A few more pictures of Alaska. As you can see, the snow was falling and accumulated to about three feet. I've gotten a few e-mails from league members in Alaska and they say that it is still unusally snowy. My wife and sister-in-law, Susan had also never visited Alaska and I think we got a good taste of what most Alaskans deal with every year. We did bring the right clothes and the cold was really not a big problem. One thing that I learned was that Juneau is fairly landlocked and the only way to travel to other parts of Alaska is by plane or ferry.

You can see that snow removal takes a while on the narrow streets of Juneau. While we did eat at some great restaurants we did make a stop at the local McDonalds. We also ate at the world famous Red Dog Saloon. The ribs were great!!!

More pics from Morocco

I've been having trouble getting my pictures uploaded but I think Ihave it worked out. The pictures are from the "old" city and from the Hotel Mansour. It is really like two different worlds in Marrakech. The old city is dominated by carts and mules and small shops, while the hotel was like a top flight resort in Florida. The middle picture is of my wife Pam, Mayor Clarence Anthony of South Bay, Florida and Carol Borut, the wife of Don Borut, the Executive Director of the National League of Cities. The weather was in the low 70's and the pool was a little bit cool.

I'll have some more pictures of Juneau coming soon.

Municipal Leader of the Year

Link to article: http://americancityandcounty.com/

Today is a real highlight of my life. I have known for about six weeks that I was selected as the American City and County Magazine's "Municipal Leader of the Year". I am quite humbled by this unique honor. I have read the American City and County Magazine for many years and have always enjoyed it's coverage of municipal issues. Likewise, I would read with interest the stories on the past Municipal Leaders of the Year. Friends like Mayor Bob Knight of Wichita, Kansas and Mayor Don Plusquellic of Akron, Ohio have won the award in the past and I could honestly never imagine being chosen.

I was especially excited because very few councilmembers have ever been chosen for this award and very few officials from cities the size of Clarksburg have ever received the award. I think that this truly points out the power of the Inclusive Communities Program. I believe that we have created a program that far surpasses any one individual. I am so appreciative of the many people that have helped with the Inclusive Communities Program. They are the true Leaders of the Year.

One funny thing about the award was that I was receiving e-mails and calls from throughout the country congratulating me on the award and I had not seen the article. It was really hard when I spoke to people who had the magazine and I was too embarassed to admit that I didn't have a copy of the article yet. I guess when they distribute magazines, West Virginia is not on the first round of deliveries. I did get my copy today and I have to say it is really odd, looking at a magazine, with your picture on the front cover.

I am one of the most fortunate people in the world. I am so grateful to be associated with such a great organization as the National League of Cities. The members and staff of NLC are dedicated and committed public servants. I have always been proud to represent the National League of Cities.

I can't imagine a better year and one that I will never forget.

North to Alaska

One of the trips that I looked forward to all year was the trip to Juneau, Alaska. I think everyone wonders what Alaska is like and what type of people live in our largest state. The flight into Juneau was one that I will never forget. We left Seattle, Washington on our way to Ketchican. The plane made three attempts to land in a blinding snowstorm and was successful on the third. The runway was covered and the snow was not letting up. We left for Juneau and after one attempt at a sideways landing, the pilot wisely headed to Anchorage. We slept in the airport and left for Juneau at 6:00AM the next morning. Juneau is normally very rainy and the snow was unusual according to the locals. The sun was barely up at around 8:00AM and the couple that we shared a cab said that it might be the last time that we saw the snow. They were right!!!

The people were very nice and really liked to talk. My good friend Kevin Ritchie acted as our guide and took us to the Mendenhall Glaicer and other sites. Kevin is the former Executive Director of the Alaska Municipal League and is a really great guy. We got to visit his home and had lunch overlooking Downtown Juneau. He has a really nice home and he is training a new Golden Retriever puppy.

Alaska is really all that everyone says it is. The beauty of the snow covered mountains is something that I will never forget. We got to see several eagles and apparently this was not unusual. The snow was about three feet deep and it really gets you in the mood for Christmas. I don't know if I could take it all winter, but it was really nice to walk down snow covered streets and just enjoy the scenary.

All in all, it was a very nice visit to Alaska. 

Marrakech, Morocco

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the meeting of the United Cities and Local Governments(UCLG) in Marrakech, Morocco. It was a wonderful trip and one that was different than any I had ever made.

Marrakech (مراكش marrākiš), or Marrakesh known as the "Pearl of the South," is a city in southwestern Morocco in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Marrakech is a Berber word; it could mean the country of God (murt 'n akush), but this is unproven as there are many other interpretations. Marrakech is located at 31°37′60″N, 8°0′0″W Marrakech has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and also hosts the busiest square in the entire continent of Africa, called Djemaa el Fna. Like many North African and Middle Eastern cities, Marrakech has two main divisions: the old city (médina) and the modern city. Marrakech is an unbelieveable city with so much life and activity. Walking down a narrow street in the Medina(town square) gives you the feeling of going back in time. Things seem to be the same as it was centuries ago. It is the most exotic place I have ever visited and blends a modern city with the historic past. I was naturally concerned with the reception that we would receive, since Morocco is a Muslim country. It could not have been better and I think I learned, once again, not to believe everything you hear on the news. They were very welcoming and I had the opportunity to meet several public officials from Morocco. I also met the Mayor of Beirut, Lebanon and he has been working on rebuilding his city since the recent bombing from Israel. He told us that Beirut has around 400 bridges and that over half were destroyed. There is an international movement concerning Social Inclusion and I attended a committee meeting on this issue. They were quite interested in the Inclusive Communities Program of the National League of Cities and I hope to be engaged with them in the future. I'll post some pictures and some additional comments in the upcoming days.