Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 13, 1995 TAG: 9511140027
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Now Robertson has a new computer with printer and lots of software - courtesy of a Roanoke business - and her checking account is fatter.
When a story about her appeared in the newspaper Oct. 1, people from as far away as Pennsylvania opened their hearts and wallets to her.
Robertson, who graduated second in the class of '95 at William Fleming High School, has received more than $600 from people who wanted to help, many anonymously. That's in addition to the computer.
Next year, she hopes to reduce the size of the loan she needs to help pay for tuition.
``People have been so nice,'' she said. ``I can't believe the cards and checks I've gotten from random people.''
Robertson thought she would be unable to come home until Christmas, but an anonymous donor sent her a ticket so she could be with her family for Thanksgiving.
Her exact arrival time is a secret, though. Her mother, terrified of flying, doesn't want to know until Theresa's safely on the ground in Roanoke.
When turkeys fly
We may be gullible, but we are ``WKRP in Cincinnati'' fans, too.
So when we got a news release from a New River Valley radio station touting a helicopter turkey drop, we were immediately suspicious.
But Ed Sherman, news director for Eagle Country 107, swears it's no joke. His station will be at the New River Valley Mall Saturday afternoon for its first turkey drop.
"At exactly 1 p.m., a HELICOPTER filled with TURKEYS will hover above the Mall," the news release exclaims. "At exactly 1:05 p.m., TURKEYS will be dropped from the sky for listeners of EAGLE COUNTRY 107 to collect and take home for their Thanksgiving feast."
On "WKRP," the station hyped a similar promotion. But employees were stunned, as the turkeys dropped from the sky, to realize the tasty birds don't fly.
So, Sherman, what's the deal here? Just a ploy to get a crowd out for the arrival of Santa Claus?
"We are really going to do it," Sherman said. "We are going to drop the turkeys. More than that, I can't say."
Gift certificates, right? Maybe frozen birds?
"It's going to be better than that," he promised.
The students speak
Seniors at William Fleming High School and Cave Spring High School voted in a mock legislative election Tuesday as part of a government class project.
Although few of the seniors were old enough to vote in the real election, they spent most of the fall learning about the electoral process in a program sponsored by Cox Communications Roanoke.
Eighty-seven percent of the seniors at the two schools registered to vote in the mock election, and 73 percent of those who did so voted.
At William Fleming, Democrat John Edwards beat Republican state Sen. Brandon Bell; Republican Jeff Artis beat Democratic Del. Vic Thomas; and Democratic Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum beat Republican Newell Falkinburg.
Bell, Artis and Woodrum won at Cave Spring. So did Democratic Del. Richard Cranwell, who beat Republican Trixie Averill.
A TV show prepared by students and based on the classes will be shown on WCOX (Channel 9) this week.
by CNB