On the first day of his third term as mayor of Roanoke, David Bowers looked like a kid at Christmas.

He couldn't hide his glee as his office buzzed with journalists and well-wishers stopping by to visit during three "open-house" sessions in the mayor's office on Tuesday. He invited each visitor to get a picture taken in the mayor's chair, which sits behind a desk bearing a nameplate that reads "David A. Bowers, Mayor," and below that, "This Chair belongs to the People."

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