Healing CharlottesvilleRenewal Puts Republican on CouncilLetter to the Editor, The ObserverJanuary 20, 2003 As we begin a new year, if The Observer finds this letter of public interest, I'd like to point out some history that may have been overlooked last year. For the first time in a generation, the issue of urban renewal helped put a Republican on City Council. I caution people that reading about renewal is like reading about war. It will not make you feel good. But people need and want to know the bad history as well as the good. The Jefferson School controversy flared in January just weeks before Council was to accept bids for development. I made a plea to save the school on WINA radio and started the issue website HealingCharlottesville. Other groups formed. Council reversed itself and created a committee. The last remnant of Vinegar Hill, Jefferson School is an obvious symbol of renewal. Because I grew up in the Garrett renewal area until fifth grade, I too am such a symbol. I joined the city Republican party in February. I also wrote a letter to The Daily Progress supporting Schilling and Salidis for civil rights. I had pamphlets on urban renewal in March, then a week before election. On Election Day, I put up posters at the 8 precincts that supported the split ticket. Both pamphlets were in pouches taped onto the sign. They were most popular in the Venable neighborhood. The issue of renewal looked bad for the Democrats. The party chose not to speak out on any aspect of the biggest government program in city history. So, my campaign was one-sided and negative. [It motivated some Democrats to split the vote.] The previous mayor, up for reelection, acknowledged the issue a week before election. He won. Alexandria Searls did not lose because she was out of town on Election Day fundraising for the Music Resource Center. She lost because she ran on the party's weakness, historic preservation. In fair coverage, I saw Salidis on the mall three days after election. I asked him what he thought of my posters. But he had no excuse for not politicking on Election Day. As the year wore on, the loss of history became more apparent. The Progress printed a Sunday top story on the city housing authority without any historical perspective. I provided that angle in a letter printed Aug. 20. The Richmond-Times Dispatch later did a similar story with the creation date of their housing authority in bold letters at the top of a table. Three days after my letter appeared, mandatory water conservation began. It took six more weeks for The Daily Progress to print the last time we mandated conservation in 1977. I gave The Observer the scoop. Then I broke the story on Sep. 3 in "The Last Drought", Letters of Charlottesville, and again on WINA on 9/11, Day 20 of conservation. The [local] press has merited a great deal of criticism and competition. Amidst the superficial makeovers, I hope they can find time to research our recent past. As for me, I will continue to share our history as I am able to. Blair Hawkins HealingCharlottesville@yahoo.com |