Progress 2017 Edition III by Herald-Star

TOURISM, LIFESTYLES

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

PROGRESS III— SECTION A

Park officials eye additions to attract more visitors

Warren Scott

The Brooke County Park and Recreation Commission has made plans to add a paintball arena beside the paddle boat house by Brooke Hills Park’s lake and to establish a video game arcade inside the building.

By WARREN SCOTT Staff writer

From the construction of a new swimming pool and new cabins to the addition of facilities for new sports, leaders of local parks are working to attract more visitors from throughout the Tri-State Area. Comprised of 750 acres off state Route 27 near Wellsburg, Brooke Hills Park has lots of space in which to grow, noted Joe Mullenbach, president of the the Brooke County Park and Recreation Commission, which oversees it. And the board has been working to add new facilities to the park while maintaining its scenic environment. Last year crews began construction of a new swimming pool, and it’s expected to be completed in time for this year’s summer season. The 3,000-square-foot pool will have a shallow entry point, making it handicapaccessible,

with an overall depth between 3.5 feet and 7 feet and a slide at each end. Heated and lighted, it will be built near the site of the former pool, which was closed in late 2015 when leaks caused one of its walls to crumble. Troops with the Army Corps of Engineers tore down the old pool, saving the park a great deal of money, said Mullenbach. The $1.2 million construction of the pool will be funded with a $100,000 federal Land and Water Conservation grant and a 30-year loan taken by the park board. Mullenbach said plans call for three prefabricated buildings — the pool’s concession stand, another comprised of changing areas and showers and the third containing the machinery used to operate it — to be added in March. The park also was awarded a $55,000 grant from the Charles and Thelma Pugliese Foundation to establish a cabin in

a wooded area near the Rhododendron Shelter. Mullenbach said the board plans to seek an additional $300,000 to build other cabins at the site. Plans call for the prefabricated buildings to include a kitchen and bathroom, with access to satellite cable television and WiFi. He said lean-tos have been created for the park’s primitive camp sites downhill from Brooke Hills Playhouse, a former pre-Civil War apple barn where musicals, comedies and other plays are staged each summer. Mullenbach said staff with the Larson Design Group of Morgantown and park board members are exploring the potential expansion of rustic trails through the park’s grounds. Selected with the help of the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, the consulting firm was hired to aid the board in planning various improvements, large and small.

The largest, a lodge with 15 to 20 rooms, was put on the back burner when the board learned the old pool would have to be replaced. But the board is forging ahead with other additions, including foot golf and disc golf courses. Underground buckets have been installed for foot golf, which involves kicking balls into them soccer-style. A disc golf course replaces balls and holes with Frisbees and metal cages and has been played at Steubenville’s Beatty Park and at Moundsville’s GrandVue Park. Donations for the two courses have been made by the Carl and Jacki Carenbauer Trust Foundation of Wheeling and Bill and Jamie Bayless of Texas. Carl and Bill are former students of park board member Paul “Bud” Billiard. Mullenbach said the park’s basketball court will be repaved and re-marked to serve a handful of sports, including tennis, badminton, volleyball and pickleball,

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Parks Continued from Page 1A

similar to a whiffle ball. Supporting the new court is a donation from Southwestern Energy, which acquired the gas wells drilled at the rear of the park by Chesapeake Energy and plans to drill three more. Mullenbach added there are plans to create a paintball arena in the grassy area beside the park’s paddleboat house and a video game arcade in the building itself.

there nearly a year and is expected to remain for about a year more, bringing additional revenue to the park. Hilty said the funding has allowed the board to replace some antiquated equipment and purchase a four-wheel-drive tractor to mow the grounds. He said sewage service has been added to about 20 camper or RV lots at the Pugliese Campground, which include water and electrical hookups, Friendship Park, and there are plans to add about 20, Jefferson County also with full amenities, to the Sam Located off state Route 151 near Kerr Campground, which overlooks Smithfield, Friendship Park has benefitthe park’s lake. ed indirectly from the natural gas The sewer service is supported by a industry. $435,000 wastewater treatment system Welded Construction of Perrysburg funded by the Ohio Public Works Comhas agreed to pay $500 per month mission, Ohio Mid-Eastern Governthrough a 12-month renewable lease to ments Association and Jefferson Counoccupy part of the park and the Jefferty Commission. son County Fairgrounds there while The 89-acre lake holds catfish, bass, working on a Sunoco pipeline project bluegill and carp, and children under elsewhere. 16 fish for free. Boats powered by a Roger Hilty, president of the Friendship Park board, said the firm has been See PARKS Page 3A Á

Waaren Scott

Participants in a 4K run held during the Brooke County Fair jog past a wooded area of Brooke Hills Park where park officials plan to add five cabins. The cabins are among additions they hope will bring more people to the park.

Contributed

Above are two of three rustic cabins available at Tomlinson Run State Park located on state Route 8 in New Manchester. They are among many camping options offered at the park, including four yurts, which are tent structures comprised of a sturdy, weathertight cover and wood frame and door.

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Contributed

Tomlinson Run State Park offers more than 30 acres of lakes, ponds and streams, some stocked at various times of the year with trout and catfish. Row boats are available to fishermen and sightseers.

Parks Continued from Page 2A

single electric motor and canoes and kayaks can be used. The park also has several shelters of various sizes and with electricity, restrooms and grills, and often are used for family reunions, graduation parties and other gatherings. Hilty noted if a shelter hasn’t been reserved, the park’s patrons may use them at no cost. Hilty said years ago a Clean Ohio grant was used to repair a dam at the park and develop Rock Point, an area overlooking the lake that has been used for weddings. The 1,320-acre park includes opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birdwatching and in-season hunting. Hilty noted the Jefferson County Veterans Association’s Wall of Honor at the park was dedicated during the most recent Veterans Day service. The wall is comprised of more than 450 bricks sponsored in memory of local veterans who were killed, missing in action or prisoners of war in conflicts ranging from the War of 1812 to the present. The park is home to the Fort Friendship Military Museum, which includes a Northrop F-8 Scorpion plane, an M60 A3 tank, an M110 A2 howitzer artillery weapon and an anti-aircraft battery. In May members of the veterans association, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, and other volunteers set about refurbishing the equipment, including the tank, which was sand-

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Esther McCoy

Members of Jefferson County Veterans Association sanded away rust, cleaned and re-painted the tank at the Fort Friendship Military Museum at Friendship Park in Smithfield. It and other military equipment at the site were refurbished by the group and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, in time for last year’s Memorial Day service.

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Parks Continued from Page 3A

ed, cleaned and re-painted. “The veterans really have established a really nice moment there. We get quite a lot of people who pull up to look at it,” Hilty said. He added the park board has had a good working relationship with organizers of the Jefferson County Fair, which is held in midAugust; and owners of the Steel Valley Raceway, the drag racing track on the park’s grounds.

Tomlinson Run State Park, Hancock County Located in New Manchester off state Route 8, Tomlinson Run State Park offers a variety of attractions, including an 18-hole golf course, swimming pool with a 182-foot figure 8 shaped water slide, paddle boats and several

trails. Not far from the pool are basketball and volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, miniature golf and playground equipment. There are four large picnic shelters, including two that are handicap-accessible. While summer is the park’s busiest season, it also draws visitors in winter for a game on the park’s disc golf course, added in recent years, or some ice fishing on its lake. The park includes more than 30 acres of small lakes, ponds and streams, some stocked at times of the year with trout and catfish. Row boats are available to fishermen and sightseers. Open April 1 through Oct. 31, the park’s campground includes 54 lots for recreational vehicles or

tents. Accommodations include a contact station, convenience store, dump station and two bathhouses with hot showers and laundry facilities. All of the sites include a grill and picnic table, and many have electrical hookups. Also available for rent are three rustic cabins, each with a grill and picnic table outside; and yurts, tent structures comprised of a sturdy, weathertight cover and wood frame and door. The yurts are available at 12 feet in diameter or 20 feet in diameter, with bunks to accommodate two or six, depending on the size. Each comes with a cooler, propane stove, lantern, picnic table and cookware. In addition to the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources,

the park receives support from the Tomlinson Run State Park Foundation, a volunteer group that has raised funds for a handicap-accessible trail along a stream at the park, a new playground and other facilities. The foundation’s fundraisers have included breakfasts served to park patrons each Saturday and Sunday in the summer and a car cruise held in August. Events held at the park through the year include an Easter egg hunt, a fishing derby in June, the Pre-1840 Rendezvous, in which various re-enactors camp at the park in July; and a Kids Day event in August with a variety of games for young children. (Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

Esther McCoy

The Jefferson County Veterans Association Wall of Honor, a monument to local veterans, was dedicated at Friendship Park in Smithfield on Veterans Day. Applying some mulch and U.S. flags along the wall are, from left, Frank Santa, Jefferson County Veterans commander; Chuck Wells, who regularly mows around the area; Paul Greene; and Dan Halliburton, a representative of U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, who joined the volunteers in cleaning military equipment at the site.

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Tri-State Home and Garden Show at a new location this year

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

The Tri-State Home and Garden Show is set to return March 3-5, this year at St. Florian Hall in Wintersville. The sixth-annual show is organized by Wheelhouse Creative, with assistance from the Weirton Area and Jefferson County chambers of commerce. It is sponsored this year by Weirton Medical Center and DeNoon Lumber.

Event set for March 3-5 at St. Florian Hall, Wintersville WINTERSVILLE — Spring will be here before you know it, and many residents will begin to think about gardening and home improvement projects as they prepare for the change of season. The Tri-State Home and Garden Show may have a new location this year but it still will offer a number of area businesses and other vendors geared toward helping residents with their home improvement and gardening projects. DeNoon Lumber and Weirton Medical Center are returning as the headlining sponsors for this year’s show, set for March 3-5, with additional support from the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce. This year the home and garden show will be changing venues, moving to St. Florian Hall located at 286 Luray Drive in Wintersville. This follows several years at the Serbian-American Cultural Center in Weirton. “We’re looking forward to a new show and a new venue,” said Rob Vandine of Wheelhouse Creative, the organizer of the event. “It’s a great way to kick off spring.” This will be the sixth year for the show, which will feature approximately 70 vendors meeting with several thousands visitors throughout the weekend. The show will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 3; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 4; and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 5. With everything from landscaping to window cleaning and installation, interior remodeling, furni-

ture, roof repair and bathroom design, visitors will be able to get a variety of tips and ideas for their projects. Vandine also thanked officials with the two chambers for their cooperative assistance in putting the show together. “It’s a great opportunity for the chambers to come together,” Vandine said, noting it provides a chance for area businesses to showcase their products and services to local residents. To learn more about the Tri-State Home and Garden Show and its sponsors, or to participate, contact either Vandine or Brandi Waligura at (304) 9056005. Booths are available at a cost of $450 for the first space and $425 for an additional space. Chamber members can take part at a cost of $350 for the first booth and $325 for an additional booth.

File photo

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Summer concert series have been big hit in Steubenville, Weirton

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

The music begins May 25 in Steubenville, May 26 in Weirton By DAVE GOSSETT Staff writer

STEUBENVILLE â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Organizers of the Historic Fort Steuben Summer Concert Series are making final plans for their 11th year of entertainment at the Berkman Amphitheater, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Right now we have tentative plans for 10 concerts in the park with an 11th concert set for the Dean Martin Festival,â&#x20AC;? explained Historic Fort Steuben Executive Director Judy Bratten. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The summer concert series will kick off on May 25 and continue through Aug. 3 with several rain make-up date options built into the schedule,â&#x20AC;? said Bratten. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The concerts have been very well received every year since we started and this year we hope to bring back several of our more popular concert performers as well as several new performers,â&#x20AC;? continued Bratten. She noted the summer concert series does come with a price tag. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It costs about $25,000 for the concert season that is mainly covered by our sponsors. We take a voluntary collection at each concert that goes to the sound equipment and operations as well as the other amenities. Those sponsorships and donations are crucial to putting on the concerts every year. Anyone who would like to help sponsor the summer concert series or

Staff photo

The summer concert series has been drawing crowds to the Berkman Amphitheater at the Historic Fort Steuben since it kicked off in 2007

contribute to the programs can call us at the fort at (740) 283-1787,â&#x20AC;? according to Bratten. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The summer concerts have become a mainstay of our community. People look forward to Thursday evenings. It is an annual event that a lot of people wait for and they plan their summer evenings around the concert series,â&#x20AC;? noted Fort Steuben Board President Jerry Barilla. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal each year is to continue to improve and to have more family friendly activities at the fort. The summer concert series has grown in popularity ever since our first year. And we are trying to lead the way again with the music and entertainment people want to see,â&#x20AC;? noted Barilla. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are trying to bring in local and regional performers as well as entertainers from across Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. I give a lot of credit to Deb

and Rick Witkowski as well as Earl Tuttle who negotiate the contracts with the entertainers. They talk to the groups to nail down the dates they are available to come to Steubenville,â&#x20AC;? explained Bratten. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are not ready to announce who will be coming to the amphitheater this summer until the contracts are signed. But we tentatively have several acts lined up who have been here before and four bands who have never been here before. We are also trying to bring back a few groups who were rained out in 2016,â&#x20AC;? Bratten said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is good to work with professional people. It makes our job at the fort a lot easier because Tuttle and the Witkowskis know a lot of these entertainers and know what they need,â&#x20AC;? added Bratten. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The community has really been supportive of us. And we try to bring a very positive experience to Steubenville. We have visitors to the concerts from Wheeling to East Liverpool and all points in between. Our average attendance

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Dave Gossett

Jerry Barilla, Fort Steuben board president, and Judy Bratten, Fort Steuben executive director, talk over plans for the 2017 edition of the Fort Steuben Summer Concert Series, which kicks off May 25.

Concerts Continued from Page 6A

at a concert is between 500 to 700 people and it is always a fun event with several food vendors on hand,” Barilla commented. “When we started these performances in 2007 we had no idea how popular they would become. They have obviously filled a need for family-friendly entertainment and an attractive and safe venue for meeting with friends,” cited Bratten. Bratten noted other communities have picked up the idea and are offering their own concert series as well. “We try to coordinate our schedule with others so the general public will have a great selection of artists and locations and dates,” she added. “We always leave early August open in case we need to schedule a make-up concert. As in the past, if the weather cooperates, there will be a Classic Car Cruise-In for the opening concert. We are still in the process of finalizing our concert

acts and we will announce the lineup as soon as the contracts are signed,” she noted. “We make sure the grass throughout the park is cut Tuesday each week so everything is ready for our concert nights. The sound people arrive at 3 p.m. to start setting up their equipment for the concert, and by 5 p.m. people start to arrive at Fort Steuben Park for an evening of great entertainment,” said Barilla. “We have wonderful people attending our concerts who are very respectful of the grounds and responsible for what they may eat or drink. There is actually very little litter left behind at any of our activities,” Bratten said. “It is not just music and entertainment offered here. There is a sense of camaraderie — people seeing friends and having conversations and enjoying an evening by the Ohio River. That is why the See CONCERTS Page 8A Á

Craig Howell

A past performer set to return for the 2017 Downtown at Sundown summer concert series in Weirton is the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, which performs annually in the community as part of the Independence Day weekend.

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Craig Howell

Among the performances offered in 2016 during the Downtown at Sundown summer concert series in Weirton were, from left, Pittsburgh-based country singer Gabby Barrett; saxophone musician “Saxy” Rob Thompson, who performed while walking through the crowd; and Kylar Kuzio. The Downtown at Sundown concert series is held Friday evenings throughout the summer at the Weirton Event Center and is organized by the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Concerts Continued from Page 7A

In Loving Memory of

Eugene D. Johnson

Who passed away March 20, 2011

“We continue to travel on the road of truth. It ain’t never gonna be a smooth ride, but enlightenment never is.” Sadly missed by wife Ruth, Daughters Terri, Sheera, Sandra, Kim, Sons Eric and Vance, Grandchildren Jason, Erica, Cheryl, Alexis, Marcus, Precious, & Pierre

~Remembering~ Patrice Lumumba 1st legally elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo whose assassination on

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Jerry L. Boswell Attorney-at-Law

740-283-2535

outdoor amphitheater is so nice. You can step back and have a conversation and not disturb other people. This has become a social event for many people,” she continued. Barilla said the idea of the free summer concerts came as an idea to promote the amphitheater. “To be honest, we were a little afraid. When we started the summer concert series the question for us was would people come downtown for a free concert. We know now they will and and they will come back week after week,” Barilla added. Bratten was shopping at a local grocery store when a stranger approached her. “She wanted to know when the summer concert series was starting. Then I was at the checkout counter and the clerk told me her mother waits all week for the Thursday night concerts. That’s what makes all the work planning and putting on the concerts so worth it,” declared Bratten. “The concerts are

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no longer a Fort Steuben event. They are now a community event that brings people back to the downtown. The concerts bring back memories of past years and hope for what can be here again,” observed Bratten. “When I see a van from Carriage Inn drive in with their residents, and another van with (developmentally disabled) residents, inner city residents as well as people from more affluent areas of the city all sitting together, I realize our city is a true melting pot,” remarked Barilla. “I have also been thrilled to see children dancing to the music during the concerts. We have become a social event during the summer in Steubenville,” Barilla added. At the conclusion of the first summer concert series in 2007 the organizers knew they had a success at the amphitheater. “We conducted surveys at our concerts and they showed people were enthusiastic. We really had no negative response from anyone. And I think this venue and location was just right for our concerts,” Bratten declared. “There was an older

woman who attended each concert with her daughter. There was a Thursday where it rained earlier in the day and the mother was worried she wouldn’t be able to attend that night’s concert. Fortunately the weather cleared and she came and enjoyed the concert,” Bratten related. “It is not just music and entertainment offered here. There is a sense of camaraderie. People seeing friends and having conversations. That is why the amphitheater is so nice. You can step back and have a conversation and not disturb other people. This has become a social event for many people,” Bratten explained. Bratten said the amphitheater has seating for 300 visitors, “but people are also allowed to bring blankets and lawn chairs. We can seat another 500 patrons after the regular seats are filled,” Bratten said. The Weirton Event Center at the site of the former Cove School building will celebrate its fifth year of operations with an extended Friday night concert series. “The first five years have been excelSee CONCERTS Page 9A Á

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Concerts Continued from Page 8A

Staff photo

The Summer Concert Series at the Louis and Sandra Berkman Amphitheater at the Historic Fort Steuben Park in Steuben continued to grow in popularity in 2016. Among the entertainers who graced the stage were House of Soul, top photo, and No Bad Juju. The concert organizers said they are preparing for the 2017 concert season with a mix of old favorites and new entertainers.

lent. Each week we grew a little stronger, and I think everyone is aware of what we are offering at the Weirton Event Center,” said Dan Greathouse, executive director of the Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau. And there are big plans for this year. “Our concerts will start May 26 and continue through Aug. 18,” said Greathouse. “Our annual highlight will be the Wheeling Symphony on July 1 and the Glen Miller Orchestra on July 14. We will open our concert series with Legend and close with the E Street band,” Greathouse said. “The concerts start at 7 p.m. on Friday nights and we encourage our visitors to bring their own chairs or blankets,” he noted. “I’m excited about this year. We have planned a full schedule, and I am looking forward to the concert series on Friday evening. There were a couple of concerts where we saw a couple thousand people fill our Weirton Event Center. That is good for the community because it brings people into Weirton. They buy gas and stop for something to eat and enjoy the entertainment,” commented Greathouse. The Weirton Event Center is an outdoor amphitheater facility designed to host a variety of events, such as a summer concert series, flea markets, rentals and more. The site is along East Street and overlooks the Weirton Municipal

Plaza. Greathouse came up with the summer concert series idea after visiting Parkersburg. “They had a similar facility and I approached the city of Weirton and the Hancock County commissioners about the old Cove School property, and they agreed to make the site available. The property includes a covered stage, along with another cement pad with two water hookups and 16 electrical outlets. Greathouse said the Weirton Event Center was set up as a way to give back to the community, and keeping it free and family oriented is important. “We believe this is a great thing for the community and hope to see the people out enjoying the entertainment,” Greathouse said. “We plan on taking a great leap forward this year. We have looked at the success in Steubenville and we are following their lead. Steubenville has put together a great concert program and we want to learn from them and work in collaboration with them,” he added.

TOURISM, LIFESTYLES PROGRESS III— SECTION B WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Dave Gossett

Dozens of wooden nutcrackers waited patiently at their summer home to be moved by truck to the Historic Fort Steuben. The nutcrackers represented a number of local businesses including Em-Media, the Herald-Star and Wells Excavation.

Carving out success

Nutcracker Village and Advent Market has been visual, economic boost for Steubenville

By DAVE GOSSETT Staff writer

STEUBENVILLE — The women and men who create the 6-foot-tall nutcrackers of Steubenville already are preparing for the 2017 Christmas season. “We started with 37 nutcrackers our first year, then added 70 more nutcrackers in 2016 and are hoping to create 40 to 50 new nutcrackers this year and expand the display of nutcrackers to Fourth Street in front of occupied businesses,” Mark Nelson of Nelson Fine Arts explained. “We have had a lot of requests for nutcrackers and have assembled a jury to review the requests. And we are planning other features and exhibits that we will announce at a later date,” continued Nelson.

The Nutcracker Village started in 2015 following a series of conversations between Nelson and Judy Bratten and Jerry Barilla of the Historic Fort Steuben. “I found a cardboard box with a nutcracker in it and the story of a nutcracker village on the top. I wrote a note to Judy Bratten saying this is what we can do to make Steubenville a destination point. Mark Nelson made a prototype of a 6-foot nutcracker. That’s what we needed ... someone to take an idea and make it happen,” explained Barilla. “I had my daughter print a lifesize nutcracker on paper and I taped it to my living room wall so I could sit and study it and watch my kids react to it. I hoped the concept of a nutcracker village would be attractive, but I never thought it would be this successful,” related Nelson. “I also had the concept of an advent market for several years

and was encouraged by friends who are on the staff at Franciscan University of Steubenville after they saw advent villages in Austria, where the university’s sister campus is located,” continued Nelson. “This entire project has developed as more people got involved this year. It is really exciting to see the community come around it and I believe this project is helping our community to grow. My hope is the Nutcracker Village will revitalize the downtown and become a community gathering place,” remarked Nelson. Volunteers transported the 107 nutcrackers to the Historic Fort Steuben Park under cover of darkness on a chilly November morning to kick off the 2016 Christmas season. “We decided to move the nutcrackers early that day so they would all be in place by the time Jerry Barilla came to work that

day. It was a surprise for Jerry who has been very supportive and creative in this entire project to create the Nutcracker Village and Advent Market in the park,” explained Nelson. It took the volunteers five trips to move all of the nutcrackers to the park where they were placed around the Christmas tree and along the lighted walkway from the visitors center to the tree. “All of the nutcrackers were moved without a hitch and happy to be out of their summer habitat and out in the fresh air ready to meet new friends from throughout the area and around the country,” Nelson said. The nutcrackers were placed along lighted steel hoops that lined the walkway from the Visitor Center to the Veterans Fountain. The lighted walkway also was extended to the federal land See NUTCRACKERS Page 2B Á

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Nutcrackers Continued from Page 1B

office,which was open to the public during the holiday season. A 30-foot Christmas tree that once decorated Station Square in Pittsburgh was put in place at the fountain with a train running around the diameter of the decorated tree. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We recently opened the Drosselmeyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nutcracker Store to serve as a retail center for Christmas and nutcracker items as well as a museum for the nutcrackers year-round. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to take away from the magic of the Christmas season, but there are so many people who visit Steubenville during the year who are interested in the nutcrackers,â&#x20AC;? said Nelson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are grateful for the support of the local community and especially for last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful Nutcracker Village and Advent Market. We had approximately 25,000 to 30,000 people walk through the nutcracker exhibit in 2016. And we were sixth on the top 10 list in Ohio for Christmas destinations. This year we have already been chosen as an Ohio Tourism site,â&#x20AC;? remarked Nelson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My wife and I are going to Austria to get more ideas to bring back to Steubenville that will tie into the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really surpassed all of

See NUTCRACKERS Page 4B Ă

Dave Gossett

Thousands of visitors took a walk under the lights at the Historic Fort Steuben during the Christmas season to check out the 107 6-foot-tall nutcrackers on display. The nutcracker committee is hoping to add 30 to 40 new nutcrackers in 2017 and place them on North and South Fourth Street.

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Library ready to renovate history

Main library of Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County to become ADA accessible STEUBENVILLE â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County soon will be renovating history. Built in 1902, the main library of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County is projected to finally become ADA accessible by 2018. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As far as we can determine, with the State Library of Ohio, the building is the last and only public library in the state that is not (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant,â&#x20AC;? said Library Director Alan Hall. There are 850 public library buildings in Ohio, Hall noted. The library staff has been discussing this project for many years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I arrived as director in 1983, none of the library branches were ADA compliant,â&#x20AC;? explained Hall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We slowly worked on modifications and replacement of our buildings. Architects from past projects said the main library would be the most challenging due to the lack of a street-level entrance and space for an elevator.â&#x20AC;? The library hired Valentour, English, Bodnar, & Howell Architects of Pittsburgh to design the building for ADA compliancy and which also has to meet requirements of the National Register of Historic Places. The architectural firm has experience with historic building renovations.

Contributed

Library Director Alan Hall, left, and building and grounds supervisor Bob DiBenedetto discuss plans for the main libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renovation project. The project will make the main library of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County ADA compliant.

In August 2015, the first phase of renovation began. The libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 62 windows were replaced with historically correct reproduction windows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, construction is estimated to begin this summer and will include renovating parts of the existing building and adding a 10,000-square-foot, two-story addi-

tion in the rear of the building,â&#x20AC;? Hall stated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The garage, added on in 1948, will be demolished to make a public entrance at street level on the side of Slack Street. There will be new restrooms, an elevator, new computer room, new childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room and a meeting room.â&#x20AC;? The library purchased the former Epicenter house at 429 South

Fourth St. from Jefferson Behavioral Health Systems and recently had it demolished. It will become a parking lot and include an entryway to the new garage that will house the Bookmobile and its work station as part of the new addition, Hall added. Once completed, the renovation and addition will aesthetically compliment the historic 115-year-old library. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taking a look back at records that were kept, some of the costs to build the library in 1902 include a bill for installation of electrical wiring for $485,â&#x20AC;? Hall explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;An iron sewer line that was extended from Fourth and Slack streets to Third and Wells streets was installed by a plumber for $550, and the boiler and radiator were installed for $3,297. The boiler and steam registers are still in use today and will remain in use after the renovation. The new addition will have a separate HVAC unit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Certainly costs for the renovation will be more than the original construction recorded in 1902,â&#x20AC;? Hall said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, money for the project is secured from the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital improvement fund.â&#x20AC;? Andrew Carnegie donated $50,000 to build the library in Steubenville. When costs exceeded funds, he generously gave Steubenville an additional $12,000.

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Dave Gossett

Volunteers braved the cold on a November morning to transport 107 nutcrackers from their summer home to the Historic Fort Steuben. The moving trip took approximately two hours but the nutcrackers were in place when Judy Bratten and Jerry Barilla arrived at the Visitors Center that morning.

Nutcrackers Continued from Page 2B

our expectations this year as far as visitors coming to the Nutcracker Village and spreading the Christmas spirit. I personally talked to people from as far away as Michigan and Virginia who came to Steubenville to see the nutcrackers,” Nelson stated. “The weather was a little colder than 2015, but that certainly didn’t stop the visitors. They came prepared for the winter weather. We saw a strong response in the number of people who came here for the first time,” said Nelson. “I was so nervous when we started the Advent Market that I offered to refund the vendors’ money if they weren’t successful, But it was a success and we added three more chalets to the market in 2016 and it has become a major blessing. I believe Steubenville is hoping to find an event to rally around. We are all looking for a positive,” said Nelson. “I saw a lot of happy people who brought their kids. This is a very kid-friendly event and is a very intimate experience for kids and families. They walk through the exhibit and take time to check out the different nutcrackers. There have been thousands and thousands of selfies taken with different nutcrackers that were sent around the world and tagged Steubenville,” commented Nelson. “I think the biggest success has been the positive public relations we have seen for the city. We are all creating happy memories for a lot of people who will want to come back to Steubenville again,” said Nelson. “We were able to expose the downtown to many people who were new to the downtown business district or haven’t been here for some time. They found a very well lit, safe and comfortable place to meet their friends, see the nutcrackers and do some shopping,” noted Nelson. “Many of our visitors said the Nutcracker Village was a very intimate atmosphere. It is a walking tour and not a driving tour. It will be fine to see a few nutcrackers outside of the downtown area for advertising what we have in the downtown. And we have learned the nutcrackers are an incredibly sculptured selfie prop for visitors,” Nelson said. “The entire reason I am investing in the downtown is because I see the potential for economic growth here. The ‘Love Where You Live’ marketing campaign has helped us with our own image and is now bringing people to Steubenville,” noted Nelson. “I feel very humble by the attention we have received for the Nutcracker Village and Advent Market and am humbled that my family and business have been able to contribute to our community. And I also know we could not have done this without the input and help from Judy Bratten and Jerry Barilla, as well as from our team of supporters and the business community,” stated Nelson.

“We have created the very strong possibility of a renaissance in Steubenville. Everyone has a place in the rebuilding of Steubenville. We are ready to move forward,” said Nelson. Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce President Tricia Maple-Damewood noticed the outof-town visitors in 2015 and diversity of the crowds at the Nutcracker Village. “It is great to have people come downtown to spend money, but it is also good to see people rediscover the downtown. The Nutcracker Village has put Steubenville in a new light as far as a tourism destination,” MapleDamewood cited. “People will visit someplace and see an event and say it would be nice to have something like that in their hometown. Now we have that in Steubenville. This is a chance for people to shop local and enjoy local entertainment here in Steubenville,” she said. The M&M True Value Hardware store is five miles from the Nutcracker Village, but owner Scott Campbell heard a number positive comments about the Nutcracker Village and Advent Market. “This is a very positive thing for Steubenville. It brings people to our community. People will come here every day of the week to walk through the Nutcracker Village and on the weekends will visit the Advent Market. Christmas is a special time of the year and this is a chance for grandparents, parents and kids to go downtown to see the tree, the nutcrackers and slow down for a bit to enjoy the Christmas spirit. Sometimes there is too much focus on what is under the Christmas tree. This has been an opportunity to relax and think about the meaning of Christmas,” stated Campbell. “This has a very positive impact on the business community. There were so many out-oftown visitors here in 2015 who came to Steubenville and saw what a nice place we have here. We have a community coming together and it feels very good,” observed Lou DiGregory of DiGregory’s Greenhouse and Garden Center. “It is hard to quantify the economic impact on the community,” said Suzanne Kresser of Tri-State Financial Services. “The Nutcracker Village and Advent Market once again had a huge impact on our local businesses in 2016. The staff at Naples Spaghetti House never stopped working during the event. People spent time in the downtown, visiting the Fort Steuben, the local shops and looking for a place to eat. We needed a spark in Steubenville and people in the community have a sense of pride again about themselves and where they live,” Kresser said. (Gossett can be contacted at dgossett@heraldstaronline.com.)

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Annual tour offers great way to see panhandle

Contributed

Bicycle riders participate in the Heritage Trail Tour, traditionally held near Memorial Day weekend in Wheeling. Riders can participate in one of several rides of varying lengths. After the bike tours, riders gather at the WesBanco Arena commons area for lunch and other events.

11th Wheeling Heritage Trail Tour set for May 28

HEALTH GUIDE

2017

By MARK LAW

with fine safety support through the city of Wheeling on the One of the best ways beautiful Heritage to tour the Northern Trail. They travel Panhandle of West Vir- through historic secginia is to participate tions, historic bridges in the annual Heritage and tunnels with Trail Tour, usually options for up to seven held near the Memori- rest stops, for food and al Day weekend in drink. Motorcycle Wheeling. police escorts and fire Hundreds of riders department paratake their bikes on medics are also on tours of varying board. We have built lengths. up to well over 300 ridDoug Wayt, presiers and volunteers. dent of Ohio Valley Riders range from the Trail Partners and tour ages of 4 to 92,” he director of the annual said. Wheeling Heritage Wayt said the tour Trail Tour, said the has numerous sponsors 11th-annual Heritage and donors. Trail Tour will be held “Our bike tour this year on May 28. offers rides of 1 to 10 “Our bicycle tour is miles, 25 miles, 30 not a race, but a series miles and a 100 km of rides that allow riders to safely travel See TRAILS Page 6B Á

Staff writer

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2315 Sunset Boulevard #D Steubenville, Ohio 43952 740-266-7674 (SMRI) Toll Free: 877-674-7838 Fax: 740-266-7673

R.W. Petruso

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Ambulance Service, Inc. has been providing medical transportation services to the Tri-State area since 1964. We are licensed in the State of Ohio and West Virginia.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: • Ambulance ALS/BLS Emergency/Non-Emergency • Ambulette (Wheelchair Vans) • CPR/First Aide Training

Robert W. Petruso Bob Petruso, Owner Doctor of Audiology

Hearing Instrument Specialist

51342 National Rd. St. Clairsville, OH 740-699-0400

Diane Sabo

Ken Johnson

Hearing Instrument Specialist

620 N. Main St. Washington, PA 724-228-4327

We Specialize in Nerve Loss, Hearing Evaluations, Hearing Aid Sales and Services

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2017

Contributed

Walking, cross-country and biking trails are located throughout the Tri-State Area. And while the trails offer scenic routes to take in the great outdoors, they also encourage more people to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Trails Continued from Page 5B

ride (62.13 miles) option. Riders return to the WesBanco Arena commons area next to the beautiful Ohio River for lunch, live musical entertainment, door prizes, a free bicycle repair clinic and more,” Wayt said. Wayt said riders must wear helmets, and preregistration can be done online at ohiovalleytrailpartners.org. Registration forms are sent by mail to previous participants. Registration forms also are available in early spring at Quick Service Bicycle Shop in Martins Ferry, Wheelcraft Bicycles in Wheeling, Howard Long Wellness Center, Chambers YMCA in Wheeling and Ryan Ferns Healthplex in Benwood, as well as some local restaurants in the region. Wayt said funds received from the annual tours are used for maintenance projects on the Heritage Trail, support of new trail development in the Northern Panhandle and in Belmont County. Riders who are even more adventurous can use a designated bike

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“Our bicycle tour is not a race, but a series of rides that allow riders to safely travel with fine safety support through the city of Wheeling on the beautiful Heritage Trail. They travel through historic sections, historic bridges and tunnel with options for up to seven rest stops, for food and drink. Motorcycle police escorts and fire department paramedics are also on board. We have built up to well over 300 riders and volunteers. Riders range from the ages of 4 to 92.” Doug Wayt, president of Ohio Valley Trail Partners and tour director of the annual Wheeling Heritage Trail Tour route through the area as part of a nationwide route. United States Bike Route 50 is part of a national network of bicycle routes linking urban, suburban and rural areas using a variety of existing cycling facilities. USBR 50 will go from California to Washington, D.C. In Ohio, USBR 50 runs from Paint Road in Preble County at the Indiana border, through 11 counties. In Jefferson County, USBR 50 uses county Road 22A to state Route 43, all the way to the Market Street Bridge. Mike Paprocki, chairman of the Trails and Greenway Task Force, said the Ohio Department of Transportation has expanded the bike routes across Ohio to include state highways. He said the bike route also can utilize existing off-road trails. He said a serious bicyclist can travel 100 to 200 miles a day and prefer to be on a paved road. Bicycle tourism is a growing industry that contributes $47 billion a year to communities that provide these facilities. A national bike route designation is expected to draw experienced riders from throughout the country and connect scenic, cultural and historic destinations and attractions. Paprocki said he has seen an increase in cross-country bicyclists passing through the area. He said there is no good way to count them other than seeing them on the road.

Area bed and breakfast inns have seen an increase in the crosscountry bicyclists staying the night during their journeys, it was noted. “This is the type of tourism we need to attract to the area. We have all the amenities to help them. We have restaurants, bed and breakfasts and a great visitors center. But we are lacking certain amenities. There are no bike racks at the visitors center and fort or at the city building or county courthouse,” Paprocki said. Area residents who enjoy walking, biking or jogging can visit one of several area trails that offer scenic routes to take in the great outdoors. The Panhandle Rail Trail runs 29 miles beginning at the Walker’s Mill station in Walker’s Mill, Pa., and ends in an area near Harmon Creek outside Weirton. It passes many towns beginning in Harmon Creek and including Colliers, Hanlin, Dinsmore, Burgettstown, Joffre, Bulger, Midway, McDonald, Sturgeon, Noblestown, Oakdale, Rennerdale and finally Walker’s Mill. At the 8.62-mile mark near McDonald, a one-mile connector links the Panhandle to the larger Montour trail. There is a series of paved trails that go along the Ohio River from Wellsburg to south of Wheeling. The trails also extend east of Wheeling toward Wheeling Hospital. The 9.7-mile Brooke County Pio-

See TRAILS Page 7B Á

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Trails Continued from Page 6B

neer Trail extends trail in Toronto, thanks from south of Wellsto a cooperative venburg at Buffalo Creek ture between the city and follows the Ohio of Toronto, Stratton, River to Ohio County, Empire and the Toronwhere it connects to to Coalition for Revitalthe 13-mile Wheeling ization. Heritage Trail. The The pathway 1.1-mile Wellsburg includes a biking and Yankee Trail travels hiking trail winding its north from the beginway through the city ning of the Pioneer and extending along Trail through streets county Road 7F — the and along an old rail former state Route 7 — line. into Empire and StratThe Brooke County ton, establishing a 15Pioneer Association mile stretch, according worked for years to to George Komar of link the area’s trail the revitalization comsystem — including “Our bike tour offers the Wheelrides of 1 to 10 miles, 25 ing Hermiles, 30 miles and a 100 itage, km ride (62.13 miles) Brooke Pioneer and option. Riders return to Yankee the WesBanco Arena comtrails — mons area next to the with a netbeautiful Ohio River for work of connected lunch, live musical entertrails tainment, door prizes, a through free bicycle repair clinic Pennsylvaand more.” nia and Maryland Doug Wayt that lead all the way to Washington, D.C. Today, the mittee. only break in the chain “There’s a kiosk is a stretch from the (with literature and north end of Wellsroute map) at the corburg to the western ner of Fourth Street terminus of the Panand Market Street at handle Trail in WeirSloane Station Square,” ton. The Panhandle said Komar, adding Rail Trail runs 29 those walking and miles to Walker’s Mill, cycling then can head Pa. toward the Ohio River. The trails are a way “From there on (River to showcase the area’s Avenue) they can go system, but also to either north or south.” encourage more peoOne leg of the pathple to adopt a healthy way extends back into lifestyle, according to the city, while the association members. other leg travels up There also are walk- county River Avenue ing trails at Friendship to the city’s north end Park outside Smithand onto county Road field, as three trails 7F. The pathway then extend along the Jefgoes into Empire and ferson County FairStratton from there, grounds at the park. said Komar. The Rehabilitation The pathway is Trail, sponsored by marked with “sharRehab Plus of rows,” which are paintSteubenville, is a short ed arrows on the paved trail designed streets designating the for individuals recovpathways. Komar said ering from surgery, ill- he believes there are ness or injury. about 130 sharrows in The other two trails the entire system. begin and end at the The pathway is MidWay Pavilion, being used regularly, forming loops around as Toronto’s flat the fairgrounds. The streets and picturesque inner MidWay Trail river view make it a extends about a mile special attraction for along the fairground’s many in the city, as buildings, while the well as visitors. As the outer Overlook Trail weather improves the incorporates the Midcoalition also sponsors Way Trail and stretch- biking days, which es about 1.5 miles. have attracted a fair There is another amount of bikers, walking and biking according to Komar.

Contributed

Bicycle tourism is a growing industry that contributes $47 billion a year to communities that provide these facilities. A national bike route designation is expected to draw experienced riders from throughout the country and connect scenic, cultural and historic destinations and attractions.

DINING