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the other proposals, such as the Park View, but we do think that the majority of the
<br />money ought to be used for Southside. Thank you."
<br />
<br />Mr. Wentz: "Are there any questions for Mr. Eastes? Thank you very much, George. The next re-
<br /> quest to speak is from Mr. Frederick J. Fisher, representing the M~seum and Fine Arts
<br /> Commission. Mr. Fisher."
<br />
<br />Fisher:"Mr. Wentz, City Councilmen, Commissioners, and fellow Portsmouth citizens. As you
<br /> know, I am Director of the Museum and the planned Community Art Center for the City
<br /> of Portsmouth. I represent the city's Museum and Fine Arts Commissioners. As you
<br /> know, the commissioners have two projects under way. One, the expansion of the
<br /> Naval Museum has been discussed widely, notably to the Finance Commissioners, and to
<br /> sevsral Council members present. The funding for this project is under way with
<br /> some State financial aid already appropriated and promises of more State money when
<br /> our city matches the present funds. The second project, the renovation of our old
<br /> courthouse, is the subject of my presentation this evening.
<br />
<br />It is often said that "man does not live by bread alone", and in that same vein I
<br />would like to remind you of an anologous statement that "man should not live solely
<br />for his utilitarian advancements". All of us need a balanced environment in which
<br />to live - one which offers opportunities for cultural enlightenment as well as phy-
<br />sical improvements. Portsmouth has been a community now for 220 years and to this
<br />day it lacks a cultural facility. I am here to appeal again for some financial con-
<br />sideration for an earnest attempt to reconcile Portsmouth's imbalanced environment
<br />by way of renovating our 126 year old courthouse for its use as the City's Commu-
<br />nity Art Center. The building, as you know, is listed in both the State of Virginia
<br />and the National "Registers of Historical Places". This makes all of us responsible
<br />for its maintenance. Howeverr maintaining an empty building is nonsense. Our mu-
<br />seu~ and Fine Arts Commissioners, whose chartered responsibility is..."to ascertain,
<br />develop, construct and operate cultural facilities, and to plan, promote and create
<br />cultural and educational opportunities in the City of Portsmouth..." has, by the
<br />very fact that the city lacks any cultural facility, and that ~his historic building
<br />is standing empty, undertaken to designate the courthouse as the future home of
<br />Portsmouth's Community Art Center.
<br />
<br />What does an art center mean to Portsmouth? First let me say it is not intended to
<br />be a museum, or to compete with the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk. It will not be an
<br />"effete" place for a select few citizens. Indeed it will be a place designed to
<br />help expand our citizens' knowledge of the arts, crafts, music, theater, dance, and
<br />continuing public education. It shall be a cultural "information center" for the
<br />who~s city. It will compliment our present historical museum by giving empetus to
<br />the cultural abilities of our living citizens today. And it will be a place to fur-
<br />ther educate our children to be more enlightened and ab~ citizens for tomorrow.
<br />What are the Museum and Pine Arts Commissioners asking of you and the City for this
<br />project? They have ascertained that renovating the courthouse, which has only 8,000
<br />square feet of space, should cost in the realm of $500,000 dollars. They are not
<br />requesting the entire sum from you, but a portion large enough to get the project
<br />under way. This is an effort, as you know, to benefit the community as a whole, and
<br />the commissioners feel that it should be partially financed by the community. There-
<br />fore additional funds shall be sought by various fund raising activities. While I
<br />am not foolish enough to suggest to you that this request is more urgent or more
<br />important than, say, our blighted Southside, I am hopeful enough to suggest that our
<br />city will not evolve another 220 years in a cultural void.
<br />
<br />The situation of our city, at present, that of crying physical needs as well as cul-
<br />tural ones, I can liken to a blind man who undergoes surgery to be able to see again.
<br />Certainly he needs the physical reparation of surgery to bring back his sight, but
<br />being able to see, and knowing what he is looking at is two different things. I am
<br />suggesting that we allocate some funds to improve our cultural sight. While we need
<br />the physical surgery drastically, in the form of city improvement, we also need an
<br />opportunity to be able to learn to see on a higher plane, in the form of a cultural
<br />facility. Thank you."
<br />
<br />Mr. Wentz:
<br />
<br />"Thank you Mr. Fisher. Are there any questions by Commissioners, or members of the
<br />Council? Thank you. If you have a copy of your remarks, if you could leave a copy
<br />with the Clerk, we would appreciate it. The next request to speak is Upton Watts
<br />of 216 Owen Street. Mr. Watts."
<br />
<br />Mr. Watts:
<br />
<br />"Vice Mayor and members of the Council, I do not come prepared to speak, no~ do I have
<br />a speech, so I will have to speak extemporaneously. But I have to speak on behalf
<br />of the landlords in Park View, and what they are attempting to do. I happen to be
<br />one. I own fifteen apartments in Park View. I own apartments in Park View that are
<br />renting for a hundred and fifty dollars a month and more. My property is valued at
<br />more than $175,000 dollars. It has been hit very hard. The landlords of Park View,
<br />and what they are doing, they are only inviting lower types of people. In my apart-
<br />ments I have teachers, I have an accountant, I have many people there who are pro-
<br />fessionals, and I do not think that the landlords are getting a fair shake in Park
<br />View, and I have to speak on behalf of the'landlords, and I wish that they would
<br />get more attention and more consideration. I thank you."
<br />
<br />Mr. Wentz: "Are there any questions for Mr. Watts?"
<br />
<br />Mr. Early: "Could you be more specific? You say they're not getting a fair shake.
<br /> mean by that?"
<br />
<br />What do you
<br />
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