Here's a guide to some of the online extras on The Notebook this week:
* A photo gallery of the Salem Fair by intern Tiffany Gibson; a look at how the fair began; and a gallery of lovely photos by Christine Eaton, who took the picture in today's edition
* Another photo of "Suvivor: Africa star Ethan Zohn speaking at Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi

And more...

Football practice: 8 a.m., Monday August 4, at Salem High School

Volleyball tryouts: 9-11 a.m., Monday August 4, at ALMS in the big gym

Information submitted by Mike Akers.

Tis' the season for competitive recreational softball and baseball, or so it seems! Bailey Wilburn is the catcher for the Inferno 12U team.

The Inferno went 1-1-2 in the Coventry Commonwealth Games. The team will next compete at the Fall Ball Kick-off in Covington. Bailey's mom, Julie, sent us the photos. She writes: "They are a great bunch of girls with an outstanding coach, they just have FUN!!!"

Coach Jim Stepp sent us some more photos of Attack, an AAU baseball team that finished second in the AAU Division I Nationals tournament held in Salem. Click here to see more.

Want to read more about the tournament? Check out our previous blog entry here.

Andrew Butts and Scott Obenshain of Salem both played int the 2008 Andrew Haley Memorial SML Lions Junior Golf Tournament.

Butts was the top putter in his divison and Obenshain finished a close second in the Senior Boys Division.

Photos courtesy of Jim Miller.

Savannah Dobb, of Salem, ran in her first race on July 19 in the Virginia Commonwealth Games at Lord Botetourt. She ran both the 800 meter and 1500 meter races in the 9-10 year old age division. She won the gold medal in both events.

Photo courtesy of Tami Jennings

Here's a link to the story by Pete Dybdahl.

Since its official establishment in 1991, the Salem Farmers' Market has been open from April to December, Mondays through Saturdays. But with slow market days earlier in the week, the city began opening its stalls on Sundays on July 20 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

With four vendors and a little help from market manager Alice Austin and Judy Hough from Planning and Development, customers arrived steadily from around 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Local radio station Q99 provided music. The city is looking into providing some sort of entertainment to draw customers to the market on Sundays, maybe even a gospel choir.

While city planner Melinda Payne emphasized that the extra day is still in the tentative and planning stages, it seems to be an instant success "just based on the feedback that we've had so far." The city is also looking into relaxing the rules a bit on Sundays for craft vendors, as long as stalls remain available for farmers.

Lilly Shell, 11, placed first in the 12-and-under division of the bowling competition in the Coventry Commonwealth Games on Sunday, July 20. The event was held at NRV Superbowl Bowling Center in Christiansburg.

Shell, like her brother Tyler, has been bowling with her dad, Dwayne, since she was strong enough to pick up a bowling ball.

Her parents, Dwayne and Rhonda, sent us this picture along with the news! Has your team, your kids, neighbors, friends, or your puppies placed or participated in a sporting event? Or do you have great pictures of them horsing around? Send them to us at news@sosalem.com or drop them off with me, Miranda Adkins, during my office hours in Salem.

This time, the pictures come from Theresa Grey, the Salem High librarian who headed up the tour along with parents Christy Crotts and Patty Abbott. Click here for the photo gallery.

Travelers included Daniel Crotts, Warren Gardner, Nick Leftwich, LeAnna Minix, David Abbott, Nitya Reddy, Amy McArthur, Sarah Hall, Tristan MacDonald, Liz Arthur, Millie Leach, and Krysti Nelson.

Click here for our last post and more vacation pictures (from Liz Arthur).

You don't have to travel to Europe to send us your vacation pictures (although Fred Campbell also sent us some from there, too)!

Check out these pictures of Green Hill Park from Lusia Linkous.

If you have summer fun pictures, send them to news@sosalem.com -- and if you let us know where you are or where you're going, we'll put you on the Salem Summer '08 Map!

Salem’s Virginia Attack 15U baseball team finished as runner-up at AAU Division I National Tournament. The championships were held Thursday, July 17 at Kiwanis Field.

Eight Salem players are on the team, along with others from Glenvar, Giles, Bedford, Christiansburg, and Botetourt. Three local baseball coaches led the team. Salem’s Jim Stepp was assisted by Christiansburg’s Pete Hudson and Giles’ Bobby Raymond.

Here’s the tournament summary from Coach Stepp:

This was the second AAU National tournament for five of the players, Salem’s Alex Stepp, Jonathan Alabran, Seth Fisher and Zach Harth, along with Christiansburg’s Travis Hudson, who were on a team that won the 2004 AAU National Classic Championship at Disneyworld.

The team was a big underdog after losing its first three pool games of the tournament, which are games played merely for seeding purposes. While some teams placed value on getting a good seed, the Attack chose to place minimal importance on those games and instead focused on the actual double elimination tournament, which began on Monday.
The strategy paid off for the local team, as they were able to keep players and most importantly, pitching, fresh.

Cheri Keller sent this report on two Glenvar girls who brought home gold in twirling:

Junior Megan McConnell, feature twirler at Glenvar High School, and 7th grader Rebecca Keller of Glenvar Middle School competed in the Virginia State Twirling Championships in Richmond on June 21 and 22.

McConnell, an intermediate twirler in the age 13-15 division, received 5th place for her State Solo and received 1st Place for Advanced State Duet with her duet partner, Harlie Dale, feature twirler at Perry McClure High School. Megan also earned 1st place State 2-baton and second place for Super X-Strut beginner level.

Families enjoy the summer sun at the Roanoke River at Green Hill Park. If you have photos of summer vacation or other fun moments, please send them to news@sosalem.com.
Photos courtesy of Luisa Linkous

Seven berners, a Great Pyranees, and an Irish Setter showed up on Saturday, July 19, at Star City Canine Club, for a conformation match and Rally Obedience Course by the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Central Virginia. Members from as far away as Richmond and Danville came to show their support for the growing club, established last year and working to gain accreditation from the AKC and the Bernese Mountain Club Dog of America.

In the conformation match, Laura Gilliam of Danville and her dog, Melody, won best in match. Andrea Stefanac of Richmond and her dog, Chance, won best of opposite sex (second place.) The Bernese Mountain Dogs were the only participants in the conformation (it measures breed characteristics up to AKC standards), but the dogs, and their owners, too, relished in the challenge of the Rally Obedience Course (novice).

Do you like dog shows? From July 30 to August 3, the Mountain Valley Cluster Dog Show comes to the Salem Civic Center.

For more pictures of the rally and conformation, click here.

Our last entry about four-legged friends in Salem is here.

Photo: Carolyn Smith of Salem, leads her half-lab, half-berner through the Rally Obedience Course. He placed third.