Say what you will about Mt. Airy, North Carolina. This is a town that takes a lot of pride in its community.

We weren’t out of the car for more than a few seconds when a group of people walking across the street greeted us and asked: “Where y’all from?”

Turned out they just came from a Mt. Airy Chamber of Commerce meeting on tourism. When they heard we were from Floyd County, they wanted to know more about our area and told us about plans for a meeting of regional chambers that includes Hillsville and Galax.

When we got back, Don Johnson (of Blue Ridge Views) called the Floyd Chamber to suggest they attend the meeting. The reaction, Don said, was — at best — ho hum.

“They didn’t seem very interested,” he said.

I’m not surprised. Earlier this year, the chamber printed thousands of nice, new tourism brochures (thanks to a grant). Yet you won’t find those brochures in any of the Virginia visitor centers that greet those driving into the Old Dominion on I-81, I-77 or I-95. Why? Because no one has taken the time to do it.

There’s an acronym for this: SNAFU.