Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 28, 1994 TAG: 9401290001
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Appalachian Power Co. has been promoting heat pumps for several years with the goal of trying to equalize winter and summer peak loads and increase profits. Recently, it had to request customers to reduce their power demands to avoid blackouts. Also, heat pumps weren't able to provide sufficient heat to homes without resorting to the resistive heating backup, driving electricity costs very high for many homeowners. Apco will probably use this turn of events to further its request for the Wyoming-Cloverdale transmission line to meet the demand it helped generate.
Is there a better way? We think so. First, gas furnaces are better able to handle the extremely cold temperatures, and do not have to be operated at high settings when people are away from home, since they warm homes rapidly. Second, homes could be better insulated and supplied with energy-efficient appliances such as fluorescent light bulbs. Third, the State Corporation Commission should allow power companies to profit from assisting customers with demand-side management measures, such as insulating homes and purchasing energy-efficient appliances. The SCC recently adopted demand-side management measures, but, as currently in effect, these tend to reduce profit to the power companies. States with strong demand-side management programs allow the companies to profit from these.
Everyone would benefit. The customers would have more comfortable homes with uninterrupted power, power companies would make their profits, and environmental quality would be maintained or improved.
WILLIAM B. GRANT
Energy Chair, Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club
YORKTOWN
City slipped on road cleaning
DURING the recent winter storm, I couldn't help but notice the horrible condition of primary city streets. Most major streets (excluding residential areas) were completely ice-covered for two to three days. I know the extreme cold had a lot to do with this. Still, I couldn't help but notice that just one day after the storm I could drive down Brambleton Avenue on solid ice, cross into Roanoke County and drive on clean, dry pavement.
Since the state cleans primary county roads, state workers must have been out before and during the storm putting down chemicals on these streets. Why didn't the city do the same? Why did the city wait before treating roads like Brambleton Avenue, Brandon Avenue, etc.? Did city officials not know a winter storm was happening?
I don't fault the workers; they just do what they're told. Therefore, it must be administrators and managers who didn't do their jobs. It's a shame our city has officials who spend thousands of dollars for consultants to study taking over the gas company and to tell them who to hire for jobs, give out 2-for-1 pensions, and give themselves over-inflated salaries, but can't find someone competent to direct the cleaning of snow and ice off streets so taxpayers can go to work and support them!
WILLIAM L . BOVA
ROANOKE
Polish soldiers got sweet revenge
IN THE Jan. 19 Extra section was an article by staff writer Greg Edwards entitled ``World War II: 50 years ago.'' He mentioned that U.S. infantrymen of the Fifth Army captured Monte Trocchio and that taking part in the assault on Monte Cassino were troops from the Devil's Brigade, an elite commando unit of U.S. and Canadian troops.
What Edwards doesn't mention is the fact that though Ghurkas, French, Australian and U.S. troops failed to take Monte Cassino, the Polish Carpathian Brigade - part of the Free Polish Army incorporated into the 8th British Army - did. Monte Cassino was the European Iwo Jima blocking entry to Rome.
The 36th American Division went into bloody battle. Though its troops partially succeeded in crossing Rapido River, they were decimated by Nebelwerfers - six-barrel 150 mm and 240 mm mortars electronically fired - and by German snipers.
Ours was the sweet revenge for the 1939 German campaign in Poland and for concentration camps. This is why the Poles succeeded while no one else could - our unique motivation in spite of enormous losses suffered.
IGNACY WITWICKI
ROCKY MOUNT
Teens have the wrong priorities
READING the Roanoke Times & World-News makes Sodom and Gomorrah seem like celestial cities.
In 1964, Dr. Mary S. Calderone of New York City decided that you children needed to learn more about sex in the schools. She and her so-called sexologist, 30 years and multibillions of dollars later, must be laughing all the way to the bank.
My message to pregnant teen-agers: Somewhere along the line your sex education got screwed up.
You get an education first, then the job, then marriage, then the nest, then sex and babies. Nobody has improved on this system in 2,000 years.
BERNICE S. IRVIN
MEADOWS OF DAN
Inman, Nunn showed no respect
I AGREE with President Clinton that the process of selection and nomination for the presidential Cabinet needs to be changed. I strongly believe that, as for any other institution, potential candidates should be subjected to a thorough background investigation before they're interviewed and selected. The Cabinet post of defense secretary is the country's third highest position, and it shouldn't be offered to just anyone.
Former Adm. Inman looked very tired; his appearance justifies his retirement. Blaming media scrutiny was a poor excuse.
Sen. Sam Nunn also was asked if he'd take the job; he refused. Some Senate officials quoted him as saying, ``I do not want to become a Clinton subordinate.''
If I were Nunn's constituent, I'd never vote him back into the Senate. Nunn and Inman acted very arrogantly, pompously, showed no respect or patriotism for their country.
If we had term limitations - a maximum of two terms - we'd have more talented, qualified, knowledgeable candidates for these top jobs available when the country needs their services. We'd not be so brain-drained.
Also, as a veteran voter of 40 years, I think it's not necessary for our presidents to make themselves available on Larry King's and Arsenio Hall's talk shows. We select our president to be our leader, not our entertainer.
ZEMONE K. McMANAWAY
ROANOKE
Museum's outreach is cost-effective
THE PROPOSED merger of the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville and Explore Park was a bad idea. The state wouldn't save any money. On the contrary, this appeared to be an attempt by Explore to get state money by attaching itself to an existing state agency.
I've been an active volunteer at the Martinsville museum since before its doors opened in 1985, and, along with my husband, have supported it with substantial financial contributions as well.
Since the beginning of its life as a state agency, it has been a museum without walls. Far from being merely a justification for keeping its headquarters in Martinsville, the museum-without-walls concept is the most cost-effective way to serve Virginians. Virginia is geographically very diverse and spread out, although people in Richmond may often forget that. A network of small branches throughout the state, with traveling exhibits and outreach programs coordinated at the headquarters, brings natural history and environmental education to the entire state. A large tourist attraction is not necessary for this purpose. There are many who see the museum's exhibits in shopping malls, schools and libraries who may never darken the door of a museum.
Another proposal does have merit, however - the possible merger of the Virginia Museum of Natural History with the Virginia Natural Heritage Program. These two agencies are similar in mission and function, and Virginia's taxpayers may very well benefit from their merger. The Martinsville museum is also charged with researching Virginia's natural heritage.
GAEL M. CHANEY
MARTINSVILLE
Secretary's mentors make her suspect
IN REFERENCE to the Jan. 17 news article (``Allen pick has environmentalists fearing the worst'' by Joe Coccaro of Landmark News Service) on Becky Norton Dunlop, with her mentors being U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and former President Reagan's interior secretary, James Watt:
Picking her as secretary of natural resources, with her influences being Watt and Helms, is parallel to picking someone for a position as a rabbi whose influences are Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler.
WILLIAM CREWS
ROANOKE
by CNB