Turn This Town Around (Grafton, Petersburg: income, statistics, retirement)

[snorpus]

From the WVFocus website:

Have you ever driven through a town where once majestic buildings stand as bruised and battered stewards and thought, “What would it take to turn this town around?” Well, we think about it—a lot. And we aren’t the only ones. In close partnership with the West Virginia Community Development Hub and West Virginia Public Broadcasting, we are launching an ambitious undertaking. We want to find out what it will take to turn our towns around, and we are going to document it every step of the way.

There are eight towns nominated, four in the North (Grafton, Hundred, Petersburg, and Rowlesburg) and four in the South (Alderson, Hillsboro, Matewan, and Pineville). The website has a brief description of each town, along with some statistics (population, income, etc.). You have to scroll all the way to the bottom in order to vote (one North, one South), and then it appears you have to take a survey in order to register your vote. (I haven't done it yet.)

WVFocus

[CurseOfWilmore]

All Towns could really benefit from this. Its a shame they can only be 2 winners.

I voted for Petersburg for the North and Matewan for the South. While I haven't been to any of the towns North. Petersburg seemed more quaint and picturesque, while Grafton could really benefit with a true downtown and larger population. I'll leave that one up to my Northern posters on here to get a better perspective.

I've been to all the Southern Towns(and alot of time spent in Pineville/Wyoming County). I went with Matewan because I think it would have a greater impact there. Even though both the Hatfield-McCoy Trails go thru Matewan and Pineville, Matewan has more historical significance to the state, so Matewan got my vote.

[PynballWyzyrd]

This is really cool. I hope that everyone on here votes!

[elewis7]

Really, I could have voted for any of the towns and all are deserving of this initiative. However, I chose Rowlesburg and Pineville. I was trying to balance physical character (built environment and the natural elements), history, economies, and need for assistance and came up with these.

Also, I think I was inadvertently thinking of Mullens when I voted for Pineville, but the same traits still apply. Also, I didn't vote for Grafton due to the fact that, as a larger town, it might have access to more help. It was basically 1b for me though, and I didn't pick Matewan but it was similarly 1b.

FWIW when I voted, Grafton and Matewan were in the lead by a healthy margin.

[CurseOfWilmore]

Originally Posted by elewis7

Really, I could have voted for any of the towns and all are deserving of this initiative. However, I chose Rowlesburg and Pineville. I was trying to balance physical character (built environment and the natural elements), history, economies, and need for assistance and came up with these.

Also, I think I was inadvertently thinking of Mullens when I voted for Pineville, but the same traits still apply. Also, I didn't vote for Grafton due to the fact that, as a larger town, it might have access to more help. It was basically 1b for me though, and I didn't pick Matewan but it was similarly 1b.

FWIW when I voted, Grafton and Matewan were in the lead by a healthy margin.

i would have voted for Mullens if it was in the Poll over Matewan.

[snorpus]

I haven't voted yet, but I'm going to go with Hundred and Hillsboro, for not very analytical reasons.

Hundred... because I grew up not far from there.

Hillsboro... because our retirement lot is just south of there on Droop Mountain, and because my parents met while my father was in the CCC at Watoga (just across the river) and they're buried a little ways up the road, in Marlinton.

Maybe this effort will serve as a model for the six "losing" towns, and the hundreds of other towns in WV that could use it.

[Chriscross309]

This sounds great! Good luck, and hopefully we can see some positive results!