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May 15 - May 21, 2009
Community | News | Per spective
TheRoanokeStar.com
Budget Approved; Mayor Unhappy With Staff Change
Celebrating Rail P3– N & W retirees were on hand at the Link Museum to answer Rail Day visitors’ questions about locomotives.
After months of belt tightening, public hearings and work sessions, Roanoke City Council approved a $257 million budget Monday for fiscal year 2009-2010. The total represents a 2.8% decrease from the current budget. With a decline in tax revenues related to economic conditions, the city was forced to cut some services, but found the money during a final work session last week to open and run the city’s two public pools, Fallon Park and Washington Park, for the summer. A series of ordinances and amendments were passed before putting the budget in place. Councilman Court
Rosen was the single “no” vote on the first amendment, most likely an objection to not allocating more money for the city’s public school system. He did not comment before the vote. “This has been a very grueling and daunting several months,” said Mayor David Mayor Bowers before the votes authorizing the budget were taken. Bowers also said council was involved months earlier in the budgeting process this time – before City Manager Darlene Burcham put her
final numbers together and passed it on for review. “There was some spirited discussion back and forth,” said Vice-Mayor Sherman Lea, adding that council members always had the best interests of taxpayers at heart. “Tough decisions,” said Lea, “especially regardBowers ing the school system.” At one point, there was discussion concerning keeping the Fallon Park pool open, but not Washington Park, but funds were eventually located for both. “I would have had trouble support-
[Fund-raiser]
Roanoke Gallops Hard for the Greenways Lucky Garvin
Double Trouble
P4– Columnist Lucky Garvin and a childhood friend find trouble after “wriggling through the milk door.”
Colonels Commit P7– Troy Daniels and Jamelle Hagins sign on the dotted line to play college hoops.
Photo by Tom Rickard
Gallop Through Downtown: About 600 runners took part in the 3rd annual “Gallop 4 the
Greenways 5K” race Saturday evening, an event started by Valley Forward to raise money for the valley’s growing greenway system. Others participated in a 1-mile Fun Run or the 5K Fun Walk. The overall men’s 5K winner was Jeremy Bartlett of Covington, crossing the finish line in 17:14. Sarah Krycinski of Bedford took first female honors at 20:12, Star-Sentinel features editor Pam Rickard, just back from the Boston Marathon, was 7th with a time of 22:53. Valley Forward donates all proceeds to Pathfinders for Greenways, with this year’s total coming close to $25,000, according to organizer Gretchen Weinnig.
ing the opening of one pool and not the other,” said Rosen on his Forward/Together blog. “Though public/ private partnerships [as discussed for Fallon Park] can be a model for good government, in a city as divided as ours, opening one pool without the other would have sent the wrong signal to our residents.” The Washington Park pool in northwest city is closer to much of Roanoke’s African-American community. Rosen was critical that council did not provide the city > CONTINUED schools with P3: City Budget
Roanoke Postal Workers Help “Stamp Out Hunger” Roanoke Valley letter carriers join thousands throughout the Commonwealth in picking up non-perishable food - along with the mail - last Saturday during the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive. Bill Roop, President of Branch 524 of the National Association of Letter Carriers in Roanoke, said residents of Southwest Virginia donated 204,000 pounds of food during last year’s drive, exceeding their goal of 150,000 pounds. This year’s goal was 209,000 pounds. “Boxes of macaroni, boxes of potatoes, things like that. Anything that’s non-perishable is really what we’re looking for,” Roop said. Roop also noted the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank, which took in the donated food, especially appreciates meat, including cans of tuna, SPAM, etc. “That will really help the local food banks.” Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Pamela Irvine said national statistics show 1 in 8 Americans are struggling with hunger; in Virginia that number is 1 in 4. The food collected now will carry their partner programs through the spring and early summer. “It’s a time of year that we don’t see a lot of donations through national manufacturers and other partners. We would typically see donations in early fall and then moving into winter,” said Irvine of the Salem-based food bank. “So it helps supplement our > CONTINUED P2: Hunger Drive
“FarmTeam” Hopes to Grow More Female Candidates
Art Debut P11– Artists working in everything from watercolor to hand-sewn skirts, display their works in Vinton.
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Back in September of 2008, Mary Sue Terry, the first woman to serve as Attorney General of Virginia and the first and only woman elected statewide in Virginia, invited 22 women to her southwestern Virginia farm for a weekend retreat focused on involving more women in government. “It was really awesome,” recalled one of Terry’s guests, Roanoke County Supervisor Charlotte Moore. (Moore was elected to the Cave Spring seat by upsetting Republican Rodney McNeil in a GOP-leaning district two years ago.) Terry resume also includes a run for governor in the ‘90’s in which she was defeated by George Allen. During that September weekend, issues such as campaign strategies for women running for office were discussed and various workshops were held. The group enjoyed a hay ride and even got to witness one of Terry’s cows giving birth -- a symbolic event, as the weekend also marked the birth of “The Farm Team,” a Virginia political group for women who desire to see other capable women elected to government. Gena Doyle, chair of the Roanoke
Charlotte Moore (with now-U.S. Senator Mark Warner) is an elected official in southwest Roanoke County and a member of “The Farm Team.” branch of “The Farm Team,” said that at its core, the group is a support team for other women. The members are not all involved with politics, but most of them are activists of some sort. “It’s women from all walks of life – community activists, PTA members, environmental organizations,” Doyle said at a recent monthly meeting of the
local “Farm Team,” held at Montano’s. “It’s an opportunity to focus on women and give women a support group for their campaigns.” The group welcomes all political affiliations, though Doyle acknowledges that many members do lean Democratic. “[But] it’s broader than Democrat, Republican or independent,” she
added. ‘The Farm Team’ members support women as elected officials because they often share a different perspective than men. “Sometimes you see a board of all men, and they have a vision, but it may not be conducive to families,” Doyle said. Moore notes that women also tend to be more environmentally conscious than men, perhaps because in caring for their families, they become more aware of how much trash is produced – diapers, food packaging, etc. – or how much water is used when doing the dishes or laundry. “Not that we don’t support men,” Moore clarifies. “It’s just that women have a different perspective.” She adds that women also tend to be more compassionate and nurturing than men. However, “The Farm Team” does not endorse candidates on the sole basis of their gender. “Basically, just be of good character,” Moore said. “I would be looking for
> CONTINUED P2: Farm Team
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