Here are the scholarship awards at Salem Merchant’s Association the morning of May 14.

The 2013 Glenvar & Salem High School Scholarship Winners:

Kendall Jenkins, GHS

Alexander Hart, SHS (not pictured)

Bryce Mallette, GHS

Jonathan Orr, SHS

 

 

 

The Tri-M Music Honor Society, the honor society for secondary school music students, announces the chartering of a new chapter at Salem High School in Salem, under the leadership of Kristi Vernon and Chris Wilkes.

The formation of this chapter signifies the school’s recognition of the importance of the arts in the development of a comprehensive educational program. The Tri-M Music Honor Society provides a means of recognizing the efforts and achievements of music students who volunteer their time and share their musical talent with others. Since 1952, almost 5,000 Tri-M chapters have been chartered in the United States and abroad and current membership exceeds 50,000.

The goal of the Tri-M Music Honor Society is to foster greater interest in band, orchestra, and choral performance and to provide more opportunities for personal musical expression. Students are selected for membership in the honor society on the basis of musicianship, scholarship, character, leadership, and service to their school and community. The organization’s high standards serve to challenge students to greater effort and achievement and to encourage them in the pursuit of excellence.

In 1983, the Tri-M Music Honor Society became a program of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. MENC, among the world’s largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. Through membership of more than 75,000 active, retired, and pre-service music teachers, and with 60,000 honor students and supporters, MENC serves millions of students nationwide through activities at all teaching levels, from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC’s activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.

The members of the first Tri-M Music Honor Society at Salem High School are as follows:

Sarah Beamer, Ryan Carroll, Laura Clingenpeel, Sara Counts, Noah Galbreath, Seth Greer, Spnecer Halverson, Deborah Harvey, Isaac Heir, Eunjin Kim, Amy Kuhlmeier, Ashton Ledbetter, Thomas Legg, David Martin, Julie McKnew,, Zach Montgomery, Anthony Patuto, Paris Reinhard, Emily Rieflin, Carleigh Studtmann, Patricia Wertz, Nejai White, and Tayler Wilson.

Officers for 3013-14 are:

• Ryan Carroll: President
• Eunjin Kim: Vice President
• Seth Greer: Secretary
• Tayler Wilson: Treasurer
• Emily Rieflin: Historian

– Submitted by Kristi Vernon

Interested in taking lessons at Green Ridge Recreation Center? Find out if our Red Cross Certified instruction is right for you in a FREE half-hour lesson with our talented swim instructors. Advance registration is required by calling 777-6303. Event runs from 9am to Noon

Submitted by Roanoke County

Roanoke County has just released a revised edition of the Summer 2013 Camp Guide. Included are several new youth programs for ages 3-17, and a new series of golf camps for youth. Printed copies will be available in early May. For more information on camps, call (540) 387-6078 ext. 0.

Roanoke County has more information on summer camps here.

Submitted by Roanoke County

Salem School Division Superintendent, Dr. Alan Seibert, is pleased to announce that Jamie Garst has been recommended to be an assistant principal at Andrew Lewis Middle School. Garst is expected to receive formal approval from the School Board when it convenes for its May 14 meeting. He will fill the void that was created when Chris King was named an assistant principal at Salem High School earlier this spring. Both Garst and King will begin their new jobs on July 1.
“I am very excited to be a part of the Andrew Lewis team and even more excited about building new relationships with the school’s teachers and students,” says Garst. “There are new challenges and opportunities when it comes to working with middle school students, and I’m looking forward to both.”
Garst earned his Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 2003 from Virginia Tech and later acquired his Masters’ degrees in biochemistry and curriculum and instruction from Tech. In addition, this summer he also will secure a Master’s degree in educational leadership from Radford University.
“Mr. Garst is a solid professional in every respect and I know he will be dedicated to the students and staff at ALMS,” says Dr. Forest Jones, Andrew Lewis Principal. “He is an outstanding role model for young people and he will be a great addition to the ALMS family.”
Garst has been teaching chemistry and International Baccalaureate level biology at the high school since 2008. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his work in the classroom, and he has been preparing for his move into administration by actively working as an Administrative Intern at either Salem High School or Christiansburg Elementary since June of 2012. In addition, Garst has been the high school’s varsity baseball coach the past two seasons.
“All of these experiences have prepared me well for this next step in my educational career,” he says. “This is a very exciting opportunity for me and I am extremely honored to be able to work with the Andrew Lewis community.”
For Immediate Release
April 25, 2013
Garst is certainly no stranger to Salem. Growing up, he was a four-year starter in both baseball and football before graduating from Salem High School in 1999. In addition, his earth science teacher at SHS in the ninth grade was none other than Superintendent Seibert.
“As an educator, it is rewarding to see your former students grow, excel and most importantly, give back to their communities,” says Seibert. “And as a parent with three children in Salem City Schools, I am thankful to have role models like Jamie serving our students.”
Garst grew up in the same neighborhood as his wife, Sarah, who is a Glenvar and Virginia Tech graduate. The couple has a young son, Jackson, and another child on the way.

Country music star George Jones has passed away. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, issues this tribute:

“Like many country music fans throughout the United States, I am saddened to learn of the passing of country legend George Jones. I had front-section tickets to see him live on April 20 as a birthday gift from my wife, and hoped to see him at the rescheduled May 9 concert. George Jones’ stirring voice has gone silent, but like hundreds of thousands of fans, I will not stop listening to his albums and CDs.”

The City of Salem has issued information on ticket refunds here.

Congratulations to Stephen Biscotte (Cave Spring High School), Catey Moretz (Oak Grove Elementary School), and Eric Salo (Burton Center for Arts & Technology) on their nomination in the educator category of the 2013 TechNite Awards! View nominees and qualifications for nomination on the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council website.

- Submitted by Avery Eliades, Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech

 

HomeTown Bank is installing an ATM on its property at 852 W. Main Street in Salem, in advance of building a branch office there.

Here’s a release from the bank:

In an effort to better serve the Salem community, HomeTown Bank has expanded its ATM network with a full-service, drive-thru ATM.

The new, 24-hour ATM is operational on HomeTown Bank’s property at 852 W. Main Street in Salem. The ATM is an envelope-free machine that is capable of accepting stacks of bills and checks. With envelope-free deposits, there’s no need for people to fill out a deposit slip — and like any transaction with a teller, people receive an easy-to-read itemized receipt with the details of the deposit in print.

“As a bank dedicated to serving our customers, we’re delighted to better serve the needs of Salem residents. By having this new, state-of-the-art ATM, HomeTown Bank can offer new and existing customers the convenience of HomeTown Bank a little closer to home or work, said Susan Still, President and CEO.”

HomeTown Bank will be hosting a Community Shred event at the ATM site on May 11 to officially celebrate its new Salem presence. Consumers are invited to bring any sensitive documents they would like to shred. The event is free and will be from 11 am – 2 pm and anyone is welcome to attend.

About HomeTown Bank

HomeTown Bank offers a full range of banking services to small and medium-size businesses, real estate investors and developers, private investors, professionals and individuals. The Bank serves the Roanoke and New River Valleys and Smith Mountain Lake through five branches, seven ATMs and a HomeTown Mortgage office. A high level of responsive and personal service coupled with local decision-making is the hallmark of its banking strategy. For more information, please visit www.hometownbankva.com.

Submitted by Home Town Bank

Come join us at First Christian Church on Friday, April 26 for dinner, dessert and a concert!

A spaghetti dinner will begin at 6 p.m.; a concert provided by Revelation will begin at 7 p.m.; and dessert will follow the concert. The cost is donations to support our camp, conference and general assembly.

First Christian Church is located at 712 Front Ave. in Salem.

– Submitted by Jeanette Maxymiv

The Salem Red Sox opened their home season this past weekend and our paparazzi photo crew was there Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the Ultimate Fan contest.

Here are the Salem people who stepped onto the red carpet on Friday:

* Nancy Lynch
* Ryleigh Alleman
* Brooke Rakes
* Benita Coffey
* Eric T., Eric, Aaron, and Adam Gordon
* Melissa Land, Miles Canlas, and Genna Siemon
* John Stover
* Brendan and Sheila Miller
* Savanna Price, Robbie Ferrell, Jr., Robbie Ferrell, Sr., Gabriella Mills, and Stephanie Mills
* Shaun Rambo of Salem and Linda Stanley

But wait, there’s more!

Here are the Salem people who stepped onto the red carpet Saturday:

* Dreama Higgins
* Marie and Emma Fuhrmann
* Bryce Holland
* Olivia Roberts, Kenzie Watkins, Ireland Franklin, and Taylor Suttles
* Brad, Miller, Arch, and Kayleigh Dunn
* Steven Cowling
* Andrew, Jenna, Chris, and Kristen Wilkes
* TJ Taylor and Lindsay Kesler

And here are the Salem people who stepped onto the red carpet Sunday:

* Edward St.Clair
* Jamie and Jason Covery
* Don and Braden Poff
* Jeremy and Brody Chastang
* Ken Schoff
* Thomas Faron
* Andrew, Jennifer, and Sammy Roy
* Alan Clemons and kids
* Carly Francisco and Winsor St.Clair
* James and Margaret Smith
* Debbie Padgett and Richard Padgett

Click through each gallery to see the photos individually or click here to see the photos all at once for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.