Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 18, 1995 TAG: 9507180039
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Youths to punish youths?
Would set up a "peer court" run by those under age 18. These courts would allow the juvenile courts to "use peers to mete justice to first offenders" charged with misdemeanors. This would "keep young people out of the court system initially," save money and "creates the chance for young people to help solve young people's problems."
Prison farm
A regional prison farm for inmates with longer-term sentence would reduce the need to expand existing jails. It would save taxpayers money another way, too, by putting inmates to work growing their own food.
A blood-red Mill Mountain Star
The star would burn red for 48 hours following any traffic fatality caused by a drunken driver, as a "shining signal of our desire to eliminate alcohol-related traffic accidents."
GLOBAL OUTLOOK
Teach foreign languages in kindergarten
To help give the region's citizens "a world view," foreign languages would be taught "intensively" in public schools, beginning in kindergarten.
Cheap Internet access for all
Inexpensive access to the global computer network is another way to broaden the region's outlook. Programs also would be developed so that primary and secondary school students would communicate, via computer, with school systems "all over the world."
HEALTH CARE
Wellness classes
Public schools would teach "personal wellness and health education" separate from traditional physical education classes. The goal is "to have everyone enter adulthood with an ingrained wellness regime" such as diet plans and exercise plans.
Health care training center
A "nationally-recognized training and continuing education center for health care" would be established, which would "ensure that our current leadership in health care throughout the New Century Region gains more recognition." It would also make sure the region is prepared for the next century's health care needs.
Sex education
The Family Life Education program would be maintained in the region's public schools as one of the ways identified to cut the teen pregnancy rate in half.
Prenatal education
Employees would be able to get prenatal education at their work sites.
LAND USE
A regional plan
A comprehensive regional land-use plan would consider "scenic views" as one of the things worth protecting.
Protecting ridge tops from development
Localities would be encouraged to pass ridgeline protection ordinances similar to ones in Boulder, Colo.
Tax credits for property owners who limit development
Landowners who surrender their development rights or curtail development in other ways would get local tax breaks.
Revenue sharing among localities
The report doesn't spell out how this would work, but the general idea is that urban governments would share tax revenues with their rural neighbors. This would allow rural localities that are bedroom communities "to benefit from businesses located elsewhere" and presumably lessen the need for those localities to pursue commercial development to pay for the services commuters require.
Cluster development to preserve open space
Localities would be encouraged to adopt ordinances that direct developers to "cluster" the houses in their subdivisions, so that much of the land is left as green space.
MEASURING PROGRESS
Create a formal system of "benchmarks"
The region would draw up a "Blueprint for Sustainable Development" that would identify specific things to be measured as a way of figuring out whether the community is making progress. For instance, if the topic is greenways, there might be a specific goal for the number of miles of greenways the region would like to have. Oregon pioneered this concept.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Merged fire and rescue?
Would merge some fire and rescue operations, but doesn't identify which ones. Would also establish regional standards for fire and rescue organizations.
SPORTS
Regional authority to run sports facilities
This authority would oversee the operation of "major facilities and programs." It would also work with local school boards to open current and former schools for community recreation and design "mega-centers" for regional recreational activities.
Move minor league sports team up a class
Goodbye, Carolina League. The Salem Avalanche would move up to AA baseball "if possible." The Roanoke Express hockey team would move up to a bigger league, too. That park authority would also "encourage the formation and expansion of new sports franchises," but doesn't say which sports.
Pro games and training camps
The regional park authority would hire a sports coordinator to seek out big-league sporting events. On the shopping list: National Football League and National Basketball Association for exhibition games and training camps.
TOURISM
Explore Park
The Explore Park was singled out as an attraction worthy of being developed, although the report doesn't say just how much it should be developed.
VOLUNTEERISM
Tax breaks for volunteers
Citizens who volunteer for community service would be granted tax breaks on personal property taxes.
REGIONAL IDENTITY
The New Century Council would stay intact
A permanent New Century Council would oversee the projects being recommended. Its staff would "act as a marketer for the region to encourage economic development" and lobby the state and federal government on issues important to the region. The report said this "is one of the most important action steps we're recommending."
A regional civic club
A new civic club open to all adults would be established throughout the region to "accomplish a feeling of belonging and togetherness." The New Centurions? Not after the region is renamed...
A name for the region
The region needs a name to give it "a positive identity and a name the global population will remember." But the New Century Region won't do because that could be anywhere, and after the new century arrives in six years, it will sound dated. "The name needs to be more homespun and heartfelt."
A slogan for the region
The council would use public and private funds to hire marketing professionals to market the region to itself as a way to build "pride and positive self-image." Included would be a slogan which "should articulate a unifying vision that captures the region."
A regional pride festival
Either a "Day of Pride" or "Week of Pride" festival would "celebrate the diversity and unity of the region." It also would "enhance and create a positive attitude and image" of the region.
History of the New Century Region 101
All public school students in the region would be taught the region's history as a way to instill pride in the region's future leaders. "If the children are taught early about the heritage of the region, then they will fight harder to make it the best place in the world to live."
Create a leadership institute
A New Century Region Leadership Development Institute would allow individuals "to be identified as a leader" and "get appropriate training in leading the region to bigger and better sights."
Change boundaries for state agencies
The districts served by different state agencies don't look much alike. This would re-draw them so they "conform to the boundaries of the New Century Region." That means localities within the region would all report to the same office of any state agency.
A New River Valley Business Council
There's already a Roanoke Valley Business Council, composed of the Roanoke Valley's biggest employers. This would create a New River Valley counterpart, and the two would meet jointly twice a year.
The New Century Council Electronic Village
The Blacksburg Electronic Village, or some variation, would be expanded region-wide and used to promote communication "among the citizenry and leadership."
A single telephone directory
Not only would there be toll-free local calling throughout the region, there would be one fat phone book as another way to build a regional identity.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
What's your reaction to the New Century Council's recommendations? We'd like to know so we could include your comments in future stories.
WRITE: New Century, c/o The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va., 24010
FAX: 703-981-3346
E-MAIL: roatimesinfi.net
WANT TO SEE MORE?
The complete version of this second installment of the New Century Council's report should be available on the World Wide Web this evening at: http://www.infi.net/roatimes
by CNB