Regular readers of this blog will recall that I was appointed last year to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Authority for the City of Roanoke. I joined the body in the hopes that we could take a proactive role in shaping the economic future of our city, [...]
It’s time to mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual Gallop 4 The Greenways on May 9th, 2009. The event is organized by Valley Forward to support our growing network of pedestrian and bike friendly trails. Net proceeds from the event go to Pathfinders for Greenways, to maintain existing trails and build new greenways throughout [...]
I just received an email to let me know that I was not selected to be one of the 30 Creative Connectors selected to participate in the 12 month Creative Communities Leadership Program. According to the message, there were 90 applications submitted, and 20 more inquiries after the deadline. The selected participants have not been [...]
I am a frequent user of the greenways in and around Roanoke. By frequent, I mean that I walk an average of 5 miles per day along the Roanoke River, and I also take my son for regular rides in his bike trailer. I believe that the greenways are one of our most important recreational [...]
The City of Roanoke has an unfortunate history of engaging consultants to produce costly reports, and then failing to take action on those recommendations once the work is completed. Rather than electing visionary leaders, we count on outsiders to provide a vision for what our city might become. When a truly exciting idea is put [...]
To a certain extent, the Roanoke Valley has been insulated from the effects of the current recession. That is not to say that things are rosy here, but we are doing better than folks in other parts of the country. There are large numbers of unsold homes on the market, but we haven’t seen real [...]
As many of my local readers probably already know, the City of Roanoke has recently launched the Creative Communities Leadership Program, and is seeking 30 volunteers to serve as Creative Connectors during the 12 month campaign. I believe this represents an opportunity for the Roanoke Valley to take an important step forward in our ongoing [...]
I’ve taken to walking recently, in part to counteract the inevitable weight gain and the mind numbing boredom that come along with months of unemployment. I try to walk anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours each day, and I’ve developed a favorite route that I take at least 3 times per week. From my [...]
I wrote a brief post last Friday suggesting a number of possible new locations for a downtown food court that would serve the needs of the Market Building tenants and their customers. Relocating the food court vendors would allow them to continue doing business without interruption, and would clear the way for the Market Building [...]
Councilman Dave Trinkle has made his position clear that creating what he calls a vibe in Roanoke is an essential missing element in our quest to attract young professionals to the valley. With this in mind, he has been an active proponent of numerous cultural and recreational initiatives. He may be best known for his [...]