The leaves are changing, the temperature is dropping, and Halloween is literally right around the corner.  That means it’s fall in Blacksburg, and it’s absolutely beautiful!

With fall break long past, the promise of Thanksgiving vacation hangs in the air.  As students, we have just completed our course requests for spring semester, and we are definitely anxious for this semester to come to a close.  We aren’t close to being done; however.  Midterms just ended, so we have close to half a semester to go.  But with two home football games remaining, and many more fun events planned for the rest of the semester, the time will fly by as it always does.  On top of everything else, we’re still hoping for a Hokie win in the ACC.

I’ll keep you all posted as the rest of the semester unfolds.  Famous band Maroon 5 will be here on November 10th, and it’s sure to be a good time!

Pull out your sweaters and coats, stay warm, and have a beautiful fall!

Michael Steele is I’m town today rallying the troops!

I have been asked to blog about the campaign and upcoming election on behalf of the GOP. I look forward to sharing my thoughts about the race, candidates and outcome. Right now, things look good for the Republicans, but a lot can happen in 11 days!

“I’M A CLOSER”

“Andy, I know folks think I’m behind, but you know me-I’m a closer,” Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds told me. If Deeds can pull this out, he would become the best “Closer” in Virginia Political History. That is, except for Doug Wilder who was the best closer in 1989, becoming the first elected African American Governor. Wilder chose not to endorse Deeds because of his stance on guns, and his willingness to raise taxes if necessary to fund road improvements.

MAYBE NOT WILDER, BUT DEEDS HAS PRESIDENT OBAMA.

President Barack Obama is appearing in a new television advertisement for Creigh Deeds and plans to campaign with the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Norfolk. President Obama will be with Deeds at the Ted Constant Center at ODU on Tuesday. The new President Obama ad is a powerful 30-second spot and features Mr. Obama calling on Virginia voters to get “fired up” to elect Deeds on Nov. 3. It is by far Deeds most powerful commercial to date, and probably his most important.

POLLS: MCDONNELL STILL UP-Pulling ahead

The average of the three polls out this week on the Gubernatorial race: Bob McDonnell leading Creigh Deeds 52-37.

NEW MCDONNELL AD:

McDonnell ad pushes Jobs: Continues Focus on Creating New Jobs; Notes Business Endorsements and Commitment to Keeping Taxes Low and Getting Spending under Control; Contrasts with Deeds’ Plan to Raise Taxes on Virginians.

In a campaign about jobs and the economy, McDonnell has been endorsed by The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Virginia Realtors, the Virginia Credit Union League, the Virginia Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Vietnamese American National Chamber of Commerce and The Northern Virginia Technology Council.

DEEDS GETS BIG ENDORSEMENT TOO: The RICHMOND FREE PRESS: DEEDS FOR GOVERNOR. This newspaper focuses on the African American Community essential to any shot Deeds has.

The Richmond Free Press wrote, “Creigh Deeds is an authentic, decent man, with moderate sensibilities. With a self-effacing demeanor that often defies the hype found in much of today’s politics, Sen. Deeds is a real, unpretentious, regular guy who takes responsibility for what he says and does.”

GOTV: DURING THESE LAST DAYS IT’S ALL ABOUT GETTING OUT THE VOTE.

Deeds will spend the weekend at the

NAACP “MEET THE CANDIDATES” FORUM. Sen. Deeds will join Bob McDonnell at the “Meet the Candidates” Forum hosted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at Virginia State University.

Deeds spends Saturday getting out the vote with Senator Mark Warner in Lynchburg, then in Roanoke, then in Blacksburg

(McDonnell-)

This week’s TRUTH TRACKER TRACKS THE TRUTH IN THE ADS FOR

Lt. Governor now showing on WAVY-TV.

It’s the second highest statewide position in Virginia. #2 on the ballot, and the race is political-nasty where Lieutenant Governor Republican Incumbent Bill Bolling is running against Democrat Jody Wagner

The Jody Wagner commercial begins, “If you never showed up for work would you get paid?”

Jody Wagner claims Lt. Governor Bill Bolling’s not showing up for work. The ad continues, “In four years as Lt. Governor Bill Bolling has showed up for state board and commission meetings only six percent of the time, in four years missed 63 of 67 state meetings.”

THE TRUTH TRACKER FINDS THAT’S TRUE, we asked Bolling what’s going on, “Why did you miss all those meetings?” Bolling responded with this explanation, “She is picking and choosing which meetings to note in the commercial…I’ve personally attended 80% of those meetings, and the ones that are not mandatory for me to attend are attended by members of my staff…just like all the other Lt. Governors that served before me,” Bolling told us by phone.

But Hold on, what Wagner’s ad doesn’t say is the only constitutional responsibility of the Lt. Governor is to preside over the State Senate as President of the Senate. “The Lt. Governor which is a part-time position has two constitutional duties one is to take over for the Governor if something happens to him, and the second is to preside over the Senate. Since I’ve been Lt. Governor, I’ve served as President of the Senate 200 days, and I’ve been there for everyone of those days.”

What about Bolling’s ad? It goes, “Jody Wagner isn’t telling the truth about Bill Bolling. It’s the Wagner, Deeds plan: personal attacks, lies, higher taxes. ”

Higher Taxes- That’s false. Wagner’s never voted for higher taxes because she’s never held elective office. That’s a point she pounces on, “I have never voted for a tax increase and I wouldn’t vote for one now. Times are tough, and families are hurting, and it’s the wrong thing to do,” Wagner says.

We asked Bolling about that, “She doesn’t support high gas taxes. She says that’s not true.” Bolling responded, “She says different things to different groups. The Washington Post quoted her,” Bolling said.

That’s true: The Post did run a headline suggesting that. The Ad says, “The Washington Post reports Wagner supports high gas taxes, “Bring it on” Jody Wagner on higher gas taxes.”

The story ran Oct 13.

THAT’S TRUE: The Post did write that, but Wagner claims a misleading headline, “That is not what I said…that is not what I believe.” Wagner’s been hit by an old political adage, “In politics, if you’re explaining then you’re losing.”

Bolling counters Wagner as a member of former Governor Mark Warner’s administration and current Governor Tim Kaine’s administration she supported their efforts to raise taxes, “Kaine described his proposal as “a fiscally responsible plan that addresses our transportation challenges in creative ways.” As Kaine’s finance secretary, Wagner, was quoted as saying Kaine’s plan “ensures accountability, balances the transportation budget, and changes the way that we do business in Virginia with respect to transportation.”

The Bolling campaign uses Wagner as “Guilt by Association” keeping in mind Wagner has never voted for any tax increase because she’s never held elective office.

Wagner with the last word, “I have never voted to raise taxes, and during these tough economic times do not support raising taxes.”

That’s this week’s blog. On the campaign trail, I’m Political Reporter Andy Fox.

Good food, good times all for a good cause.
The March of Dimes is still counting,but the organization raised at least $33,000 at its annual Signature Chefs auction.
The event was held Sunday, October 19 at the Founders Inn in Virginia Beach.

FOX 43 and WAVY TV 10 are proud sponsors and I was happy to serve as emcee of the event. Even though this is a tough economic year, folks were generous with their time, talent and money. Local chefs offered samples of their best dishes. Thank goodness they were sample sized because with 20 chefs, that’s a lot of food! My favorite was the rockfish prepared by chef Mike Farrell of Still in Portsmouth. My favorite dessert was sweet potato pie prepared by chef Richard Boone of Sonoma in Virginia Beach.
Judges awarded chefs in various categories and guest got to vote on their favorite dish.
Here’s the list of winners:
Outstanding Presentation Dish – Richard Boone, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

Best Decorated Booth – Rich Cuocco, Harbourway at Atlantic Shores

People’s Choice Award – Eric Doarnberger, The Founders Inn and Spa

Outstanding Dessert Dish – Richard Boone, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

Chef’s Choice Award – Mike Farrell, Still

Most Environmentally Friendly Dish – Nigel Jenkins, The Great American Grill

The 2009 Dish of Hampton Roads – Executive Chef Pete Stine, Hilton Oceanfront Virginia Beach (Catch 31 & Salacia)

He prepared: Pan Roasted “Puppy Drum”, Corn bread, ragout of duck, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.

This dish will be featured at his establishment in January and showcased in the 2010 Annual Food Issue of Hampton Roads Magazine.

The chefs’ restaurants donated packages for the live and silent auctions.

The money raised allows the March of Dimes to continue research and community education to help mothers have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.

This year’s ambassadors are Brynn and Zach Earl, who were born premature 7 years ago, but are now thriving.

Hampton Roads March of Dimes Signature Chefs

I hope you noticed I was off for about 7 days in June. Yeah, I was on vacation alright. My wife and I along with 3 other adults, took 7 teenagers to HAITI.

It was the culmination of 9 months of work at my church, St. Vincent de Paul in southeast Newport News. My wife and I, along with Dr. Mamie Locke, had a class of 16 kids preparing for a pretty significant event in their lives and in the church. And we brainstormed and came up with the idea of a mission trip to visit kids at an orphanage in Hinge, Haiti. Here’s the first installment of the story.

THE ARRIVAL:

We hit the ground in Port au Prince, on time, ’round 415p, Sunday June 21st. Cleared customs. 2 kids apparently did not fill out their green VISA cards correctly and were directed to meet with an officer for clarification. Uh-oh. I had stepped out of the reception area of the terminal where the kids were being questioned. And when I tried to go back in, a 6-foot-4 inching guy in a police type uniform told me I couldn’t. When I tried to tell him I didn’t speak Creole, he seemed perturbed and used his hands, including his middle finger, to describe to me what I could not do. That gesture, plus the visible gun on his hip, translated very well. I waited in the lobby. 10 minutes later the kids were free and we were on to the next challenge.

THE GAUNTLET:

As we stepped outside the terminal, the weather was nice, about 85 degrees with a few clouds – not bad during this “rainy season.” So much for looking up. Straight ahead of us were about a hundred people crowded behind a barricade – apparently waiting for someone or something. They didn’t seem to care who we were, so we turned right and headed for the bus, which we could not see. A handful of escorts- uniformed and ”regular” folks – (porters) followed us along the 50 yard walk to the bus. Since we could not see the bus, there was that uneasy feeling of- “why were these guys following us and where’s our transportation?” I forgot brother Cos’ (Cosmas Rubencamp, out guide) first rule of exiting an airport in Haiti- “Don’t give up your bag.” Some guy- not in a uniform- hit me with a bit of a sob story in Creole, and grabbed for my bag – and yeah, I let him have it, trying to be friendly. He took off for the bus and a few other guys followed him, trying to get their hand on the bag- and then a piece of the TIP.

When we got to the bus- I was trying to get everyone on quickly. They were moving slowly- probably because of the growing crowd of people asking for money around the door, and the sad sight of what we were about to board. As you raised your foot almost 3 feet to reach the first step of the bus, your eyes were then drawn to the seating arrangement. Those wanting to sit in the back had to negotiate around the first seat, a kitchen chair welded to the floor -and no seatbelt. I had this vision of hitting a bump and being ejected out of the half-door, strapped to my kitchen chair. How embarrassing.

I finally got onboard last. My “porter” tried to follow on with his hand out for a tip. I looked at Cos and he said it was cool to tip the “head” porter – $20- and the guy would share it with the crowd. Cha ching! Buh bye.

THE BUS:

Frightening. It looked like a Volvo panel truck/cab with a school bus body welded onto its bed. It could have fit in any circus parade with its rainbow colored paint job. The engine seemed to beg for more horses – even to go 25 miles an hour- and I was thinking- “what will this baby do on the highway?” Little did I know we would never travel much faster than that. The ride was noisy and very bouncy- we took bumps hard through PaP, the ‘burbs, and the approaching hillside.

THE SIGHTS:

Incredible. One continuous slum with every house or business fronted with custom-protective iron gates, windows and doors, and the expanse of each property- whether a compound or a shack- walled off in creatively molded cement or custom metal fencing topped with menacing barbed wire. Were the property owners trying to keep people out- or in? There were people all over – going somewhere, hanging out, trying to sell something from a vendor cart, or just livin’ life. It seemed like every other house or building was under construction- but the contractor wasn’t finished with the room addition -or the roof. Cars and trucks- and those carnival looking pickups with a bunch of people hanging out the back (Tap Taps?) all fought with us for space and speed on the streets.

THE TRIP:

As we reached the outskirts of the city, the dark mountain range came into view- and shockingly, few if any trees. And there were those gloomy looking clouds. This was the rainy season. It also occurred to me that that dark mountain range under those gloomy clouds was where we’re heading. The road was paved, the music was crankin’ out of a portable radio taped to the luggage rack, and our bus was holding together- so it seemed we were on our way.

Along the way, our driver would occasionally stop and pick up an additional rider. That was strange to me. For a fee of $1,000 to secure the bus and driver for a week, I thought the bus was dedicated to us. Plus I felt uneasy about the unknown quantity being added to the mix. Safety first. ‘Cos would later say it was customary for drivers to pick up additional riders- part “hustle”, part “weight”- (to get us through the sure-to-come muddy roads). Cool.

Two hours into the ride (and we were still thinking we’d be at Maison Fortune Orphanage in Hinche by 9-ish) the paved road ended and the crushed-stone and dirty stretch began. Slow down, right? Well, the driver must not have gotten the memo. He hit a couple of potholes, (heck, TUB-HOLES) hard and the impacts finally took their toll. The rear axle broke. We were dead in the “water.” It was starting to get dark and those of us who got off the bus to stretch and look around, felt a few rain drops. I mumbled a few words that did not translate into prayers.

The driver and back-up guy got off the bus to the inspect the damage. They also made a call- apparently to M-F director Jean Louis who told them to get to the next town and pick up another bus. “Whoa- nelly!” How long was that going to take? Why not just call Triple A? Yeah, right. The back up driver finally flagged down a vehicle, hopped on board and he was off. Those of us who didn’t know at the time what he was doing were wondering -WHAT IS HE DOING?

About an hour later, and after darkness had overtaken us, he showed up with the second bus.

During the wait, I was out on the road taking pictures of our broke-down bus when another vehicle was headed in our direction and needing to get by us. Big, military type truck with a bunch of guys hanging out of the back. That driver honked his horn and never slowed down. I was in his path- and would have become part of the path- had I not jumped out of the way at the last second. The driver never slowed down! (Did I say that already?). When I collected myself and turned around to see where the “fire truck” was racing off to, I saw one guy on the rear of the truck with his hands on his gun. Hmmm – maybe I better not my raise my hand in a “salute.” Yeah, it was a U-N truck. We would see more of them than local police. And I was told the U-N guys don’t stop for nobody.

After about an hour the second bus arrived and we were on our way. It was around 9 pm and it started to rain.

Don: “Are we there yet?” ‘Cos: “No, not half way yet.” Say what?! The rain continued to fall and we could not see anything except the road ahead illuminated by our bus’ lights. We could HEAR the driver splashing his way through the frequent mud puddles. Got stuck a couple of times and we groaned along with the engine. But, to our driver’s credit, he just stopped, backed up and plowed on through a slightly different part of the road.

When we reached one creepy looking town we slowed down. The driver seemed to be looking for someone or thing. Bad time to have a big mac attack. And then he found it- a gas station. Filler up! Well, as much as 10 gallons would do. The meter on the pump read $10 and I’m thinking “not bad!” Then the back-up driver told Cos $50 dollars! But the pump read $10!? $50! – Who’s going to pay? They looked at me. I dug out two twenties and collected the other ten from the group – “au revoir!” Yeah, I got your au re voir right here!!!! !@#$%&*

Cruising, Cruising, Raining, Raining. Splashing, splashing, Tick tock- the minutes were slowly passing by along with the miles. And after we topped a little hill and start cruising along the downside, we came to another stop. Our driver pulled us over to the right – behind a big ‘ol dump truck looking’ vehicle. Our guy got out to see what was what. Meanwhile, we noticed the sound of rushing water to our right. The loud sound of rushing water. Our driver came back to tell Coz the road ahead was flooded. “And?” He said all we could do was wait it out.

It must have been ’round midnight. We were tired, funky, hungry and some still scared the “ton-ton le fools” would come get us -like America’s infamous boogey man. We still couldn’t believe what we were hearing – “wait until the water recedes…” And how long would that take? As long as it takes. One of our teens, Zach Russell (tall kid) and I got out to see what we could see. We walked about 50 yards down the hill and around a curve and- there it was – mini rapids- fast moving water flowing left to right, about 8-10 feet deep- cutting right through our road. We passed about three stopped vehicles down our side of the hill but on the other side there seemed to be a caravan – lights on- and just waiting. What we didn’t see was WHERE the water was going. It was falling down to a HUGE river and lake. We were a safe distance, but still near the edge of a cliff above a big river that emptied into a lake!

Back to our bus. Might as well catch some ‘Z’s.

The sound of a straining diesel truck engine woke us up around 3am. The guy made it through! Hip Hip — . Wait a minute; it’ll soon be our turn – Can We? Our driver put it in gear – VRRRROOOM! Down the hill, slowly, steadily, no stopping now – Splash! We were in the stream. No water through the door. Our driver didn’t stop. He made it to the other side! But then there was another challenge – the mud. He eased on the gas- we started sliding – first to the right, then to the left…. then some more to the left! Yeah, we thought we were going to hit something and overturn!!! The driver kept gunnin’ the engine, kept those wheels turning, the bus kept slidin’ until- finally – the wheels gripped some solid ground. Traction! Yay! We are outta there!

Down the home stretch now. We arrived at Maison Fortune approximately 4:30am – 12 hours after we first hit the road. We were here and we are safe! Thank you Lord for bringing us through. The driver, back up driver and teenager from the orphanage who rode along with us were like – “What’s the big deal? This is what we have to endure everyday in Haiti.

Now what? “COCK A DOODLE DO!” Aw, go back to sleep. Sunrise right around the corner. Breakfast anyone? How about Dinner! Maison’s cook had prepared a fine meal of – what else? – Goat, rice and beans and salad – YUM-MY!!! I was hungry. Couldn’t wait to exhale – I mean- INHALE every bite. Everyone else was dead – tired and ready for the sack.

DAY ONE- MISSION HAITI is over.

Stay tuned for more on the rest of the trip. And check this space for pictures and video – also on WAVY NEWS TEN soon!

Don

If you are wanting to be the next big movie actor or the next Super Model, be careful of out of town convention representatives claiming instant stardom for upfront cash. I sat down with actor Keith Flippen who is also the owner of the Actor’s Place. A place where students can learn and craft their skills as and actor. He has been in the business for 18 years and can be seen in the upcoming episodes of Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime. It’s certainly possibly to make it as a working actor, but you need to go about it the right way.

Check out my latest story titled Breaking into Show Business Warning.

If you have a story idea please email me at kelly.welsh@wavy.com

A big thank you to all of you who participated in our 10 on Your Side “Shred-It event” on Saturday, May 16.

Hundreds of people came out, many arrived early, to have their personal documents shredded in the big mobile shredding trucks. In exchange for the service that helps protect your identity, participants brought non-perishable goods for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.

We collected more than 3500 pounds of food for needy families.
Volunteers from Jackson-Hewitt tax services and the Foodbank helped out.

I was at the College Park Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, while Eric Harryman was at the Willow Oaks Shopping Center in Hampton.
The weather was threatening with dark clouds looming most of the time and a few downpours, but it didn’t keep people away.

It was nice to meet new people and reunite with old friends.
We hope to see you at our next Shred-it event in July. Keep checking out wavy.com for exact locations, date and time.

They say all good things must come to an end, and sadly, my freshman year here at VT has reached that end.  My things are packed, most of my friends have already gone home for the summer, and as I sit here on my bed in my empty room, I can’t help but smile thinking about the memories I have made this year.  I have made some amazing friends and met some incredible people, and they have all touched my life in one way or another.  Many of them I will see next year, or even over the summer, but some I’ll never see again.  Instead of only being sad to see them go, I am grateful for having them in my life at all, even if only for a brief time.

I have grown up an incredible amount since August, and I think my family will be surprised to see how mature I act when I’m home for the summer.  Being on my own has taught me many valuable lessons, and I’ve acquired knowledge that is relevant beyond the classroom.  I’ve figured out a lot about myself and my purpose in the world, and I’m excited to pursue that purpose in my coming years here at VT.

While I’ll definitely miss my friends, Tech, and the town of Blacksburg, I am looking forward to seeing my family and my friends from the 757.  Saying goodbye to my friends today was hard, and driving off campus will be even harder,  but all the while I realize that I have a fantastic life waiting for me back home as well.

So for now, this is farewell.  It’s been great fun keeping you all up to date on college life here in Blacksburg, and I hope to continue doing so when school starts back up in August.  And who knows, I may even see some of you around the 757 soon!  I hope you all have fantastic summers, and I’ll catch up with you in August!

Thanks to all of you who came to Moe’s Southwest Grill at Hilltop in Virginia Beach and supported “Moe Money For Charity” night.

I was joined by my colleague Kay Young and local radio hosts to raise money for organizations of our choice. There were also silent auction items for folks to bid on including Coldplay tickets, dvd’s, mugs, hats, and a guitar!

I raised money for donations to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia’s Kids Cafe program, which helps feed needy children nutritious meals year round.

Kay’s charity of choice was the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Kay lost her brother to the disease earlier this year. She showed the crowd his picture and presented a special poetic tribute to him.

Many thanks to all who came out. As of Friday, May 8, we raised about $3,000.

You can still support the charities by dropping your donation in the boxes at local Moe’s restaurants.