ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, November 9, 1996             TAG: 9611110105
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 

NEW RIVER VALLEY PEOPLE

The recipient of the Montgomery County Citizen of the Year Award is art teacher Linda Olin of Blacksburg Middle School. The award was presented to Olin at the Thursday meeting of the Rotary Club of Blacksburg.

The vocational service award recognizes a citizen each year who through business practices, character and lifestyle best exemplifies Rotary International's "Four-Way Test." The test establishes standards of truth, fairness and general goodwill. Members of the community are nominated by Rotarians.

Olin has a bachelor's degree in art from Ottawa University in Kansas. Her husband, Bob, is head of the math department at Virginia Tech. The Olins' two children are Chris, 14, and Susie, 13.

The principal of Blacksburg Middle School, Gary W. McCoy, praised Olin for being "creative and innovative in her approach" to teaching. McCoy said her work at the school has helped to make the art department one of the best programs in the school system. Olin has invented new interdisciplinary projects each year, combining writing, social studies, math, science and art. She has arranged displays of her students' work in downtown Blacksburg and on the Virginia Tech campus.

One year her students were part of her idea for a gigantic color wheel, which was photographed from the air and sent to the Guinness Book of World Records. All the students wore special colored T-shirts and lay on the ground behind the school for the picture.

Olin also is well-known for her consideration and personal attention to each of her students. Although active in church, family and civic organizations, she spends time after school hours to help students with school or life problems. James Wright, now a student at Virginia Tech, said his former teacher "was always eager to assist everyone with the same thoughtful attention with which she also helped me."

* * *

John Howell , Blacksburg, has been named director of the Wilderness Road Chorus of Sweet Adelines. An associate professor of music at Virginia Tech, Howell has directed many musical and vocal ensembles and was director of the New Virginians for 14 years. The Wilderness Road Chorus is for women who enjoy singing barbershop harmony.

LENGTH: Short :   49 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  GENE DALTON Staff. 1. Linda Olin with some of her art 
          students at Blacksburg
          Middle School. color. 2. (headshot) John Howell.