By Jean Braithwaite
Tribune Correspondent
ELK GARDEN - Once again an item on the agenda for the November Elk Garden town council meeting was the subject of 4-wheelers on the streets of the community.
Mayor Lawrence “Buddy” Stonebraker told the council members about those that race their 4-wheelers on town streets all hours of the day, by saying, “These kids have no respect for our community.”
He also mentioned that with no remedy in sight for the ATVs speeding and racing throughout Elk Garden, the presence of law enforcement has recently been in the community.
“During the past several weeks, the State Police has been seen regularly in town,”
he said. “They are not just passing through town, but are coming in and staying awhile.”
Another matter of business discussed during the town meeting was the community park, and the lack of any bids received to begin work on a concrete pad for the base of a pavilion.
The council members voted to take a first step to initiate some type of progress on the property that was donated to the town by the Mineral County Board of
Education, and do the digging themselves for the concrete work.
Stonebraker stated that he received notification from a spokesperson from the State Department of Highways that cinders and salt may not be readily available this winter to treat the streets of Elk Garden.
“We are on our own this winter,” Stonebraker said, referring to the added expense for the materials for road treatment.
Citing that the added expense will “put a stress on our budget,” Stonebraker stated that the purchased salt will be applied “only on the several hills in town and down Orphan’s Lane.”
Relating to winter weather on the mountain top, the town council wanted to issue a statement that the town truck will plow snow solely within the town limits.
Barb Clemons, town recorder, told the local government officials that the next municipal election would be in June 2009, and information concerning the general election process from the Secretary of State’s office will be received in January, with the filing period for candidates to follow in February.
