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ROANOKE, Va. (November 5, 2009) – Area children are completing a massive quilt decorated with images of peace and tolerance as part of the Conflict Resolution Center’s Peace by Piece initiative.

Peace by Piece is an ongoing art project sponsored by the CRC to increase the community’s awareness of and interest in peace, tolerance and collaboration. The CRC is bringing together children from a variety of neighborhoods, communities and organizations so they can each create a quilt square to illustrate a story representing what peace means to them.

Reflecting the ties that bind individuals into healthy communities, each of the hundreds of squares will connect to one another and to a centerpiece containing an image of a dove, the universal symbol of peace.

“Once assembled, the quilt will embody the ideal that, when we work together, our diverse perspectives and world views are the pieces that strengthen the fabric of harmonious, sustainable communities,” said Alice Burlinson, chair of the CRC’s board of directors. “The quilt will serve to show that there is endless strength and opportunity within our communities because people see things differently.”

To complete the project, children were asked to convey their thoughts, ideas and dreams about what peace means to them on an 8-inch quilt square. With the help of Kim Weitkamp, a nationally recognized storyteller, the children were guided through the creative process using imagery techniques to write a story about peace.

Using these stories as a guide, the children created their quilt squares to reflect or illustrate the peaceful memory or vision described in their story.  Once the quilt has been assembled, the quilt and each of the stories will be on display in the Taubman Museum of Art.  The display will allow viewers to identify the corresponding stories and quilt squares.

Peace by Piece debuts at the CRC’s invitation-only annual meeting on Nov. 17 at the Taubman museum and will remain on display in the auditorium through January. On Dec. 3, children involved in creating the quilt will showcase their work to their families with an event at the museum.

To view photos of children creating the squares, please visit www.conflictresolutioncenter.us/peacebypiece.html.

ABOUT CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER

The non-profit Conflict Resolution Center offers innovative ways to resolve differences outside of the courtroom. The Center serves families, businesses, community organizations and governments throughout southwest Virginia through mediation, facilitation, training and restorative justice. To learn more, visit www.conflictresolutioncenter.us.

Submitted by Thomas Becher

Courtesy of Brian Quakenbush

The Cave Spring high school bands conducted by Brian Quakenbush, will be presenting their Fall Concert performance titled “An American Music” concert on Monday, November 16th.  Both the Concert and Symphonic bands will be playing in the Cave Spring auditorium at 7pm and admission is free.

Pieces being performed are by American composers or arrangers.  Selections will include;

The Light Eternal                                                        James Swearingen

American Riversongs                                                         Pierre La Plante

Hymnsong Variant                                                                 Robert W. Smith

Celebration and Song                                                            Robert Sheldon

America the Beautiful                                          Samuel Ward arr. Carmen Dragon

Liturgical Dances                                                                   David Holsinger

an American Elegy                                                        Frank Tichelli

Bayou Breakdown                                                         Brant Larrick

In the Temple of Zion                                                           Steven Reinike

Hunter Kopczynski is a student intern from Virginia Tech and he will be conducting a few of these selections on the concert.

The fall concert is being given to bring attention to needs of the school’s bands for instruments and refurbishment of older instruments being used by the performers.  Many students share instruments from Concert to Symphonic band.  Often many are not able to practice at home due to shortage of school owned instruments.  So, a lot of time is spent in class to perfect individual musical responsibilities.  Donations will be accepted for these purposes.

Submitted by Brian Quakenbush

Our paparazzi photo crew was at Tanglewood Mall for the mall's annual trick-or-treat event, and so were a lot of people from Southwest Roanoke County.

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

Do you have photos from your Halloween trick-or-treating? If so, you can share at news@swto-co.com.

We've got photos from the recent Blue Ridge Potters Guild Tenth Anniversary Show and Sale which was held Friday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 1 at Cave Spring High School. This event marked their 10th Anniversary Show and Sale featuring 50 area potters.

According to Barbara Wise with the BRPG, the weekend was quite a success and Friday's reception was packed full of people.

View our photos above in a slideshow or click here for a more traditional view.

Sharks, bumble bees, princes and princesses, that's what raided the Headquarters Library on 419 at 10:30 a.m. (Oct. 29). Preschoolers and their parents gathered in their Halloween costumes for trick-or-treating, puppet shows, stories and songs.

Check out our photos of these little ones by clicking here or scroll through our slideshow above!

Send us your Halloween photos, email them to us at news@swo-co.com!

At 2:30 today (Thursday, Oct. 29) Cave Spring High School students and faculty gathered in the gymnasium to go head to head in a volleyball game.  The faculty's team consisted of convicts, who were escorted onto the floor by a police officer. The game was held to raise money for the United Way. CSHS students and faculty raised $1,500 to donate to the United Way.

We caught some of the game on camera. Check out our photos by viewing the slideshow above, or click here for a more traditional view.

Send us your photos, email them to us at news@swo-co.com!

Tuesday morning, Oct 27 marked a pivotal time for the new South County Library, which was scheduled to be built over a year ago in July 2008. The building of the 55,000 square-foot library was delayed when the plans came up over budget last year. Now the county has come one step closer to a new full-service library branch- the first in over 30 years.

Community members, Roanoke County Officials, and Roanoke County Library Officials gathered at10:30 a.m. for a ceremony prior to the breaking of ground. Speakers included Diane D. Hyatt, Assistant County Administrator, Charlotte A. Moore, Supervisor, Cave Spring District, Diana L. Rosapepe, Director of Library Services, Michael W. Altizer, Chairman, Board of Supervisors, James O. Nelson, Chair of the Library Board of Trustees, John L. Nettles, President of Friends of the Library, and B. Clayton Goodman III, Roanoke County's Administrator. Several children also participated in the groundbreaking event, Ella Lawrence, Jackson Lawrence, Adrianna Hall, T. K. Washington, Brennan Washington, and Xavier Mills Also present was former County Administrator John Chambliss and Board of Supervisors, Joseph B. "Butch" Church and Joseph P. McNamara.

Moore said that this will be the first library built in the Cave Spring District.

"The walking trails will provide hands-on education near schools and the wetlands," Moore said.

Rosapepe humored the crowd with descriptions of what patrons can expect not to have to do once the new library opens. These included darting across 410, waiting for use of computers, books stuff on the shelves on their sides, and being too close to strangers.

Altizer said, "I want to thank my board- everybody for being so proactive."

According to Nelson the last constructed library was the Glenvar Library 30 years ago. He also said that it has long been recognized the need for a new library.

"This is an exciting time to see the construction of this new library," Nelson said.

County Administrator Goodman said, "This library will be different. It will be a living library. It's going to become a community center. I've only been here six months, so I do not take credit for it, but I'd like to thank the board and those those around us like John Chambliss and Elmer Hodge."

The plan for the library, which will be built on Merriman Road across from Penn Forest Elementary, will provide modern features and a community meeting space, and even walking trails along the site's natural wetlands. This new library will replace the current, outdated and crowded 419/HQ Library built 40 years ago. It is currently the busiest library out of six branches in the county. 400,000 people visit the 419/HQ Library.

Plans for the new library began in 2005 after a comprehensive assessment of future needs. The library will cost $9 million and will be 54,000 square feet, including 5,000 square feet for an auditorium or community meeting space. The library is expected to be open on or before June 2011.

Upon entering the South County Library, patrons will find a roundabout at the intersection of Meadowlark Road and Merriman Road. Completion of the roundabout is tentatively on or before September 2010 and is hoped to minimize traffic disruptions on those roads.

The South County Library will have books, DVDS, and other materials, a copy center and self-checkout station on the first level. It will also include a children's area and story-time room, computer stations, meeting rooms, and seating options. There will also be a bookstore and coffee shop operated by Friends of the Library. A drive-through lane will also be provided where patrons can pick up or return materials.

On the second floor patrons can expect an adult collection of books, another copy center, reference materials, research desk, computer instructional lab, seating areas and views of the wetlands, study rooms, Young Adult room with teen reading materials, projection screen, computers, two diner-style booths for group study and a board and conference room.

Another feature will include a raised walking trails through the wetlands that will link to nearby parks and athletic fields. Informational signs will also be placed throughout the trails.

According to a recent press release, the South County Library is:

-designed specifically for the site, reducing impact on the wetland area and optimizing building orientation for day lighting and views

-incorporates many sustainable features, including an open space design, energy efficient heating and air conditioning systems, solar glazed windows, recycled materials and building components

-has created an opportunity to create an educational partnership between the schools, wetlands, walking trails and the library.

-will be a warm and welcoming community center

-a modern building designed to meet the needs of all citizens for many years to come.

View the slideshow above for photos, or click here for a more traditional view.

The theater group that brought the musical “Children of Eden” (COE) to Roanoke two years in a row (2007-2008), “Logos Theatricus") will bring even more children into the spotlight on Nov. 5. 6 and 7 at the Dickinson auditorium of the brand-new William Fleming High School when the group presents another musical, this one titled “They Chose Me!“

“Logos Theatricus”, translated from the Latin as “Theatre of the Word”, will celebrate November as National Adoption Month (with Nov. 21st as National Adoption Day”) with a New York production featuring 23 local Roanoke young people ages nine to 19, with Anette Lloyd, an art teacher at Fleming who played Mama Noah in COE, as their 25-year old mentor, who is herself an adoptee. Those who saw that musical will remember Anette’s  powerful solo that brought down the house in the last act.

Originally a one-hour one-act play, the show has gone to a 90-minute two-act production because the show’s authors have written four new songs for it and asked “Logos Theatricus” to premiere them. The authors will attend the Roanoke production, to the delight of producer Patrick Kennerly (Papa Noah in COE) , Fleming’s Larry Van Deventer, and musical director  Dan Keeley of Our Lady of Nazareth (OLN) Parish, where “Logos Theatricus” originated about six years ago. Gracie Moore is the choreographer and Patricia Kennerly is Stage Manger, no small job with all those young ones to keep up with. OLN's teen piano prodigy Ryan Hunter is the lead instrumentalist

Authors are Michael Colby is a teacher whose family owned the Algonquin Hotel, a famous watering hole for New York notables, for almost 50 years, and Ned Paul Ginsburg who, with his wife, have adopted children themselves. When their idea for this joyous musical came the attention of Janine Nina Trevens, artistic director of NYC’s TADA! Youth Theatre, she immediately commissioned it for TADA’s! youth ensemble, where staff from Theatrical Rights Worldwide (who license Monty Python's "Spamalot", who soon offered it onstage themselves.

In this play, the children, who were recruited from public and private elementary, middle and high schools, as well as dance schools and performing arts studios, share their experiences of foster care and adoption with songs and stories that the producers promise will be both humorous and poignant. Says Producer Kennerly, “ We hope the audience will leave the theatre with a new, heartfelt understanding of adoption and a new appreciation of all children who not only must struggle and strive for their own identity but for their very survival.”

As always with this group, proceeds will go to various charities, this time “Kids ‘N Krisis", a local charity founded and operated by social workers from the Roanoke Dept. of Social Services, and the Childrens' Home Society of Virginia, which has been placing children in permanent adoptive homes since 1906.

Tickets, which can be obtained at OLN, calling 774-0066, Ext.10, or by emailing LogosTheatricus@cox.net. are $12 for adults and $10 for students with a student ID. Show time on all three days is 7:30 p.m.
Submitted by: Donna Acquaviva

Here are a few pictures from the VBODA State Marching Festival from David Atkins held on Saturday, Oct. 23. VBODA stands for the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association. The festival was held at Pulaski County High Schools' Kenneth J. Dobson Stadium.  The band performed their halftime show: Chuck, Chase and Cannonball which features the songs:  Children of Sanchez, Mercy Mercy Mercy and Get it on. Hidden Valley was the only class 5-A band to perform and received an excellent rating.

Check out the photos in the slideshow above, or click here for a more traditional view.