DATE: Wednesday, November 5, 1997           TAG: 9711050004
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B10  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:  124 lines

LETTERS TO EDITOR -- THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

OCEANA

Proud of the jets,

dismayed by gripes

When I read the headlines for Monday, Oct. 27 (``Finding a home for 180 F/A 18s''), I could not help becoming dismayed at the people of Virginia Beach. I feel proud to look up in the sky and see our military planes on patrol and in training. I really do not know why the residents get so upset at the noise.

Oceana was established long before anyone lived in its vicinity. If they did not want to hear the noise, the residents should have considered that before purchasing their residences.

Sell your property to someone who appreciates our military.

Rita Antonucci

Chesapeake, Oct. 27, 1997

EDUCATION

Don't put down

PTA fund-raisers . . .

In response to Carol Mallory's Oct. 14 letter, ``This mom will pass on selling gummy worms'':

If it weren't for the hard work and fund-raisers on behalf of the PTA, our children wouldn't receive the extras they get. Extras such as Young Audiences, which could cost as much as $1,500, and labels for student recognition - honor roll and perfect attendance.

This year our school went with uniforms or color-coded clothes. The PTA paid for clothes for some students in need, agenda books, locks for lockers and some of the cost for our assistant principals to go to conventions to learn how to better educate our students. The PTA also sent needy students to summer schools and paid for new and sharpened pencils for all students taking the L.P.T. and Stanford Tests.

Ms. Mallory says to raise the PTA dues or ask for donations. Our PTA dues are only $3. We have close to 900 students and only 225 PTA members, 100 of whom are teachers. Does that not tell you anything about how involved our parents are?

Bobbi Monell

PTA president

Cradock Middle School

Portsmouth, Oct. 14, 1997

. . . but don't raise

money without a cause

About PTA fund raising: Woodstock Elementary PTA sponsors a major fund-raiser every other year as a compromise with national PTA guidelines. We're still able to sponsor arts and after-school programs, provide funding for field trips, refreshments for chorus and strings-program participants, and appreciation day treats for our faculty and staff.

While I don't fault any PTA that raises funds, I do feel some PTAs continue fund raising because it's a tradition. Let's take a stand against massive fund raising with no specific purpose. No one wants to promote an activity that could put children in danger.

Better yet, let's encourage our City Council, which holds the purse strings for school funding, to provide adequate funding for all children so the pressure is off PTAs.

Carol Bluestein

Virginia Beach, Oct. 16, 1997

Put all bake sales

on back burner

Staff members at a veteran's hospital plan to hold a bake sale to raise money for a new dental drill, and members of Congress are insulted. How ironic that those responsible for the funding of our national defense are not equally outraged at fund-raisers to purchase comparable tools for the education of our children.

Daily our students, their parents, teachers and other interested citizens are pressing wrapping paper, candles, chocolates, etc., upon neighbors, family and friends. Even worse, those schools that do not have a dedicated core of parent volunteers do without.

We must all begin to speak out forcefully for adequate funding of our schools. When we all work toward that end, test scores will soar, performance will improve, the demand for a well-trained work force will be met - and fund-raisers will not be necessary.

Gail C. Pittman

Portsmouth, Oct. 23, 1997

LEGAL SYSTEM

Court-appointed attorneys

make many sacrifices

I read with interest your Oct. 18 editorial commentary on the pay caps of court-appointed attorneys in Virginia. Knowing Fay Spence, I thought her quote created a misimpression about her practices as an attorney. She affirmed what I knew from experience to be true, that she has never pressured a client to ``take a plea bargain'' because the case was taking too much time. But she says she believes the present system leads to the possibility of some attorneys doing such a thing.

As you wrote in a 1995 article, court-appointed attorneys often have to use their own funds to pay for the defense of their client. This includes handwriting experts, collect calls from the client, parking fees, postage, copies and the cost of a support staff. When a case is appealed numerous times, the costs can easily outweigh what is paid to the attorney.

Thank you for emphasizing the inequity in the present pay system for court-appointed attorneys, but don't distort the records of attorneys like Ms. Spence who have personally sacrificed in order to fulfill their ethical obligations.

Kathy A. McCauley

Legal assistant

Norfolk, Oct. 22, 1997

INSURANCE RATES

Don't pick on

good SUV drivers

Concerning your Oct. 18 article, ``Some drivers get insurance shock'':

Insurance rates increase every year, no matter what type of vehicle you have, so why should owners of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) or large pickups be singled out for an even higher rate?

We own a SUV-Ford Expedition, and a pickup F-150. Two of the reasons we own them are towing power and safety. The height increases my line of vision, and the weight increases the overall handling and stability of the vehicle. I feel that my two grandchildren are safer in my Expedition than in an Escort or even a Buick Riviera.

Are Lincoln Town Car owners going to be paying that higher rate, too?

Even if there were no SUVs or pickups, I would not feel safe in a small car. I really don't feel safe in a midsize car either. Don't send my insurance rates soaring because of some careless, irresponsible person who gets behind the wheel of this vehicle, gets in an accident and hurts people.

Patricia B. Ellis

Suffolk, Oct. 19, 1997

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