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

DATE: THURSDAY, August 5, 1993                   TAG: 9308050239
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TRASH-TRAIN TRAFFIC JAM COULD LINGER

Q: I'm concerned about the railroad crossing near where the trash trains will be loaded. Traffic can back up almost to Orange Avenue waiting for trains. A lot of people are concerned about how trash trucks are going to come through there, as busy as that street is, and deal with those trains. R.T., Roanoke

A: The garbage trucks' impact on overall traffic flow, whether it proves to be minor or major, will last for several years.

There is a distant hope for change, however: A 25-year-old proposal to put a bridge over those tracks and connect it to 13th Street Southeast has reappeared in the six-year road plan from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

It might become a reality by the year 2000, at the earliest.

The plan would four-lane 0.8 mile of the "Hollins Road corridor" from Orange Avenue to Dale Avenue Southeast, with preliminary engineering to start in 1997. That means no money will be available before then.

Also, there's nothing definite about the exact route of the road at this point. The map accompanying this shows existing streets that could be affected, but exactly how won't be known until 1998 or so.

Garbage trucks will reach the trash transfer station from Hollins Road just south of Orange Avenue.

Two Virginia pageants

Q: In the Miss Virginia pageant, the winner goes to the Miss America pageant. Where does the Miss Virginia come from that goes to the Miss USA pageant? Is it the same Miss Virginia,or are there actually two Miss Virginias? N.N.

A: There is only one Miss Virginia per year. The other Virginia representative is Miss Virginia-USA, selected in another pageant.

Kylene Barker Brandon's selection as Miss America 1979 certainly is the crowning achievement of Virginia's pageant winners.

A couple of Miss Virginia-USAs have gone on to fame, too. In 1970, Debbie Shelton of Norfolk won the Miss USA pageant and had a few appearances on "Dallas."

And of course, Roanoke's Tai Collins was a Miss Virginia-USA winner.

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