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

DATE: THURSDAY, February 24, 1994                   TAG: 9402240120
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BILLBOARDS MARK SALEM SCHOOLS' ANNIVERSARY

The first of five outdoor billboards recognizing the Salem school system's 10 years of independence has been put up on West Main Street near Wildwood Road.

Jane Bell, president of the Salem Council of PTAs, said a second billboard will go in the next week or so on Virginia 419.

The billboards proclaim "Celebrating 10 years - Salem City Schools." Each of the city's six schools is represented a candle on a birthday cake.

Bell said it is indefinite when the other three billboards will go up. Lamar Advertising Co. of Roanoke is donating the billboard space so the posters will go up as space becomes available.

The billboard project is a cooperative effort between Salem PTAs, each of the six schools, the Salem School Board and Lamar Advertising, Bell said.

The only cost, Bell said, is about $411 which was the cost of printing the posters.

The 10 years refers to the decade in which Salem schools have operated as a separate school division. Prior to the 1983-84 school year, schools in Salem were part of the Roanoke County system.

by CNB