It started with a compliment and an exhortation to bring music instruction to the community. Nearly 30 years later, the Renaissance Music Academy [RMA] is making Blacksburg and the New River Valley a place where music thrives, serving young and old alike. Teresa Ehrlich never intended to give piano lessons. Her plan was to be a performer. At the most, she figured she might be working with college-level students, but then a pedagogy class showed her the appeal of working …
Parker Stafford was 12 years old when he remembers first being impressed by glass. He had traveled to England with his grandparents and was awestruck by stained glass windows. After graduating from …
There’s an old joke that says watching soccer is like watching grass grow, except with soccer players in the way. The real joke is the absurdity of that statement because soccer – …
When Joe Hotter was told 900 words – or thereabouts – were needed on his life for this article, he exhaled sarcastically: “Oh boy. We’re in trouble now.” But with the first …
re you looking forward to retirement? I did. There was a mental countdown that last year of school; 179 more days…98 …23 …1! I could hardly wait, but a friend asked, “If …
The entrepreneurial bug can bite young, and Lindsay Santos, 15, doesn’t remember a time when she did not want to start a business. She would daydream about it and even sketch out …
It doesn’t take a master’s degree in art to recognize the masterful work of Blake Le, the New River Valley’s resident nail guru. While his canvas may be small, his creativity is …
Imagine a hobby that can teach you to read, and years later, pay your way through college and law school. Magical thinking? No, just ask Bobby Lilly, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Giles County …
The once formal dining room in the Pruden family home in Blacksburg has been completely transformed, except for the chandelier and antique wood table, into Howling Dragon Studios. The only thing showing …
Ask Peggy White, executive director of the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, what her operating principle is for that organization and she answers: “Muddy Boots on the Ground.” Sometimes this is literal, …