Council waives carnival fees

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff

The Wytheville Lions Club Charity Carnival is coming to town the week of July 14-19. A request for Wytheville Town Council to waive all taxes and fees involved in the annual event was approved unanimously Monday night.
“The carnival is about a week earlier this year,” Wytheville Lions Club Secretary Walter G. Jones stated by phone earlier this week. “We have to schedule it around the vendor that provides the carnival rides.”
Cole Shows Amusement Co. Inc. of Covington is again providing the midway rides and some concession stands for the annual event. It features a variety of rides for adults, young people and children.
To be held at the Al Jennings Athletic Field near the entrance to Wytheville Community College, the carnival begins Monday, July 14, and continues through Saturday, July 19. It will be open from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday with Saturday hours of 6:30 to 11 p.m.
“The Lions Club Charity Carnival is our primary activity to raise funds to support our community programs,” Jones said. “All of the net proceeds from the carnival go to charity.”
In other action Monday night, council approved two recommendations from the public works committee. By unanimous vote, council members agreed to revise the lane markings on North Fourth Street between Holston Road and Fairview Road.
For vehicular traffic proceeding north on Fourth Street after passing Holston Road, there are two through lanes that converge into a single lane just beyond Fairview Road. The revision will involve lane markings for the left lane to be designated as straight through while the right hand lane would be designated for right turns only.
“As vehicles approach the Fairview Road area,” noted committee member Judson Lambert, “there is some confusion because the two lanes transition into one. We agree that this revision would facilitate the flow of traffic in this area.”
Council also approved a request from the committee to change the speed limit on Nye Road from the corporate limit line north westerly to Peppers Ferry Road. It will ask the Virginia Department of Transportation to conduct a speed study on the road.
The change would increase the current speed limit of 35 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour on Nye Road to a point near the Best Western Hotel. The 35 miles per hour limit would stay the same on the remainder of the roadway.
“This section of roadway has ample sight distance,” added Lambert, “and the geometrics of the roadway are good. We believe that this road could accommodate an increased speed limit over the majority of this section of roadway.”
Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or .