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JENAY TATE AND JEFF LESTERSTAFF WRITERS
Who’s running for Pound Town Counciland who will oversee elections there haschanged.
Two council candidates appear to havedropped from the race and two electionofficials who are the wives of the mayoralcandidates will not be working the pollsthat day.
Candidate Christian Holbrook askedcounty Registrar Allison Robbins about aweek and a half ago what the procedureswere to withdraw. He was told it was toolate to be removed from the ballot.Robbins said Holbrook told her he was not
going to actively campaign.“I dropped out the race due to family
issues,” Holbrook said in an April 21 textto the newspaper.
Candidate David Still notified the news-paper last week from his hospital bed thathe had suffered a heart attack, undergonea procedure and would likely have moremedical treatment in the near future.
At the time, Still said he would “have totalk to some people” about whether hewould stay in the race but added, “Even ifI was lucky enough to win, I would proba-bly turn it down.”
Robbins said Thursday she has notheard from Still.
Still in the running for two seats oncouncil are incumbents James Pelfrey andDanny Stanley and challenger Terry Short.
Pound’s independently elected mayoralcandidates remain the same — first-termincumbent George Dean and challengerRocky Cantrell.
Interviews with the candidates appearon pages 6 and 7 with the exception ofCantrell. Cantrell declined to participate.
ELECTION OFFICIALSWhile the mayoral contenders have not
changed, the status of their wives’ serviceon Election Day has.
Sharon Dean and Anita Cantrell will notbe working the May 6 election, following adecision by the Wise County ElectoralBoard.
Robbins emphasized that Cantrell and
PROGRESS
Sports| Page 1B| WWaarrrriioorrss oouuttsslluugg BBeeaarrss.. Homespun| Page 7B| CCuurraattoorr sseeeekkss aarrttwwoorrkk ffoorr WWiissee IInnnn..
FRIDAYApril 25, 2014
Vol. 103 • No. 33
26 Pages
NORTON, VA 24273 USPS 120-120 $1.00
A Progressive Newspaper Serving Our Mountain Area Since 1911
the
PrisonattacksuspectchargedJEFF LESTERNEWS EDITOR
A Wallens Ridge StatePrison inmate is charged withtrying to sexually attack anemployee.
A Wise County grand juryon Monday indicted inmateRichard Bartholmew Goode,41. On March 21, Goodeallegedly cornered a staffmember at the prison andattempted to have forcible sexwith her, according to thecounty commonwealth attor-ney’s office.
Good is charged with onecount of abduction of a female,punishable by up to life inprison, and one count ofattempted rape, punishable byup to 10 years and a $100,000fine.
Others indicted Mondayinclude:
r Travis Allen Rutherford,34, a Wise Correctional Unitinmate: One count of mali-cious wounding, punishable byup to life.
Rutherford allegedly struckanother inmate on Feb. 1,breaking his nose and cuttinghis face, according to the pros-ecutor’s office.
r Courtland Ramon Gales,24, 502 Alexandria Circle NW,Norton: One count of assault-
u Donna Price Henry awaits her entrance to her inauguration ceremony as UVa-Wise's eighth chan-cellor Tuesday in the Prior Convocation Center.
TIM COX PHOTOS
UVa-Wise inaugurates Chancellor Henry KATIE DUNNSTAFF WRITER
WISE — The University of Virginia’sCollege at Wise officially recognized DonnaPrice Henry as its eighth chancellor duringan inauguration ceremony Tuesday.
Surrounded by husband Allen and daugh-ters Jessie and Margaret, Henry took theceremonial oath, promising to serve her newcommunity well. And though hers was theonly voice that echoed through the convoca-tion center, Henry might as well have beenspeaking alongside the entire college.
An estimated 696 people attended themore than hourlong event where a recurringmessage shared by speakers charged notonly Henry with growing the college’s reach,but also its faculty, staff, and students.
Keynote speaker Roy McTarnaghan toldthose gathered that “an inauguration is notjust about the person who has been chosen tolead the institution, but is an opportunity tofocus upon the goals and objectives of theinstitution itself . . . its past history and suc-cesses, the present environment and chal-lenges to respond to the needs of the studentsand the region.” McTarnaghan was thefounding president of Florida Gulf CoastUniversity where Henry was a founding fac-
u Henry receives help from Rue Gembach, the chancellor's veter-an office manager, while dressing for her inauguration ceremony.
Cleanup events beginSaturday
As a way to generate inter-est in this weekend’s GreatAmerican Cleanup, the town ofCoeburn is sponsoring an“Adopt Your Street” programbeginning Saturday andextending through May 2.Coeburn official Danny Jordanwill provide supplies to allinterested town residents. CallCoeburn Town Hall at 276/395-3323 for more information.
If you are interested in par-ticipating in Great AmericanCleanup events elsewhere inthe county tomorrow, all sixtowns and the city of Nortonare sponsoring events.
Event locations and coordi-nator contacts include:
r Appalachia: Skate Park.Gary Dean, 276/565-2537.
r Big Stone Gap: BullittPark. Glenn Bishop, 276/523-0115, ext. 130.
r Coeburn: Amphitheater.Danny Jordan, 276/395-6819.
r Pound: Town hall. JaneBennett, 276/796-5188.
r Norton: CoalfieldProgress parking lot. ShellyKnox, 276/679-0754.
r St. Paul: Town hall.Glenda Lane, 276/762-5297.
r Wise: Big GladesCommunity Square. LauraMullins, 276/328-6187. u
INDICTMENTS, PAGE 5
‘You have my pledge to lead, to contribute, to create . . .
to join you in making a difference at UVa-Wise.’
— Donna Price HenryCHANCELLOR, PAGE 2
C O U N C I L E L E C T I O N S 2 0 1 4
Pound candidate roster, officials change
ON PAGES 6, 7:
r Pound mayor’s race.
r Pound council hopefuls.
POUND, PAGE 6
PAGE 2 Friday, April 25, 2014 The Coalfield Progress Norton, Virginia 24273
ulty member. She worked at the university for 16 years untilmoving to UVa-Wise in January 2013.
McTarnaghan noted several parallels between the twocolleges. Much like UVa-Wise, Florida Gulf was launched inSouthwest Florida 150 miles from the nearest four-year uni-versity. “While we were too a long way from the nearest uni-versity, we, too, felt we were ‘centrally located’ to serve adeserving and needy population,” he said.
Earlier in the ceremony, University of Virginia PresidentTeresa Sullivan also cited commonalities between theCharlottesville and Wise campuses. Both universitiesrecently completed strategic plans, and Sullivan said “if youread the two plans side by side, you will notice that manypriorities are similar or even identical, including efforts tobuild faculty excellence and enhance student experience.”She noted the two institutions share similar prioritiesbecause “we share a sense of purpose and vision.”
She recounted how local residents convinced UVa offi-cials 60 years ago to organize a branch campus in SouthwestVirginia. UVa-Wise — formerly Clinch Valley College —opened in fall 1954, and Sullivan said prior to this, there wasno public college in Virginia west of Radford University.“Over the past 60 years, the College at Wise has evolvedfrom its modest beginning into one of the nation’s top publicliberal arts colleges, and now we have Donna Price Henry tolead the college into its next period of growth,” she said.
UVa-Wise Student Government Association PresidentDakota Hill spoke about how the college’s heartbreak fol-lowing the February 2012 death of former Chancellor DavidJ. Prior turned to hope upon Henry’s arrival. Prior often toldstudents to seek the light even when times were tough, saidHill. He noted that Prior would be proud of the university’slatest chapter and that the UVa-Wise community has finallyfound its light.
During her inaugural address, Henry spoke about herexcitement for UVa-Wise’s future aspirations, including thecollege’s new strategic plan, Envisioning 2020.
“You have my pledge to lead, to contribute, to create . . .to join you in making a difference at UVa-Wise,” she toldthose gathered. “Our mission to engage minds and hearts inopportunity and service as a public, liberal art college is con-stant and deep. And the people who uphold this mission aremany and diverse.”
She said the college “intends to be nationally recognizedas a quality, liberal arts institution,” and improvement of stu-dents’ educational experience will be at the forefront of allefforts. More emphasis will be placed on service learningopportunities and growing the college’s undergraduateresearch program. “UVa-Wise will incorporate the bestpractices in technology in every discipline so students,whether they are majoring in social sciences, history, com-munications or literature, benefit as much from thestrengths of technology as do students in the natural sci-ences.”
The college also aims by 2020 to grow its student popula-tion 30 percent and increase faculty and staff levels, shenoted.
“We take the word ‘public’ seriously here,” she said.“UVa-Wise is a public institution, a Virginia institution, inex-tricably linked to the great Southwest. The challenges ourregion faces over the next six-plus years are considerable,but our resolve is strong.”
The college’s dedication to Southwest Virginia will alsocontinue, she promised. “Our college is an economic enginein and of itself and is one of the largest employers in WiseCounty,” and it is “an essential team player and is helping torecruit new businesses and industries, creating and sup-porting a cadre of entrepreneurs, and leading the develop-ment of strategic blueprints in advanced manufacturing,among other priorities.”
Henry cited upcoming efforts to establish a residentialacademy focused on science, technology, education andmathematics for the region’s high school students. “We willcontinue to seek new outreach avenues that leverage ourcurrent work in the visual and performing arts, education,athletics and business and professional services.”
She also charged the entire college community with help-ing guide and grow these pursuits. “As Thomas Jeffersonnoted in his first inaugural address, ‘the presence of manywhom I here see remind me that . . . I shall find resources ofwisdom, of virtue, and of zeal on which to rely under all dif-ficulties,’” she said. “You, all of you, me, together . . . mindson opportunity, hearts on service. Let us begin.” u
r ChancellorFROM PAGE 1
u Henry is sworn in as the university’s eighth chancellor as her husband, Allen,and daughters Jessie, left, and Margaret watch.
l
University of VirginiaPresidentTeresaSullivanspoke aboutthe similari-ties betweentheCharlottesvilleand Wisecampusesand how both‘share asense of purpose and vision.’
u An estimated 696 people attended the inauguration.
l
Henry’s
daughters,
Margaret,
left, and
Jessie,
pose for
a photo
following
Tuesday’s
ceremony.
u Henry, far left, poses for a photo follow-
ing her inauguration accompanied by her
family and other UVa-Wise and UVa digni-
taries, including former UVa-Wise
Chancellor Joseph C. ‘Papa Joe’ Smiddy.
KATIE DUNN PHOTO
TIM COX PHOTO
TIM COX PHOTO
TIM COX PHOTO
TIM COX PHOTO
‘Our mission to engage minds and
hearts in opportunity and service
as a public, liberal art college is
constant and deep. And the people
who uphold this mission are
many and diverse.’
— Chancellor Donna Henry
Norton, Virginia 24273 The Coalfield Progress Friday, April 25, 2014 PAGE 3
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© 2014, American HometownPublishing, Inc. The Coalfield Progress ispublished twice weekly on Tuesday andFriday at 725 Park Ave., Norton, Va. Allrights reserved. Contents may not bereproduced without permission of thepublisher. Subscription Rates By Mail: InNorton and Wise County — 1 year, $52.Market area (excluding Norton and WiseCounty) with ZIP codes starting with 242,415, 416, 417 or 418 — 1 year, $67. Allother locations — 1 year, $84. POSTMAS-TER: Send address corrections to TheCoalfield Progress, P.O. Box 380, Norton,Va. 24273. Fax: 276/679-5922.
r County supervisors were set tohold a public hearing about raisingtaxes by 35 cents in all Wise Countytowns and districts. Twenty cents ofthat increase was proposed to beused for a special appropriation tomeet state requirements, 10 centsfor the general county fund, and fivecents for the county road bond fund.
r L.F. Addington was retiring as
J.J. Kelly HighSchool’s princi-pal after 42years of publicschool service,and O.M. Morriswas retiring fromPound High
School following 41 years of publicschool service. James D. Grahamhad been chosen to succeedAddington, and Marvin B. “Buddy”Barker was to replace Morris.
r Dr. C.M. Turner, a localoptometrist, was named president ofthe Coeburn Medical Center.
r Ernest F. Fitzpatrick, Social
Security district manager in Bristol,reported that about one of every fiveWise County residents was receivinga monthly Social Security check.The number of county beneficiariestotaled 7,503 at the end of 1963, a4.2 percent increase over the corre-sponding figure at the beginning of1963.
r The Rev. William E. Jelf, formerpastor of the Norton MethodistChurch from 1955-59, had died athis home in Clinton, Tenn.
r Stockholders of WestmorelandCoal Co. and Stonega Coke andCoal Co. agreed to merge the twocompanies. u
This Week in
Years Ago. . .5500
APRIL 23, 1964
Local History
Corrections & clarificationsThe Coalfield Progress believes in setting the record
straight. We print corrections that come to our attentionand clarifications that make the news more understand-able. Direct questions to Jeff Lester, news editor,[email protected], or phone 679-1101, extension 235.
Because of an editing error, a letter to the editorpublished April 22 under the headline “Southwestdelegates don’t get it” did not include the name of thewriter. The letter was written by Sarah Sword ofLebanon. We regret the error. u
Pound gets mixed news on water, sewerJENAY TATEEDITOR AND PUBLISHER
POUND — Sewer problemsoverflowed on the good newsTuesday that Pound finally hasclosed its loan for big waterimprovements and work has nowresumed.
“Everything is moving along,”Councilman Glenn Cantrellreported at the April 15 meeting.Cantrell briefed members on thestatus of four projects that com-prise a $1.9 million undertakingthat will ultimately affect serviceto all Pound water customers.
Little Henry’s started April 1,he noted, and already has tiedinto lines at J.W. AdamsCombined School and all the wayto the new tank site onPilkenton’s Peak.
Plans called for the work to bedone by the end of last year butprogress stalled for a variety ofreasons, including a snafu dis-covered in the financial docu-ments involving a bond holder.Contracts to low bidders hadbeen approved in July 2013 andwork on the ground was under-way. But council had refused toactually sign the contracts with-out the formal closing andmoney secured, ultimately lead-ing to a work stoppage.
The delays and price increas-es during that period upped proj-
ect cost by about $12,000. Thetotal change orders approved bycouncil came to about $67,000,but roughly $55,000 of that wasadded at the outset when bidscame in under budget and thetown had an opportunity toexpand the scope of the work.
What was expected to be a$2.5 million water project acrossfour phases of work turned out tobe about a $1.9 million undertak-ing.
The total cost of the changeorders is covered by contingencyand within the loan amount forwhich they were approved,Cantrell explained. He was seek-ing approval of change orders foreach contract. Membersapproved them and authorizedthe town manager to complete allrelated paperwork.
COSTLY SEWAGE PUMPSewage system costs were on
Councilman Clifton Cauthorne’smind after a recent tour of theplant.
Of pressing concern,Cauthorne said, was use of a
pump that costs $9,000 permonth to rent when the towncould probably buy it and fix theproblem for about $120,000.
The pump has been in placesince about October orNovember, Eric Price ofThompson & Litton told councilin his briefing.
Price said he and a structuralengineer first examined theproblem in August after Poundtreatment plant operatorDennis Baker notified them oftrouble at the primary lift sta-tion, where sewage is pushedinto the plant. At issue is dam-age to concrete that is imped-ing the proper mounting of thepump, he said.
An emergency fix heldtogether for awhile, Price said,but ultimaely failed, renderingthe electric pumps non-opera-tional.
The only other resort was togo with a portable diesel pump tomove the inflow into the plant, hesaid, then briefed council on pos-sible fixes over the long haul.
If the town bought the pump
versus continuing to rent,Cauthorne said, “in a year’s timeyou could make your moneyback.”
If the town had a line of cred-it available, he suggested, “whynot save that money?”
Not the existing line of credit,Mayor George Dean replied,adding that the pump expendi-ture would have to be financedand he didn’t know who would doit.
Cauthorne suggested engi-neering companies wouldfinance.
Cantrell said the town wouldlikely have better resultsthrough the town’s contract plantoperator, Veolia, in exchange forsome kind of contract extention.Pound made a similar arrange-ment to defray the cost of repairswhen Veolia came on board torun the plant.
Town Manager Jane Bennettsaid she had been investigatingwhat to do and there was no wayat the time to get the larger sumof money required. “Althoughwe’re not in high cotton, we’re ina better position now that we’veclosed the loan,” Bennett said.
Council directed the townmanager to put together for itsnext meeting something morecomprehensive to look at sewerplant repairs for both the imme-diate and longer-term. u
Little Henry’s started water project work April 1
and already has tied into lines at J.W. Adams
Combined School and all the way to the new
tank site on Pilkenton’s Peak.
Burton High among top schools for personal finance
J.I. Burton High School in Norton isamong the nation’s 100 best high schoolsfor personal finance instruction, accord-ing to a New York-based non-profitgroup.
Of the 100 best schools, 29 are inVirginia, the Virginia Department ofEducation announced Tuesday in apress release. A total of six schools arelocated in far Southwest Virginia.
Working in Support of Education, thegroup which promotes financial literacyeducation, announced the top 100 list onApril 7 during a ceremony at the NewYork Stock Exchange. Working inSupport of Education’s FinancialLiteracy Certification Program is usedby high schools in 34 states.
“Virginia’s over-representation doesnot surprise me given the emphasis onpersonal finance and economic literacyin the commonwealth’s public schools,”Superintendent of Public InstructionPatricia I. Wright said.
Virginia students — beginning withthose who entered the ninth grade in
2011 — must successfully complete acourse in personal finance and econom-ic literacy to earn an advanced studiesor standard diploma.
Along with Burton, other Virginiaschools making the top 100 list includedall four Washington County high schools,Virginia High in Bristol and schools inthe counties of Amherst, Chesterfield,Craig, Fairfax, Fauquier, Halifax,Henrico, Loudoun, Pittsylvania,Powhatan and Rockingham, along withschools in the municipalities of Danville,Roanoke, Richmond, Waynesboro andWest Point. u
The Southwest Virginia MedicalReserves Corps, the federal DrugEnforcement Administration, localpolice agencies and area businesses areconducting the annual spring drug takeback on Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to1 p.m. Turn in your unused or expired
medications for safe disposal with noquestions asked. Police will be transport-ing the medicines to a central area forincineration. Participating businesses inWise County are Food City in Big StoneGap, Pennington Gap and Wise, and theNorton Walmart. u
The high schools ranked in
the top 100 nationally for
personal finance instruction
include six in far Southwest
Virginia and another 23
elsewhere in Virginia.
Spring drug take back is Saturday Coal dust levels reduced
WASHINGTON (AP) —The Obama administra-tion said Wednesday it iscutting the amount of coaldust allowed in mines inan effort to help reduceblack lung disease.
The rule by the LaborDepartment’s MineSafety and HealthAdministration lowersthe overall dust standardfrom 2.0 to 1.5 milligramsper cubic meter of air. Forcertain mine entries andminers with black lungdisease, the standard iscut in half, from 1.0 to 0.5.The rule also increasesthe frequency of dustsampling, and requires
coal operators to takeimmediate action whendust levels are high. Inaddition, coal mine oper-ators will be required touse new technology toprovide real-time dustlevels. The requirementswill be phased in over twoyears.
The administrationfirst proposed the ruleback in 2010, when it saidit would fight a resur-gence of black lung dis-ease. MSHA held sevenpublic hearings, extend-ed the comment periodthree times, and gotaround 2,000 pages ofcomments. u
MMOONNDDAAYY,, AAPPRRIILL 2288CCooeebbuurrnn TToowwnn CCoouunncciill wwoorrkk--sshhoopp t 6:30 p.m. at 413 FrontStreet.PPoouunndd PPllaannnniinngg CCoommmmiissssiioonn(Don Sturgill, 796—4306)meets at 6 p.m. at PoundTown Hall.
TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 11LLoonneessoommee PPiinnee RReeggiioonnaallLLiibbrraarryy BBooaarrdd ooff TTrruusstteeeess(Amy Bond, Director 328-8325) meets at 1 p.m. atDirector’s Office, LPRLHeadquarters in Wise.
MMOONNDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 55NNoorrttoonn IInndduussttrriiaallDDeevveellooppmmeenntt AAuutthhoorriittyy (FredL. Ramey Jr. 679-1160) meetsat 7 p.m. in council chambersin the municipal building.PPoouunndd EEccoonnoommiiccDDeevveellooppmmeenntt AAuutthhoorriittyy (HerbShortt 276/796-7324) meets at6:30 p.m. at town hall.
TTUUEESSDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 66TToowwnn ooff WWiissee PPllaannnniinnggCCoommmmiissssiioonn (Laura Mullins328-6013, voice and TDD) at 6p.m. in council chambers atthe Wise Municipal building. NNoorrttoonn CCiittyy CCoouunncciill (Fred L.Ramey Jr., 679-1160) meets at6 p.m. in council chambers inthe municipal building inNorton.
TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 88NNoorrttoonn CCiittyy PPllaannnniinnggCCoommmmiissssiioonn (Winfred Collins679-1160) meets at 7:30 p.m. inCouncil chambers in theMunicipal building in Norton.WWiissee CCoouunnttyy BBooaarrdd ooffSSuuppeerrvviissoorrss AnnetteUnderwood 328-2321) meetsat 6 p.m. in the county schoolboard Education Center onLake Street, Wise.
MMOONNDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 1122CCooeebbuurrnn TToowwnn CCoouunncciill (395-3323) meets at 6:30 p.m. atthe Coeburn Depot.WWiissee CCoouunnttyy PPllaannnniinnggCCoommmmiissssiioonn (AnnetteUnderwood 328-2321) meetsat 6 p.m. in the board room ofthe courthouse in Wise.NNoorrttoonn SScchhooooll BBooaarrdd (AndreaFultz 679-2330) meets at 5:30p.m. in council chambers atthe municipal building.
TTUUEESSDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 1133WWiissee CCoouunnttyy SScchhooooll BBooaarrdd
(Judy Durham, Clerk, 328-9421 or 328-8017) meets at 6p.m. in the Education CenterConference Room A.WWiissee CCoouunnttyy PPuubblliicc SSeerrvviicceeAAuutthhoorriittyy (Danny Buchanan,679-1263) meets at 7 p.m. inthe PSA office boardroom,located at 5622 IndustrialPark Rd. in the Esservilleindustrial park. BBiigg SSttoonnee GGaapp TToowwnn CCoouunncciillmeets at 7 p.m. in councilchambers at the town hall.WWiissee CCoouunnttyy RReeddeevveellooppmmeennttaanndd HHoouussiinngg AAuutthhoorriittyy (MontySalyer, 395-6104) meets at4:30 p.m. at the John Vandiver
Community Center inCoeburn.
WWEEDDNNEESSDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 1144LLoonneessoommee PPiinnee SSooiill aannddWWaatteerr CCoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn DDiissttrriicctt(Bobbi Rasnick, 926-6621)meets at 10 a.m. at the districtoffice in Clintwood.
TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY,, MMAAYY 1155NNiinntthh DDiissttrriicctt DDeevveellooppmmeennttFFiinnaanncciinngg IInncc.. (Darlene Hagy,276/619-2251) meets at 2:30p.m. at the Herb House,Village Shoppes, 107Pendleton Street, Marion. u
Marriage licenses certified recentlyin Wise County include:
r Daniel Ray Spears, 35, and TammyReene Roberts, 44, Big Stone Gap, April11.
r Timothy Lee Gardner, 45, andAmanda Gayle Blair, 43, Norton, April12.
r Scotty Wayne Mullins, 25, and KaylaLeigh Ann Litton, 22, Big Stone Gap,April 17.
r Ryan Douglas Adkins, 34, andLeona Frances Lofty, 37, Wise, April 18.
r Bradley Wayne Rose, 26, andCandace Brianne Morrison, 22, Coeburn,April 18.
r Thomas Lee Diets, 31, and AmberLeanne Sexton, 31, Coeburn, April 18.
r Joseph Frederick Hunnicutt II, 21,and Destinee Eve Sturgill, 20, Norton,April 18.
r David Eugene Peace, 36, Big StoneGap, and Felicia Dane Miller, 44, Norton,April 19.
r Jordan Alexander Amos, 18, Wise,and Jasmine Nicole Baker, 17, Dryden,April 20.
r David Lee Mutter Sr., 44, andSerena Denise Horne, 29, Wise, April 20.
r Cyntez Jamar Fitzgerald, 22, BigStone Gap, and Sharon Evon Mayo, 38,Danville, April 20. u
PAGE 4 Friday, April 25, 2014 The Coalfield Progress Norton, Virginia 24273
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Senior Salute 2014An annual section that pays tribute
to the graduating classes of:
Central HS • Eastside HSUnion HS • JI Burton HS
Wise Co. ChristianMountain Empire Com. CollegeUniversity of Virginia at Wise
To be published
May 20, 2014
YOURADVERTISEMENTSponsors photographs of
the Senior Class, ClassHonor Students, andListing of Graduates.
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In Loving Memory
Mom - Dad - Bubby Kenzie - Jay - Your BeautifulBaby Boy Jay Jay - Family & Friends
Brittany DanyealCarter
Went to be with our Lord,Jesus Christ on April 27, 2009
She was a beautiful and caringDaughter, Sister, Mother,Fiance, Niece, Cousin &
Grand Daughter.
We love and miss you.You’re in our thoughts, prayers
and our hearts always.
LOVE YOU FOREVER!
C O A L F I E L D
CALENDARO F P U B L I C M E E T I N G S
There were no obituariessubmitted for this edition.
BRIEFLYPublic hearing set forSpring Avenue proposal
WISE — Council agreed to hold a public hearing onMay 27 concerning a request to make a section ofSpring Avenue one way from its intersection with MainStreet to its intersection with Water Street. Wise CountyIndustrial Development Authority Executive DirectorCarl Snodgrass asked council to consider the trafficchange, stating it might allow parallel parking along theavenue for the Wise Inn when it reopens later this year.He noted that it might also improve safety conditionsfor motorists exiting Spring onto Main since sight dis-
tance is limited. This section of the avenue is currentlyclosed for Inn construction. Councilman Billy Bartlettsaid he thought it would be best to hold a public hearingsince he believed some residents wanted the proposedone-way direction reversed. Vice Mayor Caynor Smithsaid he thought the proposal was a good idea and wouldbenefit Inn traffic.
Council sets guidelines for dumpster openings
WISE — Council on Tuesday agreed to establish aminimum size opening for gated and screened trashstorage containers within the town so the town’s
garbage truck can more easily access them. Councilagreed to a minimum 12-by-12-foot opening. No oneattended a public hearing held prior to the vote. Thetown’s planning commission also held a public hearingon the proposal on April 1. No one attended that hear-ing, either. The commission also recommended counciladopt the change. Town Manager Beverly Owens notedthat the town’s ordinance requires certain types ofbuildings and uses to have dumpsters, but a minimumsize specification was never established. She said thishas proven problematic in a couple of cases where thetown’s garbage truck can’t access the dumpster.Councilman Jeff Dotson asked how this change wouldimpact existing containers. Town Planner LauraMullins said it will only impact new containers. u
Entrepreneur summit is May 8Entrepreneurs and
small business ownersare invited to attend aMay 8 summit at theSouthwest VirginiaTechnology DevelopmentCenter in Lebanon.
The event, sponsoredby the My SouthwestVirginia OpportunityCommittee, begins at 9a.m. Attendees will begiven access to existingopportunities andstrengths, as well as pos-sible new ventures for
Wise, Dickenson,Tazewell, Russell,Buchanan, Lee, and Scottcounties and the city ofNorton. There will bethree group sessions andfour separate tracks withthree different break-outsections.
Key announcements atthe summit will includedetails on theEntrepreneur Challenge,a competitive process foremerging entrepreneursand communities work-ing to increase their busi-ness bases in far
Southwest Virginia.Business investmentgrants will be awarded tonew and expandingentrepreneurial venturesin the region. This eight-week business trainingand networking opportu-nity will result in pitchnights in communitiesthroughout the region.
To register, visit vas-tartup.org.
For more information,call Brandi Hall at 276-889-8188. u
Marc Willson, a retail consultant working
for the Virginia Small Business
Development Center Network, will
serve as keynote speaker.
Blood drives set for next week
Wellmont HealthSystem’s Marsh RegionalBlood Center will con-duct public blood drivesat the following locationsin the coming days:
r Monday, April 28, 9a.m.-3 p.m., EastsideHigh School, Coeburn.
r Wednesday, April 30,10 a.m.-5 p.m., UVa-Wise,Cantrell Hall.
r Thursday, May 1, 1-6p.m., Food City, Wise.
As many as three livesmay be saved each time aperson donates blood.
To donate blood, indi-
viduals must be at least17 years old, weigh 110pounds or more and be ingood health. People witha cold, sore throat, fever,flu or fever blisters orwho are taking antibioticsmay not donate. Donorsshould eat a balancedmeal before giving blood.
For more informationabout scheduling a blooddrive at a local business,church, school or com-munity organization,please call 276/679-4669or visit www.marsh-blood.com. u
Be careful
with fire outdoors
The VirginiaDepartment of Forestryadvises that upcomingweather patterns increasethe risk of wildfire acrossVirginia.
Warm temperatures,low relative humidity andstrong winds combine toincrease wildfire danger.A fire weather watch wasin effect Wednesday forthe entire state.
Firefighters have beenbattling wildfires onforested land in neighbor-ing counties and in east-ern Kentucky in recentdays.
Virginia’s 4 p.m. burnlaw remains in effectuntil April 30. Thestatewide law restrictsburning until after 4 p.m.each day. u
College gift announcement expectedMountain Empire
Community College,Southwest VirginiaCommunity College andThe University ofVirginia’s College at Wisewill announce news of a“major gift impacting thelives of thousands of stu-
dents in the SouthwestVirginia region,” accord-ing to a media alert sentout Thursday.
The colleges will holda joint press conferenceMonday, May 5 at 10 a.m.in the city of Norton coun-cil chambers. u
Norton, Virginia 24273 The Coalfield Progress Friday, April 25, 2014 PAGE 5
2 7 6 - 5 2 3 - 0 1 3 0 • 2 7 6 - 6 7 9 - 2 8 0 1 • 2 1 2 E a s t 5 t h S t r e e t , B i g S t o n e G a p , VA
Josh Gibson Pat Chandler Carol Asbury Gene Kilgore Lee StacySabrina Middleton
Drive a Little - Save a Lot
EXPIRES 5/1/14
www.dotsonchevy.com
ing and battering a county sheriff ’sdeputy, punishable by up to five years; onecount of possessing a firearm after a non-violent felony conviction, punishable byup to five years; one count of possessingstolen property, punishable by up to 10years; one count of driving under theinfluence, punishable by up to a year injail and a $2,500 fine; one count of refus-ing an alcohol or drug test, punishable byone year without a license; one count ofdriving without a license, punishable by afine up to $500.
r Carlos Alroy Woodley, 27, a RedOnion State Prison inmate: Two counts ofassaulting and battering corrections offi-cers, each punishable by up to five years.
r Richard Clevelan Brady, 51, aWallens Ridge State Prison inmate: Onecount of making a written threat to kill thedirector of the state Department ofCorrections and his family members, pun-ishable by up to five years.
r Jessie R. White, 33, 123 Greear Dr.,Clintwood: One count of misdemeanorassault, punishable by up to a year in jailand a $2,500 fine.
When asked why this case came to cir-cuit court instead of general district court,which is typical for misdemeanors, theprosecutor’s office said it involves RedOnion State Prison, and security concernsmake it easier to handle in circuit court. u
r IndictmentsFROM PAGE 1
Men indicted for allegedly cooking methJEFF LESTERNEWS EDITOR
Three men who allegedly werecaught running a mobile meth lab inthe Norton Walmart parking lot inFebruary have been indicted by a WiseCounty grand jury.
Lee Allen Breeding, 20, of 133Woodcreek Dr., Blairs, Va.; AdamMichael Pendergraft, 25, of 1305Talbird Rd., Apt. H5, Beaufort, S.C.;and Jamie Lynn Delph, 24, of 137 ZionAve., Apt. 108, Pennington Gap, eachare charged with one count of manu-facturing methamphetamine and onecount of conspiracy to manufacturemeth, each punishable by up to 40years in prison and a $500,000 fine; andone count of manufacturing, possessing
or distributing synthetic cannabinoidswithin 1,000 feet of a school, punishableby up to five years.
Also, Pendergraft is charged withone count of shoplifting worth less than$200, punishable by up to five years.
The grand jury handed down indict-ments Monday.
Initial reports in February statedthat all three men were fromPennington Gap.
The men caught authorities’ atten-tion on a Friday night in late Februarywhen Walmart staff suspected them ofshoplifting and called Norton police.Officers detained the men and learnedthey were using another person’scredit card and vehicle without per-mission. A search of the vehiclerevealed a mobile meth lab that was in
operation while the men were insidethe store.
Others indicted this week include:r Pete Fletcher Meade, 56, 6254
Stanleyville Dr., Rural Hall, N.C.: Onecount of distributing a Schedule I or IIdrug, one count of possessing aSchedule I or II drug and two counts ofconspiring to distribute, each punish-able by up to 40 years and a $500,000fine.
r Roger Clayton Balthis Jr., 39, 8297N. River Rd., Pound: One count of pos-sessing a Schedule I or II drug, punish-able by up to 10 years; one count of vio-lating a protective order, punishable byup to five years.
r Timmy Millard Rose, 30, 134Western Hills Rd., Coeburn: One countof possessing a Schedule I or II drug,
punishable by up to 10 years.r Crissy Renea Fleming, 34, 1132
Hamilton Town Rd., Coeburn: Onecount of making a false statement on afederal firearm transaction, punishableby up to 10 years.
r Sunshine Peters, 36, 620Birchfield Rd., Wise: One count of per-jury, punishable by up to 10 years.
r Samuel Eugene Hamilton, 63, 136Litchfield St. NW, Lot 6, Coeburn: Onecount of driving under the influenceafter having been found a habitualoffender, punishable by up to fiveyears.
r Elizabeth Ann Gamble, 32, 406Dixon Ave., Appalachia: One count ofdriving under the influence after twoprior violations, punishable by up tofive years. u
Several people facescharges of alleged theftJEFF LESTERNEWS EDITOR
A Wise County grand jury hasindicted 11 people on chargesinvolving various types of allegedtheft.
Those indicted Mondayinclude:
r Hannah Beth Cox, 23, 401King St., Apt. B, Appalachia: Twocounts of breaking and entering,each punishable by up to 20 yearsin prison; two counts of grand lar-ceny, each punishable by up to 20years; two counts of conspiracy tocommit grand larceny, each pun-ishable by up to 20 years; twocounts of conspiracy to break andenter, each punishable by up tofive years; two counts of petit lar-ceny after two prior offenses, eachpunishable by up to five years.
r Michael Wayne Sullivan Jr.,34, 446 Second Ave. W., Big StoneGap: One count of breaking andentering, punishable by up to 20years.
r Tony Martin Butler, 38, 305E. Fifth St., Apt. 1, Big Stone Gap:One count of breaking and enter-
ing, punishable by up to 20 years.r Jessica Rae Shuler, 25,
Raleigh Dr., Olinger: 11 counts ofgrand larceny, each punishable byup to 20 years; 12 counts of checkforgery, each punishable by up to10 years; 12 counts of uttering aforged check, each punishable byup to 10 years; one count of petitlarceny, punishable by up to ayear in jail and a fine up to $2,500.
r Crystal Chantelle Tickles,33, 153 Litchfield St., Lot 14,Coeburn: One count of stealing acredit card or card number, pun-ishable by up to 20 years; onecount of using a forged coin orbank note, punishable by up to 10years; one count of attemptedgrand larceny, punishable by up to10 years; two counts of using iden-tifying information to defraud,punishable by up to five years.
r Jessica Miller, 29, 12124Retford Rd., Apt. A30, Coeburn:Two counts of making a falsestatement to obtain medical bene-fits, each punishable by up to 20years and a $25,000 fine.
r Jason Edward Barnette, 37,13212 Crab Orchard Rd.,
Coeburn: One count of grand lar-ceny, punishable by up to 20years.
r Joseph Lee Greear, 29, 138Beech Ave., Coeburn: One countof grand larceny, punishable by upto 20 years.
r Amanda Colleen Shuler, 30,303 W. Main St., Appalachia: Onecount of grand larceny, punish-able by up to 20 years.
r Shawn Michael Robey, 34,1410 Hamner Hollow Rd., BigStone Gap: One count of shoplift-ing worth less than $200 after twoor more convictions, punishableby up to five years; one count ofmisdemeanor assault, punishableby up to a year in jail and a $2,500fine.
r Teresa Gail Henry, 35, 206Don Whitehead Dr., Appalachia:One count of identity theft worth$200 or more, punishable by up tofive years; one count of creditcard fraud worth $200 or more,punishable by up to five years;three counts of credit card fraudworth less than $200, each punish-able by up to a year in jail and a$2,500 fine. u
rr What do you see as the number oneproblem facing the town of Pound?What do you propose to fix it?
JAMES PELFREY: “The number oneproblem I see, we can’t get nobody tocome here and create a job.” Pelfrey saidhe’s tried and gotten close twice to hav-ing a business locate in Pound, but bothtimes the potential deals did not workout. It’s not because he hasn’t tried, hesaid. “Somebody’s got to do more thanI’ve done. If we don’t, we ain’t going tolast,” he said, adding it will take “all of usgetting together to get something done.”
TERRY SHORT: Financing. Trying tobalance expenditures with income. Butthere are several things to fix before youeven fix the financing, he said. The townmust find other avenues of income but,in the same respect, the town is going tohave to improve the conditions and visual aesthetics tobring new business into town. “I think there is govern-ment funding that has to be found to improve the con-ditions of the town,” he said.
DANNY STANLEY: There are actually two“Number One” problems — water accountability andthe sewer plant, Stanley said. Water accountability isthe amount you treat versus what you sell. Pound canaccount for only about 40 percent of its water, Stanleysaid, explaining that that means they are spendingmoney to treat water that is running out through leaksand that affects water rates. He noted the town is work-ing now on some projects to try to find leaks andreplace lines. The town has to get more grants, he said.“How do you afford to get a loan?”
rr What do you see as Pound’s number one asset?What do you propose to capitalize on it?
PELFREY: Internally, the police department andtown employees. “We have a close knit town. When itcomes to good employees, we’ve got the best,” he said,adding that hiring Tony Baker as chief “is one of theone of best decisions I’ve made in my history. He hastotally turned that department around.”
Outwardly, he said, the number one asset is trailsand the outdoors. He would like to see Pound more trailfriendly, like welcoming four-wheelers into town. “Wehave an ATV ordinance ready to go,” Pelfrey said, butthe town has not been successful in getting the VirginiaDepartment of Transportation to drop the speed limitto 25 mph in town, a requirement in order to permitfour-wheelers on main roads.
SHORT: Location. Pound is on the Kentucky border,near several historic areas of the Appalachian moun-tains and rich with trails, Short said. It will be just offthe Coalfields Expressway and is a main route to WiseCounty from Dickenson County.
The challenge is finding something that draws peo-ple to the area, makes them want to come in Pound andstop when they do come through, he said.
But all recent improvements have been downtown,he said. Either end of town connecting U.S. 23, theentrances, “aesthetically, I don’t see why anyone wouldwant to stop.”
“Instead of starting on the ends and cleaningthrough, you’ve kind of done it backward,” he said.
“People on the extreme ends of the corporate limitshave kind of been neglected,” Short said. “I believe thepeople are feeling as though they are just there to paytaxes and not getting any rewards.”
There’s a lot you have to do to capitalize on thePound’s location and the benefits are probably going tocome in the long run, he said.
“I know people already feel like they’re sacrificingbut the sacrificing I don’t believe is going to stop rightnow,” he said, but people need to see some rewards.
STANLEY: Trails, ATVs and outdoor recreation.Pound has areas that could bring visitors and revenueback to the town, he said. It needs to get that word outto the public. Stanley also said Pound’s Main Streetneeds to be designated with a 25 mile-per-hour speedlimit so it can permit ATV travel in town. They havetried, been denied and need to keep pursing it, he said.The town will generate more revenue from peoplepassing through using the trails.
rr Tell voters why you are the best candidate toserve on Pound Town Council.
PELFREY: “My total interest has been for the peo-ple. I try to do the best I can for everybody in Pound . .. I’m out there for the person. I’m not there for me,”Pelfrey said. “I want to do things to help the citizens ofPound, regardless of what it is I have to sacrifice, Iwant to be there for the people.”
SHORT: “I have owned or helped operate four busi-nesses in town,” he said. “I’ve seen the good times ofthe businesses operating in town and I have seen theworst times of the businesses operating in town,” Shortsaid. Born and raised here, “I have an understanding ofthe people and I won’t say ‘their’ needs but ‘our needs.’They’re not in the boat by themselves, I’m there withthem.”
Short says his engineering background will be astrength that can be drawn upon for improving theinfrastructure of the town — from water and sewerprojects to river and stream protection to structuralstability of buildings on the river banks.
He sees the Pound River as an asset to be cared forits beauty and history. He lived on the James River fora couple of years and it was a draw.
The experience he has gained as a business ownerand manager for numerous engineering firms can beapplied to the managing of the town.
STANLEY: He will have nine years’ council experi-ence when he completes this term. He is familiar withthe working of the town procedures, with the fundingprocesses for obtaining loans and grants.
rr The town budget for the fiscal year will already bein place once this council is seated. If elected, will youmove to review and change it?
PELFREY: No.SHORT: Yes. Finance is the key issue, he said, and
he is certain some of the budget items will need to bereviewed and modified, either increased or decreasedaccordingly. He said he plans to address issues at thebudget public hearing, identifying utility and tax ratesas areas to examine.
STANLEY: No. “I’m on council and whatever wecome up with I would have acted before council comeson,” he said.
rr Balanced budgets usually require a mixof spending cuts and revenue increases. Withthat in mind, would you vote to:
Increase real estate taxes?PELFREY: No. “I did vote to raise taxes last
year but there was no way out of it,” he said. “Ipaid them, too. If I can’t afford $19 more thensomething is wrong.”
SHORT: Absolutely not.STANLEY: No, not at this time.Increase personal property taxes?PELFREY: No.SHORT: Absolutely not.STANLEY: No, not at this time.Increase mobile home taxes?PELFREY: No.SHORT: Absolutely not.STANLEY: No, not at this time.Increase water/sewer rates?PELFREY: Typically no, he said, but yes to
the automatic increase that was loaded into thestate agreement that provided financing forwater projects.
SHORT: Very possibly, yes. “We can actual-ly look at reducing personal property and real estatetaxes by increasing water and sewer rates for out oftown customers,” he said.
STANLEY: No, not beyond the automatic increase.Impose new fees for services?PELFREY: No.SHORT: No, for people in corporate limits would be
open to addressing new fees for services for peopleoutside town limits.
STANLEY: There would have to be a recommenda-tion before I could answer yes or no.
Cut police department personnel?PELFREY: No. Absolutely not.SHORT: “This is something I have been consider-
ing,” he said, “and I believe the cost justification needsto be looked at.”
STANLEY: No.Cut town manager expenses?PELFREY: No.SHORT: “I believe the town manager is the key to
the overall management of the town but also the per-son holding the position needs to be paid what they areworth,” he said. “If you have the proper manager, andthey do the job that is expected of them, they should beable to save enough money or manage operations toactually even pay for their own salary. Like a businessyou need one person to answer to, you need a boss.”
STANLEY: No.Cut other town personnel?PELFREY: No.SHORT: He does know that the town can afford to
cut personnel “and I don’t mean monetarily,” he said,“but, in the same respect, the contract at the sewerplant needs to be reviewed thoroughly.” A recent visitto the plant left him with questions about management,operations and equipment.
STANLEY: No. The town is short handed now and hewould recommend additional staff to improve checksand balances.
Cut staff benefits?PELFREY: No.SHORT: He believes the town should look at insur-
ance, with an eye toward the town paying all or somepercentage of employee-only coverage but not con-tributing to plans beyond that.
STANLEY: No. He said he would need to hear thespecific recommendation.
Would you vote to eliminate the Pound PoliceDepartment?
PELFREY: Absolutely no.SHORT: No.STANLEY: No.Would you vote to restructure the Pound Police
Department?PELFREY: Absolutely no. It’s working fantastic.SHORT: Yes, if you mean restructuring the roles and
responsibilities, not management restructuring, Shortsaid. “I believe the roles and responsibilities of townpolice are to police the corporate limits,” he said,understanding that Pound has a role and responsibilityto people outside the corporate limits. “I don’t believe
our responsibility is radaring on the four lane . . . That’sstate police.”
Short said Pound police should to stay in town andkeep people safe and continue with efforts to rid thearea of drugs, DUIs and other crime.
STANLEY: No.rr Should out of town water customers pay more
than those in town? How much more?PELFREY: Yes. “They don’t pay taxes to us and we
furnish them a service,” he said.SHORT: Absolutely. Short said he believes the town
can charge as much as twice the in-town rate for thosenot in the corporate limits. The increased incomewould be balanced by a decrease in personal propertyand real estates taxes for Pound residents who “arealmost double taxed the way it is now,” Short said, “andbearing an extra burden to provide service to peopleoutside the corporate limits.”
STANLEY: Yes, everyone does that.r Should the town of Pound initiate legal action
against property owners for removal of condemnedbuildings?
PELFREY: “Amen. It makes our town look bad,” hesaid.
SHORT: Absolutely.STANLEY: Yes.r Should the town of Pound initiate formal action
against property owners in violation of the town’s junkcar ordinance?
PELFREY: Yes. “All the junk cars ought to beremoved from streets,” he said.
SHORT: Absolutely.STANLEY: Yes.r Should the town of Pound intensify efforts to force
clean up and maintenance of private property?PELFREY: Yes.SHORT: Yes, in a neighborly way. “If we enforce the
junk car ordinance and get condemned buildingscleaned up,” he said, “I believe that will kind of changethe mentality of the people, that they will want to cleanup their own property.”
Short said he doesn’t believe in government tellingyou what to do on your own property unless it affectsthose around you.
STANLEY: Yes.rr Are you a property owner? Identify the properties
you own or have ownership interest in within the townof Pound. Are the properties occupied and in present-able condition to visitors?
PELFREY: Yes, where I live on North River Road.SHORT: Yes. He owns nine lots at 8137 South River
Road where he lives. The property is occupied and pre-sentable but, being a bachelor, he said with a chuckle,“I don’t know about the inside of my house.” His taxesare paid and current.
STANLEY: Yes, his home.rr Are your taxes paid and current?PELFREY: Yes.SHORT: Yes.STANLEY: Yes.
Dean do a great job, are friends and get along wellas election workers. They have been hard-working,trusted and fair, she said.
Last year and two years ago, “people” expressedconcerns about the fact that in Wise County, a can-didate’s spouse could be working as an official inthe same election. The electoral board’s decision tosideline Cantrell and Dean this time was all abouteliminating anyone’s cause for concern and nothingto do with the performance of the officials.
Del. Terry Kilgore submitted legislation this
year aimed at a statewide prohibition of using anycandidate’s immediate family member. Under pres-sure, the bill was amended to simply give the localelectoral board the option to exclude family mem-bers.
The tentative plan calls for Susie Bolling to bethe chief election official May 6, with JuanitaQuillen as assistant chief, Robbins said.
Current members of the electoral board are EulaHughes, chair; Danny Mullins, secretary; andDeano Johnson. Because of the change in governor,Johnson, a Republican, will be replaced by aDemocrat when his term expires in 2015. u
PAGE 6 Friday, April 25, 2014 The Coalfield Progress Norton, Virginia 24273
Pound town council candidates discuss issuesr Name: Danny Stanleyr Age: 70r Phone: 276/796-7217r E-mail: [email protected] Educational background:
College classes followingPound High School graduation
r Employment history:Worked at Thompson and Litton for the past 39years as purchasing agent and construction con-tract administrator, responsible for bringing proj-ects in on time and on budget.
r Civic involvement: Served previous term ofeight years on Pound Town Council as well asservice on the Wise County and Pound planningcommissions. u
r Name: James D. Pelfreyr Age: 63r Phone: 276/796-7217r E-mail: [email protected] Educational background:Two years of college,Morehead Universityr Employment history: Past
positions included police officer for MoreheadUniversity, chief of police in Whitesburg, Ky.;deputy, Letcher County, Ky., Sheriff ’s Office; nowemployed for the past 15 years at Red Onionprison. Also taught the DARE program in schoolsfor seven years.
r Civic involvement: Member of the FraternalOrder of Police and Lions Club. u
r Name: Terry Shortr Age: 47r Phone: 276/796-5593r E-mail: [email protected] Educational background:Two college degrees, in gun-smithing and industrial draft-ing design, with secondary
studies in information technology.r Employment history: He and family at one timeowned and operated the Pound Market and AustinMotel. He worked three years gunsmithing butspent the last 20 years in the engineering field inquality control. Currently unemployed and onshort-term disability. Had worked for Vaughn andMelton engineers, assigned to Southwest Virginia,as a field inspector. r Civic involvement: Currently serving on thePound Planning Commission. u
NO
PHOTO
PROVIDED
r PoundFROM PAGE 1
CANDIDATES, PAGE 7
rr Mayors of Pound haveplayed many different kindsof roles in their tenures. Mosthave been hands-on. Somehave even served as townmanager. Describe to votershow you see the mayor’s roleand detail how you will exe-cute it.
“As the book said, the job iswhat you make of it,” incum-bent mayor George Dean said,referring to the referencebook of the VirginiaMunicipal League.Specifically, the VML bookdescribes the mayor inPound’s form of government“as the ceremonial head ofgovernment,” adding “youmake of it whatever you needit to be.”
Dean said he runs thecouncil meetings and paysclose attention that every-thing is done correctly. Healso works to make sure coun-cil has as much and the bestinformation as they can havebefore they make a decision.“Sometimes I play devils’advocate,” he said, “andsometimes I don’t have to saya word about it.”
His other role at meetingsis to interact with the citizensto ensure they feel like theirvoice is being heard.
All the other hands-on stuffDean does — from hangingChristmas decorations toworking on street lights tomaking repairs at the mainte-nance building or whatever —Dean said, “I can do them,they need to be done and itsaves the town money.”
rr Is there anything aboutthe way town governmentoperates that you think needsto change? What? What willyou do as mayor to makechanges?
“I’m comfortable with theway the government operates. . . and I have no reason to tryto change it,” Dean said.
rr What do you see as thenumber one problem facingthe town of Pound? What doyou propose to fix it?
Actually, there are twoproblems, Dean said — one iskeeping the town’s financesunder control and the secondis “making sure the townstays together and we all arestill working toward the goalof trying to bring the townback.
“If we have dissension inthe ranks,” he continued, peo-ple are prone to give up hope,withdraw and not be ready tohelp when it is needed.
People “have to keep thefaith that we can get there,that we can keep working as ateam to get us to that point,”he said.
Dean said he sees part ofhis job as “keeping us on thesame sheet of music and try-ing to work together.”
rr What do you see asPound’s number one asset?What do you propose to capi-talize on it?
The number one asset rightnow is the strong, local gov-ernment, town hall family, hesaid, everyone from publicworks, police and office staffto all those citizens who serveon council, boards and com-missions. “These are peoplethat the rest of the town canrely on and believe in andtrust that we are doing ourlevel best for the good of thetown,” he said. “These are thepeople who help keep the faithto get us to where we need tobe.”
rr Tell voters why you arethe best candidate to serve asmayor of Pound.
“I’ve got two years experi-ence and I have a betterunderstanding of what isrequired of that job rightnow,” Dean said. “I believe inmyself that I can help thecouncil make the right deci-sion for the town.”
BUDGETSrr The town budget for the
fiscal year will already be inplace once this council isseated. If elected, will youmove to review and changeit?
Dean: “No, because I had ahand in developing it and I’mcomfortable with that budget.I will work extremely hard tomake sure we stay on thatbudget.”
Balanced budgets usuallyrequire a mix of spending cutsand revenue increases. Withthat in mind, Dean said hewould vote to increase towntaxes only if it is required aspart of gaining some funding,such as from an agency orother lender. Otherwise, Deansaid he would not support“some randomly picked num-ber.” His position applies toall town taxes, including realestate, personal property andmobile home taxes.
Dean said he would vote toincrease water/sewer ratesonly because those annualincreases were virtually stip-
ulated as part getting fundingfrom the Department ofEnvironmental Quality.
Regarding imposing newfees for services, Dean said hecould not answer yes or nowithout having morespecifics. He added, however,“I’m not for taking anybody’smoney without have a legiti-mate reason.”
Dean said he would notvote to cut or restructurepolice department personneland didn’t think cuttingexpenses for the town manag-er would work. That positionis already part-time, he noted,and if it was trimmed anymore, “I don’t know that theycould be effective in theirjob.”
As for cutting other townpersonnel, Dean stressed thattown auditors are recom-mending the town add peoplein its business office toaddress gaps in checks andbalances procedures. Theycan’t afford to add, he said,and “no way do I think weshould cut. That would get usin big trouble with the audi-tors.”
Dean said he would need amore specific question beforeformulating an opinion on cut-ting staff benefits. “The onlything I would vote for rightnow . . . is to take a closer lookacross the board and makesure we are being equal andfair across the board,” Deansaid.
Dean said, yes, out-of-townwater customers should paymore than those in town. He isuncertain exactly how muchmore without further studyand information.
PROPERTY CONDITIONDean said the town should
not initiate legal actionagainst property owners forremoval of condemned build-ings. It was the county thatcondemned the property andto initiate action would be put-ting the cart before the horse,he said. “I don’t believe thetown should be getting into lit-igation on that without countybuilding folks being complete-ly on board and instigatingand bringing a lawsuit them-selves.”
Dean said he believes thetown should initiate formalaction against property own-ers in violation of the town’sjunk car ordinance. He alsobelieves Pound should inten-sify efforts to force clean upand maintenance of privateproperty.
Dean owns the home helives in and it is in presenta-ble condition. His taxes arepaid and current.
POUND HIGH SCHOOL Conditions worsen at the
old Pound High School build-
ing, which remains the prop-erty of Wise County. Dean hasbeen inside to see its condi-tion firsthand but it’s beenmore than a year.
Yes, he said, Pound Councilshould push Wise Countysupervisors to deed the build-ing and property to the townof Pound, but with two condi-tions — that Wise County didnot “charge us an arm and aleg for the property” and didnot “stipulate what we can dowith the property.” It wouldbe nice to own it, he said, “butit would have to be on ourterms, not the county’sterms.”
If the town had control ofand was responsible for thebuilding and property, Deansaid he could not say whetherhe would vote to renovate,tear it down or sell it withoutfirst knowing what theplanned use of the completeproperty would be. He couldsee circumstances underwhich each of the optionscould be in the best interest oftown citizens, from an entre-preneur who wanted to gutand renew into an educationalfacility, small manufacturingor office space.
“You have to have the planbefore you can make a deci-sion,” he said.
It is not good for anybodyto have it simply sitting thereand eroding, he said, andsomething needs to be done.
BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTDean said he would sup-
port a boundary adjustmentonly after having determinedwhat property would beincluded and studying whatthe overall potential revenueand cost would be to the town.“You have to make sure thatwhat you are doing doesn’tend up in the long run costingthe town rather than helpingthe town.”
Providing services is animmediate expense butincreased revenues could beawhile in coming, he noted,adding that Pound would needto be careful that it “doesn’tbite off more than you canchew.”
HERITAGE DAYS Dean said he would not
vote right now to relocateHeritage Days and end thepractice of closing a portion ofMain Street.
There is a good emergencyplan in place, worked out bypolice, fire and rescue depart-ments. The town will be put-ting extra focus on this duringthis year’s festival. If it worksout the way they agreed, hesaid, the fire and rescuedepartment have said theywould support the downtownlocation and street closingsgoing forward. u
Norton, Virginia 24273 The Coalfield Progress Friday, April 25, 2014 PAGE 7
rr Conditions worsen at the old Pound High Schoolbuilding, which remains the property of Wise County.Have you been inside the building to see its conditionfirsthand?
PELFREY: Not since it closed.SHORT: No but I want to.STANLEY: No.rr Should Pound Council push Wise County supervi-
sors to deed the building and property to the town ofPound?
PELFREY: Yes. “I’d like to have it for the EDA totake something and run with it to help the people ofPound,” he said.
SHORT: “I believe the building should belong to thetown of Pound but I believe the property can beacquired without pushing.”
STANLEY: “That’s a toughie. If we had a use for it, Iwould accept it but we can’t afford to maintain it with-out a purpose that would pay for it.”
r If the town had control of and was responsible forthe building and property, would you vote in support of:
Renovating the building?PELFREY: No. “It could cost $5 million to renovate
the property to put people back in it,” Pelfrey said. “Ican’t see spending that kind of money on a building thatis in that kind of shape.”
SHORT: Yes, providing that funding is available thatdoesn’t create an extra burden on the taxpayers.
STANLEY: If funding is available.Tearing down the building?PELFREY: Yes, he would consider it. “It’s going to
begin to fall. It’s going to become a hazard,” he said, not-ing that there are problems with break-ins there and itis impossible for the town to police it. “Something needsto be done and it is going to cost a lot to tear it down andasbestos has to come out of there.”
SHORT: If the building were to become a financialburden, then yes, he would consider it. Short calls thebuilding one of the most structurally sound buildings
around because it was built under bomb shelter specifi-cations. He believes it can be salvaged.
STANLEY: If the town had a good prospect whowanted the land to convert to a beneficial purpose.
Selling the building?PELFREY: Yes, for an industry that would bring in
revenue and jobs.SHORT: The property could be a valuable asset and
used in many ways. One of the biggest benefits of theproperty is the sports facilities, which historically havemore value than the building itself, he said. If they soldthe sports facilities area, he said, then that would haveto be replaced in kind at a predetermined location. “Idon’t want to see the community lose its sports facili-ties,” he said.
STANLEY: If it would benefit the town and there wasa prospect that would use it to create jobs and revenue.
rr Would you vote to support a boundary adjustment?PELFREY: Absolutely. Pelfrey said Pound’s corpo-
rate limits should extend to U.S. 23 and run along thathighway from exit to exit.
SHORT: Yes. The planning commission already islooking at various location, with the first option beingthose areas that already receive utility services. Beingsuggested is that area at least up to the four lane, thearound where the sewer plant is.
STANLEY: Yes. Stanley said he believes adjustmentsare needed to have its elementary school and otherproperty along U.S. 23 within corporate limits as well asproperty around the high school that falls in the county.
rr How to locate and manage traffic for Pound’sannual Heritage Days festival has been a source ofdebate. Would you vote to move festival activities andend the practice of closing a portion of Main Street?
PELFREY: Any way he answers, Pelfrey said, herisks upsetting someone. Closing a section of MainStreet “is a big time traffic hazard,” he acknowledges asa person with special interest in emergency serviceslike police, fire and rescue. “As a citizen of Pound, andknowing how much people of Pound love to do whatthey do (at the festival where it is), I don’t know wherewe would put it to make it any better,” Pelfrey said. He
said he believes, as a councilman, he must honor therequest of the people. “They like it there,” he said. Thatsaid, he believes the town must manage traffic flowcarefully, including from the North Fork exit wheremotorists must be given advance warning by signs atthat exit that there is no through traffic.
SHORT: Location is an issue that needs to beaddressed and there are pluses and minuses, he said. “Ithink there are a lot of potential areas that can be uti-lized without increasing safety hazards,” he said,adding, “Heritage Days is for the whole town, not justfor the ‘Y,’” meaning the center of town.
STANLEY: “I would vote same way I voted lasttime,” he said. Stanley voted to close Main Street andkeep the festival downtown.
rr What other issues would you like to address?PELFREY: He arrived in Pound as an outsider from
Kentucky but is no longer, he said. He owns a home hereand, when he retires, plans to remain right here. Whilehe didn’t raise his own children here, he now has a 17-year-old nephew in the house and that has been an eye-opening experience about life for young people here.The teenager has to go all the way to Camp Bethel toskate. He would like to find a piece of property thatcould be donated for building a skate park for the kids.
“I would like to be able to focus on the youth of thistown, the ones we’ve got left,” Pelfrey said, “and dosomething to keep them occupied, having fun andpotentially get them employed. That’s the number onething.”
SHORT: “I think the water and sewer infrastructureare two key issues immediately,” he said. The townneeds to address the deficiencies in in-place services,he said, and also must address sewage problems and thecondition of the sewer plant.
One other key problem to address is sidewalk condi-tion, he said. Fix them and make them safe
STANLEY: “I want to do what I can for the town ofPound,” Stanley said, noting that he had lived there allhis life and wants to promote the town. He said he wantsto help all citizens, including town employees who havebeen there a long time and need raises. uu
r CandidatesFROM PAGE 6
rr Name: George E. Deanrr Age: 66rr Address: 11521 Austin
Hills Rd., Poundrr Phone: 276/796-7661rr E-mail:
[email protected] Educational background:
Civilian: Graduated J.J. Kelly High School,1966. Earned bachelor of science degree inforestry and wildlife from VPI, June 1971. Earnedmaster of science degree in systems managementfrom University of Southern California,December 1982.
Military: Completed Officer Training School,Navigator Training School, Squadron Officer’sSchool, Air Command and Staff College, AirliftOperations School, Air Ground Operations Schooland Air War College; retired from USAF in June1997 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
rr Employment history: U.S. Forestry Service,June 1971 - October ‘71; U.S. Air Force, November1971 - May 1997; defense contractor, July 1997 -May 2003. Private pilot since 1988.
rr Civic involvement: Current mayor of Pound;Commander of Lonesome Pine CompositeSquadron for five years in the Civil Air Patrol;Pound representative on the Cumberlands AirportCommission; member, Pound PlanningCommission; assisted in the downtown revitaliza-tion of Pound. uu
One of two mayoral candidates answers questions
Mayoral candidate Rocky
Cantrell declined to
participate in an interview.
pinionO PROGRESSCoalfield
the
Page 8 N O R T O N , VA , 2 4 2 7 3Friday, Apri l 25, 2014
U O T A B L E Q U O T E S
Q ‘The future belongs to those whobelieve in the beauty of their dreams.’
Editor and PublisherJenay TatePublished byAmerican Hometown Publishing Inc.
ELEAN OR ROOSEVELT
GLENN GANNAWAYPOST NEWS EDITOR
We’re all glad that the cold weather isbehind us. Time, the great healer, takesaway the sting of those nasty days.
But with the Mountain Empire OlderCitizens Walkathon approaching, weshouldn’t forget the hardships that anunusually rough winter brought on ourmost vulnerable citizens.
The 38th annual Walkathon is scheduledfor Sunday, May 4 at Union High School.Participants will again take on a 10K stroll,and they’ll all have smiles on their faces,because they’ll be stretching those legs andexercising those lungs in an extremelygood cause.
The walk is a physical exercise. But it’salso a spiritual one, stretching our capacityto act selflessly on behalf of the older gen-eration, many of whom quietly endurehardships that are ramped up substantiallyin the winter.
MEOC’s Emergency Fuel Fund got agood workout over the winter, respondingto more than 1,600 emergency situationsand spending more than $258,000 — arecord — to help the elderly.
As MEOC puts it in a letter toWalkathon participants, “This winter hasundoubtedly been one of the harshest win-ters that our region has experienced in a
very long time, and MEOC has assistedmany people who have never before need-ed our assistance.”
Anyone who has spent any time in thecounties of Lee, Scott and Wise doesn’tneed an introduction to the Walkathon.Last year, about 275 people convened atthe old Union High School: individuals andgroups, all with one goal. “This truly is acommunity event, and our communitymembers and businesses continue to stepup each year to assist their older friendsand neighbors,” MEOC Executive DirectorMichael Wampler said following the 37threnewal of the event.
With the 38th Walkathon right in frontof us, many people are out collectingpledges, giving their time and energy forthe great good. Despite difficult economictimes, people throughout the region aregladly digging a little more deeply to helpensure the security of older folks who’ve
G A N N A W A Y
GANNAWAY, PAGE 9
MICHAEL REAGAN
It was nice to be away frompolitics for a week.
It was even nicer to be inthe great city of Boston for sixdays to celebrate the runningof the 118th Boston Marathon.
Watching the race with a mil-lion people — and meeting somany wonderful Bostonians —was an incredible experience.
A year after two domesticterrorists killed three andmaimed 260 others watchingthe famous race, 32,530 run-ners set out for the finish lineon Monday.
Most of the runners werethere this year for a specialreason — to show up and showthe world their resiliency anddefiance.
As the race announcer toldthem at the start of the race,they were there to “take backthe finish line” from thosewho would try to scare us ordo us harm.
The world’s most famousfoot race is held on Patriots
Day and the whole city is con-sumed by the event and itsbuildup.
The Red Sox always play an11 a.m. game on MarathonMonday, so it’s possible to seethe ballgame at Fenway andstill get to the finishing stretchon Boylston Street before therace ends.
My wife Colleen, daughterAshley and Jerry, a friend fromUtah, ran in the race while myson Cameron and I went to theRed Sox-Orioles game.
Between innings the bigscreen on the scoreboard putup the names of the
marathon’s top finishers.When the crowd of 37,513
saw the winner was anAmerican — Meb Keflezighiof San Diego by way ofEritrea — it jumped to itsfeet as one and started chant-ing “USA, USA, USA!”
It was an incrediblemoment.
When I went over toBoylston Street to watch mywife and daughter finish theirrace, it was so crowded I nevermade it to my grandstandseats.
But I saw some greatmoments from the sidewalk.
I saw a bare-chested manpass by who had shaved hisamazingly hairy chest into theimage of the American Flag.
I saw the employees of theMarathon Sports outlet onBoylston Street close up theirstore and come out to cheer onthe owner as he ran by.
I watched and applauded asthe beloved father-and-sonrunning team, the Hoyts, cameinto view.
As the crowd cheered themon, Dick Hoyt, 73, pushed hisson Rick Hoyt, 52, in his cus-tom-racing wheelchair. It wastheir 32nd marathon as a duo,and their final one.
Last year was supposed tobe the Hoyts’ final race, but thebombing cut their run short.They decided to return thisyear for personal reasons andto honor last year’s victims.
I watched and applaudedone of those bombing victims— a young woman who’d lostpart of her leg — run pastwearing a prosthetic. Talkabout spirit and resilience.
Republican, Democrat, lib-eral, conservative, independent,atheist — none of those labelsmattered on Marathon Monday.
Everyone was an American— and proud to show it.
What the city of Boston andits great citizens showed mewas that we’re really not thatdifferent under our politicallabels. We can unite aroundour core values and make itback from adversity.
The marathon went offwithout a hitch. It was safe andsecure and devoid of politics.And it was a celebration of theAmerican spirit in a placewhere that spirit was born.
When I flew from Boston onWednesday bound for Rome,where I’d attend the canoniza-tion of Pope John Paul II, I leftwith renewed hope for theUSA and a better feeling aboutits people.
Boston made me proud tobe an American. My weekthere reminded me thatdespite all the partisan poli-ticking and bickering we do,we’re still capable of joiningtogether to show who we areand what we stand for. u
Michael Reagan is the sonof President Ronald Reagan, apolitical consultant, and theauthor of “The New ReaganRevolution” (St. Martin’sPress). He is the founder of theemail service reagan.com andpresident of The ReaganLegacy Foundation.
Boston reclaims marathon and fear loses the raceR E A G A N
MEOC’s Walkathon isan exercise for the soul
I watched and applaudedone of those bombing
victims — a young womanwho’d lost part of her leg
— run past wearing aprosthetic. Talk aboutspirit and resilience.
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TO THE EDITOR:
My name is Colton Ramsey and I am so excited for this weekend,Aerospace Days. Aerospace Days will be held at the Lonesome PineAirport in Wise and will be two fun-filled days for everyone. It begins at10 a.m. Saturday morning and will last through Sunday at 4 p.m. All youneed to do is bring your favorite lawn chair and some sunscreen.
At Aerospace Days they will fly remote controlled airplanes, helicop-ters and unmanned aerial vehicles. You will be able to meet the pilots andget to see their “toy” up close. I hope to meet and maybe get my picturetaken with one of the pilots. There will be live entertainment on Saturdayprovided by Central High School Band at noon, night show with helicop-ter LED lights and fireworks at 9 p.m.
What I am most looking forward to is the rockets. The local boy andgirl scouts from our region will get to launch their rockets they haveworked hard on building. Throughout the day, you will be able to seemany different things you normally don’t see.
The best part of Aerospace Days is that it is free! I hope you get tocome out and enjoy all the free, fun and fascinating entertainment at theLonesome Pine Airport. See you at Aerospace Days!
COLTON RAMSEYWISE COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL STUDENT
L E T T E R S
What is he lookingforward to most?The rockets!
TO THE EDITOR:
Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have been awarded an immeasura-ble opportunity this weekend — they will be participating in AerospaceDays at the Lonesome Pine Regional Airport in Wise, and hopefully,accompanied by many siblings, parents and grandparents observing.
As we enter a new age of technology, it is important that the Scouts begiven the opportunity to learn about what is available. This weekend theScouts will learn all about aviation, space exploration, astronomy androbotics while watching the International Space Station fly by at 9:28p.m. accompanied by fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Aerospace Days will also give Scouts an opportunity to earn a newmerit badge. Of the 300 Scouts launching a model rocket this weekend,each will be given an Aerospace Days Jamboree patch.
Please take this opportunity to come out and watch new remote-con-trolled jets and unmanned aerial vehicle technologies being demonstrat-ed; see your Scouts in action — as they are our future. Together, we canlook up and see a brighter future ahead.
TEDDY HUFFCOEBURN
Scouts to learn aboutaerospace and more
TO THE EDITOR:
I am a freshman at John I. Burton High and am very excited aboutAerospace Days at Lonesome Pine Airport on April 26-27, which will befilled with excitement. On April 26 at noon the Central High band will bepart of the opening ceremony. There will be a fireworks show at 9 p.m.on the 26th to light up the sky even more.
Aerospace Days is going to be one of the most action-packed eventsthat Wise County has ever seen. There will be remote controlled jets,helicopters, propeller planes and unmanned aerial vehicles being flownwith camera night goggles from the ground; which will stir those with animagination for the future. There will be hundreds of rockets large andsmall to be flown day and night by adult flight teams and by hundreds ofboy and girl scouts as well.
I hope that everyone takes advantage of the opportunity to attendAerospace Days, which is a FREE event. I think anyone who takes the
Aircraft, fireworks to lightup the sky this weekend
LETTERS, PAGE 9
L.C. (Sonny) Smith has resigned asCEO of Powell Valley National Bank,handing over the position to Leton L.Harding Jr.
Smith, who will remain president ofthe bank, has been with PVNB for 35years and served as CEO from 1991until April 1. During his tenure theBank has grown from $87 million intotal assets to over $245 million,expanded from 2 offices to 5 full serv-ice locations and added numerous newproducts and services including mostrecently mobile banking and invest-ment services.
The Board of Directors unanimous-ly appointed Harding, currently theexecutive vice president and chiefoperations officer, to assume the posi-tion of CEO. Harding has 37 total yearsof banking experience. He has beenwith Powell Valley National Bank sinceMarch 2012. “I am deeply humbledand appreciative of the faith placed inme by the board and shareholders ofPowell Valley National Bank,” Hardingsaid. “Sonny and I share the samebeliefs, philosophies and commit-ments to our customers and the com-munities we serve.” u
already given a lifetime of commit-ment.
The Emergency Fuel Fund assistspeople age 60 and older who faceemergency home-heating situationsduring the winter months. The EFF isfunded solely by donations.
While I’m no longer a participant,I’ve been around long enough toremember when the Walkathon washeld (as I recall) in the Hurricane sec-tion of Wise. I remember the year wewalked up a stretch of U.S. 23 beforethe four-lane road was completedthrough Powell Valley.
I also remember the first Sunday inMay when a freak snowstorm hit, leav-ing me looking out the windows inwonder as about a foot of snow quickly
piled up in the yard. The Walkathon, ofcourse, was postponed, as it is occa-sionally because of more typical rainyweather.
That’s right, children: a snow stormin May. That would have been in thelate 1980s, when I was living in Wise.Who knows? Maybe it was a reminderof the rough months that make theWalkathon so important.
Emergency Fuel Fund donations, ofcourse, are gladly accepted yearround. They can be sent to MEOC,Attn: Emergency Fuel Fund, P.O. Box888, Big Stone Gap, Va. 24219.
We all should give what we can toone of the greatest community effortsin our region. The Walkathon bringsout the best in us, and the best of us:people who love and respect our oldergeneration. u
Norton, Virginia 24273 The Coalfield Progress Friday, April 25, 2014 PAGE 9
John I. Burton High School will beoffering free sport physicals forNorton City School athletes(Grades 7-11). Local physiciansand a physical therapist will be atJohn I. Burton High School onMay 02, 2014 from 8:30 AM - 12Noon. Participants must havecompleted and signed the VHSLphysical examination form prior tothe physical examination. TheVHSL physical form can be pickedup in the office at John I. BurtonHigh School. If any questions,please call Mrs. Caroll Addington,School Nurse, at 679-0971.
time to attend will reallyenjoy themselves beyonetheir imagination. Afterseeing the awesome vehi-cles and how excitingthey are, who knows, oneof my friends may decideto become a pilot. Beinga pilot of an unmannedvehicle can lead to a$75,000 to $125,000 annu-al salaried job.
I really hope everyonewill try to attendAerospace Days atLonesome Pine Airportin Wise on April 26-27. Ithink that no matter whatyour age you will enjoyyourself. Aerospace Daysis an event that you willnot want to miss. I amreally looking forward toall the vehicles in the sky.
ROY THACKER IIIJ.I. BURTON STUDENT
TO THE EDITOR:
In honor of theNational Animal ControlAppreciation week thattook place last week, Iwould like to thank ChiefAnimal Control OfficerE. Glen Arwood andAnimal Control OfficerBrian Burton for all theydo in our communities!Your hard work and dedi-cation does not go byunnoticed!
PRESLEY CARTERPOUND
r GannawayFROM PAGE 8
LettersFROM PAGE 8B
Thanks to animal control officers
LETTERS POLICY
The Coalfield Progresswelcomes letters to the edi-tor on matters of publicinterest. Best-read lettersare short and to the point. Ifpossible, please email let-ters or type, double spaced.
Each letter must besigned by the individualwho wrote it and mustinclude the complete mail-ing address of the writer, anemail address if available,and a daytime telephonenumber.
No unsigned letters willbe published. Letters con-taining statements of factthe newspaper cannot inde-pendently and immediatelyverify as true will be sub-ject to editing. Potentiallylibelous statements will bestricken.
Deadline: Friday at 5p.m. for letters to be pub-lished the followingTuesday; Wednesday at 5p.m. for letters to be pub-lished the following Friday.
For more information,contact News Editor JeffLester at 679-1101 [email protected]. u
PVNB announces leadership change
u Leton Harding u Sonny Martin
KATIE DUNNSTAFF WRITER
As local coal produc-tion continues declining,there are increasingconcerns about WiseCounty’s future econom-ic developmentprospects, employmentopportunities and popu-lation decline.
Tourism, more indus-try and even agriculturehave been cited as poten-tial recruits to bolster thearea’s economic outlook.Could algae productionbe another option?
A plant molecularbiologist and food scien-tist researching algae atPurdue University hopesto play a small role inreimagining and reinvig-orating the county’s eco-nomic future.
Mustapha Benmoussa,a Purdue visiting scholar,traveled to Wise Countyearlier this month anddelivered a lecture at theUniversity of Virginia’sCollege at Wise about hisresearch and start-upcompany, Atlantic GreenTechnology.
The company’s focusinvolves growing micro-scopic algae strains andthen extracting the oils toproduce algal biofuelsand nutritional pharma-ceutical products.
Benmoussa said in aninterview Tuesday thealgal varieties he hasdeveloped can be grownin a variety of environ-ments and weather con-ditions year-round. “Youcan go to Minnesota inthe north and use thetechnology to producemicro-algae and go toTexas in the south and dothat 365 days a year,” heexplained. “There is nolimitation. Micro-algaecan grow in any kind ofcondition.”
Until now, Benmoussa
has tested and grown hisalgae strains in a labora-tory, but he now wants toexpand this production toa real-world site. Hehopes that location willbe Wise County.
Benmoussa met withcounty leaders about thepossibility of bringing hiscompany’s operationshere during his visit ear-lier this month.
Asked whether he wascontemplating other pro-duction sites beyondWise County, Benmoussasaid no. It was here thathe first publiclyannounced his company’splans, and he wants tostay focused on one areainitially to ensure hisefforts are successful. Ifall goes well, he hopes tobegin production within
six to 12 months.Commercial productionwill ideally begin withintwo years, he noted.
If he launches a WiseCounty operation,Benmoussa envisions twodifferent projects. The
first effort involves usingalgae as a bioremediationagent on former minelands. Algal crops grownon these lands could beharvested and used forbiofuel production, heexplained. He notedTuesday that he’s beenworking with the stateDepartment of Mines,Minerals and Energy onthis prospect. The otherproject focuses on grow-ing algae specifically fornutritional purposes.Known as nutraceuticals,Benmoussa envisionsselling the algae as ahealth food supplement.
The new algal strainshe’s developed are richin omega-3/6 fatty acids,antioxidants, lutein andfunctional fibers, heexplained. He’s current-ly pursuing approvalfrom the federal Foodand Drug Administrationto sell the product on acommercial scale forindividual consumers oras a wholesale ingredientfor food, cosmetic orpharmaceutical manu-facturers.
He anticipates a hand-ful of jobs will be createdat first with the opportu-nity for expansion. The
goal, he said, is to createjobs that encourage localchildren to go to college,graduate, and then comehome to work.Benmoussa cited achance encounter whileflying from NorthCarolina to Johnson Cityon his way to WiseCounty. The man seatednext to Benmoussa wasfrom Wise County, andBenmoussa asked himabout the county. Theman told him job oppor-tunities had declined andpeople were leaving thearea to find work. “That(information) gave memore energy, and I decid-ed 100 percent I wantedto do something for thearea,” said Benmoussa.
He hopes to alsoinvolve UVa-Wise stu-dents in the company byoffering internships. “Iam an academic personin my heart, in my mind,in everything,” heexplained. “So, I cannotspend the day withoutsharing what I learned,what I developed. It willgive more energy andmotivation to the stu-dents if they can see areal example, a realmodel of success.” u
PAGE 10 Friday, April 25, 2014 The Coalfield Progress Norton, Virginia 24273
Researcher explores algae production locally
Dominion power plant reduceslocal gob piles
Since beginning com-mercial operation inJuly 2012, DominionVirginia Power’sVirginia City HybridEnergy Center has recy-cled nearly 1.1 milliontons of waste coal knownas gob.
That’s according to aTuesday press releasefrom Dominion.
In 2012, the stationjust west of St. Paul usedabout 484,000 tons ofwaste coal. Last year,the station used about615,000 tons to generateelectricity.
“One of the benefitswe saw in building theVirginia City HybridEnergy Center was theabundance of low-costwaste coal that newertechnologies wouldallow us to use as fuel,”said David A. Christian,chief executive officerfor Dominion Generation.“At the same time thatwe are holding downrates for our customersby burning waste coal,we also are helpingSouthwest Virginiaclean up some of itsbiggest environmentalchallenges.”
Gob is material —mostly rock and lowerBTU coal — that miningoperations discarded inthe early to mid-1900s.There are hundreds ofgob piles throughout thecentral Appalachiancoalfields.
Dominion selected acirculating fluidized bedtechnology for the sta-tion’s boilers because itis able to burn a widevariety of fuels.
About 80 percent ofthe waste coal used atthe station has comefrom Virginia. Much ofit has come from aVirginia Department of
Mines, Minerals andEnergy abandoned mineland project in Dante.The pile, which con-tained more than 1 mil-lion tons of gob, isexpected to disappearcompletely as it is usedfor fuel by the end ofthis year. Then, actualreclamation of the landand the stream bed canbegin.
“There are hundredsof gob piles throughoutSouthwest Virginia thathave a negative impacton the water quality inthe watersheds of theClinch and Powellrivers,” said WaltCrickmer, managingpartner at GOBCO, thecompany reclaiming theDante site. “VirginiaCity power station hasbecome a major factorin reclaiming not onlythe coal, but the wastepile sites as well.”
The Virginia City sta-tion also is designed tobe able to burn up to 20percent biomass, wastewood from timberingoperations. The stationbegan burning biomassin October of 2013 and isworking toward burningup to 5 percent biomassby the summer of 2015.
The station’s air per-mit requires that 10 per-cent of the electricity begenerated by biomassby 2017 if it is economi-cally viable to do so. u
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