DATE: Thursday, August 28, 1997             TAG: 9708270014

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B12  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:  121 lines

LETTERS TO EDITOR -- THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

VIRGINIA BEACH

Young readers lose,

fat cats gain

As a senior-citizen resident of Virginia Beach, I strongly object to our city administration's decision to deprive our city's children and young adults of a first-class library system while at the same time subsidizing luxury housing for out-of-town, fat-cat elderly.

On the front page of your Aug. 20 Hampton Roads section, we read, ``Beach shelves library referendum,'' and right below it another Beach report: ``The city's economic development authority Tuesday approved its largest economic aid package to support the construction of a $100 million upscale, gated retirement community on the campus of Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.''

Play the above to the tune of ``The World Turned Upside Down.''

Linda Gissen

Virginia Beach, Aug. 20, 1997

CRIME

Grateful for closure

My sister Helen Schartner, was brutally raped, sodomized and murdered 12 years and six months ago. Joseph O'Dell was convicted and sentenced to die for those crimes just over 11 years ago. He was executed recently.

It is time now for us to remember Helen, not the 12 years and six months it took to see justice done.

Recently two letters to the editor appeared, still questioning O'Dell's guilt. People have a right to their opinions, but information should be factual. The evidence was not ``flimsy.'' O'Dell was never seen ``talking'' to Helen, nor is it true that O'Dell was never proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Both letters implied yet another round of DNA testing might prove O'Dell's innocence.But there was no question as to his guilt.

I would like to thank friends who were there for us when we needed them. I want all the people who wrote supportive letters to the editor asking that the crime, the victim and the family not be forgotten to know that we appreciated them.

We wish to thank the Virginia Beach police officers who believed my mother when she said Helen always came home; Detective Steve Dunn for his swift, decisive investigation and his compassion; Connie Craig, for having the courage to point a finger at the killer; Al Alberi and Steve Test, who formed the powerful prosecution team; Bob Humphreys for running a commonwealth's attorney's office to be proud of and for his personal support; all the others in that fine office; Donna Doyle, whose riveting testimony describing her own terrifying abduction by O'Dell helped convince the jury that the death sentence was appropriate; Richard Cullen of the state attorney general's office, who kept us advised during those last days leading up to the execution.

Lastly, we thank Gov. George Allen for having the courage to refuse to intervene in the face of worldwide pressure to spare O'Dell's life. His actions will allow us now, hopefully, to begin closure. For the victims of crimes, their families and for Helen Schartner, Governor Allen, we thank you.

ROBERT CAPPS

Norfolk, Aug. 7, 1997

UNITY

This Filipino isn't

fat, dumb or envious

Concerning your Aug. 21 article, ``Filipino Americans hope to build unity'':

It is a pity that these fellow hyphenated Asian-Americans/Filipino-Americans are disappointed to find that the pioneer migrants of same descent did not provide a cozy organization for them to laze around so that they could experience the ``fat, dumb, happy and envious-of-each-others'-success'' attitude.

This writer is far from fat, dumb and happy, or envious of anyone's success. I am a Filipino who has the visions and hopes as those of Mahatma Gandhi's struggles to free his fellow Indians from social slavery. Show me the virtues and wisdom exemplified by him and others like him. Only then will I support your leadership.

Dino C. Daos

Virginia Beach, Aug. 25, 1997

HEALTH

Theme park isn't

a cure for autism

This is to address the Aug. 13 front-page article on the child with autism being helped by going to Universal Studios every day to ``become a part of the world.'' What world has he become a part of? His mother admits that he goes back into his autistic world once they go through the exit gates.

As the parent of a 10-year-old son with autism, I find that articles like this give parents false hope. How many parents and children did you send to Busch Gardens or to King's Dominion in hopes of a cure? Were you aware that many children with autism have sensory deficits that could cause them to feel more ``autistic'' when faced with the onslaught of stimulation that a theme park provides?

Finally, the article mentioned that the parents were enrolling their child in school for the fall. Programs have been available for this child at least since the age of 3. Instead, the parents pursued their own program for the child, losing out on valuable intervention. The child is the loser in this ``wonderful'' front-page story.

Jennifer A. Velez

Virginia Beach, Aug. 15, 1997

RECREATION

Skateboarders need

site in Portsmouth

I feel that there should be a skate park or place to skateboard in Portsmouth. It is very unfair to skateboarders because just about every decent place to skateboard has been banned. At City Park, you cannot roller skate, skateboard or rollerblade. You can, however, ride dirt bikes, mopeds and bicyles in the park.

I understand that there are skate parks in the Greenbrier community in Chesapeake and a ramp at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. To use these facilities you must be a registered skateboarder. I have tried to register, and I think that it might be easier to register for a gun permit than to register for skateboarding. I love to skateboard, but it's not right for me and many others to have to drive 40 minutes just to go to one ramp.

There are a lot of places in Portsmouth that have room for a ramp or some skateboarding facilities, but they just won't put any up. If the city can spend so much money on a golf course for the adults, how come it can't spend some money on the kids?

Claire Monacelli

Portsmouth, Aug. 21, 1997

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu