BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Solid Waste Board held its first-ever meeting April 3 at the government center in Inez, marking a step toward the county’s environmental management.
The meeting was a blend of official procedures and heartfelt introductions, laying the groundwork for the board’s future activities.
In a unanimous decision, the board elected Greg Murphy as chairman, with Deresa Cassady Ray MacDonald stepping in as vice chairman and Marcie Hanson appointed as secretary.
The board established its regular monthly meeting schedule. Members will meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. in the Fiscal Court meeting room on the second floor of the government center.
Murphy, a resident of Lovely in District 5, shared his vision for Martin County. He desires to make it a place where future generations choose to reside.
“I love Martin County,” Murphy stated. “This is the place where I plan on dying.”
MacDonald, a District 1 native and a mother to four Sheldon Clark High School alums, stated the importance of maintaining the county’s cleanliness to make it more appealing to residents and visitors alike.
“We want to work hard to keep people from trashing it,” MacDonald remarked.
“I’m all for helping,” she added. “I don’t look at us as a punitive body; I look at us as a helping body.”
Marcie Hanson is a lifelong resident of Tomahawk in District 3.
Dottie Horn lives in District 2 and is a lifelong resident and a retired educator.
“I want to do everything I can to make Martin County look beautiful,” Horn said.
Rossalene Cox of District 4 echoed the sentiment of enhancing the county’s aesthetic and environmental health.
Cox, in particular, voiced her concern over littering, stating, “It’s very disturbing to drive around the county and see garbage in the ditch lines. I don’t know what we can do to make people have more pride and more self-respect, but that’s going to be our goal. We’re going to try to clean the county up.”
Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty welcomed, thanked and encouraged the board members.
Martin County Attorney Melissa Phelps assisted them throughout the meeting.
The next meeting is set for May 1 at 5 p.m.