to testify.

Why?

Over the years, numerous courts have held that reporters cannot be compelled to testify about what they learn in the course of reporting a story, or even to confirm statements that have appeared in published articles. The reasoning behind these decisions is clear: Forcing reporters — or any working journalist — to testify can severely hamper the news-gathering function of a free press as guaranteed in the First Amendment.

Said another way by our attorney, Stan Barnhill, when he was briefing us on the case this week: The newspaper can’t be seen as “an arm of the state.”

That was one the key arguments Barnhill made in a motion filed last week asking Judge Jonathan Apgar to quash the subpoena issued to Klein-Davis. While we were willing to stipulate — without testifying — about the accuracy of our published reporting and photos, we did not think any information that Klein-Davis could provide about her brief exchange with the defendant would be important to the case.

That stance changed, however, at a hearing Monday when Barnhill heard more details about the prosecution’s case. He realized that a key exception cited by courts in previous cases — that a reporter can be compelled to testify if the information sought is material and relevant to the case, essential to an underlying claim or defense, and has been sought unsuccessfully from all other possible sources — was relevant. Barnhill said it was the first time in almost 30 years of representing The Roanoke Times that he was compelled to concede that the exception applied.

We agreed to drop our motion. Klein-Davis first appeared for questioning Wednesday before the judge, but without the jury in the courtroom, so Apgar could decide if her testimony was relevant to the prosecution’s case.

Once he ruled it was, the jury was brought into the courtroom and Klein-Davis was questioned first by the prosecution and then by Brown’s defense lawyers.

Harvey reported that Klein-Davis testified that she talked with Brown and photographed him at the scene as he offered theories about the shooting that morning.

“He just seemed willing to talk to me and he was open about what he felt,” she told prosecutors during her testimony. “The tone was he felt the security guard was mean to children.”

This story, published July 26, 2011, after Brown was charged with a gun offense and investigators were trying to link him to the shooting, offers more details about the encounter Klein-Davis and reporter Jorge Valencia had with him.

“I mean, it’s sad that he was killed,” we reported Brown saying in a sidewalk interview. “But obviously he must have messed with the wrong people’s kids.”

 Brown’s trial is scheduled to conclude on Friday.

Klein-Davis

Reem Yousuf Al-Harami

 Virginia’s status as battleground state in the presidential election, complete with multiple visits to the region from both campaigns and the barrage of political ads, certainly makes working in our newsroom more interesting.

It’s also brought us another perk — the chance to host two international journalists who are here in the United States as part of a program funded by the International Center for Journalists.

Elham Mustafa A.Salih

Reem Yousuf Al-Harami, from Qatar, and Elham Mustafa A.Salih, from Sudan, arrived in Roanoke Sunday and will work out of our newsroom until the day after the election. They are here to report on the presidential race for their home newspapers, offering a uniquely Southwest Virginia perspective.

Elham Salih is head of the coverage department at the Alahdath Daily newspaper in Sudan. She graduated from the University of Khartoum with a science degree and has been a science writer.

The Elections 2012 Visiting Journalists Program is sponsoring 50 journalists, from 44 countries, to report at news organizations in Virginia, Florida, Wisconsin, Florida, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Washington D.C. You can read more about the program here.

Mark Taylor

Former Roanoke Times outdoors columnist Bill Cochran salutes Mark Taylor, our current outdoors columnist and “Wild Life” blogger, for recently being named president of the Outdoors Writers Association of America.

Cochran recounts the story of Mark’s hiring in 1998 and writes: “He turned out to be an excellent choice for the Roanoke Times, advancing the newspaper’s outdoor coverage into the new world of blogging. His efforts to promote the outdoor writing craft across the nation earned him the prestigious position of president of OWAA at the Fairbanks conference. He is the first Virginian to hold that position.”

Sam Dean

First Eric Brady and now Sam Dean.

Our newsroom is losing another  talented photographer at the end of the month.

Sam , who started at The Roanoke Times in 1999 after graduating from The University of Montana, will leave  The Roanoke Times Aug. 31 to work as a freelance photographer. 

Sam has covered stories across Western Virginia and across the world in the past 13 years. Along the way he’s won numerous state and national awards for his photography and multimedia videos and slideshows.

In the summer of 2004, Sam and reporter John Cramer traveled to Afghanistan with soldiers from Southwest Virginia in Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division. You can see some of that reporting here.  Since then, he’s told other military stories: covering a young Marine, Jordan Sherwood, recovering from an IED blast in 2005; and following a Salem teen, Todd Edgell, as he joined the Army 10 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.  

Sam also traveled to the Dominican Republic to tell the story on Virginia Tech students running an orphanage there.

In the past few years, Sam has started writing stories while also photographing them. Terra, his monthly photo column focusing on the natural beauty of the Roanoke region, is one example.

His colleagues won’t just miss Sam’s work in the paper and on roanoke.com. We’ll also miss hearing about his adventures along the way.

Photo editor Natalee Waters said it well in her announcement off Sam’s departure: ” Sam and his mountaineer’s spirit of adventure will be missed. Sam could go to any assignment and come back with great photos AND great stories, many of which involved scaling fences, walls and other obstacles, or rappelling down the occasional cliff to get the shot we needed,” she wrote “As Sam free climbs into a new chapter of his life, we wish him all the best.”

Eric Brady

Sam is leaving  just two months after Brady, another award-winning photojournalist, took an early retirement to spend more time with his daughter. Eric, who worked on our photo staff for nearly two decades, was known for his signature photos taken on and around Mill Mountain.

We’ll miss both of them not just for their work (and work ethic) but also for their camaraderie.

Fortunately, both Eric and Sam plan to continue to live in the Roanoke Valley.

Emily Mosh

As my internship at The Roanoke Times comes to a close, it’s time for my final blog entry.

It’s time for me to think about what my time here showed me, both at the paper and in Roanoke. And perhaps most importantly, it’s time for me to list my favorite discoveries.

I will start by offering all of you my sincere thanks. Everyone I’ve met in person or spoken to online has been incredibly helpful and kind. For nine weeks, you’ve been offering me suggestions and giving me advice on everything from stories to lunch ideas to driving tips.

Reader interaction is such a critical part of our jobs at the newspaper. Because of your feedback, I have been able to effectively manage our Pinterest account, live tweet  several different events, and have something delicious to eat after the day is done.

I had a three-page list of every restaurant, shop and place to visit thanks to your feedback. I had to make a Google map to aid in my planning. I perused menus online, I crossed out places I’d been and I starred places that received the most recommendations.

If the place you recommended didn’t make this final list, please don’t be angry. I’m sure it is delicious, and if I didn’t have time to make it there, believe me I will be back.

Bread Craft. I ordered the Turkey Florentine Panini. I cannot even write about this gargantuan sandwich without my mouth watering. I finished the first half and then asked for a box. Before the server could bring a box, though, I finished the second half. It was too good not to. Turkey, bacon, spinach, artichoke, feta and mozzarella. There might never be a more perfect combination.

Thai Continental Cuisine. I wrote about this in the last blog entry, but it’s still one of my favorites. The pad Thai with shrimp. Such a standard Thai dish, but made so well here. I’m by no means a Thai food expert, but trust me, it was just really great.

Bubblecake. If you read the comment section in my last blog post, you saw that I made it to both Bubblecake and Viva La Cupcake shops. I firmly believe that no cupcake is a bad cupcake. But Bubblecake’s cupcakes were just on an entirely different level. The crème brulee cupcake was one of those life-altering, no-you-can’t-have-a-bite desserts. I went to their Crystal Spring location. I think it is good for my health that I don’t live closer to this shop.

Ben Gui Sushi. I saved this for last because sushi became by far the most contentious issue this summer (check out the comments on my first blog). For the most part, I like basic sushi. Salmon sashimi is my favorite. I like a spicy tuna roll now and then and a shrimp tempura roll if I’m feeling adventurous. Give me that and a bowl of steaming edamame and I am content. For me, Ben Gui just delivered on all of these the best. I respect your sushi opinions, and I hope you all still respect me after sharing mine.

Roanoke, if our short time together has taught you anything about me, it’s probably that I like food. I promise I have several other interests. Journalism and fun, educational summer internships rank pretty highly, too. But honestly, what brings people together more than a panini and a cup of coffee at lunch or a cupcake when the day is done?

Although we didn’t all get to enjoy these treats and meals together, the fact that you, readers, utilized social media to suggest locations to me meant that in a way, we were there together. I thought about you, your comments, tweets and emails at every new location I visited. So thank you for all the lunch dates, I had a wonderful summer with all of you.

And remember, as I enter my senior year at Washington and Lee University, I’m only an hour away. If you really need someone to grab a cupcake with you, find me on Twitter at @emilymosh.

A tractor-trailer northbound on Interstate 81 crashed Thursday just short of mile marker 175. The driver, Bryan Minton, of North Wilkesboro, N.C., said he was uninjured. He said he was coming around a curve, unable to see that the traffic ahead of him was backed up, and swerved off the road to avoid hitting the stopped vehicles. Daniel Lin | The Roanoke Times

We published this photo and the attached cutline on page 11 of the June 29, 2012, news section under the headline: “Driver lived to tell about it.” We had few other details about the crash or the circumstances leading up to it until an email from Charles D. Price was sent to the newsroom last week.

Price, of Stuarts Draft, was driving on Interstate 81 when the crash happened and he wrote us to thank the photographer, intern Daniel Lin, for taking the photo because it provided him just enough information to identify “a hero.”

 ”I do not know Mr. Minton personally, but he is a hero in my eyes. A special thanks needs to go to Mr. Daniel Lin for covering the accident on I-81,” Price wrote.  “Without the story being published in the Roanoke Times, we would have never known who wrecked and what his fate was.  Thanks to Mr. Lin we were able to contact and thank Mr. Minton for what he did that day at mile marker 174.”

The email included a dramatic recounting of what Price saw and felt from his vehicle. It was orginally sent to the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce in an effort to get recognition Minton recogntion for his action that day. Here’s what he wrote:

This is a story about courage, professionalism, a hero and thankfulness.

 My wife, grand-daughter and I had been to Pigeon Forge, TN. Vacationing the week of June 25, 2012.  We left mid morning on the 28^th to head home in Stuarts Draft, Virginia, which is about a five to six hour drive. 

We were driving North on I-81 making pretty good time until we got close to Roanoke, Virginia traffic had slowed to a crawl; it was stop and go for about an hour. Traffic picked up and started to move at the normal speed limit; 65-70 mph.

We were coming down a mountain pass just south of Lexington, Virginia and as we started into a curve, traffic was at a dead stop in both lanes ahead of us. I really had to slam on the brakes to stop and I had moved over to the passing lane.

I immediately looked in to my rear view mirror and all I could say was; “Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God!” There was a tractor trailer no more than 250 feet behind us, blue smoke rolling off of the tires, the trailer was starting to jackknife with the trailer coming around to the passing lane.

The cab had started to come up off of the road, the left front side of the cab tires had come twelve to eighteen inches off of the road.

As my wife is yelling What? she starts looking around.  Our eight year old granddaughter was asleep in the back seat. As I stated we were in the passing lane.  There were other cars in front of us and a tractor trailer right beside us; directly in front of him there was another eighteen wheeler.  

All of this happened in a matter of seconds; I glanced at my wife without saying a word and glanced back into the rear view mirror. I lost site of the tractor trailer and then we heard the most awful sound. The noise from the impact had woke up our grand daughter and by this time my wife had unbuckled her seat belt and was up on her knees trying to look back to see where the truck had gone. Then all of a sudden we see glass, mirrors, lights, and other debris flying through the air and all around us. We were looking under the trailer that was beside us trying to see where it went. We see the tractor come to a sudden stop. I honestly did not know exactly what I was seeing; my first thought was that the cab had sheered off or if the trailer had smashed the cab. The traffic was beginning to move and I started going forward. My wife is saying we need to stop! The two gentlemen who were driving the trucks beside of us had pulled over and was running back to the accident. At this particular point, I knew I needed to keep moving for the safety of my family and myself because I knew that there were other tractor trailers coming down off of this mountain.  My wife is on the phone trying to call 911, but we were in a dead zone. I see the mile marker number of 174.4 and my wife called the Augusta County Sheriffs Department and they patched her through to 911.  She proceeded to give the dispatcher the information and I felt like we had done everything that we could do.

 The traffic starts to slow down again and we see a pickup truck with a utility trailer hauling a load of mulch. The mulch was on fire and I am assuming that this is what had caused the traffic to back up and come to a stop. A State Trooper was on the scene but there were no flairs or any type of warning.  We were only about forty-five minutes away from home and my wife looked at me and said “He did not make it, did he?” I just shook my head no. I said that who ever was driving that truck had to be an older experienced professional driver. He knew what he had to do to prevent more fatalities.  It had to be a split second decision for him to take that rig off the road and he probably did not even think of what his fate would be. It was a quiet ride the rest of the way home.

Once we got home, we continued to talk about the wreck that we had witnessed and realized that we were just thankful to be alive. There were so many things that could have gone wrong.  My wife got on the computer and pulled up the VDOT road report for I-81 and read an accident that happened at mile marker 188.  There were two fatalities listed and we knew that the miracle we witnessed was at mile marker 174.3.  I went out the next day and picked up a Roanoke Times Newspaper. I got home and sat down to look through the paper and I was never so happy in my life to see the picture of this tractor trailer lying on its side.  The caption read “Driver Lived to Tell About It.”  Bryan Minton of North Wilkesboro, N.C. said he was coming around a curve unable to see the traffic ahead of him was backed up and swerved off the road to avoid hitting the stopped vehicles. After looking at the picture, I realized then what I had seen. It was the undercarriage of the tractor, and the trailer had slid down the embankment so we could not see it from the road.

 I would like to thank Mr. Daniel Lin with the Roanoke Times; I am grateful to him and the news staff for finding this article news worthy and printing it in the paper. I found out who my hero was and where he was from.  I was most thankful to see that he escaped the wreckage with no injuries. We were just so excited that my wife and I had decided to reach out to Mr. Minton and just let him know how grateful we were.  My wife went online, searched for his address and phone number. I called the number and left a message not knowing if I had the right Bryan Minton or not. I said on the message “I don’t know if you are the truck driver on I 81 Northbound that wrecked Thursday afternoon but if you are, I want you to know that you are a hero to my family and me!” Later that after noon I called back and was able to speak with his wife. I shared my gratitude with her and told her if there was anything I could do or if he needed me to talk to anybody about what I witnessed; I would be willing to help him out.

 On Sunday morning around 9:00 a.m.  I get a call from Daniel Payne of Daniel Payne Trucking Company.  This is Mr. Minton’s employer so again I relayed the story and let him know that I would be willing to help him out, if there was anything that I could do to let me know.   His insurance company; Carolina Causality contacted me a few days later.  The representative that I spoke with was Caye Tilton and  I told her that I am totally convinced in my heart I know that there would have been a number of fatalities on the road that day and the first three would have been my granddaughter, my wife and I.  At this time I let her know that my intentions were to contact the Chamber of Commerce in North Wilkesboro, N.C., she called me back about a week later expressing how her management team at Carolina Causality were deeply touched by this story and if they could do anything to help get Mr. Minton the recognition he deserves to let them know. There are so many people who complain about I-81 and the tractor trailer traffic, but they do not know about the defensive driving Mr. Minton used on June 28, 2012 that saved my family and me.

 I will be eternally grateful to Mr. Minton for what he did that day.  If it had not been for Bryan Minton’s quick reaction and skill, I would not be sharing this story.

 Thank you in advance for taking time to read what we witnessed, and to let Mr. Minton know that he really did do a great job!

 Sincerely,

 Chuck and Brenda Price

Jadyn Taylor Wood

Photo of Katrina Tulloch by Ryan Loew | The Roanoke Times

Editor’s note: Katrina Tulloch is a graduate of Syracuse University with a master’s degree in magazine, newspaper and online journalism. She is working as an intern at The Roanoke Times, where she works on our site redesign team, contributes to our daily news report and produces video.

Driving down from upstate New York on I-81 was daunting enough before encountering June 29’s monster of a storm at exactly the hour it hit Roanoke. Between dodging wayward tree branches on the highway and listening to crackling radio warnings of winds up 80 mph, I braced myself for a rough move-in day and even rougher first week on the job.

The following Monday I was scheduled to start my digital news internship at The Roanoke Times, which I had been anticipating since January. But now I was coming at a time when the newsroom would be waist-deep in severe storm coverage. They probably wouldn’t let the new intern even touch a camera.

I lucked out. The Saturday after the derecho hit, I moved into a fully powered apartment and with enough time to go out and try my first sweet tea at Ernie’s. On my third day of work, I had the opportunity to co-produce a video with Ryan Loew collecting stories of Roanoke residents affected by the derecho.

Back in New York, where I did my share of man-on-the-street videos, I got used to being rebuffed if I approached anyone with a notebook or microphone. New Yorkers aren’t mean, but sometimes they won’t slow down for anything between where they are and where they’re going.

In just a couple weeks, Roanoke has stunned this born-and-bred New Yorker. This city has the kindest people I’ve ever met, anywhere. Almost everyone I approached stopped to hear me out. It was a surprising, sunny welcome. Even passers-by who visibly didn’t want to be on camera apologized (to my shock) for not being able to help. I want to say thank you to everyone who stopped, participated or just said hello. You made an intern’s week and showed me just how awesome Roanoke is.

Bob Rider

Two memorable characters in the final video were Bob Rider and Stephanie Perdue, both of whom immediately declined an interview. Mr. Rider taught me how a small compliment goes a long way. After I told him I loved his bow tie, he chuckled, shrugged and strolled over to the camera.

Ms. Perdue felt self-conscious about her hair; she couldn’t style it that morning without power. Once I told her how that would make a great rant about the storm, she was on board. I asked her, “What do you want to say to the derecho?” She smirked, “How much tape do you have?” Man, I wish we had the camera rolling for that.

Stephanie Perdue

The great discovery of this project was the openness of Roanoke. When offered new perspectives or opportunities, people were willing to listen and change their minds. Roanokers are not closed off.

I hope to continue making videos to get to know Roanoke even better and I’d love to hear what kind of issues you’d like addressed. Is there an unsung hero you know who would make a perfect profile? Who or what should get the spotlight? Truly, get in touch with me! Tweet to @KatrinaTulloch or email katrina.tulloch@roanoke.com.

Roanoke, I’m looking forward to seven more weeks of living with you and learning from you.

Emily Mosh

As I enter the sixth week of my internship here at The Roanoke Times, I’d like to thank you all again for the great suggestions you’ve sent my way and share some of the highlights (and struggles) I’ve been having.

Since my last entry, I’ve visited a ton of the places you’ve told me about. So many, in fact, that I can’t write about them all. Some have stuck out for me, though, and I’d like to talk about those today.

Eating delights
First: Alejandro’s Mexican Grill. I’m a huge fan of Mexican food, and I’ll be honest, I’m not picky. I like Chipotle and Qdoba, I like higher-end Mexican restaurants, and I like any taco-serving place in between.

The chicken quesadilla at Alejandro's Mexican Grill was delicious.

I wasn’t expecting Alejandro’s in downtown Roanoke to be any better than a normal Mexican joint, but it was, and I can explain why in two words: chip bar. Chips are a standard part of any Mexican restaurant, but for some reason the idea of getting my own and having that entire salsa bar to choose from was so appealing.

My chicken quesadilla was great, too, and everyone else with me really enjoyed their meal. But the chip and salsa bar definitely made the meal for me.

Second: Wildflour. I could tell when I first walked into Wildflour in Roanoke’s Old Southwest neighborhood that it was one of those places where you become instantly happy. It’s bright, there is art on the walls and has a big glass case of cakes and cookies. What could be bad?

I had a really good turkey sandwich and my fellow intern Evelyn Rupert had a veggie-filled quesadilla. Of course, we both had dessert afterward. I highly recommend the strawberry shortcake.

The strawberry shortcake at Wildflour is a must-try.

As if the food and decor weren’t enough, while Evelyn and I were eating, a couple was there picking out their wedding cake. Anyone who knows me (or follows me on Pinterest) knows that I am a wedding fanatic, so seeing this adorable couple was really just the icing on the cake for me (get it?).

Third: Thai Continental Cuisine. Definitely the best lunch I’ve had so far. The pad Thai with shrimp was to die for.

Evelyn was with me again (she’s the best lunch buddy) and she ordered the same thing. She ate a respectable amount of it and took the rest home. I devoured my entire plate and don’t regret it at all.

Woe is cupcake

Now for the struggle I’m having.

I have been trying to go to Viva la Cupcake on Grandin Road. But I seem to have trouble getting there.

I first tried on the Tuesday after the derecho storm. I plugged the address into my GPS and set out from our office downtown. But even with my GPS yelling directions at me, I was not doing so well. And in my defense, all the traffic lights were out. I kept missing turns or veering the wrong way, and finally I gave up. I vowed to try again another day.

So I set out again two days later. I walked out of the office, and halfway to my car a torrential downpour started. Unfortunate for me and my leather flats, but nothing a cupcake (or two) couldn’t fix.

I made it to Grandin and my GPS only had to “recalculate” once. It was still pouring down rain, though, and when I got to there I had a terrible realization: I had to parallel park.

Confession: I don’t know how to parallel park. It’s not on the driver’s test in North Carolina so you really can’t blame me. I can do it if it’s absolutely necessary but I really prefer not to.

There were several cars on the road behind me that day, though, and it was still storming pretty badly. This did not seem like the time to hold up traffic  nor the time to  search for an appropriate giant open spot.

So I drove away again, with no cupcake.

Maybe the third time will be the charm.

In the meantime, keep sending me suggestions or comments on Twitter at @emilymosh or email at emily.mosh@roanoke.com.

Josh Meltzer

, and their young son for the Independence Day holiday.

Emily Mosh

Arguably the best line from the movie “Forrest Gump” is this one:  “Momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”

Roanoke, so far, you have been like a box of chocolates for me.  I had no idea what kind of response I would get from my first blog post. Would people even respond to it? Does anyone care if I find a good bagel?

Yes, you did respond. And yes, you do seem to care.

I didn’t know what I would find when visiting the places you recommended. So essentially, I’m letting you pick the chocolates out of the box for me. And the picks have been perfect.

The amount of responses I received necessitated a plan as to how I would tackle all these places. Last week, I organized it by location. I visited all the places recommended in West Village on Electric Road.

I started on Wednesday by taking an afternoon trip to Pino Gelato. I’ve never had gelato before, but I do remember Lizzie eating some in “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” so how bad could it be?

Well, Lizzie was onto something because it was delicious. I’ve always considered myself more of a frozen yogurt fan, but trust me, gelato is worth a try.

I met owner Greg Gerhart when I was there and he helped me pick a flavor (I got one scoop of chocolate and one of cookies and cream) from the 18 available that day. I chose very well. Bonus: You eat gelato with an adorable tiny spoon.

The dress I found at Vivendi.

I decided to go to the boutique Vivendi right after, though I imagine clothes shopping after gelato-eating is not always the best plan. The store is fairly small, but packed with clothes and accessories. I didn’t intend on buying anything when I went in, but then I saw their table of jeans. It was a way bigger selection than I was prepared for, and you have to believe me when I say I’ve been looking for a new pair of white jeans forever.

So while I was trying on jeans, I thought I might as well try on a dress. Unfortunately the jeans were a size too big and they didn’t have any smaller ones. (If you are a size 26 and you want white jeans, go, quickly, to Vivendi.) The dress fit, though, and was adorable.

With my new dress, I left Vivendi and walked down to Baylee’s Best Chocolates. This was probably a mistake. The women who work there are too nice and too willing to feed you tons of chocolate samples that you cannot say no to because it all just looks so delicious. I had already eaten lunch and a large cup of gelato, so this was a struggle, albeit a delicious and enjoyable one.

After sampling the lemonade buttercream chocolate, owner Bayla Sussman helped me pick out a few other kinds to take home to my roommates. I left with a package of Fleur de Sel, dark chocolate truffles, dark chocolate coated fudge, candied orange peels, and strawberry margarita chocolates that actually taste like a chewable, chocolaty cocktail. I am not ashamed to say my roommates and I finished the box that night. Bonus: In addition to being helpful, Sussman was absolutely charming and I think I would buy anything she was selling.

I left West Village after that because I couldn’t eat anything else, but I returned Friday to try a smoothie from Elderberry’s with my fellow intern, Evelyn Rupert. The giant blackboard smoothie menu was seriously overwhelming, so I was glad I’d looked at the menu online beforehand. Poor Evelyn did not have that luxury and had to quickly choose from the options.

The chocolate selection at Baylee's.

I got a 12-oz. Lemon Joy smoothie and really enjoyed it. It was light and refreshing and perfect for a hot afternoon. Bonus: Their website says my smoothie had less than 150 calories. As you can tell by my day of gelato and chocolate, low-calorie food isn’t always a top priority of mine, but it’s still nice to know.

So in one week West Village gave me my first taste of gelato, a new dress, some delicious chocolate and a smoothie.

I may never know what I’m going to get from the box of chocolates that is Roanoke, but if last week was any indication, you all know what kind of chocolate I like.