Small town steps up

By Sarah A. Reid
Staff writer

ROBBINS — Members of RobbinsAlive! joke about the black notebook that sits between dog-eared books at Deep River Coffee Co.

You would think The Plan, as they call the notebook, would be heavily guarded or tucked away in some prominent person’s home. But RobbinsAlive!, a group of residents determined to revitalize their town, wants people to look at what it hopes is the blueprint for Robbins’ rebirth.

So the members have left the plan in the Deep River coffee shop, which has become the unofficial headquarters of Robbins’ revival.

Since 1990, the mill town has lost 1,500 jobs, according to state statistics. Nearly a third of those jobs have been lost since 2005.

Officials at the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center have taken notice of Robbins’ plight. Robbins is one of 20 sites taking part in an experimental economic development program called STEP, or Small Towns Economic Prosperity. The pilot, three-year program is designed to revitalize struggling rural communities. More here.