THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504180078
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
PROSECUTE THE SPEEDERS
In his letter in the April 6 Compass, Mike Maddocks feels that the traffic division is unduly targeting the Hampton Boulevard speedway for ``vehicular miscreants.'' He has properly identified speeders as ``miscreants'' - they certainly do misbelieve speed limit signs.
Methinks Mike misses the point: speeders are somewhat analogous to drug addicts transiting from their first reefer to hard-core addiction. Speeders, unfortunately, are also those prone to run red lights, ignore stop signs and have no use for turn signals.
Traffic coming south off the Lafayette River bridge hardly consists of military personnel hurrying to NOB or delivering children; they are hard-core violators of the law, endangering life and limb - and should be dealt with accordingly.
Instead of lambasting our law enforcement personnel, we should praise them for a thankless job well done.
Bob Giles
Argall Avenue
LOOK FOR SIGNIFICANT CRIME
I wrote a letter, published in the April 6 Compass, questioning the importance of traffic control in light of significant crime plaguing our city. Since I last wrote, another shooting has occurred in my neighborhood, on March 29. This time it was again at a 7-Eleven on Hampton Boulevard. My wife and I were traveling down Hampton Boulevard on April 6 at 9:15 p.m. and, sure enough, one of Norfolk's finest had a speed trap set across from the yacht club posed to enforce that all-important task of traffic control.
I asked my wife if we should see if our police were subsequently positioned near the 7-Eleven where the most recent shooting occurred. She agreed and we wandered by. What a surprise. No police. Anywhere.
How many people need to be shot before the City of Norfolk figures out where the problem is? Let me give our bureaucrats a hint. Looking for speeders in middle-class neighborhoods will do little to stem the growth of violent crime.
Like all cities I am sure our police are challenged by over-tasking with few resources. Let's use what resources we have more effectively. Get the police away from the yacht club and out looking for significant crime.
Michael D. Maddocks
Longwood Drive
TASK FORCE SUGGESTIONS
As a voter, taxpayer and resident of Norfolk, I would like to offer some suggestions and recommendations to the Norfolk public housing task force.
In looking at and dealing with Norfolk's current and future public housing dilemma, two old African proverbs come to mind: (1) the ruin of a people begins in the homes of its families; and (2) he who conceals his illness cannot expect to be cured. In my opinion, Norfolk's public housing dilemma needs to be looked at in this light.
Therefore, my suggestions and recommendations for Norfolk's public housing task force:
A further diversification and inclusion of more Norfolk citizens, possibly in ad hoc and sub-committees, to give the people who live, vote and pay taxes in Norfolk a better opportunity to be heard on this vital subject of utmost importance for them and their fellow residents.
Personal-Familial Development Skills and Group-Community Empowerment Training for Public Housing Residents: This should include, but not be limited to, self-esteem, parenting, historical and cultural awareness, personal responsibility and the like.
More focus and encouragement for public housing residents to take advantage of their educational opportunities and abilities.
Facilitation of work and vocational opportunities for public housing residents, especially teenagers, young adults and heads of households.
Inclusion of adult black males and the ``biological'' fathers who reside, officially and unofficially, in the various public housing, for they must be(come) involved as ``parents, role models, job holders and leaders'' in these communities and the population at large.
In-fighting and petty ego-tripping must be put aside so that the greatest good can be accomplished for the greatest number of public housing residents and Norfolk's other citizenry. More public housing residents, broader based and/or opinionated, must be brought to the solution table. We must never forget that ``all of us are smarter than any one of us.''
Corporate Norfolk, particularly the power brokers and captains of industry, must be(come) involved, committed and a resource for resolution. They must come to fully understand that they, too, have a stake in all this - that the strongest chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Serious thought must be given to the economic and demographic integration of public housing residents. This might prove to be the ``biggest obstacle'' for the task force and citizenry of Norfolk to overcome. However, if we are truly serious about resolving our present (and future) public housing dilemma, this approach must be profoundly scrutinized and courageously considered.
John L. Horton
Camellia Road
IMPRESSED WITH CITY HALL
On March 28, I had to visit City Hall for the first time in a long time.
All of the people I encountered were very polite, pleasant and extremely helpful. Unfortunately, I do not know their names.
There was a man at the window for yard sales. There were two women on the other side of the room at taxes who directed me to the window for state taxes. Then there was the lady and man in real estate who directed me to the office for senior citizens real estate information.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of them.
Lorraine B. Mallard
Bancker Road by CNB