Morgantown Magazine April/May 2017

BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT, RELAX, REPEAT Meditation can quiet the mind and soothe the soul.

CITY ON THE RISE

Westover is starting to live up to its motto.

THE WINE BAR AT VINTNER VALLEY Cheers to the neighborhood restaurant where staff often knows your name.

volume 6

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issue 4

PUBLISHED BY

New South Media, Inc.

709 Beechurst Avenue, Suite 14A, Morgantown, WV 26505

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Bowman, nikki@newsouthmediainc.com EDITOR

Mary Wade Burnside, marywade@newsouthmediainc.com DESIGNER

Becky Moore, becky@newsouthmediainc.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Zack Harold, zack@newsouthmediainc.com Pam Kasey, pam@newsouthmediainc.com OPERATIONS MANAGER

Allison Daugherty, allison@newsouthmediainc.com WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Katie Jarrell, kjarrell@newsouthmediainc.com PHOTOGRAPHER

Carla Witt Ford, carla@newsouthmediainc.com INTERNS

Anna N. Saab, Carly Suplita, Kristen Uppercue, Julian Wyant SALES DIRECTOR

Heather Mills Berardi, heather@newsouthmediainc.com CONTRIBUTORS

Kaylyn Christopher, Rosalie Haizlett, Christine Snyder

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MORGA NTOW N is published by New South Media, Inc. Copyright: New South Media, Inc. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher. © N EW SOU T H M EDI A, I NC. A LL R IGH TS R ESERV ED

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EDITOR’S NOTE

I

grew up two counties away from Morgantown as the daughter of proud WVU alums, visited often during childhood, lived here for two years during the decade that some refer to as the aughts, and also just bought a home last October after scouring different communities and weighing one area of town against another.

But I never realized how much I still had to learn about this great city we call home until I set out to learn about our neighborhoods for this issue. I braved brick streets in South Park and Greenmont and finally used the GPS on my smartphone in order to find out what’s going on in as many nooks and crannies in Morgantown as I could. One theme that continually popped up was “walkability,” and I’m very happy to live in a city where I can amble to town via the rail-trail.

Once the pedestrian bridge in Greenmont is complete, it will be even a faster trip.

That sounds really great, but so does taking your boat up to the dock of your favorite Cheat Lake restaurant and enjoying some food and music before heading home via the water. Also in our Neighborhoods cover story that begins on page 44, we’ve provided a guide that will be helpful to those who want to live here and interesting to those who already do.

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Who knew that Woodburn had six bass players living in just one block?

One place where I did some house hunting—and envision has a great future—is Westover. As Pam Kasey reveals in her story on page 52, it really is a city on the rise.

We think this issue will have a lot of other useful information for homeowners, as well as apartment dwellers who may be considering taking the plunge—as in Zack Harold’s pieces on home-buying classes and renters’ rights and the story on ClearFiber, whose owner hopes to offer fiber optic internet options sometime this year.

You can also learn views of the 14 candidates running for city council.

As for other sources of sustainment, we cannot live by bread alone, and that’s why we’ve highlighted not one but two cheese-filled Morgantown dining options: Cheese Louise and The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley.

Finally, we asked West Virginia artist Rosalie Haizlett to illustrate some of Morgantown’s bestknown landmarks for this issue’s lively cover. We love it so much that we’re making it into a poster everyone can enjoy—look for it later this spring in the WV Living Collection at wv-living-collection. myshopify.com

M A RY WA DE BU R NSIDE,

Editor

Follow us at . . . facebook.com/morgantownmagazine twitter.com/morgantownmag instagram.com/morgantownmag

Featured Contributors Rosalie Haizlett West Virginia designer and illustrator Rosalie Haizlett combines sophisticated design with lively, hand-drawn illustrations. She was selected as one of two 2016-2017 Tamarack Foundation for the Arts Emerging Artist Fellows and is currently completing a design and illustration internship with USA Today Magazines in Washington, D.C. Follow her artistic process on Instagram @rosaliehaizlett.

Christine Snyder Christine Snyder, who studied journalism and history at Marshall University, worked as a copy editor for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland before settling in her native Eastern Panhandle. She is the managing editor of the Spirit of Jefferson, an award-winning weekly in Charles Town that has been around since 1844.

Letters to the Editor BOM Party 2017 Awards party at Schmitt’s Saloon last night—the place was jam-packed! Congratulations to all the winners and a special thanks to Morgantown magazine for your best party yet.

David Merrill via Facebook Helping Out Shout-out to Morgantown magazine and BOM winners for #fightingwaste and #feedingpeople by donating their leftovers from #BOM2017 last night. And if you’re looking to be more socially responsible with excess food, give us a shout and we will gladly donate it.

Food Recovery Network at WVU via Facebook We Won! The staff at our Sabraton branch is excited to display our Best of Morgantown Best Bank award from @MorgantownMag. Clear Mountain Bank via Twitter Recognition Great to see Ron Lewis’ The Industrialist and the Mountaineer in @MorgantownMag. WVU Press via Twitter

In This Issue

MARY WADE BURNSIDE

APRIL/MAY 2017

Neighborhood Guide

City on the Rise

South Park Charm

Find out what’s new and what’s tried and true around Morgantown’s dynamic neighborhoods.

Cooperation, vision, and a new influx of cash—Westover is starting to live up to its motto.

A Morgantown couple had Wells Home Furnishings decorate their South Park home. We show you the results.

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52

58 MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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APRIL/MAY 2017

In This Issue This Matters

38

14 Read This The story of the creator of the mother of all holidays.

15 Eat This

Cheese Louise lives up to its name, with five varieties grilled into sandwiches.

6 Editor’s Note 40 Dish It Out The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley has great food—and loyal customers.

64 Across County Lines Grantsville, Maryland, is a mecca for fly-fishing, great food, history, and more.

16 Do This A local organization offers help with the home-buying process.

66 Healthy Living Meditation can help quiet the mind and maybe even lower your blood pressure.

18 Know This The resolution of a Supreme Court case could mean more rights for renters.

21 Do This Meet the 14 candidates running for city council.

Departments

69 The Scene

64

28 Who’s This New City Manager Paul Brake brings experience and ideas to Morgantown.

40

72 Calendar 80 Then & Now Looking back at The Westover Triangle.

30 Shop This Order your groceries online at Suncrest Kroger through the new ClickList service.

33 Follow This Improvements continue to boost Sunnyside as a good place for students to live.

34 This Matters To …

Frank Scafella discusses his work with and retirement from Sunnyside Up.

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36 Check This Out We compare prices at six area grocery stores.

38 Hear This

Mountain Stage comes to town for an April show.

36 66

ON THE COVER

We invited guest artist Rosalie Haizlett to bring the bustle of Morgantown’s neighborhoods to life for this issue’s cover. We think she captured it!

To purchase a poster of the cover art visit the WV Living Collection at wv-living-collection.myshopify.com later this spring.

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MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

EAT / LOVE / WEAR / SHOP / WATCH / KNOW / HEAR / READ / DO / WHO / WHAT

TIME TO ROLL AND STROLL

MARY WADE BURNISIDE

Morgantown residents love to walk and bike, and they are great ways to explore the city’s various neighborhoods. We’re also lucky to have the Mon River and Deckers Creek rail-trails, which provide a 48-mile network for bike riding, strolling, rollerblading, cross blading, and other outdoor pursuits that will heat up as the weather does. Another bonus: May is National Bike Month, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. For those who like to ride around town, the organization’s National Bike to Work Week will take place May 15–19. So don your helmet, get on your bike, and remember to alert walkers by telling them you are passing them on the left.

WALK TO HELP OUT

Help support people with multiple sclerosis by participating in Walk MS: Morgantown 2017, which begins at 9 a.m. May 6 at the Wharf Garage.

RIDE FOR FUN

Ride with other enthusiasts during the Bicycle Ride of the Spring Spectacular, which begins at 8 a.m. May 7 at the Wharf Garage and includes a choice of rides. crcyclists.org

WALK TO LEARN

Boost your step count while checking out frogs, toads, and other amphibians at the West Virginia Botanic Garden at 1 p.m. April 30. wvbg.org MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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THIS MATTERS

author of Memorializing Motherhood: Anna Jarvis and the Struggle for the Control of Mother’s Day, released in April by West Virginia University Press. “She designed it to be a homecoming to go spend time with your mother and thank her,” Antolini says.

“It’s a child’s view of motherhood for someone who never had children, who only saw motherhood through the eyes of a child. After all, ‘Mother’s Day’ is possessive-singular. It’s not all mothers.

It’s your mother.”

A Taylor County native, Jarvis created Mother’s Day, which was first celebrated in Grafton on May 8, 1908. It became a national holiday in 1914.

By the 1930s, when Jarvis was in her 70s, READTHIS the country was in a depression, and many charitable organizations used Mother’s Day as a way to raise money to help everyone from mothers of veterans to expectant mothers.

Anna Jarvis is known in West Virginia for her While many—including desire to celebrate those who brought us into the Roosevelts—thought the world. But many might not be aware just that seemed like a grand idea, it did not sit well how seriously she took her idea. with Jarvis. “She had a quote—‘A woman is never poor who has the love of her ➼ IF YOUR PLAN FOR Mother’s Day children,’” Antolini says. And woe be to entails purchasing a greeting card and President Roosevelt, whose doodle was some flowers for the woman who raised turned into the artwork used on a stamp to you, you might want to think again. Anna commemorate the holiday—albeit without Jarvis, founder of the upcoming holiday, the words “Mother’s Day,” which Jarvis would not approve. had copyrighted, along with the phrase In fact, she had no problem relaying “second Sunday in May.” And she did her discontent about how Americans not hesitate to threaten to sue those who ended up celebrating Mother’s Day, infringed upon it. not only to the makers of boxes of Antolini stumbled upon the topic of chocolates and floral bouquets but also Jarvis in about 2004 as a graduate student, to figures such as Eleanor and Franklin when she was invited to the International Roosevelt. Jarvis wrote strongly worded Mother’s Day Shrine—formerly the letters to them all, says Katharine Lane Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church, in Antolini, assistant professor of history Grafton, where the first service was held— and gender studies at West Virginia and saw boxes of documents on the floor Wesleyan College in Buckhannon and

The Mother of All Holidays

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MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

of the kitchen. “The historian in me freaks out,” she says. “I’m thinking, ‘I can’t leave documents, some 100 years old, in boxes on the floor in the kitchen.’” Antolini has a master’s degree in public history, so she offered to spend a summer archiving the records. As she read through them, she found her topic for her doctoral thesis, which she completed through WVU. She was especially moved by a seven-page letter that Jarvis had written to her cousin, “ranting about all these different groups.

It got me thinking, ‘What did these groups ever do to you that upset you so much?’”

That said, Antolini likes to put Jarvis’ frame of mind in context. “You also think of, throughout history, every time a woman is trying to defend herself, it’s easy to dismiss her as crazy. All these different groups would say she’s crazy—I began wondering if that’s an easy way to dismiss her.”

Still, some details were irrefutable, such as the fact that Jarvis never had children herself, which affected her view of motherhood. Ironically, her own mother, Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis, whose 1905 death motivated her daughter to establish the holiday, had also considered a similar celebration, but her concept honored motherhood in general. “Her mother would have approved of what other groups were doing. All the charities that Anna hated—her mother would have thought that was great. She saw motherhood through the eyes of a woman. The role of being a mother doesn’t stop at your front door. Women as mothers can come together and help society.”

In Memorializing Motherhood, Antolini also addresses the paradox that Jarvis created the holiday in a Victorian time, just as the country—and eventually mothers through the women’s movement—would begin to undergo historic social changes. In the midst of all that, the International Mother’s Day Shrine was created in 1962, and back then its board of directors probably would not have appreciated Antolini’s revelations about the holiday’s founder. However, “I’m on the board now, and the board is very open about it. It’s part of her character. She was so tenacious,” says Antolini, an Ohio native who did not grow up learning about Jarvis.

And if Jarvis could see Mother’s Day today? “She would be excited that it’s still celebrated and she’d be upset over how we commercialize it. And she would be upset that nobody knows who she is.” wvupressonline.com written by mary wade burnside

EATTHIS

Grilled and Gooey Goodness Cheese Louise offers comfort food done right.

➼ STEAMY, CRUSTED BREAD, MELTING LAYERS of cheese, and a cup filled with robust homemade flavors reminiscent of childhood: Nothing pairs better than a buttery grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of frothy tomato soup. Cheese Louise owner and Morgantown native Lawton Parnell whips up all sorts of gooey variations of this classic combo in a tiny kitchen located in the big bend of Willey Street. The new eatery, which opened in early March, offers five kinds of cheese—which are stacked and melted on French bread from Breadworks in Pittsburgh—and an assortment of tasty add-ins. Customers can also choose from among four other sandwiches on the menu and can even order PB&J with their grilled cheese—peanut butter and jelly bread pudding, that is. Parnell’s favorite sandwich? The CaliGuac: creamy gruyere and muenster cheese that strings apart when you separate the hot sandwich, revealing wheels of jalapeno, layers of avocado, and other veggies between the sheets of soft French bread. Every item is homemade and prepared fresh each day. The soups are made from scratch, down to the stock and broth. Parnell cooks the restaurant’s signature gumbo from a recipe his great-grandmother created. Cheese Louise—which also offers American, pepper jack, and cheddar options—is home-cooked comfort on a budget. written by anna n . saab | photographed by carla witt ford

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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THIS MATTERS

Home g n i y u B in t r o t o

DOTHIS

Help for House Hunters A local organization guides families through the confusing homebuying process. ➼ THERESSA NICHOLS JOKES she only gets two kinds of clients. As a housing counselor at the FairmontMorgantown Housing Authority (FMHA), she often sees families who are in a big hurry. They’ve already picked out a house and they’ve only come to Nichols’ office to find out how to get a loan. She reviews their finances—their monthly bills, their income, their credit score, the money they’ve managed to save—and “they’re almost always not ready,” she says.

On the flipside, Nichols also sees lots of families who are hesitant about the homebuying process and are just looking for 16

MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

information. They come to her as a way of putting their toes in the water, because they don’t think they’re ready to take such a financial leap. “Those families are almost always more ready than they realize,” she says.

The FMHA’s homebuyer education program helps both kinds of families. It begins with individual counseling. “I’ll look at your income to give you a better idea what kind of lending options you have,” she says.

She also reviews clients’ credit and saving habits. It’s usually not too difficult to find ways to boost credit scores, but saving is another story. “Unfortunately a lot of

people don’t have those habits in place.”

Nichols says many families don’t have enough money on hand to cover the usual 20 percent mortgage down payment and closing costs. That isn’t always necessary.

Plenty of loans require only small down payments and have low closing costs. Still, Nichols recommends having at least $2,000 in the bank for things like an earnest deposit and homeowner’s insurance—and many people don’t have even that much cash on hand when they want to buy. Nichols works with those families to develop strategies to begin saving.

As her clients get closer to being prequalified for loans, Nichols recommends they take one of the FMHA’s monthly classes. The all-day sessions focus mostly on the post-loan home-buying process.

Nichols discusses the costs and benefits of using a licensed real estate agent and the role of the lender. She explains sometimes confusing concepts, like the difference between an appraisal and an inspection and the different kinds of insurance available to homebuyers. Participants also get information on the kinds of preventive maintenance homes often require.

Nichols also invites guest speakers to each class—often lenders, insurance agents, and real estate agents. Participants play games and win prizes. “And then we feed you well, too, which is a bonus,” she says.

Buying a home, Nichols says, can seem out of reach for low-income families, but that’s not always the case. She regularly meets with families who are paying more than $1,000 each month in rent. “Especially in the Morgantown area, that’s becoming more and more common,” she says. The FMHA can often help those families find low-interest mortgages with payments far below what they are paying for rent. “It gives families the chance to purchase a house they wouldn’t be able to otherwise,” Nichols says.

And although the FMHA focuses much of its work on low- to moderate-income buyers, Nichols says she encourages any first-time homebuyer to take advantage of counseling and classes. “In the last year or two, we’ve seen an influx of families with higher incomes.”

Classes are held the second Friday of each month, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at either the FMHA’s Fairmont headquarters or the Seneca Center in Morgantown.

Each family pays $100 to attend, although lenders sometimes reimburse this fee as part of closing costs. fmhousing.com written by ZACK HAROLD

THIS MATTERS

KNOW THIS

Before You Sign on the Dotted Line ...

A case before the state Supreme Court could outlaw many common fees found in lease agreements. ➼ WHEN STUDENTS DROP BY Carrie Showalter’s basement office in WVU’s Elizabeth Moore Hall for a lease review, sometimes the document is just a few pages long. Other times, the stack is 60 pages high. There’s not much that surprises Showalter, though. As managing attorney for WVU Student Legal Services, she’s seen lease agreements from just about every landlord in town—she even maintains a library of them, just in case she needs one for reference.

“We try to make sure students understand what they’re agreeing to,” she says. It’s important, because West Virginia has relatively few rules governing landlord-tenant relationships. As a result, many landlords stuff lease agreements with hidden costs and fees—it’s not uncommon to find one requiring tenants to repaint the walls or clean carpets before moving out.

Showalter has seen agreements charging convenience fees if tenants request receipts for their rent payments, fees on roommates who pay rent with more than one check, and compounding late fees that quickly surpass the actual rent payment. She’s 18

MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

even seen landlords charge tenants $25 if their parents call the office.

“It’s kind of like the Wild West. People can do what they want, and if you can challenge them, you can challenge them,” Showalter says. Tenants usually do not have much room to argue, though. State law doesn’t have much to say about renters’ rights, and most lawsuits between landlords and renters are settled in magistrate court, which does not establish precedent for other cases. “It’s very gray. There’s no case law that interprets it. We’re making these arguments based on a case from 1979,” Showalter says.

But that could soon change. There’s a case pending before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals that, depending on the justices’ decision, could set strict limits on kinds of fees landlords can charge.

Setting Precedent In 2015, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office filed a lawsuit in Kanawha County Circuit Court against Copper Beech Townhomes in Morgantown for charging nonrefundable

“redecoration fees” in addition to the standard, legal damage deposit typically required by landlords. The attorney general alleged those fees violate the state’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act by passing on maintenance costs to tenants.

On March 3 of this year, Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey granted Copper Beech’s request to send the case to the state Supreme Court of Appeals.

But Bailey’s order boils the case down to one question: “Does the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act apply to the relationship between a landlord and tenant under a lease for residential rental property?” Her answer was “yes.”

State Supreme Court justices have a few options: either agree or disagree with Bailey’s answer, or opt not to rule, which would also serve to affirm Bailey’s ruling.

Morrisey is confident the Supreme Court, like Bailey, will side with him. “We strongly believe the outcome of these cases will solidify our long-held belief that the state’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act gives our office ample authority to pursue landlord and tenant claims,” he said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to the certainty this case provides, once and for all clarifying any question about our authority to continue protecting consumers and holding landlords accountable if they violate the law.”

Showalter says a “yes” from the Supreme Court would be “a win for consumers.”

If lease agreements were covered under the state Consumer Credit and Protection Act, landlords could not charge tenants redecorating fees, for example. And late fees would also be limited to $30 per month, doing away with the compounding late fees found in many lease agreements.

Not everyone agrees with Morrisey’s interpretation of the law. “It’s amazing the attorney general is asking a judge to decide if it’s right or wrong,” says David Biafora, co-owner of Metro Property Management, the state’s largest residential landlord with apartments, condominiums, and townhomes around Morgantown.

In January 2017, Morrisey’s office filed a suit against Metro, accusing the company of violating the state’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act through the use of a non-refundable redecorating fee similar to the one charged by Copper Beech. The suit also lists additional fees—including convenience and processing fees, returned check and late fees, an abandonment fee, and an hourly late fee for those who do not

move by a set deadline—that also violate the law, in Morrisey’s eyes. If the Supreme Court upholds Bailey’s ruling on the Copper Beech case, it would establish a precedent that, more than likely, would also guide the outcome of the Metro lawsuit.

Metro co-owner Richard Biafora says the fees in the lease agreements are standard practice for landlords around the country. In 2002, Metro sent its standard lease to thenPennsylvania Attorney General D. Michael Fisher for approval. Fisher, who is now a federal judge with the U.S. Court of Appeals’ Third Circuit, approved the lease “in every way,” Richard says.

But do the fees violate West Virginia law? David Biafora says no, since the state Consumer Credit and Protection Act is written for consumed goods, not real estate. Richard Biafora says if the state wants to restrict fees, it should be done by the Legislature—“not try to do it in court and set precedent.”

Copper Beech’s parent company, the Illinois-based Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, did not respond to emails and calls requesting comment about the litigation.

Your Rights, Right Now It’s unclear when the Supreme Court will rule on the Copper Beech case. But no matter the outcome, state law already provides some important protections for tenants. Landlords are required to provide a “fit and habitable” dwelling in accordance with health, safety, fire, and housing codes.

The law also requires that housing units provide working electricity, plumbing, running water, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and other such basics. In multiple housing units, landlords are required to provide for removal of ashes, garbage, and other waste. Landlords also are prohibited from entering rental properties without consent of the tenant or reasonable advance notice, except in emergency situations.

A law passed in 2011 requires landlords to return security deposits within 60 days from the time tenants move out or within 45 days of a new tenant moving in, whichever is shorter. If landlords take deductions from those deposits, they are required to itemize each alleged damage.

State law also requires landlords to provide renters with written notification of eviction, unless renters have fallen behind on payments or have otherwise violated their lease agreements. But even if that happens, tenants cannot be forcibly evicted from their residence without court order.

Local authorities also wield some protective power for tenants.

For example, multiple housing units within Morgantown city limits are subject to inspection by the city’s code enforcement department. This does not apply to the many housing units located outside city limits, though.

Showalter says the best way for tenants to protect themselves is to read and understand their lease agreements before signing on the dotted lines. Renters sometimes feel pressured to move quickly, but there are more properties around town than people who want to rent them, so tenants are in a good place to negotiate.

Sometimes it’s possible to convince landlords to strike certain provisions in lease agreements. Other times, it’s best to just find another landlord. “When you live somewhere, it should be your sanctuary,” Showalter says. “You shouldn’t have to worry about a landlord who’s taking advantage of you.”

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THIS MATTERS DOTHIS

Meet the Candidates These 14 Morgantown residents are vying for seats on city council.

Election Day is April 25.

➼ NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS during Morgantown’s municipal election on April 25, city council will change once winners take office on July 1. Two of the current councilors—including Mayor Marti Shamberger— are not seeking re-election, and every seat has two candidates. We asked them two questions: How would they improve transportation? What is their take on the $3 per paycheck Safe Street and Safe Community user fee passed by the current council? And then we asked them to tell us what else they think is important for the city of Morgantown. Here is what they told us.

WARD 1

Ron Bane (incumbent) A Morgantown native, Ron Bane has several degrees, including a Ph.D. in safety engineering from Kennedy-Western University. He works as a manager in health care and safety and has been on Morgantown City Council for 16 years. He also serves on the boards of the Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) and the Mountain Line Transit Authority.

TRANSPORTATION Advocates increasing the use of the bus line by increasing the frequency of bus routes and making the

Rachel Fetty

Nebraska native Rachel Fetty moved to Morgantown so her husband could attend WVU. Fetty has a part-time solo practice as an attorney downtown, serves on the Housing Advisory Commission, and is the secretary of the First Ward Neighborhood Association.

TRANSPORTATION Believes city council can work with employers and other stakeholders to synchronize public transportation with work and other schedules to make the most of our public transportation.

PRT more community-oriented by making it easier for all citizens to buy yearly passes. He also wants to create more bike lanes in town and to continue to improve sidewalks and crosswalks throughout the city.

USER FEE Believes the fee has enabled the city to pave more streets and hire more police, but that it needs to be carefully managed to continue to provide these services.

WHAT ELSE Believes that the airport runway expansion and business development park are critical to the future of Morgantown and should be top priorities for the next council.

USER FEE Believes that the user fee has helped solve what she saw as the city’s biggest issue—imminent infrastructure failure— and notes that the fee has kept motorists from hitting potholes every day.

WHAT ELSE Believes that one of the most challenging issues— affordable housing—can be alleviated as shifts in the availability of student housing appear to be opening up more opportunities for families, working people, and seniors, and that development that meets the current needs of our population should be encouraged.

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WARD 2

Al Bonner

Lifelong Morgantown resident Al Bonner has owned and operated Gene’s Beer Garden since 1985, and he has been driving a bus for Monongalia County Schools since 2010. He has not served in any previous elected positions but did run as a write-in candidate for city council in 2015.

TRANSPORTATION Advocates bringing businesses and services back to the neighborhoods, asserting that if people don’t have to

Bill Kawecki (deputy mayor and incumbent) Retired graphic designer Bill Kawecki has been president of the South Park Association of Neighbors (SPAN) and chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals. He is the Arts Mon board vice president and participates on the Arts Collaborative, the River Town Program, the Neighborhood Coordinating Council, and the city’s BAD (brownfield, abandoned, dilapidated) Buildings initiative.

TRANSPORTATION Kawecki believes that the city’s comprehensive plan addresses transportation issues, that it is

go across town to buy everything and could walk or bike to places in their neighborhoods, it would cut down on traffic.

USER FEE Believes that the city made great strides in utilizing the $3 user fee for paving and handicapped-accessible curbs, and wonders what will be done with excess funds.

WHAT ELSE Bonner would like to bring back small businesses. He wants to improve the quality of life in Morgantown by addressing issues such as adequate lighting, police presence, neighborhood watch, sidewalk repairs, and code enforcement.

a common-sense approach that offers a blueprint for moving forward, and that the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization (MMMPO) is effective in addressing these concerns.

USER FEE Kawecki points to the results of the fee after the first year: five new police officers, 232 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible curbs installed, 28 streets paved, and 53 streets on the paving list for 2017.

WHAT ELSE Kawecki believes that, with cooperation, the city has an optimistic future and that a city council that works together and is responsive to community needs will help achieve that future.

WARD 3

Wes Nugent (incumbent) Kanawha County native Wes Nugent has lived his entire adult life in Morgantown. He is a professional technologist assisting faculty and staff at WVU, where he has worked for 17 years. He has served on Morgantown City Council since 2011 and also has been the president of the Wiles Hill-Highland Park Neighborhood Association.

TRANSPORTATION Nugent advocates using PRT infrastructure and partnering with Mountain Line to create north and south transit zones,

Ryan Wallace A full-scholarship student at WVU College of Law, Wallace has previously served as a city planning commission and council member in Michigan.

The Wiles Hill resident has written successful grant applications totaling thousands of dollars in Canada, Michigan, and West Virginia.

TRANSPORTATION Believes that council needs to work closely with groups such as Mountain Line and the Morgantown Bicycle Board to address fundamental infrastructure problems, noting that potholed roads, cracked sidewalks, traffic jams, and dark streets

allowing riders to freely transfer between systems. He’s interested in making the most of existing infrastructure through traffic and pedestrian signal improvements, reversible traffic lanes, and bus rapid transit.

USER FEE Nugent believes that those paying the user fee should expect the city to hire more police to patrol smaller zone areas; make improvements in public safety that reflect the community's preferences; maximize the paving budget rather than retaining excess user fee funds; improve the timing and timeliness of milling streets; and better communicate improvements to stakeholders.

WHAT ELSE Trash, traffic, and noise are key issues.

can prevent the city from developing. Wallace would like to see more bike lanes, wider shoulders, bus shelters, and a bike-share program in town.

USER FEE Wallace believes that the fee helps to decrease vehicle repair, lost time, and quality of life erosions that arise from poor road conditions and congested traffic. Emergency services are key to general public safety and need to be provided with the financial support to ensure a safe city environment, he adds.

WHAT ELSE Wallace advocates hiring a full-time grant writer to pursue funding opportunities, asserting that the position of grant writer would likely more than pay for itself.

WARD 4

Eldon Callen

The Morgantown native and private practice attorney attended WVU on an Army scholarship, has worked as a magistrate, and was a Monongalia County Commissioner from 2011 to 2016. He serves on the Monongalia County Development Authority and the boards of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), the Morgantown Area Economic Partnership, and Mylan Park as well as several committees.

TRANSPORTATION Callen promotes development of alternative transportation and infrastructure corridors to connect neighborhoods

Jenny Selin (incumbent) Madison, Wisconsin, native Jenny Selin has raised her family in Morgantown. The graduate of Kent State University in Ohio has a law degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

TRANSPORTATION Selin notes that she serves on the Morgantown Bicycle Board, which has acquired grants for infrastructure improvements such as a new biking and walking corridor on WV-705. As a member of the MMMPO, Selin advocates complete street planning that includes pedestrians, bikes, buses,

by working closely with the MMMPO, the state Division of Highways (DOH), and other agencies to add sidewalks and bicycle lanes.

USER FEE Callen believes the user fee rate and the usage set by the council were arbitrary and lacked a comprehensive plan for addressing the issues and was uncoordinated with the DOH or other transportation agencies.

WHAT ELSE Callen wants council to make a commitment to rid the city of what he considers an anti-business image by making the maximum use of resources such as the Wharf District, the riverfront, the airport, and the I-68 Commerce Park.

cars, the PRT, and all other forms of transportation.

USER FEE Selin notes that it previously would have taken 30 years or more to pave all of the streets in Morgantown and now the schedule is expected to be closer to 10 years. By the end of fall 2017, she says, Morgantown will pave 80-plus new roads and add 10 new police officers.

WHAT ELSE Believes that additional waterfront development is both an opportunity and challenge for city council. Improvements could include lighting along the rail-trail and establishing innovative and fun amenities in the area.

WARD 5

Ronald Dulaney Richmond, Virginia, native Ron Dulaney Jr. lives in the Woodburn neighborhood. A licensed architect and a professor of design at WVU, Dulaney was recently recognized as the WVU Davis College outstanding service provider for his conceptual design of new equine education facilities at the J.W. Ruby Research Farm in Reedsville.

TRANSPORTATION Dulaney proposes to advance strategies to reroute heavy truck traffic around downtown and residential neighborhoods. To improve the bus system, Dulaney advocates

Kyle McAvoy Fourteen-year Morgantown resident Kyle McAvoy, who works in the natural gas and coal industries, believes city council needs a commonsense and straightforward approach to the community’s challenges.

TRANSPORTATION McAvoy says he would work to correspond and coordinate with the Monongalia County Commission, Westover City Council, WVU, and other entities to help address the concerns of the city, including public transportation.

prioritizing bus timing at traffic signals, HOV lanes along primary corridors, more bus shelters, and bus connections at both ends of the PRT. USER FEE Dulaney believes the user fee is a reasonable way to generate resources needed for long overdue safety and roadway improvements as long as the funds are spent in a timely and effective manner for their intended purpose.

WHAT ELSE Believes the city should partner with governmental and nongovernmental entities to acquire homes converted to rental properties that become available for sale and transition them back to single-family ownership.

USER FEE Believes the city should not end up with any surplus of funds and advocates making adjustments to the paving contract to address the amount of road repair that is accomplished during the paving season while the majority of WVU students are away.

WHAT ELSE McAvoy believes the current city council has gotten bogged down in issues a city government shouldn’t be involved in, such as passing a ban on the concealed carry of firearms in municipal buildings without a plan in place for metal detectors or increased security.

WARD 6

Mark Brazaitis

The East Cleveland, Ohio, native is an English professor at WVU, where he has worked for 17 years.

He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University and a master’s degree in creative writing from Bowling Green State University. He is a former Peace Corps volunteer and the author of seven books.

TRANSPORTATION Proposes the purchase of the Haymaker Forest, the 20-plus-acre woods behind the Circle K on Dorsey Avenue, as a link in what would be a green belt around Morgantown that would connect

Jay Redmond (incumbent) The Sixth Ward council representative since 2015, Jay Redmond is a lifelong resident of Morgantown who has had a 35-year career in communications, management, operations, and entrepreneurship.

He graduated from WVU in 1977 and also earned a master’s degree from his alma mater. He has started and operated five businesses: The Chestnut Pub, Jay’s Daily Grind, Jay’s River Café, Jay’s Getaway, and Mundy’s Place.

TRANSPORTATION Believes the key to improving transportation is finding a way to link existing resources such as the rail-trail,

the rail-trails, White Park, Marilla Park, and points between.

USER FEE Believes that taxes paid by companies located just outside town are paying for projects all over the state and not going where they belong—back into the community—and that the user fee could be eliminated if borders were extended and the tax base expanded.

WHAT ELSE Advocates that Morgantown hire a grant writer, asserting that millions of dollars in grants could support projects such as public land purchases, enhancements in community theaters, innovations in community responses to drug abuse and crime, citing a few examples.

Mountain Line, and the PRT together in a better way through improved roads and sidewalks that will serve the needs of cars, bicycles, and pedestrians concurrently.

USER FEE Notes that he voted against the user fee because he prefers a more conservative approach. He would like WVU students to be included in the fee by defining them as workers as it relates to the ordinance, and also to reduce the fee from $3 to $1.50 per paycheck.

WHAT ELSE Believes the execution of new trash and cable television franchise agreements will be important topics and that the city must push for greater flexibility and power in the negotiation and management of agreements with the state Public Service Commission.

WARD 7

William Graham

William Graham has lived in Morgantown for 20 years. The retired captain of the Morgantown Fire Department has been a member of the Firemen’s Pension Board as a fiduciary, responsible for the investment of more than $10 million in pension funds. He also served as president of the Morgantown International Association of Firefighters Local 313 for 15 years. Now he works in WVU’s Environmental Health & Safety Department as a hazardous materials technologist.

TRANSPORTATION Believes that to make streets as user-friendly as

Barry Lee Wendell

The Baltimore native has a degree from Johns Hopkins University and has worked in city and state government in Maryland and as a teacher in Los Angeles. He has served two years on WVU’s Commission for LGBTQ Equity, has been on the Morgantown Public Library board of directors since September, and teaches rock ’n’ roll history at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WVU. TRANSPORTATION Wendell would like to see 24/7 public transportation in Morgantown, including the PRT, ideally with a mass

possible, there should be sidewalks, streets must be wide enough for the safe and fluid movement of vehicles, and road surfaces must be pothole-free. Also advocates asking large employers to stagger work shifts.

USER FEE Believes the gains in public safety with the hiring of additional police officers will take years to see.

WHAT ELSE Advocates for specific strategic long-range planning for the city, such as having a plan for additional streets to be paved and additional contractors identified so that the additional funds generated by the user fee will be spent efficiently.

transit rail loop to connect with shopping centers and hospitals and with park-and-ride lots at intersections with Interstates 79 and 68.

USER FEE Believes that, while it’s unpopular, the user fee was necessary and the paving projects have made driving easier in many parts of the city.

WHAT ELSE Wendell would like Morgantown to be known as an open and diverse city, so that its large Muslim community, as well as people of all faiths and no faith and from countries around the world, will feel welcome here. He believes this would make WVU more competitive when it comes to attracting both students and professors.

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THIS MATTERS

WHO’STHIS

Release the Brake

Welcome our new city manager.

He brings lots of experience and training—and some new ideas. ➼ WHEN PAUL BRAKE was city manager of Grand Blanc, Michigan, a few years back, he started a city administration book club.

“We read Crucial Conversations, which is a great book for people in our industry,” says Wendy Jean-Buhrer, then assistant city manager under Brake, now his successor.

Subtitled “Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High,” it’s a book Jean-Buhrer finds has helped define her in her work life—one of the many ways Brake mentored her and others. “I think he knew if he could make us better employees and better managers, it would be better for the city.”

Developing that city management skillset is a passion of Brake’s that we are about to benefit from. In January, from more than 50 applicants narrowed to six finalists, a city council that has agreed on almost nothing in the past two years chose Brake unanimously as our new city manager.

A month into the job, in mid-March, he’d already met with some boards and commissions, several neighborhood associations, Main Street Morgantown, and informally with business leaders and others. He’d been to the legislative session in Charleston and met our five state delegates and two state senators.

“This has probably been the most intense new job,” he says. “It’s my own doing—trying to be out, be visible, meet as many people as possible.”

Brake comes with lots of qualifications: bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration. Training from the University of Virginia’s school of public policy. Certification with the International 28

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Economic Development Council and also with the International City/County Management Association—that one, a senior-level credential that requires 40 hours a year of continuing education.

All that, plus 20 years’ on-the-ground experience in local government.

Pretty directly relevant to conditions in Morgantown, Brake was assistant township manager of Meridian Township, Michigan, from 1998 to 2011. It’s a different kind of community from ours, lying just outside the state capital of Lansing, but it’s a municipality of similar geographic size and population. It also has a university presence, with Michigan State University spilling over from adjacent East Lansing.

From there, Brake became city manager of Grand Blanc, 2011 to 2015. He took on a complete update of the water works for the community of about 8,000 people. He also tackled a brownfield at the town’s gateway, transforming the site of a former service station to modern, productive retail space.

And as chairman of the regional I-69 International Trade Council in Michigan, Brake hustled cooperation among 36 entities over education, workforce development, import-export issues, and multiple modes of transportation.

Brake knows firsthand the challenges a city can face during a state budget crunch.

“Michigan went through a very, very significant recession this past decade, and that translated into impact on property taxation and on decisions made at the state level that affected the local level,” he says.

He’s also seen the effects of industrial downturn and bad city administration— Grand Blanc lies just down the road from Flint, Michigan, a city devastated by automobile industry disinvestment and, recently, by a tragic drinking water crisis.

“He brings a whole new energy to Morgantown,” says outgoing Mayor Marti Shamberger. “Things that were appealing to us were his communication skills and his professionalism. He’s had town-and-gown experience; he’s also certified in economic development. And I think he’s a lot about building relationships and empowering employees.” Challenges she sees in Brake’s near future are discussions about annexations, development of the reservoir, and working with a new council, to be seated in July.

Brake has already inspired comparisons with longtime beloved city manager Dan Boroff, whose even-handedness earned admiration as he guided city administration through a steep increase in student population and economic ups and

BRAKING IT DOWN Out in the neighborhoods I’ve resurrected the Neighborhood Coordinating Council that (immediate past City Manager) Jeff Mikorski ran for a while. Government can’t be all of the solutions—you have to work with groups like neighborhood associations and faith-based organizations that can help government work for the public good. I hear a lot of common threads in the neighborhoods, like an interest in paving and in traffic calming. It’s nice to see such vibrant organizations, very well-organized. They’re another way that residents can be engaged.

On the state budget If there has to be a reduction in essential state government services, I hope it will be thoughtful about what the impact is on local communities. No one likes the word “taxes,” but sometimes there’s no way around it.

“Aerotropolis” dreams A core group of business leaders truly understands the importance of the airport and the project to extend the runway—the potential advantages for the university sports programs and for bringing in larger planes, additional commerce, and accommodating the military regionally. It’s a complex project with at least a five-year time span. But once it’s complete, there are many spin-off industries we could explore and the potential for increased passenger service and air freight and a foreign trade zone. It gets to this concept of the “aerotropolis,” a city within an airport. If you ask me to dream big, those are the things that we should be striving for.

downs in the ’90s and aughts.

To be joined later by his wife and their dalmatians, Brake lives for now in the Wharf District. He walks to work and is an avid cyclist—Pedestrian Board and Bicycle Board members cheer the arrival of a compatriot. “I tend to hang out in the downtown area,” he says. “I care very, very deeply about downtowns, and I like walkable areas. Things that are very inviting for a pedestrian, I think it makes a community that much more vibrant.” written and photographed by pam kasey

WATCHTHIS

Get Your Fiber

A new company hopes to offer Morgantown area residents faster internet speeds at a lower cost.

SHUTTERSTOCK

➼ IMAGINE STREAMING a Netflix film and not waiting through a series of buffers before the movie begins. Or quickly loading up a video game such as Call of Duty and then not experiencing any lag times in the action. Or just being able to subscribe to super highspeed internet—1,000 MBPS—for about $50 a month without having to take on a television cable package.

That’s the hope of Chad Henson, owner of startup company ClearFiber, along with Morgantown area residents who have signed up on the business’ website to indicate they would be interested in becoming customers once Henson gets municipal approval and infrastructure in place to provide fiber optic internet. “Right now, our model is to build by demand, to get enough signup in particular areas or neighborhoods,” Henson says. So far, he has been working with the cities of Morgantown, Star City, and Westover in order to obtain the go-ahead. Residents in the Morgantown neighborhoods of South Park and Woodburn have expressed the most interest, he adds.

Costs for internet service only through cable provider Comcast range from $49.95 a month for 6 MBPS, $84.95 for 100 MBPS, and $299.95 for 2,000 MBPS, according to the company’s website.

Officials in two municipalities—Morgantown and Star City— agree that fiber optic technology seems to be the wave of the future, but that some work needs to be done before everyone signs on the dotted line. “To get our blessings, what they will have to do is fill out a franchise agreement that an attorney will review,” says Herman Reid, mayor of Star City. Council will have to pass it, and the company also has to get a city license and pay business and occupation (B&O) taxes, Reid says.

In February, Henson applied for his company to be a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) with the West Virginia Public Service Commission, and he is waiting to hear back. That is also when he took the proposal to the city of Morgantown. A franchise agreement is being studied by the city attorney, says City Manager Paul Brake.

If all goes as intended, Henson hopes to start on infrastructure this spring or summer. Plans include burying lines underground, he says. He declined to release a budget or name the investor who is backing the project, and he does not know when area customers will be able to tap into the lightning internet speeds ClearFiber will offer. goclearfiber.com written by MARY WADE BURNSIDE MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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THIS MATTERS

Talerico, doesn’t include every in-store product. “There are some exclusions to ClickList which vary based on law and food safety—nothing that requires pharmacist approval, for West Virginia, and we can’t sell tobacco or alcohol, or gift cards,” Talerico says. Nevertheless, the selection includes a wide variety of options—more than 40,000 products.

Moree is expecting her third child and has been using the service from the start.

Her ClickList experience has been mostly positive. “I can order just what I need at the touch of a button, and then I can pick up the order when I’m already out,” Moree says. In addition to saving time, she has reduced her spending by downloading digital coupons. She also likes that she is guaranteed a parking place: ClickList customers drive around to the side of the SHOPTHIS store and pull into designated spaces near the office where groceries are stored—in refrigerators and freezers if necessary— until pickup. “And when I have the baby, I can feed it when someone else is loading the groceries.”

Other customers—like Morgantown resident Stacy Jamison—say ClickList has helped them to reduce spending by Customers can now buy their groceries from the comfort of their avoiding impulse purchases that can homes thanks to ClickList at Suncrest Kroger. happen during a traditional grocery trip. Online orders can be filed without the temptation of spontaneously buying ➼ A SCREAMING TODDLER AT YOUR accessed at the store’s website. Customers the jar of Nutella beside of the peanut heels, the aisles quickly transforming into take a few minutes to create accounts with butter a shopper actually has on his list. an endless maze, and the only way out is their Kroger Plus cards, and then they can by purchasing your groceries—except you browse the selection of groceries available for Consumers can easily stick to their lists of goods. Shoppers can also download don’t remember what to buy because the list pre-order. Once they are finished, they are is sitting at home on the kitchen counter. prompted to select a pickup date and time— digital coupons onto their smartphones and show them during the transaction, Shoppers no longer have to experience which can be anywhere from four hours “instead of fumbling for them at the the inconveniences of a typical grocery trip. after they order, up to a week after—and checkout or having my son want to play Kroger at Suncrest Towne Centre now they’re finished. with the coupons,” Moree says. provides patrons the option to pre-order In addition to the convenience, In addition to offering pickup shortly groceries online and go to the store—at a ClickList allows customers to specify after an order is placed, ClickList lets suitable pre-scheduled time—for curbside the way their groceries are chosen. Like pickup. That’s it. No more hour-long ripe bananas? Prefer them on the greener users modify their orders up to midnight shopping trips—just 10 minutes or so side? When placing the order online, you of the day before pickup. If shoppers would like to delay pickup, workers at to pick up your groceries. Parents no can make note of that. The goal of the the ClickList office can adjust to better longer have to drag their kids through the process is to provide as much choice in store, and those with mobility issues can products as possible. The customer makes suit a person’s schedule. This ability to control the pickup timing of an order and get the groceries they need without the the final choice at pickup—if she doesn’t modify the selected items helps those with hassle of journeying through a crowded care for the quality of the cucumbers constantly changing schedules. supermarket. Mary Moree, a Morgantown the Kroger ClickList selector picked, she Tia Richards, ClickList supervisor at mother of two, appreciates the ease and can choose not to buy them. If the store Suncrest Kroger, has noticed the average brevity of pickup. Especially when she’s does not have certain items stocked, it accompanied by her son, who will be 3 in will offer a similar alternative at the same demographic of the ClickList user July. “He can last 20 minutes, but that’s not cost—or free. Shoppers can choose not to population consists of busy mothers and elderly persons. However, people of many long enough to shop for your groceries,” purchase the substitutions. ages and backgrounds have embraced Moree says.

Customers do pay a fee of $4.95, but ClickList and recommend it to their friends The online ordering service—which Kroger waives it for the first three orders. was launched at the Suncrest Kroger in The selection of groceries available online, and families. Says Kingwood resident and Ruby Memorial Hospital employee Tammy January—is called ClickList and can be says E-Commerce Field Specialist Jason Tia Richards, ClickList supervisor at Suncrest Kroger, and shopper Mary Moree go over Moree’s grocery order.

The Dawn of Digital Groceries

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Kelly, “I’ve told my family and everyone else—my daughters use it too.”

ClickList has created a demand for additional employees at Kroger. This initial need prompted Suncrest Kroger to add about 20 new staff members. Richards believes this is just the beginning of job growth, as the expansion of ClickList usage will add to the need for more selectors. Despite the arduous task of grocery selection, jobs have filled quickly. During one shift, Richards says, she walked 10 and a half miles gathering products.

WVU student Lauren Tennant, a new selector, witnesses firsthand the convenience it brings to Kroger customers.

After organizing and selecting a customer’s groceries, clerks load customers’ cars with groceries, check with customers about substituted products, and then accept coupons and customer payments—which can be cash, check, or card.

If ClickList continues to grow in popularity, perhaps the future won’t include physically entering a grocery store line, but buying goods through digital checkout instead. A new age may be dawning, one in which curbside convenience reigns supreme. written by anna n . saab

| photographed by carly

suplita

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FOLLOWTHIS

Shakedown

The new supply of student apartment buildings is re-opening neighborhoods to families. ➼ WHEN RACHEL FETTY WAS organizing a housing fair to take place in March 2017, she heard stories that reminded her exactly why she was doing it.

“This was during what I called my ‘breakroom outreach,’” Fetty says. She dropped by big retail stores in Morgantown to put posters advertising the housing fair on their breakroom bulletin boards. “They would tell me stories about employees who were driving very far to get to Morgantown.

At Best Buy they told me probably half their employees were driving 45 minutes or an hour from Uniontown (Pennsylvania).

Another retailer had someone who had a five-hour shift driving back and forth from Pittsburgh, over an hour each way—and these retail jobs are $10, $12, maybe $15 an hour,” Fetty says. She’s seen families struggle with burdensome commutes in her work as a family lawyer; she also serves on Morgantown’s Housing Advisory Commission and is running for city council. “We’re in an amazing position in that we have jobs in Morgantown, but we just haven’t had enough affordable housing for people who want to live here.”

All that’s changing. The addition of 4,000-plus student beds close to the campuses since 2013 is sending tremors through Morgantown’s housing market.

It’s a shift that’s causing some landlords to adjust and may open up opportunities for renters and even buyers.

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For landlords of some older student rentals—both apartment buildings and single-family homes converted to multiple-unit rentals in the latter decades of the 1900s—the student market is thinning out. “Now that there are more options close to campus, you’re seeing large vacancy rates for a lot of landlords downtown,” says Arthur Trusler, broker and owner at Bel-Cross Properties, which manages a variety of properties for owners. Bel-Cross-managed properties have been at 95 percent occupancy this school year, Trusler says. But he’s aware of a company in more direct competition with the new housing that was at 80 percent occupancy last year and only 40 percent this year—reflective of a gradual shakedown he believes could take a decade to play out.

For families, this likely means new rental options in town. The March 4 housing fair was aimed, in part, at connecting landlords facing this changing market with nonstudents hoping to find homes. Families often can’t pay as much for, say, a threebedroom unit as three students have paid for the same unit. But to keep their properties occupied, Trusler, who serves with Fetty on the Housing Advisory Commission, encourages landlords to consider accepting lower rents rather than losing revenues indefinitely while holding out for more.

Families looking to buy may also find some

rental properties for sale as landlords look to get out—properties that could be returned to single-family use. Several such properties were on the market in March.

The result of all of this for neighborhoods could be mixed. Trusler predicts that, faced with a soft market, some landlords will defer maintenance or leave properties unoccupied, contributing to deterioration on neighborhood streets.

At the same time, there’s already an ongoing effort to increase four-season and owner occupancy in the nearcampus neighborhoods of First Ward, Greenmont, Wiles Hill, and Woodburn.

Morgantown Homecoming, a project of the Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority (FMHA), has bought dozens of converted rentals in these neighborhoods over the past decade, reverted them to single-family configuration, and sold them with deed restrictions that will keep them owner-occupied.

The organization is also filling in vacant lots by building new single-family homes. “What we’re working on creating is workforce housing, which is what Morgantown has had a shortage of,” says Lisa Darden, sales and development coordinator at FMHA. “Not the places that need lots of work or the very expensive houses—homes in that midto upper-$200,000 range.” Among its approaches to that, FMHA works with WVU in an employee down payment assistance program. Eligible employees can get $5,000 in down payment funds when they buy homes in one of those near-campus neighborhoods.

Some homeowners have expressed concern that a general exodus from the neighborhoods could put downward pressure on the value of their homes.

But the dynamic that’s in progress is more complex than that, says Lindsay Williams, who markets Morgantown Homecoming properties through her brokerage, Touchdown Home Pros. She owned a home in Wiles Hill when she was a college student in the early 2000s that was nearly surrounded by student rentals.

She sold it to a single mother. She feels the FMHA’s efforts have changed the occupancy pattern in Wiles Hill in such a way that it’s become a good place to raise a child. “What we’re seeing is that, rather than depreciating home values, this change is revitalizing the neighborhoods, and that’s keeping home values steady.” written by PAM KASEY

THIS MATTERS

Sunnyside Up reconfigured the previously confusing five-way intersection at University Avenue and Beverly and Third streets to make it safer for drivers and pedestrians.

FOLLOWTHIS

Sunnyside Up-date The slums north of campus are no more. Through savvy and persistence, the Campus Neighborhoods Revitalization Corporation (CNRC) has pulled Sunnyside out of its decades-long downward spiral. ➼ KNOWN FAMILIARLY AS Sunnyside Up, the Campus Neighborhoods Revitalization Corporation (CNRC) has provided visible upgrades like the 2010 streetscaping on Grant Avenue and the 2015 reconstruction of the University Avenue–Third Street intersection. It’s also behind less visible infrastructure improvements that have made possible major construction like University Place—a student housing complex with restaurants, a large, new-concept Sheetz convenience store with a market, and a fitness center on the ground floor.

Much of Sunnyside Up’s work has been achieved through the miracle of Tax Increment Financing. Remember, TIF is a way to bootstrap development: The city sells bonds to pay for infrastructure upgrades within a defined area, then pays the bonds off using the increased property tax receipts from the development that

follows. The Sunnyside TIF is the most successful in the state, as measured by the increase in property tax receipts. Sunnyside Up is completing Phase II and entering Phase III of its TIF plan.

This work can seem slow because it’s gradual and layered. Community meetings and expert input lead to master planning for residential, commercial, and recreational uses with corridors for all kinds of transportation. Planning allows for financing that leads to infrastructure improvements and property acquisitions.

And that, done well, creates the conditions for high-quality private investment. For Sunnyside Up, it’s all building toward a diverse mix of four-season and school-year residents that will make the neighborhood both stable and dynamic.

Here’s what’s happened in the past year.

• AECOM designed the Phase II Third

Street project, a $650,000 streetscape from the alley just above Beechurst all the way up to University Avenue.

• Sunnyside Up has exercised the option, as part of Phase II, to purchase most of the 400 and 500 blocks of Beechurst Avenue, near the Morgantown Energy Associates power plant.

Coming up in 2017: • By June 30, the city will sell about $4 million in Phase III bonds.

• Third Street streetscaping will take place over the summer, including new stormwater and sewer lines below and new pavement, sidewalks, lighting, trees, and benches above.

• Sunnyside Up will seek a private developer interested in the Beechurst property for mixed-use construction, including first-floor retail and the neighborhood’s first new four-season housing.

Future plans include Beverly Street streetscaping, construction of a demonstration alleyway designed to work as a pedestrian corridor and for garbage storage, and new green space. sunnysideupwv.org written by PAM KASEY photographed by MARY WADE BURNSIDE

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THIS MATTERS THISMATTERS TO

Frank Scafella ➼ THE LIVABILITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS owes at least as much to

Morgantown native Frank Scafella as to anyone. Scafella dropped out of high school in 1952 to work and, after a year in a steel mill, served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Hawaii, Morocco, and Libya. He restarted his education, eventually earning master’s and doctorate degrees in literature and religion at the University of Chicago, then taught literature at WVU from 1969 to 1999. Meanwhile, Scafella got elected to city council in 1991 and served as mayor from 1998 to 2002. Having devoted himself especially to zoning and planning, he retired from council in 2007—only to take on leadership of the Campus Neighborhoods Revitalization Corporation, also known as Sunnyside Up, in 2013. Scafella will retire for a third time this year.

interviewed by PAM KASEY photographed by CARLA WITT FORD

On trust in city administration Dan Boroff said to us when we were hiring him (for city manager, in 1991), “If we don’t establish trust in city government, we will not accomplish a thing.” My question was, “Dan, how do you do that?”

Confidence, reliability, truthfulness, and strength are the components of trust, and Dan had them all. We’ve got to establish trust always, and we’ve pretty well done that at Sunnyside Up, too.

On leadership Peter Drucker— he’s quoted everywhere with respect to how organizations function—Peter Drucker says leaders who work most effectively never say “I.” That’s a principle that I work by. I learned that from Dan Boroff, too.

On what makes a neighborhood vital Flower beds. A nice, kept lawn. A garden.

A house that is not threatened by the house next door because the uses are incompatible.

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On the value of zoning and planning Look what Morgantown would have been if we had not planned with the community in mind. All of the single-family neighborhoods in Morgantown except Suncrest were zoned R2 before the 1990s: residential duplex. That meant if you wanted to turn your home into a duplex, you could do it. And not ask anybody! That’s why it became standard to have a cotton-picking ladder on the side of the house, in case someone had to get out. In November of 1991, council passed R1-A zoning for single-family homes on smaller lots and did away with R2 in those neighborhoods. If we had not done that, virtually every single-family neighborhood in Morgantown would have become rental areas like Sunnyside. That’s what planning can do. Many of the older neighborhoods in Morgantown have at least stabilized, and some are turning back.

On using one’s years well A position like this at Sunnyside Up is 24-hour. You’re thinking about this problem and that initiative and this possibility and how do we deal with this person and that one. I’m 82 this year, and when you cross the 80 mark you begin to realize, “I can think in terms of a decade at best.” I have a lot of things I want to do.

I’d like to do a memoir. I have one started. Also, from the time I was in grade school, every time I could get a pencil and a piece of paper, I was sketching something—I want to get my paints out again. (See painting above).

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THIS MATTERS

Price Check!

CHECKTHISOUT

Scan these cost comparisons at Morgantown’s supermarkets.

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MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

When we set out to explore product prices at six supermarkets in Morgantown, we learned that the phrase “comparing apples to oranges” can have a whole new meaning. The goal was to match up brands and sizes, but who knew that Honey Nut Cheerios comes in at least four sizes, and that Pop Tarts quantities can be eight, 12, or 16 to a box? Bananas proved to be steady, generally ringing up at 59 cents a pound; chicken and asparagus prices varied greatly. We narrowed the list down, and in some places, such as ALDI and Save-A-Lot, only store brands were available for comparison. In those instances, the products had been clearly patterned after well-known items.

Here is what we learned. photographed by carly suplita

ALDI

Jif creamy peanut butter, 16 oz

Giant Eagle

Kroger

(University Town Centre)

(Suncrest Towne Centre)

Save-A-Lot

Shop ’n Save

Walmart

$1.49

2 for $5 REGULARLY $2.79

$2.69

$2.49

2 for $4

PEANUT DELIGHT BRAND

$2.48

REGULARLY $2.69

Pop Tarts, box of 12

$1.39

REGULARLY 2 FOR $6

$3.29

$1.99 TOASTER TARTS

$2.99

One dozen grade A large eggs

.85¢

.99¢

$1.19

.99¢

GOLDEN HEN BRAND

GIANT EAGLE BRAND

KROGER BRAND

HILLENDALE BRAND

ESSENTIAL EVERYDAY

$2.89

$3.49

$2.49

2 for $5

.77¢ 18 EGGS, REGULARLY $1.02

$3.68 BOX OF 16; BOX OF EIGHT $1.98

$1.08 GREAT VALUE BRAND

Domino sugar, 4-pound bag

BAKER'S CORNER BRAND

One gallon skim milk

$2.29

$2.79

$1.19

$2.89

$2.99

$1.98

FRIENDLY FARMS BRAND

GIANT EAGLE BRAND

KROGER BRAND

SAVE-A-LOT BRAND

UNITED DAIRY BRAND

GREAT VALUE BRAND

MILLVILLE CORN FLAKES

$3.79

$3.19

$3.19

$3.39

$2.98

Bananas

.59¢ / pound

.55¢ / pound

.59¢ / pound

.59¢ / pound

.59¢ / pound

.54¢ / pound

12-pack Coca Cola in 12-oz cans

$4.68

3 for $12

3 for $10

REGULARLY $5.29

REGULARLY $4.99

$3.99

$4.99

NO COKE, PEPSI!

REGULARLY $5.49

$4.68

.85¢

$1.99

$1.99

$1.69

$1.79

L’OVEN FRESH BRAND

REGULARLY $2.79

$1.68

$3.49/pound

$4.99/pound

KIRKWOOD BRAND

GIANT EAGLE BRAND

$3.99/pound

$3.29/pound

$5.19/pound

$4.63/pound

$3.29

$2.78

$1.99

$1.45

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, 18-oz box

Nickles white bread, 20 oz Tyson chicken breasts Minute Maid orange juice, 59 oz Pringles, regular flavor, 5.2 oz

$1.89

$1.49

$1.69 NATURE’S NECTAR

2 for $6

$2.99

ORANGE JUICE

$1.45

$2.89 TIPTON GROVE

$3.49

$2.32

ORANGE JUICE

$1.99

2 for $3 REGULARLY 3 FOR $5

$1.45 5.68 OUNCES

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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HEARTHIS

Going the Whole World ’Round

As the Legislature decides its fate, Mountain Stage—the music show that shines a light on West Virginia—prepares to return to Morgantown for what could be its last show here.

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MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

The Stray Birds

➼ GROWING UP IN LANCASTER, Pennsylvania, Maya de Vitry would often tune in to Mountain Stage, West Virginia Public Radio’s eclectic music show heard on more than 200 stations around the country. So when her trio, The Stray Birds, made their debut on the Charleston-based program, she enjoyed meeting other performers and even jamming with one band in the hotel lobby. “The format is so great,” she says from her home in Nashville, where she now lives. “It’s inspiring to have a chance to meet other musicians backstage.”

The life of a touring band can be alienating, de Vitry adds, and a show like Mountain Stage brings artists together in a way that most concerts do not. “To have a chance to make connections with musicians and the audience and the town is really special.” The Stray Birds will showcase their folksy, Americana sound when Mountain Stage returns for its second

EMILIA PARÉ

THIS MATTERS

Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill

THIS MATTERS The whole budget thing, it’s real serious.

Mountain Stage could end in June.

That could be the end of it.

That’s serious for us.”

JORDAN KOEPKE

LARRY GROCE, host of Mountain Stage

sometimes from out-of-state.

“It’s marketing, it’s tourism, it’s economic development.”

Singer and guitarist de Vitry loves Mountain Stage the way it is—five or so acts performing in about Morgantown gig this season, at 7 p.m. April recently has been invigorated by younger staff members who bring in more diverse two hours, all gathering together for a 30 at the WVU Creative Arts Center. Also appearing will be Hiss Golden Messenger acts. “The show has evolved, and we have big finale number. She laughingly recalls seeing another artist at the Station Inn in added people to our staff for the last four and Irish fiddle and guitar duo Martin Nashville who only played one set and told Hayes & Dennis Cahill, with more acts to or five years,” Groce says. the audience that would be plenty of solo Housed in various venues in Charleston be announced. jazz guitar. “The night was over and he A staple on West Virginia Public Radio over the years, Mountain Stage began hitting the road for appearances in different was right,” she says. “Mountain Stage is for going on 35 years that has grown a miniature version of that. ‘Give me 20 West Virginia cities and then ventured all into a well-known gem, Mountain Stage minutes of this band who is great. Now over North America and even to Scotland serves as a weekly, two-hour tourism ad give me this band.’ And hopefully they for performances, serving as musical for the state. And now, through internet will come back and see a whole Stray Birds streaming, it can be heard across the globe. envoys from West Virginia. It first played concert. The format keeps things fresh Morgantown—featuring Paula Cole and Host and musician Larry Groce, who and keeps things exciting and makes the Cracker—in October 1996, says Joni helped create the show in the early 1980s, audience savor it.”

Deutsch, the show’s associate producer. hopes this won’t be the crew’s last visit In mid-March, Mountain Stage had Mountain Stage receives about to Morgantown. But with West Virginia $500,000 annually from the state—about shows booked through early June; the fiscal Public Broadcasting facing potential year ends later that month. Groce says that elimination or massive funding cuts as the $300,000 as a line item in the budget, consultants have examined Mountain Stage with the other $200,000 going to West state Legislature sorts through a budget before and remarked that they do not know crisis during the 2017 session, the future is Virginia Public Radio and funding staff how producers create it on the budget they unclear. “The whole budget thing, it’s real and support for the show, Groce says. do. “We run a very lean machine,” he says, “The budget can’t be cut drastically,” he serious,” Groce says. “Mountain Stage says. “There is no room in the budget. We adding that many artists usually do not could end in June. That could be the end do it for the small pay but instead for the never had enough money to do the show. of it. That’s serious for us.” exposure and publicity. As for Deutsch, Taking away money would be difficult.

It’s a hard pill to swallow for a show she notes that even though she was born We would either have to do fewer shows, that seemed to be on the upswing, one and raised in the state, she did not have a that has hosted acts including R.E.M. and or cut to one hour, or get rid of the house big motivation to stay after college until band. There are a lot of different things k.d. lang in their heyday as well as Sheryl she found Mountain Stage. “I truly can’t we could do to save money, but it would Crow, Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan, imagine a Mountain State without it.” make it a different show. We have to and the Barenaked Ladies before they decide if we want to do that.” Plus, Groce mountainstage.org were stars. Mountain Stage, however, notes that it is money well-spent and that specializes in showcasing different genres the show brings people to Charleston, of music from all over the world and written by mary wade burnside MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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DISH IT OUT

Heard It Through the Grapevine The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley’s loyal customers love this neighborhood restaurant that offers tasty dishes, a variety of drinks, and a comfortable atmosphere.

I

nside a stone building on Burroughs Street, sophistication and style merge to create The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley’s authentically Italian vibe. The restaurant and bar’s aesthetics are as pleasing as the food is appetizing; soft lighting and music encourage patrons—

40

MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

whether they’re sitting at the bar, hanging out on the patio, or lounging on a sofa in the corner of the dining room—to relax while they enjoy a gourmet meal or sip a fine beverage.

And with nearly 200 wine selections available on its menu, The Wine Bar is bringing the world’s most renowned wine

regions—from California’s valleys to Italy’s villages—to the heart of Morgantown. The staff is always on hand to make suggestions tailored to individuals’ tastes as they navigate the extensive menu. “You don’t need to be a wine connoisseur to enjoy yourself here,” says Kristen Thompson, The Wine Bar’s general manager. “We

DISH IT OUT

The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley dishes it out

SALSA DI PARMIGIANO

don’t care if you have jeans and sneakers on; if you like food and you like wine, then you will like us and we will like you.”

For Shannon Tinnell and her husband Bob, that sentiment couldn’t be more true. For Tinnell, The Wine Bar is the neighborhood spot where everybody knows their names. “The Wine Bar has become our ‘Cheers,’” she says, referring to the bar in the popular 1980s sitcom.

“It attracts a lot of regulars and the staff is always super friendly and have become our friends throughout the years.”

The Tinnells first visited The Wine Bar when it opened in the winter of 2012, and they have returned at least a few times a month ever since. “It was apparent pretty quickly that the ownership was intent on maintaining high standards, but at the same time creating an atmosphere that was relaxing—almost like you were in your own living room with friends,” Tinnell says.

“It’s a place I can go to alone, on a date with my husband, or with a group of friends, and always feel comfortable and welcomed.”

These days, the Tinnells aren’t the only ones making frequent trips to The Wine Bar, as favorable reviews of the Suncrest neighborhood gem spread quickly through word-of-mouth. “It didn’t take long for it to catch on,” Thompson says. But it’s not just the hospitable service or the inviting ambience of The Wine Bar that keeps the customers coming back for more; it’s the consistent quality of the appetizers, entrees, desserts, wine, beer, and cocktails on the restaurant’s menu. “They make a white pizza with mushroom and prosciutto that I dream about,” Tinnell says. “If you like great food and wine, then The Wine Bar is a must. The conversation is always a bonus.”

Bar manager Shane Zollner says the relationships he forms with customers not

1 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, not too dry 1 pound asiago cheese, not too dry 4 tablespoons chopped green onion 4 teaspoons minced garlic 4 teaspoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 2 to 3 cups extra virgin olive oil 1. Remove any rind and chop cheeses into rough 1-inch chunks.

2. Pulse cheeses in a food processor until reduced to a peasized gravel. Transfer cheese to a bowl and stir in green onion and garlic.

3. Add oregano, rubbing it between your fingers to release its fragrance.

Add the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and olive oil until oil combines with the mixture. Stir well. Serve with bread.

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

41

only make his job enjoyable, but also helps him make day-to-day decisions about the restaurant’s menu. “If I taste something that sparks a memory of a customer or just seems like something one of them would like, we’ll add it,” he says. “One of our biggest strengths is knowing our customers. They are like family.”

Take Breana and Zach Smith, for instance. The Wine Bar staff has seen the Smiths’ relationship evolve since their first visit four years ago from dating, to getting engaged, and now being married. “We always share our big stages of life with them,” Zach says. “Everyone who works there talks to you and gets to know you.”

The Wine Bar’s down-to-earth vibe 42

MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

one, but two happy hours throughout the week—from 4 to 6 p.m. and again just before closing time. “The last two hours that we’re open every night of the week, we offer the same drink specials that we do earlier in the evening for our other customers,” Thompson says.

For those who are looking for a more complete dining experience, The Wine Bar’s newly expanded menu has plenty to choose from. Featuring items like the popular Salsa Di Parmigiana appetizer and the meat and cheese trays as well as entrées like classic Italian pasta dishes paired with savory sauces or delectable meatballs made from a family recipe, the menu leaves customers full and satisfied Zollner says. “We want you to go home with a to-go box and not be able to eat any more. We definitely don’t skimp on our portions.” And Thompson keeps her hands busy in the kitchen, whipping up delightful desserts. “We once sold an entire tray of her tiramisu in 17 minutes,” Zollner says.

In addition, The Wine Bar offers a seasonal dinner special each month, which typically includes wine, beer, or whiskey paired with a multi-course meal. Not only do the monthly dinners add variety to the menu, but they have also been known to spark conversation and friendship between fellow patrons.

“We’ve met a lot of people through the monthly dinners,” Smith says. “You sit down in the private room with other people who you don’t know, and we’ve really made quite a few friends that way.”

April’s monthly special will likely be a wine dinner featuring fresh, local spring ingredients purchased at the Morgantown Farmers’ Market, Thompson says. As May signals summer’s impending arrival, seating on the outdoor patio will enable customers to indulge in their favorite menu items while basking in some sunshine. The Wine Bar is also available for special events. The Tinnells and their friends have celebrated New Year’s Eve in The Wine Bar’s private dining room, which has also been rented out for occasions like bridal showers, graduation parties, and small, intimate weddings. The establishment has even hosted parties for friends to gather to watch their favorite television show while enjoying wine and popcorn. “We’ve gotten a reputation for throwing a really nice party,” Thompson says. vintnervalley.com

makes it a top choice among customers, no matter the occasion, Zollner adds. “We have several first dates and first anniversaries, and just as many 25th anniversaries.” Plus, wine drinkers, beer lovers, and foodies alike can all find something to please their palates.

“We have customers who come in once a week to have a beer and a burger with happy hour, and we have customers who come in once a week to see what $100 bottle of cabernet we’ve added to the list,” Zollner says. “There’s something for everyone.”

The Wine Bar’s owners put down roots by donating $10 of every bottle of wine that is sold each Monday to a charity that is local or has a local tie. The restaurant written by kaylyn christopher also offers free valet service and not just photographed by carla witt ford

WRITTEN BY MARY WADE BURNSIDE

Greenmont MEDIAN LISTING PRICE* $147,000

SCHOOLS** Mountainview Elementary, South Middle, Morgantown High

FASTEST FOOD RUN • Green Arch Market • Mountain People’s Co-op • ALDI, Don Knotts Boulevard • Giant Eagle, Green Bag Road • Kroger and Save-A-Lot, Earl L. Core Road

FUN FACT The wildly popular Halleck Pale Ale craft beer is made at Chestnut Brew Works in Greenmont. *realtor.com, accessed April 2017 **street-specific school district information can be found at boe.mono.k12.wv.us

BRIDGING THE GAP

Greenmont boasts of so many great qualities that contribute to livability, including its proximity to town with amenities nearby. By the end of the year, residents should be able to add quicker access to the Deckers Creek Trail to that list. Construction on a pedestrian bridge should begin soon. The span, which will connect Deckers Creek Avenue in Lower Greenmont to the rail-trail under the Walnut Street Bridge, will mean a short walk to take advantage of the rail-trail or Marilla Park, probably by the end of the year.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARY WADE BURNSIDE; ELIZABETH FORD; MARY WADE BURNSIDE (3)

HOP AROUND THE ’HOOD FOR SOME HOPS

When Beertopia opened last October at the hogback turn on W.Va. 7, Greenmont’s vibe as a suds-friendly neighborhood was cinched, with the presence already of town favorite Gene’s Beer Garden and the newer Chestnut Brew Works brewery and tap room. And that’s fine with Ivy Deal, president of the Greenmont Neighborhood Association. “It is a craft beer mecca,” she says. “The craft beer craze has been very popular here. I think it's also a reflection of our demographic, which tends to be younger and hipper.” Phoenix Bakery and Green Arch Market also offer food options for the neighborhood, which Deal describes as a mix of homeowners, renters, and students.

“Some consider that a downside, but we consider it an upside. We like the diversity and the vitality.”

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South Park & First Ward

MEDIAN LISTING PRICE $215,000

SCHOOLS Mountainview Elementary, South Middle, Morgantown High

FASTEST FOOD RUN • Mountain People’s Co-op • Giant Eagle, Green Bag Road • ALDI, Don Knotts Boulevard

SOUTH PARK TOP EVENTS • Community yard sale in August • Block party in September

HISTORY AND HIPNESS

Stately Victorian homes, brick streets, hip and friendly neighbors, close proximity to restaurants, and breathtaking views of downtown—what’s not to love about South Park? Morgantown native Connie Merandi has called the neighborhood home for 17 years, living in the tony Hopecrest section. “I drive up that street and the trees are hanging over the cars and when we’re at the very top of the hill, it takes my breath away,” she says. When Stan Cohen zeroed in on South Park 43 years ago, the Brooklyn native liked that he could walk to his job on WVU’s downtown campus as well as to High Street and points nearby for dinner and other events. “If I really hoof it, it takes me 17 minutes—10 minutes to get to downtown and another seven minutes to Oglebay Hall,” he says.

First Ward has a lot of the same charm as South Park as well as its proximity to downtown. But it also reaches over to Green Bag Road and encompasses White Park, home to the Morgantown Ice Arena. All those characteristics were a big draw for Joey James, a project scientist at Downstream Strategies, who loves to have a nearby green space for his Great Pyrenees, Aspen. “We walk and she chases deer,” he says. Jack Roberts Park is also located in First Ward. “We are very passionate about the parks,” says Rachel Fetty, secretary of the First Ward Neighborhood Association. Fetty also loves the sense of family and community, down to the school bus stop. “We have the best bus stop, with good neighbors and parents—lots of folks who help kids get on the bus.”

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MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: NIKKI BOWMAN; MARY WADE BURNSIDE (2)

A LITTLE BIT OF COUNTRY IN THE CITY

Woodburn SCHOOLS Eastwood Elementary, Mountaineer Middle, University High

FASTEST FOOD RUN

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARY WADE BURNSIDE; SHARI LYNN BENNETT; MARY WADE BURNSIDE; COURTESY OF MARTI SHAMBERGER; MARY WADE BURNSIDE

• Practically equidistant to all three Kroger stores

FUN FACT Established in 1963 by Rose and Mario Spina, Mario’s Fishbowl is a restaurant and bar that serves beer in distinctive goblets known as fishbowls. This year marks the 20th anniversary that the establishment has been owned and operated by Mark and Karen Furfari.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BASS—AND THE ARTS AND THE NEIGHBORS

Woodburn, nestled between downtown and Jerome Park, has earned a reputation as an artist enclave. In fact, six bass players live in just one block of Ridgeway Avenue, including Jake Hiles of The Soul Miners, Nathan Wilson of The Jenny Wilson Trio, and Tim Mashburn. “We’ve got all kinds of stuff going on,” says Mashburn, also vice president of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors.

Morgantown Mayor Marti Shamberger—whose daughter plays bass—has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. “Woodburn is kind of magical,” she says, noting that residents can walk downtown and can drive to Sabraton in five minutes and the interstate in seven. “It’s like an isolated gem.”

Well-known sculptor Jamie Lester lived in Woodburn for eight years and moved back in 2013. And even though he’s better known for his statues of Jerry West and Don Knotts, he and his band, Lester’s Standard Preparations, will play at an August 12 festival, called Celebrate Woodburn: An Arts Community. To Lester, arty neighbors are just a bonus. “Woodburn is in the heart of Morgantown, and it’s made up of smaller houses with bigger yards than some of the neighborhoods in Morgantown,” he says. “It’s very peaceful.”

Also playing during the festival, notes Jenny Wilson, will be Chris Haddox, a WVU professor and old-time fiddler and guitarist, and The Soul Miners. All these vibes have attracted other creative pursuits. The former Woodburn Elementary School now houses The Pop Shop, known as a “School of Rock” for kids, while M.T. Pockets Theatre moved not long ago into one of the auxiliary buildings. And KOR Creation Dance Studio recently took over the location vacated by Richwood Grill a few years ago, leaving the iconic Mario’s Fishbowl as the neighborhood’s walkable restaurant.

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Evansdale, Wiles Hill,

& Highland Park Evansdale SCHOOLS Suncrest Elementary, Suncrest Middle, Morgantown High

FASTEST FOOD RUN Kroger, Patteson Drive

FUN FACT

Evansdale only includes seven streets and does not get much through-traffic.

Wiles Hill & Highland Park SCHOOLS Suncrest Elementary, Suncrest Middle, Morgantown High

EVOLUTION OF EVANSDALE

Close to campus and Towers student housing, Evansdale features some grand residences, including WVU President E. Gordon Gee’s home, Blaney House. Riverview Drive lives up to its name and affords spectacular views of the Monongahela, some from backyards. Penny Kostka grew up in the community and recently moved back, so she has seen this tiny residential section of town—on the west side of University Avenue near the WVU College of Law—as it has evolved over the years. She loves the vibrancy and the fact that she can walk her dog and easily stroll to Ogawa, the new Ta-Khrai Thai Café, and even the IHOP at University Park, as well as the Patteson Drive Kroger.

FASTEST FOOD RUN • Kroger, Patteson Drive or Suncrest Towne Centre • Sheetz, 2151 University Avenue

BOPARC’s Arts in the Park event takes place July 17–21 in the newly renovated arts studio at the Wiles Hill Community Building.

“HIDDEN NEIGHBORHOOD”

Charlie Byrer can walk to Milan Puskar Stadium in about five minutes and Ruby Memorial Hospital in 10. “We’re the hidden neighborhood between Evansdale and downtown,” says the former president of the Wiles Hill-Highland Park Neighborhood Association. Wiles Hill sits on the east side of University Avenue and along Williowdale Road and Stewart Street. Highland Park is the small community on the back of the hill. The old Wiles Hill Elementary School serves as a community and senior center run by BOPARC.

48

MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARY WADE BURNSIDE (2); COURTESY OF CHARLIE BYRER

THINGS TO DO

Suncrest MEDIAN LISTING PRICE $228,000

SCHOOLS Suncrest Elementary, Suncrest Middle, Morgantown High

FASTEST FOOD RUN Kroger, Patteson Drive or Suncrest Towne Centre

FUN FACT Several Suncrest streets are named after Ivy League schools, including Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

NOT TOO COOL FOR A NEW SCHOOL

In Suncrest, just about everything residents need is within walking distance—or, perhaps just a short drive. Nearby are locally owned restaurants, not one but two Kroger supermarkets, two hospitals, WVU football and basketball, green space including Krepps Park, a gym, yoga, and a new, state-of-the-art elementary school that opened in January. City councilwoman Nancy Ganz loves the diversity of her neighbors as well as the ability to get out and about on foot.

“There is a lot of melding that goes on as people walk their dogs and bike around.”

Sabraton & Jerome Park MEDIAN LISTING PRICE $127,000

SCHOOLS (SABRATON)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARY WADE BURNSIDE (5); CASSIA KING

Brookhaven Elementary, South Middle, Morgantown High

SCHOOLS (JEROME PARK)

Eastwood Elementary, Mountaineer Middle, University High

MODERN CONVENIENCES

To some, Sabraton might seem like a big strip of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores—the key word being “convenience.” Residents in nearby communities such as Jerome Park, Norwood Addition, and South Hills have easy access to an updated Kroger and local treasures like Woodburn Shanks and Pizza Al’s. There’s the nearby Deckers Creek Trail plus the skate park, tennis courts, and swimming pool at Marilla Park, and, in the works, more amenities at Paul Preserve, a green space in Jerome Park.

FASTEST FOOD RUN Kroger and Save-A-Lot, Earl L. Core Road

THINGS TO DO In addition to athletic activities, Marilla Park also is home to a summertime Steel Drums Camp, which will be held July 10–14 this year.

Cheat Lake MEDIAN LISTING PRICE $273,000

SCHOOLS Cheat Lake Elementary, Mountaineer Middle, University High

FASTEST FOOD RUN

THINGS TO DO In addition to the lake, nearby activities include hiking at Coopers Rock State Forest and ziplining at WVU’s Adventure WV.

A QUIET COMMUNITY WITH A LOT GOING ON

There are those who like to walk around their neighborhoods and be in the middle of the action. And then there are others who like to swim, glide through the Cheat Canyon on a speedboat, or do an early morning sun salutation atop a paddleboard as the mist rises off of calm waters and birds chirp nearby. “We love Cheat Lake,” says Christy Goodstein, who has lived there for 19 years. “It’s kind of quiet. You have property out there, which is wonderful. You have privacy.” She also appreciates the laid-back lifestyle, like dinner out on the deck of Crab Shack Caribba or The Lakehouse. “You drive your boat right up. We have friends with boats and we watch them pull in. They join us, listen to music and have an appetizer, and back on the boat they go.” Cody Sustakoski grew up in Cheat Lake but only recently discovered how much he loves the water. “Just last year, I bought my first boat, a starter boat, and I loved it so much that I just bought a new boat,” he says. Downtown Morgantown is about a 20-minute drive away, but residents don’t seem to mind the tradeoff. Plus, with the development of commerce centers off Exit 7 of Interstate 79 such as Coombs Farm—offering a coffeehouse, yoga studio, karate school, physician offices, and more—Cheat Lake residents are finding more amenities closer to home. “It’s a quiet community, but it’s still so close to everything else in Morgantown,” Sustakoski says. “It’s just not as busy, not as crowded.”

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MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: NIKKI BOWMAN; ELIZABETH FORD; MARY WADE BURNSIDE; CODY SUSTAKOSKI; KATIE GRIFFITH

• Mid-Atlantic Market • Shop ’n Save, Glenmark Center

Star City MEDIAN LISTING PRICE $200,000

SCHOOLS Suncrest Elementary, Suncrest Middle, Morgantown High

FASTEST FOOD RUN • Kroger, Patteson Drive or Suncrest Towne Centre • Giant Eagle & Walmart at University Town Centre

FUN FACT The city was developed around a riverside cluster of about a dozen glassmakers.

RECLAIMING HERITAGE

Star City is on an upswing, in part thanks to accountant Dominick Claudio, who has been buying up old buildings on University Avenue and rehabbing them into attractive office space. His mother runs Unique Consignments, an upscale furniture and household goods resale shop; across the street, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is moving into a newly renovated medical suite next to Claudio. “I like the opportunity in Star City,” says Claudio, a fourth-generation resident who lives on Herman Avenue, where his family settled after World War II. For exercise, he likes to hop on the rail-trail at the end of University Avenue and also appreciates that Terra Cafe’s scrumptious array of sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and baked goods is nearby.

Westover & Granville CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARY WADE BURNSIDE (3); BECKY MOORE; MARY WADE BURNSIDE

MEDIAN LISTING PRICE $172,000 (WESTOVER) $148,000 (GRANVILLE)

SCHOOLS Skyview Elementary, Westwood Middle, University High

FASTEST FOOD RUN

OLD TRADITIONS, NEW PROGRESS

There’s a lot going on in Westover, but some things never change—such as St. Mary's Orthodox Catholic Church. And Colasante’s Ristorante & Pub, which burned in April 2016, is expected to reopen as early as late May following new construction. Westover, home to about 4,000, is a separate municipality, but its location just across the Monongahela River means it’s within walking distance to Morgantown for many residents, who also have easy access to Interstate 79—and the new exit 153 and all the amenities of University Town Centre a mile up the highway.

Giant Eagle & Walmart at University Town Centre

GRANVILLE TOP EVENT Good Neighbor Days on May 20 will feature food, entertainment, and music at the Granville Ball Park.

City on the Rise Cooperation, vision, and a new influx of cash— Westover is starting to live up to its motto. written by

Pam Kasey

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xperience in the ring comes in handy when you take on a town that’s KO’d 17 mayors in two decades.

“If you’re going to be a strong leader, you have to be a strong person,” says C. David Johnson, longtime Toughman Contest referee who became mayor of Westover in 2008. “Being around the fight game and fighting myself, being a judge and a referee—that hasn’t hurt any.”

In fact, it seems like it’s helped. Twenty years of turbulence had left Westover with a budget that lagged behind its needs. Equipment was deteriorating, and the backlog of deferred infrastructure maintenance was piling up. Having grown up in Westover in the 1950s and ’60s, Johnson hated to see so much disorder. He served on council from 2000 to 2004 during the turbulence and says the problems were obvious to him.

“When I first became mayor, our council meetings were a joke. People would stand up and argue and fuss and fight, and council would get involved,” he says. “I limited citizen comments to two minutes and we quit the question and answering.” Johnson made a lot of other changes that brought order and focus to all of Westover city government. “I’m fair with everybody, but I’m firm, too,” he says.

This year marks nine steady years for the City on the Rise. “You can look back and see the horror show of instability that suddenly stopped,” says Westover City Attorney Timothy Stranko.

For readers who don’t know, Westover is not the western part of Morgantown. It’s a town in its own right, with its own history and its own population—about 4,140. It has its own police officers and city council and the only full-time mayor in Monongalia County. Some families have lived in Westover for generations. And some newcomers prefer it over Morgantown— like WVU graduate Phil Cole and his wife, Kellie, who chose it for its calm streets and the short walk to Morgantown. “We can be on the interstate in minutes—and the housing is more affordable,” Cole says. That sums up what many see as Westover’s appeal: quiet, convenience, and affordability.

And that depends on stability. “Once you have a stable city government with a vision, it’s remarkable what that can accomplish,” Stranko says.

Johnson’s vision for his hometown was of a city that brings in enough money to make a good life for its residents; one that offers a clean, safe, pleasant place to live and gives its residents pride. Working together—Johnson is always quick to credit council and city staff—Westover has gotten itself on the rise for the first time in a while.

We've not reached our full potential, but we know where we're going.”

Westover Mayor C. David Johnson

Growth by capture

Turn right off the bridge from Morgantown and follow the road to the left at the onion-domed St. Mary’s Orthodox Catholic Church—this is Holland Avenue, Westover’s historical core. Just behind St. Mary’s, at Holland and Keener, sat an early Westover City Hall. Not far beyond that a street named East then one named West intersect Holland, marking early downtown’s domain. Uphill, to the left, stately, century-old homes with mature trees line a neat street grid; downhill, West Park Avenue overlooks the Monongahela River. Holland continues another half-mile to The Westover Triangle, where Fairmont Road breaks to the left and Holland soon becomes Dunkard Avenue to the right.

Compact early Westover annexed itself into the sprawling town we know today. Among the first additions, in the mid-1940s, was Riverside, lying along the river down Dunkard Avenue and anchored by the handsome MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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Riverside United Methodist Church. The city also annexed several communities in 1947 that had sprung up along the Fairmont Road: Maple Grove, which we can guess was beautifully forested; Morgan Heights, a string of tidy World War II block houses built for workers at DuPont’s nearby Morgantown Ordnance Works; and Fairmor, big enough that it has its own set of numbered streets.

Mid-century Westover was safe, quiet, and neighborly, says lifelong resident Bill McCulla. He’s the owner and funeral director at McCulla Funeral Home on Fairmont Road, which his greatgrandfather built in 1942. “You didn’t lock your doors in those days. You kind of knew everybody.” Kids rode their bikes on Fairmont Road when he was growing up in the 1950s and ’60s.

“There was always that vacant lot where we played football, and we participated in baseball down at WesMon field.” Built at Westover City Park by locals when McCulla was a kid through the sale of $100 bonds to locals, WesMon field now hosts the WesMon Little League. Even as late as the 1970s, McCulla says, when he started working at the funeral home, they didn’t have to call for a police escort for funeral processions. “The policeman would just show up. It was kind of like Mayberry.”

Westover was always a crossroads, if a quiet one for most of its history. Today’s Triangle, at the center of town, was the original meeting of the ways between Fairmont and points south, Granville and points north, and Morgantown to the east (see page 80). Two big changes led to the busy, single-corridor traffic pattern we see today: first, the completion in 1979 of Interstate 79 to Charleston, 54

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with its Exit 152 interchange on Westover’s west side, at Fairmont Road. Then came the opening in 1990 of the Morgantown Mall just beyond that interchange.

Malls and money

Ohio-based developer Glimcher Realty Trust put its mall down just outside Westover city limits. That didn’t sit right with Johnson, coming in as mayor of a struggling town. “He saw that mall sitting there not participating in the cost of city government,” Stranko says. “They get a workforce, they get customers—the streets feeding into the mall are Westover streets. He saw the mall as draining the economy of ‘Main Street’ Westover and not putting anything back into the city.”

Johnson proposed to loop the mall into the Westover city boundary. The mall and its businesses would pay business and occupation (B&O) and property taxes; in return, the city would provide services like law enforcement. Glimcher rejected the proposal. The seven-year saga that followed has played out at the Monongalia County Commission, Monongalia Circuit Court, and now the state Supreme Court of Appeals, where it’s about to be decided for good. Johnson feels confident because, while Westover was the first town in the state to seek to annex an adjacent mall, Oak Hill and Summersville have since succeeded at the Supreme Court level.

Meanwhile, though, Johnson has negotiated the annexation of The

been a struggle—but now we’re getting some of our pay on par with other places,” Johnson says by way of example. He’s added code enforcement staff, too.

The city has updated its equipment: among the purchases, new garbage trucks, police vehicles, and a recycling truck and bins.

Westover puts a strong emphasis on keeping the city clean and also spends a couple hundred thousand dollars to pave streets every year, Johnson says—more than $1 million this year.

A new planter at The Triangle and welcome signs on Dunkard Avenue and Fairmont Road gave the town a bit of a facelift. The city has expanded the senior center, and new ballfield scoreboards and pavilion roofing at Westover City Park made public spaces more inviting.

But among the most ambitious improvement projects are sidewalks—miles of them. In the 1920s and ’30s, four grocers operated on Holland Avenue, a sign of a walkable town. The streets have gotten wider, busier, and faster over time, but the people of Westover still like to get around on foot. “We do have a lot of walking traffic,” Johnson says. So the city is leveraging some of its newfound cash to match federal grants for walkways along the main thoroughfares. “We’ve done two phases of sidewalks so far,” he says. “We started at The Triangle and went up Dunkard Avenue and Holland Avenue. Now we’re going to go all the way What an extra $2 million can do That growing annual infusion of cash, plus more than $1 million down Dunkard to Dent’s Run and come back up the other side. in grants the city has won since 2008, is letting Westover catch up The next project’s going to be on the Fairmont Road.” There’s on necessities and amenities. “We’d lost police to other places—it’s also a project in the works to connect the Maple Grove–Morgan Gateway development at Exit 155 with developer Cliff Sutherland, to be finalized this spring. Under the agreement, Gateway businesses will pay B&O, hotel occupancy, and property taxes to the city. In return, Westover will provide services like road, street light, and landscape maintenance as well as law enforcement. Sutherland says an in-city location assures potential retail and commercial occupants that services will be kept up, and at a reasonable cost. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the commercial properties that are locating at The Gateway,” he says. “And it’s a good thing to help Westover do things for their community that they couldn’t have done without that revenue source.”

Businesses at Exit 152 up to and including Lowe’s have been within city limits for a while, Johnson says. The Morgantown Mall and Morgantown Commons above it currently lie within city limits, pending the Supreme Court’s decision. And Johnson is in productive negotiations with WestRidge at Exit 153, aimed at annexing that very large development-in-progress. Agreements in place so far have doubled the size of Westover.

They’ve also doubled its budget, from the $2 million Johnson took on in 2008 to $4 million in fiscal 2017.

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1

2 3

4 1 Feast to West Café is the friendly new hangout on Westover’s west side.

2 The Dairy Queen is a decades-old, family-owned institution.

3 Opened in 2016, Westover’s Launch Pad Trampoline Park is a destination of exercise and fun for greater Morgantown.

4 “From a landscape design standpoint, the new sidewalk by the Mountain Line station is nice because it’s not straight lines—it kind of has a flow to it,” says resident and landscape designer Phil Cole.

5 Annexed to Westover this spring, The Gateway shopping complex at Interstate 79’s Exit 155 brings welcome new tax revenues.

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5

The rebuilding of Colasante’s Ristorante & Pub after a fire is coming along.

Heights–Fairmor area with Westover City Park by trails.

The city’s budget will grow as the last properties at The Gateway are developed, and especially if WestRidge is annexed.

“It takes about two years for property taxes to get on the rolls after new annexations,” Johnson says. “Hopefully we’ll eventually be able to lower the levy as far as property taxes. We want to make everything easier for people to live here, and for businesses.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP PAM KASEY; BECKY MOORE; ; TODD WASHBURN; MARY WADE BURNSIDE; NIKKI BOWMAN

Tying it all together

These days, Westover city government is working pretty well. “We don’t agree all the time,” Johnson says, “but for the most part we do because everybody has the city’s best interests at heart.” With revenues flowing in and basic services covered, the amenities residents still wish they had may not be the hardest things to get: A food market. Aesthetic appeal on the main drag. A town center.

Although the town had many markets a century ago, its last supermarket, a Shop ’n Save on Fairmont Avenue, closed in 2010—one of those ways Stranko mentioned that malls can drain Main Street. “When I was a kid, Shop ’n Save was the place to go,” Johnson says. “But it had a hard time competing with the food section of the Super Kmart.” That was at Morgantown Commons and has also since closed. Now, though, operating within just a few miles of Westover in several directions are ALDI, two Giant Eagle supermarkets, three Krogers, Sam’s Club, and Save-A-Lot. “I’ve talked to a couple of the major supermarket people,” Johnson says, “and they claim our population couldn’t support a supermarket here now. The chances of anything coming in to replace the Shop ’n Save are slim to none—not on a major scale.”

Still, a smaller market might be a possibility, he says. He has talked with a local who has experience in the business, although there’s nothing in the works so far.

More important to some is the starkness of the main drag through town. “There are so many nice residential areas on this side

of the river, and we feel that the Holland Avenue–Fairmont Avenue corridor needs to complement that,” says Cole, the WVU graduate who’s settled with his wife in Westover. “The best way to unify a streetscape is with street trees and color with landscaping,” he says—he’s a landscape designer. He and his wife, an architect, and a small group of other residents began volunteering their services this spring to businesses along Holland Avenue. “If we get one business to realize the importance of the aesthetic aspect, and they feel, ‘Wow, this is going to improve my business because it looks like I care,’ I think people will be drawn to that,” Cole says. “We hope that other businesses see that and say, ‘We can do that, too.’”

What might ultimately give Westover a stronger identity is a “town center”—a place where people can go for coffee, a haircut, or a little boutique shopping and get several errands done in one location rather than having to travel to each activity. Turning The Triangle into a town center for Westover is a recommendation in the town’s 2013 update to its 10-year comprehensive plan. It’s not on the mayor’s radar right now—he’s focused on securing the annexations and improving city services. But resident Marc Glass, one of the group working with Cole, feels that sidewalks and beautification could bring that about naturally. “My thinking is, make the park awesome and connect communities and public facilities, like schools, to the park, and that will make Westover awesome,” Glass says. “Then maybe the economic development of shops serving humans will fall into place.”

McCulla heard a developer speak recently who said development around Morgantown is going clockwise. “Forty years ago, it was in the north, where the hospitals are. Then it moved east to Cheat Lake, and recently it’s south on the Grafton Road where we’ve seen development,” McCulla says, agreeing with this view. “The next logical place will be west: Granville, Westover. I think Westover’s got an opportunity here, with new construction that’s going on.

People are stepping up in the community. You’re starting to see, so to speak, a rebirth—a revitalization. I’m optimistic.”

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South Park Charm South Park is known for its historic homes. From Victorian to Craftsman to Colonial Revival, the range of architectural styles is what gives this neighborhood its charm. When Karl Sommer and Shelley Calvert were looking for a new home, they chose an old one, but with the help of Wells Home Furnishings, they gave it a modern makeover.

written & photographed by Nikki Bowman MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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hen homeowners Karl Sommer and Shelley Calvert visited Wells Home Furnishings to find furniture for their newly purchased 1920s South Park home, they weren’t just looking for a new bedroom suite. They needed to furnish an entire home. “We originally were just looking for a sofa, but we were really impressed with the design services Wells offered so we decided to work with them on the whole house,” Calvert says.

The couple worked with Wells interior designer Caitlin Furbee. “They were great clients because we really had a blank slate to work with. Our goal was to make the house look as charming on the inside as it was on the outside.”

Marry styles together Furbee opted for a transitional style.

“When you are working with a traditional home, there needs to be a good balance.

Most people think that if their home is traditional that they need the interiors to be traditional to a tee, but there should always be a counterbalance. I love marrying two different styles together.”

The couple selected furnishings that had clean and contemporary shapes upholstered in more modern fabric. They were drawn to a neutral palette of bluegrays and tans. The living room walls went from a buttery yellow to Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray. Camel-colored chairs in a bold geometric pattern flank a traditional Vanguard side table that complements an existing antique secretary.

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Pick a focal point Most older homes do not have an open floor plan. “We wanted this room to feel open and to have a good flow. The glass table is a more modern piece. We didn’t want the coffee table to be a focal point and compete with the fireplace.

Your eye looks through it,” Furbee says.

Caitlin’s Tips

“I never pick paint colors first. I always choose fabrics and rugs first. It gives you more flexibility.”

3 1

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Layer patterns Don’t be afraid to layer patterns. “We used a rather large geometric pattern on the chairs, so I wanted to find a tighter geometric pattern to add texture to the floor.”

3

Mix and match “I feel like you sell yourself short if you buy everything as a set match. Don’t choose furnishings from the same collection. When you mix and match styles, textures, and fabrics, it makes the rooms so much more visually interesting.”

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2

Feast for the eyes Standing in the home’s entryway, you look into the dining room to the right and into the living room to the left. The dining room color palette complements the living room. The steely gray from the living room walls is picked up in the upholstered dining room chairs.

“When you first walk in you see the buffet server. It looks like an antique piece, but we paired it with a more modern slipper-like chair upholstered in a great two-toned geometric fabric,” Furbee says. The accompanying parsons chairs are in a textured nubby fabric, and the buffet is accented with sleek modern brass lamps.

Underfoot Furbee chose similarly styled rugs in coordinating prints for both the dining room and living room, but swapped the colors.

“We opted for cut-and-bound rugs that were borderless. If a rug has a border it draws your eye down to floor. We wanted the rugs to add texture but not be a focal point.”

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before

Eat-in kitchen The previous owner had remodeled the large kitchen, so Sommer and Calvert only made a few cosmetic changes. The built-in originally was yellow and red with a scalloped trim. “We chose a really rich color, Benjamin Moore Trout Gray, and then a lighter color on the back, and we replaced the scallop trim,” Furbee says.

Furbee says, “There’s a lot of woodwork in this kitchen, and I didn’t want to add another wood element. The Amish-made zinc-top table was a perfect solution. It is practical and has great wearability.” To soften the space they chose a damask fabric on black Amish chairs.

Calvert loves the table. “The table is our absolute favorite. We get tons of compliments on it. I can’t imagine having anything else in this space,” she says

Caitlin’s Tips

“People need to rethink what Amish is. I love Amish furniture. The quality is superb. These aren’t traditional Amish chairs or table. They are very popular in our showroom.”

before

Master retreat The upholstered headboard adds a balancing element to the room. It is soft without being overly feminine. A custom duvet brings pattern without dominating the room. A beautiful fireplace is the focal point of the room and, to help distinguish it, Furbee recommended painting the fireplace wall a different color than the other walls, choosing Benjamin Moore Valley Forge Tan. The adjoining walls are in a lighter shade called Elmira.

Furbee says, “Karl really wanted a place to sit and take off his shoes.

The camel leather bench by the window was a perfect choice and one of my favorite pieces.”

Caitlin’s Tips

“Chaise lounges are great for bedrooms. This created a wonderful reading corner next to the fireplace and added a lot of softness.”

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From Gateway to Getaway

Tiny Grantsville, Maryland, is a mecca for fly-fishing, Amish-inspired buffets, shopping, history, and more.

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t’s been two centuries or so since the Western Maryland hamlet known today as Grantsville first became a draw—a busy stop along the National Road where pioneers in loaded-down Conestoga wagons could get a hot meal, a good night’s sleep, and more as they made their way to new lives on the American frontier.

These days tourists and daytrippers still

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like to visit the Garrett County town, about a half-hour drive from vacation destination Deep Creek Lake. Though Grantsville is small in size—measuring less than 1 square mile in area with a population pegged at 766 in the 2010 census—it’s a place that gives out-of-towners plenty to fill their days, says former Grantsville mayor Gerry Beachy.

But now rather than a stop on the way west, Grantsville is a scenic getaway

perfect for nature enthusiasts—including fly-fishing aficionados—as well as shoppers on the lookout for one-of-a-kind crafts, history lovers, and folks hungry for home cooking. “There’s so much history here and so much for people who love the outdoors,” says Beachy, a native.

“We have an incredible town park, too— with tennis courts, a playground, and a walking track.”

There is also the Casselman River, home to some of the best fly-fishing in the mid-Atlantic. Fly-fishing fans can take to the river themselves or hire a guide such as Tony Lolli, owner of Maryland Mountains Fly Fishing. Lolli can set customers up with all the gear they need and, if they want, show them how to wade in the water and cast for trout. The Casselman is a popular river, he notes, because it is so heavily stocked with trout.

Summer temperatures mean that

COURTESY OF MILLS GROUP

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

COMING UP The Grantsville National Road Festival on May 13, with presentations on the National Pike Wagon Train, a town-wide yard sale, and an “appraise-a-thon” from experts at Blue Moon Antiques.

The Little Crossings Festival on May 20, featuring bands, artisans, and the chance to sample specialty food products and craft beer from the region.

COURTESY OF MILLS GROUP

Grantsville Days, the town’s biggest event, from June 23 to 25 in the town park. The 40th annual celebration offers live music, games, and fireworks displays.

enthusiasts can take up to five fish a day instead of returning them to the waters between June 15 and late September. “The water is going to warm up too much to be good for the trout,” he says. “A lot of them are not going to make it through the summer months.” A dam keeps the waters of the nearby Savage River, also popular with fly-fishers, at a cool 54 degrees even when the sun is shining bright.

Grantsville also offers plenty to do on dry land. The Spruce Forest Artisan Village, created by Alta Schrock, is a cultural showcase where artisans carve birds from wood, weave baskets, throw pottery, and create all kinds of art inside historic structures, including two log cabins dating to the Revolutionary War period. It’s also next to the stately, 80-foot Casselman River Bridge—today open only to pedestrians but once a vital link on the National Road, the first major improved

highway built by the federal government.

When it debuted in 1813, it was the country’s longest single-arch stone span.

Schrock also established the Penn Alps Restaurant, which remains a favorite for its from-scratch honey fried chicken; sweet corn slow-cooked with milk, butter, and sugar; cabbage rolls; meat loaf; and hundreds of other comfort-food entrees, soups, side dishes, and desserts as well as weekend buffets.

A short walk or drive away is The Casselman Inn, where affordable food and lodging have been mainstays since 1824. Newer is the Cornucopia Café, a European-influenced eatery named in homage to local history: In 1785, Daniel Grant of Baltimore acquired what is now Grantsville as part of a 1,100-acre, horn-shaped tract called Cornucopia. At the café, specialties include a breakfast quesadilla with avocado and scrambled

local eggs; the Cowboy Hot Dog, which is a bison dog with bacon and caramelized onions; and a sourdough panini with pepperoni, black olives, and a trio of cheeses. Cornucopia also caters to beer lovers. Don’t miss the smooth, light Little Crossings Tavern Ale brewed with local honey. You also can try a drink from Flying Dog in Frederick, Maryland, or other regional brewers.

Nearby is Grant’s Mercantile, open since 2014, where the aim is to “bring beauty to your life and home”—as the shop’s motto reads—with wine and Italian wine glasses, chutneys and other gourmet items, gifts, home accents, garden décor, cooking tools, jewelry, scarves, leather handbags, and even fly-fishing gear.

Other points of interest include the Grantsville Community Museum, which displays artifacts from Braddock’s Trail, the route young George Washington used that would later transform the country when President Thomas Jefferson OK’d construction of a national road.

“Grantsville’s historic attractions, unique businesses, and small-town community feel make it the perfect destination,” says Sarah Duck, the director of tourism for the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. The town is still a busy place decades after its final covered wagon came through. visitdeepcreek.com written by CHRISTINE SNYDER MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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Breathe In, Breathe Out, Relax, Repeat Meditation helps soothe the soul, quiet the mind, and yes, maybe even lower your blood pressure.

S

it comfortably and clear your mind. Breathe in for a count of eight, hold, and then breathe out. If a fight with a friend or an irritation from work enters your consciousness, push it away and return to the breath.

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scene, walking through a field of flowers or a serene forest near a trickling stream.

Or relax as the chiming sound of harmonic tones soothes your soul.

The practice of meditation is a growing trend in Morgantown. Enthusiasts say spending time inside the mind clears their thoughts, calms them down, and allows them to focus better throughout the day.

Area residents have several options if they want to find a teacher or class to help them with the difficult task of silencing the mind. Some prefer the old-fashioned, individual routine of eliminating thoughts by concentrating on only the simplest of tasks, such as breathing; others find guided meditation to be an easier approach to find peace and calm.

HEALTHY LIVING

The mind is alert but it calms the whole body and it has a chance to heal from the everyday stress we tend to put it through. We are building new neural pathways to cope with things differently.”

MARGARET GLENN, meditation instructor

always been pretty driven, pretty leftbrained and analytical, always on task.

Now I have to make it work. It’s living in the moment. There is nothing else.”

Meditation not only calms people down; it also offers medical benefits. Margaret Glenn, an associate professor at WVU in counseling and psychology, has been certified in primordial sound meditation—a discipline in which practitioners repeat a world and helps me get into the present Elizabeth Halliday-Reynolds, owner of personal mantra that they assert helps them BlissBlissBliss in Morgantown, opts for the moment, where things are less stressful attain deeper levels of awareness—through and there is less anxiety about what’s solitude of early morning or late evenings The Chopra Center. One of Glenn’s going to happen next,” she says. by herself. “The practice of meditation Living in the moment might sound like clients experienced lower blood pressure is to focus on the breath and channel the after attending weekly sessions. “And the a cliché, but practitioners often point out energy of the breath to just this moment,” that focusing on what has already occurred only thing that had changed was doing says Halliday-Reynolds, who holds private meditation,” she says. Another student told in the past or what might happen in the sessions with clients. “Questions can future can result in reliving bad memories Glenn that an upcoming surgery was not wait. Thinking can wait. And so when as stressful as it usually would be. “There questioning sets in, or boredom, or anxiety, and worrying about situations that may is a restful awareness when we sit there in or may not actually ever occur, instead we’re either going to notice tension in the silence and quiet,” Glenn adds. “The mind of truly taking in life as it happens. “It’s body, or some story is going to come up is alert but it calms the whole body and helped me with fears I’ve had about my that needs our attention. A deadline, an life,” Kuis says. Sharon Hovland, who has it has a chance to heal from the everyday argument, an old mystery. Then we come stress we tend to put it through. We are been meditating for about three years, back to the breath.” building new neural pathways to cope with Kerissa Kuis, on the other hand, offers agrees. “If you can get into the present things differently.” moment and realize that is where you are, guided meditations in workshops in the Halliday-Reynolds established and we’re not worrying about 10 minutes area, including at Pro Performance RX. BlissBlissBliss about nine years ago as an She embraced the habit after experiencing ago and what’s going to happen in 10 oasis of wellness where attendees can focus minutes, you can find that stillness,” she depression in 2009. “Meditation helps on yoga, massage, and other techniques me get out of the collective feelings of the says. “It’s been a life changer for me. I’ve MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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HEALTHY LIVING

to find peace and calm. Recently, two other hubs of tranquility and serenity have emerged in Morgantown: The HOV in Westover, which Hovland launched last October; and the mindbody center, which just opened in February at Coombs Farm as a locale offering integrative mental health services, including meditation. “My dream is to bring in a community of people who want to hang out and try to leave the stress of this chaotic world behind for a little while,” Hovland says of The Hov. In January, Hovland, who also teaches chemistry at Morgantown High School, began holding sessions in a technique she trained in last summer: singing bowl therapy. Hovland strikes differentsized metal bowls with a mallet, sending soothing vibrations through the air. “It’s a sound bath,” she says.

Nicole O’Barto Trainer, a doctoral candidate at WVU and a licensed professional counselor who co-owns the mindbody center, a division of the counseling practice Natural Resilience, says meditation is one of the tools in her arsenal to treat patients without using medications. “We find in research that there is a lot of evidence to support movement therapies: yoga, tai chi, and walking meditation,” she says.

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medicine has grabbed hold of. You see more and more information published around different types of meditation.”

O’Barto Trainer began practicing meditation in about 2010 as a way to understand how it might be able to help her patients. She meditates most mornings and evenings. “I think one of the biggest misconceptions about meditation is that it needs to occur in a really serene setting and that you have to adopt a certain posture,” she says. “A lot of people are hesitant to start because they think it takes a lot of time and that there is a lot of rigidity about it. But it’s about setting aside time and taking some time for some reflection, introspection, observation, and intention-setting.”

Melita Mollohan, owner of Zen from Within, has been meditating her entire life although, as a child, she did not realize that is what she was doing when she went off into the woods and sat in stillness.

“When I was a teenager, I started to read more about yoga and meditation and Buddhism, and I realized that I’m not crazy; there are other people out there like me.” Mollohan has been teaching meditation for about eight years and offers classes at The HOV as well as through Skype. She breaks meditation into three steps: Having a pointed focus—“It could be a breath, a mantra, or gazing

at a candle”; remaining in the present— “Ninety-five percent of our thoughts are recycled. We are constantly replaying things in our head”; and to refocus when the mind wanders. “The more nonreactive you stay, the easier it is to bring your mind back to one-pointed focus.”

Mollohan has witnessed how much meditation has helped clients. “I’ve seen it literally transform people’s lives,” she says. “They come in with issues, ailments, aches, areas in life that aren’t going so well. And when you work on energy, your energy starts to work for you.”

One client of Mollohan’s who found meditation transformational is Diana Grimm, a Morgantown resident who works for the federal government. She sought relief from grief she experienced after a loved one died suddenly in 2012.

Grimm enjoyed guided meditation, but when she experienced guided breathwork in a classroom setting, she had a breakthrough. “I realized that for me, there really was some great potential for healing in this form of meditation,” she says. theblissblissbliss.com; mindbodywv. com; continuinged.wvu.edu/meditation; zenfromwithin.com; “The HOV Westover” on Facebook written by mary wade burnside photographed by carly suplita

OUT & ABOUT IN THE MOUNTAIN CITY

FEB 23 • SCHMITT’S SALOON

The 2017 Best of Morgantown Awards Party

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IN NUMERICAL ORDER: JULIAN WYANT; COURTESY OF BOM WINNERS (5); CARLY SUPLITA

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The Best of Morgantown BOM party continues to grow as more than 200 attendees turned out to celebrate the city’s best of the best. Winners in 90 categories were honored and treated to a special performance by Davisson Brothers Band, voted Best Band by Morgantown magazine readers, at Best Music Venue Schmitt’s Saloon, and at one point were joined by restaurant co-owner and former WVU football standout Owen Schmitt for a song. Several winners donated food, beverages, or giveaways: Atomic Grill, Black Bear Burritos, Crab Shack Caribba, The Cupcakerie, Forks of Cheat Winery, Iron Horse Tavern, Kegler’s Sports Bar, Mountain State Brewing Company, Pizza Al’s, Schmitt’s Saloon, Tailpipes, Suncrest Yoga, Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, Spa Roma, Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry, TLC Dental, and Stefano’s. New South Media Publisher Nikki Bowman awarded plaques to winners.

1 Brianna Furman. 2 Lynzi Cottingham, Kylie Howell, Lauren Harris, Hillary Feldmaier, Andrea Sholski, and Sarah Sturba of Spa Roma. 3 Jacklyn and Andrew Kapaldo, Tova Pirlo, and Charles Wisser celebrate Barnes & Noble’s win. 4 From TLC Dental: Left to right, Dr. Robert Martino, Dr. Jordan Tucker, Dr. David Martino, Courtney Nickell, and Molly Carpenter; in front, Dr. Casey Currey and Brooke Raines. 5 Katie Chiasson-Downs, Nicole Yost Ross, Jim Ross, Alex Fox, Andrea Bebell, and Lauren Brennan of Suncrest Yoga. 6 Casey Shaffer, Bonnie Sharkey, and Marin Rogers of The Atomic Grill. 7 The Davisson Brothers Band performs.

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FEB 3 • HAZEL & J.W. RUBY COMMUNITY CENTER

The Fifth Annual Bob Huggins Fish Fry

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1 Bob Huggins and Bill Petros of the WVU Cancer Institute. 2 Kathy Richards and Josh Eilert, assistant basketball coach. 3 Dr. Clay Marsh, vice president and executive dean, WVU Health Sciences, and Dr. Judie Charlton, chief medical officer, WVU Medicine. 4 Artist Jamie Lester (center) with Erik Muendel and Kate Smallwood of Remember the Miners.

5 Bill Ramsey, Monti Bear, Ken Ramsey.

6 Trevor Kiess and Roshan Daniel of WVU’s Student Government Association and Mountaineer mascot Troy Clemons.

7 Gold team member cheerleaders Keerstin O’Donnell and Brooke Miller.

8 Martin Howe and Dan Ferrell.

MARY WADE BURNSIDE

The Fifth Annual Bob Huggins Fish Fry, held on February 3, 2017, grossed more than $150,000 for Remember the Miners and the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Endowment at the WVU Cancer Institute. A set of drawings of miners by sculptor Jamie Lester drew high bids in the silent auction. The Marshall Lowry Band entertained the 950 people who attended the event held at the Hazel & J.W. Ruby Community Center at Mylan Park and sponsored by Little General Stores.

Huggins told the crowd that he was moved to help coal miners after visiting family members of the victims in the immediate aftermath of the Upper Big Branch disaster. Proceeds have created a $50,000 endowment for a mining engineering scholarship at WVU’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and an additional $100,000 was given to the cancer research endowment that honors Huggins’ late mother. The men’s basketball coach also kicked off the Bob Huggins 800 Club to get 800 donors to give $800 each to the cancer endowment to bring it up to $2 million.

The Friends of WVU Hospitals presented the endowment with a $5,000 check from proceeds of sales since November of the Hug-A-Bear Monti plush toy.

OUT & ABOUT IN THE MOUNTAIN CITY

FEB 11 • MORGANTOWN EVENT CENTER

WVU Medicine Children’s Gala

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MARY WADE BURNSIDE

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Former Steelers standout Hines Ward was a hit as emcee for a second year at the WVU Medicine Children’s Gala, held February 11, 2017, at the Morgantown Event Center at the Waterfront Place Hotel. The event, themed “Magic in Wonderland,” was rewarded with the highest attendance ever—1,140 guests. Bill Nevin, public address announcer for WVU football and basketball and the WV Black Bears, shared emcee duties with Ward, who discussed the bravery of the pediatric patients he had visited earlier in the day. The Community Service Award was presented to donor and volunteer J.R. Toothman; the Children’s Award was given to the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program at WVU Medicine Children’s. In addition to live and silent auctions, guests had the opportunity to donate toward the Bid for Good to fund items used to calm anxieties of children in emergency situations, after viewing a video about the hospital’s new pediatric emergency department.

ALPAX Holdings’ table donated the most toward the $40,000 raised and received a champagne toast with Ward.

1 Hines Ward with Cathy and Scott Bierer, the director of facilities at WVU Hospitals. 2 Scott and Carol Rotruck. 3 Co-chairs Shawn Adrian and Cindy C. Colasante. 4 U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and Cheryl Jones, director, WVU Medicine Children’s. 5 Dan Horbachewski and Bobby Nicholas. 6 Dan Gearing and Sue Quinn with a Mad Hatter. 7 Greg Haddad, Jonathan Deem, Parween Sultany Mascari, Kerrie Boyle, Marc Weintraub. 8 Albert L. Wright Jr., president and CEO of WVU Hospitals, and his wife, Joy. MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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Your local guide to life, art, culture, & more APR/MAY 2017 COURTESY OF WVU ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

April APRIL 12 Refresh Leadership Simulcast Lakeview Golf & Spa Resort, 1 Lakeview Drive Wed., 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., 304.381.4466 amanda.nida@expresspros.com This live simulcast features three speakers: author and leadership consultant Patrick Lencioni, former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins football coach Jimmy Johnson, and world champion adventure racer Robyn Benincasa, with the registration fee donated to WVU Medicine Children’s. $20 Paul Robeson/Mahalia Jackson Gospel Choir Gluck Theatre, Mountainlair, WVU, Wed., 7 p.m. calendar.wvu.edu Celebrating 25 years since its 1992 creation by WVU’s Center for Black Culture to honor Black History Month, the choir performs a free concert.

APRIL 13–14, 17–18 Spring Break Camp The WOW! Factory, 3453 University Ave., Thurs.

Fri., Mon., Tues., 8 a.m.–4 p.m., 304.599.2969 wowfactoryonline.com Your child can spend one day or more of spring break working on creative projects. Entertainment is included; bring snacks. $40 each day APRIL 15 Winter Market Wesley United Methodist Church gymnasium 503 North High St., Sat., 11 a.m.–1 p.m. morgantownfarmersmarket.org Get locally produced items at the next-to-last winter Morgantown Farmers’ Market of the season.

APRIL 21 WVU Relay for Life WVU Shell Building, 3400 Monongahela Blvd.

Fri., 6 p.m., “Relay for Life of WVU” on Facebook WVU students show their support for cancer awareness and research as teams walk to raise money for the Relay for Life of WVU in this American Cancer Society-sponsored event.

APRIL 22 Ramp Dinner Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Road Core, Sat., 8 a.m.–2 p.m., 304.879.4101 masondixonhistoricalpark.com Celebrate Earth Day with a ramp dinner that includes a wildflower walk that begins at 1:15 p.m. Adults $10, ages 6-12 $5, 5 and under free 72

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APRIL 26 Buddy Guy The blues singer and guitarist and seven-time Grammy winner performs as part of the WVU Arts & Entertainment series. Tickets start at $44.

WVU Creative Arts Center, Wed., 7:30 p.m., 304.293.SHOW, events.wvu.edu or ticketmaster.com

Container Gardening for Kids West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sat., 10 a.m.–noon, 304.322.2093 wvbg.org Join nature enthusiasts and educators Bethany and Vada Boback for an Earth Day project to learn how to plant, care for, and eat what you grow. Workshop includes a “Make and Take” sustainable growing project. Open to children ages 4-14 with an accompanying adult. $15 for WVBG members; $20 for non-members

Chocolate Lovers’ Day Downtown, High Street, Sat., 11 a.m.

304.292.0168, downtownmorgantown.com Indulge during this one-day chocolate extravaganza, the 18th annual Chocolate Lovers’ Day. Sample from a wide selection of goodies. $5 per person West Virginia Bites & Brews National Guard Readiness Center, 90 Army Band Way, Sat., 5–9 p.m., 304.292.4646 sparkwv.org

11th Annual Spring Meltdown Morgantown Brewing Company, 1291 University Ave., Sat., 6 p.m.–midnight 304.292.3970, deckerscreek.org Spend Earth Day shaking off the winter blues and supporting the Friends of Decker Creek with silent and live auctions, live music, craft beer, and fresh water. Free APRIL 24 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra WVU Creative Arts Center, Mon., 7:30 p.m.

412.392.4900, pittsburghsymphony.org Maestro Manfred Honeck conducts the orchestra as part of the Canady Symphony Series in a program entitled A Viennese Celebration, featuring returning guest pianist Till Fellner playing movements from Beethoven’s Concerto No. 3. $27 and $45 APRIL 24–27 Linda Hall’s Turkish Bazaar Euro-Suites Hotel, 501 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

This event showcases items brought directly from Turkey, including jewelry, silk and linen scarves, freshwater pearls, and Turkish lamps.

A fantastic place to get one-of-a-kind items at very low prices, great for Mother’s Day, graduation, and teacher gifts as well as for yourself. $1 admission fee goes to Empty Bowls Mon APRIL 27–30 Black Diamond Cluster Dog Show Hazel & J.W. Ruby Community Center Mylan Park, Thurs.–Sun., 8:30 a.m.

304.284.0023, mkclub.org The Mountaineer Kennel Club and South Hills Kennel Club co-sponsor this event that spotlights about 100 dog breeds from a 200-mile radius in AKC obedience and rally trials. Free, parking $5 APRIL 28–30 WORTH THE DRIVE WVU Cancer Institute’s 32nd Annual Spring Gala The Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, 304.293.4597 or heretohelp@ hsc.wvu.edu, mountaineerconnection. com/32nd-spring-gala Events include a welcome reception, a forum with Dr. Clay Marsh, an all-star lineup of WVU Athletics in a discussion hosted by Tony Caridi, a culinary demonstration by Chef Laurie Erickson, and a black-tie masquerade ball. $500 per person.

COURTESY OF SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS

Hear music and sample sips of microbrews as well as bites of food from area food trucks and mobile vendors, to support Spark! The Imagination Center. $40 for bites and brews, $30 for bites only

MAY 13 Southern Culture on the Skids The North Carolinabased rockabilly/punk band will perform in support of the group’s latest album, The Electric Pinecones, which was rated No. 21 on Roots Music Report’s Top Rock Album Chart for 2016. $15 123 Pleasant Street, 123 Pleasant St., Sat., 8 p.m., 304.292.0800, 123pleasantstreet.com

11 a.m.–1 p.m., morgantownfarmersmarket.org Get locally produced items at the last winter Morgantown Farmers’ Market of the season.

Open House & Demo Day Triple S Harley-Davidson, Willie G Ave., Sat. 11 a.m.–3 p.m., 304.284.8244, triplesharleydavidson.com Come see what Triple S has to offer. Refreshments provided while they last.

Jason Mraz WVU Creative Arts Center, Sat., 7:30 p.m.

304.293.SHOW, events.wvu.edu The Grammy Award-winning troubadour, known for hits including “I’m Yours,” “I Won’t Give Up,” and “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” will perform in concert. General admission $44–$69, students $24–$49

May MAY 5 Cinco de Mayo for WVPT Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Lakeview Drive, Fri. 6–9 p.m., 304.381.2382, wvpublictheatre.org Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and help raise money for West Virginia Public Theatre, with dinner, drinks, and fun. Single $50, couple $100, table of friends $400, table of sponsors $500

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MAY 5–6

Winter Market Wesley United Methodist Church gymnasium, 503 North High St., Sat.

NEARBY Cheat River Festival Banks of the Cheat River, Albright, Fri. 5:30–10:30 p.m., Sat., 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.

304.329.3621, cheatfest.org The annual celebration of life and music that benefits Friends of the Cheat features performances by headliners Hillbilly Gypsies and the Hackensaw Boys, as well as Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers, Union Sound Treaty, Stewed Mulligan, and more. Friday night pre-sale $5, Saturday pre-sale $15, at the gate, $10 and $15.

MAY 6 10 Tips for Successful Container Gardening West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road Sat., 10–11:30 a.m., 304.322.2093, wvbg.org Master Gardener Jan Mitchell teaches participants how to choose the right containers, plants, soil, and locations for container gardens.

Then plant your own and learn how to maintain your new container garden. Container, plants, and soil are provided. Most appropriate for adults. $30 for WVBG members; $40 for non-members Irish Road Bowling Coopers Rock State Forest, 61 County Line Drive, Bruceton Mills, Sat., 1 p.m.

304.698.9065, coopersrockstateforest.com The 12,713-acre forest is perfect for the spring sport that can be traced back to the 1600s.

Annie—The National Tour WVU Creative Arts Center, Sat., 2 p.m.

304.293.SHOW, calendar.wvu.edu The Tony Award-winning musical about the redheaded orphan and her dog, Sandy, includes such unforgettable songs as “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You,” plus the eternal anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow.” $23–$65

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Park, Sat., 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.–6 p.m., wvlumberjackshow.com See a variety of lumberjack events, including the U.S. Wood Chopping Championships. $8, ages 6-12 $3 MAY 25–27

TNEMNIATRETNE & S TRA UV W FO YSETRUO C

NEARBY WV Three Rivers Festival Palatine Park, Everest Drive, Fairmont, Thurs.– Sat., 304.366.5084, wvthreeriversfestival.org The event features a carnival, a grand feature parade, pageants, entertainment by The Joseph Sisters, fireworks, and the 7th Annual World Championship Pepperoni Roll Eating Contest with Major League Eaters.

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MAY 4 Mamma Mia! First it was an ABBA song and then a jukebox Broadway musical featuring pop songs from the Swedish quartet including “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and the title track. Tickets start at $46.

WVU Creative Arts Center, Thurs., 7:30 p.m., 304.293.SHOW, events.wvu.edu or ticketmaster.com

Park Concert Series Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Road, Core, Sat., 6 p.m., 304.879.4101 masondixonhistoricalpark.com Bring a blanket or a chair and enjoy a bluegrass concert, with Allegheny Reign playing. $5 at the door, ages 12 and under free Morgantown Roller Vixens BOPARC Ice Arena, 1001 Mississippi St., Sat., 6 p.m., morgantownrollervixens.com See the Roller Vixens take on the Hades Ladies. $7 MAY 10 Hike the Park Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Road, Core, Wed., 6 p.m., 304.879.4101 masondixonhistoricalpark.com Take a hike, with Park Superintendent J.R. Petsko guiding the way, through some of your favorite trails as well as some new ones. Hikes take place at a leisurely pace but participants may encounter some hills, rocks, and mud.

Wear proper footwear. Free MAY 13 Medicinal Plants Workshop West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road Sat., 10 a.m.–1 p.m., 304.322.2093, wvbg.org Participants will practice methods of using herbs and of harvesting and storage for later use and will review the components of a basic herbal first aid kit. Each participant will take supplies home for a poultice. $20 for WVBG members, $30 for non-members

MAY 18 NEARBY Old Dominion Clarksburg Amphitheater, Veterans Memorial Park, U.S. Route 98, Clarksburg, Thurs., 7 p.m.

304.624.1655, clarksburgamp.com The five-member Nashville-based band that has topped the country charts with singles such as “Break Up with Him,” “Snapback,” and “Song for Another Time” will perform. $32-$42

MAY 19 Flogging Molly Morgantown Amphitheater, Hazel Ruby McQuain Park, Fri., 8 p.m., 304.291.5060 mainstagewv.tunestub.com The seven-piece Irish-American Celtic punk band, which is releasing its sixth studio album, Life Is Good, in June, will perform in a concert sponsored by Mainstage Morgantown, with The White Buffalo opening. $33, $38, $48 MAY 20 Fantastic Containers West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sat., 10 a.m., 304.322.2093, wvbg.org WVBG Executive Director Bill Mills will plant the large containers on the deck of the Welcome Center, discussing choice of plant material, soil mixes, drainage, fertilizing techniques, color, and more. Most appropriate for adults. Free, registration required MAY 20–21 Stihl Timbersports Show Hazel & J.W. Ruby Community Center, Mylan

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The Mossed Basket West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sat., 10 a.m., 304.322.2093, wvbg.org WVBG Executive Director Bill Mills demonstrates how to create a mossed basket or container, which can be rejuvenated from year to year. Most appropriate for adults. Free, registration required Park Concert Series Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Road, Core, Sat., 6 p.m., 304.879.4101 masondixonhistoricalpark.com Take a blanket or a chair and enjoy a bluegrass concert, with Pittsburgh’s Lonesome, Lost and Foggy playing. $5 at the door, ages 12 and under free MAY 29 Military Appreciation Cookout Triple S Harley-Davidson, Willie G Ave., Mon. Noon–2 p.m., 304.284.8244, triplesharleydavidson.com Enjoy live music and good food. All proceeds go to the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg. $5 for food, veterans free

Upcoming JUNE 3 Deckers Creek Trail Half Marathon Deckers Creek Trail, Masontown, Sat., 8:30 a.m., tristateracer.com Run 13.1 miles on a mostly downhill course that descends about 800 feet from the starting point in Masontown to the finish line in downtown Morgantown. $50-$65 JUNE 9–10 Relay for Life of Monongalia County Westwood Middle School, 670 River Road, Fri.– Sat., 7 p.m.–7 a.m., 304.296.8158, relayforlife. org/monwv You can go for just the opening ceremonies or you and your team members can take turns walking the entire 12 hours of this American Cancer Society event that raises awareness as well as money for cancer research. Register online.

Morgantown

METRO PROPERTY TOWNHOMES AND APARTMENTS, MORGANTOWN The communities managed by Metro Property Management are in the middle of it all. These apartments and townhomes are steps away from shopping, dining, professional facilities and offices, and so much more!

Metro manages anything ranging from 1 to 3 bedroom apartments and townhomes. Check them out today at liveatmetro.com, or give 304.292.0900 a call and they can direct you to where you need to go!

Metro Property Management, 304.292.0900

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Listings

From historic houses to picturesque farms to quaint cottages, there’s a special place in Morgantown calling your name. Check out these extraordinary properties from around the city.

504 ST. ANDREWS DRIVE, CHEAT LAKE–$595,500 MLS: 10112504

Live on Lakeview Resort’s 10th Fairway in a new 3BR/2.5BA custom Craftsman-style home featuring hardy board exterior, 2 car garage, master on main w/walk-in custom closet, gas fireplace & deck. LED lighting throughout, stainless steel LG appliances, butler’s pantry off kitchen, quartz & granite counters, copper farm sink & hardwood floors. 1st floor designed w/kitchen, DR & LR w/corner gas fireplace leading to spacious, partially covered deck overlooking golf course. Unfinished LL, plumbed w/walkout access to patio.

Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

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1142 CHARLES AVENUE, MORGANTOWN–$ 345,000

MLS: 10113312 4 Bedrooms, 3 Full and 2 Half Bath Cape Cod near shopping & both campuses. Kitchen & great room open to private backyard, covered patio, multi-level decks, lush landscaping. Main level owner's retreat, 1st floor laundry, study & sunroom.

Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

1607 WATERFRONT, MORGANTOWN–$ 384,750

2096 LAKESIDE ESTATES., CHEAT LAKE–$830,000

MLS: 10107000 Exquisite custom designed 5 bedroom, 6.5 bath home on 1.633+/acres. 7,000+/- sq. ft. of multi-level living. Vaulted ceilings, floor-toceiling stone fireplace, and wine cellar with copper ceilings.

Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

331 MARCH LANE, MORGANTOWN–$ 272,900

MLS: 10096848 4 Bedroom, 4 Bath Morgantown, WV - This amazing 2 bedroom, 2 bath luxury unit boasts crown molding, granite counters, GE stainless steel appliances, inline unit with south view of Blvd. and Mon. River. Pool, work out room and many other hotel amenities!

MSL: 10111970 4 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath - Charming home in Four Seasons development. Large family room, large game room, some hardwood floors, first floor laundry room, 2 car garage, rear decks, hot tub and more.

Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

Howard Hanna Premier Properties

by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

3715 SWALLOWTAIL, MORGANTOWN –$649,000

105 SADIE LANE, MORGANTOWN, WV–$350,000

MLS: 10096776 5 Bedrooms, 3 Full, 1 Half Bath - This home in Greystone-on-the-Cheat exudes elegance with high end finishes throughout. See the culinarycaliber kitchen, additional private suite, outdoor kitchen, outdoor stone fireplace, hot tub & more!

Howard Hanna Premier Properties

by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115 78

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MLS#10112359 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath - Cozy rancher boasts open floor plan, hardwood floors, fireplace. On a flat lot in Summers Ridge Development with fantastic views. Additional lots and homes available.

Kay Smith, 304-685-2548 Realtor Howard Hanna Premier Properties

by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

advertise your real estate listing here.

contact info@newsouthmediainc.com or call 304.413.0104

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THEN & NOW

Holland Avenue meets Dunkard Avenue from the left and Fairmont Road from the right in this early 1930s photograph.

This location is known today as The Westover Triangle.

Three Roads Meet The age of the automobile was already firing on all cylinders in the early 1930s in Westover. Three filling stations surrounded what became The Westover Triangle in this photo looking east up Holland Avenue toward Morgantown. Several of the old buildings still stand: the Wilkins Motor Company used car building at the center is now a pawn shop, and the building beyond it, then a barber shop, is unoccupied today. On the other side of Holland, its

MORGANTOWN • APR/MAY 2017

of Morgantown’s past, check out wvhistoryonview.org

rooftop just visible over the top of a structure that no longer stands, is the home housing today’s Comic Paradise Plus 2. Displayed in large format, this crisp old photograph shows WVU’s Woodburn and Stalnaker halls on the hill in the distance.

Then & Now is published in partnership with WVU Libraries’ West Virginia & Regional History Center. wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu

written by pam kasey

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