March 31, 2008Video: Night hike up McAfee's KnobHere's something that happened just outside Salem recently -- a night hike up McAfee's Knob to see the full moon. We have a lovely video of the night hike by the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club. March 28, 2008Salem High School forensic team to perform April 8The two-time defending state champion Salem High School forensic team will perform at High Point Coffee at Brambleton Plaza on April 8 as a tune-up for the VHSL state competition. For more info about High Point, check out our cut'n'scratch music blog. The Better Home Expo this weekend!The Better Home Expo is at the Salem Civic Center this weekend, so if you're even thinking about remodeling or adding a luxury onto your home (think hot tub, sun room, or stonework), you shouldn't miss a chance to compare merchants throughout the Roanoke Valley in one fell swoop. Considering the cost of gas and that some businesses offer discounts for show attendees, the event might be worth the homeowner's while. Admission is $5.00, and children 12 and under get in free with an adult. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., while Sunday is noon to 5 p.m. Even if you don't own a home, you'll find Closet Organizers, Southern Food Services, and advice from friendly merchants about what kind of improvements cost what when you do eventually nest in your own tree. There are also stone masons, log cabin builders, spa vendors, cabinet and countertop refacers, carpet and wood flooring merchants, banks, realtors, lawn services, home inspectors, and almost anything else you might think of that relates to home improvement. March 27, 2008"Blithe Spirit" is showing at Showtimers TheatreIf you’re looking for something a little more live and charming than sitting on the couch with the dog, cat, or significant other with a video store rental or the latest episode of CSI in a far away metropolitan area, “Blithe Spirit” at Showtimers could save your Wednesday to weekend night sometime in the next two weeks. Don’t expect for it to bring you back to Roanoke, either: set in the 1930s, a British author’s information gathering during a séance goes awry when the zany Madame Arcati, played by Nancy Lawrence, conjures up his first wife. As if that weren’t enough, Charles and Ruth Condomine (Ruth is his second and current wife) must navigate through polite society as they deal with the unruly and “blithe” ghost of Elvira, played by Cris Emerson. Charles and Ruth Condomine are played by Phil Boyd and Stevie Holcomb, respectively. Continue reading ""Blithe Spirit" is showing at Showtimers Theatre" » March 25, 2008Upcoming theatricals in and around SalemMarch 26 through April 5 at 8 p.m., April 6 at 2 p.m.: “A Blithe Spirit”, at Showtimers Community Theatre, $12/ticket April 2-6 at 7:30 p.m.: “The Sound of Music”, at Salem High School, $8 for adults, $5 for children April 2-5 at 8 p.m.: “Four Dogs and a Bone”, at Roanoke College, $7 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens, mature content and limited seating Want to act it out yourself??? Is there somebody around Salem or Glenvar acting in a production in the valley or elsewhere? Let us know by e-mailing news@sosalem.com! March 24, 2008Got hazardous waste?Salem City is holding its bi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Day and Latex Paint-Swap on Saturday, April 5. Shred-It of Virginia will also be there to destroy Salem City residents' documents. It will take place at the Salem Transfer Station, 1300 Indiana Street. Here’s a list of accepted items. Trikeathon raises money for St. Jude's
The kids at Loving Daycare Center on Thompson Memorial Drive pedaled, triked, raced and rocked their way around the parking lot at Covenant Community Church to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The children raise donations or earn donations through pledges-per-lap.
“We’ve raised $3,500 during the last five years of the trikeathon,” director Jamie Ervine said, “whenever we raise $1,000, that’s enough for four spinal taps for families who can’t afford them.” St. Jude’s doesn’t require families to pay anything further than what their insurance covers, and patients without insurance are never asked to pay. 
The kids made sure that the event was complete with wrecks, passes, and restarts. Chip Stephenson even had a pit stop with classmate’s father Randy Mosser and afterschool program instructor as the pit crew. Washington 90, Amherst 68Check out The Press Box for more information on Men's Division III basketball finals held at the Salem Civic Center on Saturday, March 22. March 21, 2008Got news (or a photo) to share?Do you have news about something in Salem or Glenvar or western Roanoke County? A neighborhood event, a school achievement, or other recognition? Share it with us, and your neighbors. Send your community news to: news@sosalem.com And if you have a photo, send that on, too. We look forward to hearing from you. Enter our photo contest!Got a favorite photo from Salem or Glenvar or anywhere else in western Roanoke County? A school carnival, a bingo night, a hiking spot? Enter it in our photo contest and maybe win a prize! Email it to photocontest@roanoke.com by Friday, March 28 and you could win a $250 gift card to Best Buy. We'll select two lucky winners -- one adult and one youth. We'll announce the winners on April 25. Umm, some other rules: You must include the photographer's name, address, phone number, email, when and where the photo was taken, plus the story behind the photo in 100 words or less. They must be 200 dpi resolution with the largest dimension measuring at least 10 inches. All photos must have been taken within the last year and must be local. Submitted photos become the property of The Roanoke Times. By entering, you grant the paper and its affiliates the right to publish your photo in any way. Roanoke College upcoming events open to the public:Late March to early April RC events: March 27 at 4:45 p.m.: A lecture by 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner, Hank Klibanoff, no charge March 29 at 6:30 p.m.: A senior voice recital by Rose Stephens-Booker April 1 at 7:30 p.m.: A reading of his short story "Boone: A Biography" by Robert Morgan, no charge. This is Morgan's latest book; it was placed on The Washington Post's "Best Books of 2007" list. April 3 at 7:30 p.m.: A lecture by Sandra Harding “Gender and Science: New Issues”, no charge April 5 at 8:00 p.m.: A swing dance with Martha and the Moodswingers in Alumni Gym, $5 (lessons at 1:00 and 2:15, $5 per person per session) April 7 at 7:30 p.m.: A lecture by Joseph Cummins “Anything for a Vote: Mudslinging…”, no charge April 12 at 8:00 p.m.: Kandinsky’s Trio Concert: 20th Anniversary Season Finale, $15 for general public, $10 for senior citizens and students April 13 at 3:00 p.m.: Roanoke College's Children's Choir: "A Little Spring Music", $17 for general public, $14 for senior citizens, $11 for children 12 and under, at The Jefferson Center. April 15 at 7:30 p.m.: A lecture by Alan Dershowitz, a continuation of RC's series "Exploration and Discovery" April 17 at 7:30 p.m.: The Roanoke College Wind and Jazz ensembles will present a joint concert in Olin Theatre, no charge Roanoke College News and Public Calendar More Interested in Collegiate Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball, Track, Tennis, or Golf??? March 19, 2008Making a hobby of saving bluebirds
All it took was one look at the design for the Peterson Style Bluebird House in the “Birds in Bloom” book to hook Tom Clifton into building one. The retired GE electronics technician has a knack for woodworking, and he’s been using it for the sake of bluebird conservation for almost eight years now. Clifton has built hundreds of houses for at least five counties, and maintains several bluebird trails himself. The bluebirds in Salem, Roanoke, and Botetourt need your help! Trail monitors are needed for Green Hill Park in Salem, the Countryside Golf Course in Roanoke, and Greenfield Park in Botetourt. If you’re interested in donating three to four hours of your time a week, walking through parks or golf courses, call or e-mail Tom Clifton, 389-2942, tomclif@rev.net, or call Earl Morris at 776-1640. Trail volunteers do a weekly check of each house on their designated trail. It involves opening the box, identifying the species, counting the eggs and hatchlings, and troubleshooting predator problems. Volunteers are trained and supervised several times before having to care for the birds on their own. For more information about bluebirds, visit The Virginia Bluebird Society. Salem Civic Center eventsThe Salem Civic Center has issued an updated schedule, including The Better Living Home Expo March 28-30, My Little Pony Live! April 5-6, A Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Performance with Art Garfunkel April 11, Arthur Live! May 6-7, and many more. Visit The Salem Civic Center's website and calendar for more information. March 17, 2008Salem and Roanoke County crime maps updated through mid-MarchWe've just updated our Salem crime map with offenses through March 17 and our Roanoke County crime map with offenses through March 15 -- the most recent data available. In western Roanoke County for this period, you'll find some larcenies, some burglaries, and even an aggravated assault. The Salem Police Department provides information on more crimes, so keep that in mind as you look at the two maps. That's why you'll find things such as an embezzlement and "evading -- failure to stop." To see how this compares with other localities, we also have a crime map for Roanoke. All this comes by way of our Datasphere site, run by data delivery editor Matt Chittum. Got thoughts on crime in Salem and western Roanoke County? Share your views by clicking on "comments." Ethical Business lecture March 18 On March 18, Roanoke College will host a presentation by Dr. Patrick E. Murphy from the University of Notre Dame entitled “Ethical Business in the 21st century”. Murphy will focus on ethical principles and actions undertaken by leading ethical firms and will offer several suggestions to enhance the role of ethics in corporations for the future. Here is a link to a PDF of his paper, entitled “An ethical basis for relationship marketing: a virtue ethics perspective”, on Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide’s website. This lecture is free to the public and Roanoke College students. It will be held in Roanoke College’s Colket Center, in Pickle Lounge. The event is sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of the Blue Ridge. He is the Co-Director of the Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide. A Marketing professor at the Mendoza College of Business, a member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1984, and a faculty member and Marketing department chair at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Dr. Murphy specializes in marketing ethics and business. For more information, contact the Notre Dame Club of the Blue Ridge at 384-6822. Photos from the Salem Easter Egg Hunt
March 13, 2008An Easter egg hunt just for dogsThe Six Wags Dog Park in Salem will hold an easter egg hunt just for dogs on Saturday, March 22. Our pet blogger has details -- and a cutesy photo of a dog with bunny ears -- on the Happy Wag. NCAA basketball receives Salem recognitionThe Rotary Club has selected the honorees for the Josten’s Trophy and will award them next week before they host the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball National Championship next week at the Salem Civic Center. The semi-finals are Friday, March 21, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The consolation game is Saturday, March 22, at 1:30 p.m. with the championship game at 4 p.m. Tournament books are available by calling the Salem Civic Center at (540) 375-3004 or the ODAC Office at (540) 389-7373. The Josten’s trophy is a national award created by the Salem Rotary Club and Josten's Inc. to honor the most outstanding men’s and women’s Division III basketball players and student-athletes of the year. This is the 11th year the club is giving the award. Here's a link to the ODAC site with the names and more information on the awards. Glenvar students to perform at Jeff Center April 10 Eight students from Glenvar High School will be featured in a musical performance at the Jefferson Center on April 10. Here's the scoop: Many of you are familiar with the annual show that the students from the Kevin Jones Performing Arts Studio put on each year at The Jefferson Center. This year, it packed the auditorium for two straight shows. Well, Kevin -- whose studio is in the Cave Spring area -- also teaches at the Roanoke County Center for the Performing Arts and has a similar show coming up featuring the center's students on Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Continue reading "Glenvar students to perform at Jeff Center April 10" » March 12, 2008Statler Brothers' farewell concert to be televisedWere you at the Statler Brothers' farewell concert -- which was at the Salem Civic Center on Oct. 26, 2002? If so, you might see yourself on TV either Thursday, March 13 or Friday, March 15. Blue Ridge PBS is airing "The Statler Brothers Farewell Concert" at 7 p.m. each night. That concert was the only time the Staunton-based country music quartet ever allowed an indoor concert to be videotaped. Viewers will also have an opportunity to receive a copy of the group’s new book, “The Statler Brothers: Random Memories,” autographed by group members and authors Harold Reid and Don Reid. For more information about “The Statler Brothers Farewell Concert” and the autographed book, visit blueridgepbs.org. And if you were at the show, click "comment" below to share a remembrance. Timothy Moran represents Salem in spelling bee
Timothy Moran of East Salem Elementary School will represent Salem in this week's 35th Annual Spelling Bee. The event is Saturday, March 15, 9 a.m., at the Holiday Inn-Roanoke Airport, and is open to the public. The winner of this regional bee will advance to the Scripps National Bee in Washington in May. We'll have coverage in Sunday's Roanoke Times and on roanoke.com.
Movie store at Spartan Square to closeThe Movie Gallery store in Salem at Spartan Square will close March 19. For details on why, see Jenny Boone's post today on The Storefront retail blog. March 11, 2008Upcoming art exhibits at RC
In Smoyer Gallery (next to the theatre), Chris Gryder will display wall tiles from silt, clay and concrete. He is offering an artist's lecture Thursday, March 13 at 5 p.m. in Olin Hall, room 231, with a viewing afterward. Check out his Web page at http://chrisgryder.com/. In Olin Gallery, Beatrix Reinhardt is presenting photographs. She is also giving an artist's lecture Friday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m. in Olin Hall, room 231 with a viewing afterward. For a preview of Reinhardt's work, visit this website. Kindergarten registration continues this weekSalem City Schools are registering five-year-olds for kindergarten until this Friday, March 14. Here's a link to a PDF of the registration flier. March 10, 2008See Glenvar's Mowles and Cundiff win state wrestling titlesIn case you weren't at the state wrestling championships at the Salem Civic Center over the weekend, you can still see Jeremy Mowles and Ben Cundiff of Glenvar win their state titles in our video recap of highlights. Mowles won the 140-pound division, Cundiff took the 145-pound division. We'd love for you to watch the whole thing, but if you just want to see just them, you can skip ahead to about the three-minute mark. And if you happened to take photos, you can post them to our Glenvar High School page on varsity.roanoke.com. March 8, 2008Salem and Roanoke County crime maps updatedWhat kind of crime is happening in Salem and western Roanoke County? And where is it happening? You can see for yourself on our crime maps. Data delivery editor Matt Chittum, who compiles such things, has just updated our Salem crime map with offenses through Feb. 25 and our Roanoke County crime map for offenses through March 1. Both of those are the most recent dates available. And here's something interesting: Even though there's a lot less crime in Salem than in Roanoke, we get a lot more traffic to our Salem crime map than our Roanoke crime map. Any thoughts on why? Feel free to post a comment below. Or check out other databases in the Datasphere.
Glenvar grad Ross Copperman heads to NashvilleGlenvar High School grad Ross Copperman, who's been making music in England, is now moving to Nashville to make a country music record. Music writer Tad Dickens has an update on Copperman, and some background on his career, on our cut'n'scratch local music blog. Zaxby's coming to Salem
Welcome to So Salem!This is the community news blog for Salem and Western Roanoke County. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be building out a related Web site and, later this spring, launching a weekly newspaper for families in those areas. In the meantime, keep coming back to this blog to keep up with what’s happening in this community. Our main writer for So Salem is Miranda Adkins. Some of you might recognize Miranda, a Roanoke College graduate, from her time as a manager at Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea on Main Street. And I'm Erica Myatt, So Salem's editor. One of the great things about news blogs is they’re a two-way street, so we’d love to hear from you. Just click below on "comments." Or share your news and photos with us at news@sosalem.com |
About this blog
Welcome to The Notebook, the community gathering place for news and tidbits from So Salem, by community journalist Miranda Adkins (that's Miranda on the left). You'll be able to find the most up-to-date news, events and stories in Salem, Glenvar and western Roanoke County here at this blog. And please join in! You can share your comments, stories, links and ideas here, too. This is your community conversation. .....Advertisement.....
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