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The Roanoke Star-Sentinel June 24 - 30, 2011
NewsRoanoke.com
Community | News | Per spective
[Wildlife Rescue]
Countryside Master Plan Approved
Birds of a Feather . . .
The $4.1 million Countryside golf course has been dying a slow death since closure March 1, 2010. The lush green fairways that dotted the northwest area beneath runway 6 of Roanoke Regional Airport are now little more than hay fields. The city actually allows a farmer to bale hay on portions of the fairways now, but the former golf course looks to be reincarnated as athletic fields and an urban village with some commercial and single family homes mixed in as well. All the areas that are developable are planned for some kind of use. The 72 acres of the clear zone owned by the airport, is out of bounds for development - as is much of the property that lies in the flood plain. Other portions of the property are in the “65 DNL noise contour” making it unsuitable for housing, hospitals and similar facilities / structures. Director of Finance Ann Shawver said the $4 million loan taken out by the city to purchase the property in 2005 will be refinanced at a more palatable rate. The 15-year loan with Carter Bank carries a 6.25 percent taxable rate. Shawver explained that in 2005 it was expected that a developer would come forth sooner and repay the debt. As most Roanokers know, that did not happen. Several neighbors spoke at Monday’s meeting and were summarily grilled by Council members Ray Ferris and Bill Bestpitch. Things became contentious when Susan Hall, a neighbor on Ranch Road, admonished Ferris for dis-
Beauty & Grace
P5– Johnny Robinson experiences the wondrous paradox of giving in the barrios of San Juan de la Maguana.
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Salem Fair! P7&8- The Salem Fair returns June 30 - July 10th. Check out our Special Fair Section for details and for local merchants who support this great family event!
he bluebirds above are being rehabbed by Lucky and Sabrina Garvin who established “Second Chance for Wildlife Rescue” in 2000 after working with another local animal rescue group for several years. Lucky Garvin is an ER doctor at Lewis Gale Medical Center and also a regular contributing columnist for this newspaper. Lucky and wife Sabrina perform a special brand of magic in their corner of the world - taking care of wild creatures whose lives are often hanging by a thread and restoring them not only to life but to eventual freedom in most cases. Behind Lucky’s more public persona, Sabrina has been toiling and sacrificing in order to keep up with the animal rescue facility they maintain adjacent to their home. Lucky explains, “We have a large sun-filled room with its own kitchen for preparing diets as well as a separate en-
trance for rescuers to bring in the animals. We have 13 acres of land, and many juveniles are released here.” It is hard to imagine how someone who might otherwise be considering retirement is locked into a regimen that is not for the faint of heart: “A typical day with baby birds starts about 6:30 a.m., with the last feeding around 8:30 p.m.,” said Sabrina. Baby songbirds (hatchlings) require feedings every 20 to 30 minutes. As the birds grow the feedings are spread to 45 minutes to 1 hour. Then, the animals are moved to outside caging.” The couple handles thousands of phone calls per year which requires identifying the animals that need to come in or be left alone, scheduling volunteers and calling other rehabbers. For more information or to make a donation contact the Garvins at wildresq2@cox.net or call 540-798-9836.
Pneumatic Gun Exemption Creates Stir At City Council
A bill introduced in the Senate by Democrat Roscoe Reynolds of Martinsville created a stir at Roanoke City Council Monday afternoon. No council member wanted to endorse it but state lawmakers trump local city code every time with Virginia’s Dillon rule being the law of the land. Localities can now only do what Virginia lawmakers tell them they can do. Roanoke City code prohibits the fir-
ing of any pneumatic gun within the The bill reads as follows: city limits. Some BB guns are powerful Pneumatic gun regulations; excepenough to bring down an animal or even tions. Requires that any ordinance which kill a person. prohibits the shooting of The vote included the affirpneumatic guns in certain City Gov’t mative votes of Roanoke City’s areas shall have, among its Senator John Edwards and exceptions, an exception to Delegate Onzlee Ware. The bill, SB757 allow the firearm to be discharged on was essentially unanimous in both hous- private property with permission of the es. As of July 1st the law trumps city code owner when discharge is conducted with with or without a vote by City Council. reasonable care to prevent a projectile
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P9– Dr. Josh Gilbert and wife Gina seek to promote healthy activity and introduce others to Roanoke through their mountain trail race that is now in its 5th year.
Photo by Cheryl Hodges
Director Tim Service leads the barbershop chorus with gusto and a smile.
The Virginia Gentlemen Get Tough to Get It Right
P7– Roanoke’s Biker Church does their thing by riding the roads and raising money for Sabrina’s Place and victims of domestic violence.
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from crossing the bounds of the property. Council member Court Rosen was the first to say he couldn’t vote to rescind the city’s code. Council members Anita Price and Sherman Lea felt the same. City Attorney Bill Hackworth was surprised that the bill received traction. Despite the opposition by local governments it passed the General Assembly > CONTINUED P2: Pneumatic
Making a Difference: The Grace Lovegrove Legacy
Mountain Junkies
Road Support
> CONTINUED P2: Countryside
The small audience that attended the practice session last Monday evening for the Virginia Gentlemen barbershop chorus all had a similar expression, perhaps best described as a slack smile with a big dose of wide-eyed wonder as they sat captivated by the unique chorus. Nearly 30 men covered the risers, led by their enthusiastic and apparently “fearless” leader, Tim Service. Service is “comfortably fearless” and has no qualms about admonishing whomever might not have his part quite figured out yet. “Getting lambasted” he calls it. At one point, one of the singers jumped out to see who was not carrying the right notes. They had an intense tete-a-tete, albeit from across the bleachers, which resolved almost as quickly as it began. Service turns and adds with a smile, “I do it all; I get ‘em pumped!” Even in practice, the a capella group is > CONTINUED P2: Gentlemen
Recently, a young athlete’s It is this tragedy that led heart stopped beating while the parents, teachers and running with his high school students at PH to organize cross country team. CPR was the first Run With Grace 5K performed by his running and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk mate as the coach pulled the six years ago. This year’s race Automated External Defiwas held June 11th at Patrick brillator from the school van. Henry High School. ProWithout team training in ceeds from the race provide CPR and the school district’s much needed funds for the foresight to provide AED dePH cross country team and vices, this young man would a scholarship for a deserving have died. senior in Grace’s memory. Grace Lovegrove It’s all too close to home Thanks to area businesses, for Lisa and Ricky Lovegrove. Their the scholarship endowment has grown daughter Grace was a star athlete, recently enough to be managed by the Foundagraduated from Patrick Henry tion for Roanoke Valley. For High School and a freshman in the first couple of years, the Community her second semester at Chrismoney was kept in an account topher Newport University through Patrick Henry High when she experienced a sudden cardiac School, withdrawn annually to pay for arrest and died a short time later. the scholarship, the cross country team’s Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and expenses, event t-shirts and other promoSudden Cardiac Death (SCD) are more tional materials. Then Fleet Feet, Carilion prevalent in young athletes than is widely and ten other businesses stepped in. The known. On average, one young person generosity of these partners now covers experiences SCA or SCD every four almost all of the physical and monetary days in the United States, and most are needs, includinvolved in some kind of school related ing the t-shirts > CONTINUED sport. each participant P2: Lovegrove
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