We’ve cleaned up the article, added more commentary and some bonus photos. This article is complete.
The Regional Industrial Facilities Authority is having their monthly meeting today at noon, and SouthsideCentral is here LIVE! The meeting starts at noon, and our LIVE! coverage should start around 11:50AM
We’re at the Danville Regional Airport to see what’s going on with the RIFA board. This is a joint partnership between the City of Danville & Pittsylvania County. These meetings are relatively quiet and administrative, but you’ll get a chance to see photos and read live happenings and commentary LIVE!
Don’t forget to refresh this page often to see the latest happenings. We’ll also clean the article up later today and add bonus content like more photos and commentary.
We’re here. Lunch before the meeting.
We’ll start with a briefing on existing industries in the RIFA area as our first item on the agenda.
We’re underway. RIFA Board Chairman Coy Harville leads the way.
Telly Tucker & Clarence Monday are recognized at their first RIFA meeting. Tucker is Danville’s head of economic development, and Monday is Pittsylvania County’s new county administrator
Telly Tucker says that US Green Energy is producing on a limited basis (I’ve got a story on my tour of US Green energy a few weeks ago that I need to get to soon.) Zeyuan flooring update, saying that they will be up and running in early 2015. GOK is supposed to have furniture operations in part of the building. Yeah. Right.
A hunting lease agreement in the Berry Hill Megapark is renewed for another year. It’s interesting, the “tenants” (Jay & Brent Clodfelter) are sworn to secrecy on any business development clients that are brought out to tour that section of the park. Next comes a vote for continuing insurance with the VML. There’s nothing out of the ordinary in the financial report. The RIFA authority has to give a 24-hour notice to bring out any visitors. We’re also thinking that they should wear blaze orange while there, because having your visitors get shot is usually not good for business development.
We’re now talking about a dam in the Cane Creek industrial park. Bottom line is that it’s useless, the consultant doesn’t know if it’s good or bad without spending lots of money on it and it could cause problems. Everybody agrees with the suggestion of “It Gots To Go.” Blowing it up with a stick of dynamite used to be a good and fun option, but they’ll get the permits needed to do it environmentally correct.
After talking about filling out some routine USDA paperwork, we move into a closed session now for legal matters. Let’s walk around Danville Regional Airport.
Not much left from the lunch selection. Hey! I like cheese!
Zane Kinn’s model aircraft. I remember coming to the airport to see these and to watch the Piedmont flight come in.
Remember when this fountain was outside the airport?
This was the baggage carousel when Danville had passenger commercial flights.
Closed session’s over and no action to vote on. We’re done with our first LIVE! coverage of a RIFA meeting. We’ll wrap this up with some bonus photos.
The American Legion Legacy Run will arrive in Danville, VA on Monday, August 18, 2014.
The Patriot Guard will provide a flag line for the hundreds of veterans that will gather at American Legion Post 325. More than 500 riders are expected to arrive at the post around 5:30 p.m.
Staging:
Monday, August 18, 2014
4:30 p.m.
135 American Legion Blvd
Danville, VA
map: https://goo.gl/maps/7ARbf
Brief:
4:40 p.m.
We will be updated when the riders are about to leave the Salem Virginia American Legion Post and start their transit to Danville.
Please bring your 3X5 flags and poles. We will also have some available.
Ride Captain/s – TBA
Many citizens in the Danville area will be welcoming the riders to the area from overpasses and roadsides. They riders will enter Danville from 58 West and take the 265 bypass to the Franklin Turnpike exit.
Info concerning the American Legion Legacy Run follows.
The Legacy Run is an annual event, typically beginning in Indianapolis, Indiana, that escorts the American Legion National Commander to that year’s National Convention site, collecting funds raised by American Legion Riders Chapters to fund the The American Legion Scholarship Fund
The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund helps ensure higher education is a possibility for children whose parents lost their lives while on duty since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The fund has been building steadily toward its goal of $20 million while at the same time issuing scholarships to qualified young people who have lost parents in the war. Individual donations are commonly made to the fund, but the major event of the year is The American Legion Legacy Run, a motorcycle trek that crosses numerous states between Indianapolis and National Convention city. Pledges for the Legacy Run and donations collected along the way generated $764,000 in 2013 alone. To date almost $5,000,000 has been collected with scholarships being awarded annually. The Legacy Run is comprised of members of The American Legion family from all 50 states as well as the Department of France, often we are joined by members of the British Royal Legion Riders. The Run is usually 1200 to 1500 miles in length, not including the distances riders travel to participate. Approximately 300 riders typically “go the distance”, riding the entire route, while others participate in legs of the journey close to their homes with totals topping 500 riders for the 5-day adventure.
Please join us in honoring these veterans as they stand in continued service to those families touched by the ultimate sacrifice.
Looking at those airport shots…..when was the last commercial flight in Danville?
I remember Piedmont in the mid 70’a.