Editor,

There is no place like home and no place like Franklin, Virginia. I have lived in several cities in Virginia, and Franklin is the one that I have decided to raise my family, have a career and dedicate my time to continuing to improve our community. Each city/town/county offers its own culture and that is just one of the attributes of Franklin that is the most attractive to me. When I moved here 10 years ago, the Mill had just closed, businesses were struggling and several individuals had to go outside of the community for work. What I have witnessed in the past decade is the resilience of our small but mighty City of Franklin. Slowly but surely we have been a comeback story for the ages.

We are not without our issues, nor is any other community in our state. We are a work in progress and through our City programs, non-profit groups, school initiatives and strong citizen involvement, we are making progress.

When I look around our community, I see a community college, YMCA, country club with 18-hole golf course, hospital, thriving downtown business district, Business Center, farmer’s market, new businesses opening regularly and large businesses like IP, Solenis, ST Tissue, Hampton Farms, Enviva and more growing their businesses here.

Today I choose to celebrate our community, our businesses, our younger generation returning to do just as I have with a career and a family to raise here in Franklin. What I see is potential, prospering people, and a community open to growth with space for it.

I truly feel lucky to call Franklin home because there is no place quite like it.

Meghan M. Councill

Franklin resident and Chamber of Commerce president