ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603040011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on Mar. 6 in Current
Correction
PULASKI - Polly Mitchell, a candidate for Pulaski Town Council, lives
in the northern part of town. A story Monday gave an incorrect
location.
"Well, I was talked into it," Polly Mitchell said of her latest foray into Pulaski politics.
Mitchell will be among candidates seeking one of the four seats being filled in the May 7 town elections. She has run five times before, the first time successfully, serving on council from 1980 to 1984, and unsuccessfully in 1986, 1988, 1990 and 1992.
There are no particular issues involved in her decision this week, she said. "No, I'm just running, and just hope my friends will turn out and put me in this time if they think I'll do 'em a good job."
Mitchell said the south side of town, where she lives, needs representation on council. But she stressed that she would represent the entire town and work toward continued revitalization of the downtown business area.
"I do have Pulaski at heart. I've lived here all my life," she said. She was the niece of Andrew W. Gatewood, the town's public works director from 1937 to 1948 for whom the Gatewood Reservoir and Park are named. She remembers downtown when it had gathering places like two movie theaters, drug stores with soda fountains, the Maple Shade Inn and several so-called dime stores.
"I'd like to see a lot of that come back," she said, including restoration of the town's remaining theater, which has been closed for five years. Some groups now hope to stabilize the theater so it can eventually reopen.
"We've got to revitalize the town some way. ... I'm just one, and I can't say that any of this would develop if I got on there," she said. "But it could be done."
Mitchell is a member of the town's Clean Community organization and does volunteer work.
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CITY COUNCILby CNB