ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, June 18, 1996 TAG: 9606180079
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: what's on your mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
Q: How many people in Roanoke actually won the $10,000 per day that WSLS (Channel 10) was giving away in May?
H.N., G.H., M.P., J.B. and others s A: Not many, apparently.
Randy Smith, general manager, said the station was disappointed at how few people were claiming prizes.
He didn't go into detail about the actual number of winners. Smith said the station wished more money had been given away because the station paid a flat fee to a promotional company in Dallas to run the contest.
Had every prize been claimed, the amount would have come to $250,000.
It wasn't an easy contest; the person with the winning number had to be watching the 6 p.m. newscast at the time his number was announced and call the station within 10 minutes.
Safety-seat violators
Q: Is there a way to report drivers we may observe breaking the child safety-seat laws?
H. & L.B., Christiansburg A: There are two possibilities.
Call (800) 732-8333. This is a Virginia Department of Health program called Please Be Seated. It will send you a postpaid card to be filled out with the vehicle license plate number, location and approximate age of the children.
After you mail the card, the vehicle owner receives a letter reminding him or her that Virginia law requires children age 4 and under to be secured in an approved child safety seat.
The letter includes a toll-free number - 800533-1892 - that parents can call to apply for a seat if they can't afford one.
These cards can be picked up at the DMV, many pediatricians' offices and the American Automobile Association.
Please Be Seated is purely an educational program.
If you want to try the enforcement route and have a cellular phone in your car, call 911. Officers can stop the car and issue a summons; a fine up to $50 and three demerit points on the driving record can be the result.
No cards in 19th hole
Q: A friend and I were playing a friendly game of rummy at a public golf course while waiting for our tee time. Alcohol is served here, and the manager asked if we'd mind not playing cards because it might jeopardize his ABC license. What is the law on playing cards when no gambling is involved?
L.W., Roanoke
A: It was appearances, not law, that probably caused the concern here.
Robert Chapman, spokesman for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department in Richmond, said there is no law and no department rule against card playing.
Gambling, though, is prohibited, and the mere presence of cards on the table could lead onlookers to report the establishment. An agent would then show up to investigate unnecessarily, Chapman said.
No one is guilty of wrongdoing, but the proprietor can be understood for wanting to avoid the hassle.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB