Roanoke River Group
of the Virginia Chapter

A Publication for Members and Friends
of the Roanoke River Group of the Sierra Club

July-August 2005

NEW EXCOM MEMBERS APPOINTED - Long-time Sierra Club members Diana Christopulos and Grace Terry are the newest members of our Executive Committee. Diana has been active as our Clean Air Coordinator, hike leader, and Adopt-a-Highway coordinator. She has an extensive background in leadership positions in the Sierra Club at the group, chapter, and national level. Grace, who first joined the Sierra Club in 1985, is looking forward to her first Club leadership assignment. Leaving the ExCom are Devan Malore, who will be focussing on his role as Sierra Club Coordinator for the Lexington/Rockbridge area, and Joann Edmunds, who had to leave the committee due to the demands of a new job. We commend the outgoing ExCom members for their contributions, which have been considerable. For full details on our leaders, see http://virginia.sierraclub.org/roanoke/contacts.html

JUNE 4th HIKE FUN FOR ALL - Bob Egbert led an enthusiastic group of 8 hikers (counting Stella the dog) through the Barbours Creek Wilderness to the crest of Potts Mountain. We saw lots of wildflowers, a large timber rattler in yellow coloring, and great views from the rock outcrops at the crest. This little-used trail is one of Bob's favorites. He rated it "moderately strenuous", though the 1500 ft. elevation gain was tough for some in the early summer heat! Watch for more hikes at http://virginia.sierraclub.org/roanoke/calendar.html  

PAPERLESS NEWSLETTERS? - Get on the bandwagon! Join the many members who have already opted to help the Sierra Club save money and resources. It's simple -- just send us an email (mmcbs@aol.com) and say you want to join the paperless crowd. When each newsletter is prepared we will post it to our web site and send you an email. You can read it on-line or print it out if you need a hard copy.

CONTRIBUTORS - A special thank you to those who have made monetary donations to our local efforts!
Sponsors ($100 or more) - Diana Christopulos, Bob & Sue Egbert, Pete Krull, Mark McClain
Benefactors ($50 or more) - [your name here in our next newsletter?] Contributors - Anonymous, Charles Faggart, Carolyn Cleiland

FUNDRAISING FOR LOCAL ACTIVISM -- Over the next couple of months you may receive a phone call or a letter from one of your ExCom members asking for a monetary contribution. We want you to know that the Roanoke Group of the Sierra Club depends heavily on local funding for our important local activities and actions. We receive only a small portion of your dues -- the rest goes to the Club's effective national and state lobbying and education programs. We hope to sponsor another Smart Growth event later this year, and funding is needed for that project. In addition to special projects, your donations help defray the cost of this newsletter, public education campaigns, and the nuts and bolts of running an effective organization. All labor is donated by local leaders and activists. Please be generous -- see the box below for information on a special limited-time matching grant.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS -- Click HERE for the most up-to-the-minute listing of local activities.