ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 23, 1996 TAG: 9602230031
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: DUBLIN
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on February 24, 1996.
DUBLIN - Burlington Mills donated 170 acres to Dublin, after the town
bought the other 101 acres of the company property for an industrial
park. A story Friday about a Dublin Town Council member gave an
incorrect figure.
Sam Gregory, a general contractor who is completing his second term on Dublin Town Council, said Thursday that he will run for a third term.
After he made his announcement, he cited some of the governing body's accomplishments during his time on it, including two tax decreases in recent years and the acquisition of Burlington Industries, which became the town's industrial park.
Town officials negotiated with Burlington and bought 101 acres of its property, including 10 warehouse buildings, for $650,000. Burlington donated the remaining 170,000 acres, including its former manufacturing plant, to the town..
"Now, every bit of it's leased," Gregory said. "We don't have anything empty, warehouse or industrial space."
The industrial park brought Dublin one of four Virginia Municipal League awards last year for significant accomplishments.
The entire addition, valued at $1.7 million, is now part of the town and nearly doubled its geographical size. Part of the acreage will be the future home of the Dublin Town Center, which is to include a new municipal building and Post Office.
Gregory was in the first graduating class from Pulaski County High School in 1975, and earned an applied science associate degree in electrical technology from New River Community College. He worked for Hercules for 15 years as an electrician, until it went through a downsizing in its work force, and then began his own business. He and his wife have two children.
Earlier, Dublin Mayor Benny Keister announced that he will seek a third term. It was Keister who came up with the idea in 1989 of trying to acquire some of the Burlington property as an industrial park.
Citizens interested in running for Town Council have until March 5 to file petitions with the county registrar.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICSby CNB