Radford U celebrates centennial

BY CODY DALTON

RADFORD – Radford University culminated its historic one-hundredth anniversary Wednesday with a Centennial Charter Day Celebration.

Graduates of Radford from 1925 to 2010 were present for the ceremony and marched in to the celebration with bagpipes leading the way.

Also in attendance were two special guests – Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and keynote speaker Blake Mycoskie, founder and chief shoe giver for TOMS Shoes. TOMS is a company that gives a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair the company sells.

Mycoskie focused on his company around the chief message of the ceremony, which was service to the community. So far, his company has given away 400,000 pairs of shoes to children.

Gov. McDonnell applauded Mycoskie for his efforts and talked about service.

“Especially in these trying economic times, (service) is something we need to continue to remind us of the hallmark of the United States,” McDonnell said. “I believe that for 233 years America has believed in the ‘golden rule’ – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Shirley Watson, a 1960 graduate of Radford and representative of the alumni, gave a detailed timeline of the many events that had changed Radford and added to the history of the school.

“Our name may have changed five times,” Watson said. But, “we have always been Radford’s history and our alumni are the fabric of America.”

In 1910, Radford was founded by Dr. John Preston McConnell as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford. The college was a women’s college, which offered just a two-year degree in “rural arts.”

The school would be renamed in 1924 as the State Teachers College at Radford, which focused on educating teachers who were local to the area. Virginia Tech would incorporate into the campus just 19 years later in 1943, when the State Teachers College became the Women’s Division of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

After it was desegregated in the 1960s, the college cut ties with Virginia Tech and became Radford College. Men started to be admitted to the college by 1972 and a graduate studies program also was developed that year.

The final change happened in 1979, when the school finally became known as Radford University.

Just before the festivities of the day came to a close, Radford University president Penelope Kyle closed with an emphatic speech about the university’s past and its future as it moves forward.

“We are a university that has made its mark in the first century, Kyle said. “We will continue to make a mark in the century that lies ahead.”

Census officials warn of scams

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



Census officials warn residents to be cautious of potential scams that could occur as Census officials start making door-to-door visits in May.

The best way to avoid scams and a door-to-door visit from the Census Bureau, is to stay off the non-response list by completing census forms and returning them by April 15. Door-to-door visits will begin on May 1.

All Census employees will wear an ID badge, which does not have a photo, and will be carrying a bag with the Census logo on it. If you are suspicious of a potential employee, you may ask for a photo ID, which will be their driver's license.
Census employees will never ask to enter a home or ask for valuable personal information, such as social security numbers, bank account numbers, or income information.

"If you feel that someone is misrepresenting themselves, or you have any concerns you should contact your local law enforcement agency immediately," said Karen Wesley, Partnership Specialist with U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2000, the last year the census was conducted, 72 percent of Virginians returned their census forms by mail. For every 1 percent growth in the national mail participation rate, taxpayers are saved $85 million.

For information on the census and the current mailback rate for your area, visit the census website at www.2010.census.gov.

Census sites launch today

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



Five census sites will launch today, which will help the residents of Pulaski and Dublin file their 2010 U.S. Census information.

There be five total sites. Two of those sites will be considered "Be Counted" Sites, where the forms needed to complete the census will be available at a kiosk located at both the Town of Dublin building and Pulaski County Administration building.

The three other sites will actually include on-site personnel, who will help members of both localities to complete their census information.

In 2000, 72% of residents in Virginia mailed back their census information to be counted. The government has bumped up their publicity for the campaign, including more commercials and even a NASCAR sponsorship to help.

For ever 1% of forms that are mailed back in, the State of Virginia will receive 80 million dollars from that.

These five sites will remain open until April 15. If a census form is not completed, those who did not complete one will by filed on a non-response list and may have a door-to-door visit from a census employee after May 1.

For more information about the census and these locations, contact Jess Frye at 304-685-9628 or email jessfrye.asst@yahoo.com.

Comcast billing center to close

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



Announced on March 1 and effective as of April 1, the Comcast billing center, located on 641 East Main Street in Pulaski, will be closing.

According to a press release sent by Director of Government and Community Affairs Paul Comes, the decision was made due in part to the low volume the billing center receives. The plan is for consolidation of the many payment centers along with those in Blacksburg, which will help to make the current operations in both localities more efficient.
After the billing center closes, residents will have three options for making payments or dropping off equipment. These are:

• Frazier Repairs & Elf's Alterations at 72 West Main Street;
• Pulaski Express at 303 Fifth Street NE; and
• Pulaski Express at 4334 County Pulaski Drive

Residents who have Comcast in the area will receive a notice through a bill message and a sign will also hang on the door of the current building telling of the change. For more information, you can contact Paul Comes at (540) 974-5123.

NRV Regional Jail dedicates expansion

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



On Friday, officials from Pulaski, Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Radford, and Wythe came together for a special ceremony to dedicate the renovation and expansion of the New River Valley Regional Jail.

The facility cost $55.2 million, with half of the cost provided by the Virginia State Compensation Board. It is five stories and has 139,000 square feet of operational space. It will cost approximately $27.81 per day to house each inmate.

"The biggest benefit is relieving the overcrowdedness," said Gerald McPeak, Superintendent of NRV Regional Jail Authority. "The old facility (houses) 371 inmates. The new facility boosts that capacity by over 400.

The decision to expand the facility was made in 2005. The following year, Thompson & Litton architecture firm was hired to oversee the plans. Balfour Beatty and English Construction officially started the project in March of 2008 and it was just recently completed.

Among the many new features the jail will offer are direct supervision rooms, which allow the police officers to keep constant observation of every inmate at the facility.

"The officers will be in the housing units with the inmates 24 hours a day, seven days a week," McPeak said. "They can prevent the fights. They can detect when damage is done to the facility and try to prevent that."

There are also two types of cells that will help to separate the extreme and less extreme inmates from being housed together.

"Minimal custody inmates will be in the cells where there are four bunks," McPeak said. "Medium custody inmates will be in the cells where there are two bunks. It is just a classification issue. Classification is based on their crimes and their behavior in here. If they are a youthful offender, we don't want to put them in an area where there are career type criminals. It just helps us to split the inmate population and make it a safer environment."



Also helping with the control of the inmates are new video visitations, which keep the inmate contained, but still allow them to talk to and see their loved ones on a video screen while they are in the lobby.

"It's a time saver," McPeak said. "We don't have to move the inmates as much because of the video visitation we have now. We don't have to move them for recreation because they have recreation within their housing units now. It is a much more efficient facility."

Local band pledging fun and charity

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



Consisting of all junior students at Pulaski County High School, 'Now & Then' is a local garage/rock/punk group that is looking to make a splash.

The members of the band – Alex Alcantara, Garett King, Travis Kissinger, and Stephen Southard – formed the band on Dec. 19, 2008 after meeting in Garret's garage.

"We were in a band in eighth grade that wasn't doing much, so we took a break," King said. "We decided to come up to my house and play some music by ourselves. We tried to find a drummer and a bass player. From then on, Alex knew Travis, so he came up and started playing drums for us. We booked a small show at Robinson Tract Community Center. We brought Stephen in two weeks prior to that. Now and Then was formed."

Alcantara and King have sing vocals and play guitar, while Southard plays bass. They have been doing so for three years. Kissinger plays drums and has been playing them for two years.

Their inspirations are worldwide bands Blink 182 and All Time Low, as well as another local band Without A Fight. The band's name comes from an interesting concept that was first brought up by Alcantara's mother.

"We used to play some songs from AC/DC and bands like that," Alcantara said. "Then we started working our way up and playing things from the 1990's. She said they were songs from now and then, so we decided we should be called 'Now and Then'."

Since that time, the band has played some smaller shows around the area, including a Haiti benefit concert this past Saturday at Carroll County High School with many other local bands, such as Texas Side Project, The Three Came As One, Shotgun Saints, Without A Fight, Aside Ocean, and much more. The show raised over $500 for the relief effort in Haiti.

"To raise a pretty good amount of money and entertain at the same time was pretty awesome," Southard said. "We hope we can do it again sometime."

The band has many songs written and are planning to create a CD, but they are needing help from sponsors in order to do so.

"We are working on selling some shirts right now," Kissinger said. "People can come to our shows or visit our MySpace if they want to buy one."

The band will be playing again on April 26 at the Stage (formerly Kazemers). For more information on the band and when they will be playing, you can visit the band’s MySpace page, www.myspace.com/nowandthen2009 or contact their manager, John King, at 540-980-1475.

Bondcote donates fabrics to Haiti

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



DUBLIN – The Bondcote Corporation helped the relief effort in Haiti on Wednesday by donating much needed fabric for shelters.

The opportunity to donate came up after the company had made an inquiry a few years ago to help with another disaster relief effort.

"When the earthquakes first happened in China in 2008, we went to the government and asked if we could help," said Bondcote President & CEO Ted Anderson. "They didn't need our help at the time, but they put our name on a list for future relief efforts. Then we just got an email from America's Development Foundation asking for our help with the Haiti relief."

In total, eight football fields or 68,000 linear feet worth of fabric were donated to the effort. An official ceremony was held on Wednesday beginning at 8 a.m. The container holding the fabrics was closed at 9 a.m.

The truck loaded with the fabric then left, heading for the Port of Norfolk. After leaving Norfolk, the shipment will travel to Portauprice in Haiti and should arrive by the end of the month.

Among the many in attendance at the donation were Bondcote President/CEO Ted Anderson, Plant Manager Donald Kemp, Shipping Manger June Flinchum, Shipping Supervisor Jeff Foutz, and Administrative Assistant Sue Ramsey.

The fabrics being sent will help to make shelter for those estimated one million who are homeless and want to stay dry.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only one quarter of all Haiti survivors (approximately 250,000) are receiving any kind of shelter. That leaves 750,000 without a shelter of any kind.

The fabric donated should help those who will experience the rough Caribbean storm season, which occurs in June and July. It was estimated that over 800 temporary shelters could be built with the fabric being sent.

BondCote is located at 4090 Pepperell Way in Dublin. They have been manfacturing since 1949 and currently have 110 employees. They cote fabric for industrial and governmental applications.

Southwest Virginia Governor’s School juniors participate in internship program

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



Juniors at Southwest Virginia Governor’s School are getting some much needed experience in their potential career paths through an internship program.

The program places students at the school in many local businesses, including Pulaski Community Hospital, Volvo, Dublin Animal Clinic, Heartland Rehab, New River Sign Systems, Alleghany Brokerage, and Children’s Choice. The program lasts from the beginning of March until the end of April.

"I do work with the students ahead of time to come up with placements for all of them," said SWVGS counselor Linda McCraw. "They are all over the New River Valley. Even some of our Pulaski students are going to Virginia Tech in various departments to internship. Many are here in the county. It really gives them a good idea of what a career is like in that particular field. It can be positive or negative."

All juniors are required to participate in the program and will not miss any school time thanks to how each internship is scheduled.

Close to 80 students are participating in the program. So far, it has been a success in helping students choose what potential career paths they wish to pursue.

"We look at something they are interested in and they give me their first, second, and third choices of areas they want to explore," McCraw said. "Some of them know first hand where they want to go. Others have several different possibilities. Depending on schedules, we try to work (the internship) out so it is an area of their interest.

"For a lot of students, it helps to confirm what they want to do once they get to college and graduate. Others come back and say it wasn’t what they thought it would be at all and they don’t want to pursue it. That is good … because they don’t want to go to college and major in something and then find out it's something they don’t like."

Dr. Mary May with Dublin Animal Hospital is in her tenth year of accepting interns. She shared her experiences working with the program.

"We usually get one to four students, but groups of two work the best," May said. "I have a list of items that I go over with each intern. I always interview the interns first to make sure that what they think they are going to get out of the experience is something that I am going to deliver, so there is no disappointment.

"Both of these young ladies (interns at the clinic Tuesday morning) expressed interest in the (veterinary) medical field …. I thought this was a good opportunity to introduce them to what a small animal practitioner, which is what I am, does on a day-to-day basis. I have also extended an invitation for them to join me on days off from school, so that they get an idea of what happens" beyond the period of 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on a Tuesday."

May will work with two juniors during the two month period – Amanda Salinas and Grace England. Tuesday's session was the first for England working in the hospital. She got to observe a minor surgical procedure.

"I haven't had a lot of hours yet, but I'm really enjoying it so far" England said. "I did better watching the first surgery than I thought I would do, although it wasn't major surgery. Hopefully, I will be able to get more comfortable with things like blood and needles because I am going to have to deal with that a lot if I want to be a veterinarian. I am really enjoying it."

Salinas has now worked twice in her internship at the animal hospital. She has learned many new trades in her short time there, but hopes to continue her internship into an exciting career opportunity.

"The first (visit to the clinic), she taught me how to read x rays, which is pretty cool," Salinas said. "I saw a cat that was pregnant. We did an ultrasound and saw the kittens on the screen. Today we saw a neutering, which is pretty cool. It is really nice to see all of this because it is a lesser scale of what I could do. I want to be a mammal veterinarian and this is kind of what it would be like."

Project Lifesaver does exactly that

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



A program that has been in Pulaski County since 2002, but not known or used by many has the ability to save the lives of many.

Project Lifesaver, which was established in 1999 internationally, helps to aid those patients with medical conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Autism. In 2002, the Town of Pulaski Police Department wrote in a request for the $3,000-$5,000 grant that is given to help start the program locally. It was accepted shortly thereafter.
Even though the program has been in the county for eight years now, it is not being utilized. Andy Anderson, who is Training Coordinator for the Police Department, hopes people will become aware of the program and utilize all it has to offer.

“For the past couple of years, we have had the program,” Anderson said. “There has only been one person in the county that is on the program. There is nobody inside the town who is on it. I think it is because people don’t think we have the program or know that it exists.”

Those who are in the program pay $25 a month, which covers the cost of some of the equipment used. However, the program does have an income based option, which could drop that number drastically.

Each month, someone will come to the home of the person wearing the device and check to see if the battery is properly working. If it is not, the battery is swapped out for a different battery that works. The device itself is waterproof and it fastened so that it cannot be removed.



Training was conducted with the Town of Pulaski Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, and Fire Department on Thursday to help train eight new members for certification and five current members for re-certification. The reason for the certification was because of the recent change in the equipment from analog to digital last month.

“We had in classroom training for three hours from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and more on hands training that followed,” said Charles Ratcliffe, an officer with the Virginia Tech Police Department who recently left the force in Pulaski. “Basically, they have to find three of the transmitters to complete the course.”

With his experience at Virginia Tech, Ratcliffe explained that the program has continued to grow in other counties that surround Pulaski.

“It is really big in Montgomery County,” Ratcliffe said. “They have a lot of people that are on it. The counties surrounding here –Montgomery County, Town of Pulaski, and Galax – are some of the areas that are on the program.”

For more information about the program, you can visit www.projectlifesaver.org. If you wish to enroll in the program, contact Lt. Andy Anderson at 540-994-8677.

PCPS creates YouTube channel

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com


Pulaski County Public Schools officially introduced their very own YouTube channel online Monday.

The channel features many different videos created by the TV Video Production Department, Career and Technical Education Center, and Chamber of Commerce.

"We created the channel for the purpose of getting out a positive message about our schools, faculty and staff, students, and programs," said interim Superintendent Thomas Brewster in an email. "The site also allows us to highlight our students' many talents. Social media is important for both internal and external communication. We also plan to use it to communicate important information to parents and the community."

The channel has already received over 200 views of their videos in just the first day alone. To find the channel, go to YouTube.com and search "Pulaski County Public Schools."

School days extended

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com

Starting Monday, March 15, students in the Pulaski County School system will be staying at school longer each day thanks in part to this winter's bad weather.

Pulaski County Public Schools announced Monday they will be adjusting their schedules to add 40 minutes to each instructional day. Interim Superintendent Thomas Brewster said the change should last a few months and that the tentative final extended day is May 28.
The reason for the extension is two-fold: to help students prepare for the upcoming state-mandated Standards of Learning tests, and to make up for the days missed due to snow.
The School Board is tentatively scheduled to decide the final calendar for the school year at its next meeting. The schedule will include dates for teacher workdays, the last day of school, and graduation.

20-year-old case settled

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com

A more than 20-year-old sex offense involving a 25-year-old man and a teenager was settled on Friday with the man being placed on probation and listed on the National Sex Offender Registry.

According to testimony, the incident occurred Jan. 26, 1989 at a mobile home at 4319 Brookmont Road.

Court records show Mark Reed Nelson, who is now 46 and living in Moneta, was indicted Nov. 17, 2008 with carnal knowledge of a 13-year-old. He entered an Alford plea (nolo contendere or no contest) to the charge Oct. 14, meaning he acknowledges evidence is sufficient for a finding of guilt, but he is not admitting guilt.

The victim, whose identity is being withheld due to the nature of the case, spoke in front of the court in tears Friday. “I stand before this court a victim,” she said, referring to herself as “a vase shattered into a million pieces.” Of the offense, she said she had to "bury it deep inside.”

She added that the incident caused her to reach a social lull and eventually led to an overdose on July 4, 1989.

The victim's mother read a written statement in support of her daughter, explaining the overdose in more detail.

Nelson received a five-year suspended sentence and was placed on three years probation, which will begin immediately. The sentence also requires him to pay a $1,285 fine and register with the National Sex Offender Registry.

Nelson is a former paramedic with Carillon in Roanoke and he also held two other similar part time jobs in Salem. He was suspended from Carillon after he was charged.

Two men who had worked with Nelson – Larry Bentley and Mark Kramer – as well as his minister, Ray Bell, and wife, Debbie, testified on his behalf.

Goodman running for Town Council

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



Pulaski voters will find a new name on the ballot this May when they go to cast their vote in the race for Pulaski Town Council.

Joseph Goodman, 29, started planning a year ago to run for the position and has attended council meetings for more than a year now.

“I grew up in a town with a very similar history to Pulaski,” Goodman said. “I think I have something unique to offer as a result. But before I jumped in and decided I wanted to run … I wanted to make sure I could contribute something.

“A lot of people run for office just to run for office,” he continued. “I wanted to make sure I could help the town move forward. There weren’t any people trying to do that job. I’ve attended these meetings for the past year now. I think it is something I can do and be helpful.”

Goodman grew up in southeastern Connecticut, but moved to the New River Valley to attend Virginia Tech in 1998. He pursued a degree in computer engineering, but was unable to complete his degree due to illness. He would stay on at Virginia Tech though, working in the Computer Engineering Department.

While at college, Goodman met his wife, Laura, and they married in the summer of 2004. After they married, they moved from Montgomery County to Pulaski.

“It is hard to get the type of home you want, especially if you are trying to settle down and start a family,” Goodman said. “You get particular with the things you like. We started looking in Pulaski County and it was nice. Pulaski offered a lot of great qualities.”

Goodman’s experience includes serving on the Virginia Tech Staff Senate and a member of both the Linux/Unix Users and Open Source Alternatives Groups at Virginia Tech. He is also active throughout the community, as a member of the First Christian Church, Pythagoras Lodge 239 and Pulaski Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
Despite not being a native of Pulaski, Goodman sees advantages of taking a look at the town from an outsiders perspective and determining how to better grow Pulaski.

“Not being originally from Pulaski, I see the town the way it is when I moved in and I’ve seen the town the way it is moving forward,” Goodman said. “I don’t look at the town the way it was 50 years ago like some people. The only way I can see the town is as the way it is and the way I hope it to be in the future.

“I look at that future as something we can really look to obtain – to be a good place to live, raise a family, and prosper. I think a lot of the people, especially on council, look backwards. We like to make the town the way it used to be. This is something I’ve heard more than one time. I think we need to stop that mindset and start thinking of where we want the town to go.”

Among the many topics that are addressed by Goodman on his campaign website, www.votegoodman.info, are:

• Economic development – He calls for better use of the town’s economic development office, monthly economic development assessments for council and quarterly assessments made available to the public.

• Community interaction – In addition to town council meetings, he wants council to schedule a time “every month or two” where the public can meet with council to discuss issues.

• Open government – He wants more information, including council packets, council minutes and state and federal reports, to be posted on the town’s website www.pulaskitown.org.

• Improving community image – He calls for the town to start taking advantage of its ability to maintain a registry of vacant buildings and enforce annual safety inspections in order to help fight blight.

• Marketing the community – He would like to see the town work with area realtors to find out what the town can do to increase home purchases in the town, then use that information to create promotional materials to be given to prospective buyers.

• Fiscal responsibility – He wants to be sure department budgets and contracts are being re-evaluated every budget cycle to eliminate unnecessary spending and “ensure we are getting the most for what we pay.”

For more information on Goodman, visit the website or email him at jkgoodman8@gmail.com.

SWVGS board talk changes, successes

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com

Officials from five counties and two cities met on Tuesday at Northwood Elementary to discuss several items on the agenda for the Southwest Virginia Governor School (SWVGS).

Brought in the meeting as well was the current budget issues that loom in the school system and how each county or city should make sure their students attending the Governor’s School have a strong commitment to staying in the program long-term.
Three students left the school after the first few weeks of attending the SWVGS. A new plan just recently put in place should alleviate this issue.

SWVGS Director Rebecca Phillips spent a bigger portion of the meeting talking about the success of students during their visits to local campuses.

Of the 27 students who attended the on-site visit at Virginia Tech, all of them were accepted and all, but two were accepted into their major. The only two students who did an on-site visit with Radford University were accepted into both their major and the honors program.

One of the other items discussed were the eight adjustments made to SWVGS calendar for this year due to snow. The end of the fourth six weeks will conclude n March 19 instead of March 4.

Parent Teacher conferences are also being moved from February 25 to March 30. The fifth six weeks, which has be scheduled to conclude on April 9, will instead end on April 23.

Also moved was the Second Semester exams to May 25-28 (from May 17-20), the Awards Banquet to May 27 (from May 20), and the last day of school to May 28 (from May 24).

Bruce making bid for Dublin Town Council

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com

Pulaski County deputy and Dublin resident Garland Bruce will seek to unseat one of three incumbent Dublin Town Council members up for re-election in May.

Bruce, 62, has been with Pulaski County Sheriff's Office for 11 years. Before joining the department, he was a member of the Lee County (South Carolina) Police Department.

When he moved back to Pulaski County after his father passed away, his move turned out to be a blessing, as it helped open up other career opportunities.

"I was lucky to get on with Carillon Health System (Police Department) in Roanoke and move up through the ranks," Bruce said. "I did the right things that they wanted and that the chief wanted and got promoted up through the ranks."

While he was a captain with Carilion's police department, he looked to further his education and pursue a career as a police chief. He would go on to earn a Bachelor's Degree from Bluefield College in 1998 in Administration of Justice.

Bruce also has experience with Dublin Police Department many years ago, when Grover Howell was police chief; and Rich Creek Police Department as well.

While being a police chief was his main drive and focus for a career, he explained that he has always been intrigued by the political rhelm.

"I have been interested in politics for years," he said. "I think that Dublin is a growing community. I don't know how Dublin feels, but I just want to help Dublin grow in the right directions. Times are hard, but Dublin is the growth area for Pulaski County."

While he has only lived in Dublin for just over a year, Bruce has seen the changes occurring there over the years and explained that his main focus will be the continued growth of Dublin.

"There is one big issue," he said. "I want to see Dublin grow. Dublin has a potential growth area. It's the growth area of Pulaski County now."

Even though he just made the formal steps to make a bid for a council seat, Bruce is already garnering some attention from the community about his run.

"I've had people wanting to help make signs and campaign," he noted. "I appreciate the support that the community is giving me."

Running for re-election is incumbent Councilmen Dallas Cox and Stephen Crigger, and Vice-Mayor Peggy Hemmings.

Interested parties still have until Tuesday at 7 p.m. to file intentions to run for council. Elections will be held May 4.

Local leaders discuss YMCA ideas, future

By CODY DALTON
cody@southwesttimes.com



Nineteen local agency leaders came together Wednesday at New River Valley Agency on Aging to discuss the future of the Hensel Eckman YMCA in Pulaski

The purpose of the “think tank” meeting was to see how the “Y” could work with area agencies to provide programs beneficial to the community.

Local leaders also wanted to stress what the Oakhurst Avenue facility has to offer, including the only indoor pool in Pulaski County. Many programs already offered by the “Y” were outlined as well.

Many different ideas were proposed at the meeting.

First, Dave Hart, director of Parks and Facilities for Pulaski, suggested moving an upcoming Teen Dance sponsored by the town from the Armory on Draper’s Mountain to the YMCA.

Mark Nichols, chief executive officer for Pulaski Community Hospital, suggested the “Y” offer classroom space for classes such as financial education for young people, so youth can be taught how to properly and more effectively manage their assets.
Another area of discussion focused on targeting Pulaski area youth for new and better after school programs. It was noted that the use of facilities such as Central Gym have helped keep young people from getting into trouble.

The elderly were also a topic of interest. It was proposed that the YMCA serve as a center for Adult and Respite Care programs, while also working with the local area transit to provide transportation to the YMCA’s facility.

Pulaski County Recreation Director Anthony Akers pointed out that the county’s plan for a Recreation and Wellness Center at the old TMD Friction building are not set in stone and that plans to operate a the YMCA should continue.

Everyone was in agreement that the entire property and ideas from the community should be assessed, so that the property can be utilized to the highest extent.

The overall message was clear though – the community needs to come together and find a resolution for the YMCA’s current obstacles and it’s future in the Town of Pulaski.
For more information on the YMCA and its programs, you can visit www.theymca.org or call 540-980-3671.