May–August 1998 Issue

A Caring Company
by James E. Casto

Simonton Windows, a Ritchie County, West Virginia, manufacturer of vinyl windows, provides not only good jobs but also a good example of corporate citizenship, with its generous support of local schools and civic efforts.

A Conversation on Professional Development
by Fred D. Baldwin

Susan Loucks-Horsley, director of professional development at the National Research Council's Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education, offers her perspective on the importance of teacher training in improving student performance.

Appalachian Scene: Bringing High Tech Home
by Carl Hoffman

Ask Jack Galyean to describe his company, Printed Circuit Solutions Manufacturing (PCSM), Inc., and he says, "We're like sprinters." Indeed, blueprints for what PCSM made today zipped into its factory only yesterday, via a telephone line. Within 48 hours, a few ounces of plastic, copper, gold, and nickel were formed into a complex, custom-built electronic circuit board. Tested, inspected, and carefully packed, the board will soon be swept up by UPS or Federal Express and flown overnight to a high-tech company.

Growing Your Own
by Fred D. Baldwin

The wide range of assistance offered to local business owners through an outreach office of the University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center is making a difference in rural Greene County, Pennsylvania.

High Expectations
by Fred D. Baldwin

Appalachian schools are working hard to improve instruction and to better prepare students for today's workplace. Many efforts share a common approach: raise standards; raise expectations.

Inside Information: May–August 1998 Issue

ARC Highways Receive $2.25 Billion Boost in Funding; Congress Acts on ARC's 1999 Budget; Seven New Counties Added to Region; Development District Association Update; New Alternate for Virginia. Inside Information, May–August 1998

North Carolina Connects
by Carl Hoffman

A new program in North Carolina is helping speed the integration of telecommunications technology into the daily lives of the state's residents. One of the first projects funded, the Early Childhood Development Regional Network, connects 12 child-care centers in four counties.

On a Roll for Science and Math
by Fred D. Baldwin

An ambitious project to improve the teaching of math and science is under way in six Appalachian states. The program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, encourages the use of an "inquiry-based" approach to teaching and learning.

Remembering Senator Jennings Randolph
by Senator Robert C. Byrd and James E. Casto

Former senator Jennings Randolph, one of the chief architects of the legislation that created ARC, died this past May. Two remembrances pay tribute to the senator and his many achievements.

Visionary Gene L. MacDonald
by Fred D. Baldwin

Gene MacDonald, founding president of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association and winner of the 1998 John D. Whisman Vision Award, has dedicated 30 years to advocating for economic development in Appalachian Ohio.