Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 58

guest column

Love Letter to Small
Towns. OK, to Lewisburg!

by John Manchester

CONNIE MANCHESTER

John Manchester has served as mayor of
Lewisburg, West Virginia for 12 years, during
which his community has received awards
including Coolest Small Town in America
2011. He was named Mayor of the Year in West
Virginia in 2012. The Wilderness Society named
him an Environmental Hero in 2007 for his
efforts to designate wilderness areas within the
Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.

Mayor Manchester dons a mock Willy Wonka costume for
Lewisburg's annual Chocolate Festival, held each April.

The mountain region of the
South is full of small towns
built around things like
kind people, strong little
downtowns and thriving
local businesses.
I want to tell you what
one of them has meant to
me.
Though I grew up in rural
New Hampshire, I finally
found home in Lewisburg,
West Virginia.
West Virginia was kind
58 BlueRidgeCountry.com

enough to welcome me to
the state 30 years ago by offering to pay for my graduate studies at WVU in Morgantown. It was there I fell
in love with the people,
the natural beauty and one
of my students, who is now
my wife.
Lewisburg
was
kind
enough to let me join her
family by providing me a
job with a local newspaper
More


http://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com

Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016

Contents
Happiest Towns in the Blue Ridge Region
Summer Photoessay
Great Unusual Sleep Spots in the Mountains
North Georgia Dining
Special Section: The Southern Highlands Attractions 2016 Grand Tour
Letters/Worth a Click
From the Editor
Contributor Bios
Mill Creek Stories
Great Buys
The Hike
Festivals & Events
Creature Feature
Country Roads
Mountain Report
Singing in the Garden
Guest Column: John Manchester
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 4
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 5
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Contents
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Letters/Worth a Click
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 8
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 9
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 10
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 11
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - From the Editor
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Contributor Bios
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Mill Creek Stories
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 15
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Great Buys
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 17
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - The Hike
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 19
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Festivals & Events
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 21
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 22
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 23
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 24
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Creature Feature
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Country Roads
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 27
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 28
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 29
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 30
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Mountain Report
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Happiest Towns in the Blue Ridge Region
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 33
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 34
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 35
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 36
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 37
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 38
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 39
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Summer Photoessay
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 41
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 42
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 43
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Great Unusual Sleep Spots in the Mountains
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 45
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 46
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 47
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 48
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 49
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 50
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Special Section: The Southern Highlands Attractions 2016 Grand Tour
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA2
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA3
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA4
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA5
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA6
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA7
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA8
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA9
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA10
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA11
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA12
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA13
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA14
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA15
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA16
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA17
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA18
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA19
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA20
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA21
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA22
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA23
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - SHA24
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - North Georgia Dining
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 52
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 53
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 54
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 55
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - 56
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Singing in the Garden
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Guest Column: John Manchester
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2016 - Cover4
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