Amy Hayden shares these photos from Baseball Opening Day 2013.

You can share your photos from rec league action — or anything else around Southwest Roanoke County — at news@swo-co.com or use the “share” button to upload 10 at a time.

She always knew what she wanted to do…. And she got it. Becky Brittain, originally of Southwest County, always dreamed of working in the news, but not just at any news station. Her ultimate goal was to cover news for the White House and that’s exactly what she’s doing. She is a CNN White House Producer, where she covers the daily movements and events of the White House and the entire administration as well as traveling alongside the President in motorcades and Air Force One. She was named to the position in August 2005 but has worked at CNN since 1998. “I knew what I wanted to do early in life. I know that’s not the norm, but it happened in my life,” said Becky.

Becky graduated from Cave Spring High School in 1994, attended Virginia Tech and graduated in 1997 with a double major in Communications and Political Science. Since graduating, Becky has accomplished a lot, but back in February, Becky was asked to do something she’d never done before. She was asked to be the commencement speaker for the Communications Department at Virginia Tech for their graduation on Friday, May 17.  “I’m really honored to go back there and give the speech. I’m looking forward to it… it’s definitely an honor,” said Becky.

I was able to speak to Becky over the phone on Thursday, May 16 before the commencement. I asked her several questions pertaining to her career. You can read the questions and answers below:

Q: Tell me a little bit about how you got started in your career:

A: I interned at CNN while I was in college, my junior year. After college, I moved up here without a job, but then the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke. I was at Fox for six weeks or so and worked as a freelancer. Then, I was given the opportunity to work at CNN. I worked with Larry King as a production assistant and then moved on from there. I worked as an associate producer for Inside Politics. Then started working at the White House in 2005.

Q: What are your various responsibilities in your position as a producer?

A: I follow the President wherever he goes. We are responsible for coordinating the network’s coverage of President Obama by reporting behind the scenes, giving CNN editorial guidance, and coordinating live video shots for CNN’s White House correspondents.

Q: What is it like working alongside the President?

A: It’s a high pressure situation. I’ve done it long enough now that the intensity isn’t as overwhelming. It’s definitely high pressure but I’m used to it now. It’s just kind of normal. It’s certainly a lot of hours and a lot of travel… my life just goes along with what’s going on in the news.

Becky Brittain lives in Alexandria and in her spare time, she is active in her church at First Baptist Church of Alexandria where she serves in various capacities in leadership. She also served as a mentor and tutor through the program Community Club to a DC public school student throughout his high school career from 2001-2007. She was named “Outstanding Recent Alumni” for 2007-2008 from the College of Liberal Arts and Science at Virginia Tech.

D.C. United today announced, in collaboration with Roanoke Star Soccer Club, that its U-23 squad will put on a showcase Roanoke, Va., on June 16 at Dwight Bogle Stadium. The event will feature a clinic for kids ages 7-12 from 2 to 4 p.m. followed by an exhibition game between the Black-and-Red U-23s and Roanoke Star SC. An opportunity for local youth to take the field with top-tier D.C. United U-23 players, the clinic will include interactive elements as well as a photo and autograph session with Jaime Moreno.

“We (Roanoke Star Soccer Club) are very excited to work with D.C. United to offer the opportunity for youth soccer players in SW Virginia to train with an MLS (Major League Soccer) club,” said Roanoke Star Soccer Club Executive Director Danny Beamer. “The Roanoke Star Soccer Club has always offered elite training for youth soccer development and we will continue create partnerships like this in the future.”

“D.C. United Showcase is an important exercise in enhancing our brand in outer rings of our regional footprint,” said D.C. United Chief Marketing Officer Doug Hicks. “We look forward to hosting several of these events each summer, bringing talented young professional prospects, accomplished legends of the club and training opportunities to important markets. Personally, this first showcase is especially meaningful, as United has established a partnership with youth clubs, that I played for and against, by activating a meaningful event in a place I call home.”

All of the details pertaining to the D.C. United Showcase are below:

Event: D.C. United Showcase Event
Location: Dwight Bogle Stadium, 4800 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke, VA
Ages: 7-12 years, male and female
Date: Sunday, June 16
Time: 2-3:30 p.m. (clinic); 5 p.m.(exhibition game vs. Roanoke Star SC)
Price: $10 (Price includes: Registration for one (1) participant for clinic and a game ticket to the June 16 D.C. United U-23 exhibition match vs. Roanoke Star SC. $7.00 (Price includes 1 ticket for the game ONLY and can be purchased by going to www.roanokestar.com)

– Submitted by the Roanoke Star Soccer Club

Cave Spring Knights Drill Team Presents Summer Dance Camp 2013

Featuring the UVA DANCE TEAM

Open to rising 9th – 12th grade girls

Friday June 21, 2013 9 am-4 pm

Penn Forest Worship Center Gym

3735 Chaparral Dr

Price per dancer $75

Bring a sack Lunch!

Drinks provided!

Learn dance technique with the UVA DANCE TEAM!

For more information and to register email: csdrillteam@yahoo.com or call: 892-1179

Submitted by Prina McTigue 

DMV mobile office will be in the parking lot of the South County Library. The handicapped-accessible* full service office-on-wheels is equipped to process all DMV transactions.

Date:
May 20
Time:
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Time Details:
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location:
South County Library
Contact:
(540) 772-7507

Submitted by Roanoke County

On May 21, the Town and Country Garden Club will conduct a Blue Star Memorial dedication ceremony at The Garden Center, 3640 Colonial Ave., Roanoke. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.

Veterans from the Salem Virginia Medical Center and The Virginia Veteran Care Center, as well as local chapters of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and representatives from the Veteran’s Administration are invited. Various elected officials from local, state and federal government, local business leaders and members of national, state, district and local garden clubs have also been invited.

The Blue Star Memorial Program honors all men and women who have served, were serving, or would serve in the armed services of the United States. Since World War I, a Blue Star Banner displayed in the front window of a home told others that a family member was serving in the Armed Forces. Captain Robert B. Quiesser, an Ohio National Guard Veteran of the Mexican Border (1916) is credited with designing the original flag. Also known as the Service Flag, the blue stands for hope and pride. The flag made its appearance again in World War II. On October 17, 1943, Congress authorized the flag as an official design.

National Garden Clubs (called National Council of Garden Club at the time) wanted a suitable means of honoring our service men and women. The group visualized a living memorial to Veterans of World War 11.

This program began with the planting of 1000 Dogwood trees by the New Jersey Council of Garden Club in 1944. National Council of Garden Clubs adopted the Blue Star Memorial Highway Program in 1946 at the annual meeting in New Orleans. The project was named for the blue star in the service flag. The Blue Star Highway system covers thousands of miles across the Continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. In Roanoke, the Blue Star Memorial Marker has been in place at the Margaret Healey Garden adjacent to the O. Winston Link Museum since Veterans’ Day of 2012.

Margeret and Ed Healey, now deceased, were long-standing members of Town and Country Garden Club in Roanoke, and Mrs. Healey was a past-president of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, and served in many other capacities in the local, district and state levels. Mr. Healey served in World War II and was also a member of Town and Country Garden Club in Roanoke.

– Submitted by Jan Taylor

The WVTF/Radio IQ Book Club meets Tuesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at the station’s broadcast center, 3520 Kingsbury Lane, just up the hill from Red Lobster. The club will discuss “Little Bee” by Chris Cleave. Discussion is free, usually lasts an hour, and newcomers are warmly welcomed. For more information, contact the station at 989-8900 or www.wvtf.org.

– Submitted by Joan Bugbee

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

This summer four FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) students from the Roanoke Valley will be traveling to the National FBLA conference in Anaheim, California. In addition to the competitions, students will also visit some popular sites including Disneyland. The students, three of whom are Cave Spring High School and Burton Center students, will be competing for top spots amongst tough competition as the top two from each state is represented. There will be around 7000 students from across the Nation in attendance. Each event is sponsored and monetary prizes in the amount of $1000.00 are given to 1st place winners. We wish all the students the best of luck.

1st Place-Networking Concepts-Ben Culkin (Northside and Burton Center for Arts and Technology)

2nd Place-Management Decision Making Team-Dylan Brucki, Adam Foutz, Evan Gill (Cave Spring High School and Burton Center for Arts and Technology)

From the FBLA website, here is a more information about the organization:

Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association with a quarter million students preparing for careers in business and business-related fields. The association has four divisions:

1.Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) for high school students;

2.FBLA-Middle Level for junior high, middle, and intermediate school students;

3.Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) for postsecondary students; and

4.Professional Division for businesspeople, FBLA-PBL alumni, educators, and parents who support the goals of the association.

You can read more here.

Information from Ginger Cromer

Bring your cards and ds games to battle and trade with other pokemon fans. Grades 2-6.

Date:
May 16
Time:
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location:
South County Library

Submitted by Roanoke County

On April 25th the awards ceremony for The Young Writers and Haiku 2013 Contest sponsored by Roanoke Valley Reading Council was held at the South County Library. Hidden Valley Middle School had five students place in the Short Story Contest. Left to right: 8th grader Matthew Rodgers, 3rd place; 8th grader Morgan Buzzo, 1st place; 8th grader Sierra Bowen, 2nd place; 7th grader Amaya Oswald, 1st place; and 6th grader Sawyer Freeland, 3rd place.

Submitted by Cindy Curbow