This statement from the Mayor of Saltville posted a message on Facebook. Read the article blow:
Mayer Cheri Heath Fullen had this to say:
Dear Skeptics of Saltville’s Future,
I came face to face with a few residents this week, who wanted to tell me about the “soon to be” demise of our beloved town. I had the pleasure of correcting them and telling them that just because they have no vision or heart for our future, that plenty of us do not share their negative attitudes.
You see, while you’ve been busy predicting our demise, you’ve missed something remarkable happening right under your nose. Saltville isn’t dying – it’s transforming. Like the salt that gave our town its name, we’re proving to be an essential ingredient in Southwest Virginia’s future.
The truth is, Saltville’s future isn’t determined by your skepticism – it’s being written by the people who love her. By the local entrepreneurs that own businesses. By the families choosing to make their homes here. By the visitors who come for our history and stay for our hospitality. By your elected officials and the hard working people at Town Hall.
So keep your doubts if you must. We’re too busy building our future to be discouraged by those who can’t see it. While you’re shaking your heads, we’ll be shaking hands. While you’re looking backward, we’ll be planning forward. While you’re waiting for our decline, we’ll be working on our rise.
Because that’s what Saltville does. We don’t just survive – we evolve. We adapt. We grow. And if you can’t see that, well, that’s your loss, not ours.
The same salt springs that drew the first settlers here still flow. The same resilient spirit that built this town still runs through our veins. The same determination that helped us weather every storm still drives us forward. We’re not just holding on to our past – we’re building our future, one day at a time.
Come back in five years. Come back in ten. You’ll find us here, stronger than ever, proving that the future belongs to those who build it, not those who doubt it.
Proudly,
Mayor Cheri H. Fullen
A Believer in Saltville’s Future
P.S. – The next time you want to write us off, remember this: Our strength isn’t measured by the size of our population, but by the size of our spirit. And in that measure, Saltville stands tall.
