Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 13, 1995 TAG: 9504130039
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Vanessa Black said the town has a YMCA and a recreation program, but all of those are at some distance from the northwestern part of town. She said some young people have no transportation to the nearest movie theaters near Radford or in other towns.
The Pulaski Theatre, this town's last surviving movie house, closed several years ago. A group of citizens known as Friends of the Pulaski Theatre is working toward renovating and reopening it, but more as a community and cultural arts center than to show films on a regular basis.
"Has anyone looked into maybe building a new facility?" Black asked.
"I think you're right. There is a need," Vice Mayor W.H. "Rocky" Schrader said.
"And we might be able to put that in one of our empty buildings," Councilwoman Bettye Steger said.
Black said movies would give young people a place to go for entertainment. A supervised basketball court also would help, she said.
Mayor Andy Graham said Town Council has discussed that idea for years but has been unable to find a suitable location for it. Councilwoman Alma Holston said money toward such a project has been budgeted for some time.
"Location has been a real problem," Schrader agreed. Steger suggested that volunteers could supervise a basketball court.
George Penn told council that, despite the impressive number of town recreation programs, young people in outlying parts of town have no real access to them. "A lot of those kids don't have cars." They roam the streets of town instead, he said.
Other speakers said a theater could serve older residents, who no longer drive, as well.
It was the second town meeting where town officials, acting on a recommendation from its new Board of Economic Development, went to different areas of town to hear from citizens living there.
The first meeting March 28 at the New River Emergency building on LaGrange Street drew no citizens at all. But Tuesday night's meeting at the Howard Community Center on Altoona Street drew 17 citizens. One more meeting is set for 7 p.m. April 25 at the Pulaski Middle School, and Graham said town meetings could be held quarterly after that.
Town officials and administrators also heard complaints about a junk yard, an old house that needed to be condemned, a stopped-up drain pipe causing water problems and a need for more street lights. "It seems like the Public Operations Committee's going to be very busy in the next week or so," Holston said.
Several citizens complained of rudeness by some employees at the town treasurer's office. Council has been working on training town employees regarding courtesy toward the citizens. "We are demanding that," Graham said. "I'm sorry you even had to bring something like that up. It should have been in place."
The list of concerns will be taken up at future council meetings, he said. "I assure you, we will be back to see how we're doing."
by CNB