Heather Bowser Features Writer, Columnist Features Department hbowser@dnronline.com 540-574-6218	Back to News  Back to Homepage
1. Avoiding A Calorie Bomb 2010-09-08 Every week, after Roberta Keppel and her two boys finished swimming lessons at the RMH Wellness Center, they stopped off for a snack on the way home. 2. Curtains, Please ... 2010-09-04 It's just before lunchtime on Monday and dozens of students are strolling through the second floor of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts. 3. BBL No. 22: Hike Old Rag, Redefine Normal 2010-09-04 Editor’s Note: The Bowser Bucket List is part of a yearlong series of columns by 29-year-old DN-R staff writer Heather Bowser, who will complete 30 adventures before her 30th birthday in November. 4. Splish, Splash 2010-09-02 With school back in session and Labor Day right around the corner, it's time to say goodbye to summer. 5. Serving Up Nutrition 2010-09-01 6. Children's Museum Ready For Its Move 2010-08-27 Janelle Gonzaga plopped her 2-year-old sister, Isabelle, into the seat of a wheelchair, grabbed the handles at the back and zoomed her around the 7. BBL No. 21: Heather, The Heifer And The Heart 2010-08-28 Last week, I learned a lesson about love and the value of trusting relationships from a 500-pound Hereford heifer. Thanks to this 6-month-old cow, I’m a better human being. 8. Hydrated, Healthy And Happy 2010-08-25 When Sonja O'Donnell's two daughters are in the thick of soccer season, she's got three major duties: keep them hydrated, healthy and happy. 9. BBL No. 21: Fair Preparations 2010-08-21 Editor's Note: The Bowser Bucket List is part of a yearlong series of columns by 29-year-old DN-R staff writer Heather Bowser, who will complete 30 adventures before her 30th birthday in November. 10. Downtown Sees Green Housing Boom 2010-08-20 In April 2009, Judy Morehouse was living in a large lake house in New York when she decided she wanted something new. 11. BBL No. 20: Heather And The Brain-Sucking TV Camera 2010-08-14 Looking into the lens of a television video camera will suck out your brain. Believe me, I know. It happened to me. 12. VMRC, Farmers Market Hosts 'Mater Fest 2010-08-12 With the end of summer fast approaching, two groups want to help the community celebrate its tasty garden goodies. And no food is more deserving, they said, than those juicy red tomatoes. 13. Around The World In Service 2010-08-07 BROADWAY - To say that military service is a 14. BBL No. 19: Taming The Blue Beast 2010-08-07 15. An OASIS Of Garden-Inspired Art 2010-07-29 Although the summer drought has reduced most gardens to mere stubble, there's at least one place in Harrisonburg where the colors remain in full bloom. 16. The Bowser Bucket List No. 1-18: A Recap 2010-07-31 Heather is on vacation this week. Here are a few of her favorite parts of the BBL columns so far. To read her entire columns, visit www.dnronline.com. Her column will resume next Saturday. 17. From The Quad To The Hamptons 2010-07-24 When young Reshma Shetty first arrived at James Madison University as a freshman in the mid 1990s, she had big dreams of becoming a doctor. 18. A ‘Beary' Caring Project 2010-07-23 A group of grandmas in Harrisonburg were recently swallowed up in the spirit of giving. 19. BBL No. 18: Driving Harrisonburg Crazy 2010-07-24 With more than 500 streets controlled by a whopping 86 traffic signals, it’s easy to understand why folks feel the need to complain about the traffic here. 20. Stitching History 2010-07-17 The moment she saw the signs, Dorothy Logan's life changed forever. 21. BBL No. 17: The Barfing Bowser And The Race Car 2010-07-17 I hate throwing up. Seriously, I hate, hate, HATE vomiting with a fiery passion. I'll take amputation or internal bleeding over nausea any day of the week. 22. Bowser Bucket List No. 16: Operation Silence Dad 2010-07-10 When we were kids, my younger sister Sarah and I made a solemn pact: While one of us played in a softball game, the other would sit in the bleachers with our father and attempt to keep him quiet. 23. From One Duke To Another 2010-07-09 In the early 1990s, Caitlin Uze and her father would watch the Miss America pageant on TV together. 24. What Does It Mean To Be An American? 2010-07-03 With the hustle and bustle of the holiday weekend, it's easy for folks to forget about the real meaning of Independence Day. So, earlier this week, we took a few minutes to ask a few people about it. 25. BBL No. 15: Heather Bowser The Dairy Queen 2010-07-03 Thanks to my Bucket List, I think I’ve found my new calling in life. I’m going to quit my job at the DN-R and become a dairy farmer. 26. Southern Sides 2010-06-30 Independence Day simply wouldn't be, well ... independent, without a hearty helping of baked beans. Or potato salad, for that matter. Don't forget that. Oh! And the coleslaw and the mac and cheese; you need both of those, too. 27. City Gears Up For Valley 4th 2010-06-26 It might be called Valley 4th, but this year's Independence Day celebration in Harrisonburg won't be happening on July 4. 28. Feeding A Crowd 2010-06-18 It's Friday evening and Stacy Benson is relaxing at home when, suddenly, the unexpected happens: One of her three teenagers and allllll their friends pop in the front door. 29. BBL No. 13, 14: The Briery Branch Beauty Queen 2010-06-19 I’d like to make an announcement. If there are any readers out there in DN-R Land who are running short on girliness, take some advice from me: enter a beauty pageant. 30. BBL No. 12: Climb A Mountain, Overcome Terror 2010-06-12 About seven months ago, when I was putting together ideas for the Bowser Bucket List, I scored some great advice from a reporter friend in Atlanta. 31. Music Makes A Difference 2010-06-11 Kelsey Holland has studied music at James Madison University for the last four years, but none of that schooling came close to the education she received during the last three weeks. 32. BBL No. 11: Ms. VanAwesome And The Handgun 2010-06-05 Like most single, pushing-30 women I know, I love to dream about my wedding day. 33. The Parking Lot King 2010-06-04 It's midmorning on a warm Wednesday and folks around the Friendly City are starting to think about grabbing lunch. 34. Lt. Theodore, Top Secret Woman 2010-05-29 DALE ENTERPRISE - About five miles west of Harrisonburg, down a short gravel road in the village of Dale Enterprise sits a ranch-style house surrounded by two-dozen old trees. 35. BBL No. 10: Ride In A Fire Truck, Use The Hose 2010-05-29 Although I was acutely aware of it before, I’m absolutely positive now: I, Heather Bowser, am a certified sissy. 36. BBL No. 9: Re-Enact The Civil War, Fire A Cannon 2010-05-22 Editor’s Note: The following is part of an occasional series of columns by 29-year-old DN-R staff writer Heather Bowser, who will complete 30 adventures before her 30th birthday in November. 37. Her Own Drummer 2010-05-21 38. Lighten Up Summer Grilling 2010-05-19 On most summer evenings, when Terry Tucker wants to grill for dinner, she considers the usual suspects: burgers and dogs. 39. The Academic Chef 2010-05-08 During the last two or so decades, as James Madison University has sprouted in almost every direction imaginable, a driving change has occurred within the fiber of the institution. 40. The Bowser Bucket List: The Half Birthday 2010-05-08 Editor’s Note: The following is part of an occasional series of columns by 29-year-old DN-R staff writer Heather Bowser who will complete 30 adventures before her 30th birthday in November. 41. Choir Gets ‘An Angel' 2010-04-30 The Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir's once uncertain future just got a little clearer. 42. BBL No. 8: Chop Down A Tree With A Chainsaw 2010-04-24 43. Fiber-Filled Life 2010-04-21 When Joshua Weaver was a kid, 44. The Tomato Club 2010-04-17 KEEZLETOWN - It's a Thursday morning and the sunshine is slowly sliding around the eastern face of Keezletown. Out here, the buzzing of Harrisonburg's hustle and bustle is mute, almost forgotten. 45. The Sweet Sound Of Bells 2010-04-13 KEEZLETOWN - Song birds are no longer alone in their efforts to fill the mornings on the western side of Keezletown with the sound of music. At least, not in the middle of the week. 46. Unhappy Homecoming 2010-04-09 BRIDGEWATER - A few local college students want to help folks understand the psychological effects of wartime casualties on families. 47. Timberville Mom Starts Homework Help Business 2010-04-02 Like most moms, Debbie Bahr helped her sons with their homework. It was all well and good, she said, until they grew up and got into high school. Helping out with algebra and Spanish, now that was a different story. 48. Professor D 2010-04-02 Kimberly DuVall-Early has always been a favorite among students. But these days, that popularity has climbed to a whole new level. 49. Bowser Bucket List No. 7: The Flying Reporter 2010-04-03 As my 29th year continues its ever-persistent march toward 30, my work on the Bowser Bucket List continues to bring one question to my mind: “What in the world am I doing?!” 50. JMU's Tour De Forbes 2010-03-26 Even in its dirty, dusty, smelly, unfinished state, the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts is everything university administrators promised it would be, and more. 51. Dyeing To Be Green 2010-03-24 52. SVCC In Jeopardy? 2010-03-20 It's 6:22 p.m. on Monday and EMU's seminary building is filled with the buzzing sound of busy teenagers. Some are texting, others are listening to iPods but most are laughing and joking around. 53. BBL No. 6: A ‘Wicked’ Good Time 2010-03-20 I’m pretty sure half the time I’m stopped at stoplights other drivers think I’m completely out of my mind. 54. NYT Best-Selling Author Coming To Kroger 2010-03-19 For two hours on Saturday afternoon, the "promo aisle" at Kroger will be home to more than a few donuts or cookies. 55. The ‘LOST' Island (Almost) 2010-03-19 For six days, 17 James Madison University students survived on a deserted island off the coast of Florida. 56. JMU, CST Host Harrisonburg's First Asian Film Fest 2010-03-16 For the next couple of days, folks interested in tasting a bit of Asia needn't leave the Friendly City. 57. On My Honor ... 2010-03-13 On Feb. 13, Isaac Shickel bowed his head as his scoutmaster slipped a red, white and blue ribbon around his neck. 58. BBL No. 6: Gearing Up For ‘Glinda The Good’ 2010-03-13 Three. More. Days! 59. Bunny Love 2010-03-05 A New York Times best-selling children's author will make a pit stop in Harrisonburg later this month to promote her newest book. 60. The BKC & The BBL: Digging Holes, Causing Trouble 2010-02-13 61. The Bowser Bucket List: Skiing — Avoiding Death And Broken Bones 2010-01-29 Yes, it's true. Until this month, I had never, ever been skiing. 62. The Bowser Bucket List: Glick & Phillips And The Quirky County 2010-01-09 For the first time in my life, I scored a kiss on New Year's Eve! Actually, I got two kisses that night from two doctors - one kiss on each cheek! 63. The Bowser Bucket List: Glick & Phillips 2009-12-26 Outside of church, I've never sung in public. Well, OK, I take that back. I did perform a few times with my college's non-audition choir, the 64. The Bowser Bucket List: Kill Something And Eat It 2009-12-19 One week ago today, I embraced my heritage as a Rockingham County native and officially became a Country Girl. 65. JMU President Tapped For State Authority Board 2009-12-17 HARRISONBURG - Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has appointed James Madison University's president to the board of directors of a new investment authority. 66. The Bowser Bucket List: The Grown-Up Moment 2009-12-07 I remember the very first time I really felt like a grown-up. 67. The Bowser Bucket List: Item No. 1, The Play 2009-11-30 Thanks to you, the DN-R readers, the next year of my life promises to be one of the most awkward, humiliating, frightening and exhilarating years ever. And, I’m pleased to report, I’m thrilled about it. 68. The Bowser Bucket List: 2009-11-14 Last Saturday I was sitting in a U.S. Army airplane, circling above Harrisonburg at about 3,000 feet when something struck me: 69. 10 Things I Learned From My H.S. Reunion 2009-10-10 When I graduated from Harrisonburg High School 10 years ago, I totally looked like a guy, at least at first glance. I had very short hair, I didn’t wear make-up, my eyebrows were a mess and I always wore jeans from the men’s department where I worked. 70. The Secret Garden: A Social Experiment 2009-08-01 I have a recurring nightmare that I wake up one morning and my junior yearbook picture is plastered on the front page of our newspaper, large and above the fold. 71. The 10 Things You Learn In Soccer 2009-07-25 About 40 minutes into the sixth game of my first soccer season ever, my career was over. "Crack" went my right ankle and down I went. I was out for the season. 72. Soccer Can Be Lethal — Who Knew? 2009-07-13 Forty-eight seconds into my very first soccer game ever, I gave birth to a painful epiphany. Soccer, I discovered, requires running. And running can kill overweight reporters faster than traffic on East Market Street. 73. Soccer: The Next Frontier 2009-06-27 After spending four months surviving my first dance class, its recital and the miserable spandex costume I had to wear during that crazy event, I decided it was time to tackle something new. I wanted a different kind adventure, one with more teeth and fewer tutus. 74. They Made It Work 2009-06-20 HARRISONBURG - For the last six years, albino princesses, penguins, dragons and unicorns have been a regular sight in downtown Harrisonburg. 75. Tap Dancing Ecstasy: The Recital 2009-05-02 In January, I set out on a mission. My self-imposed quest, I decided, was to see if it was possible to actually die of embarrassment. 76. Tap Dancing ‘For The Win’ 2009-04-27 Omigosh, tonight is finally the night! And I'm sooo nervous! 77. Business Contest Field Down To Four 2009-04-18 HARRISONBURG - The business plan competition at James Madison University has been narrowed to four contestants. 78. Tap Dancing Saga Part III: The Costume 2009-04-04 If I weren't so madly in love with my tap class, my recital costume could have taken me two giant fa-laps toward Notworthitville. 79. BB&T Chairman To Speak At JMU 2009-04-01 HARRISONBURG - The chairman of one of America's largest banks will give a talk at James Madison University on April 14. 80. BusinessWeek: JMU Degrees Pay Off 2009-03-21 HARRISONBURG - Every penny that students spend on an education from James Madison University's business school is worth it, a BusinessWeek article recently reported. 81. The Seven Things You Learn In Tap Class 2009-03-21 More than halfway through my very first tap dance class, I have learned more than I thought possible about dance and about myself. 82. Tap Dancing Jitters 2009-03-07 Up until two months ago, I was quite convinced that it was possible to literally die of embarrassment. And for this I blame my cat Pepper. 83. Job Fair Registration Deadline Feb. 27 2009-02-20 HARRISONBURG - The registration deadline to rent a booth at the Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce job fair next month is fast approaching. 84. JMU Grads Rank High At Passing CPA Exams 2009-01-27 HARRISONBURG - James Madison University graduates were recently recognized for their high passing rate on the Uniform Certified Public Accountants Examination. 85. JMU Launches $100,000 Business Contest 2008-10-25 HARRISONBURG - This week, James Madison University's College of Business announced a $100,000 contest that will be open to teams from the university, Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. 86. Officials: Recession Unlikely Here 2008-02-07 HARRISONBURG - Although folks have seen signs of an economic slowdown in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, the area is not likely headed toward a recession, development officials said Wednesday. 87. Downtown Gets First Shopping, Dining Guide 2007-01-02 88. City Night Spot Gets An Upgrade 2006-09-07