Miyares, Allen, Kilgore take ATV ride

Oct. 13—BOISSEVAIN, Va. — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares' Southwest Virginia "RV Tour" made a stop in Tazewell County Wednesday afternoon.

Miyares was joined by former Gov. and U.S. Sen. George Allen and former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore when they visited the Trailhead ATV Resort near Boissevain to ride on the Spearhead Trail system.

Miyares' four-day trip will consist of stops all across the western portion of the commonwealth, from Roanoke to Norton and Bristol to discuss public safety, economic development, tourism, mental health resources and community outreach.

"This is a special place in the fall," Miyares said. "This is part of my annual listening tour. I love to get out (around the state)."

Miyares said the state has many opportunities and he praised people who step up to create economic opportunity, like the Spearhead Trail system, which includes about 600 miles of trials that run through seven counties in Southwest Virginia.

"I love the innovation of Virginia," he said of taking advantage of the diversity. "To be right here at the Spearhead Trail ... First of all, it's going to be fun."

Miyares said when he was asked if wanted to get out on an ATV trail, he replied, "Sign me up. That's something I don't get to do every day."

"This is a special place that is attracting people from all over," he said. "They have had people from several other countries come here."

Miyares said is becoming an attraction that the state wants, particularly those who visit and spend money, adding that also "means jobs and economic development."

"This is a little treasure in Virginia and one of my favorite things to highlight as one of the best parts of Virginia," he said. "That is what we have right here and it's fantastic to be here."

Allen said they have been busy, starting the day in Roanoke with a bipartisan group that included law enforcement leaders, mayors and legislators, "listening and learning from them what can be done to make communities safer and combat violent crimes."

But Allen said the ATV ride would be a different scenario.

"I am really looking forward to this part of the trip," Allen, who is s first-time rider, said. "This will be the most fun."

Allen, who as governor visited the area many times, including the New Graham Pharmacy in Bluefield, Va. and Trader Jerry's gun shop in Pounding Milll, said the area now features the trail as well as the Back of the Dragon, the Rt. 16 motorcycle and sports car route from Tazewell to Marion, bringing people here from all over who want to experience that fun.

"This ecotourism is fantastic," he said. "People come in, they spend money, it's clean, and they leave and you get all the sales tax revenue in it..."

The creativity and innovation of the people who take the risk and bring these tourist attractions like the Spearhead Trail must be admired, he added.

"You have no idea what you are getting into," Allen said. "We are happy to be folks to help promote small entrepreneurs like this who created this wonderful experience."

"Nothing makes me happier than as we are chatting seeing a line of RVs coming in to participate," Miyares said as guests pulled up the cabins at the trailhead. "That brings me great joy, particularly this time of year when it's so special to come to this part of Virginia with the leaves changing. It's just special to be here."

"It's great to be back," Kilgore said, adding that when he was Secretary of Public Safety for the state "we took the deed for the Pocahontas facility ... and it's great to see that to fruition."

Kilgore, a Southwest Virginia native, said it was also good to drive from Radford through Bland to Tazewell County to see all of the correctional facility jobs that were created when he was in Richmond.

"It's always great to be back home in Southwest Virginia," he said, "and at the most beautiful time of the year."

Miyares said part of his role at attorney general includes highlighting the best of what Virginia is.

"I call these hidden diamonds that many Virginians don't even know about," he said. "Part of the platform we have is to say, 'You don't have to go to West Virginia or Colorado for ecotourism. You can come right here on Virginia. You can spend your time and your dollars here."

Miyares said the beauty about Virginia is "we have such diversity in geography" from beach and bay to the mountains that can be compared to any place in the world.

"We want to highlight these hidden diamonds so more and more Virginians can enjoy the natural beauty we have here," he said.

"Virginia has everything, unless you want a glacier or a desert," Allen said. "Southwest Virginia is so beautiful ... so magnificent... People just need to know about it."

Tazewell County Supervisors Charlie Stacy, Maggie Asbury and Shanna Plaster were also on hand for the event as well AJ Robinson, a former staffer for Allen and now Director of Communications and Tourism for Tazewell County.

— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com