The Virginia Mountaineer, Buchanan County, Va.

A NUMBER of Council Elementary/Middle School students participated in Career Awareness Night recently, as a part of the school's GEAR UP program. During the event, students revealed their career aspirations to friends and family members while describing the duties, benefits and salary expectations of their chosen paths. Five of those students, from left, are: Justin Rasnake (physician's assistant) and Justin Stevens (diesel mechanic). (Staff photo/Scotty Wampler.)

Shifting Into Gear
Buchanan County Kids Gear Up With New Program

by JoBeth & Scotty Wampler
Staff Reporters

As a number of great after-school programs emerge in Buchanan County Public Schools, only one will follow the Class of 2012 from seventh grade into college.
"It really is a great program for these seventh grade students," says Buchanan County Elementary Supervisor Sherry Fletcher, referring to the newly initiated GEAR UP program.
An acronym for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, Virginia's GEAR UP is a federal program that is designed to better prepare middle and high school students through mentoring programs, scholarships, and new academic preparation and awareness programs for students and parents, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
GEAR UP State Grants are competitive six-year matching grants funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide a comprehensive program of early intervention services, as well as an incentive based scholarship program.
Four schools in Buchanan County have gained such funding for the program, including Council Elementary School, Hurley Middle School, Riverview Elementary/Middle School and Twin Valley Elementary/Middle School.
"I think it's a wonderful program," says CES program coordinator Joan Hart. "It's one of the best federal programs I've seen in a long time."
According to Hart, the program will be used to prepare students for post-secondary education, such as college or technical school. To help them succeed, GEAR UP provides students with tutoring, homework assistance and academic enrichment activities, as well as the opportunity to work with technology through computer-assisted labs, and mentoring programs.
Encouraging these seventh graders to look beyond high school, the program will offer career option discussions, academic counseling and opportunities to job-shadow and visit job sites.
But, that isn't all.
"We do a lot of college tours," Hart says, adding Gear Up students this year will tour the campuses of the University of Tennessee, Tusculum College and East Tennessee State University, among other area schools. A Gatlinburg trip will be sandwiched in between college tours during the trip.
As a result, the program hopes to initiate in students the realization of a world beyond the mountainous terrain that surrounds them.
Parents also play a key role in the GEAR UP program.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now. For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

IDA Authorizes Wachovia Checking Account

by JoBeth Wampler
Staff Reporter
The Town of Grundy Industrial Development Authority made a decision concerning the Wachovia checking account that would yield a nearly 5 percent interest rate, in contrast to the authority's current rate of 1.5 percent with another local bank.
Councilman Chris Mitchell suggested the move last month, stating Wachovia offered a government interest rate through discount Treasury bills that might result in a difference of around $20,000 per year.
Mitchell suggested, while he still has a few questions about the account, the Grundy IDA make a motion pending no negative downturn.
"From the looks of the interest, it's unbelievable," Grundy IDA Chairman Ed Bunn said.
Mark Mutter made a motion to authorize Mitchell to investigate the matter further and pending no hidden fees or other concerns, work with Town IDA Director Chuck Crabtree to secure an account.
Rebecca Stevenson seconded the motion.
The motion was passed unanimously.
Displaced by the Grundy Redevelopment Project, Rotech, locally known as Love Joy, has also requested office and storage space in the Grundy Plaza.
To construct a space suitable for the business, Bunn said it would cost an estimated $75,663 to house Rotech in the former Adventures Bike Store and Appalachian School of Law Bookstore office space.
Bunn added that the Corps of Engineers would pay a lot of the costs associated with bringing the space up to Rotech's needs, which include the need for a separate office space to comply with HIPAA regulations.
A lease with the language to recoup construction expenses is being constructed, Bunn said, requesting permission to proceed upon completion.
An initial three-year lease was agreed upon for $7 per square foot with a renewal option of three years. Bunn added, an occupancy date of August 1 was being discussed.
"They're a nationally owned company," Bunn said. "They would be financially responsible in my opinion and have already been here for years."
Most importantly, he added, Rotech has been displaced, which brings along with it a sense of urgency to find them a home.
Mitchell made a motion to authorize town attorney Tom Mullins to complete the lease and Bunn to sign off upon completion.
Mutter seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.
The IDA also learned that it will cost an estimated $219,797 to equip an office space in the Grundy Plaza for another potential restaurant.
The restaurant, called Little Mexico, had inquired about the office space behind the Peking Restaurant in recent months.
But, as Bunn pointed out, the space would require extensive plumbing and electrical, which would need to meet certain requirements. He concluded that spending $219,797 to construct the area Little Mexico would require would be too expensive.
Other members of the Grundy IDA agreed and the topic was dropped.
In other business, the Dollar Tree is doing a marketing study on the office space formerly known as the Silver Dollar. The business was expected to notify the IDA of its intent this week.

Board Adopts Ordinance to Regulate Buchanan County Emergency Medical Services

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
An ordinance to regulate Emergency Medical Services in Buchanan County was adopted last week during a meeting of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors.
The action to adopt the ordinance followed a public hearing on the topic.
Assistant County Attorney Lee Moise suggested that the ordinance would better coordinate services offered by the rescue squads in Buchanan County, making it more uniform across the county.
Harlis Keen told board members one of the things he thought needed to be allowed was for volunteer squads to be able to charge for the services they render, which in turn, he said would take some of the financial burden off the county to keep the squads up and running. Additionally, he said, it would help the squads which must raise additional funds through various fundraisers just to keep the doors open. He noted that by the time insurance is paid on the vehicles and gas is purchased, there is nothing left of the county’s $15,000 annual allocation.
Equipment and training costs, as well as building operation costs, he said have to be paid after fundraisers are held to raise additional monies to operate the squads.
“We have all kinds of fundraisers, or we wouldn’t be here,” Keen said.
He noted other counties charge for their services and he suggested the best way to collect for service would be to charge people with insurance, but allow the service to be free to those who have no insurance. He suggested everyone should be billed, but said the only ones that should be pursued should be the ones who have insurance to pay the bill. The others, he suggested, should be written off.
Garden Supervisor Buddy Fuller said even without the ordinance, he was under the impression the county’s volunteer rescue squads could charge for their services.
Moise said that was correct, they could charge, but that the ordinance would give the county the ability to regulate the service and make it uniform.
South Grundy Supervisor Roger Rife asked if the county would be better off to adopt some sort of centralized unit and he asked how many rescue squads the county now subsidizes.
It was noted that currently, volunteer squads operate at Patterson, Russell Prater, Oakwood, Dismal and Prater. Hurricane Supervisor William P. Harris suggested the ordinance passage would allow the Davenport Rescue Squad to reopen.
Keen suggested that if a centralized set-up were utilized it would require the supervisors to hire an EMS chief to oversee the service.
Fuller suggested centralizing services might work if the county could get all the squads together to discuss the matter.
Harris ultimately made the motion to adopt the ordinance and Fuller seconded it. The measure passed 6-1 with Knox Supervisor Pat Justus casting the lone vote of dissent.
The ordinance adopted allows the rescue squads to charge for services, however, it does not establish a set fee. It also requires all squads operating in the county -- whether volunteer or paid -- to hold a permit to operate in Buchanan County.
Under the ordinance, the county administrator is authorized to determine and prescribe the areas of service within which a permit holder may operate within the county in order to assure adequate coverage throughout the geographical area of the county. The county may also limit the number of permits for ambulance or emergency medical service vehicle in the county.
Permits are not required for the operation of private ambulance or emergency medical service vehicles if they are engaged in transporting a person from a point beyond the limits of the county to a location within the county; or if they are engaged in the transportation of a person through the county. A permit will also not be required for the operation of a private ambulance or emergency medical services vehicle when it is used to render assistance at the county’s request in the case of a major catastrophe or emergency.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now. For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

Board Denies Hale's Request for Overtime, Vacation Days Not Taken

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
A request by former County Road Engineer Kenny Hale for the county to pay him what amounts to more than $43,700 in vacation days not taken and overtime was denied last week during a meeting of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors.
Hale is currently in the federal penitentiary, serving the sentence he received for his role in the Operation Big Coon Dog bribery and bid-rigging scheme which occurred in Buchanan County in 2002.
In a letter dated November 22, 2006, Hale informed board members the county owed him for 1,600 plus hours of overtime, as well as 30 days of vacation time.
“These hours do not include the numerous hours where documentation was taken from the mapping office by person or persons unknown,” he wrote.
“The service of Kenneth Hale was honestly given to Buchanan County during his employment,” Hale wrote. “At the time of my resignation my hourly rate was $23.81 per hour. All taxes owed to Buchanan County in the name of Kenneth Hale have been paid in full. Therefore Kenneth Hale does not owe Buchanan County anything. Zero dollars.”
He noted in the letter that the letter was “an attempt to collect a debt from the Honorable Gentlemen of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors.”
He ended the letter by requesting a response within 45 days to avoid what he referred to in the letter as pursuing “legal services for collection, which may result in further cost.”
Hale’s request was one of the topics identified for discussion behind closed doors at last Monday’s meeting.
When the board emerged from behind closed doors, it was to agree on the advice of counsel that the board disallow the request in its entirety and further that it find the claim to be invalid.
The motion to deny the claim was made by Rocklick Supervisor David Ratliff. There was no second, but a roll call vote saw the measure pass unanimously 7-0.
“There was no choice,” said Hurricane Supervisor William P. Harris.