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

DATE: THURSDAY, May 10, 1990                   TAG: 9005100045
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

AFTER TOWN COUNCIL GIVES OK, MIDWAY OPENS AT UNIVERSITY MALL

But she would not get to go on the ride, or any others, that day.

Her mother, Michelle Hardy, didn't want to wait an hour for the carnival to open. They would come back the next day.

That was at 6:30 p.m. About 30 other people were strolling around the carnival site, nibbling popcorn or chewing cotton candy, waiting for 7:30 when Town Council was scheduled to meet.

The carnival could not get cranking until council passed a resolution to grant a permit to Drew Amusement Operators Inc.

It did.

It turns out that the carnival operators - who had not been to Blacksburg before - found out only a few days earlier that they needed a permit. And a permit to run the Flying Bobs, the Pirate Boat and sell sno-cones takes an act of Town Council.

"It's no big deal," Garth Nicely, carnival manager, said Tuesday. "Everybody was super nice."

He attended the meeting where it took council a just a few minutes to grant the permit, after some discussion on how late the carnival should stay open at night.

Councilman Lewis Barnett wanted to restrict the carnival's hours on Saturday to 11 p.m. rather than midnight. He said the annual carnival at Gables Shopping Center closes at 11 p.m. so as not to disturb the neighbors - among whom he is one.

"When the merry-go-round and bingo goes on at night, I find that it closing down at 11 allows me to go to sleep," Barnett said.

But his motion was defeated 6-1, and council granted the permit.

After the vote, Nicely rushed out to officially open the six-day carnival.

Drew Amusements, based in Augusta, Ga., prides itself on being "The Most Progressive and Favorably Known Family Midway on Earth," as is painted across its trucks and ticket stands.

"Say No to Drugs" is printed in big black letters on all trash containers at the carnival.

Nicely said the operators test all employees for drugs, "Which is probably unheard of in this business. That's our community service, you might say."

The carnival, which will help promote University Mall merchants, will be in town until Sunday. Hours are 5 to 11 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.