Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 2, 1994 TAG: 9405020041
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Hudson and Dwayne Yancey
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Roanoke Valley Gay and Lesbian Alliance has issued its ratings of Roanoke City Council candidates. Only one, Republican John Parrott, received an "unacceptable" rating from the group.
Republican John Voit was rated as an "acceptable" candidate. Republican Barbara Duerk and Democrat William White received "favorable" ratings, and Democrats Linda Wyatt, John Edwards and Nelson Harris received "very favorable" ratings.
The alliance says Duerk, Edwards, White and Wyatt bolstered their ratings by making campaign appearances at The Park, Roanoke's largest gay and lesbian bar.
The alliance asked the candidates three questions. Would they:
Support banning discrimination in hiring for city jobs?
Tell School Board candidates and administrators that sexual orientation should not be an issue in hiring or firing school employees?
See to it that city police officers get sensitivity training about gays and lesbians?
The alliance said Harris, a Baptist minister, indicated strong support for the group's positions and that Edwards sought the gay and lesbian community's support when he ran for the Democratic nomination for Congress in 1992. Wyatt indicated "she would favor, and even introduce, a nondiscrimination ordinance," the alliance's news release says.
The alliance said Parrott earned the unacceptable rating because he failed to return the questionnaire and "has no known public record" on issues important to gay and lesbians.
Parrott said Friday that the questionnaire "got misplaced."
He said he would support an ordinance forbidding hiring discrimination in city jobs but he would "probably not" tell school officials that sexual orientation shouldn't be an issue in hiring and firing.
\ Edwards keeps pushing field house for Roanoke
Edwards continues to push his idea for Roanoke to build a field house for track-and-field sports to give "our young people . . . a place to practice and compete in indoor sports."
He's recently put together a committee to help develop plans for the proposed field house.
"At the present time," he said, "our high school indoor track teams must travel an hour each way to Lynchburg, Lexington or Blacksburg in order to practice and participate in meets."
Edwards has a track record, so to speak, on the topic: He was a high school track star.
\ GOP hopes Allen will help `boot' Democrats
Roanoke Republicans hope a brief campaign appearance last week by Gov. George Allen will give a boost to their City Council candidates.
On Thursday, Allen, looking a bit frazzled from his grueling travel schedule, flew into Roanoke Regional Airport. The GOP governor told a small gathering that Republicans Duerk, Parrott and Voit will bring "exceptional experience . . . to City Council."
Noting Duerk's work with many civic groups, Allen said, "It's nice to have somebody from the League of Women Voters running on our side."
After the camera lights were turned off, Duerk approached Allen.
"I wore my cowboy boots," she told Allen, who favors Western-style footwear. "I'd rather have a hard-working cowboy than another politician anytime. And you're a hard-working cowboy."
"These boots are good for kickin' sometimes," Allen said.
\ Duerk invites Roanoke to her house for coffee
Duerk says you're invited to her house for morning coffee on Election Day.
"Everyone from all neighborhoods is invited," she says.
She says citizens are invited to her house at 2607 Rosalind Ave. S.W. from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday. "It's the house with the green tile roof and the cow [sculpture] in the yard."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB