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Journal of Martinsburg: Town invests $27 million into improving quality of life

09.10.19

Martinsburg as captured by the Journal of Martinsburg – find the photo on their Facebook page

BY BREANNA FRANCIS FOR THE JOURNAL OF MARTINSBURG

Among various projects in both utility and beautification, the City of Martinsburg said it has invested over $27 million back into the city in fiscal year 2019-20.

According to City Manager Mark Baldwin, with a total of $23,799,464 from reserve accounts, the general fund and the sales tax fund and an additional $3,338,626 in funds matched by the state, the total reinvestment into the city is $27,138,090.

Baldwin said this much reinvestment shows the city’s efforts to giving back to the community…

Read the full story on the Journal of Martinsburg site »

This pitch competition is by the community for the community in So. WV

09.10.19

BY TERRY BARTLEY, WYOMING COUNTY COMMUNITY COACH, THE HUB

Kris Payne is the business owner of Screen Saver Cell Phone and Computer Repair in Pineville, West Virginia. He opened the doors of his business last year, after participating in one of The HIVE’s small business pitch competitions.

“The experience absolutely motivated me to do something about my community,” Payne said.

Now Payne, along with other Wyoming County volunteers, hope to host a pitch competition of their own. They have called it the WyCo Pitch Fair.

“The whole reason we wanted to do this was that the people’s vote counts for everything,” Payne said, “It’s 100% by the people and for the people.”

This team of volunteers worked together to compose an entry form that helped potential and current small business owners craft a bit of a business plan in order to enter the competition. Team member Emily Paige Cook said it was important to the team that all participants had a fully formed business idea.

“We asked the most important questions to get a sense of what they were doing,” Cook said, “It proves they are serious.”

As an incentive, the team plans to present the winner with a cash prize. They have gathered sponsorships from area businesses, including Thompson and Litton Engineering, EL Robinson Engineering and Summit Community Bank. However, according to volunteer Hannah Saunders, the team plans to offer a bit more.

“We want to give the chance for members of the community to feel like they’re helping us grow Wyoming County,” Saunders said, “We have just launched a GoFundMe Campaign and we are excited that every dollar raised will go to our eventual winner.”

Saunders said the team believes it is important to involve the community in this decision. She said that if this business is going to be in Pineville, it needs to be something the community will support.

The crowdfunding campaign is only one way the team wishes to accomplish this. The first round of the competition will involve every finalist having a video featured on the county’s Economic Development Authority’s social media account. The amount of reactions the video receives will represent 50% of their score.

Next, the team will host the WyCo Pitch Fair on the lawn of the Wyoming County Courthouse on September 29th at 1 p.m. They will be hosting a brunch, in collaboration with the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition and WVU Extension. There will also be kids’ games provided by local organizations. At the event, finalists will have the opportunity to present pitches for their businesses. The community will then vote on the person they believe have the best business idea. These votes will make up the remainder of the participants’ scores.

“These businesses will be serving the community,” said Christy Laxton, Wyoming County Economic Development Director, “We want people to know they have the power to change their community.”

Passionate about affordable housing? There’s a VISTA for that.

09.10.19

BY KATHRYN RYAN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ASSOCIATE, THE HUB

The Community Housing Action Partnership (CHAP) is looking for someone who’s interested in becoming a VISTA to create economic opportunity for local residents by alleviating challenges presented by lack of attainable housing.

Based out of Morgantown, WV, CHAP is a group of concerned stakeholders working to improve opportunities for affordable, accessible and attainable housing in Monongalia County.

“Right now, the main goal for CHAP is to create and maintain an active consortium of stakeholders who improve and increase affordable and accessible housing in Monongalia County through collaborative effort that includes outreach, partnerships, and other activities that will strengthen and enhance the existing network of resources and providers.” -CHAP Administrative Coordinator, Alexis McMillen

This VISTA project will work to build and maintain a more cohesive and informed network of resources for housing in Monongalia County, namely through outreach, programming, and partnership-building.

Think you or someone you know might be interested? Read more about this VISTA position and complete your application here: https://my.americorps.gov/mp/listing/viewListing.do?id=90905&fromSearch=true

Questions? Email me, Kathryn Ryan, at k.ryan@wvhub.org. I’m happy to let you know more about what it means to become a VISTA with The Hub and what role exactly you’d be playing as a VISTA for CHAP.

Exponent Telegram: Women taking charge in Lewis County

09.09.19

Leaders featured in this article were part of heading up the Blueprint Communities kickoff events in Lewis County

Note from The Hub team: Congratulations to Agnes Queen, Cindy Whetsell, Dr. Robin Lewis, Ruth Straley – all members of the Lewis County Blueprint Communities team – for getting the spotlight in this story!

BY REBECCA YOUNG FOR THE EXPONENT TELEGRAM

…In Lewis County, however, women are in leadership positions in government from the county commission to municipal mayors.

The list includes: Agnes Queen, county commission president; Cindy Whetsell, Lewis County administrator; Christina Flanigan, prosecuting attorney; Beth Burkhart, circuit clerk, who works with a small staff comprised of women; Cindy Rowan, county clerk, who also works with a staff of women; Dr. Robin Lewis, superintendent of county schools; Theresa Turner, first female judge for the 17th Family Court District. Also, both Weston and Jane Lew elected women to serve as mayors of their respective municipalities.

“People thought I was a secretary when I was first elected,” Queen said. She has been serving as commissioner for 12 years.

When Queen was first elected, there were 18 county commissioners in West Virginia who were women. Now, there are 21 out of 169 statewide…

Read the full story on the Exponent Telegram site »

Is your work making a difference in southern WV? Apply for a Power of Performance Award

09.09.19

Attendees at the 2018 Small Communities, BIG Solutions Conference

BY STEPHANIE TYREE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE HUB

The team behind the Small Communities, BIG Solutions Conference (register here!) is looking for nominations of communities, groups, organizations and individuals that are driving forward success in Southern West Virginia.

The selected nominees will be honored at the conference on November 18^th with a Power of Performance Award.

The conference partners, including the Alliance for Economic Development in Southern West Virginia, Coalfield Development Corporation, and the WV Community Development Hub, are looking to highlight innovative and passionate projects throughout the event (see our story on last year’s conference). The event will shine a spotlight on professionals, community leaders, and experts and their unique perspectives on Southern West Virginia successes.

About the Award

Power of Performance honorees can either be an individual, employer, nonprofit, organization or institution that is doing something remarkable in Southern West Virginia. These honorees are truly power performers in Southern West Virginia. They are making positive things happen in their neighborhoods, communities, and across the state.

Thought-leaders with a strong grasp of these areas of work are encouraged to submit their success story on their preferred topic. The topics include:

Putting People to Work: Are you involved in a project that is helping to put people to work? Share your story, whether it is through training, connecting workers with existing jobs or hiring workers for your new start up, we want to know how you are helping to connect potential employees with job opportunities. This conference wants to showcase successful workforce programs that are connecting the dots between employers and the workforce as well as employers who are hiring.
Revitalizing Communities: Are you working to help revitalize your community? Share your story, whether you are organizing a recycling program, building more housing, or implementing a community led project, we want to learn how you or your business or organization is helping to redevelop and grow your community.
Changing Lives: Are you or your organization helping West Virginians lead more productive and/or healthier lives? Whether it is through offering support services, unique educational opportunities, counseling or mentoring, we want hear from you. We are interested in learning more about your successful program that is helping to lift individuals out of poverty, giving individuals a second chance on being productive adults, and/or equipping West Virginians with vital training and resources.

The conference team is looking to highlight success stories within the following 21-county region: Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Putnam, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Webster and Wyoming counties.

The selection committee will review the submissions and choose up to six projects to highlight during the conference. Last year’s awardees included the Community Transformation Project (Beckley); Ashland Scenic Campground (McDowell County); Fruits of Labor (Greenbrier County); WV Hive Network (Beckley); High Rocks Educational Corporation (Pocahontas County); and the Healthy Grandfamilies Project (Kanawha County).

To apply, fill out the nomination form by October 23, 2019. Click here to go to the form.

Important Notes

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, October 23, 2019.
All honorees will be notified via email or mail by November 4, 2019.
Self-nominations for this award are encouraged.
Filling out the nomination form does not commit you to any speaking role.
All honorees selected will receive an official invitation to the conference.
Honorees will have an opportunity to share their Southern West Virginia success story during the official conference program.
Honorees will be highlighted in conference materials.

Apply today – complete the nomination form »

Mountain Statesman: Chalk Walk event brings Grafton community together

09.03.19

Image from Buffalo Flats Artists Association Facebook Page

BY MICHAELA FLOHR FOR THE MOUNTAIN STATESMAN

The annual Grafton Chalk Walk held by the Buffalo Flats Artists Association returned for its second year in downtown Grafton this past Saturday, filling Grafton’s sidewalks with colorful drawings.

Buffalo Flats has Grafton High School students run the event every year under the guide of Breanna Collins.

“It teaches them how to plan an event and gives them confidence in doing so. The seniors always pass it down to an underclassman to keep the event going so they are also teaching,” said Collins.

Read the full story on the Mountain Statesman site »

Coal Valley News: Battle of Blair Mountain centennial event scores major grant

09.03.19

BY THE HD MEDIA TEAM

The National Endowment for the Humanities recently awarded the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum a $30,000 challenge grant for The Blair Centennial Project, a plan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 2021.

The NEH grant committee called the Blair Centennial Project “a bold and collaborative effort to use the humanities to foster cultural tourism and give a challenged community hope for the future through respect for the past,” according to a news release.

The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest armed insurrection in the United States other than the Civil War…

Read the full story on the Coal Valley News site »

WCHS: High school students operate professional screen printing shop

09.03.19

BY DANIELLE DINDAK FOR WCHS

Some Nitro High School students are learning more than the typical curriculum and have designed their own business.

Students at Nitro High School are running the Park Avenue Prints screen printing shop.

“It’s become this big thing where we have machines and opportunities that other schools just don’t have the opportunity to do,” Nitro senior Robbie Garbin said.

The printing shop was built from the ground up thanks to teacher Erin Petry and her students as part of Gov. Jim Justice’s economic initiative called Simulated Workplace.

“We have printing, marketing, and accounting just like it was a company out in the real world,” Petry said…

Read the full story on the WCHS site »

Young people are working together to change the future of Boone County

09.03.19

Attendees at the Dig in Madison first Buy Local Pledge Event during local Art Walk (image via Dig in Madison Facebook page)

BY CYNTHIA MCCOMAS, THE HUB

Young people in Boone County are working together to make the change they hope to see in their community with new initiatives through the Next Generation Communities Project and a new community volunteer team, Dig In Madison-Danville.

In Madison, Main Street businesses like Gypsy Sisters Tattoo and Ma & Pa’s BBQ have been coming together to support small business development in the community. Earlier this year, Boone County volunteer, Kandi Workman, organized a series of small business events called the Madison Meet Ups with help from a mini-grant provided by The Hub. The meet ups were planned to encourage current and aspiring small business owners to work together to overcome the difficulties of operating a small business in a rural area.

Now, she and another volunteer, Forest Dolin, are working together on a new community project in an effort to transform the Boone County E-Communities team into a self-led volunteer team, Dig In Madison-Danville. Through Dig In, Forest planned a “Buy Local” kickoff campaign and pledge party to publicize the efforts of the team. For the pledge party, volunteers brought small business owners and community members together to inspire ideas about supporting the local economy.

“We want to hold each other accountable for being loyal to the community,” said Forest.

The team hopes that these events will encourage more entrepreneurs to open businesses in the county. Forest said he’d particularly like to see a business incubator and a coffee shop open up on Main Street in Madison.

In an effort to make these goals even more possible, Boone County volunteers have also signed on to a new program through The Hub and Generation West Virginia. The Next Generation Communities Project is led by Taylor Bennett, The Hub’s Policy Coordinator, and Kayla Wright, the Network Engagement Director of Generation West Virginia. By participating in the program, the volunteers are doing the work of making their communities more attractive for young people to live and work by making necessary community development and policy changes to get new projects off the ground throughout West Virginia.

The project specifically targets young people because the organizers believe they have the greatest potential to increase the local economy, population, and livability in West Virginia communities. “I think that [young people] can do this by coming together to create a shared vision for their communities, then by building relationships with their local elected officials so that they can effectively communicate that vision and push for local change,” said Taylor.

To better understand how local policy change can affect your community, head over to this blog post written by our resident policy expert!

And to learn more about the projects in Boone County and be a part of the conversation, visit the Dig In Madison-Danville and Generation WV Facebook pages.

Richwood is booming! 16 small businesses lead the charge

09.03.19

BY STACY RAFFO, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER + MEMBER OF #RICHWOODRISING COMMUNITY GROUP

With new businesses seemingly popping up every day, it is a very exciting time in Richwood, a community that has known struggles for years. The #richwoodrising team has been collaborating with each other, and building a foundation for possibilities and success by working hard through various programs including the HubCAP program, hosted by the WV Community Development Hub (The Hub), and Blueprint Communities, an initiative with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, and implemented by The Hub.

Richwood Scientific, The Oakford Diner, Hole in the Wall Pizza, Rosewood Antiques, Whistle Punk Grill & Taphouse, Cherry River Roasting, The Chill Out Grill, Darryl’s Barber Shop, Country Hardware, Richwood Heritage Arts, and The Nutt House are all businesses located in Richwood that have opened within the past three years, breathing new life into this one-stoplight town. Seeing their success, and opportunities with a technology presence, a bike trail expansion, and increased motorcycle tourism, more new businesses are on the way.

An outfitter, coffee shop, another antique store (you can never have too many!), an upscale AirBnB and internet provider will all be opening in Richwood within the next few months, most on Main Street. Back Mountain Adventures is at the edge of the Monongahela National Forest, catering to outdoor enthusiasts, they will offer bike and kayak rentals, shuttle service, fishing, and outdoor gear. Opening in the Spring of 2020, a welcome addition with the increased mountain biking trails and ever-increasing fisherman visiting the area. Lisa, a teacher, and her husband Dave King, a coal miner, are looking forward to providing visitors the services and gear they need for a great adventure.

Susan Johnson has looked for a way to get involved in Richwood’s redevelopment for years; she has now found it with Lucy Butterfly. Offering antiques, rare books, vintage clothing, gifts, wine, and curated items, Lucy Butterfly will offer something for everyone. Located at 2 West Main Street, at the red light, a lovely welcome as people come into town.

Appalachian Coffee has built brand recognition around southern WV, with locations in Mt. Nebo, Princeton, and Summersville; Richwood’s Main Street will be the newest location. John Bounds purchased and is renovating a building for the new coffee house at 4 East Main Street; the site will also house Cherry River Roasting allowing visitors to buy freshly roasted beans.

Miami couple, David Ward and Cecil Ybanez are adding another lodging option to Main Street, with David’s Richwood roots, he is excited about this new venture. Their second story, three bedroom, upscale AirBNB will open in the Spring of 2020; offering unique lodging in the heart of Richwood’s historic district, Cecil will bring his interior design background to the project.

Reliable internet service is a struggle throughout the Mountain State, a non-profit, Richwood Scientific, has been working to address better broadband and wifi connectivity, this led to the creation of Silicon Holler Light + Data. Utilizing a tower on the four-story GC Murphy Building, the organization will be able to provide fast, reliable wireless internet to any business or house that can see the tower. Plans for expanding access to other areas in and around Richwood are also being explored.

For more information, contact Stacy Raffo at stacyraffo@gmail.com.