THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 10, 1996 TAG: 9605090175
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Improving education. Increasing economic development. Eliminating the negative image that crime has brought to the city. Those were some of the issues that convinced Portsmouth residents to cast their ballots in Tuesday's local elections.
But they weren't the only concerns expressed by voters as they braved a steady rain to perform the fundamental duty of democracy.
``I feel the honesty issue and putting things in front of people has fallen short in Portsmouth,'' said Jim Griffin, a 48-year-old salesman who had stopped to vote at Pinecrest Baptist Church about 8 a.m. ``There's too much going on behind closed doors.''
Charles Felton of the 200 block of Ashburn Road in West Cradock said the city has become divided by special interests.
``The main, central thrust is the divisiveness that's been going on,'' Felton said. ``We can't get people together for the common good of this city.''
Felton said he voted for those he thought would look out for all residents.
``I don't vote for change for change's sake. Any time I vote for change, there's got to be a good guarantee behind it.''
But at the John F. Kennedy Community Center on Grand Street, Donna Scott of Truxtun said she ``definitely voted for a change.''
``The city of Portsmouth has really gone down in the past six or seven years,'' she said. ``We really need a change. There's no retail stores, no businesses. Something's got to be done.''
Charlie Mulligan, who moved to Olde Towne when the Charleston, S.C., Navy Yard closed, said Gloria Webb won his vote when she visited his former home.
``She was the only mayor who came to Charleston to tell us about the area,'' Mulligan said. ``Then she wrote a letter after we got here thanking us for choosing Portsmouth.''
A lot of the 150 people who were transferred to the Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth from Charleston moved to Portsmouth, he said.
``This community has potential if people pull together. It seems like something is changing.'' MEMO: Contributing to this report were staff writers Janie Bryant, Rebecca
Myers and Ida Kay Jordan. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
A steady rain did not deter voters from going to the polls at Gomley
Chesed synagogue to perform the fundamental duty of democracy.
KEYWORDS: ELECTION PORTSMOUTH VOTING RETURNS by CNB