ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 21, 1996 TAG: 9607220021
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: LETTERS
In a horrendous decision at the last Radford City Council meeting, it was decided by a 3-2 vote to spend Radford's reserve fund (in the amount of $107,725) to improve the Radford High School football stadium.
The last time I was in Bobcat Stadium (for the state Group A soccer game) the facilities looked fine to me. What is it that needs to be improved?
Fred McCoy, chairman of the stadium committee, wants to add two more lanes to the track, finish the aluminum seating and provide crowd control fencing around the stadium, among other things.
No offense to my alma mater, but the last crowd I saw that needed controlling was the one at the Radford-Giles football game, an event that happens once, possibly twice, a year.
McCoy said the city of Radford should begin to improve the stadium now in the event that Radford University were to field a football team. Last time I checked, Radford High School and Radford University are two separate facilities. They may share the same name, the same city and in some cases the same students, but if Radford University wants a football team, they should be the ones to fund and maintain it, not the city of Radford.
McCoy also stated that the stadium "was built in 1967 and hasn't been touched except for fixing the concrete foundation under some of the seats and regular maintenance."
Maybe we are thinking of two different stadiums, but the Radford High School I attended for the past four years installed aluminum seats in some of the home sections about three years ago and renovated the track about two years ago.
Even without these improvements, Bobcat Stadium had one of the nicest high school facilities in the area. As a member of the marching band, I had the opportunity to travel to several schools in Southwest Virginia and each time noticed the differences between the school I was visiting and the one I was attending.
For some football games I traveled to, separate bleachers had to be constructed and even the permanent stands were flimsy or in some cases dangerous. Radford does not have the problem of bleachers where things such as seat cushions, drinks or small children can slip through the cracks and fall below. It provides more than adequate seating, not only on the home side but on the visitors' side as well. The press box, although old, serves its purpose well as does the concession stand. Even the restrooms at Bobcat Field are about as clean and well-kept as stadium bathrooms can be. In addition, our track is also one of the best; it is not littered with gravel or cracks, as some tracks are.
I believe that the only money that should even be considered to be spent on the stadium is $38,000 needed to add two lanes to the track. An eight-lane track would allow Radford to host state track meets, which could bring in additional revenue not only to the athletic program but also to the city of Radford.
If Radford City Council wants to spend its reserve fund (in its first meeting of the fiscal year) on Radford High School, there are several things that are needed more than improvements on the stadium.
For example, they could replace the history, government and sociology textbooks that have been in use since the mid-80s. They could hire a part-time science teacher to avoid the overcrowding in some classes. (One physics class, for example, had 24 honors and regular-level students in a room with adequate seating for only 20.)
They could upgrade the computers in some of the labs so that teachers would be better able to inform and educate their students in new technology and programs.
Finally, they could install an elevator so that handicapped students (whether permanently or temporarily) could easily maneuver to their classes on the second floor.
Radford City Council member Annyce Levy said the improvements were for the students' benefit; it is something that students will see has been done on their behalf.
Yes, it is nice to say that I graduated from Radford High School, the school with the best stadium in the state, but schools should not strive to have the best athletic facilities. They should reach toward having the best educational opportunities, with the most recent textbooks, updated programs and advanced technology available.
After all, schools exist to teach the children, not to provide them with a state-of-the-art stadium.
Rebecca Lerch
Radford
Conflicts are taxing in town, county
Observing the actions and lack of them by local governing bodies, one is stimulated to wonder about the persons involved.
Mostly honest and ethical they are, but there is a common thread running through most of them. Many of the appointees have a conflict of interest by virtue of their livelihood or its source.
Take the Blacksburg Town Council as an example, or the Montgomery County School Board. The council has four members directly employed by the state institution, Virginia Tech. Two others indirectly benefit from a former association with that institution. Many of the issues they deal with, such as fraternities, traffic control, zoning and crowd control are directly institutional issues.
Appointed committees and their members come from people such as themselves, honorable people, but with a built-in bias.
Realtors on zoning boards? Builders, so called, on the planning commission? Active teachers on all three governing, taxing and appropriating boards! Built-in conflict of interest? You bet! Teachers aren't greatly interested in the "smart road" but one made it possible in Montgomery County. Will there be a future payoff to the benefit of the Montgomery County Education Association?
The Town Council legally taxes to provide the necessary services of government, but then appropriates that money for the July 4th fireworks. I don't want to provide money [for] fireworks, even for my own birthday, and if I did, I would give money of my own for that purpose.
They added a utility tax to a cable TV bill and tax for a broadcast facility I don't want or need. Private enterprise provides all we need at no direct cost to us in taxes. There is also a franchise tax on my bill. As a matter of fact, nearly 16 percent of my cable bill is taxes, no matter what they call it.
These taxes were quietly added and the cable company has raised rates in excess of inflation while telling us what a great job they are doing. Are they using Tech's utility poles free of charge, another tax-supported institution?
All the time the town government basks in the lie they haven't raised taxes. The cable company holds the collected taxes for how long? Do they use the money free of cost? Should the town get the taxes credited to its accounts immediately and collect the earned interest for the benefit of us too-tolerant dummies?
Taxes go up with government-induced inflation, raised cable costs and the town spends every penny while claiming they need more! We don't need any more of this liberal-minded womb-to-tomb, recreating them, coddle them government by people with conflicts built in, in the generally accepted sense.
Bob Anderson
Blacksburg
American Indian names defended
I disagree with the writer who complained about the names of Blacksburg High School sports teams: the Indians and the Braves.
I'm part Kaw, Osage and Potawatomi, and my ancestor, Chief White Plume, was a guest of President Monroe in 1821. White Plume's portrait hangs in the Smithsonian.
I take it as a compliment that many sports teams have chosen to call themselves the Indians or Braves. A team is named to suggest strength and skill (Lions, Tigers, Giants, Eagles) or to recognize local history and culture (Knickerbockers, Vikings, Cornhuskers, Fighting Irish). American Indians have an image of strength and skill and a prominent place in our history and culture.
We don't give sports teams equivocal or negative names such as politicians, bureaucrats, chairpersons or lawyers. True, Washington called its baseball team the Senators, but they were always last in the American League. In sport, the Redskins will beat the Cowboys - now and then.
Lord, preserve us from the people who would wipe out every trace of idealism, romance, drama and humor in our heritage to give us universal victimhood.
Larry Thompson
Blacksburg
LENGTH: Long : 149 linesby CNB