Take a Moment to Assist Economic Development By Kathleen McFadden Conclusions and recommendations are only as good as the data underlying them, and that’s why AngelouEconomics is requesting that Ashe County business owners and residents complete one of two economic development surveys. The resident’s survey asks respondents to rank a number of quality-of-life and economic issues in terms of importance on a scale of 1 to 5 and to list any improvements they would like to see in the county. The corporate survey includes the same two components and also asks for general information about the company and its expected growth over the next two years. Funded by federal and state money, AngelouEconomics is working with county leaders to create economic development strategies for eight counties in Northwest North Carolina, including Ashe, and the surveys represent one aspect of the company’s data-gathering activities. To ensure a good cross-section of responses, the company’s goal is to collect at least 1,500 completed surveys. As of Monday, March 3, only 500 surveys had been completed and returned. Completing the form will take only a few minutes, especially for those who access it online. Click to http://www.northwestnc.com/, and then click Survey and Comment Board — the last selection on the left side of the Web page. The screen will then offer the choice between the two surveys. Click the appropriate one and answer the questions right on the screen. Paper copies of the surveys are also available in the county manager’s office at the courthouse in Jefferson.