Creating Economic Opportunities in Rural Areas: Making Development Work for You

Creating Economic Opportunities in Rural Areas:
Making Development Work for You
January 22, 2011
Workshop Summary
The day provided great opportunities to highlight the role of small businesses in our area and review
resources available to assist small businesses. The resources mentioned extended from micro-loan
programs, to business planning assistance, to informal mentoring from established business owners.
The importance of local leadership was the most repeated message from speakers and participants.
Local leaders can make connections within the community, match businesses up with available
resources, and combine forces with neighbors to increase momentum of efforts.
Workshop Notes
Introduction
Chris Stadelman from the Phillips Group welcomed everyone and facilitated the morning session. Chris
introduced the featured speaker, Mr. Lane Bailey. Mr. Bailey is the Regional Managing Director of Golin
Harris, an international public relations and public affairs firm.
Lane Bailey
Mr. Bailey began by noting that he is a West Virginia native, growing up the son of a coal miner in
Mercer County and graduated from Concord College. He got involved in politics while still in college,
working on early campaigns of Senator Jay Rockefeller. He spent many years working for Governor and
then Senator Rockefeller before moving to Golin Harris.
Mr. Bailey noted that we as residents, business owners, and local leaders are in a position to help define
ourselves and the future we want for our region. We need to think about how we want to be seen and
how we talk about ourselves to others. He believes that our region, from Elkins to the Virginia border
along Corridor H, is the authentic West Virginia and that we still have the opportunity to create a “brand
for the region” and use that brand to attract the kind of development we want. He believes that people
outside of WV don’t really know much about WV and that we ourselves sometimes repeat negative
messages about who we are. He also urged participants not to accept the status quo. We can seize the
opportunities that are available, but only if we take some actions.
Mr. Bailey then laid out ten concepts for the future.
1) Think and plan for the long-term—20 years out into the future
2) Get alignment—work together across traditional boundaries and rethink existing boundaries
defined a long time ago
3) Create a brand for your area—you have the real WV here with the combination of natural
areas, hard working people, and businesses
4) Ensure full coverage of broadband service, it’s imperative for new business and without it the
divide is going to widen
5) Use social networks—it is the future of communications and marketing
6) Bring in higher education—colleges and universities have become major economic drivers, reach
out to all possible partners

New blog on food in Tucker County!

http://tuckercravings.wordpress.com/

Here's you new route from DC

I did this in 3 hours to Bethesda....With the new stretch of Corridor H open from Moorefield to Foreman, a new set of directions is needed for those who want to spend less time driving. It involves using 66 West so departing during rush hour is not advisable.

From home go to 66 West, then go South on I-81 at the end of 66. In three miles, take the second exit and turn right at the stop sign on HWY 55 West. The speed limit on 66 once you get past Haymarket and also on 81 is now 70 MPH. It just got changed.(70 minutes)

Drive 20 miles on 55 West to the sign for new HWY 55 and take new HWY 55. (25 minutes)

Go 35 miles on the new HWY to the end at Patterson Creek Road (Route 5). Turn right to go north one mile. (35 minutes)

Turn left on Greenland Gap Road and drive 6 miles to T intersection or similar ending where you turn or bear left on Scherr Road and go another 1/2 mile to HWY 93 at the road with 30 curves. (10 minutes)

Go to Davis and on, as usual. (45 minutes)

Total 185 minutes equals 3 hours 5 minutes.

Good things come to those who wait!

Overnight we are now looking at Corridor H completing to Davis by 2013. This is huge.
Gov. Manchin Announces Plans For Corridor H - WBOY-TV - WBOY.com

Davis Lots for building

Initial lot offerings within the old town Davis grid are shown (roughly located) in yellow. Corner lots will have two houses. the cluster on Thomas near 5th is set for 3 houses.


View Davis Riverwalk in a larger map

Sure, some people still work in coal

But this is not the Davis area's future. WV is number two nationally in an industry in decline. And the worst of it is that the very nature of the industry works against the likely future of WV's mountain regions: tourism, geographically independent businesses, active retirement lifestyles, and recreation.

Babcock Lumber Mill site digitized

Finally done. Hundreds of images have been scanned from the collection of Babcock Lumber Company's archives. Dozens of cool new (to us) images are now available for the public. I am sharing the scan with Cindy Phillips, our town historian of record, and WV University. The point here has been to unearth the only real records of what once stood on the Davis Riverwalk site and the adjacent town park. More to come!