THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 5, 1997 TAG: 9701030244
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: 57 lines
Is the glass half full or half empty?
Those who read in Friday's Currents a story that skimmed over 1996 can find enough points to make a good case for whatever they want the answer to be.
Me? I see the glass as half full. That's because I've felt really good about Portsmouth for the past two years or so. That doesn't mean everything is perfect, but there is a lot of momentum.
Portsmouth changed mayors in the middle of 1996, and there wasn't even a blip in the forward motion. I credit that to City Manager Ron Massie, who seems truly interested in making Portsmouth all it can be. I doubt he would be here if he weren't ready for the challenge in a positive way. After all, he is retired from Norfolk.
Massie has a good way of looking at things. A few weeks ago he showed me a graphic illustration - a map of downtown with new and old businesses marked on it.
See how much has happened over the past several years, he said. We have excellent restaurants and a number of new and successful small businesses, he added.
``I'm not concerned about the empty space,'' he said. ``I think we'll see them fill up in the next year or so.''
I think he's right, and I appreciate his optimism.
But I also felt compelled to explain to him my impatience about empty High Street storefronts.
``Some of us have been waiting many years for something to happen,'' I told him. ``We're ready for more and, naturally, we want it all right now!''
Of course, there's not magic to make it happen. Redevelopment of a decayed downtown is a slow process, and we are lucky we have as much happening as we do.
The city has to build public confidence in the future if small business people are going to risk opening downtown or anywhere else in the city. I think that's the best thing about the Vision 2005 plan, which lays out action that will be taken to keep up the momentum.
This year the City Council held to the straight-ahead plan with capital improvements money. That is a good message to send. Nothing destroys confidence so much as zig-zagging from one plan to another, depending on how the political winds are blowing.
Portsmouth can't afford to play politics with its future. And Massie's management style appears to inspire forward motion in spite of political pressures. He encourages the politicians to move ahead on things they agree on and not get bogged down in their differences.
So far, that has worked well for him. Council members seem to be getting along better, and more seems to be getting done.
Portsmouth has so much potential. It is by far the most charming city in Hampton Roads. As the national trend back to community and neighborhoods moves in this direction, we need to be ready to take advantage of it.
Over the past two years we have been doing the right things, and I believe we'll keep going in that direction. That's why I see the glass as half full and getting fuller.