ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, July 12, 1996                  TAG: 9607120031
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER 

SMOKE SIGNALS SPELL START OF SUMMER GAMES

THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES get kicked off tonight with opening ceremonies at Victory Stadium.

Follow the smoke to Victory Stadium.

The 1996 Commonwealth Games of Virginia open today with flames flickering along four separate pathways to Victory and with smoking parachutists descending from the heavens and landing on the stadium's field.

The seventh edition of the Games should be the biggest ever. More than 9,000 participants are expected to compete in the Olympic-style sports festival that takes place in the Roanoke Valley for the next three days.

``This may be as big as the Games can possibly get,'' said Pete Lampman, the president of Virginia Amateur Sports, the Games' organizers.

This year's Games will stretch the resources not only of VAS. Volunteers are required to coordinate medals competition in 44 sports. Hotels in the area have been booked for weeks.

``I don't think we can get much bigger than this,'' said Lampman, who added that VAS is hoping to organize regional qualifying tournaments next year.

The Opening Ceremonies kick off the weekend's events and are open to the public. Admission is free for participants and $4 for non-participants.

For the first time, the ceremonies will be televised live, with WSET (Channel 13) handling the broadcast. The Ceremonies begin at 8 p.m. with the parade of athletes and will feature entertainment, including remarks from special guest Bill Fagerbakke, the actor who plays the character ``Dauber'' on the ABC-TV show ``Coach''.

At approximately 8:15, the U.S. Army Golden Knights - a 15-man parachute team - will perform five ``jumps'' on its descent into Victory Stadium. The torch run will consist of four runners bringing torches into the stadium to light the Commonwealth Games cauldron, capping the evening.

Games officials also plan to honor the memories of Roanoke's longtime fitness celebrity Artie Levin and former Roanoke Times assistant sports editor Tony Stamus, two men who were instrumental in the Games' growth. Both died this year.

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