Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 2, 1995 TAG: 9502020043
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
An announcement about the charter and staffing for the program - including the naming of a director - is to be made this morning at the Comfort Inn on Main Street in Rocky Mount, said Russ Merritt, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber and local business people worked in a yearlong effort to secure a charter from the national YMCA organization.
``We are now the Franklin County Family YMCA,'' said Merritt, adding that the county has made other attempts to start a YMCA program ``but the timing was never right.''
The county will have to meet specific requirements under the provisional charter to gain full certification.
``Our goal would be eventually to move toward construction of a facility,'' Merritt said.
Until then, the programs will be conducted at various sites, Merritt said.
The chamber director said there are many community benefits from a YMCA program. He specifically mentioned two: providing activities for the county's youth, and serving as an economic development incentive to business prospects.
``We hear a lot that there needs to be more for young people to do,'' he said. ``We paid particular attention to that.''
Today's announcement comes just two weeks after a $35,000 fund-raising effort was begun by the Community Partnership for Revitalization - a 4-month-old task force that initially will concentrate on improvements to downtown Rocky Mount.
``Many of the same people are involved with both projects,'' Merritt said. ``They will complement each other.''
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.