THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 20, 1995 TAG: 9507180118
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: In The Neighborhoods
SOURCE: Mike Knepler
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Good idea. Bad timing.
With nine Navy vessels being reassigned from South Carolina to Norfolk, city and school officials hoped to entice several hundred Navy families to settle here instead of in neighboring localities.
A cadre of Norfolk officials planned to visit Charleston, S.C., in mid-July to to promote Norfolk as a good place for families to live and send children to school.
The entourage would have included Mayor Paul Fraim, School Board Chairman Ulysses Turner, Schools Superintendent Roy Nichols and some real-estate agents.
However, Norfolk found that many of the ships already had been redeployed here, with families already making their moving plans. ``It would have been a good idea six or eight months ago,'' said George Raiss, School Board spokesman.
Turner said Norfolk must become more aggressive in attracting new residents to help housing sales and boost school enrollment figures. He wants to counter negative talk about the neighborhoods and schools.
Fraim agreed, saying ``it's just a way to try to make. . . Navy families moving to Norfolk feel more welcome and to let them know that they can become fully integrated into Norfolk.''
While Norfolk may have missed the boat this time, the city will organize similar campaigns for future large redeployments.
Meanwhile, Fraim and Nichols are making video presentations for distribution to Naval commands.
Also, the School Board budget includes $40,000 for marketing.
Federation update. The Norfolk Federation of Civic Leagues is moving up its election of a new president to Aug. 10 instead of waiting until September.
``This mess has been hashed enough. It's over. It's done. It's time to have an election and move on,'' said Eloise LaBeau, acting president. She led a June 8 effort to oust former president Jim Janata over his public comments on the Lake Gaston water dispute.
LaBeau had contended that Janata exceeded his authority in joining in a press conference with civic-league leaders from Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk.
Janata resigned before the federation could determine the future of his presidency. But LaBeau says she was confident that the members would have voted him out.
LaBeau hopes to put the controversy behind her. Moving the election to August is one way. ``We just want to be ready to get back to business in September,'' she said.
The federation board will not nominate a president. Instead, nominations will be open to the floor in hopes of heading off more divisiveness among current and potential members, LaBeau said.
Some civic leagues are on the sidelines, holding off decisions to join or re-join the federation.
There's been a swirl of charges and countercharges about the Janata episode. That includes a flap created when Bev Sell, corresponding secretary, resigned in protest of LaBeau's actions and then tried to withdraw her resignation.
LaBeau rejected Sell's request. There's now an interim corresponding secretary, and the Aug. 10 election will include that job.
Another reason for opening nominations is because no one on the federation board wants to be president, LaBeau said.
That includes LaBeau, who already served three terms. ``I just want to go back to being first vice president,'' she said. ``I don't want to go through this again.''
Nominees, LaBeau said, must be active delegates from one of the federation's member civic leagues. MEMO: The election will be at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 10 in the north classroom of Lake
Taylor Hospital.
by CNB