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

DATE: THURSDAY, October 5, 1995                   TAG: 9510060010
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long

WOODRUM WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP FAMILY IN NEED

In February 1995, my brother-in-law, Dale, became critically ill and was hospitalized in Frankfurt, Germany. By mid-April he was getting no better, and surgery was performed. After surgery he lost a kidney and fell deeply into depression and lost the will to live.

His sister was murdered in October, adding to Dale's depression. The family decided that my husband, Ricky, would go and spend a couple of weeks with Dale.

The problem was my husband did not have a birth certificate and needed one to obtain a passport (which they told me took at least 60 days). It was crucial that he leave immediately, so I called Chip Woodrum on a Wednesday and explained the situation.

Woodrum put me in contact with Sen. Charles Robb's office for passport assistance and then made a call regarding the birth certificate. Woodrum drove to Richmond that Friday, picked up Ricky's birth certificate and brought it to my house later that evening.

On Monday morning, we were at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service getting Ricky's "expedited" passport, and he was able to leave for Germany the next day.

I don't know many people who would go so much out of their way for someone like Woodrum did. Although I expressed many thanks to him at the time, I want Roanoke residents to know the kindness he exhibited and the willingness to go out of his way to help us.

By the way, my brother-in-law is doing great - my husband's visit really lifted his spirits. As a matter of fact, he's coming for a visit.

Mary K. Cowden

Roanoke

Dear Neighbors:

We are writing this letter in reference to a statement that was made in an article in the Neighbors section of the Roanoke Times on Aug. 31, 1995. In the article, "After the Storm," it was implied that three of Patrick Henry's football coaches were "problems" and that coach Scott "inherited Vaught's assistants."

This is an unfair statement and inaccurate statement. We feel that [sportswriter Bob] Teitlebaum has done an injustice to these coaches - Tommy Jones, Jeff Johnson and James Jones. He has worked with them and should be fully aware of all that they do.

Tommy Jones and Jeff Johnson have been coaching at Patrick Henry since Larry Carter was head football coach. All of these coaches have gone above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis - transporting players with their own vehicles and gas to and from school and athletic events, painting athletic facilities, preparing athletic fields, building lockers, washing uniforms, spending seven days a week meeting and practicing, counseling students and parents on personal time, and working a training program in the summer without any compensation.

These coaches spend endless, uncompensated hours doing something they enjoy, and they deserve some respect and appreciation.

The Coaches' Wives

Denise Jones

Vinton Kathy Johnson

Vinton

Billie Jean Jones

Roanokez

Editor's Note: When Ed Scott came to Patrick Henry, he "inherited" these coaches as he was not allowed to select his assistants. They were mentioned in the article to show that they had been part of the rebuilding process at the school after the incident involving Dennis Vaught.

Dear Neighbors:

On Sept. 2 my husband, Russell, died. He died at home and was under the care of Roanoke Memorial Hospital Hospice Group.

The staff was so helpful and caring during his last days. Hospice made it easy for us to have him at home. We were all able to say our goodbyes in a relaxed manner.

I would recommend anyone in a similar situation to use Hospice.

Frances C. Johnson

Vinton

Dear Neighbors:

Thanks to Ken Shutz, Shirley Thompson and the Science Museum of Western Virginia, my husband, Jack, and I have just returned from the vacation experience of a lifetime.

The science museum-sponsored safari to the national parks and game reserves of Kenya was an unqualified success. My husband and I have traveled to Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador and the Galapagos with a variety of groups in the five years since we retired. Our trip to Africa was the best managed, least stressful and most rewarding that we've taken.

Our accommodations were outstanding, our Kenyan guides were very knowledgeable, and we had a very congenial group of fellow travelers. The amount and variety of wildlife and birds was truly staggering. We saw everything we had remotely dreamed of seeing: leopards, lions, cheetahs, white rhinos, hippos, a wide variety of antelopes and gazelle, cape buffalo, elephants and a dazzling abundance of birds.

In addition to thanking the science museum for making this opportunity available, I would also like to thank ITT. Their loan of night vision goggles for our trip made our night game drives and our views from our luxury tents very special. From the elephant that interrupted our dinner to the aardvark and spring hares that we saw on the night time game drive, having these miracles of modern science available was really a thrill.

Katherine L. Davis

Moneta