Steep Canyon Rangers. Courtesy of the Harvester.
Steep Canyon Rangers. Courtesy of the Harvester.

Here’s a round-up of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinal news.org.

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Martin Barre. Courtesy of the Harvester.
Martin Barre. Courtesy of the Harvester.

Steep Canyon Rangers, Martin Barre coming to Harvester

Harvester Performance Center has added two new shows to its 2023 lineup. 

On Saturday, May 13, the Harvester will welcome the Asheville, NC-based Steep Canyon Rangers. The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band is a perennial Billboard chart-topper and frequently collaborates with renowned banjoist (and comedian) Steve Martin. 

Jethro Tull master guitarist Martin Barre will return to the Harvester on Saturday, June 3, to celebrate Jethro Tull’s musical journey. Barre’s new show, “A Brief History of Tull” will feature a visual presentation that, along with the music, highlights more than 50 years of Jethro Tull. 

The interactive performance will include classic Tull hits from albums including “Thick as a Brick,” “Aqualung,” “Stand Up,” “Songs from the Wood,” and many more. 

Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. at harvester-music.com.

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Cline to hold town hall in Roanoke County

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt County, will host a town hall meeting on Friday, December 16th for Roanoke County residents. The event will take place at Hollywood’s Restaurant & Bakery from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM, located at 7770 Williamson Road, Roanoke. Constituents planning to attend must register on Eventbrite here.

More information on the town hall can be found at the link below:

https://cline.house.gov/about/events/roanoke-county-town-hall-rep-ben-cline

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Mill Mountain Theatre has decided to cancel the December 14th, 15th and 16th performances of “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” due to what the venue called “a limited COVID-19 outbreak among the cast and crew.”

“From weekly, routine testing among our cast and crew, we were able to rapidly quarantine positive performers and creatives,” Mill Mountain said in a statement. “We will continue to test the entire company to ensure that this is a limited outbreak and to prevent further spread.”

Mill Mountain Theatre is offering three options to our audience members. Patrons can transfer tickets to another performance of possible upcoming “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” performances, transfer tickets to any MainStage show in 2023, or give their tickets as a tax-deductible donation to Mill Mountain Theatre in exchange for a full refund. Contact the box office at 540-342-5740. 

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  • Project Hope recipients. Courtesy of the Harvest Foundation.
  • Project Hope recipients. Courtesy of the Harvest Foundation.

Project Hope recipients in Martinsville honored

This year’s Project Hope recipients gathered at Piedmont Arts on Dec. 7 to celebrate their upcoming projects and the 20th Anniversary of The Harvest Foundation.

The Project Hope grants initiative, announced Aug. 16 on Harvest’s 20th Anniversary, is “designed to plant seeds of hope for the future and develop opportunities to strengthen relationships among neighbors through grassroots organizing and engagement,” according to the foundation.

Harvest announced five approved grants totaling $44,525, while two are pending. Approved proposals include:

  • Greater Bassett Area Community (GBAC) received $10,000 for the Carson Lane School Restoration Project;
  • Piedmont Arts received $9,180 to fund a Pollinator Garden and Art Trail;
  • The Martinsville-Henry County Chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth received $10,000 to fund a “Rooting” for the Same Hope Mural; the
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received $10,000 to fund trail improvements at Philpott Lake; and
  • Fayette Area Historical Initiative received $5,345 to fund the Hope Book Club for Middle School Girls. Joyce Staples, chair of the Fayette Area Historical Initiative (FAHI) board of directors, said the Hope Book Club has 22 girls registered, seven more than anticipated in her proposal. Club members will receive a bag of goodies that include a reading journal and a copy of the first book they plan to read, “A Long Walk to Water,” by Linda Sue Park.

Visit www.theharvestfoundation.org to find out more about Project Hope. The Harvest Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 2002 by the sale of Memorial Hospital.

Disclosure: The Harvest Foundation is one of our donors but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.

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Fine Arts Center in Pulaski to hold reception Dec. 15

Fifteen local artists have their work featured in the latest community art exhibit hosted by the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley. The exhibit, called No Place Like Home, features original, handmade art in a variety of two- and three-dimensional media in which the artists explore their own thoughts and ideas about home and place.

The exhibit will open with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, at the Fine Arts Center in Pulaski. This is an opportunity for anyone to meet and chat with some of the artists as well as view the show. The exhibit will be available through January 11, 2023. The winner of the People’s Choice Award from the Center’s most recent exhibit, Function Over Form, will also be announced.

The Fine Arts Center is located at 21 West Main Street in Pulaski. The center is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays until 3 p.m. For more information about exhibits; classes; or local, handmade gifts; visit the Center’s website at FACNRV.org, email at info@FACNRV.org, or call 540-980-7363.

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Carilion holds toy and clothing drive for hospitalized children and teens

Carilion’s Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit and Carilion Children’s Hospital are joining forces to host a toy and clothing drive for hospitalized children and teens.

Carilion’s Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit treats children ages 9 to 17, and their most needed items are listed below. Carilion Children’s Hospital treats children 0 to 18 years of age, but the greatest need is gifts for infants and teenagers. Their full wishlist is here. (Disclosure: Carilion is one of our donors but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.)

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Holiday Wishlist (ages 9-17):

  • Clothing – socks, underclothes, sports bras; casual clothing – most wear adult-sized looser fit
  • Balls 
  • Books
  • Board games
  • Card games
  • Coloring books and adult coloring books
  • Coloring supplies (prefer markers and crayons; no colored pencils)
  • Movies/DVDs (nothing more mature than PG13)
  • Stress balls and fidget toys
  • Stuffed animals
  • Video game consoles/video games

To drop off your gift:

  • Visit Carilion Children’s Tanglewood Center (4348 Electric Road). A donation box will be available in the lobby at Entrance 1 during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to noon.
  • If you want your gifts to go to a specific patient population (Children’s Hospital or Psychiatry), please note that with your donation.
  • Gifts are accepted throughout the year, but in order to ensure they are delivered for Christmas, donations must be delivered by Dec. 21.
  • Masks are required to enter the facility.

Items not accepted include:

  • Used items
  • Latex balloons or latex toys
  • Candles, sharp instruments or harmful objects
  • Any items with religious sayings, symbols, etc.
  • Mature-rated games/movies