It is hard to develop recommendations for an area when you have never visited it before in your life. Coming to Danville, I had reservations about how I would be received by the locals with whom I would work. I knew that my colleagues at the Foundation office would be receptive to my ideas, but I was unsure about meeting local government officials, business leaders, and citizens who would be meeting with us about projects. Soon after arriving, I learned that the hospital sale which funded the Foundation was a very unpopular decision within the area; many people confused the Danville Regional Foundation with the foundation that was formerly part of the hospital. Because of these misunderstandings, people often misconstrue the purposes of our work or greet us with skepticism. Learning of these sentiments made me even more nervous about being in Danville. The culture here (as in many small towns) often makes little room for outsiders.
I was very happy, then, when I found out that we would be touring the area and meeting with some of our grantees at their various organizations. We would even be able to sample some of the local cuisine. Two days worth of “field trips” later, the ten of us had heard extensively about history-laden areas which date back to the American Revolution, seen visible results of DRF grants, met many of the local people, and tasted the local fare.
On Wednesday, we rode to Caswell County, North Carolina, a very historic and small place. Its approximately 20,000 inhabitants are scattered over many small “villages”, as they have been called. While Yanceyville is probably the largest of them all, there is no dominant city or town in the county. We were guided by a DRF board member, former state senator, and Caswell native, Mr. George Daniels. His lively storytelling and vast knowledge of the area left no detail out of the narrative. The day was made even more meaningful with lunch at the Yancey House, home to the namesake of Yanceyville, Bartlett Yancey, at the turn of the 19th century. There we were also given an earful of stories. The town’s history is intertwined in many of its current economic endeavors. I feel it should be one of its main economic development components.
Thursday brought us to a tour of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, the Commonwealth’s largest county. We were overwhelmed by its 100 square miles and were not able to visit it all. In its few small towns, I felt very at home and could relate to their struggles and needs. The most interesting fact about Pittsylvania, and a definite break with Mississippi local government style, is that the city of Danville is an entirely separate entity located inside the county. In other words, city of Danville dwellers do not pay county taxes. Not in contrast with Mississippi was our midday meal: buffet-style, home cooking and C at E’s Restaurant. We were a worthless group of interns for the remainder of the day.
As far as projects are concerned, I am currently working on “Danville Competes,” an economic development project to re-brand this region, formerly heavily dependent on now defunct textile and tobacco mills. This is to be completed in a three week time span, so for now we are reading piles of reports compiled in the field. I am learning much about regional economic development policy and gaining an idea of what works and does not. As always, I am reading with my hometown in mind, and at times I overwhelm myself with the ideas going through my mind for Louisville. However, for now I am just appreciative for the opportunity to be exposed to this knowledge, and I hope that I can make a difference in this region before bringing my ideas back home.
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