RoCo Register is a monthly publication of Roanoke County's Office of Public Information and is designed to deliver news about Roanoke County straight to your desktop. Complete information can be found on the County's Web site or, if you'd prefer, sign up as a fan on Facebook or to follow us on Twitter. Of course there's always the phone, 772.2010, or e-mail. We're happy to hear from you! |
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VDOT Announces Road Improvements
The widening of Route 221 will start this year. |
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has announced several road improvement projects that will begin in Roanoke County in 2010.
Dry Hollow Road (Route 649)
On Friday, June 11, a portion of Dry Hollow Road (Route 649) will be closed to through traffic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Route 649 will be closed from 0.75 mile north of Route 639 to 1.35 miles from the end of state maintenance. The closure is necessary so that crews can replace the bridge over Dry Hollow Branch. Motorists should expect delays and watch for flaggers directing traffic in this area during daylight hours on Monday, June 14, while crews perform paving work.
Roundabout Construction on Merriman Road (Route 613)
 Beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday, June 11, Merriman Road (Route 613) will be closed to through traffic between Chaparral Drive (Route 800) and Starkey Road (Route 904) in southwest Roanoke County. The intersection of Meadowlark Road (Route 1564) and Merriman Road will also be closed to motorists.
Crews will be working to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Meadowlark and Merriman roads as part of traffic improvements to Merriman Road and construction of an entrance to what will be the new South County Library. Construction is anticipated to be complete by August 23. This is a locally administered project being constructed with Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Roanoke County revenue sharing funds.
Portion of Colonial Avenue (Route 720) to Temporarily Close
Beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 14, a portion of Colonial Avenue (Route 720) will be closed to through traffic between the entrance to North Cross School and Colonial Place Drive (Route 1991) in southwest Roanoke County. Traffic will be detoured through July 23.
Crews will be working to make sight-distance improvements on Colonial Avenue. This is the second phase of the Colonial Avenue improvement project. Over the last year, crews constructed a roundabout at the intersection of Colonial Avenue and Penn Forest Boulevard, performed a significant amount of drainage and utility work, and cleared a number of trees that will make way for more improvements this summer. The entire project is expected to be completed in late August.
West Main Street (Route 11/460) Widening
Widening of the 2.1-mile Route 11/460 corridor just west of Salem to Technology Drive (Route 830) is scheduled to be underway in 2010 and is expected to be complete by the fall of 2012. The project entails widening the current two-lane section of Route 11/460 to a four-lane divided highway with a raised median and turn lanes. Work also will include constructing a 44-foot-long bridge over Little Bear Rock Branch, adding sidewalks to tie into existing pedestrian routes around Fort Lewis Elementary School, and providing a paved shoulder to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle traffic. In addition, the existing traffic signals at Alleghany Drive and Daugherty Drive will be replaced.
Route 221 Improvements
The Route 221 improvement project will include widening Route 221 from two lanes to four lanes between Crystal Creek Drive (Route 897) and Cotton Hill Road (Route 688). In addition, Ran Lynn Drive will be realigned with Route 221 and Cotton Hill Road. As part of the project, curves in this section of Route 221 will be eliminated. Two new bridges will be built on Route 221 over Back Creek. The Cotton Hill Road bridge over Back Creek will be replaced.
Construction is scheduled to start late in 2010 and is expected to last three years. Traffic impacts are expected to be limited, as the majority of the construction will take place outside of the existing roadway.
For updates, visit Roanoke County's Transportation web page. The Virginia Department of Transportation maintains Roanoke County roads that are listed in the state system, including repairs, paving, snow removal, and construction. Private roads in the County that are not in the state system are the responsibility of the homeowners or developers along that road. |
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Surplus Items Available to Citizens
 Roanoke County now sells its surplus vehicles and miscellaneous surplus items through an online auction as property becomes available at PublicSurplus.com. The County no longer holds vehicles in surplus for an annual sale.To bid on surplus property, you must register as a PublicSurplus.com buyer on Roanoke County's Purchasing Department's website. Registration is a simple process and open to the public.
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Supervisors Approve Final 2010-2011 Budget
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors approved a final budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year at its May 25, 2010, evening meeting.
The fiscal year 2010-2011 general government operating fund budget of $167,465,300 is slightly larger than last year's budget due to projected increases in local real estate, sales tax, and personal property revenues. While this is good news, in order to balance next year's budget the County still had to deal with expenditure increases and obligations in excess of $5 million.
In the budget that was adopted, the County uses a variety of ways to cover this shortfall. Some of these include:
- Reducing the operating budgets of County departments by approximately 10 percent, resulting in savings of a little more than $1 million. Many of the cuts will not be felt by the public but some will, such as the decision to close the Library's 419/Headquarters branch on Sundays.
- Eliminating 19 vacant positions through attrition, resulting in a savings of nearly $1 million
- Cutting funding by approximately $134,000 to outside cultural, tourism, and human service agencies
- Adjusting by $1 million the contribution to the Community Policy and Management Team, a state program for at-risk youth, due to reduced funding requirements
- Cutting Economic Development funding in the amount of $400,000 for the Center for Research and Technology and other land commitments
- Reducing the Parks and Recreation Community Match Grant by $25,000
- Increasing Rescue Transport fees to match Medicare reimbursement rates. The money generated would be used to help fund the previously approved fire and rescue personnel.
County Administrator Clay Goodman shared with the Board that he and staff worked closely to ensure that the budget was one that would reflect the Board's goals and objectives. No tax increases were proposed, the impact to citizen services was kept to a minimum, and employee jobs were preserved with the exception of state grant-funded positions. Mr. Goodman explained that he and staff were able to balance the budget because the state cuts were not as severe as originally anticipated.
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Library's Summer Reading Programs Begin June 7
Make your long, hot summer a little cooler by involving your child in Roanoke County Public Library's Summer Reading Programs. Discover below what's in the store from the children's and young adult librarians!
Children's Summer Programs (ages 0-11)
A special guest visits the Children's Summer Reading Program |
This summer will be full of fishy fun at the Roanoke County Public Libraries. Our theme for this summer is "Hook a Book." Beginning on June 7, children all over the County can come in to any Roanoke County Public Library and register for the summer reading program. Our libraries offer a flexible reading program where parents can choose a goal based on the number of books or hours read. We also encourage parents of children not yet able to read to participate. Summer is a great time for parents and children to take time to read together. Children exposed to books start school better prepared to learn.
Movies, performers, and story times add to the fun this summer. Some of our performers include the Larsen Family Reptile Farm, Fish the Magish, ventriloquist and comedian Uncle Tyrone, and percussionist Tom Teasley. We also offer family movie days and story times for various age groups.
Children who finish the program will get a cool beach prize sponsored by the Friends of the Roanoke County Public Library, as well as additional incentives from our sponsors: McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, the Salem Red Sox, and AMF Hilltop Lanes. Last year, nearly 3,000 children signed up for our summer reading program, and we hope to be as successful this summer. A great deal of research has shown that children who read as little as four or five books during the summer have a much better start to the new school year. It is also a great time for kids to experience that reading can be a fun, exciting, and rewarding experience.
Young Adult Programs (ages 12+)
Be yourself - or someone else! - at the Young Adult Summer Reading Program |
"Make Waves" this summer at Roanoke County Public Libraries. Beginning June 7, the Roanoke County Public Library is challenging teens to read this summer, become engaged in their library, and win prizes for doing both. For 15 hours of reading between June 7 and August 12, teens will be entered into a drawing to win a PSP, Sansa Fuze mp3 player, $50 Visa gift card, or an Apple iPad. Although this is motivation enough to get teens involved in summer reading, the library is still offering more. Teens also will be able to attend programs such as "Aqualympics," a program where the object is to get as wet as possible with water balloon target practice, wet sponge tosses, and more. Gyotaku, or the art of Japanese fish printing, is another program where teens can express their artistic side while learning an artform prevalent in another culture. Video gaming with our two programs, "End of School Unwind" and "Catch the Concrete Wave," are options for teens as well. Both programs will have an XBox 360, PS2, PS3, and Nintendo Wii set up for the enjoyment of all. If these don't sound like enough, go to your local library to find out what else will be happening. There is something for every teen at Roanoke County Public Libraries this summer!
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County's Bond Ratings Recalibrated
In the February RoCo Register, it was reported that Fitch reaffirmed Roanoke County's AA bond rating. At that time, Roanoke County also received ratings of AA and Aa2 by Standard and Poor's and Moody's, respectively. Recently, both Fitch and Moody's recalibrated their U.S. Municipal Ratings to a Global Rating Scale effective April 30, 2010. Standard and Poor's does not intend to recalibrate the governmental accounts. The intent of the recalibration ensures a greater degree of comparability across the global portfolio of credit ratings. This recalibration affects ratings in the state and local government, water/sewer, public power distribution-only, and public higher education sectors.
Recalibration is not considered an upgrade, but resulted in an upward change in Roanoke County's credit rating, placing the County on a global scale with other ratings, whereas it was on a municipal scale previously. Based on this recalibration the County's rating will change as follows:
Fitch AA+ (previously AA)
Moody's Aa1 (previously Aa2)
Standard and Poor's remains AA
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Blue Ridge Parkway 75 Events Announced
The Blue Ridge Parkway in early spring near the intersection with Route 220. Photo courtesy of Edward Hamilton - e3hamilton@cox.net |
Roanoke County is pleased to support the efforts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which celebrates its 75th Anniversary this year! The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited attraction in Virginia and brings an estimated $2.3 billion annually into the communities along its corridor. It has remained the most visited unit of the National Park Service for years, with more visitors than Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone combined. Roanoke County is fortunate to be one of the Parkway's largest gateway communities.
Upcoming 75th Anniversary-hosted events include:
A multi-day, multi-venue festival staged in and around Cumberland Knob, NC, where Parkway construction began on September 11, 1935. The festival will include a formal ceremony featuring local, state, and federal officials; regional music and crafts; antique car and travel trailer vehicle exhibits; interpretive and environmental programs; storytelling; children's activities; local foods; and much more. This is a FREE event.
September 10, 11, and 12
Cumberland Knob Recreation Area (MP 217.5) and Blue Ridge Music Center (MP 213)
In addition to ongoing activities at both locations all three days, headliners include:
Entitled Imagining the Blue Ridge Parkway for the 21st Century: Sustaining Communities, Environments, and Economies, this three-day conference is designed to assist community leaders, businesses, economic development authorities, tourism offices, Parkway officials, and supporters of the Parkway in working together for a sustainable future for the Parkway.
The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
In addition to a number of informative regional speakers, keynoters include:
- Carlton Abbott, well-known architect and son of original Parkway landscape architect Stanley Abbott
- Gerard Baker, highest ranking Native American in National Park Service who was featured in Ken Burns's documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea
- Peter Jenkins, author of A Walk Across America
- Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods
For a complete list of events in Parkway communities and more information about the Anniversary, visit Blue Ridge Parkway 75.
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Summer Grilling Tips
 Since Memorial Day marks the unofficial start to summer, more people will be grilling out. As a result, June and July also are peak months for grill fires. So, before firing up the grills, weekend warriors should observe a few simple precautions to ensure that backyard barbecue bashes don't go up in flames. According to the NFPA, in 2003-2006, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 7,900 home fires involving grills, hibachis, or barbecues per year, including an average of 2,900 structure fires and 5,000 outside fires. These 7,900 fires caused annual average of 10 civilian deaths, 120 reported injuries, and $80 million in direct property damage.
Follow these easy pointers to make grilling safer:
- Keep barbecue grills on a level surface away from the house, garage and, most importantly, children and pets. When grilling on your patio, make sure that all furniture and accessories are far from the grill. On balconies, it is always safer to move festivities to available lawn space. Never grill inside the home or garage, even if it is raining.
- For gas grills, always store gas cylinders outside and away from your house. Be sure the valves are turned off when not in use. Check the tubes regularly for cracking, brittleness, and leaks in the connections. To determine if there is a leak, simply pour soapy water over the line with the gas valve turned open. If gas is escaping, bubbles will appear. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don't use the grill until the leak is repaired.
- Make certain your grill is kept at least two to three feet away from wood or vinyl siding. Placing the grill too close to your home, especially one with vinyl siding, can result in melting or burning, or even a fire. Also, keep in mind that while vinyl siding and composite decking have a higher "burn point" than wood, it's also easier for these materials to melt and discolor.
- For charcoal grills, use only starter fluids designed for your grill and never use gasoline. Limit the amount of fluid used. If the fire is too low, use dry kindling and add more charcoal, if necessary. To avoid a flash fire - a fire that spreads rapidly through the vapors of an ignitable liquid - never add more liquid fuel to a lighted grill.
- When using bamboo or wood skewers, soak them in cool water prior to use so they won't ignite on the grill.
- Keep a fire extinguisher accessible and never leave a grill unattended once it has been lit. If an extinguisher isn't available, consider keeping a bucket of sand or a garden hose nearby.
- Never allow burned coals to smolder in any container on a wooden deck and make sure to soak your coals before disposing of them by wrapping them in heavy-duty aluminum foil and putting them in a non-combustible container away from the house.
For more information, contact Public Education Specialist Brian Clingenpeel with the Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Department by e-mail or telephone at 540-777-8718. |
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Until next month,
Teresa Hamilton Hall, Director
Office of Public Information
540.772.2010 |
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Upcoming Events
Roanoke County Administration Center
5204 Bernard Dr - Roanoke
Tues, June 8, 3 p.m. meeting
Tues, June 22, 3 p.m. meeting and 7 p.m. public hearing
Roanoke County Administration Center
5204 Bernard Dr - Roanoke
Tues, June 15 - 6 p.m. work session |
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Splash Valley Opens
Roanoke County's newest attraction, Splash Valley, is now open. With two 34-foot high water slides, a current river, and a children's play area with spray features, Splash Valley is fun for the whole family!
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Polish Delegation Visits Roanoke
Roanoke County will welcome two guests from its sister city of Opole, Poland, in June. Mr. Janusz Karpinski and Dr. Donata Kurpas will arrive in the United States on June 4 and stay for a little over a week, enjoying all the Roanoke Valley has to offer. Mr. Karpinski is Chief of International Affairs for the City of Opole, and Dr. Kurpas is a medical doctor and teacher.
While here, the two want to learn about the many services that Roanoke County provides. During their stay, they will be recognized by the Board of Supervisors at the June 8 meeting. They will also tour the new Green Ridge Recreation Center as well as many other Roanoke County facilities. |
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Popular Pages
A selection of the most-requested Roanoke County Web pages:
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RoCo Communicates
Roanoke County communicates with its citizens in a number of ways. Here are our most popular current options to keep you "in the know":
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