Trending
ELKINS -- Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco said 2025 was a year of many accomplishments for the city, and said more were on the way this year.
Marco recently took the opportunity to reflect on 2025 while also promoting a positive outlook for the rest of 2026.
When it comes to the accomplishments of the city in 2025, several stuck out for Marco, including the additions of the Gold Star Families and Rosie the Riveter monuments to the Veterans Memorial Park. When speaking with The Inter-Mountain, Marco also commented on of the city's more technical achievements.
"The city's clean audit. I think it was the 12th in a row," Marco told The Inter-Mountain. "It shows that the city is being run smartly, conservatively,and efficiently.
"(Also) the heads of water (Wes Lambert) and wastewater (Whitney Hymes), who keep leading their departments with integrity while they are short-staffed and are going above and beyond the call of duty, doing the best they can with aging infrastructure."
One moment and accomplishment in particular that stood out the most to Marco was when officers with Elkins City Police rescued Elkins resident Harold Wayne Simmons, 80, during a Silver Alert emergency in June.
Simmons had been reported missing from his home by a healthcare worker on June 18, 2025, according to a release put out by the Elkins Police Department in June. Later that same day, Senior Patrolman Dylan Coffman located Simmons at the bottom of a very steep embankment that was approximately 20 feet tall and "extremely slick from recent rainfall."
Coffman "immediately traversed the embankment with the use of a tree" and, upon entering the water, pulled Simmons to safety.
"That heroic effort to save that citizen at 10:30 at night, when he was neck deep in water, reminds us how our first responders always put citizens' safety first," Marco said.
When asked what, out of everything the city and its citizens accomplished in 2025, he was most proud of, Marco noted how the city had begun to recognize local students and their achievements at city council meetings.
"I really hope (local students) become more civic-minded, and that is a driving factor," Marco said. "They need to know that their city supports them. I am always amazed at how our community organizations, from the YMCA to the (Interact) Children's Museum, rise to the occasion as they make sure our kids and teens have a lot of activities to participate in year-round."
Marco also recognized the efforts of local volunteers and donors who help make downtown look festive during the festival and holiday seasons. When further asked what events in Elkins he enjoyed this past year, as well as what events citizens should be excited for in 2026, Marco said, "All of them."
He noted that the Mountain State Forest Festival "is as popular as ever" and that Elkins "really knows how to show its Christmas spirit." Marco also spoke highly of the 2025 Fourth of July Parade.
"And for a city our size, the number of block parties is amazing. I wish I could attend all of them," Marco said. "We'll celebrate just about anything, which I love about this city. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention events like the Community Table in spring and the Boo Mile in the fall. I love seeing citizens enjoying each other's company, whether they are having a bowl of soup or running down Davis Avenue in an inflatable costume!"
When asked if there was anything he wished had been done differently in 2025, Marco commented that hindsight is 20/20.
"Being the mayor, of course I'm always wondering if I could do something different," Marco said. "But as my communications manager Leon Kaye says, just keep pushing forward. Tomorrow is always a better day. Look forward and onward. I prefer to learn, not dwell."
Looking forward to the rest of 2026, Marco said he is definitely looking forward to becoming president of the West Virginia Municipal League Board of directors for 2026-2027. As he explained, the role will allow him to showcase the city to other municipalities, as the League's board of director meetings for the 2026-2027 session will be held in Elkins.
As for what the citizens of Elkins have to look forward to this year, Marco said residents will have "more opportunities to be ambassadors for our city."
"We are currently participating in a partnership with Buchanan, in a marketing and advertising campaign with the office of West Virginia Tourism and the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism," Marco said. "They are targeting potential visitors in Northern Virginia, and I think it's going to be wonderful for locals to welcome, greet them and show them what our city and surrounding area are all about."
Marco also said residents can't forget that the Augusta Heritage Center is relocating to downtown, and many of the Augusta Heritage Festival events will also be in downtown Elkins this summer.
The Interact Children's Museum will also continue to hold "great events" for local kids, Marco said, as the organization moves into its first brick and mortar location in downtown Elkins. He added that he is also looking forward to the Old Brick Playhouse's program for 2026-2027, stating that the Old Brick has changed so many local kids' lives for the better.
When it comes to major City of Elkins projects this year, Marco said citizens should keep an eye out for at least two improvement projects by the city's wastewater department.
"It may not be something visual I can point to, but our head of the wastewater department, Whitney Hymes, has worked hard to secure grants to fund at least two wastewater improvements projects," Marco said. "These will cost several million but her department has secured grants – so nothing is coming out of Elkins' budget. I can't tell you what they are because of the rules surrounding these grants, but they will be announced soon."
By the end of 2026, Marco said he would like to see the Elkins community be more appreciative of and show support to D&E and its students, whether by attending events at the Myles Center or attending college sporting events.
He stated that D&E students "always respond to the call of duty" by volunteering at community events or cleaning up trash. Marco said he wants to encourage residents to follow Senator Nation on Facebook, or visit the website, to keep up with what's going on at the college.
Marco said he would also like to see the community make more of an effort to keep our city clean, stating that city council members and leaders do their share of community cleanups and citizens are always welcome to join in.
"We're always looking for new opportunities to allow our cities to grow by promoting citizenship, new businesses and offering new opportunities," Marco said. "I've been in office for almost five years; I realize there's a small percentage that will complain that no matter what we do, it'll never be enough. However, there is a larger percentage of residents who are grateful for us making the difficult decisions to move this city forward. I can't and won't let the negativity win."
When asked what his ultimate hope was for 2026, Marco said he wanted people to know that Elkins is "open for business." With some of the new developments underway, he says he sees new businesses opening in downtown that will complement the ones that have invested in the community for decades. Marco also hopes more companies can move into the Industrial Park in South Elkins, joining the companies that have been committed to the community for a long time.
"I would like the community of Elkins to lead by example," Marco said. "We can disagree with each other, and we can also be civil with each other. There are a lot of positives in our city; let's focus on those, and not only dwell on the negatives."