Recommend This StoryTown growth a priority
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By Kim Walter -- kwalter@nvdaily.com
FRONT ROYAL -- Tourism was the hot topic at Tuesday night's Town Council work session.
Town Manager Steve Burke came to council with his findings from a town business forum held last month. While the town's participation in the Virginia Main Street Program was a possibility, it might not happen until 2013, when Front Royal can once again apply to be a part of it.
Mayor Timothy Darr, who was also at the forum, said the Main Street Program cannot be the big picture.
"It might be part of the overall plan, but Main Street isn't the only place with empty buildings," Darr said.
Councilman Thomas Conkey agreed, and wanted to point out that just because it's called the Main Street Program, it doesn't mean that's the only place that will get attention.
"This applies to the whole downtown area," he said. Conkey advocates overall town development, and doesn't want to wait until 2013 to start making progress.
Councilman N. Shae Parker added that "the marketing coordinator position is key to all this." He feels the position needs to be filled soon, so that person can become familiar with the needs of the community. So far, the town has received nine applications, and the deadline is Jan. 13.
Burke was also able to add the acceptance of three different grants to the consent agenda for council's next meeting, set for Monday.
One grant is for $50,000 for the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association DC Advertising Blitz. Front Royal, along with four other communities, will have advertisements on a Washington bus in April, and will have other advertisements at Metro Center entrances and exits.
Another grant of $5,000 was given to Front Royal, Waynesboro and Abingdon for the Virginia Appalachian Trail Smart Phone application. Once the app is fully developed, hikers on the trail will be able to find out which town is closest to them, and what shopping, dining, recreational and lodging options are available.
Additionally, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has awarded a $1,000 grant to the town towards a ceremony to designate the area as an Appalachian Trail Community. The ceremony is planned to take place on April 21, Earth Day, and will also coincide with the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Girl Scouts.
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"...will have advertisements on a Washington bus in April, and will have other advertisements at Metro Center..."
Advertisements? Horse feathers! Shouldn't you have said "SIGNS"?
"Mayor Timothy Darr [...] said the Main Street Program cannot be the big picture."
N.I.H. = "Not Invented Here" is the kiss of death.
"Once the app is fully developed, hikers on the trail... "
Do you count the chickens before or after they hatch? Sounds like a new app under development to get some more new signs to tell hikers about the app. But first, don't you need to get hikers on the trail using communication gadgets? Don't hikers hike to get away from it all? Plus, don't hikers usually avoid towns, sleep in tents and bags, and subsist on nuts and berries? Double plus, RV'ers bring it all with them using their GPS's to find WalMart.
"...awarded a $1,000 grant to the town towards a ceremony [...] will also coincide with the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Girl Scouts."
Sounds like we're having a kegger party using the Girl Scouts skirts as cover for the back-slapping frivolity, party hats, and confetti. Aren't celebrations of success supposed to happed after, not before, "The Disaster Zone" is fixed?
Yessir, the Helen Keller Dancers never disappoint. The good news is we'll get three new dancers next election day.
This is all good. Now where is JMU's satellite college campus? If Front Royal is going to prosper, it will require people with skills. This in turn will bring companies with high paying jobs.
Please, no more distribution centers or polluting plants. If a person can get a four year degree from LFCC/JMU and not have to commute to earn it, we will be on our way. How about all the people that would actually be able to work for a good salary and not commute east on I66. A diversified economy is the way forward!
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