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

DATE: SUNDAY, September 11, 1994                   TAG: 9409140034
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NRA MEMBER BACKS BOUCHER

I am a member of the National Rifle Association, and I am proud that my congressman, Rick Boucher, has earned the NRA's endorsement in his campaign for re-election. Rick has proven himself to be a strong supporter of our Second Amendment rights, and all hunters and sportsmen in this area can be proud of his record.

Unfortunately, among the supporters of Rick's opponent, Steve Fast, are three people recently indicted for conspiracy to violate federal firearm laws for allegedly planning to use paramilitary tactics to circumvent these laws. We cannot allow this type of thing to go on in Southwest Virginia. Steve Fast should return the money these people have given him and make it clear that he will have nothing more to do with this insanity.

Douglas Lester

Honaker

Line would ruin rural beauty

I hope that the local boards of supervisors will band together to preserve our rural area. In the interests of our tourist industry and our quality of life, citizens and government leaders should demand the reopening of the formal information gathering phase, or "scoping process," for the proposed Appalachian Power Co. 765,000-volt power line. All of us should demand that Apco prove there is a need for this line to defile our beautiful mountains. Apco should have to explain why a power plant is not being built in the Chesapeake area. Why should we have to live with the unsightliness of humongous metal towers and cables because other people will not adjust their thermostats?

This line is to be a superhighway for electric power to the East Coast from Ohio. The Floyd power line was forced on local residents about 15 years ago. When will the power company try to put yet another major line through here? Answers to these questions will take much more time than the short period before the draft.

The Environmental Impact Study is written. The study is scheduled to be distributed in February, which means research and consideration of all comments will need to be completed before Christmas.

A vocal public that asks questions is the only way to let elected officials realize we do not want a private corporation telling us what we must live with. We want our representatives to stand up for us and not let the powerful CEOs, corporations and more populous areas change our way of life.

People think changing the corridors is tough to do now. They will be all but impossible to change once the Environmental Impact Statement is prepared. The process must be reopened so the people of the New River Valley and Bland County can be informed and given a reasonable chance to respond.

I hope you will show up at the Montgomery County Courthouse at 7 p.m. Monday and let the Board of Supervisors see that you care about our region. Let Apco, the Forest Service and your government leaders hear how you feel about yet another project being pushed through without our region's needs being considered.

Margaret Roston Hagedorn

Blacksburg

Memo: ***CORRECTION***

by CNB