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Harvest the Vision set for Sunday in Parkersburg

PARKERSBURG — Along with music from Elev8 Nation and Shalie, free food and family activities, Parkersburg City Councilwoman Wendy Tuck sees the Harvest the Vision Music Fest planned for Sunday afternoon as an opportunity for folks to talk.

“This is really very informal, ‘kitchen table’ conversations,” she said. “What I’m really excited about is just a vision of what a city or neighborhood could be.”

The block party-style event is planned for 2-5 p.m. Sunday at 13th and Lynn streets and is “open to anyone who cares,” Tuck said. If the weather is too cold or otherwise uncooperative, it will move inside the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church at 903 Charles St.

Tuck said she and Parkersburg resident Curtis Ward came up with the idea as a way for people in the community to interact with one another and organizations that provide services in the city. People can learn about new things and share ideas for how to improve District 4 and the city as a whole, she said.

“There’s a lot of services in the neighborhood, and there’s a lot of strengths in the neighborhood, and there’s a lot of need,” Tuck said.

The event is co-sponsored by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, a nonprofit promoting conservation of the state’s waterways, and Fair Shake Environmental Legal Service, a nonprofit Pittsburgh law firm.

Heather Sprouse, the Ohio River coordinator for the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, said she and Meagan Niebler with Fair Shake both work in community democracy, which she described as “helping folks learn how to talk to decision-makers to get their voices heard.”

Tuck said multiple organizations will have a presence at the event focusing on the categories of youth, health and wellness and community. But she believes there are benefits and solutions to be found from neighbors and residents interacting as well.

Ward hopes the event is the first in a series.

“I feel like this is scratching the surface,” he said in a press release. “If we continue to do this, I believe that the city will see that we’re serious about it and that we’re serious about the vision … people, just like me, saying it’s time to rebuild. This is for the next generation, the next generation and the next generation.”

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.

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Harvest the Vision Music Fest

* 2-5 p.m. Sunday

* 13th and Lynn streets, Parkersburg

* Musical performances by Elev8 Nation and Shalie

* Family activities

* Conversations with neighbors, community organizations

Starting at $2.99/week.

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