The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia (2024)

lamed LETTI Roanoke Valley BUCHANAN MOSLEY, David 19, died Monday. Funeral Thursday at 11 a.m., Springwood Baptist Church. Arrangements by Rader Funeral Home, Buchanan. EAGLE ROCK HAYMAKER, Elmer died Tuesday. Arrangements by Eagle Rock Funeral Home.

New River Valley BLACKSBURG POTTER, Loraine Ellen (Mrs. Lawrence 61, died Tuesday. Arrangements by Hoy-McCoy Funeral Home. PEARISBURG LINDSEY, Ossie Sadler, 87, died Tuesday. Funeral Thursday at 2 p.m., Givens Funeral Chapel, Pearisburg.

PULASKI LEWIS, Leverna, 83, died Sunday. Funeral Thursday at 2 p.m., United Holiness Church, Pulaski. Arrangements by Penn's Funeral Home. RADFORD FOWLER, Virginia Lyons, 66, died Tuesday. Funeral Thursday at 10 a.m., DeVilbiss Funeral Home Chapel.

Bedford-FranklinSmith Mountain Lake BEDFORD KIRKWOOD, Bessie Terrel, 92, died Sunday. Funeral Wednesday at 11 a.m., Thaxton Baptist Church. Arrangements by Updike Funeral Home, Bedford. MARSH, Marvin Adair, 79, died Tuesday. Graveside service Friday at 11 a.m., Oakwood Cemetery.

Arrangements by Carder-Tharp Funeral Home, Bedford. CALLAWAY SMITH, I Ruth 86, died Monday. Arrangements by Stanfield Mortuary Service, Rocky Mount. ROCKY MOUNT FRALIN, James C. "J.C.", 67, died Tuesday.

Arrangements by Stanfield Mortuary Service, Rocky Mount. ROBERTSON, Herbert Dillard "Hubie," 93, died Tuesday. Funeral Thursday at 2 p.m., Arrington-Bus- sey Funeral Home Chapel, Rocky Mount. State BROADFORD TAYLOR, Howard 66, brother of Mrs. Bowen (Sadie) Shrader of Roanoke, died Tuesday.

Funeral Thursday at 2 p.m., Roberts Chapel United Methodist Church. Arrangements by Henderson Funeral Home, Saltville. CHILHOWIE DOWELL, Carrie Poe, 83, died Monday. Funeral Thursday at 2 p.m., Chilhowie Baptist Church. Arrangements by Newberry Funeral Home, Chilhowie.

COVINGTON BROWN, Charles Franklin, 70, died Tuesday. Arrangements by Loving Funeral Home. LANDIS, Gail Andrew, 74, died Monday. Funeral Thursday at 4 p.m., Loving Funeral Home Chapel. LEXINGTON TOOTHMAN, Pearl 71, died Tuesday.

Memorial service Friday at 2 p.m., Lomax Funeral ChaMEADOWVIEW DUNCAN, John Wallace, 72, died Tuesday. Funeral Thursday at 2 p.m., Farris Funeral Chapel, Abingdon. RICHLANDS LINDSEY, Stella Crabtree, 97, died Tuesday. Memorial service Friday at 11 a.m., Richlands Presbyterian Church. Arrangements by Hurst-Scott Funeral Home, Richlands.

RICHMOND ALDRICH, Irene 68, formerly of Roanoke and Franklin County, died Tuesday. Funeral Thursday at 11 a.m., Lynch Funeral Home Chapel, Rocky Mount. STUART FOSTER, Nina Turner, 81, died Tuesday. Funeral Friday at 2 p.m., Moody Funeral Home Chapel. TAZEWELL BLACK, Elizabeth Steel, 83, died Monday.

Graveside service today at 2 p.m., Maplewood Cemetery, Tazewell. Arrangements by Peery St. Clair Funeral Home. Out-of-state MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. HOUCH, Huntley Brackett, formerly of Roanoke, died Monday.

"I may have made an error in judgment the first time. I may be making it the second time," Michael told Croy. "But let me assure you, I won't the third time." Associated Press Associated Press kebab, so I guess we'll keep him as a pet," Utz said. MADISON A cattle farmer According to Guinness, the hopes his 16-pound calf enters the smallest calf was born in South Book of World Records" ca in August 1972. It weighed 17 as the smallest ever born.

pounds, 10 ounces. Gumdrop weighs a pound less The largest calf was born in than the smallest live calf listed in Britain in 1961 and weighed 225 the record book. The pint-sized An- pounds. gus sleeps in a laundry basket and is Utz said most of his newborn fed with a baby bottle. calves weigh between 80 and 90 The calf was born in a pasture pounds.

Sunday, about one month prema- "I've never seen one that small ture but apparently healthy, a veteri- alive," veterinarian Matt Graves narian said. said. Farmer Paul Utz whisked the calf off to the scales had its Gumdrop might have been part notarized the of a multiple birth, Graves said. But Monday, weight and sent mate- when Utz found the calf rial off to Guinness' offices. mother and its several hours after the birth Utz said he planned to raise the he could find no evidence of other calf for beef, but now will milk the calves.

publicity instead. Monday, the tiny calf wobbled "This little guy wouldn't make on spindly legs and stuck close to its much more than a mouthful of shish 850-pound mother. An 850-pound Angus nuzzles her pint-sized offspring. Warning: Problems growing Neil Peirce calls it the shift and shaft policy. He says it will make the next decade a financial challenge for cities, towns and counties.

Faced with huge budget deficits, the federal government has shifted responsibility for many programs to state and local governments. In the process, it has cut millions of dollars in federal aid. In turn, the states have encountered additional money problems because of the recession. And they have shifted programs to localities and reduced their aid. Local governments get shafted because they can't shift funding responsibility, said Peirce, a nationally syndicated columnist on state and local government affairs.

The money problems for cities, towns and counties are only "a prelude to what is coming in the 1990s," Peirce predicted Tuesday at the Virginia Municipal League's annual conference in Roanoke. "It is all going to hurt badly because you are the bottom of the barrel," he told the mayors, council members and other local-government officials. "Congress passes mandates to the states and the states pass mandates to localities. The picture is not a pretty one." As the financial pressures mount on cities, Peirce said, he sees a danger of a class war between cities and suburbs. The money problems could be so intense that they might require regional solutions and the restructuring of local government, he said.

"It is likely to be one of the toughest decades ahead, but there will be an opportunity to redesign and remake local governments," Peirce said. He suggested establishing regional governmental authorities to help deal with problems that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, another speaker at the efforts to address disparities in educational funding simply by redistributing existing state aid among jurisdictions.

league adopted a legislative wish list for the 1992 General Assembly that says "the biggest problem facing local governments is fiscal stress." The league again will ask the legislature to give localities the right adopt a half-cent local-option sales tax in addition to the 1-cent sales tax they have now. Milliken said the proposal is only a proposal, adding that local officials will have the opportunity to make their views known before any decision is made. He said the plan will be aired at public hearings around the state next month and then reviewed by Gov. Douglas Wilder, who will decide whether to include it in a legislative package for the 1992 session of the General Assembly. "I know how strapped local governments are, but I want to start a dialogue," Milliken said.

In return for paying 20 percent of the cost for roads, local governments would have more authority to spend highway maintenance funds, set truck routes, put up traffic signs and set speed limits. Milliken's plan also would create a state Department of Rail and Public Transportation, using existing staff from the Department of Transportation, to put public transportation on an equal organizational footing with highways. Milliken's proposal surprised some officials at the conference who said they would appreciate a greater role in transportation decisions, but that the cost would be a hardship. Other highlights of the municipal league's legislative program: conference, appealed for the support of local officials when the state's economic recovery plan is unveiled in November. Beyer, chairman of the Virginia Economic Recovery Commission, said the plan is likely to be controversial, but it is needed.

"I ask you to be full partners to help make this plan work," he said. The state's economy has been hurt badly by the recession and other developments in recent years, he said. Thirty-five percent of the jobs in the coalfields in Southwest Virginia have been lost, and manufacturing jobs have been cut in Southside Virginia. Reductions in defense spending could hurt Tidewater and Northern Virginia. Beyer said the state and localities need to make.

a greater investment in infrastructure improve. ments such as water and sewer lines, transporta-, tion facilities and other projects that help encourage business growth. Beyer said he realizes that local governments are facing severe financial problems, but "the lesson is that we've got to do more with less." Ray Garland, a newspaper columnist and former member of the General Assembly, told the audience that the next decade will be dominated by a politics of greed and despair because of the economic downturn and the rising costs for health care and other services. "It is a strange political system where we send money to Washington and Richmond and then hell trying to get it back," Garland said. Despite the financial pressures, Garland said; he doesn't foresee any major reorganization of local governments in Virginia.

"That is a pipe dream," he said. Rather than pursuing grandiose plans for major changes in local government, he suggested that officials should seek sense proposals" such as uniform cigarette and meals taxes in all localities and a uniform local income tax. legislation to make carrying a concealed weapon a felony instead of a misdemeanor. Part of the revenue from the' nue should not be reduced or be used as a replacement for any other state funding for local governments, the league said. I Increased funding for educa- Part of the revenue from the' the league said.

tion, including the state's share of I Legislation to allow localities state lottery be distributed to cities, No new state mandates for the standards of equality for to prohibit the carrying of loaded towns and counties beginning with localities without state funds to schools. The league said it opposes firearms on streets and in cars and the next budget cycle. Lottery reve- cover the full cost. Tax that restaurateur money is belongs just to a the city; collection the failed is embezzlement, the merchant which charged carries with a the was money, making sincere efforts to pay agent." maximum punishment of 20 years. "A lot of these people are not FROM PAGE B1 Dana Long, the city's tax com- But that hasn't kept some de- criminals," Lumsden said.

"They said ran into problems because of the in a trust fund and turned over to pliance administrator, filing attorneys complaining bad economy or bad business decifense from the city each month. criminal charges usually is the about the practice of filing felony sions, but that doesn't render them last of involve step in a series of efforts to collect charges in what they say should be a ple who personal peo- the money. non-criminal collection process. Although city officials mainMany the cases are suffering or business-related financial prob- Other alternatives include "It's nothing more than a tain that merchants are commiting charging late fees, filing civil judg- heavy-handed collection effort," a crime when they fail to deliver the lems. ments, seeking garnishments and said Lumsden, Roanoke money, they also Gary a say they prosecute.

would "Apparently it's relatively easy setting up payment plans, Long lawyer who represents Murphy. rather paid than to convince yourself that you can "We'd much rather take the use these funds, because they're Lumsden said his client was payment than have to go through a said. right there," Anthony said. "But Only after all other efforts have indicted unexpectedly at a time he court proceeding," Long said. Kids Sept.

19 superintendents: letter to PTA leaders and of Council people who president. promise "We're just all these leery have met Stockburger with was supposed "become to us parents to "The foundation has been wonderful things." more aware of the perception" and FROM PAGE B1 plagued from the beginning, with "There were too many then do something to change it, Tota what we perceive as a suspicious said Denise Reedy, William Flem- wrote. "I believe that despite all the None of that happened. and, at least, negative attitude to- ing High School PTA vice president. hours you have spent, neither of Coupon books never were ward the project.

The one ele- Marsha Ellison, Raleigh Court Ele- these happened." printed and Partners in Excellence ment our board did not anticipate mentary School PTA president, said Roanoke "will no longer partichas no money. was the resounding lack of enthusi- Stockburger thrust the Kids First ipate in the Partners in Excellence "It's been extremely frustrat- by both administration and idea PTAs at the last minute program, which for the past six years on and has ing," Stockburger said. after they already had set up fund- Tota basically accomplished little," wrote. Now, Stockburger has post- Debra Holdren, Roanoke raisers for the 1991-92 school year. Partners in Excellence voted poned the plan until spring.

In doing burger "got off on a bad foot" by And Roanoke Superintendent last month to shelve Kids First and County PTA president, said Stockso, he blamed the program's failure bringing the idea to administrators Frank Tota shot back at Stockburger re-evaluate it in April. Stockburger on Roanoke Superintendent Frank first and would last week with a letter of his own. said that even if he rejuvenates the Tota, Roanoke County Superinten- PTAs expecting they en- Tota said he was surprised by Stock- plan, things probably won't get undent Bayes Wilson and PTA groups courage insulted PTA members be- burger's letter and disappointed that der way until September, which is to participate. That in both the city and county. He said some Partners in Excellence had raised no the best time they "are not dictated to by six enthusiasm is high at the money beginning because to raise cause the only support was from Salem.

the administration." Besides that, money in its years. In reply, PTA leaders have said the plan was too vague, Holdren Part of the problem was that year. of the school it was Stockburger's fault that the said. parents feared businesses were inter- In the meantime, "the partnerplan blame he they them. "I resent the implication that ested more in in "advertising them- zation looking for a cause," Stockfailed and resented the ship, in general, is sort of an organiplaced on the problem is with the PTAs," said selves" than helping parents and burger said.

"It's kind of It started with Stockburger's Pat Witten, Roanoke PTA Central children, Tota wrote. Tota identified four distinct habitats the river, the forest along the river's edge, the upland forest, and a large meadow some of them with delicate ecosystems. The action the board took Tuesday sets aside six specific sites a 300-hundred-foot buffer around the park, plus five others as "natural areas" where construction and roads are prohibited. They encompass most of the sensitive habitats along the river, Road FROM PAGE B1 Wild FROM PAGE B1 By JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER but leave open the land where Explore seeks to build its zoo, frontier town and Native American exhibits. And that's just a start, Cutler says.

Through the fall and spring, Virginia Tech professors and students will be conducting a formal scientific study of the Explore site to identify any other, smaller, parts of it that should be set aside. "We'll know better then where the unusual plants and animals are located," Cutler says. Eventually, Cutler says Ewert's promise twat 80 percent of the park's land would be left untouched will be formalized, perhaps by deeding the development rights to a third party such as the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. Meanwhile, Explore has taken several other steps to quiet critics. After a meeting with preservationists last month, Explore staffers are reviewing their plans for the proposed frontier village to see if they can come up with a new design that makes the town more historically accurate.

And Tuesday, the Explore board approved an agreement that gives the National Park Service effective veto power over anything the park builds within sight of the access road that will connect the Blue Ridge Parkway with Explore. It was a promise the park service wanted before starting work on the road. Explore hadn't planned to build anything there anyway, so it was an easy promise to make, but Cutler hopes a symbolic one. "This represents a clear shift, a new approach to planning and design at Explore," Cutler said. "I think we've taken the steps that need to be taken to answer critics that development the park would damage This the environment off the park.

will lay lightly on the land.".