Business Development Authority Meets
Jan 9 2023
Over the
years, we've seen every flavor of snake oil salesman and
carpet baggers galore pass thru our hollers all promising the
world's best future for the peasantry. All those tugged at our
purse, some more successful than others, and then pressed on
to the next hamlet to grab more.
Appalachians are skeptic folks. Besides being in our DNA, there's another reason. We've seen it all before.
But but but, granted we're gullible, we think something is really happening, going to happen, this time around.
Clay County's Business Development Authority (BDA) held their monthly meeting Jan 9th in the Two Run based digs. For the first ever, the place was packed from wall to wall including a whole bunch from the Osborne clan. Commissioners Joyce Johnson and David Schoolcraft were present. We're guessing 25+ were in attendance. BDA Chair Mitch DeBoard ran the gathering. We picked up three major nuggets from that lengthy meeting
Appalachians are skeptic folks. Besides being in our DNA, there's another reason. We've seen it all before.
But but but, granted we're gullible, we think something is really happening, going to happen, this time around.
Clay County's Business Development Authority (BDA) held their monthly meeting Jan 9th in the Two Run based digs. For the first ever, the place was packed from wall to wall including a whole bunch from the Osborne clan. Commissioners Joyce Johnson and David Schoolcraft were present. We're guessing 25+ were in attendance. BDA Chair Mitch DeBoard ran the gathering. We picked up three major nuggets from that lengthy meeting
Head Honcho Wally J Hatfield standing
One. Most in Clayberry have seen the military
equipment rumble down our roads and heard the military
aircraft buzz over us for the last couple years. Some
have even advanced, they're building some kind of secret
operation center up on the abandoned Fola mine property, or
maybe a huge dooms day bunker. The trucks and aircraft, that's
true. The rest is bunk.
Instead, a military, firearm, police, disaster training center has been on Fola and the place is now going to expand with the help of nearly $30M in govt funding, investment.
On Jan 9th, CMI's Wally Hatfield (and his delegation) made public their plans for that growth.
From their website,The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that bridges the gaps in defense innovation, creating functional solutions to support the warfighter with immediate impact and effect. We call it ‘Innovation in the Dirt™,’ a frontline approach to fostering military modernization. CMI2 offers management capabilities such as senior military expertise, university innovation, and commercial research. CMI2 supports the idea of creating and utilizing a dynamic civil-military innovation workforce in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and public safety communities.
We think , all those words amount to: a high tech training center. The goal is to bring in trainees from around the nation. Big things are already planned. In Feb 2023 they plan to have 500 participants on site. Like in April the 101st Airborne group will be on site for training.
CMI is already installing new metal, housing units with one in the works and another real soon. A sewer and wawa system is in the works as is a dependable internet connection. When asked about Frontier connectivity on site, a response came, "What Frontier???"
Expect to see millions of dollars in equipment on site soon.
CMI got started five years ago and set up shop over in Boone County but there were problems. Hatfield, "Boone County did not work out....we had vandalism." He noted, here in County Clay, CMI has experienced none of that crapola.
Are they fly by night? Hatfield says otherwise with their $100M budget and having already purchased 252 acres and additional acres to be bought soon, we think they may be legit.
Still thinking it's a smoke screen to scam away tax dollars? It won't take long to decide for yourself. According to the CMI Training Director Wally Hatfield the timeline includes: the second metal building is coming in April; the sewer and wawa systems done by the end of 2023; a self contained internet (maybe a tower too) by the end of this year; and a base space for 500 on site.
Hatfield said there is a need for a hotel to handle their need but more on that shortly.
The BDA will handle administration of the 28.9 million dollars and receive $$$ for handling those duties.
Let's see now.... there will be a helipad build to handle large helicopters. An entrance road will be enhanced. A railroad head, station, will be built to accommodate military supplies coming and going.
Hatfield told the assembled, he has every intention of purchasing from local Clayberry vendors. He said something about a need for a grocery store. Thinking young healthy men and women on the compound days after day, we think they will need a few bars with ice cold beer.
There it is readers. We think these guys are legitimate. We also think some of that $28.9M will come our way. Even a dribble of new money will go a long way in this Land of Little.
There will be new jobs involved and that's always a good thang.
Welcome CMI
Instead, a military, firearm, police, disaster training center has been on Fola and the place is now going to expand with the help of nearly $30M in govt funding, investment.
On Jan 9th, CMI's Wally Hatfield (and his delegation) made public their plans for that growth.
From their website,The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that bridges the gaps in defense innovation, creating functional solutions to support the warfighter with immediate impact and effect. We call it ‘Innovation in the Dirt™,’ a frontline approach to fostering military modernization. CMI2 offers management capabilities such as senior military expertise, university innovation, and commercial research. CMI2 supports the idea of creating and utilizing a dynamic civil-military innovation workforce in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and public safety communities.
We think , all those words amount to: a high tech training center. The goal is to bring in trainees from around the nation. Big things are already planned. In Feb 2023 they plan to have 500 participants on site. Like in April the 101st Airborne group will be on site for training.
CMI is already installing new metal, housing units with one in the works and another real soon. A sewer and wawa system is in the works as is a dependable internet connection. When asked about Frontier connectivity on site, a response came, "What Frontier???"
Expect to see millions of dollars in equipment on site soon.
CMI got started five years ago and set up shop over in Boone County but there were problems. Hatfield, "Boone County did not work out....we had vandalism." He noted, here in County Clay, CMI has experienced none of that crapola.
Are they fly by night? Hatfield says otherwise with their $100M budget and having already purchased 252 acres and additional acres to be bought soon, we think they may be legit.
Still thinking it's a smoke screen to scam away tax dollars? It won't take long to decide for yourself. According to the CMI Training Director Wally Hatfield the timeline includes: the second metal building is coming in April; the sewer and wawa systems done by the end of 2023; a self contained internet (maybe a tower too) by the end of this year; and a base space for 500 on site.
Hatfield said there is a need for a hotel to handle their need but more on that shortly.
The BDA will handle administration of the 28.9 million dollars and receive $$$ for handling those duties.
Let's see now.... there will be a helipad build to handle large helicopters. An entrance road will be enhanced. A railroad head, station, will be built to accommodate military supplies coming and going.
Hatfield told the assembled, he has every intention of purchasing from local Clayberry vendors. He said something about a need for a grocery store. Thinking young healthy men and women on the compound days after day, we think they will need a few bars with ice cold beer.
There it is readers. We think these guys are legitimate. We also think some of that $28.9M will come our way. Even a dribble of new money will go a long way in this Land of Little.
There will be new jobs involved and that's always a good thang.
Welcome CMI
Resort plans presented
Site of new resort
Resort Promoters, standing, Johnny Osborne and BJ Evans, right
TWO In this small community, most know Johnny Osborne and B J Evans first hand. Both were in attendance for the Jan 9th BDA meeting.
During their presentation, they made public their plans to build a $3.25 million resort and conference center on the old Woofter property just down river from the school bus garage. The 180 foot long building has engineering plans prepared. Those plans were rolled out for all to see. Called the Living Water Lodge and Event Center, the place will be two story and constructed of stone and timber and contain 16 rooms, 4 suites and a conference room for starters.
Around 40 workers will be used during construction with full time workers after opening.
How about that readers. Once again we're guardedly optimistic this will happen.
Keep in mind, with the new State Park, new hiking trail, and soon to be, tourism railroad adventure coming, more accommodations are needed in the worst way.
For County Clay to garner fresh tourism dollars, we need to keep those visitors and their wallets, here for more than 1/2 a day. To spend real money we got to keep em overnight. We need a "hotel" and it sounds like that might happen in '23.
Handrails being installed on the Cressmont bridge.
THREE
For the third big announcement from the Jan 9th BDA
meeting, here goes.
The 7 million dollars FEMA paid for (in part) Buffalo Creek and Gauley RR rebuild job, according to Mitch Deboard: all should be done in 2 or 3 weeks! DeBoard: the railroad will be finished this month.
There's always a Butt , I mean a but.
Again from DeBoard, the RR contractor screwed up with the ballast (large gravel) on, around, the railroad tracks...something else about covering over ditch lines and culverts. Although the contractor is resisting the do over, with $1.6 million still owed the company, Mitch DeBoard thinks they will come around and correct the problems or else lose that $1.6 million.
True the contract deadline has been extended at least four times, we think sometime in 2023, there will be an up to date rail line at the ready for tourist use.
We have naysayers in the audience. Based on past BS and promises, they have every right to say: It ain't never going to happen".
Well.... many miles of the ERTS hiking trail is already open for business, fresh new tourist dollars are already coming into this county, that training center has been operating for a couple or three years and now it appears to be growing, and that never to be used again railroad, it's almost rebuilt.
Naysayers step aside. You have nothing to base your claims on.
In other stuff... BDA's Bernie Howe is organizing a river clean up program this year, most likely in July. Boy do we need that!
You have seen those little gas powered rail vehicles on the BC&G for several years Called a "jitney", the BDA has operated em. Turns out a whole bunch of rail enthusiasts own those rascals and travel around the nation riding em on old rails, abandoned rails. That group, ALCOA is planning their first trip on the BC&G in April 2023. Mitch felt upwards of 50 of em would be in Clayberry for the ride and spend the night. Translation: They will be spending new $$$ here and that's a good thang.
Hard to believe any or all of this is coming to our humble hamlet. We know we know, but 2023 may see a real change in our economy. Or, at least see a start for our tourism based economy
Keep your fingers crossed
AW
The 7 million dollars FEMA paid for (in part) Buffalo Creek and Gauley RR rebuild job, according to Mitch Deboard: all should be done in 2 or 3 weeks! DeBoard: the railroad will be finished this month.
There's always a Butt , I mean a but.
Again from DeBoard, the RR contractor screwed up with the ballast (large gravel) on, around, the railroad tracks...something else about covering over ditch lines and culverts. Although the contractor is resisting the do over, with $1.6 million still owed the company, Mitch DeBoard thinks they will come around and correct the problems or else lose that $1.6 million.
True the contract deadline has been extended at least four times, we think sometime in 2023, there will be an up to date rail line at the ready for tourist use.
We have naysayers in the audience. Based on past BS and promises, they have every right to say: It ain't never going to happen".
Well.... many miles of the ERTS hiking trail is already open for business, fresh new tourist dollars are already coming into this county, that training center has been operating for a couple or three years and now it appears to be growing, and that never to be used again railroad, it's almost rebuilt.
Naysayers step aside. You have nothing to base your claims on.
In other stuff... BDA's Bernie Howe is organizing a river clean up program this year, most likely in July. Boy do we need that!
You have seen those little gas powered rail vehicles on the BC&G for several years Called a "jitney", the BDA has operated em. Turns out a whole bunch of rail enthusiasts own those rascals and travel around the nation riding em on old rails, abandoned rails. That group, ALCOA is planning their first trip on the BC&G in April 2023. Mitch felt upwards of 50 of em would be in Clayberry for the ride and spend the night. Translation: They will be spending new $$$ here and that's a good thang.
Hard to believe any or all of this is coming to our humble hamlet. We know we know, but 2023 may see a real change in our economy. Or, at least see a start for our tourism based economy
Keep your fingers crossed
AW
aw