HOPE & RESILIENCE ›› strong
CALLIE TAYLOR W PETERSBURG, GRANT COUNTY Riding the Beautification Train Distancing didn’t stop Petersburg residents from improving their town. in themidst of a global pandemic, the small town of Petersburg, West Virginia, has taken to the streets in pursuit of beautification. Located in Grant County, Petersburg is a known attraction for all things recreation as well as home to the golden trout. With a population of less than 3,000, Petersburg is very rural, but offers many roots to many all over the state. It’s common to travel even thousands of miles away, note that you are from Petersburg, and someone will respond to you with some sort of fond connection to the small town. High schoolers grow up dreaming of leaving and never coming back, but somehow we’re always drawn back—even if that means having to return home because a worldwide virus has cancelled school for the rest of the year. It’s been a known fact that beautification was something Petersburg needed to get a grip on. Our buildings are old, some abandoned, some for sale. But the questions always arose: Who will head up the project? Where will we get the money? All questions that held us back and prevented anything from happening. We always seemed to get a vibe that our little town was just a retirement community. But far from that, Petersburg thrives on recreation. With easy access to Dolly Sods, quaint little bed and breakfast accommodations, caverns, and some of the best fishing you’ll find, we are the Heartbeat of the Potomac Highlands. Those of us who know our potential have always pushed for development and new ideas, but it wasn’t until we were named a gateway town to the Monongahela National Forest that the gears started turning. It was just luck that a group of people found an article in our local newspaper that sparked a reaction. Out of the ductwork, friends and families became excited about a potential beautification project. Today the project is spearheaded by Kim Secrist and Tammy Kimble, two Petersburg
Housing the Homeless Monongalia County rallies with a quick solution. Life on the street is hard, but it’s harder still when there’s a pandemic. Shops you might usually stop at for a cup of coffee or a bottle of pop are closed, and service organizations where you typically warm your bones and get a nutritious meal among friends may provide curbside meal service only. Masks and frequent hand-washing aren’t really available. In April, the Monongalia County Health Department asked the Monongalia County Commission to come up with a plan for the unsheltered. Within days, the dedicated health care and social services professionals who make up the Monongalia County Unsheltered Task Force had a solution: Motel 6 would house the homeless until further arrangements could be made. Motel 6 and local food pantries would provide meals; Friendship House, Milan Puskar HealthRight, and the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness would provide other services; and the rooms would be paid for by the coalition and by United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties. Thirty-four people received shelter at Motel 6 frommid-April through mid- May, after which many were moved to Bartlett Housing Solutions locations or to apartments.
natives who were ready to make something happen. Tammy and Kim were prepared to go through the hoops to secure funds and volunteerism for such a large project. After a two-sentence mention in the paper about a goal of beautification, the ladies took it a step further and contacted local nursery owner Gabe Mongold of GM Nursery, who put together a plan, sketches, and a budget. After countless presentations, the group overwhelmingly had secured volunteers and some funding from the county. As COVID-19 began to rear its ugly head, they feared slowdown, but no one wanted to stop. A Facebook group was created to practice social distancing, and the plans continued. Not only were they discussing beautification, people were coming together and expressing their interest in potential businesses and other opportunities. Slowly but surely local citizens and businesses began mentioning their interest in sponsoring a flower pot or basket for their street corner and, as of April 30, the flowers, pots, and other necessities will be ordered. While stuck at home, social distancing, our little town has come together. Once travel is safe, Petersburg will be happy to welcome all travelers with open arms. We invite you to check out our progress as our town begins a hopeful revitalization.
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30 wvl • the community issue 2020
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