Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 22, 1992 TAG: 9201220196
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KIM SUNDERLAND
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
TOWN NEEDS PEOPLE TO JOIN AND MAKE CELEBRATION
Local citizens unite! This is your chance to be part of history in the making.The Christiansburg Bicentennial Commission is holding a community meeting on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the National Guard Armory in an effort to get the public involved in the town's June birthday bash. Hundreds of people are needed for a historical pageant, a parade and other hoopla.
"The planning is proceeding right along," said Commission Chairman Jack Via. "There are a lot of good ideas and we need the public to get involved. This is their opportunity to participate."
As part of the commission's contract with the John B. Rogers Co. - a Pittsburgh-based celebration planning company hired to guide the commission's work - some 14 committees have been set up to plan the June 19-27 event.
The committee chairmen have been working to build their groups and Thursday's meeting will add more people to the project.
The show division, for example, needs about 300 cast members to wear costumes for the historical drama, a stage show about Christiansburg that includes music, songs and other theatrics. Stage hands, sound technicians and construction crews are also needed.
When local people have been signed up, the committee chairmen will meet with a Rogers Co. representative Friday to make sure that everything is on track.
"A celebration is something to be - not just something to see," says the Rogers Co. celebration proposal. "It is a vehicle for mass participation."
Without the participation, the commission's fund-raising arm stands to lose a heap of money. The Rogers Co. is being paid roughly $26,000 to administer its trademark Plan of Action for the celebration and total budgeted allocations will run about $34,550.
But there has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes.
Several council members, for instance, have grown beards and formed a monkey court as a fund-raiser, in which owners of hairless faces will be fined and put in jail.
The old Hall Building on East Main Street is being transformed into commission headquarters and should be finished in mid-February. Via said town employees have donated their free time to construct office space, storage areas and a conference/video room in the building.
Can enough people be recruited in time to pull this celebration off?
"Absolutely," Via said Tuesday. "I know we can do this."