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

DATE: TUESDAY, November 21, 1995                   TAG: 9511210097
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WORKERS SCRAMBLE TO CATCH UP

The smokers took their places in front of the Poff Federal Building and the brand-new metal detector at the front door got a workout as the 700-some employees who work there went back to full force Monday.

Employees of various federal agencies scrambled to tackle the work that had piled up since they were sent home last Tuesday. Emotions ranged from relief to annoyance over the furlough.

"We're as normal as we can get after having people off three and a half days," said Jim Harris, assistant manager of the Social Security Administration's Roanoke office.

Some workers got a breather Monday; not all the public had caught on that the government was open again. Agencies expect to be swamped today.

Citizens who like to grumble about government weren't happy at being inconvenienced when those government services shut down.

The shutdown "didn't impact everyone, but it impacted on those who really needed us," Harris said. He'd had to turn away one woman who needed her Social Security number verified so she could accept a job offer.

Last week really hurt the snack bar in the Poff building, which - like snack shops in federal buildings across the country - is run through a program for the blind, manager Jody Davis said.

"The federal workers will probably get paid," he said, "but none of us will."

by CNB