Green is as green does

When Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for launching his assault on the climate crisis, people started giving green initiatives a little more attention. Now, he’s spending $300 million on a really cool campaign
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Tourism brands that attract “staycationers”

Perhaps the most depressing media creation out there right now is the summer “staycation.” With gas prices eating into the family budget, more and more people are canceling expensive vacations and finding things to do closer to home.
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Roanoke County has its own Mill Mountains

At the intersection of Roanoke County and Roanoke City stands an enigma. Slate Hill sits stripped, graded and ready to be occupied by upscale retailers. In a lot of ways, Slate Hill has become the County’s Mill Mountain.
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The City of Roanoke’s Rich Heritage of Planning

When it comes to city planning, Roanoke was an early adopter. In 1907, the Women’s Civic Betterment Club hired one of the first graduates of Harvard’s new School of Landscape Architecture to craft a city plan.
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Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission

In 1968, the Commonwealth passed the Regional Cooperation Act. The bill divided Virginia into 21 official planning districts and encouraged the local governments in each one to form a Planning District Commission.
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Sounds like a plan

This article begins a new series that takes a look at the plans that have been developed during the past decade. The series will identify the business and community leaders who have led the planning efforts.
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How to keep a best kept secret.

Recently, a local lifestyle magazine featured Dr. Ed Murphy on its cover with the question, “Can he save this valley?” It’s not the first time that Roanoke has pondered how its largest employer will protect our fate.
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Showing some love for your only Fortune 500 company

Five companies that trade on major exchanges call our valley home. Only one Fortune 500 company is among that slim list. Advance Auto ranks 478 of the largest public companies, with about $4.7 billion in revenue.
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How to Trap Young Professionals?

From the Roanoke Times’ Chris O’Brion…

The answer is buzzing in the neon on the mountain.

What if we put an observatory on top of Mill Mountain? There’s already a big neon star up there. You’ve got the zoo and a discovery center already there. An observatory would be the perfect complement to the natural enjoyment of the mountain.
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