Philip Frank, a 61-year-old Huntington resident, walked down Third Avenue with a sack containing a jar of peanut butter and a block of cheese. He has lived in the city his whole life, as his father once owned a grocery store on Fourth Avenue. The area where the store was located is now filled with college bars and tattoo shops since it closed in 1975.
Frank expressed concerns about public safety and the condition of the roads during the primary election. He believes that the city needs to start focusing on fixing the streets and improving overall safety. Frank reminisced about the level of safety in the 70s and 80s and hopes to see a return to that.
As someone involved in the tech industry, Frank also mentioned the need for revitalizing businesses in town. While he acknowledged the recent growth in Huntington, he believes there is still room for improvement and that it will take time to get things back to the way they used to be. Despite the gloomy weather, Frank continued on with his day, reflecting on the changes needed in both Huntington and the state of West Virginia as a whole.