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No, the state is not pushing "$25 million into Huntington to fund a high school and a triplicatious engineering program". The engineering program is already here and the building is going to house more than those 2 programs. Also, the state does help the counties fund new schools so that is not a stretch. Makes about as much sense as the new $5.3 million daycare center WVU just built with state funds on WVU land. There is a need and benefit to both. Also, if you are so worried about duplication of degrees, why is the state paying for WVU to maintain 2 different engineering programs? Talk about repetition of services.
And education is a great expediture to improve the business climate. Companies are looking for a better educated workforce and you can't get that without putting money into education. Huntington is also the base city for the Corps of Engineers and the second largest city in the state so it makes perfect sense to put an engineering school here. An engineering school that will help to educate the people of this state, not just mitigate traffic problems (how will that improve the business climate for the state as a whole?). Here's an article and an exerpt about how the S.T.E.M. school will benefit Huntington and the state: "That building also would be home to the planned West Virginia Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Academy, where top high school math and science students from around the state would come for a unique residential program."
With regards to infrastructure, city roads are always city responsibility unless they are a designated state road. Beechurst falls under this category but don't you think WVU and Morgantown would throw a fit if the state went in and leveled everything on the river side of that road like it needs to in order to make the road better? You'd lose the bakery, some businesses, housing, parking and WVU would lose land. Might as well close the Seneca Center too as they'd have very little parking left. The road on both sides of that section downtown are 4 lanes. WVU's future plan already states a plan to tear down Stansbury but build a new building and possibly a new PRT station in the same spot. Not to mention the new apartments and liquor megastore they just built right against the road.That's the type of poor planning I'm referring to. There have been many opportunities like that to straighten or widen roads but it doesn't happen due to a new building popping up where the road should have gone. Thankfully, Huntington is a planned city (the only one in the state) and these infrastructure problems were addressed before the town was built up. Also, what local responsibilities has the state footed the bill for Huntington? The leaders here have a pension solution (Huntington's main issue) that will benefit other cities across the state and requires no extra state funding and they can't even get the lawmakers to put it on a special agenda. And with all of the state funding Morgantown gets via WVU, don't act like they get shafted from the state. What was it Bray Carey said, "Everything that's happened in Morgantown has been built on a foundation of government money."
Beechurst is NOT a city street. Belmar Ave. is a city street. Beechurst is the street name given a State highway. And, actually I think plans actually call for doing away with the river side of Beechurst, something that is definitely needed. I am hopeful that they will convert most of that land to park space. Nothing is chipped in stone yet as far as I know, but you just know something is going to happen quickly about the traffic situation in Morgantown, before the new research initiatives kick into gear and there will be a huge push to get the State to do its part... as well there should be. The buildings on the river side of Beechurst are the most blighted in the city for the most part. Get them out... fast. The majority are Saudi owned, and the rest belong to the Chico family and are under utilized. The old Field House has outlived its usefullness, and the AME Church could be relocated with little trouble. I've been past there on Sunday and seldom see more than a half dozen cars in the lot.
And WVU inherited the Tech program, it didn't start it. If you pay attention to state politics you know there is a lot of political power centered in Fayette County (home base of the Caperton family dynasty). These things are always decided in backroom deals. Both Fayette and Morgantown will get their just due. That's why nobody's saying anything about the Marshall High School, etc. I am not intending to be overly critical of it, but will assert that there are needs that are even more pressing that demand immediate attention including Morgantown's state highway traffic morass. I just know you've driven around there and know of what I am writing.
The Mon-Fayette is essentially a Federal project (in West Virginia) with stimulous funds, and no state funding is involved.
If you'll notice in my previous post, this is what I said "With regards to infrastructure, city roads are always city responsibility unless they are a designated state road. Beechurst falls under this category..", noting that it was indeed a state road.
I agree that the riverside of Beechurst should be leveled but there would be an outcry from people on destroying the businesses there and the history that would go along with it. It would cost the state a ton of money to take the property and then they would have to take land from WVU, a state entity, as WVU already has plans for Stansbury. From WVU's long-term plan "Stansbury Hall will also receive either a major renovation or a demolition/reconstruction to house a new one-stop shop for student support services and recreation." Yet another situation of a new building going up where a road should go. And if the city would work on other roads so that Beechurst wasn't the only good way to get from one side of town to the other when downtown, it would also help greatly. The only plan I've heard to do this is the Pastureland Parkway which would take up much of WVU Farms, taking away much of what is important to WVU's land grant status.
And with regards to Tech, I'm fully aware that it was taken over by WVU and if you read the comments on the article posted, many Tech alumni think that WVU purchased it to kill that school and decrease competition with their main school. They also allude that the new interest to put funds into Tech and move it to South Charleston is only an attempt to now compete with Marshall's Engineering school as Huntington draws students easier than Montgomery. Here's one of the quotes:
"So Tech is losing engineering students to WVU? No wonder!!!
WVU, in many people's (including alumni) views, has intentionally neglected that campus' engineering program in hopes of gaining the engineering and/or its students for WVU. Records verify that WVU has tried--since the inception of the WVU/Tech affiliation in 1996--to strip Tech in Montgomery of the Leonard C. Nelson College of Engineering.
During one of many controversies between Tech and WVU administratrions, President Hardesty, reluctantly, conceded to the known fact that Tech engineering graduates academically excelled the WVU engineering graduate. The LCN College of Engineering program has been the envy of the state and the nation. Today, due to leadership problems (some feel intentional), the program is begging for survival.
The state and nation are subject to lose one of the most unique engineering programs in the nation if immediate corrective measures are not instituted on the Montgomery campus."
It may be too little too late for Tech though, we shall see.
Also, I'm aware that Mon-Fayette was funded by Federal money as are most multi-state roads. The state stepped in though and made the decision to put those federal dollars toward that road, as shown by the 20 year plan of what roads will get built and when. Federal funding but directed there by the state. As a former state employee, I'm sure you know how that works.
Tim, the Tech folks are paranoid about everything to do with Tech. The reason WVU took it over is because the school was in danger of folding without major support. In the mean time, they have invested millions in Tech and it would appear the place has a future. There is no intentional neglect of Tech. Of course, President Hardesty was part and parcel to the state political machine as was his successor so politics were never far from the situation. Since the Manchin-Bresch controversy, Gov. Photo Op has basically taken a hands off approach to higher education. The new President has no state connections.
The replacement for Stansbury (the old Field House) will not take up nearly as much space, and would fit in well with riverfront development plans. The businesses (and there really aren't that many of them on that side of the street) could be re-located either to a centralized location blended in with the park development put in the Don Knotts Blvd. area, the first couple blocks of which also need a lot of work. Another lane needs to be added taking part of the Senaca parking lot all the way down Beechurst with the intersection areas widened to 5 lanes for turning. Another lane on University down to the Westover Bridge is also desperately needed.
I misunderstood what you said about Beechurst. You are correct. I think 705 4-lane needs to be extended to Mileground but Mileground should not be widened. They should use a system of Xs and arrows to coincide with traffic flow needs from there to Point Marion Road. The narrow part of Van Voorhis as far as West Run needs a lot of attention but I will agree the city and county should be a part of the funding there. They need sidewalks, culverts and turning lanes installed as well as improved lighting. A bypass is needed eventually from US 119 to WV 705, and the highway from the end of Don Knotts to I68 needs to be widened. I do not believe the Pastureland Expressway route is suitable... they need to rethink that. Those are all in the State domain except the bypass, and that might be considered such.
If they do those things, make needed improvements to the PRT (likely to involve Federal and State money) put relatively inexpensive bike racks in lots of places, and support a commuter rail to Pittsburgh (it will inevitably happen) the transportation needs of the area should be basically solved. I'm certainly not a Civil Engineer (my son is one) but as a road user those are my observations.
I have long believed they need a Veterinary School at WVU. It fits nicely with the Land Grant mission. I also believe they need an Optometry school at Marshall, and used to think they should relocate the Osteopathic school to Marshall but that is no longer feasible since they have the Medical school there. Those two disciplines do not mesh too well on the same campus, and since the WVU Medical School has a strong Opthamologic component, putting the Optometry school at Marshall makes sense (again due to program compatibility).
Last edited by CTMountaineer; 08-14-2009 at 05:57 PM..
Regardless of the Tech situation, I'm excited to see the Engineering program being built up here. The addition of the S.T.E.M. school for Huntington is icing on the cake due to the prestigious nature these schools typically have for quality education. I too would also like to see an optometry degree added at Marshall and there is need for an larger Opthamology presence for the MU Medical School as well (speaking from experience as I work at a hospital here). Hopefully MU will continue to add new degrees and opportunities on campus to sustain some real growth.
If they get too much into Opthamology, that will basically rule out the Optometry. Although the two disciplines often cooperate in real life, academically they are not generally compatible. It would be sort of like putting a Chiropractic school in by a Physical Therapy school. I think they'd be better served to go for Optometry, since that would be unique in the State.
I know many won't like this, but I think the State supports too many small colleges. They could put more resources in a handfull of schools and better serve the population. Does the State really need both Concord and Bluefield? Is Glenville really viable? I also think it was a political fiasco to take the community colleges from the sponsor institutions. All it did was create another layer of bureaucracy in Charleston for Gov. Photo Op's cronies.
Here's an image of Kopp showing a conceptual drawing of the new building. They had larger versions in the paper this morning but it was unfortunately a print exclusive.
That building will be a nice addition to the entry way into dowtown Huntington.
In other good news for Marshall, they have added another scientist to the Marshall University Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR). I can't wait to see that grow as well due not only to the prestige research brings with it, but the focus of this group is to create spin-off biotech companies.
MU Med School 3rd in Nation for Family Practice Docs
The MU Med School continues to bring awards and bright students to Huntington. They've been in the top 10 for producing Family paractive docs the last few years and they continue the tradition this year. Last year, I believe they were actually tied for first.
"Marshall's medical school ranks third in the nation in the percentage of graduates entering family practice programs, and it received a "Top 10 Award" from the American Academy of Family Physicians as a result."
HUNTINGTON — Marshall University will receive $5.825 million for its forensics program from a Department of Justice grant, according to a release from Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.
The Forensic Science Center will receive $5 million for a model working forensic laboratory in support of the forensic community in conjunction with the National Institute of Justice. This will help upgrade research opportunities and help the center provide assistance to forensic crime laboratories by utilizing its DNA lab in technology transfer, research and development, testing and evaluation, and model training, according to the release.
“These funds will help further the vital and pioneering work underway in the Marshall Forensic Science program, work that will directly benefit our nation, federal and state law enforcement agencies, our communities and our students,” Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp said in a press release.
"We are addressing new challenges through our nationally accredited DNA laboratory and our digital forensics unit, said Dr. Terry Fenger, director of the MU Forensic Science Center, said in a press release. “MUFSC has also served the forensic science community by educating the next generation of laboratory analysts and investigators.”
The additional $825,000 that Byrd secured will be used for the continued development of and upgrades to the Computer Forensics Science Initiative at MU, which provides a working model laboratory as a guide for state and local agencies working with digital evidence.
Great things going on in the forensics programs in West Virginia.
Good old Robert Byrd. Even seemingly on his last leg he manages to come through.
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MU Med School 3rd in Nation for Family Practice Docs
