The following as originally published in the January 13th edition of The Herald Dispatch. It is part of a regular series of columns published about Create Huntington.

 I had the good fortune of sitting down with a friend, Jacqueline Proctor, West Virginia’s Deputy Commissioner of Culture and History, on a cold evening last week. Our conversation eventually strayed to the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. She reminded me of a portion of Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” I had forgotten. In the Letter, Dr. King described the nation’s need for “Creative Extremists” – those who would fight violence with non-violence, hate with love, injustice with justice. Dr. King defined creative extremism in the terms of elevating one’s action in pursuit of compassion, morality, peace and justice.

 Though I would never suggest that Huntington’s plight mirrors the centuries-long struggle of African Americans, I believe this notion of “creative extremism” is relevant for us. We must look at empty buildings and see shops and apartments. We must look at litter and see a clean street. We must look at flower beds filled with weeds and trash and see, instead, the spring’s tulips. We must look at broken neighborhoods and see rebuilt communities of friends and neighbors. We must listen to those who say, “you can’t accomplish that” and show them that, together, we can. We must face down despair and defeatism with hope and hard work. If we do this, we can create a community that inspires people to dream and succeed. We can turn decades of decline into a century of progress.

 Create Huntington is going to hold a very special Chat ‘n Chew this Thursday, January 14^th at which we will thank many of Huntington’s “creative extremists.” This Thursday we will take a moment to publically thank the many people who have led projects, volunteered their time, and helped build a small army of grassroots volunteers committed to improving the quality of life in Huntington. We will take time to celebrate the successes of 2009, look forward to 2010 and to announce some exciting new initiatives in Huntington. And we invite you to join us.

We will meet at our regular time, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, and at our regular place, the lobby of the Frederick Building. At the Chat ‘n Chew, groups will talk about projects they’re working on to make Huntington exceptional. Like every week, people will discuss their aspirations for the community and their hopes for a brighter tomorrow. We may even see new relationships being built; relationships that will someday soon yield new businesses, new ideas and new initiatives.

If you have ever thought about attending a Chat ‘n Chew, if you’ve ever had a vision for something that would make Huntington better, if you’ve ever said that you’d like to get involved but don’t know how, this Thursday is the ideal time for you to join Create Huntington volunteers at the weekly Chat ‘n Chew. You will meet volunteers and community leaders, you will learn about the variety of projects people have worked on, you will be able to share you ideas with others who are forward looking and forward thinking, and you will have an opportunity to get engaged with a group of dynamic, positive people. Create Huntington Chat ‘n Chews are free and open to the public. They are held every Thursday, 5:30 – 7:00 pm in the lobby of the Frederick Building. For more information, go to www.createhuntington.com.