Kaine talks business in downtown Bristol | TriCities.com

DAVID CRIGGER/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER - Former Va. Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine talks with supporters at the Bristol Public Library on Saturday.

BRISTOL, Va. --

Talking small business and promoting the city?s culture ? that was former Gov. Tim Kaine?s agenda Saturday as he walked the downtown area with city officials.

Kaine, who is campaigning for a seat in the U.S. Senate, spoke Saturday morning with local Democrats at the Bristol Public Library, and then visited business owners on State Street in the afternoon.

?It?s a chance to see the good work Bristol has done downtown,? he said. ?When you have beautiful buildings, you want to save them. There once was a time when everything was downtown, then it moved out to the malls, and now downtowns are coming back, and that?s a good thing.?

During his tour of State Street, Kaine stopped in at Benjamin D. Walls Gallery, and spoke with owner Benjamin Walls.

?We talked about renovation downtown ? he seemed very positive about what?s going on,? Walls said. ?It?s always exciting to get somebody in town that can make a difference.?

Kaine said small businesses help strengthen the economy.

?I?m doing economic roundtables across the Commonwealth,? he said. ?And, it?s great to be down here on State Street, meeting small business owners and talking with them.?

Bristol, Va., Mayor Ed Harlow accompanied Kaine on his walk through the city.

?We?re delighted to have him,? Harlow said. ?The fact he started [his campaign] here in Southwest Virginia speaks to where his intent is. When he was governor ? he was good to Southwest Virginia.?

Kaine is running for the seat currently held by Democrat Jim Webb, against former U.S. Sen. George Allen. He spent three days in Southwest Virginia ? he spoke with folks in Galax on Thursday, toured the University of Virginia?s College at Wise, the new Dominion power plant in Virginia City and CGI in Lebanon on Friday and spent Saturday in the Bristol area.

After visiting about a half-dozen shops downtown, sampling white chili in Cranberry Lane and fielding questions about online sales taxes along the way, Kaine visited the office of Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion. There, he talked with Leah Ross, executive director, about this year?s plans ? he may once again take the stage with Harlow and the Harlow Experience ? and about the up-and-coming Birthplace of Country Music Cultural Heritage Center, which still lacks about a million dollars to reach its fundraising goal.

?Things like Rhythm & Roots and the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance are creating experiences that are fun and unique,? Kaine said. ?And they tell a story. Few cities have this unique culture ? the birth of a whole genre that people love worldwide.?

?

arobinson@bristolnews.com
(276) 645-2531

Twitter: @BHC_Allie

Source: http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/mar/11/kaine-talks-business-downtown-bristol-ar-1756120/

sticks and stones sticks and stones top chef powerball winner powerball winner narwhals narwhals