Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 7, 1992 TAG: 9203070081
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The 3-2 vote came Thursday after another lively discussion that included one board member's change of heart.
The citizens committee will install as many home-team seats as it can pay for right now and says additional seats will be put in as contributions arrive.
Board member Chip Craig, who had opposed the piecemeal approach when the question came up earlier, seconded the motion by Betty Plott to begin the installation.
"I think it can be done piecemeal without any problems," Craig told his colleagues. Craig said he became convinced that the group would complete the job.
Chairman John McPhail and board member George Ducker voted against the plan. "I will not vote for having a partial job done on this," Ducker said.
He expressed concerns that the board or the city could be left holding the bag if additional contributions failed to materialize. Ducker also said he was not convinced the new seats were needed.
Board member Carter Effler, who was not at Thursday's meeting, had proposed that no seats be installed until the entire stadium could be done.
McPhail was cautious. "I've been bitten twice and I don't want to be bitten again," he said, citing problems with earlier projects to build baseball and tennis facilities.
Superintendent Michael Wright said that, based on estimates received last summer, the $13,000 the citizens' group says it has in cash would provide new aluminum seating for 5 of the 13 sections on the stadium's home side.
Wright also said getting the new seating in by the first football game could be problematic. Installation for the entire home side would cost about $25,000, plus an additional $12,000 to complete the visitors' side.
Craig said he had been told the School Board's failure to embrace the project was holding up contributions and collecting additional money would be "incredibly difficult" without the board's approval. He said he thought contributions would snowball once the board acted favorably.
The board's vice chairman, Guy Gentry, said the board erred by not taking a strong stand when the committee first approached the School Board last year.
After the vote, McPhail said no one should draw any incorrect conclusions about the split vote.
"As far as I'm concerned, this board supports it," he said, adding that he doesn't want anyone "making an issue" about who voted for or against it.
by CNB