In this regard, Rachel and Luke Higginbotham have perhaps proved that age-old saying that “two heads are better than one” – the twins, originally from Buchanan, just opened the new coffee shop Froth in Roanoke along with their business partner Michael Carroll.

Twins Luke and Rachel Higginbotham, originally of Buchanan, pose with their grandfather, Jack Spigle of Roanoke, during the grand opening celebration of their new coffee shop, Froth. - photo by Carrie E. Cox

Froth is located in the Forum, off of Starkey Road, in the same location that used to house Mill Mountain Coffee.  In fact, it was Mill Mountain Coffee’s presence that inspired the twins to open their own place.  “Mill Mountain was a convenient place to meet for coffee and food in the morning. We got to know a lot of the regulars there as well as employees” explained Rachel.  “We got to know Michael pretty well from being customers. He was the manager of Mill Mountain before they moved.  When the space became available for lease, the three of us decided to team up together and start Froth.”

Froth officially opened for business on October 15, boasting a new kitchen and grill top and offering breakfast all day.  With its warm colors and paintings hung from the wall in a gallery-esque display, it is easy to see the vibe that the twins wanted to create.  “We wanted a classy look, we wanted something clean” said Luke.

The twins grew up on a farm in Buchanan, attending James River High School, from where they graduated in 2006.  From there they both attended Virginia Western Community College for a year before transferring to Virginia Tech.  “Both of us graduated from VT in 2011. My major was Agriculture and Applied Economics and Luke’s was Building Construction” said Rachel. 

After college they both chose to remain in the area because of their fondness for it as well as their numerous friends and family in both the Botetourt and Roanoke areas. 

True to twin style, after college both Higginbotham twins found themselves working in the same field: they both worked for construction companies.  “I was working for a concrete construction company and Luke was working for a residential contractor in Blacksburg” explained Rachel.  They both attribute much of the success of the remodeling of the former Mill Mountain to their construction backgrounds.  “We were able to finish the construction as quick as we did thanks to the subcontractors who worked with us” said Rachel.

Both Rachel and Luke are now living in Roanoke with family, and they are optimistic about their future and the future of their business.  During the Grand Opening, which was held mid-day on Friday October 29, the coffee shop was full of customers.  “I’m just amazed” said Luke, “here it is, in the middle of the day, and look at this.”

Though a website for the coffee shop is still under construction, they do have a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/frothcoffee, with their menu available for those to see and delight over.   

Story by Carrie E. Cox

In what’s become an annual effort, the center– which assists dozens of senior citizens and struggling families– needs funds to remain open beyond November of this year.

Right now, Director Robyn Dobyns said the center has enough money to remain open into the fall, but is again dependent on the community to keep operating.

“This month, the BRC is asking you to join a growing list of volunteers who have donated resources through time and money, keeping the Botetourt Resource Center in operation,” Dobyns said. “Please consider supporting the Botetourt Resource Center today by donating $12. That represents a donation of $1 a month to help keep the BRC open for the 12th year.

“Your donation helps us in our efforts to assist families, the elderly and the economically disadvantaged throughout the county. Keeping the lights on at the Botetourt Resource Center helps us to keep a helpful light shining in the lives of those who are struggling,” she said.

Since its opening, the BRC has operated under the auspices of a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit agency, so all donations written to the BRC are tax deductible.

The BRC has had a busy year. Since July a year ago, the BRC has done everything from facilitate nearly $38,000 of in-kind services to help needy individuals and families in the county to repair 20 homes of senior citizens in partnership with Rebuilding Together of Roanoke.

The list of accomplishments during the 12 months between July 2010 and June 2011 Dobyns would like to see continued include:

•  Launching the first non-profit and countywide crisis fund in Botetourt County called the Botetourt Resource Center Interfaith Crisis Fund under the non-profit status of Mill Creek Baptist Church and in partnership with 20+ churches. Since the fund began on December 21, 2010, $8,360+ has been raised and $8,157+ has been spent on 156 individuals in 58 households. It also coordinated funds for BAMA totaling $470.

• Providing the Senior Prescription Assistance Program through grant funds from the Foundation for Roanoke Valley and donations. The BRC spent  $2,768.50 to help 21 low-income seniors with ongoing prescription co-payments.

• Distributing free wood (60 loads) to 11 seniors and needy families through the winter in partnership with and by Mill Creek Baptist Church volunteers

• Providing weatherization on eight senior homes.

• Coordinating Christmas gift adoptions for 32 children and nine seniors worth over $3,700.

• Continuing monthly Senior Parties in Buchanan where 10 parties were held with more than 80 seniors (through a FFRV grant) and Senior Parties in Eagle Rock at the Eagle Rock Library that were started in June

• Making repairs to 10 senior homes with BRC staff and in partnership with Rebuilding Together of Roanoke. This was done with $1,874.55 in funds from the Foundation for Roanoke Valley Senior Belonging Grant. The BRC built four ramps, replaced a roof, repaired a roof, rebuilt a railing and inside wall at a home, repaired doors on two homes and repaired a bathroom floor.

• Providing $60 shoe vouchers each to 35 needy seniors in partnership with Super Shoe and funded by The Foundation for Roanoke Valley Belonging Initiative Grant totaling $2,100.

• Sponsoring a free flu clinic in partnership with the Botetourt Health Department.

• Sponsoring free mammograms in partnership with Project Access of the Roanoke Valley and UVA Hospital.

• Sponsoring a free Car Fit program for seniors to improve safety and comfort of driving in partnership with Jefferson College of Health Sciences and Carilion.

• Facilitating Basic Needs Assistance to seniors through home repair, bill assistance, home supplies, recreation, medical assistance, etc. with a $24,226.81 grant from FFRV Belonging Grant.

Also, during this 2010-2011 fiscal year, the BRC case managed more than 66 individuals and another 112 families in Botetourt County.

In addition, the BRC coordinates a countywide recycling network that provides appliances, clothes, furniture, medical equipment, etc. to families and seniors. The BRC also operates a Clothes Closet and Pantry, a Brain Fitness Program for seniors, recreational activities, helps with back-to-school supplies and has a medical equipment loan program.

“For 11 years, the Botetourt Resource Center has been responsible for raising the entire budget each year,” Dobyns said. “As for most non-profit organizations, this is a daunting task. All of the services are given at no cost to residents, and funds for programs are also raised by the center. At this time the center desperately needs financial help to remain open in its 12th year of successful operation.”

Founded in October of 2000, the Botetourt Resource Center opened its doors in the old Buchanan High School cafeteria building at 33 Bedford Street in Buchanan.

The Botetourt Resource Center was initiated through a beginning venture grant from the United Way Program through the Council of Community Services as a way to help the community connect to needed resources.

The BRC has served the community through partnerships with churches, various civic organizations and agencies (such as the League of Older Americans, Agency on Aging, Project Access, and Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, etc.)  The BRC provides case-managed assistance through information, advocacy, referral and programs.

Since its establishment, the BRC has been recognized for its community service efforts through articles in The Fincastle Herald, The Roanoke Times and the Virginia Business Magazine. Because of its success, the center has been awarded program grants by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Foundation for Roanoke Valley, Presbytery of the Peaks, Wal-Mart Foundation and others.

Dobyns noted the BRC must raise all expenses for the total budget and programs through county, private and public donations, grants and fundraisers. The BRC is under the non-profit umbrella of the Council of Community Services and receives in-kind services from the council as well as from the Town of Buchanan.

“All donations are tax deductible and are greatly appreciated in continuing these valuable services,” Dobyns added.

Contributions can be sent to the Botetourt Resource Center, P.O. Box 153, Buchanan,  24066. For more information, call 254-1468.

The hundreds of cherry trees in town are in full blossom and will provide the backdrop for the tree plantings that mark the annual Arbor Day.

The cherry tree blossoms have provided a spectacular display in Buchanan this week. This canopy of white is on Lowe Street. The projected peak cherry tree blossom was predicted to take place March 23 through April 3. So far, this projection is right on target. Trees are considered to be at peak bloom when 70 percent of the flowers are open and the bloom periods can last up to 14 days with good weather conditions.

The fifth annual Arbor Day Celebration will be held on the Town Park on Lowe Street Friday, April 1 at 10 a.m.

The town invites students of all area schools, home school students, parents with toddlers, day cares and the general public to attend this year’s special event that also will be part of the town’s ongoing Bicentennial Celebration.

Activities include a brief program with guest speakers including Mayor Tom Middlecamp, Botetourt County Board of Supervisors representative Terry Austin, Paul Revell with the Virginia Department of Forestry Tree City USA, Bob Boeren of the Virginia Department of Forestry and Carol Underwood of Valley Beautiful.

During the program, the group will unveil the Buchanan Arbor Day Donors Plaque and activities will culminate with the planting of Yoshino cherry trees, river birches, sugar maples, flowering pears and hornbeam trees. These trees have been selected for their seasonal interest with the long-term goal of adding to the beauty and quality of life for area residents.

The event will conclude with light refreshments provided by members of the Buchanan Special Events Committee and Buchanan Town Improvement Society.

The Town Park was initially established on land purchased by the members of the Buchanan Town Improvement Society in 1903. The group established ball fields, tennis and basketball courts and a playground for local children.

Following its completion, the park was donated to the Town of Buchanan and has served the community for 108 years. Early landscape plantings on the park consisted of willow trees and 12 linden trees planted by Buchanan Elementary School teacher Emma Martin and her students.

This year, the town received a $1,600 grant from Valley Beautiful to plant trees. This is the third consecutive year that the organization has supported the town’s revitalization efforts.

The Virginia Department of Forestry donated white pine seedlings that have been given to each student at Buchanan Elementary School, and will be available to those attending the activities on Friday.

The town is matching the money donated through the Valley Beautiful grant through public donations and in-kind services. For those who wish to participate, there is still time to make a donation to the Buchanan Arbor Day Fund. Applications may be found on the Events Page on the town website at www.townofbuchanan.com.

For additional information or to make a donation, contact the Buchanan Downtown Revitalization Program at 254-1212.

The weather was perfect for the 130 vendors who set up on Main Street and the thousands of festival visitors who kept the downtown filled most of the day. Those visitors had the opportunity to browse dozens of antiques, crafts and other booths, eat a variety of foods and enjoy seven hours of bluegrass music.

American flags fluttered from light poles while several thousand visitors enjoyed Saturday’s Mountain Magic in Fall Festival in Downtown Buchanan. Photo by Ed McCoy

“So many people pooled their talents and resources to make this year’s event one of the best to date,” Gleason said. He said the members of the Buchanan Special Events Committee—Dale and Gloria Carter, Billy and Barbara Stull, Teri McCoy, Tom and Peggy Ramsey, Larry and Vickie Vines, Jim and Patricia Kidd, Kim Bennett, Mike and Jessie Burton, Charles and Elizabeth Provost—as well as other volunteers and donors from throughout the community were instrumental in making the festival a success.

Donors included Bank of Botetourt, which supported the musical portion of the festival with a grant from the bank’s Art By the James Series. Many Buchanan area businesses supported the promotional efforts. Blue Ridge Farm Center donated the music stage and volunteers from the James River High School Key Club helped clean up.

Gleason thanked Dorothy Barnett and her JRHS art students for the juried art show, Buchanan Town Council and Mayor Tom Middlecamp, Paul Petty, Clarence Stinnett, Pat and Pedro Brooks, Molly O’Dell, Julia Anderson, Josephine Powell, Nathaniel Gardener and the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Department for their help and support.

This year’s festival attracted vendors from Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina and throughout Virginia.

The October street festival has been a staple in the town’s revitalization efforts that started in the mid-1990s; and now it’s perhaps the largest single-day event in the county.

The festival runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and will feature six groups playing bluegrass music on a stage next to Town Hall. The music begins at 10 a.m. (bring a chair) when Warren Amberson and Kelly Green kick things off. Six more groups follow with performances on the hour until 5 p.m. (See the supplement in this edition of  The Fincastle Herald for a schedule of performers).

More than 100 crafters, antique dealers, food vendors and community groups will be set up on Main Street, while as many as 100 antique and collectible cars and trucks will be on display for the annual Car Show.

There will be apple butter, baked goods, hot dogs, barbeque, Petros, fried apple pies and more for sale from community groups and vendors.

The shops and restaurants will also welcome visitors– some with Mountain Magic specials.

The Buchanan Special Events Committee will be selling this year’s festival T-shirts for $10 each, sweatshirts for $20 each, long-sleeve T-shirts for $15 each, children’s T-shirts for $6 each and tote bags for $15 each. For those collecting shirts from each year, past designs are available. Proceeds are used to support the festival and other downtown activities.

James River High School art students will also hold their annual Mountain Magic Art Show in the Fellowship Hall of Trinity Episcopal Church on Main Street. Awards will be given in several categories, along with the People’s Choice Award voted on by visitors to the show.

Main Street will be closed all day between the two Lowe Street intersections.

For more information, call Buchanan Town Hall at 254-1212.

No, the Town of Buchanan’s war on cryptosporidium is not over, but that’s only because the final financial arrangements for fighting the war are left to be figuratively signed, and with it the peace treaty.

Buchanan Mayor Tom Middlecamp stands next to the Pal Aria Water Treatment System that was needed to get the town off the Boil Water Notice issued at the end of March 2009.

But, town water customers were advised they are free to drink their water again without worrying about boiling it before hand. That’s because the Health Department and the town officially lifted the Boil Water Notice Friday morning—a notice that was imposed 17 months ago when Mayor Middlecamp, Town Council and the rest of the community found out what cryptosporidium is, or at least what the threat of it is.

Friday morning, Virginia Department of Health Director of Public Drinking water Dr. Wes Kleene joined Buchanan officials, county officials and regional Health Department officials in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open and dedicate the micro-filtration water plant that strips cryptosporidium and its worrisome symptoms from getting into the Buchanan water supply.

The water filtration plant on Red Horse Lane  is likely to become a model for other small communities like Buchanan that are faced with the prospects of surface water getting into their municipal wells.

During the ribbon cutting, the water filtration plant was named for the Buchanan mayor for “his dedicated commitment to the planning and implementation of the Buchanan water filtration plant.”

The Tom Middlecamp Water Filtration Plant, in a way, serves as a testament to the kind of work it takes being mayor of a small town.

To say it’s been a grueling year for the mayor is an understatement. From the day the Health Department announced it was placing the town on a Boil Water Notice until Friday’s ceremony, Middlecamp spent countless hours  working with the town’s consulting and engineering firm, Health Department officials, Rural Water officials,  a concerned public, restaurant owners, contractors and anyone else involved with the ins and outs of getting the town off the Boil Water Notice.

In larger communities, a town manager or administrator would have handled the day-to-day chores that Middlecamp found himself in the middle of.

In small towns, those administrative duties, the phone calls, letters, faxes, emails, meetings and frustration fall on the essentially volunteer mayor’s shoulders.

Even though the micro-filtration plant is up and running, the work’s still not done. Middlecamp met again Monday with Engineering Concepts Inc. (ECI), the town’s engineering and consulting firm in Fincastle. Oh, and the town still doesn’t have the promised grant/loan that will pay for the plant.

The town got a line of credit from Bank of Botetourt to cover the cost of the filtration plant until the combination grant/low-interest loan funds arrive.

Middlecamp said the plant came in on budget at $1,395,500. It will remove microscopic bacteria and parasites, including that hard-shell parasite known as cryptosporidium, that are not affected by the chlorination system the town already uses.

Well No. 3, the one that came under the influence of surface water, is tied into the state-of-the-art filtration plant.

A computerized system handles chlorination, the micro-filtration and backwashing; and it’s set up with an alarm system that notifies and operator if something goes wrong.

The plant went on line a week before the Boil Water Notice was lifted to be sure everything was operating correctly and the water tested the way it was supposed to.

The town has two other wells as part of its supply system. They do not have to be filtered. A fourth well has not been put on-line since it was drilled a few years ago because it is under the influence of surface water.

The capacity of the new filtration plant can be upgraded easily to handle that well, too, should it ever be needed, Middlecamp said.

“This is probably the cleanest water you can drink,” Middlecamp joked as he gave a tour of the new plant.

The plant includes the Pal Aria Water Treatment System, chlorination tank and equipment necessary to make it run. A control room houses the computer that keeps the system operating, there’s storage, a lab room for water testing and office space that’s still being finished.

The plant can filter 166 gallons a minute, Middlecamp said. That’s 9,960 gallons an hour or 239,040 gallons a day. By adding three more filter units, it could process 200 gallons a minute.

That provides a lot of leeway for the town, which now averages using about 85,000 gallons of water a day.

While Middlecamp doesn’t want to a repeat of the past year and a half, he did say there have been some enjoyable parts to the process—in particular working with ECI. “Hal Bailey and those guys are a great bunch to work with,” Middlecamp said. He had high praise for their work and help.

He also acknowledged how important it was for the town to be able to work with Bank of Botetourt and Botetourt County officials.

The public is invited to the affair that will include an antique auto show and the monthly Second Fridays Cruise-In, music from the ‘50s with DJ Randy Riddle, the barbershop quartet Four For You strolling the downtown, a farmer’s market, food booths, carriage rides, tethered hot air balloon rides, caricature artist Jed Mickel and shopping and dinning at the downtown merchants and restaurants—one is an authentic 1950s soda fountain and grill, another is an 1800s antebellum home to a famous Commodore in the Confederate Navy.

The Buchanan Downtown Revitalization Program. Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce and Buchanan Area Businesses sponsor the annual event, and are again offering savings and gifts with the Buchanan Coupon Books that will be available at the Buchanan Special Events Committee Booth for only $5.

The activities kick off at 5:30 p.m. and run until 9 p.m.

The hot air balloon will be up from 6:30-8:30 p.m.; carriage rides are from 6-9 p.m., the auto show and cruise-in are from 5:30-8:30 p.m., and the caricature artist will be drawing pictures from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

For additional information contact the Buchanan Downtown Revitalization Program at 254-1212.

WQIP.

BMPs.

319 Non-point Source Management Program.

Impaired Waters.

They are the acronyms and terminology that mean many homeowners in the Looney Creek Watershed are eligible for cost-share funds to have their septic tanks pumped or their failing septic systems repaired or replaced.

Homes and farms within the Looney Creek Watershed are eligible for as much as 75 percent cost-share funds to pump septic tanks, repair or build new septic systems and for fencing and alternate water sources to keep cattle out of streams.

The funding that will pay 50 percent of the cost of having a septic tank pumped, and up to 75 percent of the cost for fixing or replacing a failing septic system is part of the far-reaching program to reduce pollution in America’s streams by reducing E. coli and other bacteria in small watersheds.

Looney Creek and its primary tributaries—Mill Creek and Back Creek—were declared impaired streams and put on the Dirty Waters List in 1998 under the 1972 Clean Water Act criteria.

Since then, federal and state agencies have worked on plans that will help homeowners and farmers to reduce the E. coli in those streams.

Three years ago, that plan was finalized and last year funding became available to implement the plan.

The Looney Creek Watershed runs from Troutville to Buchanan and from the Blue Ridge Parkway west beyond I-81 essentially to the crest of the ridges that drain into Mill Creek. Mill Creek parallels US 11 and I-81 from Troutville to its confluence with Back Creek just south of Buchanan where it becomes Looney Creek or Looney-Mill Creek.

Back Creek parallels Lithia and Nace Roads (Rt. 640) along the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Looney Creek drains into the James River behind Limestone Park in Buchanan.

Already several residences in the watershed have received financial assistance for septic tank pump-outs and repairs and replacements of failing septic systems, according to Erica Moore, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) technician/education coordinator for the Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation District (MCSWCD).

Moore has held several informational programs for residents in the district to explain how pumping and repairing septic systems can protect their own drinking water and improve the quality of water in the streams.

In order to be eligible for financial assistance—which can amount to 50-75 percent cost share—the residence (or at least the septic system) must be in the watershed and be connected to an occupied dwelling. The cost share is based on a sliding income scale.

“Residences in close proximity to streams and springs are strongly encouraged to contact the (MCSWCD) district for additional information,” Moore said.

Moore said the Virginia Department of Health has technical authority over the program but will not be contacted by the MCSWCD. She said it is the applicant’s responsibility to apply for the appropriate permits if they participate in the Looney Creek TMDL Residential Program.  She said all inquiries to the district are strictly confidential.

The Looney Creek TMDL Residential Program focuses on reducing the amount of bacteria that goes into the streams from homes.

For every stream on the Dirty Waters List, the Clean Water Act and the federal Environmental Protection Agency require that states develop a TMDL for each pollutant in the stream.

TMDL is Total Maximum Daily Load, or a “pollution budget” for a stream. That is, it sets limits on the amount of pollution that a stream can tolerate and still maintain water quality standards.

The TMDL for Looney Creek requires the state to reduce E. coli in the stream.

According to the TMDL plan, the Looney Creek watershed covers about 40,000 acres and has over 4,100 residents.

It is primarily forested land because part of the watershed is in the Jefferson National Forest.

But, a Bacterial Source Tracking Study determined that 16-21 percent of the E. coli in Looney Creek at the test point near its confluence with the James River was generated by humans.

Twelve to 14 percent was generated by pets and livestock generated 30-32 percent of the E. coli.

Wildlife accounted for 34-40 percent of the E. coli.

While wildlife accounted for the highest percentage of E. coli, the TMDL plan does not address ways to reduce that source of pollution.

However, reducing human, pet and livestock sources would get the watershed off the Dirty Waters List.

That’s the reason behind the cost-share program for septic systems, and another cost-share program for farmers to encourage them to fence cattle out of streams and create buffers between livestock and open water.

These are part of the $3.2 million multi-year, multi-agency Water Quality Improvement Plan (WQIP) for Looney Creek Watershed.

The Looney Creek Watershed TMDL Residential Program provides 50-75 percent cost share for various septic projects. The percentage is dependent on a resident’s income, but the least the program pays is 50 percent.

As an example, the program pays 50 percent for any septic tank pump-out up to $150.

It will pay up to $3,000 for a septic system repair; and 50-75 percent for the installation or replacement of a failed septic system, with a cap of $4,000-$6,000, depending on the owner’s income.

The program also has funding for alternative waste treatment systems when a septic system isn’t viable.

So far, the program has provided $18,563 in cost share for residential improvements since December. Another $12,750 has been approved but not paid, These include several septic tank pump outs, several system repairs, installing septic systems with a pump and cost share on an alternative waste treatment system.

Another $18,687 is still available this year for residential work.

The agriculture cost-share program has approved four agriculture projects in the watershed since April with a cost share of $108,105. Those projects include fencing cattle out of streams and/or providing alternative watering systems for livestock and a project to manage manure at a dairy.

That program has $16,895 left this year.

For more information about the residential or agriculture programs in the watershed, contact Erica Moore at the Mountain Castles SWCD at 977-2698 or by email at Erica.Moore@va.nacdnet.net.

The 45-minute film is titled “Hunter’s Raid—Battle for Lynchburg.” It premiered this spring in Lynchburg.

The Town Buchanan became a player in Hunter’s Raid in the late spring of 1864. The town’s annual Civil War History Weekend focuses on its part in the campaign, and the town’s four Virginia Civil War Trail sites are dedicated to the raid.

Greg Starbuck directed the film. He is executive director of Lynchburg’s Historic Sandusky Foundation, which owns the Sandusky House.

The film took five years to complete and was shot in areas near and in Lynchburg.

According to reports about the documentary, the film focuses on about 25 characters that include Union and Confederate soldiers, doctors, civilians and reporters who were embedded with troops during the raid.

The film was funded by donations.

In 1864, Hunter led his troops south through the Shenandoah Valley from Staunton to Lexington and Buchanan before crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains headed for Lynchburg where the Union forces hoped to lay waste to the railroad supply center there.

Confederate Gen. Jubal Early’s troops defeated the Union army at the Battle for Lynchburg, and drove them west to Bedford, through Blue Ridge and on to Hanging Rock near Salem.

The Historic Sandusky Foundation’s mission is to preserve and interpret the Sandusky site as a public museum in Lynchburg and to collect, preserve and disseminate information about the history of Sandusky, its inhabitants, and the role of Lynchburg in the Civil War.

The film starts at 7:30 p.m. both nights at the Buchanan Theater. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12.

The anticipated good news was part of a brief update he gave council on the new micro-filtration water plant the town is building.

Bailey, who is with Engineering Concepts Inc. in Fincastle, designed the plant and has helped guide the town through a maze of regulations and financing options for the filtration plant that became a necessity almost 16 months ago. That’s when the Health Department issued the boil water notice for residents on town water because one of the town wells showed potential for surface water infiltration.

Bailey said the contractor has until June 19 to have the water plant “substantially complete,” which essentially means operational. Bailey said the contractor is doing a good job, and is 12-14 days behind that schedule.

Town utility department staff still has to take training on operating the plant. The micro-filtration plant manufacturer will send representatives to Buchanan for that training.

As part of the on-going work to get state and federal grant and loan money for the filtration plant, council passed a resolution approving the issue of $348,875 in general obligation bonds that will pay for 25 percent of the $1.4 million plant. The town has 30 years to repay that loan at 0 percent interest. The town also is receiving about a $1 million grant from the Health Department to cover the rest of the cost.

Mayor Tom Middlecamp had hoped the town would receive some of those funds before the plant was finished. Instead, the town has borrowed money to bridge the time between the start of construction and completion. “When we pass this resolution, we should start getting our money,” he said.

The town’s application for other grant and loan money to upgrade deteriorating water lines throughout the town is now in Washington, D.C.’s U.S. Department of Agriculture offices.

The town applied for $7.1 million grants and loans through the Rural Development program for what officials hope will be a phased upgrade to the water distribution system.

Bailey said the town is now looking at the possibility of receiving about 48 percent of the funding as a grant. The rest would be loaned to the town at 2.62 percent interest over 40 years. The town had hoped to get as much as 75 percent of the funds as a grant.

If the town’s grant/loan application is approved—and Bailey said the town’s “chances are real good”—whatever the town accepted would be based on the grant/loan ratio established by Rural Development.

The town has a second loan application in with the Health Department that would be used for water distribution upgrades. That’s for $850,000 and would be repaid over 30 years at 1.1 percent interest.

If that’s approved, Bailey said the town could likely do part of the phased approach the town expects to use to upgrade the water system.

Council also agreed to have a ceremony of some sort when the water filtration plant goes into operation.

“There’s a lot of people we need to thank and that would be a good time to do it,” Middlecamp suggested.

In other matters, council:

• Re-elected Carson Scaggs as vice-mayor. Generally, council elects the councilmember who receives the most votes in town elections to the post, but in May, Scaggs and Cleatus Newcomb tied as the top vote getters. Newcomb agreed that Scaggs should remain as vice-mayor.

• Welcomed new councilmember Della Hylton. She has served on council in the past.

• Asked the mayor to see if Norfolk Southern will re-establish the “crosswalk” between the rails in the alley next to the Episcopal church. Hylton said the railroad used to have a crosswalk there, but now it’s just the loose gravel between the ties and rails, and it’s hard to walk on.

• Approved $500 for membership renewal in the Virginia Civil War Trails program.

• Got an update from Downtown Revitalization Manager Harry Gleason who congratulated the Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department on a successful carnival, and thanked Burleigh Gilliam for continuing to volunteer to put on the fireworks shows during the carnival and on July 4^th. Gleason also reported that the eighth An Evening in Buchanan, in partnership with the Botetourt Chamber of Commerce, will be Friday, Aug. 13, and Mountain Magic in Fall Festival planning is under way.