ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 21, 1997 TAG: 9702210010
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
Valley vista needs no improvement
AS I HAVE flown into the Roanoke Valley over the years, I have always been struck by how favorably it compares to the dramatic scenery I've just observed in some lovely part of the world. It's always the bowl of mountains the valley is in and the endless ridges in the distance that catch my attention, never a man-made structure.
The individuals who seem to want to develop this incomparable valley at breakneck speed seem not to truly view this overpowering backdrop that we're blessed with. I've asked myself over and over: Do they realize what they are selling, or, it appears at times, giving away? Is everything equated by the dollar syndrome? Are they so hollow that they only attach an economic worth to the land? If this is the guideline, I feel great sympathy for our coming generations.
Most officials stress that they are interested in citizen input. Perhaps I've just overlooked the letters to the editor in favor of developing Mill Mountain. It appears that most letters are begging officials to leave it as it is.
Elected and appointed officials love using the term ``visionary,'' as if that endows them with the right to speak without question for the citizens. To quote Theodore Roosevelt, a man who was a true visionary: ``Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.''
PATRICIA MANKIN
FINCASTLE
Need a bridge? Take Roanoke's
SINCE Virginia Tech wants to build a costly walkway bridge between its library and a future study-hall building, it would help the public purse if we gave or sold our $7 million bridge in front of Hotel Roanoke to Tech.
The sketch in your Feb. 9 Virginia section shows the proposed Tech walkway bridge to be almost a duplicate of our Hotel Roanoke bridge. So, how about dismantling our bridge and hauling it to Blacksburg? And the sooner it's done, the better, so that we can once again see the main entrance to our famous hotel from Jefferson Street and Norfolk Avenue
Since almost noboby seems to use our bridge, it's evident that we don't need it. Every time I look at it, it's either empty or has only one or two folks walking through it. I still think the placing of the office tower and the hotel bridge were the two worst landscaping and architectural blunders in our bailiwick in my lifetime.
Moving our bridge to Tech would save the public the expense of constructing a second such bridge there. I doubt it would cost the millions to move it as it would to build anew.
HOSKINS MALLORY SCLATER
ROANOKE
Legislation won't reduce abortions
THE PASSAGE of the parental-notification bill by the Virginia Senate (Feb. 4 news article, ``Abortion foes win 1 battle'') may seem like a victory to the anti-choice minority in this state. But if we all will look beyond our own self-righteousness and prejudices, we will see that this bill effectively signs a death sentence for young Virginia women.
In this state, most young women under age 18 who have abortions - 85 percent to 90 percent - do notify their parents. So the passage of this bill will have very little effect, if any, concerning the actual number of abortions performed. Nor will it address the real problems surrounding teen-age pregnancy.
But the life and health of the other 10 percent to 15 percent of these young women will be at grave risk. Please don't assume that they come only from unstable and/or abusive homes. What about the young woman who is so compassionate that she cannot imagine hurting her parents by telling them of her pregnancy? Will she turn to a judge? I think not!
Teen-agers aren't adults, and no matter what kind of home they come from, they don't think and reason as adults. They will risk their own lives by seeking illegal and unsafe procedures, or may even resort to the unthinkable by adult standards - suicide.
Anti-choice supporters may be feeling smug and self-satisfied now. But the statistics will prove that this measure will not reduce the number of abortions performed in this state. It will serve only to severely disrupt, and even end, the lives of young Virginia women.
SUSAN KING
BLACKSBURG
Action could have been taken sooner
CONCERNING news articles about Valery Green and the 108 dogs and 57 cats:
We have laws governing kennel operators. So why wasn't this situation checked out before it became so serious?
There are many people who keep animals who cannot afford to keep or maintain them. To me, this is cruel treatment of animals. Nothing is done about a lot of these cases. Excuses are made because the person is old (good excuse) or the city or county doesn't want to take care of the problem, so it continues.
Green can pay the bill for the animals by selling her property. Better still, her fine should cover it nicely.
Maybe when complaints come in, more attention will be paid to them. Then the Greens of the world cannot operate.
JEANNE MOORE
SALEM
LENGTH: Medium: 100 linesby CNB