Are you ready for Halloween?

Here at So Salem, we are. So let’s use some computer tricks to offer up some Halloween treats.

Specifically, each week in our print issue we advises readers to come online to find more. Well, here’s some of that more.

First, we have more photos of Salem’s Pumpkinfest. That’s Lily and Iva Barnes at left.

And while we’re at it, let’s go ahead and solicit some Halloween photos, shall we? Surely you’ll take pictures of your little ghouls and goblins, right? You can share those at news@sosalem.com and we’ll post them here through the weekend.

But we have lots of other “more” this week, so here goes:

* The eyes of the nation were on Salem for a few hour Monday and yes, we have more photos from the Sarah Palin rally.  Did you take photos of people from Salem or western Roanoke County while you were there? If so, we’ll still take those at news@sosalem.com. Also, we haven’t gotten any photos yet of Salem people at the Barack Obama rally in Salem, but if anyone has some, we’ll take those, too.

* Corner Bar and Grill opens
* More photos from Red Ribbon Week at Andrew Lewis Middle School
* More photos from Grandparents Night at G.W. Carver Elementary
* Salem school superintendent to visit India
* Photos of the Glenvar Elementary fall festival
* Photo from the masquerade ball at Petticoats and Petit Fours
* Photos of Salem people at Howl-O-Ween
* Photos from the autumn snapshot contest
* Salem’s voting history

AND IN SPORTS . . .
* Photos of the Salem Sabres vs. Botetourt United
* Photos of the Salem Sabres vs. the Radford LadyCats
* Photos of Roanoke College volleyball
* Photos of Salem junior varsity football vs. Hidden Valley
* Photos from the River Ridge District cheerleading competition
* Photos of the Glenvar Blast
* Photos of the Glenvar Sharks
* Photos of Glenvar-Salem rec league football
* Photos of South Salem Pee Wee football

So after seeing all this “more,” are you wondering how you can get your news and photos in So Salem? Easy! You can share at news@sosalem.com.

For more information — including how to advertise and reach more than 90 percent of the households in Salem and western Roanoke County -- see below:

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Laura Tucker sent us this photo of Carson Tucker (aka Batman) & Myah Sowder (aka Minnie Mouse) of Salem giving each other some Halloween Love!

Do you have any cute Halloween photos? If so, send them to us at news@sosalem.com!

Here is a photo of Emily Parkes and George LaMay at the 1800′s Masquerade Ball held at Petticoats & Petit Fours Tea Room in downtown Salem.

In the second photo Molly Parkes (in green) and Mandie Rose of North Carolina are doing a Right Hand Star at the 1800′s Masquerade Ball.

Submitted by: Emily Parkes

Roanoke College Professors, Retirees and Alums Release Recent Books

Dr. Mary Henold, assistant professor of history at Roanoke College, recently published a new book titled Catholic and Feminist: The Surprising History of the American Catholic Feminist Movement. Her book explores that aspect of the feminist movement from the 1960s to the early 1980s and is published by University of North Carolina Press.

Henold reports that Catholic feminists had much in common with their sisters in the larger American feminist movement and that Catholic feminism grew within the church. She illustrates that efforts to reunite faith and feminism reveal both the complex nature of feminist consciousness and the creative potential of religious feminism. Henold’s book was highlighted in the Oct. 3 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education with a summary and picture of the book.

“When people read the book, I hope they will learn about a remarkable group of women who championed a social justice cause against enormous odds,” Henold said. “The book also shows how feminism can be rooted in a woman’s faith, and that faith and feminism are not mutually exclusive.”

Dr. Gerald McDermott, faculty member of Roanoke College’s religion and philosophy department, released The Baker Pocket Guide to World Religions: What Every Christian Needs to Know, published by Baker Books. His book provides short, easy-to-read guides that will help one grasp the central beliefs of the seven major world religions: Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism and Daoism, and Shinto. The guide includes personal testimonials from each religion, sketches of important religious leaders of our day, sidebars explaining details of rituals and traditions and a glossary of key terms. It also includes a chapter dedicated to understanding the impact world religions have on Christian evangelism.

Dr. Janice Saunders, a retired Roanoke College history professor, also released a new book titled Cricket’s Child 1945-1955: How I Learned to Love the Bomb. The narrative explores how the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union changed the lives of ordinary Americans. It is a chronicle about how average people lived their lives, earned a living, suffered diseases and fundamentally thought during one of America’s most pivotal decades. Other issues addressed in the book include the polio epidemic, religious repression, inequalities in gender, social class and race.

Saunders will sign the book at a special event at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 13 at the Roanoke County library on Electric Road in Roanoke. She will give a short talk and sign books during a reception to follow.

Larry Arrington, a 1963 alumnus and retired Roanoke College educator, is writing a series of three books about the College. The first two were recently published by Outskirts Press, Inc. The first was The Dawn of a Sport: Roanoke College’s Track and Field Athletics Program 1895-1930, which discusses Roanoke College’s struggle to begin and sustain track and field and later eliminate the sport in 1930.

The second book in the series, The Bast Boys, tells the story of Homer Bast, a history professor, administrator, counselor and coach who retired after 33 years at Roanoke College and still lives in Salem. Bast loved cross country and track, and at Roanoke, he resurrected both sports, producing the most outstanding athletes in Virginia small-college history. Bast’s athletes became the pride of the College and the envy of opponents. Arrington served as an admissions officer, a dean of men, a teacher and a coach of cross country and track and field – all at Roanoke College.

Thomas D. Mays, a 1990 Roanoke College alumnus and now professor at Humboldt State University in California, wrote Cumberland Blood: Champ Ferguson’s Civil War and was published by Southern Illinois University Press in September. Mays’ book explores the life of Champ Ferguson, one of the most brutal men in the Civil War. He committed various crimes during the war like using it as an excuse to steal, plunder and murder Union civilians and soldiers.

For additional information, call the Roanoke College Public Relations Office at (540) 375-2282.

Roanoke College Celebrates Technology Classrooms

Roanoke College will celebrate the completion of outfitting the College’s classrooms with instructional technology on Thursday, October 30th, at 4:30 p.m. in Miller Hall, Room 113. Made possible in part from a grant from the Arthur Vining Davis foundation, each technology classroom consists of a computer, projection system, VCR/DVD and sound system.

At 5 p.m., Dr. Chris Lee, associate professor of mathematics, will demonstrate how he uses a tablet PC and a classroom response system to engage students in Introductory Calculus courses.

Please call the Public Relations office at (540) 375-2282 if you are interested in covering this event.

Roanoke County police have re-opened the 1600 block of Wildwood Road, following the fatal house fire there .

For more on the story, click here.

Our previous post on the situation was earlier this afternoon.

For a few months, Taylor Powell is trading in some junior year experiences at Glenvar High school to go to China as a teaching assistant. He left on Oct. 7 for the Ningbo Province of China in the Li Ren Kindergarten in Nibo with Donna Chang.

“I guess I’m a little nervous because I’ll be gone for four months and I’ll miss Christmas and New Year’s, but I’ll get to be there for the Chinese New Year, which is exciting,” Powell said in September. In addition to his work with the kindergarten class, he’ll be enrolled for a six credit load in the distance learning program-the high school’s independent learning program, and he’ll also get to do some traveling. He returns February 9, 2009.

So how does a kid from Glenvar end up with an opportunity like this outside of school channels? His mom, Bridget, randomly met the coordinator of the cultural exchange program, Wendy Jyang. They were both attending an educational conference at Brigham University, Utah in August.

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So we’ve got pictures from the Halloween Party at the YMCA and from Pumpkinfest-what about your Halloween haunts? What are you and your friends and family dressing up as?

This spooky photo is of Keely Campbell, a Glenvar High School student, growing in her fangs for Halloween. This photo is courtesy of J.J. Wimmer, taken at the Glenvar Powderpuff game.

Send us your family-friendly pictures to news@sosalem.com and we’ll post ‘em up here! Of course I will be scourging Salem on Halloween night for great photos of costumes, but Halloween celebrations are well underway-and we want your photos, too!!!

Salem YMCA employee Tyrone Dudley.

Little ghouls, goblins, superheroes and princesses got an early start on Halloween at the Salem Family YMCA Halloween Party. The center’s employees and a few grown-ups even dressed up-check out Tyrone Dudley, a true Green Bay Packers fan. Activities director Martha Pinard estimated that 500 to 600 people attended.

The event took place at the back gym/community room, where kids played games for candies and small treats, decorated crafts, and went through a mini-haunted house lit up by black lights. YMCA employees and a few grown-ups even dressed up.

Click here to see more pictures from the event.

The Salem Family YMCA just began the fundraising process for an expansion and renovation slated to break ground in late spring of 2009. Click here to see what ran in the Oct. 24 edition of So Salem.

Did you attend Pumpkinfest? Check out the paparazzi pictures from that event.

Here’s a press release from the city on recent vandalism stopped at the local skate park:

The City of Salem Police Department has rewarded three individuals for their help in stopping vandalism at the city’s Moyer Skate Park. Police Chief James Bryant and Parks and Recreation Department Director, John Shaner, announced today that the three citizens who came forward will split a $500 cash reward.
Back in August, the Skate Park was vandalized by an individual who used spray paint to put graffiti on several pieces of equipment. The information police received from the three tipsters led to an arrest and a conviction.

“It’s refreshing that young people will take it upon themselves to call the police when they see someone violating the law,” says Chief Bryant. “Sometimes today adults don’t even take the time to stop with their busy schedules, and I appreciate the fact that these young people made the right decision.”
The Moyer Skate Park has signs posted on the property letting citizens know that any information that leads to an arrest and conviction of anyone vandalizing the Park will lead to a monetary reward.
“We’re trying to keep a first class facility and the kids are the ones there the most who can really see what’s going on,” says Shaner. “When we can have them helping us, it makes it much easier to maintain the park and keep it nice for everyone.”

The three Salem residents were presented individual checks at the Chief’s office inside the Public Safety Building on Calhoun St. this week.