ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996                  TAG: 9606250001
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
COLUMN: Guest Column 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: VICKY HELBLING 

CITIZENS URGED TO GET INVOLVED IN TOWN BUSINESS

Though the guard changed very little in the town election, maybe it has been awakened.

The greatest change in our community in the last two years is citizen (mainly one) involvement. Bob Hockett had hopes for an improved quality of life for the people of Christiansburg. His ideas for a new community center were taken up by a number of newcomers, as well as incumbents, during the recent Town Council campaign. Hockett's questions at council meetings instigated the study for a new center. The council had said that no one in the community had shown an interest prior to his inquiries.

Many citizens were led to believe that candidates such as Hockett, Jay Newman and Bob Abraham were one-issue candidates. Not true. In three candidates' forums, Hockett discussed all issues: recreation, public transportation, town beautification, information technology, a tax freeze for elderly on fixed incomes. The community center was just the first issue.

Many of these issues were acted upon as soon as the incumbents relayed the information to the current Town Council. Maybe if a few more citizens could have found the time to know the candidates and their issues, the outcome of the election would have been very different.

While the votes were being counted in last month's election, the Christiansburg Town Council voted to continue action on the community center as previously planned. This occurred after questions about the new design were presented at a work session. Could a swimming pool be incorporated into the plan? Would it be less costly to have a separate building? Would it be less costly to build all now rather than later? These questions remained unanswered publicly.

According to an article in the Current, Vice Mayor Jack Via said an estimated $2 million would be needed for an Olympic-size pool. He also said operating a pool would be almost as costly as building it - a giant overstatement. A similar facility's operating costs are approximately $200,000 with fees offsetting all but $62,000 of its cost.

Of Christiansburg's 7,500 registered voters, only 1,531 voted May 7. The candidates are not the losers. The real losers are the senior citizens who may not be here to see the swimming pool included in the third phase of the town's recreation plan.

I want the town to provide the services that a centralized government can best afford. That's the job of the town government. I'm sure the town manager can find a way to provide quality services we seek without sending the town into financial ruin. Now is the time for citizens to quit hoping that the council will do its job. You must tell them what you want in writing, by phone and at the council meetings. Set an example for your children and others. Get involved.

As Margaret Mead wrote, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Vicky Helbling has lived in Christiansburg for seven years and her family has been active in the town's recreation programs.

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