Date: 08-06-2017
The fourth annual SOAR Summit took place at the East Kentucky Exposition Center Friday, bringing movers and shakers from all around into the conversation of the organization’s “21st century” blueprint for “shaping our Appalachian region.”
Congressman Hal Rogers, Gov. Matt Bevin and University of Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari all took to the stage during the summit, sharing with the audience their own views of what it takes to shape Appalachia.
“The thing I appreciate about this group, about this town, about Eastern Kentucky and about Kentucky in general … this is an area where people want to work and where there is a pride in what is done,” said Gov. Bevin. “Here, people have a sense of loyalty and a sense of home and a sense of roots and a sense of community. I am truly blessed to be the governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Gov. Bevin used this illustration to mirror the “eagerness” of Appalachians to get the job done.
“That’s the truth. But what I love about the people of Eastern Kentucky and the people in the SOAR community is that you’re not afraid of hard work. You have overalls on. Sometimes literally, but certainly figuratively,” he said.
Bevin said the sense of community and the work ethic of the people is the backbone to the success of an Appalachian blueprint like the one SOAR has been drawing out over the past four years. He said the people who have brought their innovative ideas to the drawing board are lending a hand in moving the Commonwealth forward, one step at a time.
“We are making progress on certain things and I would encourage you to continue to bring that enthusiasm home, to continue to bring that work ethic home,” said Bevin. “Support the people that come into this community who are inspired not only by the SOAR conference, but by everything else that encourages economic development in the state.”
He said those inspired investors have already made an impact on the Commonwealth.
“Kentucky has never seen the kind of investment it is seeing right now,” said Bevin. “That is a testament to the attitude, the work ethic, and the can-do spirit of the people of Kentucky.”
Bevin said a step forward in one area of the Commonwealth was a step forward for the entire state.
“We are just getting started. We are just warming up,” said Bevin.
Congressman Hal Rogers echoed these sentiments in his remarks to the crowd on Friday, saying, by working together, the Commonwealth would continue to “see the fruits” of its “collaborative effort.”
Rogers talked about some announcements he made earlier this week, involving a total of $4.85 million for three projects. Rogers said $1 million had been given for the City of Prestonsburg, for a new wastewater treatment plant that will extend to the new industrial park next to the new Mountain Parkway.
“The other two projects are part of the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Economic Development Pilot Program that I was able to champion in Washington over the last couple of years, to help communities that are hardest hit by the ‘War on Coal’ to try to revive from the damage caused during that era,” Rogers said.
According to Rogers that though the community was hit hard during the ‘War on Coal,’ the Commonwealth was
“Since 2016, Congress has added $195 million from the general fund for these types of projects, through five states, including Kentucky. About one-third of that money has been invested in Eastern Kentucky, where we lost 12,000 coal mining jobs under the previous administration. But, in our resilience … we’re retooling our resources, doubling down on our efforts to create jobs and bring innovative change to the mountains.”
According to Rogers, his slogan is: “A vision without finding is a hallucination.”
“So, I want to try to find ways to fuel your dreams and see if we can find a way to make them a reality,” he said. “For example, on Wednesday, I was able to announce $1.9 million for the Royalton Trail-Town project in Magoffin County. Those people there have been working on this for years, with no funding except what they’ve take out of their pockets. But now, they’ve got something that will attract a lot of visitors to that region in Eastern Kentucky.”
Rogers said Magoffin isn’t the only community moving forward with a trail project.
“The same thing is true with $1.95 million for the Rails-to-Trails project in Floyd County. Both projects are repurposing railroad lines to develop unique trails for hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, and the like,” said Rogers. “They’re both volunteer-led. That’s what we’re looking for; we’re looking for people who will put some sweat equity in their home projects.”
He said the state just opened the grant period for the 2017 AML Pilot Projects, encouraging leaders to get their requests in for the projects they want funded.
Coach Calipari followed the congressman, telling how he gauges success and the role it plays in shaping the future of Appalachia. He said that without team work, there is no way to succeed.
“The best thing about Eastern Kentucky? You’re about each other,” Calipari said. “The people who live here and people that work here — there’s an unbelievable pride and you’re about each other. If something happens to a family in this town, the people next door are saying: ‘How can we help?’ ‘What can we do?’”
He said making life about others is the key to success within the Appalachian blueprint.
“It’s not ‘what can I get,’ it’s ‘how can I help.’ That’s here,” said Calipari. “And that’s why businesses will come here. And when they come here, they’ll thrive because of it.”
Calipari said the ladder of success is climbed differently in the Appalachian region.
“When you climb the ladder of success … some people turn around and they pick up the ladder, he said. “The special people, in this room, you’re climbing that ladder or have climbed it, and you’re turning around to pick up the next person and bring people with you.”
Each speaker mentioned the hard work of SOAR and its partners, saying they commend SOAR President and CEO Jared Arnett for his vision and the path the company is taking in making the “21st century blueprint” become a reality.
By Buddy Forbes
Appalachian News-Express
