Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 27, 1994 TAG: 9403010192
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WYTHEVILLE - The Commonwealth Transportation Board has awarded a $1.2 million contract to a North Carolina firm to widen a section of 4th Street in Wytheville. James R. Vannoy & Sons of Jefferson, N.C., will four-lane a half-mile section covering seven blocks from Monroe Street to West Ridge Road. Each intersection in the section will be rebuilt. Sidewalks, curbs and gutters will also be improved.
Construction will take more than a year. It is scheduled to start in early spring and be complete in late summer of 1995. The project is expected to improve the traffic flow between the downtown area and Wythe County Community Hospital as well as businesses on the north side of town near Exit 70 on Interstate 81.
Wytheville brush cleanup
WYTHEVILLE - Wytheville town crews will start picking up tree limbs and brush that citizens place at curbsides as soon as other storm-recovery work is done along major town rights-of-way, streets and sidewalks.
Those had to be cleared first to complete the restoration of electric power and make necessary structural repairs.
But townspeople should go ahead and place their debris at curbside, making sure it does not interfere with vehicle or pedestrian traffic. Crews will get to curbside pickup as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the town will accept brush and tree limb debris from Wytheville residents at a site next to the former town landfill from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday until further notice.
``Wytheville Town Council would like to commend our citizens, the town employees, employees of all the area utilities, emergency services personnel, media and others who pulled together once again to enable us to survive this severe storm with no loss of life or serious personal injury,'' town officials said in a statement as the cleanup wound down.
``On a happier note, we are turning our attention to more of the details of the Stage 7 Tour DuPont stop in Wytheville on May 11,'' council's statement continued, referring to the four-state professional bicycle race that has added Wytheville to its route this year.
``A number of corporate sponsors have come forward and expressions of support are widespread,'' it said. ``The excitement is starting to build and we would encourage anybody who is interested in volunteering his or her services to contact Renee Askren at the Recreation Center.''
`New River Buccaneers`
WYTHEVILLE - ``New River Buccaneers,'' a musical melodrama about pirates on the New River, had its premiere performance Saturday night and will be performed again at 3 p.m. todayFeb27 and at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at Wytheville Community College.
This original play was written and is directed by Janice Scudder, a faculty member. It was first produced at the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre at Ferrum College. It will be performed on the Wytheville campus in the Grayson Hall Commons. Tickets are $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for students and senior citizens. Further ticket information is available by calling 228-5541 in Wytheville or toll-free 1-800-468-1195 from outside Wythe County.
The story centers on a young woman (played by Melissa Busick) jilted 18 years earlier by a pirate captain (Bill Dixon). With her daughter (Marie Coen), she plans to get revenge by robbing the robbers with the help of young women working at her tavern.
The captain's former partner (Don Byrne) is also out to betray him, and knows that the captain's niece (Mary Caudill) is soon to inherit a treasure map on her 21st birthday. He sends his true and honest son (Michael Treat) to join the captain's crew, woo the niece and get the map.
But the niece hates buccaneers and is smitten instead by a real estate mogul (Roger Dean Grubb). Meanwhile, the captain who is at the center of all the intrigue is planning retirement with his first mate (Kevin LightleLightle cq) after their final exploit, the kidnapping of a rich lady (Carol Easter). Unfortunately, the lady has nobody to pay her ransom. It gets even more complicated but is sorted out by some near-death battles, startling revelations and four happy couples.
Other cast members include Olivia LightleLightle cq, Michael Easter, Karen Allison, Tammy Garland, Marisa Moss, Marsha Turpin and Angie Ryan. Lighting will be handled by Brandon Ayers and Anita Figg. Musical arrangements are by Pat Green.
United Telephone big taxpayer
WYTHEVILLE - Sprint/United Telephone-Southeast's 1993 property tax payment of $151,998 makes it one of Wythe County's largest local taxpayers. Tom Green, the company's area community relations manager, said other payments include $17,497 to the town of Wytheville and $3,161 to Rural Retreat.
County and municipal taxes paid by the company in the 10 Virginia counties it serves totaled nearly $900,000. Green said the company will spend about $53.9 million in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina this year ``to modernize and replace existing equipment and to expand our facilities for new growth in our service area.''
by CNB