The Daily News Leader from Staunton, Virginia • 1

The Staunton Leader Ttw Staunton Leaor (USPS S60 7601 0 Bon s. Staunton. luoi Second Class Postage Paid at St dun ton, 701 VOL. 134, NO. 87 PHONfS: fcourton MS 7MI WoffwiboroVM 7113 STAUNTON, 24401, MONDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 4, 1981 20 CENTS Poll shows 29 House Demos will support plan I 14 The outcome in the Senate, which may not vote until next week, is almost a foregone conclusion.

Reagan's fellow Republicans are in the majority, and Democratic leader Robert C. Byrd announced over the weekend that he is resigned to supporting the president despite doubts his plan will work. That was the main question in the House, where the debate was an almost-dizzying volley of figures on the effects of Reagan's proposed tax and budget cuts. Democrats and Republicans have been using different sets of revenue and expense projections, based on differing forecasts about the future course of the economy, to support 3 us A I v. A a A- WASHINGTON (AP) The House appears certain to hand President Reagan the budget blueprint he wants this week, with enough Democrats lined up to help Republicans pass it.

An Associated Press survey found 29 House Democrats definitely supporting the president's plan instead of their own party's alternative and others leaning that way. One aide said more defections are possible as the vote nears. The House, where the Reagan program had been expected to face its stiffest test, was resuming debate today and moving toward a likely vote Wednesday. Building JP' 1 their arguments and to compare the administration-backed plan with the Democratic alternative, which would spend more on social programs than Reagan wants. It is, mused House Budget Committee Chairman James R.

Jones, much like the way former President Lyndon Johnson played golf: hitting eight balls for every stroke and counting only the best one. "They (Republicans) are giving themselves the best shots for their strokes and giving us the worst shots for our strokes," the Oklahoma Democrat said at one point last week. The AP telephone survey late last week indicated the Republicans were winning. 2 area feens killed by train in Waynesboro By MIKE DIXON Leader Staff Writer WAYNESBORO Two teen-agers were killed at 5:39 p.m. Sunday when they walked across the Chessie System tracks here and were struck by a locomotive.

Dead at the scene were Mark Duane Vandevander, 18, of 215 N. Bath and Ronda Lee Dotson, 17, of Rt. 2, Waynesboro. City police officer Ron Davis, who investigated, said the two were in a group of five people standing on the railroad overpass above the Norfolk Western tracks watching a southbound train pass below. According to witnesses, they had walked across the tracks and started back to the other side when they were hit by the eastbound Chessie System engine.

Engineer C. H. Clark of Clifton Forge was driving two locomotives and a caboose 25 miles an hour at the time, according to a report. Davis said he has questioned two witnesses and plans to question a third. One of the witnesses said Vandevander and Ms.

Dotson may have been playing "chicken," deliberately crossing in front of the approaching train engine, but this has not been confirmed, Davis said. The overpass is posted with "No Trespassing" signs, according to another Waynesboro Police Department spokesman. The group of young people on the overpass reportedly were watching a train loaded with new cars pass below them at the time of the accident. The others in the group reportedly were not injured. Miss Dotson was a junior at Wilson (See FATAL, Page 2) 4.

V' i ft TRAIN FATALITY Two teen-agers, Ronda Lee Dotson, 17, and Mark D. Vandevander, 18, were killed Sunday afternoon when they walked into the path of a locomotive on the Railway tracks at the Commerce Avenue overpass in Waynesboro. (Photo by Dan Edwards Sands reportedly still barely alive Index (One section) Abby Page 7 Classified Pages 10-11 Comics Page 6 Editorial Page 4 Entertainment Page 6 Lifestyle Page 7 Obituaries Page 3 Sports Pages 8-9 Weather Sunny and warmer today. Highs around 80. Fair tonight.

Lows around 50. A few clouds and continued warm Tuesday. Highs around 80 again. Complete weather on page 3. Heavy demolition equipment picks away at the old Augusta National Bank Building at the corner of Augusta and Beverley streets Sunday.

By day's end, the structure was nearly flattened to make way for a new wing to be constructed by United Virginia Bank. UVB expects to complete a 1.25 million renovation project by mid-1982 which will include the modernized wing. Photo by Roy T. Stephenson) razed said, adding that the Goodwill Thrift Shops traditionally do well in times of rising prices and high unemployment. Virginia Knauer, President Reagan's consumer adviser, agreed.

"There are some excellent clothing buys" in thrift shops, she said. "I feel this is a shopping alternative especially if you have a lot of growing children." There are two basic types of thrift By LOUISE COOK Associated Press Writer Bad times are good times for secondhand clothing stores. "Sales have been increasing steadily for the past two years," said Mollie Haines, who is in charge of public relations for the Washington, D.C., chapter of Goodwill Industries of America. "Consumers have a need to stretch their buying dollars," Ms. Haines shops the ones whose merchandise is donated, and the kind which accept goods on consignment, giving the.

original owner of the clothing a share of the sales price. Many of the thrift shops are operated by charities like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, church groups and local hospitals. The 167 local members of Goodwill Industries of America operate about 1,000 thrift shops across the country. Arlo Wagner, a spokesman for the organization, said 1980 sales were $143 million, up 14.4 percent from 1979. By contrast, the Commerce Department said that retail sales of all kinds increased only 7 percent from 1979 to 1980.

Major department store and discount chains generally reported sales increases of less than 10 percent for the fiscal year which ended Jan. 31, 1981. Fishersville community helps rebuild burned-out church BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) Appeals for Northern Ireland's Roman Catholics to abstain from violence when Bobby Sands dies appeared to be making headway today as the IRA hunger striker lay in a coma on the 65th day of his fast. Official sources said the 27-year-old convicted terrorist had been unconscious since early Sunday. His family, a priest and a team of medical specialists were with him in the hospital wing of the Maze Prison southwest of Belfast.

A prison source said Sands was skeletal, weighing less than 85 pounds and barely alive. He weighed 155 on March 1 when he began his fast demanding that imprisoned members of the Irish Republican Army be treated as political prisoners and not as common criminals. Three other IRA men were also fasting in the Maze, and one of them, 25-year-old Francis Hughes, was reported close to death after 50 days trade before becoming a minister, many of the parishioners have volunteered their efforts. On most weekends, the crew swells to 50 persons, including wives who cook meals for the workers. Volunteers also show up evenings and even on work days when they are needed, Owen said.

"One Thursday night, I mentioned to parishioners that we would be trying to put up a few 50-foot roof trusses the next day," said Owen. "Four members just showed up the next morning, and we just couldn't have done it without them." According to Owen, donations have come in from other churches, area businesses and individuals not associated with the church. Food has been donated to feed hungry volunteers. "We've received tremendous support from the community," said Owen. Even the state of the economy has had an effect on the construction pro without food.

The other two, Raymond McCreesh and Patsy O'Hara, were in the 44th day of their hunger strike, but their lives were not considered in danger yet. The belief was growing that IRA leaders had decided against the widespread violence they threatened earlier if the British government did not give in to Sands and let him die. Pro-IRA sources said they did not think the guerrillas wanted to undermine the propaganda effect abroad of Sands' death by launching another round of terror bombings and attacks against British and Protestant security forces. Such bloody campaigns in the past have usually been followed by a drop in IRA prestige and financial support. The Rev.

Ian Paisley's Protestant Democratic Unionist Party announced it would hold a memorial service for "all the forgotten victims" of IRA violence on the day of Sands' funeral. ject. Owen said that, because of the slowdown in the building trade, materials which normally take some time for delivery are readily available, and the project is moving along faster than anticipated. Once the new 24-by-40-foot wing is roofed and enclosed, work will be concentrated on the interior of the rebuilt section, which includes a kitchen, large meeting room and classrooms. The addition will be finished off into two large classrooms as funds become available, Owen said.

With Owen acting as general contractor, parishioners supplying much of the labor, and some donations of materials, the cost of the project will be halved. The church has plans to protect the improvements. Owen said he has contacted the county to install a hydrant nearby and is planning to install a burglar and fire alarm system. By GARY GRAF Leader Staff Writer FISHERSVILLE Two months ago, fire destroyed the classroom wing of Midway Bible Church here. Although damage was estimated at $60,000, the church received less than half of that sum from its insurer.

A planned expansion of the structure was brought to a halt by the blaze. Today, a new and larger frame wing stands on the site, and the walls of an enlarged cinderblock addition are nearly complete, largely through unsolicited community support and the efforts of church members. "The fire seemed to help people see a need and drew them together," said Richard Owen, pastor. "I think it has also resulted in increased faith. I think we were hesitant to expand before the fire, but it seemed to force us into an expansion program." While the church has employed two carpenters and a mason to assist Owen, who worked in the building i JL REBUILDING Workers lay cinderblock on damage in a March fire.

The church has been the addition to Midway Bible Church near able to rebuild through the donation of labor FUhPMville which suffered $60,000 worth of by its members and community support. ls (Photo by Gary Graf).