i 0 4, 1996 FRIDAY 35 Cents MARTINSVILLE BULLETIN 412 Volume 107. No. 239 Martinsville, Virginia TODAY AREA School make up day set Henry County! students will attend school Oct. 11, previously scheduled as a teacher workday, to make up for a day when school was closed because of Tropical Storm Fran. The Henry County School Board approved a change to the calendar Thursday, noting that it would prefer to have students make up the missed day now, rather than at the end of the year.
Henry County School Superintendent J. David Martin also reminded the board that students are likely to miss days because of snow later in the school year, which also would have to be made up at the end of the year. VIRGINIA Mother faces sentencing WINCHESTER Prosecutors recommended a 14-year sentence for a mother accused of standing by while her daughter was beaten and starved. Wanda Smelser pleaded no contest to seconddegree murder in the death of 12-year-old Valerie Smelser. A Frederick County Circuit Court judge is to sentence Mrs.
Smelser today. Her plea in August averted a first -degree murder trial and a possible life sentence if convicted. The girl died in January 1995 after her mother's boyfriend. Norman Hoverter, beat her and threw her down a staircase because she spilled a cup she was forced to use as a toilet, prosecutors said. Knievel's stunt grounded LEXINGTON A day after the son of stunt riding legend Evel Knievel was arrested on a public drunkenness charge, the motorcycles and ramps the younger Knievel uses were seized in a court battle with a promoter.
Robbie Knievel, 34 and a touring stunt rider like his father, was arrested in nearby Roanoke Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of being drunk in public. On Thursday, George Davis of Ant-i-que Inc. filed legal papers in Rockbridge County Circuit Court seeking $40,000 from the younger Knievel, said Sheriff R.W. Day. Davis is asking for $15.000 that he said he put down to hire Robbie Knievel's act, another $10,000 for promotion expenses and $15,000 in punitive damages.
NATION Schools receive grants WASHINGTON Hundreds of charter schools are getting $17 million in federal grants nearly triple the $6 million spent the year before on the unconventional public programs. The Education Department grants, announced Thursday but sent out earlier, are to help set up charter schools in 19 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The grants were in the budget for fiscal 1996, which ended Monday. Charter schools, set up by groups of parents, teachers, school administrators and others, operate without many of the constraints imposed by local public school districts. Baby monitors recalled WASHINGTON Nearly one million baby monitors are being recalled by Gerry Baby Products after reports that improperly connected wires could cause monitors to overheat and possibly catch fire.
In announcing the recall of Model 602 Deluxe Baby Monitors, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said it knows of two fires, including one that killed a person and injured another. The company also had a report of a fire that did not cause injury. The two-piece, gray and blue monitors under recall resemble walkie-talkies. The recall involves monitors with date codes from June 1988 (8808) to May 1990 (9005). WORLD Leaders get raise SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP)The president of the Dominican Republic is giving his cabinet and himself- a whopping 2,500 percent raise.
1 All in the name of fighting corruption. Government workers earn about $75 a month, less than half the minimum wage for private-sector workers. President Leonel Fernandez says the low salaries are one of the main reasons corruption is such a problem. From Associated Press Reports WEATHER Sunny, but cold weather ahead Lows in the mid 30s. Saturday, mostly sunny.
Highs in 608. TODAY TOMORROW Sunny today, cold. Highs' in 60s. Tonight, cold. Page 2-A SUNDAY'S Welfare recipients put to work By MARY T.
ROBBINS Bulletin Staff Writer Welfare reform has moved about 40 Martinsville residents from public assistance to employment, and taken benefits from 14 others, according to the city's director of social services. Martinsville Director of Social Services Pat Conrad updated city council members at a work session Thursday on the progress of the welfare reform program that went into effect in Martinsville July 1. A new welfare reform bill requiring people on public assistance to go to work after two years was signed into law last year. Under the bill, able-bodied people Policy changes pass test The Henry County School Board tentatively approved changes to its policy manual Thursday, which include creation of a summer school graduation and a longevity award for professional staff. Because this was the first reading of the policy manual, the board will vote on the changes again at its next meeting.
Nov. 7. Previously, the county school system allowed seniors who had not completed the required credits for graduation but planned to do so during the summer to graduate with the rest of their class. The new policy calls for these students to receive their diplomas during a separate ceremony after they have completed the requirements for graduation in summer school. Martin said the made graduate with their class but never attend summer school.
This policy, he said, will encourage students to meet the necessary requirements before the end of the academic year. The longevity award for professional staff, Martin said, is being implemented to reward staff members after their first five years of service, and for every five years of service after that. After five years, professional staff members will receive dinner for two with reimbursem*nt up to $25, excluding alcoholic beverages, and a certificate of appreciation. After 20 years of service, professional staff will receive dinner for two with up to $50, excluding alcoholic beverages, three extra days of personal leave and a certificate of appreciation. See CHANGES, Page 2-A CAR UPENDED who receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) must find employment within two years or lose their eligibility for those benefits.
In the third year, "transition benefits" are available, provided the recipient works at a regular or state-supported job, or performs community service. Conrad said early planning has helped smooth the transition to welfare reform. Caseworkers spent a year meeting with all clients who would be affected, and offered training to help them go to work. "We did an awful lot of planning inhouse and thinking prior to welfare reform," she said. "We didn't want to wait until July to talk about welfare Lynn Wolf shows some of the resource reform." Councilman Bruce Dallas said welfare reform is only a temporary way of assisting people and, in fact.
will end up making the poor poorer. "Do you really think this is going to solve the problem?" he asked Conrad. these people come off welfare, they have to work, continue to have child care and health insurance. What it's going to end up doing is you are going to make the poor poorer. Someone trying to get from Rivermont to Hooker will end up spending their earnings on transportation alone, he said.
Conrad said the goal of the program hasn't been to simply get someone a job earning minimum wage, "but (the goal is) for all those people to get an income where they can survive and more than survive and take care of their family." No one wants to increase poverty, she said. "As a department, we don't have any choice. It's legislation we have to implement it," she said. Conrad said she and her staff are trying to extend the jobs. transportation and day care provided in the welfare reform to beyond two years.
The highest wage to be earned by a recipient so far is $7.72 an hour, Conrad said, adding that the average pay for recipients is nearer the minimum See WELFARE, Page 2-A Report card will reflect 44, new rules Wanted: Involved parents Bassett High School is encouraging parental involvement as well as teacher support with two new programs this year. The Parent Resource Center is designed to keep parents abreast of classroom assignments and school activities, while the 100 points program recognizes teachers for their support of students and extra efforts. "One of the biggest problems schools have is communication Photo by Rick Dawson) 1 start P. car man was shaken up Thursday when his vehicle got knocked on its side during a collision at the intersection of Commonwealth Boulevard and Market Street. Two other cars also were damaged.
Martinsville police had not filed a report and other information was not available. (Bulletin VIRGINIA Chronic pain patients suffer setback in federal court. Page 13-A NATION Seven-year-old girl describes kidnapping, death of gunman. Page 7-A BULLETIN WILL FEATURE A FULL PACKAGE OF Stories By SHERRY JONES Bulletin Staff Writer Report cards for Henry County students in kindergarten through eighth grade have been revised to reflect the state's new Standards of Learning. The Henry County School Board approved the revised report.
cards at its meeting Thursday. School Superintendent J. David Martin said the Standards of Learning are designed to identify what students are expected to accomplish, determine what has been learned. and encourage teachers to emphasize critical areas of the curriculum. "These (the standards) are the building blocks," he said.
"These are the things that we want our kids in the state to know. think and do." Also, Martin said, the standards establish a framework for developing local curricula in certain grades, which is a task the county already has undertaken. The county a revised math curriculum last year and English and science curricula this year. A revised social studies curriculum will be implemented in fall 1997. This year's report cards will list each standard and provide a place for teachers to grade each student on his or her ability in relation to that particular area.
"Parents are going to receive more information about their student's progress in school than they ever have before." Martin said, adding that the standards have been listed on the report cards so that parents will know specific areas where their child needs improvement. Betsy Mattox, assistant superintendent for instruction. agreed, saying. "Report cards are designed for parents and the most important thing on a report card is to tell the parents what's going on with their child." For example, on old kindergarten report cards, she said, there was a section for eval- with parents." said Lynn Wolf. assistant principal at the high school.
To try to improve that communication, the school created the resource center. It consists of a box for each teacher, where a syllabus is kept along with other class materials. Wolf said the center gives parents the opportunity to see what their children are learning. See PARENTS. Page 2-A See RULES, Page 2-A U.S.
unemployment up slightly in September WASHINGTON (AP) The nation's unemployment rate edged up to 5.2 percent in September as heavy layoffs in manufacturing contributed to the first decline in payroll jobs in eight months. The Labor Department reported that payroll employment fell by 40.000 last month while the jobless rate rose from a seven-year low of 5.1 percent in Today's report offered the clearest evidence yet that the economy is slowing from what economists viewed as an unsustainable annual growth rate of 4.7 percent in the second quarter. Financial markets were immediately bolstered by the report, which eased fears that too-rapid growth would force the Federal Reserve to raising interest rates. Bond INDEX Bridge. Magna Vista Classified Park high Comics winners in Crossword girls' bas- Horoscope Nation.
4 Obituaries Three Got an idea for NEWS, SPORTS AND prices surged more than a full point, pushing the yield on the government's 30-year bond down more than a tenth of a percentage point to 6.72 percent. The Clinton administration was certain to note that even with the small uptick, the jobless rate still remains at levels not seen on a sustained basis since the early 1970s. "Fundamentally, we still have a very favorable economic situation for an incumbent president." said Robert Dederick, chief economic consultant at Northern Trust Co. President Clinton has based much. of his re-election campaign on the' strong economy, a result, he says, of his economic policies.
GOP candidate Bob Dole has See UNEMPLOYMENT, Page 2-A INSIDE 1. SPORTS Martinsville, and Laurel schools were the Thursday's local ketball action. Page 1-B 11-A 10-A 8-A 13-15-A 10-A 10-A 10-A 7-A 8-A sections, 32 a story? PEOPLE. Opinion. 6-A Religion 9-A, 12-A 1-3-B.
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