Longwood Park is currently home to a playground, several courts and picnic shelters. There’s even a portable stage sitting in one corner, but the City of Salem is about to announce something permanent is going in its place: a new, fully functioning amphitheater.
“We might have our reading sessions for the library there that we do during the week, we might have a small concert there, and we might have our Easter egg hunt,” said John Shaner, Director of Parks and Recreation.
Shaner says it won’t be the size of the proposed amphitheater in Roanoke City – subject of on and off and on again votes – not even the size of the one planned for Smith Mountain Lake, but nonetheless they’re excited. Carey Harveycutter, Director of Civic Facilities, says it’s just more good news this year for Salem.
“Bringing the Red Sox moniker to town has been big, attendance is up, and concessions are up,” explained Harveycutter. “We just completed our two largest annual events, the Salem Fair, which was up in all aspects, and then the Roanoke Valley Horse Show that had a very good run. All of these are happening is spite of a really down economy.”
Harveycutter says it comes down to the size of government in Salem.
“We all have one goal in mind and that’s to do what’s best for Salem and the citizens and I think that’s what serves us very well, because we don’t worry about individual egos, but what’s good for the community,” Harveycutter said.
Great article All of the leaders of Roanoke City should take a lesson from this article and and start doing what is best for Roanoke City and to get away from all of there INDIVIDUAL EGOS.