Santa Claus will be making his rounds on Roanoke Co Tower 9 on Dec. 8 starting at 10 a.m. in the following neighborhoods: starting at Woodbridge, North Beverly Heights, The Highlands, Glenvar East and Cherokee Hills.

If you have a shut-in or a sick child, please contact Mike Glass at 540-380-4412 or 540-798-7656 and we will try to get Santa to them.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

– Submitted by Michael R. Glass, Treasurer, Fort Lewis Volunteer Fire Department

From left, Callie Tuck, Mason Tuck and Salem Police Chief Jeff Dudley / Photo courtesy of Mike Stevens

On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the Salem Police Department recognized Callie Tuck and her son, Mason Tuck, for properly wearing the safety restraints in their vehicle. On May 25, 2012, Tuck and Mason were stopped at a red light in Salem when an inattentive driver failed to stop in time to prevent a rear end collision with their car.

As a result of the collision, Tuck’s vehicle was knocked into a tree that was located in the median. Both Tuck and Mason were injured in the accident, but the severity of their injuries could have been far worse if they had not been utilizing the proper safety restraints. Tuck has her seat belt on and Mason was buckled in his child safety seat that was properly installed.

Salem Police Chief Jeff Dudley thanked Tuck and Mason with a ‘Saved by the Belt’ certifice and some gifts. The Salem Police Department would like to remind everyone that this is an excellent example of the importance of wearing your safety belt and having children properly restrained in motor vehicles.

Submitted by Mike Stevens, City of Salem.

The Salem Church of Christ, 401 W. Main St., will be sponsoring an open house for the community, on Dec. 11 at 11:30 a.m., featuring gospel singer Jane Powell. Ms.Powell has sung with famous artists, such as, Ray Charles, Lou Rawls, and B.J.Thomas. Refreshments will be served immediately following the concert. The facility is handicapped-accessible.

– Submitted by Linda Dimengo

Mike Stevens of the City of Salem shares this announcement about the winter issue of Salem Magazine.

The Glenvar boys basketball season tipped off last night with a road win against James River.

John Wimmer has this photo gallery; click through to see them all. Or you can see all the photos as thumbnails here.

Want to buy any of these photos? You can do that here.

We’re staying open later
We heard you members!  You wanted us to stay open later, so, beginning January 2, the Kirk Family YMCA and Salem Family YMCA will keep their Wellness Center, gym and locker rooms open until 10pm Mon-Thurs.  Kirk’s racquetball courts will also stay open until 10pm. All other hours will remain the same.  It’s our way of ringing in a happy, healthy New Year.

3 Things to be thankful for…
1. THE DRUMSTICK DASH
One nonprofit helping another is what social responsibility is all about; and that’s why the YMCA was proud to support the Rescue Mission’s Drumstick Dash. More than 195 people signed up to “Do the Dash” with fellow Y members–making us the largest non-profit group.

2. HOLIDAY FUN!
Christmas is for kids, and this year we have fun and enriching activities and programs to make their season merry and bright, including: Swimming with Santa, FREE Family Fun Night, Winter Camps and more!  These programs only come once a year.  Learn more.

3. FRIENDS & FAMILY
So that we can all celebrate the holidays and spend time with our friends and family, Our Y branches will close on the following:
Christmas Eve: Closed at 2pm
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve: Closed at 6pm
New Year’s Day: Closed

Winter programs are here!
Registration is now open
Staying active and engaged is important-especially in the winter months when the chilly weather makes outdoor physical activity a little daunting. At the Y you can prevent cabin fever with youth programs like gymnastics, karate, dance, basketball and fencing and healthy living programs like NEW adult dance classes, racquetball lessons, bootcamps, personal training and more.

See all our winter programs here.

Instructional Basketball Association
Teams now forming
The YMCA knows basketball–in fact, we invented it! In the Instructional Basketball Association (IBA), young players get to play in a competitive environment with other league teams outside the Y. We are proud to once again partner with Roanoke Catholic School, High Street Baptist Church, Boys & Girls Clubs and the Inner City Athletic Association to teach young players good sportsmanship and skills that will prepare them for the next level of competition. Teams are now forming: Beginner Co-eds in Grades 2-3, Intermediate Boys in grades 4-5 and Intermediate Girls Grades 4-5. Practices begin Dec 1, and Saturday games start Jan 5.

Submitted by YMCA of Roanoke Valley

Anticipation is building as the 16th Worldwide Candle Lighting December 9, 2012 approaches.  The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause.

As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, creating a virtual wave of light, hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honor the memory of beloved children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious and political boundaries.

Now believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, the Worldwide Candle Lighting, a gift to the bereavement community from The Compassionate Friends, creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. Hundreds of formal candle lighting events are held annually and thousands of informal candle lightings are conducted in homes as families gather in quiet remembrance of children who have died, but will never be forgotten.

Every year you are invited to post a message in the Remembrance Book which will be available at TCF’s national website during the event. Last year in that short one day span, nearly five thousand messages of love were received and posted, originating from every U.S. state plus Washington D.C., every territory, as well as dozens of other countries, with some posts in foreign languages.

Please join us for a Candle Light Memorial in memory of our children who were so very much a part of the holidays during their lives and who are still a part of the holidays even in their absence.

The event is open to the public and is non-denominational; Compassionate Friends welcomes parents, siblings, grandparents, brothers, sisters, other family members and friends. An informal reception will follow with refreshments. The Worldwide Candle Lighting gives bereaved families everywhere the opportunity to remember their child–that their light may always shine!

We invite you to join us on December 9, 2012, at Unity Church of the Roanoke Valley, located at 3300 Green Ridge Rd., N.W. in Roanoke at 6 p.m.

Submitted by Sherry Cameron, The Compassionate Friends.

Former Salem resident Sherry Cameron has been named the new Roanoke Chapter leader of Compassionate Friends.

From the Compassionate Friends Support Group newsletter for Oct.-Dec., written by former Roanoke Chapter leader Michelle Moldenhauer:

Welcome new Chapter Leader Sherry Cameron. I am pleased to announce that beginning Jan. 1, 2012, Sherry Cameron will be our chapter leader and facilitator for the Roanoke Chapter. We first met Sherry back in 2008 in the parking lot near Pizza Den in Salem after talking on the phone several times. She was struggling with the recent, profound loss of her dear son, Andy Cameron, who was just 19 years old.

We talked in my car for a long time. She was trying to find some peace and reassurance that she was not alone and that it wouldn’t always be as painful as it was then. Eventually, she came to our meetings and other activities. So much has changed since those early months, but she has remained dedicated to our group and helping other families.

Her 30 years of nursing experience is evident in her caring approach to life’s challenges, especially her most difficult one–the loss of her son. She has vast work-related experience helping others with loss and post-traumatic stress. Outside her profession, she has honored Andy’s memory and found meaning through involvement in Out of the Darkness suicide prevention fundraising; Steven Ministry training and service and her year as our wonderful TCF card angel. And she recently returned from in-depth chapter leadership training held in Philadelphia.

She’s already busy organizing and planning, has lots of great ideas and is enthusiastic about her new role.

Sherry hosts Tender Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of the month at Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea, located at 17 E. Main St. in Salem.

“The thought behind the meeting was to encourage newly bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents an opportunity to step out in society–a very difficult thing to do after their loss,” Cameron says via email. “I hope this will also be a time that will help folks get through the holiday season.”

The meetings are casual and open to the public.

Community Christmas Store is a 100 percent volunteer-run organization that has been serving the Roanoke Valley since 1993. Each year we accept applications from citizens in Roanoke County, Vinton, Craig and Salem and invite those who qualify to come shop at our store at no charge. The store is setup in a vacant location for two days each December and the shelves are stocked with new household goods, clothing, toys, and food supplies. Each shopper receives a shopping cart and a personal shopper who helps pick out items for the members of his or her family. It is a huge undertaking, and each year we have an anticipated operating budget of at least $60,000.

We are working tirelessly to get this year’s store set up. The location for this year’s store is the former Christian Life International Church, located at 4335 W. Main St. in Salem. The store will be open for our shoppers on Dec. 7 and 8, with an open house taking place on Thursday, Dec. 6.

The CCS volunteers work year-round to collect donations, hold fundraisers and to find a generous building owner willing to donate the use of a building for the store during November and December. We coordinate our efforts with churches, organizations, businesses, schools and individuals. The volunteers shop for goods, assemble shelving and stock and decorate the store. They review applications from potential shoppers, purchasing specifically for the needs, sizes and ages of eligible applicants.

We are currently working to let people know about our drop off hours for donations this year, which can be found below. In addition we would like to share that the open house is on Thursday, Dec. 6, and we’ll be doing the P. Buckley Moss drawing at that time.

Week 1:

Sat., Nov. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tues., Nov. 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thurs., Nov. 29 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Week 2:

Mon., Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tues., Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thurs., Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For general information, call President Kristine Bronnenkant at 540-922-2189. Tax deductible contributions can be mailed to: The Community Christmas Store, P.O. Box 616, Salem, VA 24153. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Pat Ball at 540-725-8730.

Submitted by Michelle Dykstra, The Community Christmas Store.

More than 250 Tennessee Wesleyan College faculty, staff and students, including student Mike Stick of Salem, performed an overall 1,315 hours of service participating in the college’s annual “Day of Service” on Tuesday. Volunteering at 20 different projects throughout the local community, TWC students participating in this year’s “Day of Service” painted, cleaned, planted and organized at community sites from Athens to Etowah.

“These students can make tangible impacts in the communities where they live,” said Mandie Thacker Beeler, TWC director of the center for servant leadership. “For TWC, the annual ‘Day of Service’ is all about making a big difference in our small town.

“This event is a wonderful opportunity for the TWC community to serve the greater Athens and McMinn community. Students really make a huge difference on this day, providing the resources needed to get necessary projects completed that might not otherwise be possible.”

The Center for National and Community Service calculates the national estimate of the dollar value of one volunteer hour to be $21.67. Based on this calculation, TWC made an estimated $28,496.05 economic impact in one day volunteering in the community. Up approximately 100 faculty, staff and students, 6 projects and 560 hours from last year’s inaugural “Day of Service,” this year’s event showed TWC freshmen what the college’s “Learn, Serve, Lead … and Believe” motto truly means.

“It means a lot to me to know that Tennessee Wesleyan, as a leader in the community, makes volunteer work a priority for the college and its students,” said Fallon Stephens, a TWC sophomore majoring in nursing. “There’s no greater feeling than giving back to a community that has given so much to me.”

From painting community buildings to planting trees and doing clean-up duties at Athens Regional Park, the volunteer work performed during this year’s “Day of Service” benefited community members, local ecosystems and even animals placed for adoption at the McMinn Regional Humane Society.

– Submitted by Tennessee Wesleyan College