THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601190255
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
A recent article concerning Mr. Harris' bid for re-election left out one of his most interesting statements - from last spring.
Mr. Harris was a supporter of the proposed automobile race track and heavy-industry park in Northern Suffolk. Last spring, CAR (Citizens Against the Racetrack in our Backyards) gathered more than 700 petition signatures, $15,000 for legal fees and more than 225 people at one City Council meeting to try to prevent the race track and M-2 zoning at the corner of Nansemond Parkway and Shoulders Hill Road.
Mr. Harris was inundated with calls, letters and faxes imploring him to vote against these two noisy and noxious zoning matters that would hurt the quality of our lives and reduce our property values.
Mr. Harris was heard to say that he wasn't a professional politician, he didn't care if he was re-elected and he would vote for the track even if his constituents didn't want him to because he thought the rezoning was a good idea. As a result of Mr. Harris' vote for the race track and industrial park within seven miles of 100,000 residents of Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Suffolk, several other members of Suffolk City Council said that they would vote for the rezoning also.
We have been deeply disappointed by Mr. Harris' seeming disregard for the citizens he represents. But fortunately we will have the opportunity to vote him out of office this spring and elect a new council member to the Nansemond Borough.
If we can raise the necessary legal funds, we will continue our opposition to these rezonings in the Virginia State Supreme Court. And we are happy that our electoral system will provide us the opportunity to elect a new council representative who will truly represent the residents of Northern Suffolk.
Martha George
CAR member
Harbor Road
Suffolk Thanks to the people who brought Christmas
There is no way I could contact all the people who made the holidays a success for the residents of Autumn Care of Suffolk.
Some of our residents have outlived their family and have no one else. They were not left empty-handed at Christmas time.
Some were adopted and will receive visits and gifts throughout the year. The churches of our community and even outside the area supported us with beautiful Christmas carols and gifts. The students of several schools made decorations for residents' doors. Some students from one high school decorated Christmas trees and brought them, along with gift baskets. Santa distributed gifts to all residents at their Christmas party. It was truly a wonderful holiday time being remembered by so many people. It was putting ``Christ'' in Christmas.
A sincere thank-you to all the following:
New Mount Joy Church of God in Christ, Nansemond River Pilot Club, Holiday Delights, Providence United Methodist Church Circle 2, Grace Memorial Methodist Church of Sedley, Windsor Baptist Church, the Holland community, Holland Ladies Ruritan Club, Boyd and Cathy Quate, ``Santa Claus,'' Cardiac Care Unit of Obici Hospital, Mobil Diagnostic Center Staff of Obici, Kings Fork Womans Club, Salvation Army, Nansemond River marketing students, YMCA Day Care, and Sandra and Herbert Boothe.
If I have left anyone out, please accept my apology. On behalf of the residents and myself, thank you for thinking of us.
Jane Ellis
Activity Director
Autumn Care of Suffolk
Pruden Boulevard He'll still eat meat regardless of PETA
We are again being invaded from the North, this time with a war for freedom to eat meat and wear clothing.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) or, as I would rather call it, ``Veg Heads,'' plans to move its office from Washington to Norfolk to plan their assault on U.S. carnivores.
God help us if PETA ever found out that plants have feelings too. The only way you would ever get a tomato sandwich would be to sit by the vine, bread and condiments in hand, and wait for the tomato to die and fall off.
Those of us who want to wear winter clothing of fur or lined with wool or small-animal fur would be forced to wear gloves lined with cotton seeds or corn husks.
I can see Dior busting a gut to buy up all the veggies for his latest fashion parade.
PETA needs a real job, something people want. If a pig could speak, he would say his place in God's world is to greet me at the breakfast table to have fellowship with me and two sunny side-ups.
When PETA finishes with us, it probably will go after the auto industry to save all those poor little critters from ending up face down on the road. I brake for humans. The Good Lord gave animals the ability to survive, and the smart ones do.
Wake up, people, and stop being pushed around and told what to eat and wear by some politically irritating, Democrat voting, kitty litter hugging group of human beings (who are pro-abortion by and large).
When PETA gets here, go sit on the public easement in front of its new office and eat the biggest order of baby back ribs you can find and throw the string beans in the trash can.
America is still a free country, so I'll eat what I please, and the ``Veggie Heads'' can eat whatever they want, as long as they don't try to force me to do as they want me to do.
Larry Rawls
Moonefield Drive
Smithfield by CNB