V E S TED Haley Has It For Less... P A RTR N ERS A M U L T I - F A MILY O F F I C E For Vinton! LEGAL Haley Toyota 1530 Courtland Road NE, FINANCIAL 3PBOPLF 7"t )BMFZIBTJUGPSMFTTDPN FIDUCIARY #SJOHUIJTDPVQPOJOGPS ZŽZ ďLJLJŶŶ^ŵŝƚƚŚŚůůůŝů Ɛ͕ƩŽŽƌŶŶĞLJ $100 Off Your Best Deal! www.vestedmfo.comm INSURANCE Limit One Per Customer 540.389.6060 Expiration Date: JUNE 30, 2021 Thursday, June 10, 2021 • Dogwood Capital of Virginia • Covering Vinton, Bonsack & Stewartsville (USPS-660-020) OurValley.org • $1.00 Ironman 70.3 triathletes whoosh through Vinton on June 6 biking (56 miles), and running (13.1-mile half marathon) portions of the race. Davis Frease, second overall win- ner, was the second rider through Vinton. Athletes had registered for the event at Roanoke’s River’s Edge Park-North on June 4. On Sunday, June 6, at about 6:30 a.m. they be- Abby Palmieri (left) did her student teaching for JMU at gan their IRONMAN 70.3-mile Bonsack Elementary, working with teacher Kim Riley. journey with the swim at Carvins Cove in Roanoke County. Once out of the water, athletes took on the 56-mile bike course Twins take through the Blue Ridge Mountains, heading east into Botetourt County toward the Town of Buchanan, the starting point for an epic and ardu- unusual path to PHOTO BY DEBBIE ADAMS Triathlon competitor Matt Schafer was the first bicycle rider through the ous fi ve-mile climb up Route 43 to Town of Vinton and then overall winner of the Carilion Clinic Ironman the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance. teaching careers 70.3 Triathlon 2021. Here, he makes the turn at Vinton Baptist after Athletes rode and descended coming down Washington Avenue from the Blue Ridge Parkway. 21miles of completely closed roads to the Town of Vinton at Route 24/ Debbie Adams Th e young women began By Debbie Adams fi rst bike rider to enter the Town Washington Avenue. Th e course in [email protected] student teaching in early Th e bike leg of the 2021 Caril- of Vinton–at about 9:10 a.m. He Vinton traveled down Washington March and fi nished up 11 ion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 Vir- went on to be named the overall Avenue– marked off with cones– Twins Abby and Amber weeks later on May 28, the ginia’s Blue Ridge triathlon came winner of the Carilion Clinic Iron- allowing riders in the race to use Palmieri are newly hired last day of school in Roanoke through Vinton on June 6. man 70.3 with a total time of 4:10: the two center lanes of traffi c unen- preschool teachers for Roa- County. Abby taught second Matt Schafer of Boston was the 38 for the swimming (1.2 miles), noke County Public Schools grade at Bonsack Elementa- See Ironman, page 4 (RCPS). Abby will be teach- ry working with Kim Riley, a ing at Cave Spring Elemen- veteran teacher with 27 years tary in the fall; Amber, at in county schools. Amber Vinton History Museum welcomes two summer interns Green Valley Elementary. did her student teaching in Dr. Richard Turner, for- fi rst grade at Mount Pleas- Debbie Adams Patterson has lived in Vinton since nor in secondary education. Her plan merly the principal at Wil- ant Elementary with Tracy [email protected] the seventh grade. She graduated from at this point is to become a high school liam Byrd High School, Broughman, who has been a William Byrd High School with honors history teacher. She will be doing her and now the Roanoke Area teacher for 24 years. Th e Vinton History Museum has in the Class of 2018. While at WBHS, student teaching this fall at James Mad- Program Coordinator for Also in May, both welcomed two college students as in- she was a member of the Cheer Team, ison Middle School in Roanoke City. the James Madison Univer- graduated from JMU with terns for the summer—Grace Patterson president of the FCCLA, and a mem- She is considering working toward her sity Educational Leadership Bachelor’s Degrees in “In- and Ben Tate. In fact, they began vol- ber of numerous clubs. master’s degree, and eventually would Program, has been their su- dividualized Studies with unteering at the museum back in April She is now a rising senior at Roanoke like to teach history at William Byrd pervisor during their student a Concentration in Early for the Dogwood Festival Open House. College, majoring in history, with a mi- High School. teaching in Vinton-area Patterson says history has “always schools this spring. See Twins, page 5 clicked” with her. “It was always easy for me; it told a story, but the story could change with new discoveries and research.” She elected to do an internship since the 120 hours earned count as one class, giving her one less class to take while completing her student teaching. She chose interning at the Vinton History Museum because of its proximity to her home and its fl exible hours. After emailing museum Executive Director Judy Cunningham, Patter- son concluded that interning with the Vinton History Museum was a perfect match for her. Even though she has lived here since middle school, Patter- son says she didn’t know a lot about PHOTOS BY DEBBIE ADAMS PHOTO BY DEBBIE ADAMS Vinton, and she has enjoyed her time at Amber Palmieri (right) did her student teaching at Roanoke College students Ben Tate and Grace Patterson are completing the museum so far “fi nding out about Mount Pleasant Elementary with teacher Tracy internships at the Vinton History Museum this summer. See Interns, page 4 Broughman to earn her degree from JMU. Sowers nominated for prestigious Woman’s Club award Debbie Adams the only national honor limited to just 25 pag- [email protected] bestowed by GFWC es—an impossible task that recognizes indi- in their opinion. Kathryn Scott Sowers vidual members for a A William Byrd High of Vinton is the con- lifetime of personal ex- School graduate, Sowers summate volunteer. In cellence. Club members joined the local Wom- fact, if you looked at an are nominated by their an’s Club in 1967 and illustrated dictionary, by local clubs to compete in the 54 years since all rights you should see at state, regional, and has held every office lo- a photograph of her next national levels for the cally, on both Junior and to the word “volunteer” GFWC’s highest honor. General Levels in the as the embodiment of its Candidates for the GFWC Blue Ridge Dis- meaning. Jennie Award are judged trict, served as Regional Sowers has been nom- on “Commitment to GFWC President and inated by the General Club, Commitment to held every office in GF- Federation of Woman’s Community, and Com- WC-Virginia, including Clubs (GFWC) Wom- mitment to Family.” serving as its president an’s Club of Vinton for None of those will be a from 2006-2008 during the prestigious Jennie challenge for Sowers. its 100th year anniversa- Award 2020-2022. The Several members of ry. Through the GFWC, award was named for the Woman’s Club of she served as hostess of PHOTO BY DEBBIE ADAMS GFWC founder Jane Vinton were tasked with an inaugural reception Kathryn Sowers of the GFWC Vinton Woman’s Club has been nominated for the Cunningham Croly, who compiling a notebook of for President George W. prestigious Jennie Award. Shown left to right are Lois Creasy, Kathryn Sowers, wrote for newspapers Sowers’ achievements for Bush. She has also been Camilla Cabaniss, and Maggie Angell. Creasy, Cabaniss, and Angell helped compile under the pseudonym the nomination process active in the Southeast- the nomination packet on the 54 years Sowers has spent giving to the community “Jennie June.” and why she is worthy ern Region GFWC, and through the Woman’s Club. The Jennie Award is of this honor—but were even internationally. One outstanding accom- plishment was serving as BUSINESS BANKING. RELATIONSHIP BANKING. GFWC-VA State Project NMLS #476841 Chairman in 2008-2010 when over $115,000 was raised to purchase a new ambulance for the Vir- ginia Tech Rescue Squad. “She’s done it all,” the committee declared. Commercial Financing & Real Estate Loans | Equipment Loans | Small Business Lending She is a charter mem- Treasury Management Services | Merchant Services ber of two Woman’s www.BankofBotetourt.com • 540-591-5000 • [email protected] See Sowers, page 10 Page 2 • Thursday, June 10, 2021 • The Vinton Messenger www.ourvalley.org First Mingle at the Market scheduled for June 12 Th e Vinton Area “this trio needed not only Chamber of Commerce a guitar player, but the will be hosting its fi rst right guitar player. Along Mingle at the Market came Brian Mehalso, the Concert for 2021 on June perfect fi t. With his taste- 12 at the Vinton Farm- ful fi lls and soulful yet ers’ Market. Th e concert funky leads, he really puts will get underway on the the icing on the cake. Bri- HomeTrust Bank Stage at an also covers lead vocals 7 p.m. with a performance and adds to harmonies, by Th e Oddfellows Band, which is a major focus for based in Roanoke. Th e Oddfellows perfor- Th e Oddfellows de- mance.” scribe themselves as a Admission is $6. Th is group of “local guys born is a family-friendly event in four diff erent decades, with children 12 and covering hit songs from under admitted free of the last 65 years,” a news charge.