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Call for essays that share new and different perspectives on life in Appalachia

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BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

Berea College’s Loyal Jones Appalachian Center is putting out a call for Appalachians to tell their story about how they thrive in the places they call home.

The narratives that are told about Appalachians, and West Virginians, on the national stage frequently do not reflect our lives as we live them today. The Loyal Jones Appalachian Center’s goal is to help new and different stories be told and heard by fellow Appalachians and across the nation.

They are asking for submissions for an essay contest that will shed a light on new and different perspectives of Appalachia.

Contest organizers share:

“Submissions should provide the author’s compelling life story that illustrates the challenges of coming of age, working, and living in the realities of family and community. If your narrative features personal success in the face of adversity, it will be advantageous to acknowledge the impact of community, community institutions, and societal factors on your life. The same applies in the other direction: family stories or stories chronicling a community often will benefit from a deeper look at your personal struggles and triumphs. We also welcome essays that link one’s personal story to social issues and solutions in the region and nation.”

The winning submission will receive a prize of $1,250, with a second place of $750, and a third place of $500.

Winners and finalists will have the option of being published by the Loyal Jones Appalachian Center on their website.

The contest will be judged by Silas House, an award winning, best-selling novelist and the NEH Chair of Appalachian Studies at Berea College.

Read the official contest submission information »

 

 

Films featuring WV’s 2014 Water Crisis to be shown in Lewisburg this weekend

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Crick in the Holler, courtesy Ursula Ellis

Many have heard of, or lived through, the Water Crisis that happened in the Kanawha County, WV area in 2014, when the Elk River was contaminated with the chemical MCHM, leaving 300,000 people without access to clean water. The event received national attention and was featured in multiple news articles and films, through fictional short stories, investigative journalism, and documentaries. Two of those films will be featured in Lewisburg this weekend.

The WV premiere of Crick on the Holler, a fictional short story set during the Water Crisis will be screened and will be followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker and WV native, Ursula Ellis.

What Lies Upstream, a documentary/political thriller featuring the water crisis, will also be featured.

To learn more about this chapter in WV history, head to the Lewis Theater in Lewisburg, WV this Saturday, June 9th at 7pm.

The event is free, and is sponsored by Greenbrier River Watershed Association, Friends of Lower Greenbrier River, and Indian Creek Watershed Association.

Find out more about the event »

View the trailer and interviews with the filmmaker for Crick in the Holler »

You’re Invited! Thomas Celebration April 26

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Photo courtesy of Josh Stevens

BY NEW HISTORIC THOMAS

Thomas Celebration

April 26 | 6:30-8:30pm | Cottrill’s Opera House

The board of New Historic Thomas has decided it is high time to celebrate the successes we have found in our town over the years. From new businesses, public art, trail updates, downtown beautification- you name it, we want to celebrate it! The success of Thomas is truly a community effort and is one that we should we should be proud of!

What can you expect from this party?

  • Food by Farm Up Truck
  • Drinks from local breweries
  • A look into the work that New Historic Thomas has been doing
  • The opportunity to surround yourself with community members who are passionate about Thomas!

See the full details here. We hope to see you there for what we know will be a fun night!

See the full event details on New Historic Thomas’s Event Page »

National Coal Heritage Area Partnership Program Grant Opportunity!

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Coal Area Power Plant

BY CHRISTY BAILEY FOR THE NATIONAL COAL HERITAGE AREA AUTHORITY

The National Coal Heritage Area (NCHA) is one of 49 nationally designated heritage areas in the Unites States. It represents a part of the growing effort of the National Park Service to develop resource protection initiatives for areas of national importance that rely on partnerships and private ownership rather than the traditional methods of federally owned parklands. The mission of the National Coal Heritage Area is to preserve, protect, and interprety lands, structures, and communities associated with the coal mining heritage of southern West Virginia.

Read the full article from The National Coal Heritage Area Authority here »

Mine Wars Museum Wins Grant

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Photo Credit : Mine Wars Museum

BY KAYCIE STUSHEK, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NETWORK COORDINATOR, THE HUB

Learning from the past is why we study history. There are always lessons to be learned: from our failures, from our successes, and from the events that constantly happen around us. The Matewan Mine Wars Museum is striving to teach lessons learned from a part of history that is unknown to most of our country: the fight for human rights by miners at a time when miners’ rights were constantly being stripped away.

The Mine Wars Museum scored a big win in pursuit of this teaching goal, winning a grant of $6820 from the WV Humanities Council to continue providing the public with valuable educational experiences. While the grant will be distributed to address various needs of the museum, including the production of journals about museum events, the educational outreach program being funded by the grant is the source of a lot of excitement.

The “Mine Wars Education Outreach Initiative” is a program designed to teach students from grades 4 to 6, junior high school, and high school, about the Mine Wars. Each of these three age groups will have a curriculum designed to best teach them about this fight for basic human rights, as well as fun activities and other supplies that have been covered by the grant. Jack Seitz has already been signed on as the education outreach teacher, and the program is planned to start as soon as possible.

The Mine Wars Museum is working with a number of local entities to capitalize on the Mine Wars Education Outreach Initiative, including schools, individual community members, and the HubCAP team, a team of community members who came together as a part of WV Community Development Hub’s Communities of Achievement Program. The grant proposal and implementation has been a “complete team effort”, according to Wilma Steele, a Mine Wars Museum board member. “Lou wrote the grant, Katey is working with Jack on the curricula, I’m working with education partners in the community, Elijah is helping with research and writing, and Catherine is providing support and help launching the project… We wanted to make sure nobody felt overwhelmed,” describes Wilma.

Herbie Dotson, a member of the HubCAP team who will be working with Wilma Steele on the education outreach, mentioned how Matewan has had its fair share of difficulties, but how those difficulties can create positive and innovative change. “Matewan and the surrounding area offers picturesque landscapes coupled with rich history and incredible stories that we feel visitors to the area are interested in. We recognize these assets can help us build a new and sustainable industry based on history and adventure tourism, and museums are a key component to sharing our story with visitors to the area,” he says while talking about the importance of the grant to the community.

As can be seen, this grant from the WV Humanities Council is the result of another strong team effort by the Matewan Mine Wars Museum and the community. By using this program to teach students about the community’s history, Matewan is preparing children for the future.If you want to learn more about the Mine Wars Museum or have any questions, visit https://www.wvminewars.com/contact/.

WV Mine Wars Museum to screen Matewan in S. Charleston this October

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BY CATHERINE MOORE, SECRETARY, WV MINE WARS MUSEUM; WRITER/RADIO PRODUCER

At the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, we meet people all the time who have some kind of deep connection to the history of labor organizing in this state—whether their grandfather fought at Blair Mountain or their grandmother lived in a tent camp at Paint Creek. But we find that one of the most common connections that people have to this history is their involvement in the making of the acclaimed film Matewan. 

Shot in the New River Gorge town of Thurmond, West Virginia, and featuring local residents as extras, Matewan captures a critical moment in labor history when miners across the Southern Coalfields led a rank and file organizing drive that would change the course of labor relations in our nation for decades to come.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the film. Our museum wanted to honor its makers, director John Sayles and producer Maggie Renzi, with a special event where people can get together and relive their memories, engage with the filmmakers, and watch this beautiful film for the first, tenth…or hundredth time!

Our museum is already gearing up for a big Centennial Celebration of the Battle of Blair Mountain in 2021, when we plan to organize fun history events across several counties in southern West Virginia. All proceeds from this film screening will help us make that happen.

So please, join us on October 7th to catch one of two screenings at The Labelle Theatre (3pm and 7pm) in South Charleston, along with a raffle, live music, refreshments, Mine Wars Museum merchandise and a Q&A with the film’s creators. There will also be some surprise special guests in the audience! Tickets are available for $10 at wvminewars.com, or at the door.

  • Event: WV Mine Wars Museum screens Matewan
  • Location: The LaBelle Theatre (313 D St, South Charleston, WV 25303)
  • Date: October 7, 3pm and 7pm (two screenings)
  • Tickets: $10, pay at the door and wvminewars.com

Members of the WV Mine Wars Museum are also invited to a bonus event: a Members Mingle with John Sayles and Maggie Renzi at Noon at the Unitarian Universalist Chuch in Charleston (520 Kanawha Blvd., W). Non-members may sign up for membership at http://www.wvminewars.com/member or pay $20 at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Many thanks to the West Virginia Humanities Council for their co-sponsorship of this event, and to the National Endowment for the Humanities for their support of the Blair Centennial Celebration.

Photo Series: A Day in Matewan, WV

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of introducing my co-worker at The Hub Kaycie Stushek and my dear friend Daniel Raines to one of my favorite West Virginia communities, Matewan. I started working in Matewan about four years ago and have been in love ever since. We got lucky that day in that Daniel had his camera with him and happens to be a wonderful photographer.

I would like to offer a few of those photos with you here so you may share in the beauty of Matewan…

The first time I drove into Matewan, all I could think of was how the buildings along the main stretch made me immediately think of a movie scene – cardboard cutouts of buildings. I know – weird thought and it still makes me laugh when I think about it today.

These photos capture Matewan’s Visitors Center which happens to be the train depot. The community has worked endless hours to keep the visitors center open to the public and has done a tremendous job of making improvements along the way.

 

During our visit, we made some time to take a ride on the Hatfield McCoy Airboat. If you haven’t been on an airboat, it is a must do!

The next two photos are of the Historic Matewan Jail. There is an amazing group of folks working to reopen the jail to the community and visitors. They have come a long way from where they have started!

I love this photo for two reasons – 1) It showcases the massive flood wall and 2) It gives a beautiful glimpse into the town of Matewan.

And of course you can’t visit Matewan without seeing at least one, two, six trains pass through while you are there…

 

Hi, Amanda.

The Record Delta: Buckhannon to Transform Historic Downtown Theater into Arts Center

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Source: Flickr

by Katie Kuba/Staff Writer

The City of Buckhannon has received more than $100,000 in grant funds to turn an old theater into a modern arts center.

Buckhannon learned Monday that it had been awarded an $102,000 grant from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History to continue transforming the historic Colonial Theatre, at 48 E. Main St., into a multi-purpose space/arts center, according to a city press release. The grant was made possible through the National Endowment for the Arts and the state legislature. Built in 1924, the historic structure operated as the Colonial Theatre from 1924 to 1973 before morphing into the Cinema Theatre from 1973-1980. Then, in 1980, it seesawed between functioning either as a restaurant or bar until its closure in 2014.

In January 2017, the city purchased the structure from Catherine Cuppari for $60,000.

City officials couldn’t be happier about the news, although they weren’t completely surprised, mayor David McCauley said Monday. The primary preparer of the grant application — city architect Bryson VanNostrand — had seemed hopeful that the city would be awarded at least some funding, although he wasn’t sure how much, McCauley said.

Read the article at The Record Delta website »

NextCity: How Does a City Create a New Art Museum?

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Photo courtesy Huntington Music and Arts Festival

By Jen Kinney/NextCity.org

The city of Phoenix is considering opening a new Latino arts and culture center, but what exactly that means, where it might be located, and how it might sustain itself are all up for debate.

A group of city leaders and arts organizations have pushed for years to open a space dedicated to Latinos’ cultural contributions. Now, the city is considering using $1.4 million of bond funding originally approved by voters for the now-defunct Museo Chicano to make it a reality.

First though, a lot of questions: Do residents want a space for exhibition? Or for art-making? Will it only offer cultural resources? Or other services, like help with immigration law, that are relevant to the Latino community? Will it be a new building, or a retrofit of an existing one?

With the help of a consultant and input from three town halls and an online survey, the city is now trying to determine the answers to some of those questions…

Read the full story at nextcity.org

In West Virginia, New Downtown Development Projects Hinge On Historic Tax Credits Bill

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Photo by kingstonlounge.blogspot.com

The Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 238, which would increase the state tax credit available for redeveloping historic buildings, passed through the full Senate unanimously on March 29, and was reported to the House, where it was referenced to the House Finance Committee.

The substitute is essentially the same as the original bill with the addition of a December 31, 2017 effective date, which means no historic tax credits will be applied to taxpayers personal or corporate net income tax liability until at least January 1, 2019.

From here, the bill must compete with 40 other pieces of legislation jostling to be put on the House Finance agenda, before moving to the House floor by Thursday, April 6 to have a shot at becoming law.

With a close eye on whether the increased tax credit eventuates, Brian Wishneff & Associates out of Roanoke, Virginia are looking into redevelopment projects in Charleston, Huntington, Martinsburg, Clarksburg, and Fairmont.

Increasing the state historic tax credit from 10 percent of 25 percent, would make West Virginia’s 92 commercial and mixed-use historic districts significantly more attractive to developers, which often opt to invest in neighboring states like Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, thanks to higher state historic tax credit incentives.

The passage of this bill through the legislature has already attracted the interest of outside investors. With a close eye on whether the increased tax credit eventuates, Brian Wishneff & Associates out of Roanoke, Virginia are looking into redevelopment projects in Charleston, Huntington, Martinsburg, Clarksburg, and Fairmont.

While the final deals are not yet in place, the firm is making plans to invest in the Mountain State following the passage of SB 238. In Clarksburg, City Manager Martin Howe believes an increased state historic rehabilitation credit would incentivize redevelopment of the Goff Building and the Waldo Building, both of which are located in downtown Clarksburg.  

“Increasing West Virginia’s State Historic Tax Credit would open the floodgates of additional investment in Wheeling.”

Glenn Elliott, the Mayor of Wheeling, recently told The Hub that “increasing West Virginia’s State Historic Tax Credit from 10 percent to 25 percent would open the floodgates of additional investment in Wheeling. Because of Wheeling’s geographic location between Ohio and Pennsylvania (each of which has a 25% historic tax credit), regional developers have too often opted to invest in historic buildings across state lines. If we can level the playing field for our buildings, their unique and impressive architecture will lure development and help contribute to Wheeling’s renaissance.”

At the Hub, we believe a 25 percent credit would:

  • Spur private investment. Large and small-scale developers report that historic rehabilitation tax credit programs fill a critical financing gap. However, West Virginia’s current 10 percent rate doesn’t provide enough of an incentive to make a difference in a developer’s decision to undertake a rehabilitation project. A fixed rate of 20 – 30 percent is recommended to constitute a meaningful incentive.
  • Create jobs. Most of the new jobs created occur in the construction industry. Unlike new construction, a higher percentage of rehabilitation project costs support labor rather than new materials, which may not always come from in-state suppliers. Trade and professional services also benefit from the program, especially industries such as legal, accounting, architectural, and engineering services, as well as wholesale trade and retail trade.
  • Provide a return on investment. One-third of the state’s investment is paid back during the construction phase — before a credit is issued. The rate of return for the remainder of the investment depends on the final use of the rehabilitation. Once the state’s initial investment is recouped, the project continues to yield positive economic impacts through a combination of sales, income, and business taxes. Historic tax credits also have been found to spur new construction and increase the property values in the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Repurpose vacant and underutilized buildings. In Ohio, 82 percent of the properties that have been redeveloped with the help of that state’s 25 percent historic tax credit were vacant prior to being redeveloped. Similar vacancy rates are found in other states. When a vacant or underutilized building is repurposed, it generates additional revenues to local government through increased property taxes.

The historic rehabilitation tax credit is one of the few tax credits where the state’s investment is directly recouped via state and local taxes for as long as the rehabbed building is occupied. At a time when West Virginia needs to kickstart its economy, it is critical that SB 238 pass.

Because HB 2545 did not pass out of committee in its chamber of origin prior to March 26, that bill is effectively “dead” — as are the other historic tax credit bills that were introduced but did not move. Com. Sub. SB 238 is now the only historic tax credit bill left standing.