Beginning June 6, patrons of Roanoke Valley Libraries can check out eBooks for most mobile devices: the IPad, IPod, Sony eReader, most smartphones, and any computer. It’s an interfaced service through a company called Overdrive, and it will provide access to 14,000 classics and a limited number of newer titles.

Here’s how it will work: Patrons download the free software to their device, check out an eBook online with their library card through Overdrive, and the book is accessible on the device (whether it’s online or not) for a certain period of time. Then it simply disappears or auto-deletes from the device.

A press release from the company says that some of the audio eBooks can also be burned to a CD by patrons.

Using eBooks instead of regular books has advantages: no lost/stolen titles, no overdue fines, and they require no storage. There’s a minor catch, though.

“One of the things that we have to caution patrons about – the publishers only let us use the eBooks the same as the regular books – only one person can check it out” at a time said Salem Public Library director Janis Augustine.

The Southwest Virginia Public Libraries system (Montgomery, Floyd, Franklin, Galax, Fries, Grayson … ) launched access to eBooks in January 2009. In Nancy Collins, Salem Library’s research librarian’s research the only problems reported were limited availability of titles or difficulty downloading.

Golf classic winners.

Thanks to everyone for making the “3rd Annual Highlander Golf Classic” Sunday, May 22 a success!

This tournament would not have been a success without all the community support. Another thank you to Clyde Landreth, who helped to get many of the hole sponsors and donations for the tournament and did an excellent job in his second year as tournament director.

The team of Nick Stuart, Aaron Altizer, Travis Campbell and Randy Teel won the tournament with a sixteen under par round of 56. Congratulations and thanks to all 18 teams who participated in the tournament.

A special thanks to all the local businesses that contributed hole sponsors and donations:
Adams Construction, Highland Propane, Western Virginia Land Trust, Saylor, Garbee and Co., CPA’s,  Our Health Magazine, Cherry, Bekaert and Holland L.L.P.,  Salem Red Sox.

Submitted by Rob Campbell, Glenvar High Social Studies teacher and golf coach

Virginia Western Community College’s Alliance for Excellence celebrated its 25th year by honoring the academic achievements of outstanding black students from the college and area high schools on May 10. The Academic Excellence Awards Banquet was hosted by Hollani Davis, news anchor at WDBJ 7, and held at The Anchor of Hope Community Center, High Street Baptist Church.

In honor of its 25 years, the Alliance for Excellence awarded seven scholarships – funded completely by private and community donations – to deserving students. Recipients included:  Virginia Western’s Crystal K.
Basham, Practical Nursing, and Christie Jackson, Administration of Justice; Patrick Henry High School’s Nathalie Balisage and Havyarimana Regina (both will attend Virginia Western) and Gabriela Peregrino (will attend Old Dominion University); and Northside High School’s Courtney Cooper (will attend University of Virginia).

This year’s celebration also marked the establishment of a new scholarship by Brenda Coles, a former Virginia Western student, in memory of her sister.  The Barbara Ann Coles Memorial Scholarship was established to reflect her commitment to the development of students in the Culinary Arts field.  The first recipient of this scholarship was Stephen M. Morris Sr.

There were several Salem High School students honored. The following Salem students received the academic achievement awards (full-time Virginia Western students who have completed at least 30 credit hours and earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher).:

Deja Browner, Scott-Allen Gish, Alana Haskins, Jasmine McWarren, Perpetua Saint Jean, Chanice Trotter, Jerrel Ledbetter

Among the other awards that were presented:

*Academic excellence awards to six full-time Virginia Western students who have completed at least 40 credit hours and earned the highest grade-point average in their academic division.

*Academic achievement awards to 37 full-time Virginia Western students who have completed at least 30 credit hours and earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

*Faculty recognition awards to 19 Virginia Western students who have obstacles to achieve academic success.

*More than 100 high school seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher from Botetourt County, Roanoke City and County, Salem City Schools, and Franklin County.

Submitted by Josh Meyer, Virginia Western Coordinator of Marketing and Strategic Communications

After nearly 28 years with the Salem Police Department, Lt. Jon “Chris” Blomberg, is retiring effective May 31. Blomberg began his career at the department in September of 1983 and during his employment he handled a variety of positions. He worked in patrol and narcotics and at one time he was the youth officer at Salem High School.

Blomberg was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in March of 2004 and spent time in both the services and patrol divisions prior to being promoted to Lieutenant in August 2008. He also hasa long history of serving on the department’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) as both a team member and commander.

“Chris has been a true servant to the citizens of Salem and an asset to this department,” says Jeff Dudley, Salem’s Police Chief. “We all hate to see him leave, but wish him well in his retirement.”

Chris and his wife Ann reside in Roanoke County and have twin sons, Aaron and Adam.

Submitted by Mike Stevens, City of Salem, Communications Director.

Wendell Jones shares this photo gallery from Salem softball playing (and defeating) Christiansburg earlier this week in the River Ridge District tournament.

Salem plays Cave Spring in the championship game tonight at 7 p.m. at Radford University.

Are you going? You can share photos at news@sosalem.com or use the “share” tool at right to upload 10 at a time.

The Glenvar girls soccer team advanced to the championship game of the Three Rivers District tournament but came up one goal short against Radford on Thursday.

Wendell Jones shares this photo gallery of the action.

Do you have photos from tournament action? Or anything else involving things going on around Salem or Glenvar? You can share at news@sosalem.com or use the “share” tool at right to upload 10 at a time.

Garbage collection will be delayed by one day for all routes for the Memorial Day holiday. Please contact the Solid Waste Division at 387-6225 for any questions regarding the collection schedule.
Submitted by www.roanokecountyva.gov

Submitted by VisionPoint Marketing

RALEIGH, N.C. – VisionPoint Marketing has announced that Account Manager Christina Motley received several awards at the 2011 Virginia Press Women, Inc. Communication Contest held at Fredericksburg Hospitality House and Conference Center in Fredericksburg, Va. Motley won first place in individual achievement for the first strategic marketing plan for Piedmont Access to Health Services (PATHS) and first place for a three-part blog series written for Handshake 2.0, a division of Handshake Media, Inc.

Motley also took home the top award in the public service program or campaign category with her “Community Wide Read of Switch” and in the internal program communications or campaign category for her five-year strategic marketing plan for the Danville Regional Foundation. She received third place for her electronic newsletter created for DRF, as well as a third place for a single news release about a DRF-sponsored uranium study. In addition, she received an honorable mention for her education feature specialty articles, “Bullying: A National Epidemic?” and “Life After High School,” published in the Danville Register and Bee, a Media General daily newspaper. The first place entries will compete in the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest in September.

Motley has been a member of Virginia Press Women since 1990 and is also a recent member of the North Carolina Press Club since moving to Raleigh in January.

QUOTES

“We are very proud of Christina’s accomplishments,” said Diane Kuehn, president and CEO. “These awards are characteristic of her expertise in the industry and she is very deserving of these honors.”

Submitted by VisionPoint Marketing

*Motley lives in Salem

The southern route of the 23rd annual Run For the Wall motorcycle ride, a tribute to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, stopped in Salem for a night’s rest and dinner at the Virginia Veteran’s Care Center Thursday, May 26 and left the American Legion building on Apperson bright and early after a breakfast from DAV Honor Guard posts #3 and #14 this morning, Friday, May 27.

Members of the Disabled American Veterans Honor Guard posts #3 and #14 estimated that around 450 riders joined them this time around. It’s the 11th year they’ve served the RFTW riders. They joined forces with the American Legion Roanoke Post 3 when the number of riders outgrew their small facility across the street from the Salem VAMC.

This is the tour’s last stop and motorcyclists’ last chance to join the ride. Some of the riders began Wednesday, May 18 in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Riders that left this morning will join riders from the central route in Washington D.C. later today. Tonight (Friday) there’s a recognition ceremony in a Marymount University parking lot for the RFTW riders. Tomorrow (Saturday) there is a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony, a group photo at the Lincoln Memorial, and according to their plans, “Mission Accomplished” at the Vietnam Memorial Wall will be around 1:30 p.m.

Here’s a link to an interactive view (with a search) of the Vietnam Memorial Wall

How are you honoring Memorial Day during the upcoming three-day-weekend? Send your photos to news@sosalem.com and we’ll post them here.

Read more »

Salem Moose Family Center will be unaveiling two billboards at it’s location at 1409 E. Main in Salem for the Safesurfin foundation on Fri. May 27th 2011 at 4:00PM.

The Safesurfin Foundation is a Non-Profit Organization formed by the Bedford County Sheriffs office to raise awareness for the need of Internet safety and to lobby for mandatory Internet training in public schools throughout The United States.

Erik Estrada (National Spokesman) and 2 U.S. Congressmen; Bob Godlatte and Morgan Griffith, along with Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown and Salem Police Chief Jeff Dudley will be in attendance along with many other dignitaries. The Event is open to the public.

More info on the Safesufin Foundation can be found on their web site www.safesurfin.org.

Submittee by Chris Thomas, Community Service Chairman, Salem Moose Family Center