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I'm sensing a greater -- and overdue -- urgency among Roanokers to reach young people in the community.

Total Action Against Poverty is working on ways to delve into the difficulties confronting boys and teens.

FEDUP -- Families Expecting Deliverance Using Prayer -- held its annual candlelight vigil Saturday to keep the spotlight on alleviating youth violence.

The Rev. Bill Lee of Loudon Avenue Christian Church recently challenged men in his church to become mentors.

"Taking Back the City," a multichurch revival, got under way Monday night in Melrose Park in an effort to help young people avoid the pitfalls of violence, drugs, teen sex and other social ills.

The encouraging effort continues later this week with a youth conference for seventh- through 12th-graders. Several community agencies planned the three-day conference under the auspices of the city of Roanoke.

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The Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority should never hold property hostage for decades as it shamefully did with land belonging to the Claytor family.

If housing officials don't do anything else, they need to end the 36-year-old Gainsboro Neighborhood Development Program that was the basis of the Claytor family travesty all those years.

The housing authority has proposed doing away with the program, which allowed it to condemn and acquire property.

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The Democratic Party has to be heaving a huge sigh of relief that John Edwards (he of $400 haircuts!) didn't catch on in Iowa. Talk about, as my buddy called it, "disaster averted."

Imagine two weeks before the party convention you find out that the nominee had an affair with Rielle Hunter, one of his paid campaign workers, and that she's screaming paternity. On top of that, this tawdry liaison took place as the nominee's wife battles cancer. The party doesn't even want to think about it.

Hunter earned $114,000 to produce web documentaries--even though she didn't have any experience. Supporters thought they were sending in their hard-earned dollars to end two Americas. Turns out they were supporting Edwards' other woman.

Of course, you know the truly scary thing in all of this? Hillary really would have had a chance for a convention coup!

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In the gimmicky world of car sales, screaming pitchmen and garish ads hawk zero-percent financing! and REBATES! -- anything to increase traffic on lots decorated with cheesy inflatable figures or flapping plastic.

But over the past few days, tiny Vinton Motors has garnered attention for a modest, low-key ad in this newspaper that brought home the cold reality of the flagging American auto industry.

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Roanoke Mayor David Bowers is rethinking some of his proposed changes for the way City Council treats visitors.

After his election, Bowers recommended some changes to give Council a more "friendly face to our citizens." But now he's stepping back, saying he realizes some of the current procedures do work.

In his comments, Bowers wasn't specific which of his proposals he's backing away from. But I suspect it probably has something to do with increasing the length of time for speakers.

After sitting in on a recent meeting, we can only hope.

After decades of problems at Salem Ridge Apartments, a 13-member task force dipped its toes in the current of complaints from residents at the complex.

Let's hope the panel actually dives in. A lot of people will be eager to see what happens.

Late last week, the task force took a cursory survey of the trouble-plagued units formerly known as Willow River after residents complained about mold, general neglect, smell and health worries.

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As I reached for my bottle of smell-good the other morning, I inadvertently rubbed the perfume container.

When I popped off the top, a billowy smoke filled my bathroom.

As it cleared, a genie, eerily reminiscent of Denzel Washington, emerged from the bottle.

"Mistress," he asked, "what is your wish?"

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Congratulations to NFL Hall of Fame inductees Darrell Green and Art Monk. I attended college in D.C. in the early 1980s during the days of the Hogs. Like many D.C. transients, I was a bandwagon fan.

Green was immensely talented and seemed a genuinely decent guy, which as time has proved he was and is. Fans will kill me for saying this, but my recollection of Monk is that he was good, but I was a little surprised that he made the Hall. (Of course, you have to realize that coming off the 1970s, I was a big fan of the graceful Swann in Pittsburgh, so in my mind, he was the standard-bearer for all NFL wide receivers.)

As an aside, if you ever get a chance to go to the Hall of Fame in Canton, don't hesitate. I went when I was about 12 (always been a fan of the game). It was so rich and alive with history, and I'll never forget the experience. In fact, I need to make a return visit.

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