WEST END MERCHANTS TO ORGANIZE

Merchants west of Kingshighway will discuss crating a West End Merchants Association at a special meeting Tuesday at the Holiday Inn at 6 p.m.

Executive Director of the I-66 Project Walt Wildman is serving as a consultant a group of businessmen looking at forming the merchants' group.

Letters were sent to 250 merchants about the meeting, including all merchants west of Kingshighway. Wildman said, however, the Kingshighway boundary could change.

Two area merchants' associations are already located east of Kingshighway, the The Town Plaza Merchants Association and the Downtown Merchants Association.

"These two groups are effective in focusing as a group on various issues," Wildman said.

Kent Zickfield of Zickfield Jewelers & Gemologists, is president of the downtown group, and Virginia Wiedefeld, of Videos `N' Creme is president of the Town Plaza group.

A West End Merchants Association would represent a good mix of businesses, Wildman said, including medical, banking, retail and restaurants.