THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506180132
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
As visiting Bosnian journalist Sanja Omanovic spilled out her grim story of life in besieged Sarajevo, Sherman Edmondson was overwhelmed.
Edmondson, assistant director of codes compliance for the city of Norfolk, is Omanovic's hostess during her stay in Hampton Roads.
``I asked her, `What is it that you need?' '' Edmondson said. ``And she said, `Light.' ''
The city is without electricity most of the time, and candles are expensive and dangerous.
Another thing Sarajevans crave, Omanovic said, is news.
``It's so hard to sit in a dark room and not be able to hear any news,'' she said. ``And that news can be very important - about fighting, about if we have gas. Many people die in gas explosions because they didn't know that the gas is in town again. . . . Five minutes of news can save somebody's life.''
The two women brainstormed the problem, and an inspiration was born.
``I thought, `Solar!' '' Edmondson said. ``That's a renewable source that no one can blow up.''
Tomorrow's World, a business in Hilltop Shopping Center, has agreed to supply solar lanterns and radios at cost: $55 each for the lanterns, $19 for the radios.
Edmondson's ambitious goal: a solar lantern for each of Sarajevo's 100,000 households.
The first group of six lanterns went out Friday with a shipment of vans loaded with medical supplies being shepherded to Sarajevo by Bob Hiner, a sheriff's officer from Grand Rapids, Mich.
``It's a drop in the bucket,'' Edmondson said, ``but it's a beginning.'' MEMO: Donations can be sent to Let There Be Light, Virginia, 1501 Lafayette
Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23509.
KEYWORDS: BOSNIA CIVIL WAR by CNB