Here’s your chance to recognize the best rec league coach in Salem.
Or the best teacher.
Or the best bus driver.
Or the best in lots of other categories.
Polls are now open in the 2nd Annual Best of Salem reader poll. Click here to see the survey and cast your votes.
The polls close midnight, March 21 — so you’ve got plenty of time to go round up support for your favorites.
We’ll publish the results in the April 30 issue of So Salem.

The Board of Directors for Richfield Retirement Community is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Rector as President/Chief Operating Officer.

Rector has been with Richfield Retirement Community serving as the Chief Operating Officer since 2003. He received his BS from Virginia Tech and Masters from Lynchburg College. Rector has been in long term care for over twenty years serving as a Long Term Care Administrator, Regional Director of Operations, Long Term Care Consultant and Vice President of Health Services. During his career, Rector has served as Chairman of the Virginia Health Care Association and the Board of Nursing Home Administrators.

Richfield Retirement Community is a not-for-profit retirement community located in Salem offering apartment and cottage living, assisted living, rehabilitation, memory support and nursing care.

For more information about Richfield, visit www.richfieldretirement.com

Submitted by Tanya Woolwine, Executive & Corporate Secretary, Richfield Retirement Community.

State Del. Morgan Griffith’s campaign for Congress became official this morning when the Salem Republican filed as a candidate for the GOP nomination in the 9th Congressional District.

Michael Sluss, state capital reporter for the Roanoke Times, has more on the story.

Salem’s boys basketball team defeated Christiansburg 58-47 Thursday night in Abindgon, advancing to the regional finals Saturday — and also clinching a berth in the state quarterfinals.

Nathan Graybeal shares this photo gallery of the action.

Do you have photos involving teams or players from Salem? You can share at news@sosalem.com.

Photo courtesy of Cindy Lichtenstein

The Salem Rotary Club sang the National Anthem yesterday, Thursday, February 25, to kick off the 2010 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Basketball Championship Tournament (men and women). The club organizes and runs most aspect of the tournament, and all of the proceeds from ticket sales and concessions go back into supporting the charities and scholarship funds they donate to.

Here’s who won yesterday’s games and the schedule for today and through the the weekend:In the ODAC

Women’s Basketball quarterfinals from yesterday, Thursday, Feb 25:
Roanoke won over Lynchburg 88-64
Virginia Wesleyan beat Bridgewater 64-46
Eastern Mennonite won over Randolph Macon 69-64
Washington and Lee beat Guilford 72-66

Today, Friday Feb 26, in the Men’s Basketball quarterfinals:
1 p.m. Bridgewater vs Eastern Mennonite
3 p.m. Hampden-Sydney vs Randolph Macon
6 p.m. Lynchburg vs. Guilford
8 p.m. Washington & Lee vs Virginia Wesleyan

Saturday, Feb 27:
In the semifinals:
1 p.m. (women’s) Roanoke College vs Virginia Wesleyan
3 p.m. (women’s ) Eastern Mennonite vs Washington & Lee
6 p.m. Men’s Semifinals
8 p.m. Men’s Semifinals

Sunday, Feb. 28:
1 p.m. Women’s Final
3 p.m. Men’s Final

From left, Jason Kroeger, Juliette Myers, Bill Figaro

Business Networking International, a local franchise whose goal is to help businesses through networking, donated $5,000 to the Glenvar Middle School PTA. Jason Kroeger, proprietor of the Roanoke Carabbas, helped to raise some of the money when he organized a dinner for parent orientation to GMS on January 25.

“We are extremely grateful for what they have been able to do for us,” said Principal Juliet Myers.

Bill Figaro, a Glenvar parent who is also a partner at Anderson, Foltz & Figaro CPA firm, suggested the idea to Kroeger through BNI. Neil and Paula Frazier, the executive directors of the Southwest Virginia chapter of BNI were on board soon after.

“Basically, Bill let me know there was a need and I wanted to be there,” said Kroeger. While the money was originally raised for a particular project, a new computer lab, the school’s PTA will use it for the general fund and to keep up the Ryan Hutchison scholarship. The fund is used to help students who wouldn’t otherwise afford to go on school trips or for school supplies.

“If people get anything out of the story, it’s that the parents and business community need to step up and help the kids and the community,” said Figaro. He has two graduates of Glenvar High – Joey is a self employed graphic designer and his daughter Kristi is in her second year at Longwood; he has two daughters at GMS, Connie and Maria, and one at GHS, Jenna.

RM Johnson and Sons Jewelers is raffling off a 14K gold heart necklace – and you can’t buy the ticket with cash. Owner Jane Johnson is giving a chance per donation to the Salem Food Pantry that’s brought to her store through the end of March. Donations should be nonperishable and should not be past the expiration date.

It’s a new twist on a promotion that Salem merchants tried before Christmas to encourage people to shop local. The offer didn’t pan out well for the businesses that go round, but Johnson wants to give it another shot.

“I thought well, by goodness, if I’m going to give something away, I want to do it for a good cause,” she said. “A lot of people just think about the food bank over the holidays, and maybe this is a way we can help draw attention to the need that is still there.”

Johnson is challenging other merchants to “take up the torch” for “Shop local, love local” and support a local charity by taking up the cause in a similar fashion for other charities.

The public is invited to attend the Roanoke County Science Fair to be held on Saturday, February 27, 2010 in the gymnasium at William Byrd Middle School, Vinton, Virginia. There will be approximately more than 60 Roanoke County students participating. These students will be coming from five middle and five high schools. Exhibits will be displayed from 11:30a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Awards will be presented in the auditorium at 12:30 p.m.

Thirty high school and 10 middle school winners will be chosen to compete in the Western Virginia Regional Science Fair to be held at Roanoke College on Saturday, March 20, 2010.

Awards at the Western Virginia Regional Science Fair include scholarships from Roanoke College to the Grand Award winners and to each category winner.  Hollins University also will award a large scholarship to the top female Grand Award winner from the Alice Bull Memorial Scholarship Fund.  Virginia Western Community College will award one-year of tuition to the first place winners in each category.  Grand Award winners from this Regional Fair will compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair. The two Grand winners and two sponsors receive a paid trip to San Jose California to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair to be held May 9 – 14, 2010.

For further information, please contact Julian Barnes, Science Coordinator, Roanoke County Public Schools at (540)562-3900 x 10254

Submitted by Chuck Lionberger, Community Relations Specialist.

Jill Deegan and her Bloodhound, Rose.

Gillian “Jill” Deegan, who is an assistant to the Botetourt County Commonwealth’s attorney, is quoted in the New York Times in Monday’s (February 21) edition in an article about how lawmakers across the country are considering creating an animal abuse registry.

You can read more about Deegan in an article about her on the Roanoke College webpage; she’s an alumna.

A great way to turn something that doesn’t mean much to … something that means a lot!

If you have broken, mismatched or unused gold jewelry, please think about donating it to United Way of Roanoke Valley. Our friend Randy Frazier of Salem, who deals in precious metals, has kindly offered – as a service to our cause – to convert any gold we collect into cash: to be used for basic needs in the community.

Just imagine, even a little, tiny, single gold post, multiplied a few (hundred) times, could add up to thousands of dollars to help our neighbors who are suffering.

Please consider taking a peek in your jewelry box to see if there’s something in there that you just don’t need or want anymore – that could do so much good – out of the box! Thank you.

- Linda

P.S. Easy and secure drop-off at any Kroger customer service desk or the UWRV office!

Submitteed by Linda Webb, Director of Development
United Way of Roanoke Valley