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"Roanoke's Taubman Museum of Art showcases American art in Frank Gehry-inspired design" - From The Washington Post

From the outside, I could understand why the residents of Roanoke have such a love-hate relationship with the Taubman Museum of Art. With its stainless steel appendages and a bulbous area that juts out over the sidewalk, this 81,000-square-foot steel, glass and patinated zinc structure seems distinctly out of place in a downtown filled with simple industrial-era brick buildings.


But then I went inside. The building, designed by Los Angeles architect and Frank Gehry protege Randall Stout, is a work of art in itself, with a dramatic 4,300-square-foot glass atrium and an illuminated glass staircase to the second-floor galleries. It's the type of ultramodern museum you'd expect to find in New York, not in an old railroad town of 95,000 people.

Before the $66 million museum opened in 2008, Roanoke was probably best known for the enormous star atop Mill Mountain that's illuminated every night (giving Roanoke its nickname, Star City of the South), the Tudor-style luxury Hotel Roanoke (built in 1882) and a few museums celebrating the town's railroad history. But the Taubman Museum has delivered a jolt to this once-sleepy city that most people bypass in favor of better-known destinations, Richmond and Charlottesville.

The Taubman's collection of American art had once been housed in a former warehouse nearby, sharing the building with the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the History Museum of Western Virginia. Then Peggy Macdowell Thomas, the last living heir of American realist painter Thomas Eakins and a Roanoke resident, bequeathed his portraits, personal effects and archival documents to the museum. The warehouse "wasn't appropriate for a museum with a collection of this caliber," said spokeswoman Kimberly Templeton, so the museum raised funds for the new building. Former ambassador to Romania Nicholas Taubman and his wife, Eugenia, donated more than $15 million to the effort, and the city pitched in $4 million plus the land.

I took in "Sordid and Sacred," a Rembrandt exhibit running until Feb. 7 that consists of 35 etchings, many postcard-size, of beggars, drawn between 1629 and 1654. I grabbed one of the magnifying glasses on hand to study the etchings and was amazed by the details on the faces, the clothing, the boots.

In a connecting gallery, North Carolina artist Mike Houston and West Virginia's Martin Mazorra are displaying their modern take on Rembrandt's etchings until Feb. 14. The highlight of "Jumpstart and Holler!" is a tent city, 17 camping tents printed and stitched with images of beggars. The two exhibitions complement each other, the old and the new -- quite apropos given that the museum itself represents a new twist in an old city.

Works by 19th- and early 20th-century American artists such as John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Maria Oakley Dewing and John H. Twachtman are housed in two adjoining American art galleries. The works by Eakins and his wife, Susan Macdowell Eakins, are dominated by portraits of family members.

After checking into the historic Hotel Roanoke, I sent a tweet asking for restaurant recommendations and, to my surprise, got quite a few. For a city this small, the dining options seemed plentiful as did the number of active tweeters. I chose Metro, which had an eclectic mix of American fare, such as sliders, as well as dim sum and sushi. Striking up a conversation with some locals, I asked what I should do the next day. Their replies: Catch an indie flick at the charming old Grandin Theatre, visit the historic farmers market (the oldest continuously operating open air market in Virginia), listen to music at the Kirk Avenue Music Hall, eat at Zorba's Cafe in the City Market and hike to the top of the mountain.

I liked that last idea. Despite the frigid temperatures, I was determined to get to that giant star. The next morning, I bundled up and started up the Mill Mountain Star Trail with Heidi Ketler, a local freelance writer and friend of a colleague. Unfortunately, we didn't get far: The path was too icy. Thwarted, we headed back to the newly revitalized downtown.

We hit the farmers market, which is usually bustling with vendors selling organic meats, produce, artisanal cheeses, baked goods and more. But only Al Hubbard, a "squash cake specialist," had decided to brave the cold that morning. He let us sample his cakes, which he calls "Healthy Stuff."

Fortified, we drove back to the mountain and right up to "the world's largest man-made star," as the plaque beneath it declared. The 88.5-foot-tall neon star, built in 1949 by the Roanoke Merchants Association to kick off the Christmas shopping season, was such a hit that it's now illuminated year-round. And up close, it's quite impressive. But in the end, I decided that an even bigger star is Roanoke itself.

By Nancy Trejos
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 22, 2010


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The Roanoke Region’s economy is showing signs of stabilizing and improving. Home prices are up from a year ago and so are wages. Unemployment rates are down from the highs this summer, as is foreclosure activity.

The average home price, according to the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®, ended the year higher than January and much higher than December 2008. This December’s $197,748 was 3.7 percent higher than January and 15.4% higher than a year ago.



On the flip side, foreclosure filings reported by RealtyTrac have stabilized over the past few months. The number of filings dropped dramatically (33.6%) from October to November after rising for four months. November’s 93 filings remained fairly stable in December at 95. The region has stayed well below the national average.

Unemployment also has leveled out. The rate began falling in July from June’s high of 7.8 percent. The November rate of 7.1 is just a tick up from 7.0 in October. Wages in the region for the second quarter of 2009 (most recent available) are higher than they were a year before ($705 versus $$692) and up from the previous quarter. Virginia, on the other hand, saw wages drop from $920 in the first quarter to $899.

Looking for more information? Click Here>>>

The "2010 Best of the Outdoors" was named by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine January 2010 issue. Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine is the largest outdoor sports magazine in the Southeast, stretching from Maryland to Georgia. The Roanoke, Virginia Region stood prominent among the Blue Ridge Outdoors's "2010 Best of the Outdoors" taking home four "best of" awards.

Best Urban Park

1. CARVINS COVE RESERVE, Roanoke, Va. (Check out here)
2. James River Park, Richmond, Va.
3. Crowders Mountain, Charlotte, N.C.
4. Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, Atlanta, Ga.
5. Great Falls Park, Washington, D.C.
6. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, Marietta, Ga.

Favorite Section of the Appalachian Trail

1. DRAGON'S TOOTH- Catawba,Va (Check out here)
2. Mount Rogers/Grayson Highlands
3. Roan Mountain
4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
5. Shenandoah National Park
6. McAfee Knob

Best Outdoor Festival

1. FLOYD FEST, Floyd, Va.
2. Mountain Sports Fest, Asheville, N.C.
3. Trail Days, Damascus, Va.
4. Woolly Worm Festival, Banner Elk, N.C.
5. GauleyFest, Summersville, N.C.
6. Bonnaroo, Manchester, Tenn.

Favorite Section of the Blue Ridge Parkway


1. PEAKS OF OTTER- Bedford, Va (milepost 86)
2. Graveyard field, mp 418, N.C.
3. Humpback Rocks, mp 6, Va.
4. Linn Cove Viaduct, mp 304, N.C.
5. Waterrock Knob, mp 451, N.C.
6. Rocky Knob, mp 169, Va


Comprehensive new Web site is first of its kind; public contributed input to promote Roanoke, Virginia region’s outdoor assets

ROANOKE, Va. (January 14, 2010) – The Roanoke Regional Partnership today launched RoanokeOutside.com – the most comprehensive and interactive resource to learn about and explore the Roanoke, Virginia region’s outdoors.
The new site (www.RoanokeOutside.com) -- the first of its kind dedicated to the Roanoke, Virginia region -- was developed with hundreds of suggestions from area residents who shared their favorite hiking and biking trails, fishing holes, camping spots, kid activities, gear shops, as well as features they wanted to see on the site. Others employed GPS-equipped phones to map out trails and wrote descriptions of outdoor activities.



RoanokeOutside.com covers the greater Roanoke, Virginia area that stretches from Douthat State Park to Smith Mountain Lake between the James River and New River. The site includes an event calendar, suggested itineraries, list of guides, gear rentals, maps, photos, videos, message boards, blogs, gear reviews, cabin rentals, classifieds, and other features to help make getting outside easy, educational and sustainable.

“With the help of outdoor enthusiasts from throughout our region, we have dedicated more than a year to develop the leading source of information about all things outside to properly leverage the Roanoke, Virginia region’s greatest asset – the outdoors,” said Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “Making the outdoors an important part of our region’s narrative and economy starts with a dynamic Web site that catalogues our natural resources and makes it easier for people all over the world to learn about and enjoy what we have to offer.”

It was made possible thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Virginia Is for Lovers Marketing Leverage Program.

Much like RoanokeOutside.com was developed with the help of the region’s residents, the site will continue to be a conduit of connectivity using interactive blogs, discussion groups and social media outreach using Twitter and Facebook.

“The Roanoke, Virginia region is one of the best spots anywhere for outdoor recreation, and RoanokeOutside.com tells that story in a way we’ve never been able to do before,” said Pete Eshelman, director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “It provides an interactive platform to continue to share tips and connect with people passionate about the outdoors or those simply wanting to take the first steps toward getting outside for fun and exercise.”

Businesses, colleges urged to link to RoanokeOutside.com

To help spread the word about the site and increase global exposure, the Roanoke Regional Partnership is asking businesses, colleges and other organizations in the region to add a link to www.RoanokeOutside.com from their home pages.

“Our new site is an ideal way to show young professionals that the Roanoke, Virginia region is an ideal place to start and build their careers,” Eshelman says. “Having a comprehensive site like ours makes it easy for young professionals to research the region as a place they want to live.”

RoanokeOutside.com also is a great way for employers to showcase the region’s assets to employees, potential recruits and other web visitors. “A link to RoanokeOutside.com shows that a company, college or other organization cares about the outdoors and its impact on economic development in the region,” Eshelman says.


ABOUT THE ROANOKE REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP
The Roanoke Regional Partnership was founded in 1983 as a regional economic development organization for the greater Roanoke area that includes Alleghany, Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke counties plus the cities of Roanoke and Salem and the town of Vinton. Its program of work includes image building, asset development, and business recruitment. The Partnership has been involved in business locations and expansions that have created more than 13,600 jobs and $1.3 billion in investment in real estate and equipment. To learn more, please visit www.Roanoke.org.

A New York Times article Sunday, January 3, 2010, featured a revolutionary new bearing from Synchrony, a company founded and grown by Dr. Victor Iannello in the Roanoke, Virginia area.

Under the headline “Bearings That Pack a Punch (and Their Own Controls)”, thebearings_1.jpg article discusses how Synchrony has miniaturized the often bulky control systems that have complicated the use of magnetic bearings in industrial equipment such as pumps, generators, motors and compressors.

“When you hold the bearing in your hand,” the article quotes Iannello about the company’s new Fusion bearing, “you are also holding all the electronics.”

Synchrony was founded in 1993 and most recently expanded into its current Roanoke County location in 2007.

Read the New York Times article Here>>>

Boxley has met its goal of achieving the prestigious Green-Star Certification by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) in 2009 at all eight of our concrete plants.

The NRMCA Green-Star program recognizes Ready Mixed companies who maintain Environmental Management Systems that aid in reducing, if not eliminating, negative environmental impacts resulting from operations.



Of the more than 5,000 concrete plants in the U.S., only 60 have achieved Green-Star status. Boxley plants are the only plants in Virginia and West Virginia to achieve Green-Star Certification.

Boxley's Roanoke Plant was the first to achieve Green-Star status in Roanoke, Virginia and the 11th in the U.S. Boxley's Welch Plant was the first in West Virginia and the 56th in the U.S.

The Green-Star program requires participation by all employees. From recycling efforts and solid waste reduction to water and energy conservation to reduction of noise, dust and improving the aesthetics of the company sites thus resulting in positive impacts on the communities Boxley serves.

Some examples of Boxley's environmental practices include:
  • Reduced waste concrete by 20% by forming concrete barrier blocks with the waste concrete. It would have taken 22 dump truck loads to dispose of this waste at a landfill. Recycling reduced use of landfill, vehicle emissions and furl burned.
  • Utilized 100% recycled water for mixer drum rinse and washout (saved approximately 800,000 gallons of water annually).
  • Improve site aesthetics through tree plantings and landscaping.
  • Replaced 100% of indoor lighting with high efficiency bulbs and turned off computers and lighting at the end of each day. This type of lighting uses 75% less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.
  • Installed a suggestion box to collect employee ideas related to continual environmental improvement.
  • Provided mugs to employees to reduce the amount of Styrofoam cups being used. Based on annual usage at the Roanoke plant, this prevents 5,750 non-recyclable cups from going to a landfill per year.
  • Implemented a recycling program for mixed paper, aluminum and plastics.
  • Implemented recycling program for oil, tires, and metals.

Roanoke County, Va.

Towns include: Cave Spring
Best Places to Live rank: 89
Unemployment rate: 5.6%

Don't underestimate this popular retirement community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thanks to the Carilion Health Clinic, a number of nursing facilities and a large hospital, job opportunities are thriving.

"It doesn't matter if it's a boom or bust time," said economic development specialist Joe Zielinski. "People come here for the jobs."

cave_spring_va.jpg

Even outside the health care arena, banking, defense contractors and insurance companies provide thousands of additional jobs for working families. Some of the area's top employers include Wachovia, Allstate Insurance and ITT Night Vision.

Read more about the region Here>>>

A Franklin County farm is offering a unique way to get fresh milk – rent a cow.


For $29 a month, participants in a herd-share program have access to one gallon of fresh milk a week at Tender Grass Farm. The grass-fed and pasture-raised cows at this organic farm produce just 1.5 gallons of milk per day compared to 9.5 gallons at typical dairy farms using hormones and antibiotics.

Tender Grass, one of several small, vibrant family farms in the Roanoke Region, also sells beef, pork and poultry products, including some 60 cuts of meat, eight types of raw cheese, and eggs.

Owner Brian Bowen founded the 100-acre Tender Grass Farm following an insurance and financial planning career in Arizona. The family practices what’s called management intensive grazing, where cattle are moved to new pastures to mimic the way herbivores act in nature.


 

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