Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 6, 1995 TAG: 9509060133
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Seems Bowles would rather risk alienating an estimated 25 to 35 percent of the long-time loyal fans that have attended most of the games this year and in past years than to give them a designated smoking area in, say, the top rows of general-admission seating on the third-base side - where smoking would bother no one.
Considering how he happily accepted revenue for ``The Marlboro Man'' advertisement in center field at the municipal field for years, and considering the long association of tobacco with baseball, doesn't it seem ironic that Bowles should decide to impose his view of morality on smoking fans now?
That is: It's all right to consume beer until you're drunk in the stands (and a threat to other drivers on the way home), but don't dare light that cigarette in the seating area of our fancy new ballpark!
There is plenty of open-air room at the new facility so that all fans can be accommodated without imposing on their fellow fans a few rows or seats away - be they drinkers or nondrinkers, smokers or nonsmokers.
I urge fans to encourage Kelvin Bowles to designate a smoking area so smokers can see the game they paid for without interruption.
If smokers are not accommodated, we simply will not buy season tickets, admission tickets for family, friends, and guests, souvenir items, concessions, etc.
Fans, including smokers, will not go where we are not appreciated, wanted or accommodated.
RON W. CROWNER
ROANOKE
VMI knows how to treat a lady
REGARDING your Aug. 28 article, ``Turnabout is fair play on VMI day'':
The conduct and courtesy shown the young ladies at Mary Baldwin by the Virginia Military Institute cadets, who went there to instruct them, reflects great credit upon them and VMI, which has a long and honorable history. To them, I say ``well done.'' The cadets at The Citadel have been shown how a gentleman conducts himself.
RONALD H. KESNER
ROANOKE
State effectively plugs alcohol abuse
ON PAGE 8, section one of your Aug. 31 edition, appeared an advertisement paid for by individual liquor distributors.
As the son of an abusive alcoholic (I'll leave the description at that since the man died six years ago), I can see no reason to advertise hard liquor for sale in any local newspaper.
It makes me sick to think of all the terrible things that happened to my family because of this well-known killer (alcohol). I'll do my best to convey the message to my 5-year-old son (when he's able to comprehend it) that alcohol is a killer when abused, and will see that he has all the facts concerning all drugs in our society.
We've all heard the phrase, ``He's such a good person when he's sober.'' But this doesn't make up for the hell an abusive alcoholic puts his or her family through.
Since state-owned liquor stores are the only place you can obtain hard liquor, it seems to me that the state is endorsing alcohol's use, and should be held accountable for all the pain and misery this killer drug has caused, and will cause in the future.
Having spent my youth in the '70s, I was exposed to all levels of use and abuse of all drugs and alcohol. Believe me when I say that alcohol is the most dangerous drug of all.
PHILIP COLLINS FERGUSON I
ROANOKE
Hotel Roanoke's food is delicious
ON SEPT. 1 in The Roanoke Times there was a letter to the editor (``Hotel's service has gone downhill,'' by Enny Feldstein) in which the writer said that Hotel Roanoke had served the worst food and provided the worst service she had ever experienced.
I wish to say the reverse. I, along with Mary and Bill Carson and Jimmy and Billie Richardson, have had several delicious meals at the hotel recently, and they have been very satisfactory.
I am so sorry such a letter was printed. The Hotel Roanoke is a delight of old memories and new ones.
EVANS RICHARDSON
ROANOKE
by CNB