THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510210094
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 172 lines
I would like to comment on Ida Kay Jordan's column and a letter written by Frank Harmon.
First, Mr. Harmon. I don't know where he has been if he thinks Portsmouth is the only city with crime. I do not agree with him as to how unsafe Portsmouth is. The greater part of the crime is confined to drug infected areas. There are many parts of Portsmouth that are safe.
King's Crossing was a project of several out-of-city investors all of whom went bankrupt. He mentions what Norfolk would have done with that property. I can imagine. Build Nauticus and charge the citizens $1 million a year for 20 years to pay for it.
If the citizens of Portsmouth had supported businesses in Portsmouth instead of rushing to malls in neighboring cities, we would be better off financially.
If Mr. Harmon would like to visit Ida Kay in her affluent Park View neighborhood, I am sure she would be glad to show him around.
I agree with Ida Kay Jordan that the carousel is the thing for the children's Museum. The lighthouse prism would be better in the Naval Shipyard Museum.
Frank Lindsay
Court Street
Oct. 8, 1995 Go in same direction
I read with interest and a great deal of disappointment Frank Harmon's letter. I, too, was born, raised and lived in Portsmouth for 43 of my 49 years. I, too, remember the times that he and Ida Kay Jordan spoke of.
I won't try to debate the points made in his letter. I would say, though, that all of the problems that exist today were not created by our present City Council.
To my way of thinking, I see a city trying to rebuild; trying to revitalize.
The only suggestion I read in his letter was to return our council to the ward system. This may or may not help, but it is not the answer to all our problems.
The answer for our city is the same for any business, team, family, congregation, etc. That answer is that everyone is generally headed in the same direction. Offering constructive criticism is needed; offering doomsday rhetoric is not.
W. Steven Forehand
Harbor Court
Oct. 16, 1995 Moore for education
This Nov. 7 election is critical to the direction and scope of public education in our commonwealth. The decisions made in the upcoming elections will affect us as citizens, as parents and perhaps as educators, well into the 21st century. Without a doubt, this election will have long-reaching effects on the future of the children served by Virginia's public schools.
It is for this reason that I encourage voters to cast their vote for a man who has a flawless record in support of public education and public school educators. Del. William S. ``Billy'' Moore has stood with members of the Virginia Education Association and of the Portsmouth Education Association as we have fought for safe schools, for good jobs for our students, for parental involvement and for quality programs and facilities.
Since 1983, when he was first elected to the House of Delegates, Billy has sought our support and has asked us to be actively involved in the decisions that affect each of us. Billy wants to continue that strong relationship, but he can't do it alone.
He pledges to secure money for public schools rather than more prisons; for schools where all children have an equal chance rather than only those children who are the most privileged; for more money directed to our youngest stu dents to prepare them for productive lives free of criminal activities; for continued designation of all lottery proceeds to education; and many other issues that impact our children's future.
Join me in returning Billy Moore to the House of Delegates.
Carolyn Joyner Smith
President
Portsmouth Education Association
Oct. 29, 1995 Voter wants a change
I would like to thank Del. Kenneth Melvin for protecting our Portsmouth seniors and here's how he's done it. He voted against requiring minimum sentences for second-time rapists and murderers. He voted against three strikes and you're out, which required putting bad people away who terrorize our neighbors.
Ken Melvin may claim to be protecting our seniors, but he is not. Crime is a major problem in the 80th district. If you don't think so, read today's Virginian-Pilot story on it. Crime is one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed in the area.
It's time that something is done about crime. It's time to change House of Delegates member Ken Melvin. The time is now for Frank E. ``Dutch'' Andrews Jr. for House of Delegates. Mr. Melvin, if you are going to claim to protect our seniors, you also need to make us feel safe in our homes.
Susan Johnson
300 High St.
Oct. 15, 1995 Edmonds gets his vote
Candidate George Talbot has failed to show there is one scintilla or trace of evidence that can or will be presented to the voters in Portsmouth to show that Walter ``Square'' Edmonds has not been faithful and efficient in the performance of his duties. In summary, highly capable, public servants are entirely too scarce in these times to discharge them.
Mr. Edmonds' office has never had the ``smack of cronyism'' as some offices have had. It has been an office of the people of the city. He has never deflected any new duty or responsibility placed upon him. As a concerned citizen, I urge that we should return Walter M. ``Square'' Edmonds to office.
Frank C. Dempsey
Griffin Street
Oct. 16, 1995 And give us bagels, too
I notice that in the Close-up column, the same questions are asked of the featured guests. Nice touch.
Since I have not had my turn as a featured guest may I take the liberty of stating my response to the question, ``If you had three wishes for Portsmouth, what would they be?''
1. Admonish teachers and administrators in Portsmouth's school system to recognize that they are all bound together in one small (compared to other cites) school system. The ``left'' hand cannot afford not to know what the ``right'' hand is doing.
I refer to the fact that I have been in quite a few meetings recently involving school personnel who have stated repeatedly that ``they have no idea of what goes on at the elementary (or middle or high school) level.'' Why don't they and why do I get the feeling that they don't care that they don't know?
Our children are dismissed early one day per month so that teachers can have an ``in-service'' day. Instead of presenting some new, educational gimmick of the moment, why can't teachers be told about what is going on in the various schools throughout the system? Education is progressive. What children learn in elementary school will be built upon in middle school and beyond. It is ridiculous for teachers and other administrators to be so isolated and ignorant of their system. Such attitudes weaken it internally.
Every middle and high school teacher and administrator needs to make visits to every elementary school in this city in order to see what is going on. They need to know that ``continuous progress'' is at Churchland Elementary and Churchland Academy; ``math and space'' is at Douglass Park; ``Montessori'' is at Park View as well as what goes on in those classes.
Teachers at the middle and high school levels need to host teachers at the elementary level. Let's face it: You will be seeing these children at sometime in the foreseeable future. You need to know what they have been exposed to before they arrive on your doorsteps! (I am quite sure that a certain male middle school principal would add his ``amens'' to this statement.)
2. My second wish would be for more diversity in programming by the Portsmouth Little Theatre. I have yet to see anything remotely sensitive to the African American community (or any other community ``of color'') come out of that theater.
The theater is housed within a city-owned school facility; yet its format is not reflective of all citizens (aka taxpayers) of this city. This raises questions. Is the Portsmouth Little Theatre privately owned? Does it receive any funding from the city? Does it pay a rental fee for the use of the theater at Wilson? Does it carry its own liability insurance (as other groups have been told is needed in order for the theater to be rented from the school system)?
Can something be done to make the programming more inclusive? Are there no local (including African American, Hispanic, Filipino) playwrights, writers that could supply good scripts to be used in this facility under the auspices of the Portsmouth Little Theatre? Other cities sponsor play festivals for locals, why not here?
And finally:
3. We need a real, honest to goodness bagel place in this city. I'm not talking about a place where you can order one and they bring it to you. I mean a real bagel place where they cook them on site. I'm tired of going to Norfolk every time I want a bagel! Bagel shop owners of the world be warned: There are bagel lovers in Portsmouth!
Billie M. Cook
Templar Drive
Oct. 10, 1995 by CNB