Berryville

Signs of life linger on the land. Like shadows that grow longer as the day slips into night, the stories of past generations spread across the landscape waiting for the blazing light of curiosity to coax them from the darkness. Perched on the slope of Mount Weather, an ancient timepiece sits quietly marking the passage of the sun. The stone day clock, built from boulders … [Read more...] about Shadows of the Distant Past

The greek fable is a metaphor for those who prevent others from having something that they themselves have no use for –  A high degree of interest in the fate of the 3 Dog Farm Special Use Permit (SUP) led to an overflow crowd last night with dozens of citizens ready to speak their minds. The crowd of over 100 people arranged itself like an angry wedding, with supporters of … [Read more...] about The Dog in the Manger

The struggle to save Main Street is a perplexing puzzle. It pits growth against sustainability and threatens the character of small towns for the sake of money. Yet without a vibrant economic model, those towns will suffer a different fate that is far worse. The path forward will be defined by identifying the real assets towns have to offer in conjunction with the geographic … [Read more...] about Berryville RFD and the Sunshine Economy

Economic development is a subject that carries a lot of baggage with it in Clarke County, particularly in Berryville. Groups and organizations that are tasked with economic development are so closely identified with the people running them that substantive discussions to address issues are often ignored for the sake of small-town social dynamics. While this certainly makes … [Read more...] about Economic Development and Berryville as a Sustainable Community

In the Town of Berryville, elected school board representative Jim Brinkmeier has resigned his position effective September 15th. In response to this, the court has decided that there will be a Special Election held on November 5th to elect a replacement to finish his four-year term. This surprise announcement has me pondering the question most of us have to consider when there … [Read more...] about Time to Institute the Draft