Roanoke Times & World News back issues from July 2007:
UNDERGROUND FIRE BURNED FOR DECADES
Jul 01, 2007; ... A careless toss of smoldering leaves in 1962 set into motion theevents that led to the abandonment of the coal-mining town ofCentralia, Pa. The fire raged underground until the late 1970s withlittle outside attention by anyone, including the residents of thetown. The nation's ...
SNIPPETS OF HYPERBOLE
Jul 01, 2007; ... I found myself arguing with this book, literally, from start tofinish. The start: The subtitle is "How America's Most InfluentialGeneration Changed Everything." Most influential? Does that includeour nation's founders? The World War II generation? "ChangedEverything"? Move over, ...
BIG EASY PLANS BUSY SUMMER
Jul 01, 2007; ... New Orleans is getting its groove back this summer, two yearsafter Hurricane Katrina left parts of the Crescent City in ruins.Here are five reasons to visit in the next few months: 1. Essence Festival -- July 5-7 at the Louisiana Superdome. Thelineup includes Mary J. Blige, ...
COMING OF AGE IN ODD CIRCUMSTANCES
Jul 01, 2007; ... Carrie Brown, professor at Sweet Briar College, is an author whosenew works are worth the wait. She does not disappoint, as readerswill agree when they delve into "The Rope Walk." This is a coming-of-age story that unfolds in the life of Alice during the summer ofher 10th year. Think ...
AUDIO BOOK
Jul 01, 2007; ... This is a first-person view of the War on Terror as seen by an NPRreporter stationed in Afghanistan. Sarah Chayes reported on the warand stayed on to help rebuild the country. She saw the vision ofdemocracy slowly throttled by the existing warlord militias and poorchoices by U.S ....
TWO HISTORIES OF THE CONSTITUTION
Jul 01, 2007; ... In 1787, a convention called by Virginians met in Philadelphia tofigure out how to make their new country's government more effective.The result of that meeting was the United States Constitution. Thisnew document would help the United States move beyond the looseconfederation of ...
VAUGHN EXCELLED UNDER RADAR
Jul 01, 2007; ... On the 25th anniversary of Dell Curry's selection as the first Mr.Basketball in Virginia, Julian Vaughn of Oak Hill Academy might bethe first Mr. Basketball not to average double digit scoring. If numbers were what motivated Vaughn, he would have remained atSouth Lakes High School ...
A NEW MERLE NORMAN TO OPEN
Jul 01, 2007; ... Margaret Hart is a connoisseur of health and beauty products. So for years, her trek to Roanoke from her Botetourt County hometo shop at Merle Norman, a cosmetics and skin care store, was herroutine. After her children left home for college, Hart, a retiredradiologic ...
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT
Jul 01, 2007 ... President Bush must be longing for the good old days when he had acomplacent Republican Congress unwilling to challenge even theadministration's most grievous constitutional sins. Instead, Bush is facing waves of subpoenas from a Democraticallycontrolled Congress (with many ...
DEVELOPMENT LEAPS: RESORT SEEKING PERMITS, ZONING
Jul 01, 2007; ... Less than two years ago, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors approved Trey Park's LakeWatch Plantation, a 479-acre development onthe north side of Virginia 122 near Smith Mountain Lake. Now, Park is seeking the government approvals he needs to build a 605-acre development ...
NAMES AND CHANGES
Jul 01, 2007; ... EDUCATION LEON MCCLINTON has been named director of residential life atVirginia Tech. JOHN BEACH has been named director of emergency management atVirginia Tech. LINDA R. BUCY has been named assistant vice president forsponsored programs administration for Virginia ...
HAMLIN RUNNING FOR REAL
Jul 01, 2007; ... By chance, The Who provides the soundtrack for Denny Hamlin'sproclamation. Hamlin, though, doesn't seem to notice the music. Roger Daltrey sings "Baba O'Riley" -- "Teenage Wasteland" as someknow the rock anthem -- while Hamlin stands in his team's haulerspeaking about this year ...
LETTERS
Jul 01, 2007 ... Aquatic center's tab causes jitters During the last two Christiansburg Town Council meetings, budgetand finance issues have been heavy agenda items. One issue that hasbeen predominate has been the funding of the aquatic center. The council is concerned not only with the cost of ...
TIME TO WANDER
Jul 01, 2007; ... Summer has blossomed in Blacksburg. Follow along on a tour of someof its interesting people and places. Whether you're local or justvisiting, plan your own Saturday getaway soon. Gillie's Restaurant As investors and developers transform Blacksburg's street cornersand family ...
AVS BEGIN ROAD TRIP WITH LOSS TO ROCKS
Jul 01, 2007; ... The Salem Avalanche fell in the first of three games withWilmington, 5-3, at Frawley Stadium Saturday night. The Blue Rocks and Avs combined for four triples. Wilmington tapped Brian Bogusevic for two runs in the second. Withone out, Miguel Vega smacked a double to right. Cody ...
COLUMNIST'S OWN DEALINGS WITH SUPERINTENDENT CONTRARY TO TIMES' OPINION
Jul 01, 2007; ... Over these last few months, I've been in the uncomfortableposition of being a columnist for a newspaper whose editorials I'vefound to be more irritating than illuminating. My annoyance began with The Roanoke Times' position -- oropposition -- to our efforts in eastern Montgomery ...
RACE CAR DRIVER LIKES TO STAY BUSY IN RETIREMENT
Jul 01, 2007; ... A fractured sternum and blurred vision resulting from a hardcollision on a race track might lead the reasonably cautious to seekrepose. Hershell Robinette repaired his wrecked car. Such was the 63-year-old Abingdon resident's course of actionafter being released April 30 from ...
GUARDED POSITION: COLLEGE BASKETBALL RECRUITING REPORT
Jul 01, 2007; ... As soon as Sean Singletary removed his name from consideration forthe NBA Draft, one of his former coaches was willing to come clean. "I hoped he would come back," said Jim Phillips, who coachedSingletary at Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, "but some of thatwas selfishness on ...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Jul 01, 2007 ... Finally, Roanoke appears ready for big changes I am an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia and alife-long resident of Roanoke. Like many others my age, I haven'tgiven much thought to Roanoke as a place to return after college tostart a career. Time and again I ...
EXPERT SWIMMER DIVED INTO EVERYTHING
Jul 01, 2007; ... George Bell of Blacksburg died of cancer June 11 and seeminglydidn't waste a minute of his 55 years. A fun-loving extrovert, he was named an All-American swimmer inhigh school, earned a doctoral degree in exercise physiology fromVirginia Tech, owned an aviation company, worked as a ...
DOLLARS & SCENTS
Jul 01, 2007; ... Things happen in Roanoke's Elizabeth Arden logistics center thatcan be sensed in France, or in a military commissary in the Iraqidesert. The work done here is all about fragrances and people who buythem, says Mark Newberry, a Bland County native and Arden's seniorvice president ...
OWNING A STUD DOG CAN BE CHALLENGING, EXPENSIVE
Jul 01, 2007; ... I have a lovely boxer male that I think would make a fantasticstud dog. How do I go about telling people about him? How much shouldI charge? There are one or two things you should consider before deciding touse your dog for stud purposes. First, while most intact male dogs' ...
NEW DIGS FOR OLD BONES
Jul 01, 2007; ... Occasionally, he uses his cane to point to spots on the dinosaur.The knot on its claw-like middle toe. The curved rib that did notheal properly after it was broken. "Maybe he got in a fight," suggests Louis Judson, the museumeducator working this afternoon in his bright blue vest ....
HOW BAD CAN FIRE ANTS BE? REALLY BAD
Jul 01, 2007; ... Hurricanes -- four of them in six weeks -- drove my family out of Florida. But if not for the hurricanes, the ever-present fire antsmight have eventually sent us packing. So I was dismayed to see the front page story in The Roanoke Timeswarning that fire ants are beginning to ...
HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
Jul 01, 2007 ... Following is a list of closings for the Fourth of July: MONTGOMERY COUNTY County government: Closed Wednesday Courts: Closed Wednesday Landfill: Closed Wednesday Libraries: Closed Wednesday BLACKSBURG Town government: Closed ...
GIFTS FOR SHARPENING RHETORICAL SWORDS
Jul 01, 2007; ... Half of 2007 slipped into history yesterday. Half remains,measured day to day on the calendar but without any express promisesof what lies ahead. In his "Examen of Consciousness," Ignatius of Loyola required ofhis Jesuits a daily prayer of thanksgiving for all in their livesthat ...
ANDERSON IS AN ASSET TO MONTGOMERY SCHOOLS
Jul 01, 2007; ... Benjamin Disraeli once wrote, "It is easier to be critical thancorrect." With this quote in mind, I wanted to comment on the June 24Current editorial "Let Anderson's contract expire." In short, I want to correct the editorial staff who authored thispiece in terms of the overall ...
ELLENBOGEN COMES CLOSE, BUT CAN'T EXTEND OPEN TRIP
Jul 01, 2007; ... One-16th of an inch. That's how agonizingly close Blacksburgteenager Courtney Ellenbogen came to making the cut Saturday in the62nd U.S. Women's Open. Needing a birdie on the final hole of her second round Saturday tofinish dead on the 36-hole cut number of 6-over par, ...
JUVENILE INJURED WHEN STRUCK BY PICKUP
Jul 01, 2007; ... A Roanoke juvenile was struck and injured Saturday by a pickuptruck driven by another juvenile, Roanoke County police said. According to Officer K. Wilhelm, the incident occurred about 6:30p.m. in the 2000 block of Loch Haven Drive. "A juvenile driving a truck struck another ...
DEVELOPMENT LEAPS: OBSCURE BRAND OF WATER PARK IN WORKS AT LAKE
Jul 01, 2007; ... For three years, Micah Gaudio searched for a business partnerwilling to take a risk. His goal was simple, but persuading developers to devote 5 acresto an esoteric project proved to be an arduous task. Then Gaudio metLakeWatch Plantation developer Trey Park, and the plan for the ...
FIELD GUIDE TO ... TREATS, VANDALISM AND CROWDS START OFF THE SUMMER
Jul 01, 2007; ... Notes on a summer: Someday I hope to finally learn this lesson: if you go to aplayground in the morning you have to bring a towel to wipe off theslides. Note: An alternative method is to encourage someone else'schild to go down the slide first. Here's a stop you can add to ...
REALTY TRANSFERS
Jul 01, 2007 ... ROANOKE Over $500,000 Bennett, Gary L. and Annette B. Bennett to Schlueter InvestmentsLLC, 710 Ferdinand Ave. SW Roanoke VA 24016, $978,000 05/29/2007. Bennett, Robert G. to Christopher Scherer and Laura S. Scherer,502 Audubon Road Roanoke VA 24014, $725,000 ...
REYNOLDS DQ'D FOR BUMP PASS
Jul 01, 2007; ... Forrest Reynolds crossed the finish line first in Saturday night'sLate Model Stock race at Motor Mile Speedway. Track officials gift-wrapped Davin Scites a first-place finish. In one of the most contested and controversial endings in the 21-year history of the track, Reynolds was ...
HOKIES RESTOCK WITH TOP-FLIGHT CLASS OF RECRUITS: COLLEGE BASKETBALL RECRUITING REPORT
Jul 01, 2007; ... Seth Greenberg sounds like a man who has a secret. "You're going to pick us 11th," said Greenberg, referring to theACC media and its preseason men's basketball poll. "Actually, wecould be picked [No.] 12." Which would be OK with him. "No problem," Greenberg ...
NAACP HOLDS FORUM ON POLICE ENCOUNTERS
Jul 01, 2007; ... Not much good can come of threatening, resisting or running fromthe police. A better approach, a representative of the NAACP told a forumSaturday, would be to do what the officer says, ask for a lawyer andkeep quiet. "Normally, they have a gun and you don't," said Victor ...
TECH'S CHALLENGE THIS FALL WILL BE 'UNANTICIPATED NEEDS'
Jul 01, 2007; ... Tom Brown, a Virginia Tech alum who has worked for the universityfor nearly three decades, was named the school's new dean of studentsin late May. At the time of the April 16 shootings he was senior associate deanof students, and the position he now holds was vacant. Sitting in ...
WOMAN INJURED AFTER EXITING MOVING TRUCK
Jul 01, 2007; ... A Woodlawn woman suffered minor injuries Saturday after she exiteda moving truck, fell and was struck by the vehicle's rear tire,Virginia State Police said. Trooper T.U. Keene said that about 3:15 p.m. a Nissan pickup trucktraveling south on Interstate 77 began to run out of ...
WINNING THE BRITISH AMATEUR CARRIES RESPONSIBILITIES AND REWARDS WHEN YOU'RE ... PLAYING FOR PLEASURE
Jul 01, 2007; ... How much was Drew Weaver's stunning British Amateur triumph worth?Not one dime. That's OK, though, because Weaver is the recipient of plenty ofperfect perks: n An automatic exemption into the July 19-22 British Open atCarnoustie in Scotland. If past form holds true, he will ...
ROYAL TREATMENT
Jul 01, 2007; ... For area schedules, go to the golf section at roanoke.com.VirginiaTech's Drew Weaver picked a fine way to mess up the family vacationplans last week. Competing in the June 18-23 British Amateur Championship, Weaverfigured he'd play a few days before being eliminated, allowing ...
EDWARDS' CAMPAIGN COMING TO ROANOKE
Jul 01, 2007; ... Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will campaign inRoanoke on July 18, with bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley making anappearance. Edwards will speak and Stanley will perform at 7 p.m. in theShaftman Performance Hall at Jefferson Center. Former Georgiacongressman and ...
FOR THE CITY HAS STIRRED COUNCIL UP
Jul 01, 2007; ... A little more than 13 months ago, an outgoing city council votedto demolish Victory Stadium, clearing from the political landscape anissue that for more than a decade defined city elections. Taking seats in the new city council one year ago were threewinning candidates who shot ...
LOOKING BACK
Jul 01, 2007; ... 1997 (10 years ago) n "Eleven Senior Girl Scouts who have been together since thefourth grade received the Gold Award, the highest award in Scouting,at a special ceremony in May at Blacksburg United Methodist Church." n "Within the next month, [Hollins College president ...
GINN IN NEED OF SPONSORS
Jul 01, 2007; ... A Ginn Racing executive fended off questions Saturday that theorganization has financial problems, while saying team officials areevaluating how many cars to field next season. Two of the three Ginn cars arrived this weekend at New HampshireInternational Speedway with no primary ...
CHAMPIONS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Jul 01, 2007 ... Average citizens in the Roanoke and New River valleys have not yetbeen pushed into the far outer fringes to find an affordable home --not in the same way as average citizens in other parts of the state. But as the gap between the cost of housing and what the average,working person ...
HOLLINS STUDENT CROWNED MISS VIRGINIA
Jul 01, 2007; ... Even the thousands of rhinestones that adorned Hannah Kiefer'sblack evening gown didn't outshine her glowing smile during thecrowning moment Saturday night at the Miss Virginia Pageant. "I'm so, so happy," Kiefer said with teary eyes after the pageant."I have big shoes to fill, ...
CORNERSHOT
Jul 01, 2007; ... My father is a nature lover, so he built his Bath County home on aclearing nestled in the woods. When we showed up recently, we foundDad's wife, Kandi, holding her BB gun on the front porch. She explained, as she loaded the gun, that the squirrels justwould not stay off the bird ...
WHERE HAVE ALL THE CANDIDATES GONE?
Jul 01, 2007; ... The novelty has worn off. The New River Valley has becomelamentably blas about democracy. No one, it seems, wants to run foroffice. There will not be much reason to show up at the polls in November.Candidates in three-quarters of local races are running unopposed.Nearly four ...
COLLEGE BASKETBALL PROSPECTS
Jul 01, 2007; ... BOYSTHE NATION'S TOP 40 SENIORS RANK/PLAYER HT. HOMETOWNCOLLEGE CHOICE 1. O.J. Mayo 6-5 Huntington, W.Va. Southern Cal 2. Michael Beasley 6-9 Upper Marlboro, Md. Kansas State 3. Eric Gordon 6-4 Indianapolis...
PULASKI SHOULD CONSIDER REVERSION
Jul 01, 2007 ... There is a dirty word in the lexicon of local government thatparticularly offends elected officials: reversion. That's when a towngives up its charter and folds back into the county. No more towncouncil, no more town property taxes, no more town police. It's adrastic step for dire ...
HEALTHY LIVING Series: Off the Scale - An occasional series
Jul 01, 2007; ... On an early spring afternoon, Morgan Hancock and a group of otherchildren dug shovels into the dry soil of a small garden behind HurtPark Elementary School. After Morgan made a small hole, the 9-year-old in hoop earringsdropped in a potato spud and covered it with soil. Then she ...
OBIT - LIPSCOMBE, ROBERT CASTYLE JR., (BOBBY)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Robert Castyle (Bobby) Lipscombe Jr., of Roanoke, went to be withthe Lord Tuesday June 26, 2007. He is preceded in death by hisparents, Robert C., Sr. and Virginia B. Lipscombe. Mr. Lipscombe wasan avid gardener, a great cook, and enjoyed spending time with hisfamily. He is survived by ...
OBIT - FEINOUR, EMILIE PARNELL
Jul 01, 2007 ... Emilie Parnell Feinour, 90, of Roanoke, a resident of FriendshipHealthcare Center died June 28, 2007. She was born in Allentown, Pa.and graduated from Cedar Crest College in Allentown. She also didextensive graduate work in Education at Montclair State College inMontclair, N.J. She was ...
OBIT - GILLISPIE, THELMA MARIE RATLIFF
Jul 01, 2007 ... Thelma Marie Ratliff Gillispie, 86, of Roanoke went to be with herLord and Savior on Thursday, June 28, 2007. Thelma was born March 22,1921 to the late Marion Elwood Ratliff and Virgie Marie GibsonRatliff. She was also predeceased by her husband, Samuel PaigeGillispie; and a sister, ...
OBIT - ROY, RAYMOND W.
Jul 01, 2007 ... Raymond W. Roy, 81, of Roanoke, passed away on Thursday, June 28,2007. Born in 1925 in Detroit, Mich. to his parents, the late Georgeand Eyvonne Daunais Roy. Mr. Roy served proudly in the United StatesArmy during the WW II Conflict. He lived and worked in Wilmington,Del. area before ...
OBIT - HELFFENSTEIN, FREDERICK JOHN, (FRED)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Frederick J. (Fred) Helffenstein, 86, of Roanoke, passed awayWednesday, June 27, 2007. Mr. Helffenstein retired from Hercules,Inc. and his last assignment was the Radford Army Ammunition Plantwhere he worked from 1968-1990. He was a WW II Army veteran havingserved with the Corps of ...
OBIT - CECIL, CURTIS CLINTON
Jul 01, 2007 ... Curtis Clinton Cecil, 85, of Amsterdam, N.Y., and formerly ofRoanoke, died Thursday, June 28, 2007. Funeral ...
OBIT - HALL, CYNTHIA LEAH, (CINDY)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Cynthia (Cindy) Leah Hall, 34, of Rocky Mount, went to be with theLord Thursday, June 28, 2007 in the host of her family and friendsthat will miss her dearly. Cindy was preceded in death by agrandfather, John Roy Hodges; and uncle, William Lee Hodges.Surviving are her mother, Arlene ...
OBIT - GIANNOLA, FRANK F., (POPS)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Frank F. (Pops) Giannola, 52, of Roanoke, passed away on Thursday,June 28, 2007. Pops was a passionately competitive person, enjoyingmany sports including golf, bowling, and baseball, in which he lovedthe St. Louis Cardinals. Pops loved deeply and enjoyed above all hischildren and ...
OBIT - PRICE, ROBERT C.
Jul 01, 2007 ... Robert C. Price, 75, of Roanoke, Passed away Saturday, ...
OBIT - SAUNDERS, EDWIN DAVID
Jul 01, 2007 ... Edwin David Saunders, 44, of Roanoke, passed away Friday, June 29,2007. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Hammett and LenaSaunders and James and Vivian Secrest. Surviving are his parents,Edwin and Carol Saunders, Roanoke; sister and brother-in-law, Janetand Glen Harris, ...
OBIT - PENTECOST, GOLDIE VIRGINIA SMITH
Jul 01, 2007 ... Goldie Virginia Smith Pentecost, 98, of Roanoke, died ...
OBIT - HATCHER, RALPH OVERTON
Jul 01, 2007 ... Ralph Overton Hatcher, 80, of Bedford, died Friday, June 29, ...
OBIT - JEFFERSON, LAURA BOARD
Jul 01, 2007 ... Laura Board Jefferson, 72, of Roanoke, passed away Friday, ...
OBIT - CROUCH, GUY EDWARD
Jul 01, 2007 ... Guy Edward Crouch, 82 of Thaxton, passed away Thursday, June ...
OBIT - CRAIGHEAD, HATTIE L.
Jul 01, 2007 ... Hattie L. Craighead, 69, of Penhook, Va., passed away on ...