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

DATE: SUNDAY, April 25, 1993                   TAG: 9304260331
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

THE CAB DRIVER TEST

Norris of the National Civic League says it's easy to know whether a city has vision - just ask a cab driver. A cab driver, he says, ought to be able to deliver just as good a pitch about a city's hopes and fears as the Chamber of Commerce. So we hopped a ride at the airport and asked the cabbie to tell us about Roanoke.

"Economy-wise? Things aren't too good here. We've got Gardner-Denver and the railroad. And we've got some sewing factories . . .

"The place to be now is Houston, I hear. Houston is booming. There's a lot of building going on. House prices are coming down, and a lot of people are buying."

So why aren't things good here?

"Same as everyplace else. Dominion Bank was one of the dominant banks in the state. That shocked everybody when they sold out."

by CNB