ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010049
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
The Montgomery County School Board and Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting at 6:30 tonight on the disputed Riner school site.
The School Board asked for the meeting to make its case in favor of a 40-acre site for the planned elementary school. The supervisors already were scheduled to meet today to talk over budget issues, including pay raises for county workers. Those talks will take place after the Riner site discussion.
The School Board will gather by itself first at 5:45 p.m. in the law library, located on the fourth floor of the Montgomery County Courthouse.
Then at 6:30, the boards will meet together in the third-floor board meeting room.
Both meetings will be open to the public, though the boards have the option of going into executive, or closed, session after convening.
Earlier this week the Board of Supervisors surprised school officials by rescinding its 2-week-old resolution to condemn that much land for the school.
Instead, the supervisors instructed their staff to negotiate again with Central Fidelity Bank, which holds the land in a trust for farmer Ronald Salmons, for 20 acres. The recision came after a strong showing of support Monday from Riner residents for Salmons and against the supervisors' condemnation effort.
"The people out there are against it," said Supervisor Ira Long, who played a key role in the decision.
After more than three hours of debate Tuesday night, the School Board decided a 20-acre site is unacceptable, said Chairwoman Annette Perkins. Now its members want to tell the supervisors why.
LENGTH: Short : 38 linesby CNB