Let’s get out of town together! The Friends of the Roanoke County Public Library is sponsoring another exciting bus trip, this year to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.
The motorcoach will depart South County Library at 7 a.m.–come a couple minutes early for doughnuts and coffee!–and will return at 7:30 p.m. A boxed lunch will be provided at the pavilion at the Frontier Culture Museum. Dinner will be on your own at Mrs. Rowe’s Family Restaurant and Bakery in Staunton. Cost is $65 for Friends members and $80 for non-members. Not a member? This is a perfect opportunity to join Friends now to take advantage of the $65 trip fee. Walking is involved, so please wear comfortable shoes.
To register, call 772-7507 by Wednesday, May 9.
Submitted by Roanoke County Public Libraries.
Read on to learn what you’ll enjoy during this day-long excursion: Read more »
Chris Jones submitted this photo of icy Garst Mill Road around REBOS on Sunday. Chris writes, ”During the snow this road was treacherous – I’d say about 10 cars had slid off the road in some fashion. This is a shot of the firemen working on one of the more severe wrecks. The van looks to have slid into the driver’s side of another car – that car is barely seen in the shot but is in the ditch.”
You can share your snow photos at news@swo-co.com or use the “share” tool to upload 10 at a time.
Over the long weekend, Craig, Loren and Aidan Wright drove to High Point, NC, which is just over two hours from Roanoke, to Kersey Valley Zipline.
A zipline consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. There are two tours, “Coach Class and First Class.” Coach is 10 ziplines and approximately two and a half hours and First Class is 14 lines and approximately three and a half hours.
We decided to do the First Class tour. We filled out waivers, took a breathalyser test and headed to “flight school.” There, we were paired up with five other zipliners to make our group of eight. We were suited up in harnesses, gloves and helmets by our “flight crew”, captains Paul and Bryan. They were very knowledgeable, helpful and held our safety as top priority.
After we watched a pre-flight video and our equipment was checked again, we started the climb to our first platform.
“Zip Line Passengers will depart from the ATL tower at 58 feet high looking over the Maize Adventure corn maze area. The sky towers are named after some of the world’s largest flying destinations. There are 14 spans and 17 sky decks on 10 sky towers that make up the course at Kersey Valley Zipline. Distances from 200 to over 800 feet in length up to 100 feet off the ground.”
Our one flight captain, Bryan, zipped to the next platform to catch us, then one by one we were hooked up to the Zipline by Paul and stepped off the platform. I must say, the first step was a bit nerve-wracking! I (Loren) am not the best with heights, however you don’t even notice. Even on the towers, you are always tethered and really have complete trust in your equipment and flight captains. Paul really helped and encouraged me to just take to flight. Off we went!
Once we were close to the next platform, we were given the signal to break, and we did what they taught us to slow down. We were all tethered to the safety lines and were off to the next platform. After that first run, which was a blast, we were all excited to zip again! All nervousness vanished.
If flying through the air is not your thing, Kersey Valley also has a Segway Off Road Tour: “After a 20 minute Skills and Drills hands-on class, you hit the trail following your Segway Authorized Guide over the hills and through the woods for an total time of one and a half hours on the Segway.”
There is a huge cornfield maize the whole family can go in, even dogs! A pumpkin patch, Gem Dig, a Fossil Dig for younger ones, a big bouncy jumpy thing that the kids will love. A new attraction: Kersey Valley Laser Tag this fall.
“Spookywoods will highlight this amazing technology with a Zombie Hunt through our Military Base Camp. We are building arenas like our Urban setting with massive fire explosions and a military base camp and deep wooded playing areas with lots of places to hide.” Right up Aidan’s alley!
This was such a fun day! We can’t wait to go back! They even have a referral program, bring some friends and you can fly free!
Five members of the Penn Forest Worship Center just returned from Operation Outreach – El Salvador. Those who went were Pastor Myron Atkinson, Dr. Mandy Atkinson, Jonah Atkinson, Kathleen Blasiole, and Emily Poff. They flew out of Greensboro on Friday, August 5th and returned home Friday August 12th. The trip had been in the planning for over a year. During this time they raised over $8,000 and collected over $1000.00 worth of medicines & supplies.
The trip was one that made a difference physically, emotionally, and spiritually in the lives of many. While they were there they conducted four medical clinics in the community of Agua Caliente in Chalatenango, at the El Tabernaculo Wesleyan Church in San Salvador, at the Joya Grande School in Apopa and in a refugee settlement in Shafick Handal, Canton El Carmen Pan-American Highway (Cojutepeque). There were over 200 individuals who came to be seen.
They also held two Bible Schools with a combined attendance of over 100 children. They made hundreds of balloon animals -perritos, jirafas, and serpientes as well as espadas. Pastor Myron Atkinson had the privilege of preaching at the El Tabernaculo Wesleyan Church on the topic of “Rising above the challenges of life” based on Acts 16. He also had the honor of teaching over 40 of the churches leaders at their weekly meeting. Dr. Mandy Atkinson spoke on the topic of “Why does God allow suffering” at a Tuesday evening ladies service.
The refugee settlement they visited in Cojutepeque had over 3000 people living in a confined area with no running water, no well, no sewage, and quite substandard housing. Many of the people who Dr. Atkinson saw were severely malnourished. Yet in the mist of the poverty, there was life. Dr. Atkinson saw two patients who were pregnant, and a 90-year-old woman who had no complaints, but just thought she should be checked out. They had an intense desire for a church in their community. A woman who lived there had a small vacant piece of property that she was willing to donate to the Wesleyan church if a church could be started there. There was another lot next to it that was available, which had electricity and a small building on it. The mission team was able to give money so that property could be purchased also. Three days later they held their first church service with 19 people attending. The mission team is now looking into what steps need to be taken to get a well dug in this area and are raising the funds to do it.
It was an excellent trip that won’t be soon forgotten.
Submitted by Myron D. Atkinson, Pastor, Penn Forest Worship Center
The Vintage Street Rodders of America held a Cruise-In at the Holiday Inn Express on Friday, July 22.
Jim Bledsoe and Charlie Thomas share their photos from the night.
The Vintage Street Rodders of America boasts 500 members nationally, with 349 cars; the cars must be from 1948 or earlier. The VSRA originated in Kingsport, Tenn., according to Bledsoe. For this street rodders cruise, the VSRA traveled to Cherokee, Little Switzerland and Mt. Airy in North Carolina and made their way to Roanoke before ending their trip in Waynesboro on Saturday, July 23.
Jack McDaniel of Salem is the local representative. For more information about the Vintage Street Rodders of America, visit them online here.
Beginning Monday, July 18, 2011 a section of Sterling Road (Route 663) in Roanoke County near Back Creek will be closed to through traffic for bridge replacement. The section of Sterling Road to be closed is located approximately 3/4 mile south of the intersection with Route 116.
Detour signs will direct traffic around the closure. Weather permitting, Sterling Road is expected to reopen to traffic by Saturday, July 30, 2011.
For more information:
Sheila Mabry
Northern Construction Area
Salem District
540-387-5491
There are a few spaces left on the upcoming trip to the Town of Pocahnotas, VA where you will tour a coal mine, see inside some historic homes, enjoy lunch and stop by Pinnacle Rock State Park. Join us on this fun day trip for ages 55 and up. The activity is organized by The Roanoke County Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. For more information visit https://prtonline.roanokecountyva.gov/eConnect/Activities/ActivitiesCourseDetails.asp?cid=17966
The Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society is sponsoring an Amtrak trip to Washington, D.C. on April 20, 2011.
We will leave Roanoke by motorcoach and travel to Lynchburg where we will board an Amtrak train for Washington. Our Amtrak journey will deliver us to our nation’s Capital about 11:20 a.m. You will have five and a halr hours of free time to enjoy the sights of Washington. We then board our southbound Amtrak train at 4:50 p.m. for a restful return to Lynchburg. Our motorcoach will then return us to Roanoke.
Prices:
Adults: $115; Seniors (62+): $105; and Youth (under 16): $65. We will depart Roanoke from the west parking lot at the Virginia Museum of Transportation, 303 Norfolk Ave., SW at 5:30 a.m.
Please call 540-774-0611 for details and reservations.
ROANOKE COUNTY, VA (January 26, 2011) –The Friends of the Roanoke County Public Library are hitting the road again with a bus trip to the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, VA on Saturday, March 19. The annual event is billed by organizers as, “the largest gathering of authors, writers, and readers in the Commonwealth, and, indeed, the Mid-Atlantic region.” This year’s festival luminaries include mystery authors Donna Andrews, Rosemary Harris, and Meredith Cole, true crime writers Michael Capuzzo, Gary Noesner, and Douglas Starr, Irish novelist John Connolly, Roanoke’s own Ralph Berrier, Jr., and many more.
Aspiring authors take note: Saturday is also Publishing Day, featuring an Agents Roundtable, presentations on book promotion and publishing, and an opportunity for writers to anonymously submit their work for constructive criticism.
The bus departs Roanoke County Parks and Recreation’s Brambleton Center at 7:15 am and returns at 8:30 pm. The cost is $35.00 per person for members of the Friends of the Library and $45.00 for non-members and includes all admissions fees and transportation costs. This trip is self-guided, allowing participants to set their own itineraries for the day. The festival is centered in downtown Charlottesville’s Omni Hotel, with many shops and eateries within walking distance.
Registration deadline is Friday, March 4. For more information on the Virginia Festival of the Book, visit http://www.vabook.org/index.html. For more information on the bus trip or to register for the trip, please call the Roanoke County Public Library at 772-7507.
Elizabeth Jones is the community journalist for SWoCo and can be reached at 981-3191. You can share your news and photos through the “Share” button below or at news@swo-co.com.
