Here’s a round-up of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org.
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Roanoke County to hold meetings on extending greenway
Roanoke County is conducting a feasibility study to determine potential routes for the Roanoke River Greenway between Green Hill Park and Montgomery County. The goal of the study is to develop multiple realistic alignments for the Roanoke River Greenway that will lay the groundwork for future funding requests. This is part of a larger proposal to create a trail network from Galax to Greenfield in Botetourt County; see previous story.
Roanoke County will host two community meetings in the Glenvar community. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 4-6 p.m. at Fort Lewis Baptist Church, located at 4215 W. Main St. in Salem. The second meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 20 from 4-6 p.m. at the Spring Hollow Water Treatment Plant, located at 6200 W. Main St. in Salem.
The purpose of these community meetings is for Roanoke County staff to gain local knowledge about the study corridor and to learn about the community’s preferences for this future section of the Roanoke River Greenway, according to a release from Roanoke County. The format will be open house-style so attendees can come and go as they please, and the content of the meetings will be identical, so there is no need to attend both.
An online survey, along with additional information about the study, can be accessed at www.RoanokeCountyVA.gov/WRRG. The survey will remain open until November 4. Paper copies were mailed to residents within the study area. They will be available at the Glenvar Library until Nov. 4, and also at the community meetings. A second round of community meetings will be held in spring 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact Isaac Henry, transportation planner, at ihenry@roanokecountyva.gov or 540-772-2140, or contact Megan Cronise, assistant director of planning, at mcronise@roanokecountyva.gov or 540-772-2106.
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Liberty University holds grand opening for art museum
The Liberty University Art Museum will hold a grand opening for its new location in Marie F. Green Hall from 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20. After the ribbon cutting at 5:30, the public can view the university’s permanent collection and an exhibition of pieces created by seniors in the studio art program — paintings, drawings, sculptures, textiles, and works in other media.
The museum will also feature the Barbara A. Engstrom Gallery, named after a supporter of the university. The collection from the late Barbara A. Engstrom includes 30 paintings by Engstrom herself in addition to glass and sculpted figures and photography she collected during her travels to 99 countries. This collection and funds given by Engstrom and her husband, Frederick, have made the expansion of the university’s art space possible.
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Beth Macy to speak at Grandin Theatre Oct. 28
The Roanoke Public Libraries, the Roanoke Public Library Foundation, Book No Further and the Grandin Theatre have partnered to present a conversation with author Beth Macy. A winner of Harvard’s Nieman Fellowship for Journalism, Beth Macy has reported on Southwest Virginia since 1989. Her most recent book, “Raising Lazarus,” came out in August.
This conversation will be moderated by Ben Bazak, who organizes the Raleigh Court Library Book Club, and Douglas Jackson, Roanoke’s arts and culture coordinator. The discussion will focus on Macy’s craft of writing and the ways writing can promote social change. The event will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Grandin Theatre, and is free and open to the public. No registration is required.
Disclosure: Macy is a member of Cardinal’s journalism advisory committee but committee members have no say in news decisions; see our policy.
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Danville-Pittsylvania group to host futurist Nov. 14
The Partnership for Regional Prosperity, a new organization focusing on how to prepare for the growth coming to Danville and Pittsylvania County, is embarking on The Future Project with a free presentation by futurist Rebecca Ryan on November 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.
Rebecca Ryan is a top 50 professional futurist, economist, and best-selling author. She holds the accreditation of APR from the Association of Professional Futurists. She works with regions and organizations to see what’s coming. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies and many of the most innovative cities in the U.S. She has been featured as an expert on NPR, NewsNation, The Business Journals, and other outlets.
Her presentation will demonstrate how Danville and Pittsylvania County can understand our civic history and leverage momentum to create a future we want; not just the future we get. Her training as a professional futurist and economist teaches audiences what signals to watch for and how to think like a futurist.
The Future Project event is free and includes dinner. Attendance will be limited to 250 and preregistration is required. To register, go to https://tinyurl.com/27afd8ma