Bob Kinsey, whose family business built the illuminated star atop Mill Mountain 75 years ago, died Monday. He was 98, the youngest and last living of three brothers.
A Roanoke businessman hired Kinsey Neon & Sign Co. in March 2021 to install a new sign for his business on Brambleton Avenue. Some 18 months later, Coley Nelson still
The Mill Mountain Star is being auctioned!
Ownership of the Roanoke icon is only for a year, but the highest bidder will have his or her name placed on a sign along with the other plaques lining the landscape around the star on Mill Mountain.
The best part is that the adoptive owner will not have to worry about maintenance: Members of the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke will continue their volunteer clean-up along with the Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department, which normally handles the upkeep.
The May 8 live auction is part of the Roanoke Kiwanis Clubâs annual Pancake Breakfast Auction Day, an event that raises the thousands of dollars the Kiwanians use for scholarships and the numerous community service projects they conduct each year.