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Claire Gross and Zeb Camper, 7th grade students at Read Mountain and Central Academy Middle Schools respectively, have taken the first step to becoming internationally recognized artists by winning local competitions at their schools sponsored by the Troutville Lions Club.  This is the second year in a row that Camper has won at Central Academy.
The posters drawn by Gross and Camper were among more than 375,000 entries submitted worldwide in the 22nd annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest.  Lions Clubs International is sponsoring the contest to emphasize the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.
The winning posters were selected by a panel of judges from their schools for originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme, “The Power of Peace”.  The judging at the schools was held in October under the supervision of Susanne Sellars and Mark Woodie, art teachers at Read Mountain and Central Academy.
Two students at each school were cited for honorable mention.  They are Lindsey Owens and Giorgia Borges at Read Mountain and Allison Gooden and Payton Hatcher at Central Academy.  The six students reside in Buchanan, Troutville, Daleville, and Cloverdale.
Troutville Lions Club President Ken Venable said he was impressed by the continued high quality of the winning posters at Central Academy and Read Mountain Middle Schools.  “This is a reflection of these young students’ outlook and vision about seeking world peace.  The Troutville Lions Club is proud of them and the fact that we are able each year to provide them with a way of expressing and sharing their vision with others.  Our club is cheering for Claire and Zeb as their posters compete.”
The posters drawn by Gross and Camper must advance as winners through the district, multiple district and international rounds of competition if they are to be declared the international grand prize winner.  Four years ago a local winner also won at the district 24-E level and advanced to multiple district competition.
One grand prize winner and 23 merit award winners will be selected.  The grand prize includes a cash award of $2,500, plus a trip for the winner and two family members to New York City for the awards ceremony at Lions Day with the United Nations.  The 23 merit award winners will each receive a certificate and a cash award of $500.
Locally, Gross and Camper and honorable mention winners Owens, Borges, Gooden, and Hatcher will be honored at PTA evening assemblies at their respective schools on December 14th.  The winners will each receive a $100 US Savings Bond and a framed certificate.  A $50 US Savings Bond and framed certificate will be awarded to the four honorable mention students.  The bonds were donated by the Bank of Botetourt and Bank of Fincastle.  Past international grand prize and merit award winners and posters can be viewed at www.lionsclubs.org.

Top photo: Payton Hatcher (honorable mention), Zeb Camper (winner), and Allison Gooden (honorable mention) display their posters from Central Academy Middle School.  Their art teacher is Mark Woodie.

Bottom photo: Lindsey Owens (honorable mention), Claire Gross (winner), and Giorgia Borges (honorable mention) display their entries in the Troutville Lions Peace Poster Contest recently held at Read Mountain Middle School.  Their art teacher is Susanne Sellars.

Submitted by Stan Diez, Troutville Lions Club, Peace Poster Chairman.

Music writer Tad Dickens has the details of who's playing at the Troutville restaurant on his cut'n'scratch music blog.

Our paparazzi photo crew was at Pumpkinfest in Salem on Saturday -- and so were some people from Botetourt. Here are the folks from Botetourt who stepped onto the red carpet:

* Montana Snaveley
* Garrett Honts

You can see all the photos in the slideshow above or in this gallery format.

So what did you do for Halloween? You can share your photos at news@botetourtview.com

Brody Harris, 12, stands with his instructor, Jason Cohen after his 30-minute guitar recital at the Blue Ridge Academy of Music on Sunday, November 1.  Brody played a variety of selections, many of them with that Rock & Roll flavor!

Submitted by Jason Cohen.

Isaac Frank, 11, standing with Blue Ridge Academy of Music instructor Jason Cohen at the conclusion of Isaac’s solo piano recital Sunday, November 1.  Isaac performed 14 pieces to the delight of the audience.

Submitted by Jason Cohen.

Our paparazzi photo crew was at Tanglewood Mall for the mall's annuall trick-or-treat event, and here are the folks from Botetourt who stepped onto the red carpet:
* Shirley Tyree
* Aidan, Sophia, and Connor Walker
* Dakota, Olivia and Jenny Ayers
* Alex and Lindsay Boone
* Allison Hinkley

You can view all the photos in the slideshow above or in this gallery format.

Do you have photos from your Halloween trick-or-treating? If so, you can share at news@botetourtview.com.

Cathy and Friends offer (2 )Saturdays of Holiday Shopping Fun!

Dates: November 7th and December 5th
Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Bellacino's Pizza & Grinders 1176 Roanoke Rd., Daleville, VA
Directions: I-81 to exit 150, take 220 North towards Daleville/Fincastle (appx. 1 mile on right)

Cathy Quinn's Jewelry Collection
Diane Taylor's Pampered Chef
Debbie Welch's BeautiControl, Spa Treatments and Skin Care
Donna Hoover's Garden & House Flags
Emma Brown's Ebee's Crafts and More...Presenting Tote Bags
Bobbi Fisher's Mary Kay Products
Pam Thompson's Lighted Creations

Great Gifts or Just For You!

Lord Botetourt held the annual SCA talent show Tuesday evening and as usual, the amount of  youthful talent is amazing. SCA sponsor Lynn Bolton joked through the contest as MC and the judges included  three college students, Ginnie Ellen Neighbors, Annie Soltis and Jennifer Stokes and retired CAMS music teacher Marcia Neighbors.

The winners are first place, "Charisma" featuring Kyle Walker, Charles McKeever and Tyler Lyon, second place magician and comedian Max Graman and third place, "Show me a Hero" featuring Jesse Boothe, Chris Gatens, Donnie Sowash and Dakota Thacker.  Two honorable mentions The Rose Brothers and Lindsay and Tanner Lambert.

Other participants included a trio with Rhiannon Carter, Caitlin Hatter and James Rose, Singer Terri Wallace, African Experience with DeRell Stone, Mambo and Peyton Calenger, Comic James Shay, Quartet featuring Carter, Jesse Booth, Taylor Hill and Dakota Thacker, Singer Bethany Tarbutton.

Prizes of $100, $75 and $50 went to the first three places. the rest of the funds go to SCA projects through out the year.

The annual Soup 'n Sip at Blue Ridge Vineyard will take place on Sunday, November 29 and Sunday, December 6. The event will take place between 2 to 5 p.m.

There will be freshly made breads, soups, snacks, and mulled wine.

For more information, please call 798-7642‎.

Happy ghosts in front of the Jones at the old Baptist Church in Fincastle.

It's Terrific Tuesday again. How's everything in your neck of the woods?

No you are not wrong. I never got one up last Tuesday. I just didn't feel terrific because of the latest news about another student at Virginia Tech and LBHS graduate to boot. Morgan Harrington must be found, but the fervent hope is that she will be alive. I watched her father on television and well it just broke my heart. Sadly a real nightmare before Halloween just like the pair killed in August at Caldwell Fields off Rt. 621 in Montgomery County. Saw those parents on TV last night as well. May the good Lord assuage their grief and help them find a way a head of the despair. Let's hope law enforcement finds the sicko/s who did both as well and may they get exactly what they deserve!

Speaking of horror I covered the CAMS Ghost Walk on this past Saturday night and the ghosties and goblins of Botetourt will be out and about on Saturday night for a bit Halloween fun. Truly, Halloween was always one of my favorite days of the year when I was a child.

Over at Breckinridge we used to sing, "Witches, pumpkin heads, black cats, scary spooks, Oh! Its Halloween!" I am so sorry you can't hear me sing it.

Would you like to hear a scary story? Why sure you would.

Back in 2004 a friend of mine went to Saipan on business. A ton of soldiers from both sides were killed there during WWII. He landed at the airport in the daylight, rented a car and went to his hotel. He spent several days there on business before he took his leave to go home to the USA.

The weather was cold and dreary and a fog had seeped in over the road. He had to drive very slowly as the airport was far away from where he had been staying. He got in a dark and dare I say it, spooky spot of road. In his headlights he suddenly saw a line of soldiers walking very slowly in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and they were gone just as quickly as he had seen them. Nothing but fog remained! He said to me in an email, "My heart was in my throat. They looked so real until they disappeared!" Way cool!

Upon arrival back in the USA, he looked up the uniforms as they were walking away from him. He also read about the fierce fighting there during the war. "On the night of July 7, 1943 3,000 Japanese charged in the largest suicide rush of the war. Stunned, the Americans fell back, but quickly recovered and wiped out the Japanese in an all-night fight. All but 1,000 of the Japanese military were dead." --WWII database online.

He believes they were lost souls of Japanese soldiers killed in the fighting, still wandering Saipan on foggy nights even 60 years later!

I don't write ‘em, I just repeat ‘em, folks. Happy Halloween! See you next week!