January 23rd, 2020 by WCBC Radio
In response to emails and texts alerting Cumberland city officials to an upcoming HGTV “Home Town Takeover” selection contest, Mayor Ray Morriss has agreed to record a video entry in the hopes of recruiting reality television renovators Ben and Erin Napier to feature the Queen City in a new cable series. During this week’s council meeting, the mayor said that he read about the Napiers’ looking for a town of 40,000 with great architecture to be uncovered with a downtown ready for a facelift, and he believes Cumberland would be perfect for the show…
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January 23, 2020 at 7:04 am, mac said:
Please, please, please do not get involved with a “reality” program.
Aren’t we, as a community, already a local laughing stock without the added focus of a national spotlight?
A troop of production crew, and a few slick, $400 dollar a haircut, “talent” will swoop in and throw some ship lap on every vertical surface downtown. They will show a bunch of local volunteers gushing over what a great time they are having in helping to bring our little Mom and Pop city back to it’s glory days.
What an embarrassment, and the Mayor wants to get involved?
This is the same project that CEDC wants to pass off as development. They say they need $9 million but a landscape designer and a carpenter want to swoop into town and perform the same makeover in a week?
Any involvement in a TV program of this ilk will just prove how far this area has sunk. Cumberland does not need to have it’s dirty laundry aired on HGTV.
January 23, 2020 at 8:35 am, Ken said:
I’m sure if we were chosen they would pick us based on the downtown pedestrian mall and gush over how much potential it has, till we tell them we are preparing to sink 10 million tax dollars to tear it up and destroy the community center. We have about as much of a chance of being picked as we do being picked as amazon’s new headquarters.
January 23, 2020 at 7:13 am, Bob said:
“looking for a town of 40,000″
“he believes Cumberland would be perfect”
Does the Mayor think the population is determined by counting all the ears in town? Cumberland ALMOST made it to 40k 80 years ago but is hardly half that now. Hope rears its daft head again.
January 23, 2020 at 7:42 am, Kevin said:
> Perfect response.
January 23, 2020 at 8:31 am, Charles said:
To the first comment: You are commenting on something that you have no clue about. It blows my mind just how negative and blind some are when viewing our own region. Also, it is not something that is done in one weeks show. Take the time to research and read the article from HGTV. This could be an awesome opportunity for our community. The comment by Mayor as to 40k population, the 40k was the max population, in the HGTV article they provide a range, Cumberland falls right in the range! Again, this can be a great opportunity for our region.
January 23, 2020 at 9:19 am, mac said:
> I know that these reality shows take much more time than is shown onscreen. That’s not the point.
How can this be an opportunity for our community? What does this area have to gain other than some gawkers coming downtown to watch the dog and pony show?
I’ve lived here for over 30 years and have watched the decline, the loss of job opportunities for it’s citizens, the declining school enrollment along with the flight of the young looking for a life with a future. The increase in abandoned properties that take valuable resources away from the city to eliminate, failing infrastructure that no one wants to take responsibility to repair. Do I need to go on?
Stop being a cheerleader as we don’t have a lot to cheer about.
January 23, 2020 at 10:31 am, Lav said:
> Then….move.
January 23, 2020 at 10:36 am, Bob said:
> Note the title of this section: “Responses to “Mayor To Enter Video Into HGTV “Home Town Takeover” Selection Contest””
These comments are in response to the article above which clearly states “the mayor said that he read about the Napiers’ looking for a town of 40,000…” The comments are not responding to some other information source which contradicts the mayor or the reporting of his statements. So often these days the muddled demand folks to “know what they meant” regardless of what they said or wrote.
January 23, 2020 at 11:49 am, Mark said:
I wouldn’t expect anything more than this one time worthless gimmick from the morons at City Hall.
January 24, 2020 at 12:20 pm, j.r. lepley said:
the moron s at city hall,,,does this include the city administrator,if so ,,I totally agree !