Do you ever wonder what our communities might look like if we could fill a wish list with our favorite things? Would we have neighborhoods filled with specialty shops, unique eateries, bars, boats, bike shops…who knows? The possibilities are endless!  The City of New Martinsville is trying to make your dreams come true by helping to identify and hopefully encourage new businesses to open right here in our community. We just need your input! Make your voices heard. Tell us what new businesses you would like to see, but most of all, what new businesses that you are willing to support! Please complete this survey by Thursday, July 21st in time for our next Blueprint Community Team Meeting.

What is the Blueprint Community Team? “The Blueprint Community Team was formed in 2018 when we applied to the WV Community Development HUB to be considered for the Blueprint program. It was a very competitive application as the opportunity was only open to six communities in WV and is sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank in Pittsburgh. For those unfamiliar with FHLB, they are the banker's bank. For the Pittsburgh office the mission includes community development and support and the WV HUB is the office that runs the FHLB Blueprint Communities program. Your team has to include a government official, a realtor, an FHLB bank, a non-profit facilitator and community members at large. After selection, the team spends a year in training and developing a strategic plan for your community. We had community conversations and the public decided that the 3 areas of focus for our team to be Beatification, Buildings, and Business Support and Expansion. We call them the Three B's. Our first year was 2019 (it is a 10-year designation), we were reaffirmed in 2021, and will do so again in 2024. Because of the Blueprint program and the small grants available, we have been able to create a flyer about New Martinsville, rehab our welcome signs, establish the Bruce Pool Art Installation, create a New Martinsville Business Focus Group, create a Facebook page the New Martinsville Buzz, started a building inventory and a Better Buildings Program (halted due to COVID and will be resumed soon), and received funding for the Opportunity Tour that is our current focus. In addition, the Blueprint Team put together funding for an outreach marketing campaign that is currently being established. We still have many projects in our strategic plan that are reviewed annually for needed adjustments”. –City of New Martinsville Mayor, Sandy Hunt Blueprint Communities is a registered trademark of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh.

ArtsLink’s 2022 Coffeehouse Series will kick off on Thursday, July 21, with Rick Tincher, Jessica Anderson, and the Birch River Band. The 6:30 pm concert, sponsored by First Mutual Bank, will be held on the new performance deck at the Francis Creative Arts Center at the corner of Maple Avenue and Washington Street in downtown New Martinsville. Jessica Anderson has been playing music and singing since she was 4 years old. In addition to singing, she also plays fiddle, mandolin, and guitar. Tincher has won state banjo contests in Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland, as well as the Mid-Atlantic Banjo Championship. He sings and plays steel guitar, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar in the band. The Birch River Band consists of Rick, Jessica, Tim “Wink” Wilson on bass, and drummer Jake Bradford. Grant funding was received from Dominion Foundation for the construction of the new handicapped-accessible performance deck. ArtsLink is committed to providing universal accessibility wherever possible. Persons with special needs may contact ArtsLink at 304-455-2278 to request assistance. Financial support for ArtsLink activities is provided by The City of New Martinsville Parks & Recreation Commission, West Virginia Northern Community College, and W E T Z/ W Y M J Radio. For more information, call 304-455-2278.