Pam Dudding
Contributing writer
One would think that millennials aren’t quite ready for some of life’s toughest decisions. When the Retired Teachers Association of Craig County, however, asked the local eighth-graders to provide an answer to the question, “Why I love Craig County?”, many were surprisingly pleased.
Joe Polland, a retired teacher, helped gather the answers.
Polland himself is one who was looking for a place to retire after teaching Special Education in South Carolina for over 20 years. “I came up and stopped at Rocky Mount, Hillsville, and was looking for a rural place to live. That’s when someone told me to go to Craig County,” he said.
When his daughter asked why he wanted to move so far back in the country, Polland’s response was, “Craig is rushing badly into the 1950s and that fits me just fine.”
Polland expressed the idea that they wanted the community to know that the eighth-graders have a ‘voice’ and are encouraged to express themselves in how they truly feel about Craig County.
Below are remarks from some of the students. “I love Craig County because…”
•Hannah Ratliff: “Have you ever thought of a beautiful mesmerizing place? I think of Craig County here. I love the summer when you can smell the smoke from the cookouts and watch the stunning sunsets. After I graduate, I want to raise my kids, grandkids and possible great grandkids here because I want them to have the experience I had growing up. This is an extraordinary place to live, laugh and love.”
•Jakab Hannah: “I hope to stay here for the rest of my life and even maybe hope my own kids can grow up in this good small hometown called Craig County.”
•Sean Old: “I personally love the Blue Ridge Mountains and believe this is the best place to experience it. People are always friendly, and you will hear stories all the time about people stopping on the street and helping others. Everybody is willing to be a friend or let them on their property to hunt if you ask.”
•Shelley Devinney: “I grew up with the people in my class and we have grown quite close because of where we live. The fall colors are exquisite, and the smell of the leaves makes me feel at home. When Craig has the Fall Festival, you get to see all the amazing people who live here. I never want to move away from this place because it is perfect for how I want to live. I hope to raise the future ‘mini-me’s’ to love this place too.”
•Sara Jones: “I love the wildlife. Most of the time we could look out the window and see a deer or a bear. School is also very fun because there are few people in our classes. I hope to stay here for the rest of my life.”
•Sierra Mayo: “Craig is my dads’ home. My family dates back all the way to the Indians. I love it here because I can look outside and see a deer. I personally wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
•Kaitlyn Radford: “Here I feel that we value the dollar a little bit more than someone that may live in Los Angeles. I wake up every day with the thought that I am going to go to school to see all of my friends, and know everyone, or almost everyone at the school, whereas somewhere in Roanoke, you don’t know half of your graduating class.”
•Jessica Woolwine: “There are really beautiful mountains in Craig. It is my home and my only home. Craig may be small but is it a place to live and be in peace with other people.”
•Skyler Rodrigues: “It is peaceful and very relaxing because there’s not a lot of traffic like Roanoke and Salem. It’s a good place for people to retire.”
•Nicholas All: “I like winter and watching it snow. The type of hunting I do is bear. I like doing this kind of hunting because you get to walk and experience.”
•Annabelle Gregory: “The reason I love Craig County so much is because I moved here in second grade and everyone took me in with open arms. When I lived on 42 in the summer, I’d go walk up the hill to the farm and hang out with all the cows.”
•Jacob Underwood: “I love Craig County because of mountains, girls and lots of creeks! It’s calm and low populated. It’s a fun place to live. I have friends who live near me so I can ask them if they want to hang out at the creek. Craig County to me is a historical, beautiful place and I’m so happy to live here.”
•Tyler VanDyke: “Maybe you think it is a home of Virginia’s rednecks. However, many people would argue that Craig County has exquisite scenery and a rich background. It has a history that is unique, such as the three wildfires it has encountered and the Victorian houses in New Castle. Whenever I want to see my family, it only takes a few minutes. You may love Craig County, or you may dislike it. But to everyone here, we believe Craig County is ‘home.’”
•Annaika Welch: “I feel it is a place full of faith and love.”
•Adam Charles: “I will always have this small town in my heart until the day I die. I love hunting and fishing at Craig Creek in my boat and just spending time with my parents and two brothers.”
•Lexxy Brookman: “I have lived in Maryland with big buildings, no mountains and a huge population. Craig County is more of a ‘home.’”
•Savannah G.: “My dad grew up here, and my grandparents live a half mile away. We know all our neighbors enough to have a nice chat. It is a close community. If someone is sick, everyone is praying for them. If someone gets married, everyone sends them cards.”
•Ashton Early: “It is a wonderful place that anyone can love. Overall, Craig is amazing and if you think otherwise, you’re wrong.”
“We are hoping that the people who read the article are able to just smile and say ‘yes’ the kids were like we were,” noted Polland. “Though the maddening world is out there, we are away from it to a degree and get so much pleasure from all the things and let’s beat the Craig County drum. Personally, I finally retired here in Craig and I love it and couldn’t ask for anything better.”
