News about our area --
Blacksburg has been rated "the best place in America to raise children"!!
Of course it's not the absolute best, but those of us who live here are happy to see
that someone is publicizing what we already know --
www.blacksburg.gov/index.aspx?page=10&recordid=2448
More School Information --
The other school information page is a third-party creation that I can't edit, so here are some more sources you might research:
Here are links to some interesting places and activities in this area --
Virginia Tech www.vt.edu - check this site for sports, lectures, and arts events open to the public.
A special exhibit: After the tragic shootings at Tech in April 2007, thousands of origami
cranes were sent to campus as expressions of sympathy. Many of them came from one artist
in California and his students, but people all over the world went through the 18-fold process
to create this Japanese symbol of healing and care.
33,000 of these cranes -- 1000 (a special number in the symbolism of the cranes)
for each of those who died -- were organized into an exhibit in Tech's Perspective Gallery by
its curator, Mary Tartaro. The cranes flutter up to the ceiling from pools around mirrors on the
floor, in 33 steps in a color spectrum. Here are photos, courtesy of Ms. Tartaro. And you can
find the story from the Roanoke TIMES, our regional newspaper, at this link:
NOTE: this exhibit has come down now, but I thought people might want to see it, since the VT
shootings are such an important part of our collective memory here.
Arts venues and organizations: This is an area with a lot of artists -- painters, potters, fiber artists, woodworkers -- and many of them exhibit at local crafts fairs but also have studios to which the public is invited.
Virginia Tech is building a Peforming Arts Center that will open in 2013 to provide a continuous array of music and theater performances, as well as exhibition space for art in various mediums. Find more information at http://www.vt.edu/arts
The Jacksonville Center in Floyd: this is a converted dairy barn complex that houses a gallery, studios, and spaces for classes in various arts and crafts. http://jacksonvillecenter.org
A wonderful mecca for the arts and artists of the region is Heartwood, which opened in July 2011 in Abingdon, VA (exit 14 off I-81). Website: www.heartwoodvirginia.org. In a stunning modern building you can find interactive exhibits on the arts and music of this region, sales galleries, and a nice cafe. One important feature of this facility is its intention to provide information to send visitors out to visit artists' studios and the great food and wine producers that make a day of local touring such a tasty treat. See the story, with pictures of the fabulous re-imagined barn building, from the Roanoke Times.
Good food and drink:
We have some wonderful wineries in our area:
(While I'm on the wine train of thought, Blacksburg has a fantastic wine and beer store, which has in-store tastings every weekend: www.villagecellar.com)
In Dugspur (take the Blue Ridge Parkway south from Roanoke or Floyd), there is a wonderful maker of hard cider and a "meadery" (fermented honey drinks) --
The local food-production level is rising very nicely. Get in touch with me for tips about locally raised meat, fowl, and produce. (We even get excellent quality seafood delivered by truck.)