Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 5, 1993 TAG: 9307050073
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B2 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He started banging on doors.
Brown, an assistant manager at the complex on Dona Drive Northwest, had been showing an apartment to a prospective tenant May 20 when he spied the smoke.
Roanoke Mayor David Bowers took note, proclaiming June 30 "Michael Dwayne Brown Day" in Roanoke.
"Without thought to his own welfare," the proclamation read, Brown "assisted numerous tenants, including infants and elderly persons, to safety. Due to Mr. Brown's quick action, many serious injuries - and possibly deaths - were prevented."
The fire apparently was started by a child playing with matches in a bedroom, officials said later.
\ Goodwill ambassadors
Speaking of Bowers, the mayor will take a trip this month to Pskov, Russia, Roanoke's newest sister city.
He will travel to Pskov with members of Roanoke's Sister City Committee and others to celebrate the 1,090th anniversary of the city's founding.
Pskov is one of Roanoke's three sister cities. The others are Wonju, Korea and Kisumu, Kenya.
Natasha Petersen, chairwoman of the Roanoke-Pskov committee, said the group will take medical supplies and equipment to the Russian city of 250,000.
Twelve dance students from Roanoke also will travel to Pskov to perform at the festival.
Former Mayor Noel Taylor went to Wonju and Kisumu during his tenure. Taylor, a Baptist minister, preached in Wonju during his trip there.
\ Candid camera
Cable 6's aggressive reporting tactics have gotten Martinsville's local news channel in trouble with the law - again.
On June 17, following revelations that federal authorities suspected Susan Stone of embezzling from an account at Piedmont Trust Bank, Cable 6 owner Charles Roark and reporter Bob Sharp were charged with illegally entering the Stones' property.
Stone's husband, Harry V. Stone, accused Roark and Sharp of going onto the Stones' Horsepasture property, raising the garage door and videotaping the Stones' cars. Stone told Henry County authorities that, judging by the video shown on Cable 6, Roark and Sharp must have entered his garage.
Roark and Sharp, who is running for sheriff in Martinsville, both were charged with misdemeanors.
\ Who ate the 8?
Three times in two years the "8" on the Roanoke County Courthouse facade has been stolen. Part of the county seal, it's supposed to designate 1838, the year the county was established. It's the second 8 that is so coveted.
The most recent theft was about a month ago.
Last week, the steel 8 was replaced, this time bolted in place to discourage future heists.
"You could do a chin-up on that thing," says Gardner Smith, the county's director of general services.
But please, don't try.
\ A purr-fect namesake
Trixie Averill, the Republican Party activist from Vinton who's western coordinator of George Allen's campaign for governor, doesn't settle for just putting an Allen for Governor bumper sticker on her car.
She named her family's new kitten Georgette in honor of the Republican nominee.
And how is Georgette faring?
Better, thank you.
"My son picked out the runtiest one in the litter," Averill said. "Her eyes were swelled up and she had respiratory problems. She turned out to be my $200 free kitten. She almost died twice. The whole time I was at the convention, I was thinking about my kitten. When George won the nomination, I thought, oh, good, now maybe Georgette will live."
by CNB