Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 1, 1990 TAG: 9005010500
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Beginning Monday, they were spending three days learning to use address registers and to match them with the census maps.
On Thursday, they will fan out through the district, knocking on doors to count residents at each house.
Their task in this area won't be nearly so daunting as in most of the nation.
Matthew Duffy, manager of the district census office in Roanoke, said 72.2 percent of the forms had been returned through Monday.
The nationwide total is about 60 percent compared to the government's initial goal of 70 percent.
The district covers 13 counties and 10 cities in an area that extends from Craig and Bath to Pittsylvania and Amherst counties.
Duffy said about 700 workers have been hired in the district. They began their training Monday before going into the field.
Although the district return rate exceeds the goal, the response has been uneven.
Duffy said the return rate varies from 40 to 88 percent among the 468 neighborhoods in the district.
He said the lowest return rate is in the center cities, which is also true nationwide. Voluntary compliance is greatest in the suburbs.
John Marlles, Roanoke's chief of community planning, said the city is working through neighborhood organizations to encourage census reporting.
He said the lowest response rate is an area between Day Avenue and the railroad tracks. Marlles pointed out that the neighborhood has few residences so just a few people can create large percentage swings.
The response rate is also low in the Gainsboro, Gilmer and Harrison areas, he said.
In the city, he said, compliance is highest in South Roanoke.
Two weeks ago, the city's overall response rate was more than 66 percent. No later tally was available.
Within the city, compliance at that time ranged from 33 percent to better than 70 percent.
by CNB