October 11, 1990

OPINION SPORTS James Madison University THURSDAY OCTOBER 11,1990 VOL 68, NO. 14 Construction delays leave merchants mad LisaCrabbs "Water Street bridge, which is 90 assistant news editor years old, was found about lour or five As workers struggle to complete years ago to be in bad need of repair," Water Street bridge construction, area Baker said. "Every year the bridges are merchants are expressing frustration evaluated, and this year was Water and concern over lost sales and Street's turn." inconveniences. Wilkins Construction of Amherst "People are getting tired of having to was given 120 days to finish the go blocks and blocks out of their project, he said. "They arc now on way," said Kay Hensley, owner of A & their 94th or so day." K Beauty Salon on Water Street. "My High water during bad weather in business has had a sharp decline in Blacks Run, the creek that runs customers since the construction through downtown Harrisonburg and began. revisions to preconstruction plans have "I feel frustrated because the city delayed work on the bridge, he said. keeps giving [the merchants] a date of "Water Street was only supposed to completion, but every time the date is be closed to traffic for 60 days, and moved another couple of weeks ahead," Saturday marked that deadline," Baker she said. "I've had to rely on my said. "We've had trouble getting a regulars to keep me in business pavement contractor because both of because there are virtually no the companies in this area arc tied up passers-by." with other projects right now. James Baker, superintendent of city "But we are making every effort to streets, said downtown Harrisonburg is have this project completed in the next in a grid pattern, but the Water Street two to three weeks," he said. "It has bridge was discovered to be skewed one been inconvenient for all of the shops, degree off. But in the process of trying but I am fairly pleased with how it has to correct the skewing, construction been going." officials confused the new plans with Nancy Garber, co-owner of David B. the original — and wrong — ones. Garber Jewelers on Water Street, said "We had two sets of plans, one right many downtown merchants are "mad as and one wrong," he said. "The people Photos By C. DOUGLAS SMTTH/THE BREEZE hell" that the construction is not putting together the beams used one finished. plan and the people putting in the Construction on Water Street in downtown Harrisonburg closed the "They've been building this bridge in moldings used the other. road, and merchants claim their business has suffered as a result. the middle of downtown for over two "So the beams were going one way months, and now we're getting into and the road the other," Baker said. to six weeks to mold concrete — that discussed the Water Street construction our fall and Christmas shopping "The plans were fabricated wrong and was wasted time." with the Harrisonburg City Council that set us back because it takes three Roger Baker, assistant city manager, Tuesday night. MERCHANTS page 2 Lawyer: Women's leadership roles must grow Christine Boitz legalized abortion, for a woman who called herself ready to hire women. suffwruer Jane Roe. "I was really upset and somewhat jealous of my "I have often thought, when I was in college, if male colleagues, who got good jobs with law firms Women must strive to share their leadership anyone had said to that group of students, 'Which one and went on to make money," she said. "But I had abilities, according to the lawyer who won Roe v. of you is going to do a very famous Supreme Court time to volunteer when somebody asked about the Wade. case, and end up as assistant to the president of the abortion issue — and as a result ended up making "I believe that women have some special things to United States?' I really don't think anybody would history." contribute," said Sarah Weddington Monday night in have guessed it would be me," she said. After Weddington had been out of law school for Wilson Hall. "The pipeline of women going toward Weddington became involved with Roe v. Wade in two years, a group of women came to her and said leadership positions is beginning to increase. 1967, when she had a job doing legal research. some Texas women were going to Mexico for "Experience is the place to start." After graduating from law school, Weddington had abortions, where they were illegal but readily Weddington was only 26 when she won Roe v. expected to work for a small-town law firm but could Wade, the controversial Supreme Court case that not find a law job. At that time, law firms were not WEDDINGTON page 2 < 2 * WE BRiEZE>THUR8D^,>OCT0Bm^,4990 Merchants CONTINUED from page I gone. "It Is hurting all of the downtown Kevin Lammers, manager of seasons," she said. "Ii is hurting all of Spanky's and a JMU graduate student, the downtown merchants. merchants." said weekend business has been the "I remember when the city told me same, but Mondays through the construction would be finished by Wednesdays have been fairly slow the time the college kids came back," Nancy Garber since construction began. Garber said. "They had barely started Downtown merchant "We are offering specials and good by that time. prices to students to try to up "I have customers from all over business," he said. "I am really Virginia, and I know they just don't looking forward to [the construction] want to fool with the mess down "You should have seen how they dug "The city promised us a pedestrian being finished. here," she said. "My store has seen a into my yellow pad when they signed walkway 30 days after the construction "Originally, we were told the project sharp decline in sales. If it weren't for their names," she said. "They were just began, but there still isn't one," she would be finished in 60 days, but it the jewelry repair service here, I'd be as mad as I am. said. has been much longer," Lammers said. gone." "The elderly can't park here and walk "Homecoming weekend was great, but Garber is in the process of gathering all around the obstacle course of "They were supposed to be finished I'm still hoping it will all be done by signatures on a letter to the editor of construction here," Garber said. "We're on Oct. 6, but they haven't even paved Parents' Weekend. the Daily News-Record from losing all the customers who usually yet," Garber said. "I told police to put "One of our biggest times is late downtown merchants to let the cily enter the store on impulse — because I a parking ticket on all of the September and early October," he said. know how the construction is affecting can't have any window displays since construction vehicles that day because "The construction has certainly put a businesses. my store faces Water Street. they were supposed to be finished and dent in that," Weddington CONTINUED from pagel life experiences. But the fact is you can start right now. You can't tell where life is going to lead. For available. The women asked if they would be me it's made all the difference." prosecuted if they told other women where good places to go for abortions were. Still, Roe v. Wade — Weddington's first contested She agreed to find out the answer for them but case — was a challenge. didn't know that "this many years later, I would still be talking about it," she said. "I panicked, but then I started getting ready," she Since that time, Weddington has served as Texas' said. first female state representative and as assistant to When a case is argued before the Supreme Court, it former President Jimmy Carter. She is now a is done in two parts. The first part is written. professor and a lawyer in Austin, Texas. "When I left [the White House] there were two "By the time I got to the court, I thought I could things I tried to do something about," she said. "One answer anything they could possibly ask," she said. was the relatively few number of women in leadership positions. That :s not to say the relatively few The second part is oral, where lawyers must argue women with lead rship ability. their cases before the Supreme Court. In this part, "I wanted to be part of a process of trying to look Weddington had to answer any questions after the for ways of encouraging more women to seek, to judges had read the written documents. accept leadership positions." The second thing she saw as she traveled was the To prepare, "You get other people to play like they lack of people willing to fill public and civic and are the Supreme Court, and you spend hours volunteer leadership positions. "People arc so focused answering their questions, so that anything they could WSHA HUNT/THE BREEZE on business leadership but not on how to invest back ask you, you will be ready. in the community," she said. "Sure enough, Justice Rehnquist asked me one Sarah Weddington was only 26 when she won "I saw that the people who tended to hold those question I did not know — when was Texas the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision. public leadership positions were those who had been readmitted to the union.

Load more