Category: Articles
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State of the Creative State
Charleston was abuzz this week as legislators opened their 2008 session and Governor Manchin delivered his State of the State address. As with most political speeches, there were things to be excited about and things that left you wishing for more. Here are a few things we’re excited about from a Creative Communities/New Economy perspective:…
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Things are Looking Up in Upshur County
Buckhannon just seems like one of those All-American towns. One of the rare West Virginia towns built on a fairly large swath of flat land in Central WV, Buckhannon is home to the famous Strawberry Festival and West Virginia Wesleyan College. Like most small towns, the downtown started to empty and deteriorate years ago. But…
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Kudos on Broadband Progress
Several additional communities in West Virginia are enjoying access to DSL broadband thanks for recent efforts by Verizon. And with support from Connected Nation, a DC-based nonprofit technology group, 2008 should be even better. From a Sunday Charleston Gazette-Mail article: Since August, Verizon, along with other high-speed Internet providers in the state, has helped Connected…
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What are Other Regions Doing?
There is no doubt that a shift in economic development strategy from “smokestack chasing” to “nurturing an entrepreneurial garden” is occurring around the country. While we don’t necessarily like the term “smokestack chasing” because it’s misleading as to what the hard-working folks in economic development offices do (who isn’t excited about Hino Motors and other…
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Creative Resolutions for 2008
Happy New Year! We thought it would be interesting to throw out some recommended resolutions to get us started on the right creative foot in 2008. In addition to the ones below, the createwv.com site has a list of “Big Ideas” your community might want to use as inspiration (see the Big Ideas link on…
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Create WV 2008 Plans
this is a placeholder for an archived post being imported soon
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New State Slogan: Open for Immigrants?
Since “Open for Business” has run its course on our welcome signs, perhaps it’s time to discuss who we’re open for as much as what we’re open for. In the New Economy, any discussion has to begin with the global competition for talent. And by global, we do mean global. It’s a simple equation: The…
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International Firms Meld Cultures in the Mid-Ohio Valley
A great article in the Parkersburg News on the influence of international companies on the community, including a focus on teamwork: “The teamwork here is unbelievable,” said Hino team leader Anthony Frontera of Parkersburg. “When we’re done with a job, we all yell ‘Complete!’ together.There’s not office staff and production — we’re all together,” she…
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The Power of Ph.D.’s
After a string of good news, South Charleston faced some bad news this week: More layoffs from Dow Chemical within their long-suffering research center in the Kanawha Valley. Up to 150 scientists – highly paid Ph.D.’s with salaries north of $100K – will be either relocated or let go in the coming year. Once a…
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Davis, WV: “One of America’s Best Outdoor Towns”
More recognition for the cool little town of Davis, WV, in Tucker County. This time MSNBC names it one of the best towns for outdoor activities in the country. From the article: Davis may have a diminutive population—624, at last count—but its dedication to the outdoors is gargantuan. Blackwater Bike Shop (304-259-5286), a local outfit…