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Sitting in the Weirton Council Chambers Friday morning, I was amazed to see representatives of so many of our local communities gathered in one room for a common cause.
The amazement was two-fold. First, because there was such a cooperative spirit being generated for a particular goal, not just from the elected officials of Weirton, but also county commissioners, legislators, and officials from several other area communities.
Secondly, and to be quite blunt, typically the only time I see such a collection of local officials for any purpose is while attending a chamber of commerce dinner.
For as much as we reference ourselves as "The Tri-State Area," and talk about how much we are a region and that the opportunities and problems of one community effect many of the others, we, as a people, have had a tendency to establish invisible barriers which are then treated as uncrossable except for the rarest and most critical of exceptions.
Sure, for the people of Chester, it is usually easier to cross the Ohio River and drive the six or seven miles to Calcutta. But I've spoken with people who, even now, treat the 25 mile drive to Weirton as if it is a full-day trek.
The distance between Weirton and Wellsburg is slightly shorter, at approximately 20 miles, but I'll hear the same comments. I know of people in Wellsburg who would rather go to Wheeling (25 to 30 miles away) than Weirton for some needs, including medical care.
Let's not even get into those who have it in their minds that the traverse between Weirton and Steubenville is impossible to make, or Weirton to Burgettstown. There have been people who refuse to attend events, no matter the cause, if it means they have to cross a state line and drive two miles.
Friday morning, though, all that seemed to be put to the wayside as discussions were focused on the needs of local infrastructure. Yes, much of the need was for the roads in West Virginia, and especially in Weirton, but those in attendance from Wellsburg, Steubenville, New Cumberland and Chester, recognized the need for everyone to work together and present a united front in this effort.
While I know the issues surrounding our infrastructure is a critical situation, it would be nice to see such cooperation in the future between our communities.
I recall the days of my youth in this business, when there was a recognized Northern Panhandle Coalition in the state Legislature. Senators and delegates from Hancock, Brooke, Ohio and Marshall counties often would gather if their free-hours to discuss the issues affecting their communities and what they might be able to do to address them. It was a mix of Democrats and Republicans with differing political viewpoints, but they did what they could to help the region as a whole.
There's no reason the same couldn't happen on the local level. We have the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission which brings together officials from the three counties to look into transportation issues. There's no reason similar, if less formal, efforts can't be established for other areas of concern.
Perhaps this can be the starting point for a new spirit of cooperation, where, quarterly meetings are held to bring forth issues of concern and share ideas, amongst the communities of Hancock, Brooke and Jefferson counties.
Everything that happens in one community can, and does, have an effect on others. The only barriers are the ones in our minds, and it's time we do something about it.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter @CHowellWDT)