Coffee with the Mayor returns for fall semester
More stories from John Cole Glover
Mayor Steve Williams speaks to Marshall student during Coffee with the Mayor.
Yesterday marked the return of Coffee With The Mayor to Marshall University’s campus. The event lasted from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Memorial Student Center.
Students and faculty approached Huntington Mayor, Steve Williams, in an informal setting and spoke to him about issues within the community.
“If even 1 or 2 students get to meet the mayor, it is a success for me,” said Student Body President, Duncan Waugaman. “The mayor is such an incredible man.”
Williams said his main purpose there was to let students know he is accessible and that the event can be a great opportunity to make contacts and build a network.
Williams said that reminding students that they can stay in town after graduation is another one of his main goals. Williams said he hopes students love Huntington so much they cannot wait to return once they leave.
“Huntington and Marshall have a symbiotic relationship,” Williams said. “Huntington and Marshall can’t exist without each other.”
Williams said the relationship was born out of tragedy, referring to the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall football players, coaches and Huntington residents.
“We were taken to our knees and learned how to stand up again while leaning on each other,” Williams said.
Coffee With The Mayor has been continuing for about 2 and a half years and has allowed several students to talk with the mayor without going to a formal city function.
Recently, Huntington City Council raised the User Fee, a fee that will cost those who work in Huntington an extra $2 per week.
The user fee was a topic of conversation brought up by students, faculty and other community members at the meeting.
The money collected from the fee will go towards the police force and road maintenance within the city limits.
Williams said that the Huntington area is already one of the safest around, with 110 police officers, a State Police detachment and agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Intelligence, and the bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms nearby.
Williams also said that patrols around Marshall have been increased lately, another way the city maintains a relationship with the university.
The next Coffee With The Mayor will be Oct. 29th from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
John Cole Glover can be contacted at [email protected].
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