Mayor's Committee Kicks Off "Huntington Clean Sweep"

The office of Mayor Kim Wolfe planned and organized the first inaugural "Huntington Clean Sweep", which kicked off yesterday and will continue through May 2, 2009. Citizens are encouraged to make sure their own property is nice and tidy so that our hometown projects our community pride.

Jay Bowen reports: "This group of eager young people are ready to pitch in and clean up. They are from the Baptist Church in Altizer and spent the previous night sleeping in cardboard boxes. They hungered for 30 hours and got a big surprise when the police made them move their cardboard city. They learned many valuable lessons in just 2 days; what it is like to be homeless and the meaning of keeping the community clean. They picked up litter, painted curbs, and removed graffiti. When questioned what they learned from the cleanup, they said they will never throw out a piece of litter and they really hate cigarette butts.

Jay

PS: Yes that is the Mayor in the background to the right. He was there bright and early."

Trees for Tomorrow Campaign to Reforest Huntington

Here is the latest from Jessica Pressman, who is heading up the Trees for Tomorrow campaign, a unit of the Create Huntington citizen volunteer organization. This campaign has short term and long term strategies for replacing and increasing the number of trees within the city of Huntington! Our city's citizens of the future deserve beautiful trees, and we have the responsibility to plant trees today so future generations can enjoy the fruits of our efforts.

Jessica wrote: "Great news! Our fund is ready to accept donations! Please have your donors make their checks out to Foundation for the Tri-State. In the memo line of the check, please write "tree seedlings". I'm hoping we can order our (2000) seedlings in ten days or so! Bravo to everyone for their hard work! I know for sure that we've raised over a thousand dollars, and I know some of you still haven't had the opportunity to collect yet! If you are able, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know roughly how much you're donating so that I can keep track myself without having to call the Foundation "

Checks can be mailed to:

Foundation for the Tri-State
PO BOX 7932
Huntington, WV 25779

Youth Event at Weed & Seed Facility on Earth Day 2009

Jay Bowen, sent us this short report about today's youth event at the Weed & Seed facilitities on 10th Avenue at Hal Greer Blvd.

"The Community Gardens and Huntington Weed and Seed projects celebrated Earth Day in a big way. We had the Governor, Mayor, State Senator and many other celebrities join in and lend a hand. A local Native American group provided music and Home Depot built the raised planters and supplied materials. Many volunteers had displays or booths on good earth husbandry and citizenship. However, I think this picture really captured the spirit."

Jay

An Open Letter to the Residents of Huntington About Re-Foresting Our Hometown

April 20, 2009

Dear Residents of the City of Huntington

I am writing to make you aware of a wonderful opportunity you have to purchase trees for the city right of way in front of your home. This plan will enable residents to help reforest the city for a very reasonable price.

If you would like to purchase a tree to plant on the city right of way in front or your property or on any right of way in the city, simply take the following steps:

1. Contact me, Courtney Cross, Chairperson of the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee for the city of Huntington, via e-mail cproctorcross1@aol.com or by calling 304-525-7894.

2. I will provide you with a list of trees that are available from our wholesale supplier.

3. You will select your tree(s) from the list and write a check to the Foundation for the Tri-State Communities with a notation that the check is for UFAC—short term fund.

4. Send your check to the Foundation, or give it to me and I will deliver it to the Foundation.

5. The Foundation will order your tree.

6. The City of Huntington will pick up the trees.

7. The City of Huntington will plant the trees.

8. Residents will water and help to care for trees.

** Your donation to the Foundation is tax-deductible.

This is a win / win situation for the residents and the city of Huntington. Please do your part to help replenish our urban forest right away. When you purchase a tree you will add to your property’s value, while helping to beautify and reforest the city. Please share this information with your friends and neighbors too.

Sincerely,

Courtney

Courtney Proctor Cross, Chairperson
Urban Forestry Advisory Committee for the City of Huntington

Let's make every day Earth Day in Huntington

Now that the West Virginia Legislature has enacted a law authorizing non-police to issue littering citations, the City of Huntington City Council and the City Administration have the tool to eliminate litter and the improper handling of household garbage. The City Council members and the Mayor must act swiftly to implement a strategy. We would like to suggest a plan.

Education: An effective public education campaign must focus on our need to change inappropriate behavior. An educational public service advertising campaign plan with a litter abatement theme will engage people who litter and mishandle trash, with a deliberate message to be more responsible and respectful. The new program will educate Huntington residents and visitors that this behavior is wrong, and the billboards and public service announcements will serve as notice that enforcement will follow, beginning on a date certain.

Enforcement: To be successful, this anti-litter campaign will include an appropriate level of enforcement as a deterrent to littering behavior. Citation Officers who observe littering acts will issue citations to individuals.The City of Huntington will train 40 community volunteers living in the 13 recognized neighborhoods, who will have authorization to issue litter citations. The new citation officers will focus their administrative citations on individuals who actually litter, result in the levying of fines that will lead to behavior change. These citations will encourage respectful behavior, simply by the financial consequences of the illegal act.

Abatement: The long-term challenge continues to focus on the City of Huntington’s Department of Public Works’ ability to respond more often and more quickly to the rising number of litter complaints and requests for enforcement. An ever-expanding trash and litter abatement collaboration will nurture a proactive response by property owners, tenants, landlords, property owners, government agencies and government-funded agencies, while stressing the need to keep the areas at, or around, their localities clean and litter free.

The goal of an ongoing educational campaign and a consistent enforcement effort is to regain Huntington's prior reputation as a clean and physically attractive community. The overall litter abatement strategy is to create a public awareness of the negative impact of litter and scattered solid waste. This will lead to a dramatically expanded public and private participation in eliminating street and alley litter, and/or sponsored cleaning activities, rather than waiting for the limited resources of the City of Huntington’s Public Works Department to respond.

Litter shames us all. The time is now - It is time to reclaim the pride of our hometown. Remember, together we can accomplish anything we can imagine! Viva La Huntington!

Earth Day Weed and Seed Youth Event Scheduled by City's Weed and Seed Organization

The Weed and Seed program is holding a youth event for Earth Day, April 22, from 3pm to 7 pm. There will be about 20 different organizations represented at the event. Each will be offering a hands-on activity, or game, for children to perform to help them learn more about the earth and how to protect it. The idea is to empower children to take personal responsibility for caring for our environment.

At 4pm, there will be a tree planting ceremony. We will have Native American flute and drum players playing for the ceremony. Governor Manchin, Mayor Wolfe and Miss West Virginia will take part in the ceremony. Our premier sponsors of the Community Gardens project, Home Depot, will also take part in the ceremony along with other sponsors.

At 4:45, Moses Honda will be doing a presentation of their new Honda "Insight" hybrid car and their clean diesel car. They will show how the technology works and why it is important. We are also hoping to have Home Depot do some sort of clinic or presentation.

The Original Glorious Church next door to the Barnett Center will be selling home cooked food for a fundraiser for their church. Papa Johns will be on site selling pizza by the slice for $1.50 per slice. All profits from this will go to the Weed and Seed program. The Pita Pit will also be on site offering discounts and free food for those who want healthier fare. They will even offer free delivery to the site for families to eat there. There will also be an opportunity to purchase "Dream Big. Have faith. Act Now" Huntington Community Action T-Shirts for $10 adult, $7 child.

The Little Earth Angels children's community action group will be asking for donations for their Beanie Baby/Webkins drive. Please bring a new beanie baby or Webkins animal to be delivered to the local hospitals children's wards.

TTA will have trolley or bus shuttles from several sites around Huntington to the center in order to promote public transportation as a "Green" idea.

The Re-Tree Huntington group is requesting that people bring in 3 and 5 gallon plastic pots to plant tree seedling in for next season.

Inexpensive food and beverages will be available for sale.

Huntington's Alleys Reflect Poorly on Business Owners and Residents

Cities are starting to see the thousands of miles of alleys that line the backside of homes and buildings in a new way. According to an article in USA TODAY, rather than dismissing them as dark, dank and often dangerous spots used mainly for trash pickup and garage access, They are treating them as valuable real estate that can help the environment and improve city life. The "green alley" movement is gaining momentum.

In Huntington (WV), alleys reflect poorly on business owners, residential property owners and tenants. With the current attention being given to our citywide cleanup, let's not forget the alleys. If you haven't driven any of our alleys lately, be prepared to be shocked ... it is not a pretty sight. Let's get them cleaned up and kept clean, and then we can use our imaginations to find ways to utilize them in creative ways to enhance the quality of life in Huntington; as in cafes, green spaces, modern lighting, picnic areas. Why not eliminate the large waste dumpsters in favor of color coded plastic bags? Other cities are already using alleys for walking and biking, instead of driving.

Currently, our city is infamous for its unkempt alley ways. Let's get with it!

HARC Members Query City Council Members About Harris Riverfront Park

Gene Howell, a board member of the Huntington Area Revitalization Coalition (HARC), and his wife, Robin, a member of the group, sent this letter to the members of the Huntington City Council today.

Dear City Council Members,

We must realize the extreme importance of Harris Riverfront Park to the downtown area of Huntington. It is one of the city’s greatest assets. It is obvious that at one time the park was well maintained and in beautiful condition.

Unfortunately, it fell by the wayside as other projects in the city took priority. It was left to become an undesirable area for families to spend a relaxing day and has become a hang out for teen gangs, drug dealers, panhandlers, vandalism, prostitution, vagrants and graffiti artists. This undesirable behavior along with the foul language overflows into the city on the other side of the flood wall creating a menace to the image of the downtown and other areas and is an affront to residents and out of town visitors who frequent the park.

After working at the park as volunteers, spending our own money to beautify the park with flowers we have observed a lot of this negative behavior. Although there has been a slight improvement in the last year we have a long way to go. This has all happened while under the city’s control.

As we read the Herald-Dispatch this morning, we were very disappointed that the resolution with the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District was delayed by some of the city council members. Jim McClelland has done an excellent job of maintaining our other parks for years. His crew is well trained, efficient, and competent. He has a keen eye for detail and the vision for what a beautiful park should look like.

Every effort should be made to bring this resolution to a successful conclusion that will be worth the cost to the city tax payers. It is a known fact that when an area is beautifully maintained and properly patrolled it becomes a desirable destination. We would invite each of you to visit the park periodically to familiarize yourself with the ongoing problems there and realize the necessity and advantages of professional control of a public park.

Sincerely yours,

Gene and Robin Howell, Members of the Huntington Area Revitalization Coalition (HARC)

Here are some highlights of the 2009 legislative session among the 215 bills that were passed:

Healthcare reform: increased coordination of state's healthcare programs - SB 414

Governor's energy plan: increases the use of alternative & renewable energy to 25% of all output by 2025 - SB 297

Securing unemployment compensation fund: maintain its solvency at minimal cost - SB 246

Industrial safety: Reporting of accidents to authorities & public in a timely manner - SB 279

Establishing carbon sequestration rules: promotes pilot projects - HB 2860

Pension loophole fix: prevents double-dipping - SB 244

PROMISE scholarship funding: increasing funding to allow more students to receive scholarships protecting the program's long term viability - SB 373

Early voting expansion: allows counties to create additional early voting locations - HB 2464

Veterans' yellow ribbon GI Bill: allows veterans to attend WV colleges at in-state tuition rates - HB 2335

Updating the state building code: promoting energy efficiency - HB 2976

Teachers' Retirement System: extending the deadline for teachers to convert back to the old system helping to ensure the system's solvency - HB 2870

Take action, speak up, and help promote the work of your elected officials. For more information on specific bills you can visit the Legislature's page.

Critical Litter Control Legislation Passed by WV Legislature

Cabell County's government and the City of Huntington have just been given powerful new "teeth" by the West Virginia Legislature to help eliminate litter and illegal dumps!

Senate Bill 440 grants additional authority to county litter control officers, specifically to issue citations for failure to prove lawful disposal of trash and creating, contributing to or allowing an open dump.

In addition, House Bill 3197 bill will go a long way in bringing under control the endemic litter problem in Huntington. Here is the bill, which has been sent to the governor for his approval.
H. B. 3197

SUMMARY: Authorizing municipalities to permit non-police officers to issue citations for littering

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §8-12-16b, relating to authorizing municipalities to permit non-police officers to issue citations for littering.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §8-12-16b, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 12. GENERAL AND SPECIFIC POWERS, DUTIES AND ALLIED RELATIONS OF MUNICIPALITIES, GOVERNING BODIES AND MUNICIPAL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES; SUITS AGAINST MUNICIPALITIES.
§8-12-16b. Special litter prevention officers.
Every municipality that has adopted an anti-litter ordinance pursuant to section five of this article shall have plenary power and authority to provide by ordinance for the appointment of special litter prevention officers, whose duties include the enforcement of municipal anti-littering ordinances. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, those officers may also be assigned to perform other duties or be presently employed by the municipality in another capacity and have these additional duties assigned to him or her. In the performance of these duties, such special litter prevention officers shall be vested with the power to issue citations, issue summonses and sign complaints. Such special litter prevention officers shall display a badge or other sign of authority. The governing body of the municipality may require such special litter prevention officers to give bond, payable to the municipality, in its corporate name, with such sureties and in such penalty as the governing body may see fit, conditioned for the faithful performance of their duties.

Now, let's make this work! We encourage the City Council of Huntington to pass an ordinance to initiate this strategy immediately.

Huntington Museum of Art Names Brown Volunteer of the Year

The Huntington Museum of Art named Charles Brown "Volunteer of the Year" for 2008 - 2009 at its annual volunteer luncheon this week. He has been volunteering and demonstrating at the museum for 7 1/2 years and has donated over 1000 hours of his time. Charles is a well known wood craftsman at the State of West Virginia's Tamarack art center in Beckley, and he will be demonstrating there on April 17, 18, and 19.

Our congratulations to Charles for his service to the museum and our Huntington Community and his designation as the Huntington Museum of Art Volunteer of the Year for 2008-2009.

HARC Tulips Popping Up All Over!

Huntington Area Revitalization Coalition (HARC) Tulips are popping up all over - City Hall, Library, 9th Street Plaza, Harris Riverfront Park, etc. What a great example of citizens being positively involved in the life of their Huntington community!

Harris Riverfront Park Ablaze with "Tulips by HARC"

Efforts of the Huntington Area Revitalization Coalition (HARC) are not going unnoticed by citizens and city visitors who have recently visited Harris River Front Park. Here is one email shared with us by Gene Howell, President of HARC, and his wife Robin. (The email has has been edited by us.)

"Wow! I drove through Harris Riverfront Park and saw the tulips. Wow! I work at WOWK-TV as a director and am very active in our Highlawn Neighborhood Associate. Your efforts have caught my attention. I just wanted to say thank you ... really thank you ... for caring and actually doing something. These things do not go unnoticed. I LOVE the idea of beautifying the Veterans Memorial Blvd. downtown. Is it too late to donate a rose? And will you need help planting them? I may be too busy with the street marker restoration project this spring, but if my schedule allows, I would love to help. I think people believe it's the job of others to make their living spaces a better place ... when actually it is everyone's job. Again, thanks for the tulips! "

Sincerely, Chris Shoemaker

Note: Gene Howell is a director of HARC and Selby Litton is the president. Gene, sent a copy of Chris' email message to the HARC volunteers, who have worked so very hard to beautify our city's Harris Riverfront Park. He told them, "Hi Everyone, your efforts are not going unnoticed. Thank you for all your help last week."

Random Graffiti and Lack of Enforcement Continues to Frustrate Citizens

Local community advocate, James Kompanek, who is a participant in the Create Huntington organization, wrote us to say, "There are a lot of people out there who are very frustrated with the zero enforcement policy of the city in regards to graffiti, dilapidated buildings, and litter." He went on to say that graffiti vandalism is increasing in several neighborhoods, and he sent these photos of structures damaged by these anti-social acts of destruction. Alleys appear to be prime targets, as they are poorly lighted, unsecured and provide a means of cover.

Property values in all areas of Huntington continue to be dramatically affected by continued defacement of structures. The vandals responsible must be pursued and prosecuted, if our city is to present a welcoming appearance to potential residents and business owners. The defacement of residential and commercial property is endemic in our town; law enforcement and city governmental efforts to pursue perpetrators and bring them to justice must be a top priority, if our city is to thrive! Other cities have effectively eliminated graffiti - why can't we?

Creat Huntington Tree Committee Has Strategy Meeting

Jessica Pressman heads up the "Tree Committee" of the Create Huntington organization. This active citizen/government action groups internet link is http://www.createhuntington.com/. According to an email we received from Jessica, the committee held a strategy meeting last night. Here is her report;

"We had a very exciting and productive meeting last night. Thanks so much to everyone who was able to attend and, for those of you who were unable to attend, we missed you! Here’s an overview of what we discussed.

We’ve come up with some goals, long term, mid-term and short term. Our first priority is raising money for the seedlings we are going to buy. We are going to purchase 1,000 tree seedlings, half ornamental (perhaps flowering crabapple) and half shade trees (probably oak or maple). We need to raise about $2,000 and we need to do it very quickly so that we can purchase and plant our seedlings. Our goal is to have the money raised by April 20th. River and Rail Micronursery has generously offered to store them, free of charge, for us until next spring. We will need volunteers to get the seedlings planted and ready for storage! I’m thinking we could get a local boy/girl scout troop to help us out. This will probably take place at the end of the month or the first week of May 2009.

Our mid-term goal is to continue to raise money over the summer so that we can plant some larger trees in the fall, both downtown and in a few neighborhoods. This would give us a more immediate impact. We also discussed the idea of a “trophy tree area” where people could donate trees and we would honor them with some type of plaque.

Our long term goal is our community tree planting event, which will take place in April 2010. This is when we will be giving away the tree seedlings that have been growing for a year… by this time, the seedlings will be more viable and our survival rate will be much higher.

We are going to have a plastic pot drive to collect pots for the trees. This time of year, people are buying plants at nurseries and throwing away the potx. We need 1, 3 and 5 (mostly 5) gallon pots in which we can plant the seedlings (no flats please). We haven’t ironed out the details of this yet but we know that one drop off point will be the Earth Day event being put on by the Weed and Seed program on April 22nd. We’re also looking for a drop off point for our plastic pot drive so if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

The Weed and Seed Earth Day event is Wednesday, April 22nd at the Barnett Center. It’s taking place from 3pm-7pm and we are going to set up a table and hand out some free seedlings that their youth group purchased. We are going to use event as an opportunity to collect pots and, also, to try to raise a little money for our project (a one dollar donation buys a seedling!). If you are interested in helping out, even for one or two hours, please let me know.

So, for now, let’s focus on raising money. We are hoping that we can do this quickly and informally. We do want to hit up some corporate sponsors for our autumn project once we have the money for the seedlings… these types of donations seem to take a little more preparation. If ten of us could raise $200, we’d be done! So, please, hit up your friends and family and let’s try to raise some money!

On a side note, the folks at the Earth Day Event are going to make bird feeders out of plastic water and soda bottles (12oz – 24 oz). Apparently no plastic is being recycled right now due to low demand, so if you want to “recycle” your plastic bottles, you can drop them off at Barnett and they will be used to make bird feeders for the children to take home with them.

We haven't set a date for our next meeting; it will depend on how quickly we are able to raise our money. I'll be in touch with the details as soon as possible! Thanks again for your support!"

Jessica Pressman

(Jessica may be reached at Jessica.Pressman@va.gov.)

Auto Gasoline Tanks? Illegal Dumpsters Must Be Targeted and Prosecuted!

Jay Bowen took this picture today. Believe it, or not, those things stacked up on the right side of the photo, are automobile gas tanks! Yes, that's right - auto gas tanks! These ten (10) gas tanks were dumped over the hill in a Guyandotte neighborhood at some time in the past. Obviously, someone who makes a living scrapping automobiles didn't want to pay the expense of properly disposing of them. So, the "scrap" dealer found it convenient to use one of our neighborhoods as his dump.

At the left side of the photo are other items that were dumped over the hill at the same location as the gas tanks. These illegal dumpers have no respect for our neighborhoods or the environment. There is a fine of up to $25,000, plus prison time for illegal dumping. Let's catch'em and prosecute them!

Neighborhood Advocate, Rick Simmons, Speaks About the Power of "Community Unity"

Just as reported last April (2008) in the Herald-Dispatch, Guyandotte community leader Richard "Rick" Simmons proved again last Saturday, April 2009, that a dedicated group of volunteers can make a difference in Huntington, as scores of community volunteers cleaned up litter throughout the Guyandotte neighborhood. I asked him about his passion for the Guyandotte community and promoting sustainability in residents' efforts to improve their community. Here is what he told us:

"I know everybody probably gets tired of hearing me say it, 'Community unity works!' Not only was Saturday's clean-up above and beyond awesome, it brought the community together; churches in the area were having spaghetti dinners, fundraisers, hot dog sales, and Easter parties. It was a great day for good ole Guyandotte!

We estimate over 1,000 tires were picked up; eight hundred (800) tires left Guyandotte in a WV Division of Environmental Protection (WV DEP) truck before 10 a.m. Saturday. A Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA truck had a large amount of donations rendered by community members and approximately 80 people combed the community picking up litter, or cleaning up their own yards. We still have over 200 tires waiting to be picked up Monday morning.

This is the third cleanup since April 2008 and, because of the many supporters and volunteers, it was the best. The first folks I need to thank are Rocky and Reba Frazier. they always support the efforts of the clean-up. Rocky is always behind the scenes picking up on any thing I forget to do prior to the clean-up. He is constantly reminding me what needs to be done. Jay Bowen's expertise and hard work made the clean-up rock!

Thanks to the Herald-Dispatch for their great coverage, and WOWK-TV for their coverage. A special thanks to our friends at Clear Channel Radio. Jay and I were in the car on the hill and heard the DJ on the oldies channel yelling, "Go to Guyandotte! Help them clean-up, and buy a hot dog." Also Thanks to Becky and Scott Mitchell, they also help keep me in line.

Also, Connie Miller and her family and friend made the hill shine. The members at the Guyandotte Methodist Church really knew how to sale some hot dogs. Special thanks to Richard Cobb for his expertise and promoting the clean-up. Glen Garrett, the city's superintendent, always does a great job seeing that we get what we need.

Also, a special thank you to the Day Report Center, The Mayor, Goodwill, Chris Cartwright and the WV DEP, Brandi Jacob-Jones, the staff at City Hall, and all the volunteers who came out. If I missed anyone, I apologize. Our next clean-up is going to be 2 weeks before Swine Fest. Please allow me to say it again, "Community Unity works!"

(The "Hometown Huntington Spirit" is spreading. Good on us!)

City of Huntington Key to Guyandotte's Neighborhood Cleanup

From all reports, the City of Huntington's personnel and equipment were key to Saturday's highly successful Guyandotte neighborhood "Shine Time." Jay Bowen sent us a copy of an email he sent to Huntington's Director of Administration and Finance, Brandi Jacob-Jones. During a telephone interview with us, Bowen also praised the citizen volunteers who assured the success of this neighborhood's efforts to stay "clean and green". In addition, he praised Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA for having one of their trucks on hand to collect clothing and other items.

Bowen told Jacob-Jones, "It was a huge success, I mean huge. Thank you and the city's employees for their dedicated effort. The dumpsters arrived on time and Scott the machine operator was extremely efficient. The people of Guyandotte and the surrounding area repeatedly voiced their appreciation for the opportunity to get rid of the piles and piles of trash blighting their neighborhood. We even had elderly people walking the streets to pick up litter. You can really be proud of the community and your employees for this great effort. Thank you."

During another telephone call, Bowen told us that the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) had their personnel on location to distribute litter pick-up sticks, gloves and plastic bags. WVDEP, also, had a contractor and large truck on-site to assist in the removal of over 800 old auto tires, which were gathered by the neighborhood's volunteers. One volunteer commented that, "some of that stuff has been up there for forty years!"

We extend our compliments to our city and state governments, the participating organizations and the scores of community volunteers. This successful community improvement project demonstrates once again that, together, the citizens of Huntington can accomplish anything we can imagine.

(The photo shows Hilltop Road resident, Connie, who was an organizer, and Hillside Drive resident, Tony, who asked if he could help. They are admiring the results of their efforts after getting the hillside cleaned up.)

Surprising Attitudes, Beliefs Regarding WV's New Economy

"According to survey results (conducted in December 2008 by the Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research), 81% of West Virginians age 18 to 65 and above overwhelmingly believe computer and Internet skills are key to their communities’ future success.

A total of 82% support community and state efforts to generate more jobs by investing in research and development.

69% believe that new high-wage jobs are primarily created in high-tech industries.89% said they believe tolerance and inclusion of people from all races, religions or lifestyles is important to West Virginia’s future success, and 88% said they support efforts by their community and state to ensure tolerance and diversity. “The strong support for diversity demonstrated in this survey contradicts many of the stereotypes held about our state. While there are areas for improvement, most West Virginians are committed to diversity and inclusion,” James said.

83% said they believe it is important to West Virginia’s future that we adopt environmentally friendly policies such as new “green” energy sources and building standards, and 86% of interviewees said they support efforts by state government to invest more money in helping communities modernize and upgrade to attract new citizens and businesses.

When it comes to education, an overwhelming 94% support efforts by the State School Board and Department of Education to find better ways to educate our children for 21st Century opportunities. Only 57% believe their local school system prepares children for success in today’s society.

88% said they believe it is important to attain a college diploma.The survey revealed challenges in the area of entrepreneurship. 60% of survey respondents said they believe that starting one’s own business is an attractive career opportunity, and only 13% plan on starting a business in the near future. 59% said they believe it is primarily state government’s job to create new high-paying job opportunities in West Virginia. “This indicates a need for us to help educate citizens on the dynamics of the private sector and how it drives entrepreneurial growth,” said Rob Godbey, a Create West Virginia team member.

In the Quality of Place category, 70% said their communities need more places to meet and socialize.

Of the total 1,218 participants, 15% were age 18-34, 56% were 35-64, and 31% were age 65 or older. Educational levels varied from less than a high school diploma to post-graduate degrees. The largest percentage, 18.6, claimed some college.The survey contained 33 questions in five categories covering technology, quality of place, education and talent, entrepreneurship and business growth, and tolerance and diversity."

The results of the entire survey are posted at http://www.createwv.com/.

(Rebecca Kimmons with Katalyst Development Strategies, Charleston, WV, Posted this information on the Create West Virginia blog.)

Mayor's Committee Schedules "Huntington Clean Sweep"

Safer Huntington West Virginia (http://www.saferhuntingtonwv.com/) has posted an important notice today, announcing the 1st Annual "Huntington Clean Sweep."

"The beautification project will be Saturday, April 25 through Saturday, May 2. Sponsored by the Mayor’s Committee for a Sustainable Community, the Clean Sweep project is a citywide event that focuses on sprucing up both the downtown and residential areas of Huntington.

Brandi Jacobs-Jones, City of Huntington Director of Administration and Finance, states, 'This is going to be an exceptionally busy year for tourism, and we want to make sure we showcase Huntington for our visitors. It is our goal to once again make the Jewel City sparkle, and we encourage everyone to join us in this first annual event.'

Volunteers are needed for the downtown cleanup on Saturday, April 25 and Saturday, May 2. Civic groups, church groups, student organizations, businesses, and concerned citizens are encouraged to participate and “Adopt-A-Block” by painting over graffiti, pulling weeds, picking up trash, etc.

Community residents are urged to contact their Neighborhood Association for week-long cleanup activities in their areas. The City of Huntington will have commercial dumpsters positioned throughout the neighborhoods to assist in the cleanup effort.

Businesses wishing to donate supplies for the event should contact Cathy Snoddy, at 304-697-7550 or csnoddy@huntingtonjuniorcollege.edu.

For further information concerning the Huntington Clean Sweep contact Brandi Jacobs Jones at 304-696-5540, or email her at her City of Huntington email address: bjacobs-jones@cityofhuntington.com."

Girl Scout's Challenge-Pledge is Matched by CPA

Earlier in the week, we posted information about the the City of Huntington's Weed & Seed organization's plans for a youth event for Earth Day. The Weed & Seed coordinator, Jennifer Williams, made it known they would need $500 in donations to finance the event. Within hours we received a copy of this email sent on April 1st by a local Girl Scout Leader to Jennifer Williams:

"Jennifer & All: My Girl Scout Brownie Troop would like to donate $250 of their cookie earnings to this project if a corporate sponsor will match, or exceed, that amount to make the $500 that you need to kick this project into gear.

Our troop would very much like to be a part of the events that day also as we as Girl Scouts are committed to not only helping to create a cleaner, healthier environment but also to be a positive influence on the community.

Together, people of all ages can make a difference. So please mark our troop, Brownie Troop #2615, down as a $250 sponsor for this event and send out a call to the community to let them know that if 7 & 8-year-olds can do it...they can too. See if someone will match our amount! Let's all be an active part of making not only our community, but our world a better place! Thank you for giving us an opportunity to give back to the environment and the City of Huntington!"

Sincerely,Nichole Martin, Troop Leader GSBDC Brownie Troop #2615 Service Unit #902 nikmartin13@gmail.com

And now for the rest of the story:

The Girl Scout Brownie Troop's challenge pledge was matched immediately by Harold "Gene" Preston, Jr., CPA, a member of the Dixon Hughes PLLC firm, which is located at 707 Virginia Street, East, Suite 1700, Charleston, WV 25301. The funds will be deposited with The City of Huntington Foundation for funding the youth event on Earth Day.

Our admiration for this Girl Scout Brownie Troop and Gene Preston is hereby noted.

It's the Law! Who Must Remove Graffiti from Unoccupied Structures?

Huntington has scores of empty structures - residential and commercial. Many of them have been victimized by graffiti. In addition, there are many occuppied residentual and commercial properties that have been defaced. We already have City of Huntington ordinances making it clear who is responsible for removing graffiti - It's the owner or possessor of each structure. Here is the ordinance, which spells out the action that must be taken to remove graffiti and the penalty for not acting to remove it in a timely manner:

536.04 NOTICE TO OWNER OR POSSESSOR OF PROPERTY.
Whenever the Mayor, or his designee, determines that graffiti is being maintained upon any building or structure within the City of Huntington which has been unoccupied for a period of more than thirty (30) days in violation of this ordinance, the Mayor or his designee shall send written notice and order to the owner or possessor of the premises of such condition and shall require that the graffiti be removed. The notice and order shall state that the owner must remove the graffiti or consent to its removal by the City within thirty (30) days from the date the notice was mailed; provided, the owner or possessor of premises may within ten (10) days of being served with such notice and order, apply to the Mayor for a public hearing on the matter, in which case the terms of such notice and order shall be stayed pending the resolution of the public hearing. (Ord. 3-8-04.)

536.05 REMOVAL.
If the property owner and possessor fail to remove the graffiti as ordered by the Mayor, he or she or his/her designee shall have the following authority to cause its removal.
(a) Property Owners. Consent to Remove. Whenever the Mayor or his designee determines that graffiti on property which is within public view the Mayor or his designee is authorized to provide for and use public funds, if necessary, to remove graffiti upon the following conditions:
(1) Public property. Whenever the Mayor or his designee determines that graffiti exists upon property owned by the City, it shall be removed as soon as possible. When the property is owned by a public entity other than the City, the removal of graffiti is authorized after securing written consent of the public agency having jurisdiction over the property.
(2) Private property. Where the subject property is privately owned, the removal of graffiti is authorized after the Mayor or his designee secures the written consent of the owner of the property and the owner executes a release and waiver approved as to form by the City Attorney. The City will assess the cost of abatement of the property owner, which if ignored will become a lien against the property.
(3) The graffiti shall be removed as authorized herein, but the removal shall not involve the painting or repair of a more extensive area than is necessary for such removal.

95 Graffiti 536.99
(b) Removal by City without Consent of Property Owner. The Mayor may abate any graffiti without the consent of the property owner, maintained contrary to the provisions of this section only after the following has occurred:
(1) The Mayor has determined that graffiti within public view exists on particular premises within the City.
(2) A notice of such condition has been sent to the property owner.
(3) The property owner has failed to either remove the graffiti, request a public hearing, request a review of order pursuant to West Virginia Code '17-9-1 or consent to its removal by the City within the time period specified in the notice.
(c) Remedies. The remedies provided in this section and chapter are in addition to other remedies and penalties available under the laws of the City, the State of West Virginia, and the United States.
(Ord. 1-26-04.)

536.99 PENALTY.
Any person who is found guilty of violating any section of Article 536 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Huntington may be fined up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per day of occurrence. (Ord. 1-25-04.)

As noted, these sections of the ordinance regarding graffiti have been the law for some time. There are many ordinances enacted by the Huntington City Council, but never enforced. It's the law; let us begin immediate enforcement in earnest. Owners who must suffer the financial impact of removing graffiti-vandalism may want to consider video surveillance systems to bring the graffiti vandals to justice.

Marshall's Coach Mark Snyder and Family Tackle Big Job

Our friend, Clint Rhoads, brought this situation to our attention and credited Marshall University football coach Mark Snyder and his family with attempting to rectify the continuing problem:

"I thought I'd drop you a note about the Kmart shopping plaza on Route 60 near Barboursville. The place is a complete trash-disaster! I'm thinking about writing the store manager and perhaps the Kmart corporate office to see if I can't embarrass them into taking care of their place a little better. Any other ideas?

As a credit, I'd like to thank Coach Snyder and his family for cleaning up the lower part of Pinecrest Drive, behind Kmart and Guaranty Bank."

Best regards,
Clint Rhoads

Real Estate Brokers Can Do Better! Properties Listed For Sale Need Maintenance.

There are scores of houses and commercial properties listed for sale with local real estate Brokers in Cabell and Wayne counties. Many of them certainly do not have "curb appeal", a term Realtors use to convey the overall physical appearance of their "listings." A potential buyer pulls up to the curb and immediately forms an impression from the "curb appeal." High grass, broken windows, weeds, broken tree limbs, trash piles, litter, solid waste, and even graffiti, detract from the property's market value and, thus, the other real estate in the neighborhood.

A Broker should be embarrassed to have their "yard sign" in front of properties that are in violation of active City of Huntington ordinances, which establish the responsibility of property owners for maintaining the appearance of housing structures, vacant lots and commercial property.

Real Estate Brokers can do better. It is the Brokers' responsibility to see that properties listed for sale are maintained and do not deteriorate into "eyesores." A home, structure or a property may not be attractive, but at least the lot should be kept tidy and free of litter and ugly solid waste!