Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 17, 1993                   TAG: 9305170268
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

VALLEY NEEDS TO GET ITS ACT TOGETHER

Upon my arrival here nearly 10 years ago, the community appeared to be thriving and right on the verge of a boom, much as Charlotte and the triad area of northern North Carolina. However, it appears too much was dependent on the largest employer and benefactor in the valley. When Norfolk & Western merged with Southern Railways to form Norfolk Southern Corp. and began moving operations out, the valley's complexion changed. People started talking about how the valley was dying and all the good jobs were moving out. There was bickering among communities, and when a consolidation was proposed, it was fought over, maligned and finally defeated.

More recently, the Explore Park, Hotel Roanoke and a convention center have been heralded as a means to revive our area. Here, too, we have a lot of bickering and fighting about who benefits and who is going to foot the bill for whom.

I'm not saying that these ideas are the best way to stimulate the economy and start the valley on an upward swing again, but they are valid alternatives. And, if fully supported, they would work. The operative word here is support.

People, stop worrying about which community is going to benefit most from a new program. I work for one of the oldest and most respected companies in the valley. In my company there are people from Craig, Botetourt, Franklin, Floyd, Bedford and Roanoke counties, and also from Salem, Vinton and Roanoke, to name a few. They all make decent salaries, most own homes and pay taxes in their respective communities. They buy groceries at local stores, pay school lunches and eat out occasionally at local restaurants. Everyone benefits from one company located in the city.

I agree with a recent suggestion for a unilateral commission, comprised of people from all the valley localities, whose purpose would be to promote the valley and recruit businesses to locate here. We have a clean environment, skilled workers who need good jobs, good school systems, a good location in relation to major highways, etc.. But we need to get the word out. Most of all we need to do something. Even if it's not the best, we must do something.

DONALD R. FOLKS\ ROANOKE COUNTY