The Roanoker - July/August 2018 - 8

MEA CULPA

In the Best of Roanoke
(May/June), here are
the correct winner and
business names:

Health Heroes and Summer Fun
You shared stories about your health heroes, which ranged from inspired to
outright "wow!" reactions. Plus great kids, summer fun and more.

M

Y MOTHER IS A BREAST CANCER

survivor. And I know in this day and age,
that's far more usual than not (which is sad
in its own way). She fought cancer at only 27 years
old; when I turned 27, I spent the entire year fearing
I'd face the same battle. Six years later, I decided to
get proactive in an attempt to quell some of those
worries with genetic testing. It was an unnerving
process, but I got lucky with a kind, knowledgeable
doctor who not only eased my fears, but made me
laugh in the face of them. I am lucky to share a
positive experience (the kind with a negative result,
that is), and grateful to the individuals who guided
me through the experience.
My story is only one of millions. We encouraged
our readers to share their stories of personal health
heroes, those in the health care industry who have
impacted them in some way. Reading these stories
truly puts things in perspective, as so many bravely
shared facing illness, scary pregnancy moments, losing
family members or raising up those who have made
a significant impact on our community in some way.
There's a lot to tackle in this issue. One can guess at
the complications of data security in health care, but
Erin Wolfe's research is eye-opening to say the least
(page 68). She also covers Roanoke's pain problem,
and the issues that arise from pill mills, addiction and
lifelong conditions (page 66).

*

My husband is a history teacher at Lucy Addison
Middle School. In our household, that means
celebrating the summer as much as possible! Becky
Ellis shares delicious recipes that can withstand the
heat when entertaining outdoors (page 96), while
Shari Dragovich has my tastebuds watering at all the
cold treats offered to those craving a sweet taste of
summer (page 98).
Dan Smith highlights local colleges and universities
offering unique programs to students of all ages (page
84), and interviews seven families raising their kids in
positive ways (page 28).
It's no secret our kids spend a large chunk of their
time online. Laura Wade covers the impact of hours
spent in the digital maze, navigating the waters of peer
pressure, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and more
related to social media, and how parents can protect
their children and encourage responsible online usage
in today's digital era (page 72).
I can't wait to celebrate summer (and this great
issue) with you.

*
*

*
*

*

Bart Edmunds, Sage
Creek Planning
& Investments
(Platinum, Best
Financial Advisor)
Franklin County
Distilleries (Gold,
Best Local Distillery)
Erika McMorris,
Onyx Hair Salon
(Gold, Best Massage
Therapist)
Robin Miles, Interior
Details, LLC (Silver,
Best Interior Design)
Jennifer Walker,
Balance Wellspace
(Gold, Best
Chiropractor)
Grandin Road
Barbershop (Silver,
Best Men's Haircuts)

TELL US ABOUT...

your favorite places
for sweet summer
treats. Maybe it's ice
cream, gelato, custard,
lemonade or something
else? Share your
thoughts on our social
media pages!

WE WANT TO
HEAR FROM YOU

Questions, comments,
or feedback about The
Roanoker? E-mail llong@
leisuremedia360.com

Cheers!

FOLLOW
THE ROANOKER
roanokermag
roanoker

llong@leisuremedia360.com

MEET THE

CONTRIBUTORS

8

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Jared Ladia

is a Virginia-based
wedding and portrait
photographer. A
Roanoke native,
Jared loves travel
and adventure and
can usually be found
climbing mountains
either on foot or by
bike. You can find
him on Instagram at
jaredladiaphoto and
jaredladiaweddings.
See his photography
of the Cotton family on
our cover.

Christina Nifong

is a freelance writer with
a decades-long career
of profiling fascinating
people, places and ideas.
She's also a committed
locavore, an urban
gardener and mother to
three kids, five chickens
and the sweetest kitty on
the planet. Sign up for
her monthly newsletter,
Eat Healthy/Eat Local
at christinanifong.com.
Read Christina's piece in
the Gist on page 16.

Dan Smith

is an award-winning
writer, author and
photographer and a
member of the Virginia
Communications Hall
of Fame. He is founding
editor of a Roanokebased business
magazine and a former
Virginia Small Business
Journalist of the Year.
Read Dan's piece on
Higher Education on
page 84 and Raising
Good Kids on page 28.

Bob Sowder

is a native of Roanoke
and enjoyed a career
in broadcast television
and advertising, working
in markets from D.C. to
L.A. and a lot of fly-over
country. On a visit back
to Roanoke in 1999
with his wife Jules, they
discovered Roanoke
and returned to raise
their two children. See
Bob's photography in
our Homes section on
page 86.

Laura Wade

is the founder of
Thrive by Heart and
offers workshops and
individual guidance to
empower women to live
and love their lives. She
is passionate about her
family, holistic health,
personal transformation
and sharing ideas to
inspire others to live
their best lives. Read
Laura's Gist piece on
page 14 and her feature
on Digital Daze on
page 72.

Erin Wolfe

is retired from medical
sales and is currently
writing her second
act. She blogs about
travel and wellness at
enlightenedspareview.
com. Read her features
on Pain Management
on page 66 and Secure
Data in Health Care on
page 68.

TheRoanoker.com

LIZ LONG HEADSHOT: AMY PEARMAN

Becky Ellis

is following her passion
after a career in health
care dining and nutrition
management. Becky
created Bubblybee, a
champagne and food
blog. Her motto is
"Don't wait to celebrate!
Pop the cork now!" Find
her creative recipes
and champagne tasting
notes at bubblybee.
net. Be sure to try her
delicious summer
recipes on page 96.
http://www.christinanifong.com/ http://www.TheRoanoker.com
The Roanoker - July/August 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - July/August 2018
