UACP Renovations Continue at Garden
Building Will Open to Students Next Month

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
   Work to renovate the former Garden Elementary/High School building at the mouth of Garden Creek by the University of Appalachia is continuing and according to Board of Trustees Chairman Frank Kilgore, the new building is expected to open next month with the arrival of the school’s second class of first year college of pharmacy students.
   Some 1,300 applications were received for the 65 student seats available, Kilgore said.
   “Everything is on target,” he added during a tour of the renovated facility last Thursday. “We’ve still got to order lab equipment, but that won’t be needed until the second semester.”
   In the meantime, on Thursday, the elevator installation was underway and painting in the classrooms, offices and labs was ongoing. In the hallways, sheetrock was being put up and floors were being refinished. The gymnasium, now a staging area for the many building supplies, was already painted and new windows in that area, as well as throughout the school were already in place.
   There’s still much work to be done, however, it is on schedule and Kilgore said he anticipates the new campus will open as planned next month.
    With the arrival of new students, the college is also preparing for the arrival of its new dean, Dr. Sue Cantrell, who will begin her duties with the school the first week of August.
    As planned, first year students will attend classes at the Garden location while second year students will attend classes at the university’s Slate Creek location in the Buchanan Information Park. Third year students will be involved in rotations within the local community and beyond.

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Board Will Seek More Input On Paw Paw Precinct Change

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
    A public hearing to consider consolidating the Hurley and Paw Paw voting precincts in the Knox District into a new precinct to be located at the site of the proposed new Hurley Clinic was continued to August 7 after comments from three area men suggested alternate options and asked for time to find a suitable location..
    County Administrator W.J. Caudill said the board was considering adding on a new structure to the planned clinic which would be used for voting purposes as well as for  space in which to house a community center; however, he noted since that proposal had been made it had been learned that language in the property deed for the new clinic states that if the clinic ever ceases to operate, the property goes back to the land owners who have donated it to the county for the clinic use.
    “I am not for building a building if they can find another,” said South Grundy Chairman Roger Rife .
     Bobby May, who was present to speak at the hearing, noted he had taken it upon himself to conduct a property search looking for another place to locate the Paw Paw Precinct.
     Earlier this year, the board learned that both the Paw Paw and Hurley precincts had problems on site which made them unable to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
     May said he was concerned that the board was considering closing the Paw Paw precinct which would cause voters there to ha e e to drive t Hurley to exercise their right to vote and he suggested if the tables were turned he did not believe the board would send Hurley precinct voters to Paw Paw to vote.

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Board Grants Variance for Road Width
Variety of Road Concerns Discussed

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
   The implications of taking a road into the county road system without the traditional right of way width were discussed last Thursday during a meeting of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors.
    Ultimately, board members agreed to take Wilson Road in the Hurricane District into the county road system despite the fact the right of way available at the mouth of the hollow is six feet less than the county traditionally requires.
    According to County Road Engineer Marcus Stiltner, the property owner there is unwilling to sign a right of way deed for 20 feet, but is willing to sign one for 14 feet.
    The road serves a total of five families.
    South Grundy Chairman Roger Rife expressed concerns about precedent being set if the board made exceptions to right of way stipulations in county road policy.
   Several board members said there were already roads in the system with less right of way width.
    Hurricane Supervisor William P. Harris said it was his understanding the road was in the coal road plan and that money had been appropriated for it, however County Road Engineer Marcus Stinter advised him the coal road committee had not yet taken action to include the road in the plan.
    “I’ve been led down the wrong road,” Harris said, adding that was not his understanding. “That road has been worked on ever since I was on the board. I knew it didn’t have right of way, but I thought the bid had been awarded.”
    Assistant County Attorney Lee Moise said the board could consider a modified right of way in order to proceed with the road work and taking it into the county road system.
    Rife pointed out that if the board went forward with the road it would not be a situation of breaking the law, just something affecting county policy.
    “Policy and legality are two different things,” Rife said. “The policy is 20 feet. If we reduce (the right of way) for one, it will result in others.”
     Moise said it was his understanding exceptions to the policy had been made in the past and he said his recommendation was for the board to consider going forward and make an exception to the policy.
    North Grundy Supervisor Carroll Branham made the motion to take the road into the county road system and both Garden Supervisor Buddy Fuller and Harris seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.

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