Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 15, 1990 TAG: 9006150564
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By KATHY LOAN NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Giles County School Board voted this year to close the school because of declining enrollment and increased operating costs. They indicated that plans would be made to turn the school back to the county as surplus property as soon as possible.
In recent weeks, Rich Creek residents have been concerned about the future of the building. The school has been used as a community center for various groups and its ball fields are used to play league sports - uses those at Thursday's meeting want to continue.
Residents worried that the school and ball fields would be off-limits to the community if Dollinger, a neighboring industry that manufactures industrial filters, expands to the building.
Sterling Silver, Dollinger's manager, said after the meeting that the business is interested in the building and had "looked through it," but made no definite plans. He said he "was quite surprised" at the reaction of residents who turned out for the meeting.
Before the residents had a chance to speak - and before the board went into executive session - Chairman Bobby Compton told them the board had not discussed future use of the building.
"We're not at liberty in public to discuss the building," because the former school was not officially back in the hands of the board, he said.
But Compton did assure the audience that "certainly we're going to keep the ball fields."
After a public hearing on the proposed county budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, Compton called for the executive session, which included two representatives each from Dollinger, Rich Creek Town Council and the Rich Creek Lions Club.
That upset many in the audience, who thought they were being denied the opportunity to speak out. Some also questioned whether the board could go into executive session to discuss the matter since Compton had said the board did not have possession of the school.
"How can you discuss property you don't own?" J.B. Buckland remarked outside the closed meeting. Buckland, a Rich Creek resident, is chairman of the county School Board.
After 55 minutes, Gary Eaton, who becomes mayor of Rich Creek July 1, emerged from the meeting to say that Town Council, Dollinger and the Lions Club had agreed to sit down to discuss each other's interest in the property. During a public-address session, the residents were given an opportunity to speak but were told that a public hearing would come later, after the building was turned over to the supervisors.
Eaton told the supervisors that Rich Creek residents did not think they had been "kept abreast of what was going on." He said he wanted to let the board know how strongly the residents feel about keeping the school for community use.
Betty Koffman, who came to Rich Creek in 1963 to teach, looked over the three front rows of youngsters and told the supervisors, "This is what it's all about."
The Rich Creek Lions Club has put thousands of dollars into the school, including a ball field and concession stands, she said. Children, senior citizens and church groups regularly use the school for activities and groups of 30 or more have no other place to meet if there is inclement weather, she said.
In addition to good ball fields, the building would offer room for town offices and perhaps a library, Koffman said.
Seeing children walking to the field to play ball is much better than seeing them hanging out on street corners, she said. "Please don't take away the only facility we have for recreation of our youth."
Several of the ball players echoed Koffman's comments.
"Would y'all rather see us out playing baseball or out smoking pot behind the building?" was Kenneth Smith's short statement to the supervisors.
At the close of the public-address session, a member of the audience asked Buckland whether the School Board had to turn the former school back to the supervisors.
"No," he replied quietly.
Earlier in the meeting, Buckland had said the board could decide not to turn it back to the supervisors as surplus property and instead lease it to the town.
"I'm in favor of whatever it takes to keep these youngsters a place to have an organized recreation program," he said.
In other business, Pearisburg town officials and firefighters from across the county called for more money to adequately operate the eight volunteer departments. The county's advertised budget provides $10,000 each to three departments in unincorporated areas and $8,500 to the departments based in five towns.
by CNB