ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 12, 1996 TAG: 9605130014
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-25 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
Novel idea being put into use
WYTHEVILLE - Mike Hall, director of the Wythe County Social Services program, was driving along the interstate when an idea came to him about how to ease client transportation problems.
For years, members of his department had said clients could get off social services if they had transportation to jobs.
The department had considered starting its own van system and other ideas, all of which cost too much. Hall's idea involved the state vehicles that get turned in once their mileage reaches a certain level.
Suppose, he thought, his department could obtain some old state vehicles and lease them to clients who need transportation? It could be done on a lease-purchase basis so that, eventually, those clients needing transportation would own the cars.
He and Bland County Social Services Director Yvonne Endicott will go to Richmond at the end of the month to pick out five or six vehicles to bring back for the program.
"It's new. It's kind of innovative," Hall said of the concept. But it could help solve a long-term social services problem.
Fort Chiswell sewer costs rising
FORT CHISWELL - Construction on the Fort Chiswell sewer project is scheduled to start this year and be completed by the end of 1997.
But, with bidding on only the first phase of the project, it is already some $500,000 over its projected cost.
Bids from five companies for two line projects were opened nearly two weeks ago, followed by bids on the pump house and treatment plants.
The project is funded at about $10 million, with money to be sought from loans and grants. It will also include a sewage treatment and collection system to serve residents of Fort Chiswell and Max Meadows.
TV star to lead Cripple Creek parade
CRIPPLE CREEK - Hardy Rawls, one of the stars of the Nickelodeon TV series "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," will be grand marshal of the 11 a.m. parade Saturday for the seventh annual Cripple Creek Homecoming Celebration.
Rawls, who is also appearing at Barter Theatre in Abingdon, plays Don Wrigley on the television series. The parade will also feature the Kazim Hillbillies and more. Carl Vaught will perform his country boy act at 10 a.m. before the parade.
Other activities include announcing winners of a short story contest at 11:30 a.m.; Robin and Christopher Lowe performing gospel music at 12:30 p.m.; sack races, egg toss, foot races and other activities for children at 1 p.m.; Rick Ransom of Greenbelt, Md., on the piano at 1:30 p.m; the Southwest Virginia Cloggers directed by Dana Suthers at 2:15 p.m.; Appalachian Mountain Girls from Jefferson, N.C., 3 p.m.; a duck race, 3:30 p.m.; country line dance lessons by Maxine Manuel, 5 p.m.; and a performance by Southern Breeze from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Committee looking at jail proposals
WYTHEVILLE - A Wythe County jail study committee will interview representatives of two companies Thursday about contracting for a survey of the county's jail needs and how best to solve them.
The committee studied proposals from six companies last week and rated them numerically on the basis of several criteria, choosing the two top-scoring companies for interviews.
The county must replace its aging and overcrowded jail, and decided to see a professional view as to whether it would be best to add to the existing facility, build at a different site or join the New River Valley Regional Jail Authority which is planning a 240-bed facility for the counties of Giles, Pulaski and Grayson and the city of Radford.
College head to speak at commencement
WYTHEVILLE - Emory & Henry College President Thomas R. Morris will be the commencement speaker at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when Wytheville Community College graduates 210 students under a tent in the Galax Hall parking lot.
The community college will present an honorary associate in humane letters to General District Judge Daniel W. Bird of Wytheville for his long-time support of the college as a state senator.
Morris, a commentator on Virginia government and politics and author, became Emory & Henry's 19th president in July 1992.
The community college will hold its honors convocation at 3 p.m. today in the Grayson Hall Commons.
Voters send King back to Town Council
WYTHEVILLE - Wytheville Vice Mayor Jackie King led Tuesday's balloting with 934 votes to win re-election to Town Council.
Charles G. Crockett led the three challengers for the other seat to be filled, with 772 votes.
The other candidates were Richard Phillippi, who garnered 667 votes, and Pete Lawson, 585. The total number of voters was 1,698, about a 40 percent turnout.
Rural Retreat returns two incumbents
RURAL RETREAT - Incumbents Betty Wingo and James Lloyd were re-elected to Rural Retreat Town Council Tuesday but the third incumbent, Richard Martin, lost his seat to newcomer Larry Dunnagan.
Wingo had 124 votes; Lloyd, 112; and Dunnagan, 98. The other candidates were Martin, 76, and David Chaplin, 72. The 195 voters reflected a 20 percent turnout.
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