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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 26, 1994                   TAG: 9401260080
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Sandra Brown Kelly
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THIS TIME OF YEAR WE'RE ALREADY IN PAIN WITH

At least some of us were "cheered" last week when Roanoke city and county mailed out the new values. The assessments were good news, though - not a whole lot of people got them and for the most part the increases were not terribly painful.

In Roanoke, residential increases averaged about 3.2 percent. The county's average was 2.8 percent.

Commercial property values went up an average of 1.3 percent in the city and about 2 percent in the county, with most of the increases landing on industrial properties. Many office buildings are like my bank account - not very fat with occupants.

Tax rates in the Roanoke Valley range from a low of $1.13 per $100 of assessed value in Roanoke County to $1.18 per $100 in Salem and $1.23 per $100 in Roanoke.

Various kinds of properties get tax relief, including colleges and not-for-profit hospitals such as Community and Roanoke Memorial in Roanoke. Roanoke doesn't pay taxes on the $2.7 million worth of property it owns at Carvins Cove in Roanoke County.

Lewis-Gale Hospital in Salem does pay because it is a for-profit hospital. Valued at $16.8 million, it is worth $198,552 in taxes to Salem.

The property that has the greatest value in the Roanoke Valley is also exempt from real estate taxes. It is the Veterans Administration Medical Center, which is valued at $117 million.

Another real estate tidbit: Atoka Farm, where Sen. John Warner and then-wife actress Elizabeth Taylor picnicked with politicos many years ago, is on the market. Described as a "stone farmhouse set on 557 acres, including renovated barn, stone and log office, four tenant houses, heated indoor pool, and tennis court," it can be yours for $5.78 million.

Playboy Enterprises Inc. and Peoples Telephone Co. Inc. say they will jointly develop, produce and market prepaid Playboy Phone Cards. The news release the companies sent to announce the venture includes a priceless euphemism.

The release says: "This strategic alliance combines Peoples' state-of-the-art telecommunications capabilities and features the diverse aesthetic images from Playboy's extensive archives."

Diverse aesthetic images? Does that mean naked women? I'd say yes, because the release continues:

"These prepaid phone cards will provide the consumer with convenience, unique visuals, enhanced services and discounted calling rates."

"Unique visuals"? Yep, that's naked women.

"Consumers will find the designs both unique and exciting and the cards easy to use," said Bobbi Gutman, senior Vice President of circulation and ancillary products at Playboy.

Well, you know who Playboy is. But Peoples Telephone Co., despite being a diversified telecommunications company traded publicly with current annual sales of more than $175 million, is less known.

It has more than 50,000 public and cellular telephones in 42 states and is the largest independent provider of public telecommunications services in the United States. But it doesn't have centerfolds.