You’ll find swinging speakeasy jazz with the Hot Sardines; Bach to bluegrass with mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile; gleaming delicate jazz guitar with Bill Frisell; family-friendly flips, tricks, and Ferris wheels with Cirque Mechanics; sweeping, bold, and evocative sounds with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; elegant and electrifying Broadway royalty with Kelli O’Hara; and much more.
Season subscriptions on sale now
Single tickets on sale Thurs., July 31, 10 AM
540-231-5300 | artscenter@vt.edu CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Brandi Witt
nestrealtynrv.com
Born and raised in the New River Valley, I have a deep understanding of our area. With a personable approach, I’m dedicated to making your real estate experience smooth, enjoyable, and stress-free.
I knew from a young age that real estate was my calling. My parents were both realtors, and now I have the joy of sharing this passion with my children, opening doors to new opportunities and adventures every day.
I have a diverse background that enriches my real estate practice. With experience as a paralegal, I bring a keen eye for detail and an understanding of the legal intricacies involved in real estate transactions. Additionally, holding a cosmetology license has honed my skills in personal interaction and client care.
For nearly a decade, I worked as a cosmetologist in downtown Blacksburg, where I built lasting relationships and a strong connection with our community. Meeting new people and helping them find their perfect home is what drives me. Every day is a new adventure, and no two experiences are the same.
In 2018, I moved to Blacksburg for a Master’s program at Virginia Tech. I was not sure where I wanted to land after completing my program, but after spending more time in the New River Valley, it became clear that this was home.
My previous career was in grant writing, which required extensive attention to detail and long hours writing proposals. Now as a real estate agent, I bring that attention
to detail and work ethic to every transaction–keeping my clients’ goals at the forefront of all of my work. While it does not take long for the NRV to feel like home, I understand the challenges and excitement of relocating, which helps me connect with clients moving to the NRV from other places.
Outside of real estate, I enjoy photography and spending time with friends and family. In the warmer months, you can find me at local farmers markets, festivals, hiking and walking trails, and enjoying the beautiful scenery that the NRV has to offer. nestrealtynrv.com
SSince my friend Karen Lawhorn took me walking on parts of the Huckleberry Trail which I had never seen, I have an immense, newfound respect for the Friends of the Huckleberry Trail. Their foresight, diligence and dedication across 34 years have created a phenomenal “15mile paved trail that serves as the spine for a 60-mile paved and natural surface trail system that includes the Coal Mining Heritage Park, McDonald Hollow Trail Network, Gateway Trail, Poverty Creek trail system (think Pandapas) as well as other local systems.” [huckleberrytrail.org]
The group of volunteers, spearheaded initially by local businessman Bill Ellenbogen, has worked with private and public entities to raise money, acquire real estate and construct the trail. Benches, a small restroom, historical markers, bridges, railings, pedestrian overpasses and boardwalks complement the paved trail.
The once-laid RR tracks began carrying coal in 1902 and passengers, including Virginia Tech cadets, two years later. The name Huckleberry Crossing is attributed to the huckleberries picked by passengers when the train stalled. From four daily trains down to one by the 1950s and the final one in 1958, the Huckleberry rails were abandoned. Less than 10 years later, a mile-long nature trail and walking path took shape between the library in Blacksburg and Airport Road. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Speed limit is 15 mph, and e-bikes and e-scooters are permitted, along with bicycles and wheelchairs. No horses. Dogs are permitted on a leash. What struck me the most on my recent walks was being very near two busy towns and more than 30,000 college students and feeling like I might be 100 miles from anything. It was a delightful surprise.
taken way at the complete transformation to marble floors, light, bright, new and shiny everything!
Susan has retired to her home country, and Kadie, with her husband Max, is the new owner. They moved to the New River Valley from North Carolina a couple years ago with two goals: To buy or start a nail salon business and to have access to excellent schools for their children. When I marveled at the stunning interior renovation, Kadie humbly and quietly said: “We spruced it up a little.”
Small business still powers the big economic engines, and I enthusiastically say: “Welcome Kadie and Max ~ to the business community, the school system and the New River Valley!”
And another delightful surprise. I’ve been getting a pedicure occasionally for many years at A Nails and Waxing next to Macado’s in Blacksburg. The Vietnamese proprietor, Susan, has been excellent, though the interior was … ahem … quite outdated and very tired. When I walked in a month ago, my breath was
Joanne Anderson ManagingEditor jmawriter@aol.com
The Digital Doctor: How AI is Transforming Healthcare
Artificial Intelligence? Can we really build minds from silicon and code? Well, yes. Machine learning has revolutionized many industries -- computer programming, transportation, finance, engineering, and even creative pursuits like interior design and graphic design.
ChatGPT— an advanced AI chatbot made available to the public in late 2022 — passed the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam. AI will not just help doctors; it will aid doctors become doctors, revolutionizing education.
With the World Health Organization estimating a shortage of 10 million healthcare workers by 2030, AI is poised to transform the industry at a time when we need it most. AI could save the U.S. healthcare industry up to $360 billion annually and help finally achieve the goal of universal healthcare coverage within the next five years.
Why the healthcare scarcity? Many modern problems are the result of prosperity. More people
Text by Emily Alberts
are living longer, which, when combined with lifestyle choices, results in the increased prevalence of chronic disease. Thus, more patients are emerging just as the bulk of healthcare providers are entering retirement age - the perfect ingredients for a healthcare shortage. Of course, the pandemic did little to help, leading to widespread burnout in the medical field.
Digital Options
Though the pandemic assisted with solidifying the telehealth industry, spurring services like Doctor on Demand for patients, digital interfaces are now being launched to help triage patients, too. According to a 2024 report by the World Economic Forum: “People who are generally healthy can use self-monitoring devices to optimize their mental and physical health, while those with health issues have access to a wide range of digital solutions.” This could potentially decrease readmission
rates by 30% and greatly alleviate the workload of healthcare providers. Using ChatGPT at home to interpret complex MyChart test results also helps patients prepare meaningful questions ahead of their visit.
On the provider side of things, chat-based interfaces like ChatRWD (Chat Real-World Data) are now available for healthcare professionals, demonstrating a high accuracy rate in answering clinical questions. This type of RetrievalAugmented Generation (RAG) incorporates external context beyond the given prompt -- like insurance claims, lab results, wearable device data, doctor’s notes and even patient reported outcomes. Current treatment protocols and real-world clinical registries are also referenced, leading to a return of useful diagnostic answers to more than 58% of questions (compared with 2%-10% for the Language Learning Models, or LLMs, which perform based on prior training).
AI in the Doctor’s Office
Even during day-to-day office visits, doctors use AI for notetaking purposes, asking if patients are okay with having AI open during their chat. This allows them to focus on the patient instead of a screen, and patients are reporting higher satisfaction with the experience. These face-to-face interactions also aid retention, and doctors are more likely to engage with the patient in meaningful ways. Using AI for note taking during surgeries is providing doctors with a higher level of detail than ever before. With AI recording every step of the process in an organized way and ensuring all procedures are followed, physicians have more assurance that nothing is
overlooked.
Another highly valuable contribution made by AI tools is in medical imaging. Algorithms trained on vast datasets can detect anomalies like tumors, fractures or internal bleeding, often more quickly and accurately than human radiologists. These tools analyze X-rays, MRIs and CT scans with remarkable speed and precision.
Machine learning algorithms and deep neural networks are also providing AI-powered EKG/ECG interpretation that is as accurate as that of an expert cardiologist with 30 years of experience. AI can predict arrhythmias, heart defects, sudden cardiac death, stroke, and other cardiovascular abnormalities faster and more accurately than traditional
methods, potentially leading to quicker diagnoses and treatments. Of course, these tools should only be used to augment physician diagnoses, as patients are hesitant to accept purely autonomous diagnoses.
Trusting AI?
A recent study in the UK found that “just 29% of people would trust AI to provide basic health advice.” But overworked healthcare professionals are becoming increasingly reliant on AI to tackle everyday tasks, so regulation of these tools remains vital. At the end of the day, the legal responsibility falls on the clinician, not the robot.
Despite skepticism, there is no doubt that AI technology is saving lives. Everyday wearable devices like
Fitbits are seeing major AI upgrades. There are countless stories of people sitting at home relaxing after a long walk with the dog, a moderate hike, maybe even just sleeping soundly in their bed at night – and suddenly their Fitbit alarm goes off. They view a heart rate reading of 180 bpm. Feeling completely fine, they suspect a Fitbit error but begrudgingly head to the hospital -- just to be safe. Come to find out it was rapid atrial fibrillation -- and their wearable device probably just prevented them from having a stroke, or worse.
When time is of the essence, AI tools can help guide life or death decisions, like whether a patient needs an ambulance or even emergency surgery. By objectively monitoring factors such as mobility, pulse, blood oxygen levels and chest pain – AI has been correct more than 80% of the time when predicting whether a
patient needed to be transferred to a hospital by ambulance.
According to an AI model developed by researchers at Imperial College London, a new AI software is "twice as accurate" as professionals at examining the brain scans of stroke patients. The software is also able to identify the timeframe within which the stroke happened – which can help doctors decide if a patient is eligible for surgical treatment.
Robot Surgery
Deciding whether to do surgery is one thing, and AIassisted machines are helping surgeons perform certain surgeries. Surgery outcomes are better if patients spend less time on the table under anesthetic, so a robot that can perform surgery faster is highly desirable. Microsurgery, hair
restoration and cardiac surgery are examples where human-guided machines help doctors perform surgeries more accurately and efficiently.
AI can perform simple tasks through the robot, such as closing a port site and tying a suture or a knot. AI can even make realtime recommendations. During a colonoscopy, for example, AI software will be able to identify a potential polyp. Predictive AI can see 2030 seconds in the future and give warnings, such as, “Hey, you are about to cut the common bile duct. Do you really want to do that?”
We may not be able to cheat death, but AI is a promising cheatcode that can possibly give us a few extra lives!
Freelance writer Emily K. Alberts has been using em dashes since before ChatGPT was even born, thank you very much!
Seeing Red History, benefits and advancements of red light therapy
Text by Nancy S. Moseley
There's dunking yourself in cold water. There's getting stuck with a bunch of tiny needles. There's climbing naked into a chamber of liquid nitrogen. There's succumbing to a deeply meditative state. There's reiki, aromatherapy, sound "bathing," massage; there's good, ol' fashioned cognitive talk therapy. The choices available to better ourselves are almost as plentiful as the problems that cause us to seek them.
And now ... red light therapy. Thank goodness red light is getting the chance to better its reputation, having historically been associated with the unmentionable parts of town.
Also known as photobiomodulation, red light therapy is exposing your skin to varying wavelengths of red light. The higher wavelengths penetrate the deepest and
warm our bodies from the inside, at a cellular level. When our cells are activated, they create energy (mitochondria) and that energy reinvigorates our cells for repair and top function. Et, voila.
Research and Reality
In the 1960s, an article in the Journal of Biophotonics details Hungarian physician Endre Mester's research with red lasers on rats that led to hair growth and wound healing. In the 1990s, NASA experimented with light therapy in space for plant growth, and in 2002, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) approved the first low-level laser therapy device for medical use. Lauren Colliver of Blacksburg's Renew and Restore Wellness says red light
therapy is what most clients come in for.
The most effective, sanctioned way to seek red light therapy for affiliated ailments is to visit a professional clinic. Chatting with a licensed therapist first about your specific concerns will assure a proper regimen to follow. The treatment can utilize devices that target specific areas, like a mask for your face or a wand for areas like an arthritic knee. Typically, though, red light is administered on a bed, like a tanning bed, for maximum full body exposure. Wall panels, varying in size, are also common.
Regimen
The panels at Renew and Restore Wellness are an FDA-approved medical device and hang above a cushioned table head-to-toe in length. They emit two wavelengths concurrently, 660 nanometers and 880 nanometers. The lower of the two wavelengths treats skin-level conditions such as acne, eczema, rashes, sunburn, wrinkles, psoriasis, poison ivy or scarring. The 880 level is near-infrared and penetrates deeper into the body, reaching that cellular, regenerative level. This benefits those suffering from muscle pain tension, chronic inflammation, arthritis, or even Lyme disease or long covid.
Sessions are generally 20 minutes with a halfway body flip. Clients undress to a point of comfort, understanding that the more skin exposed = better. Eye protector goggles are available.
"You'll notice after 10 minutes that your muscles will just relax. If you have back pain and your muscles are tight and tense from guarding those areas, it really helps to relax those muscles for recovery," Colliver states.
For that reason, athletes – professional and otherwise - prone to intense workout regimens utilize red light therapy to increase circulation and facilitate soft tissue repair. It is also credited with temporary weight loss or "body sculpting" (subtext: Key lifestyle changes still required for a more permanent transformation).
Like most therapies, it's not a one-and-done solution, and it's not curative, Colliver explains. The benefits build up over time. Frequent treatments are meant to help manage uncomfortable symptoms, and how often you go depends on the severity of the condition. While there are numerous at-home red light products, they don't function at the same high wavelengths as those found in clinics; however, they can still be a handy, affordable solution. Colliver's own son had a red light mask he used daily as a teenager to combat chronic acne.
Reality
Today, while light therapy’s popularity and availability is surging, it's still fair to say it's considered non-conventional. Advances in exactly what it can help, like chemotherapy side effects, dementia, hair loss and sleep disorders, are still in diligent research mode.
In 2020, the Jeffery Lab at University College London Institute of Ophthalmology conducted a study in exposing the human eyeball to 670 nanometers of red light for three minutes a week, within the first three minutes of waking up. The results showed a 17-20% improvement in visual acuity, or sharpness, but only in those 40 years of age or older - precisely the age group that stands to benefit the most from increased sharpness.
Once again, red light's reputation is shifting, from hippy-dippy to legit, from raunchy to restorative. For that reason, it's recommended to refrain from calling up and asking for the "red light special." That therapy is best administered as an at-home treatment.
Nancy S. Moseley is a freelance writer who was graciously gifted a free red light sesh for article research. She'll always happily sign up for any therapy that lets her close her eyes for a sustained period of time in a dark room with no one else around. And if it warms away's life wrinkles, bonus.
Finding Your Stride ~
How Local Running Groups Transform Lives and Build Community
Two years ago, Adam Songer could barely run a mile. But this past fall, Lauren Songer cheered with pride for her husband as he crossed the finish line at his first marathon. Lauren, a former high school cross-country runner, had simply been looking for a way to stay active when they first walked into a New River Runners meeting in Giles County. What they discovered was far more than a running club.
The New River Valley region hosts four distinct running clubs, each with its own character but united in making running and walking accessible to everyone. These groups have become vital community hubs, transforming lives and creating connections across Montgomery, Giles and Pulaski counties, extending into southern West Virginia.
The Blacksburg Striders, founded in 1980, is the region's oldest club. For more than four decades, its purpose has remained constant: Providing community involvement and camaraderie for local runners through group events, races, social activities and community service. The Striders strive to create an atmosphere that is equally welcoming to competitive racers and casual joggers. Beyond weekly group runs, they collaborate with Runabout Sports to organize several local races throughout the year, creating opportunities for all levels to challenge themselves in a supportive environment. In addition, they donate both money and volunteer time to local community groups, including the Poverty Creek Trails Coalition, New
Text by Alicia Lane
Photos by Nathan Cooke
River Land Trust, and Blacksburg High School track and cross-country teams.
When Morgan Corl, Jonathan Roberts and Sara Yun founded the Christiansburg Run Club in January 2020, they believed their town needed an inclusive place to walk and run together. Their vision proved right. The club has become a welcoming space where people show up to run at all paces, walk with their dogs or push little ones in strollers. As they put it: It's "never truly about running — it's about making friends, moving together and creating a tight community."
Joshua Soloway embodies this philosophy. After discovering the club while recovering from back surgery, he went from being the slowest runner to completing his first 5K and walking a half marathon. More importantly, he found a supportive group that's become a highlight of his
week. "I cannot think of a way in which Christiansburg Run Club hasn't changed my life," he says.
As the region's newest club, New River Runners has brought fresh energy to Giles County since 2023. Founded to connect neighbors through fitness while showcasing the area's natural beauty, the group traces scenic routes along the New River and Wolf Creek. What started as weekly runs have evolved into something deeper — genuine friendships, group races and litter cleanups along their favorite trails. This community spirit will culminate in their inaugural Wolf Creek Runs Wild 5K and 10K this October, with all proceeds benefiting Mill Creek Nature Park improvements. It's proof that running groups can spark meaningful change beyond the finish line.
The Southern West Virginia Road Runners Club (SWVRRC) extends the running community across state
lines, uniting runners throughout the "two Virginias" area. While the club hosts occasional group runs, their real strength lies in showing up for one another at regional races, something they do most weekends during race season.
Donna Akers of Narrows embodies this supportive spirit. She started power walking and running when she was 32. Now, 44 years later, Donna has competed in 923 races with her sights set on 1,000. Her presence at nearly every regional race exemplifies how the club fuels lifelong passions and proves it's never too late to find your stride, walking or running.
What makes these clubs special is their welcoming nature and diverse offerings for runners of all levels. They've become essential social outlets, particularly in rural areas, extending beyond running to include gym workouts, hiking, biking, birthday celebrations and social gatherings at local coffee shops and breweries.
As people seek meaningful connections, these running groups prove that fitness doesn't have to be solitary and that community building happens one step at a time. They create spaces where everyone belongs, regardless of pace or distance.
Alicia Lane channels her passion for community building through her roles on the Narrows town council, as race director for Wolf Creek Runs Wild, and as founder of New River Runners, where she brings people together through outdoor recreation.
Local Running Groups
• Group Runs:
o 5:30 p.m. Monday – Run/walk from the Blacksburg Farmers Market
o 6 p.m. Wednesday – Runabout Sports Pub Run at 1470 South Main St.
o Informal meetups for track workouts and trail runs
• Race: Blacksburg Classic in February and the Runabout Sports Races Series
• For more information join the Blacksburg Striders Facebook Group or go to blacksburgstriders.com
Christiansburg Run Club
• Group runs:
o Tuesday evenings in the summer at Radford University for track workouts
o Thursday evenings at Montgomery County Courthouse/Iron Tree Brewing
• For more information go to christiansburgrunclub.com.
New River Runners
• Group runs:
o Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings at the Narrows Community Center
• Race:
o Wolf Creek Runs Wild 5K and 10K on October 18 (wolfcreekrunswild.com)
• For more information visit newriverrunners.com
Southern West Virginia Road Runners Club
• Group runs:
o Ad-hoc group runs
• Races:
o John Cox Memorial 5K at Concord University in July
o Pipestem Pumpkin 5K/10K in October
• For more information search for Southern West Virginia Road Runners on RunSignUp
Blacksburg Striders
A House in Progress, A View in Peacefulness
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
One might credit the tiny house movement with a new minimalist lifestyle, but the Scandinavians have embraced, elevated and perfected the small, sleek essentials for cozy living for millennia. Finland has been settled since the Ice Age, and lived under Swedish and Russian rule at different times until its independence in 1917. The Republic of Finland embraces nearly 120,000 square miles, 2,760 miles of coast line on the Baltic Sea and more than 50,000 islands. Population hovers around 5.6 million.
The average Finnish house is 850-880 square
feet, compared to 2,200-2,430 square feet in the U.S. The cultural connection with nature is very strong, and they value efficiency, light and function over clutter, collections or chaos.
Husband and wife Edward and Sari Becker moved to the New River Valley in 2016 from her native Finland, intent on designing and building a house that embraces Scandinavian simplicity and sophistication. “We wanted to live in town near public transit so we could take the bus and/or ride bikes to work, the farmer’s market and on the Huckleberry Trail,” Becker explains.
Photos by Tom and Christy Wallace
Creative Vision
Jeremy Hart of Nest Realty showed them a .67 acre corner lot in Blacksburg which had been on the market quite a while. That could be explained quite simply by the steep slope, overgrown jungle look, and odd proportions, along with a very constrained building site. When you combine the amazing view - Becker being an architect and Sari a native Finn - with their creative vision, the unusual parcel appealed to them. Edward is an associate professor in the College of Architecture, Arts and Design at Virginia Tech. Sari is a nurse, and they are parents of a toddler.
“There was only one small, level spot that would capture the view,” Becker relates, “and it would have to be a 20 x 50-foot rectangular footprint going vertical. The higher we go, the more the view opens up, but being a corner lot, the height was more constrained by building code than down the street.”
Three floors would be too high, so the as-yet unfinished basement and two floors comprise the living spaces, but not quite.
“We could have a rooftop garden and outdoor living patio, which adds around 30% more family and entertaining space,” Sari relates.
“We planted our first flowers and vegetables this spring and furnished it for relaxing and entertaining.”
Stunning Vista
Walking up to the wood front door of this white boxy home in no way prepares you for the inside. Possibly the tiniest half bath ever is over to the right [think Finnish functional], but more likely the view straight ahead propels you forward. A wall of glass --- not windows, mind you, but a solid glass wall --offers a sensational view. This open floor accommodates an all-white interior with one sleek, modern
galley kitchen, dining area and living room. Remember, we are inside a 20 x 50-foot space.
The stairwell rises gracefully along the north wall with a line of sight to the first floor. Skylights above keep the climb light and bright. Two bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor provide sleeping quarters, for those who can sleep in a master bedroom with yet another wall of glass, though there is a real nonglass wall in the middle, occupying less than 50% of the exterior wall. Since it faces east, Sari says they are considering some window coverings. The showers are encased in more glass, making everything seem more spacious than the square feet would indicate. Recessed bookcases offer small nooks for books and a few decorative accent pieces.
“The staircase to the rooftop is lightly whitewashed pine, based on the lime-washing stairs frequently found in Scandinavian residential architecture,” Edward notes. “The lime wash is an ancient technique where lime is scrubbed into the flooring to help preserve it and brighten the home during long, dark winters.”
This rooftop is an extraordinarily magical place. Flower beds and vegetables growing share space with tables and chairs to sit, play games, relax, eat, drink, and … indeed … be merry. The spectacular view is even larger up here, and the fresh air and treehouse-like environment are enchanting.
The view box, as Edward calls their home, remains unfinished. A guest suite and indoor playroom are planned for the lowest level, which still encompasses the natural wonder to the east.
Uncompromising quality meshes perfectly with the cool elegance and refined sophistication for which purely practical Scandinavian design is known and cherished. Nature and beauty are fused with a light, bright interior that cannot help but keep spirits high and life simple. The entire home evokes serenity and harmony with Mother Nature and her ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors, moods and seasons.
Backyard Summer Fun creative play for kids outdoors
Text by Emily Alberts
With modern day luxuries like air conditioning, the internet and streaming services, it can be difficult convincing kids to put their screens away and play outside during a hot summer day. While simple joys like riding bikes or heading to a nearby pond to fish are timeless, adventure also awaits right in your own backyard.
For kids under 10, a swing set is a great way to get some exercise, catch a summer breeze, and host endless creative games. Add monkey bars and a slide for some serious fun. A platform can become the neighborhood clubhouse for the summer. Put a bucket on a pulley so you can send up lemonade while they are hashing out club rules and roles. If you don’t want to invest in an entire treehouse or jungle gym, string up a swing or two beneath your deck or from a sturdy tree limb. Just be sure to use the correct weight for max *working* load and check the ropes at least once a year to make sure they are secure and not fraying.
Set up a simple camping tent in the yard to serve as a clubhouse and toss a few toys inside.
Kids love to dig. A sandbox is one of the easier things to DIY on the cheap. Use cedar fence posts to keep pests away, and you’ll have fewer cuts to make. Add toy construction trucks, a few different size buckets, and old kitchen utensils. Old pie tins are fun to make creative “pies” with, just fill with wet sand and make fork-fluted edges and other neat patterns. A water table nearby helps keep the sand wet enough to use for castles, too.
Bouncing Some Summer Days Away
A trampoline is an excellent investment. “We just replaced our 10-year-old trampoline, even though our kids are grown, because they still love hanging out on it when friends come over,” says Tina Lee, Blacksburg mom of two.
Together We Can Achieve More.
We’ve Expanded Our Membership.
Our guiding principle is serving our members.
Celco Community CU is growing, now you can become part of our family. If you LIVE, WORK, WORSHIP, or ATTEND SCHOOL in Bland, Craig, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, or Wythe counties, Virginia; or Mercer, Monroe, or Summers counties, West Virginia; or Radford City, Virginia, you can open a membership with our credit union.
Celco Community CU has been growing with our members since 1956 We provide a wide range of loan products, including personal, auto, camper, boat, mortgages and home equity loans to meet the diverse needs of our members.
Plus, Checking, Savings and Online / Mobile Banking!
More Water Excitement
Trampolines are a great place to have a family campout in the backyard. String firefly lights around the outside of it for nighttime hangouts and create a super cool spot to stargaze.
Rebounding is also all the rage, and who doesn’t love bouncing? It’s a great way to get the wiggles out. A NASA study determined that “10 minutes of jumping on a trampoline can be equivalent to a 30-minute run -- in terms of cardiovascular benefits and calorie burn.” It’s low impact and great for the lymphatic system. Make sure to get one with a net enclosure for safety. Dogs will even sneak onto the trampoline for an occasional bouncing sesh if there is a ladder out for them!
If the weather gets unbearably hot you can easily turn the trampoline into a slip n’ slide with a garden hose and some dish soap! A large black tarp can make an epic slip n’ slide where many kids can go at once, but as with all slip n’ slides, the ending can be rough if you wind up in the grass. Investing in a proper setup with water at the end and an inflatable bumper can make all the difference. A “crazy hose” is super fun for its unpredictable spraying pattern. Kids can take turns trying to run across without getting soaked --- and your lawn gets watered, too. Splash pads are available, and their water sprayers hook up to a garden hose. The pad itself fills with a few inches of water so kids can squirm around without getting itchy from the grass.
Do not discount the idea of a simple steel-framed above-ground pool. For under $500, kids can splash all summer long. Throw in some syringe-style water guns (the plastic guns break too easily and are annoying to refill in the heat of a battle) and a few noodles and floaties. “We strategically placed the pool right next to the deck, so I can keep an eye on things from my lounge chair while the kids are out there doing cannonballs until it’s time for lunch!” says Amy Reynolds, who admits she went a little longer than suggested before adding chemicals, but no one got sick thankfully.
Be prepared if there is a cold snap or an ice storm during winter and a subsequent power outage. The pool motor may inadvertently cut off and the pool may freeze and develop cracks. An inflatable water park/slide could be a better choice for kids under 12.
Reusable water balloons are a new trend gaining popularity. They are super easy to fill, and there is no mess to clean up. They are a cool sensory experience as well. And, of course, a bubble machine and a JBL speaker can turn any normal summer day into a party!
Emily K. Alberts loves seeing the creative games her kids come up with to entertain themselves during summer. Nerf guns bullets outfitted with toothpicks to pop balloons pinned to the tops of their hats was an all-time favorite. Safety gear was an absolute necessity.
Cap, Gown and Two Diplomas for one high school senior, college came first
It all started with senioritis. No, no, not the AARP kind, the kind that plagues graduating high school seniors toward the end of their grade school tenure, when the pencils are dull, the books are boring and the teachers' dirty looks are, sadly, dismissible.
In 1955, the University of Connecticut, seeing an increasing number of freshmen coming illprepared to their opening collegiate year, interpreted senioritis as a higher education problem to solve, not something high school administration needed to fix. UConn's then Provost Albert Waugh, believed if seniors could enroll in more challenging, rigorous coursework while still in high school, the
prevalent disinterest in learning would, at least, be postponed. Thus, dual enrollment was born.
In execution, dual enrollment is the opportunity to take (and ideally, pass) one class and have the credit(s) count toward both a high school diploma and a college degree or certificate. In 1999, as more and more institutions were buying into the concept as a marvelous idea, the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) was founded. Quoting from nacep.org, it is "the only national organization supporting programs, practitioners and policy to advance concurrent and dual enrollment programs."
College Commencement First
Raigen Clark of Narrows took advantage of such a program locally. And — wait for it — she graduated from New River Community College on May 14, 2025, with an associate's degree in general studies, before she graduated from Narrows High School on May 30, 2025. The two fell ceremoniously, and coincidently, in flipflopped order.
"I first realized I could graduate from NRCC before high school when playing a rival my junior year in a tennis match. She couldn't come to a scheduled match because she was
Text by Nancy S. Moseley | Photos courtesy of the Clark family
going to walk at their local community college's commencement. I decided then that I wanted to make this my goal," Clark explains.
While the opportunity to take college-level courses in high school isn't new, the choices can be limited. As a rising junior, Clark only had two online history courses and two in-person English classes to choose from. If there was interest in adding more classes, a student would have to enroll in them independently and pay for them.
"The biggest challenge for me was figuring out how I was going to be able to do it," she says, referring to extracurricular interests like scouts, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cheerleading, softball and track.
With her self-appointed finish line in mind, Clark worked diligently on an enrollment plan for her final two years of high school with NRCC advisors, the Giles High School principal and the Narrows High School counselor and principal, along with a close family friend who serves on the school board. During her junior and senior years, she took 11 online classes and 10 in-person classes at NRCC, alongside a full-time curriculum at NHS. On top of that, during her senior year she rounded out her diploma with concurrent classes at Giles High. All coursework earned an impressively high passing score.
Benefits and Challenges
There are numerous benefits to dual enrollment, namely the early exposure to college life, interacting with professors, learning alongside older students, and taking complete ownership of scholarly input for the first time. The independence to dabble in a variety of coursework, in a more financially-controlled environment, can help dampen costly indecision later (i.e., well-used change major forms).
However, the biggest pro can also be the most challenging con. It takes a confident amount of selfawareness to understand whether the "kill two birds with one stone"
approach to education is the right route. Frontloading the last year or two of high school with additional academic responsibilities can be very stressful. Time away from beloved, familiar social circles might feel isolating and trigger a good case of FOMO (fear of missing out). Dual enrollment requires immaculate time management skills and the ability to balance homework, friends, family, extracurriculars, and, often, employment.
Clark hopes to continue her education with a bachelor's degree from University of Alabama's public health program. She is planning to follow that with the long game to attend medical school and become a dermatologist or a dermatologist's physician's assistant.
"Getting an associate’s degree is a great opportunity while in high
school for so many reasons,” she offers. “Why not knock it out as early as possible? Or if you are going to attend a 4-year university, it’s great to be able to transfer credits and lessen the time you spend working toward another degree. This can be a great way to save money, too, she adds.
On that note, if you have a 4-year university in mind, make sure it will accept the credits you are carrying in with you. Not all admissions panels are created equal. It would have been a bummer to have missed out on that last school dance or party at the moon tower for naught.
Nancy S. Moseley is a freelance writer who's super thankful dual enrollment was *not* a popularized option in high school. She had enough trouble getting to and from extracurricular activities, let alone taking on curricular responsibilities from more than one school.
Striking Gold in the New River Valley
uncommon experience to release your inner prospector
Text by Evan Hull | Photos by Jon Fleming
Quietly settled along Wysor Road in Draper is a hidden gem — literally. Three years ago and 177 years after the Gold Rush in California, David Stowers opened Appalachian Gem and Gold Mine, a small business designed to put locals and visitors in touch with their inner prospector.
“Our main purpose is to give people a place to come and find unique rocks, stones and minerals, and collect things that you can’t just go out and pick up,” Stowers explains. Under a large covered shelter equipped with a flume and sifting gear, anyone can learn how
to discover precious gems and metals, including gold.
“You can find anything here,” Stowers cheers. ““You can find emeralds, rubies, sapphires—anything you can imagine. You can search for this stuff for a lifetime and never find it. I’ve seen some cool stuff come out of here.”
Visiting prospectors can purchase a bucket of pay dirt with a unique mix of materials sourced from mines both local and abroad in nations like Brazil, Peru and Madagascar. Having such a wide variety of gemstones and precious metals in
every bucket, even Stowers is shocked at what comes out of Appalachian Gem and Gold Mine. At the flume, which pours 3,000 gallons of water per hour, anyone of any age can get their hands dirty and sift through their pay dirt for nature’s treasures. Even Stowers doesn’t know exactly what his customers will discover.
“You never know what you’re going to find; it’s really a surprise,” he remarks. “I’ve seen people come out of here with pieces called Sanskrit, also known as calligraphy stone.”
The mine’s unpredictability is a big hit with customers, and Stowers does all he can to make everyone feel welcome. “We’ve created a safe place here for kids, teens, college students and grown-ups. I’ve done a lot of work with folks in special education, and we welcome and work with everyone from beginning to end.”
Inside the store, visitors enjoy eye-catching gemstone and fossil displays. Whether you’re looking for a woolly mammoth fossil, seeking a ruby ring for a loved one, or simply searching for sparkly stones, Appalachian Gem and Gold Mine checks all the boxes. Even the small cracks and bumps in the concrete floor are coated with shimmering golden paint.
Offering more than just a place for recreation, Stowers is actively working to connect Appalachian Gem and Gold Mine with family-owned Pine Run Cottages next door to create a more comprehensive tourist experience. “People who come from different areas can stay a few nights at the cottages, and we have some good ideas for the future. We want to create pathways with pretty plants, install fire pits and maybe even a pond.”
From field trips to birthdays and other special events, Appalachian Gem and Gold Mine is a place to relax and enjoy a new experience, attracting folks from across the United States and beyond. “One time a lady asked me what the furthest distance somebody had driven to come to my mine,”
Stowers recalls. “I told her that Michigan was the furthest that came to mind. On the other side of the shelter, a woman said she and her family came all the way from the Netherlands just to visit my mine. I couldn’t believe it.”
A man of many interests and talents including flying, metal detecting,
and Civil War relic hunting, Stowers enjoys sharing his love for exploration with his customers. “Prior to this, I worked in a lot of coal mines and did a bunch of dangerous stuff like hazardous material and waste remediation. Some of it was dealing with explosives and stuff like that. Being around all the mines like that, you have an attraction to adventure to begin with.”
With a mining background of his own, one of Stowers’ biggest goals is to showcase the importance of mines to communities, particularly in Appalachia, throughout history. “Every county in every state is built around some kind of mine, whether you realize it or not. If you look up the history of Pulaski, it was probably formed because of its coal and saltpeter.”
More than anything, Stowers finds it fulfilling to educate the public on the process of prospecting, and to provide a place for families to gather and have fun. “I think it’s fun to teach and get the knowledge out there. It’s super educational. Even if you don’t find gold, you can collect some pretty cool stones. If nothing else, you’ll create great memories.”
Honoring Pets through Art
Text by Joanne M. Anderson | Photos by Jon Fleming
If it’s morning, most likely fine artist Lisa Acciai (pronounced A-Cee) is in her studio creating 2-minute animal sketches. “I took a class from a fellow pet portrait artist who swore by doing daily quick sketches, and it really changed my process,” she explains. “Now I try to start each day with a page of 2-minute animal sketches to warm up. It gets me in the flow for a full day of painting.”
This local pet portrait artist grew up in Pine City, N.Y., a small hamlet with just over 5,000 residents not too far south of the Finger Lakes. From a very young age, she wanted to be an artist, drawing animals mostly, but also people.
The State University of New York, aka SUNY, has an impressive 64 campuses and grants around 96,000 college degrees each year. Lisa chose to attend college about 180 miles west of her hometown, practically on Lake Erie, at SUNY Fredonia.
“I started out in fine art,” she relates, “but partway through, a fellow student told me I’d never make any money
as a fine artist and that I should switch to graphic design. I did, but I kept taking drawing and painting classes because I couldn’t let go of that side of myself.”
Hello, New River Valley
When her parents moved to Blacksburg in 1989, her last year of college, she followed them – just temporarily, so she thought. “I found a job in graphic design and met my husband, and before long, Blacksburg became my home -- for the last 36 years.” Lisa took time off from work to raise two boys, and when they started school she took a part-time job with a local builder. “As a customer selection assistant, I developed my interest in interior design. Then I launched a website design business of my own, which I still run parttime.”
She loves life in the New River Valley. “The smalltown vibe mixed with the energy of Virginia Tech creates such a nice balance. I love the mountains, changing seasons,
Virginia Tech Center for the Arts, and walking or jogging with friends at Pandapas Pond. It’s peaceful, but never dull — always something going on, always beauty to soak in.”
Fur, Feathers, Faces
But it was her gifts to friends that lured Lisa back into her love for and skill at painting animals. About 10 years ago, she painted a few pet portraits to give friends for special occasions. “The response encouraged me to keep going. Once word started to spread, commissions followed. Now, most of my work comes from those commissions, and I have wonderful repeat collectors. We love our pets, and it’s such a joy to help people honor them through art. I usually have a steady stream of commissions to work through, so most of my days are filled with fur, feathers and faces.”
Awards followed, and it’s an honor for any artist to have their work recognized locally and regionally. Lisa takes one or two workshops every year in person or online. “Last year, I took a 4-day class with an abstract artist through the Blacksburg Regional Art Association (BRAA). It was way out of my comfort zone since I usually work very realistically. I loved it because it really opened me up creatively.”
The Commission Process
When someone connects with Lisa for a commission piece, the first decision is whether an oil painting or charcoal drawing. “They usually send several photos of their pet, and I help choose the best reference image to work from. Even if I focus on one pose, having multiple photos helps me get a better sense of their pet’s personality and features.”
After that reference image is selected, and the client settles on a size and background, Lisa makes a note of anything that needs to be removed like collars or harnesses. She begins sketching directly on the canvas or panel and begins the painting process. “I start with the eyes which are always my favorite part to bring to life,” she smiles.
When the piece is finished, before it has dried, the customer gets a photo for approval. The longest part of the whole process can be the drying time. Protective varnish is added to a painting, while charcoal drawings are sprayed with a fixative to prevent smudging.
Most commissions are dogs, cats and horses. Live sittings don’t work well with wiggly pets. She was recently asked to paint a snail. That one might not be very wiggly or get very far. If it has fur or feathers, Lisa figures she has probably painted it. “I feel so grateful to be doing what I love, connecting with people through their animals, and being part of such a supportive community.”
Three Letters that Spell Summer…
B B Q
According to an article in Smithsonian Magazine by Natasha Geiling: “America’s meaty tradition grew from Caribbean roots … .” It was Christopher Columbus who encountered a unique method for cooking meat over an indirect flame on Hispaniola, and subsequent Spanish explorers dubbed it “barbacoa”. The British are credited with adding sauce, “basting to preserve the juices within the meat.”
While the history of anything may be interesting, the point for today is that BBQ has become synonymous with summer time. From there one moves to grilling outside, but don’t put away that “winter-soup-and-stew” slow cooker too fast! Much of the best BBQ is slow cooked, makes an abundant volume and can be frozen if it’s not all consumed in a day or two.
BBQ the shredded meat is the focus here, though “a BBQ” can refer to a grill, a pit, a method of cooking or a party, as in “let’s host a BBQ”. FYI, BBQ meat might shred better when cooked on low.
Zesty BBQ Chicken
6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 12-oz bottle BBQ sauce
½ cup Italian salad dressing
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
Place chicken in slow cooker.
Mix other 4 ingredients and pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours.
Shred, serve and enjoy!
Mom’s Thrifty BBQ Hamburger
2 lbs. hamburger
1 ½ cups catsup
4 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbl. vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
4 Tbl. mustard
1 tsp. celery seed
l Cook hamburger in large frying pan and drain.
l Add everything else and stir to combine.
l Eat on soft burger buns!
Tender Pork BBQ with a Twist
5-lb pork butt roast
1 14-oz can beef broth
¼ cup brewed black coffee
Salt and pepper to taste
Rub salt and pepper on butt halves and place in slow cooker.
Mix broth and coffee and pour over meat.
Cook 6-8 hours on low. Pull meat off bone, chop with cleaver for fine cut.
Serve hot on soft buns!
Learning to Read ~ Reading to Learn
Text by Caitlyn Koser
Many of us could connect a firm foundation in education with a strong figure in our lives – a teacher, mentor, parent or friend. As learning cannot come from within but must be delivered from outside, the people who shape intelligence today are most likely parents teaching a child to read or a teacher giving an encouraging word.
Caitlin Capone, JC Freed, and the Center of Love for Learning [CLL] are those strong leaders for many students. Capone (M.S., M.A.) and Freed (M.A.) started the Center of Love for Learning in an official capacity in July
of 2024. The organization though had its foundation laid earlier. After one of the co-founders drove her child a long distance to see a reading coach, the two teamed up to address the need in the community, teaching a handful of students out of their homes a few houses away from each other.
In 2024, the CLL was officially formed. With an office location in Blacksburg, Capone and Freed have taken their vision of making learning more accessible – and more fun – to the New River Valley.
Caitlin Capone has more than
15 years of experience under her belt. With degrees from Virginia Tech and Florida International University, she’s trained in French and English as a second language, among other subject areas. JC Freed has earned degrees from Virginia Tech and James Madison University, and holds a Virginia Teaching License and an Education Technology Certificate.
With tutoring, one-on-one instruction and small classes, the two are driven by a passion to see students of all ages delight in learning.
Services
The Center of Love for Learning offers one-on-one phonics instruction, reading comprehension, study skills, English as a second language, composition and small French classes.
“Both of us love the opportunity to work with these students individually,” they relate. In comparison with traditional classroom methods in schools, where teachers don’t often give struggling students the unique perspective they need, Capone and Freed are able to hone in on a pupil’s strengths and abilities. “We can identify the exact skills that need to be strengthened and ensure that progress is being made with each session,” they explain.
Capone and Freed combine tested, science-backed techniques with a unique ability to connect with their students. And this approach for instruction is helping students soar.
They describe their services as “essential for some and beneficial for all. Our literacy skills programs can help any kind of student, whether neurodivergent or neurotypical, and at any age.” For a student who wants to be a stronger learner, the CLL’s services assist in strengthening the foundation already laid.
The Process
Working with students through a consultation and evaluation, Capone and Freed develop a personalized plan identifying strengths and weaknesses. Then, with science-backed research from the Science of Reading, and drawing on years of experience, the two implement the programs using multisensory and kinesthetic elements. The Science of Reading is based on previous research that asserts
that there are five major literary skills –phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Passionate about students being able to reach their potential, the CLL works to bridge the gap between “learning to read” and “reading to learn.”
Community and Vision
As in every local business, the community is integral to success. “The community has been extremely supportive of our new business,” Capone and Freed explain. Broadening their vision, the founders hope to become a non-profit in the future, to be able to expand their ability of serving families.
Both parents and students attest in testimonials on the CLL’s website of the patience and effectiveness Capone and Freed bring to the table. The website also includes a blog with charts, literacy tips and books of the month to support their customers.
For parents watching a child struggle with learning, the two offer encouragement. “They shouldn’t feel alone because it is so much more common than people realize.” They point out that their services don’t
just serve the students. “We are here not only to help children but also to provide parents with concrete support while guiding their kids in overcoming challenges.”
It’s in the name. These new entrepreneurs are passionate about instilling a love for learning. For them, it’s more than being intellectual. They know that a love for learning will greatly benefit students down the road, equipping them to be leaders in schools, workplaces and homes.
Passionate, driven and full for heart for seeing students thrive, Capone and Freed are filling a need in the community by building stronger, more proficient readers, thinkers and lifelong learners for years to come. Perhaps the students the Center of Love for Learning raises up will become the next generation of leaders to drive change in the New River Valley for years to come.
Caitlyn Koser is a homeschool student who loves reading – for entertainment and for school assignments. She plans to be a professional writer, and it takes a good reader to be a good writer.
In just under 200 years, a series of blades assembled around a cylinder, based on a tool which uniformly cut carpet, has evolved into a superb 4-wheel driving machine with gigantic mowing decks, zero turn devices and even robotic lawn mowers akin to the Roomba and Shark Matrix vacuum cleaners. Indeed, this is not your grandpa’s mower.
The first grass mower invention with a patent granted was in England in 1830. Forty years later, a horsedrawn version came to our country, with a human-powered one close behind. The well-known inventor-investor team of Briggs and Stratton revolutionized mowers with the first lightweight aluminum engine.
Today, the company makes lawn mower engines from 98% recycled aluminum, kinda cool, right?
The original reel or rotary mower with a 16-20” blade width morphed into a push power mower, then a self-powered mower you could walk along with, steer and not need to push. You can buy a battery-powered mower or an electric cord mower, with decent results for small yards. However, like snowblowers have replaced many a snow shovel, riding mowers are in vogue, not to be trendy, but to be functional, and, ahem, conserve a person’s energy.
Robot and Electric Mowers
Several companies like Segway and Husqvarna make robot mowers. Robot mowers have an electric mower that runs using rechargeable batteries. They are smaller than gas-powered mowers and use a buried perimeter wire or GPS and sensors to determine property edges. Other sensors detect trees, pets and obstacles and navigate around them.
Robot mowers are designed to mow much more often than traditional mowers, even daily. They are quiet, return to their station for charging, do not need oil changes or spark plugs, and are compact for size and storage. They may, however, struggle with thick grass, not leave clean mowing stripes and depend on software and WiFi connections.
The electric or battery powered mower, like from Ryobi, provides more power than a 150 cc gas mower and runs about 45 minutes or up to half an acre on one 40V 6Ah lithium battery. While these models are lighter and simple to operate, they have limited range and less torque and power.
The 46” Cub Cadet
I don’t generally like to write in the first person, as I did for my King Ranch F-150 in the MarchApril issue, but – we did not have a vehicle for that issue. Since we cover anything with wheels, lawn mowers slide into the NRV Rides series perfectly, and I just happen to have a new, dualcylinder, 46” deck Cub Cadet.
This front engine lawn tractor is one powerful, amazing machine. And as some would say – at my age! One good thing about “my age” is that I am familiar with starting something with a choke. I’ve learned enough to mow my small farm property as my regular mower person was compelled to retire. I paid for it, but the newfound knowledge and skills to operate it come courtesy of a long-time friend, Jim Higham, founder and owner of Power Zone.
Today’s most popular mower decks are 42-48” for residential machines. Commercial mowers can be 72” and larger. Zero turn is a huge advancement and time saver with a spin capability that nearly eliminates back up to move forward out of tight spots or simply to turn back for another slice of lawn. While lovely, this 90-degree turning radius suits me fine.
The front tires are 20 x 10 x 8 and back ones are 15 x 6 x 6. Front and rear deck wheels are 5 inches. The latter are called anti-scalp wheels or rollers and prevent the mower blades from scalping too short when driving on uneven terrain. When the
deck enters a dip, it could chop the grass far too short, even digging into the ground, and these wheels prevent that. They do not support any weight and are a valuable part of the end result.
The made-in-the-USA engine on this model is a 22 HP, 725 cc Kohler 7000 Series V-Twin engine. The vehicle sports a hydrostatic transmission, and the gas tank holds three gallons of regular gas (with or without ethanol). I love riding a horse more than a mower, but there are similarities, namely, checking the brakes. Good brakes (whoa) on a responsive horse are as important as good brakes, especially going downhill, on a riding mower. This is the first thing I check when riding either one, as much to refresh my memory as to test the horse’s training or the mower’s performance. Today’s riding mowers are loaded with safety features. Accessories include useful attachments for bagging, mulching, dragging things and even snow removal. Multiple adjustments for cutting height allow for higher cuts during drought and lower when grass is growing faster. With a couple builtin dishes and a cup holder, what’s not to love about driving around while the mower blades produce a neat cutting edge.
If you are reading this and know of an interesting vehicle, please alert me at jmawriter1@gmail.com. Nothing wrong with tooting your own horn for your own set of wheels.
