DATE: Wednesday, June 11, 1997              TAG: 9706110008

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letters 

                                            LENGTH:  109 lines

LETTER TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

LAWSUIT

Why is Paula Jones harassing Clinton now?

I cannot understand why this young lady is trying to disgrace the president of the United States. This incident of sexual harassment, which allegedly took place in 1991 while Clinton was governor of Arkansas, should have been resolved while he was governor.

If Paula Jones was a local, state or federal employee, her complaint should have gone through proper channels, like everybody else.

Larry Cherry

Virginia Beach, June 5, 1997

NORFOLK

Help your community, elect a new council

My frustration with politicians is easily stirred. However, your June 4 article on Norfolk ``rewarding'' proactive communities has raised my voice several octaves.

I thought we taxpayers had shown some responsibility already. It's called paying taxes, something we do frequently. My suggestion would be to show the entire council the door and limit the terms of new council members to two terms. Somehow people lose perspective when they are elected to office, and it only gets worse with tenure. Randy Wright, of tax-reform fame, embraces a new cigarette tax, and ``sometime'' Norfolk resident Conoly Phillips wants to lecture us taxpayers on responsibility.

We need a new City Council that can spend our money wisely rather than one that looks to blame the folks who pay the bills.

John E. Parker

Norfolk, June 4, 1997

NATIVE AMERICANS

State should honor treaty with Mattaponi

Concerning the Mattaponi Indians' opposition to plans for a Newport News reservoir, based on a 1677 treaty:

The state government says the treaty's three-mile buffer is no good now because no killing has gone on, so they do not have to honor that part.

The native people are the true people of this land, not us. These people helped us white invaders learn how to survive and they get paid back by one lie after another.

The Mattaponi have honored their part of the treaty for 320 years. Our state government should also honor its part of the treaty, learning from the example set by their Native American brothers and sisters.

Karen L. Conner

Virginia Beach, June 5, 1997

VIRGINIA BEACH

Teen skateboarding is a healthy diversion

Give the skateboarders some place to skate. On those boards they are venting a lot of energy and satisfying their love of courting danger. Skateboarding is an outlet for many urges that teen-agers have.

When skateboarding, they are busy doing something besides smoking, drinking or playing with guns and shooting somebody.

How about building a place on that lot at 31st Street and Oceanfront, and charging admission for people to come and watch these dare-devils perform?

It is less expensive to the city of Virginia Beach to build a place for youngsters to be busy having fun than it is to take care of delinquent youths.

Katherine Hubbard

Virginia Beach, June 3, 1997

VIRGINIA BEACH

It's wrong place for veterinary hospital

I have followed the building of a veterinary clinic on South Birdneck Road for several reasons.

The area across from the proposed site is inhabited mostly by whites, so I guess this would make it a white neighborhood, despite all the uninformed rhetoric that has been passed around.

I am also a horse owner, living in Blackwater, far from a wealthy community. If Councilwoman Strayhorn would venture to the southern part of Virginia Beach, she would be able to make knowledgable statements about Pungo and Blackwater.

Despite all the mistruths, I am against a veterinary hospital off of South Birdneck Road. The thought of trying to turn into the proposed area with a horse trailer is unnerving. It is a two-lane road with countless blind curves.

Gloria K. Jasinowski

Virginia Beach, June 4, 1997

JAMESTOWN

Let our ancestors' bones rest in peace

Have we no respect for the graves of our forefathers?

I refer to the June 1 article, ``Team reconstructs Jamestown settler's face from his bones.'' What gives us the right to exhume our ancestor's bones and play with the pieces simply to find out what this gentleman looked like? Do we think that human beings have changed all that much in appearance in the last 350 years?

Jamestown is not exactly a prehistoric site, where we might expect to make some great anthropological discovery. I have ancestors among the Jamestown settlers. It distresses me to think that this could be the body of one of my great-great-grandparents being treated in such a manner.

Our families' graves are hallowed ground. Let the bones of our forebears rest in peace.

John H. Knibb Jr.

Chesapeake, June 3, 1997

NORFOLK

Call who???

You frantically dial good old 911 for help! A recording says, ``Sorry, your call cannot be answered now or in the future. All police officers are working elsewhere in higher-paying jobs so they can give their families a decent living. For assistance call City Council, Nauticus or Hooters. Have a nice day.''

Katie Gundrum

Norfolk, June 5, 1997

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