It’s New Year’s Eve, and we’d love to see and share how you mark the occasion. Send your snapshots to news@sosalem.com.

Thanks for following So Salem this past year.  Happy 2010!

Here are more photos from the Spartans’ play in the tournament at William Byrd High School this week, which they won. These photos by Scott Craig are from Tuesday’s game against Lord Botetourt. You can view them in the slideshow above, or in a gallery view by clicking here.

Earlier today we posted photos sent by Coach DeWayne Harrell. That post can be found by clicking here.

Abby Trenor, Salem High 2006 grad and fourth-year UVA student, is raising funds for the Children’s Tumor Foundation by running a marathon during the Walt Disney Marathon Weekend with the NF Endurance Team on Saturday, January 9. The NF team raises money for research on neurofibromatosis, a debilitating genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow randomly through the body on the nerve sheaths. It occurs in more than one in 3,000 births – more than cystic fibrosis, duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Huntington’s disease combined, according to the website: http://www.active.com/donate/nfdisney2010

“I run all the time, and I figured I might as well do something that I love to help benefit kids,” said Trenor, who researched many run-for-a-cause organizations before choosing the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

She is still soliciting donations for the CTF. Donations can be made via her website: http://www.active.com/donate/nfdisney2010/abbytrenor, or she can be contacted via 540-598-9467 or at akt4q@virginia.edu.

Salem Rotarian Mark Henrickson (left) talks with Blaine Westemeyer of Augustana College following presentation of the 17th Annual Gagliardi Trophy to Westemeyer as the nation’s outstanding football player of the year in NCAA Division III.

A senior, the honoree is an offensive tackle and is the first offensive lineman to receive the honor, which was originated by Henrickson and the Rotary Club of Salem 17 years ago when Henrickson originated the award idea. In his football playing days, Henrickson was also an offensive lineman.

Along with the award goes a $2,500 scholarship to the recipient’s college from the Rotary Club of Salem’s Club Foundation. The trophy was presented at the conclusion of the Rotary Club of Salem’s annual Stagg Bowl participants’ banquet and club meeting Dec. 17 at the Salem Civic Center.

The Stagg Bowl for the NCAA Division III football championship saw University of Wisconsin-Whitewater defeated Mount Union College in the fifth meeting in as many years for the title. The award, sponsored by Jostens, Inc., recognizes excellence in academics, athletics and community service.

Captain of his football team in 2009, Westemeyer is a biochemistry/pre-medicine major with a 3.94 grade point average. The Gagliardi Trophy was first presented in 1993 to the Outstanding Division III college football player of the year by the Jostens Company and the J-Club of Saint John’s University in Minnesota. Since that time, the award has become one of the leading collegiate football awards and is widely recognized as the premier individual award in Division III football,. The award is named for John Gagliardi, head football coach of St. John’s University in Minnesota.

- Photo by Salem Rotarian Earline Orndorff

Annie Lin shares these photos and this account of her experience at the Sarah Palin book signing in Roanoke.

On November 22,2009, about 1,750 people lined up with their books to see Sarah Palin for her bestseller “Going Rogue” signing at Barnes & Noble book store at Valley View Mall in Roanoke, Virginia.

I am one of 1,750 crazy people. I went to there at 7:00pm on November 21,2009. The weather was cold, temperature was 30 degrees.
By Saturday night, more than 500 people camped out in the parking lot. I was 102 the in per 500 line. The earliest person began waiting at 8am, Saturday.

On Saturday at 6am, the bookstore staff began wristbands, you needed to have no more 2 books and receipt from Barnes & Noble book store only, to get a wristband. Then the waiting until 10 am when Palin starts to give her autograph. People came from West Virginia, North Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and beyond…

I received a rare personalized signature with Jerry’s name [her son, Jerry Wu] on the cover page. Jerry couldn’t stand in lines overnight and be there.

In my pictures, I have Palin’s parents there. They stood beside the tour bus to sign books.

Please click the links to see more pictures.

Am I crazy? But I got Jerry’s name on the cover page. I said ” I did all of this for him, but of course also for my life”.

http://www2.wsls.com/sls/news/politics/article/sarah_palin_stops_in_at_the_star_city/63966/

http://www.photoshelter.com/c/shealahcraighead/gallery/2009-11-22-VA-Roanoke/G0000hqHHJLWYpt4/P0000lMKdCzN08e8?_bqO=100&_bqH=eJzLcQ.wLCrPjA_xcPYrrgzNdsqvzDUPTS_2cy.2MjQwN7cyNbCyco_3dLF1NwCCjEIPDy.f8MiCEhO1AJBoAEg0x9c7xbnKz8Ai1ULN3TPe3dHHxzUoEpsmAIHmIWk-&ppg=50

http://www.roanoke.com/photography/slideshows/galleries/1122_palin/gallery.html

A house on Red Lane, during the snow of December 18.

Submitted by Mike Kummer

These are photos of Ethan and Gavin Roberts, enjoying the recent heavy snow fall that hit the area. Gavin is 5 and Ethan is 3.

Submitted by Linda Moore, Gavin and Ethan’s Grandmother.

The Salem boys basketball team played in the Holiday Hoopla tournament at the Salem Civic Center from Monday through Wednesday.  We have a gallery of photos from Tuesday’s match-up against William Fleming, taken by John Wimmer.

You can view them in the slideshow above or in a gallery view by clicking here.

Do you have photos from sports over the holidays? Send them to news@sosalem.com.

Coach DeWayne Harrell sends us these photos of the Spartan girls basketball team winning the Lady Terriers Christmas Classic. They defeated Lord Botetourt 49-40 with a 20-point fourth quarter in the championship game.

To see more photos and to read Roanoke Times’ sports reporter John Montgomery’s story, click here.

Bill Orndorff’s son, Will Ornduff, was caught doing his job as a part of the Department of Conservation and Recreation by a camera chancing by Adam’s Cave in Wildwood Park. Orndorff was repairing the barrier to the cave’s entrance. Reader Nancy Kent of Radford sent in the photo to our somewhat-sister community newspaper, the NRV Current.

Click here to see the pictures.