Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 24, 1990                   TAG: 9005240519
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A16   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EXPLORE A GREAT IDEA, BUT HURT BY GREED

A national non-profit foundation director is usually paid $60,000 to $80,000 annually. Why is Bern Ewert's firm paid $180,000? Civil engineers are available nationally for $50,000 to $60,000, yet the firm of Richard Burrows, the project engineer, is also paid $180,000. Why? Mike Gleason, the project historian and lobbyist is paid $110,000, while a Ph.D. history professor is paid much less.

No wonder the River Foundation is in trouble financially. What is going on and who was watching the purse when these outrageous contracts were signed? Is there more that the public should know about how their money is being spent?

Explore is a public project paid for with state funds and money donated by the public. The River Foundation Board of Directors should be embarrassed. Norm Fintel, the foundation president, was quoted in this paper as only being worried about "watering the plants." He needs to be looking at the books!

For example, why did the master plan cost $1.3 million when a citizens' committee of local experts could have done a better job for a tenth the cost? The Roanoke Valley does not need high-priced out-of-town consultants telling us what to do with our money.

Ewert's vision of Explore is good, but he has gotten greedy and it's time ordinary folks get the project down to a more affordable level. It's time Ewert and friends found another trough from which to feed!

\ BOB FRY\ RADFORD