Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 9, 1993 TAG: 9312090047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ray Reed
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: It was a dollar decision.
The International Olympic Committee liked the idea of marketing and licensing an Olympics package every two years. Hereafter, the Summer and Winter games will be held on an alternating schedule, with one of them coming every two years.
This allows each to be sold alone to advertisers.
It also means that every time we look up, there will be an Olympics less than two years away.
CBS will bring the Winter Games to us from Lillehammer, Norway, starting Feb. 12. NBC has the '96 Summer Olympics in Atlanta - and paid $456 million for them.
The dollar drives every aspect of sports, it seems, and the IOC isn't worried about people overdosing on sports.
On the other hand, nobody ever expected oil prices to slide, or Northern Virginia real estate to recede, either.
Chances are it will always be fashionable to have athletic logos on our clothing and $110 sneakers on our feet. Still, there's a point where every market gets saturated.
9 digits could help ZIP
Q: How important is it now, during the Christmas rush, to use the nine-digit zip codes, especially with the increase in mailing packages? When will the last four digits be mandatory, if ever? C.M., Roanoke
A: Flat letters with typewritten addresses can travel faster under the nine-digit zip.
White envelopes, or light shades of manila, with the zip code approximately 1 inch from the bottom get the expedited handling.
These conditions allow the sorting machine to zip along at 10 letters per second. The last four digits separate mail by carrier and by the blocks on his or her route.
Red and green Christmas-card envelopes and packages have to be sorted by people.
The last four digits will never be mandatory for single-piece-rate mail, a postal spokesman said. They're primarily an incentive for bulk mailers, who get a discount for presorting, but they can speed up other mail, too.
The postal workers' main plea for Christmas mail is: make the five-digit zip code perfectly legible, and on a white label or envelope.
Why stop here? Q: Why were stop signs recently placed on Maiden Lane at the intersection with Wasena Drive? They don't seem to be needed. F.E., Roanoke
A: There had been only a few accidents there but many close calls, and residents of the area were concerned, said Bob Bengtson, city traffic engineer.
The new sign helps drivers on Wasena see oncoming traffic on Maiden Lane.
Motorists entering the intersection from Wasena had to go virtually all the way into the intersection to get a clear view, because Wasena is uphill from a skewed angle.
Both streets now have stop signs.
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