Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508220020
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WYTHEVILLE - Wytheville is planning to charge residents for trash collection for the first time, although no date has been set for a charge to go into effect.
A survey form has been mailed to town citizens asking if they would prefer to pay $1 per bag of trash collected, or $12 a month per household for any number of bags.
Residents were also asked whether they would prefer bringing their recyclables to a single central site or have curb-side pickup of recyclables, which could raise the cost per bag of trash to $2.
Instituting some kind of charge for trash pickup is aimed at encouraging residents to recycle, or to use reuse certain kinds of wastes to enrich yards. Lawn wastes can provide grass and tree nutrients, for example, and a kitchen compost of such materials as coffee grounds, vegetable scraps and yard debris mixed with loose dirt can provide nutrients to soil.
Charging for pickup also is intended to raise money to offset trash disposal costs.
The town closed its landfill in late 1993, and now takes its wastes to a regional transfer station where it is transported to an out-of-state landfill for $55.85 per ton. This ``tipping fee'' has doubled the town's cost of refuse collection in 18 months.
The town also faces costs associated with closing its landfill.
Survey responses were supposed to be returned to the town last week and are being compiled. At present, town crews pick up bags of trash from all residents weekly at no charge.
Historian to speak at church
WYTHEVILLE - Mary Kegley Bucklen, a Wytheville lawyer and a historian who has published books on local and regional history, will be the speaker at the annual St. John Lutheran Church homecoming worship service at 11 a.m. today.
She will discuss the lives of people buried in the older part of the church cemetery. A covered-dish lunch will follow the service.
The church was organized in 1799, and spun off a number of other congregations in Wythe County before it closed. It merged in 1924 with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, also in Wytheville. Part of the merger resolution provided for perpetual care of the church cemetery and an annual August homecoming service at the mother church.
The old church was a center of Lutheranism in Virginia during the 19th century.
The St. John board has announced an extensive and detailed mapping of the more than 1,000 graves by Sally Kegley Higgs. A sample of her work will be on display at the service.
All friends of the church are invited to share in the homecoming celebration, and to visit between 2 and 3 p.m. the St. John Conference Room at Holy Trinity, where St. John artifacts and pastoral portraits are on display.
Wythe may share water-line cost
RURAL RETREAT - Wythe County will participate in water-line construction to the planned Rural Retreat Food Country USA store if the company also contributes to the cost.
The new 32,500-square-foot store is to be built on 4 acres on Industrial Park Road by this fall. A sandwich shop, video rental store and pharmacy are also planned.
The Board of Supervisors will negotiate with the company on sharing 75 percent of the cost, with Rural Retreat paying the remaining 25 percent.
Wythe chooses assistant principals
WYTHEVILLE - The Wythe County School Board has appointed Chris Colville of Wytheville as the new assistant principal at George Wythe High School, and Terri Lockhart of Tazewell as new assistant principal at Fort Chiswell High School.
Other appointments included Darren Reed as eighth-grade football coach at George Wythe, Stuart Sutherland as the school's new cross country coach, and Brett Booher as assistant football and basketball coach at Fort Chiswell.
by CNB