Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 27, 1994 TAG: 9409270100
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
H.H., Goodview
A: Interstate 73 is part of the National Highway System bill now in Congress. The legislation has passed the House and a Senate committee, but in different forms.
The House bill lists I-73 as a road to build. The Senate version does not name specific highways that would be in the system.
Both bills authorize funding to launch detailed studies of possible routes and construction costs within two years.
If the Senate passes its version, lawmakers will decide later whether to name specific highways in the legislation.
Either way, I-73 appears likely to survive.
The exact route from West Virginia to North Carolina is yet to be determined. The Commonwealth Transportation Board has told Congress it wants I-73 to pass through these counties: Giles, Montgomery, Roanoke, Franklin and Henry.
The board's thinking seems to follow the general path of U.S. 460 - including that portion to become the "smart road" linking Blacksburg to I-81 - and U.S. 220.
Another interstate advocated by business groups, I-83 from Roanoke to the Greensboro area, is not clearly defined in the National Highway System. The idea's existence, though, means I-83 has a high priority-as a link to Greensboro-area interstates or as part of I-73's Virginia route.|
Houses' future
Q: I wonder about the future of the two houses on Day Avenue Southwest closest to Franklin Road. They belong to First Baptist Church and were boarded up a few months ago. What is First Baptist's plan for these houses?
P.B., Roanoke
A: First Baptist has a design plan for the lots on that corner.
The Franklin Road approach would have a landscaped curbside, with parking just beyond the plantings and the church's new sanctuary rising behind that.
The site plan at this point does not include any buildings.
Charles Vail, administra-tor/treasurer at First Baptist, said property acquisition on Day Avenue was part of the church's master plan that was made public in 1986.
He said there are no plans to do anything with these two former apartment buildings in the next 60 days. No further acquisitions are expected, and City Council's approval would be needed for the proposed landscaping.
The buildings were boarded up because transients had started using them and conditions were not safe, Vail said.|
Swimming elephant
Q: Can elephants really swim, like the one in that commercial?
V.H., Elliston
A: Sure can.
Elephants' body fat makes them buoyant-and hot, too. Seeking cool waves is natural, said Jack Cranford, a biology professor at Virginia Tech.
The Diet Coke commercial was shot in the clear, sunlit waters of the Indian Ocean, in the Andaman Islands where elephants are used to clear forests.
Shooting took a week, partly because the elephants refused to budge from the beach on Saturday and Sunday. They knew it was a weekend, Coca-Cola said. Seriously.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Give us a call at 981-3118.
by CNB