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Editor's corner
A comeback story
with a twist
by
Robert
Powell
Virginia Business
April
2005
The “comeback” has always
been a theme that has intrigued Americans. Many stories
in fiction involve the champion who comes out of retirement
to regain his crown or save the day. Comeback stories
are also the subject of real-life sagas, ranging from
Muhammad Ali to the Boston Red Sox.
The re-emergence of L.
Douglas Wilder as a political figure is a comeback
story with a twist. He and retired Rep. Thomas Bliley
campaigned for an elected mayor for Richmond as a way
to reform city government and give it a unified vision.
Wilder, however, says he never intended to pursue the
job but only ran for office at the urging of city residents.
Wilder’s place in Virginia and national political
history was already secure as the first African-American
to be elected governor of a state. In our cover story,
contributing writer Garry Kranz explores why Wilder
at 74 is trying to transform the government of his native
city.
A comeback of a different sort is the subject of contributing
writer Brett Lieberman’s story on Virginia’s
steel industry. The state’s mini-mills in
Roanoke and Dinwiddie County are symbolic of the change
that has taken place in the industry across the country.
Change is also taking place in the housing industry.
An increasing share of home sales nationally and in
Virginia involve second homes in resort areas. Contributing
writer Lisa Bacon reports that, rather than trade up
for a more expensive primary residence, some home owners
are using the equity in their houses to buy second
homes, as investments and holiday getaways.
That is just one development in the ever-changing real
estate industry, the longest-running comeback story
in the current economy.
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