DID YOU KNOW: Marlinton is not the only city which is older than the state. There are a total of 42 such cities in West Virginia. But, Marlinton remains the oldest continuous settlement west of the Alleghenies.
NOTICE TO ALL: Be advised the Discovery Junction committee met last week and decided not to host a First Friday event in May. The tilled and re-seeded portions of the grassy area will not be ready for traffic. That, as well as concerns that there would be a lot of things going on, as the event would be around the end of the school year. Musicians are scheduled for the June event and the committee will begin advertising shortly. Also, (weather pending), the splash pad should be open for the Memorial Day weekend.
From a bike tourism perspective, developing a recreation economy in communities around public lands is not new. It has drawn attention because of the increasing popularity of outdoor recreation activities and the resulting economic impacts to local communities. Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia University and USDA Rural Development have created a shared vision for the development of a recreation economy for the region that now involves 12 towns in eight counties. This regional approach can be better implemented with an understanding of how recreation economy is perceived from the perspective of visitors. Survey results provide useful information on visitors’ profiles and their perceptions of destination values, branding, competitiveness and more.
This knowledge-based information is critical not only for recreation for the forest, but for the development of sustainable economies in rural communities, providing information for community planning and development.
The next steps for Marlinton’s journey is to assist regional partners in securing funds and constructing the new bike trail systems, particularly Monday Lick Trail and Halfway Run Trail. Both will be trailheads for Marlinton. One in downtown and a second trailhead at Stillwell Park. Downstream Strategies and Region 4 have completed and submitted the ARC POWER application.