This year we’ve got the New York Giants playing the New England Patriots, and I’ve got two dishes for you that are guaranteed to please.  Bacon-Wrapped Italian Meatballs in honor of the Giants and Clam Dip in honor of the Patriots.

photo by Carrie E. Cox

Bacon-Wrapped Italian Meatballs
This is an amazing dish that is easy to make.  You can use either store bought Italian-style meatballs or you can make your own.  The recipe below includes everything you need to make them yourself, but if you choose to use store bought simply allow them to thaw and skip to step four.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 ½ cups breadcumbs
2 – 3 TB. Parsley
2 – 3 TB. Olive Oil
2 packages sliced bacon
1 twelve ounce bottle of dark beer, like a stout
2 cups brewed coffee
1 bottle bbq sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Prepare your meatballs first by mixing the first five ingredients together in a bowl.  If you really want your meatballs to stand out, grate the Parmesan cheese yourself by hand as it makes a world of difference in taste. 
2. Once everything is blended nicely, begin making your meatballs.  To give you an idea on how big the meatballs should be, we’ll be wrapping them with half a strip of bacon, so you don’t want to make them too big. 
3. Heat your olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat.  Place formed meatballs in the frying pan, leaving enough room that they can be rolled about a bit to ensure even cooking.  Using a slotted spoon will help a lot here, as you can easily roll them in the pan as well as lift them out when they’re done.  Each meatball should take approximately four minutes to cook.  When they’re done cooking transfer them to a plate and allow to cool.
4. Make your sauce.  In a large bowl whisk together the beer, coffee, BBQ sauce (I used Sticky Finger’s Carolina Classic), and brown sugar.
5. Cut the strips of bacon in half.  This can be easily done using a clean pair of kitchen scissors.  Wrap each meatball with a half-strip of bacon, securing with a toothpick. 
6. After wrapping the meatballs with bacon, place them in the bowl of sauce. 
7. Load the bacon-wrapped meatballs on your grill, to be cooked over indirect heat for about one and a half hours at 275-300F.  You can use the grill grate as well as the warming rack of the grill.  If, for some reason, you don’t have access to a grill you can also return them to the frying pan.  The main thing in this step is cooking the bacon to desired crispness.
8. Serve on a large plate or platter and be ready for them to disappear before your eyes.

photo by Carrie E. Cox

Clam Dip
When thinking of the Patriots everyone is quick to think of serving clam chowder but, really, who wants to eat soup while watching football.  Occasionally you want something different, but nine times out of ten, the best foods for football are those that don’t require a lot of attention while you eat.  After-all, if you’re focusing on your food you’re more likely to miss part of the game .. or the commercials!

Ingredients:
8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 (6.5 ounce) can minced clams
2 – 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 – 3 dashes Frank’s hot sauce
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. chipotle seasoning
a pinch of ground black pepper

1. This one is very easy to make.  Simply blend all the ingredients listed above together.  You can tweak it to your preferences by adjusting how much Worcestershire and hot sauce you use.  Serve with crackers.

Next week in Mama Taney’s Kitchen we’ll be cooking up recipes for Valentine’s Day, so make sure to check it out.  If you have any questions about the recipes listed, or if you have a recipe you think should be tried out, you can contact Carrie at carrie@mainstreetnewspapers.com

Mama Taney’s Kitchen is written by Carrie E. Cox

Moore, a life-long resident of the Cave Spring area, graduated from Cave Spring High School before heading into the professional work field, while also taking some criminal justice classes at Virginia Western.  “I love it here, I wouldn’t even consider moving anywhere else” said Moore of living here.  “It is gorgeous.  The people are wonderful.”

Charlotte Moore during a recent afternoon visit to Froth. - Photo by Carrie E. Cox

Moore became a realtor when she was pregnant with her daughter Kristie in 1984 after someone suggested the idea to her.  She found that, as a mother, it was a career that allowed her the flexibility she needed.  Fifteen years ago she opened Dream Scapes, her landscape company.  The company offers a little bit of everything in the landscaping world: maintenance, design, flowers, and even snow removal – something that they obviously haven’t been called on for much this Winter.  “I like the outdoors, I like manual work, physical work” she said of her desire to add landscaping to her life.

She has been a member of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors since 2008, and is now in her second term.  “I just wanted to make a difference.  Some things happened in my area that I couldn’t get an answer to, so I decided that if I really wanted to make a difference then I needed to do something to try” she says of her decision to run for a seat on the Board.  She has been able to make the differences she’s wanted to make but acknowledges that she’s encountered a lot of road blocks and red tape.  “Government does have a lot of red tape, there is protocol that you have to go through, but if you take baby steps and you are really passionate about what you believe in, what you want to accomplish, if you have a goal in mind, and then you can work towards that goal, making small steps along the way.  I feel comfortable that I’ve done that.” 

It is work that she admits is both challenging and rewarding.  “ I really like involving the citizens and communicating with the citizens and having transparency between the citizens and government” she said, adding “I really try to do whatever I can to keep them involved, to let them know what is going on and to hopefully want them to get more involved.”  She noted that they do have a lot of citizen involvement with the Board of Supervisors.  “We have citizens who come to just about every meeting and make comments on whatever they want to talk about.”  The Board has two meetings a month, with the meeting on the fourth Tuesday of the month actually having two meetings, one at 3pm and one again at 7pm, with the later time being a public hearing.

Working with the citizens and encouraging citizen involvement is something Moore prides herself on, considering that to be her strongest asset that she brings to the Board.  “You have to involve the citizens because it involves their community and you have to be open-minded and listen to all the facts” she said.  “My philosophy is to just say what you mean and mean what you say, and if you do what you say that you’re going to do, and you don’t give political answers, you try to be straight forward with your answers, and be you’re sincere, and then people will usually know where you stand on the issues.  Being open-minded is critical too.” 

Moore noted that she is constantly amazed by the people who reside within Roanoke and the Cave Spring area and the ideas that they have for the area.  They have quarterly community meetings, with the next meeting being on April 26^th at the new South County library at 7pm.  “Anyone who lives or works in the Cave Spring area can come and speak and share their ideas.”

Story by Carrie E. Cox

It was in October 2005 that Cheryl Smith and her children Caitlin and Connor were involved in a tragic multi-car accident that killed two people in their vehicle as well as people from other vehicles.  Though buckled in, Caitlin, now 16 and in 11^th grade at Glenvar High School, was thrown from the vehicle.  She was found in a nearby field with injuries that left her paralyzed.  Since then she has regained her motor functions and is busy preparing for college.  Her younger brother Conner, now 14 and in 7^th grade at Glenvar Middle School, suffered more severe injuries.  He was almost eight at the time of the accident, and was in a coma for over two months, emerging slowly from it.  “I was playing peek-a-boo” said Conner when his mother recounted how, for quite a while, all the young boy could do was open one eye to look at them. 

Wendy Wall works with Connor Smith, 14, during a recent PACE program session to help his memory. - Photo by Carrie E. Cox

Connor suffered Traumatic Brain Injury as a result of the accident.  In May 2006 Conner finally progressed enough to begin outpatient therapy along with his intense physical therapy.  It was the cognitive therapy though that Smith knew he needed and yet she couldn’t find anywhere close by.  Charlottesville was the closest place she could find to Roanoke.  Finally, in the Fall of 2011, she found Wall and her business.  Wall had been in Colorado at the time, receiving her training to be a PACE instructor.  One of the requirements for her to be able to do this was that there isn’t anyone else offering this training within a 50 mile radius of her office, a criteria easily met.

PACE was founded, and is now directed by, a group of professionals from a variety of disciplines who share a common interest in helping children learn more easily and efficiently.  “Good processing skill equals good learning” said Wall of the program, noting that while originally designed for children they’re now finding that the same program can help soldiers recovering from the traumas of war, the elderly, as well as Alzheimer and stroke victims.  “The feedback just keeps coming back positive” added Wall. 

The program helps with children who have problems staying on task, who work too slowly or too hard, who have poor math skills, trouble making associations and conclusions, difficulty comprehending what is read, as well as problems remembering.  It is in that last area that Connor’s mother has noticed a definite change since he began the program.  He’s beginning to remember things again.

The program provides 60 – 80 hours of one-on-one training with Wall over a period of 12 weeks.  It is in this intense, yet affirmative and reassuring, atmosphere that the results are seen.  Wall offers immediate feedback during sessions, either praising her students for a correct answer or gently drawing their attention to an error and encouraging them to try again.  During their sessions Wall gradually increases the demands of the task, based on each participant’s levels of growth, to help them learn better.

This therapy is changing the way people view the brain’s ability to heal and grow.  “It used to just be that, if a person had an issue, they would just try to make work around that” said Wall.  “Now we’re seeing that a brain can be changed, a brain can grow.”

Story by Carrie E. Cox

Repairs have been underway by solid waste and garage employees throughout the day in order to get as many of the trucks as possible back on the road. Residents who normally have their trash collected on Tuesday will have their trash collected on Wednesday. All other routes will be delayed by one day. Residents are encouraged to contact the Solid Waste Division at 540-387-6225 if they have any questions.

This is the first time an incident like this has occurred in Roanoke County. The trucks are kept behind a secure gate at Roanoke County’s Public Service Center on Kessler Mill Road in Salem.  The investigation has been turned over to Roanoke County Police Detective D. Walters. So far, no one has been charged and police are appealing to the community for help in identifying the person or persons responsible. If anyone has information regarding this incident, they are asked to call 540-562-3265.

The trucks are kept behind a secure gate at Roanoke County’s Public Service Center on Kessler Mill Road in Salem. The windshields were damaged as well as some truck mirrors. County officials, at this time, are uncertain how long the repairs will take. There were 15 trucks involved, and 18 windshields (there are two windshields per vehicle).

Roanoke County will provide more information on the trash collection schedule as it becomes available. For questions, please contact Anne Marie Green, Director of Roanoke County’s General Services Department, at 387-6200.

The library, affectionately known as the “SoCo Library,” held its Grand Opening this past Tuesday.  It was the coldest day we’ve seen so far and yet, despite the whipping winds, the parking lot was full and the library remained filled with people all day.

The new library boasts a large children's area, complete with its own help desk. - Photos by Carrie E. Cox

Patrons were immediately greeted at the door and given a souvenir goodie bag, and aided with directions to whatever it was they were seeking out inside the impressive 54,000 square foot building.  Angela Daniel of Roanoke was there with her sons Jacob, 3, and Lin, 1.  “I think it’s really nice” said Daniel of the new library.  “It is a lot nicer than the old one, it’s very nice.”  Her sentiment was shared by many, including children.  “Wow” said Shannon Cox, 7, of Salem, wide-eyed in awe.  His brother Tristan, 5, seconded the opinion adding “It’s amazing!”  “We’ve been very impressed with the response we’ve gotten” acknowledged Penny Lloyd, Marketing Manager for the library.

At first glance of the interior patrons might think that they’ve stumbled upon a very nice bookstore.  Shelves are designed in sweeping arches with books brightly displayed upon them.  There is a stone faced fireplace with plenty of comfortable seating surrounding it for reading.  The impressive floor to ceiling windows offer gorgeous views of the nearby mountains. 

The new "SoCo" Library located at 6303 Merriman Road was designed by the well-known library architects Holzeimer Bolek + Meehan. The same architects will also be designing the new library in Glenvar.

The children’s area is announced by massive, arching wooden doors that seem taken out of a fairytale.  To further entice young readers, the shelves and ends are painted in bright colors, with interesting cut-outs on the ends.  Familiar stuffed animals sit amongst the books.   The area even boasts its own help desk and ample computer space.  A walk through a rounded Hobbit-like entrance leads young ones deeper into their own world, where they will find tables laid out with puzzles, a puppet theatre, and a magnetic train table, along with wooden blocks and more. There is even a large Family Restroom in the childrens’ area, a welcome sight for many parents, as well as a special room just for Story Time. 

Upstairs, which can be accessed by either the impressive staircase or by the nearby elevators, there are bookshelves whose ends look like airy, encased bamboo rods – a far cry from the dark shelves of old.  There is a “Quiet Reading Room” complete with its own fireplace that beckons those seeking a indulgingly quiet retreat. 

The interior of the new 54,000 square-foot awes visitors the moment they step through the front doors.

Along with the impressive abundance of books, upstairs also offers a conference board room, a computer lab, and a technology workroom, and more.  There is even an entire area devoted to young adults upstairs. 

Back on the main floor there is an ample-sized Meeting Room located near the front entrance and along the “Information Commons.”  Going around that, area patrons will find Mill Mountain Coffee serving up drinks, complete with plenty of café seating nearby.  Outside there is even a drive-up window for those just passing through the neighborhood. 

The new whimsical children's area is not only boldly painted but also boasts entry ways that ignite the imagination.

Located just beyond the café area is the impressive auditorium.  As part of the Grand Opening celebrations Action Animals USA came out on Tuesday to wow kids and adults alike.  Kim Miller wowed the crowd with her “most dangerous animal,” aka Henrietta the hen, when she taught the children and adults how to hypnotize Henrietta.  After swaying their fingers at her and mystically calling “go to sleep” the chicken laid down on her back with her legs sticking straight up in the air.  A loud shout of the magic words “Chicken Soup” brought the hen back to life, to the delight of the crowd.  Other crowd favorites were Miquella the Capuchin Monkey, who immediately began drinking Kim’s drink, an act that had the youngsters rolling with laughter, and Foose the Serval Cat who seemingly refused to show off his natural leaping ability, instead choosing to hop down and then back up rather than gracefully leaping from table to table. 

The library has events planned for the remainder of the month and beyond which are sure to delight those of all ages.  SoCo Library is located at 6303 Merriman Road, across the street from Penn Forrest Elementary School in Southwest Roanoke County.  For more information about the library, patrons can call 772-7507.

Story by Carrie E. Cox

Since that time more and more yards have become decorated with a variety of blow-up decorations.  Items which range from motorcycle riding Santas, scenes of Winter, and now even Nativity scenes.  With such displays becoming more common, one house on Bridle Lane in Southwest Roanoke County stands out for its unique display: a Chirstmas tree made of 900 20-ounce Sprite and Fresca soda bottles.

The front yard of 2039 Bridle Lane is graced by a 13' Christmas tree made out of 900 recycled Sprite and Fresca bottles. - photo by Carrie E. Cox

“Jack drank a lot of Fresca and he was sitting there and holding a bottle and looking at light through it and he thought it would make a good Christmas tree,” explained Dee Thompson of how the idea to build a Christmas tree using recycled Sprite bottles came to be.  Together, they built their first tree 17 years ago. 

The tree is made of four metal poles that are wired together.  The Thompsons then hang chicken wire on the poles, allowing the bottles to be fitted in the holes in the wire.  “The first tree we built, he just stuck the bottles in the chicken wire but the wind kept blowing them out,” said Dee “so after the second or third year we built this one.”

Jack saved bottles he drank and was able to acquire bottles directly from Coca-Cola.  Together he and Dee built the tree.  “He did most of the work, but we both drilled holes in the bottles.  You have to drill a hole in the neck of the bottle” explained Dee of how the current tree came to be, “and then you stick the bottle through the chicken wire hole and run a wire through each bottle to hold them in.”  “It took a lot of work” she said with a laugh.

Their tree has won two Christmas tree contests, which has earned them more bottles and cases of Sprite and Coke from Coca-Cola.  The tree was also once a target of vandals, when three teenage boys from Cave Spring tried to melt it by stuffing toilet paper around each bottle and then lighting it on fire.  Dee says that though it didn’t ruin the entire display it ruined about 100 bottles.  Luckily there was no other damage, and the fire didn’t spread to their house.    That was over a decade ago now and they’ve been fortunate enough that the tree now brings more goodwill than anything else. 

“Everybody loves it” said Dee, adding “and if we’re late getting it up they ask when it will be up our neighbors begin to ask if we’re going to put it up again.”  The tree, which sits atop a table, stands approximately 13’ tall and takes half of the Thompson’s family to put it up, including their grandchildren.

The tree is usually put up right after Thanksgiving, and will stay up until after the first of the year, depending on the weather.  “One year we left it up until February because of the snow” laughed Dee.  The lights are turned on at 5:30 each night and stay on until 11 p.m. 

This year’s tree is especially important to the Thompson family.  They didn’t put it up right after Thanksgiving as they usually do, they ended up waiting until the following weekend.  “We got the tree up on Sunday,” said Dee, “and on Tuesday Jack had a stroke.  So at least he got to see it lit.”  Jack, 79, has been in Lewis Gale since then, leaving the tree’s future uncertain.  When asked if she thinks they’ll put the tree up next year Dee, 77, simply responded with “we’ll see how it goes.”

Story by Carrie E. Cox

Ruth became a cobbler the only way one can, by apprenticeship, learning the trade from another cobbler, a 70 year old man, many years ago in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  Using his trade he was able to pay his way through college in Hobart, NY, where he studied to become a meteorologist.  Though that dream never materialized, his trade stayed true and steady.  He eventually moved back to Raleigh, where he is from and where his “mal-adjusted mother” still lives, for a little over a decade.  His relationship with his mother is as infamous as his talents at his trade.  He’s a through and through Republican, she’s a die-hard Democrat.  They talk often, arguing over politics until, as he puts it “and then she hung up on me.”  It was his wife Renee, who he refers to as “so delicate” is originally from Roanoke, that brought them to the area 22 years ago.  They’ve since raised two sons, Brandon, 23, and Ryan, 21.

The Shoe Doctor, located in The Corners Shopping Center off of Electric Road, is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. - photo by Carrie E. Cox

“It’s a dying art” said Ruth of his trade, “there aren’t many of us left.  It’s hard to find help because you have to train them, and it’s hard to train people during January, February, March, April and May when it is the busy season.  You can train them in July and August when it is slower because people don’t wear shoes as much in the Summertime.  But lately, since there’s no shoe shops in Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Lexington, we’re getting the whole area.  There used to be a time when you could find a shop in every town.”

He attributes the dying of the trade in part to older cobblers dying and their children not wanting to take on the trade, as well as to the fact that it requires constant work.  When he first learned the trade he thought “man, this is interesting.  I’m working with my hands, with these machines.”  “I don’t think people want to put the effort into it” he says of the reason why more people haven’t picked up the trade. “You’ve got to be an owner/operator to run a shoe shop.  You can’t just have an attendant there, people want to speak to the shoe maker.  Every shoe shop you go to would hire someone if they knew how to fix shoes already.  You don’t have time to train people, or when you do, they get up and leave you.  It’s a vocational trade, they aren’t teaching it in schools.  A man that can work with his hands can work anywhere.  It builds character, makes you sleep good at night.”

Michael Ruth, owner and operator of the Shoe Doctor, has been a cobbler for most of his life and is one of only three in the Roanoke Valley. - photo by Carrie E. Cox

Despite the recession, business is booming for Ruth.  He had over 100 pairs of shoes and more come in on a recent Monday alone.  “More and more people are getting shoes fixed because there aren’t many of us around and there is no sense in throwing a pair of shoes” he says, picking up a pair of high heels.  “Just because the tip is gone, don’t throw it away, FIX IT!  Absolutely, they’re just now broken in when they’ve got a hole in them, especially man’s shoes.  $200 – $300 for a pair of man’s shoes and it gets a hole in it?  $35 – $40 to fix it?  Shoot!” he finishes with his trademark twang. “I think people are more aware that they can fix it rather than go out and buy a new pair.  People are finally wising up a little bit.  It’s better to buy quality and get it fixed.  Don’t buy disposable things.  We’re not in the disposable society anymore.”  He even gets orders mailed in to him from places such as Lexington, Martinsville, Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, and even from Myrtle Beach from former customers.

Though he considers his specialty to be cowboy boots, with the soles and heels, he’s quick to remind people that “it’s not just shoes.”  As a cobbler he also works on leather belts, pocket books and their straps, leather coats, suitcases, boat tarps, even a doggie bed, anything that requires heavy sewing.  “A lot of people during the Summer bring me in lawn and leaf bags that have got a hole in it.  I just put a patch on it and sew it” he said.  “We get a lot of calls for suitcases.  Where the wheels have come off or the zipper is broken, because TSA just throws that stuff around.  FIX IT!”

Several of the 100 pairs of shoes that came into the store for repair on a recent Monday. - photo by Carrie E. Cox

Despite being busy in the store six days a week, Ruth keeps himself plenty busy outside of work.  He’s coached Little League since 1997 and has sat on the Board of Directors for Cave Spring National Little League for eight years.  He’s also gotten a lot of attention for mowing.  “Dr. Kelleher told me I wasn’t getting the right kind of exercising because I’m here all the time,” he explained.  “So Charlotte Moore asked me if I would keep the median cut, because she sees me mowing the grass out here all the time.  That wasn’t enough, so I wanted to go cut them all.  I cut from Tanglewood Mall to Brambleton Avenue.  I keep all those medians cut during the Spring and Summer.”  It is a task for which he is not paid.  He’s been volunteering his time for three years now and is the only volunteer in the Valley, and one of only 23 throughout the entire state.  “I get called a convict all the time,” he said with a laugh of when he’s mowing, “so I wear a bright orange shirt now with big white letters that says “I’m Not A Convict!”  It’s good to get out there and sweat.  It builds character.”  He mows late in the evening or early in the morning before he open the store.

It’s his trade that is his passion, and his passion that brings in many customers.  “I like people with a little bit of attitude, people with that ‘I can take care of it, I can get it done’ entrepreneurial spirit” said David Purpura, 38 of Christiansburg.  Unable to find anyone near where he lived who can work on shoes, Purpura had driven down to bring eight pairs of shoes in to be fixed.  “As a businessman, I want them to look as sharp as possible.  There’s nowhere else to go.”

Story by Carrie E. Cox

DeRosa lives in Roanoke with her husband Frank and their children Frank, 20, and Marie, 18.  They own the automotive repair shop Acceleration Station in Salem where they both work.  Originally from Brooklyn, NY the family moved here in 1995, leaving behind the majority of their family, including her father.  The novel, Fractured Façade, about “a father’s death, a daughter’s life, and a sociopath’s vendetta,” is a novel written as a memoir.  “It’s what I like to call autobiographical fiction” explained DeRosa.  “I would say most of it is true but I’ll leave that up to the reader to determine” she continued with a laugh.

Roanoke author Elena DeRosa - submitted photo

She began writing the book in Spring of 2008 after her father’s passing the previous September.   “I didn’t want to write this book, I had to write this book.  Then my father passed, and it wasn’t just his passing but everything that came afterwards” said DeRosa of her inspiration for the book.  “I began documenting it on my blog because it was so unbelievable and more and more people, as they were reading it, said ‘you know you should really write a book about this.’  At that point I was so embroiled with everything that was going on and I had it up there that this was a story that really needed to be told.”

The book is not only about the death and what happened afterwards but also contains flashbacks of DeRosa’s childhood and life-shaping events that occur along the way, as well as the lessons that were learned along the way. 

“Of course, a lot of traditional publishing houses don’t want a book about lessons learned, or a memoir from someone who’s not famous” said DeRosa, “but there is a market, I believe anyway, for people for something that is, not only a good read, but also something that you’re going to walk away and learn something from.  Something that will give them a flag they wouldn’t have noticed before to make them aware of something that deserves a second look.”

Contrary to popular belief about how to get a book published, the process starts with a query letter to an agent in an attempt to simply “whet their appetite” about the book, to request for them to read just five pages.  “There are books written on how to write the query letter” said DeRosa.  After sending out three query letters to agents to see if they were interested in her book, DeRosa had an epiphany.  “I spent over three years working on the book, perfecting it to my standards.  I realized that it could take me a year to attract an agent, and it could take them a year to attract a publishing house, and I realized my book doesn’t fit into a nice, neat little package.  Then, they can turn around and want you to re-write something.  I’d still have to be doing all my own work, they wouldn’t be paying me for tours.”

So DeRosa turned to her familiar punk roots and decided to self-publish it via e-readers.  She notes the similarity to the musicians who couldn’t make it in the door with record companies and new authors who aren’t going to be able to get their chance as a debut author.  “There aren’t that many brick and mortar stores anymore” said DeRosa. 

Self-publishing it allowed her to maintain control over her words, her voice.  She enlisted the help of her daughter Marie who edited the book, designed the cover, and did the book trailer.  “I needed someone who was brutally honest and knew my style” she said proudly of her daughter.

Publishing it as an e-reader allows it to be available to readers for only $4.99 instead of the comparable paperback cost of $20.99, a cost DeRosa deems to high for books in general.  The book is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, as well as all other e-retailers.  DeRosa is happy with how the book is being received noting with a laugh “I’ve sold more than my fingers and toes combined, so that’s a start.”

On Thursday the 15 Roanoke Main Library held a celebration book event for Fractured Façade.  Called “NYC.. LIVE IN ROANOKE!” the event was a far cry from traditional book signing events.  For one, there wasn’t a physical book to be signed.  There were also local, independent musicians performing their takes on classic New York themed songs, as well as a Toy for Tots drive and food gathered for the Rescue Mission.  “River Laker did a fantastic job” said DeRosa of the event.  “It is a bridging of New York and Roanoke, both places the book takes place in.”

For more information on DeRosa, the book, or her upcoming works please visit her website at www.elenaderosa.com.

Story by Carrie E. Cox

Virginia State Police have identified a Spotsylvania County man as the subject responsible for the murder-suicide that occurred Thursday (Dec. 8, 2011) on the Virginia Tech campus. Investigators have confirmed that Ross Truett Ashley, 22, of Partlow, Va., took his own life approximately a half-hour after fatally shooting a Virginia Tech Police Officer. Ashley also had a local residence in the 1000 block of East Main Street in Radford, Va.

At this time, there remains no prior connection or contact between Ashley, who was enrolled part-time at Radford University, and the Virginia Tech Officer he killed. State police investigators are continuing their work to establish a motive in the killing and to recreate Ashley’s movements in the days and hours leading up to the murder-suicide.

Ashley has been identified by Radford City Police as the individual responsible for the theft of a white 2011 Mercedes SUV from a real estate office in the City of Radford on Dec. 7, 2011. The Mercedes was stolen at gunpoint at approximately 11:25 a.m. Wednesday from Gilbert Real Estate in the 600 block of Calhoun Street. A male entered the business armed with a handgun and demanded the keys to an employee’s vehicle. No one in the real estate office was injured. The subject got away in the SUV, which was located the next day (Dec. on the Smart Road at Virginia Tech. At the time of the armed robbery, Radford City Police had issued a multi-state “Be On the Lookout” (BOL) for the stolen vehicle. When Blacksburg Police responded to a call of an abandoned vehicle on the Smart Road on Dec. 8, they immediately notified Radford City Police of its recovery.