12 April 2006

Longwood to host town hall meeting
on development in Farmville community

A town hall meeting on development in the Farmville community will be held Tuesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Longwood University's Hiner 207.

The meeting, free and open to anyone, will explore the potential impact of economic development on the environment. Presenters will include Farmville Town Manager Gerald Spates; Sharon Carney, director of economic development & tourism for Prince Edward County; representatives from the Longwood Small Business Development Center; and others. There also will be a question-and-answer session, followed by a reception.

The meeting is an outgrowth of a current Longwood course, Science and Civics in Action (General Education 495), that evolved from the university's participation in an American Democracy Project (ADP) initiative called The Stewardship of Public Lands.

The coursefocuses on the science and politics of natural resource management. Dr. Scott Cole and Dr. Alix Fink, a political science professor and a biology professor, developed it as a "first step toward engaging the Longwood community in a dialogue about public resources issues," said Dr. Fink. "In identifying a resource issue close to home, students selected development as an important topic that impacts our communmity as well as nearly every other community in the nation."

In an invitation they prepared, students in the class say they are "taking into consideration all aspects and views from local officials, business owners, environmentalists and commercial developers. As members of the community, we feel that Farmville has room to grow, but we also believe that this growth must be handled in a way that protects Farmville's natural resources. The students of the biology and political science departments have joined together to analyze and evaluate the importance of civic responsibility in the Town of Farmville."

Some eight of the 21 students in the class traveled over spring break to Yellowstone National Park to learn about public lands management. The group explored such issues as bison management and wolf reintroduction, among others.

The American Democracy Project, co-sponsored by The New York Times and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, seeks to help students become active and informed citizens. Longwood is one of about 200 colleges and universities participating in the effort, which began about three years ago.