ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609160084
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: LETTERS
As a businessman in Giles County, I would like to express my congratulations to the Giles Chamber of Commerce, its executive director, Jan Thomas, and volunteers whose accomplishments are making a difference for our county.
While the Giles County Chamber of Commerce is aggressively marketing our beautiful county, we have never failed to realize the benefits of working regionally with our neighbors in the New River Valley.
For many years now, the chambers in Giles, Floyd, Pulaski, Montgomery/Christiansburg and the Radford have made up the New River Valley Chamber "Coalition." This body has worked together to sponsor "The New River Valley Ramble," the legislative breakfast with area legislators, the "Leadership New River Valley" and much more. This coalition will always be noted for creating the highly successful New River Valley Economic Development Alliance in 1987.
Unfortunately, there is one of our six chambers not mentioned above, the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce.
I can remember in the mid- and late-1980s when all six chambers worked together for one goal, "to accomplish together what separately they could not."
In recent weeks, the Greater Blacksburg Chamber has renamed itself the Blacksburg Regional Chamber. I and others have had many conversations with its executive director regarding the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance and the New River Valley Chamber Coalition. Unfortunately, we have found an unwillingness to cooperate with or even acknowledge established and successful New River Valley regional efforts.
Thus, it amazes me to read of the "advisory groups" the Blacksburg chamber intends to establish for Giles and Floyd counties and the City of Radford. In addition to these advisory groups, there is a supposed joint Giles-Blacksburg Chamber Mixer planned for September in Newport. To my further amazement, I can find no officer, board member or any member of the Giles Chamber of Commerce who is aware of these upcoming events.
I have had conversations with many friends and businesses who are members of the Blacksburg chamber. You indicated concerns over your chamber's direction and recent actions toward an inclusive and self-achieving agenda.
Therefore, I will offer a challenge to the overwhelming silent majority of your membership to again establish the Blacksburg Chamber I once knew and enjoyed. That was a chamber that was a working friend to its neighbors and a partner working for the enhancement of the entire New River Valley.
Barry Evans
A Concerned Giles Countian and New River Valley Citizen
Barry Evans is the former president of the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance.
Reassignment is defended
I am writing in response to the Sept. 1 letter ("Reassignment sparks outrage") from Marie J. Morgan, Nan Hairston and the Rev. John Price, written "on the behalf of members of the 'black community,' members of the NAACP and other progressive-minded individuals within the county."
Excuse me, but I am a progressive-minded individual within the county. I'll speak on my own behalf, and I don't share your narrow-minded views.
If the Montgomery County School system desired to restrain the advancement of able leaders in the "black community," then Lenny Session would never have held a position as assistant principal at Blacksburg Middle School to begin with. I don't see being appointed to a position with the goal of preventing dropouts and returning dropouts to school as a step down.
It seems to me that it would take a highly qualified person to be given the assignment of taking bad conditions and improving them, rather than merely maintaining conditions.
Superintendent Herman Bartlett had more faith in Session's ability and qualifications than these members of the community recognize. We need to stop looking at what color is appointed and instead look at everyone as a person and see what their qualifications and abilities are, regardless of race.
We are no longer a divided community, black and white, but one. Our community needs to look further than past experiences and be "progressive individuals."
Amanda Taylor
Radford
LENGTH: Medium: 80 linesby CNB