Dear Editor:

Marlinton has a new friend in a small group called GoMarlinton. Developed in December 2009, the group is made up of business owners, and local citizens. Their objective, as stated in a recent presentation to the Marlinton Town Council, is to focus on the positive things that Marlinton offers.

We all know there have been many groups over the years that have attempted similar goals but what makes this group different is at their first meeting they declared, “We're not about fixing anything in Marlinton, we're all about focusing the spotlight on all of the good and positive things the Town has to offer.” The Greenbrier River, Greenbrier River Trail, the Opera House and other historic buildings in town, as well as the town's place in area history and genealogy are paramount to the group.

But GoMarlinton is much more than its objectives. It consists of people who are passionate about Marlinton. Many are locally born, while others traveled here via other cities and states. The first action of the team, as we call ourselves, is a state Division of Tourism grant to develop a website and eventually point traffic to that site by advertising on recreational websites in and around the region.

The group approached the town council recently to be a partner and administrator of the grant. It's important that officials are on board for the grant and future action. We're all in this together and together we can achieve so much more. Town council understood the helping hand GoMarlinton extended and voted unanimously to support the group. We thank them profusely for trusting us enough with their vote of confidence.

The group is using private contributions to purchase new flags for the downtown area as well as large maps strategically placed so visitors can easily find coffee shops, places to have breakfast, places to shop for souvenirs, where to rent canoes, find the library, the courthouse and other areas of interest. Merchants, restaurants, lodging facilities and others will receive a decal for their window indicating they are part of the team. Again, the goal is to be inclusive.

An Open House will be held at the Pocahontas County Opera House on Tuesday, April 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. We hope you will join us and share any ideas you might have for promoting Marlinton. The group already has a Facebook page, and has an outline developed for the website.

The group has chosen three slogans from a dozen or so and is asking the public and their Facebook fans to vote on the slogan. To vote, go to this link and vote only once http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22ADJ7C3DYW. The winning slogan will be announced at the Open House.

We want people who have a stake in Marlinton to be involved in one way or another. We understand everyone is time-deprived with jobs, civic, social events and after-school activities. But we're not asking you for the world...just an idea, a suggestion, an hour or two to help out. What will you get? In the end we want your pay-off to be pride in your community.

A personal note – this effort would go nowhere if it weren't for the business leaders in this community. All that they have done will make GoMarlinton make a difference.

Gail Hyer
GoMarlinton