Items by Hank Bostwick

• Could Roanoke’s local elections become ‘post-partisan’?

  —Star City Harbinger

  “We still think partisanship has no place in local government. But the system is what it is, and challengers with a party’s backing might stand a better chance than go-it-alone candidates.” The Roanoke Times Editorial Board, June 2009. In the spring of 2010, Roanokers will either return incumbent Council members [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 4:35pm EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Roanoke City Dems to select new leader, reorganize

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  The Democratic Committee for the City of Roanoke is undergoing a mandatory reorganization in December--an event which occurs every two years. Last night, the Committee chose its primary method for the upcoming council election. Rather than a so-called 'firehouse primary' or mass meeting, the Democrats will choose their candidates [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:26pm EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Bostwick: This Council election, avoid the ’single-issue’ trap in Roanoke City politics

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 5
  They will come in all shapes and sizes. The 'small government' contingent will tell us that the cure to our ills is further reduction in City services and less City employees. Tighten up, Roanoke, they will say. Read our lips. The 'Countryside lobby' will tell us that we owe them a [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:12am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Join the conversation at The Big Read Roanoke Valley

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  Maybe the best post on The Big Read is Dan Smith's here. I like this line: While the Roanoke Valley went semi-ga-ga a couple of weeks ago over the announcement of a marathon on the Blue Ridge Parkway, my guess is the Read--which will exercise a different part of your' [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 9:40am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Marcus Borg to speak at St. John’s Roanoke tonight

  —Star City Harbinger

  Do you feel an attraction to the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth but are turned off by institutional Christianity? Do you love Jesus but loathe the close-minded and antagonistic statements of some of his most strident followers? Do you feel a kinship with the stories of the Gospel but do [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 9:09am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• City Democratic Committee chair Tony Reed will not stand for reelection in December

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  Reed ends his two-year term next week as chair of one of the most successful Democratic executive committees in recent party history ROANOKE, VIRGINIA--Tony Reed has served as the leader of City Democrats for the past two years. Reed is focusing his efforts on other community service projects and will not [...]
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  Posted: November 15, 2009, 11:22am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Rev. Steve Publicover: “Open Doors” Brings Roanokers Together to Discuss Community and Diversity

  —Star City Harbinger

  There's a new conversation going on in the Roanoke Valley and it's all about community and diversity. A new outreach project, S.T.A.R. (Spirit of Tolerance and Art in the Region) hosted the first in a series of discussions called "Open Doors" at the Shenandoah Club in downtown Roanoke Thursday night. S.T.A.R. [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:03am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Roanoke City Council 2010: Meet Mike Hamlar

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 3
  Rumors are beginning to surface about potential candidates for Roanoke City Council. Members David Trinkle, Gwen Mason and Rupert Cutler will face reelection in May of 2010--some six short months away. First, the Roanoke City Democratic Committee (Trinkle, Mason and Cutler rejoined the Committee after they were elected as independents) [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 10:12am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• New Horizons for the Rev. Dr. William L. Lee Education Center

  —Star City Harbinger

  In 1992, Roanoke Times & World News reported that almost 40,000 residents of Northwest Roanoke lacked access to medical care. The ReverendDr. William Lee of Loudon Avenue Christian Church realized then that he had to do something about it. “Without Loudon Avenue Church, there could be no New Horizons,” declared Reverend Lee [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 10:32pm EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Liberals left limp by lame local candidates

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  The release of the 'radical thesis' by The Washington Post late last summer caused a demonstrable narrowing of the wide margin that his opponent Bob McDonnell had enjoyed since Deeds' primary upset. Virginians, who individually are largely tolerant and hospitable, responded to the story nervously and McDonnell's well-crafted moderate media' [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 6:16am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• What happened at the corner of 2nd and Kirk Sunday night?

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  About six months ago, Roanoke experienced the wonder-filled opening of Car Less Museum and the corner of Kirk Avenue and 2nd Street has not been the same since. Sadly, circumstances have brought an abrupt halt to the merriment and mayhem in the shadows of the Municipal Building. Last night, two masked [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 11:41pm EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Turning the ‘cultural corner’ on the abortion debate

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 3
  Last minute House health care bill amendments signal 'common ground' on contentious issue Last Friday, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops petitioned Congress at the 11th hour to cure what it called a "money-laundering scheme" for using public funds to pay for abortions. Pelosi's House reacted swiftly and pragmatically allowing floor [...]
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  Posted: November 09, 2009, 9:50am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Perriello says ‘yes’; Boucher says ‘no’

  —Star City Harbinger

  Freshman Representative Tom Perriello's vote can only be described as an act of political courage According to the New York Times which posted the vote tally this morning, Freshman Representative Tom Perriello voted in favor of last night's landmark health care reform. Uber-conservative Democrat from far Southwest Virginia Rick Boucher stood with [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 7:49am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• House passes historic health care bill

  —Star City Harbinger

  39 Conservative Democrats defect; 1 GOP convert from Louisiana House Democrats on a largely party line vote approved HR 3962--Affordable Health Care for America Act--220-215. Almost 40 conservative or Blue Dog Democrats joined a new unanimous Republican front against the bill. One Republican from a district which includes New Orleans--Rep. Anh [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 7:30am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• BREAKING: House passes ‘key’ procedural hurdle and begins health care debate

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  President Obama visits the Hill to demonstrate his support The Washington Post estimates that landmark health care legislation (HR 3962) will be debated for the next five hours as Congress braces for a vote later this evening. Last night, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which roundly supports congressional health [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 2:17pm EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Message from the Editor: Changing of the Guard

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 4
  One evening in the Spring of 2008, a friend of mine was cycling back from a City Council debate at Patrick Henry High School near our home in the Grandin Village/Raleigh Court section of Roanoke. He was depressed by the low turnout, the shallow questions and the soundbite responses of [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 6:04pm EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Election 2009 in the Star City

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  The scene at Fork in the City last night was morose, to say the least. We knew a sweep was coming, but a smack-down? I thought the margin would tightened as liberals, progressives and social moderates woke up and realized that Virginia was electing a new governor. I thought wrong. I [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 11:23am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Election Day ‘things that make you go hmmm’

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 5
  Come on . . . you remember the C&C Music Factory . . . almost as a catchy as Young MC's Bust a Move . . .(you're welcome, really). Anyway, as a liberal I'm trying to wrap my mind around what is likely to happen in Virginia today. I' [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:53am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Monday Night Noir: Ralph Reed to the rescue?

  —Star City Harbinger

  Hello, this is Sarah Palin, will you please vote for Bob McDonnell . . . [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 7:57pm EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Amphitheater revisited

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  Fralin family's down payment on Jefferson Street renaissance affirms private-public vision of amphitheater proponents I've recently picked up Ralph Nader's first work of fiction--Only the Super-rich Can Save Us--a fanciful tale of a group of super-elite zillionaires led by Warren Buffett whose progressive consciences are pricked following Hurricane Katrina. [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 9:45am EST
  by Hank Bostwick

• Virginia GOP reignites the culture wars days before the election

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  McDonnell proposes plan to cut funding for women's health programs; Cuccinelli and McDonnell pledge homophobic public policy if elected McDonnell waffles on women's health Friday morning during an interview with Mark Plotkin on WTOP, Bob McDonnell was asked about comments he made on the conservative Laura Ingraham radio show regarding his [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 4:52pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Vote Roanoke’s own dynamic right-wing duo for a GOP ‘Berry’ award

  —Star City Harbinger

  Roanoke Valley Republicans nominated as best GOP campaign blogsite for 2009 The leading conservative blog in the Commonwealth is hands-down Bearing Drift. Bearing Drift is pleased to announce the first annual “Berries” – an award to Republican candidates for the best use of blogs, videos and social media during their [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 10:28am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• So what ‘homosexual act’ is Ken Cuccinelli really talking about?

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 3
  While he often accuses his opponent of 'race-baiting,' Cuccinelli may be a master 'baiter' Let's get real here. Let's cut out the euphemisms, back up and see if we can't approach this issue from the rear for a bit of context. At a recent debate, Republican Attorney General candidate Ken Cuccinelli called' [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 9:02am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Walker responds to facts about Revenue Office audit

  —Star City Harbinger

  Republican calls separation of powers principle a 'technicality' In a written statement prepared at the request of The Roanoke Free Press, Douglas Walker responded to our findings regarding claims that incumbent Revenue Commissioner Sherman Holland failed to bill millions of dollars in business licenses and refused an audit of the [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2009, 1:13am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• FACT CHECK: Straight talk on the Star City’s Commissioner of Revenue race

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 4
  Commissioner of Revenue Sherman Holland is not one for the spotlight; however, Holland's reticence to engage the mainstream media is understandable. "I don't trust you to report the truth," Holland told WDBJ7's Keith Humphrey the day Humphrey--cameras in tow--bullied his way into the Commissioner of Revenue's Office unannounced in the spring' [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 3:32pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Virginia has been swindled out of a governor’s race

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 5
  Republican Brandon Bell's flip-flop on his endorsement in the governor's race reveals the jip. In a press release, Bell--a former state senator--switched his kudos from Creigh to Bob this week, citing the Republican candidate's likelihood to stand up to the federal government as the reason for Bell's turnabout: "I feel" [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 7:40am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Don’t be afraid to scream in the library . . . be very afraid

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  I bet your grade school librarian wouldn't have any part in this. Tuesday, October 27th, the stacks at Roanoke Main Library will echo with bone-chilling, blood-curdling screams. No, they aren't from a pack of tweens fighting over a copy of Twilight. It is the first ever Read Then Scream! contest. To unleash [...]
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  Posted: October 22, 2009, 6:11am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Could it come down to co-ops? Are health care cooperatives a plausible middle way?

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  The Washington Post reports that now 57% of Americans--a clear majority--support a public option, but cooperatives have yet to be fully explained. A few weeks ago, the Senate Finance Committee finally voted out its long-awaited health care proposal. America's Healthy Future Act was rated by the Congressional Budget Office on [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 2:38pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• SCH VIDEO EXTRA: Roanoke Main Library to feature Emerging Cookery Artist on Tuesday evening

  —Star City Harbinger

  Roanoke Public Library's Emerging Artists series has mainly showcased musicians and visual artists. This week, however, Hollins University graduate student and, well, cupcake punk Jes Gearing will headline an hour of alternative feast fare featuring vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free substitutions for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. When River Laker--programming [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 9:28am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• The truth behind the joke: Sheila Johnson and Deeds’ stammer on the stump

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 8:06am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Race to Richmond 2009: McDonnell’s ‘radical’ thesis in context

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 11:58am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• At the beginning of ‘Banned Book Week,’ Roanoke County moves to censor book and chastise teacher

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 3
  [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 10:29pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Dominion’s Wise County Coal Plant: One Year After

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2009, 6:13am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Deeds on Domestic Violence Month

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 3:16pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Roanoke’s Guarded Angels

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 12:47pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• The year of blogging dangerously

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 10:27am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• BREAKING: State Board of Elections recommends ‘no further action’ on complaints against Onzlee Ware

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 1:39pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• UPDATE: Mabry denies involvement in Realtors Association endorsement of Bill Cleaveland

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2009, 1:19pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Speak out for student support staff in Virginia schools before Friday

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  [...]
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  Posted: September 30, 2009, 5:36pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Race to Richmond 2009: First 17th District HoD debate a draw

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  [...]
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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 11:33pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Race to Richmond 2009: Deeds v. McDonnell, Part One

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  [...]
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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 11:49am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• River and Ronny on Roanoke’s ‘booming bike culture’

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 11:02am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Public choice or partisan picks: Selecting Judges in Virginia

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: September 26, 2009, 8:02am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Burgeoning film industry in the Roanoke Valley?

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 8:04pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Carter Turner and his quest to unseat Morgan Griffith

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 4:59pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Virginia’s State of Our Rivers Report: A Decade Later

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  [...]
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  Posted: September 24, 2009, 10:26am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• BREAKING NEWS: Low-water bridge across Roanoke River at Wasena Park to be replaced

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  [...]
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  Posted: September 22, 2009, 12:19pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Local TV anchor tries to minimize McDonnell’s conservative views on social issues

  —Star City Harbinger

  [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 9:36pm EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• American Christianity, the mainstream media and the health care debate

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 1
  [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 8:56am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick

• Unemployment trust fund may be depleted by mid-October

  —Star City Harbinger

  Number of comments: 2
  Democrat Creigh Deeds reminds Virginians that his opponent led the charge against fixing the problem earlier this year Sen. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor, has previously committed to pursuing legislation to protect the solvency of Virginia's unemployment fund in the coming years. In the spring, the' [...]
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  Posted: September 16, 2009, 8:57am EDT
  by Hank Bostwick