THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505050227
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
In reference to an April 30 article in The Sun (City seeks to add firefighters, may hire more police):
I am compelled to set my record straight, clarify my statements and apologize to those who might have gotten the wrong interpretation of the article, especially my many friends in public housing.
During my 15 years of association with Suffolk's Redevelopment and Housing Authority, including four years as a housing commissioner, I have always believed that too much emphasis was placed on profits from public housing and not enough attention has been placed on the need to improve the quality of life for the residents. Over the years, the housing authority has received millions of dollars from HUD to operate its units efficiently; however, the living conditions of the residents and the maintenance of the property still remain unsafe and inadequate.
I am often reminded of the expression, ``We can give a person a fish and he/she eats for a day. But if we teach him/her how to fish, he/she eats for a lifetime.''
The residents in public housing are just as smart, intelligent, caring, hard-working and God-fearing as any other citizen in our great city. God loves us all. In His eyes, we all are on the same level.
They can learn and deserve the opportunity to grow with hope and to prosper. The housing authority, in my judgment, has failed the residents in public housing and the citizens of Suffolk. When we fail to properly educate, train and develop our people, nothing else really matters. Whether we live in public housing or a mansion, we must provide opportunities for all of our citizens to hope and dream dreams, with jobs and the ability to prosper as we all try to raise and care for our families in a safe and decent environment.
We cannot continue to do business as usual in public housing and other dilapidated housing communities. We must ``rethink'' public housing and the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
I am hoping and praying with confidence that, with new change in leadership, the housing commission will make the necessary adjustments to bring public housing up to the same standard of quality as Wilson Pines, a Section 8 community.
Councilman Charles F. Brown
Devonshire Court
Suffolk Here's a great big hug for Isle of Wight County
Have you ever loved a town so much that you just wanted to reach out and give it a big hug? A young lady asked this question of me several years ago, when she was expressing her love for Smithfield.
Her words came back to me last Friday as we stood in the new Memorial Garden in Smithfield, planting a dogwood tree in loving memory of Oklahoma City and sharing in some small way the grief of their citizens; looking at the beautiful children with their teachers, standing around the tree; Main Street Baptist youngsters repeating the 23rd Psalm and singing their songs; and Grandma's House little ones tying ribbons on the tree and letting their voices be heard. Isle of Wight Academy Day Care participated with their lovely voices. Many parents brought their little ones.
The Isle of Wight County government and the Town of Smithfield were well represented. Pastor Fred Breeden of Benns United Methodist Church gave the invocation.
As I stood in this beautiful spot looking at these children and seeing the care their teachers were taking with them, and feeling the caring of our county officials, this young lady's words came back to me and I, too, felt like Isle of Wight and all its citizens deserve a big hug for caring about one another and making Isle of Wight a very special place to live and raise these lovely children.
Grace Keen
Benns Church Boulevard
Smithfield by CNB