Today we took a trip down to Fayette County, a little less than an hour and a half away from Pittsburgh. We spent our time in the town of Connellsville and heard about the work the Fayette County Cultural Trust does toward economic development in the community. Their most successful project has been building the town around the GAP Trail, a biking trail that links many Eastern states together. They’ve become a spot to stop and experience, not simply a town to pass through on a journey. Many of their accomplishments come not only from fundraising, but also from grant work with many local and regional organizations and government agencies. This experience helped inform my recommendations for the town of Carrigart because it helped to show that a town truly thrives when it keeps its core. We should not hope to change Carrigart into a completely different town, but simply one that builds upon their strengths and reaches for every opportunity possible.