Vinton Town Council honors High Ground Monument Committee, welcomes new employees, receives updates on numerous projects

By Debbie Adams

Vinton Town Council recognized members of the Vinton/Roanoke County Veteran’s Monument
Committee at its meeting on April 16 with a proclamation thanking them for their service to the
town. The committee was established in 2006 to raise funds for and build a monument on the
Vinton War Memorial campus to honor veterans and current members of the armed forces. The
results of their hard work and dedication to the community and to veterans is the much-
acclaimed, frequently visited, and often photographed High Ground Monument in Vinton.

The monument holds the names of veterans from Vinton and Roanoke County who were killed
in action during the Korean War, World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and
Afghanistan.

Bootie Chewning served as chair of the committee, along with Vice Chair Audrey Thrasher,
Secretary-Treasurer Kathryn Sowers, Directors Mary Beth Layman, Brad Grose, and Jason
Peters, Assistant Director Candye Peters, and committee members Sam Cundiff, Norm Jasper,
Betty Kelly, JoAnn Lonker, Steve Lonker, Bob Patterson, Doug and Mattie Forbes, and Henry
Howell.

After nearly 20 years, the committee has decided to dissolve and the town has elected to create a
designated account to hold the remaining monies, as well as future donations and grant proceeds,
for the “ongoing maintenance, enhancement and promotion” of the iconic structure.

Town Council welcomed two new employees— Mandy Adkins and Rachel Nunley. Adkins has
been named Cultural Placemaking and Events Director; she will be responsible for planning and
facilitating events and festivals in the town, working with the Chamber of Commerce, and overseeing the Vinton War Memorial, Vinton Farmers’ Market, and Vinton History Museum. Nunley is the Community Programs Supervisor of Marketing and Events.

Adkins comes to Vinton from Botetourt County where she served as Director of Parks and
Recreation. Nunley served as Sales & Marketing Project Manager for Visit Virginia’s Blue
Ridge and previously worked as an intern with the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Town Manager Pete Peters noted that the Community Programs Department is now fully staffed.
Adkins and Nunley join Amanda Payne, Caroline Loveland, and Shay Hicks.

Vinton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Angie Chewning and Executive
Assistant/Financial Coordinator Kathryn Sowers updated council members on Chamber
activities and events in 2024.

Associate Planner Fayula Gordon discussed the 2024 Arbor Day celebration coming up at the
Vinton Library on April 25 at 10:30 a.m. She noted that the town has been designated as a Tree
City USA for over 20 years. To retain that designation, the town is required to hold an Arbor
Day Celebration each year, along with tree plantings and tree education outreach. Staff is
responsible for securing Virginia Department of Forestry grant funding and partners with the
Roanoke Valley Urban Forestry Council and Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
(RVARC) in submitting the grant request, with the town providing the required matching funds.

These funds have enabled the town to plant trees on public properties, including the elementary
schools in Vinton, Wolf Creek Greenway, M.A. Banks Park, on the grounds of Vinton Public
Works, Vinton War Memorial, Vinton Municipal Building, Craig Avenue Recreation Center,
and Glade Creek Greenway. This year 10 trees will be planted along Glade Creek Greenway to
complete a natural screening fence.

The children’s outreach program this year includes an Arbor Day Drawing Competition around
the theme “The Life Cycle of Evergreen Trees.” Citizens are encouraged to vote online at
https://pollunit.com/polls/arbor_day_drawings_2024 or in-person at the Municipal Building for
their favorite drawing.

The Arbor Day Celebration will include remarks from Assistant Planning and Zoning Director
Nathan McClung and Mayor Grose, a poetry reading by Gordon, announcement of the winners
of the Art Contest, a visit from Senior Area Forester Denny McCarthy and Smokey Bear, and
story time with the library staff. If your child would like to attend, RSVP to Gordon at
fgordon@vintonva.gov  or call 540-283-7007.

Council enthusiastically took action to approve the 2024-2025 operating budget for the Roanoke
Valley Regional Cable Television Committee after a presentation by RVTV Director Scott
Ramsburg. Vinton’s contribution to the RVTV budget is just $25,614— and quite a bargain,
considering the number of high-quality programs its five-person team produces for the town.
Council member Laurie Mullins described the committee as “a small but mighty team doing
exceptional work.”

Roanoke Valley Television (RVTV) has been serving the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County, the
Town of Vinton, and their respective school systems since 1993.

Council members adopted a resolution accepting the Roanoke Outside Foundation Project
Outside Grant Fund in the amount of $4500 (no match required). The funds will be used to
facilitate the update and repair of the Wolf Creek Greenway parking lot and the Tinker Creek
Canoe Launch Rack and perimeter fencing. The town manager noted that proceeds from Go Fest
fund the grant projects. Work will begin in May.

Town Council also adopted a resolution supporting a grant application for funds to add
permanent restroom facilities on the Wolf Creek Greenway near the Hardy Road trail head
parking lot.

Deputy Town Manager Cody Sexton presented a report from the Public Works Committee, a
“jam-packed agenda” covering several completed and ongoing projects:

• Replacement of street signs and other signage throughout the town is moving apace,
  beginning in the Midway area. Old signs are being retained for citizens who might want
  them as a memento.
•  Last fall’s paving program is now complete with repaving of roads in the Briar Cliff
  subdivision behind Kroger, and on Walnut and Cleveland Avenues.
• Several parking lots/areas have been resealed (more economical than paving) and striped,
  including the Vinton Farmers’ Market lot, the Municipal Building lot, street parking
  around the library, and on Pollard and Cleveland. A new pad has been poured at the
  Farmers’ Market.
• The new refuse truck has been ordered and is expected to be delivered in July.
• Signal lights are being upgraded at Pollard and Virginia Avenue, with parts ordered.
• A pre-construction meeting on the rebuilding of Mountain View Road is scheduled for
  this week. Construction is set to begin in early June after school closes.
• The 1st Street waterline project in conjunction with the WVWA should be finished this
  week— upgrading to a new eight-inch water line downtown.
• Demolition of the West Cedar Mobile Home Village by Public Works will begin shortly.
  The flood-prone area will be reseeded and become green space.

Sexton also presented the Finance Committee report, stating that personal property tax bills have
been printed and are being mailed this week for the town (due May 31). Real estate tax bills for
the first half of the year will be mailed next week (due June 5).

Assistant Planning and Zoning Director Nathan McClung presented the Community
Development Committee report highlights:

• The Vinton Planning and Zoning Department has launched an updated website to provide
  timely reports on transportation projects.
• The Glade Creek Greenway Phase 2B project has been delayed due to the unexpected
  necessity of replacing a water line. September is the new target date.
• The new Tacorita restaurant will be opening downtown in late May.
• Work continues on the Cleveland Mart project, which has become a catalyst for other
  improvements in the neighborhood, bringing in other investors.
• The town will host an open house for the Safe Streets for All program on April 30 from
  5-7 p.m. at the Vinton War Memorial. The premise is that “there is no acceptable level of
  traffic-related fatalities.”