Create West Virginia Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Two of Four Governor Candidates Attend Forum, Sponsor Pushes Back

Two of the four candidates running for Governor participated in a forum hosted by the statewide community action group Create West Virginia in Charleston Tuesday.

The forum allowed candidates to give extended presentations about themselves and their campaigns followed by answering questions from five moderators from across the state and from the audience.

Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler and former U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin—both Democrats—were the only two candidates to accept invitations to the forum. Democratic businessman Jim Justice and Republican Senator Bill Cole declined the invitation.

On their website, Create West Virginia posted critical comments about the two candidates who did not participate saying:

One may draw the conclusion that these candidates don't consider Create West Virginia's gubernatorial forum, and multiple others they've declined, as important enough to attend…but we're not taking it personally. We've been told that the strategy for the two front runners is to avoid situations that may give voters a reason NOT to vote for them. The fact that a candidate can win by avoiding meaningful conversations that reveal who they really are, what they really know about modern economic development, and what their real plans are to move us toward an Innovation Economy is deeply troubling. We're counting on our people to prove those strategists wrong.

In a written response to the claim, Cole’s campaign said:

Bill Cole is the only candidate to have already campaigned in all 55 counties. He will participate in debates and forums after the primary once a Democratic nominee is determined. Only then can there be a clear discussion of the issues and competing visions to get West Virginia moving again.

A spokesman for Jim Justice’s campaign responded:

"Jim has participated in several candidate forums across the state so far and is looking forward to the April 16 statewide debate hosted by the Democratic Party."

That forum will feature the three Democratic candidates for the office before the May 10 primary.

Park in Richwood to Feature Solar Panels on Trellises

An old lot in Richwood may soon become a park featuring trellises with solar panels.

After two years of waiting, Create West Virginia and Richwood Blueprint Community will hold a groundbreaking event Saturday to begin construction of Helios Park in Richwood.

The idea for the park first began in early 2013 when Create West Virginia featured solar panels at its annual conference held in Richwood that year.

Once complete, the park will be located in an old lot across from the visitor’s center in Richwood. It will feature six solar panels mounted on white oak trellises that will look like trees. The entire space will be educational and feature a storm water filter, air purifier, energy generator, and solar power-net metering demonstrations.

Rebecca Kimmons is with Create West Virginia and is the Project Director for Helios Park.

“We think Richwood can have another life, and that’s what this park is all about,” Kimmons explained, “That’s why it’s so exciting. People in West Virginia tend to look back, and they remember when times were wonderful and times were good, and now they’re uncertain like so many of us about what the future’s gonna hold. So I think what this park is going to do is talk to people, demonstrate to people what the future could hold, if we have the political will to make it so.”

Create West Virginia hopes the park will be completed by the end of August this year.

Helios Park’s groundbreaking event will be held Saturday, April 18th at 9:30 AM. It’s free and open to the public.

Create W.Va. conference takes over a town

A statewide conference will be taking over the small town of Richwood in Nicholas County this weekend. Create West Virginia is holding its sixth annual conference there. Rather than meeting at a large state resort park, attendees at the conference will hold their discussions about creative economic development in buildings throughout the town. Entrepreneurs will set up pop up shops in some of the empty storefronts on Main Street in Richwood. Young entrepreneurs like textile maker Nellie Rose Davis will debut her latest fashion line. Cutting edge technology will be featured in a makers lab that features 3-D printers and the like.

“West Virginia’s most creative minds should meet. I don’t care if they’re scientists, or teachers. If they are creative artists in the way that we understand creative artists, painters and sculptors. If they are creative economic developers looking at what so many people would look at as a handful of despair. So if you think you’re creative, come on.” Rebecca Kimmons, 2013 Create WV conference director

Create West Virginia is a grassroots organization that’s striving to build creative communities and businesses for an innovative economy.

Downtown Richwood in Nicholas County will become a vibrant, creative community during the Create W.Va. conference Oct. 24 – Oct. 26.

The Create West Virginia conference opens in Richwood on Thursday, October 24 and runs through Saturday, October 26.

http://createwv.org/