ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 10, 1997 TAG: 9701100073
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
The greens were white at the Blacksburg Municipal Golf Course Thursday, which was just fine with the sledders skidding from the fourth hole down to the eighth fairway.
Chuckie Hoover, 13, shared the hill with nine other students who got a snow day when 2 to 4 inches of sleet, freezing rain and snow closed all of the New River Valley schools in the region's first major storm of the year.
Hoover said the best part of the winter weather was getting out of school, in particular, Blacksburg Middle School where he is a student. Hoover said he was hoping for more snow today, but not a specific amount.
"I want as much as possible," he said with a grin topped with a cherry-colored nose.
Jan Jackson, meteorologist in the Blacksburg office of the National Weather Service, said Hoover's wish might have come true overnight. Snow showers and much colder temperatures - in the 20s - were predicted. Today, Jackson said, highs in the upper 30s and a partly sunny sky will melt much of what had covered the ground.
The icy roads caused two truckers to lose control of their tractor-trailers on Interstate 81 about two miles before the Ironto exit as they slid into ditches. A Virginia State Police spokesman said one of the trucks overturned, but neither accident involved injuries.
Despite the many fender benders and the generally slower pace the weather caused, some people could not have been happier, unless, of course, Thursday's storm had turned into a repeat of the near-blizzard of '95.
"Last year was a good year," said Don Page, referring to the 2-foot-plus snowfall that kept many Southwest Virginians indoors and off the roads. Page was driving his delivery route in Christiansburg and Blacksburg Thursday and enjoying every minute.
He said he couldn't wait until he got to drive home to his private, unplowed road in Roanoke County that he hoped was not only snow-, but ice-covered.
"My biggest complaint is the lack of snow," Page said in a thick accent. "Other than that, I love living here."
Page, who grew up in Brooklyn and later moved to Carmel, N.Y., took up residence near Dixie Caverns nine years ago. As he worked, Page reminisced about the good old days in New York when 2 feet of snow wasn't enough to close school.
"It's an attitude," he said, "you have to respect the stuff."
Hal Cansler, general manager and vice president of the Back Country store on U.S. 460 just south of Blacksburg, was glad to see the cooler temperatures.
"The warm weather last week slowed business, but we're seeing more people in here for ski rentals and clothes," Cansler said.
A.M. Vaden, a Montgomery County animal control officer, saw the weather with a dog's-eye view.
He said pet owners need to remember to take precautions for their pets' safety when winter takes hold. He offered the following tips: dogs eat more when its cold, so fill their food bowls more often; also check water bowls of outside dogs to make sure the water is not frozen; provide shelter for dogs and make sure it includes a place for them to get their paws on a dry surface; and make sure large dog houses with big openings have heavy coverings (such as carpet) to provide a wind break.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Alan Kim. Hillcrest Drive in Blacksburg serves as anby CNBideal sled-riding slope for neighborhood kids on Thursday. color.