Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 13, 1995 TAG: 9504130037
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Though several Virginia Tech students and local teen-age skateboarders - and one skater's parent - turned out to argue against the ordinance, the council placed its sympathies with the residents and merchants who have complained about skateboarding harassment.
"It's just worse everyday," said Dianne Myers, who works at Carol Lee Doughnuts on College Avenue. She presented council with a 123-name petition in support of the ordinance. "They're on their skateboards flying like maniacs."
Police Chief Bill Brown told council that the department has received increasing complaints about skateboarders since November. "We have attempted to correct the problem in an informal manner," he said. "Those efforts ... have been fruitless."
But Vincent Rinehart, a Tech student, asked council, "I'd like to know where we can ride our skateboards," adding that he and other skaters have been trying to persuade Tech to set up a facility, but to no avail thus far.
Dwight Atkinson, manager of Blue Ridge Outdoors, protested the ordinance on the grounds that it prohibits in-line skating as well, although he said, "it does sound like there's a skateboard problem downtown."
"The downtown wasn't designed for skateboarding. It was designed for pedestrians," said Councilwoman Frances Parsons.
"I think they have to realize there's a responsibility they have," echoed Councilwoman Joyce Lewis, who said the problem might not be confined merely to the downtown area.
Councilmen Lewis Barnett and Al Leighton offered an olive branch of support by calling for the Police Department and town manager to look into the possibility of providing alternative sites for skaters to do their thing.
Said Mayor Roger Hedgepeth: "No one is condemning ... the actual practice of skateboarding or [in-line skating] as a form of recreation," but "one does not play golf or play tennis downtown," and those are forms of recreation, too.
Leighton pointed out that the ordinance - which imposes an up-to-$25 fine on violators - does not prohibit skateboarding elsewhere in the town, but only in an area bordered by Turner, Otey, Miller and Church streets.
Still, the skaters weren't pleased, and Thomas Saffle, whose father spoke in support of his son's habit during the public hearing, said after the meeting that skaters too often get a bum rap about their image.
"We're just trying to have fun," Saffle said. "That's all we're trying to do."
In other business, council heard a presentation from Town Manager Ron Secrist on the proposed 1995-1996 budget, a $19 million document that calls for increases in cigarette and lodging taxes and water fees.
Secrist is proposing that the town continue with its real estate tax rate of 20 cents per $100 of assessed value of land. Montgomery's County's reassessment last year in effect raised the total value of land in the town by 2.1 percent, which by law means the town must lower its tax rate to 19.6 cents per $100 of assessed value so that the reassessment does not directly bring the town more tax revenue.
Raising the tax rate to 20 cents would keep it at the same level it has been since 1990, Secrist said.
During the budget presentation, Blacksburg resident Thomas MacAdoo spoke out vehemently against Secrist's proposal to use increased cigarette and lodging tax revenue to help build a senior citizens' center.
Calling the center "an absolutely unnecessary boondoggle [that] should not be placed on the backs of the taxpayers," MacAdoo said, "if the old folks of Blacksburg want such a center, let them raise the money and build it."
Council is scheduled to consider passage of the budget at its next meeting April 25.
by CNB