Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 3, 1994 TAG: 9403030138
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
One reminder is higher rates that Appalachian Power Co. has been reaping from us since May 1993. Though entitled only to a 1.2 percent increase, it's asked for, and been granted, a 5.5 percent increase in rates to improve its financial position.
Apco President Joseph Vipperman blames part of the need for these higher rates on abnormal weather we experienced this past winter, and this winter, too. Naturally, part of Apco's yearly budget includes allocation of funds for repairs to storm-damaged lines.
The State Corporation Commission should consider demanding that all utility lines be placed underground. There'll always be abnormal weather that damages lines, be it hurricanes, tornadoes, ice or heavy snow. Since these circumstances happen with enough regularity to force Apco to allocate funds for them every year, wouldn't the natural progression be to find a way to eliminate most of this recurring expense? The initial higher cost of placing cables underground would be offset over the years by reduction in repair costs caused by weather. The secondary benefit of this plan would be the immediate increased aesthetic appeal in all areas now encumbered by a multitude of overhead lines.
I recommend that the State Corporation Commission allow Apco's slightly higher rates if these funds would go solely toward placing all of its transmission lines underground.
DOUG ZIRKLE
ROANOKE
North bravely won hero status
WHEN WILL we have an end to your editorials, news articles and letters to the editor critical of Col. North? He's not a felon. Let's stop messing around with the nuances. You can't be a partial felon any more than you can be a little pregnant. North is an authentic hero, having served his country bravely in that ugliest of all wars, Vietnam.
On the other hand and in the interest of truth, let's remember that our president is a certified draft dodger who even now claims the moral high ground of duty to his country.
JAMES M. BESTLER
MARTINSVILLE
A plot to kill Gainsboro?
ROANOKE'S historic Gainsboro began 1994 as it ended 1993 - fighting for survival. This small and quaint area, which has been primarily black since the early '20s, has been invaded by the malignancy of city ``greed'' (economic development), second only to ``progress'' (a vague virus yet to be defined), resulting in ``planning'' (death to this community). However, its residents and supporters have no death wish and haven't been party to the Kevorkian suicide-assisted plot.
Observation shows the city's history of malignant economic development and poor planning. However, this malignancy has killed primarily black communities. You know about Kimball, Commonwealth and northwest Gainsboro. This last remaining section of Gainsboro, which dates to the beginning of the city, wishes to remain a viable residential community by ``bringing yesterday into tomorrow.''
In Gainsboro, so-called economic development and progress, based on nonproven, get-rich theories, are systematically eradicating its character. For whom is this ``progress''? Our city's uniqueness should enrich citizens, businessmen and tourists. But the governing body chooses to ignore and destroy the city's own richness.
Gainsboro, a residential neighborhood of homes, churches, educational and cultural centers, is a beautiful complex for Hotel Roanoke and its anticipated guests. But developer Dale Wilkinson's front-man Delvis ``Mac'' McCadden, a City Council member, proposes to put Wilkinson's ballpark in Gainsboro (Dec. 28 news article by staff writer Joel Turner, ``Developer is serious about his ballpark''). How insensitive and cruel!
If the city wants a ballpark, Victory Stadium would be most logical. Better yet, show some regional cooperation and respond to Salem's request for help in building a stadium for its team and use by all the valley.
HELEN E. DAVIS
ROANOKE
Stop mortgaging away the future
THE BALANCED-budget amendment is before Congress. We must ask our government to balance the federal budget.
Deficit federal spending is the greatest threat to our future. Many of us have supported spending money we didn't have, but it's time the federal government learns to govern within its means. We can no longer mortgage our children's future by engaging in deficit spending. If our generation can pass this amendment, the future will be much brighter for our families.
Deficit spending's cause can be argued for many hours. Most aren't interested in the cause, but the solution. Virginia's government has learned to live with a balanced budget. Now, we must ask our federal government to do the same. If Congress doesn't pass this amendment this year, a balanced budget in the future will be only a dream.
JAMES SWAGGERTY
ROCKY MOUNT
Mandatory sentence means just that
AFTER READING several news articles by staff writer Laurence Hammack on retired Alexandria Judge Robert T.S. Colby and his handling of the continued Cranwell case and sentencing (Feb. 2, ``Cranwell son gets no jail'' and Feb. 5, ``Judge has his own style''), I wondered how many other Roanokers didn't get the special break that Charles R. Cranwell II didn't. It's no wonder Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell asked for a sentencing date in a letter to Judge Colby and expects the court to uphold the law, which is a mandatory two-day jail sentence for a second driving-under-the-influence conviction within five years. What does mandatory mean in Roanoke that it doesn't in Alexandria? It means no questions asked in Roanoke, unless you bring in an outside judge to hear the case of a powerful Roanoke Valley legislator's son's second DUI charge.
I feel for Cranwell's father, House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Vinton. As he fights for tougher drunken-driving laws, he has to deal with a son's two DUI charges within five years and a questionable call. As time will tell, Roanoke better keep the good judge on call, for there'll be other sons and daughters looking for counseling instead of mandatory jail time. If mandatory sentencing isn't working in the valley, maybe Majority Leader Cranwell could bring it up in Richmond along with his tougher DUI laws.
RICK PAPA
ROANOKE
Tipping the scale against metric
THE ROANOKE Times & World-News Feb. 14 editorial, ``Inching toward metric,'' prompted me, as an engineer, to acknowledge your effort to get the United States to adopt the metric system quickly. You point out logical arguments favoring its adoption, but omit the one reason it may never be adopted here.
The Systeme International system, as we scientists and engineers refer to it, retains the words force and mass, but eliminates the word weight. So far, I've lived only 90 years. But that's not enough to believe that women will stop using the word weight as they step on the bathroom scale and say, ``What is my mass this morning.''
Editors face a Herculean task to change that part of the status quo. Society will need many more women scientists and engineers before we tip the balance. Newspapers can help.
DAN H. PLETTA
BLACKSBURG
For some, storm was a disaster
I TAKE issue with Cathryn McCue's Feb. 18 news article, ``Patience a virtue, Apco says.'' I quote Ms. McCue, ``Some [Apco customers] were without TV and electric blankets for a few hours - some for days.''
This outage was about more than frivolous things such as TVs and electric blankets. Rather, it was about the fundamental basic things of life - heat, food and water. This was a life-threatening situation for individuals such as the elderly and disabled. So please, Ms. McCue (and Apco), don't try to trivialize this serious situation.
The most ridiculous aspect of the situation was that the majority of the outages could've been prevented had the power line rights-of-way been kept cleared, which was a strict policy in the past, but now seems to be strictly hit-or-miss.
If this is an economy measure on Apco's part, it's an absurd decision, considering the disastrous results!
MARIE ATKINS
TROUTVILLE
by CNB