THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410210369
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
What a wonderful sight to see young children from Virginia Beach enjoying themselves in Portsmouth!
One day recently, a class from Glenwood Elementary School was waiting to cross Crawford Street, headed for the waterfront. They were excited and happy. Obviously they had just come from a visit to the Children's Museum and may have been heading for a ferry ride.
They were having fun.
Perhaps their good memories of Portsmouth will bring them back as they grow up - not only to visit the Children's Museum again but, as adults, to the art center exhibits or to dinner and the movies on High Street.
Long term, yes. But you have to start sometime and the best time is now.
The new Children's Museum of Virginia, scheduled to open in early December, will be much larger than the existing space. That will enable more and more youngsters to visit here. The wide range of exhibits will appeal to all ages, giving reason for kids to revisit the city many times.
It's a good beginning toward reversing Portsmouth's image problems. But it's only one facet of a solution that will require an extraordinary person as public affairs director, a job now being advertised by the city.
If the Children's Museum, the TCC Art Center and other projects are going to bring short-term as well as long-term benefit to the city, we need to broadcast their virtues to the world. That should be a first priority for the new public affairs person. by CNB