Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 21, 1993 TAG: 9302210237
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL HOWES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
FAIR JUST WASN'T IN THE CARDS
ROANOKE'S PSYCHIC EXTRAVAGANZA has been canceled. Of course, some folks probablyalready knew that.What happened to Ian Bliss, the San Antonio seer whose crystal ball predicted prosperity, serenity and togetherness for the Roanoke Valley?
Seems the psychic has disappeared, and with him vanished this weekend's two-day Psychic Fair at the Roanoke Airport Marriott. Hotel workers turned away some 20 fellow travelers enticed by the full-color feature in Saturday's Roanoke Times & World-News.
The quest for Bliss begins with a tip from a disappointed reader-cum-seer. A call to the Marriott lands the night manager:
"The only thing I know is it was on our event sheet and they canceled," Lonnie Linkous says. "That's all I know about it."
Next a query at Motel 6, where the 46-year-old arrived last week with his mother and her West Highland Terrier, Ezra Pound:
"He checked out," the desk clerk on duty says, "yesterday, I think."
Another call to the Marriott:
"We have [had about 20] people asking where it is and we tell them it was canceled," says a desk clerk who gives her name, then begs not to be identified.
Perhaps the police would know something?
"Sergeant's on his dinner break."
"I'll call back."
Track down the reporter who talked to Bliss; maybe he'll know something:
"I thought something like this might happen," the reporter says. "I asked him if he had a business license, and he said it wasn't a problem. I called the Marriott [Friday] night and they said it was still on."
Did you talk to Bliss? "No."
Call the cops again:
"That's not the kind of thing they'd arrest you for," says the night building sergeant. "They'd give you a summons. That's not an arrestable offense."
Check the jail:
"Uh, Bliss . . . let me check another list. Nope."
What about Frank Roupas, the longtime valley dance instructor who called the paper early Saturday evening in hopes of finding out what happened to Bliss? After all, the paper told him about the Psychic Fair.
"I was going to go tomorrow and wanted to know more about it and they said it was canceled. I was a little suspicious when the write-up said he came to the paper to tell you all about it."