WVU?Community Design Team tours city of Philippi
Group learns city’s strengths, weaknessesBy BEN SIMMONS, Staff Writer
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Members of the West Virginia University Community Design Team toured Philippi Friday to learn more about the city's strengths and weaknesses in order to prepare a presentation of recommendations to the community. Stops included Alderson-Broaddus College, Philip Barbour High School, the city pool and other places of interest.
Philippi City Manager Karen Weaver said the team arrived in town on Thursday and spent the evening with host families.
"I think their visit is a really positive thing for the city," Weaver said. "I hope a lot of people come out to the Baptist Church, because I think that will not only make the team know their effort was worthwhile, but for the city as a whole to help us improve. I think it helps to have someone else's view about what we can do and need to do. I just think it's a tremendous opportunity for us to grow."
Community Design Team Coordinator Jenny Selin said the team consists of professionals from West Virginia University. She said members are from various backgrounds and each has different areas of specialization. She said staying with the host families helped team members get a more in-depth look at the community.
"Philippi has a lot going for it," Selin said. "I'm very impressed and I think the team members are also very impressed. We've noticed Philippi has a very vibrant downtown. It has the advantage of having a college campus. It has people willing to work together and do work together. It has a lot of strong community groups and development groups within the city that are working toward furthering Philippi and making Philippi not any different from what it is, but taking it up a notch.
Susie Cvechko, who helped coordinate the team's visit, said a three-hour meeting was conducted at Friday morning with various community leaders to discuss ways to improve the city.
"The team spoke with various organizations about what they see as positive and what they see as opportunities for improvement," Cvechko said. "Now that the team has received that input, I'm anxious to see what they can do for us as a positive in their report."
During the visit to PBHS, students Bobbie Nutter and Malissa Lake spoke to the group about what younger residents would like to see in the community. Their suggestions for improvement included upgrades to athletic facilities, more downtown businesses geared toward youth and a movie theater.
Following the tour, a community discussion and workshop was conducted at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church for residents. The meeting provided an opportunity for residents to provide input and discuss their ideas regarding community revitalization and development.
Last year, Philippi was selected to receive approximately $25,000 in expert advice in the fields of economic development, landscape architecture and community revitalization from a team of professional and student volunteers from West Virginia University and the West Virginia State Office of Rural Health.
In its efforts to increase recruitment and retention potential, the Recruitable Community Program provides the services of the West Virginia University's First Impressions Program and the Community Design Team for each community chosen to participate in the program. The First Impressions Program is designed to raise local awareness of a community's strengths and weaknesses as seen through the eyes of the first time visitor. The report was presented to residents of Philippi on April 30.
The Community Design Team provides a team of professional, student and public and private volunteers to assist the community with identifying community goals and formulating steps to achieve them. Volunteers serving on the team typically specialize in fields such as landscape architecture, health care, tourism, historic preservation, public administration and economic development.
