Pikeville officials debate location of memorial
By Turner Walston
Published in News on April 5, 2005 1:47 PM
Town officials in Pikeville are trying to decide where to locate a veterans memorial in the new park.
Dennis Lewis, a resident of the town, told members of the town board on Monday that it should be placed where the sun would strike it in the early morning and late evening.
"Protocol goes that you should follow the national anthem. The setting sun should hit it, and the rising sun should hit it. That's the way Francis Scott Key wrote it," Lewis said.
Town Administrator Lonnie Graves said that Municipal Engineering, a consultant to the town, will handle the bidding process for work on Dees Memorial Park. Graves said he expects that a planned walking trail will be the most time-consuming part of the work.
Lewis also spoke to the commissioners on behalf of Hale Artificiar, the company that has produced the fireworks for Pikeville's Fourth of July celebration for the past seven years. Lewis said that since September 11, 2001, it has become much more expensive to import fireworks. The Pikeville fireworks show will cost $3,000 this year, up from $2,500 in previous years, he said. Members of the town board voted unanimously to approve the expense.
"I don't think any place around here has a better show than we have in Pikeville," said Mayor Herb Sieger.
In other business, officials confirmed that the town will hold a general pick-up day for solid waste items such as appliances and paint on April 19 and 20. Sieger said residents should take the items for pick-up to the curb in front of their homes.
"If they want to get rid of them, they've got to get them to us," the mayor said.
Boy Scouts from Troop 18 will conduct a litter sweep of the town on April 23.
The town will hold a projection workshop on Thursday, April 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the community building. The topic for the meeting will be the new U.S. 117 bypass and the interchanges near town. Wayne County Manager Lee Smith and Planning Director Connie Price are to attend.