DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230010

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:   93 lines

LETTERS TO EDITOR -- THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

CAMPAIGN '97

Reform candidate

ignored by media

In all of the ads, articles and television coverage for the governor's race, I have only heard the name of Reform Party candidate Sue Harris DeBauche twice: once when she was not invited to participate in the candidates' debate, and once in Sunday's Portmouth Compass. .

Why is that? Is she not a legitimate candidate? Does she not have enough money in her campaign budget to attract your attention?

If she is a candidate for governor, she should be covered by the media in the same manner as the other two candidates. That is only fair, both to the public and to her.

Martha Blow

Portsmouth, Oct. 20, 1997

PORTSMOUTH

A loyal supporter

of Waters for sheriff

The Oct. 4 article, ``Sheriff admits using office for campaign,'' said employees use personal time for election work. That's correct!

I support Gary W. Waters in his bid for re-election because he is my sheriff. I wear his re-election button proudly. I help put up campaign signs and make donations because it is my choice to do so.

Five years ago, I applied to every law-enforcement office in Hampton Roads. Waters gave me a chance to be a member of his team. I will do everything I can to help my sheriff win re-election in November. Oh, and it will be on my own time.

Thomas H Stice Sr.

Portsmouth sheriffs' office

Portsmouth, Oct. 7, 1997

HIGHWAY SAFETY

Speeders? Tailgaters?

Hit 'em in the wallet

I wonder if applying the lessons learned from Skinner and Pavlov would help correct Hampton Roads' bad driving habits - speeding, reckless driving, tailgating, speeding in work zones.

Say the state police saturate a different stretch of highway throughout the week, giving out costly citations by the bundle. Over time, I think that constant negative stimuli would lighten the old wallet enough to provide that desired response.

Richard G. Bulgin

Virginia Beach, Oct. 19, 1997

NORFOLK

Stranded after opera,

no help from police

Returning to my car after a Sunday performance of ``Madame Butterfly'' at the Harrison Opera House, I discovered that my two left tires were nearly flat. I drove to the nearest service station, where I found another vehicle, which had been parked along the same street, in the same predicament.

While five people dressed in suits, ties and/or dresses frantically searched for quarters for the air dispenser at this closed service station, one of Norfolk's finest drove by and pulled into the 7-Eleven across the street. As we had now discovered that the tires had been punctured in the sidewalls, one of the ladies crossed to the 7-Eleven to purchase a can of tire sealant. She advised the policeman of the apparent vandalism and our dilemma. He was obviously not interested in either. When she asked him how to use the tire-repair can, he replied, ``Read the instructions.''

Is this what the Norfolk Police Department calls service to the community? Even we non-detectives figured out that an attempt was being made to strand someone for a possible subsequent crime.

Let's hope that if our wives are stranded with car problems after shopping at MacArthur Center mall, they don't have to rely on the assistance of this officer.

Ronald L. Williams

Virginia Beach, Oct. 14, 1997

CHESAPEAKE

Fire Chief Bolac

deserves our praise

I am writing in response to your news article about Chief Michael Bolac's retirement from the Chesapeake Fire Department.

Michael Bolac did so much for the city of Chesapeake and did not deserve what he got in return. He brought the Fire Department from a ``good ole boy'' regime to one that was well-run and physically fit. He replaced rocking chairs and pool tables in the fire stations with physical fitness equipment and continuing education for the firemen. He strove for equality in his department.

Your reporters could have written far more about his achievements than they did about his problems. I encourage all those folks who really know Chief Bolac to come forward and help The Virginian-Pilot tell the whole story.

Jacquelynn F. Baker

Chesapeake, Oct. 7, 1997

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