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West Virginia's Creative Communities Under Construction project is underway to promote the Create West Virginia Conference set for October 20-22 at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. The viral campaign is being spread by West Virginia bloggers. If you are creatively curious attend the conference and check out the Create WV Blog.

I'm promoting the conference because the future of West Virginia lies in creating a "new" intellectually-based economy using the creative skills of our people. Focusing our efforts on this type of economy creates a "wonderful" environment to live in where "wild" ideas can thrive. I want to attract similarly minded people to West Virginia who believe intelligence, creativity, technology, innovation, arts and culture are the foundation for our future.

The viral campaign asked that we each highlight an element of the new economy in our hometown or county. Since others will cover Charleston I thought I would share information about my hometown -- New Martinsville and Wetzel County.

A community where a kid named Greg Babe can grow up be the first American to lead a German-based global chemical and pharmaceutical company, where a girl named Sandra Block running around the local newspaper with her mom can grow up and write about Money for USA Today, where a kid named Ralph Baxter can grow up to lead a global law firm and where a boy named Bill Stewart who played high school football can realize his dream of leading the Mountaineers.
Although New Martinsville like many West Virginia communities has struggled economically one bright example of entrepreneurship is Baristas Cafe & Pub on Main Street where you can drink locally and think globally. Baristas is a great place to hang out any time of the day or night and get a coffee, have some brick oven pizza or sip a Guiness.

How many West Virginia baristas can claim a feature article in the New York Times written by Rebecca Skloot who sometimes escapes to the hills of Wetzel County to write (and blog).The article captures the early essence of Baristas opening in New Martinsville and although probably an over simplified view of my howetown gives a glimpse at the comparison between the old and new economy existing in West Virginia.

Another shining example of creative entrepreneurship in Wetzel County is Thistle Dew Farms and Mountain Craft Shop located "out Proctor." Thistle Dew is owned by Ellie and Steve Conlon who left Philadelphia with two bee hives in 1974.

Today they operate an environmentally friendly beekeeping business with over 700 bee hives and produce some of the sweetest stuff that West Virginia offers. In 2002, they acquired the Moutain Craft Shop, a business founded in 1963 by folk toy master Dick Schnacke. Thanks to the Conlon's the amazing vision, creativity and tradition of Mr. Schnacke continues on. Giving children around the globe (including my own) the experiece of a whimmydittle, flipper dinger or the exploding outhouse.

Come back later . . .

I will be adding a guest post by the President of Bethany College, Scott Miller, who will highlight the new economy opportunities being developed at Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia.

I approached President Miller with this project because I thought it important to highlight what I think is the best kept educational and community experiences in West Virginia -- the Bethany Community. My undergraduate years (1984-88) were spent at Bethany and provided me with education and experience to become a successful health care and technology lawyer.

President Miller's latest editorial in the West Virginia State Journal, "It's Time to Get Serious About Global Awareness," is the type of innovative and progressive thinking that goes on at Bethany. The editorial is timely in light of the topics to be discussed at the Create WV Conference.

For a list of the other Creative Communities Under Construction posts - go here and here.

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