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Discontent shows Roanoke needs open government

In rebuttal to the somewhat comic letter written by L.M. Holfield ("The stadium's gone; the issue's dead. Let's keep it that way," April 26): There are a lot more malcontents in all walks of life here in Roanoke.

The new way of back-room decisions and the forming of a new Democratic Party only show the screaming need for more open government that will work for all the citizens, not the wealthy few who have driven our city into the ground.

Brian Wishneff's statements and his willingness to take a stand only show the courage and commitment he has. And as far as losing two votes, I would rethink that also. David Bowers has always put Roanoke first. He is passionate and has shown the character to be mayor.

Rosen will make the valley better

We support Court Rosen as he campaigns for Roanoke City Council. We have witnessed a young man committed to working to make the Roanoke Valley a better place for all.

He is a small business owner. Court understands the needs of small businesses.

He speaks of a future full of opportunity for the Roanoke Valley, where our schools receive funding they desperately need and kids who leave the Roanoke Valley for school will return to work and raise their own families.

Rosen has a vision of what it takes to make all of the Roanoke Valley a place where we can attract business for new jobs, strong fresh ideas about improving education at all levels, and an understanding of quality-of-life issues for all of the valley.

Rosen has campaigned positively without attacking others and with an eye toward a more civil city council. He has our personal and financial support. We hope citizens will send a strong, fresh leader from the younger generation to Roanoke City Hall.

Wishneff is sole taxpayer advocate

When you are a majority of one in a decision-making group, you are asking for trouble. Brian Wishneff is definitely our No. 1 majority in Roanoke. He has considered the plight of the taxpayers more than anyone else on council.

I had thought we had a second councilman who was looking out for the taxpayer. However, Sherman Lea decided the kitchen was too hot for him. Wishneff stands alone in considering the plight of those of us who are paying the bills.

He has been astute in alerting the taxpayers whenever something is not in our best interest, such as awarding large sums of monies to private individuals, as was done for the owners of the Hancock building.

Wishneff should keep it up. We desperately need him on our council. Thanks a bushel.

Amphitheater decision was leadership failure

Roanoke Vice Mayor David Trinkle did the best he could recently to explain the wretched amphitheater site debacle ("Amphitheater decision is far from being made" April 19 commentary). However, I am sad to say he fell far short.

The issue is simply about proper location of the facility and the regrettable and unfortunate use of a flawed voting process that was devoid of public input.

Amazingly, the taxpayers were not informed or offered a chance to comment. Even our inexperienced newspaper editorial board figured this out on its own.

All of this current amphitheater mess has been delivered to the taxpayers to sort out because inexperienced council members, advised by a short-sighted administration, brought on malfunctioning government, which was followed by a fundamentally flawed decision.

What in the world have we done to bring ourselves such a city leadership crisis?

Without a doubt, and certainly subject to careful landscaping and adequate parking, the modest-size amphitheater should be sited at Elmwood Park.

This action will emphasize and complement the to-be-remodeled and refurbished downtown Market Building, a restored Patrick Henry Hotel and relocated library.

If we are going to rebuild, re-energize and expand downtown, let's get the four main downtown priorities organized, then let's do it right.

Don't clear a view for mountain restaurant

I am responding to Shanna Flowers' column "It's all about the view" (April 22) and the restaurant she dined at in Pittsburgh.

While that may be a good fit for Pittsburgh, I feel it is not a good fit for Roanoke. When she mentioned "making a swath" by removing trees to improve the view from a restaurant on Mill Mountain, I shuddered.

In the nine years I have lived in the Roanoke Valley, I have felt despair every time I see another hillside, along with trees, crumble to construction.

The view as we travel Virginia 419 from Southwest Roanoke to Salem, which was once rather spectacular, has now succumbed to office complex after office complex, most of which are (I am quite sure) partially unoccupied.

Mill Mountain is a treasure that we need to protect. We have an abundance of restaurants to choose from both in the downtown area and across the country. They need our support, not more competition. Let's continue to keep Mill Mountain as it is for the enjoyment of all the area residents.

It shouldn't take a news story

Unfortunately, the living conditions at Maple Grove apartments are at one with slumlords we've seen in Roanoke before ("African immigrants, black Americans at odds," April 24 news story). There seems to be a rush to address the issue only after a news article comes out.

All involved in this case bear varying levels of responsibility. The tenants have a responsibility not to damage property. This leads to increases in rent and is used by the owner as a reason not to repair things that are only going to get damaged again.

The Catholic Diocese is responsible in choosing where it helps place people.

The owner has a legal and ethical responsibility to do the right thing. The city inspectors have a duty to enforce standards and codes long before apartments or buildings get to the point of condemnation.

In this case, the owner and the city bear the greatest responsibility for this shameful situation.

Native plants help wildlife

We at the Virginia Native Plant Society find it disheartening that the Marlene Condons of this world do not understand the threat of invasive exotic plants to Virginia's natural areas ("Native plants aren't always better," April 21 commentary).

Plants introduced to another country or region may not have natural controls that keep them from becoming overabundant. Of the many alien plants we grow for food and ornament, a relatively small number are invasive, but some exotic plants can and do crowd out native species on which our native wildlife depends.

For information about the benefits of native plants to wildlife, we recommend to your readers a book by Dr. Douglas Tallamy, entomologist and chair of wildlife ecology, University of Delaware, called "Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife."

His upcoming article in the journal Conservation Biology shows that butterfly and moth numbers and species richness are lower in landscapes where alien plants predominate, and that fewer bird species live on properties landscaped with exotic plants.

President Virginia Native Plant Society