THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 1, 1996 TAG: 9607300126
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 189 lines
Ending childhood hunger
While many of us enjoy our summer barbecues, 13.6 million U.S. children under the age of 12 are hungry. That's more than one in four children in our own country.
As campaigns for House and Senate seats are in full swing, this is the time for candidates to commit to ending childhood hunger. As a member of Bread for the World, I am asking that those elected to Congress vote for legislation and support federal programs that actually help alleviate childhood hunger. I might add that thousands of folks across the country are also writing to their candidates to help make childhood hunger a real campaign issue.
Childhood hunger is entirely preventable. National nutrition programs, such as school lunch and breakfast, WIC and food stamps could help to eliminate hunger in the country if they were properly and fully implemented. For example, WIC provides supplemental food for low income pregnant women and their young children. Every WIC dollar spent on pregnant women saves $3.50 in Medicaid costs.
I would like to encourage every citizen to write our candidates and encourage them to sign the Candidate Commitment to End Childhood Hunger.
This is the least we can do for the ``least'' of us.
Donna Dillon Stockburger
Frament Avenue Misuse of Resources
The most recent coverage of the MacArthur Center controversy has been centered on the architectural aspects of the project but has pushed aside another equally important issue, that of viability.
Just as the Planning Commission did not consider an independent study commissioned by the Norfolk Historical Society, the city government and The Virginian-Pilot are not considering an independent study, commissioned by a group of Norfolk businesses, which raises significant doubt that such an ambitious project can succeed given the demographics of Hampton Roads.
Certainly we need to develop ``the 17 acres,'' but just as certainly we do not need another architectural monstrosity that does not blend in with its surroundings. Neither do we need to pour tens of millions of the taxpayers' dollars into another project, the success of which is questionable.
Better that we invest our resources in improved police and fire protection, schools, streets and parks. If we do these things, people will want to live in our city, entrepreneurs will want to invest here, and government will not be tempted to invest public money in private endeavors that will compete with existing businesses. City officials say they expect that MacArthur Center will turn a ``profit'' of $1.5 million in net new taxes in the first year.
Do you remember Nauticus?
Edward A. O'Neal
Shirley Avenue
What good is it to have a television today?
Even with all these channels we have through cable, do we really get any more? No!
All we get are more of the same shows we have already seen a dozen times. Can the broadcasting association not find something new? Oh, yeah, they do occasionally and when you start to like it, they take it off.
American people enjoyed sitting around the radio long before TV came along.
John P. Romeo Jr.
West Ocean View Avenue
New civic league - finally
One Norfolk neighborhood reaches out for help and their community neighbors respond. For several years the community of Roland Park has talked and talked about getting organized as a community and unfortunately, until recently, there wasn't much interest and no one to lead the effort within Roland Park.
Several months ago in May, an adverse event occurred that raised the ire of many Roland Park residents. As a result, just when most community organizations begin a summer hiatus, this community began work to create what most Norfolk communities have had, a civic league and a crime prevention program.
When numerous residents decided to get organized they asked for outside help. They didn't turn to their government - they turned to a neighborhood church and their neighboring communities to assist. Within a period of two months, after meeting every other week, the Roland Park Community has come together as never before, and have vowed to remain organized with the creation of the Roland Park Civic League.
With a call to order to a full house by their interim president, it was my pleasure to witness their very first official civic league meeting July 15. They conducted a wonderful meeting, various reports from community members were delivered and a timely community information meeting on hurricanes was presented by Norfolk hurricane expert Jim Talbot.
The neighbors began their new crusade as a unified community, all in attendance had something to offer. The energy, the interaction and renewed hope of these neighbors is inspiring to anyone who still thinks folks don't care about their community and each other. I congratulate all of them.
I wish to thank the residents of Roland Park; the Rev. Frank Drake (Willowwood Presbyterian Church); Police Lt. Dan Hall; Second Patrol Gold Sector PACE; Officer Trudy Richardson; Norfolk Crime Prevention Unit; Eloise LaBeau, president, Estabrook Civic League; and Walter Dickerson, vice president, Norfolk Neighborhood Crime Prevention Coalition (Block Security-Neighborhood Watch), for their assistance and for asking me to be a part in this wonderful endeavor and to experience the American ideal of neighbors helping neighbors emerge once again. What an inspiration. Good luck, Roland Park neighbors.
Carl G. Meredith
President,
Lafayette-Winona Civic League Make the mail inviting
I am writing this letter to you as a concerned business owner who operates The Jewel Box located at 233 Granby St. in downtown Norfolk. I am thrilled at the prospect of the MacArthur Center project and fully support the use of this downtown property for the center's development. I do, however, have some concerns about the project's design as it now stands.
According to the information about the project's architectural design as supplied by The Virginian-Pilot, the center's developer does not plan to make it ``pedestrian friendly.'' This is an important factor in making the center a viable tool in the development of the entire downtown area.
There must be visual and physical connections to the adjacent properties and surrounding streets. Without making the exterior of the MacArthur Center inviting to the many tourists, downtown employees, residents and business owners, the city of Norfolk is not providing the right atmosphere to create the downtown revitalization it has worked so hard to achieve. The city does not wish to encourage people to come only to the MacArthur Center, but to visit the many other wonderful attractions, restaurants and stores within walking distance.
By not providing many street level entrances, attractive windows for sightseeing and an overall inviting atmosphere we might as well put the MacArthur Center in the middle of nowhere. The city of Norfolk is only encouraging an automobile-dominated shopping environment rather than an environment inviting to all who wish to have a place to shop, eat, be educated or just stroll.
Downtown Norfolk has the potential to once again be a showplace. The MacArthur Center is the key to turn the lock and open the door to economic prosperity. If the key is turned the wrong way and locks out all the pedestrian traffic, then the city will be left with a beautiful liability. If the key is turned to open the door to pedestrian traffic and create an inviting atmosphere of welcome, then everyone will prosper.
Ronda G. Bazar
The Jewel Box
Granby Street It's a worthy effort
This letter is concerning the Salvation Army's attempt to purchase the Comfort Inn on Tidewater Drive. As a resident of Norfolk and a public housing resident, I am saddened and quite shocked about the recent criticism of this purchase.
From what I believe and I truly know, the Salvation Army is in the business of helping people, not harming. And from what I can see or know from personal knowledge, when did it become a disservice or crime to help people who are down on their luck and need a helping hand.
Rehabilitation, getting a fresh start on life, seeking a Christian environment and mostly finding out that there is someone who cares, a trait which is somehow becoming a rarity.
Charges have been made that property values will go down, crime will increase, people will be panhandling on the streets and many other charges too numerous to mention in this letter. There are three public housing communities that surround this area. I shudder to think that somewhere down the line, they'll be saying that public housing must be gotten rid of due to the clientele that will infiltrate the community.
I hope and pray that the Salvation Army does get to purchase this property and I wish them much success and God speed.
Valerie Johnson
Sinoe Place Listen the Citizens
The public is not allowed any input regarding the final design of the proposed MacArthur mall at the City Council's meeting? How dare they! Whose tax dollars do they think they're using? And who do the council members think they are - Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? We, the tax-paying public, don't think so.
I was born and raised in West Ghent and graduated from school in Ghent. I remember downtown Norfolk at that time ... it was a bustling area.
I also lived across the Bay from San Francisco for more than two decades, and enjoyed two very large malls that were built in downtown San Francisco. Both are busy places, full of locals as well as tourists. Welcoming street-side windows with beautiful merchandise entice passers-by to come into the mall.
One mall has apartment/condo floors above the shops and they are much in demand. Both malls have spacious interiors, bright with flowers, trees, wonderful fragrances emanating from this shop or that, lovely things to look at, a great place to meet friends for lunch or dinner, where there is a choice of indoor or sidewalk tables ... a welcoming presence to all. Parking was not prominent, although there was plenty of it. What the public has is shopping, windows, restaurants, people-watching and enjoyment. I can see none of that in the present MacArthur mall plan.
Add my name to the outraged Norfolkians whose input is not heeded nor welcome, but whose money is being tossed down a rat hole. What kind of City Council do we have when the wishes of its bosses are being deliberately, cavalierly ignored? They are listening to the siren song of developers who do not live here nor will shop here, but who will continue to dupe other city councils.
Alice C. Goodman
Westover Avenue by CNB