Posted Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Goodbye to childhood memories.

The Portsmouth High School building has been here all of our lives and I graduated from that intuition in 1951 when our city was a kinder and a more peaceful place for a child to grow into adulthood. I remember when I came back from Korea, when I walked home from the old C&O railroad station in Kentucky, I really knew I was home at last by just seeing that building once again.

I would like to see that building preserved to remember my childhood and fond memories, but I also know that it would be very expensive to retrofit to modern standards. Let’s face it, the building is as dingy as our present city building and both are very expensive to heat and cool because of antiquated engineering in such structures.

Portsmouth is so fortunate to be host of a State University and now have a new middle and high school for the next generations that I think it is only fitting that we also have a brand new city building to complement our city as a show place to attract new business and industry. Also to present to the whole world that we are not a backwoods introverted dying river town, but a progressive city working hard to enrich lives and meaning for all of our citizens and contribute to mankind itself. Sort of like buying yourself new clothes to make a better appearance and to feel better about yourself inside.

I hope when you read my thoughts, that you consider my proposal with this matter and please remember our future generations like our forefathers did for us.  And, just maybe a smart grant writer can procure the major funds for us.  Jan Braughton is a past superintendent of mine that I have the utmost respect for and I'm sure she has shown her concern for our city last Monday evening.  I do hope that the closed-mindedness of three of our council members will re-consider holding on to the substandard Martings building for city hall. It to, is too obsolete.

R Kabash