Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 10, 1990                   TAG: 9003122955
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

EXPLORE WOULDN'T PRESERVE REAL HISTORY

At best, that project would involve a greatly modified "reconstruction" of some old structures to form synthetic villages, many of which would represent places outside Virginia and events west of the Mississippi River. It would also include some modern hotels and restaurants.

Not only would Explore fail to be an example of "preservation," but it also would not be a decent synthesis of "reconstructed" buildings: It would lack an authentic theme appropriate to the place, such as one finds in Sturbridge Village, Mass., Bonanzaville, N.D., and in the outdoor museums of Russia and Scandinavia.

As a taxpayer who has taught historic preservation for two decades, I suggest that the interest of all disinterested persons will be served best if the land acquired for Explore become either a state or federal nature park, instead of a theme park.\ GEORGE G. SHACKELFORD BLACKSBURG