THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 8, 1995 TAG: 9512080494
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
The city has invited 1,500 citizens, including some of Nauticus' most stringent critics, to stroll with their families through the attraction for free this weekend and point out what does and doesn't work.
The invitees are a wide range of civic league representatives, Boy Scout troop leaders, anti-Nauticus petition signers and PTA representatives, city officials said.
``Our hope is to get enough community input so that citizens will start to feel a sense of ownership in Nauticus as well as a sense of pride,'' Mayor Paul D. Fraim said. Fraim and John Turbyfill, the chairman of the National Maritime Center Authority board, helped organize the event.
About 300 to 400 people had accepted the invitation by midweek, said city staff. Many are bringing family members, meaning some 1,500 to 2,000 people will be able to visit Nauticus, compliment of the city this weekend.
The invitations are part of a strategy to learn more about Nauticus and to increase support for the battleship-shaped attraction on the Elizabeth River. A full pass to Nauticus, including entry into extra attractions, usually costs $14.
The visits Saturday and Sunday are just the first step in an effort by Nauticus leaders to reach out to residents and learn from them, city officials said.
The invitees will be asked to fill out a questionnaire on their Nauticus visit. They will be contacted later for a more lengthy telephone interview about the attraction. Small focus groups will also be formed to talk about their visit to Nauticus.
Eventually, the authority may modify Nauticus' exhibits and prices or make other changes based on citizen comments. The results of the surveys and discussions will be reported to the community in January, Fraim said.
The $50 million center has come under enormous criticism in the last few months since the City Council agreed to spend $1 million annually to help pay Nauticus' debt service. The attraction was built despite a petition campaign against it. When the council voted to supplement the center's budget, many citizens protested the city was reneging on promises that the center would be self-supporting.
The city recently hired a new executive director, David Guernsey, from Savannah, Ga. He begins the job in January but is flying in to monitor the weekend tours, city staff said. by CNB