Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510230011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-9 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
WYTHEVILLE - Wythe County Community Hospital has backed away from its policy adopted in August of declaring the facility and surrounding property tobacco-free areas.
The hospital administration has returned to its earlier policy of designating certain places outside the building where tobacco may be used.
"In making the changes we did back in August, the hospital's No. 1 goal was to set a precedent as a health and wellness-focused institution," said Administrator Howard Ainsley. "But after hearing the concerns of some of our employees and visitors, we are now of the opinion that the original policy should be reinstated. Although only a small percentage of our employees are tobacco users, their needs and concerns should be taken into consideration."
Still, the hospital officially discourages tobacco use in any form and offers smoking cessation classes for people wanting to quit smoking. Further information is available from Mark Lloyd, community education coordinator, at 228-0372.
Candidate forum Monday
WYTHEVILLE - A forum for General Assembly candidates will be sponsored at 11 a.m. Monday at Wytheville Community College in the Grayson Hall Commons.
It is sponsored by the college's Faculty Senate Committee and will focus on education issues.
Mountain mammals book published
WYTHEVILLE - Donald W. Linzey, a Wytheville Community College biology professor who lives in Blacksburg, has published "Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park," which assembles the most-current information on that subject.
It is on sale at the college bookstore in Bland Hall and at Blue Ridge Books in Wytheville. The cost is $14.95.
The book covers all 70 species of mammals occurring now or recently in the park. Each is described in terms of size, external appearance, behavior, numbers, habitat and ecology, and is illustrated by a color photograph.
Linzey is an authority on the mammals of that natural area and its environs, having studied them for more than 30 years. His book represents the first popular summary of information on them in nearly a quarter of a century.
Technicon members sought
BLACKSBURG - Memberships are being accepted for next year's Technicon 13 science fiction convention hosted by the Virginia Tech Science Fiction & Fantasy Club.
The author guest of honor is L.E. Modesitt Jr., whose first novel was a time-travel story, "The Fires of Paratime" (1982). He published "The Hammer of Darkness" in 1985 and two series. His Forever Hero series includes the novels "Dawn for a Distant Earth" (1987), "Silent Warrior" (1987) and "In Endless Twilight" (1988). His Ecolitan Trilogy includes "The Ecologic Envoy" (1986), "The Ecolitan Operation" (1989) and "The Ecologic Secession" (1990). More recent novels are "The Magic of Recluce" (1991) and "The Towers of the Sunset" (1992), the first two volumes in a fantasy series.
Other guests include artist Ruth Thompson, fan guest of honor Kevin "Shaka" McElveen, and game creators and writers Lori and Corey Cole. Activities include gaming, a masquerade, art show and auction, and a larger dealers' room than in the convention's past 12 years.
The convention will be held March 22-24 at the Best Western Red Lion Inn. Advance registration between now and Dec. 15 is $20 for general admission, $15 for students and $13 for Virginia Tech students; and $50 for the first two days and $55 on the final day for dealers.
The prices will go up after Dec. 15. Further information is available by writing Technicon 13, P.O. Box 256, Blacksburg, Va. 24063, telephone 951-7232, e-mail techniconvtvm1.cc.vt.edu.
Software workshops
WYTHEVILLE - The Continuing Education Office at Wytheville Community College will offer two computer software workshops aimed at enhancing office productivity.
Both will be once a week from 6:30-9:20 p.m., with in-state tuition of $47.15.
"Desktop Publishing with WordPerfect for Windows" will be Tuesday evenings Nov. 7 through Dec. 5 in Grayson Hall. Hands-on instruction will lead participants through fonts, formatting, working on fliers and brochures, and developing newsletters.
"MicroSoft PowerPoint 4.0 for Windows" Thursdays Nov. 2 through Dec. 7 in Carroll Hall will provide an orientation to the PowerPoint software package designed to enhance presentation material.
Deadline registration is Oct. 30. Further information is available by calling 223-4712 or (800) 468-1195.
Disabilities and the workplace
BLACKSBURG - A rehabilitation engineer will speak Oct. 31 at the Blacksburg Holiday Inn on technological interventions and reasonable accommodations in the workplace for people with disabilities.
Juan Carlos Rivera, with the Department of Rehabilitative Services, will present his talk at a luncheon sponsored by the Network for Employment of People with Disabilities in the New River Valley. The program will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $8, and more information is available by calling 231-8229.
by CNB