ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 19, 1995 TAG: 9512190051
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: What's on your mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
Q: I recently switched from oil to gas when I bought a new furnace. I have approximately 130 gallons of oil left over from last spring, which I would like to donate to someone in need of fuel this winter. How do I go about doing that?
M.L., Roanoke
A: There's a way.
It involves some phone calls on your part to decide on the proper recipient and to work out timing for the transfer.
The hardest part, actually moving the oil, is a free service provided by F.L. Hatcher. He's been doing it for 50 years.
Hatcher, of F.L. Hatcher & Son Inc., likes to work with recipients selected through the Salvation Army, Roanoke Area Ministries or Presbyterian Community Center. This way, the fuel goes to homes with the greatest need.
He asks that you call one of these centers and get the name and address of an approved recipient.
You'll need to arrange a date and time for pickup at your home and delivery to the recipient, keeping in mind that good weather is a factor for easy maneuvering of the oil truck.
Hatcher has a truck with the pumps for this purpose.
Oil from a homeowner's tank can't go back into a regular truck because of possible sediment or water contamination.
The Salvation Army's number is 343-5335; Roanoke Area Ministries' is 345-8850; the Presbyterian Community Center's is 982-2911.
History or news?
Q: I'd like to know why there was no mention in the newspaper on Dec. 7 about Pearl Harbor Day. Fifty-four years ago we lost a lot of military people, and it seems it should be mentioned.
M.B., Roanoke
A: Looking back at Pearl Harbor coverage the last four years, a trend was apparent. The stories usually were keyed to a current event rather than pure history.
There was a huge package of Pearl Harbor stories in 1991, the 50th anniversary. There was live coverage of events designed to recall the day of infamy, with presidential speeches and veterans recalling the attack.
In 1992 the newspaper carried a letter from a reader chiding us for failing to mention the anniversary that year.
In 1993 our files don't show any Pearl Harbor stories on Dec. 7, but there had been a lengthy story on Nov. 28 about the 50th anniversary of the War in the Pacific.
In 1994 the Dec. 7 issue reported that historians believed they had found evidence showing a Japanese submarine fired at two ships in Pearl Harbor while the air attack was under way.
This year there was a report on Nov. 30 that a Pearl Harbor observance would be held Dec. 7 in Lee Plaza in Roanoke. It was part of a ceremony to place a time capsule containing mementos of another World War II action: D-Day.
Unless there's a current event to peg a news story on, this and other significant dates pass as history rather than news.
This does not ignore people who gave their lives or their youth defending the freedoms we now enjoy.
From one who wasn't yet born, thanks.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 linesby CNB