www.roanoke.com

LBHS Competition Squad.

The girls did well in the District Competition on 10/28/09 and are advancing to the Regional level this coming Sat. 11/7/09. They have worked extra hard this season and the quote of our squad this year was "With Dedication and Pride, how can we go wrong, This year we maybe few, but we are Strong"
Thanks for your time,
Alexandra Peters

Roster:
Rachel Bailey
Alex Caldwell
Hannah Minnick
Savanna Honaker
Mallory Cook
Kristina Walker
Stephanie Shepherd
Cate Nash
Madison Hardin
Cora Wingfield
Shannon Gross
Katie Stewart

submitted by Alexandra Peters

Event: Veterans Day Service
When: Wednesday, November 11
Where: Troutville Elementary School auditorium
Time: 10 am to 11 am
Information: Special recognition of each veteran attending. Music provided by "Four For You", a quartet from the Virginia Gentlemen. Special message and flag presentation. Refreshments. This event is being coordinated by Troutville's Friends of the Park.

Submitted by Dan Naff

These young folks had a day off from school and volunteered to unload the Second Harvest truck for the Botetourt Food Pantry.

"The increase in clientele is huge. We are seeing a lot of younger families now," said Kathy McClung who along with Martha Rodgers, is co-leading the pantry. Two years ago the Botetourt Food Pantry in Fincastle, located St. Mark's Episcopal Church, served over 100 community members per month. In November 2009, the BFP is serving as many as 435 people per month.

Last November, for the first time the Botetourt Food Pantry had to turn to Second Harvest Food Bank in Roanoke and filled the shelves. The need has continued. On Monday November 2, they once again took advantage of a school day off to have students come to the BFP to volunteer and to unload the Second Harvest truck. "We have families now whose main bread winner has been laid off. It's a different group." said Rodgers.

The Botetourt Food Pantry needs donations. Any sorts of canned vegetable and pasta goods still in date, as well as boxes of macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, canned milk, canned meat, and so forth are sought to fill the increased need. Volunteer Lois Switzer told us that on a recent Saturday as a child left with parents, the child inquired of his mother, "Does that mean we can eat more than one meal per day now?" McClung told of an older gentleman who declined cereal because he couldn't afford milk. They are now getting in dried milk from Second Harvest. The BFP will also accept monetary donations to help with the cost of the food that does not get donated.

Right here in Botetourt County hunger does exist.

The Botetourt Food Pantry is also holding a drive for foods to go along with the Thanksgiving turkey-ingredients to make side dishes like mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, yams, canned pumpkin, cranberry sauce, vegetables. They have some churches volunteering to bring packed boxes, but they also expect a large number of people to come on November 14 and 21 to pick up the boxes. "We just hope to get enough to fill the need," said McClung.

She also noted that volunteer youth from North Botetourt County churches like Zion Hill, Mount Bethel and Forest Grove (all Baptist Churches) and Boy Scouts from Troop 207 have been helping on Saturdays. "And we really could not do with out Lois Switzer and her daughter, Heather Huffman, who are volunteering as well as parishioners from St. Mark's Episcopal congregation who come to help," stated McClung

Brownie Troop 432 worked on a service badge by bagging dry dog and cat food at the Botetourt Food Pantry.

Also on November 2, a visit of Brownies Troop 432 that meets at Fincastle United Methodist Church who came to pack gallon bags of dog and cat food donated by the Roanoke Valley SPCA. Christi Fox one of the troop leaders said, "They discovered at food pantries and Meals on Wheels, that clients were sharing their meager food supplies with their pets. That is why the SPCA is helping the local food pantries. BFP is the one chosen for this county. Each client gets one gallon of dried food per pet per month.

Food can be dropped off at the three county libraries as well as by contacting the St Mark's Episcopal Office at 473-2370, Monday through Thursday.

Brownie Troop 432:

McKayla, Stiltner, Jarrett Neese, Grace Davis, Sage Benningfield, K.J. DeHaven, Lauren Fox, Hanna Michael, Olivia Polumbo, Halla Roberts, Anna Scott, Lauren Stater, Kate Smith, Madeline smith, Leaders Christi Fox, Randy Neese, Mary DeHaven, Sheila Smith and Robin Stiltner.

Student volunteers that unloaded the truck and sorted and shelved:

Ben Downey, Madison Wren, Isaiah Wright, Tiffany McClung, Ella Wright, Jacob Hodges, Tyler Lester, Ian Wright and Josh Bonds.

aas

Two students and a teacher from Hokkaido Chitose High School in Chitose, Japan  are visiting James River High School for the next few days. Takishi Onishi is staying with Mike Avery, a foreign language teacher who went  to Japan last month on the exchange to Japan. Each year for over a decade now, Dynax Corporation has sponsored the student exchange at both county high schools. This year Maggie Moniot and Caitlin Ward were the two students to travel to Chitose.

"it took 14 1/2 hours in the air alone to get there," said Ward. Moniot had taken her student to Green Bank West Virginia on a field trip to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory with Physics class so they were absent from the interview. The Japanese students had pocket electronic translators with them to help with the  English definitions. Chihiro Wada is staying with Ward.

"I liked the stromboli, today." said Wada of the lunch offering at the school. Over the weekend they plan to go to the JRHS football game on Friday night, Ward's soccer game on Saturday morning, shopping, walk around downtown Roanoke, visit a dance exhibition at the Taubman Art Museum, the Roanoke Star, the Safari Park in Rockbridge to name a few things they have on the agenda.

Onishi said one thing that surprised him is the size of the student parking lot. Students cannot drive to school in Chitose. He described the high school there as having 1,200 students.  All agreed that the cultures are so different. "People in Japan are extremely polite," said Avery.  Chitose is in northern Japan on the island of Hokkaido. When they left the city on Tuesday a light snow was falling and in the northern most part of the  island they had about  6 inches snow.

Ward noted that one place they stayed in Tokyo had a roller coaster in the hotel and Avery said they had a dolphin show like at Sea World as well. The Japanese like the American style cathedral, though primarily a Buddhist nation, the Japanese build cathedrals to get married in a western style ceremony. While there in Japan, Avery participated in a Tea Ceremony and drank form a tea cup valued at $11,000. He also visited a temple and shrine, a Bonsai tree show. Caitlin traveled with her host family and also got to do some shopping a teen age past ime no matter where in the world!

He will take Onishi to Montecello today and over the weekend to Williamsburg.

Onishi described Chitose as an industrial city with some local military bases both Army and Air Force. Wada said. "The steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car and so is the driving." A round of laughter accompanied that remark as the Americans felt the same in Japan. Japanese cars have the driver on the right and drive on the left side of the road.

It was a wonderful experience said Ward. Avery seconded the view. He said, "We thank Dynax for their continued support of the exchange even in a difficult economy." On Monday the students and teachers in the exchange will go to Dynax on US 220 alternate in the East Park Industrial park to meet with leaders of the company. Dynax America is headquartered in Botetourt County and the world head quarters is located in Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan.

The Region C Cross country 1A cross country meet was held at Greenfield/Botetourt Sports Complex yesterday afternoon under sunny skies but chilly breezes blowing across Tinker Mountain saw James River runner, Britta Grim become the only county runner to go onto state competition. Grim finished 6th over all in the girl's competition.

The JRHS coaches, teachers and staff helped AD Shiela Proffit time the event and present medals and trophies. Parents, coaches and well wishers shouted encouragement to the runners as they sprinted toward the end of the course. Parents remarked on the difficulty of the course, so it was a good preview of state.

James River Cross Country runners:

Girls:

Britta Grim, Heather Funk, Emily Spangler, SierraClaunch, Katherine Day, Maggie Grumbine, Haley Baker

Boys:

Austin Bryant, Ben Persinger, Dylan Coleman, Tyler Kern, Andrew Fields, Wyatt Hubbard, Stephen Gray

Colonial Elementary Preschool planted flower bulbs at the school's Kirby Learning Center.

Tucker Jacobs, Bailee Masters, Mrs. Wilkerson, Emily Thompson, and Emi Dollar are shown here planting flower bulbs around the weather station in the Kirby Outdoor Learning Center. The children are students in Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Wilkerson's Pre-K class at Colonial Elementary.

BLUE RIDGE DISTRICT
VOLLEYBALL 2009

1ST TEAM

Name # School Position Year
Macey Tyree 1 Lord Botetourt OH JR
Samantha Webster 12 William Byrd MH SR
Leah Poehner 2 Lord Botetourt L SR
Sarah Woodford 2 Staunton River S SR
Keegan Brads 3 Lord Botetourt S SR
Kalyn Molnar 2 William Byrd L SR
2nd TEAM

Name # School Position Year
Jordan Merrill 3 Staunton River OH SR
Katey Hall 10 Lord Botetourt OH JR
Samantha Nguyen 2 Northside L JR
Candace Brady 1 William Byrd S/DS SR
Kathleen Carr 4 Northside OH SO
Tiffany Thompson 4 Alleghany MH SR
Kristyn Brogan 13 Lord Botetourt MB SR
Player of the Year

Macey Tyree - Lord Botetourt
Coach of the Year

Cheryl Shockley - Lord Botetourt

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.

Greenfield Elementary School in Troutville is continuing to add to its "green" ways by introducing a new milk jug recycling program for the 2009-2010 school year.  Last year the school was able to obtain a recycling container and used it in conjunction with the school's environmental H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Planet Earth) club to recycle paper.  This year, the cardboard milk containers, which could not be recycled due to the wax lining, have been replaced with plactic jugs.  These new containers can be recycled along with the other plastic bottles the school already collects on site.  "I think the new 'drink it and sink it' milk jugs are fantastic!  They are really helping to cut down on the waste that our school produces and have been a great additon to the recycling here at our school.  I love that we now recycle paper, plastic, and cans at Greenfield" said Nicole Salsgiver, the teacher representative of the H.O.P.E. club.

Submitted by Jessica Foster, Greenfield Elementary School.

Troutville Elementary School held their Fall Carnival on October 29th. This great event was sponsored by the LBHS FCCLA and the Troutville PTA. Students and siblings dressed in their Halloween costumes.  Lots of fun crafts, games and a haunted house kept the children busy.  Donations were taken at the door and given to the Children's Miracle Network.

Pictured are Anna Beth Bowman, Ryan Bowman and Miller Harold working on one of the many crafts.

Submitted by Sheila Feltis, Troutville Elementary School.