It was a long two days.  But I feel so good about what we accomplished this Labor Day weekend.  Your generous donations put us over $619,000 on the Centra Tote Board.  That's a lot.  With the economy being weak, gas prices going up, so many other drains on the average person's income, I didn't think we'd do that well.  But Central and Southwest Virginia, you surprised us once again.  We were behind during much of the telethon.  But we made up a lot of ground and finished very strong.  That's very humbling to a guy like me.  And I cannot express how grateful I am.

Please keep in mind, your pledge constitutes a promise, a promise you now must keep.  We're relying on you - and so are the members of our MDA family.  We're helping young and old live longer, healthier, happier lives.  And we are committed to finding cures for the more than 40 neuromuscular diseases we're fighting.  The MDA is a great organization to support.  Your money does SO MUCH GOOD.  So, send in those donations and keep "Jerry's Kids" in your thoughts and prayers.  By the way, there's plenty more information available at www.mda.org.

Thanks again!

Len Stevens

I can't wait!  As we get ready for another MDA Labor Day telethon, I'm full of excitement!  It all gets started this Sunday night at 9pm.  Be sure to tune in to ABC-13 for great fun for a great cause!  We've made some changes to this year's telethon that you are sure to like.  We'll have more coverage of members of our MDA families, more video of MDA summer camp, and more features to get you smiling and maybe crying.

It's a lot of work, but the rewards are very worth the effort!  So tune in and have fun with us through the TV - or take the kids to the Moose Lodge on Waterlick Road from 9 to 3 on Labor Day.  There'll be rides, games, live music, food, drinks, and FUN FUN FUN!  I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend, and keep the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Jerry's Kids in your thoughts.

Len Stevens

It’s the same story no matter where I’ve lived -- months, in some cases years, go by until I finally get to the number one tourist attraction in town.

And in most cases its when someone from out of town is visiting and I’m frantically trying to think of something to do other than my usual -- sitting on the coach and watching whatever I’ve DVRed.

Thankfully, I haven’t had to wait until a friend or family member come to town to get to Appomattox. I got to do it as part of my workday (have I mentioned I love my job).

The trip didn’t disappoint. Being from the Midwest, we didn’t get to visit historical Civil War battle sites in our 4th grade field trip. The best we could do was VHS dubs of a PBS special. You Virginians are pretty lucky.

Our first stop was Holliday Lake. Even though Google maps said it was just a few miles from the Court House National Park, we kept turning down roads and seemed to be getting further and further from civilization. Then the tree growth got denser and denser and to be honest, I had a panicky moment that there was a lady at the end of the road living in a house made entirely of candy and I should start dropping bread crumbs fast.

We finally got to Holliday Lake in what actually took less than 10 minutes-it just felt like we were delving into the wilderness. I came to find that’s part of the draw. You really feel tucked away and back to nature there. The beach was full of kids and I gladly took my sandals off to put my toes in the sand.

I also dragged Mike Fisch, my photographer along on a hike. Well, it was sort of a hike. More like a quick jaunt in the woods. I was afraid he might trip on a stump and end up taking a tumble, so we turned around, but we certainly worked up a sweat. Little did I know this was a premonition for things to come.

Next stop was the Courthouse. I was amazed at how large the area actually is. Looking across the Park, you can really get a feel for how the area once looked and imagine the Confederate soldiers walking over the hills. Standing in the McLean house was amazing. I know that the house was dismantled and reconstructed much later-but to think this is where Lee and Grant stood and what must have been going through their minds is overwhelming. It was such a pivotal moment in American History and it all happened in Appomattox.

One thing you won’t see in this week’s segment is the amazing day camp program the Court House is offering for kids this summer. It’s free and it’s a great way to get kids hooked on history and the environment early on. Unfortunately, Mike and I were hurrying to catch up with a group of campers, when he came down hard on his ankle. We had to leave fast and head for the nearest gas station for an ice pack.

I drove us back to Lynchburg with a smile on my face, feeling I had finally crossed off an important item on my list of Virginia Things to do. And with Mike elevating his ankle in the passenger site, I felt a little like a Confederate nurse taking care of a war ravaged soldier. Luckily ice is easier to come by in 2008 than in 1865.

"Welcome to Clarksville!"

That's the first thing we heard after we parked the car on Clarksville's main street. Being a TV reporter, I'm not used to being met with open arms -- it felt good for a change.

"Thanks for coming, we're so glad you're here!"

The voice belonged to Bobby Owen, the owner of Designs by Bobby, who had heard through the Chamber of Commerce that we would be visiting (note to the ladies: if you want a unique bag or adorable gift basket for a bridal party or your sister's birthday-check it out).

It was then that I realized Clarksville (and Buggs Island Lake) was the perfect place to start our One Tank Trip series.

Browsing the Virginia Tourism website, I stumbled upon the links for Buggs Island Lake and the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce. Being from the land of 10,000 lakes and growing up on Lake Superior, I consider myself somewhat of a lake expert, so for our first One Tank Trip I thought I would test the waters, so to speak.

We left Lynchburg at 8:00 in the morning and made it back by 6:00, and yes it literally took less than one tank of gas.

Linda Williams with the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce suggested a great itinerary for us: Occoneechee State Park, Clarksville Marina and Prestwould Plantation. But after seeing Clarksville, I definitely recommend making time to visit all of the shops downtown. I already mentioned Designs by Bobby, but also check out the Galleria, a beautiful art gallery featuring some local artists.

Another great thing about Clarksville is that once you are there, you don't have to do a lot of driving around to get where you want to go. Occoneechee State Park is just over the bridge from downtown. I'm not much of a "roughing it" kind of girl, so I was thrilled to check out the cabins at the Park. A family or a men's fishing group can rent out one of these cabins for the weekend and enjoy all the comforts of home, i.e. indoor plumbing, full kitchen and still take in the Lake air from the back porch.

A quick note about the lake itself: I know it's man-made, but the Army Corps of Engineers have done an impeccable job of creating natural wetlands. While we were there, we saw osprey, a blue heron and fish actually jumping-I imagine they were all trying to get their fifteen minutes of fame.

Heading out on the lake with the folks at the Clarksville Marina was a real treat. Beth Diamond and her nephew, Jonathon gave us a tour in a pontoon boat. It was nice to kick-back and relax -- it's times like that I can't believe I get paid for what I do. And what a quiet lake! Because its so large (50,000 acres) we only passed six fishing boats that afternoon.

 If I were to do the trip again, I would definitely spend more time at Prestwould Plantation. The grounds were lovely and the interior is so well preserved (and air conditioned!). Historians have used tax documents from the early 1800's to identify the original estate's furniture and recreate the exact layout of the house where Lady Jean and Sir Peyton Skipwith lived.

We left Clarksville exhausted and a little sunburned, but very happy. And I smiled when I thought about our meeting with Kevin Allgood, Clarksville's incoming Mayor. I thought, what a fitting name, Allgood-and a great way to sum up the trip -- All good.

Places to See, Things to Do:

Occoneechee State Park

1192 Occoneechee Park Road

Clarksville, VA 23927

434-374-2210

Prestwould Plantation

Admission: Adults, $8, Children $3, Seniors and Groups $6

434/374-8672

Clarksville Marina:

434-374-8501

www.clarksvillevamarina.com

Designs by Bobby

328 Virginia Ave.

Clarksville, VA

434/374-3331

www.designsbybobby.com

The Lake House Restaurant

355 Virginia Ave, Clarksville, VA

434-374-4646

This is a short diary of my adventures taking the bus in Lynchburg for one whole week.  I hope folks who take the bus don't consider our special series condescending.  I took the bus and METRO on a daily basis when I lived in Washington, DC and didn't have a car.  But, as the stories show, public transportation in the Lynchburg area is understandably not as comprehensive.  One can live here without a car but it can be challenging.

DAY 1

I didn't really start thinking about my Monday morning bus ride until Sunday evening.  I checked the bus routes online and figured I had to either take the 1A or 1B bus to get from the Rivermont Area to the Lynchburg General Hospital area.  In the morning, I went to what I thought was the right stop but it turned out to be the wrong one.  I remembered another stop on Bedford Avenue and decided to try that one out.  It was the 1A stop and I decided to take my chances on that one.  I relied on luck and it worked.  The bus picked me up at around 9:10 and dropped me off at work roughly 20 minutes later.

My first ride ever on GLTC was a very positive one.  The bus was not crowded, it was clean and the people were nice.  Of course, it was one of the brand new hybrid buses.

The way back home from work was much more of a hassle.  I worked late and didn't look at the bus schedule beforehand.  I got to the stop way too early and waited about an hour for the next bus to come.  I should have remembered that Lynchburg buses don't come as often as the ones in Washington, DC.  At least I had a quality phone conversation with my mom.

DAY 2

I usually have Tuesday's off and I did not take the bus all day.  The truth is that I didn't really have to.  I walked about twenty minutes to my doctor's appointment and then to lunch.

DAY 3

I wanted to do something more than just go to work on the bus. That's why I decided to do some groceries at the Kroger even though I have a Food Lion right next to my house. I wanted to ride the bus with grocery bags just like I did back in DC.

Once again, I didn't look at the bus schedule and waited one whole hour at the stop for the next one to come. Don't blame it on GLTC. The bus was on time and I would have been too if I just looked at the schedule.

Oh! I also didn't look at the route map. Well, I glanced over it but didn't study it closely. Once again I didn't really know what bus I was supposed to take! I called the phone number on the bus stop sign and a gentleman told me what bus to take. I assumed any of the two buses that stopped there would be fine. But the worker told me one of them would take me far from where I wanted to go. That's why advance planning is essential when taking the bus in Lynchburg.

After buying my groceries, I waited a while at the stop right in front of the Kroger. When I got home I discovered I had forgotten to buy some things I really needed (talk about advance planning!) I didn't want to get on the bus again so I walked to the Food Lion.

DAY 4

Took the bus at 9:10 in the morning and got to work almost right on time. My boss asked why I didn't take an earlier bus so I would actually get there on time. I said that would require getting to the stop an hour earlier.

Took the bus home at 7:30 in the evening.

DAY 5

I liked taking the bus in part because it was a chance to read, think and listen to music. I also discovered how social the bus can be. Someone started a conversation and soon I was telling everyone on the bus about this project. The conversation didn't stop until I got to work and people told me they were glad we were doing story about the buses. It was never that social in Washington.

I took the bus home after having dinner at La Carreta. It was raining a bit while I was waiting but it felt nice to get a little wet. By the way, I must thank the nice driver for always trying to stop as close to my apartment as possible.

SOME MORE COMMENTS

I know taking the bus for a week is nothing compared to what people who take it every day have to go through. That's why for Part Two of this project, I spoke with several people who take the bus on a regular basis. Many of these people travel long distances within the city on the bus. Most of them told me they liked riding the bus and considered it a limited but useful mode of transportation in Lynchburg. One gentleman, however, expressed what I have heard many others tell me in the past. He was frustrated by mechanical problems, late buses and how the system is managed. We spoke with GLTC about that. The director was candid about the system's limitations, strengths and outlook for the future. Part two airs on ABC 13 News at 6 on Friday.

One of the most sensitive and controversial parts of our job is talking with grieving family members.  It seems every time tragedy ensues, reporters are on the scene trying to put a microphone in someone's face.  Many critics consider it cold and unnecessary.  I used to be one of those critics.  However, over the years I have discovered the issue is not as black and white as it sounds.

Grieving family members and friends have told me they don't want to talk to reporters.  Some have told me flat out to leave them alone.  I believe it is their right to do so.  What has surprised me is that many have invited me into their homes and freely talked, sometimes on-camera, about their personal tragedy.

There's no doubt that speaking with grieving loved ones allows journalists to tell the story better.  Not only do we get to report the news but we also put a face to the story.  It's hard for me to approach grieving family members.  But by doing so, I give them a chance to speak highly of their loves ones and let people know who they really were.  The last thing I want to do is make their grieving worse.

It seems people who watch local news regularly and have lived in this community for a long time are more willing to talk when tragedy ensues.  Perhaps they trust us more.  Perhaps they want to inform other friends and family around the area.  Whatever the case, I remember being invited into one home in Campbell County full of people grieving.  They shared pictures and stories with me.  They knew me from television and were open to sharing their pain with me.  It was an honor for me to be there.

It is true that many journalists are de-sensitized and see interviewing the grieving as just another part of their job.  I see things differently.  If I must approach a grieving family member as part of my job, I want something positive to come out of it.

I'm excited.  I'm brimming over with nervous energy, because we are about to do a whole lot of good.  Central Virginia is about to make a very big difference in the world.  As you've probably heard, Oprah Winfrey has invited us at ABC-13 to take part in her Big Give.  The challenge, to take her initial donation of $10,000 and make it grow, to see who can do the most good.  We've partnered with Gleaning For The World, Sunny FM, and 108 WYYD and we will do an awful lot of good for an area that really needs it.  To start, we're using that $10,000 to ship more than a MILLION dollars worth of medical supplies to Kenya - to be used in a mobile medical clinic to fight the spread of AIDS.  There's an epidemic in much of Africa and this will go a very long way to help end the human suffering.

Now, that's great.  But we want to do more.  With your donations, we can send future shipments to other parts of the continent and help many, many more people.  It's the sort of thing Gleaning does everyday - take donated items, store them, find a spot in the world where they can be utilized, and ship 'em out.  The folks with Oprah's Big Give are already impressed - and they should be.  We're kinda competing against the other ABC affiliates chosen to participate.  And I'm positive we can "out-good" all the other guys!  Who knows?  Maybe Oprah comes to Central Virginia to congratulate us!  But we'll need your help to get it done.  Please consider giving.  Trust me.  Your donation will go a very long way.

Len Stevens

The new and improved Lynchburg Museum greatly impressed me when I first visited for a story. Today I returned on my own time and spent more than an hour there. I can't recommend it enough.

The look of the museum will impress you because of its sophistication. Museum officials even hired a design firm to help them with the project. Folks expecting simple displays will be very surprised.

I thought I knew a lot about Lynchburg history before visiting. I soon discovered that I did not know enough. What I learned made me proud to live here because I gained a deeper understanding of the area's traditions and impressive past. The displays explain how Lynchburg was once one of America's richest communities and how many products, ideas and people that influenced the nation have area ties.

I took note of how many things have changed and how many more have remained the same during Lynchburg’s hundreds of years of history. I became emotional while reading about the city's civil rights struggles. And I thought about how cool it was to see local Confederate currency, old pictures, and weapons.

I urge you to go take a look for yourself.

Manuel Quinones

I am proud of my recent story on Genocide Awareness Week at Lynchburg College. It was a chance to cover a local angle on a global reality that is often ignored. Working on the story also made me think about foreign news coverage in American local news. And that's what I want to briefly discuss here.

Some people often ask me why local stations like ABC 13 don't cover more international news. My answer is that it's not our main job to do so. Local news is just that -- local. People who ask me that often forget or don't realize that there are so many important things going on right here in our back yard. These are things people need to know about because they impact our money, our children, our jobs and so on.

At the same time, I like covering local angles of global stories. It's a chance for folks here see how events thousands of miles away impact them. In this increasingly global society, what goes on elsewhere not only affects America as a whole but often has an impact on our area directly. Take the death of Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto as an example. Some people were not happy we did a local angle on that story. That's foreign news, they said. What they failed to realize is that what happens in Pakistan can have a direct impact on the War on Terror and terrorism as a whole. Instability there can affect American security and American lives.

Genocide Awareness Week organizers would point out that we should know about global events and help people suffering because it's the right thing to do. That reminds me of something we discussed in college called compassion fatigue. Many people feel they give and give and give while the wars, hunger, disease and government corruption go on. And that's why many people just don't care.

Whatever your take on global issues, I think knowing what's going on is better than not knowing. And it's our job to let people know what's going on, especially if it affects, impacts or is related to our area.

Manuel Quinones