Every small town has its hub; the place where you get the dirt. The scoop. The whole enchilada. In Radford, it’s the Vintage Cellar. On Friday’s they have beer and a few wines to sample; “beer education” they call it. . . and on Saturdays, they have a nice line-up of approximately 5 to 8 wines. My husband, dog, and I have a standing date on Saturday afternoons to walk downtown for a little wine tasting and to catch up on the news you won’t find in the local paper. Okay—some might call it gossip. But it’s all with good intentions! And no, my dog is not a wine connoisseur. Chuck, the manager of the Radford Vintage Cellar always has his pup Abby with him. We bring our pooch Decaf down, and the two have a play date. I’m pretty sure this can only happen in a small town and maybe, well, Paris. Decaf looks forward to this weekly event, and when we’re a block from the store, he suddenly loses his ability to “heel”. We basically fly into the store. We dare not go in without Decaf. A couple of weeks ago we went in sans canine and Abby gave us murderous looks the entire time. Kind of took the joy out of the Les Agapes.

Back to the hub. Two years ago I ran a multi-arts summer workshop called ArtsXtreme on the campus of Radford University. I was having a heck of a time finding a music teacher, and happened to mention that as I was tasting wine one Saturday at the Cellar. Within 8 minutes Chuck had a friend of his on the phone with me, a music graduate student who was perfect for the job. I’ve seen real estate transactions, business partnerships initiate, and the courtship of Chuck and his beautiful wife Stephanie transpire in our little wine shop. Last year Chuck and Steph actually got married in the store.

Every town needs a hub. Does yours?

- Lucinda McDermott Piro

And check this out—they will provide approximately 150 jobs. Yes indeed! Inorganic Ventures is moving its operations from New Jersey to Christiansburg’s Falling Branch Corporate Park. Virginia Governor Time Kaine’s office sent out a press release citing Montgomery County’s “trained workforce and proximity to research opportunities with Virginia Tech.” The company manufactures custom inorganic chemical blends—not being the most scientifically oriented person, I went to their website, and was rather impressed to see that they tout several “firsts” for their industry. The big news here folks, is that Inorganic Ventures move will create 46 new jobs in the science/chemistry industry. I know there are many Southwest Virginia job seekers out there who will find that refreshing.

Bastian in Bland County will be getting a new 4-wheeler and motorcycle shop if things continue to go well for Mark McKee. Mark’s been operating a small engine repair shop out of his home but just got his permit to move into the old Sky Outdoor location on North Scenic Highway. “We’re trying to target all the groups,” McKee said in an interview with Southwest Virginia Today, “We’ll also carry parts and do repairs.” Mark, Return to Roots wishes you luck, and applauds you for working the dream! Read more about Mark by clicking here.

And boy, I can’t wait for this place to open. New River Valley is getting a brand spanking new and newly built restaurant with a micro-brewery! Those of us living in Radford have been watching the building of The River Company up on the bluff across the New River for roughly the past year, measuring it’s progress with the changing seasons. Clearly visible from downtown Radford, it’s been a pleasure to see the visual progress—kind of like being able to watch the region grow. Mark Hall and his company Hall & Sons Developers will open the doors this spring. The business will cater to locals serving basic American favorites to top-notch cuisine. And don’t forget that micro-brewery. I’m pretty excited about this one folks—best news is that they will be hiring 60 to 100 full and part-time positions. They will be seeking highly trained restaurant personnel.

Chemistry, wheels, and beer. We’ve got it all in SWVA!