THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240153
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letters
LENGTH: 76 lines
Should there be a carousel in the Children's Museum? Yes!
The carousel is not just a children's ride, but beautiful pieces of artwork with the ornate carvings of the horses and their trappings, whether it be an antique or a modern one. The carousel is something that children of all ages can and do enjoy.
There are carousels at major malls in the area, in Central Park in New York City and the Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as major theme parks.
The carousel is not just a ride or a piece of nostalgia, but is almost a part of everyone's life. We all can reflect back to a simpler time and recall the fond memories, the sounds of riding a carousel as a child at a carnival, theme park or other venue. It is as much a part of childhood as toy trains, and trying on a fireman's helmet at a visit to the fire station.
The Children's Museum is the perfect place to house a carousel.
I hope that members of the museum committee will vote for the carousel.
Mike Maroney
Portsmouth
Jan. 16, 1997 City Council on TV
In the Jan. 3 Currents, the Ida Kay's Portsmouth column was about the new order of things as City Council moves non-agenda speakers to the end of the agenda. Ida Kay repeats the theory that non-agenda speakers ``use the time for personal grandstanding'' because of the TV telecast.
For 40 years I have attended council meetings, often speaking on issues for our civic league. I have had television since 1949 when the only station in Virginia was WRVA in Richmond and have never seen a council meeting on the city's cable TV station.
As to the highly paid city employees sitting at council meetings, I submit their presence is to supply the city manager with information that he might need.
As to the telecast, I agree we should turn it off. The city of Portsmouth is served well by Ida Kay Jordan's writing. There is hardly any City Council action that she does not support or advocate.
It has been a long time since The Virginian-Pilot has assigned an investigative reporter to cover city government.
Stephen L. Whitehead
County Street
Jan. 14, 1997 An eyesore is finally gone
What an overwhelming joy it is to drive down Cavalier Boulevard and see the super-excellent construction that the city engineers and workers have done to an unsightly strip of ditch that was once infested with rodents and debris, and posed a health and safety hazard.
Although more work has to be done on this project, we, the residents of this community, have received the justice that we sought and fought for during the last 25 years.
Since this was a joint effort of numerous individuals and groups, it is altogether fitting that we should give accolades to: Vivian Curry, president of Lake Cavalier Corp. and Cavalier Manor Beautification Council; Joseph Wright, chairman of Police Relations of Cavalier Manor; past and present presidents of Cavalier Manor United Civic League, Carlton Carrington and Buddy Sharpe; and Lee King, chairman of the Cavalier Manor Forum. These people faced seemingly insurmountable hurdles, but they never gave up, never gave in.
In every project of this magnitude, there are always those individuals who are ``pioneers,'' so to speak, in their efforts to capture the attention of officials who are in positions and have the authority to correct the situation. One of those persons was Lenora Alvin, who, for many years, persistently wrote letters to the editors of our local newspaper, pleading for help, hoping that some relief would be forthcoming to rid our community of the ugliness that had brought shame and disgrace to the environment.
Praise God for all of you precious people who truly believed that genuine faith and positive action could make possible that which seemed impossible.
Frances R. Paige
Roosevelt Boulevard
Jan. 16, 1997