THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 5, 1995 TAG: 9511030197
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Another View
LENGTH: Long : 138 lines
I'd like to address Toni Whitt's Oct. 4 story, ``Carousel Feud.'' There were a number of statements that I particularly take exception to. The first is the one Karen Jordan, president of the Simonsdale Civic League, made about the ``elitist'' museum commissioners. I'm one of those commissioners appointed by the City Council two years ago and I'm trying to remember how I know Ms. Jordan well enough for her to call me an ``elitist.''
During my appointment to the commission, I would like to know if she has been a volunteer at the museum in the capacity of docent, gift shop staff, children's outreach programs, membership, hospitality for museum openings, flower guild, mail room or has she actually been to a commission meeting and that's how she has decided that I'm an elitist. She should get to know me before she hangs a name tag on me.
I believe in my city and that's why I volunteer. I don't believe in a Monday-morning quarterbacking policy that some people observe. So the long and the short of this is come and join me on any volunteer activity within our city (or better yet, our museum system) and make this a better place for all citizens. There is not a single organization for any endeavor that has too many volunteers. There are many reasons and justifications of why we don't volunteer but the real reason is, ``Let somebody else do it, I don't have time.'' Of course, we can find the time to criticize. So dig down and get a reason to volunteer and don't forget, if everyone did a fair share we would have a first-class community that we would all be proud of and the world would be beating a path to our doors to get here.
The second issue was the remark made by Vice Mayor Johnny Clemons concerning race. Has Mr. Clemons ever heard of the story ``Peter and the Wolf?'' It's a story about a boy who cried ``wolf'' when in fact there was no wolf. After a while, no one listened to him, so that when there really was a wolf, no one paid any attention because they thought it was another false alarm.
I'm not saying that we don't have any racial problems and that there are not some ``Neanderthal-thinking clods'' in our city but I believe most people try to be fair-minded and deal with people on a one-on-one basis regardless of race, color, creed. I try no to judge a whole group of people by the few bad apples that we seem to have thrown in our faces daily through TV, newspapers, radio and good old fashion gossip. I know that there are good people of all walks of life in our city because I meet them through my volunteer efforts, my friends and various organizations that I belong to.
It seems to me that Mr. Clemons wants to hang on to the past, beat it to death at every opportunity, stir the pot of disharmony and promote racial suspicion of anything he thinks will keep the pot boiling. Mr. Clemons should ``get over it'' as the song goes. His job as my councilman is to promote, build and lead this city forward in a creative and innovative manner, to make the city of Portsmouth a community to be envied. I challenge him to promote and build on the positive assets of our people and community with leadership and encouragement. Stop trying to find the negative and start looking for the positive. I believe you can always find a reason why something isn't right - in his case, it seems to be race. But with the same amount of effort, we all can see and find the good, also.
I believe I have been to every one of the commission meetings that have discussed the carousel and at no point has there every been any remark made by anyone that the carousel would bring more black children and we don't what that to happen. I would like Mr. Vice Mayor to be more specific as to who are ``some persons on the commission who are opposed to the carousel because it would attract more black children.'' Again, I don't know them and, if they exist, they should be asked to resign because they do not have the good of our museums at heart - nor our city as a whole. If these commissioners do not exist, again, ``Peter and the Wolf'' comes to mind.
As for his statement of ``how in the world can you run a city without input from the Public,'' again, I state that the commission meetings are open to the public as are all City Council meetings, so the public has ample opportunity to have input if they choose. The public does not have to settle for Monday-morning quarterbacking if it does not want to. The Children's Museum of Virginia is open to all children. There is nothing in the museum's name, operation or exhibits that indicates anything else. ``Children'' is the key and operative word. It is a hands-on learning museum to promote that learning can be fun - serious fun.
The third issue is Mr. Pitts and his belief that ``personal politics'' play a part in this feud. I take offense to the word feud. There are two ideas of what can go in the glass atrium. One of them being Mr. Pitts' carousel. Councilman Pitts contacted me some time ago and made a mini-presentation of his idea. I told him I was not going to commit to anything right then because I had not heard any of there suggestions and I wanted to be open-minded to all suggestions. As time went by, a second suggestion came forward. The city was in possession of a lighthouse lens from the Hog Island Lighthouse. The idea of the lighthouse lens lighting the atrium to draw attention from up and down the street seemed like a second good idea. (The money for the carousel has to be raised in order to purchase it.)
Mr. Pitts was formally invited to come to a commission meeting last June 27 by Sam Lamb, then chairman of the commission, to make a formal presentation of his carousel idea. He came and made an excellent presentation for his idea of a carousel in the atrium.
Because City Council had two issues/ideas for the atrium space, Kearney and Associates was instructed by City Council through Richard Hartman, city engineer, to take the two ideas and develop a plan and layout using each idea for the second floor.
Jay Paulus of Kearney & Associates came to the Aug. 22 meeting of the commission and made the two presentations. One presentation was made using the carousel and a second presentation was made using the lighthouse lens with a solar system suspended above the lens (which Kearney & Associates had developed). Both presentations were made using a ``scale model'' so that the commission could see what it would look like and how it would fit together.
Mr. Paulus then went to the City Council work session and made the same two presentations. He showed both ideas again and talked about the pros and cons.
During council's discussion with him, one of the questions asked (I believe by Mr. Clemons) was which of the two ideas presented would be the best and most appropriate for the atrium of the museum. He tactfully answered that both sides would fit in the atrium space. Mr. Paulus then answered that he felt the lighthouse lens/solar system idea would be more in keeping with the mission of hands-on learning at the Children's Museum that he had been given at the onset of the project. Also, he indicated that the carousel would not fill the atrium as well because it had a top to it so as to prevent a second exhibit above it.
The commission has looked at both sides and still feels, as expressed in a letter previously sent to City Council, that the lens from the lighthouse would be the most appropriate in keeping with the mission of ``hands-on learning'' for the Children's Museum especially with the addition to the solar system above it.
Also, in reference to the Friends of the Naval Museum, if, when and where the new Naval Museum is built in the future (2005 Vision has some plans), the lighthouse lens from the atrium can be removed and placed at the new Naval Museum facility. A new and compatible exhibit can then be placed in the atrium beneath the solar system exhibit to complete the space once again.
Mr. Pitts' job as my city councilman should be to present all or both sides of an issue. I don't mind that he personally supports one over the other, but he should allow the public to know that there is more than one choice for them to look into concerning the Children's Museum atrium area. We need to allow not only the council but the public to ``recognize'' what's right rather than who's right. When you don't present a whole picture and all information available concerning the issue, you mislead at the very least or abuse your position in office at the very most. I firmly believe most people will make good decisions if they have all the information necessary.
Martha Ann Creecy
Olde Towne
Oct. 27, 1995 by CNB