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

DATE: TUESDAY, February 18, 1992                   TAG: 9202180360
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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WHY WASN'T HOTEL GIVEN TO HOMELESS?

THE HOTEL Roanoke has been sitting there empty, with no use, for a long time. It's hard for me to understand what is really happening because in the world today, people don't give away anything, especially something as wonderful as the hotel.

I understand that Virginia Tech may need it to help the future of all our children. But what about the children who have no future because they have no home, or money to go to college for the education they need to succeed in life? Why in the world wasn't the hotel given to all the homeless people in the Roanoke Valley, people who are down and need help to get back on their feet?

Just think what someplace like the Salvation Army could have done for the homeless if it had received the hotel. I think we all need to open our hearts a little more to the homeless; they are people just like us, except they have had a run of bad luck. MARY KING ROANOKE

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