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

DATE: SATURDAY, May 26, 1990                   TAG: 9005260397
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHRISTINA A. SAMUELS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MEMORIAL DAY MEANS PICNICS, PARADES AND BARBECUES.

Unfortunately, it also means more reckless drivers on the roads. To combat this, state police will be increasing their visibility on state highways during the Memorial Day weekend as a part of Operation CARE.

Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) is an attempt to reduce traffic casualties during the Memorial Day weekend, one of the most dangerous weekends of the year. Operation CARE also is in effect on the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and in December.

"We concentrate on major holidays," said spokesman Lt. W.L. Bowman.

Last year, Operation CARE assisted 2,884 drivers and issued 5,308 summonses throughout the state. The majority of these were for speeding and reckless driving.

The 12-year-old program operates by putting more state troopers on the road during the weekend. Instead of working overtime, troopers change their schedules to include the holiday weekend.

`We'll be concentrating on speeding, reckless driving, and driving while intoxicated," Bowman said. There will also be sobriety checkpoints, Bowman said, but not any more than normal.

Memorial Day weekend also brings a number of closings and reschedulings.

All federal and state offices will be closed Monday, as well as local public schools, libraries and offices in the Roanoke Valley and other localities.

There will be no delivery of residential, business, or rural mail Monday. However, special delivery and express mail will be delivered. Regular mail delivery service will resume Tuesday.

All state ABC stores and offices, and all Department of Motor Vehicle offices and driver-testing stations will be closed Monday.

Roanoke garbage will have no residential pickup Monday. Tuesday, refuse collection workers will cover both Monday and Tuesday residential routes. Residential collection will resume the normal schedule Wednesday. Commercial routes that normally have garbage pickup Mondays and Thursdays will have pickup on Thursday only. Garbage will be collected in downtown Monday night as usual. Roanoke County garbage collection will have regular pickup Monday.

In Salem, residential garbage pickup will be delayed from Monday to Tuesday and those with Tuesday collection will have to wait until Wednesday. For the rest of the week, the schedule is unchanged.

In Vinton, garbage pickup normally scheduled for Monday will be on Tuesday.