Trish White-Boyd Won't Run for Council Again

My long-time friend Trish White-Boyd, who has served on Roanoke City Council since 2021 (two years as vice mayor) told me this morning that she will not run for City Council again. It is a hard job, she says, one that takes a lot out of the members of the elected body.

She recently lost a bid for state senate to an empty-suit, well-funded Republican candidate and that apparently whetted her appetite for higher office. "I've really enjoyed Council," she related in an email. Future political plans are uncertain, she says. 

Whatever her decision, she has my vote. Trish is bold, creative and strong, but, she says, "I'm not quite as liberal as a lot of people think." The Republicans threw a lot of money at her Senate opponent, while the state Democratic Party all but ignored Trish until the last 10 days or so of the campaign. She would hope to reverse that trend should she run again. She lost by a hair.

It is significant that Trish is leaving because Mayor Sherman Lea recently announced he will not seek re-election. 

My First Book Is a Quarter Century Old

I had almost completely forgotten the existence of my first book, "From Here to There," which I put together to support the Virginia Museum of Transportation (I was on the board). I found it two days ago in a box in the basement and put it aside. Then I gave a copy to a friend for her birthday and took a look at it before presenting.

Jeez! It's good. Like, really good.

This is a compilation of nearly 50 stories by Virginia writers (and non-writers, mostly my friends) with the theme of transportation somewhere in the stories. Beth Macy wrote about carrying her baby, others wrote about hot cars and trucks, planes and boats and trains and the like.

The stories are personal, funny, profound, enlightening and just get-it-off-your-chest cool. The book is out of print (I think we ran 5,000 of them) and I suspect the Museum doesn't have any left. I have one box and I'll hoard it for selective presents.

It was compiled (I edited, wrote and photographed for it) in 1998, so it's 25 years old. Not hard to imagine, but difficult to believe.

Cast takes a bow at the end of "Elf the Musical."

 'Elf' Captures the Mood of the Season

Mill Mountain Theatre has pulled a thoroughly entertaining production out of the movie theater to enter kids of all ages in its Christmas production "Elf the Musical."

The production runs through Dec. 23 and you can get tickets at 540-342-5740 or online at millmountain.org. Tickets cost $26.50-$48.50. Last night's production was nearly full and it appears the remainder of the run will be heavily attended.

"Elf" is the story of a baby who accidentally slipped into Santa's bag and left for the Clauses to raise as an elf and not a human. He finally discovers his humanity and sets off to find his father (his mother has died), a high-level business executive. Buddy the Elf is a bit over the top as he moves through the humans he encounters, including the young woman he falls in love with. Buddy was famously played by Will Ferrell on the silver screen and is portrayed with the proper amount of outrageousness on stage by professional Jarrett Jay Yoder, who all but carries the production with his singing, dancing, and nutty behavior. The children in the audience loved him.

The noteworthy choreography was directed by Hector Flores Jr., who recently was choreographer for the popular "Matilda" at Mill Mountain. I was thoroughly taken with the tap dancing, which stole the show several times. Jimmy Ray Ward's scenic design was, as always, quite effective and Marissa Danielle Durecko's costuming was eye-catching. 

As with most of MMT's large-scale musical productions, "Elf" was populated with a mixture of professionals and locals, mostly children. Ginger Poole was the artistic director. Get the full cast/crew credits here: Elf the Musical (marquee.digital)