Municipal League Coming To Pocahontas County

Marlinton,WV – Marlinton Mayor Joe Smith informs Allegheny Mountain Radio that the West Virginia Municipal League will hold its annual conference this summer in Pocahontas County.

“I was notified on May the first by Lisa Dooley, the executive director of the West Virginia Municipal League, that this location had been accepted for this year’s conference,” he said.” “We’re very pleased to have it coming to Pocahontas County.”

Smith says the town and Convention and Visitors Bureau will work together to make it a memorable event for the mayors, councilpersons and other officials visiting the county.

“By being the host community, we will be working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and other people and, hopefully, the other two corporate communities within the county, to put together activities that these people can participate in while they’re here,” he said. “The whole week, or four days, will not be tied up with meetings.”

Municipal League official Kathy Burton told AMR the group expects about 400 people to attend the conference, which will be held between August 7-10 at Snowshoe Mountain. Burton said the group is scheduling time for tours and will offer trips to several places of interest, including: NRAO, Cass Scenic Railroad, the Pearl Buck Birthplace; the county Historical Museum and the Scenic Highway.

Smith said former Mayor Dennis Driscoll deserves credit for bringing the group to Pocahontas County. Burton said the Town of Marlinton submitted a request to host the conference in Pocahontas County about two years ago, when Driscoll was mayor. Driscoll says he and CVB official Gail Hyer submitted photographs for a Municipal League calendar, which really got the group’s attention.

“Last year, a publication from the Municipal League had a little note in it – ‘Would you like to submit photos of your area?'” he said. ‘We’re going to pick some and we’re going to put them in the Municipal League calendar.’ When the Municipal League calendar came out, there were four photographs of Pocahontas County, because they thought, ‘Wow, this has really got to be a good place to go visit.'”

The former mayor says he’s thrilled to get the good news.

“This actually is the first time that I’ve heard that they are coming here and I am thrilled,” he said. “It’s another example of working together, especially with the CVB, and using their resources. But, it was wonderful to get the calendars and see the pictures that we had taken.”