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Once again, The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com are offering our readers a searchable map and database of holiday lights displays in the Roanoke and New River Valleys -- and beyond. And we need you folks with the lighting displays to populate it for us.

Data dude Matt Chittum tells you how to do this in this entry on his Datasphere blog.

The Virginia Department of Transportation issues the following release:

STUDY TEAM PRESENTS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ROUTE 419 CORRIDOR
Citizens encouraged to attend meeting December 3
SALEM – The Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will hold a citizen information meeting to
present recommendations to address transportation needs along the Route 419 corridor from
Route 311 to Route 220 in the Roanoke area.
The meeting will be held Thursday, December 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gymnasium of the
Brambleton Recreation Center located at 3738 Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke.
Representatives from the MPO, VDOT and the study team will be available to answer questions
and receive comments regarding this study to determine how to make travel along the Route 419
corridor safer and more efficient.
The recommendations presented at this meeting were developed as a result of public input
gathered in the spring 2009. Input from the community, especially those who travel or live and
work within the corridor, is extremely important to the success of the study. To review materials
prior to the meeting, a draft of the study can be found at http://www.rvarc.org/419/419plan.htm.
Written comments about the study may be submitted at the meeting or by December 18 to
Michael Gray, Virginia Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 3071, Salem, VA 24153. E-mail
comments can be sent to saleminfo@VDOT.virginia.gov. Please reference “Route 419 Study
Comments” in the subject heading.
Anyone requiring special assistance to attend and participate in this meeting may contact
VDOT’s Civil Rights Division at 540-387-5320, 800-611-5812 or TTY/TDD 711.

So, what do you think needs to be done? You can share your comments below.

Charlie Lightcap talks to Robyn Zamorski about his artwork at Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea. Photo Miranda Adkins, So Salem

Charlie Lightcap, Roanoke College basketball alum and local artist, will be creating an original work at the Salem Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea through December 20 to benefit the Jimmy V Cancer Research Foundation.

Tickets are on sale for $5 at the counter at the coffee shop, and Lightcap plans on doing one original piece there at the store each month for as long as the store will have him to raffle each for a different charity.

For more information, email Lightcap at thewoodwizard@verizon.net.

The Rotary Club of Salem, VA, District 7570, Rotary International, completed a project to aid in the eradication of polio through an extensive awareness campaign in conjunction with World Polio Day, October 24.

The Rotary Club of Salem's Red Badge Team, a group of seven new members of the club, was charged as part of its five-month orientation period to originate and complete a club project.

At the first meeting of the Red Badge Team August 27, the group of six new Rotarians and one veteran transferring Rotarian, elected to adopt World Polio Day as its project and to focus on community and area awareness as the mission of its endeavor. The group agreed that any contributions to PolioPlus would be a thankful sidebar of the project.

The project included a polio awareness blitz in the community which included numerous news articles to area newspapers, development of a 30-second Eradicate Polio public service announcement furnished to area commercial televisions stations and the local public TV facility leading up to World Polio Day. On World Polio Day, an area outdoor advertising firm provided three very prominent electronic billboards bringing attention to Rotary and the polio eradication efforts. One member of the team provided the expertise to develop the PSA and bill board image. Other team members negotiated the donated TV time and billboard space.

Displays of three iron lungs used to care for victims of infantile paralysis in the 1950s and 60s were set up at four different sites on two different dates at area shopping centers, a Salem/Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce event and a major rival high school football game.

A third phase of the project was the mailing of World Polio Awareness Day letters to 300 physicians in the Salem area. These letters provided information for the doctors on the role of Rotary International and the local club toward the eradication of polio and concluded with an opportunity for the physicians to donate to PolioPlus.

The Red Badge team requested from the club's board of directors approval to honor club member and District 7570 Polio Chair June Long for her many dedicated years to the eradication of polio. This award was presented to Rotarian Long during an October visit to Area 8, District 7570, by District Governor Ron Napier. The meeting was hosted by the Rotary Club of Salem and included the first mass showing of the PSA. This was covered by representatives of two area newspapers.

The Salem High School Interact Club and the Rotaract Club of Roanoke College were also involved in the project through participation at the iron lung displays. Red Badge members provided educational material to the members of the Rotaract and Interact clubs on the history of polio both locally and internationally and the current efforts to wipe out polio in the four remaining countries.

In addition to the success of the polio awareness campaign, the Red Badge team collected over $1,400 via the project. These funds will be forwarded to Rotary International and designated toward PolioPlus honoring Rotarian Long.

From the monies collected and through the efforts of past district governor Joe Ferguson and club president Aaron Garber, the club has approved the awarding of two Paul Harris Fellows. This is to be done at the conclusion of the Red Badge club orientation period in December.

Submitted by: Bill Orndorff, member of the Rotary Club of Salem, VA.

Kroger donated 32 pallets of fresh vegetables and produce and non-perishable goods to the Southwest Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank on November 17. In addition to more than 100,000 lbs. of produce, Kroger also donated $23,000 to the Food Bank as a result of the "Bringing Hope to the Table" promotion which ran through Kroger stores nationwide over the summer. That's the equivalent of nearly 72,000 meals for the hungry!

Harvest of Hope couldn't come at a better time. The economy has forced many individuals and families into poverty situations they have never experienced before. The Food Bank's partner agencies report a 20-30% increase in demand for emergency food assistance. Programs like the Harvest of Hope will help meet that increase in need with fresh, nutritional food!

Here are a few photos that Carrie Cox took at The Salem's Farmers Market and Longwood Park.

If you would like to submit a photo, send it to news@sosalem.com.

Companion Pet Care Clinic is coordinating a “Santa Claws and Holiday Paws” pet food drive.  Donations are being accepted at several locations through Wednesday, December 22.  All donated pet food will go to aid Manna Ministries in their on-going effort to help local needy families.  Increases in expenses during the holiday season are particularly hard on families already struggling to make ends meet.

Any cash donations should be sent directly to Manna Ministries at 229 Walnut Ave, Vinton, VA 24179 labeled for the pets.  Manna Ministries may be reached directly at 540-992-5354.

Donation boxes are located at:

Companion Pet Care Clinic, 29 Wildwood Rd, Salem, VA 24153
Food Lion, 50 Wildwood Rd, Salem, VA 24153
Food Lion, Valley Commons, Apperson Dr, Salem, VA 24153
Walgreen’s, 1725 W. Main St., Salem, VA 24153
SunTrust Bank, 1395 W. Main St., Salem, VA 24153
SunTrust Bank, 112 McClanahan St., Roanoke, VA
Veterinarians to Cats, 2750 Electric Rd, Roanoke, VA 24018
Firehouse Subs, Verizon Plaza, W. Main St., Salem, VA 24153

For more information, please contact Chris Ferris or Paula Williams at 540-375-0350 or fax inquiries to 540-375-8860.  Any help in distributing this notice to the community would be greatly appreciated.

Here, Barbara Krzysko is celebrating her birthday with her sisters (Ginny Smith and Jo Edwards) and niece, Fay Harlow at Applebee's in Salem.

Do you have a birthday coming up? If so, send your information to news@sosalem.com.

Congratulations to the gymnasts at Roanoke Academy of Gymnastics for the great job they did competing in the Coventry Commonwealth Games on November 14.

Pictured are: (Front Row) Megan Benzie (SW County), Abby Slate (SW County), Brooke Leftwich (SW County), Lauren Simmons (Franklin County) (Back Row) Coaches: Nikki Sweeney and Eric Wagner

Here are the results: Read more »