4 The Hampton Roads Messenger Editorial


My African American European Vacation: Scotland


Part two of a five part series


James VI and I, King of Scotland and England, in 1566. Tis is the same King James who commissioned the re-writing of the bible. I guess one could say that I was in the room where the bible, as we know it today, was born. Edinburgh Castled is perched high above the rest of the city and provides breathtaking views.


One of my reasons for traveling BY ANGELA JONES I recently wrote about the first leg,


in London, of my incredible two-week vacation in Europe. While London offered an amazing opportunity to experience the rich history of England, the country where the first settlers of what we call the United States today originated, there was also a great deal of English history at my next stop, Edinburgh, Scotland.


I traveled for several hours on a


train from London to Edinburgh. I was thrilled that I decided to ride the train rather fly because the scenery, while traveling between the two countries, was unimaginably gorgeous. Tere were hills, valleys, shorelines and more.


Edinburgh, pronounced


“Edinbrurrr” (sounds like a grunt at the end) by the locals, is dotted with fabulous architecture, which includes Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles’ Cathedral, George Heriot’s School (from Harry Potter), the Scottish Parliament Building and Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.


I visited Edinburgh Castle on


the last day of my three-day stay in Scotland and literally had anxiety about leaving, fearing that I may never be able to return to explore it in its entirety. Te magnificent structure has been inhabited by historical figures such as Queen Margaret (Saint Margaret), Mary Queen of Scots and King James VI and I. Queen Margaret died at Edinburgh Castle in 1093 and I stood in the very room where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to King


to Edinburgh was to attend an arts festival where a friend, originally from Hampton Roads, Shelli Boone, was performing in a play. Te play was entitled "When Divas Were Divas," featuring jazz great, Barbara Morrison. Te outstanding production starred five talented African American women who portrayed Lena Horne, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker and Sarah Vaughn. Tey captured the essence of each woman and beautifully sang their songs. Anyone who is afforded an opportunity to see this play should race to take advantage of it. Aſter the play, I had dinner with the cast along with other friends and family members who also traveled to Europe to see these women perform. Tere were seventeen of us at dinner.


Te festival where I saw the


play is called the Fringe Festival and it claims to be the largest and oldest arts festival in the world. Tis year, it was said to have lasted 25 days and featured 53,232 performances of 3,398 shows in 300 venues. While in Edinburgh, I also saw a circus act from Ethiopia called Circus Abyssinia, another must-see production. Tese young people performed feats that had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the entire duration of the show.


Getting around in Edinburgh


was very easy. I used Uber a couple of times and did a lot of walking. I took a “hop-on hop-off” bus tour to see most of the cities attractions. Scotland was enchanting and the Scottish people were very cordial and helpful. I found a good selection of vegan food throughout Edinburgh. Finally, it was time to leave the familiar English speaking countries and travel to Paris, France, world renowned for its delectable cuisine. Read all about my time spent in Paris in the next edition of this publication.


Volume 12 Number 1


Boo Williams Hampton’s


FROM PAGE 1 Economic


Development Authority would buy the building for its assessed value. The city will borrow the money over 15 years. Boo Williams would agree to run the operation and pay rent for the life of the bonds. Rent payments, plus the amount of the facility’s annual tourism grant and usage fees, are expected to cover the payments without any new city funds.


Frequently asked questions Q: Doesn’t the city already own the


building? A: No. The Hampton Economic


Development Authority owns the land the building sits on, and the group of investors pooled resources to construct the building.


Q: How much did the building


cost, and what is the purchase price? A: The building was built for


$11.4 million. It’s now assessed at $9.2 million, which is the price the city will pay.


Q: What is the economic value to Hampton businesses?


A: Tournaments or other events


operate about three-quarters of the year, drawing participants from 32 states. An economic study found an average of $9.3 million a year in direct spending, plus $3.8 million a year in indirect spending.


The study attributed 191


jobs to that activity. Participants book 25,600 hotel nights a year and average 5-day stays. Players generally don’t come alone; the household travel group average is 3.6 people. They get hotel rooms for multiple nights, dine out, go shopping and frequently stay to vacation extra nights, spending an average of $74 per person per day, not counting hotel costs.


Q: How much is generated in taxes? A: All of that spending is taxed


differently, with hotel and meal taxes higher than the sales tax rate. The taxes to Hampton are expected to increase over the next few years, as the city’s stimulus for hotels creates more conven- tion-quality rooms. Currently, about 40 percent of out-of-town people attending tournaments localities


stay in neighboring because Hampton’s hotel


offerings are limited. As new hotels open, the city expects to earn more tax revenues.


October 2017


Q: Why didn’t it make the profit originally expected?


A: Very few sports tourism


operations are owned by for-profit owners. It’s much more common for localities to build and operate them to generate economic activity and tax money. Leasing the facility for more uses and bringing in other sports might have brought in additional funds. However, the configuration of the indoor track has created some limits on its use for track events.


Q: Will money?


A: The city expects the rent to cover the cost of the bonds, which will be paid off after 15 years. However, the city will also be responsible for major repairs (not routine maintenance).


Q: How do we know there will be enough money in the operation to cover the rent/bond payments?


A: The facility has been


operating for 10 years and is a premier venue for Amateur Athletic Union sports, especially basketball. City finance officials have looked at the operation’s revenue and expenses. Plus, events have already been secured for several years in advance.


Q: Isn’t this all dependent on


Williams? A: Boo Williams will be legally


committed to stay for the 15-year term, and the city will have the rights to use his name on the facility. Williams is nationally recognized for his commitment to youth basketball and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as the 2013 winner of the Human Spirit Award. He has years of experience and will be developing a succession plan.


Q: Is this just about money? A: No. There are intangible


and quality of life benefits to the


community. Williams runs a


non-profit youth summer league that has benefited about 1,700 local boys and girls ages 3-11. The facility serves Hampton schools as an indoor track training facility, and local youth benefit tournaments are held there. The facility is also open to residents for indoor walking on the track during the day, so there’s a community benefit.


You are cordially invited to attend... City Council meetings...


Established 2006 A. J. Jones, Publisher Chris Parks, Editor


Sarah Parks, Graphic Designer Ida Davis, Contributing Writer


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Copyright pertaining to contents of this edition. All rights reserved.


Norfolk - regular meetings are held on the first and fourth Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. and the second and third Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.


Chesapeake - regular meetings are held on the second, third and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.


Newport News - regular business meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.


Suffolk - regular meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Hampton - typically take place on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m.


Virginia Beach - meets on the first four Tuesdays of each month. In July the meetings are scheduled on the first two Tuesdays only. Formal session begins at 6 p.m. Portsmouth - meeting dates are the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.


it cost the taxpayers


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