The following article was originally published in the April 22nd edition of the Herald Dispatch (www.herald-dispatch.com).

When I was asked to write a weekly column for the Herald Dispatch that described the on-going Create Huntington activities I was, frankly, a little worried that there wouldn’t be enough information to fill the space. Now, as a testament to the engaged volunteers who are making Huntington a great place to live, I find there are weeks I could use twice the space. This is one of those weeks.

Earth Day Events

Today, April 22^nd is Earth Day. There will be a host of Earth Day activities from 3 – 7 pm, at Huntington’s Weed and Seed Office, 1524 10th Avenue. The activities are sponsored, in part, by the Home Depot and Big Sandy Superstores.

Governor Manchin, Mayor Wolfe, and others will dedicate the Community Gardens. The dedication will feature the Sisters of the Heart Drum playing a Native American Flag Song and Veterans Honor Song, and poetry by Huntington’s Eva Motley.

There will be plenty of activities for children and families, including inflatable rides, Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine and Native American drumming lessons. Moses Honda will also be on hand with new hybrid and clean diesel cars.

Attendees who bring one or more of the following will receive a door prize: bag of recyclables (cardboard, paper, aluminum, tin, or electronic components); new Ty Beanie Babies © or Webkins © which the Little Earth Angels will donate to area hospitals; or 3 or 5 gallon plastic planting pots, which the Tree Team will use to store 1,000 trees that will be donated to the community in 2010.

Downtown Gallery Opens

The Huntington Art Collective will hold a reception on April 24^th from 7 pm to midnight to celebrate the grand opening of Gallery 842, a community art project launched from the weekly Chat ‘N Chew sessions. The reception is free but donations, to subsidize ongoing operating expenses, will be accepted. Refreshments will be provided.

The exhibition was juried and curated by local artists Seth Cyfers and John Farley and organized by a volunteer group. It will feature artwork from Tri-state artists. It is a prime example of what can be accomplished when engaged citizens from the community and faculty, students and staff from Marshall work together.

Gallery 842 will be located at 842 4^th Avenue in downtown Huntington. The gallery will be open weekly, Thursday-Saturday from 4 pm – 9 pm, and Sunday from noon-4 pm. Gallery 842 is an itinerant – or transient – gallery. Taking advantage of donated commercial space, it will run for a few months in the current location before being relocated to a new location. Space for the first exhibit is being generously donated by Liza Caldwell.

You can always find out how to be part of the energy that is transforming Huntington at www.createhuntington.com or by joining other engaged residents, 5:30- 7:00 pm, every Thursday at the Create Huntington Chat ‘n Chew. Held in the lobby of the Frederick Building, the Chat ‘n Chew is an opportunity for you to brainstorm ways to make Huntington a great place to live and begin to take action.