At Tuesday’s Radford City School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Becky Greer said there are already more than 120 children signed up for kindergarten next year.

“Usually at this point, we have about 80 signed up, so if the trend continues we may see a high number of kindergarteners,” she said.

A reception honoring retiring teachers (from left) Diane Wallace, Becca Bondurant and Jonnie Collins was held Tuesday at Radford high School prior to the school board meeting.

Greer said increased recruiting activities to encourage kindergarten registration might account for some of the increase, but plans are being made to accommodate a large class.

“We have a plan in place if we were to need a seventh kindergarten class,” she said. “If we were to need more than that…we may be wringing our hands a little bit.”

Greer said that with 133 children entering first grade at McHarg Elementary School next year, there has  already been a seventh first grade class added for the upcoming school year.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the school board unanimously approved a proposal by Greer to give all full-time, contract employees a $500 bonus at the end of the school year. Part-time contract employees will be given a $250 bonus. The bonus is possible through savings in the budget throughout the year. Additional funds saved throughout the year will be used for several sprucing up projects around the schools this summer, Greer said.

Tuesday’s meeting was held at Radford High School. Prior to the regular meeting, a reception was held to honor retiring teachers. Retiring teachers include Becca Bondurant from Belle Heth School, Jonnie Collins from McHarg School and Diane Wallace from Radford High School.

The city is set to open a new dog park this summer behind the Fraternal Order of Police building along the river. The park has a shelter where dog owners can relax as their dogs play, enjoy lunch or host other activities.  There is a water spigot on-site so dogs can get a needed drink after all that fun. The fenced-in, one-acre park will allow dogs to run off leash safely, says Radford City Manager David Ridpath.

Photos by Heather Bell City officials gather Tuesday at the site of the city’s new dog park to receive a donation for trees for the park from David Horton in honor of his grandfather, former Radford Police Chief William Lorton. On hand for the donation presentation is Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Jackie Stephens with her rescue dog Addie and grand-dog Ella, Parks and Recreation Director Ken Goodyear, David Horton, Radford Mayor Dr. Bruce Brown and Radford City Manager David Ridpath.

“This will give people a safe place to keep their dogs off of a leash,” said Ridpath. “All the stars just came into alignment for this project and this is a great use of vacant property along the riverfront. “

Ridpath explained that the dog park is one of several natural activities the city is promoting along its riverfront, along with the new community garden and development of the athletic complex across from Dudley’s Landing.

“These are all inexpensive, quality of life projects we can do,” he said.

The Radford Parks and Recreation Department will oversee the dog park. Parks and Recreation Director Ken Goodyear says he feels this is a much needed addition to Radford’s parks.

“All you have to do is go down to Bisset Park and see all the dogs to know how much this is needed,” he said.

Radford Mayor Dr. Bruce Brown said the request for a dog park has been high on the list for may Radford citizens for years and was discussed in-depth at last year’s city council retreat. Brown credits a $1,000 donation from the Horton/ Lorton family for trees and landscaping work for making the project come to fruition. The new dog park is at the site of the city’s former shooting range, which was named for former Radford Police Chief William D. Lorton Jr., who served as Chief of Police for about 15 years before retiring in 1975. Lorton was himself a dog lover, having three unofficial police dogs – German Shepherds Caesar, King and Inga – during his time as police chief. Lorton’s grandson, David Horton, presented the donation to city leaders on behalf of the family earlier this week. Horton explained the donation is in honor of his grandfather and his grandmother, Pauline R. Lorton, who passed away last October at 93.

Horton and his wife, Sandy, along with his mom Lois L. Horton, sister is Beth Connelly and her sons Ryan Stephens and Matthew Connelly made the donation.

“The family is honored to help repurpose this space for the use of our canine friends and their families,” Horton said.

As Chairman of the Radford Beautification and Municipal Forestry Commission, using the donation for trees is even better. Horton, city officials, citizens-at-large and Radford University recently planted the trees at the site.

“I’m so glad to be part of getting more trees planted in our city,” he said. “And I’d like to recognize the students, faculty and staff who came out to help plant the trees and to paint as a part of the Scholar-citizen initiative at RU along with members of the Radford Noon Rotary Club.”

Ridpath said the city will working on the rules and regulations for the dog park over the next month, to be approved by city council in June with a July open date slated for the park.

People knew it was getting close when the red letters went up on the building last week and the cow was “planted” in front.

A moss topiary cow oversees landscaping completed this week for the Salem Chick-fil-A on West Main Street. Photo by Carrie E. Cox

The cow is a life-size topiary, covered in moss. It is surrounded by landscaping that Community Director Vanessa Miles said she and owner-operator husband, Shaine, chose to reflect Virginia as well as their home schools, Salem High School where he played football and Glenvar where she graduated.

“The golden euonymus is Glenvar colors and barberry, Salem colors. We are both Virginia Tech graduates so there will be more maroon foliage to come,” she promised.

She added, “Shaine and I both enjoy topiaries, and had to have the cow.”

Shaine Miles has hired 75 employees for the chicken restaurant made famous in Georgia, and which Salem economic development and other city officials had worked for more than seven years to attract.

Shaine and Vanessa Miles moved to Salem from Kentucky in March with their young son.

Salem’s officials and residents are ready. The Salem Police Department has plans for directing traffic around the location in the Kmart parking lot, city officials said.And Salem High School students are already planning their sleep in, to try to be among the first 100 people in line to qualify for a year’s worth of chicken sandwichs, waffle potato fries and drink.

There’s a catch, though. Students would have to miss more than a day’s-worth of classes in order to be among the first 100. According to rules posted on Chick-fil-A’s website, people have to be at the restaurant by 6 a.m. the day before the opening – in other words, June 6 – and be prepared to stay there until the restaurant officially opens the following day.

Also, registered participants have to be 18 or older.

Begun as a project of the Craig Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and erected in 1912 by John Pendleton, Ed Craft, and Nelvin Davis, the monument was dedicated to the soldiers of Craig County who fought for the Confederacy – about 1,000 soldiers in all.

The Confederate statue in front of the Craig County Courthouse is 100 years old this year. Photo by Gwen Johnson

These men and boys were fighting for some of the same ideals we hold dear today: home, family, state’s rights against overpowering federal control, and economic stability. George Eliot wrote that a human life should be well rooted in a native spot of land. These men, well rooted in Craig County, fought so they could live the same way their fathers did before them.

Most of these men from Craig County were not slave owners and did not live on plantations. They were simple folks who lived on small farms in the hills. They left their homes and families to fight for their way of life and for each other.

In that respect, the county has not changed much: we would still fight to defend each other and our way of life. But in the 1860s, these men fought from First Manassas to Appomattox in some of the bloodiest and most hard-fought battles this country has ever seen.

They suffered loneliness, boredom, fear, worry, freezing temperatures, starvation, physical ailments, and sicknesses of all kinds. But the fight was important enough to them to endure these hardships because they wanted the freedom to say how they would live their lives on their own land, in their own homes.

We walk past the courthouse today and never consider the true meaning of the monument or the men to whom it was dedicated. The Civil War affected Craig County greatly.

Think about the men who fought in it. There were Sarvers, Huffmans, Looneys, Caldwells, Martins, Elmores, Abbotts, McPhersons and Lees, to name a few. These are the same people whose descendants are still our neighbors, friends, and pillars of our community.

To look in their faces is to see the independent spirits of the men who fought that war a few generations ago. No, it wasn’t very long ago. There are people still alive today who knew confederate soldiers.

My 95-year-old grandmother remembers three Civil War soldiers who lived on Main Street: Mr. James Patterson Martin who lost an arm at Gettysburg, Mr. Tom Surber who lived in a log house and had a shoe shop, and Mr. Clifton Elmore who later worked at the post office in New Castle.

So let’s all take a second look at the monument the next time we walk past. Tell your children what it means and what it stands for to the people of our county.

This Memorial Day, on Monday, May 28, at 10 a.m. there will be a ceremony at the monument to honor not only Craig County’s Civil War soldiers, but all soldiers who have fought for our country in every conflict. A special wreath-laying ceremony will mark the 100th anniversary of the Confederate statue. Hope to see you there.

– by Bill McClanahan

Part I in a series about Craig County’s role in the War Between the States, a joint effort of the 150th Civil War Committee and the Craig County Historical Society. Writer Bill McClanahan included information from his grandmother, Elizabeth Pendleton McClanahan.

Mrs. Harding was a faithful member of New Bethel Christian Church in New Castle. A Lynchburg College graduate, she taught in the public schools of Craig County, Salem, and Giles County for more than 50 years.

She is survived by cousins, many friends, a host of students, kind and faithful caregivers Tobie and Phyllis Cumbee and family, also Larry Williams and Sue Wood; and her constant companions Wiggles and Fluffy, her cats.

Graveside services will be conducted Wednesday, May 2, at the Ross Cemetery in Craig County. Friends will be received at the Kendall Funeral Home, 605 Snidow St., Pembroke, on Tuesday evening from 6 until 8 p.m. to share the memories of an unforgettable lady. Online condolences may be sent by visiting kendallfuneralhome.com.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Leonard, Rufus Jr., Willard, Clarence, Ted and Howard Meadows; sisters Virgie McGuigan and Ethel Osborne, and by son-in-law Richard Boyd.

Eddie A. Meadows

He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Dellie Brown Meadows; two daughters, Dedra Baitis and her husband Robert, and Angela Boyd; son Eddie A. Meadows II and his wife Alli; five grandchildren, Jacob and Brandon Young, Victor and Lilly Meadows, and Brittany Boyd; son-in-law, Mike Young; three brothers, Earnest, Lee and Jimmy Meadows; three sisters, Eunice Strouth, Ruby McGuigan and Alice Smith; a special nephew Bobby Coleman; special nieces Tina Blankenship, Celina Hale, Jessica Brown and Jeanene Horn, as well as numerous other nieces and nephews, and his “fishin’ buddy” Brent Crush.

The family would like to take this opportunity to express their sincere thanks, to the doctors, nurses and staff of Carilion Hospice of New River for the love and care shown to Eddie and them during this time.

A memorial service will be held at Craig Valley Baptist Church at 11a.m., on Saturday, May 12, with the Rev. William “Bill” Grindstaff officiating. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Craig County Cancer Support Group, c/o Hope Hagie, 12951 Cumberland Gap Rd. New Castle, VA 24127. An online guest book is available for family and friends by visiting www.johnmoakey.com.

Obreht was born in 1985 in the former Yugoslavia, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1997. Her writing has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s, The New York Times, and has been in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Non-Required Reading. “The Tiger’s Wife,” published by Random House in March 2011, is her first novel. She has been named by The New Yorker as one of the twenty best American fiction writers under forty.

The main character, so we think, is Natalia Stefanovi, a doctor working in what seems to be Croatia. She is there to give medical care to orphaned children but is also in search of answers about the death of her beloved grandfather. She was raised on readings from “The Jungle Book” (which he always carried with him) and his tales from the village he grew up in, where, following German bombing in 1941, a tiger escaped from the zoo in a nearby city and bonded with a deaf-mute woman who fed it. The tiger’s wife, as she became known, was a great influence on the grandfather’s life. Her story is one of three trails in the novel, the other two being Natalia’s current life, and her grandfather’s stories about Gavran Gailé, the deathless man, whose presence always means a tale of death itself.

A flow of life, and the power of memory, superstition and the creation of myth runs through the book, one being a modern day misconception that a buried relative’s body is making the village children ill, another being the man who offers coffee and waits to carry your soul to the crossroads. There are great moments of poetic prose to be read here; there are also moments of tedium and others of confusion. As reader, I simply wished to know why the grandfather would seemingly go off to die alone. What we find is the reason behind many of his living actions, so that the main character becomes the grandfather and Natalia is left to wait in the shadow of memory.

“Everything necessary to understand my grandfather lies between two stories: the story of the tiger’s wife, and the story of the deathless man. These stories run like secret rivers through all the other stories of his life – of my grandfather’s days in the army; his great love for my grandmother; the years he spent as a surgeon and a tyrant of the University. One, which I learned after his death, is the story of how my grandfather became a man; the other, which he told to me, is of how he became a child again,” Natalia Stevanovi.

“The Tiger’s Wife” shows promise for Obreht’s career and still has the literary community talking. It wasn’t the best I’ve read, but it was worthy of a read.

“The Tiger’s Wife,” by Téa Obreht, Random House, $15, ISBN: 978-0-385-34384-8.

Here’s the official word:

The National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Food Drive to “Stamp out Hunger” will be held Saturday, May 12. On that day, letter carriers will collect non-perishable foods such as canned goods, snacks or microwaveable items that community members place next to their mailboxes for donation.

“It’s our 20th anniversary,” NALC President Fredric Rolando noted. “For two decades now, our annual national drive has proved critical in helping millions of American families—our customers—who are struggling to make ends meet during this continuing recession.

“Each year, the second Saturday in May is a day when all citizens have an opportunity, with the help of their letter carrier, to easily donate food to needy families in their community,” he said.

The drive, the largest one-day food-collection event in the nation, has been a success every year, Rolando said, but the needs are particularly sad, even staggering, in 2012.

“Sixteen percent of all Americans are at risk of hunger—uncertain where their next meal may be coming from. That includes one in five children under the age of 18, plus four million seniors who are forced every day to choose between paying a utility bill and buying food,” he said.

“Last year, despite many obstacles, letter carriers proudly collected 70.2 million pounds of food, raising the total amount of donations picked up over the history of the drive to more than 1.1 billion pounds,” Rolando said. “With help from our brothers and sisters in the rural craft, alongside other postal employees and volunteers, letter carriers will do what we can again this year to help all Americans.”

The NALC hopes to set a record in donations this year with its support from the United Way and other sponsors throughout the country.

Now he has returned, this time to fulfill his dream of attending college in the United States. His plan is “to become a music pastor so I can go back to Chiang Mai to help my mother run the orphanage.”

Satian "David" Preamjaisanchat is shown with his American host family, the Counts, in Thailand. Photo courtesy Pat Counts

First, though, he has to improve his English language skills, and so David is studying English as a Second Language at National College’s Roanoke Valley Campus in Salem.

He has known his host family since he was 15, and calls Pat Counts “Dad,” his wife Kristeen “Mom.” Their daughter, Sara, is his sister. Pat Counts is Salem Fire & Emergency Medical Services Chief.

Most of the international students in the National College ESL program who live with host families didn’t know each other since coming to the college to study.

Lena Gunville, a host family specialist at National, her husband and sons are sharing their Cave Spring home with Anas Alazaam from Saudi Arabia.

“He moved in just after Christmas and he’s so much part of the family now,” said Gunville, whose husband Ken is director of finance at National. “He goes everywhere with us, to soccer tournaments, for a week camping at the lake. This summer we are planning a trip so Anas can experience more of the United States,” she added.

Their sons are Cave Spring High School students Kyle, 17, and Travis, 15. They also have two grown sons, 22-year-old Evan who is a fashion photographer in New York City, and Collin, a 20-year-old in Phoenix.

Anas has just started studying Level 6 ESL courses at National College, Gunville said. The program goes through levels 1-6.

National is looking for host families for other students. Families should have a private bedroom for the student and access to a bathroom, and mainly, “a willingness to share their culture with the student,” said ESL Director Peter Laws. “Our best referrals come from people who are already enjoying being a host family,” he said. “You don’t have to make a long-term commitment. You can be a host for as long as eight weeks.”

David is now taking Level 6 at National College for the second time. Two weeks ago he took the Test of English as a Foreign Language, which was given in Lynchburg. David was crushed to learn he didn’t pass. He has a goal, though, and is certain he can work hard enough to pass the test.

Dad Pat Counts said this week, “David’s determination tells him that he will pass TOEFL. Virginia Western Community College will be next on his list.”

Also on David’s list is getting a driver’s license.

“In Thailand, we are adults when we reach 18, because I can get a driver’s license there. You will be able to do everything without your parents when you turn 20,” he added.

He showed his international license – which looks much like a passport – but which is not accepted in Virginia.

Even though he speaks English every day with his Salem family, David says the program at National College has helped improve his fluency and understanding.

“It gives me practice. The teachers here are very nice, and very patient, very kind to us,” he said, referring to other ESL students. The five students in class with him last term were from Saudi Arabia, he said. Other students are from South America, Mongolia and Korea, he recalled.

His mother, Tutu, is the Thailand director of Asia’s Hope Foundation Orphanage. For the past six years, she has collected and cared for about 200 orphans from different Northern Thailand tribes. Their fathers either died from illness or accidents and their mothers are dead or cannot care for the children because of drugs.

“I just want to let my mom have a rest,” said her son, who has two older brothers.

The Counts family met David and Tutu when they traveled to Thailand in 2006 when they did volunteer mission work at the orphanage with former Salem Church of Christ Pastor Mike Flinchum. Flinchum is now in Thailand doing evangelistic work full time.

National College is looking for host families for other students. Families should have a private bedroom for the student and access to a bathroom, and mainly, “a willingness to share their culture with the student,” said ESL Director Peter Laws. “Our best referrals come from people who are already enjoying being a host family,” he said. “You don’t have to make a long-term commitment. You can be a host for as long as eight weeks.”

There is a stipend for host families, about $500, Laws said. Some families share meals with their student, he said, and students compensate them for groceries. Students are responsible for their own food.

Pat Counts encourages other people to consider hosting ESL students. “I would recommend it to anyone who has the desire to reach out to these students who are so far away from home. It’s a very rewarding experience to be able to share cultures with those from other countries.”

And David added of his experience, “It feels like home here.”

And Counts described his Thai son this way: “He puts joy in our family.”

To see more about the orphanage and the children David’s mother cares for, watch YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CeWmvIrQpU.

Shaun Carter, Musician

Salem, VA – Wednesday, May 9, 8:45 a.m., Shaun Carter walks to work at Denny’s, along Main Street, playing music as he goes. Photo by Heather Brush.