Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509050016
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV_2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Thanks to everyone at Montgomery Regional Hospital. My hospitalization created a number of problems for the staff, which they handled in a manner above and beyond the call of duty. A special thanks to Dr. David MacMillan, who has provided outstanding medical care from the moment I entered the hospital's emergency room.
Thanks to my fellow officers at the Blacksburg Police Department as well as the officers of the Virginia Tech and Christiansburg police departments and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. Their love and support in this time of crisis will never be forgotten.
Thanks to the numerous citizens who sent cards, flowers and letters of support, especially the children who sent me hand-drawn cards and letters. Their love and support is so valuable to me that no words can adequately express my gratitude.
Although the incident of Aug. 9 has scarred me both mentally and physically, I am driven to return to duty as soon as my body allows. It will be my honor to serve the citizens of this community again. I now fully realize that the risks I take while acting as an officer are worth it.
It is my hope that the community will remember that I wasn't the only victim of the incident at the Revco drug store. I hope the community will remember everyone whose life has been altered by the incident in their thoughts and prayers.
Officer Michael Mickey
Blacksburg Police Department
Bereaved mother criticizes police
To all of my son's, Maurice Taylor's, family, friends and concerned communities. I want to thank everyone for the special things you have done for me. Even if it was just a teardrop. You will never know how much I thank and praise God for all of you.
My son's life was taken away Aug. 9, by the Blacksburg Police. And they are trying to make him look so bad in your eyes. Maurice was a person who loved life. He never met a stranger. Yes, he had his faults just like me and you. Maurice didn't do anything any worse than some have done themselves who just haven't gotten caught.
With God's will, justice will prevail. The police are not telling everything, but when the time comes, it will be told. This is not just a broken heart speaking, but a truthful heart.
I hope and pray no other family has to go through this tragic ordeal.
We have lost a son, brother, father, nephew, cousin and a special friend to many, but most of all a human being whose life was stripped away from us all. He will be missed.
Cathy Austin
Blacksburg
Reader supports health center plan
I cannot see why we should even consider changing horses in the middle of the stream. For over 50 years, the Radford Community Hospital has served Radford, Montgomery, Pulaski, Giles and Floyd counties, providing outstanding health care. Growth has brought the need for expansion to continue to offer the best and most complete health care in the New River Valley for the next 50 years. To meet this challenge they need our support for this "state-of-the-art" health center. Now is the time for us to work together to help meet this challenge.
I, also, would like to share some of the excitement I have witnessed in people in various parts of Radford Community Hospital market area. Comments regarding the visibility and accessibility of the site have just been outstanding. People are pleased as to how quick and easy it will be to get to the new health center, not having to fight town traffic. The ability to find convenient parking around the new hospital will be great. And certainly the economic impact will be terrific for all of the New River Valley.
I applaud the leadership of the officers and staff for the years of study and planning to make this center a reality.
Bill Aldridge
Christiansburg
Bus route changes add up to fairness
This is in response to a letter to the editor titled "Extra Duties are Too Much" (Current, Aug. 27). The Montgomery County Public Schools would like to communicate with our patrons about concerns raised in this letter.
The schools' transportation department has undergone changes with computerization of school bus scheduling. The schools used this new system to make the transportation operation run as efficiently, effectively and economically as possible. To achieve these goals and maintain equity among drivers, some bus routes were consolidated. Single-route drivers paid the same as drivers working twice the number of hours each day were given additional routes. The consolidation did not come out of the desire for all bus drivers to take on added routes with no increase in pay, but to achieve fairness among bus drivers. It will also help resolve our scheduling problems to the benefit of all employees in transportation.
After supervisors studied the routes, we discovered that over 80 percent of our bus drivers were working more than a 4-hour day and 20 percent were working significantly less for the same wages. This was not fair.
Also, in the interest of fairness to all the schools' employee groups, the Montgomery County School Board changed its policy to allow hourly employees working 20 hours or more per week, including bus drivers, to earn sick leave and personal leave effective July 1996. This is a first step to building a package of benefits for part-time employees of the school system.
Herman G. Bartlett Jr.
Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools
Article on V-J Day draws reader praise|
I would like to commend all who shared in the preparation of the article on V-J Day, "They started it; we finished it." (Current, Aug. 13) It was truly well written and I believe projected the feelings of all service people as the war in the Pacific drew to a close. As I am not a native son of Virginia, I am most appreciative of sharing my story with those who are native sons.
It was a job well done.
Bob M. Kreamalmeyer
Blacksburg
by CNB