www.roanoke.com

One way to settle an election

The characters and the plot of Boones Mill's political scene should only live in the mind of a sitcom writer. Readers might recall a previous episode in which the former mayor and several council members walked off the job in a tiff over the police chief ticketing one of them and, let's face it, control of the tiny town. Population 280.

The left-in-a-huff team was back, campaigning as a united ticket of mayor and three council members with the vow that it was "all four one." Meaning, unless they all were elected none would serve.

Along comes Election Day, bringing out half the town's 156 electorate. Lo and behold, one member of the 4-for-1 team is elected. (She reneges on the slogan and agrees to serve.) Another, the mayoral candidate, is snubbed by voters. And the other two council candidates? They end up in a three-way tie with an opponent. Out comes the straw hat. In go three purple plastic eggs, each containing a name. One is pulled, and the winners is ... you guessed it ... the opponent.

Fair enough. But not in Boones Mill, where angst presses hard against the town limits. One of the defeated candidates vowed to protest. She claims now the mayor-elect isn't even a town resident. If so, smart man.

Watching a work of art in progress

Love it or hate it, one of the most fascinating things about The Taubman Museum of Art has been watching its shape evolve during construction. Thankfully, the fascination of viewing works of art in process will continue once the museum opens its doors. Georganne Bingham, the museum's executive director, briefed Roanoke City Council on plans to promote outdoor public art. A retaining wall that faces the museum along the intersection of Williamson Road and Salem Avenue will become a canvas for visiting artists to paint murals.

The museum's cafe will offer a front-row perch to see the artists at work. "We're not going to be an elitist museum," Bingham said. "We're going to be a museum where people feel welcome."

The more people come to understand and interact with art and artists, the more comfortable they will feel. The artist-in-residence program is sure to provide a curiosity.

Public schools, public accommodation

It seems only logical that public schools would be considered, well, public. And that they would be required to accommodate the public. That isn't currently the case. Gov. Tim Kaine this week signed a bill taking effect July 1 that requires public schools to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Virginians With Disabilities Act.

The bill was prompted because a Stafford elementary school refused to allow 10-year-old Matt Hooios to bring his service dog, Calder, to school. School officials claimed their buildings weren't places of public accommodation and that they could decide to allow service dogs on a case-by-case basis.

That certainly isn't what the federal or state law intended. Now the state law is much clearer, but Stafford officials apparently aren't relenting this school term.

Hopefully, Calder will follow Matt to school one day soon.

Christiansburg gives open government a try

For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, Christiansburg Town Council had a budget workshop meeting to discuss revenue and spending options for the coming year, and it was even open to the public.

Before this, town administrators met with council members individually or two at a time to get around open meeting requirements. This year's session was productive. Council members discussed the merits of various ideas for increasing revenues and debated spending priorities. Open government in action.

Such a meeting would be unremarkable in most Virginia towns, but it's remarkable in Christiansburg, where council has been very lackadaisical about the public's right to know. Perhaps in a few years, if council nourishes this new tradition, such meetings will be the routine they ought to have been all along.

Taking the low road on race

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sunk to a new low in an interview with USA Today. She was trying to claim that she had a "broader base to build a winning coalition on" if she were the nominee. What she meant by that soon became clear. "Sen. Obama's support among working, hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening again."

Perhaps fatigue caused Clinton to suggest that only white Americans are hardworking, and that Sen. Barack Obama is losing support among white voters, when polls clearly show he is not.

Clinton's comments didn't cause the uproar they should have -- a sign, perhaps, that she is becoming less relevant as a presidential candidate, even among her "broad base."