ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 1996 TAG: 9607310003
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
IN RESPONSE to Anne K. Metcalfe's July 21 letter to the editor, ``Roanoke Valley is a cultural wasteland'':
I am a native Roanoker who has lived all over the country and who returned to the valley. One thing that brought me back was the diversity of culture in the area. We have, to mention a few:
* A nationally regarded professional theater.
* An excellent symphony orchestra.
* The Roanoke Opera that attracts young artists from around the country.
* A chamber-music society.
* A thriving arts museum.
* A science museum that draws thousands of children annually.
* A history museum that draws people from all over the country doing research.
* Studios on the Market Square where one can watch art in the making.
Granted, the shopping isn't as good as in other areas. But I'd like to hear her definition of culture because it isn't the same as mine. I sense that it isn't the same as many others' definition, since the cultural activity seems to be the draw for many people who are retiring here. In fact, many are amazed at the quality of the cultural life in the valley.
MARTHA W. WIESE
ROANOKE
The public should have been invited
WHY CAN'T your editorial staff (July 20 editorial, "Let them eat mousse") and Roanoke City Council get it right? Yes, Elizabeth Bowles did deserve her farewell bash, but not at the expense of feeding a bunch of freeloaders.
If Roanoke city wished to recognize her services, why not have presented a $3,000 gift at a party - but with guests paying their own way, as is traditionally done at farewell parties. Now that would have really honored her service, and at no additional expense to Roanoke taxpayers.
To boot, the party could have been open to the public. Many would have welcomed the opportunity to attend, and this would have really reflected the whole of Roanoke's gratitude. It could have been a real party.
ROBERT E. HODY
ROANOKE
Power-line decision is shortsighted
IN TOM Brobson's June 30 letter to the editor (``AEP must write off its gambling losses'') regarding American Electric Power's transmission-reliability project, he makes inaccurate statements.
The U.S. Forest Service, not AEP as Brobson claims, conducted a very exhaustive process to select a contractor to prepare its draft Environmental Impact Statement, eventually selecting Woodward Clyde. Through the entire process, AEP kept a detached relationship, never making any decisions and simply paying the bills as directed by the Forest Service.
At the beginning of the EIS process, the Forest Service said it could complete the study in one year for $690,000. Clearly the Forest Service's process was broken. It shouldn't have taken $5.5 million and five years of study to determine that this project was incompatible with its management plan. The responsibility of the Forest Service was to determine the route with the least environmental impact, with the understanding that the need was determined by the states.
When AEP filed with the Forest Service, we realized that some impacts on unfragmented forests, migrant bird species and other wildlife might be unavoidable on federal lands. However, when one looks at the extensive holdings of federal lands in our service area, anyone can recognize that it's nearly impossible to avoid crossing the Jefferson National Forest and the Appalachian Trail with a linear project of this nature. We feel the precedent set by the Forest Service's decision threatens not only construction of electric facilities, but all elements of our infrastructure in Southwest Virginia.
AEP's concern was to develop the least environmentally impacting route that also included minimal impacts on people.
The Forest Service hasn't considered all the ramifications of recommending the no-build option, which leaves the private-land route as the only alternative. Its draft EIS shows this alternative as having the highest impact on private residences and certainly not the lowest overall impact on the environment.
ARCHIE D. PUGH
Transmission Engineering
American Electric Power
ROANOKE
People watchers may be confused
SHAME ON the one who either writes or edits "The People Column" that appears in your Extra section. From the column that appeared in your July 18 edition, one would be led to believe that Steven Spielberg is married to Steven Spielberg, that Magic Johnson visited the mayor of New York City, Magic Johnson, and that Margaux Hemingway was her own granddaughter.
LEE WOLFLE
BLACKSBURG
SCC should end power-line study
I AM WRITING to correct a significant error in your July 20 article, ``Opponents fight AEP extension.'' The article states that American Electric Power's motion before the Virginia State Corporation Commission requests extending the deadline for public comment. In fact, the SCC currently has no public-comment period. Perhaps your reporter has confused this SCC action with the on-going public comment period provided by the U.S. Forest Service regarding the draft Environmental Impact Statement that recommends the power line not be built.
The actual subject of AEP's current motion before the SCC is to extend the deadline for a report regarding ``usage and operation of the proposed line to serve the public interest in light of the proposed changes in the industry, including the proceedings in the FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] open access transmission docket and possible future functional restructuring by AEP.''
In other words, the SCC has asked AEP to explain how the power line will serve the public interest in light of opening the transmission system to competition and AEP's restructuring into separate generation and transmission units. This report has nothing to do with any particular route for the power line.
AEP admits its request for delay is meant to give it unlimited time to ``negotiate'' a route through federal lands. While this drags on, many people in the affected counties are unwilling to build new homes and are unable to sell property. Thus, suspending the hearings while AEP pursues its political interest is inappropriate since the public is harmed. The best action for the SCC is to dismiss the current proceedings, and let everyone get on with their lives.
PATRICIA A. BOHMER
Chairman, Citizens Organized to Protect the Environment
NEWPORT
Biblical record is misunderstood
IN RESPONSE to John Hodges' July 20 letter to the editor, ``Clinton lacking by Bible's sex standards'':
He cites many examples of infidelity from the Bible, and concludes, "I frankly think the Bible isn't a perfectly reliable guide to ethics." I frankly think he has neither studied nor understood the Bible.
Much biblical history (which is exactly what it is - history) contains adultery, fornication, war, killing, etc. This doesn't in any way mean that God approves of these actions. It's a record of what happened.
Hodges specifically cites King Xerxes, King Solomon and King David. King Xerxes was a pagan king, not of the Jewish nation, which was God's chosen nation. If Hodges will read the entire book of Esther, he'll see that Esther was placed where she was at the time to save the Jewish nation from annihilation.
In the case of King Solomon, who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes detailing his search for contentment or happiness, he concluded by saying: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
In 2 Samuel 12, King David is confronted by Nathan, the prophet of God, concerning his sin with Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah. He repents and is severely punished.
The Bible is the final authority on morality. I suggest that Hodges become more familiar with it, and its author, before he comments further on it.
JANE LAM ORANGE
BOONES MILLORANGE
LENGTH: Long : 152 linesby CNB