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OPINIONS
Diane Mufson: City making progress in realizing 21st century potential
Last weekend, my husband and I again had a chance to visit Burlington, Vt., a university town of close to 39,000 that has many similarities to Huntington. Decades ago, Burlington was underdeveloped and hurt by textile mill closings.
Over many years, we have watched Burlington blossom architecturally and economically and wondered what it would take to make Huntington look more like it. So, on our recent visit to Vermont, I repeatedly asked folks, “What’s caused Burlington’s metamorphosis?” The most frequent response was “Community involvement from both the private and public sectors.”
Others said, “Community pride, education, lakefront development and entrepreneurship” (think Ben and Jerry’s) were helpful. Now it seems that some of the same factors are taking root here. We need individuals, groups and governmental agencies to continue this progress so the Huntington area can realize its 21st century potential.
The Huntington area has all the makings for success. We have an ideal geographic location, natural beauty and a rich history. But we’ve often bought into the viewpoint that the economy and infrastructure have been bad for so long that we should just learn to live with it.
Recently, the attitudinal change here is palpable. Optimism, long absent, is returning. People from a variety of walks of life say they not only want to see positive changes, but are willing to give their time and effort to make it happen.
Pullman Square, a cooperative public-private sector undertaking, probably set the stage for the belief that Huntington was ready to evolve. Entrepreneurs are continuing this pattern with plans for the Arcade (Galleria) building and revitalization of the floors above Dickinson Furniture and Love Hardware.
Create Huntington has energized and organized the community through major meetings and ongoing Thursday night Chat ’n Chews.
Barboursville will soon host the Youth Soccer Region I Championships; thousands of visitors are expected from many states. And just in time for this, the Cabell Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau has been reorganized with a fine place to call home and a new and knowledgeable executive director.
In an area where obesity is a big issue, we are building a connection between physical activity and health. The recent 5K run was a great success, following a path set by the Huntington Marathon started a few years ago. Now, walking and bike trails are seen as real possibilities.
The Huntington Symphony’s recent Pop’s concert at Harris Riverfront Park had a record attendance. If you missed that one, make sure you catch the concerts on July 25 and August 22.
HADCO continues to bring new industries to our area, Marshall University continues to grow, and we have proactive elected city and county officials. The current police chief and local enforcement officials have stepped up efforts to make our area safer, and we finally have a plan to reduce the number of derelict buildings.
For the first time in decades there isn’t enough space in one column to list all of the people and groups involved in productive undertakings in our community. Many of these activities are similar to those that helped Burlington, Vt., evolve from a basic college town into a thriving small city and a destination for visitors.
Change and growth aren’t easy. More area residents need to become actively involved in developing our community, so that the Huntington area will be able to realize its 21st century potential.
Diane W. Mufson is a psychologist in practice in Huntington. She is a former citizen member of The Herald-Dispatch editorial board and is a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page. Her e-mail is dwmufson@comcast.net.
