ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 1996 TAG: 9607300083
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: What's on your mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
Q: News reports on the ValuJet crash in the Florida Everglades have disappeared since TWA Flight 800 crashed off Long Island. How many bodies have been recovered and identified in Florida, and what have the families there been told about possible future identifications?
G.D., Willis
A: A private memorial service will be held today near the crash site for families of the 53 victims whose bodies were not recovered or not identified.
A public funeral service is scheduled Wednesday at a Miami cemetery. There will be 53 caskets, each bearing the name of a victim.
Medical examiners in Florida have identified 57 sets of remains from the May 11 crash of ValuJet Flight 592 as it was attempting to return to Miami with a fire on board.
Victims who were identified were given funerals earlier.
Investigators have finished all work at the Everglades crash site. Scientists will continue forensic work, using photos and any DNA material that may be available in an effort to put names to fragments of remains.
The memorial service, though, is a way to help the victims' families move through the grief process - a long struggle in both the ValuJet and TWA crashes.
Recovery operations have been much more difficult than, for example, the crash of Pan Am 103, which killed 270 at Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Even after a week, many families still had no word on when they could claim the bodies and give them a proper burial.
Paving and priorities
Q: How much did the repaving at Cave Spring Elementary cost? What was the source of funding? How does parking lot paving get ahead of roof repairs, air conditioning and funding for school additions in Roanoke County school priorities? The lot was in good shape with no potholes.
D.B., Roanoke
A: The repaving cost $24,649.
The funds came from a 1993 bond issue that approved $7.8 million for additional space at Back Creek, Mason's Cove and Cave Spring elementary schools, Glenvar Middle School and Northside High School.
Cave Spring Elementary got air conditioning and a library addition from that bond issue.
The parking lot was repaved after the construction equipment left and school shut down for the summer.
The lot wasn't falling apart, but cracks and drainage problems needed repair before the topcoat was applied, said Homer Duff, director of facilities and operations for county schools.
That 1993 bond issue provided $3.5 million to air-condition elementary classrooms throughout the county.
This year, Cave Spring Junior High and Bent Mountain Elementary are being air-conditioned and Fort Lewis Elementary will start renovation. When those projects are done, all 28 county schools will have air-conditioned classrooms, Duff said.
Roof repairs are under way at several schools, too, Duff said.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Call us at 981-3118. Or, e-mail RayR@Roanoke.Infi.Net. Maybe we can find the answer.|
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