All area coaches and fans need to read this!

[redtiger 1,742]

point being if it wasnt for coal then DC and BC would be basically the same, except less farming

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Part of Bland's challenge is that 95% of the property in the county is in Jefferson National Forest. Another challenge has been lack of water and sewer, but that has been addressed along the Interstate corridor.

 

Didn't consider that. Makes sense to a point.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

they do not want progress there it took many years just to get permission to place the first cell phone tower in bland county. it is mainly a farming county and that is how they want it. the biggest employer is the bland correctional center in the county.

 

This sort of thinking just makes me want to pull my hair out. SWVA should use Southern PA as a model of how to keep the agricultural/rural heritage of an area intact while still growing and prospering. Adams County, PA has the largest acreage of apple orchards east of the Mississippi, but still has thriving/growing boroughs such as Hanover and Gettysburg. Of course, Gettysburg doesn't really have to try that hard to be special for the obvious reasons, but that's another story.

[ghs73 157]

This sort of thinking just makes me want to pull my hair out. SWVA should use Southern PA as a model of how to keep the agricultural/rural heritage of an area intact while still growing and prospering. Adams County, PA has the largest acreage of apple orchards east of the Mississippi, but still has thriving/growing boroughs such as Hanover and Gettysburg. Of course, Gettysburg doesn't really have to try that hard to be special for the obvious reasons, but that's another story.

 

i agree i have been thru that part of pa from gettysburg over the mtn and thru lancaster to hershey. but it is a mind set in bland from many years of wanting to be left alone. they did not want the interstate coming thru there either and it took some time to get that done. i think they are afraid for growth and progress and until this mindset is changed nothing will change in bland county.