Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, July 4, 1993                   TAG: 9307040090
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-6   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: By DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IT TOOK A SIMPLE SALAD BAR TO SURPRISE A POLISH VISITOR

Kucharzewski saw the rationality of routing all emergency services calls to a central dispatcher. He was awed by the fleet of yellow school buses.

Some things about America - such as the concept of a salad bar - took him by surprise.

Kucharzewski, the top elected official in Opole, Poland, tried to order a salad during a recent lunch with Roanoke County Economic Development Director Tim Gubala.

Gubala did his best to explain a salad bar, but Kucharzewski - who speaks excellent but sometimes halting English - could not grasp the concept. Finally, Gubala led him across the restaurant so he could see for himself.

"He couldn't believe it," Gubala said.

Kucharzewski, an engineer by training, presides over a 45-member city council that for three years has worked to provide local services once handled by the central communist government in Warsaw.

He ventured to Roanoke County to get some ideas to take back to Poland. One problem is assessing real estate that until a few years ago had no market value because it was owned by the state.

Kucharzewski, an architect by training, has worked and lived in Africa and Europe. This was his first trip to the United States.

His host, Roanoke County Administrator Elmer Hodge, saw to it that Kucharzewski kept a busy schedule. He visited Virginia Tech, took in a Salem Bucs baseball game ("A little boring," he said) and toured various county offices.

His visit ends this weekend. Asked what one idea he would take back to Poland, Kucharzewski said, "Straight on, it is difficult to translate American experience, but it will be useful to future structure."