From the “this is pretty cool” file …
Visit Virginia Tech – Virtually
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Category Archives: Blacksburg
Broadband in the New River Valley
What’s keeping broadband connectivity – high-speed internet – from permeating all corners of the New River Valley? According to Andrew Michael Cohill:
Will Blacksburg’s Alexander Black House Get Its Facelift?
Well it’s about time. The Town of Blacksburg, and the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation, announced a public/private partnership today that will undertake renovating the Alexander Black house, and turning it into a museum and cultural center.
The Town of Blacksburg Wants Your Two Cents
Real estate taxes. Everyone’s favorite subject.
What Do People Love About Living in the New River Valley?
A couple of weeks ago, I asked on Facebook and Twitter “what do you love about living in the New River Valley?” I was overwhelmed with responses, both in messages on Facebook, or tweets, or emails and in one case, a text. Here’s a list, unedited, of some of the reasons why people are so in love with the New River Valley (well, bolding or links are mine … so it’s partially unedited). Leave some more reasons in the comments?
Housing Shortage at Virginia Tech Creates Opportunities For Investment
It seems like we go through this every year, as Virginia Tech announces that they don’t have enough housing on campus to accommodate all those who WANT to be on campus.
An official – or unofficial – response to the Play Fair Tech campaign
From today's Op Ed section in the New River Valley Current:
Let's get straight about the meals tax discussion. The unfair competition argument is a red herring. No normal consumer travels to campus, hunts for an expensive parking spot and fights student crowds to avoid a few cents on a dining hall meal purchase. Even if the university could collect taxes, the collections are estimated to be about $40,000 annually. This pales in comparison to the voluntary $250,000 annual franchise fee paid to the town by VT Electric Services.
The facts are facts. There's far more money being dumped into Montgomery County, and Town of Blacksburg coffers, by the university then just a meals tax. And all of the New River Valley (and the region) will be benefit by having the new arts complex in our backyard. We use their campus, we put a drain on their resources, and then we nickel and dime them on a meals. Tax.
Whether Larry Hincker is providing an official response by Virginia Tech to the Play Fair Tech campaign or not, it's an excellent commentary outlining the REAL financial benefits the university brings to our region.
I’m Moving To Blacksburg – What Now?
The Town of Blacksburg has put out a movie about what to do when you’re moving to Blacksburg since the moving part is easy with the new moving companies, especially the “local movers” nearby. – but what about the information like setting up utilities, registering to vote, etc., it takes typically boring information and puts a – well, an interesting – spin on it. On the other hand, if you have recently made a transition from your current job to one that pays significantly more, but this requires you to move to a different state, you will need to hire out of state movers to help you with this transition. Just a thought.
Vacancy Numbers in Blacksburg, Christiansburg & Radford
How many homes in the New River Valley are vacant, and for sale? A friend sent me an article from CNBC entitled “Nearly 11 Percent of US Houses Empty” (read the whole article here). The reasons are broad, I’m sure – forced transfers and relocations, and foreclosures, often being the biggest culprits.
Montgomery County During the Depression
Ever wondered what it was like during the Depression?