A busy month’s schedule and the beautiful fall foliage tempted me to pass on a Mayor’s Corner this week. However, to inform of some highlights, I will touch on the high spots.
The end of September, our AmeriCorp VISTA Brad Armstrong and I attended the last session of the HubCap program. As HubCap winds down, DARRE will take its place.
Plan are advancing. Marlinton Listens is going to assist in keeping the community informed and is planning a Stakeholders Meeting to explain the Marlinton Bike Tourism Action Plan. The team hopes to continue to leverage our unique status as a Mon Forest Town by utilizing a Market Study and tapping into the Mon Forest Towns Business Initiative, led by Woodlands Development and Lending. Efforts are underway to assure the sustainability of the MFTP.
Downstream Strategies will be working with Marlinton to advance grant funding. Downstream will also provide 100 hours to advance community projects. We discussed infrastructure needs, tackling the ways redevelopment can occur in a floodplain, master planning based on the bike study, among other potential needs.
Be aware, the purpose of the Mon-Forest Towns Partnership organization will be to serve as a catalyst and forum for the development and delivery of an integrated regional recreation partnership. The objective of the MFTP shall be to support and develop recreation economies in the TOWNS and the region in and around the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). Watch for notices for a community conversation presented by West Virginia Rivers Coalition about the Monongahela National Forest and the recent report compiled by the Coalition – all while communicating with GVEDC about pros-pects for the Edray Industrial Building.
According to CVB statistics, the fall season – September and October – accounted for eight percent of the Hotel Occupancy tax last season, and I can see why. It was wonderful to see visitors on the Highland Scenic Highway after church on Sunday. Also, for your information, the H/M tax saw an increase of 18 percent during last fiscal year.
Roger Pritt, at Buckeye Home, Farm, Lawn and Garden, had beautiful weather for his Customer Appreciation Day, and it looked like there was a tremendous turnout.
Ending on a sad note, Northwest Hardwoods at Edray is set to close operations at the end of the month. To learn particulars around that decision, an exit interview is planned with the corporation’s CEO.