By Charlie Passut | Tidewater News
Published Saturday, March 6, 2010
Photo by Charlie Passut
FRANKLIN—A portion of Isle of Wight County will not be added to the enterprise zone in neighboring Franklin and Southampton County until at least 2011.
Isle of Wight County Supervisor Phillip Bradshaw said Gov. Bob McDonnell and unspecified legal counsel advised him that the best way for getting a 6.37-square mile area of southern Isle of Wight, which includes the International Paper Co. mill, added to the Franklin-Southampton zone would be through legislation.
FRANKLIN—A few hundred people, many of them employees of International Paper Co. and their families, turned out for the “Community Resource and Education Fair” on Wednesday.
“I think all in all it’s been a positive day,” said Beth Reavis, director of Franklin Department of Social Services and chairwoman of the Western Tidewater Coalition. She estimated that about 200 people attended the fair, which was held at the Paul D. Camp Community College Regional Workforce Development Center. Opportunity Inc. of Hampton Roads, a regional workforce organization based in Norfolk, organized the event.
Phillip Bradshaw, Jim Councill, Mike Johnson
Published Friday, March 5, 2010
Everyone is concerned about the Franklin mill closure and interested in what Franklin and Southampton and Isle of Wight County are doing to address the significant impacts this closure will have on employment, reuse of the mill site, tax structures and our local economy. While each of these areas deserves individual attention, let us briefly give you an overview of the regional effort being expended on your behalf.
On Oct. 22 when we were first informed of the closure, Franklin Mayor Jim Councill, Phillip Bradshaw, chairman of the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors and Mike Johnson, administrator of Southampton County, met within the hour to formulate a response and plan of action to strengthen our region collectively.
