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

DATE: THURSDAY, March 23, 1995                   TAG: 9504120003
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: E3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

REPORT SAYS CRIME DECREASED IN VINTON

Police Chief Ricky Foutz, in a brief report to council, said major crimes decreased by 19.4 percent and the number of all crimes dropped 10 percent.

Calls for police service, he said, dropped 8.2 percent, and alarms decreased 26.9 percent. According to the report, arrests increased by 5.6 percent and 55.5 percent of all crimes were cleared.

During its Tuesday meeting, Town Council also voted to give $2,000, the same donation as in 1994, to the Dogwood Festival, the town's flagship event held annually in the spring.

This year's festival on April 29 has a day-long list of activities, including a parade.

Also, at the request of Bruce E. Mayer, president of the Dogwood Festival, council members asked the town's budget and finance committee to look into the feasibility of making the Folklife Festival a part of the Dogwood Festival again.

The two events were held at the same time in the past but several years ago, leaders of the Folklife Festival made their event a separate activity in the fall. Now, Mayer said, there is sentiment to bring the two back together again.

In other action:

Council heard from Valley Beautiful on Greenways, a movement with an ambitious aim of connecting all the Roanoke Valley localities with scenic hiking and bicycling paths running along rivers, streams and roadways.

After a slide presentation by the group's president, Lucy Ellett, and a board member, Bob Fetzer, council members said Vinton will name a town representative to work with the group.

Town Manager Clay Goodman said the planning commission has already discussed the greenways movement and pledged its cooperation.

Goodman told council that he and Foutz, are trying to arrange an rabies clinic in cooperation with Roanoke County.

Mayor Charles Hill applauded this proposal, saying it is important to get pet animals protected against rabies before the disease breaks out