ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610070103
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: STAFFORD
SOURCE: Associated Press
Olympic gold medalists are a rare commodity, so it's no surprise two northern Virginia communities are arguing over who owns swimmer Jeff Rouse and diver Mark Lenzi.
Ever since Rouse and Lenzi won gold medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics, controversy has raged over which place should be considered their home: Stafford County, where they were raised, or neighboring Fredericksburg, their mailing address.
Local newspapers editorialized on the issue. Government officials from both jurisdictions weighed in. And the dispute resumed this year when Rouse won two gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics and Lenzi collected a bronze.
Stafford officials decided it was time to set the record straight in a big way. So, under a brilliant blue sky, about 7,000 people turned out to hoot and holler Saturday at the Stafford County 1996 Olympic Parade.
Families lined the narrow shoulder of a two-lane road as high school bands, majorettes, firetrucks, vintage cars and hundreds of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts marched by. They cheered Rouse and Lenzi, as well as another product of Stafford High School - Michelle Kang, who is Miss Virginia.
Stafford County Supervisor Ferris Belman acknowledged that the tiff with Fredericksburg was on his mind.
``First and foremost, we take pride in the entire region. But, yes, Stafford needed to do something to establish its own identity,'' he said.
Several Stafford residents at the parade were quick to note the Olympians' roots in the community.
``Mark and Jeff got their grounding here,'' said Joan Donahue, of Stafford. ``Not to take anything away from Fredericksburg. I like Fredericksburg. But it's obvious where they are from.''
The parade didn't cause too much concern in Fredericksburg.
``Stafford did a wonderful job of organizing this parade. They have plenty to be proud about,'' Gordon Shelton, 71, an 18-year member of the Fredericksburg City Council, said later.
Rouse, wearing a red, white and blue sweat suit and the two medals he won in Atlanta, wasn't sure what to make of it all.
``It's a little confusing,'' he said. ``Technically, I grew up in Stafford, but when people ask me where I grew up, I say, `Fredericksburg.''' Rouse said he recently bought a home in Stafford, but it has a Fredericksburg address.
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB