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Salem Christmas Parade: The annual Salem Christmas Parade co-sponsored by the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce and Salem Kiwanis Club is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, December 4. Come early to get your spot to see the largest Christmas parade in Southwest Virginia.

Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce Foundation to Host Gingerbread Festival:

The Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce Foundation (a 501(c) 3 organization) will host the Gingerbread Festival Saturday, December 5th at Longwood Park in Salem. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Arts and craft vendors will be on hand, along with a variety of food vendors and live entertainment on stage. There will be an arts and craft activity for children to participate in. A nice cozy fire for marshmallow roasting will keep everyone warm. Gingerbread houses will be on display inside the carriage house during the event and festival goers are encouraged to vote for their favorites, which will determine the Best in Show winner. The houses on display will also be on silent auction, which will determine category winners, and will be awarded to the highest bidders.

The event is hosted by the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce Foundation with members of the Chamber bringing a holiday kickoff event to the community.

For more information visit www.s-rcchamber.org or call 540-387-0267

Submitted by the Salem Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce

As So Salem receives specifics on upcoming holiday events, you can bet the details will be here on the Notebook as soon as possible! If you have holiday events you'd like to share with folks, send the specifics to news@sosalem.com

The sky beamed and the unusually warm autumn afternoon on Saturday, November 14 welcomed veterans and their families and friends to the unveiling of Sherwood's newly installed veteran memorial. Rumbling in, Johnnie Tickle of the Christian Motorcycle Association started the event with a prayer. The Salem Treble Chorus sang "Amazing Grace" and later "The Star Spangled Banner," and Mayor Randy Foley spoke on the sacrifice of our veterans overseas in the present. Foley served some years as an Officer in the Air Force.

The DAV Honor Guard raised the American flag, then later lowered it to half staff to recognize the tragedy at Fort Hood. A gun salute was offered, and K.P. Waterman closed the ceremony by playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes.

"It's almost like those three soldiers from the past have noticed him coming up to honor them and that central figure has kneeled down in turn to reach out his hand," said Bill Wolfe, the sculptor from Indiana who created the bronze figure, in an interview before the unveiling.

"It's always an honor to work on projects like this - it's one thing that I'm able to utilize my abilities as an artist and another thing to honor our soldiers," he said.

This year, Sherwood president Susan Mini did something a little different. She was alerted that a balloon release might be detrimental to nearby wildlife, so a white carrier pigeon was released to honor veterans this year.

"We wanted to have something for the community and to honor our veterans," said Susan Mini, President and CEO of Sherwood, in October. "I hope that veterans can use it to just have a place to reflect. Even for the families, even if their vets aren't buried out here."

John Tutle, Business Development Coordinator for the Salem-based SERVPRO of Roanoke, Montgomery & Pulaski Counties has been named "Volunteer of the Year" by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. John was presented this award at the Chamber's Annual Banquet & Awards Gala on Friday, November 13 at the Event Center in Christiansburg.

The Chamber honored businesses, leaders, volunteers, sponsors, and members who have fostered the work and ideas that the Chamber has championed over the last year.
The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce was formed in March 2003 when the Blacksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Christiansburg-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce merged.

The Mission of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is to promote and develop a positive environment for the operation and growth of business in Montgomery County and the New River Valley.

Submitted by Brenda Giles, SERVPRO

Walmart employees joined the Southwestern Second Harvest Food Bank in celebrating the Walmart corporation's donation. Photo Miranda Adkins, So Salem

Late in the workday on Wednesday, November 11, the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank on Electric Road in Salem learned that it was about to be the recipient of a very large gift from Walmart: a large truckload of canned food and fresh apples - and they also received the large refridgerated truck worth $85,000 that hauled the food from Madison, Wisconsin!

The truck arrived on Thursday morning, November 12 to a very grateful staff of employees and volunteers. Some folks from local Walmarts were also on hand to see the big delivery.

"It's part of the nationwide giving campaign," said Scott Kirby, market entertainment merchandiser for Roanoke Valley Walmarts. The holiday giving initiative is called "Walmart Gives Back," and it will provide $32 million in monetary and in-kind donations to charitable organizations across the country. Thirty-five trucks total were donated last week.

"We know that if we're supporting the community then they are supporting Walmart," Kirby said. "It's a great relationship."

The need for food banks has risen in the last two years, as the Second Harvest Food bank can attest to. In comparing this September to September 2008, food distribution went up 41%, while their incoming supply only increased 17%. That doesn't mean that they necessarily ran out of food, but they did deplete their stores.

"Which is a horrendous increase, I know, but we were blessed to have more food to deal with the increase," said Pam Irvin, president and CEO of Second Harvest. Increases in the retail donor program have helped, as has an increase in the USDA commodities because of the farm bill that passed, she said.

And while the economic downturn has been ugly, at least one good thing has happened as a result:

As holiday parties are being cancelled or are becoming fundraisers to collect money for nonprofits and charitable organizations, the stigma hungry people have endured is now changing as fast as the face of the hungry is moving up the economic "food chain."

"People relate to and understand that the average American can have trouble putting food on their table," Irvin said. While she's received letters from previous donors who can no longer make hefty or some even any contribution, she's grateful that the general public is becoming "more sensitive to the needs of others and respond, even though they or their companys' means are shrinking."

Denise E. Perdue sent us this picture of a "huge buck on opening morning!"

Thanks, Denise!

The Junior League held its annual Stocked Market over the weekend. Our paparazzi photo crew was there -- and so were lots of people from Salem. Here are the ones who stepped onto the red carpet:

* Debbie Fail and Ginger Booze
* Krista Matzuga
* Janet Frantz
* Phil Norman

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

Do you have photos of holiday activities involving people from Salem? If so, you can share at news@sosalem.com.

The Jolly Old Elf from the North Pole made his annual breakfast appearance at Tanglewood Mall on Saturday. So did our paparazzi photo crew -- and some kids from Salem were there to step onto the red carpet. They were:

* Emily Allare
* Emily Allare with Santa
* Rachel Stover
* Rachel Stover with Santa
* Mia Gearhart

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

Do you have photos of holiday-related events involving people from Salem? You can share at news@sosalem.com.

Carl Rydell sent in this photo of his granddaughters playing in the leaves. Their names, from left to right, are Ruby, Stella and Lily Jones of Roanoke.

Thanks, Carl.

From left, Detective Stanley Malek; Officer Russell Brockenbrough; Dispatcher Tony Clayton; Officer Brockenbrough's son Kaleb Brokenbrough; and Officer Benjamin Moody.

This was originally submitted to and published in the November issue of the Salem VAMC newsletter "Just the Facts" by Dale Hendley. Public Affairs Officer Marian McConnell shares it with So Salem:

Recently several members of the Salem VA Police Service participated in the 2009 Mud Run. During the event, the team observed a female participant in medical distress. The team stopped their run, aided the female until medical personnel could arrive at the scene, and then the team continued with the run knowing that the assistance they provided greatly impacted their running score for the event. For their unselfishness and for doing what was right in aiding the runner, Detective Stanley Malek, Officer Russell (Carl) Brockenbrough, Officer Benjamin Moody, and Dispatcher Paul (Toney) Clayton, all of the Salem Veterans Affairs Police Service, were presented Certificates of Commendation.

Sandy Cooper and members of Camp 1326 in the Sons of Confederate Veterans spent Saturday, November 7 cleaning up an almost-forgotten cemetery in the forests of western Roanoke County. That day, they cleaned up the small trees and brush, but they'll have to wait until hunting season is over to complete their task.

Cooper says:

"This is a larger than usual community cemetery. There are over 85 burials that have been identified by markers or court records. We uncovered at least 6 or more stalagmite markers.

The oldest grave is of Enos Goodwin my Great-great Grandfather who was born in 1789 and died in 1861. He has a marker but there is only a rock for his wife. His brother Jesse Goodwin who owned land where a cave was located has the larger "stalagmite" marker and died in 1897."

Red Barbour, commander of Camp 1326, is to the left of Cooper. They are well known with their support and cleanup of the Confederate Monument at Hanging Rock as well as the one by the highway exit closest to Hanging Rock.

Anyone interested in helping Cooper and Camp 1326 with clearing out (or researching) this cemetery and a few more located around Salem and western Roanoke County can email her at sandycoopr@gmail.com.