ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, August 5, 1996 TAG: 9608050112
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
NW photog vindicated
O. Winston Link, a photographer famous for his photographs of Norfolk and Western Railway steam engines, was pleased last month when his former wife was found guilty by a New York jury of stealing 1,400 of his photographs.
"It [the justice system] worked," Link said. "She gets what she deserved."
Conchita Link, 61, faces 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison. A Westchester County judge sent her to the county jail immediately following her conviction to await sentencing on Aug. 20.
Winston Link, 81, is celebrated for the work he did in the late 1950s documenting the last days of steam on the NW, the nation's last major steam railroad and now part of Norfolk Southern Corp. Most of Link's photographs were taken in Western Virginia.
In an earlier civil case, which included the couple's divorce, Winston Link won damages of more than $5million against Conchita Link.
The photographs stolen by Link's former wife are valued at more than $1 million. They have not been recovered.
- GREG EDWARDS
An uncommon triumph
For the second year in a row, Blacksburg resident and thespian Elizabeth McCommon has been named one of Atlanta's top actresses by Atlanta Constitution theater critic Dan Hulbert. In a March review of the play ``Foxfire'' - in which McCommon, 59, played the indomitable 79-year-old mountain woman Annie Nations - Hulbert wrote, ``McCommon is a new sensation (why should that term be reserved for ingenues?) on the Atlanta theater scene.''
In 1995, she was named one of the city's best actresses for her performance in ``The Rain Drop Waltz.''
McCommon is currently appearing in Atlanta in the play ``Harmony Ain't Easy,'' adapted from the short story by Georgia writer and physician Ferrol Sams. The play is part of the Cultural Olympiad, the lineup of arts events offered during the Olympics.
The actress says she is thrilled with the recognition.
``I love playing characters who are 10 or 20 years older than I am,'' she says. ``Older people in the audience feel that the work is directed toward them.''
- KAREN ADAMS
Runners for leukemia
They did it.
On Sunday, July 14, 37 runners from Roanoke and Blacksburg conquered the San Francisco Marathon on behalf of the Leukemia Society of America. Everyone who ran - or walked - finished the hilly course. Two injured runners made the trip but had to cheer from the sidelines.
Dan Schmoldt finished first in the group, with a time of 3:19:14. Shortly behind him was David Mullins with 3:31:35, which qualified him for the Boston Marathon.
Co-coach Dan Wright, who finished in 4:01:46, said the group had reason to be proud, especially since several of them were new to running. ``It was a challenging course,'' he said. ``Most of them were just ecstatic.''
First-time runner Marie Poff was the top fund-raiser, bringing in $4,300. Tammy Butler, the Leukemia Society's program coordinator, said the group raised more than $95,000. ``We feel the program was a huge success in the Roanoke area,'' she said.
As members of the ``Team-in-Training,'' the runners agreed to raise $2,500 apiece in donations, to be applied toward research and patient-aid programs statewide. Each ran in honor or in memory of a leukemia patient.
- KAREN ADAMS
A greener day
It was all in the timing.
During budget time in May, Salem City Council turned down a $7,200 request from the Roanoke Valley Greenways/Open Space Steering Committee to help fund a greenways coordinator position. Instead, council gave the same amount it gave last year - $3,600.
But when the committee returned to ask again for the extra funding, the five-member council unanimously agreed to give it to them.
Maybe the greenways committee asked nicer this time? Or maybe it had something to do with having one new member on council after the departure of longtime Salem Mayor Jim Taliaferro last month?
"I think we were just in a better mood," said Vice Mayor Alex Brown.
Brown admits that things were tight at budget time and the greenways committee may have been the victim of the city's trying to scale down the budget.
Salem was asked to provide only12 percent of the greenways coordinator's $60,000 salary, while Roanoke gave 48 percent and Roanoke County 36 percent. Vinton was asked to give 4 percent.
- S.D. HARRINGTON
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