THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511030193
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 209 lines
A winning combination
I recently read an article in the paper concerning the Children's Museum and another article by Ida Kay Jordan on the same subject. She had some extremely good thoughts on the subject and she is about the only person who has some positive articles on the city of Portsmouth. And, I'll just bet that there are a lot more people who feel the same way about this museum.
When I read the paragraph about the council having three different ideas about the museum, I could not believe that these views were being judged separately. Please explain to me and the other residents of Portsmouth why the museum cannot be the reality of all three ideas as follows: Family attraction, education amenity, and economic development tool.
Why do you people want to separate these three ideas - it looks to me like it is a winning combination? And, now we have something that is actually a success here in the city of Portsmouth. I am really tired of seeing businesses close up and move to Chesapeake and other neighboring cities. Or, they just go out of business.
And I am glad that we now know how Mayor Webb feels about the citizens of Portsmouth. If she shudders to think about the public getting involved, I shudder to think what her true feelings are toward us. Just what is her way to find a solution? Whatever it may be, I don't think that it is with us in mind!
And, once again, someone on the City Council makes the carousel placement a racial issue. I don't believe that this is the thinking of the majority of the citizens, but, just like the old saying, ``if you keep throwing mud on the barn, some of it will stick.'' I just wish that people would get beyond this issue so Portsmouth can start to become a city in which we are all proud to live.
Now, as far as the carousel is concerned, I am not sure what it means if you put it in the museum. Is it just going to be an exhibit, is it going to be a ride or whatever? If you are putting it in the museum for children to ride, then I don't believe it belongs in a museum because it would give it a carnival atmosphere. Mr. Robinett had some intelligent comments about the carousel and also about putting all of the attractions in one place. If we are lucky enough to get someone to visit us, why not give them more than one area to visit in our city? When I visit other cities that have the same type location that we have, it is frustrating to see how successful they have been in making their cities attractive to tourists. We have the ability to do the same, but the first thing we have to do is have the City Council stop all their bickering and fighting with each other. They need to remember that they are representing us - we voted them in and we can vote them out.
Mary Parrish
Warren Drive
Oct . 25, 1995 Go for carousel
I have read in the paper for the last few months about the carousel vs. the lighthouse prism for the Children's Museum. As a mother of two children, I think the carousel is the way to go with the Children's Museum. I spend a lot of time at the museum with my kids and they would love the carousel. I, for one, enjoy carousels even though I am not a child anymore.
I am under the impression that the prism is an antique. If you have kids, you know that antiques and breakable things do not do well with kids. Nine times out of ten, the antique gets broken and can not be replaced. Let us remember that the name of the museum is the Children's Museum, so put in things and activities that appeal to children.
Maybe City Council needs to spend a few days with children of all ages to see what they like to do with their time. I know the younger kids would rather spend time on a carousel than looking at some light. So approve the carousel, City Council.
Connie Voodre
Crocker Ave.
Oct. 21, 1995 Looking for sign thief
First it was Robb and Sisisky. Not once, but twice, then three times they stole the signs placed in my yard. Now it is Billy Moore and Johnny Joannou.
A call to the Police Department revealed it is a crime to take signs posted on private property.
Be assured, I am on the lookout for the culprit. If I see the guilty persons, they can count on me to report them and see that they have to answer to the fullest letter of the law.
Dorothy M. Hill
Shenandoah Street
Oct. 29, 1995 Racism rears its head
I almost canceled my newspaper subscription when I read the story about the housing projects on the front page of the Sunday, Oct. 15, paper.
Why do you put all negative stories on the front page? Who took the survey about the number of people who eat, sleep and raise children? Seventy-two percent? That leaves only 28 percent with self-esteem who work and who are people with a cause and a purpose in life.
Racism raised its ugly head again. Most of the people in public housing are black. I live in public housing and I and others treat our apartments like our homes, which it is. Come out to Dale Homes and see people cleaning yards, planting flowers etc. Step inside our apartments. You'd be surprised. Stop criticizing us. Give us credit where credit is due. Most of the crimes committed here are done by outsiders. Read the Crime Report. Stories like the one Oct. 15 make me very angry because there are good people and bad people everywhere in the city of Portsmouth.
Please let up on public housing.
Have you ever been to our Volunteer Banquet? We labor for nothing and receive a plaque. People here help with children in tutoring classes after school.
If you can't report something good, please just leave us out of the paper.
Barbara P. Hooke
Dale Drive
Oct. 19, 1995 Vote republican
In the mid sixties, Time magazine published an article regarding Virginia politics. It described Harry Byrd Sr. associates as a ``machine'' but also stated there was never a breath of scandal as its members were great leaders. How times have changed. The symbolic change became very clear when the last ``Byrd'' governor, Mills Godwin, was elected for a second term as a Republican. He was followed by some of the state's most highly respected legislators.
The present day Virginia Democrats have adopted the liberal, socialistic principles of the national Democratic Party which is far removed from the ideals of most Virginia voters.
The Virginia General Assembly has been in the hands of the Democrats for well over a century and has become more and more arrogant as time has passed. It has totally denied the minority any voice in crucial decisions, i.e. the selection of judges.
If voters want a more responsive legislature, it is imperative to elect a Republican majority this year.
Unfortunately, the Republicans in Portsmouth and perhaps elsewhere feel themselves faced by a dilemma in the upcoming election. They feel they would like different choices.
As a Republican since Eisenhower, I sincerely believe a Republican majority in the General Assembly will open the door to a fresh approach to government and attract many bright, energetic and responsible individuals to active and open participation in political life.
We find ourselves in our present dilemma because many of our most capable citizens have declined to participate in the political process. The vacancy has been filled by the less than desirable.
Helen T. Chapman
Lake Circle
Nov. 1, 1995 Small business is No. 1
In response to Ida Kay's Portsmouth column in the Sunday, Oct. 8 paper, she raised questions about the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and its presence in Portsmouth. I felt it important to add the regional perspective and clarify a few points.
Ms. Jordan expressed concern that the chamber might be favoring the concerns of big businesses and not focusing on businesses of all sorts and sizes. Actually, the contrary is true. In the last several years the chamber has initiated a new customer service direct contact program specifically to reach small businesses.
It has brought to small businesses new ``bottom line'' benefits like savings on long distance, free member-to-member discount listings, discounted training classes and free business counseling through the Small Business Development Center and in early 1996 we are confident we will offer a workers' compensation insurance program.
Many of these direct benefits were requested by small businesses that make up more than 80 percent of the chamber's membership.
The chamber relies on its local offices to focus on specific, local city and community issues. We appreciate Ms. We see local efforts continuing to have no plans to close the Portsmouth office.
We have, however, redesigned our staffing approach so that we will be able to consolidate activities that are currently duplicated by each of our local offices. Changes and redistribution of staff are part of that process.
Lastly, we all agree that the creation of new jobs and the attraction of new companies to the region is vital to our future economic health. Our economic development program, Forward Hampton Roads, has always promoted selling the region first, since that is how outside firms look at the big picture value of relocating to Hampton Roads.
The ultimate benefit to all our independent cites would be greatly enhanced if we pooled many of our resources, marketed ourselves regionally, and competed openly in the areas that make constructive sense. As Ida Kay correctly pointed out, we are truly no better than the weakest city in the region. We are also no stronger than our small business base.
John A. Hornbeck Jr.
President
Hampton Roads Chambe of Commerce
Oct. 24, 1995 Shorter route needed
The shortest distance from point A to point B is a straight line.
This is why so many cars use the causeway to go through Westhaven. The residents of Westhaven don't want cars going through their neighborhood and using their streets.
Fine. Create a shorter route to and from Churchland. Making the intersections left turn only and right turn only will only create a maze of confusion that will probably end up with more traffic accidents.
Who will enforce the new traffic patterns? Can we afford to have our police sitting at street corners
If 1,000 cars a day have to travel an extra mile to detour around Westhaven, at the end of a month, that would be over 25,000 miles. What a waste of gas.
So when the traffic engineers and City Council decide what to do, make it shorter, not longer - it's simple math.
Mr. and Mrs. W. Stefurak
4201 Clifford St.
Nov. 1, 1995 by CNB