2004–2005 Issue

ARC Fall Conference Focuses on the "Rural Advantage"
by Fred D. Baldwin

ARC's October 2005 conference, "Winning the Economic Future: The Rural Advantage," offered participants practical advice on building on the unique assets of their rural and small-town communities.

Progress through Partnership: Reflections on ARC's 40th Anniversary
by Fred D. Baldwin

ARC Federal Co-Chair Anne B. Pope and Ohio Governor Bob Taft, ARC's 2005 states' co-chair, share their thoughts on Appalachia's progress over the past four decades and its prospects for the future.

Leveraging Hope: The New Opportunity School for Women
by Fred D. Baldwin

A unique school in Berea, Kentucky, is giving low-income women the skills and experience they need to better their lives. The marker of its success: most graduates are either working or back in school, or both.

AllCoNet: A Mountain County Connects
by Fred D. Baldwin

In the mid 1990s, Allegany County, Maryland, developed a wireless network to give schools, government offices, and libraries high-speed Internet access. Now the system is expanding to include businesses and residents.

Kentucky's Creative Marketing Boosts Artisan Businesses
by Carl Hoffman

Two eastern Kentucky initiatives are giving local artisans new opportunities for marketing their products and helping attract tourism dollars to the area.

West Virginia's Shop Window on the World
by Fred D. Baldwin

West Virginia businesses are competing successfully in foreign markets, thanks to help from the West Virginia Development Office's International Division.