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Rick Harris shares these photos of Glenvar High School’s Heather Harris, who won the Three River District girls’ singles tennis championship on Monday at Radford High School.

We have this photo gallery.

Robin Sampson shares these photos of the Salem High School boys’ soccer win over Pulaski.

We have this photo gallery with captions. Included in the photos are Hunter Sampson, Jack Maxey, Drew Lyle, Connor Scro, Michael Stick, Cameron Janney and Ellison Heil.

From the Roanoke County website:

Roanoke County administrative offices will be closed May 28 for the Memorial Day Holiday. All garbage collection routes will be delayed by one day due to the Memorial Day holiday. Please contact the Solid Waste Division at 387-6225 for any questions regarding the collection schedule.

In the Spirit of Competition get your high school team signed up for the 2nd Annual Salem Sprint Tri Sunday, June 3rd at the Salem Family YMCA

This year a high school team category has been added!

Hidden Valley HS holds the 2011 title. Who will hold it for 2012?

Put your team together and sign up by May 28th. Register Your Team HERE!

Submitted by Nancy Hans

Dianna Jones of Salem, VA recently graduated from Champlain College. Jones received a MS degree in Law with a possible specialization and/or minor.

Champlain College’s 134th Commencement took place at Memorial Auditorium in Burlington on Saturday, May 5. In all, 451 undergraduates and 66 graduate students earned their degrees.

Dublin scholar, Dr. Patrick Masterson delivered the Commencement address to degree candidates. Andrea Rogers, founder and former director of the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, spoke in honor of the three honorary degrees that were conferred.

Champlain College President David Finney noted a long list of accomplishments that graduating students had already achieved while working, serving and playing at Champlain. “Over 50 percent of the graduating class will be starting jobs within their field of study in the next week,” he recognized, “and eleven have already created their own businesses while at Champlain.”

Submitted by Champlain College

Fight Like Corbin Fundraiser:

Kim Russell of Salem is hosting a Thirth-One Fundraiser to benefit the family of former Salem resident and Salem High graduate Tina Slate Kovach. Kim shares this info:

“Tina and her husband Jason’s world was turned upside down when they learned that their 3-year old son, Corbin, was diagnosed with Stage IV Burkitts Lymphoma a few months ago.

“The Kovachs received the greatest news of their lives May 15: … Corbin’s PET scan and bone marrow results came back cancer free. His oncologist told them that he is in “complete remission”, but he will still go through the next four months of chemo and most likely that time will be spent at Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital in Charleston, where the Kovachs live. We are so proud of Corbin, he is absolutely amazing! Keep sending prayers up…. Corbin still has some fighting to do to finish his treatment.

“ALL PROCEEDS from this fundraiser will go to the Kovach family for financial support during this difficult time.

“You may visit my website at www.mythirtyone.com/krussell to view our Online Summer Catalog. To place an order for this fundraiser, simply do the following steps: Read more »

Janis Augustine shares these pictures from the City of Salem Student Art Show and Reception held at the Salem Library on Sunday, May 20. About 300 elementary students, family and friends attended over the course of the 2 hour show and reception, she said. The art will remain on display until May 31.

The two people pictured with the display case are Hunter Routt, who is the gifted program coordinator for the City of Salem Schools and Sarah Meadows who is the art teacher at East and Salem Elementary Schools.

Construction for the new, Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design-certified Masons Cove Elementary School finished just in time for students to attend their first day back in August with some of the outside work still to be completed.

Roanoke County celebrated on Saturday, May 19 with an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting with over 100 retirees, current staff and students, and community members on hand to celebrate.

“I loved the old school, but when I came up here and saw the new school, it just opened, like a miracle,” said retiree Yvonne Holt. “A lot of good things happened here.”

Holt worked at MCES* from 1970 to 1995. A former student of hers, Ashley Manning, introduced her two children, Aidan Hash and Scarlett Manning who also attend MCES*, to Holt. An Manning’s mother, Kathy Smith, also attended.

Many families in the Masons Cove area have second- and third-generation MCES students, attending the old school that was built in 1961 with a coal-fired furnace.

Former principal Ron Hodges, who was at MCES from 1990-98, remembers helping then-custodian Johnny Combs stoke the coal on particularly cold days along with the complaints lodged from the subdivision nearby when the ashes would fall.

Wielding a pair of golden scissors for the ribboncutting were R.J. and Mildred Garman. Married for 60 years, R.J., they’ve lived on Bradshaw Road all their lives (R.J. attended a one-room school house just up the road) and their kids and grandkids attended MCES. Mildred’s mother was even the cafeteria manager when the school first stopped busing .25 cent hot lunches up from Northside High School, she said.

“Have you seen the wooden design – it’s made from the gym floor in the old school,” Roanoke County superintendent Lorraine Lange said. Touches of the old school are throughout the building in the shape of branches in the foyer and wooden boards in the library circulation desk. The building’s façade combines elements from nature, including wood and natural stone to blend with the surrounding mountains.

Woodcrafter John Reed made bowls from the maple tree out in front of the old school (one or two  are now permanent décor in the front office), and a few are still available. For more information, call the school.

-Miranda Beck

*post updated 6:44 p.m. 5/22

Marleigh Hart, Annalese Crawford and Camden Hart hosted a lemonade stand on Saturday, May 19 to raise money for AJ Leffler. They made almost $100!

Submitted by Sandy Hart