Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 9, 1993 TAG: 9308090006
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Bowers sent the Tennessee museum's director a letter asking that the postcards be pulled after a reporter who recently visited Chattanooga alerted the mayor to the public relations soaking Roanoke was getting. Bowers even offered to dig into his own pocket to buy replacement postcards that show the museum's new location on higher, drier ground downtown.
That wouldn't be necessary, said Robert Soule, who heads the Chattanooga railroad museum. "I'll just pull 'em. How about that?" he said. "Our stock is quite low anyway."
When he reorders train-related postcards of Roanoke, Soule said, he'll be sure to ask for the new editions. "We'll be happy to help you put forward a better image."
If only getting Amtrak service in Roanoke were so easy.
A birthday with the beasts
First it was Showbiz Pizza Place. Then, the roller rinks. The pottery shop, the batting cages, the miniature golf course, even the barbershop! You could, for a fee, host your kid's birthday party at any of them without risking an ice cream spill on the davenport at home.
Add now to the list the\ Mill Mountain Zoo, which has jumped into the party fray.
The zoo offers a short program with a live zoo animal, some goodie bags, free drinks or ice cream and a reserved party area.
The minimum cost? Sixty bucks - roughly the same as it would cost to have your davenport cleaned.
Professional courtesy
During\ Paul Morehead's capital murder trial last week in Montgomery County, the lawyers arguing the case spent part of their closing remarks telling the jury how much they respected each other.
Jeff Rudd, Morehead's attorney, is a former Roanoke Valley regional drug prosecutor. He and Commonwealth's Attorney\ Phil Keith each told the jury they hoped their oration would live up to their opponent's.
After Rudd finished his closing statements, Keith stood at his lectern, looked at the jury and said:
"He's good, isn't he? I told you he was good. Too bad he went over to the other side."a
Welcome to Virginia
John Grisham, the Mississippi writer/lawyer whose novel, "\ The Firm," was turned into one of the year's biggest movies, is moving to Virginia. Washingtonian magazine reports that Grisham and his wife have paid $1.1 million for Oakwood Farm, a 188-acre spread in Albemarle County, southwest of Charlottesville. The couple will retain their primary residence in Oxford, Miss. They'll join actor/playwrite\ Sam Shephard and his real-life co-star\ Jessica Lange; artist\ Peter Max; writer\ Rita Mae Brown;\ Sissy Spacek; and other celebrity residents of the Charlottesville area.
The root of a mystery
If you forget about the prolonged dry spell and the louts who ripped out 45 of 113 plants, the horticultural initiative at Roanoke's Elmwood Park was rather nifty. After Festival in the Park ended, a crew planted what it thought was dolichos lablab in a circle around the flagpole next to the city library. A length of twine was attached to a stake next to each plant; the other end was tied high up the flagpole.
The lablab, also called purple hyacinth bean, was supposed to climb the twine, make its dainty purple-white flower and its long, edible purple bean pods.
The bean plants were appreciated by Thomas Jefferson, who planted them along an arbor at Monticello, where they still grow.
"We wouldn't have worried if someone had picked one and eaten it," said\ Marilyn Arbogast, the city's horticulturist.
She won't have to worry at all. The plants have struggled. They've barely grown and even if they did - someone shipped the wrong plant. Something's growing there, but not well, and whatever it is, it isn't lablab.
Arbogast's seed supplier is trying to reach his supplier in England for an explanation.
A plate full
New Chapter Press, publisher of\ "Great Plates," a humorous collection of America's vanity license plates by Blacksburg author\ Sam Riley, is marketing the book where you live.
This month, the book gets a mention in Funny Side Up, a mail-order catalog that features exploding golf balls, hairbrushes for bald men, camouflage toilet paper and remote control whoopee cushions.
Riley's book is mentioned on page 17, right under the ad for T-shirts for two, especially designed for lovers.
"The first sales were all to book stores, though the Army bought a few thousand copies - that was my biggest single customer until a catalog came along," Riley said.
The New York publisher had marketed the book in another mail-order catalog and sold all its remaining copies, Riley said. The book now is in a second printing of 6,000.
"Publishing is a crazy business," Riley said.
by CNB