The following column was published in the January 27th issue of The Herald-Dispatch. It is part of a regular series of columns on Create Huntington. For more information, go to www.herald-dispatch.com.

Every now and then someone brings an idea to a Chat ‘n Chew that makes people say, “Wow!” That happened last week.  

As background for those who haven’t made it out for a Thursday night Chat ‘n Chew, they are forums where people brainstorm and work on projects they believe will improve the quality of life here. Among its many other functions, Create Huntington Chat ‘n Chews have become a place where people who are not native to Huntington come to meet and engage others. As a result, many of us who grew up in Huntington have gained an appreciation for the regional and cultural diversity in Huntington today. 

These new members of the Huntington community come to teach at Marshall or one of the local universities, attend medical school, practice medicine, or work in one of the local businesses. They’ve moved here from New York, Minnesota and California; Ireland, Venezuela and Ethiopia. They’ve come with no historical baggage: they do not know about the mall locating in Barboursville rather than downtown Huntington, they know nothing about the interstate routing around, rather than through our City, and have no idea about the great Henderson Center/Civic Center debate. They see a charming town with endless, unrealized potential. Most importantly, they bring new ideas, new energy and new expectations to our City.

However, many of the new residents lament the fact that there is not more cultural variety in Huntington. They come from communities with greater diversity of ethnic restaurants and cultural festivals. They seek places where there children can study foreign languages and be taught foreign culture and dance. They look for places to meet people who share their culture or who are from other traditions. And they really want to learn more about Appalachians, Huntingtonians in particular.

 A new “Chat ‘n Chewer” joined us last week to learn about what we do and to share her vision for something she believed would make Huntington special. Her vision is to create a “Culture Center” where people from any background could come together to meet and interact with long-time residents and people from other cultures and countries; where we could all experience the rich cultural fabric being woven in Huntington today. She envisions a place where people could learn to cook Peruvian food, experience the rich history of Ethiopia and be taught Gaelic.

 Huntingtonians are naturally welcoming and hospitable. When I hear her vision, I see a place where we can welcome people from all backgrounds to our community and enrich our lives and understanding of the world – all at the same time.

 Join us to learn more about this project and the many other exciting efforts to enrich the quality of life in Huntington. The Create Huntington Chat ‘n Chews are held 5:30 – 7:00 pm every Thursday in the lobby of the Frederick Building, 940 Fourth Avenue, downtown Huntington. For more information, go to www.createhuntington.com.