Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 29, 1995 TAG: 9505030015
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Full restoration of the once-elegant movie palace awaits a contractual agreement between the property's owners and a citizens group that wants to revive it for films, plays, concerts and other uses. But the theater, shut down and little used for several years, has been spiffed up inside, and will welcome audiences this afternoon and tonight for a musical extravaganza featuring eight bands and performing groups. Proceeds are to go toward the restoration, which we hope happens.
SPEAKING of (and at) the hotel, the president of a German medical-equipment manufacturer said this week that history is an economic-development asset because of the positive image it conveys for places seeking industrial and business recruits.
In that, it seems to us, historic preservation is part of the broader "quality of life" issue in economic development. In addition to tangible considerations like physical infrastructure and proximity to markets, there's an intangible consideration: Employers tend to like to locate in locations that are likable.
ROANOKE County School Board Chairman Frank Thomas has decided not to seek election this fall to the seat to which he was appointed 12 years ago. His reasoning: He doesn't have time to earn a living and be a productive School Board member and mount a political campaign.
That problem will only worsen if school-board elections follow the trend of campaigns - more extensive and more expensive - for other local elective offices in Virginia. The point is worth remembering in places that have yet to decide whether to choose their school boards by direct election.
by CNB