Grafton, West Virginia: Proof That the Past Does Not Define Our Future

As I was walking down Main Street in Grafton last week, making plans for The Hub’s 2016 board retreat, I couldn’t help but have a “proud momma moment.”

Grafton was one of the first Turn This Town Around communities, and it has accomplished so much since our first meeting back in February 2014.

As I was looking around and taking in all of the great things happening on Main Street I had to chuckle to myself as I thought back to that first meeting, and one specific conversation.

I was new to The Hub and so excited to be at my first community meeting, when one individual (I won’t name names) said:

“Grafton has had outside help before and it has never worked. So good luck.”

Even as new Hubber I knew this time was going to be different for Grafton.

And it was! Let me name just a couple of my favorite things that Grafton is doing these days:

• First Friday events,
• All Aboard Grafton meetings,
• the Grafton Farmers Market,
• and my favorite thing of all – the beautiful Toad Hall! (We love Toad Hall so much that we’ll be having a session of our board retreat there.)

I may have a new favorite thing this year, as I hear there is a haunted house in the works. If you know me even a little bit, you know how much I love Halloween.

I recently said to that one individual that made the comment to me at the first meeting, “I hate to say I told you so, but I did.” This person has since become a wonderful friend of mine and of The Hub’s, and has been one of the major champions for everything that has taken place over the last 2.5 years.

So my question to Grafton now is – What’s up next?