Huntington: Wishing for the good ole days when business boomed

HUNTINGTON – Philip Frank, 61, walks down Third Avenue in Huntington for a few blocks with a sack filled with a jar of peanut butter and a block of cheese.

Frank has lived in the Jewel City all his life – he said his father Jimmy owned a grocery store for years on Fourth Avenue. The shop closed in 1975 and today the area is home to college bars and tattoo shops.

On Tuesday as voters went to the polls for the primary election, Frank said he’s concerned about public safety and the roads.

“They need to start fixing the streets, they need to start controlling this city a little better,” Frank said. “They need safety like they did back in the 70s and 80s.”

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And it’s not just Huntington; Frank said the whole state needs some work.

“West Virginia is a good state, but it needs a lot of support,” he said.

Frank, a “computer guy” by trade, said he longs for the days when the store fronts in town were filled with businesses. Recent growth in Huntington has been good, but Frank said there’s room for improvement.

“It’s just going to take some time to get things to where they were,” Frank said.

Frank went on with his day, just as the dark clouds above spit and spurted some rain drops.

Huntington: Wishing for the good ole days when business boomed appeared first on Mountain State Spotlight , West Virginia's civic newsroom.