Mayor Hubert Gregory (center) reads the proclamation declaring November National Hospice and Palliative Care month. He is joined by Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care staff members Sheila Jones (R), Director of Marketing and Development, and Joey McKeithan (L), Director of Patient Services.

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Yadkinville will soon notice the addition of a sidewalk along Old Highway 421/West Main Street.

The Yadkinville Town Board of Commissioners held its monthly meeting on Nov. 5 and voted unanimously to begin work on adding a sidewalk from Monroe Street to the U.S. Postal Office shopping center up to New Hope Pregnancy Center.

The sidewalk has been an issue that commissioners have been discussing for nearly two years but have not acted on. At the Nov. 5 meeting, Mayor Hubert Gregory brought the issue before the board once more and all of the commissioners agreed that it was time to put the sidewalk into action.

The board gave Public Works Director Perry Williams permission to start getting estimates together and begin the work.

Other items from the meeting:

-Mayor Gregory declared November National Hospice and Palliative Care month. Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care staff members Sheila Jones, Director of Marketing and Development, and Joey McKeithan, Director of Patient Services, were on hand to thank the town for participating and share the importance of hospice care, especially in a town with a high number of elderly population.

-Yadkinville resident Shamus Jackson presented a safety concern during the public comments portion of the meeting. Jackson said that a tree branch was covering the “children at play” sign at the corner of Harrison Ave. and Hemlock St. Jackson said that cars also had to pull out into the street to check for oncoming traffic because of the branch. He asked that the board ask the owner of the property where the tree is located to trim the branches. Mayor Gregory instructed Town Manager Christopher Ong to work with Yadkinville police officers to check into the matter.

-Peggy Gillenwater, PTA president for Yadkinville Elementary School, spoke to the board during public comments to voice her concern with fees at the Yadkinville Community Park. The park requires a $100 fee for groups over 25 people. Gillenwater said that this was a disadvantage for teachers from the schools who might want to take their classrooms to the park for a reward or learning opportunity. She asked the board to consider revising their policies to favor the schools on the matter.

-It was announced that Yadkinville Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Bryan Southard was named the VFW State Firefighter of the Year. Southard will be honored in Raleigh later this month.

-Development and Planning Director Paul Lowe informed the commissioners that a request to the state to purchase “share the road” bicycle safety signs for the town were denied. Mayor Pro-Tem Eddie Norman was particularly angered by the denial stating “That’s B.S. If the state won’t purchase the signs then the town should purchase them. If those state reps want to come down here and ride in front of me through the traffic downtown then they’re welcome.” The board instructed Lowe to try to set up another meeting with state officials so that board members could be present.

-Yadkinville Police Captain Patrick Long reported that the police department has responded to an increased number of break-ins last month as well as a flasher and similarly related crimes. He doesn’t believe that there is a problem with these crimes at this time.

Reach Lindsay Craven at 679-2341 or at lcraven@heartlandpublications.com.