News from The Roanoke Times -Caged debt: “The zoo was like a person who lives paycheck to paycheck while adding credit card debt.”
We have all been there. It's not easy, but this is not personal. This is all about how Roanoke presents itself. Yesterday I was at the History Museum downtown and up Mill Mountain a short time later. Downtown was packed, and my little group brought the tally of visitors to the museum up to 96 at that point.
Then we went up Mill Mountain. The Star was packed just as much as downtown was. And much like downtown, the people were going no further than 1 block away, which up at the star translates to the Discovery Center. I have long thought the Zoo needed an archway announcing it at the stone wall to the Wildflower garden, and another along the paved road near the picnic area.
Just some gentle visual reminders that there is a zoo up here.
My wife and I love the zoo, and have long said that if we ever hit the Mega Millions, a portion of it would be donated to the zoo to ensure operations.
But as I've said before - the Zoo lacks presence in the downtown market area. It really irks me. Maybe I'll put my own signs up one day that mark the path to the zoo like we have to the Star.
Warm day? Warmer than your normal winter day? Go to the zoo. It's worth it.
Technorati tags: mill mountain, zoo, financing, nonprofit
1 comment:
I used to volunteer at the zoo. And man does it ever have more problems than it's inability to adequately market itself.
The corporate culture up there is fairly fractured between the administrative set and the zoo handlers themselves. And each of course has it's own vision of what it wants the zoo to end up being.
And you are right, up there a nice archway around the begining of that oddly placed wildflower garden would be a good idea. But the zoo really needs to consider it staying that specific location where it really can't exactly expand. That location is also restrictive because it's not central to anything, if it were closer to the city or the county they probably would attract more people.
Long rant, sorry. In conclusion: yes, signs going up the mountain for the zoo would be a good idea. lol it took me ages to get to that point didn't it?
Post a Comment