ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 13, 1996 TAG: 9610140011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: LETTER
Upon reading the Arts & Entertainment page in the Sept. 27 New River Current, I was reminded of a conclusion my 98-year-old mother, Susie G. Watterson, came to. She requested me to remove the TV from her room because she only watched the news and so much of the news had become so "distressing" she was having trouble putting it out of her mind.
When I saw the picture accompanying the headline, "Radford players have fun with 'Godspell'" as reported by Anne Daugherty, I felt exactly as my mother must have.
If this deliberate blasphemy is typical of the arts and entertainment being fostered in the "Walls of Higher Education," I, for one, would be in favor of making that aspect a good place to apply some "cuts" in the funding thereof - and the quicker the better.
Louise W. Spangler
Elliston
A grudge toward downtown Blacksburg
I believe it is the responsibility of the mayor, the Town Council and the town manager to establish a more equable way of controlling illegal parking in Blacksburg.
I live in a university community and parking is not controlled by towing. Instead, parking permits are issued and tickets are given to illegal parkers. It appears that Blacksburg has set up a one-man monopoly so it doesn't have to bother with the problem.
I, for one, will never shop again in downtown Blacksburg. I am a part-time resident of Craig County and have shopped in downtown Blacksburg for more than 20 years - until I was towed. I did not think I was parked in an illegal parking space, and I was shopping in downtown. I am elderly and I had left my dog in the shade in the car. The taxi service was not operating. I could not walk the miles to Tek Tow's lot. Finally someone gave me a ride. I paid the fine and collected my car. The car was parked in full sun with the dog panting inside and every window closed. In addition, whoever parked the car had run it against a red car next to it and there were streaks of red paint on my front fender.
Being from out of town, it would have been expensive for me to file a lawsuit, but I can certainly bear a grudge - and I do. I will never shop in downtown Blacksburg again, and I will tell anyone who listens why.
When is your town government going to correct this situation? The money they get from giving out tickets could probably pay for a new library.
Anne H. Cutler
Williamsburg
School trash shows lessons untaught
One has to only look at their neighborhood school to see how, from top to bottom, the Montgomery County school system, from superintendents to teachers, is a disoriented, nonvalue-centered group.
Take a walk around the playground and school grounds of Gilbert Linkous Elementary School in Blacksburg. One day, out of curiosity, I began to count the trash from school lunches left on the playground. I stopped at 200. Scattered over Gilbert Linkous property were drink cartons, candy wrappers, straws, plastic containers, etc.
Who is responsible for allowing these students to litter without control? Is it parents? No, because if you walk down to the soccer field intersecting the school's property, you find an almost trash-free area, used mostly by families at soccer games. Therefore, it is school employees who allow these children to throw trash at their discretion without adult supervision. Teachers don't supervise, custodial staff ignore the grounds (when school began in August, the grass was at least a foot high) and principals are not reprimanding the adults responsible for these children. It is that simple.
I don't blame the school and teachers so much. They receive no moral support or positive reinforcement from a disjointed main office.
Our own neighborhood school may be ignoring the simplest of values and responsibilities - like learning to clean up after one's self. Adults should fulfill their responsibility to guide our children. That means everyone from our top officials to the ones with the most responsibility to guide our children - our teachers.
Jim Dooley
Blacksburg
LENGTH: Medium: 80 linesby CNB