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Rachel Singleton of Hidden Valley throws in. Erin Millar, special to SWoCo

We have a gallery by photographer Erin Millar from the girls' basketball game at Salem High School last night.  Click here to see the shots from the game, which Hidden Valley won 47-33. For a little more detail, click here for the high school basketball roundup on varsity.roanoke.com.

In other Southwest County sports news, the Cave Spring boys' basketball team plays this afternoon in the Member One Valley Shootout at the Salem Civic Center. The game against Millbrook of Winchester is scheduled to begin at 4:40 p.m.

Do you have photos from sporting events involving Southwest County teams? Send your shots to news@swo-co.com, and we'll share them here on The Notebook community news blog.

Valentine's Day is only two weekends away. Are you ready? If not, here are eight ways to say "I Love You" in Southwest Roanoke County. Can you think of more? Feel free to add your suggestions in the "comment" field below.

1. Singing Valentines: Let the Star City Sounds Chorus serenade your sweetheart for Valentines Day. A four-part harmony quartet will sing two love songs and provide a rose. Available February 13 or 14. Cost: $35. Call Linda at 774-1542 for scheduling.

2. More Singing Valentines: Say "I love you" with a singing Valentine sung by a Virginia Gentlemen barbershop quartet. For only $45 on the 13th of February and $50 for the 14th, a quartet will serenade your sweetheart at home, at work, at school or most anywhere in the Roanoke Valley. The quartet will sing two love songs and present a card with a personal message and a long-stem red rose, and capture the moment with a photo taken with your sweetheart.Presented by the Virginia Gentlemen Barbershop Harmony Chorus.For more information, go to: www.vagents.org.

3. Buy a "love line" in SWoCo. Yes, this is a cheap promotional ploy, but it's also cheap (only 99 cents a line) and the ultimate promotion is, well, for you. Call 981-3311 to place your "Love Line" in print. Deadline: Noon on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

4. Go see "She Loves Me" at Showtimers community theatre just off 419. It's a love story, and it opens Feb. 12. (For more on the show, see this story.)

5. Go see the Feb. 14 show by Roanoke's comedy improv troupe, The Big Lick Conspiracy (which has several members from Southwest Roanoke County -- namely, Robb Rouse and Susan Braden.) The group has performed at the Waldron Stage at Mill Mountain Theatre; no word yet on where the Valentine's Day show will be, since Mill Mountain has closed -- check back here for an update.

6. Buy your sweetheart some chocolates from the new chocolate shop in West Village -- Baylee's Best Chocolates. (For more on the store, see this story.)

7. Buy your sweetheart some chocolates from Chocolatepaper, which now has locations both in Southwest Roanoke County and in downtown Roanoke. (For more on the store, see this story.)

8. Speaking of Chocolatepaper, submit your love story to SWoCo and you have a chance to win a box of truffles from the store. (For details, click here.)

So what ideas do you have for a Southwest Roanoke County-themed Valentine's Day? You can leave an idea below in the "comment" field.

North Cross School Middle School History Teacher and Varsity Tennis Coach Heather Lawrence has been awarded the 2009 North Cross School Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award was presented to Lawrence during the annual Founders’ Day event on Jan. 30, in the Carter Athletic Center.

“I’m honored to have been chosen for this award,” said Lawrence. “Many of the past recipients have been mentors to me during the last eight years I’ve spent here at North Cross School. It’s truly an honor to be recognized with such a talented group of educators.”

Now in its ninth year, The North Cross School Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes a faculty member who has a minimum of three years teaching experience at North Cross School, expertise in his or her field, and the ability to effectively communicate that expertise/knowledge, the desire and commitment to grow professionally, and participation in the greater School community through co-curricular activities. Nominations for the award are made by students, faculty, and alumni.

“I am especially pleased that Ms. Lawrence is receiving this award,” said Headmaster Timothy J. Seeley. “It not only honors the great work she has done at North Cross School, but also the importance of the middle school for our students. I have enjoyed watching Heather move from an enthusiastic but inexperienced young teacher when she first arrived into an accomplished and talented educator who is an exceedingly important part of our middle school. In the finest traditions of independent schools, she not only excels in the classroom, but contributes mightily as an advisor, coach, and overseer of the middle school intramural program. The award is well deserved.”

Lawrence, who has a bachelor’s degree from Roanoke College, began teaching in 2000 in Roanoke City, where she began as a teaching assistant for third, fourth, and fifth graders. In 2001, she came to NCS as a middle school history teacher. Lawrence also coaches the women’s varsity tennis team. During the seven years she has coached the team, Lawrence has led the Lady Raiders to the Blue Ridge Conference tournament three times, winning the conference title in 2004. She also sponsors the Middle School Intramural Club.

The daughter of two educators, Lawrence’s love for teaching is shown not only in the classrooms at NCS but also in her involvement in the community. She teaches Sunday school to seventh and eighth grade girls at St. John’s Lutheran Church, is involved in the Roanoke Valley Junior League, and has a “little brother” in Roanoke’s Big Brother, Big Sister program. She has also played in charity tennis tournaments with her dad in northern Virginia in recent years.

Lawrence will receive a stipend in recognition of the accomplishment.

Past recipients include:

2008 – Upper School History Teacher Richard Cook

2007 – Upper School English Teacher Gates DeHart

2006 – First Grade Teacher Betsy Cook

2005 – Middle School Science Teacher Sandy Patterson

2004 – Junior Kindergarten Teacher Temple Glenn (retired)

2003 – Upper School Science Teacher Jerry Maycock (retired)

2002 – Middle and Upper School Latin Teacher Margaret Grayson

2001 – Fifth Grade Teacher Mary Lou Sallade (retired)

Roanoke County schools have announced a series of meetings for the parents of teens about to get their drivers' licenses -- and those soon-to-be drivers. It's called "Partnering for the Privilege, Safe Teen Driving Program" and there are meetings coming up at Hidden Valley High School on Feb. 9 and Cave Spring High School on Feb. 12.

The full press release is below, with more details and meeting times:

Giving your keys to a new teen driver?

Did you know?

If you have questions please contact: Barry Trent, Coordinator for Health, Physical Education and Driver Education at Roanoke County Public Schools.
Phone: (540) 562-3900, ext. 10255 Email at btrent@rcs.k12.va.us.

We've just updated our Roanoke Valley crime map with the latest offenses from Roanoke County -- and Roanoke and Salem, as well. The data includes offenses through Saturday, Jan. 24.

In the weeks leading up to Jan. 24, police reported one burglary and five larcenies in Southwest Roanoke County.

Our data delivery editor, Matt Chittum, has more information how you can use the searchable crime map.

Also on our Datasphere collection of searchable data: Home foreclosure rates for localities in the Roanoke and New River Valley.

A Roanoke County school bus ran off Buck Mountain Road this morning after the driver suffered "a medical incident," but all the students are safe, according to the Roanoke County Police Department. For more on the story, click here.

Here's the full release from police:

Accident involving Roanoke County School bus

• Type of Crash: Single Vehicle Crash

• Date of Crash: 01/30/09 Time of Crash: 0725

• Location of Crash: 4000 block of Buck Mt. Rd

• Investigating Officer: J. Duffy

• Victim Name(s): Sowder, Albert R.

• Suspect Name(s): N/A

• Charges if Applicable: N/A

• The road was blocked to traffic

• Alcohol and/or drugs were not a factor.

• Seatbelts were worn by the victim(s).

• Weather was not a factor in the crash.

• Additional Remarks: A Roanoke County School Bus traveling East in the 4000 block of Buck Mt. Rd ran off of the right of way of the road and came to a stop in a ditch. The school bus contained approximately 15 students. There were no injuries as a result of the accident and all of the children were transported to school. The bus driver was transported to a local hospital. The accident is being attributed to a medical incident.

We like to make a splash every week in SWoCo. And while we don't mean to go off the deep end, each week we have more photos than we can fit into print, so we offer them up here online.

So let's dive in.

OK, enough with the puns. But it's true -- each day we update this site upwards of a dozen times with news and photos from Southwest Roanoke County.

Take, for instance, the recent swimming meet between Cave Spring and Hidden Valley. You'll find a photo on the cover of this week's print edition, and two pages of photos inside -- but even more here online, such as this one of Pinmuk Supachaiyakit of Cave Spring High School. You'll find it and others in this online photo gallery.

So what other online extras do we have this week? Well, here goes, but first . . .

SPECIAL ADVERTISING NOTICE . . .
In this week's edition of SWoCo, you'll see a special promotion in the classifieds on page 21: Share a special message with your sweetheart this Valentine's Day by placing a Love Line in our Feb. 13 print edition of SWoCo. Only 99 cents a line! For details, well, see the ad or call 981-3311 by noon on Tuesday, Feb. 10. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled news briefing . . .

And now, back to the online extras:

* More photos from the Academic Challenge, involving Cave Spring and Hidden Valley
* More photos of the Giant Map of Asia at Oak Grove, Green Valley and Bent Mountain elemenataries.
* More photos of Bent Mountain Elementary School students learning about Ancient Rome
* Vote here to help a Cave Spring grad win a free wedding
* More on the Black & White ball, which is this weekend
* Restaurant delivery service, Dine on Time, adds new locations in and around Southwest Roanoke County
* Cub Scout Webelos Den Pack 236 plant willows
* Cave Spring United Methodist Church makes mission trip to New Orleans

AND IN SPORTS . . .
* More photos of Cave Spring vs. Salem in boys basketball
* Hidden Valley Youth Wrestlers tournament results
* More photos of Hidden Valley vs. Christiansburg in boys basketball

So how can you get your news and photos in SWoCo? Easy! Just share at news@swo-co.com (And a special request this week: Send us your holiday photos!)

For more information on us -- and how to advertise and reach more than 90 percent of the households in Southwest Roanoke County -- see below:
Read more »

Leslie Rueff and Owen Merritt as Amalia and Gerog in Showtimers upcoming musical,

Whether your aching to do something a little different than just dinner and a movie or just plain out want something different to do, how about heading to Showtimers the Community's Theatre and enjoying the musical "She Loves Me".

Showtimers will be presenting this musical, which is based on a book by Joe Masteroff beginning on Feb. 12 and lasting until March 1.

The cast of "She Loves Me" is well underway with rehearsals and James Honaker is excited to announce this is his debut as Director.

"She Loves Me" he explains is a story about two feuding clerks who are in love and corresponding through letters. The catch is neither one of them realize that they are corresponding with each other. The setting of the musical is Eastern Europe in 1930. The musical begins in the summer, then moves into fall and winter. While the majority of the sets take place in the Parfumerie, there are also scenes in the hospital, cafe, Amalia's apartment, and shoppes.

"It's kind of like the recent movie, 'You've Got Mail'," Honaker said. "They show they are feuding the whole time, but don't find out until the end they are in love with each other."

Leslie Rueff, plays the lead of Amalia Balash and Owen Merritt, the lead of Georg Nowack- both working together in a Parfumerie. The entire play consists of about 13 actors, many of which are playing multiple roles.

"Amalia comes in looking to be hired as one of the clerks and she is very well spoken and slightly unsure of herself sometimes because she is strong, but I don’t think she wants to be as strong as she has to be right now," Rueff said about the character she plays. "Her and Georg don’t get a long, but he figures out the love before she does. She falls in love when he brings her ice cream and when she finds out she is so tickled and very relieved." Read more »

Dr. Crawford W. Long first administered ether as an anesthetic for surgical purposes in Barrow County, Georgia, in 1842. A medical auxiliary in that state marked this historic even by honoring all local physicians in the inaugural Doctor's Day celebration in 1933. As a national observance, Doctor's Day was signed into law in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush with March 30 set aside as each year's official day of physician recognition.

The Roanoke Valley Academy of Medical Alliance (RAMA) is celebrating National Doctor's Day this year with a campaign to raise funds while honoring worthy physician providers by personal recognition. All funds collected during this campaign will be directed to Project Access of the Roanoke Valley. Project Access states its mission to be a "physician driven, community supported, patient-centered program which exists to arrange and coordinate comprehensive healthcare services for the low-income uninsured in our area." This nonprofit, local organization has been able to offer close to $16 of care for each $1 spent on its programs. There are 502 local participating physicians and dentists who have become involved in offering free-of-charge care to more than 1,600 qualified, eligible persons in the valley between the ages of 19 - 64.

Reasons for honoring the doctors in your lives are many and varied. Do you have a family member or neighbor who is a physician and would appreciate being honored on National Doctor's Day? Has your family's physician made an uncomfortable diagnosis easier to understand and address? Is your doctor retiring and you'd care to mark a career of excellent dedication by saying "Thank You"? Does your physician focus on you or a loved one so there exists a special connection that fosters positive results and continuity of care? Have you been assisted in making better and healthier choices in your lifestyle by an attentive physician? Was an emergency room, urgent care, or surgical experience made more pleasant not only by the talents but also by the attitude of they physician? The list can continue with many more reasons to offer these doctors a show of support.

You can participate in RAMA's campaign to raise funds for Project Access of the Roanoke Valley while paying tribute to the exceptional health care practiced by those physicians in your lives. Send checks made payable to "Project Access" to Karen Johnson, 5814 Cavalier Drive, Roanoke, VA 24018, by March 21st and note in the memo section the name(s) of the physician(s) you are honoring; include the mailing address of your honoree(s). In exchange for your contribution, RAMA will send a Certificate of Acknowledgement to your honored designee(s) as a notification of your donation in his or her name and in support of our worthy, local organization.

-Submitted by Karen Johnson, RAMA, Doctor's Day Organizer

If you have any questions you may direct them to Karen Johnson at kljrama@yahoo.com.

For more information about RAMA visit their website at http://ramaroundup.blogspot.com/.

For more information about Project Access of the Roanoke Valley visit www.projectaccessroanoke.org