Return to NRVPDC Home PageVision 2020 marks its fifth birthday in 1999 with a multitude of successes, showing that the New River Valley
community is indeed as energetic and imaginative as a five-year old. The relationships that were forged during its
development have strengthened and grown-- much of Vision 2020 is in place or in process. Cooperation across the
New River Valley created this plan. Local citizens together with state and federal funding agencies (most notably
the Appalachian Regional Commission) continue to move us forward. The following is a sampling of Vision
2020's successes!
The small business incubator "network" is all but complete. The Giles Business Incubator is up and running; the
Jacksonville Center in Floyd also has several tenants and is building a reputation as an arts and music innovator.
The Competitiveness Center is slated for completion in March 1999.
There wasn't money available for entrepreneurs when we wrote Vision 2020. Now there are three sources: the
Pulaski Venture Fund gives loans to Town residents. The New Enterprises Fund has micro-enterprise money for
low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs and the NRV Revolving Loan Fund also makes small business loans.
Another source of funds for our communities, the Community Foundation, is growing steadily. It has awarded
several $500 mini-grants, for projects ranging from softball to reading programs.
The Moms, Pops & Tots reading program is off to a running start, with Giles and Pulaski participants reaping the
benefits of the "Tot-links" model in the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library. With a $4,200 Carilion grant,
librarians, the Health Department, and New River Community Action collaborated to make this project succeed.
The Kellogg MIRA project is another outgrowth of Vision 2020. Ten Community Teams are at work on
technology-based projects. The Kellogg grant has also opened the door to other private foundations, which
community activists are pursuing even as we go to press.
Other projects too numerous to detail include:
Would you like to hear about one of these projects in more depth, or get an overview of where we're headed? Another outgrowth of our work is a Vision 2020 Speakers' Bureau. Contact Sharon Sowers (552-4909) at the Voluntary Action Center for further information.
Giles County Comprehensive Plan
The first scheduled joint public hearing for adoption of the updated Comprehensive Plan was held January 21, 1999 in the Timberlake Building in Pearisburg. After the Planning Commission presented the plan, the floor was open to public comment. Only one citizen spoke on the revision. After two years, the Comprehensive Plan is finally close to adoption. The Planning Commission will meet with PDC staff to make a few minor typographical corrections, and then formally recommend its approval to the Board of Supervisors at a special meeting in February. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313. Main Menu
The Rich Creek Planning Commission met with PDC staff January 19, 1999 to finalize the goals and objectives section of the Comprehensive Plan update. The next item on the agenda is to review current land use and begin the future land use planning process. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313. Main Menu
Pulaski County Comprehensive Plan
The final draft of the background data (Volume 1) was submitted to the Planning Commission in early January for consideration. The second volume is currently in the principal draft. This part of the updated plan includes goals and objectives and existing and future land use. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313. Main Menu
The Dublin Planning Commission and Town Council formally adopted the Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan as part of the Comprehensive Plan on January 21, 1999. The Planning Commission continues to work with PDC staff toward revising the document. At the last Planning Commission meeting, goals and objectives were reviewed and updated, paving the way for the future land use plan. Adoption of the updated Comprehensive Plan is set for Spring, 1999. For further information, contact Gregg Zody, (540)639-9313. Main Menu
Meeting Planned for the American Heritage Rivers Initiative
Last summer, President Clinton named the New River as one of fourteen American Heritage Rivers. This recognition provides communities and organizations in the watershed opportunities for continued development in natural resource protection, economic development, historic and cultural preservation, and education and training. While no new funding was allocated for this project, increased focus at the national level should help ensure that programs within the four areas named above receive increased consideration for funding from existing sources.
A meeting open to all interested groups or individuals has been tentatively scheduled for March 30th. A location and time should be set in February. For more information, please contact the New River Valley Planning District Commission offices at (540) 639-9313. Main Menu
Jacksonville Center's Rural Cultural Business Incubator
Located in an old, partially renovated, dairy barn complex just outside the Town of Floyd, the Jacksonville Center's Rural Cultural Business Incubator is now the business location for four new tenants. They include a civil war illustrator, a native American crafts artisan, a guitar refurbisher/musician/music instructor, and an Appalachian womens support group. The Center has also been approached by three more potential tenants, a stone sculptor and wild wood furniture maker, a local potter looking to expand workshop space, and a tenant who would like to utilize the upper floor of the barn in order to expand their rapidly growing dance studio. Each of these prospective tenants would require further renovation work to the rear section of the first floor of the main barn facility and extensive renovations to the second floor of the facility.
The Jacksonville Center is actively seeking funding support to provide the renovations necessary to accommodate these rural business startups and expansions. The Center presently has about 3,000 square feet of usable space.
For further information contact Pat Therrien at (540)639-9314 or (540)745-2784, or e-mail: [email protected] Main Menu
New River Valley Competitiveness Center
The Competitiveness Center is near completion. The expected final walk thru is scheduled in February. The interior is being finished with much of the flooring and painting complete. The work on the manufacturing/light industrial side is in the final stages.
We have talked with several businesses that are interested in locating in the Center. We are currently working to complete leases and bring the prospective tenants to the Tenant Selection Committee for final approval.
The Incubator Manager position has been advertised and should be filled by the time the building is turned over to the Development Corporation.
In late December, Governor Gilmore announced the award to the New River Valley Competitiveness Center of a $50,000 grant under the Virginia Small Business Incubator Program. These monies will be used for operating the Center for the first year.
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held April 12th at 9:30 a.m., so mark you calendar now! Invitations will be sent at a later date. If you have any questions, please contact Kay Hauschildt at (540) 639-9314. Main Menu
The Giles Business Incubator (GBI) graduated its first tenant in December! Progressive Digital Imaging (PDI) outgrew its offices in the incubator and moved its operations to Pearisburg. Another potential tenant is considering moving into the vacated space.
Other tenants at the incubator are continuing to develop and evolve. Dreamworks, formerly Earthworks, continues to research the market available for laser engraving and candle making for high end clientele. Mail order and consignment business options are being considered. Pervasive Technologies, an internet provider, renewed their lease for another year.
The Small Business Development Center, in conjunction with the GBI, is planning a business training seminar for late March or early April to be offered at the incubator in Narrows.
The GBI is still looking for donations. Copy paper, a refrigerator, a television and VCR, and an LCD panel for Power Point presentations are the office items that are needed. The GBI has set up an endowment fund to handle monetary donations. The interest accrued from this money is being put toward operating costs and special programs at the incubator. If you, or anyone you know, would like to make a donation of equipment, supplies or funds, please contact Anita Hines, GBI Operations Manager, at (540) 726-3888. Main Menu
NRVPDC Commission Meeting Summaries
2. Provide work force training programs to ensure Virginia's quality work force remains prepared to meet the employment
challenges of the twenty-first century.
3. Strengthen traditional economic sectors and existing businesses of Virginia and fully support emerging and developing sectors of the economy that are of critical importance to the Commonwealth's global competitiveness.
4. Concentrate economic development efforts on areas of greatest need to help reduce economic disparity and increase the
prosperity of all Virginians.
5. Coordinate and integrate the economic development efforts of the public and private sectors to create new employment and investment opportunities.
Mr. Rundgren presented an update on a number of regional projects.
NRVPDC Commission meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month at the NRVPDC offices located at 1612 Wadsworth Street, Radford, VA. All meetings are open to the public Main Menu
The latest population statistics are listed below. Almost all NRV jurisdictions populations increased from 1997 to 1998, except Giles County which remained the same. The NRV as a whole showed an increase of 1,200 people.
| Jurisdiction | 1997 Final Estimates | 1998 Provisional Estimates |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 13,100 | 13,200 |
| Giles County | 16,500 | 16,500 |
| Montgomery County | 76,800 | 77,500 |
| Pulaski County | 34,500 | 34,700 |
| Radford City | 15,600 | 15,800 |
| New River Valley | 156,600 | 157,600 |
| Virginia | 6,737,500 | 6,791,300 |
Quarterly Employment and Wage Data
The New River Valley's 2nd quarter wage data for 1997 and 1998 show an increase in average employment of 853 persons (1.3%). The average weekly wage rate increased ($131 or 5.9%) as well as the number of establishments (67 or 2.0%).
| Jurisdiction | 2nd Qtr 1997 | 2nd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 2,371 | 2,495 |
| Giles County | 5,783 | 5,492 |
| Montgomery County | 31,042 | 32,137 |
| Pulaski County | 15,546 | 15,579 |
| Radford City | 8,833 | 8,725 |
| NRVPDC | 63,575 | 63,428 |
| Jurisdiction | 2nd Qtr 1997 | 2nd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 353 | 429 |
| Giles County | 494 | 498 |
| Montgomery County | 447 | 441 |
| Pulaski County | 434 | 462 |
| Radford City | 506 | 535 |
| NRVPDC | 453 | 463 |
| Jurisdiction | 2nd Qtr 1997 | 2nd Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 269 | 272 |
| Giles County | 322 | 318 |
| Montgomery County | 1,672 | 1,743 |
| Pulaski County | 702 | 692 |
| Radford City | 392 | 399 |
| NRVPDC | 3,357 | 3,424 |
Car registrations decreased throughout the District between the 3rd and 4th quarters of 1998. Montgomery County showed the largest decline (208). Truck registrations also decreased throughout the NRV during the same time period, except Pulaski County which increased by 2 registrations. Between the 3rd and 4th quarters of 1997, car registrations decreased while truck registrations increased.
| Jurisdiction | 3rd Qtr 1998 | 4th Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 84 | 52 |
| Giles County | 122 | 78 |
| Montgomery County | 624 | 416 |
| Pulaski County | 318 | 226 |
| Radford City | 110 | 59 |
| Total | 1,258 | 831 |
| Jurisdiction | 3rd Qtr 1998 | 4th Qtr 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 60 | 34 |
| Giles County | 46 | 35 |
| Montgomery County | 194 | 158 |
| Pulaski County | 123 | 125 |
| Radford City | 33 | 15 |
| Total | 456 | 367 |
The deadline for submitting Transportation Enhancement Grant applications to the Virginia Department of
Transportation was February 1, 1999. Traditionally, enhancement grant proposals from localities within the Planning
District are mentioned in the PDC's regional transportation comments developed for the annual Pre-Allocation Hearing
held in Salem by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. If your locality has submitted a transportation
enhancement grant application, please contact Patrick Burton at the PDC office (540-639-9313) with the title of your
project proposal so that it can be included in the draft comments.
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has developed a new manual and funding application for the Virginia Recreational Trails Fund Program. For the first time, the program is being offered on an 80/20 matching basis (i.e., 20% of the project cost must come from the applicant or sponsor). Previously, this program was offered on a 50/50 matching basis. If you would like to receive a copy of the Program manual and funding application or if you need assistance in developing a proposal, contact Patrick Burton at the PDC office at (540) 639-9313. Main Menu
February 1 - Floyd PC Meeting - 7:30PM
February 2 - Blacksburg PC Meeting - 7:30PM
February 8 - Pulaski Town PC Meeting - 7:00PM
February 9 - Giles PC Meeting - 7:00PM and Pulaski PC Meeting - 7:00PM
February 12 - New River Regional Jail-NRVPDC - 9:30AM
February 15 - Radford PC Meeting - 7:00PM
February 16 - RPO TAC-Blacksburg Town Library
February 17 - Montgomery PC Meeting - 7:00PM
February 25 - NRVPDC Commission Meeting - 7:30PM
*Christiansburg Town PC Meetings are held on an as-needed basis, any Monday at 4:00PM Main Menu
March 1999
March 1 - Floyd PC Meeting - 7:30PM
March 2 - Blacksburg Town PC Meeting - 7:30PM
March 12 - New River Regional Jail - 9:30AM
March 8 - Pulaski Town PC Meeting - 7:00PM
March 9 - Giles PC Meeting - 7:00PM and Pulaski PC Meeting - 7:00PM; Montgomery/Blacksburg LEPC-ARC, C'Burg - 3:00PM
March 15 - Radford PC Meeting - 7:00PM
March 17 - Montgomery PC - 7:00PM
March 25 - NRVPDC Commission Meeting - 7:30PM
*Christiansburg Town PC Meetings are held on an as-needed basis, any Monday at 4:00PM
Main Menu
New River Valley Regional Jail Near Completion
Work continues to progress at the New River Valley Regional Jail (NRVRJ) in the Dublin Industrial Park in Pulaski
County. The housing portions of the facility are substantially complete. Mechanical and security equipment is in the
process of being installed. Doug Bills of Brown & Root Building Company, the construction management firm
handling the project, expects that the facility will be complete by late March. Ralph Dobbins, the Superintendent of
the NRVRJ, reported that all employees have now been hired and are undergoing training at the New River Criminal
Justice Training Academy. Training is also scheduled for a later date at the NRVRJ on the state-of-the-art security
equipment.
Tours and an open house of the NRVRJ are tentatively planned to take place in March. For more information and
definite dates of the scheduled events, please call either Tammy Sarver at (540) 674-1130 or Alexandra Hall at (540)
639-9313.
Photo courtesy of Troy Sarver, The Southwest Times.Main Menu
We are now beginning the second phase of the MIRA program: mini-grants. Each team will receive $15,000 to
implement a project in their local community that involves some type of electronic communication. The proposals were
due to the local review team January 15, 1999 and awards will be made March 9, 1999. Project topics range from
transportation networking for low income people to video displays of local craftspersons on kiosks in the community.
Still other projects will involve one on one computer training and the development of a community computing center.
Many projects have leveraged their grant monies with local fund resources and even other grants increasing the impact
of their projects. Now is the time to help your community by contributing your special resources and talents to this
effort. This project is only the first in a line of many that will increase the value and opportunities of your community.
To celebrate the completion of the training and the awards of the mini-grants, the New River Valley Kellogg MIRA Steering Committee is hosting a dinner and awards ceremony at Chateau Morrisette. The tentative date is April 9, 1999. Watch for future announcements about this special event. Thanks to everyone who has helped to make this project such an amazing success. The New River Valley citizens can be proud of the effort and results of the Kellogg MIRA program. For further more information contact Holly Larson Lesko ([email protected] or 552-3035).Main Menu
This isn�t where you usually find your Vision 2020 newsletter. It has been coming to you directly for the last year, thanks to a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
That grant has been completed, but the newsletter was such a hit the NRVPDC felt that it couldn�t just disappear. Without the ARC funds, though, a separate newsletter just isn�t viable � and besides, Vision 2020 has found a home at the NRVPDC for almost five years now, and it makes a lot of sense to fold it into the NRVPDC newsletter. A lot of you who read the Vision 2020 Newsletter will be interested in the NRVPDC news, too.
The Vision 2020 newsletter will keep its masthead, and remain a good way to spread the word about your projects and learn about what else is going on in the region. The added bonuses include a larger audience and more frequent publication (six times a year rather than four).
We hope you�ll continue to find the Vision 2020 newsletter a relevant and helpful forum for your issues and concerns across the region. Contact Lesley Howard at 540-639-9313 if you have any questions or comments.
What are keys to a successful relationship with the press? Why aren�t my stories ever on the front page?
If you want to work with the press, you have to adhere to many of the same rules governing all relationships: be honest, be available, be there in good times and bad. Don�t lie. Even "no comment" is better than not answering your phone during a scandal, said Lisa Garcia, a former Roanoke Times reporter and current freelance writer. Write a thank you note or call a reporter when they�ve done a good job. They�re more likely to keep in contact with you.
You�ve got to find the "news nugget," Mary Hall noted. That�s the angle that makes your story interesting and worth covering. One participant noted that there was a neat "Flag Day" art contest at a local school that never got the coverage she felt it deserved. Garcia recommended finding a unique story inside the art contest � a student or teacher with a one-of-a-kind story to tell about Flag Day that can highlight the whole contest.
"Try stories out on reporters. Pitch us more than one idea," said Robert Freis, with the Ronaoke Times. "We�ll let you know which ones are likely stories, but we can�t know if you don�t contact us." Freis also emphasized the importance of getting press releases to radio and t.v. stations as well as the local papers.
The Shawsville-Elliston MIRA Team is planning Project LINC to Link Individual Needs in the Community by enabling better communications. LINC will include a community web site, a community newsletter, computer training classes and public access computers. The newsletter will include a calendar of local events; information on local organizations, businesses and schools; and items of both historic and current interest.
Input for the latter will be provided by local citizens, but a coordinator will be hired part time. The newsletter will be distributed in hardcopy and also be included in the web site. Preliminary plans are being made to use, to as great an extent as possible, local school facilities and computer hardware for the web site, training classes and public access computer. Computer training will be for both adults and students. Part of student training should include web site maintenance and newsletter publication. Improvement of communications within the community will enhance discussions of solutions to local needs and problems, resulting in an improved community.
The scuttlebutt is that land trusts have been tried and have failed in the New River Valley. But there is a small cadre of committed citizens working to make a land trust real in the New River Valley. The Western Virginia Land Trust (WVLT), headed by Rupert Cutler, already covers the New River Valley in its service area. Mr. Cutler is interested in working with a NRV group as a "pilot project" to see how local groups can work in their areas while also being part of the WVLT�s larger network (and taking advantage of WVLT�s already-established nonprofit status, board of directors and other resources).
The Community Foundation has indicated a willingness to designate a fund for individuals who want to give money to purchase easements and/or property.
Want to be part of this effort? Contact Lesley Howard at 540-639-9313.
The next meeting is February 4th, 4:30 p.m., at the Blacksburg Branch library. Come be part of it!
The Kellogg-funded Community Support Organizations (CSOs) are getting ready to share the wealth of knowledge they have gained while working to use technology to improve their organizations. The Jacksonville Center, the Old Church Gallery, VMH, and the Voluntary Action Center will host a one-day conference June 26th to let other nonprofits and interested organizations learn from their experiences. Stayed tuned for more information
If we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future.
--Winston Churchill
Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love.
Reinhold Niebuhr
The Irony of American History