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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 15, 1992                   TAG: 9203130217
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THERE'S A LOT OF PRIDE IN A CLEAN BLACKSBURG

I'd like to say to everyone in Blacksburg - take a good look at our roads, landscaping, median strips, sidewalks and bike paths. There's a lot of hard work and pride that has gone into them and much of it done by people who work for the Public Works Department.

Mr. Smith's comments should make Blacksburg residents feel very fortunate that leaves on the street and sidewalks are all we have to worry about in our town.

He has obviously been observant and found a few areas that need "tidying up." I can't believe that Smith would accuse town officials, in particular the Public Works Department, of being negligent. Blacksburg is a beautiful, well-kept town. Our Main Street reflects the pride we have in maintaining a clean appearance.

Smith should be fortunate we don't have run-down areas, graffiti on walls and other unsightly structures that are eyesores in many cities and towns.

I'd like to say thanks to the hard work of [town landscaper] Susie Schulze and her co-workers in the Public Works Department for maintaining our lovely median strips with seasonal flowers, and to all the hard-working people behind the scenes, removing snow, clearing the roads of debris (in the middle of the night), unclogging storm drains during hard rains, removing carcasses from the highway, etc.

You see, my husband is a supervisor in the Public Works Department and I know from the many phone calls he receives at work and at home the department works very hard to keep Blacksburg a beautiful, clean town!

I'm proud to live in such a town and I'm sure Smith is, too!\ Teresa Simpson\ Blacksburg