On Tuesday the Byrdmen played another nail-biter, coming out a few points short. Byrd dropped a an 83-78 game at Northside after coming from way behind, going ahead, and then falling shy at the end.

Byrd's Zach Doss scores over Northside's Todd Dunbar in Tuesday night action.

“Been there before,” said Byrd coach Kevin Tuck. “We’ve had a lot of games just like that.”

Byrd trailed 22-8 after one period and it appeared the Vikings might be on the way to a blowout. However, the Terriers cut four points off the lead in the second quarter, outscoring Northside 24-17, and trailed just 39-32 at the half.

The Byrdmen really started finding the range in the third quarter, outscoring Northside 30-20 to take a three point lead. They were dialing long distance as Zach Doss hit two threes and Jaylen Board, Joe Barton and Tyler Goodman had one each. Byrd was also seven-for-seven from the line.

“When you get 15 points on threes and seven points at the line you should do okay,” said Tuck.

The fourth quarter was nip-and-tuck, no pun intended, as the game wound down to another exciting Byrd finish. The Terriers had the ball down two with inside a minute to go but couldn’t get one to drop and Northside’s Todd Dunbar was intentionally fouled. He made one of two, leaving the door open for Byrd as Tuck called timeout with 13 seconds on the clock and three behind.

Byrd’s Barton got the ball with the option to shoot or pass, and he decided to shoot. Barton hit a last-second shot to stun Lord Botetourt last week, but this time the ball didn’t find the mark and Northside made two foul shots for the five point differential at game’s end.

“We knew the defense would come to him,” said Tuck. “He had the option and he took the shot. We had a chance.”

Barton finished with 27 points for game-high, one more than Dunbar. Doss had a season-high 17 and Board had 11. The Terriers hit eight three-pointers from five different players.

The loss dropped Byrd to 2-5 in the district and 5-15 overall, but they’re still in a great position to advance to the Region III, Division 4 tournament. The top three teams in the district, Rockbridge, Northside, and Alleghany, are all in Division 3. Two of three Division 4 teams advance so Byrd has to only beat out 7-12 Lord Botetourt or 2-18 Staunton River to make the regional.

Byrd is home this Friday for a “big” game with Staunton River, and being a border rival makes this an interesting game none the less. Next Tuesday the Terriers wrap up the regular season with a trip to Rockbridge.

Last Friday at Alleghany the Terriers got hammered by the Mountaineers, 78-56. Zac Hill led the team with 14 points, but the Terriers don’t match well with Alleghany.

“They go 6’8”, 6’6” and 6’5” and we’re guarding them with 6’3”, 5’8” and 5’7”,” said Tuck. “At one point Joe(Barton) was guarding a guy a foot taller and 125 pounds heavier than he is. And Joe is one of our heavier guys.”

The Byrd girls scored 182 points to easily outdistance second place Rockbridge, who was 101 points beind with 81. Lord Botetourt was third with 77, followed by Alleghany with 62 and Northside with 26.

The William Byrd girls won the Blue Ridge District swim championship at the Gator Center last week. Top row, left to right: Coach Martin, Paige Crocker, Courtney Heck, Annie Lane, Emily Heck, Mackenzie Lingle, Kali Edsall, Coach Terrell. Middle row, left to right: Brittany Ritter, Jess McGuire, Sarah Vipperman, Kacy Edsall. Bottom row, left to right: Amee Creamer, Hailey Mills. Girls not pictured are: Spencer Biggs, Lauren James, Megan Liptak, Morgan Liptak, Briea Miller and Taylor Zimmerman.

“It was such a great night… the culmination of lots of hard work and dedication for these athletes,” said Martin.  “We had tons of best times.  It’s really rewarding to look back at where some of these swimmers started this year and then see where they end up.  I was also really proud of their team spirit on deck. The girls’ win was a real team effort and Coach (assistant Kyndal) Terrell and I are so proud of them.”

Girls champions included Kacy Edsall in the 200 Free and 100 Free and Kali Edsall in the 500 and 50 Free, breaking Erin Tudor’s school record. Kali swam a time of 25.05 to beat Tudor’s mark by .07 seconds.

Annie Lane won the 200 IM and 100 Breast while Mackenzie Lingle won the 100 Fly and 100 Back. The girls also won three relays with Lane, Lingle and the two Edsall girls sweeping to wins in the 200 Medley Relay and 200 Free Relay. In the 400 Free Relay the foursome of Courtney Heck, Paige Crocker, Emily Heck, and Brittany Ritter was first.

In the boys meet Lord Botetourt was the team winner for the ninth straight year and coach Ashley Stoneham was the district boy’s Coach of the Year. Zac Dehli from Staunton River was the boys’ Swimmer of the Year.

This one was closer, as LB had 108 points to 84 for Staunton River and 76 for Byrd. Rockbridge was next with 65, followed by Alleghany with 54 and Northside with 40 points.

Byrd had two boys’ champions over three events. Drew Vipperman won the 200 IM and 500 Free and Luke Gerig was 100 Breast champ.

This weekend the Region III tournament will be hosted by James Madison University. Competition begins at 3 pm Saturday, February 4. Byrd swimmers in the regional include Sarah Vipperman, Shane McGuire, Kacy Edsall, Drew Vipperman, Annie Lane, Paige Crocker, Corben West, Kali Edsall, Courtney Heck, Emily Heck, Luke Gerig, Mackenzie Lingle, Brittany Ritter, Andrew Crocker, Cole Inman, and Michael Reid.

This is such an exciting time of year with all the championship meets,” said Martin.  “Districts was a great kick off for Regionals and States.”

Billi Falls (standing) teaches a class in beginning knitting at Wooly Belle craft shop in Vinton.

She and her mother, Pam Bishop, travelled the weekend craft show circuit for several years. Now Amanda Bishop has settled into a store in Vinton, while her mother continues to market their goods at craft shows and festivals from March to December. Last year the pair had only two free weekends during the entire craft fair season.

Their new craft store, the Wooly Belle, is located at 128 North Pollard Street. The Bishops live in Vinton and chose to locate their business here as well.

“We like Vinton. There’s a nice feel here. People connect well in a small community,” said Amanda Bishop.

According to Bishop, they literally opened the store on a shoestring. They rented the building from owner Stanley Pennington, came in to clean and paint the following day, brought in furniture they purchased at Goodwill, set up displays with the inventory originally made for their craft shows, and quickly opened for business.

Bishop admits that the prospect of opening a new business was a little frightening, leaving her wondering if there would be any customers, but the news of their opening has been spreading. So far advertising has been mainly word of mouth, and through their Facebook page.

“There is a community of wool felters and of other artisans who seem to be able to search each other out,” said Bishop.

Amanda Bishop has opened the Wooly Belle craft shop on South Pollard Street in Vinton. The store sells crafts made by local artisans and also offers a variety of craft classes.

Pam Bishop says her daughter has always been an artist and crafter. Her father taught her to draw when she was a young child.

Amanda Bishop graduated from William Fleming High School and attended Liberty University, and then worked in office jobs.  Four years ago she bought a sewing machine and taught herself to sew. She now creates many of the items she sells on the road and in her shop—fabric flowers, aprons, clothing, tag blankets, and hair bows. She knits and felts. Both she and her mother crochet the hats and scarves that they sell. Her father, Bob Bishop, has taken up woodcarving, specializing in rooster motifs.

The Wooly Belle sells craft items on consignment from local artisans. Their intention is not to compete with the merchandise of other established shops in the area, but to set themselves apart with their own unique inventory of items local people create.

Not only do the Bishops want local artisans to sell their merchandise in the store; they want the artisans to teach others their skills.

While the store is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and on Sunday afternoons, after hours the Wooly Belle offers classes in a variety of crafts. Knitting and crocheting classes have already begun. Card-making and glass jewelry classes are scheduled, along with needle felting and silk scarf dyeing. Bishop is planning on adding classes in stained glass, yarn dyeing, rug hooking, beading, and whatever else catches her attention, crafts that she herself would like to learn.

Some of the artisans who display their crafts at the Wooly Belle and who have signed up to teach are individuals they met at craft shows. Bishop also searches online at www.etsy.com/ , an e-commerce website which focuses on handmade items, for unique crafts and people to teach them.

For now, Amanda’s interest is in teaching a wide variety of affordable fun crafts, including those that can be enjoyed by children and by seniors with limited dexterity, such as those who suffer from arthritis.

On February 8, she is offering Valentine craft classes for children at four different times during the day to accommodate both homeschooled and public school students.

Bishop runs the store and takes care of the business details, while her mother continues her job as an insurance agent with the K.C. Jones Agency in Roanoke, and travels to weekend craft shows.

The Bishops stay busy producing crafts to sell both in the store and on the road. The secret to their success at craft shows and festivals is selling inexpensive items that are mostly priced at $5.00 and under. They have become savvy in tailoring items to the particular market for each craft show and festival, determining what items, colors, schools, and themes are popular or featured in each locality. The Bishops will have a booth at the Dogwood Festival in Vinton this spring.

Bishop misses the socializing at crafts shows and festivals, but not the setting up and breaking down of the displays. She enjoyed traveling and seeing new places, the mini-vacations and girl’s weekends with her mother, but for now her dreams have come true, with the help of her mother, with the opening of the Wooly Belle.

Those interested in classes at the Wooly Belle can find the schedule on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/woolybelle or may call the store at 540-400-6266.

By Debbie Adams

Phillip Gervase is the Vice President of Hampden Hills Tax Service, a business begun by his father, Bill Gervase, in 1978 in the basement of their Hampden Hills home in the Mount Pleasant area of Roanoke County.  

Bill Gervase, president and founder of the Hampden Hills firm, graduated from Fort Lauderdale University with a degree in business management. After college he served in both the Army and Air Force. Originally from New York, Bill was travelling through Roanoke on vacation. He stopped to spend the night at a motel on Route 460, fell in love with the mountains, and decided to make Roanoke home.

Bill Gervase worked for the Postal Service as a mail carrier and then as an accountant. He began to prepare taxes for colleagues at the Post Office, then for friends and neighbors. The family sectioned off an area in the basement for tax preparation and volumes of tax code books. The living room eventually became the waiting room for clients. Most of those first clients and their children are still clients, as are many fellow soldiers from his military service days.

Phillip Gervase graduated from Radford University with a Business Administration degree in Organizational Business Management. He became a full-time employee in 1999. A strong math student, he was even more attracted to the computer side of tax preparation and to tax law. In fact, he says nowadays tax preparation is more about tax laws than about the math.

Phillip is also an ordained minister, working as an evangelist and outreach minister in prison and street ministries. His wife Christie Gervase also works part-time in the business preparing taxes, although she has reduced her hours since the birth of their son.

When the tax business outgrew their home, the Gervases chose Vinton as the location for their first office, because the rent was affordable and Virginia Avenue was a highly visible site on a main thoroughfare. When their business continued to thrive, they moved two doors down into a larger office space.

In addition to the Gervases, the firm employs Sonja Assaid as an assistant tax preparer, and secretaries Vickie Rowe and Lynn Ellison.

Hampden Hills Tax Service has grown from small beginnings to a thriving business on Virginia Avenue in Vinton. The staff now includes (from left standing): Phillip Gervase, Vice President; Sonja Assaid, assistant tax preparer; and Bill Gervase, President and founder; and (seated) Lynn Ellison, secretary. Not pictured are Christie Gervase, tax preparer, and Vickie Rowe, secretary.

The firm is open year-round, with extended hours during the height of tax season, which begins in earnest on January 17, when the Internal Revenue Service computers begin accepting tax returns. They are open for sixty hours each week for those months, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but actually work eighty- hour weeks until the tax deadline in April.

It’s always tax season at Hampden Hills though. After April 15, there are still payroll and unemployment taxes to deal with, amended returns and extensions to file, and 1099’s and W-2’s to prepare. The Gervases are not just tax preparers, but senior tax accountants who set up company books for tax purposes.

In addition, they are both Enrolled Agents, which means they passed   a rigorous 16- hour exam and are able to represent clients before the IRS. Enrolled Agents must also take classes each year to maintain their accreditation, which is something the Gervases complete during the off season.

Hampden Hills has 1,400 individual clients and over 250 business clients. They have no advertising budget. Their only ads are a sign above their office door and one at street side. Their reputation has spread by word-of-mouth.

Hampden Hills Tax Service moved to Vinton from a small basement office in Hampden Hills in 1991.

Lorraine Bratton, local Community Outreach Director for AARP, worked at Hampden Hills for six years as a part-time employee. She attributes the success of the firm in part to the family atmosphere people find there, as well as to their business ethics.

“Bill and Phillip Gervase were two of the best bosses I ever had the pleasure to work with,” she added.

“Our business philosophy is getting people every tax benefit possible while maintaining integrity,” said Phillip Gervase.

“The advantage for clients of using a smaller firm such as Hampden Hills is dealing with the same highly trained preparers year after year, who are familiar with their tax history and maintain their records,” said Phillip Gervase. “Our firm is open year round; we don’t close up and move on after April 15.” 

And the advantage to having taxes prepared at all, instead of individuals completing them independently? 

“Most of the amended returns we file are for people who do their own taxes,” said Phillip Gervase.

In recent years, their firm has also added financial services. In preparing tax returns, the Gervases noted that often individuals spend years building up retirement accounts only to be forced to withdraw the funds upon retirement to pay off debts. Their goal became to consider a client’s complete financial picture from taxes to investments to develop a financial strategy that will enable the client to live comfortably after retirement.

 Hampden Hills has grown steadily through the years. They have loyal clients who have been with them since the business started in the basement office in 1978.  Some of those clients and their families have moved to distant parts of the country and the world and still come back to the Gervases for their tax preparation. And they bring their friends and family as well.

By Debbie Adams

The Vinton Town Council is seeking applications from Town residents for the following vacancies on Boards and Commissions:

Board of Zoning Appeals ( two Alternates) – one expired five year term ending 02/20/16;  one unexpired five year term ending 02/20/16

Highway Safety Commission – one expired three year term ending 02/04/15

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) – one expired three year term ending 06/30/14

Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission – one unexpired three year term ending 06/30/13

Vinton residents who currently serve on a variety of boards and commissions offered some insight into their motivation.

Vinton builder Allen Kasey, was recruited to become a member of the Board of Zoning Appeals in the 1980’s. He has remained on the board because it gives him the opportunity to help his neighbors in the community and to make a difference in people’s lives

“It gives me a chance to aid people in the community, to empathize with their problems, and to give back to the Town,” said Kasey.

Mick Michelsen moved to Vinton in 1994. He volunteered for the Board of Zoning Appeals,  because  he wanted to meet people and become involved in the community.

“Serving on the board lets me get to know people in the community and to make decisions to help them,” said Michelsen.

Bill Booth, a retired mail carrier for the Postal Service, completed the classes in Vinton’s Citizen Police Academy and then was encouraged to serve first on the Board of Zoning Appeals and later on the Planning Commission.

“As a taxpaying citizen, I got on the boards and commissions to keep in touch with what’s going on in the community, to be a help. Everybody likes to complain, but if more people would participate in government, things would get done,” said Booth.

For additional information or to complete an application for a board or commission, contact the Town Clerk, 311 S. Pollard Street, telephone (540) 983-0607, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Applications are also available on the Town’s web page at www.vintonva.gov.  The Town provides training for those individuals appointed to boards and commissions.

By Debbie Adams

Tru Sol, one of the most popular bands on the Grand Strand in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will be performing at Woodland Place in Vinton on February 4, sponsored by the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Angie Chewning Lewis, Executive Director of the Chamber, first became acquainted with Tru Sol when they were the house band at Marti’s, a bar and grill in Myrtle Beach, where she was employed.

Tommy Woods, owner of Woodland Place, heard the band at a Labor Day beach festival this past fall. When they compared notes, Lewis and Woods decided that Tru Sol would be the perfect band for a winter concert in Vinton.

“I am so excited to be bringing them to Vinton. They are such a great band, and such a big draw in Myrtle Beach,” said Lewis.

Tru  Sol  performs classics from the Motown Era up to the present Hip Hop and R & B Era.  For now, the band mostly plays covers, but they are working on a long-awaited CD of original music to be released later  this year.

They generally play to packed venues, such as Duck’s and Fat Harold’s in North Myrtle Beach, establishments familiar to local shag dancers. The February 4 concert at  Woodland  Place will be their first event in Virginia.

Dorian Samuel founded Tru Sol, with Sheryta Spears and Merrell Samuel in 2004. He had agreed to help a friend find back-up singers and musicians for an album-release party.

“After witnessing the success of the party, we decided why not keep this thing going?’’ said Spears.

All three sing lead vocals; both men play guitar, while Dorian Samuel also plays bass. They are backed up by Jerry McFadden on guitar, Cary Simpson on keyboard, and Ishmael Hallback on drums. McFadden joined the band three years ago; Simpson and Hallback  just last year.

“It feels as if they all have been there since the beginning,” said Spears.

Tru Sol is well-known for its high energy performances.

“We love what we do and are very thankful we can do this for a living,” said Spears.

Tru Sol is well-known for its high energy performances.

The Vinton Chamber recently sponsored the New Year’s Eve Gala at the Vinton War Memorial attracting a near-capacity crowd, and hopes to follow-up by selling out the Woodland Place venue for the winter concert, with 200 tickets available.

“As with the New Year’s Eve Gala, the concert and dinner buffet at Woodland Place will have the atmosphere and setting of a private party without being invitation only,” said Lewis.

IDK of Vinton will be catering the dinner buffet, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Guests are invited to dress casually and bring their own beverages. Mixers will be provided. Live music with Tru Sol begins at 7:30 p.m. and continues until 11:30 p.m. They will play three 60 minute sets.

The Chamber of Commerce is again partnering with Cambria Suites Hotel on Reserve Avenue in Roanoke to provide a weekend discount package for the event. Barry Brooks of Vinton will be the photographer, taking both Sweetheart  pictures  and candid photos.

Tickets are available for those 21 and older at the Chamber of Commerce, Valley Bank in Vinton, IDK, Woodland Place, and Woods Service Center. The cost for the dinner buffet and Tru Sol concert is $30.00 per person. More details are available on the Chamber website at www.vintonchamber.com or by calling 343-1364.

“We are hoping to see another diverse crowd of all ages who enjoy good music, good food, good friends, and a good time, so that the Chamber is able to continue scheduling these events,” said Lewis.

In addition to the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce, other sponsors for the Winter Concert are Woodland Place, Wood’s Service Center, Sir Speedy Printing, and Vertex Signs.

By Debbie Adams

The sign will be constructed near the intersection of Washington Avenue and Bypass Road in Vinton. The William Byrd sign needed approval from Town Council because it will be located in the Town’s right-of-way.

Vinton Town Council voted to approve construction of a William Byrd High School electronic message board monument sign at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Bypass Road in Vinton.

The installation of the digital sign is a topic that has been under discussion at Town Council meetings since June 2011, where it was first introduced by Mike Stovall, Vinton’s representative to the Roanoke County School Board.

Stovall explained that a surplus in the County’s minor construction account made it possible for the School Board to distribute $40,000 to each school. A consensus was reached among the WBHS staff and school organizations to use the money to erect a digital sign.  Dr. Richard Turner, WBHS principal, explained that the sign would have to be placed within Town limits or on private property because VDOT would not allow the sign in their right-of-way near the school.

Dr. Turner stated that the William Byrd High School  PTA recommended asking Council to allow construction of  the sign at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Bypass Road, where it would be visible to the estimated 28,000 motorists who pass through each day traveling east and west on Washington Avenue and Bypass Road.

Discussion continued over several months both at neighborhood meetings and at Town Council meetings. Citizens and Council members spoke on both sides of the issue. Concerns were expressed about safety issues and the aesthetic impact of the sign. Benefits to the Town were also discussed, since the proposed sign would have a wide range of uses from the schools, the Town, Roanoke County, Civic groups, and emergency services organizations.

Vinton Town Manager Chris Lawrence was asked by Council to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the school system to settle on the final design for the sign prior to a vote on its approval. Citizen input impacted improvements to the proposal.

The Memorandum of Understanding  requires that the sign be no larger than 6 feet in height and 8 feet in width. The sign will be constructed of brick with a 3 inch precast concrete cap.  It will be V-shaped with two faces and in conformance with Town Code standards for commercial business signs.

Town Staff reviewed the location of the proposed sign and its relationship to the intersection and determined that the location does not interfere with visibility standards.

The sign is to be set 23 feet from the curb on Washington Avenue, 30 feet from the curb on Bypass Road, and 33 feet off of the old Preston Road driveway at the rear of the sign.

Landscaping will be installed after the sign is erected and in consultation with the immediate neighbors.

Hours of operation for the electronic message board will be from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. Lighting must conform to Town standards.

The Roanoke County School Board is responsible for maintenance of landscaping around the sign. The Town will continue to maintain the grassy area in the adjacent right-of-way.

Vinton Town Council approved the final design Tuesday night in a 3 to 2 vote. Mayor Brad Grose, Councilman Wes Nance, and Councilman Matt Hare voted in favor of the proposal. Vice Mayor Carolyn Fidler and Councilman Bobby Altice were opposed.

The next step in the construction of the electronic message board will be proceeding with the bidding process.

The School Board will manage the sign message board content and has agreed to allow public announcements from the Town of Vinton and the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce.

The WBHS staff will remotely control the sign message. The Town and Chamber will contact WBHS staff to post messages. The Town and Chamber will primarily post notices of public events, but may also use the sign to advertise meetings or even emergencies.

In a work session after the regular Council meeting, Consuella Caudill, Economic Development Director for the Town, detailed an opportunity for the Town to partner with the Advancement Foundation and Rowe Furniture to use the unoccupied section of the Health Department building for a job training program. Lauren Hodges from the Vinton War Memorial updated Council on the business plan for that facility.

The next Council meeting will be held in Council Chambers on February 7. The Council meeting scheduled for February 21, 2012 at 6:30 p.m., will be the third in a series of Council in the Neighborhood meetings and will be held at W.E.Cundiff Elementary  School.

By Debbie Adams

William Byrd wrapped up the regular season this week with a home meet on Wednesday. Last week the Terriers lost to a strong Cave Spring team, as the Knights edged the Byrd girls, 92-78, and the Cave Spring boys beat Byrd 103-57.

Byrd's Kali Edsall catches her breath after a race for the Terrier swim team. The Blue Ridge District meet is next Wed.

First place finishes included the girls’ 200 Medley Relay team of Kali Edsall, Annie Lane, Kacy Edsall and Mackenzie Lingle. Drew Vipperman won the 200 IM and the 100 Fly, Mackenzie Lingle won the 50 Free, Kali Edsall won the 100 Free, and Annie Lane won the 100 Breast.

“It was a tough loss,” said Byrd coach Krista Martin.  “There were several really close races where first and second were separated by tenths of a second.  I was proud of our swimmers for really trying to get in there and race.”

Wildcats guard Andrew Rowsey is averaging almost 29 points per game and leading his team to the top of the BRD at the midway point of the district season. On Tuesday Rowsey had 26 points as Rockbridge defeated Northside, 63-50, to gain sole possession of first place in the Blue Ridge District.

Byrd's Joe Barton goes to the basket with authority in last Friday's home game against Northside.

Rockbridge is now 4-0 in the BRD and Friday’s game with Byrd will be their last in the first half of the season. Byrd coach Kevin Tuck scouted Tuesday’s game and came away impressed.

“He’s the real deal,” said Tuck. “He’s not physically impressive, he’s probably only 5’10” or 5’11”, but he’s quick, he’s a great ballhandler with both hands, and he’s a great shooter.”

The good news is, Byrd has a lot of players about the same size as Rowsey. How does Tuck plan to stop the district’s leading score.

“You really don’t stop him, you just try to contain him,” said Tuck. “You just try to keep in check. You don’t want him to go out and get 30 against you.”

Rowsey isn’t the only good player on the Wildcats, who are 12-1 overall. Rowsey’s backcourt mate, Javon Cress, had 19 points on Tuesday and is averaging 15 points a game.

“And they have a big kid inside who’s a pretty good player,” said Tuck. “It’s going to be a challenge for us.”

Byrd was scheduled to play at Staunton River on Wednesday night, but results were too late for publication. The Terriers took a 3-12 record into that game and were hoping to pick up their first district win. Byrd and River were both 0-3 in the district going in.

Last Friday in Vinton the Terriers gave Northside a scare before bowing, 59-55. As has been the case often this year, the Terriers fell behind, battled like mad to catch up, then lost a close one at the end of the game.

“That seems to be the recurring theme for this team,” said Tuck. “The kids never give up, but it’s hard when you have to come from behind all the time. You use up a lot of energy getting there, and then you have nothing left.”

Byrd trailed just 25-23 at the half but the Vikings came out smoking in the third period and opened an 18 point lead. The Terriers battled back and cut the lead to two points in the fourth but Northside held on to win. Byrd outscored Northside, 21-9, in the fourth quarter.

Joe Barton and Jaylen Board led Byrd with 13 points each, Zac Hill had 11 and Tyler Goodman had nine points. Barton also had six rebounds and six steals.

A night later the Terriers played in Martinsville and dropped a 66-55 game to the Bulldogs in a dogfight. This time Byrd took the early lead but Martinsville finished strong, outscoring Byrd 26-8 in the fourth quarter. Koty Collier led Byrd with a dozen points and Board, Hill, and Brandon Byrd had 10 points each. Collier also had 12 rebounds.

“We had the lead and then we just went cold,” said Tuck.

Despite the 3-12 record Tuck can see the team steadily improving. He feels playing in all these close games will pay off at the end of the season.

“It’s tough when you lose tight games, but we have a young team and they’re gaining valuable experience,” he said. “Luckily basketball is a tournament sport.”

Once again Vinton is being visited by vultures. They seem to have chosen the old empty school as a roosting area because they like peace and quiet, and possibly the warmth of the flat black roof, according to Officer Keith Dalton, Community Service Officer for the Vinton Police Department. They favor the tall trees that surround the site for resting and preening, and areas isolated from human disturbance for laying their eggs.

Vultures soar above the old William Byrd High School in Vinton in the early morning hours.

The vultures are Officer Dalton’s responsibility since a large part of his day is devoted to animal control. While the roost is not technically in the Town of Vinton, the birds are occupying Vinton air space.

Officer Dalton has noticed both black and turkey vultures in the location, since they sometimes are known to roost together when their ranges overlap. Their appearances are somewhat similar, although black vultures are smaller than turkey  vultures, with a wingspan of about five feet They have dark grey heads, instead of the red heads that distinguish turkey vultures.  Both have heads devoid of feathers, which allows them to stick their heads inside a carcass without fear of contaminating feathers and creating conditions for bacterial growth. Black vultures have white splotches at the ends of the undersides of their wings.

Officer Dalton believes there are about 200 birds in Vinton, when the season reaches its peak. The birds seem to arrive in late fall and leave again in March.

So far, Vinton is more fortunate than other areas in Virginia where black vultures have been known to create serious problems in recent years.  The main problem from Vinton’s vultures has been the need to replace parts of the school roof when the birds pecked out the insulation.

“While Vinton has not experienced the same level or magnitude of infestation as neighboring jurisdictions, we need to attempt to get a handle on the situation,” Officer Dalton wrote in a letter to those Vinton residents who live primarily on Highland Street near the old school.

Officer Keith Dalton of the Vinton Police Department uses a pyrotechnic pistol to launch percussion noise devices to dislodge vultures from their roost.

He plans to make their roosting and nesting area as uncomfortable as possible by disturbing their peace and quiet with percussion noise-making devices used intermittently during the day and night. Neighbors were warned that they will hear 20 to 25 decibel booms from time to time, relatively low for humans, but loud for birds. The pyrotechnic devices were purchased with already-existing funds in the animal control budget.

Acoustic bird dispersal systems, which emit distress calls, and pyrotechnics are the methods of choice for discouraging vulture populations humanely, since vultures are protected by the federal government as migratory wildlife under the Migratory Bird Act of 1918.  Black vultures are not listed as an endangered species, as their population seems to be relatively stable, and, in fact is increasing at a rate of 5 to 10% each year.

Vultures may be harassed without federal permits, but they can only be eradicated by obtaining a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Harassment includes any type of nonlethal scaring tactic that does not involve killing, injuring, trapping, or capturing the animals.

The Vinton Police Department uses a handheld pyrotechnic pistol which launches charges that emit an explosive sound to dislodge the birds. They selected the pistol launcher instead of the propane cannons adopted by some neighboring localities, because the pistols are directional, and simpler to assemble. Propane cannons can be used to shoot blasts every 20 minutes for up to 14 days, but they are more expensive to purchase and more complicated to set up and maintain.

Officer Dalton uses a pyrotechnic pistol at the old William Byrd High School as a humane method of discouraging the vulture population.

Officer Dalton is working with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Department of Agriculture, and Community Service Officers from the Roanoke County Police Department on the vulture problem, and has consulted with other localities, including Roanoke City, Bedford, and the City of Radford.

Radford has chosen to follow a different path in dealing with their roost of 300 vultures, possibly the largest on the East Coast. They abandoned attempts to eradicate the birds. Instead, five years ago, the Tourism Commission, encouraged by Radford University Professor Bob Sheehy, decided to celebrate their birds with an annual Radford Roosting Festival/Vulture Fest. Vulture Fest is a February weekend of celebrating the finer qualities of black vultures, rather than bemoaning their more unseemly characteristics.

Although black vultures have some unsavory habits, such as regurgitating their prey, urinating on their own legs to cool off, and eating putrid food, Radford has chosen to celebrate their strengths instead of shunning them.

Scientists emphasize that vultures play an important role in the ecosystem by disposing of carrion which would otherwise be a breeding ground for disease. They perform a useful sanitation service, cleaning up garbage dumps and removing road kill from the highways.

Black vultures spend most of their day soaring high in the sky on thermal air currents, using their keen eyesight to search for food. While black vultures primarily eat carrion, when pressed for food, they have been known to supplement their menu with bird nestlings, and young or incapacitated animals, such as newborn calves, lambs, skunks, and opossums.  In more urban areas, they have created problems by harming or killing vegetation with their droppings. They can also pose a serious threat to air traffic. 

Vultures roost in the tall trees near the school.

Officer Dalton says there is little citizens can do to discourage the vultures, other than to notify Public Works of any dead animals in the neighborhood, and to dispose of garbage properly. Hopefully the pyrotechnics will disperse the local vulture population. If not, Officer Dalton is investigating other options, if the birds should become more of a nuisance and disrupt the quality of life in Vinton.

By Debbie Adams