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Three West Virginians named “Outstanding Young Americans”

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Image courtesy West Virginia Jaycees

BY TERRY BARTLEY, PRESIDENT, WEST VIRGINIA JAYCEES

The West Virginia Jaycees announced that three West Virginians have been named recipients of the 2018 Ten Outstanding Young Americans, one of the oldest and most prestigious recognition programs in America. Previous honorees include Bill Clinton (1979), John F. Kennedy (1946), Dick Cheney (1976), Kurt Warner (2010), Wayne Newton (1977), Gale Sayers (1969), Elvis Presley (1970), Michele Tafoya (2001), and Ruth Riley (2014).

They will be honored at the 80th annual black-tie awards ceremony on Saturday, September 29, 2018, at the Doubletree by Hilton in Denver, Colorado.

Each year, JCI USA recognizes the accomplishments of ten individuals who are truly outstanding in the areas of business or entrepreneurial accomplishment, political achievement, humanitarian and voluntary leadership, and more. Through an intense judging process, these ten individuals were selected from a field of nearly 50 nominations.

“These ten individuals represent the best and the brightest of young people in America and we should strive to emulate them in our everyday actions. Each Honoree has shown a commitment to that hope, reminding all Americans that no problem is too difficult when handled with grace, ingenuity, courage and determination,” said Noelle Nachreiner, 2018 National President for JCI USA.

The three West Virginians honored are:

  • Caitlin Ahrens, 26, PhD Graduate Student in Space & Planetary Science, NASA Solar System Ambassador, Fairmont, WV
  • Jeremy Harrison, 39, Co-Founder/Chief Operating Officer, Helping Heroes: A Center for Veteran Resources, Glen Dale, WV
  • Alyson Hehr, 23, President/Founding Member, Alyson’s Angels, Wheeling, WV

 

Charleston Gazette Mail: Upcoming Trail will Connect Parkersburg to Pittsburgh

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photo of a bicycle

A bicycle parked on a forest trail

BY RICK STEELHAMMER FOR THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE MAIL

Biking on a 238-mile rail trail from Parkersburg to Pittsburgh could become a reality in the next 10 years under a plan to link existing rail trails coordinated by the national Rails to Trails Conservancy.

The Parkersburg to Pittsburgh Trail, known as the P2P by those involved in its planning, is already about 80 percent complete, thanks to existing rail trails along its corridor. From Parkersburg to the Pennsylvania border, only 22 miles of the 155-mile trail — nearly all of it along abandoned railroad tracks — have yet to be connected.

Once the P2P is completed as far north as Connellsville, Pennsylvania, bicyclists can connect with the existing Great Allegheny Passage trail and ride to Cumberland, Maryland, for a link to the C&O Towpath Trail, which ends in Washington, D.C., or continue north to Pittsburgh on the completed GAP.

Read the full article from The Charleston Gazette Mail here »

West Virginians putting the State Historic Tax Credit to work

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Phoebe Randolph. Edward Tucker Architects.

BY TAYLOR BENNETT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT POLICY COORDINATOR, THE HUB

West Virginians are already putting the State Historic Tax Credit to work!

The Hub team is delighted to see Phoebe and Justin Randolph’s hard work on Huntington’s Progress Building getting attention from The Huntington Herald-Dispatch.

Phoebe, an architect who played an integral part in the design of the newly renovated building, was part of the Revitalize West Virginia Downtowns campaign and the Abandoned Properties Coalition, a group that strove to increase the State Historic Tax Credit. Phoebe and Justin’s work exemplifies how the increased historic tax credit can drive economic development in West Virginia communities.

Thanks for taking the lead, Phoebe and Justin!

From the article:

A newly renovated building in the 400 block of 8th Street, just across from the Cabell County Courthouse, is now ready for tenants, according to the building’s new owner, Justin Randolph of Progress LLC in Huntington.

The Progress Building has 12,000 square feet of space on three floors and additional square footage in its basement, Randolph said.

“This beautiful building is ready for tenants,” he said. “It’s set up with a new elevator, egress stair, storefront, windows and the space is wide open ready to build out.”

The first floor has been developed for retail, and Randolph says the building can accommodate tenants of any size.

“We are making some of the retail spaces on the first floor smaller so that we can attract new, young entrepreneurs that may want to start a business, but may not be able to afford a huge space to rent,” Randolph said. “We could have as many as five or six spaces available and all at great rates for a prime downtown location.”

Read the full article by Fred Pace on the Herald Dispatch site »

New garbage truck, new outlook for the Town of Whitesville

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BY KAYCIE STUSHEK, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NETWORK COORDINATOR, THE HUB

When many of us think about garbage, we think, out of sight, out of mind. But for cities and towns across WV, service fees collected for garbage disposal can be key to funding services like the police department, street lighting, and other necessary expenses to keep the town running – and residents safe.

This is the case for Whitesville, WV in Boone County.

Over the past few years, though, the Whitesville garbage truck started to face more and more problems.

Then, the closure of the Boone County Garbage Dump Transfer Station forced the truck to be driven all the way to Charleston to dump trash. The truck already had its fair share of problems  and this extra strain was aggravating the problem of breakdowns – and missed garbage pickups.

Residents were upset that they were paying a fee for an inconsistent service. There was pressure on Whitesville to get a new garbage truck, but these vehicles cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Residents were upset that they were paying a fee for an inconsistent service.

The Town of Whitesville went to work. They spent many months making connections, asking favors, and seeking out funding resources. When Matt Lively, a town council member who had previously worked in South Charleston, got ahold of some folks he knew in that area to see if they had any surplus property – Whitesville had a breakthrough.

The City of South Charleston responded by donating a truck that had some transmission problems, but had a sound structure.

Whitesville then worked with Hutches Wrecker Services LLC, who donated their services to have the garbage truck towed to a truck shop so the transmission could be fixed. The town then collaborated with the Boone County Commission to direct funds to the town of Whitesville to fix the new garbage truck’s transmission, including a warranty, at no cost to Whitesville residents.

This story is a testament to Whitesville residents who set a goal, researched options, put themselves out there, and built relationships in order to provide for their town.

All of this was achieved through the collaboration of many community leaders and local businesses including Whitesville City Clerk Chris Prater, Town Council members David Hodges, Steven Morris, Kim Dillon, Dustin Seanze, and Matt Lively, Mayor Fred Harless, Town Recorder Susan Grubbs, City of South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens, Public Works Director Gerald Burgy, and City Manager Rick Atkinson, Hutches Wrecker Services LLC, and the Boone County Commission.

This story is a testament to Whitesville residents who set a goal, researched options, put themselves out there, and built relationships in order to provide for their town – and the story is continuing. The work has been done to find and fix up the truck, but there is more to tell in the way of getting the truck up and running on its regular route – and all of the many more people and businesses who are a part of this tremendous collaborative effort to save an essential service in Whitesville.

We will be posting an update on the truck’s progress, including recognition of the many contributors in the near future. (If you have been a part of this effort, and are not named here, please reach out to k.stushek@wvhub.org so we may salute you moving forward!)

As David Hodges put it, “We plead our case, worked hard to reach out, and people really came through and were there for us.”

Congratulations Whitesville!

Williamson Daily News: Spotlight on Wyoming County community advocate, veteran Jim Cook

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Jim Cook via Facebook

BY DESIREE SHORT FOR WILLIAMSON DAILY NEWS

Who is that man in the hat behind the camera?

For starters, his name is Jim Cook. But he is a photographer and so much more.

Cook is an asset to the community who is active all over the county and has certainly made a name for himself.

An Oceana native who served our country for 26 years in the US Air Force, Cook has traveled all over the United States and was stationed in Texas, Michigan and California, which is where he met his wife, Dawn. After retiring from the military, Cook decided to bring his family back to Wyoming, the county he calls home.

Since returning home in 2008, Cook has become somewhat of a community activist, inspired, in part, by a less-than-flattering piece aired on an entertainment cable channel…

Read the full article on the Williamson Daily News site »

Mountain Statesman: WV Community Throws a Party to Bash Trash

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Getting Ready for the Party (All Aboard Grafton Facebook Page)

By Nicki Skinner, Mountain Statesman Editor

Two Taylor County citizens, frustrated with the illegal dumping of garbage, decided to organize an event, in conjunction with Taylor County Project HOP2E, to shed a light on the growing issue.

Sherri and Louis Friend were instrumental in organizing the first-ever Thornton Trash Bash, which was held on Saturday.

Despite the heavy rain and storms that moved through the area, S. Friend said that they felt really good about the turnout of people at the event.

“We were very happy with the community’s turnout for the bash,” shared S. Friend. “Throughout the day, we had probably 50 people who came to see what we were offering.”

During the bash, volunteers took the time to help pick up litter along Route 50, near the old Thornton School, and Tygart Valley Watershed volunteers took part in a creek clean-up.

Vendors were set up selling goods, and Nanny’s Ice Cream was present, offering a cool treat, on the humid summer day.

Guests were able to grab some food, while they visited booths or gathered information about the importance of recycling and properly disposing of trash.

In addition, Taylor County Project HOP2E held a food distribution, for families in need…

View the full article on the Mountain Statesman website »

Now Accepting Nominations – 2017 Spirit of Philanthropy Awards

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Diane Hinkle accepts the 2016 Staff Leadership Award

Do you know of a remarkable program or project that has had a critical impact in WV; a star philanthropic volunteer; or a WV corporate giving/foundation staff person who has made a significant difference in our state in the past two years?

If so, please take a few minutes to nominate them for the 2017 Spirit of Philanthropy Awards presented by Philanthropy West Virginia.

Awards will be presented in the following categories:

  1. Volunteer Philanthropic Leadership (individuals),
  2. Critical Impact (recognizing programs, partnerships, and organization having a critical impact through their work), and
  3. Staff Leadership (recognizing a foundation or corporate giving staff person doing remarkable work).

The deadline for nominations is August 1, 2017.

Submit your nominee today »

Meet Nate Smith, “a Force to be Reckoned with” for McDowell County

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Nate Smith

Northfork, West Virginia is a tiny town situated in eastern McDowell County, with a population of 421 according to the 2010 Census.  There’s not much there- ATV trails dot the landscape with a few local restaurants and a dollar store here and there.  Specifically, when youth look for a place to hang out, they often come up short.  One man is looking to change that.

Nate Smith, past recipient of the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, is on a mission to help his town create a safe space for youth.  Nate is a force to be reckoned with and like many movers and shakers in McDowell County, he wears dozens of hats.  At any given time you can find him coaching basketball or football at Mountview High School, volunteering at the local food bank, starting a high school tennis team, helping with community based soccer programs put on by WVU Extension McDowell County, or just trying to make his lifetime home a better place. 

Nate plans to either convert an abandoned building or build a new community facility, specifically for youth in Northfork.  “I want a place where they feel safe, and kids can come and hang out and play ball or work on homework.  A place that takes care of after-school needs – a lot of these kids are headed home after school to nothing, even food.  I want to change that.”  Nate is passionate about his third space creation – the theory that people need a place to hang out besides home and work or school.  In adult cases, this is often a restaurant, coffee shop, bar, or yoga studio.  For Nate, he sees this as a place for youth to gather, adults to be employed, and the community to interact.  “Sports and activities outside the home bring so much more than just competitiveness, it’s how some kids learn to get along with each other and build those life skills.” 

While this dream is gathering steam, Nate is keeping himself busy by participating in and directing community based sports programs.  He’s formed a nonprofit called Grayhound Youth Sports and is deep in learning organizational structure – he saw a need and simply decided to do something about it.  He subscribes to the theory that everybody can be engaged with physical activity at any level, and plans on running camps during the summer whether he has a building or not.  “You can put on a camp anywhere, for anybody. Let’s use our local parks and show people that they can be utilized for awesome activities too!” replies Nate with a laugh when asked about camp ownership and just where he plans on having these camps.  For Nate, every single struggle is seen as an opportunity to make a stronger and better program.  One thing is for sure, this infectious energy and personality is needed and will go far in Southern West Virginia. 

If you would like to get involved, Nate can be reached at grayhoundyouthsports@gmail.com.Hello, Jenny

Yes! Magazine: Kentucky Community Joins Forces to Rebuild Economy

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All join hands for a round of square dancing at the Carcassonne Community Center. Photo credit: Lafayette College. Source.

By Peter Slavin

Nearly 50 years ago, on a presidential campaign swing through eastern Kentucky, Sen. Robert Kennedy promised to help a disabled coal miner build a community center in the tiny mountain town of Hemphill to give idle youth and others a place for recreation and meetings.

James Johnson used the brick-making machine and VISTA workers that Kennedy supplied to create community space and built a park and area for horseback riding.

Years later Johnson developed black lung disease and couldn’t keep the center going. After he died, his widow, Mabel, helped establish a new Hemphill Community Center in this mountainous region in the heart of Appalachia.

Now the Johnsons’ daughter, Gwen, is trying to save this piece of family legacy by opening a catering business inside the center, which saw operating funds diminish as tax revenues from the coal industry declined.

The network of local organizations that helped get Hemphill Catering up and running is part of an unusual form of grassroots economic development underway in this community, staggered by the collapse of coal.

It’s known as the Letcher County Culture Hub, a broad and growing collaboration of arts and media groups, for- and non-profit outfits, community organizations, and government agencies that help one another survive and grow…

Read the full story at Yes! Magazine »