From Dwayne Yancey, senior editor for new channels:

Who’s got the best burgers in Salem?

Who’s the best rec league coach in Botetourt County?

What’s the most fun thing that’s happened in southwest Roanoke County in the past year?

Earlier this year, we asked readers in our community news editions those questions and more in our 5th annual Best Of reader polls.

Voting was up across the board; sometimes incredibly so. We had a 69 percent increase in voting in southwest Roanoke County alone, for instance.

This morning, we reveal what readers told us in more than 50 different categories in SWoCo, So Salem and The Botetourt View.

We had a similar “Best Of” reader poll in the New River Valley; those results will go live in The Burgs on May 12.

And the winners are …

Southwest Roanoke County

Salem

Botetourt

BTW, if you subscribe to our eTimes/iPad editions, you have access to all of our community publications.

Find the share tool on the right side of every web page.

As we planned the roanoke.com redesign, one of our goals was to make it as easy as possible for the public to share information with us, no matter if it was a breaking news situation, or they were having a problem with the website, or if they simply wanted to send a letter to the editor.

We hope you find our new share tool (located at the right side of every web page) as helpful as we hoped — it’s meant to be an efficient, one-stop place to submit those examples and more.

When you click on “Share,” you should see a pop-up box with the following menu of choices (also pictured at the bottom of this post):

Submit a calendar listing
Submit a news tip
Submit a photo
Request a correction
Submit a letter to the editor
Submit a commentary
Tell us about a problem with the website
Request a reprint
Schedule a tour of The Roanoke Times
Other

The tool really came in handy during a recent snow storm … it’s how we collected so many wonderful reader photos, including Daphne McDaniel’s gorgeous cardinal photo.

Don’t forget that you can find specific departments, including customer service, advertising and the newsroom, with our catch-all Contact Us page.

Have you used the share tool yet? Please let us know if it worked for you … and if we should add any more options.

If you hover on the Living tab on roanoke.com, you’ll see that one of the secondary topics says CornerShot.

It is one of the most popular features in the paper, yet takes up a small amount of space.

Founded in 2005 by the features team, the CornerShot was meant to be a “bright” — a place to tell short, quirky stories about life. It always ran in the bottom corner of the Extra section front, hence the name.

It has evolved over time. The original ‘Shots were more like little news briefs. But then they started becoming more poetic and personal — poignant observations on the changing of the season or on kids being kids.

A few years ago, we started accepting submissions from readers and have been grateful for the contributions. These little pieces have covered the gamut from recognizing a good Samaritan’s deeds to a funny conversation between two old friends out on a hunt.

Recently, we heard that some people play the CornerShot game. They cover the byline with their thumbs and try to guess who wrote the piece after reading it.  Reporters like to complain (with a smile) that they hear more from readers about their CornerShots than they do on their stories.

In the recent redesign of roanoke.com, you have better access to the CornerShots, which usually run 6 days a week. If you care to submit one yourself, email submissions to extra@roanoke.com. Keep your piece to 200 words or fewer, and please, no poetry. We may edit the piece before publication.

– Kathy Lu, features editor

Submitted by Daphne McDaniel of Blue Ridge

Daphne McDaniel of Blue Ridge shared this gorgeous moment (caption: “Waiting their turn at the feeder”).

An hour after we shared the photo on Facebook,the post had already received more than 200 likes and 100 shares. See another angle from McDaniel on the Botetourt View blog.

If you’d like to showcase your own snow photos, upload with our new share tool here –> http://blogs.roanoke.com/forms/submit-a-photo/.

See the photo gallery of reader-submitted photos.

UPDATE (March 14, 2013): Voting has closed for the “Best Of” reader polls in our community editions. Check back to see the winners on April 19 in The Botetourt View, So Salem and SWoCo; and May 12 in The Burgs.

From Dwayne Yancey, senior editor for new channels:

You’ve only got a couple days left to vote for your favorites in our annual ‘Best Of’ reader polls in our community editions in the New River Valley, Botetourt County, Salem and southwest Roanoke County.

Voting closes at midnight on Sunday, March 10, and we’ll announce the winners on April 19 in The Botetourt View, So Salem and SWoCo; and May 12 in The Burgs.

Vote tallies are running well ahead of last year in each zone, especially New River, where participation has nearly doubled.

You can find the ballots here:

New River Valley

Botetourt

Salem

Southwest Roanoke County

Don’t see a category that fits what you want to vote for? You can always cast a vote in “best thing not on this list.”

A couple of highlights from the Roanoke Times calendar this week …

That’s our own Shoptimist blogger Rebecca Holland (right) and her sister posing with an Easter Bunny.

FUNNY BUNNY PHOTOS: This Easter, we would like to take a trip down memory lane and showcase your funny — or awkward — precious Easter Bunny photos.

If you have photos you would like to share, please email them (at 300 dpi or higher) to
extra@roanoke.com. You also can mail hard copies to Kathy Lu, Easter Bunnies, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, VA 24010.

Please include your full name, hometown, a brief description of who’s in the photo and a phone number for verification purposes.

Photos can be returned upon request.

Deadline for submission: Monday, March 18. Publication date, March 30. Find more information here.

____________________________________________________________________________

DON’T FORGET: The deadline for voting in our popular ‘Best Of’ reader polls is coming up soon: Sunday, March 10, at midnight. Find all four ballots here.

____________________________________________________________________________

Here’s our full calendar:

First-place winner: Gretchen Lewis of Roanoke, who had lost touch with her Valentine, Kelly, for 13 years before reconnecting again.

Congratulations to the winning couples in our “My Valentine” photo essay contest. We received 48 submissions, and the winners were chosen by popular vote.

The first-place winner, Gretchen Lewis and her Valentine Kelly, received a 14-karat chocolate diamond ring provided by contest sponsor Henebry’s Jewelers. Here’s a fun fact: Their friendship grew while watching “Jeopardy!” every evening.

Find all of our winners (and their inspiring stories) here, and read all 48 photo essay entries here.

Thanks for entering … and voting!

From Dwayne Yancey, senior editor for new channels:

What’s the best new thing in the New River Valley?

Or the best place to meet people in Salem?

What about the best restaurant to take the kids in southwest Roanoke County?

Or the best sporting moment in Botetourt County in the past year?

You tell us!

Voting has opened in our annual “Best Of” reader polls in four of our community news editions: The Burgs in the New River Valley, The Botetourt View, So Salem and SWoCo (in southwest Roanoke County.)

You can find the ballots here:

New River Valley

Botetourt

Salem

Southwest Roanoke County

The voting is open through midnight on March 10. We’ll publish the results online and in the print editions of The Botetourt View, So Salem and SWoCo on April 19, and in The Burgs on May 12.

Each one has categories for restaurants, businesses and just general community interest — what’s the best “hidden jewel” in each locality, for instance, is one new category we’ve added.  Don’t see a category for your favorite thing? All of them have the open-ended “best thing not on this list.”

This is the fifth year we’ve had the reader polls in Botetourt, Salem and southwest Roanoke County, and the eighth year in New River. Over that time, we’ve seen exponential increases in voting. In the past five years, the votes have quintupled in New River, and increased by elevenfold and twelvefold in the other zones. Want to promote votes for your business or organization? This year, we have free promotional materials you can download here: roanoke.com/bestof.

Happy voting!

“My Valentine, Shizzy Snarlena, is special and should win because she’s by far the sweetest, most loving and faithful friend I’ve ever had,” writes Melessa R.

So far, we have almost 30 touching tributes to spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends — and even rescue dog Shizzy Snarlena (pictured) — entered in our “My Valentine” photo essay contest.

Upload your photo through Feb. 2 and tell us in 100 words or less why your Valentine is special. Voting begins Feb. 3.

To sweeten the deal, we have more than $2,000 in fabulous jewelry prizes from Henebry’s!

Get started now at roanoke.com/contests

You have two opportunities to share your love for Valentine’s Day in words and pictures:

1. Enter to win the ‘My Valentine’ photo essay contest

Upload a photo and tell us in 100 words or less why your Valentine is special.

You have until Feb. 2 to enter our contest. Voting begins Feb. 3, and the most popular Valentines will win prizes. Look for the winners in the paper and on roanoke.com on Feb. 14.

Find contest details here

2. What do you know about love?

Share your tips on how to make relationships work, for people who have been together for days or decades.

Email extra@roanoke.com by Monday (Jan. 28), or mail Extra, Valentines Day, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, VA 24010

Keep your words of wisdom at fewer than 300 words. Our favorites publish Feb. 10.