Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 21, 1994 TAG: 9403210038
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Linda Wyatt, the Democratic candidate for the two-year City Council term, has made a call for more "open, responsive government" a key theme in her campaign.
She's proposing that council hold a series of informal "forums" in each quadrant of the city.
At a question-and-answer session last week before a voters' group in Northwest Roanoke, other candidates voiced other ways for council to stay in touch with citizens.
Barbara Duerk, a Republican candidate for one of the three four-year terms, proposed that for council's once-a-month night sessions, council members arrive an hour or so early to meet with residents.
John Edwards, a Democratic candidate for one of the three four-year terms, suggested council hold even its formal meetings in neighborhood locations.
Nelson Harris, another Democratic candidate for one of the three four-year terms, pointed out that he is on the School Board, and that body already holds informal sessions with parents "where you can put the chairs in a semicircle, take out a legal pad and ask, `What are your concerns?'"
Duerk stuns both parties
Roanoke Democrats raised plenty of eyebrows last week when U.S. Sen. Charles Robb came to town to announce his bid for re-election.
Their astonishment, though, wasn't over Robb's extraordinary letter confessing he had "let my guard down" and done things " not appropriate for a married man."
Instead, the Democrats were stunned to see Republican council candidate Barbara Duerk at their affair at a City Market office building.
Why was Duerk there?
Campaigning, she says, in search of Democrats willing to cross party lines.
"I think I broke down some barriers," she says.
Word of Duerk's appearance at a Democratic event agitated some Republican leaders, but Duerk assures them she'll be supporting the GOP nominee for the Senate this fall.
Voit pushes privatization
John Voit, the Republican candidate for the two-year council term, is raising a favorite conservative campaign theme that's not often heard in the Roanoke Valley.
He says he would like to see city government "privatize" some of its operations, turning them over to private contractors.
Which ones? He doesn't know yet, he says - that will require further study.
Voit uses his campaign appearances to sound a warning. "It is a demographic, statistical fact that Roanoke is getting older and poorer," he says.
With an older, poorer population requiring more city services, the city faces two unpleasant choices: raise taxes or cut services.
He says "privatizing" some government operations would be a way out of that dilemma, because it would save money.
Meet the candidates at tonight's forum
The next candidates' forum is tonight before the Sigma Pi Phi-Beta Boule' fraternity at First Baptist Church on 310 N. Jefferson Street.
The session starts at 7 p.m.
Parrott shows voters his sense of humor
John Parrott, a Republican candidate for one of the three four-year terms, won some laughs, if not some votes, at a voters' forum last week.
First Parrott, a construction engineer who is stressing his long resume of civic service, introduced himself this way: "You're thinking, what's so good about me? He looks pretty good. I haven't seen his name in the police/court column lately."
But Parrott got the biggest hoot when a woman in the audience asked if the three candidates who lose the May 3 elections will remain active in the community.
When none of the candidates answered immediately, Parrott looked around and asked: "Which three?"
by CNB