Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 4, 1994                   TAG: 9403050007
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: PULASKI                                 LENGTH: Short

PULASKI COUNCIL SEEKING DORA HIGHWAY SOLUTIONS

The town is seeking assistance from other agencies including the Virginia Department of Transportation and Federal Emergency Management Agency in stabilizing the hillside along the highway which has threatened to crumble since last month's ice storm affected it.

``I think we all agree it's a dangerous situation. On the other hand, we want to get the road open as quickly as we can,'' Town Manager Tom Combiths told council Tuesday.

Businesses such as Jim's Steak House are pretty well isolated by the closure. There are also concerns about how residents of the area could get out in case of medical emergencies, how firefighters would get into the area if a fire occurred, and others.

Council also learned that debris in Oakwood Cemetery will probably be cleaned up by the end of the week. The Public Works Department is continuing to pick up storm debris as it can.

The governing body got some good news from the Virginia Local Choice Health Insurance Program, in the form of a rebate of $27,300 for the 1992-93 fiscal year.

This amounts to $300 for each town employee, based on overpayments based on calculations by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia which administers their insurance plans. The town's Finance Committee will schedule a meeting to discuss what use to make of the money.

The town staff is completing a salary and benefits survey of other communities for comparison purposes, and will survey town employees on their current health insurance program.