MAYOR'S CORNER: A new museum for Wytheville
Fellow Citizens,
Excitement after 20 years of anticipation, the Willowbrook Jackson/Umberger Homestead Museum will be open for business and that means open to the public for tours and events. This is a Town Museum and not a park. There will be admission fees and scheduled hours. The Homestead, a fourth property for the Town of Wytheville Department of Museums, became a reality with a generous gift of the property from the Jackson family. This Museum offers a great educational opportunity not just for our schools but citizens of Wytheville, Wythe County, Bland County, and visitors from all over the country and Canada. (Wytheville is a common stopping point for those heading further South.) This nine-acre property includes the Decorative Arts Museum which is showcased in the former home of the late R. Cecil and Seawillow Jackson. The outbuildings/cabins, on the property, include the smoke house, the Umberger cabin, spring house, kitchen house, log barn as well as the blacksmith, gunsmith, and woodworking shops. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 29, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the Wythe County Decorative Arts Museum located on the property at 1125 Tazewell Street adjacent to the Wytheville Visitors Center. (No fees for tours during the ribbon cutting.) The Homestead will be open for tours Wednesdays through Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The admission fee, which includes both the Homestead and the Wythe County Decorative Arts Museum, will be $10.00 for adults, children 6-12 are half off with paid adult admission, and children 5 and under are free with paid admission.
Save the DateMarch 10, 2023 — The “Women of the Rock House” exhibit will open at the Thomas J. Boyd Museum, 295 Tazewell Street. Five generations in the Dr. John and Catherine Haller family tree include Catherine, Fannie, Kate, and Kathleen. These women were not only mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives—they were artists, teachers, and business owners. These women passed a legacy of strength, conviction, and fortitude from one generation to the next. The Haller-Gibboney Rock House Museum is currently closed due to a stabilization project.
March 25, 2023 – “Shred-It Event” is just around the corner from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon in the Town of Wytheville’s Municipal parking lot, located at 150 E. Monroe Street. ACCEPTABLE ITEMS: white or colored paper, envelopes, newspaper and paper without staples or clips. UNACCEPTABLE ITEMS: binder clips, binders, plastic, garbage bags, food wrappers, paper plates/cups/napkins, and trash.
March 29, 2023 — The Willowbrook Jackson/Umberger Homestead Museum opens with an 11:00 a.m. ribbon cutting at the Wythe County Decorative Arts Museum, 1125 Tazewell Street (adjacent to Wytheville Visitors Center).
April 28, 2023 — Arbor Day Celebration. More details coming soon.
May 6, 2023 — Relay for Life will be held at Withers Park.
Important Information from your Police DepartmentIt’s amazing how many people keep their cars unlocked with the keys or key fob in the vehicle. In the United States, more than 995,000 vehicles were stolen in 2022, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). This represents a 24% increase compared to the previous year. In the Town of Wytheville, we have very few cars stolen, but when we do almost every time the doors were unlocked, and the keys or key fob was left in the vehicle. Don’t become a victim, do your part, take your keys, and lock your vehicle doors.
Important Information from your Fire & Rescue DepartmentDid You Know? That the Wytheville Fire & Rescue Department has an “Emergency Medical Services Ride Saver Program.” This program is available for just $150.00 per year. This membership provides you, and any member of your household, with the benefit of having no additional out of pocket expenses for any transport completed by Wytheville Fire & Rescue Department for a year. If you do have family members in the household, you will need to also provide their names and birthdates so they can be added to your policy. You may have family or friends that need frequent transport to the hospital, with the cost of health care nowadays and inflation, this could be very beneficial to all. Call 276-223-3368 and ask for Ashley Showalter, Revenue Recovery Administrator.
Important
Information for
the Town about RafflesMany organizations hold fundraising activities throughout the year to raise money in support of the work they do. One such fundraising effort is a raffle. We would like to remind you that there are special guidelines associated with holding a raffle correctly.
In order to hold a raffle within the town limits of Wytheville, a Town of Wytheville Raffle Permit Event Application must be submitted.
Who can hold a raffle? An entity must have been a 501©(3) organization for three (3) years or more. A copy of the 501©(3) certificate must be submitted with the raffle application. (Churches and schools are exempt from these regulations.)
Raffle permit applications require approval by Wytheville Town Council. The raffle permit application can be accessed through the OpenGov Portal on the Town’s website (https://www.wytheville.org/). A raffle permit is good for one calendar year (January-December) and then an eligible organization would need to reapply for another permit. A raffle cannot be conducted until the raffle permit is approved by the Town Council.
Council Actions February 13, 2023:Approved the request of the American Cancer Society for waver of fees for use of Withers Park on Saturday, May 6, 2023, to conduct the Relay for Life event.
Adopted 2023-2024 fiscal year budget schedule: first reading on the budget is May 8, 2023, conduct a public hearing and second reading of the budget on May 22, 2023, and third and final reading on June 12, 2023.
Scheduled a work session on Monday, February 27, 2023
Approved a sewer trunk line extension on Bob Spring Road.
Set a Public Hearing for March 13, 2023, Town Council Meeting to consider the request of Ms. Angela Rose for a special exemption Permit to use property at 55 Tazewell Street, for a hair and nail salon, in a R-2 Residential Zoning District
Referred to the Planning Commission the request of Mr. Matthew Clarke to rezone property located on Ashbury Drive, Tax Parcel 25-70A, which is located on the North side of Holston Road, between Van Mar Drive and Cove Road, from a MA-1 Medical Arts to R-1 Residential, and to set a public hearing for March 13, 2023, Town Council Meeting to consider this request.
February 27, 2023:Approved requests of the Wythe Arts Council regarding the Chautauqua Festival, which include: (a) to close Spring Street, South 11th Street, Withers Road, Calhoun Street, West Railroad Avenue and South 20th Street to conduct the Chautauqua Festival 5K Run on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at 8:00 a.m.; (b) to close Main Street, from 12th Street to First Street, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, June 17, 2023, to hold the Chautauqua Parade; © to close Main Street on Saturday, June 17, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., to conduct the Kids Fun Run; (d) traffic control assistance on Community Boulevard for the Chautauqua Balloon Glow on Friday, June 16, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; (e) issuance of a raffle permit for calendar year 2023; (f) to provide water and sewer for the Festival, and for assistance from Town crews during the Chautauqua Festival.
Approved the request of the Kiwanis Club of Wythe County to close Spring Street, South 11th Street, Withers Road, Calhoun Street, West Railroad Avenue and South 20th Street to conduct a 5K Fun Run ‘23 on Saturday, May 6, 2023, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Endorsed the Virginia Department of Transportation Holston Road Smart Scale Project.
Scheduled a Meet and Greet Session for the March 13, 2023, Work Session for an applicant to be considered for the Wytheville Recreation Commission.
I welcome the opportunity to talk to you regarding your ideas and concerns. I can be reached by phone at (276) 223-3356 or via email at beth.taylor@wytheville.org. Written correspondence may be sent to the Wytheville Municipal Building, 150 E. Monroe Street, Wytheville, VA, 24382.
