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

DATE: TUESDAY, May 24, 1994                   TAG: 9405240077
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LON WAGNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ALLEGHANY COUNTY, 2 CITIES JOIN COUNCIL

Directors of the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and the region's fledgling economic development authority voted to join the council.

With the addition of Covington, Clifton Forge and Alleghany County, the council now consists of nine counties and five cities trying to develop a strategic economic vision for Western Virginia.

Beverly Fitzpatrick, executive director of the New Century Council, said Monday that he was particularly pleased to add the Alleghany Highlands, because that makes the New Century Council's territory mirror the economic development groups being formed by Gov. George Allen.

Fitzpatrick said the council has expanded as much as it wants to - at least for a while.

"I think there are limits, and I think we've reached them at this point," he said. "I don't think we would at this point have entertained something like this from anybody but Alleghany County."

Glynn Loope, executive director of the Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Authority, pointed out that Alleghany County was the only county in the Fifth Planning District not included in the original formation of the New Century Council.

Loope said Alleghany County is grouped with the Roanoke Valley by most state agencies.

"We're all in this mess together, and Western Virginia is going to have to gather its forces to be successful both politically and in economic development," Loope said.

The New Century Council is about to enter the second phase of working up a strategy for the region's future.

The group will meet June 2 at Virginia Tech to organize volunteers from the community into task forces to work on projects.