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

DATE: SUNDAY, April 9, 1995                   TAG: 9504100011
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GET HUCKLEBERRY TRAIL ON TRACK

Don't get me wrong, preservation of antiquities and historic sites is very important to me as it should be for everyone in our region. I was fascinated in reading about the coal mining history of nearby Merrimac in the Current recently ["Taking a trail into the past," March 30]. But my fascination quickly turned to despair when I realized that the government inspector showing an interest in the site was doing so for the purpose of evaluating the impact of the Huckleberry Trail. I realized his discoveries might further delay a project already years behind schedule, currently so mired in red tape it has become every bureaucrat's dream, every proponent's nightmare.

The fact that bureaucrats have the power and the willingness to use such power to deny the recreational opportunities the trail promises to thousands of area residents is deplorable, and is ripe with irony. To wit:

First, to my knowledge, the trail has virtually no opposition; everyone wants it. Further delays will most likely provide no improvements or enhancements to current designs.

Second, much scrutiny of the trail has been with regard to the impact on area history, fauna, and flora. The fact is the trail follows an abandoned railroad grade for most of its length. Any disruption which occurred did so 100 years ago when the corridor was originally constructed for the railroad. The new impact of the trail will only be positive.

Third, the site of the mine mentioned in the article has largely been forgotten over the decades and today it is an overgrown, rubbish-strewn mess, littered with old tires, abandoned cars, and discarded appliances. The greatest opportunity this site has for revitalization lies in its access to larger numbers of people. Its greatest opportunity for access is the Huckleberry Trail!

I respectfully suggest to all who must scrutinize plans for the trail: do your job as quickly, as inexpensively, and with as much a sense of cooperation as possible such that recreation-seekers can have their eagerly awaited facility.

Michael S. Abraham

Blacksburg

Trading liberty for safety leads to bigotry

Stephanie Rogol's guest column, "Restaurant aims to be community contributor" brought to mind a very early 1960s childhood memory. When I was 5 years old I went into the restroom of a very genteel southern restaurant. Within seconds a black gentleman politely told me that I was not supposed to be in this room and that my restroom was on the other end of the lobby. He explained that I was in the "colored men's room" (his words) and that I should use the white men's room. Ironic, isn't it? Because I am not a Blacksburg resident but rather a Pulaski County resident who doesn't have a college ID, I can't go into Sharkey's but must go to the other end of town after dark to be served. It appears the Greensboro Woolworth Lunch counter has been relocated to Sharkey's when it comes to out-of-town customers. Bigotry has many faces, whether it is keeping things safe for the white race or exclusive to individuals defined by where they live or go to school. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Those who would trade a little liberty for a little safety deserve neither."

Rudy Rash

Pulaski

by CNB