Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503040036
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Another planted wildflowers along Roanoke Valley highways and in parks.
Still another worked with abused women and their children, and a fourth did public relations and marketing work for the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge.
What these students with such diverse interests have in common is funding, from the Alliance for Business and the Environment. The organization is set up through the Cabell Brand Center in Salem.
Each year, the alliance funds a variety of projects that are proposed by students from schools and universities in the Roanoke and New River valleys. Established in 1992, the alliance dishes out about $15,000 each year.
Aside from a thousand or two dollars from the Virginia Environmental Endowment, most of the money comes from a long list of local businesses.
But don't be fooled by the group's name. It's really promoting development - more precisely, sustainable development, which is a pet concept of businessman and humanitarian Cabell Brand.
The idea is to plan and encourage economic growth that protects natural resources for future generations and guards social well-being. Long a buzzword at the international level, sustainable development is taking hold at the national, state and - thanks largely to the alliance - local level here in Western Virginia.
"Our focus is on initiatives that benefit the local area while maintaining a national and global perspective," reads the alliance's mission statement.
Twelve companies are new donors this year, including Ewald-Clark Inc., a Roanoke and Salem photo finisher and photographic supplier.
"We support that type of activity," said Treasurer Gordon Ewald. "Mr. Brand has long been a friend, and a customer."
The store also contributes to Total Action Against Poverty, and pitches in on Clean Valley Day and Hazardous Waste Collection Day to benefit the region, Ewald said.
The alliance still is accepting student project proposals for this year, and is always glad to receive contributions.
Other projects completed last year include:
Dinah Michael of Hollins College worked with the Botetourt County Commonwealth Attorney's Office on juvenile problems, courts and counseling.
Craig Heine of Radford University researched export opportunities for local companies, in conjunction with Radford University's New College of Global Studies and Roanoke's Office of Economic Development.
Betsy McClearn, a Salem High School student, adopted a creek, cleared debris and studied the water quality.
Catherine Ferguson of Virginia Western Community College researched and wrote a report on 50 years of landfills and solid-waste disposal.
Blaine Chocklett of Virginia Western planned and helped build handicapped fishing access to the Roanoke River.
Tom Dunleavy, a teacher at Fishburn Elementary School, created mini-wetlands for Fishburn Elementary School students to study.
Bridget Powell of Virginia Western researched the water quality, users, tributaries and sources of contamination on the Roanoke River.
Laura Botwell of Hollins worked with women and children at the Transitional Living Center, which aided her pursuit in social work.
Nichole Methena of Hollins taught basic hygiene, manners and other social skills to 3- and 4-year-olds as part of the Head Start program at Lincoln Terrace.
Elva Williams, also from Hollins, cataloged humanitarian organizations in Roanoke Valley with assistance from Total Action Against Poverty.
Jefferson Batson of Virginia Western built a windmill to study the advantages and disadvantages of wind power in an urban setting.
Kenneth Dyer of Virginia Western built and experimented with different types of compost systems for reclaiming waste at the community college.
First time contributors to the alliance include: Benefits Plan Administrators Inc., Blue Ridge Beverage Co., Chaney Thomas Stephenson & HIll Inc., Cox Cable Roanoke, Dixie Building Products, Eastern Motor Inns Inc., Ewald-Clark Inc., First Team Motorsport Inc., Powell Pharmacy, Swartz Restaurant Supply, Urology Associates and Weaver Weaver Vascik & Kleiner.
Others that contribute, or have in the past, include: AAA Employment, Adams Construction Co., Advance Auto Stores Co., Allegheny Construction Co. Inc., Appalachian Power Co., Avis Construction Co. Inc., Barker Realty Co., Bell-Atlantic, Boone & Co. Realtors, J.W. Burress Inc., Carter Machinery Co. Inc., Carilion Health System, Contracting Enterprises Inc., Davis H. Elliot Co. Inc., FiberCom Inc., Fink's Jewelers Inc., First Baptist Church, First Union Corp. of Virginia, First Virginia Bank-Southwest, Mr. and Mrs. John P. Fishwick, R. Frazier Inc., Fuel Oil & Equipment Co. Inc.; Graham-White Manufacturing Co.; Ingersoll-Rand Co., Junior League of Roanoke Valley, KPMG Peat Marwick, Lanford Brothers Co. Inc., H.L. Lawson & Son Inc., L'eggs Products Inc., Lewis-Gale Clinic Inc., George W. Logan, Chas. Lunsford/RHH of VA Inc., Mac & Bob's Restaurant, Monarch Salem, Moore's Lumber & Building, Oak Hall Cap & Gown Co. Inc., Owens & Co. Realtors, Paine Webber, Piedmont Aviation Services, Precision Acura-Audi-Saab, Joe A. Prillaman Heating & A/C Inc., Printech Inc., Progress Press Inc., Rice Management Co., Richfield Retirement Community, Roanoke Electric Steel Corp., Roanoke Gas Co., Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Robertson Marketing Group, Rockydale Quarries Corp., Salem Bank & Trust N.A., Save-X USA Inc., L.H. Sawyer Paving Co. Inc., Sherertz Franklin Crawford Shaffner Inc., Signet Bank/Virginia, Thor Inc., Times-World Corp., Varney Electric Co. Inc., Virginia Truck Center, Westvaco Corp., Winn-Dixie Stores Inc., Woods Rogers & Hazlegrove and Yokohama Tire Corp.
by CNB