The Bald Eagle
“I know he’d be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly“
John Denver from Rocky Mountain High
Although not a Smith Mountain Lake real estate story per se, I felt that writing about the delisting from the endangered species list today of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was definitely a topic worth writing about. The Bald Eagle has always held a special place in my heart as the symbol of our great country and also having earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a younger me in the Boy Scouts it holds even more significance (did you know only 5% of boys who enter Boy Scouts earn the Eagle Scout rank?).
Several news organizations wrote on the delisting today-
Washington Post – U.S. Declares Bald Eagles No Longer Threatened
CNN – Bald eagle soars off endangered list
New York Times – Bald Eagles, Thriving, Settle Into Suburban Life
Former Roanoke Postmaster runs for Botetourt Supervisor
My cousin, Billy Martin, former USPS Postmaster for Roanoke, local artist and mediator has been endorsed by the Botetourt County Republican Committee for a seat on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, Blue Ridge District.
You can read more from the Roanoke Times and this Botetourt County blog.
Vinton, VA crime locator map
The Town of Vinton, Virginia has joined the ranks of cities such as Chicago, Las Vegas and San Francisco by implementing an online crime tracker map according to this Roanoke Times story.
It’d be nice if Roanoke City, Roanoke County and other surrounding police departments did the same. It’d be a real service to home buyers who want to check out the crime stats in the neighborhoods they’re looking to buy real estate in.
You can check out Vinton’s crimes here- http://vinton.va.crimeviewcommunity.com/
New York Yankees donate $1M to Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund
The Roanoke Times, New York Yankees and HokieSports.com are reporting that the New York Yankees has donated $1M dollars to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund in memory of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Virginia Tech President Charles Steger was invited to New York to throw a pitch off the mound at Yankee Stadium Wednesday night.
It’s also being reported that the Yankees will play an exhibition game against the VT baseball team next spring somewhere near the Blacksburg campus. The Salem Avalanche stadium in Salem, Virginia has been mentioned as one possibility. That would be pretty cool!
Website recommendation to save you $$
I’ve used this website for some time to save money on my online purchases. RetailMeNot.com allows you to search for coupons and discounts for online merchants. It’s as easy as pie. Visit their site, type in the web address of the site you’re shopping at (here’s a sample search: www.amazon.com) and then click search. It will present you with a list of online discounts to use when you’re checking out. I recently saved $20 on a purchase using their service!
Visit their site: www.retailmenot.com
It just makes me happy
I’m not sure if it’s the music, the carefree dancing or both together, but Matt Harding has it done right in his videos of himself dancing in remote and not-so-remote places around the world. His first video was a viral hit and landed him a second sponsored opportunity to produce a new video on behalf of Stride gum. Way to go Matt! Life should be this much fun for all of us! Thanks to my lovely wife Allison for pointing out this guy’s brilliance and zest for life.
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Tonight I was a Hokie.
This afternoon we went to Virginia Tech to participate in the candlelight vigil organized by the students at VT. It was a beautiful experience of community healing, mourning and comfort. I’ve debated since yesterday, which seems an eternity ago, about whether I would post any comments or feelings about this tragedy. After tonight, I do feel like posting, not so much about the events of yesterday but the experiences of today.
After arriving in Blacksburg, we drove to Lane Stadium and parked in one of the overflow lots nearby. From there we walked toward the drill field. Neither my wife or I knew exactly where we were going and after a few minutes of walking we found ourselves beside the West A.J. dormitory. Allison had a very visceral reaction to being so close to this scene and my heart was troubled. We quickly moved away and found our way to the drill field well ahead of the candlelight vigil.
There was the constant reminder that this was a crime scene. Norris Hall is visible from the drill field with crime scene tape still intact and stuck in trees, placed there by the blustery winds. I counted 15 to 20 Virginia State Troopers around the drill field and we passed twice as many on our way to the drill field.
One thing that struck me was how quiet the campus was and how few people were around. Having been at the VT campus before I was expecting students to be out in the field, throwing the frisbee and socializing but there were probably less than 100 people out there. We found some candles and walked around the field. There was a minister playing guitar and singing songs of comfort, people were gathered around the impromptu memorial and gathered in small groups. It was a beautiful afternoon…brilliant blue skies and white clouds.
Shortly before the vigil began students and people began pouring out of dormitories and buildings, streaming in from the surrounding sidewalks. Estimates are around 20,000 to 40,000 people in attendance. What a privilege it was. Everyone was packed closely together holding the cold at bay and holding their candles of hope and comfort. The service was short but packed with good things. The media keeps playing the Hokie chant but the thing that struck me most was the playing of taps and the spontaneous singing of Amazing Grace by the large crowd.
Tonight, I was a Hokie.
Roanoke City takes lead in new business initiative
On February 6, 2007 at 11:00am at the Valley View Mall Marble Court (in front of JCPenney on the first floor) the City of Roanoke will be announcing a new online tool to assist the city economic development team in determining new business and retailers to invite to consider the Roanoke region. Through this online portal, the City is seeking input from the citizens and region on who they should attempt to attract to Roanoke. Here’s a short excerpt from their pre-announcement–
In an effort to address the needs of the changing population and increase the quality of life of residents and visitors, a program to aggressively seek and attract retailers to Roanoke will be rolled out on February 6. The City of Roanoke will announce a new Web-based program, MyRetailRoanoke.com, to assist in economic development efforts focused on attracting new retailers and service providers to Roanoke. Join Roanoke Mayor Nelson Harris and City Manager Darlene Burcham on February 6 at 11 a.m. at Valley View Mall’s Marble Court on the 1st floors adjacent to JC Penney. We encourage all local bloggers to attend.
I’ll see you there!
ING Checking
I myself use ING Savings, wasn’t aware there was an ING checking yet but thanks to Cameron Johnson for getting the word out–
Do you use ING Direct? I do, and have since I turned 18. Now, they even let minors setup savings accounts. ING is an online savings account that pays very respectable interest rates. They’re super easy to use and best of all they charge no fees and pay rates you’ll never find at a bank for a liquid savings account with no minimum. Check them out at www.ingdirect.com.
Well it just gets better! A few weeks ago I was invited to open an ING Checking Account. And I did just that. Why? Why not? They offer no minimum balance, a Mastercard Debit Card, free ATM access, free bill pay, and a 3% interest rate (about 10x that of banks). And yes, it’s FDIC insured. Look out brick-and-mortar banks. ING and other virtual banks are going to grow by leaps and bounds and prove to be an even bigger threat in the years to come. One more added perk of an ING Checking account, is their new free $1,000 overdraft protection. You’ll never get a “non-sufficient funds” charge from ING – instead they give you an instant credit line so if you write a check for $30 you don’t have, they’ll accept it and not charge you a large fee but instead charge a “competitive interest rate” which would typically cost you less than a few bucks until you replenish your balance. I’m told their new checking account will be available to all customers in Jan or Feb 2007.
Roanoke Holiday Career and Lifestyle Fair – December 28
From the Roanoke Connecting People blog of Stuart Mease–
The 1st Annual Roanoke Holiday Career and Lifestyle Fair, sponsored by MyHometownJobs.com, will be held at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall on Thursday, December 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fair is targeted to people who return to Roanoke for the holidays to visit family members. The purpose is to showcase employment, lifestyle and entrepreneurial opportunities in the region. Admission is free.
And here’s the story in the Roanoke Times.
Wal-Mart to offer $4 generic prescriptions
This isn’t really real estate related but worth mentioning for all of you out there, who like me, have to watch their dollars!
From USAToday-
Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) said Thursday that it would slash prices of 291 generic prescription drugs to $4 starting in the Tampa area with plans to expand the plan to all Florida and other states in January.
You can read Wal-Mart’s press release here.
This is really great news for the insured but also the uninsured as this offer will also be available to individuals without insurance who have a valid prescription.
Woe to you Hokie Bird!
What’s the deal with all the vandalism to the Hokie Bird statues in Blacksburg? Is it some disgruntled local? A rival mascot? Some other group of miscreants? Whoever it is, it’s not really funny and I hope they are caught and prosecuted. From what I’ve read, those fiberglass statues are around $7500 each! Someone needs to be turned over the proverbial knee and given a good spanking.
Hokie Bird statues (a map of their locations [pdf])–
“That I May Serve – Nick Brantley Memorial” by Sarah Meadows of Bedford honors the life of Navy Lt. Nick Brantley, a Virginia Tech alumni and previous commander of the Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets.
“Hokie Kopia” by Michael St. Germain
“Word Bird” by Kathleen Lunsford
“Motion Technology for Sea, Air, Land and Space” by Phil Stevens
“Everything is Coming Up Roses” by Senior Center art class
“Hokie Bird Paints the Town” by Senior Center art class
These people on Flickr love their Hokie Bird statue!
(I will add more as I have time, and feel free to add links in the comments and I’ll add the bird here, thanks!)
