By Rebecca Adcock
It feels like we blinked, and October was over.
Patrick County Leadership kicked off this month, and I always enjoy being a part of this program that Reynolds Homestead leads. I had the opportunity to speak with the new participants and talk about the work the Chamber of Commerce does. I do find it a little difficult to explain what all the Chamber does to individuals who are just learning about all the organizations and government entities that help Patrick County. We work to bridge the gap between businesses and organizations with our economic development and workforce opportunities. The Chamber is involved in several projects and meetings with people. Because we are a rural county, it takes multiple resources to help move the needle even a little bit. Trust me, as much as the public can be frustrated with the pace at which projects work, those working on the project can be even more frustrated. My Rural Investment training from earlier this year mentioned that projects, even small economic development ones, can take an average of eight to ten years to happen due to having to cobble together multiple resources and funding streams. Sometimes, we just have to wait for the right partners to come along or the right environment to happen.
One project that we were able to celebrate this month was the announcement from the Patrick County Education Foundation that the Patrick Promise, which will cover the last dollar amount for any Patrick County resident to attend Patrick & Henry Community College for free, will start with the 2026 graduating class. This is a major achievement for the Patrick County Education Foundation and a boost to our local workforce in helping to train the employees of tomorrow at no cost to the families or individuals. The Chamber of Commerce, along with our partners in the Appalachian Community Gateway Initiative, celebrated wins by hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on the Mayo River Rail Trail for the enhancements of the pollinator garden installed by Norma Bozenmayer and Julie Currier, both VA Master Naturalists, the installation of a mural on the far kiosk by Lisa Garrett, Bull Mountain Artist member and our River Ranger buckets created by Rebecca Adcock. These projects show continued commitment to enhancing and extending our beloved walking trail that is a community asset for both health and wellness, but as it extends and has these amenities can become an economic driver by becoming a destination for tourists to visit and spend time and dollars in our county and in the town of Stuart. I am also happy to report that the Town of Stuart has finally cleared all the hurdles and has executed the contracts for the long-discussed Downtown Revitalization Project. This project will enhance the building facades, increase wayfinding signage, and help install a shell at the Stuart Farmers Market. The engineering firm was in town for several days surveying the project area. From the first planning grant and assisting with tours of downtown to the consultants and hosting community input meetings in our former office space, the Chamber has been involved and sees this as the first step in a long line of projects for helping the Town of Stuart and Patrick County.
We had a busy October, much like everyone else in the county. The Apple Dumpling Festival 5K was another successful running event, and the festival itself was well attended with many special programs happening during the event. The Wood Brothers’ Fan Day had a tremendous turnout and benefited from the great weather we have had all month.
The next two months, the Chamber will be busy helping promote all the holiday events. If you have a community event coming up, please send information to the Chamber to include in our newsletters, social media, and website. We will also be busy finalizing end-of-year items to prepare for next year’s budget, membership drive and magazine, along with working to secure our educational workshops, programming and more.
Stay up to date with all the community events on the Chamber’s website www.patrickchamber.com.
Adcock is the director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce.
