Published: May 16, 2008 09:36 pm            

Small town, town band receive Myers community spirit award

BLUEFIELD — A small town that was united in a fight to save its high school has been named as one of two recipients of the 2008 William A. Myers Communitarian Award.

The Virginia-side recipient of this year’s award is the town of Pocahontas, said Craig Hammond, host of the Radio Active morning show on WHIS-1440 AM and WTZE-1470 AM, which sponsors the annual award named in memory of Myers, a long-time community servant who dedicated his life to making the region a better place to live.

The West Virginia recipient of the 2008 William A. Myers award is the East River Mountain Town Band.

William E. “Billy” Myers, of Birmingham, Ala., and the son of William A. Myers, said his father would have been delighted by the selection of the Pocahontas community and the East River Mountain Town Band.

“He would have been just as proud as he could have been of Pocahontas,” William E. Myers said of his father. “He would have been right up there on the front lines making posters and going door to door. Also for the Bluefield band, I don’t know of anything that could have cheered dad more than knowing the band got an award. He exposed the whole family to every kind of music. He truly loved music. One of the high points of his life was when he was in the Army as a very young man. He was a color guard at a concert. I believe Ray Charles was performing. He remembered that concert, and the beauty of that concert, for the rest of his life.”

Hammond said the town of Pocahontas was selected for its inspirational fight against the Tazewell County School Board.

“We felt that no matter what position one takes on the closure of a high school, they (the Pocahontas community) really embodied community spirit,” Hammond said. “The students, the town’s people, the church groups. It was truly a community effort, and they really inspired a lot of people. No matter what the outcome will be — they really did embody what we think is community spirit. We just thought they really impressed and inspired the rest of the region, and they did a marvelous job.”

The school, which would have turned 100 this fall, is still slated to be closed on June 6 following the graduation of the 99th class of PHS.

Discussing the East River Town Band’s award, Hammond said the group, under the direction of Mel Saunders, provides a “memorable evening” every time they perform for the public.

“It’s just an enjoyable evening and time whenever they play,” Hammond said. “They give of themselves. It is an all-volunteer band, and they just produce some of the most beautiful music.”

Hammond said representatives of the Pocahontas community, and the East River Mountain Band, will be presented the awards within the week.

Hammond said Radio Active started the William A. Myers Communitarian Award three years ago as a way to recognize individuals and groups who go above and beyond in making their community a better place to live.

“William Myers was a true communitarian,” Hammond said. “He put community above everyone else. He had no ax to grind. All of his efforts were geared toward making our communities a better place. We always keep that in mind when selecting our recipients. He was always available, and always ready to participate in many ways.”

Myers’ wife, Nancy C. Myers, passed away in March of 2006. In addition to William E., Myers has four other children, Pam Krondon of River Road, Bramwell; Ann Gills of Princeton; Ed Myers of Princeton and North Carolina; and Bluefield Daily Telegraph Managing Editor Samantha Perry of Duhring.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

        

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