DATE: Friday, September 26, 1997            TAG: 9709240164

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: IDA KAY'S PORTSMOUTH 

SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan 

                                            LENGTH:   69 lines

CITY NEEDS, HAS GOOD FOLKS TO PLAN ITS REGIONAL EVENTS

Some folks still wonder why we need a new city position: director of citizen services and community outreach.

That's the job filled by former City Clerk Sheila Powell Pittman, a person who probably knows as much about this city as anybody could. Not only does she know how the city works, she knows many people and has a broad awareness of events.

In a few weeks, we already see some positive things emanating from Pittman's direction. Take the Fleet Week celebration coming in October. Because Ports Events Director Linda Lamm could turn to a person in the city to help, the activities will be broader and will encompass the the Coast Guard, the Navy Yard and the Naval Hospital.

Having a person on the manager's staff and involved with the bureaucracy is important to pull together diverse parts of the city. Any program can be made stronger with the full force of the city behind the volunteer groups.

Lamm, of course, is a big player in most big events. Like Pittman, she knows a lot about this city and its people and also brings the experience of regional cooperation - at least with Norfolk - to the table.

When Lamm and Pittman pooled their energies, Fleet Week in Portsmouth took on a new life. They were late getting into the picture this year, but they're already talking now about Fleet Week 1998. Planning ahead is the single most important aspect of any of the events that depend on the involvement of many groups, including several military installations.

For instance, you have to book military bands months, maybe even a year, in advance if you expect to have the best of the groups.

That brings up another project that is getting Pittman's and Lamm's attention: the annual Memorial Day Parade. Since the parade was in essence rained out this year, it didn't matter that it was short on bands and that it had not a single military band signed up.

Fortunately, the Constabulary Band from Portsmouth, England, was in town and gamely played music as scheduled from beneath an awning near the reviewing stand. They were wonderful!

However, had the parade gone on as scheduled, it would have been extremely weak because bands make a difference. And having a first-class military band leading the march is very important to setting the tone.

That shouldn't happen again. Lamm and Pittman already have a volunteer committee working on the 1998 Memorial Day celebration. By starting now, they will know which bands may or may not be available on that date.

It's probably the oldest continuous Memorial Day Parade in the nation and Portsmouth can use the longevity of the parade to polish its image as a prominent historic city. But it has to be an outstanding parade to attract national publicity.

With Ports Events involved, there is the prospect of having additional activity on this patriotic weekend that traditionally opens the summer season. And with Pittman in her new job, there is the possibility of the city getting all the parts together to have the greatest impact.

Ports Events is a non-profit organization responsible for bringing people to Portsmouth for regional events. The staff there works well with city employees and volunteers.

Having somebody on the city manager's staff who is focused outward on the public gives everybody in the city a focal point for becoming involved in many ways. Instead of one city office (and often one person) trying to stage events - from ribbon-cuttings to festivals - we have the possibility of input from several city agencies.

It's important for the city to work well with volunteers, a long suit of Ports Events which depends heavily on free labor. Pittman will be able to facilitate that because she understands how to use volunteer brains and brawn.

Do we need that new position? No doubt about it. Already we can see the beginnings of many events, large and small, that will do much to polish the city's image.

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