Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 6, 1995 TAG: 9507060034
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The Rev. Thomas Magri of St. Jude Catholic Church in Radford received the Roswell E. Round Award for outstanding service in the promotion of mental health. Magri is a chaplain at St. Albans Psychiatric Hospital in Radford and is on a counseling rotation at Radford Community Hospital. He also is president of the Heart Association in Radford.
Dan Levesque received the Gunnar Teilmann Award, given each year to a member of the clergy who is dedicated to serving the needs of others. Levesque is transportation officer for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.
Charles E. Aull of the Newman Community, Catholic Campus Ministry at Virginia Tech, received the Mattie Lou Smusz Award, which recognizes an individual involved in volunteer activities serving people with mental illness or implementing the Mental Health Association's mission. Aull has been active in involving students in volunteer programs such as the Mental Health Association Social Club, Literacy Volunteers and the New River Hospice.
Johnny Beth Moore and Raymond Moore of Christiansburg were presented with the Distinguished Service Award. They are involved with the New River Valley affiliate of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and coordinate and teach a 15-session program called Mutual Education, Support and Advocacy, for consumers of mental health services and their family members.
Laurie Shea, Ph.D., of Counseling Associates of Southwest Virginia, received the Mental Health Professional Award, which recognizes an area professional who has demonstrated a commitment to the prevention or improvement of the treatment and care of the mentally ill. She also conducts seminars and guides both the patient and the whole family.
Doug Whichard of Blacksburg received the Charles H. Johnson Award, which recognizes an outstanding board member of the association. Whichard is treasurer of the organization who has spent numerous volunteer hours performing fiscal duties and compiling monthly budget reports.
The Radford Police Department recognized employees' accomplishments at its first awards and recognition ceremony June 7. The following individuals received awards:
Officer R.T. Jones: Commendation, for processing a stolen van and lifting latent fingerprints that resulted in identifying a suspect.
Sgt. G.W. Blackburn: Commendation, for processing a vehicle that had been broken into and from which an expensive sound system had been stolen. Latent fingerprints were lifted and resulted in identifying a suspect.
Capt. J.L. Roop: Honorable Service Ribbon, for responding to the scene of a standoff after officers had tried to serve an emergency commitment order on a subject. The subject pulled a knife and threatened to kill himself and the officers. Roop convinced the subject to surrender the knife, and the subject was taken into custody. Roop risked his own personal safety to bring a potentially explosive situation under control.
J.L. Roop, Capt. J.G. Harmon, Lt. G.W. Frye and Officer R.T. Jones: As members of the Blue Knight Strike Force (Radford's Drug Task Force), they were recognized for sustained, superior performance in completing job duties. Every year since 1988, this task force has instituted and completed an undercover investigation into the distribution of narcotics in the city. These investigations have resulted in more than 200 arrests and convictions for drug possession and distribution.
Sgt. D.W. Cole: Meritorious Service, for 29 years of sustained superior service with the department.
In addition, Radford Department of Police graduates of the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy on June 9 ranked among the top 10 in their class of 29 and included the Academy Honor Graduate, Officer B.C. Porter.
Graduating second and tenth in their class respectively were Officers G.A. Cross and R.S. Schwarzer.
The Radford Rotary Club recently honored William B. Hatcher for fifty years of membership in the service organization.
A retired educator, Hatcher served in the city's schools from 1944 until 1980 as a teacher, assistant principal, assistant superintendent and acting superintendent. He still volunteers in the schools.
He has also taught summer classes at Radford University and extension classes for the University of Virginia.
The Radford Chamber of Commerce recently presented him with its annual education award.
To salute his half-century of Rotary Club membership, the club presented him with a plaque and established a $500 scholarship in his name to assist a Radford High School graduate.
John N. Dalton Jr., a past Radford Rotary Club president, also presented Hatcher with a silver tray.
William Skelton, past president of Rotary International, gave Hatcher a friendship pin and a letter from Rotary International President Bill Huntley.
Radford Rotary Club President Fred Heilich presented a 50-year pin.
City Councilman David Worrell, a past Radford Rotary Club president, was master of ceremonies for the event.
Sheila Gallimore of Floyd won the True Value/Jimmy Dean Country Showdown talent search, presented by KOOL country 100.7FM.
Gallimore sang Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," at the New River Valley Speedway June 25. She received $50 from Pilot Homes, a $25 gift certificate from B&L Truck Accessories and a chipper-leaf mulcher from Reed Lumber. Gallimore will now participate in the regional competition in West Virginia in September.
Other contestants included Corey Mabry, Tabatha Snider, Randall Meade, Bobby Bowling, Abi Greene, Gary Vest, Troy Fisher, Elaine Chocklett, Kerri Taylor, Robert Lockee, Terry McLaughlin, Tara Hall, David Stafford, Caroline Crist, Chip Shirley, Kristina Jarrett, Heather Huffman, Dale Boothe, Sharon Watson, Dari Elaine Cupp, Susan Wohlford, Melanie Rice, Jerry Surface, Joanna Estep, Stringtown Road, Sherri Locke, Stray Bullets.
The band Broken Reins took second place and the all-woman trio Surrender took third place.
Twenty miles in three-days. That's how long it took several area teen-agers to hike the Appalachian Trail. The girls, ages 14 to 16, were among 14 members of the Adventurers and the hike was part of the group's certification for the Girls Camp Program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
New River Valley Adventurers included Cherise Whittier, Ginger Hendricks, Elizabeth Turner, Mary Frances Wampler, Leslie Moses, Rachel Williams, Susan Hill, Sarah Atkins and Jennifer Langdorf.
The Friends of the Floyd County Library and Bookmobile recently elected Judy Lewis as president. Friends is a non-profit organization composed of library patrons who support the library in different ways. Members can choose to assist with fund-raising activities, children's programs or volunteering at the library or on the bookmobile.
The Literacy Volunteers of America of the New River Valley recently elected new officers at its annual picnic at Bissett Park in Radford. Mary Anne McPhail and Stephanie Cox were elected to the board and Betty Abbott was re-elected. The board also recognized Arnold Hinkley for his years of service.
Other award winners were:
Nancy Coble, basic literacy student of the year.
Shirley Chiang, English as a Second Language Student of the Year.
Peggy Phillips, tutor of the year.
Betty Abbott, volunteer of the year.
by CNB