A 91-Year-Old Diner, DIY Zines And Remembering A Legendary Hot Dog Maker

This week on Inside Appalachia, we listen to an encore episode about places in Appalachia that are drawing visitors and newcomers, sometimes at a cost. The region needs new residents to drive economic prosperity, but an influx of buyers can also squeeze out lower income people and put stress on community infrastructure.

West Virginia’s New River Gorge was recently designated as a National Park. That change will likely attract even more visitors — but it will also cut hunting rights in part of the park.

Even with these changes, there remain stalwarts across Appalachia, places that hang on even as the world around them transforms, including a restaurant in downtown Roanoke that has remained open more than 90 years.

We also remember Russell Yann, the longtime owner of Yann’s Hotdogs in Fairmont, who passed away earlier this year. “If there was a fire in the community, usually when the firefighters got back to the station, there would be hotdogs and drinks for them,” said Marion County Sheriff Jimmy Riffle, who worked for Yann for over 20 years. “If you’d gone in there more than once or twice. He would remember your order. Customers would just come in, sit down and we knew what they wanted.”

These stories remind us how the things that we’re passionate about can touch others, build community and create memories that outlast individual lives.