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

DATE: FRIDAY, December 23, 1994                   TAG: 9412230156
SECTION: EDITORIALS                    PAGE: A-14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

QUALITY FOCUS

"A GREAT place to raise a family." With good cause, this is one of the most commonly cited qualities of Southwest Virginians' cherished quality of life. It's also a good starting point for focusing the pursuit of a better life.

How can we make our communities more family-friendly and child-friendly? Asking this question would point us in all sorts of interesting directions - from business time off for school visits, to networks of bike lanes and walking paths; from walk-to meeting places and community centers with day care and parenting outreach, to involvement of kids in civic affairs, public art and planning activities; from quality preschool for every at-risk child, to neighborhood natural refuges where kids could build tree houses and forts.

A region moving in such directions would attract attention and business, and would be a nice place to visit. You'd also want to live there.

by CNB