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

DATE: TUESDAY, July 19, 1994                   TAG: 9407190050
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY REED
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GLOVE PRICE PALTRY SUM FOR PLAYERS

M.O., Roanoke

A: The glove's price is a pittance on these fields where the average player salary is $1.2 million a year. Ordering a replacement is comparable to buying office supplies.

Wilson Sporting Goods has two models of gloves for major leaguers. The suggested list prices are $170 and $240, and most players can find a glove they like from the standard lines, Wilson says.

Among players wearing the lower-priced one: Kirby Puckett of the Twins, Ivan Rodriguez of Texas and Jimmy Key of the Yankees.

Wearing the Cadillac model are Barry Bonds of the Giants, Greg Maddux of the Braves and Barry Larkin of Cincinnati, among others.

A glove's web or color can be changed to suit the player, and his name usually is embroidered on it.

Wilson also will make a special model if a player's hand is too big. Its most recent special accommodation was for Michael Jordan, whose fingers are too long for a standard glove, said Wilson's Jim Calhoun.

Glove length cannot exceed 12 inches from the palm's base, so apparently Jordan's is legal-just fuller than most.

Child-support views

Q: Who are the lawmakers involved in "toughen the child-support enforcement laws?" I'd like to write to them.

C.M., Roanoke

A: Here are eight who served on a study commission that produced this year's law to suspend business and professional licenses of non-paying parents.

This commission, which focused on poverty issues, was headed by Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, 101 North Eighth St., Richmond, Va. 23219. The vice chairman was Del. Richard Cranwell, P.O. Box 459, Vinton, Va. 24179.

Other members were Del. William Bennett, P.O. Box 1219, Halifax, Va. 24558; Del. Robert Bloxom, P.O. Box 27, Mappsville, Va. 23407; Del. Jean Cunningham, P.O. Box 542, Richmond, Va. 23204; Sen. Charles Colgan, P.O. Box 1650, Manassas, Va., 22110; Sen. Mark Earley, P.O. Box 13715, Chesapeake, Va., 23325; and Sen. Fred Quayle, 3808 Poplar Hill Road, Chesapeake, Va., 23321.|

No turn on red

Q: The new intersection at Franklin Road and Elm Avenue is a big improvement in traffic flow, with one exception: Franklin Road traffic leaving downtown cannot make a right turn on red. Why not?

T.C., Roanoke

A: That situation may change in a couple of years, but right now the traffic light is placed where cars have to stop several feet short of the intersection.

Engineers agreed that allowing a right turn on red would be like permitting a turn without coming to a full stop, so they marked it "no turn on red."

City traffic engineer Bob Bengtson said some progress is being made to clear up a problem with contaminated soil next to that intersection. A new lane could then be added to Franklin Road and probably result in a right turn being allowed on red.|

Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Give us a call at 981-3118. Maybe we can find the answer.