BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Residents can participate in naming the new First Frontier Appalachian Trails system in Martin County. In a Martin County Tourism meeting Monday, board member Jarrod Slone proposed advertising a public campaign inviting name suggestions. Community members can send their ideas to the tourism board via Facebook Messenger until the deadline on Sept. 10.
Tourism chairperson Nita Collier clarified that the naming would be for the entire trail system. Individual trail names will be determined at a later date.
Collier expressed a desire to name one trail in memory of the late Martin County Judge/Executive Victor Slone, Jarrod Slone’s late father, and another after the late Bobby Hall, father of board member Tyler Hall. Both men were known for their love of trails, with Collier mentioning that Bobby Hall was a significant trail rider.
The tourism board is also working on mapping the vast trails of the county.
“We have to get 250 miles mapped,” mentioned Collier.
In addition, Slone introduced a plan for an organized trail ride to raise awareness of adventure trails in Martin County and Eastern Kentucky. The ride, which will act as a memorial for Slone’s father, is open to everyone free of charge. However, participants can purchase T-shirts and meals for approximately $25. The final details of the ride are pending a T-shirt design.
Historic Courthouse renovation
The meeting also touched upon the ongoing renovations at the Historic Martin County Courthouse, which suffered fire damage earlier this summer. The renovation entails significant electrical work, including rewiring the courthouse and the old jail. Collier expressed doubts about completing the renovations in time for the “Christmas in the Mountains” festival. Furthermore, damaged windows will be replaced with refabricated ones, with Collier commenting that installation should occur any day.
Responding to Slone’s queries regarding the renovation’s extent, Collier confirmed that the restoration would be comprehensive, encompassing everything from sheetrock to baseboards.
Food Truck Fridays in Inez
The board discussed the City of Inez’s initiative to host “Food Truck Friday” in the newly established Umbrella Alley between the historic courthouse and the old jail. Each event would feature a food truck and a specialty vendor. Collier expressed the board’s willingness to see how this initiative pans out, leaving the planning and execution in the city’s hands for now.
Other business
The board heard from Evelyn Cassady of the Martin County Historical Society about the Himler House Project. Cassady stated the reconstruction of the Himler House would require $1.7 million. (See the related story in this edition of the newspaper.)