DATE: Friday, September 12, 1997            TAG: 9709110219

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 09   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letters 
                                            LENGTH:   65 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - VIRGINIA BEACH

What a nice change! Here's some hope for those of you who think that your voice goes unheard in the city of Virginia Beach.

For years my neighborhood, Fair Meadows, has had a problem with people cutting through in order to bypass the traffic at Newtown Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard.

These people speed, incessantly run the stop signs and have no respect for our usually quite neighborhood. After exhausting all other possibilities, I am happy to say that we have finally gotten some help in the form of Virginia Beach Councilman Louis Jones.

After several neighbors showed up at a rezoning meeting for a Marriot to be built on Newtown Road, Mr. Jones had the city's Traffic Department study the problem and get back to him by July 31. Since then, we have been given a list of options to vote on that will keep people from cutting through our neighborhood, the most popular of which will close it off completely to Virginia Beach Boulevard.

Mr. Jones was wonderful. He was extremely understanding of our concerns, friendly and accommodating. He understood that we were concerned about the safety of our children and took immediate steps to rectify the situation. I thank you Mr. Jones and your fine Traffic Department, including Bob Guy and Carl Tewksberry. I also want to thank attorney R.J. Nutter and the Langley McDonald crew who got the ball rolling on this issue on behalf of Marriot.

As far as you short cutters go, beware. Your easy access to Virginia Beach Boulevard could very well be about to disappear and then our children can play again without fear of getting run down.

Carol Lewis McEwen

Aug. 15 Spending theory needs adjustment

The Virginia Beach brain trust has taken Swallow a Camel and Gag on a Gnat Syndrome to new ludicrous heights. Examples abound, but here's a few.

They're gifting three-fourths of a million bucks to a wealthy businessman so that affluent folks can pay enormous sums for gracious living quarters, but can't/won't fund school and library projects. Condominiums are springing up like toads in a rain storm, but we have no water. Atlantic Avenue is pristine and receives more TLC than a patient on the critical care unit, while the pothole that ate New York has languished on Wolfsnare Road for months.

And my personal favorite: trees have been planted in the median on Shore Drive which, when mature, will obstruct the view of eastbound traffic turning into Fort Story. Just a few months ago, an arbor SWAT team was being prepared to launch an attack on those vicious Shore Drive trees.

The wizard is a sham, and as soon as I find my ruby slippers, Toto and I are heading down the yellow brick road in the other direction.

Jo Husted

Aug. 15 Mailing donations bags a good idea

I'm writing to commend Disabled American Veterans and staff for all their achievements in helping our community.

As a supporter, I was delighted to receive a tax donation bag in the mail. I consider this idea a better approach, rather than seeing yellow bags flying everywhere.

In the long run rewards will overcome this cost. We all need to acknowledge support groups in Hampton Roads.

Michelle Bonnie Shipp

Aug. 13

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