ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701270062
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
Andy Graham will step down as the mayor of Pulaski on Friday, ending more than 28 years of service to the town.
"I do not write the word 'resignation' with joy or to relieve myself of the responsibilities of mayor," Graham said in letters delivered Saturday to other town officials. "The reason for my action is that I have a serious operation facing me that will require me to miss several upcoming council meetings."
He noted that during this time, work will start on the next fiscal year's budget "and it is vital that intense effort be put into this task. Therefore, I believe that it is in the best interest of the town that I step down."
He will be succeeded, at least temporarily, by W.H. "Rocky" Schrader Jr., the town's vice mayor.
Graham, 75, is also resigning as the town's representative to the Peppers Ferry Wastewater Treatment Authority.
He was first elected to Town Council in 1968. He served for 24 years, including eight years as vice mayor. He was elected mayor in 1994.
He also served for eight years on the New River Valley Planning District Commission and currently represents the town on Pulaski Encouraging Progress, the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Municipal League Policy Committee and other committees.
"I guess it's about time I slowed down," he told a reporter.
"This is a challenging time for the town of Pulaski. We have the potential to become the cultural and recreational capital of Southwest Virginia. Our future depends on dedicated leadership, responsible citizenship and wise management of our financial resources. May all of us be stirred up to be community builders, and may God's blessings rest with the town."
The town is at work on extending the New River Trail State Park, which passes through several counties on a former Norfolk Southern railway bed, from the town limits to the town's refurbished train depot, also donated by NS. The depot is home to the county chamber of commerce office and a museum. Graham has been involved in plans to expand it to include a railroad museum.
Graham's term would have ended in mid-1998. He said he had expected to complete the term but, because he would be unable to participate in the start of 1997-98 budget work, made the "hard decision" that he should step down.
"In all my years of service to the town, I have always made a valiant effort to be the taxpayer's advocate. It is an awesome responsibility to spend the hard-earned tax dollars of our citizens, and we must ensure the wisest use of these funds to provide the best services and quality of life for our people. I believe the greatest responsibility of any public official is good stewardship of public monies," he said.
Graham, a Floyd County native, joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 and served in a heavy bombardment crew flying out of England. Its B-17 Flying Fortress was shot down on its fourth bombing raid, and Graham spent 31 months in a German prison camp.
He continued to serve in an Air Force Reserve until his retirement in 1981 as a lieutenant colonel.
Graham graduated from Virginia Tech with an engineering degree in 1948. He moved to Pulaski later that year as an employee of Appalachian Power Co., now American Electric Power. He retired in 1986 as customer service manager for its Pulaski Division.
He has been an active member of Pulaski's Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. He and his wife, Elrica, have two children, the Rev. Mark Graham and Amy Graham Brooks, and four grandchildren.
"He's one of a kind," said his wife, a retired teacher who has been active in placing historical exhibits in the restored Pulaski County Courthouse and is an expert on New River Valley geology. She recalled Graham going through town budgets in notebooks inches thick on their kitchen table. "Every year that he's been on council, he's studied every line of that big thick budget," she said.
"I have always voted my conscience," Graham said, "and have been willing to take a stand for whatever I believe is best for all the people. I hope my efforts have made a difference, and that something I have done has made Pulaski a better place to live. Pulaski will always be close to my heart. Pulaski has been a good place to live, work and raise my family."
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Graham. color.by CNB