DATE: Saturday, November 22, 1997           TAG: 9711220010

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  114 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

THE WISCONSIN

Join the ``battlewagon''

and bring on a ship

What an opportunity for the city of Norfolk! What a gift from the Navy!

Should this deal not work out, then what about the idea of a Liberty ship from the reserve fleet off Fort Eustis being moored at Nauticus? I feel strongly that corporate and individuals alike would eagerly support sponsoring such a magnificent piece of our maritime history. To volunteer sprucing up a Liberty ship would be quite an educational opportunity for history buffs, Scouts, schoolchildren and others. For veterans it would bring back memories and pride.

Vessels have long been successful attractions in a number of U.S. port cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Wilmington, Charleston and Mobile. Norfolk is long overdue. Let's join the bandwagon, or I should say the ``battlewagon.''

Toby Hvidsten

Virginia Beach, Nov. 11, 1997

Wisconsin would be

another source of pride

I am a Norfolk native and have lived here all of my life. I am proud of Norfolk and our accomplishments, especially Waterside and Nauticus. To add to our pride, a great ship like the Wisconsin to have a home in our downtown harbor will be especially pleasing. And since Norfolk is a seaport town, it will have a special meaning to us and to our great armed forces stationed here.

I hope we can work out a way to accept this outstanding offer and help us to continue to remember that the men and women of our Navy and other services are all special to us and our city.

Elva Lee Bray

Norfolk, Nov. 11, 1997

Open the Wisconsin

to overnight guests

The talk of bringing the battleship Wisconsin to Nauticus represents a revival for the Norfolk waterfront. We all know how rich in maritime naval history this area is. I can't figure out why New York City has a carrier, a destroyer and a submarine on display, yet we have nothing.

Let's do more than anchor it to the pier and provide tours. Let's open sections of the ship (staterooms) as overnight rooms for guests, Boy Scouts and other educational groups.

The future revival of the Norfolk downtown/waterfront begins with the arrival of the Wisconsin pierside at Nauticus.

Gary Benner

Virginia Beach, Nov. 17, 1997

NYC BLUES

That's . . . Rudy who?

I guess Stephen Chapman is correct about Rudolph Giuliani's name recognition outside New York City. In fact, it's so bad that The Pilot consistently spelled his name ``Guiliani'' throughout Chapman's Nov. 11 column, headline included. Oh, well, he's probably too liberal for Virginia Democrats, let alone Republicans.

Randy Klear

Norfolk, Nov. 11, 1997

PEACE OF CAKE

Cruise ships,

not cruise missiles

As an American citizen, I'm tired of my government being used by dictators around the world. These people can be conquered by culture, especially the younger generations. What 20-year-old is going to want to kill American solders once he's partied at Planet Hollywood amongst Rambo statuary?

And do we really think people would rather parade through the streets of Baghdad or stay home and watch HBO or surf the net? Let's get real. All this from a Gulf war vet who's been there and could have done that but wasn't given the chance. But that was then and this is now.

Richard McCulloch

Virginia Beach, Nov. 13, 1997

CAMPAIGN

Election posters

popped up illegally

Two examples of improper campaign practice in the recent election should be brought to public attention.

A few weeks ago, posters for the Republican candidate for governor, James Gilmore, appeared on telephone poles all along West 38th Street between Powhatan Avenue and Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk, despite the fact that placing campaign signs on public property is illegal. A day or two later, the signs were gone.

On Election Day, the median strip on Hampton Boulevard near the Larchmont Library voting precinct was saturated with posters for Bev Graeber, Republican candidate for the General Assembly.

Were these examples the result of ignorance? Unlikely. Or were overzealous campaign workers responsible? The buck still stops at the desk, or the conscience, of the candidate.

Beverley Dabney

Norfolk, Nov. 5, 1997

HIGHER ED

Nonresidents aren't

paying ``tuition taxes''

On the issue of whether or not nonresident military and/or dependents should be charged a higher tuition, there should be only one question: What is the cost of a semester hour?

The current tuition takes into account the fact that residents return a portion of their income to the college or university through income taxes, thus offsetting the lower amount of the tuition they pay. Since state- and community-supported schools are not meant to make a profit, tuition prices should reflect the cost of education.

If nonresidents are given the same tuition fee as residents, who will pick up the added cost of educating the nonresidents? They return no monies through income taxes to the state of Virginia.

S. J. Litton

Virginia Beach, Nov. 11, 1997

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