DATE: Thursday, September 18, 1997          TAG: 9709180004

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  138 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR -THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

SAFETY

Buckle up

your children

I am absolutely amazed that in this day and age parents are still not buckling their children in moving vehicles. I see so many children standing on the seat or moving around in the car.

Many parents give the excuse that they ``just cannot make their child stay in the car seat or seat belt.'' I would then have to ask: Who is in charge, the parent or the child?

We need to be teaching our little ones that being buckled in is not a punishment but a precaution. The life you save may be your child's.

Leslie Mazzio

Chesapeake, Sept. 11, 1997

MEDIA

Don't intrude on

people's suffering

We all stood mesmerized by the death of Princess Diana. We heard in horror how the ``paparazzi'' seemed to have contributed to her death.

In contrast, we see a little 2-year-old girl die at Wal-Mart when an entertainment system fell upon her. There were the news media, questioning the father of this little girl about his emotions after her death.

What is wrong with the American public? I, for one, would like to see a stop to the media always trying to be the first to cover a story. It is not necessary or in good taste for us to see the pain and anguish on the face of a father who just lost his little girl.

The world is overwhelmed today with major problems. We have world hunger, AIDS, drugs, teen-agers committing suicide. Why don't we report on what we as a community can do to help those who are suffering? The media can be a powerful source of assistance to so many needy causes.

Carol A. Rickman

Virginia Beach, Sept. 11, 1997

Give me the who,

what, when - not why

Only a lawyer (Ann Sjoerdsma, Sept. 8) could portray the demise of print journalism as a victimization of serious journalists by us great unwashed readers.

The reason I only use the paper for baseball scores and comics is simple: Most stories contain opinions, and I don't care about the reporter's opinion. I have a brain. Tell me who, what, where, when and how, and then shut up. If I want an opinion, I'll go to the op-ed page.

Most newspaper reporters seem reluctant to admit the same thing as television reporters - that their job is to sell advertising. Just admit it, drop your noble pose and get on with your life.

Robert Cain

Virginia Beach, Sept. 12, 1997

UNITED WAY

Thanks to volunteers

for Day of Caring

I would like to thank everyone who participated in Day of Caring on Sept. 4, which served as the kickoff of the United Way campaign. Thanks to more than 1,800 volunteers representing more than 130 companies and military commands, more than 125 agencies and schools benefited from 11,000 hours of volunteer service.

This communitywide project would not be possible without the many individuals and groups that come together to give their time and talents.

Elizabeth B. Lloyd

Acting executive director

VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads

Norfolk, Sept. 10, 1997

Laughter & camaraderie

(EQ) better storage shed

We want to take a moment out to publicly express our thanks to VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads for sponsoring the recent Day of Caring. Neither our organization nor the volunteers assigned to us had participated prior to this year, but if you are looking for a new venture, we commend this to you.

Our facility's storage shed received a well-deserved overhaul, and our project was successfully completed. Now the supplies sit on well-structured shelving units assembled and installed amidst laughter, sweat and camaraderie, not to mention sawdust.

Elaine M. Smith

Program director

Jeff Stringfield

Assistant director

Salem House

Virginia Beach, Sept. 10, 1997

Volunteer group

very disappointed

Last year, for the United Way's Day of Caring, we at Raytheon went to Seton House in Virginia Beach and did extensive painting. There was a great deal of satisfaction for all concerned.

Because we had such fantastic feelings, we recruited additional volunteers this year. All contributed not only their time but eight hours of vacation time also. We were highly disappointed.

Half our crew spent the day working for the Virginia Department of Transportation, cleaning up the intersection of I-64 and Tidewater Drive, while the remainder hung plastic sheeting on the walls of the garage/repair shop of Norfolk Department of Parks or cut grass and picked up trash. Very disappointing.

Since when are VDOT and Norfolk Parks United Way agencies? Not one less-fortunate person was served by our actions.

H. C. Bracken

Norfolk, Sept. 8, 1997

VIRGINIA BEACH

Resorts, developers

get all the perks

Let's hear it for the real citizens of Virginia Beach - the resort owners and the land developers. They're the ones who get all the cooperation and concessions from City Council.

How can we justify paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to farmers south of the Green Line so they won't sell to developers and then approve 408 acres south of the Green Line for $250,000 homes that the average citizen cannot afford? All this and our neighbors in Sandbridge are almost washed away because the city won't help them.

When will City Council realize that the majority of the people they govern are not resort property owners?

Mark Romano

Virginia Beach, Sept. 7, 1997

FASHION

Furs popular?

Fur shame. . . .

Your pro-fur piece (Daily Break, Sept. 10) swept aside anti-fur sentiment by quoting the Fur Information Council of America - a mouthpiece for the fur industry. What did you think they would say? That fur sales are down because compassionate people choose not to wear the pelts of animals that were trapped, electrocuted, injected with pesticides or had their necks snapped - just for vanity and greed?

It's certainly not true that ``fur makes a welcome return to the streets,'' as the story claims. Any fur-wearers under 70 years of age who cross my path will know just how unwelcome they are.

Fur shame, Virginian-Pilot.

Bobbi A. Hoffman

Virginia Beach, Sept., 11, 1997

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