This month, our Example of Awesome takes us to Fries, where town leaders used its physical assets to bring the town back to prosperity. We skip our Cleveland update to take you to Roanoke, Virginia, where we asked attendees at the CityWorks Xpo about the essence of small towns, and in Maxwell’s Number, graduate student… Continue Reading Season 3, Episode 4
Tag Archives: Virginia Cooperative Extension
Season 3, Episode 2
See how Blowing Rock, N.C., makes the most of its location on the Blue Ridge Parkway, providing a great example for towns in Southwest Virginia, while we return to Cleveland, where a new business, GRIP Outdoor, has opened up shop. Our expert tip comes from Melissa Kramer at the Environmental Protection Agency, and we hear… Continue Reading Season 3, Episode 2
Season 3, Episode 1
Season Three opens with a bang, featuring a profile of Independence, Virginia, and an introduction to the town of Cleveland. Jim Brooks of the National League of Cities offers up an expert tip for town leaders, while we hear about the work of Virginia Tech faculty member Stephen Schoenholtz, the director of the Virginia Water… Continue Reading Season 3, Episode 1
Season 2, Episode 8
Our final episode takes us to Norton, where city leaders turned a coal mining mess into an asset, while we hear about a bevy of businesses that have opened in Pearisburg. For our expert tip, Kitty Barker of the Virginia Tourism Corporation emphasizes the importance of having a staff member dedicated to tourism. We focus… Continue Reading Season 2, Episode 8
Season Two, Episode 7
The town of Haysi is featured in this month’s Example of Awesome, as the community came together to market its envious natural landscape, while our Pearisburg update shows how the town turned trash from the New River into artwork. Belinda Sheridan of the Procurement Technical Assistance Center provides an expert tip on how town leaders… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 7
Season Two, Episode 6
For this month’s Example of Awesome, we visit Galax, where a successful grant writer has brought millions of dollars into her town. We skip our update from Pearisburg to bring you a series of brief interviews from the annual conference of the Rural Planning Caucus of Virginia, where planners talk about the biggest problems and… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 6
Season Two, Episode 5
This episode of Save Our Towns will take you on a trip back to the Ice Age as we visit the town of Saltville, Virginia. We also don our hiking boots to join Robert Dickerson, mayor of Pearisburg, Virginia, on a hike up a mountain. Our expert tip comes from the University of Virginia’s Susanne… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 5
Season Two, Episode 4
While many Southwest Virginia towns have historically depended on the coal industry for jobs, residents of Appalachia, Virginia, made their voices heard after the tragic death of a child and may have helped preserve their town in the process. This month, we skip our update from Pearisburg to bring you feedback from Roanoke, where attendees… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 4
Season Two, Episode 3
In our third episode of the season, we see how Pocahontas, Virginia–a town of less than 400 residents–is using an exhibition coal mine to reclaim its place in coal mining history. We hear more from Pearisburg mayor Robert Dickerson about the importance of the town’s Farmers’ Market, while Tarah Kesterson of Virginia’s Department of Mines,… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 3
Season Two, Episode 2
This episode take a look at the border towns of Bluefield and the different ways the two towns reacted to overtures from Walmart, while in Pearisburg, mayor Robert Dickerson is working to fill vacant storefronts downtown. Our expert tip comes from Basil Gooden of the USDA Rural Development Program, and we hear about projects from… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 2
