BERRYVILLE — A plaque will be installed in the Berryville-Clarke County Government Center on Chalmers Court to permanently recognize county residents honored as Veterans of the Year.
Exactly where it will hang remains to be decided.
Mayor Patricia Dickinson briefly mentioned the plaque during a recent Berryville Town Council meeting. The plaque is courtesy of the World War I Centennial Committee, which she served on and which recently held its last meeting, having finished its mission of coordinating local activities this year commemorating the 100th anniversary of the war.
The “perpetual plaque” will be 12 inches by 16 inches, Dickinson said. Plans are to install it in the second-floor meeting room that the council shares with the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, she said.
But council recorder Jay Arnold wondered if the plaque would be better noticed elsewhere, such as in the building’s lobby.
Town Manager Keith Dalton said there probably is not enough vacant space on a first-floor wall to install it. He said, though, it could be a matter for consideration by the committee handling matters involving the building.
Dickinson said Centennial Committee members believe the best place for the plaque is in the meeting room.
The plaque will be received within a few weeks, she said. Then it can be positioned in various spots in the room to determine which spot is most appropriate, she added.
Also during the council meeting, Arnold acknowledged various groups that recently helped with the town’s efforts to maintain its water supply during the seven months that its groundwater storage tank was undergoing renovations.
“Having the ground reservoir, which constitutes 85 percent of the town’s water storage, out of service was a serious undertaking,” Arnold said. “Fortunately, the work has been completed and the system is functioning normally again.”
Groups he thanked include the John H. Enders, Boyce and Blue Ridge volunteer fire companies and rescue squads; Clarke County Emergency Services; the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office and the Berryville public works and utilities departments.
Arnold asked Dalton to send letters of appreciation to those entities.
He also thanked the town’s water customers for their patience while the work was being done.
In the spring, repairs and maintenance on an elevated water tank on Berryville’s northeast side will start, he mentioned. That project is expected to not take as long.
The council also appointed Thomas R. Parker Jr. to the Berryville Area Development Authority to a three-year term ending in December 2021.
All of the council members were at the meeting. In addition to Dickinson and Arnold, they included Donna Marie McDonald, Diane Harrison, Erecka Gibson and Kara Rodriguez.
— Contact Mickey Powell at mpowell@winchesterstar.con
