ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 13, 1996 TAG: 9601150033
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN, ALLISON BLAKE AND BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
Like most sequels, Friday's Snowstorm II was a dud.
People battened down the hatches, bought every last half-gallon of milk (not to mention boxes of Kleenex) and prepared for the worst.
But most folks were only greeted by minor inconvenience, even with thousands of college students who've streamed back into the New River Valley since last weekend.
Perhaps Friday's biggest excitement was at Radford University's Dedmon Center, where staff worked double time to prepare for the coliseum's first basketball tripleheader. The twist? The third team came from Virginia Tech.
With heavy snow and ice piled on the roof of Tech's Cassell Coliseum, where the beams that hold up the roof are under the watch of structural engineers, officials decided to move the game. The Atlantic 10 Conference home opener for Tech's men's basketball team against LaSalle University will be played at noon.
Tech's women's game was moved to the George Washington University campus in Washington, D.C.
The move left Radford's staff scrambling to ensure enough phone lines to accommodate visiting members of the press, and police officers to direct 3,400 added fans through the parking lots.
"Tomorrow's going to be a piece of cake compared to today," Ron Downs, who runs the center, said Friday. The noon game precedes Radford's regularly scheduled games against Winthrop University of Rock Hill, S.C. Radford's women play at 4 p.m.,and the men play at 7:30.
Both Tech and Radford were closed Friday, and the campuses were relatively quiet. Radford students finally started their first semester classes on Thursday - four days late - while Tech plans to start its semester Monday, as scheduled.
The latest snow caused Radford to suspend classes again Thursday night and Friday with only essential personnel reporting to work, said Debbie Brown, university spokeswoman
Tech's dorms open today at noon. Blacksburg's Washington Street will be jammed with many of the university's 8,300 returning dormitory students as they unpack and lug a semester's worth of supplies from packed cars into the dormitories.
The street will be opened one-way -westbound -and parking will be allowed on both sides of the street, said Tech Police Chief Mike Jones.
Buses to help ferry students will also be waiting in the wings at two adjacent parking lots, the I-Lot (also known as "the Cage") and the stadium lot.
Because of the bad weather along the East Coast, the university is granting a two-day amnesty from the university's automatic drop policy for students who may not make the first day of classes, said school spokesman Larry Hincker.
Both college towns have watched students trickle back all week, tromp through snowdrifts to reach downtown shops, or brave roads to reach grocery stores.
Blacksburg's BT bus service expects upwards of 12,000 riders a day when classes start Monday, said manager Mike Connelly. Tech's hoping staff and faculty will ride the buses to work, because nearly a third of the campus parking lots are covered in mountains of plowed snow.
Across the valley, police reminded pedestrians who have taken to the streets because of blocked sidewalks to remember basic safety precautions. They should wear bright colors to contrast with the white snow so motorists can see them and walk facing traffic.
Pedestrians should also realize that snow piled high at corners makes it difficult for drivers to see them. Driver reaction time can also be hampered by snow, ice and slush. "If they slip and fall, the car may not be able to stop," said Sgt. Jerry Bowyer, Blacksburg's crime-prevention officer.
Radford city closed downtown to traffic Thursday night so snow plows could properly clear the area that had been clogged by abandoned cars and snow banks left by the plows after the first snowfall. Friday, Norwood Street, Tyler Avenue, Rock Road and other main roads were clear, while most sidestreets appeared passable for motorists.
A shipment of snow shovels at Central Lumber drew a crowd in Radford Friday as customers lined up to meet the early morning truck delivery.
"They didn't last 30 minutes," said Jeannie Weddle, the store's controller.
After all the dire warnings, even with the students arriving back in town, it was just another slushy day in Blacksburg.
At Souvlaki restaurant, owner Chris Kappas was all alone as the lunch-hour rush began. His morning person wasn't able to make it in right away because of the snow.
But Kappas still took the time to make small talk and issue basic gyro-eating instructions ("Peel [the wrapper] back, don't unwrap it, like a banana.")
By 12:30, two staffers had come in to help him handle the dozen or so customers.
"I've never seen him work so hard," teased one regular.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Alan Kim. Part of the roof of the former Lowe's buildingby CNBin Christiansburg collapsed under the weight of snow this week. The
building on North Franklin Street is slated to become the town's
recreation center. The collapsed section can be seen in the middle
of the photograph. Story on Page 3. color.