Art in the Vineyard is an oasis,
literally and figuratively, nestled in the rolling hills of Eastern
Pulaski County. Shown as a cooperative effort between Cedar Creek
Vineyards and the Watershed Arts Alliance it celebrates wine-making,
music, arts and crafts in the setting of the residence and vineyards
of Jeff, Debbie, Isaiah and Micah Wiles. After a long driveway
through the deep woods one suddenly bursts into the sunlight and sees
open fields and grapevines on the slopes and a home in the middle of
it all.
This event, Art in the Vineyard, has
become an annual event that allows the different arts and crafts to
come together in a bucolic, rural setting to showcase some of the
best efforts of the mostly local artisans. At least two of our local
authors were present to sell and autograph their works as were the
widely varied artisans there.
A decade ago an event such as this
would have been nearly inconceivable. Over the past few years things
have happened in our local area that I did not expect to live long
enough to see but it just reinforces the idea that there is a tipping
point after which the floodgates open and change becomes the norm.
It isn't that people were not working in areas that have recently
become more visible but it is that their efforts are now being
rewarded. The long quest for legal alcohol sales was a critical part
of the solution but is wasn't just so people could go out and party
like it's 1999. That one thing allowed the creation of many venues
for artistic expression by providing a way to actually make those
things a profitable venture. New businesses are still feeling their
way around to get an understanding of the competitive nature of their
endeavors. The business models are still evolving. Free enterprise
will determine which of these businesses find success and also those
who will fail. On the other hand there has been an explosion of
community based efforts to provide entertainment and revenue
opportunities to people in the area. The Market on Main comes to
mind as a successful community based effort that draws hundreds of
people to the downtown area to buy the products of the local farmers
and other entrepreneurs. In the meantime, some exposure is given to
local talent and that has a rebounding effect of drawing even more
people to downtown.
The long struggle to reclaim the
Virginia Theater for downtown has regained the public's attention.
Even if the business model has not yet been determined it has the
potential to be a valuable source of attraction to the downtown area
and that will encourage other venues to open up to both serve and
take advantage of business opportunities. These are some fine
examples of public/private partnerships and how they can be immensely
favorable in the development of a progressive community. In the same
manner as the entertainment venues there is also a tipping point when
a community becomes recognized as being one that is eager to support
new business ventures. Once that tipping point is reached then there
will be an explosion of jobs and new opportunities. Our children
will no longer have to leave home to find their version of the
American Dream.
There are several important ventures in
the pipeline, all of which will require a measure of public/private
partnerships. The project we keep hearing of to build a new hotel
near the Center for Rural Development in order to attract more
convention business to the area is one. An upgrade to Pulaski County
Park that will attract more vacationers and water sports enthusiasts
to come here and spend their money here is another. Perhaps one with
the most potential is the redevelopment of Burnside Island. I am no
fan of turning public properties over to private industry but there
are ways to do this that can be of great benefit to everyone.
Personally, I think what I have seen of
the plans for Burnside Island are far too short sighted. Bring the
chair lift spoken of on over to Lakeshore Drive and create a corridor
right up French Avenue to Main Street and Burnside has potential to
become a Gatlinburg on Lake Cumberland. It is the only city that has
direct access to the lake with an existing dock. The possibilities
are endless but Burnside may need some help with capital requirements
and this is where Pulaski County government can step in to become a
partner. I have spoken from time to time about there being no
advantage for Somerset to accept a merged government but with an
improved financial outlook and evidence of progressive government
that could change. It will be a while down the road but Rome was not
built in a day. Lexington was a one horse college town until IBM
came to town. That one thing opened the floodgates and now Lexington
is a very attractive place to live.
Just like the advances made in the arts
and entertainment communities these efforts will be built piece by
piece until the tipping point is reached. When that happens we will
experience a growth of opportunity for every citizen of the area but
we will never get there is we continue to do things the same old way.
Sometimes progress is frightening but a community can't just stay in
one place. You are either going forward or falling back and we don't
need to fall back another inch.
My take is that we should take the
advice of that old gospel tune, “Step into the water.”
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