Features

“My dad never, ever talked about it,” said Louise Bartlett, born in the Twin Counties but residing now in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, daughter of World War II U.S. Navy veteran Roy Alderman. “He was very gentle and easygoing, despite having gone through all that.”

The Galax Downtown Association will once again host the Galax Downtown Safe Halloween Bash.

As in years past, local businesses, churches and organizations will gather in the center of downtown to play games and give treats to fun-loving kids of all ages.

Costume contests, free hotdogs and drinks for the children, ghoulishly fun music, pumpkin carving and more activities are planned for Saturday.

BAYWOOD — Canines, felines and even fowl were welcome at the Church of the Good Shepherd near Galax last Saturday during the annual Blessing of the Animals service.

Held each October in honor of St. Francis, the church off U.S. 58 in Baywood opens itself to the community’s four-legged family members. According to organizers, the church formerly held ceremonies on the lawn in front of the church, but in recent years they’ve opted for opening the church for several hours, allowing owners to bring their furbabies by for a quick blessing at their convenience.

The rain didn’t stop the community from celebrating Oct. 10 during the annual Mountain Foliage Festival in Independence.

Members of the community gathered on Main Street for a day full of town traditions, shopping, games and other forms of recreation.

The Grand Privy Race consisted of four teams this year. First-place winners in the annual outhouse race were the Grayson Wrestling Team, followed by the Independence Volunteer Fire Department in second place, Core Fitness in third place, and United Way in fourth place.

INDEPENDENCE — This year’s Mountain Foliage Festival is sure to get the community geared up for fall with a variety of craft vendors, music, games and entertainment fit for everyone in the family.

The 33rd Annual Grand Privy Race — an Independence tradition — begins at 11 a.m. Contestants in the race make their mad dashes towards the finish line in custom-built mobilized outhouses.

The annual Lord’s Acre Harvest Sale features home-baked pies and cakes, home-canned goods, fresh-cooked foods, handmade crafts and bushels of fall produce for sale at Felts Park in Galax.

The event supports local churches, and is sponsored each year by the Carroll-Grayson United Workers for Christ Association.

This year’s sale is on Saturday. The day begins with a worship service at 9:30 a.m., followed by the sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

HILLSVILLE – The 4th annual Christian Family Fun Day will take place this Saturday, focusing on the theme of kindness.

People from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia are expected to attend, with the total reaching into the thousands.

Richard Edwards, organizer of the event, said, “We want to create a fair atmosphere for kids and families who may not get to go anywhere else all summer, where they don’t have to worry about money.” This is an all ages event and everyone is invited to participate.

INDEPENDENCE — Grayson County citizens joined people in other communities both locally and in other spots across the nation in a show of support for law enforcement on Sept. 11.

Beginning at noon, a crowd lined up in front of the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, to stand in support of police officers for one hour.

Between 75 and 100 people gathered in the Galax Police Department courtyard on Friday to honor the work of local police officers.

Led by Travis Haynes of Galax, a firefighter with the Galax Fire Department, the brief, informal ceremony included a few words from Haynes, a prayer led by the Rev. Tom Whartenby and a laying of hands on the police station.

Members of the fire department were also present and wearing their uniforms as a sign of respect.