
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 25, 1990                   TAG: 9005250515
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

LOVELY VALLEY, ARROGANT COURTS

I RECENTLY had the pleasure of spending about a month in the beautiful Roanoke Valley, as a political volunteer for a longtime friend, LaRouche Democrat Nancy Spannaus, who is seeking to become one of Virginia's U.S. senators.

I was struck by the contrast between the natural loveliness of your valley along with the independent-mindedness of your citizens vs. the astonishing arrogance of power shamelessly displayed by the courts and the local political establishment.

For example, I could find no one in the Roanoke Valley who could justify the 77-year sentence imposed on LaRouche associate Mike Billington by Circuit Court Judge Clifford Weckstein. Yet, Judge Weckstein continues to deny bias against LaRouche.

Still, my personal experiences, combined with my reading of the wonderful history of Roanoke by Claire White, published by the Roanoke Valley Historical Society, convinced me that the ties between Roanoke and my home state of Pennsylvania ought to be strengthened.

I've learned that the first settlers of the valley, like Mark Evans, Peter Kinder ("Peters Creek Road"), and Samuel Harshbarger ("Hershberger Road") were all from Pennsylvania. I've learned that the Roanoke Land and Improvement Company, which brought the Norfolk and Western Railroad to the valley and helped create the city of Roanoke, was organized in Philadelphia in 1881.

Perhaps if more citizens from the LaRouche strongholds of Pennsylvania visit the valley, and meet more of your ordinary citizens, more will be done to increase solidarity between North and South than a dozen re-enactments at Appomattox.

\ PHILIP VALENTI\ LANSDOWNE, PA

by CNB