Mark Sage is the group editor/publisher of the six Media General owned community newspapers that make up Southwest Virginia Today. As such, he writes the OP/ED column entitled OUR VIEW. His current editorial, which appears in four of the six papers, is entitled “At the heart of Heartwood’s trouble.” Heartwood is the new cultural center opening June 17, just off exit 14 of I-81 near Abingdon. Please click on and read the above-underlined links before you continue.

My initial reaction to Sage’s column was geezus, who peed in this guy’s Wheaties? Let me stop here for a second and explain a few things. Unlike the majority of the two dozen or so folks I have spoken with the past two days, I really enjoy the Wytheville Enterprise. I just wish it was larger and contained a weekend crossword puzzle. One business owner had this to say, “We get the newspaper, but I don’t read it. They’ve lost all credibility as far as the business community is concerned.” I sincerely hope that is not the case.

As I’ve said before, I think the Enterprise does a pretty good job considering the rapidly changing climate they and all newspapers large and small face. The cost of doing business is constantly going up, while readership and advertising revenue is declining. As more and more people look to the internet and digital media for their news, we are watching print media go the way of the horse and buggy. At least one major newspaper ceased publication last year and is now available only online.

I don’t know Mark Sage; I’ve never met him. Furthermore, I’ve only had one rather disjointed telephone conversation with him, which took place Friday afternoon when I called to ask about his motivation for the Heartwood column. I say disjointed because I was ill prepared with my questions, and Sage was forced into a defensive position from the get go because of the thinly veiled righteous indignation in my voice. After a half hour, we ended the conversation with my promising a rebuttal to his editorial. To Sage’s credit, he offered to publish whatever I had to say in the same space he publishes his column. Thanks Mark, but I prefer to keep things the way they are.

Being the pithy gonzo blogger that I am, I considered writing something like, “Hey Mark, I’ve tried to see things from your point of view, but I can’t get my head that far up my ass.” Cheap shots are a blogger’s stock and trade. Instead, I went to the archives and started reading Sage’s columns in reverse order. After reading every one for the past year, I realized something. I agree with every single thing he has written except the current editorial. I’m still in disbelief. I don’t agree with anyone, and I mean ANYONE about anything all the time. I’m a contentious lil’ sumbitch and proud of it. I believe Heartwood and the creative economy are the future. On these issues, Mr. Sage and I will have to agree to disagree. I believe I’m right and he’s wrong.

David Manley, the GM of West Wind Farm Vineyard and chairman of the Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Committee put it this way:

“The creative economy is one of the keys to southwest Virginia’s future, both economically and socially. There is so much to be proud of in our rich cultural heritage, so why not leverage it? There are countless talented artisans, musicians, storytellers, craftspeople, and artists in our region. We should be showing off their work and wares and not discouraging its visibility and marketability.

Tourism in general will be bolstered by Heartwood. Its initial purpose is to serve as a central repository and showcase for Southwest Virginia’s vast offerings (from pottery and brooms to musical instruments, wine, and cuisine). People can then use it as a central starting point for their exploration of our region. I know it will have a positive economic impact for all our localities and anyone not on board with its mission will be on the wrong side of history very soon.”