2008.11.27
Standout residents deserve thanks
Today we give thanks.
Not just for the individual blessings, but for friends and neighbors who have been a blessing to our community in varying ways during the past year.
Here is a Thanksgiving sampler of the region's quiet community angels. Read more »
2008.11.25
Girls get new role model in Obama
My 9-year-old little sister has a girl-crush on Michelle Obama.
When Imani sees the Harvard-educated lawyer on the news racks, she breaks into a smile and announces, "There's Michelle Obama!"
2008.11.24
Stuffing or mashed potatoes?
For that matter, sweet potato or pumpkin pie?
As for me, stuffing and sweet potato!
2008.11.23
Blacksburg stunt bucks common sense
Every now and then, I get a hankering to give out an award for acts that strike me as just plain silly, insanely dangerous or downright senseless.
Last week, the folks behind a money-grabbing, promotional stunt in Blacksburg hit the trifecta.
The winner of the Shanna Flowers "What Were They Thinking?" award is ... drumroll, please ... the publicity feat dreamed up by an Ohio advertising firm promoting the opening of the new First & Main shopping center on Main Street. Read more »
Holier-than-thou Republicans?
I didn't say it. Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker did:
"Suffice it to say, the Republican Party is largely comprised of white, married Christians."
Click here for the rest of Parker's blasphemy. The woman is nothing more than a liberal in conservative (Neiman Marcus) clothing.
2008.11.20
Pregnancies ensnare teens
Too many Roanoke teenage girls find pregnancy intoxicating.
Last year, the city recorded the second-highest teen pregnancy rate in Virginia.
These girls bask in the attention showered on pending motherhood. They're giddy at the arrival of the baby and the accompanying afterglow.
But a year down the road, reality can feel like a bad hangover. Read more »
2008.11.19
Give President Bush his props
Sure, I've called the President "Dubya," a slang moniker that doesn't bestow on the man the respect his title deserves. But for purposes of this blog, just call him "Gentleman George."
From his congratulatory words after Barack Obama's historic win to extending a White House invitation to his successor so soon after the election, Bush has handled this transition with grace.
Remember the childishness of the Clinton crew? Before exiting 1600 Penn., a few numbskulls went through the White House and removed the "W's" from keyboards. Even my 10-year-old little sister would call that lame -- and certainly not funny.
But the Bushes have acted with a graciousness that serves as an example for all of us to leave behind the divisiveness. I've always liked Laura, and during the "60 Minutes"
interview the other night, Michelle Obama confirmed the First Lady's warmth and congeniality during the White House visit.
I've not cared for Bush's policies, publicly noting in a 2004 column that the man wouldn't get my vote. But Bush has shown, as Texas columnist Bob Ray Sanders has eloquently captured, how the passing of power should be done.
The presidential election of 2008 was brutal. But if the gentleman from Texas can get over it, maybe the rest of us should, too.
2008.11.18
Nobody wins when schools close
Six months after the Roanoke School Board voted to close Forest Park Elementary School, the issue still isn't over.
With any luck, it will be soon.
The closing of the school on Melrose Avenue Northwest has been a dysfunctional exercise in school-community relations that must not be repeated as Roanoke confronts declining enrollment and underused buildings. Read more »
About this blog
In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
