Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 19, 1995 TAG: 9503210014
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
WYTHEVILLE - A combined convention and wellness center in Wytheville may end up at the site of the town's Community Center on Fourth Street, despite a citizen protest over using that site when the project was planned several years ago.
The citizens were concerned that the center would encroach on the Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park outside the Community Center. Several other potential sites have since been evaluated, but none has worked out.
Last week, Wytheville Town Council and Wythe County Community Hospital representatives agreed that the time has come to go ahead with plans to build the combined center at the original site.
Steve Lester, a member of the hospital's board of directors, said the hospital had the chance to lease the former Rose's Store, after it closed last year in the Evansham Shopping Center, for the wellness center. But he said the board decided that a combined wellness and convention center, working with the town, was still the best way to carry out the project.
The town staff has started work on how the project could be financed and what areas in the building could be used in common for both convention and wellness activities.
Thrift donations
BLACKSBURG - With the season for spring cleaning coming on, the YMCA Thrift Shop will accept donations of clothing, furniture, household items, paperback books, toys, sports equipment and linens.
Proceeds will support YMCA programs throughout Montgomery County, including tutoring for children, home repair for low-income families, or leadership development for Virginia Tech students.
Donation hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Gables Shopping Center.
For more information, call the thrift shop at 552-2633.
Student discounts
WYTHEVILLE - Honor roll students at George Wythe High School and students who miss no more than three days and have no failing grades will get discounts and free food and merchandise with a new honors card that is good through May 31.
Participating businesses include Dairy Queen, Lee Ralph's Sports Center, Coulter's Florist, Domino's Pizza, Mark 4 Honda, Long John Silver's Sea Food, Carol Lynn Florist, Cato's, Burger King, Baldwin's Clothing Store and Radio Shack.
Students who earn a B average with no D grades make the honor roll at George Wythe. Students earning the honors card can also use it to be excused from one hour of detention and to get $1 off the ticket to an athletic event.
`Mountain Women'
BLACKSBURG - The former Appalachian studies director at Virginia Tech will return to Virginia on Wednesday to give a lecture at Clinch Valley College in Wise.
Jean Speer, who now holds the same title at East Tennessee State University, will speak on ``Mountain Women, Mountain Wisdom'' at 1 p.m. as part of the college's observance of Women's History Month.
She was Appalachian studies director and a faculty member at Virginia Tech for 20 years before joining East Tennessee. The focus of her talk will be on women on the frontier, in coal camps, urban settings and contemporary Appalachia. She will also cover Cherokee and African-American women in Appalachia.
Panel member quits
WYTHEVILLE - Maxine Manuel, a member of the Wytheville Planning Commission, has resigned her seat on the Wythe County Planning Commission, which is looking into the feasibility of zoning.
Manuel's decision came after Don Gridley and Howard Barrett urged the county Board of Supervisors last month to revise the county commission membership. The board had been getting criticism from county citizens that the towns of Wytheville and Rural Retreat were overrepresented on the county commission, because each town planning commission had a representative.
County Attorney Frank Slavin said it is probably not legal to remove a commission member before his or her term expires, except for malfeasance in office.
But Manuel wrote to Supervisor R.T. DuPuis, who appointed her, saying the sentiment showed that ``opponents to countywide zoning have found a new stick with which to beat our Board of Supervisors. This being the case, I feel that I should resign from the Wythe County Planning Commission and give you the opportunity to appoint someone from the county.''
Manuel said she feels zoning is needed in the county.
Last week, the county Board of Supervisors decided to hold a public hearing April 25 to consider restructuring the commission by amending its bylaws.
Seeking grant
WYTHEVILLE - The Wythe County Board of Supervisors has authorized an application for a $1 million Community Development Block Grant for a Max Meadows Community Improvement Project, including home and facilities upgrades.
Money from the grant would be used along with more than $9 million in loans and grants already secured for the Fort Chiswell sewer project in eastern Wythe County, near the Wythe-Pulaski county border. The sewer project includes a treatment and collection facility to serve residents of Fort Chiswell and Max Meadows.
Construction on the sewer project is scheduled to start this year and be complete in 1997.
Governor's School
WYTHEVILLE - The 11th annual regional Governor's School for science, technology and the arts at Wytheville Community College will run from June 14 to June 29 this year.
It serves rising sophomores, juniors and seniors from schools in Wythe, Bland, Carroll, Grayson and Smyth counties plus the city of Galax who have been identified as academically gifted. It is funded by the Virginia Department of Education and coordinated by the college and area public schools.
Applications are being accepted. Further information is available by calling Janice Scudder at the college (228-5541).
Tourism Fund training
WYTHEVILLE - Southwest Development Financing will hold a training session for applicants to its Tourism Revolving Loan Fund, Thursday, 1 p.m., in Bland Auditorium, Wytheville Community College.
The program assists in financing tourism-related businesses in the 9th Congressional District. The lending program is available to local governments, nonprofit organizations, corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships.
The workshop outlines the application process and eligibility requirements. Bankers may learn how to help secure financing through the program.
For more information, call Bob Thomas, 633-0081, or Jerry Brown, 783-7624.
by CNB