Thursday, we'll urge the defunct Explore Park's board to renegotiate the terms of its contract with developer Larry Vander Maten to protect public access, should a commercial resort ever be built on the public's land, and to press ahead full steam on an alternate plan that might offer more attractive when the time comes to decide whether to renew the lease at all.
We're working on an editorial for later this week about a group seeking Roanoke City Council approval to use the indoor tennis courts at Countryside.
Council members seemed excited about the possibility, but they might wish to temper their enthusiasm until they know how much it will cost. The building, which needed repairs, has been left vacant. And while council has set aside funds to improve Countryside's golf course, it has not designated one dime toward tennis.
For Monday: The Roanoke County library committee that reviewed a controversial library book came up with an excellent recommendation. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is age appropriate for high school juniors and seniors. You can read their well-reasoned explanation here.
Roanoke County board member Jerry Canada also offered sound advice to a fellow board member who wanted to keep it off the shelf: "If you really, really want to know what that book is about, I challenge you to read it cover to cover and see if it changes your mind."
For tomorrow, we will remark on the first anniversary of the Taubman Museum of Art. Opening the facility during a deep recession has proved difficult.
What exhibits or activities would bring you to the Taubman?
For tomorrow: Roanoke City Council on Monday directed the city attorney to start the process of placing a protection easement on most of Mill Mountain. Council agreed a survey, estimated to cost about $60,000 is needed, and seemed in agreement that the summit -- the most controversial piece -- should be left out of the discussion.
We think if you're going to spend that kind of money and put the mountain through a rigorous public debate, and continue to entertain ideas of running a tram up its slope, then you ought to talk about the entire mountain.
Citizens of Virginia will elect a new governor and attorney general Tuesday and decide whether the House of Delegates will continue to be controlled by Republicans who have refused to take real action on the transportation crisis facing the state.
Many national pundits want to make this campaign a referendum about President Obama a year after his historic election.
A recent poll showed that Virginia voters are smarter than that. Only about 30 percent said Obama would factor in their decision in any way. Most Virginians know Tuesday's vote is about their home state, not the nation.
The direction Virginia could take in the next four years is certainly what weighed most heavily on members of The Roanoke Times editorial board as we deliberated our endorsements.
We're working on an editorial about the upcoming improvements on the Market. We will stay our course of urging the city to communicate with those affected.
While the Market Building will need to shut down for the renovations, vendors there have known this for some time. The city should help them relocate.
As to the open-air Market vendors, great care must be taken to provide space for this activity to continue while changes are made to their spaces and renovations occur at Center in the Square.
Communication and cooperation will work to all's advantage.
We're working on an editorial about the surprise announcement by Gov. Tim Kaine that Roanoke City Council has agreed to place a conservation easement on Mill Mountain.
The news came as a surprise to all, as council has not discussed this -- at least in public -- as it should have, nor had it discussed the protection zone with the parties who would need to be involved in creating and accepting an easement.
Still, the idea for some time has held merit for most of the mountain. It's the developed top and whether it should be developed further that draws controversy. The top should not be left out of the discussion.
RSS feed 