GOVERNOR KAINE ANNOUNCES MORE LAND PRESERVED TOWARD 400,000 ACRE GOAL

~ Mill Mountain also to be placed under conservation easement ~

ROANOKE – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today highlighted the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s approval of 17,000 acres throughout Virginia to be placed under conservation easement. He also announced that the Roanoke City Council has agreed to support plans to establish two perpetual conservation easements on Mill Mountain and the surrounding 600 acre park.

“One of the best things we can do for our children today is to preserve the environment for tomorrow,” Governor Kaine said. “These actions will bring us even closer to meeting my goal of preserving 400,000 acres of open space by the end of the decade.”

The initiation of the easement process for Mill Mountain was announced today by Governor Kaine on Mill Mountain following the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s final 2009 meeting. The City of Roanoke, led by the efforts of Councilman Rupert Cutler, will work with the VOF and the Western Virginia Land Trust to establish the two permanent easements, and hope to complete the process this year. The mountain, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, will be protected forever by this easement.

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Let me tell you…I love fall.  No. scratch that.  I LOVE fall!  It gets cold, you can have bonfires and there are multiple festivals throughout the region to indulge in.  Last week, I went to the 57th Annual Chilhowie Apple Festival.  It was amazing! We did the whole parade thing and then got rained-no-poured on at the Annual Band Competition.  Hopefully, we’ll have better luck with the festivals going on this coming weekend.

This weekend marks an exciting time for Radford University.  Originally Homecoming weekend, this weekend is Welcome Back Reunion Festival, Radford Highlanders Festival and Family Weekend all rolled into one…and don’t forget the Annual Appalachian Folk Arts Festival! 

At the Highlanders Festival, you can sample Scottish food items, meet the clans, watch the traditional Scottish Highlander Games, see sheepherding demonstrations, meet a falconer, hear great music and pick up a variety of Scottish and Irish wares from any number of vendors.  It’s a great time!  I suggest getting there in time to watch the march of the clans. That’s when all clans parade in their respective tartans and it is Awesome!  The McIntyre’s are the honored clan of the year for the festival, so be sure to say hey! The festival runs from 10-5, so there’s plenty of Saturday to take that in.

On the opposite side of campus, there is the Appalachian Folk Arts Festival, now in its 26th year.  Folks that go to that festival will have the opportunity to not only buy handmade items from crafters, but actually watch the crafters demonstrate their abilities.  There’s pencil artist Willard Gayheart, apple butter, carvers, quilters, blacksmithers, bee keepers and more.  If you want to see a cultural progression– how we can come from the Scottish and be proud Appalachians, then you should definitely check out both festivals.  You can even compare musical stylings and listen to the evolution of Scottish Highland music to Bluegrass and Old Time music. Do NOT miss this opportunity! It runs from 10-5 also.

 Think you’re all festivaled out? Not quite.  My last suggestion to you is to go to the Williams  Orchard in Rural Retreat.  Pick Your Own Pumpkin starts this week.  Not only do they have pumpkins, but a lot of other awesome produce and fun for the entire family.  They’ll be around all weekend, so if you’re coming from the south, you can drop by on your way home from the great weekend you’ve had in Radford! 

 Are there any festivals I’ve missed or should know about?  Let me know!

Shai Cullop

Radford City Schools, one of only two school districts in the state that charge students for riding the bus, are looking at a prepay system for the students for the 2009-2010 school year.

In past years, the school’s have sold tickets in a bundle of 10, paying $1.70 or pay .40 cents a day to ride the bus.  Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch ride free.

Many students, I would be one of them, are afraid of loosing their bus tickets and not being able to get home.  That being taken into consideration, Radford City Schools are offering a prepaid system where the child will be assigned a code, and the bus driver provided a list.  For a full year of bus riding goodness, it would be $55.  A half year, $28.25 and quarterly rides, $20.40.  The full year plan equals out to 42 days of free riding, or a total of $16.80 in free riding fun.

I’m not going to lie, I’m not entirely sure of this whole paying to ride idea.  For one, I’m not familiar with the entire process and I’m really intrigued by it.  Where I’m from, we rode the buses for free and that may be why they were need of repair?  I don’t know.  But one thing is for certain, I am so glad that they have this new option so some kids can choose to go ticket free.  Children already have too much to keep up with.  I can’t imagine that kindergartener with her name on her bookbag and a note from the teacher pinned to her dress would be able to present a ticket to ride the bus. Way to go, Radford for coming up with an easier, more cost effective system for getting to school!

Shai Cullop

Last week, August 3-8, was the 74^th Annual Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, Virginia.  That’s right, the Galax Fiddler’s Convention has been going strong since 1935, and this year was certainly no exception.

Every year, hundreds of performers come to Galax to show off their talents, competing with the best of the best.  They come from places as far away as Independence, VA and Mt. Airy, NC…just kidding.  Well, they come from those places, of course, but they also come from Ohio, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Alabama, Texas and beyond.  In addition to the performers and hopefuls, thousands of people come to see who’s going to be the best in a host of different categories. 

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