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Abby Erdman, a 2011 graduate of Hidden Valley High School, has been inducted into membership in the Radford University Alpha Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon.

Mu Phi Epsilon is an International Professional Music Fraternity whose purposes are the recognition of scholarship and musicianship and the promotion of friendship. Its aims are the advancement of music throughout the world, the promotion of musicianship and scholarship, loyalty to the Alma Mater, and the development of a true bond of friendship. The Fraternity is composed of Collegiate Chapters, Alumni Chapters and Allied Members.

Erdman is a sophomore music/music therapy major at Radford University and sings with the RU Women’s Chorale.

– Submitted by Dawn Tanner Erdman

We’ve got a photo of Robert and Lynn Furrow, at left in photo, of Southwest County with friends, a Salem family Corie and Kyle (mom and dad) with son Adam and twin babies Mallory and Reid at the Salem After Five held Friday, May 18 at the Salem Farmers Market with the band Key West.

Photo by Miranda Beck, special to SwoCo

From the Roanoke County website:

Splash Valley Waterpark opens next Friday, May 25! Save off regular gate admission prices by purchasing a Weekday Splash Pass at the Green Ridge Recreation Center front desk. This 15-punch pass lets you in the park on Mondays through Fridays at a discounted rate.

Passes are $75 for Roanoke County residents and Green Ridge members and $105 for non-County residents who are not Green Ridge members. Punches do not have any age restrictions and may be used to admit entry for your family or friends. Passes expire on September 4, 2012. Call 777-6300 for more information.

Click here for more information.

Jamie Smith of Roanoke has accepted the position of communications specialist for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Salem District Office.  Smith will serve as a media and public affairs contact for a 12-county transportation district in western Virginia and help to carry out a program to communicate VDOT’s activities and policies to a variety of audiences.

Smith brings eight years of experience working in communications to the position.  During her career, she has served as a public information officer for the Fayetteville Police Department in Fayetteville, N.C., a media relations coordinator for the New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C. and a national media relations coordinator for the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  Smith has been employed as a part-time communications specialist for VDOT since February 2011.

Smith holds bachelor’s degrees in public administration and criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration.  All her degrees are from University of North Carolina Pembroke.

She is actively involved at Rosalind Hills Baptist Church where her husband, Brad Smith, is senior pastor.  She and her husband reside in Roanoke with their two children.

Her hobbies include watching movies and reading.

Submitted by VDOT.

Courtesy of the Science Museum of Western Virginia

The Science Museum of Western Virginia, in conjunction with the Roanoke Robotics Club, will present the Second Annual Indoor Robot Parade on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Tanglewood Mall. The event includes a morning robot workshop and an afternoon table-top “Robot Parade” that will be fun for all ages.

The event is part of the Museum’s Second Saturday Science monthly series of public presentations. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the museum will offer a robot workshop. The workshop is open to the public and included with regular museum admission, or free to museum members.

At 2 p.m. the “parade” begins, featuring robot floats constructed and programmed by students of all ages. This portion of the event is free for everyone and is located in the public area of the mall behind A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts. The Robot Parade features fully autonomous robot floats
following the parade route while detecting other robots in front of them, starting, stopping and turning without the help of humans!

For more information about the workshop and parade, including registration information, click here. For more information about the Science Museum of Western Virginia, please visit www.smwv.org, call 540.342.5710, visit the Museum on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Submitted by Carissa South, Science Museum of Western Virginia.

Maureen McCahan Anderson shares these photos and says:

Riding lessons at Just the Spirit Farm on Martin’s Creek Road were broadly expanded recently to include instructions in veterinary care. Each spring, Hurley Ward invites her students and their siblings to participate in her horses’ annual check-ups by Dr. Tanya Hatchett of  Clover Creek Animal Health, in Salem. The children had some very interesting and unusual experiences.

Maureen provided the following captions for the photos:

• Photo 1: Tori Anderson, Molly Gallup and Lenin Lewis lined up with the horses to wait their turns with Dr. Hatchett. Each horse wore a face mask that kept flies away from his eyes. The horses can easily see through the masks.
• Photo 2: Hurley Ward held Chipper while Molly Gallup and Calli Anderson learned how to find the correct blood vessel for collecting blood samples. They enjoyed watching the veins swell, then deflate when they pressed and released the vessels with their fingers. Lab tests on the blood will help determine the general health of each animal.
• Photo 3: Tori Anderson learned how to check Mine’s heart. A normal horse should have 38 to 40 beats per minute when it is resting. A heart rate higher than 60 could indicate a possible problem.
• Photo 4: Ryan Cass assisted as Calli Anderson checked Bunny’s lungs. There were no unusual noises, so Bunny’s lungs were clear. A healthy, resting horse should take 8 to 10 breaths per minute.
• Photo 5: Dr. Hatchett taught Calli Anderson how to take Bunny’s temperature.  Calli later told her parents, “You wouldn’t believe where you have to take a horse’s temperature. They have big teeth, so you can’t put a thermometer in their mouth. But it isn’t as yucky as you would expect.” Some of the children declined this experience.
• Photo 6: With help from Lenin Lewis, Dr. Hatchett examined Willy’s teeth and found them to be in good condition. Mature mares ordinarily have 40 permanent teeth, while male horses usually have 42.
• Photo 7: Chipper needed to have some plaque removed.
• Photo 8: Prior to injecting the vaccine, Tori Anderson had to locate the correct place to insert the needle, push it in, then pull back the plunger and check for blood in order to make sure that she would not inject the solution into a blood vessel instead of the muscle. Dr. Hatchett gently pinched Mine’s skin to distract her from the needle. Dr. Hatchett told the children that her first rule is “Do not poke the doctor!”
• Photo 9: Tori Anderson exclaimed, “I actually gave a horse a shot!”
• Photo 10: Calli Anderson had to follow the same steps when she injected Bunny. She giggled, “I did not poke the vet!”
• Photo 11: After helping take care of the horses, Tori and Calli Anderson participated in some silliness with Yuppy Puppy on Buddy. The girls and the other students truly enjoyed the afternoon with Hurley Ward and Dr. Tanya Hatchett.

From the Roanoke County website:

Did you know that Roanoke County recycling trailers are available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week at our five drop-off sites? Please visit our Recycling Information page for individual site details, including directions.

Click here for more information.

The Google street view car with its roving eye. Photo by Erica Myatt

The Google street view car is making its way around Southwest County this morning.  It was spotted off Buck Mountain Road around 9:45 a.m., then popped up on Starkey Road around 10:30.

Did you see it?  Let us know where!  Drop a comment below.

Join us at Green Ridge for “Egg-stra” special crafts, “Egg-ercizing” and a special visit from the Easter Bunny! Don’t forget to bring your camera to join in the fun.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Submitted by roanokecountyva.gov

Celiac Disease (CD) is a genetically linked autoimmune disorder that affects an estimated 3 million Americans. In people with CD, eating certain types of grain-based products sets off an immune response that causes damage to the small intestine. This, in turn, interferes with the small intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients found in food, leading to malnutrition and a variety of other complications.

Celiac Disease is completely controllable with a few dietary adjustments. So take the next step to getting better and let us help you. Please stop by the Gluten-Free Expo to discuss ways to control Celiac Disease and find resources in Roanoke.

The event is sponsored by Carilion Clinic and Kroger and will feature a variety of local vendors providing cooking demonstrations and samplings of gluten-free food, games for the kids and drawings.

The Expo is free and open to the public

• Location: The Expo will take place inside Tanglewood Mall near A.C. Moore’s entrance, between Stein Mart and Bath and Body Works
• Date: Saturday, April 14, 2012
• Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Special thanks to the following sponsors: Carilion Clinic, Kroger, Barnes & Noble, Pino Gelato, Local Roots and Nature’s Outlet.

Submitted by Tina Renick, RD Clinical Dietitian, Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital.