DATE: Wednesday, April 30, 1997             TAG: 9704300703

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Public Life 

SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   59 lines

RAIN, WINE AND REGIONALISM

Would you spend a rainy Sunday afternoon sipping wine and chatting about, gulp, regionalism?

Regionalism? That's something for politicians and big-business types. Right?

It's too big, boring and complicated for the rest of us. Right?

The local League of Women Voters doesn't think so.

The organization is trying to bring the debate down to meaningful shape and size. So members, such as Susan Goranson, are hosting living-room discussions about regional issues.

``We felt we needed to get out there and start getting people talking to each other more than they have been,'' Goranson told the 15 friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers sitting in her Creeds home last Sunday.

Goranson invited Hans J. Gant to talk about economic-development strategies to help Hampton Roads catch up with other regions like Charlotte, N.C.

Gant is president of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, which is mounting a five-year, $10 million program to lure businesses here. It's a global campaign aimed at creating higher-paying, career jobs.

Half the budget is from the private sector. The rest must come from the five South Hampton Roads cities, based on a formula of $1 per citizen per year.

Folks in Goranson's living room got nervous hearing that the alliance wanted taxpayer money, especially when there are pressing problems with schools, roads, crime and poverty.

``My main concern is my daughter in school. Where's the money for the Virginia Beach schools?'' asked Rogene Goans.

Gant explained that taxes from new companies will help pay for improvements and better schools.

But the answer that may have hit home the hardest for this group of everyday citizens was this: The good jobs might keep their children from leaving Hampton Roads for careers elsewhere.

``I would not like to see my children do to me what I did to my parents. I grew up and moved out of their area,'' said Skeeter Holmes, who was raised near Philadelphia and has three children.

The meeting has opened her mind on regionalism. ``Now I think it's something that more of the grass-roots people need to address,'' she said. ``We can't just leave it up to the higher-ups to take care of because it affects us all.''

And she recommends the small group approach.

``If you say, `a meeting,' nobody is going to go,'' she said. ``Get people together like this with friends and people you can trust in your community.''

To join or host a living-room discussion on regional issues, call Susan Goranson, 426-6704. MEMO: Ideas for this column? Contact Mike Knepler at 150 W.

Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510; phone 446-2275 or 436-6195; or

e-mail knep(AT)pilotonline.com ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Susan Goranson

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