Main Street Improvements Bring Communications Award for Blacksburg
The improvements along downtown Blacksburg’s Main Street have not only garnered attention for their aesthetic and pedestrian improvements, but also for the way information was shared with local residents throughout the planning and construction phases.
The Town of Blacksburg won the 2011 Achievement Award in the communications category from the Virginia Municipal League. The town was honored for its Main Street Improvement Project Communication Plan, which sought input from residents and business owners during the plan’s development phase, and offered information on the disruptions created by the construction phase.
The communication plan included one-on-one meetings with business owners, and a web page that provided updates, maps, and information. The town also launched a blog to post photos and construction videos during the project, and to offer residents and visitors a chance to share their comments and questions. The town also shared information through Facebook, Twitter and an advertising campaign.
The Town of Blacksburg was judged to be best of 12 entrants in the communications category. The award will be presented to the town during the Virginia Municipal League Annual Conference on October 4.
Virginia Tech’s Center for the Arts
The construction for Virginia Tech’s new Center for the Arts is well under way. The plans for the new 130,000-square-foot, $89 million facility were approved earlier this year by the university’s board of visitors. The center will help redefine downtown Blacksburg and shape the performing and visual arts environment throughout the region.
The Center for the Arts complex will include both new and renovated facilities located at the intersection of North Main Street and Alumni Mall. “Its location — at the main entrance to campus near the center of the Town of Blacksburg — symbolizes our commitment to the arts and its importance to the university and to our broader community,” noted Ruth Waalkes, executive director for the Center for the Arts.
The complex will comprise three major areas — the performance hall, several visual arts galleries, and the Center for Creative Technologies in the Arts. The performance hall will seat 1,300 peopl
e and will have the flexibility to present theatre, music, and dance performances.
The visual arts galleries will incorporate display space for traditional visual art as well as interactive and digital forms and will exhibit both temporarily donated and university-owned artwork. The space will also be suitable for interactive and distance-learning activities and will further facilitate collaborations with the recently opened Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Va., to include exhibitions and educational outreach opportunities.
The Center for Creative Technologies in the Arts will be housed in new space as well as renovated space in Schultz Hall. The center, a technological incubator, laboratory, and studio setting to be sued to explore the many intersections of art, education, and technology, will enhance public education at the primary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education levels. The center will include the Collaborative Performance Lab that will provide a venue for exploration for the visual and performance arts using the latest interactive technology.
Construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2013.
Parent’s Key Club
The Holiday Inn Blacksburg has developed a program exclusively for parents of Virginia Tech Student’s, The Parent’s Key Club.
If you are a parent of a Hokie you will no doubt make many trips to Blacksburg over the course of your student’s education. For example there is moving your student in, Parent’s Weekend, home football games, and of course those just because visits.
As a program participant parents can make the most of their visit to Blacksburg with discounts on hotel rooms, catering and our restaurant, discounts for referring friends and family, discounts at local businesses, free catered tailgate during home football games, monthly newsletters with Blacksburg happenings and much more!
And of course the most important reason to come to town is your Hokie’s graduation. As part of the Parent’s Key Club we offer Graduation Guarantee. When graduation is announced hotels in Blacksburg typically sell out within an hour. With us you can avoid the hassle of the phone lottery and trying to get a reservation. We will guarantee you one.
Holiday Inn University-Blacksburg would like to welcome you to Virginia Tech and the Parent’s Key Club. If you have any questions please call our Front Desk at 540-552-7001 or email us at PKC@thevthotel.com
Summer Live Concert Series
Holiday Inn Blacksburg’s 2nd Annual Summer Live Concert Series is just around the corner and we have a great line-up in store. Best of all, the event is free to the public, just bring your blanket or chair and spend the evening enjoying live music on the patio. We have you covered on food and drink as well. This year we will be serving the $6 combo hot off the grill. Mixed kabobs and assorted sides will be available for purchase as well as those delicious summer beverages.
Whiskey River Band
As far as the music goes, we have a little something for everyone, country, classic rock, funk, tropical and everything in between.
June 1 Whiskey River Band (Country/Rock/Southern Rock)
June 8 Awesomesauce (Variety)
June 15 Ministers of Soul (Classic Soul/R&B/Blues/Funk)
June 22 3 Minute Lovin’ (Country)
June 29 Factory Four Speed (Rock/Blues/Southern)
July 6 Ragtop (Easy Listening)
July 13 The Alliens (Funk/Tropical)
July 20 The Downing Brothers (Variety)
July 27 Walkin Sidewayz (Country/Classic Rock)
Any donations from this year’s series will benefit the United Way of Montgomery, Radford and Floyd an organization that focuses on generating and providing those communities with resources to build support for local human needs. What a great way to celebrate the summer, enjoying live music and great food for a great cause, so round up your family and friends and we will see you on the patio!
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Virginia Tech Graduation 2011
It’s that time again. The Virginia Tech Hokies are wrapping up finals this week preparing for this weekend’s graduation ceremony. Commencement is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. on May 13 in Cassell Coliseum. About 1,000 Virginia Tech graduate and professional students are expected to receive degrees at the ceremony.
Betty Chao, founder of Westech International, will give the keynote address for this year’s commencement ceremony. Chao established Westech in 1994 as a one-person technical consulting business. Headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., today the company employs about 800 people and has revenues of about $75 million a year.
Finding Employment in a tough economy
Hiring levels for Virginia Tech graduates have remained relatively the same, according to a newly released study by career services. Stuart Mease,
director of undergraduate career services, noted student perceptions may not equate to the reality of the current job market. “Not all degrees have the same level of demand”.
The need is for students to develop skills outside of their particular major, comparing the job market to a game of Blackjack. “You never know what card is going to turn over,” says Mease. Six months after graduation, 21 percent of graduates are still seeking employment, while only 2 percent have not begun to seek employment.
Rachel Dobroth, a senior communication major and president of the Tech chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, said jobs were a major discussion among her group’s members. Dobroth, who is still looking for a job, said she usually stressed finding work through networking and not from standard job listings. “The jobs that are most meaningful are found through people and not through job listings,” Dobroth said.
Mease says, “There’s a myth out there if you have a degree, then a job is going to come calling,”That’s definitely not the case.” There are certainly different realities for students based on skill sets they have.
Regardless of future plans, we wish all of the 2011 graduates the best of luck in their future endeavors.
Sources: Roanoke Time, Collegiate Times
LPD Foundation’s Spring Pail Party a resounding success!
Left to right: Macho Harris. Brandon Flowers, Bud, Tyrod Taylor, Cornell Brown, Mike Imoh and D'Angelo Hall.
The Lunch Pail Defense Foundation Team would like to thank all the attendees [including: returning alumni & panelists, guests at the LPD event and the scholarship recipients] for making the inaugural “LPD Spring Pail Party” a resounding success! Thank go to Brenden Hill and The Elite Group for filling the roster with stars. Additionally, special thanks to Will Stuart of Tech Sidelines for emceeing a great event.
The Lunch Pail Scholarship Foundation raised over $7,500 in the same day that it gave away $8,000 in scholarships. We’d like to recognize the following scholarships recipients. Thomas Hart (Giles County High School) – 5,000 LPD Scholarship, attending Virginia Tech, Fall 2011 and plans to major in Engineering. Christina Montgomery -$2,000 LPD Scholarship, attending CHUMAR and New River Community College, Fall 2011. Katelyn Cochran – $1,000 LPD Scholarship, attending Central Virginia Community College, Fall 2011. The Holiday Inn Blacksburg was proud to host the inaugural event to help fund scholarships for deserving students in the New River Valley and look forward to partnering with the LPD Foundation on future events.
Blacksburg Fork and Cork’s 1st Annual Can Do a Huge Success!
The Can Do, a food sculpture competition, is a fun way for friends, families, and work colleagues to collect food for families in need, while creating a unique piece of art. The 1st annual Can Do at Blacksburg Fork and Cork benefitted Feeding America Southwest Virginia and generated nearly 4,000 food items for the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry. As well, the NRV Chapter of the American Culinary Federation, in partnership with Sysco Virginia, brought in over 3,000, 100% juice boxes for Micah’s Backpack, an afterschool meal assistance program.
Holiday Inn Blacksburg’s team, “Holi-Can Inn”, took two awards “Best Use of Labels” and “Structural Ingenuity” for its sculpture “Never Go to Bed Hungry. The Holiday Inn had a great time participating in this event for a wonderful cause.
Find out more information about Blacksburg Fork and Cork and complete Can Do competition results click here.
The VT Hotel 