THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996            TAG: 9601240012
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   32 lines

TREES AREN'T AT FAULT ON SHORE DRIVE

The Virginia Beach City Council, in a misguided effort to protect drunks and irresponsible teenagers from themselves, will cut down many trees along Shore Drive. I understand that these accidents are a result of either drunken driving, speeding, ghost driving or idiots grabbing the steering wheel from the driver. Let's face it: For normal people driving responsibly, Shore Drive is a safe, scenic, attractive stretch of road.

City Council needs to resist the temptation that it needs to ``do something.'' I respect Councilman Dean, who was the only one to honestly tell it like it is when he said, ``I don't see why we should spend good money cutting down trees to save drunks from themselves.''

Let's add up the pros and cons of trees along the road:

Pros: Trees provide beauty, serenity, shade, coolness and a home for wildlife. They enrich the atmosphere with oxygen, scavenge CO2, cut down on wind and prevent soil erosion and rainwater runoff.

Cons: Drunks drive into them.

City Council should take a citywide referendum and find out how monumentally unpopular this decision really is.

SADIE M. MUNFORD

Virginia Beach, Jan. 17, 1996 by CNB