Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9410040051
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
We want to especially thank you for the food, flowers and those people calling in to volunteer to help in any way possible.
Thanks again for your concern. To know you care makes going on from here a little bit better.
Ken Phipps, Sheriff
Christiansburg
Fed up with Fast's distortions
I'm fed up with Steve Fast's lies and distortions. He doesn't seem capable of telling the truth. Once again he makes a wild charge against Congressman Rick Boucher and once again it turns out that his charge is not true.
Fast says that Rick voted to delay the cost-of-living allowances for veterans. As a friend to some of the 14,000 veterans in Southwest Virginia who receive benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs I know that, thanks to Rick, the veterans got the full cost-of-living adjustment and they got it on time. And, I saw the letter from Rick telling the veterans that Congress has passed an even bigger cost-of-living adjustment for next year. No wonder that Vietnam Veterans group voted Rick its Legislator of the Year.
Either Fast doesn't do his homework or he just doesn't care about the truth. Either way, come November as a friend of veterans I'm sticking with Rick.
Cosby Ann Totten
Tazewell
Boucher fights for seniors
Our congressman, Rick Boucher, has always been a fighter for senior citizens and has kept his promise to oppose any reduction in Social Security and Medicare. For example, I noticed recently that Boucher was a leader in the effort to make the Social Security Administration an independent government agency. This move makes Social Security more secure from political wrangling and helps ensure that Social Security, which produces a surplus every year, will not be robbed to reduce the budget deficit.
I, like a lot of people in Southwest Virginia, depend on Social Security and Medicare. I sleep better at night knowing that we have someone like Rick Boucher working to defend our rights.
Ruth Presley
Tazewell
Truckers need more regulations
Recently, while driving south on Interstate 81 in Salem, my car was bumped by a tractor trailer and forced onto the shoulder. The driver of the tractor trailer did not stop. After getting my car under control, I chased him and wrote down his company name and address in Oklahoma. After many conversations with Omega Transport employees in Oklahoma and with the driver of the tractor trailer, I am convinced that additional regulations need to be imposed on large vehicles driving the roads of Virginia.
What I have found out is this - a truck driver can not see a vehicle that is located beside the front right tire. The area beside a tractor trailer's front right tire is a blind spot and a driver has no idea what is there. He must rely only on his memory and judgment. When I talked, long distance, to the driver of that bright blue Peterbilt Omega Transport vehicle, one of his comments was, "I must get a mirror for that fender." My point is that perhaps Virginia should require a mirror for that fender.
The stories I have heard about tractor trailers since my accident are many. I would like to think that the drivers of Virginia could make a difference. I would like to gather the horror stories of tractor trailers on Virginia highways together. Hopefully, the great volume of stories will persuade our lawmakers to listen to the families and individuals who use our highways.
Please type your story, include dates and places and send it to 403 Second St., Radford, Va. 24141.
Nancy Brittle
Radford
Not a democracy if you don't vote
We pat ourselves on the back because we are a "democracy" and that means our ordinary citizens have the power to vote on matters affecting their lives. But what use is that power if we don't use it?
In the 1992 election nationally only 68 percent of the voting age population was registered to vote. You can't vote if you're not registered. Recently, local newspapers have published dates, times and places in various parts of Montgomery County where you can conveniently register to vote. It is a simple procedure taking ten minutes or less.
Tuesday, Oct. 11 is the deadline to register. The Registrar's office in the courthouse in Christiansburg will be open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. for you to register if you haven't done it sooner.
The League of Women Voters of Montgomery County urges all unregistered citizens, 18 years of age or older, to take their responsible place as participating members of our government by registering to vote, and then by voting in November.
Any questions can be directed to Registrar Sandra Chapin's office at 382-5741, or to Beverly Fleming, Voter Service Chair of the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, 951-1525.
Mary Swiger, president, League of Women Voters, Montgomery County
Blacksburg
Comments on disqualification
This letter is in regard to the recent disqualification of the Sweeney Racing Chevrolet driven by Jeff Agnew at New River Valley Speedway.
I have spent the past 22 years in the auto repair business and the last 10 as a high school auto mechanics instructor. The fact that I have lived and breathed racing for more than 30 years and with the mechanical experience that I have hopefully will qualify me to present an objective commentary on this issue.
Camber is defined as the inward-negative or outward-positive tilt of the top of the tire from true vertical measured in degrees. Camber is commonly adjusted on routine front wheel alignment on passenger cars. If a tire is wearing on the inside or outside edge of the tread, improper camber is often the cause. The purpose of negative camber on the right side of race cars is to improve the tire tread contact as the weight of the car shifts while turning a corner. On late model stocks cars, as well as many passenger cars this is easily adjusted with the use of shims. This is permitted in LMs and teams will often use as much as five degrees negative camber on the right front wheel. This of course varies from track to track.
Rear axle camber is not easily adjusted; the axle tube must be bent to change camber. NASCAR calls for zero degrees camber on the rear wheels.
I recently spoke with Lynn Carroll, chief steward for NASCAR at New River Valley Speedway, who is also an auto mechanics instructor, about how he checked the Sweeney car and what he found. He stated that they leveled the car on jack stands apparently with the rear axle being supported only by the shocks. This is not an accurate means of obtaining a camber reading. The only accurate way to check camber would be to set the car on a level surface, eliminate tire stagger - the difference in circumference, adjust axle bearings to a zero lash - no side play, and use an accurate camber-caster gauge. It is also important that a compensating wheel adapter be used to eliminate the possibility of a bent wheel or hub affecting the readings. Carroll admitted that the methods that they were using are not as good as what is used by Winston Cup inspectors.
Carroll stated that the right rear wheel was within seven tenths of a degree of specifications. An independent alignment shop came up with five tenths of a degree. That is one seven hundred and twentieth of a circle. Carroll admitted that he felt it would have taken at least one degree and possibly more to have any effect on the handling of a car - Winston Cup cars are allowed 21/2 degrees. If you were going to risk getting disqualified for bending an axle why not bend it enough to gain an advantage?
Under these circumstances and at this critical time of the season how disqualification could be justified is beyond me.
It seems to me that if NASCAR is going to enforce a camber rule that this should be a part of the prerace inspection, with each car checked, not just one. Then, if there is a problem, a team could either correct it or load up and go home.
Kenny Wurzburger
Willis
Voters urged to re-elect Robb
In a few weeks Virginia citizens will have the responsibility of electing a U.S. senator. Both major candidates served as officers in the Marine Corps and I value patriotism and bravery. It should be noted by his constituents, however, that Robb has also demonstrated courage and statesmanship in elected office, both as governor of the commonwealth and in the U.S. Senate.
Robb devotes a full measure of study on issues and on bills before the Senate and he is there when the vote is taken. In just over five years in the Senate, he co-sponsored many pieces of important legislation; among the most critical have been legislative measures that seek to reduce the annual federal budget deficit.
In March of this year, Robb was cited and honored by a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to eliminating the deficit - the Concord Coalition, founded by former Sens. Rudman and Tsongas. Robb takes seriously the massive $4.7 trillion debt that hangs over our heads and our children's and grandchildren's future. It has been pointed out by Warren Rudman, former Republican senator from New Hampshire, that each family's share of the national debt is now $74,603. Think on that.
Among the legislative measures aimed at reducing the annual federal budget deficit which were co-sponsored by Robb are: the balanced budget amendment; the line item veto; a spending freeze; automatic across-the-board spending cuts if the deficit in a given year exceeds its set target; providing for a two-year budget and appropriations cycle.
It looks to me as if Robb means to use his office and his influence to end "policies which endorse collective consumption at the risk of national financial ruin" - Sen. Charles S. Robb, April 9, 1990. I, for one, am ready and willing to join with others to make sacrifices to that end.
I urge all thoughtful Virginians to vote to re-elect Sen. Chuck Robb to the United States Senate.
Beth Nelson
Radford
by CNB