ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 28, 1997 TAG: 9703280026
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
`Miss Rosa' was no role model
I READ IN amazement and disgust the March 14 news article, "`Miss Rosa' was loved, will be missed," which spoke of the passing of Lake Erie Downing.
Let's face it: He was a prostitute.
Was the purpose of this article to glorify the life of a person who snubbed the laws and moral fabric of this community? What did this guy do for the betterment of Roanoke? Did he help with the jobless rate? I assume he performed a few jobs in his life, but I doubt he created an economy that even helped pay for his own improvement.
Did he point our children in the right direction? I doubt if he bought Girl Scout cookies or became a Big Brother or Big Sister to anyone.
So why was such a long article written on someone who you would have crucified if you had found him working in a day-care center or running for public office? And the 350 people at his funeral? Were they family, friends, customers or Roanoke Times employees? Was the goal to push Roanoke Mayor David Bowers and City Council to proclaim a day in March as ``Miss Rosa" day?
When you informed us that your format was changing to include more stories about real folks, ``many of them people like you,'' I wanted to see what kind of people you thought made up our community. Now I feel slandered!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not kicking dirt on anyone's grave. But I'd bet everything I have that the majority of the parents in Roanoke wouldn't want their children to follow in Downing's shoes.
JAMES RATCLIFFE
ROANOKE
Hokie players are gentlemen
ON BEHALF of the Orange Bowl Committee, I want to say that all Virginians should be proud of the fine group of young gentlemen that visited us this past Orange Bowl season.
During 18 years of working with the Orange Bowl, I haven't been associated with a finer group of young men. They displayed themselves with outstanding character and stature as the Hokie team. With all the adverse publicity that apparently has appeared in the local media, I wanted to point out what was observed by those of us on the committee who worked with Virginia Tech.
Not just a few but the entire team of young gentlemen participated in the 7 a.m. prayer breakfast that is held annually as part of the Orange Bowl Festival. More than 20 seniors visited a local hospital during their free time to brighten the day of sick children in our community. The team's hotel spokesmen said they wished that all their guests had the ``Southern manners'' these players exhibited during their stay.
Although the Tech team may not have won the football game, its members certainly are winners in the eyes of all of us on the Orange Bowl Committee.
CHRISTOPHER E. KNIGHT
Chairman, Orange Bowl Hospitality
MIAMI, FL
Everyone should do breast self-exams
REGARDING your March 5 Associated Press news article, ``Breast self-examination does little, study says'':
Don't you believe it! I found the lump in my breast by self-examination, and it never showed on a mammogram. The tumor was malignant.
Ladies and gents, I encourage you to do routine monthly breast self-examinations.
MARGARET A. WELLEFORD
SALEM
Honesty in meter-feeding
REGARDING your March 6 editorial, ``A fine way to treat a granny'':
I am sure granny doesn't realize when she stuffs the meters of dishonest parkers that she is depriving honest parkers of a chance to park and do an honest hour's shopping.
I am sure most of us have had the pleasure of having some honest parker pull out of a space just ahead of us, especially after we have circled the block a few times looking for a place to park.
LENORA V. WILLIAMS
ROANOKE
LENGTH: Medium: 82 linesby CNB