THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510060252
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Looking through the Currents, I came across Ida Kay Jordan's column of Sept. 22, ``Here comes autumn . . . '' It caught my eye as it sounded like a city that I would like to live in.
Reading further, I discovered that she was talking about Portsmouth. It sure was not the Portsmouth that I am familiar with. I do, however, remember when Portsmouth was like what she described. I was born, raised and lived in Portsmouth for 72 years. Ida Kay Jordan must have been reminiscing for a Portsmouth that was like that in the '20s, '30s or '40s, but it is nothing like she described now. Perhaps in the little area that she frequents - but not Portsmouth.
At one time you could walk anywhere in Portsmouth, day or night, and be safe. Not today. It is not even safe to sit on your porch or even in your home.
Portsmouth is a city that if you stop to ask directions, you could get shot. Blow your horn behind a car and you could get shot. The possibility of getting mugged exists any time, any place. Portsmouth is a city with a high crime rate, a city with the most unsolved crimes; the worst city to raise children in.
We have the most inept City Council serving at this time. I can't remember one that was worse. It's a council that would allow Kings Crossing to sit, unfinished, for 8 1/2 years on prime, waterfront land. Norfolk would not have let it sit for even 30 days. It looks proper for it blends in with all of the other vacant buildings in Portsmouth. Now they want to build more at the old Churchland school site and dealing with a store that has gone bankrupt for its anchor. It's sure to be just another flop designed by our council.
One councilman believes that to revive Portsmouth, just add a merry-go-round. That really seems to be his main concern. It will teach the children science, he says, watching the push-and-pull action. I can see the children saying now after a ride how much they learned watching the push and pull of the rods. I think they would ask more questions about what makes a prism split a beam of light into a rainbow of colors.
They say another way to revive Portsmouth is to dig a big hole at the end of High Street. We have no land now and they want to dig a hole. You will get a lot of tax dollars from a hole.
It may not be too late to save Portsmouth, but it will have to be done with much better leadership then we have now. This city needs to go back to the ward system for electing our council. The council would know members of their wards and work for them and not as today, when the council members think they were elected to serve themselves. Maybe with this system, we would not have one of the highest tax rates in the area.
I wish so much that I could see Portsmouth as Ida Kay Jordan sees it.
Everyone does not live in the affluent sections of the city, where the city offers more services and better police protection.
Frank J. Harmon
Sandpiper Drive
Oct. 1, 1995
MEMO: Editor's Note: Ida Kay Jordan lives in Park View. by CNB