Prison Time Rescue Finances Still Struggling

Sports| Page 7| Burton Hall of Fame banquet tickets on sale. Homespun| Page 10| Front Street Cruz-In planned in Coeburn. ON LONG TERM APR ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ % FINANCING FRIDAY 0 Plus Rebate * the September 9, 2016 www.NothingLikeFreedom.com Vol. 105 • No. 73 FREEDOM FORD Lincoln, Inc. 16 Pages 151 Woodland Drive • Wise, Virginia NORTON, VA 24273 (276) 328-2686 *ON SELECT VEHICLES. WAC. SEE DEALER USPS 120-120 $1.00 FOR DETAILS. THRU 9/30/16. A ProgressiveA Progressive Newspaper Newspaper Serving Serving Our Our Mountain Mountain Area Area SinceSince 1911 PROGRESS ALONG THE RIVER Prison time Officer prevented shooting JEFF LESTER NEWS EDITOR A Norton man will go to prison for a string of crimes in August 2015 that ended with an attempt to shoot a city police officer. Earlier this week, Wise County Circuit Court Judge Chadwick Dotson sentenced Erik James Silcox to 15 years JEFF LESTER PHOTO in prison with eight years sus- This stretch of Norton’s Tipple Hill area, looking southeast toward Kentucky pended, according to Avenue, could one day include a major recreation and education site along a pro- Commonwealth Attorney City posed riverwalk that would stretch to Ramsey. Chuck Slemp. Silcox, 22, will spend seven years behind bars, Slemp eyes SILCOX, PAGE 5 walk Town plans JEFF LESTER views NEWS EDITOR NORTON — Imagine quarry taking a slow, leisurely walk along the Guest River from near down- town to the Ramsey com- plan munity amid greenery, shady pathways and a JENAY TATE variety of features EDITOR AND PUBLISHER designed to educate, entertain and enhance the The St. Paul Planning fun. Commission next week takes That’s the concept city up a controversial rezoning council, city administra- request that would clear the tion and a landscape way for development of a rock design graduate student quarry that falls inside the have in mind for a big town limits. stretch on the east side of Critics claim it would be Norton. This artist’s rendering shows a proposal for the Tipple Hill section including pic- too close — to town, to the During an August nic, shelter and mining history features. Clinch River and to historic council meeting, Sugar Hill and Clinch River University of Maryland Trails — and run counter to master’s degree candi- that costs the city nothing. about eight years ago to look at a the Tipple Hill property. economic development work date Dylan Reilly pre- riverwalk concept. Two years This year, Norton Industrial on outdoor recreation. sented his concept for the BACKGROUND later, the city conducted a feasibil- Development Authority received Bobby and Bernice Hill of project. Reilly chose the Reilly noted that Norton’s ity study, and in 2011 graduate $35,000 from a lawsuit and used riverwalk idea as his mas- acquisition of a sewer line ease- student Nathan Brown completed ter’s thesis project, then ment created an opportunity a conceptual design for a park on RIVERWALK, came up with a design PAGE 2 QUARRY, PAGE 5 Rescue finances still struggling SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION HERE SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION JENAY TATE EDITOR AND PUBLISHER NORTON — After looking at Norton Rescue Squad’s financial situation, the city manager advised council Tuesday the unit likely will need another infusion of cash from the city. In 2015, the squad ran 1,032 calls, about 30 more than last year and the highest number in recent years, City Manager Fred Ramey said as part of a comparative update on where the unit stands over last year. The squad provides the city financial progress reports as part of a memorandum of understanding it agreed to in exchange for additional financial support from the city. The rescue squad’s net revenue from holding games of Bingo grew by almost $1,500 but totals are not enough to offset declines that have land- ed with a wallop. In 2010, Bingo generated almost $200,000. It dropped by about $50,000 the next year to $147,500. It totaled only $49,100 by 2013 and FINANCES, PAGE 2 PAGE 2 Friday, September 9, 2016 The Coalfield Progress Norton, Virginia 24273 r Riverwalk FROM PAGE 1 the money for an environ- mental assessment of the former coal tipple site, he noted. And that’s where Reilly came into the picture. CONCEPT The design and the design process depend on community engagement, with several groups discussing ideas and making decisions, Reilly explained. That process during the summer included meetings with many officials, local stakeholders and experts, along with a public community design event in July that attracted about 30 people, he said. The concept is a 2-mile riverwalk to be built in two phases. It would begin with a trail- head at the city community center and would extend to near Kentucky Avenue along the river and on to the area of a former sewer plant at Ramsey, Reilly said. From the community center, walkers would cross the Safe Routes to School side- walk area and cross the bridge at Roundtown. At Seneca Lane, near rail- Phase one of the proposed riverwalk, shown as a yellow line, would start at the Norton community center road right-of-way, walkers near the elementary school, cross the Tipple Hill area and follow the river near Kentucky Avenue to the would cross private property at the tipple site and continue Glenn’s Finer Homes area. Phase two, not shown, would continue to a point near the Ramsey site of a former along the sewer easement sewer plant. property, then follow the river. The tipple site is proposed as the center of many activities, featuring a multi-purpose shelter, features that examine the local history of mining, classroom and picnic areas, restroom facilities and other ameni- ties, Reilly explained. There would be three river crossings, and those would be among the most costly sections of the trail, he said. At a bridge slightly east of the U.S. 23/58A inter- section, there would be a fishing area with disabled access, a science education station, a sign describing common local river animals and more. Near the riverwalk’s end would be a fitness station, a bench, pieces of art and an education station focus- ing on local plant species, Reilly said. NEXT Reilly said the next steps will be to continue working with the city on the design and on grant applica- tions. Also, his thesis requires additional work. The thesis document will be submitted to the city and to the university review committee in spring 2017, he explained. Council praised Reilly’s work and the vision of the concept. Designer and master’s degree candidate Dylan Reilly expects One of three river crossings, this bridge concept would include a fishing area with dis- to present a completed design abled access, a science education station, a sign describing common river animals and to the city in spring 2017. more. r Finances FROM PAGE 1 was $27,350 in 2014. Revenues inched up to $28,700 in 2015. Councilman Mark Caruso, who has been working with the rescue squad’s board, said Bingo had been one of the largest revenue produc- ers but they “don’t think that is going to come back,” he said. Transportation revenue grew by about $10,000 over last year, to $174,600, and is the sec- ond straight year of increase after being on the decline since 2009, when it topped $227,000. Total revenues have gone from a peak of near- ly $500,000 in 2009 to slightly more than half that in 2015, standing at almost $268,000, Ramey said. Total expenses are trending downward, he said, at almost $294,000 this year and a drop of about $30,000 over last year. The same applies to operating expenses, which totaled about $34,300 in 2015, half of what they were in 2012. They decreased about $6,000 over last year. The unit saw about a Ramey showed council, an additional $10,300. year. Caruso said the board some particular fixes and $2,000 drop in salary the city budgeted $25,000 The FY 17 budget again Ramey reminded had been working hard hoping to take action in expenses, to just over and subsequently calls for a $25,000 alloca- council it won’t be long and putting in long hours the coming months to $152,000 last year. Ramey approved an additional tion and they stand at before it will need to re- trying to remedy prob- make sure Norton Rescue noted there are fewer vol- $2,200 in funding to the $8,200 year to date. The examine its memoran- lems, which he described Squad is a solvent, non- unteers and the squad squad. It budgeted city’s fiscal year began dum of understanding as “some internal, some profit company that can relies more heavily on $25,000 again in FY 16 July 1. The rescue squad with the rescue squad external.” provide the best service it paid staff. but wound up providing operates on a calendar board. The board is looking at can, Caruso said. In fiscal year 2015, Norton, Virginia 24273 The Coalfield Progress Friday, September 9, 2016 PAGE 3 Restaurant to Arts in the Park locate in Wise is Saturday Need KATIE DUNN Freedom Ford dealership JENAY TATE US STAFF WRITER and across from the Best When the effort started three ? EDITOR AND PUBLISHER years ago, volunteer Linda Western hotel and Leonard explains, the aim was to CALL WISE — The town plan- McDonald’s. NORTON — After getting provide an artistic and cultural ning commission in a 3-0 Plans call for the restau- drenched last year, organizers are outlet for residents of Norton and 679-1101 vote Tuesday approved site rant to have 53 parking hoping for fine weather as the surrounding communities.

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