THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 21, 1994 TAG: 9412200017
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Seldom do I find myself in total agreement with your editorial page, but your two recent editorials concerning the proposed new prison in Northampton County (``Know before you say no'' and ``Imprison poverty cycle'') really express my sentiments.
As a lifelong resident of Northampton County (73 years), I have seen one of this nation's most productive counties regress to its present position (tied at 136th in the commonwealth).
We can no longer continue to hold onto the notion that we have a Utopian environment and that we can forever stand in the way of progress.
Some of the weak arguments against the prison:
The lights will disorient migrating birds. (Check out the shopping centers here.)
Retirement families will hesitate moving here. (Most of the desirable retirement communities are at least 15 to 40 miles from the proposed site.)
Escaped convicts will abduct children from Kiptopeke Elementary School. (Northampton High School is less than a mile from the county jail, probably the most poorly constructed facility in the commonwealth. Have we worried about our children and grandchildren?)
It's the same old hue and cry that has opposed everything that has ever been brought forward to help raise our standard of living and our incomes. The ``opposers'' fought Perdue Farms, Haynie Fish Products, Hardees, Brown & Root and everyone else whom forward-looking people would welcome.
J. GRAYSON DUER
Exmore, Dec. 16, 1994 by CNB