DATE: Thursday, October 2, 1997             TAG: 9709300115

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 11   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   71 lines

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - NORFOLK

I was greatly disturbed by Scott McCaskey's article ``Corn feast perilous for pesky raccoons.'' Such a piece virtually glorifying the trapping and subsequent killing of these delightful creatures has no place in a newspaper that seeks to promote environmental responsibility.

For years, my husband and I have been landscaping to encourage and attract wildlife - all wildlife. We have been privileged to share our small yard with a menagerie of animals, including birds, butterflies, toads, squirrels, opossums, rabbits, turtles, snakes and raccoons.

One of the most unfortunate results of Robert Hanna's war on raccoons is that he is spreading his paranoia to his neighbors, especially to children. Our children need to learn to respect and peacefully coexist with the other creatures with whom we share the Earth, not to annihilate them if they prove ``inconvenient.''

Coexisting with wildlife in the city can be challenging, but the rewards gained from appreciating the wonders of nature far outweigh the perceived problems. Give it a try, Mr. Hanna.

Sharon H. Puryear

Galveston Boulevard

Champs and heroes Champs and heros

This letter is to congratulate the Norfolk firemen. On Sept. 5, 6 and 7, they participated in the IAFF Muscular Dystrophy Softball Tournament in Maryland. They won the ``over 40'' championship.

Last year, the tournament made $1 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

We owe these fine people a great deal of thanks and appreciation for all they do for us each and every day. They are the bravest and nicest people I know. I am proud and honored to be able to say that they are my friends. Let's hear it for ``my heroes,'' the ``over 40'' group in the Norfolk Fire Department. You're not getting older, you're getting better.

Grace Addison

Inwood Court ODU staffers care

As you sit and read your daily newspapers, do you often wonder what has happened to our society? From the nightly episode of neighborhood violence to the latest elements of ``road rage,'' it just seems that the ``I's'' have taken control. Well, I am happy to report that Denise Colver and Rowland Harrison on the staff of Old Dominion University are not part of the ``I do not give a damn'' or ``I'' society.

Recently, my sister was jogging near ODU. We are still not sure exactly what happened, but as she was running she had a seizure. As Denise was walking out of the Hughes Building, she noticed two students standing over a young lady lying flat on the grass. Denise approached the students and inquired about the young woman's condition. Noticing that she was in need of immediate medical attention, she ran into her office and called for assistance.

At the same time, Rowland ran out of the office to be with my sister until the paramedics arrived. Aware by my sister's actions that she was in serious condition, he tried to give her all the comfort he could afford her under the circumstances, including, I might add, holding her hand.

My sister is still in guarded condition, but on the road to recovery. There is very little doubt that the unselfish actions of Denise Colver and Rowland Harrison and the rapid response of the Norfolk Emergency Paramedic Team are directly responsible for my sister being with us today. They are truly modern day heroes of the type that are becoming an endangered species in today's out of step society.

Keep the faith Norfolk, there are still many wonderful people as Denise and Rowland who become involved, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.

Cmdr. T.E. McKnight

Portsmouth, R.I.

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