The Roanoker May/June 2022 - 10

editor's note
The Best Around
written by Liz Long, Editor In our latest issue, we celebrate the winners of our Best of Reader awards,
explore Virginia's road to marijuana legalization and much more.
T
he Best of Roanoke Reader awards are
something I take a lot of pride in, not only
because we're highlighting your winners and
amazing local businesses, but because it tells me we
really connect with our readers, too.
Thanks to you, our nominations were a recordbreaker
this year, and I like to think it's because
so many in our community are passionate about
supporting local. Roanoke is special in a lot of ways,
for a lot of reasons, but the community's enthusiasm
and support makes it truly unique, and sets us apart
from so many other small cities. We band together
when the going gets tough, but we also celebrate each
other's successes, and that makes Roanoke all the more
special. See our list of winners starting on page 40!
It's been fascinating so far to see how Virginia
(and its politics) are playing out around the issue
of marijuana legalization. Between CBD, hemp and
marijuana, the laws are murky and ever-shifting. And
while there are plenty of jokes that revolve around
the excitement of legally toking up (sorry, Mom), the
significant issues of marijuana's effects on the health
care system and disproportionate arrests of Black
individuals, amongst others, are important to consider.
Mason Adams offers an excellent look at how things
are currently playing out, and how it's affecting our
region (page 32).
Plus, keep thinking green (see? Jokes!) with Dan
Smith's interview with Kim White, an accountant
focused on helping small businesses with all things
" Canna-business " (page 34), and learn more about the
changing laws around hemp and CBD, too (page 36).
Can't wait to get outside and play in summer
weather? Of course, that includes lake life, and you
don't want to miss Smith's feature on Moneta (page
122). And if you're curious about what's going on
around the Tanglewood/419 area - and how could you
not, given all the construction and growth happening?
- Jenny K. Boone shares a great look at the new
businesses coming into the mall, and what's to come
as the area evolves (page 128).
Another great part of summer? Barbecue! I won't
judge if you find yourself drooling a little over Layla
Khoury-Hanold's piece, where she did the hard work of
researching six great barbecue joints and the offerings
you can find there - including a tofu option for the
plant-friendly diners (page 148)! And while you're
thinking of delicious smoked meats, look no further
than Shari Dragovich's dining review of Clutch Smoked
Meats; their lunch, dinner and brunch offerings look
like just the ticket to a happy belly. There's a great issue
ahead for you!
See you on the greenway,
tell us about...
your favorite local businesses! Who
do you love to support and why?
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
follow us on social
roanokermag
roanoker
contributors
Mason Adams
(@MasonAtoms on Twitter)
has covered Blue Ridge and
Appalachian communities
since 2001. He writes from
Floyd County, Virginia. Read
his feature on Marijuana in
Virginia on page 30.
Ashley Wilson
Fellers
is a writer, self-taught
painter and photographer.
When she isn't teaching
writing at Virginia Western,
she snaps photos of
sidewalk cracks, rescues
wet leaves from windshield
wipers and leaves poems
hidden under park benches.
She has a Master of Fine
Arts degree from Virginia
Tech. Read her Gist piece
on Mental Health in Motion
on page 21.
Christina Nifong
is a journalist and essayist,
writing at the intersection of
wild+connected+sustainable.
Find more of her work and
subscribe to her Nourishing
Stories newsletter at
christinanifong.com. Read
her piece on Ahoo Salem in
our latest " Do You Know...? "
on page 18.
Sarah Riddell
Dan Smith
is a blogger and freelance
writer from Christiansburg
with a love for all things
food, books and fur babies.
She graduated from
Roanoke College with a
double major in Literary
Studies and Business
Administration. Read her
Gist piece on the opening
of Verses Listening Lounge
& Collaborative Center on
page 23.
is an award-winning
Roanoke-based writer/
author/photographer and
a member of the Virginia
Communications Hall of
Fame (Class of 2010). He
is founding editor of a
Roanoke-based business
magazine and a former
Virginia Small Business
Journalist of the Year (2005).
Read his Gist piece on
page 20; his interview with
accountant Kim White on
page 34; a deeper dive into
CBD and hemp on page 36;
and his feature on Moneta
on page 122.
10 MAY/JUNE 2022
Aaron Spicer
is a veteran editorial
photographer originally
based in Northern Virginia,
with credits in numerous
regional and national
publications. Aaron
specializes in creating
clean and contemporary
environmental portraiture
that tells a compelling
story. See his photography
on our cover and
throughout our Best of
Roanoke feature starting
on page 40.
Georgianne Vicellio
lives in Salem, but enjoys
adventuring all over the
Roanoke area. She enjoys
exploring and does her own
stunts. See her Gist piece
on The Soup Shop's opening
on page 22.
TheRoanoker.com

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The Roanoker May/June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker May/June 2022