DATE: Tuesday, November 18, 1997            TAG: 9711180008

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  105 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

PTAS

Kids, not fund raising,

a priority at Driver

In response to your article ``pint-sized salesman'' - PTA fund raising is as good as the spirit behind it. At Driver Elementary in Suffolk, the children are not allowed to go door to door. Not only is this stressed at our general PTA meetings, but parents must sign agreements. Our view is: If you can help, fine, and if you cannot, fine. We must keep focused on the children, not only as our main concern but as our future.

Also, as voters, let us reflect - why did not more of us demand that the Virginia lottery be used for education? We have no one but ourselves to blame.

Vicki Lynn Markle

Suffolk, Nov. 7, 1997

CHESAPEAKE

Preservation efforts

would please grandmother

I read your Oct. 26 article about the Williamson family farm and the Chesapeake Arboretum with great interest. My grandmother, Evelyn Byrd Williamson, grew up on that farm; I grew up across the road from it. I believe my grandmother would be very pleased that efforts are being made to preserve the house and grounds so that many generations may enjoy this small slice of local history.

In the spirit of historical accuracy: While my aunt, Carol Williamson Mark, spearheaded the move to give the farm house to the Arboretum, the gift was actually given by the three children of Evelyn Williamson: Carol, Harry A. ``Pete'' Williamson Jr. and Porter M. Williamson (my father). However, the vast majority of the credit for the gift should go to my grandmother. It was she who inspired a love of local and family history in her children and grandchildren.

The Arboretum is making a laudable stab at saving some bits and pieces of history, but throwing away artifacts because someone was on vacation one weekend is very disappointing. My father renovated the farm house in the mid-1970s to save it from decay. When he heard about the Arboretum's demolition of the old smokehouse (which he also renovated in the 1970s) and the disposal of the artifacts under it, he was saddened and perturbed.

We need landowners to be mindful of their property's historical significance and we need professionals, not untrained volunteers, to accurately document archaeological finds.

Chesapeake's history is unique and significant. Without it, the city is just another dot on a map of I-64 and Route 168 to the Outer Banks.

Amy Williamson Jonak

Suffolk, Nov. 3, 1997

COURTS

Hit-and-run justice

doesn't serve victims

I am outraged by the outcome of the hit-and-run death case of LaToya Mason (news, Nov. 4). This child had her whole life ahead of her, until Thomas Price took it away. Mr. Price will serve only six months for this crime.

My son, Robert, was a victim of hit and run last December. By the grace of God he survived and is doing well. If this is all Mr. Price will receive, why is the person who hit my son so scared to come forward? What would he receive, a slap on the hand?

The laws of this country need desperately to be changed.

My heart goes out to LaToya's family. There is something terribly wrong here.

Michele Deschamps

Suffolk, Nov. 4, 1997

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

Schools hypocritical

in scaring off Halloween

In response to the Oct. 31 article, ``Many schools toning down Halloween celebrations'':

I wonder if anyone else sees the irony and hypocrisy in our schools' decisions. They've taken Halloween out for religious reasons? If indeed Halloween does have religious origins, then I agree it shouldn't be in our schools. But everyone knows that Christmas is a religious holiday, so why is it still in our schools and Halloween not? Halloween has become so much more commercialized than Christmas that few people recognize religion in the day of paper ghosts and pumpkins.

As both a citizen and student in Kempsville High School, I do not see why a commercialized pagan holiday should be removed from school while a Christian holiday remains. I hope that soon we may see the day when all religious holidays are removed from our schools.

Maura Proser

Virginia Beach, Nov. 4, 1997

MESSAGE TO NORFOLK:

Hockey on TV is cheaper

than a $100 towing fee

I used to be a die-hard Admirals hockey fan. As a Virginia Beach resident, that meant I supported the city of Norfolk. That was two seasons ago.

It has been two years since I spent $125 at Scope to see the ``Hampton Roads'' Admirals. That was $25 for refreshments enjoyed during one of my season-ticket games and $100 to retrieve my car from the lot to which it had been towed.

Parking, of course, was nil due to events at both Scope and Chrysler Hall. So like at least four or five other fans did, I parked behind an attorney's building behind the parking lots. This was after normal working hours for downtown businesses, so I thought I was safe.

We were all mistaken. That night Norfolk showed me for the last time how much my patronage was appreciated. I'll watch hockey on TV, thank you.

Tom Smith

Virginia Beach, Nov. 6, 1997

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