Create Pocahontas Addresses Quality Of Life Issues

Marlinton, WV – If you were to walk into the Snowshoe Career Center in Marlinton Wednesday afternoon, you would have found a cross section of Pocahontas County residents sitting around the conference room table. About two dozen people, representing civic groups, small businesses, the local schools, nonprofits, artists, gardeners and a construction worker, ranging in age from early 20s to early 60s came to the meeting hosted by Create Pocahontas. While the group has held meetings sporadically over the past couple of years, there was a sense of growing momentum among those around the table as they shared ideas about education, local foods, the arts and other quality of life issues for Pocahontas County.

The Snowshoe Foundation’s Coby Brown echoed the sentiments of many around the table who welcomed the opportunity to meet and share ideas and stories of successful projects in the community, but without a formalized structure or simple label to throw on the group.

“This group started a long, long time ago, even before we heard about Create Pocahontas. It was called something else. And I will tell you that we got formal, and it fell apart.I’m not saying I don’t need any formality But, I will say that there is something very liberating about sitting around the table with some very creative, smart people, that is a little inspiring.”

And lots of ideas and success stories were circulated around the table Wednesday, from the nursing program at the high school and local business owners teaching in the classroom through Junior Achievement to an upcoming meeting on downtown revitalization and upcoming workshops this spring and summer on how to generate income from organic gardening.

The group has set a regular meeting time of 4:00 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Snowshoe Career Center in Marlinton. The meetings are open to anyone interested in attending.