Throughout their almost 30-year marriage, Judy and Paul Lambert have shared many of their childhood tales.
  And in an effort to keep those memories from fading, Judy authored a biography, chronicling her husband's life growing up, including time he spent at Mountain Mission School.
  At around 10 years old, their grandson, Joshua, was an enthusiastic storyteller. As a member of the Rural Rangers, which Judy likened to the Boy Scouts of America, Joshua had spent many a meeting listening to his leaders' tales of old times.
  But, it was when Joshua began telling his own tales of the life his grandfather had that his leaders began to take notice. As they asked to hear more about Paul's childhood, Joshua began asking more about his grandpa's life.
  "All of our parents have stories to tell, if we would just think to ask," Judy says.
  In this case, Joshua did ask and his eagerness to learn more provoked a thought in Judy's mind. What if something happened and Paul was no longer able to tell these amazing stories to his grandchildren, she thought.
  "It was really an effort to write the story for his grandkids," she says.
  And when "Never Really a Child" was published in June 2006, even Paul's children found themselves hearing some untold tales.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  To subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

by JoBeth Wampler
Staff Reporter 
  A mobile home fire on Bradshaw Mountain resulted in the deaths of a 26-year-old McDowell County mother and her five-year-old daughter.
  Cynthia Vance, 26, and her five-year-old daughter, Destiny, died in the January 22 blaze.
  At approximately 8:50 p.m., McDowell County Sheriff's Deputy T.E. Vineyard was in the Iaeger area when the department received the 911 call reporting the fire. Upon arrival, Vineyard said the home was fully involved.
  Vance's husband was able to escape the fire with two of the couple's other children, he said.
  He attempted to go back inside to rescue his wife and daughter, but was unable to get back inside the home due to the fire.
  All three were taken to Buchanan General Hospital, where they were treated.
  The Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office is still investigating the cause for the fire.

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor  
  The Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce set a plan in motion Friday to form a strategic planning committee to eye future business development in the county.
  Chamber Board Member Billie Campbell brought up the idea during Friday’s luncheon meeting, noting that with the development now underway in the Lover’s Gap-Poplar Gap area and the town ready to move forward on its redevelopment site, the climate is ripe for the recruitment of new business.
  “I think it’s imperative for the chamber of commerce to have some sort of role in trying to define business and economic needs,” Campbell said.
  He noted many of those who regularly attend chamber meetings have businesses of their own and have the firsthand experience to know what works and what does not.
  He added there had been some discussion related to surveying law and pharmacy students about their needs and the bottom line, he suggested was that the chamber needed to develop a vision, or plan of attack, on what is needed in the way of new business from its members’ perspective as business owners in the community.
  “There’s a great big potential for a lot of business,” Campbell said, referring to the Lover’s Gap-Poplar Gap project.
  He noted some of the largest sites ever available for development in Buchanan County – some 450 acres in size – will be ready in less than six months.
  Campbell said he would like to see the chamber open the lines of communication with the county and the industrial development authority to have some input in the planning stages.
  “Our membership is a collective wisdom in Buchanan County,” Campbell said. “We have businesses that have failed and businesses that have worked and we need to write down what does and doesn’t work and come up with a future business plan for Buchanan County.”
  He suggested if the chamber did not take the opportunity there now, it placed itself in the role of a spectator or reactionary.
  “The opportunity is now to be a dynamic partner in it,” Campbell said . . .
  “… to help drive it, not just follow it,” Chamber Member Nancy Pruitt agreed.
  South Grundy Supervisor Roger Rife, who is a member of the chamber, said he thought the formation of a planning committee to work with the county is a great idea.
  He noted that projects like the one at Poplar Gap hold much promise for the county and he suggested that what goes on there in the way of housing and job opportunities could turn the tide and stop the county’s overall population drain which has been prevalent for the past seven years.
  Other chamber members also embraced the idea of developing a strategic planning committee, including Lyle Mutter, Ginger Robertson and Jodi Reynolds.
  One of the first things to be done, Mutter said, is to create a lot of self pride and community pride.
  “You have to have a very positive attitude,” Mutter said. “Negatives will not get you anywhere but in a deeper hole.”
  Reynolds made the motion that the chamber form a planning committee and Pruitt seconded the motion. It was agreed to unanimously.
  Chamber President Garnette Owens was asked to put together the initial committee and agreed to work with Chamber Director Mary Belcher to check with members to see who is interested in serving and to put that group together.
  Belcher said after the meeting she was pleased to see the committee formation, noting that she had previously talked to Campbell and to James Keen, the incoming chamber president, about the need for a project in which the chamber could become involved.
  “We have always had a project to work on like the Coalfields Expressway or technology, but as those projects have advanced and continue to be worked on, the need for a new project was evident,” Belcher said, adding she looks forward to working with chamber members to get the committee off to a successful start.
  “I’m real excited about the opportunity to work with a strategic planning committee to help advance business goals and directions as the Poplar Gap-Lover’s Gap project advances,” Belcher said.
  In other business at Friday’s meeting, chamber members discussed the successful annual banquet held in December, as well as the Christmas parade, which was also successful.
  Belcher announced that membership decals are in (see related story, this issue).
  Campbell and Belcher also spoke briefly about the successful January legislative reception and trip to Richmond.
  The chamber will meet again on Friday, February 23 at 11:30 a.m. in the meeting room at Food City at Vansant.