Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 20, 1993 TAG: 9305200051
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: There's an unwritten rule about writing news articles that goes something like "never state anything as an absolute fact," unless it's a sure thing. (A sure thing, for example, would be "the sun came up this morning.")
Several readers had their own thoughts about what was the worst atrocity. You mentioned Stalin; others the Chinese cultural revolution, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, abortion and others.
It's pretty well documented that the Holocaust toll was 6 million Jews and 11 million altogether.
It's also widely accepted that over his approximately 35-year reign, Stalin was responsible for millions of deaths. Perhaps 20 million of them came through terrorism and labor camps; others through famine and war. The toll may run as high as 60 million; well-qualified sources disagree on the number.
Stalin's continuous genocide, with politics and power as its primary motives, was concealed behind the Iron Curtain for decades and definitive research is lacking.
Horrible as the Soviet pogroms were, the Holocaust is unparalleled for the chilling intent and intensity of its racial hatred.
That's why it remains a fact we shouldn't forget.
New I-581 exit hopes dim
Q: I'm wondering why they don't put an exit onto 10th street off Interstate 581 in Roanoke. A.G., Roanoke
A: This wished-for interchange gets less and less likely as traffic increases and the Federal Highway Administration learns more about safety patterns for exit ramps.
Today's standards require ramps so long they'd be less than a mile from the exits at both Hershberger Road and Orange Avenue, so the feds won't OK another one at 10th Street.
The obvious follow-up question is: How was the Orange Avenue interchange placed so close to the downtown exit at the Hotel Roanoke? The answer: That was acceptable 30 years ago, when the road was designed. Not so today.
Old road had smooth ride
Q: Why was U.S. 460 repaved, and only in the eastbound lane, between Montvale and Bedford last year? The old surface seemed fine but the new surface is rough. Also, why haven't they touched the westbound lane? B.G., Roanoke
A: The old surface was smooth, all right. It was worn slick and vehicles couldn't stop quickly enough, so a latex overlay was put down to give better traction.
Parts of the westbound lane will get the same treatment in the next year.
Researchers do skid tests for the state Department of Transportation to check the stopping distance on roads identified as hot spots.
Got a question about something that might affect other people too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.
by CNB