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

DATE: TUESDAY, April 2, 1991                   TAG: 9104020509
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RON BARKER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

EXPLORE CHAMELEON: COLOR IT RELIGIOUS

YOUR MARCH 10 story, "Explore phases awaited," led me to believe that if the Roanoke Valley doesn't give the River Foundation ten or fifteen million dollars, Bern Ewert will be called home! In fact, the article made it sound as if Oral Roberts' private line to the Almighty has been transferred to the River Foundation.

Has the Explore chameleon changed colors again and become a religious experience? The article quoted Ewert as calling an unnamed creek in Bedford County "an in-kind gift from God." That may come as a shock to taxpayers who, through the General Assembly's rather generous gift of $6 million to the River Foundation, were the real benefactors.

Wait, there's more. In February, letters went out to many local businesses from the River Foundation, explaining that Explore is generating nationwide support and noting that the park is within a day's drive of 60 percent of the nation's population. So is Bonsack, but I wouldn't count on 120 million people rolling through there in the near future.

The letter announces the arrival of Dr. Rupert Cutler to the staff and describes how he affirms Explore's credibility - and then hits the company up for money! Explore admits it has already spent $30 million and ends with: "All donors contributing in 1991 will be designated Explore Founders and offered special privileges."

Wait a minute! Special privileges in a state park? And many of these businesses have been forced to lay off employees, freeze wages and cut charitable contributions in the past year.

Nonetheless, it does leave a host of possibilities for Explore. Jim Bakker went to jail for taking contributions and really building something. The River Foundation gets a hot line to heaven for taking people's money and building nothing. Since Jim may soon be available and out of a job, perhaps Explore could hire him (and Tammy, of course) to build what could be called Explore/Heritage/Zoo/World. The attractions that such a venture could offer would certainly bring tourists to Roanoke (perhaps even more than the Metro Tournament).

I can see it now. With the new religious slant that Explore has taken, it could build a 94-story Crystal Cathedral just off the parkway in Vinton. That would help satisfy Vinton, and it would certainly satisfy tourists, who could see Hardy from the upper floors even if they can't drive there on the River Parkway. And Lewis and Clark would be proud because if there had been such a tower in their day, they would not have had to go to the Great Northwest: They could have seen what was there from the 94th floor.

Then again, that might not sit well with downtown Roanoke in light of its affair with the Dominion Tower, which would no longer be the tallest building in the known local world. One solution would be for Explore officials to let tourists try to throw silver dollars across the Roanoke River from the observation deck of the Crystal Cathedral, and city officials to stand on the other side of the river and gather them up. Tourists' kids would like this too, because it sure beats looking at big-eared bats and prehistoric chickens down in the Explore Zoo.

by CNB