Story and Photos by Elliot Blumberg | newrivervoice.com correspondent

Aikido is a lesser known martial art developed in early 20th century Japan by Morihei Ueshiba. It isn’t as commonly practiced in the United States as Tae Kwon Do or Karate, but you can find dojos (training halls) locally.

The basic idea of Aikido is to submit an attacker without causing harm. This can be done by employing a combination of wrist locks, throws and using your attacker’s energy against against him. Below are photographs of the Blue Ridge Aikido class in Salem:

Dojos in the area include the Kodokan Aikido in Blacksburg and Blue Ridge Aikido in Salem. Their homepages can be found here:

Kodokan Aikido

Blue Ridge Aikido and Yoga

By Corey Mann | New River Voice correspondent

Radford University has seen its days in Virginia Tech’s shadow, but the rapidly growing university has found its way into the spotlight, reaching new milestones with this year’s incoming freshman class. The campus has never been so active: More than 9,400 students are attending classes in fall 2011.

More than 2,700 new freshman and transfer students are flooding campus sidewalks. On-campus renovations are ongoing. And don’t forget the 110,000-square-foot, $44 million building for the university’s College of Business and Economics. Undergraduate programs aren’t the only ones growing; the master’s programs have more than 1,100 students enrolled for the fall.

The university was eager to share the news of being named by the Princeton Review as one the top institutions in the southeast for the fourth year in a row. “I love all the accolades that are coming to Radford now. I’ve been here for four years, and it’s very easy to tell how much has changed in the best of ways,” said Michael Keaton, a senior.

But students interviewed around campus shared their frustration and pride in what they see as an overlooked success story. “When you read the news or watch it on TV, you always hear about Virginia Tech and how great it is there. But you never see anything about the students and faculty here at Radford,” said Ryan Coker, a sophomore. “I wish people would just notice what’s going on here.”

Radford has already made major changes by renovating and updating classrooms, renovating dormitories, bringing in new dining options and expanding off-campus with two brand new apartment complexes to address an anticipated demand for student housing.

Jonathan Hale spent his entire day in and out of biology and chemistry labs, but still had the time to share his views: “The faculty and students here work as one huge family, bringing opportunities to everyone. This is where we all belong and where we all want to be.”

Elliot Blumberg | newrivervoice.com correspondent

Which elections are coming up?

To find out what is specifically on your ballot, check out the Virginia Election and Registration Information System (VERIS):

https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/PublicSite/Public/FT2/PublicElections.aspx

Each district will be voting for their representatives in the Virginia House of Delegates. Also, depending on the term, you might be voting for mayor, commonwealth attorney, court clerk, and plenty of other positions.

Who is running for each position?

heck here to see the list for your precinct: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Cidate_Information/Cidate_Lists/CidatesList.asp

Am I eligible to vote (even if I’m a student originally from outside my precinct)? Yes! In Virginia, all that is required is the following:

1) Be a U.S. citizen

2) Be a resident in VA and in the precinct in which you wish to vote

3) Be 18 by the election

4) If you’re a felon, have your rights restored

5) Not currently be declared mentally incompetent by a court. If you’re a student, however, you must legally declare your home to be your college precinct.

For more information, see here: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Voter_Information/Registering_to_Vote/Index.html#To be

How do I register?

You can get a form and directions online at the Virginia State Board of Elections:

http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Forms_Publications/Index.html

You can also get a form at any of the following locations:

-Local voter registration office

-Armed forces recruitment office

-Public library

-State Board of Elections office

-Department of Motor Vehicles office,

-Voter registration drive

-Government offices in the state that provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to person with disabilities,

-State or local government offices when applying or recertifying for aid to dependent children, food stamps, WIC, Medicaid, or rehabilitation services.

Source: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Voter_Information/Registering_to_Vote/Index.html#Persons

What are the deadlines for registration?

In Virginia, the deadlines are as follows:

-General elections: register 22 days before election (10/17/11)

-Primary elections: register 22 days before election (8/1/11)

-Special elections: register 13 days before election (depends on county and precinct)

-Special elections called by governor: register 7 days before election (depends on county and precinct)

Source: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Voter_Information/Registering_to_Vote/Index.html#Registration

When and where do I vote?

Where you vote depends on your locality and address. To find out where exactly you’ll be voting, go to the Virginia Election and Registration Information System: https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/PublicSite/Public/FT2/PublicPollingPlace.aspx

How do I absentee-vote?

Depending on your reason – whether you are ill/disabled or will simply be away from the polls – you can download a ballot application and follow the directions from either of these sites:

Illness/disability: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Absentee_Documents/2008_703_1_AnnualAB_FINAL.pdf

Out-of-county: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Absentee_Documents/VA_Absentee_ballot_application.pdf

Do I have to pay to vote?

No! All you have to do is follow the guidelines on the State Board of Elections voter information web site and be eligible. No payment required.

What if I want to run for a position?

Most districts don’t require much of their candidates to pay much to run. To download candidate forms and see if you’re eligible, check out the Virginia State Board of Elections web site:

http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Cidate_Information/Cidate_Forms.html

By Shaina Stockton | New River Voice correspondent

The door opened and shut several times at the Hillcrest Flowers and Bridal shop on Main Street in Hillsville. With each knock, even though this was her “early day” and the store was officially closed, Mabel Bowman Tate dropped whatever she was doing and saw to it that her customers got exactly what they wanted. “You’ve got to please the people,” Tate said. “If I make you look good, it makes me look better.”

Customers who left Tate’s store got exactly what they came for, and everyone heard as they walked out the door, “I’m running for supervisor at-large, and I need your vote.”

Sam Dickson is also hard at work with his campaign, and is using the time to bond with his community. “This is my fourth run. I hope I know what works,” Dickson said. “One thing I have done is knock on many, many doors.”

Dickson reached into his folders and pulled out examples of his campaign arsenal: brochures, business cards and nail files with his name printed against a patriotic background. “Other than that, I’ve just done the normal stuff.” He extended the brochures and said, “Here, take two.”

With November approaching, both candidates are campaigning hard for the hot seat on the Carroll County Board of Supervisors. The position of at-large supervisor is held by Democratic candidate Dickson, who is running against Republican candidate Tate.

“I know what (the people) like. Maybe they will like me to sit in the chair instead of Mr. Dickson,” Tate said.

Both candidates are ready to do whatever they can to win. Dickson made it clear he wants it to be a civil debate, free from attack. “When the mud-slinging starts, they are running behind,” Dickson said. “I think she’s a fine woman, and I have nothing bad to say about her.”

Tate acknowledges that this is a race against Dickson, but she has maintained a sense of humor about the competition. “Sam and I are friends,” Tate said. “Sam told me he wouldn’t vote for me, but I said I wouldn’t vote for him either, so we laughed about that.”

Spending for the political campaign has been on advertising as the date draws closer. In August, Tate’s spending totaled around $46, while Dickson’s total was $599.99. Overall balances showed a similar pattern, with Dickson spending a little more than $2,000 on ads while Tate spent close to $850.

Although both parties have different strategies, both share the same concern: economic growth.

Dickson believes the current board’s plans for the county will result in economic stability. On the front of his pamphlet, in bold letters reads, “Carroll County DID Progress, ‘Even in difficult times.’”

One of Dickson’s biggest goals has been 12 years in the making. When he first ran for the board, the plan was to set up water and sewer at all interchanges. He hopes these resources will bring in industries such as Gatorade, Pepsi or Wal-Mart. “Now that we have everything in order, we have access to 4 million gallons of water per day, if we need it,” Dickson said. “We have 500,000 gallons of water for fire protection.”

Dickson has also worked with Crossroads Institute, a business incubator and an extension of Wytheville Community College, to develop job training for Carroll County residents. “Crossroads, in my opinion, is one of the best things that has happened to Carroll County in the past 20 years, and we haven’t even touched what it can do yet,” Dickson said.

Not everyone agrees with this strategy. “This spending has got to stop,” Tate said. “I don’t think they are listening to the voters. If they were, our money would not have been spent as recklessly as I feel like it has been.”

With the county’s new 10 percent meals tax, Tate believes that drawing in visitors is a good way to boost the economy and cut down on spending. “Five percent of that tax goes into the county or the town,” Tate said. “Every time you fill up a restaurant or a motel, people are spending out-of-town and out-of-county money, and that helps keep our taxes down.”

Another important thing that both candidates have in common is their love for Carroll County. Tate and Dickson have spent most of their lives in the area, and prefer the nature and quiet community.

Tate moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the government when she was 17 years old, and she knew that she wanted to come back home. “The beauty of Carroll County is that we are small,” Tate said. “Small in number, maybe, but we have a tremendous outreach here.”

When she moved back home, Tate worked for several years in local textile mills such as Bassett, Walker and Quality Mills. After the factories shut down, she opened a florist shop on Main Street, where she has been ever since. “It’s been good for me,” Tate said. “I’m sure it has made me more conscious of what it will take to serve the people.”

Dickson has built up an extensive resume of community involvement. He was raised in Carroll County and attended Fries High School. He moved to Danville for community college and has taken several classes at Virginia Tech, U.Va. and Radford University. “I was a teacher for 31 years, and every five years, we needed to have so many classes to update our license,” Dickson said.

Dickson enjoyed his work with education, but he knew that retirement was imperative if he wanted a spot on the board of supervisors. “I wasn’t going to take the job and just show up on meeting day,” Dickson said. “I waited for a time in my life when it was going to suit me better, as well as the county.”

Dickson has enjoyed working with the board, but he ultimately wants the concerns of the people met, no matter what the turnout may be. “As long as it results in better jobs and a better Carroll County, I’m tickled to death,” Dickson said.

No matter what the choice, Tate wants everyone to show up at the polls to cast their votes. “If you abstain to vote, the people in your district do not have a voice,” Tate said.

Votes are what the candidates need. But after the winner is chosen, Dickson wants the members of the community to play an even bigger part in turning Carroll County in a positive direction. “That’s why you need people here who are responsible enough to see things happening and know how to plan ahead,” Dickson said. “We want to be ahead.”

By Maria Medina | newrivervoice.com correspondent

FLOYD, Va. – It is time for general elections and the small county of Floyd is seeing big competition in the race to become sheriff.

Three candidates, former police officer Laura Reinhard Sparks, Floyd County resident Paul David Hill, and incumbent Sheriff Shannon Zeman, are making their voices heard and hoping to be elected on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Sparks’ Family History

Candidate Laura Amanda Reinhard Sparks has been living in Floyd since childhood. Work with the police force runs in her family. Her father served 30 years with the New Orleans Police Department, and she knew from a young age that she would continue the line in public safety as an adult.

“I worked with the sheriff’s office (in Floyd) for four years,” said Sparks, who also married a state trooper.

Sparks, 35, graduated from Floyd High School in 1994 and went on to study at Radford University as well as Virginia Western Community College to earn her associate’s degree in Administration of Justice and a bachelor’s of science in Criminal Justice.

In 2002 Sparks attended the New River Criminal Justice Training Academy, finished second in her class, and went on to work for four years with the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office.

Sparks says her campaign has a strong focus on bringing the members of the sheriff’s office together as a whole and offering programs that will boost the department’s confidence. She hopes this will then result in a boost of the county’s confidence as a whole.

Being a woman is unique for the sheriff’s race in Floyd, but Sparks doesn’t let it affect her campaign and says the possibility of becoming the first female sheriff in Floyd is not her motivation.

“I never look at myself as a female, I always look at myself as an officer and I present myself as such … someone who is qualified, someone who can do the job,” Sparks said.

“Building the…. rapport back between themselves and the community by offering more training to them,” is one thing that Sparks pointed out to be of importance. Her goal is “to be a better officer and to become more sufficient in their duties and feel better about themselves.”

Sparks is also an active member in the community. She coaches fourth- and fifth-grade girls basketball and says she enjoys it.

Hill Draws on Faith

Sparks is not the only person contesting the re-election of the current sheriff. Paul David Hill is also running for the position and has a unique motivation.

“I’ve been Christian most of my life and in December of 2009. … God woke me up at 3 o’clock in the morning. I raised up in bed and a loud voice came in the bedroom and it said ‘Paul, it is time to start telling people about this now, and if you work at this I will deliver it to you,’” Hill says. He sees the race as a calling to become sheriff.

Hill, 50, has been married for 10 years and has a stepson, Dustin. He has worked as a mechanic at Joe Bandy and Sons Excavating for 23 years. Although his December 2009 experience weighed heavily on his decision to run this election, his interest in becoming sheriff is not a new one.

Even with religious experience as a motivation, the goals outlined in Hill’s campaign have a focus outside of religion.

“I want to have quarterly meetings at the schools and bring the public behind us,” Hill says. He wants to keep the community informed. “I believe that the people out here would have some good ideas if anyone would listen to them.”

“There used to be a community watch … and some elderly people have been asking me if I could bring that back. They’d feel safer with it,” Hill says.

Although he has less experience in police service than the other candidates, Hill is confident that this should not affect his running or his performance if elected.

“I feel like the good Lord called me to do this, so I feel like if I get in there He will give me the wisdom that I need. Plus, you have to have key people around you, and I think if I have the right key people around me it will go over pretty smooth,” said Hill.

When asked if elected would the rest of Hill’s programs and initiatives as sheriff be influenced by his religious background and experience he replied, “I’ve always been a Christian, but you know, you can’t push religion on anybody. All I can do is set an example and hope people follow. But no, I can’t run it differently just because I am a Christian.”

Zeman Stresses Experience

The competition for the position does not shake the confidence of the incumbent, who is hoping to be elected for his third term.

Sheriff Shannon B. Zeman, 48, operates from the third floor of the Sheriff’s Office on Main Street. His office is adorned with photos of family, in particular his daughter, a Roanoke College graduate, and knickknacks given to him by people who have come into his life.

Zeman has been married 28 years and has been a member of community service organizations in Floyd since adulthood.

“I started here as a dispatcher. … I did civil process and worked the jail. I did a county ordinance job, and I’ve worked the road here. I was chief deputy for eight years and I’ve been the sheriff for eight years,” Zeman said.

What does he offer that he thinks may push him to the top?

“I’ve been serving Floyd county for 30 years, … 15 years in the fire department, three years in the rescue squad, and this is my 23 year with the sheriff’s office,” Zeman said.

“There are five things I do, four that are required by the code. The first thing is to watch over court. … The second thing I do is to serve civil process papers for Floyd County. The third thing is we run a jail. Even though I don’t have a jail here, I am a member of the New River Valley Regional Jail. And the fourth thing I do by code is answer criminal complaints,” Zeman says.

Zeman’s fifth responsibility is what he calls the “24/7 work week.” By this he means that it is his responsibility to keep a watchful eye over the citizens of Floyd and be ready to answer the call at any time.

He sits on several boards he says keep him “always involved” with the community. “I’m vice president of Floyd County Cares, I am president of Medical Charities of Floyd County, I sit on the Carillion Health Foundation Board, I’m a Christian, and I have always been involved in my community. I’ve always been an honest, hard working person,” he says.

Zeman has not considered where else he may take his career if not as sheriff. “My heart is here, … so I haven’t really given much thought to it.”

The Drug Trade

Battling the drug trade is a big part of all candidates’ campaign platforms. Sparks, Hill and Zeman all have ideas on what steps need to be taken to rid the county of methamphetamine being made and sold here.

All three agree on one basic component: Education is critical.

Hill wants to introduce the non-profit outreach organization Mothers Against Methamphetamines, which offers educational and rehabilitation resources to those in need.

Sparks’ approach, which is influenced by personal experience with drug users, places a high priority on the children in the homes where these drugs are produced, as well as educating these minors about the effects of drug use.

“It is a cycle and it is something that needs to be stopped by just getting involved with them … and [educating] them about what is going on, because peer pressure is huge,” said Sparks.

Sparks also wants to better protect children who are in danger inside of homes where drugs are being produced.

Zeman’s approach involves aggressive round-ups of drug users and sellers. He is also working to keep meth out of Floyd by making it harder to produce. He has been in conversations with Acura Pharmaceutical Co., which is in the process of developing and getting approval for a new drug that contains the common decongestant pseudoephedrine, one that would be harder to convert into meth.

“They use an encapsulation process that makes it virtually impossible to remove the ephedrine from the pseudoephedrine. … It is approved by the FDA,” explains Zeman.

Being involved and active in the community is a large part of all three campaigns, and all three candidates see it as the beginning of the solution to any problem in Floyd.

Citizens of Floyd have much to contemplate in their decision this November as Sparks, Hill, and Zeman have all brought their best to the table in this race for sheriff.

By Elliot Blumberg | newrivervoice.com correspondent

The Mountain Lake Conservancy’s visitor center is a naturalist’s dream. Glass cases filled with stuffed Appalachian game line the walls. There are skeletons of rodents and other small animals; rusted coins; Civil War-era bullets; and tools and treasures dug out of the Virginia soil. Bird and wasp nests hang on branches suspended from the ceiling. A rocking chair sits on a pelt below an eight-point buck rack. The lodge smells of wood and nature.

The visitor’s center is housed in a long green lodge next to Mountain Lake Hotel. Both overlook what remains of the lake – water levels are down considerably since the ’80s. In the lake’s previous waterline, paddleboats sit static in the dirt, hundreds of yards away from any water.

As you walk down the lodge’s Southern style porch, you’ll find a gift shop. There you can buy trinkets and clothes, most of which are themed after the film “Dirty Dancing.” And if you’re not in the mood for a three-foot wind chime, you can survey some paintings at the art gallery one door down.

Some Brief History

Mountain Lake is one of only two natural lakes in Virginia. The first hotel on Mountain Lake was built prior to the Civil War. William Moody Jr. founded and built the current hotel – made with stone from the surrounding mountains – in the 1930s.

For the better part of a century, the Moody family owned the hotel and surrounding land, until Moody’s daughter passed away in 1986. Upon her death, she created the Mary Moody Northen Endowment, and the conservancy operates under the mission statement to further her “desire to forge bonds between people and nature in Mountain Lake’s unique environment.” This includes barring sale and limiting development of the land. You won’t see condominiums or a strip mall going up on Mountain Lake anytime soon.

A Big Job

The conservancy is a one-employee-enterprise; Jessica Coker holds the position of director and oversees all operations. She came to Mountain Lake three years ago but was recently promoted to her new position. Her job is simple: lots and lots of projects. “There’s ongoing projects all the time and there are lots of components to [our] mission,” said Coker.

The endowment is run by a board of directors out of Galveston, Texas, where the Moody family is from. But the board’s ex-officio members extend to current and former employees in addition to state Sen. John Edwards, Del. Jim Shuler and former Congressman Rich Boucher.

The conservancy is funded by hotel profits and supplemented by the endowment (the conservancy itself is non-profit). “It’s slightly complex,” admits Coker. The conservancy also receives donations in the form of a membership program created in the same year of Coker’s arrival.

The hotel on Mountain Lake is recognized as the filming site of “Dirty Dancing,” the 1987 Patrick Swayze flick that has accrued a cult following and a 6.3/10 user rating on the Internet Movie Database. If you’re unfamiliar with the film, check it out at www.imdb.com.

Coker sums up the conservancy’s feel in a sentence: “It’s important to me for the conservancy to be recognized as a place in Giles County that’s really trying to join in on the motivation for an outdoor active healthy lifestyle.”

But How?

First and foremost, the conservancy works to educate and raise awareness of Appalachian conservation. “Providing an avenue for research and awareness is very important to us,” Coker says. These avenues include hosting the Road Scholar program, acting as a venue for schools’ and community groups’ field trips, and working with local and national partners to target larger and larger audiences.

In order to keep the area ripe for tourism and outdoorsmen, Mountain Lake depends on volunteers and community service groups. Trailblazing and updating maps and signs number among the duties that volunteers take on.

Aside from community outreach, forest and land management is one of the conservancy’s major priorities. Management comes in the form of many projects, including creating a land-steward program alongside the US Forest Service and lowering out-of-hand deer populations by organizing small hunting groups. In the future, Coker wishes to bring out Virginia Tech students to practice sustainable forestry methods.

Coker also works with the hotel and other partners to decrease energy usage, utilize green products and lower carbon emissions.

The Challenge of Conservation

Of the almost 25 million acres in Virginia, roughly 14 percent are protected. Most protected land belongs to the government, with 38 state parks representing 62 percent of the 3.7 million protected acres. While there are more than 50 private land conservation organizations, trusts and conservancies – like the Mountain Lake conservancy – they only represent 5.6 percent of the total. Land isn’t cheap, and conservation doesn’t pay much.

The Western Virginia Land Trust is another private non-profit land conservation agency operating in the New River Valley and surrounding areas. Their 15,000 protected acres and 33 miles of protected streams are spread over 10 counties.

The trust’s focus areas include family farms; running bodies of water – rivers, streams and watersheds; land visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway (viewsheds); ridgetops and mountainsides; and greenways and trails.

Assistant Director David Perry shares some of the issues the land trust faces, particularly with regard to the economy. They still “have the lights on and the doors open,” said Perry, but their energy is often spent on growing revenue. “The more energy we spend having to find revenue and cut costs, the less time we have to go out on farms and talk to farmers and promote conservation.”

Despite their endeavors to generate revenue, however, Perry still recognizes the bright side. “We are blessed to have generous donors,” he says.

Mountain Lake also faces funding issues. The biggest hurdle, according to Coker, is funding for staff.

H.M. “Buzz” Scanland, general manager of Mountain Lake, thinks it’s our cultural attitude. “People will continue to trash the environment until it affects their pocketbooks,” he says. “It is not a quick fix.”