Cooperative Living January 2015 - 3

THE INSIDE STORY
Bill Sherrod
If you're reading
this magazine, there's
a good chance you
live in or near a
small town or rural
community. If so,
you probably know
the feeling ―and
yes, it's an emotion
- of small-town spirit.
It's a warm blend of affection for
the past and hope for the future.
Often today the second part of the
formula, hope for the future, is
blunted by what seem unrelenting
realities. These range from empty
Main Street storefronts, to vanishing
job opportunities for youth, to aging
and shrinking populations.
On the surface, at least, it may
sometimes appear that, in this age of
four-dollar coffees and Facebook
friends you never see face to face, a
small town with a future is a thing of
the past. But across Virginia, we see
examples that put this fear to rest.
This issue's cover story looks at
the challenges facing small towns in
Virginia, with a three-part package beginning
on page 14. Dr. Charles Lee,
retired president of Mississippi State
University who has a wealth of experience
working with small communities,
leads off with his thoughts on the
challenges facing small communities
and ways to meet those challenges.
Following Dr. Lee's essay are profiles
of two small communities -
Monterey in Highland County and
Exmore on Virginia's Eastern Shore -
by veteran community journalists
John Bruce and Bill Sterling. Located
in different parts of Virginia, these
two small towns are dealing with
problems common to small communities,
as well as unique to their own
environs.
Like all communities, small towns
prosper or not on the strengths of the
people who comprise them. And historically,
some of our nation's greatest
leaders have called small towns
home. Maybe there's a sort of smalltown
magic that does that to people
(think George Bailey in the movie It's
a Wonderful Life). It's a magic that's
often hard to see in cities.
The upshot is that small towns
and rural communities, no matter the
challenges, will persevere because of
their people, the folks who call them
home.  - Bill Sherrod, Editor
36
30
14
Our Mission
To inform you about your cooperative and its efforts to
serve your energy needs; how to use electricity safely and
efficiently; and the people who define and enhance the
quality of life in communities served by electric co-ops.
Contents
JANUARY 2015
The Small-Town Lowdown
Virginia's small communities are a rich part of her
heritage. With the challenges facing them today,
can their future outshine the past?
A Flood of Fabulous Faucet Features
When it's time to replace your kitchen faucet,
available choices offer style and convenience
as well as water and energy savings.
32
The Hula Hoop's Happy History
The hoop as a versatile kid's toy dates back to
ancient Egypt, while the modern plastic version
took off on a roll in the late 1950s.
'Call Jean' a Frequent Refrain in Snell
Good Neighbor Jean Satterwhite is a central
community component in the tiny, quaint
Spotsylvania County crossroads of Snell, Va.
Viewpoint
Editorial
Mailbag
Whatzit?
History Mystery
Say Cheese!
Happenings
Currents
DEPARTMENTS
2
3
4
4
5
8
9
10
Bang for Your Buck 12
Member FYI
21
14
On the cover: Monterey Mayor Rich Holman and Exmore Mayor Doug Greer.
Photos by John Bruce and Bill Sterling.
30
32
36
Local Co-op Pages 22
Healthy Take*
Caught in the Web*
Garden Muse*
Reader Recipes
Classifieds
Rural Living
It's Your Business* 26
Safety Sense*
24
25
27
28
34
38
40
* not in all editions
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Please recycle this magazine.
1
Our
Annual
Legislative Guide
is inserted
between pages
20 & 21.
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Cooperative Living January 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living January 2015
