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Thistledown Puppets provided lots of laughter and an entertaining performance to the classes at L'il Scholars Preschool on Thursday morning, November 19. Philip Hatter is both the creator and puppeteer of Thistledown puppets. The preschool is located in Fincastle Baptist Church and Jennifer Aylor is the director.

The children filed into the room excitedly noting the puppet stand in the front which contained a lion, a couple of goats, a one eyed frog, a monkey, a scruffy calico cat, a bull, a pig, a rooster, and Ebenezer Scrooge.

Hatter described how his Bull puppet show has now traveled to England and he is making puppets for people all over the world. "We actually went to Europe this year," he said about the travels with his puppets. He is making 11 more puppet Bull shows to be played in Europe. He has a comic style book published  called a "Bunch of Bull." Its all about a bull who wants to be an intellectual in a city and leave the farm far behind. Thus the puppet show follows the travails of the Bull in his quest to be an intellectual.

He did a brief story line with each of his puppets even displaying the foam he formed for a new puppet. The favorites seemed to be Ebenezer Scrooge and the "goat" of Jacob Marley. The children were delighted. The Rooster sang a morning song to the tune of "Ode to Joy" and ended with a big "Cock -A-Doodle Do!'

Each child had the chance to try on a puppet. "The monkey puppet was my first puppet-my brother and I each had one growing up and used to play with them," said Hatter. He also showed the children a book about the late Jim Henson maker of the Muppets, who was an inspiration to him.

For more information on Thistledown puppets go to thistledownpuppets.com

Christmas is coming!

Virginia Mountain Vineyards Holiday Open House
Saturday, Dec 4 & Sunday Dec 5; 1-5PM
Live Holiday Music
Hors d'oeuvres
Grape vine wreath making
Great Holiday wine and gift accessories
540-473-2979
www.vmvines.com

Fourth Annual Soup, Salad and a Seminar
Winter Sessions at Santillane 99 Housman St. Fincastle

Hymnal Christmas Angels-Saturday, Dec. 5: 11:00-1:30
Limited to first 10 participants.
Cost: $23 includes materials and lunch
Make your very own holiday keepsake! Participants will create a X-mas angel out of old hymnals. A clever and beautiful treasure to enjoy for years to come.
Boxwood Mantle or Table Centerpiece, Saturday Dec. 12
11:00-1:30, Limited to first 12 participants
Cost: $27 includes materials and lunch

Using seasoned boxwood and other natural materials, participants will create a beautiful floral centerpiece or mantel decoration.

Must pre-pay and register by email rmorningglory@msn.com, make checks out to Santillane and send to Lissy Merenda, 99 Housman St., Fincastle, VA 24090.

Directions for Santillane may be found on the web site, Santillane .com

It hasn't been a good day for utilities in Botetourt County. Right now county workers are trying to repair a leak in front of the Dodge Store described as "major" by the Public Works Department. "Downtown" Botetourt eateries around Exit 150 on Route 11 are having to turn away customers.

According to the McDonald's manager, they have been out of water service most of the day, but she was turning away in store customers after she was told they couldn't serve while the water is off and the leak repaired. However, the drive through is open, though only milkshakes and previous prepared drinks are for sale with meals. Hardees, and other area eateries like Shoneys and even up U.S. 220 toward Pizza Hut, are experiencing the same difficulty.

Public Works hopes to have the water leak fixed as quickly as possible.

Earlier today the power went out at the Fincastle Courthouse closing offices and sending people scurrying for wireless at other sites. For a link to that item, click here.

Some of last year's participants on a 4H float.

The Fincastle annual Christmas parade is around the corner on Saturday, December 5 and the town is seeking applicants for the parade!
General Rules of Parade:
1. Get copy of line up and park
2. Line up starts at 1:00 p.m.
3. Register upon arriving: Breckinridge Elementary School in Fincastle
4. Parade will start promptly at 2:00 p.m.
5. All floats must be "homemade".
6. Floats must not be so high as to hit overhead wires.
7. Floats must not be so long as to not make the corner turns easily.
8. Return to baseball field at the school after the parade.
9. Floats will be judged on ORIGINALITY, THEME, BEAUTY, and EFFORT.
10. Horses will be allowed if they have diapers or some cleaning up behind them .
11. Only the Santa Claus float will be allowed to through candy. You can have someone walking beside and give the candy to children.

ATTENTION CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS, ETC
You are cordially invited to participate in the Fincastle Christmas Parade to be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Rain date , Sunday, December 6, 2009. The Town of Fincastle sponsors this Thirty-sixth annual parade.
Cash awards will be given to the best entries in traditional and religious float categories. Bands will receive honorarium. Bands will not be judged.

The parade will form at 1:00 p.m. at Breckinridge Elementary School in Fincastle and will begin at 2:00 p.m. sharp! The parade route is as follows: Back Street, Main Street, Academy Street, Roanoke Street, and Main Street ending back at Breckinridge Elementary School. (This year we are having a rain date of Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.)
Contact the Town Office at 473-2200 for a parade application due by November 28.

--submitted by Parade committee

Robo Patriots enter the school board meeting.

The Robo Patriots students peeled off announcing their names and intent as they filed into the School board meeting room on Thursday night November 12. Central Academy Middle School Robotics team sponsored by 4H, will be in competition in Lynchburg at Timberlake Christian School this weekend. They presented a poster and displayed their robot and how to assure school bus safety to the board. Sponsors Randy Brinkley, Pat Hammond and 4H proponent Va. Tech Extension agent Glenda Snyder accompanied the students. The gallery was filled with proud parents.

The students say of themselves, "Each day we would split up into two groups. One group would program while the other would work together on research." A true team effort on their part. They met two times per week after school since early September for an hour and half and prior to  competition met daily. They interviewed Morris Gill in Transportation and two bus drivers as well as Deputy Bennett the SRO.

The Robo Patriots are:

Molly Austin, Jacob DuVal, Will Farris, Will Gaul, Brett Golder, Thomas Harrison, Shannon Lorton, Annie Quisenberry, Noah Pace and Thomas Wilson.

Roanoke Cement Company Sales Managers, Ed Wiles (far left), Gus Ward (second from right) and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Don Ingerson (far right) present Sales Representative Robert Marek, (left middle) and Manager of Technical Services, Larry Necessary (right middle) with Years of Service certificates in October 2009. Courtesy of Mary Beth Kramer

Troutville, VA -Roanoke Cement Company (RCC) recently saluted two loyal employees achieving major milestones in their tenure with the company. Robert Marek, Sales Representative, celebrated 40 years with the company and Larry Necessary, Manager of Technical Services, reached 15 years. Marek is based in Roanoke, VA and covers the southwest region of Virginia for RCC. Necessary works in Troutville, VA.

Every year, RCC acknowledges employees for major anniversaries at an annual event. This year, the dinner was held in conjunction with a regional sales meeting in Wrightsville Beach, NC at the Blue Water Grille. Sales managers Gus Ward and Ed Wiles presented each employee with certificates and Marek received a 40-year service pin.

"We are very proud of the loyalty and service to Roanoke Cement Company and Titan America," says Ed Wiles. "Our company continues to be graced with committed colleagues and employees like Robert and Larry."

Necessary has recently become a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) AP Credited Professional through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and earned a National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Certified Concrete Technologist Level 4. He serves on the technical committee for CRMCA (Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association) and is a sub-committee chairman of ASTM C12.04 on Aggregates for Mortar. Necessary supports the Sales Team with technical issues relating to Bulk Portland and Package Masonry Cements.

Marek chairs two committees for the Roanoke Chapter of Trout Unlimited and serves on two committees for the Southwest VA Chapter of the USGBC. He was recently awarded the 2008 NECSA College & University Program Representative of the Year for promoting cement and concrete to faculty and engineering students at Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia Tech.

Roanoke Cement Company is a subsidiary of Titan America LLC located in Norfolk, Virginia and is one of the premier cement and building materials producers in the Eastern United States.

Submitted by Mary Beth Kramer

Coleman holds a scam check sent to a local resident and confirmed to be counterfeit.

With the down economy, comes folks looking to make a quick buck. Crime Prevention Specialist Sharon Coleman at the Botetourt County Sheriff's Department presented the case of checks arriving in the mail to unsuspecting  residents. "This scam has been out there for a while," she said. A Daleville resident got a scam call from someone pretending to be a relative and almost lost $2,500 to a scammer through the use of a Western Union pick up money order.

The check scam first.

A large check of several thousand dollars proclaiming,  "You have won"  arrives drawn off of a legitimate bank and from a legitimate company. "These checks are counterfeit though the account may have once been open, it will have to be cleared manually because it doesn't  clear through the automated system. If deposited, most banks will hold the check, if they don't, the money comes out of the account of the depositor and leads to a big financial loss for the person who thought they had a windfall," explained Coleman. "It is better to be careful. Things that sound too good to be true, are usually scams."

Indeed, Ralph Naff of Buchanan came into her office with a check drafted off a legitimate bank. The offer promises if he will cash the check the  sender will pay his taxes. It said it came from the United Kingdom, but the post mark came from Toronto, Canada.  "Beware of anything from Africa, Canada or the United Kingdom," said Coleman. "Winning something means it is free, if the letter asks you to pay for something, it likely is a scam." Coleman requested that citizens receiving the letters should notify her or the Postal Inspector in Roanoke. "This is mail fraud, a federal offense," she noted.

She took the information from Naff , advised him not to cash the check and contacted the bank and company on the check by email of the potential scam using their information.

Now, the phone call.

In Daleville last week a family received a call by someone posing as an out of state resident who said he was in jail in Montreal, Canada. Their relative does travel to Canada to hunt and does not live too far from the mid-western border with Canada ( though Montreal is north of New England.) They were advised to take money to Western Union to get a pick up number so the  relative could get a lawyer and and catch a plane back to the United States. After getting the money order at a local Western Union to be picked up, the family called the number back the relative had given.

"The person on the other end sounded like our relative, but I had a feeling," said one of the family members who wished not to be identified, "but when he kept telling me not to tell them he was in jail I asked him, "What is your son's name  and he said two or three wrong names, so I said, "Fraud" and hung up."  The family quickly traveled back to Western Union and  luckily were able to retrieve their money before some one used the number. The family did make a report with the Sheriff's Department, but did not file charges. We are not convinced this was an entirely Canadian fraud but may have local ties as well, said the family member who stated they will be diligent and wary for a while.

"Just remember. Beware of anything that sounds a bit fishy or too good to be true. There are plenty of scammers out there," said Coleman.

Social Services says, "Help is needed for Botetourt families this holiday season."

Mary Lou Mullis, Director of Social Services, sent this letter to the Botetourt View:

Dear Friends:

The Botetourt County Department of Social Services helps individuals and families during times of financial difficulties. A particularly difficult time for many is the Christmas Season-a time that should be filled with joy; however, many families do not have money to provide Christmas for their children. They cannot afford to purchase toys, the additional cost of food for Christmas dinner, or the additional cost of fuel needed in the winter. These problems can be compounded if an unexpected illness occurs in the family.

We are once again asking individuals and local businesses for donations to the Botetourt County Christmas Fund so that we can continue helping those in need at this time of the year. Any resources that are left over we will use to help pay for medicines and other necessities for families that may need help throughout the year.

For the Botetourt County Christmas Fund in 2008, local citizens and businesses contributed over $12,500 that was spent for food and gifts to assist approximately 300 families. In addition, individuals, local businesses, churches and civic organizations sponsored approximately 350 "Angels" by purchasing clothing/toys for these individuals.

If you would like to make a donation to Botetourt County's Christmas Fund, please send a check payable to the Botetourt County Department of Social Services (BCDSS) and mail to:

Botetourt County Department of Social Services m

Christmas Fund

P. O. Box 160

Fincastle, VA 24090

Thank you for helping us help others at this very special time of the year. If you have any questions about the Christmas Fund, you may contact Tina Childress at 473-8210.

Rene Worthen shows some of the raffle items.

The Friends of the Fincastle Library is having a Christmas Raffle drawing on December 15, 2009. Among the donations being raffled are:

Country Cookin - 25 free Breakfast Bar certificates

Nancy Wells - Candle holder set

Curves - Free Service fee value $150.00

Janet Buttram - Reed Diffuser & 2 Mary Kay Hand Care kits

Buchanan Florist - Candle

Ashley Plantation - 4 Free Green fees

Cahoon Florist - Gift Certificate

Chamber of Commerce - Golf tote bag

Rivers Edge Restaurant - Gift Certificate

Wayne Graves - Happy Food Mart - 2, 12 packs of sodas

BB&T Buchanan Bank - Thermos

Chewey Boo Creations - Hand cut wood item

Thomas & Chris Hearn - 1 bird feeder & 1 bird house

Kevin Costello -Botetourt Tourism - 1 Wine Trail Tee-shirt

O'Charleys - Gift Certificate

Old Mill - 1 hunting cap

Anonymous - 1 Longberger basket

Three Little Pigs - Gift Certificate

McKinzie Moore - Hand made child's necklace

Leonardo's - Gift Certificate

Botetourt Landscape - 1 Blueberry Preserves & 1 Pure Sorghum

Buchanan Library - 3 book bags

Money from the raffle will help fund the children's programs. The tickets are $1.00 each or 12 for $10.00 and are on sale in the Fincastle Library, The Buchanan Library and the Botetourt Bookmobile.

Submitted by Friends of the Library