Evening star., 1951-03-15
First Of Two Articles.


First Of Two Articles.
-
and with different forms of mu'
nicipal government-have learned
to act as one when they face {
common problem. 4
A Northern Virginian become!
interested in the situation here
because similar problems .confron
Arlington Alexandria, Falls Church
and Fairfax. They, at least, ar,
within the same State. If law!
have to be altered. they have bu
one Legislature with which tt
deal.
Overall Sewage System.
Right now, the Northern Vir-
ginia communities are trying tt
get together on plan for one
overall sewage system.
The two Bristo1s have done this
About Is per cent completed i:
work on a joint $32 million sewage
system. Just how this was ac-
complished in the face of what
at first seemed to be insurmount-
able problems will be discussed in
a second article tomorrow.
The Virginia Tennessee line
goes right down the middle OF
State street, the main business
thoroughfare. They are 1897
persons living on the Virginia
SIDE and 16,721 on the Tennessee
side.
Tennessee Bristol" has a
mayor commission form of gov
ernment while Virginia Bristol
operates under a city council and
city manager.
Old Kings Mountain Memoria,
Hospital with 10 beds has stood
for many years on the north side
Of State street.
Memorial Hospital Project.
Two years ago, citizens on both
sides Of the line got together on a
war memorial hospital plan. But
they wanted help from both States
help which could not be given
by either if the project was built
outside its boundaries.
Further out, West State street
veers southwark so that the State
line continues on through tract
near the city limits.
A drive for funds was launched
with citizens of both Bristols
contributing-and this bisected
site was acquired for SIS mil
lion hospital with 140 beds.
The main part of the hospital
will be erected on the south side
of the tract. Citizens will advance
a third of the cost, Tennessee will
put up a third and the rest will
come from the Federal Govern
ment. The State of Virginia then
will be asked for funds to help
build a nurses home on the north
portion of the land and within
the Old Dominion.
Rivalry in Sports.
There is, of course, spirited RI
valry in sports between the two
high schools of the two Bristols
But Virginia High School plays
its outdoor sports in the new
stadium of Tennessee High
School. The Tennesseans ust
the Virginians' larger indoor IA
cilities.
AS far back as 1919, the charter
for Bristol, Va. gave that mu.
nicipality authority to enter inte
agreements with it's sister city
Similar provisions exist in tht
Tennessee Bristol set-up.
They share and share alike il
the paving and maintenance O.
State street and in paying the cos
of brass. markers sunk into tht
center of the pavement at inter,
walls to indicate the State line.
Use One Police Radio.
One police radio (in Virginia
serves both Police Department
and the Fire Departments in eacl
municipality respond to any par
of either town, when needed.
There is only one of each civil
club, chamber of commerce ant
charitable organization. In fact
Bristol has consolidated all of it!
charity drives into one campaign
This came about last year wher
the Manufacturers Council of th'
Chamber of Commerce put it
foot down in protest against tn,
numerous drives every year b.
various organizations.
The large industries agreet
that thereafter, only one solici
tation among their employe
would be permitted and the,
would make only one contribu
ton, as industries, in any on
year. The Community Chest wa
chosen as the central agency.
"a Activities Handled.
lAAo yCdlJ III GllC al OU Ullllc
the chest is handling collection
and budgets for "a separat
activities. There is one possibl
holdout from the plan-the loca
chapter of the National Founda
tion for Infantile Paralysis. Bu
chest officials have determined t,
go ahead anyway and set asid
a proportionate share of none.
for polio work.
E. j. Hornick, executive secre
tary of the chest, said, "If the,
don't join us We'll spend tn
money for polio anyway. Wei
buy an iron lung or somethin,
like that"
Bristol, Va, incidentally is tn
only place in the State wher
there is a 2 per cent sales tax
The money is earmarked for capi
tai Improvements. City official
are hoping that Virginia does no
adopt a State sales tax becaus
that would automatically cut of
this source of revenue.
Virginia merchants and busi
nessmen don't seem to mind par