volume 6
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issue 2
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EDITOR’S NOTE
W
hen I returned to North Central West Virginia a dozen years ago, my father drove me around Morgantown so I could see the changes that had taken place during the time I lived out of state for four years. I’ve come to call it the “dad tour” because of its attention to detail from the perspective of someone who was winding down a career in building supplies with a lot of development work on the side. He loved to watch progress, well, in progress. In fact, since he died more than two years ago, I interviewed an entrepreneur who knew him who said my dad loved to watch buildings go up. Or maybe he said he liked to see concrete be poured, or dirt moved. I don’t remember exactly, but all of those ring true. So I have a lot of fondness for the men and women who devote their lives—either through their careers or their extracurricular work—to bettering our community. And that’s why the chamber issue is a project that is close to my heart. My father, a former Harrison County Chamber of Commerce president himself, was pleased to see the city where he lived during and right after his college years boom. If he were still here today, it definitely would be time for another tour. In this issue of Morgantown, Pam Kasey’s article “Acceleration Lane” (page 61)
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provides that expedition, giving readers an overview of how the new interchange at Exit 153 of Interstate 79 has opened up a whole new area for development. The story is a follow-up to Pam’s piece from last year’s chamber issue, “Who Built Morgantown.” We could have called it “Who Is Building Morgantown Now,” but decided to acknowledge the access provided by the new interchange in the title instead. Then there are the annual Chamber Awards (page 45) granted by the board of directors of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce. It was great to be able to talk to recipients such as Bob Klein, owner of Document Solutions, who has built his Xerox-based business on nearly four decades of great customer service. And John and Bob Lynch, developers of University Town Centre and now West Ridge Business + Retail Park, have been at it for nearly as long, having bought the property that eventually was developed into the Morgantown Mall about 35 years ago. Finally, it was a lot of fun to spend time with Morgantown leaders who find time for their canine friends in “Power Players & Their Pups” (page 52), artfully photographed by Carla Witt Ford. Some might say this issue is going to the dogs. Gauging by the love and affection these busy professionals have for the pooches in their lives, I’d say that’s something we can all agree is a good thing.
M A RY WA DE BU R NSIDE,
Editor
Follow us at . . . facebook.com/ morgantownmagazine twitter.com/morgantownmag instagram.com/morgantownmag
IN OUR NEXT ISSUE The 6th Annual
Best of Morgantown Awards Who has the tastiest pizza in town? Which establishment has the most diverse beer selection? Where is the best place to go to find a great book? Find out in the February/March Best of Morgantown issue.
A MESSAGE FROM THE MORGANTOWN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
A
the Greater Morgantown area has a tremendous amount to be thankful for. Our region consistently boasts an unemployment rate lower than the statewide average, while per capita personal income growth exceeds that of both the state and nation. In fact, the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research recently observed that several of our region’s major industrial sectors added jobs at rates that exceed statewide averages while also recognizing the overall strong performance in consumer-driven sectors of our economy such as retail, leisure, and hospitality. Nonetheless, I continue to be amazed at the number and caliber of talented people who call this beautiful place home. The confidence that the Chamber of Commerce board of directors had when they chose me to be its next leader is both awesome and humbling. While we have our challenges, as even the most successful places do, I remain optimistic about the future. The Chamber is eager to work with Governorelect Jim Justice, his team, and all of the policy makers in Charleston as we look for innovative ways to tackle our region’s and our state’s most vexing problems. I hope you will join me in looking forward to 2017 and the enormous potential that it holds. On behalf of one of the most vibrant business communities east of the Mississippi River and certainly throughout West Virginia, I want to thank our current Chamber members for their investment in our organization. Business, government, and community leaders nationwide have recognized the Greater Morgantown area for its achievements in the areas of health care, construction, education, and energy, to name just a few. Our area is also known throughout the United States as a thriving place for small businesses. The Chamber is uniquely situated to provide leadership as we compete both nationally and internationally for the continued economic growth that has already made our community a sought-after place to live, learn, work, and play. I’m confident that, by now, the staff and even members of the board of directors are tired of hearing me ask the question, “How are we adding value?” I am willing to make a sizable wager that each of you reading this magazine has a smartphone or similar device either in your pocket, in your purse, or at your business or residence. A recurring question among chambers of commerce nationwide has become, very simply: In today’s connected world where everyone has
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access to Google, everyone has access to LinkedIn, everyone (it seems) has Facebook and Twitter, how do we continue to provide the relevant services that our members pay for and expect? It should come as no surprise, therefore, that with the growth of social media and the availability of online networking groups, your Chamber is no longer the only game in town. I’ve learned a few new things since starting as president in August 2016. One of the most obvious things is that what works for West Virginia University, Mon Health System, WVU Medicine, Mylan, or other large employers may not necessarily work for the small business that just opened in Seneca Center or on Spruce Street. Our organization must adapt, we must be flexible, and we must be large enough to make a difference and at the same time small enough to respond in a thoughtful and conscientious manner when acting on behalf of our members. The reality is that the days of people joining the Chamber, or other nonprofit organizations for that matter, just because it’s the “right thing to do” or because they want to “support their community” are behind us. Everyone is being asked to do more with less. Our members expect us to make membership an economically attractive proposition. And we will. The Chamber has maintained its commitment to networking, advocacy, and educational programming for our members and investors. We have also assumed the mantle of leadership for articulating an overall vision for what we want our community to look like, not only today but in 2020 and 2040. While we will always look for you at our Annual Dinner in January, Fall Golf Classic in September, and various “Business After Hours” events, we have sought to offer the business community much more for its return on investment. For those considering membership, please do not hesitate to call or visit us online to learn more about the various ways that simply joining can add value to your business. Sincerely,
JASON PIZATELLA
President and Chief Executive Officer, Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce morgantownchamber.com
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In This Issue
CARLA WITT FORD
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017
The Chamber Power Players Awards & Their Pups
Acceleration Lane
Once again, it is time to honor the people and businesses that help make Morgantown great.
These Morgantown leaders are not too busy to spend time with their best canine friends.
Development in Morgantown is speeding up with the opening of a new interstate interchange and the addition of several businesses.
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017
In This Issue 24
18
21
31
20
42
16 This Matters
Departments
16 Eat This If you are craving hot dogs, Two and a Fry has what you want.
21 Do This Launch Pad Trampoline Park will have you jumping for fun and exercise.
16 Check This Out Hill & Hollow’s Global Dinner Series takes epicureans around the world.
24 What’s This The area’s development 39 Across County Lines groups consider joining forces Seven Springs Mountain to become a one-stop shop. Resort offers all kinds of activities, even for 26 Shop This non-skiers. Turn your backyard into an aviary this winter with feeders 42 Dish It Out from Wild Birds Unlimited. After a rebranding, Naticakes
17 Love This When floods ravaged the state, Morgantown residents pitched in and helped. 18 Who’s This Jason Pizatella brings fresh ideas and experience to the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce. 20 This Matters To… Holly Childs helps to move the city’s economic growth along. 12
MORGANTOWN • DEC/JAN 2017
6 Editor’s Note 31 House & Home See how these Hopecrest homeowners decked their halls.
still has cupcakes as well as an expanded menu.
70 Road Rage Now is the time to put in your 2 cents about a plan to build a new bridge across the Mon River.
73 The Scene 78 Calendar 80 Then & Now Check out the circa 1965 Ag Sciences building while you still can.
EAT / LOVE / WEAR / SHOP / WATCH / KNOW / HEAR / READ / DO / WHO / WHAT
HAPPY 150th
WVU!
WVU turns the big 1-5-0 in 2017. Founded in 1867, the school has deep roots in American history. Take Woodburn Hall. It was completed in 1876, the same year that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and General George Custer took his last stand against the Lakota Indians. Events to celebrate and acknowlege the school’s sesquicentennial will be announced in coming weeks.
In the meantime, students, faculty, and staff can enjoy two signature ice cream flavors commissioned from Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream in Charleston by the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Appalachian Apple Crumble and Land Grant Crunch will be available during an Ice Cream Social that takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. January 24 at the new Ag Sciences Building on Evansdale Campus.
BOWL GAME WINS Rhodes Scholars MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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THIS MATTERS January Rare Beer Pairing Nano-batch aged beers paired with dishes that feature rare ingredients. 12th Annual Rum & Heirloom Chocolate Dinner Because what goes better together than rum and chocolate?
February Aphrodesia! The 12th Annual St. Valentine’s Aphrodesia Dinner. Moorish Andalusia Arabic-Spanish cuisine of the Middle Ages.
March
Two and a Fry Low prices for premium ingredients drive Morgantown’s latest hot dog shop. ➼ THE NAME rolls off the tongue, easy
and pleasing to the ears. Jim Pelissero, the owner of construction company Capital Services in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, says the inspiration came from a hot dog place that had the cashier yell back to the cook, “We got two and a fry!” The name just wouldn’t go away and thus Two and a Fry was born. The first Two and a Fry opened about a year ago in Monongahela. A new location opened in Morgantown in late summer at 2991 University Avenue, near the Erickson Alumni Center. Pelissero thought of the concept during his construction travels. He wanted a more premium product than what he’d seen sold at hot dog stands. “The vendor offered three products and I chose the most expensive and best one,” Pelissero says. Two and a Fry’s menu consists of all-beef hot dogs, burgers, and chicken. The chicken strips are hand-fried and the hot dogs are grilled to order. The burgers taste more like a sit-down restaurant than fast food. Hot dogs come plain, but the store features a condiments bar filled with chopped onions, pickles, and relish. There’s also an option to top your hot dog with homemade chili or slaw. The fries are fresh-cut and crisp. Most of the combo meals run at $7 or less, keeping wallets happy. Large arrows point customers through the drive-through, directing patrons to their meals. Look for two cartoon hot dogs over a red-and-white-striped awning the next time your stomach grumbles. It’s going to thank you. written by CODY ROANE photographed by MARY WADE BURNSIDE 16
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CHECK THIS OUT
Around the World in 12 Months
Want to try Maori cuisine? Celebrate ramp season in style? Hill & Hollow’s Appalachian Global Dinner Series has got you covered. ➼ WEEK AFTER WEEK, Chef Marion Ohlinger infuses his creative dishes with as many local products as possible at Hill & Hollow. But a couple times a month, he gets to explore world cuisine with his Appalachian Global Dinner Series. The meals, which he launched in 2009 at his earlier Richwood Grill—with a few carryovers from his first Morgantown restaurant, Solera Cafe—include perennial favorites such as the Rum & Heirloom Chocolate Dinner and dishes that serve as aphrodisiacs around Valentine’s Day, as well as new offerings. Now enjoying Hill & Hollow’s permanent home in the Seneca Center after a couple of years between restaurants, Ohlinger has released the themes for the 2017 Hill & Hollow Appalachian Global Dinner Series. Dates will be set closer to the events depending on the availability of ingredients, and will be posted on Hill & Hollow’s Facebook page. 304.241.4551, facebook.com/hillandhollowwv
April Spring Beer Pairing Dinner Ancient styles of beer-making paired with Mesopotamian dishes. April Fool’s Day Deconstruction & Gastronomy Dinner Totally dissing the classics. Traditional Appalachian Easter Dinner This meal will be be served as an Easter Sunday brunch.
May Maori Cuisine Indigenous South Pacific Seamount cuisine.
June Vincent Price Cookbook Dinner Hosted by the actor’s daughter, Victoria Price. Goan Cuisine Portuguese influences on tropical India.
July Watermen’s Feast Cuisine of the Chesapeake Bay. Summer Beer Pairing Dinner New American West Coast cuisine paired with IPAs and pale ales.
August Raw! Vegan Multi-course wine pairing dinner with raw vegetarian cuisine, paired with dry white wines and chilled reds. Raw! Carne Multi-course wine pairing dinner with raw seafood and meats, paired with dry whites and chilled reds.
September 3rd Annual One Mile Meal Enjoy an entire meal made completely from ingredients sourced from one farm. Jeffersonian Dinner Celebrating the cultural influence of Thomas Jefferson on American cuisine.
October Fall Beer Pairing Dinner German-style beers paired with traditional Bavarian cuisine. 12th Annual Dia de Los Muertos Dinner Traditional Oaxacan cuisine paired with single-village mezcals.
November 2nd Annual Pawpaw-Palooza Yes, pawpaws, the Appalachian fruit sometimes compared to a banana. Wild Game Wine Pairing Dinner Traditional Appalachian game dishes paired with West Virginia wines.
December Feast of the Seven Fishes Multi-course traditional ItalianAmerican holiday feast. None More Black Winter solstice dark beer pairing dinner.
CARLA WITT FORD
EATTHIS
Irish Dinner Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, traditional Gaelic cuisine is paired with single-grain Irish whiskies. 3rd Annual Ramp-arama Everybody’s favorite harbinger of an Appalachian spring, used in unique ways.
THIS MATTERS
LOVETHIS
A Swell of Support After flood waters rose in parts of the state, many Morgantown residents participated in the recovery efforts.
CHRIS DALE
➼ WHEN CHRIS DALE saw images in the news of flooding and devastation last June in southern West Virginia, he snapped into action. “Having worked for the Red Cross for years, I know they are in need of volunteers,” says Dale, now the director of communications for the Morgantown Utility Board, or MUB. So a couple of weeks after the June 23-24 flood, taking leave approved by MUB, Dale traveled to Clay County to lend a hand. Working for the Red Cross’ disaster relief operations, Dale documented flood damage, as well as rescuer and volunteer response, by writing stories and taking photos for the organization’s newsletters. “What I would do is tell the Red Cross’
story,” Dale says. As a former Red Cross employee, Dale was not surprised by what he saw, but that does not mean it did not affect him. “Anytime I’ve gone to a disaster, I’m always amazed at the level of damage,” he says. “It’s frightening and amazing what water can do and how powerful it can be.” The flooding was responsible for 23 deaths. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency in 44 of the state’s 55 counties, affecting all but the Northern and Eastern panhandles. Kanawha, Greenbrier, Clay, and Nicholas counties were among the hardest hit. And like Dale, when other Morgantown residents saw fellow West Virginians in need, they pitched in.
Many of them are associated with WVU. In addition to setting up collection sites and sending more than 20 truckloads of items—eight of which were semi trucks with 53-foot trailers—WVU students, staff, and faculty members also traveled to flood-ravaged counties to help clean up. “The students who were around began helping out immediately with the donation drive that we conducted,” says Alexis McMillen, assistant director of WVU’s Center for Service and Learning, a unit of the school’s Division of Student Life that encourages and accommodates volunteerism. In the immediate aftermath of the flood, donations were collected, including by members of the Student Government Association. Supplies reached Clay County and Webster Springs before emergency responders did, she adds. Members of the WVU football team coordinated their own effort, collecting bottled water to send, and the two groups worked together. Daniel Brewster, a teaching instructor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, headed to Rainelle on the Monday after the floods with student leaders, taking two truckloads of supplies with a 24-foot trailer on one of the trucks. They spent the next 30 hours helping with the cleanup at a store. “We had to muck the mud out of the store,” he says. “We removed all the shelving and took it outside. We had to power wash it.” Brewster and various students made a total of nine trips during the summer to several locations, including to Clay County in a visit that included WVU President E. Gordon Gee. “In August, when we were doing cleanup in homes and businesses, six weeks after the flooding it was still devastation,” Brewster says. Mark J. Nesselroad, chief operating officer and chief legal officer for Glenmark Holding, wanted to volunteer in person but his schedule did not permit that. However, the company donated money to the American Red Cross. The company also purchased WV Strong T-shirts—a fundraising effort by actress Jennifer Garner for the charity Save the Children— for employees of Glenmark Holding and sister company Black Diamond Realty. “I think all West Virginians have a bond to the state and tend to help each other out in ways that we can,” he says. written by MARY WADE BURNSIDE MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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THIS MATTERS
policy, politics, sales, business, advocacy, and lobbying. That’s what the COC president does. MM Do you think your experience working in state government has prepared you for this new job in any way? JP I think I’m uniquely qualified. I sat in the governor’s conference room hundreds of times—they’d say, ‘Jason, meet with these folks and see if you can come to some consensus.’ Everybody who’s ever worked with the Legislature knows there’s no such thing as a perfect piece of legislation. It’s all about the art of compromise. Everybody is all after the same thing. We all have the same intentions. But whether it be an issue of turf, historical legacy, or just good oldfashioned politics, we have things that stand in the way of getting what we want. MM What goals do you have for the chamber, going forward?
WHO’STHIS
Mr. President Meet Jason Pizatella, the new president and CEO of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce. ➼ JASON PIZATELLA IS HAPPY to be back in Morgantown. The Fairmont native moved to Charleston after completing his law degree at WVU in 2007 to work for a private law firm. He was then drafted by Governor Joe Manchin to serve as deputy state tax commissioner, and later deputy revenue secretary. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin kept Pizatella aboard and made him deputy chief of staff, then legislative liaison, and finally secretary of administration. Now Pizatella is bringing that vast experience back and putting it to work for chamber members. On August 1, 2016, Pizatella became president and CEO of the 18
MORGANTOWN • DEC/JAN 2017
Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce. He recently sat down with Morgantown magazine to talk about his new role. MM You’ve spent lots of time in law practices and government. What made you want to work for the chamber of commerce? JP I had been around a bunch of chamber of commerce leaders in Fairmont and Charleston, but I never saw myself in the chamber world until recently. I’ll tell you why it clicked for me. This job combines all the things I like to do into one role—
JP It’s 2016, everybody has access to LinkedIn and Facebook and Angie’s List. Everyone has access to information that traditionally the chamber of commerce would provide. So I’m constantly asking people, how do we provide value for members? I want to have a good story to tell them about what they’re getting for their annual investment in us. I want the chamber of commerce to be the go-to organization for advocacy to our state, local, and even federal government leaders. When a constituent goes to Charleston and wants something, it’s a whole lot better if you’re arguing with one voice instead of five or six. We need to build consensus when we can. We have registered lobbyists that lobby on our behalf. We think when a businessperson has a problem, the chamber of commerce should be the first place they go. My other goal is to add membership. We’re blessed here in greater Morgantown to have sustained economic growth. But historically, our chamber has underperformed in terms of the number of members. When I got here we had 420 members. My goal is that, by the end of 2017, we have 600 members. Our consultant has said to us that, for a community like Morgantown—with a world-class university, with places like Mylan (Pharmaceuticals), Mon Health System, WVU Medicine, banks, law firms, and hundreds of small businesses—they think 600 is a reasonable target.
This job combines all the things I like to do into one role—policy, politics, sales, business, advocacy, and lobbying. That’s what the COC president does.” JASON PIZATELLA, president and CEO of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce
MM Are there any big projects you plan on tackling during your first year? JP Six nonprofit organizations—the chamber of commerce, the Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Monongalia County Development Authority, Main Street Morgantown, Sunnyside Up, and the Morgantown Area Economic Partnership—all signed an agreement to merge into one organization over the next year. The chamber is really a driving force behind that. We haven’t decided on a name yet, but we have a working name: MAP, or Morgantown Area Partnership (see story on page 22). There were 134 boards of directors members among those six organizations. And of those 134, there were only 93 people. You’ve got an overlap of almost 50 people, serving on one and sometimes up to four organizations’ boards of directors. Why can’t we take a proactive step toward doing things more efficiently? MM What issues facing Morgantown do you think it’s important for the chamber to address? JP Everybody knows what the challenges are in Greater Morgantown—infrastructure, we want to expand our airport, we want to convince those students to stay once they graduate, we want to be able to provide affordable housing, and we also have to be mindful of the drug epidemic that’s affecting our whole state. The other thing that comes up frequently is how continued cuts in state appropriations are going to affect West Virginia University. (WVU President) E. Gordon Gee has been the first one to say, we understand the state is having budget problems, so let higher learning institutions have more flexibility. That’s something the chamber is going to get behind. MM On a personal note, what’s it been like returning to Morgantown after living in Charleston for so long? JP My parents and the rest of my extended family live between Fairmont and Morgantown, so it made the choice to come home easy. I’m excited about it. written by zack harold
| photographed by carla
witt ford
MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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THIS MATTERS THISMATTERS TO
Holly Childs ➼ MORGANTOWN’S economic growth isn’t random or happenstance. It’s the product of planning and effort by professionals all around town—among them, Holly Childs. The development bug took hold of the Beckley native right after graduate school, and in 1999 she became the youngest certified professional in the International Economic Development Council. When she took on leadership in 2015 of the Morgantown Area Economic Partnership and the Monongalia County Development Authority, she brought almost 20 years’ experience. Background in both public and private development makes her more effective, she says. Childs has had a hand in much of the $1.5 billion of development going on around Morgantown. “You spend a lot of time people don’t know about making a project happen,” she says of the FedEx Ground distribution center at the new interchange, Exit 53 on Interstate 79. “But when it’s all said and done, there’s a real facility and hundreds of people working there—and that feels really good.”
The fun of making connections Economic development is almost like matchmaking. I spend a lot of time trying to find space for people—new office space, or 20 acres for a new facility. It’s nice to be that intake and connector for people who want to come into the market. While there are certainly lots of different commercial brokers around and I work closely with all of them and have great relationships with them, they’re developing and marketing the product—we’re making that connection for them.
written by PAM KASEY | photographed by CARLA WITT FORD
On making a difference Economic development is so tangible. The federal prison at Hazelton now employs more than 2,000 people. Ten years or so ago a guy from Preston County who I hadn’t seen in a long time said, “I want to tell you I appreciate all the work you did on that prison project. I was able to stay here with my family.” It kind of chokes you up. It’s making a difference for families.
It’s a slippery slope I worked as the economic development person in Preston County out of grad school. I had a master’s in economics, but economic development was a whole new ballgame. I really kind of loved it. I did Northpointe Business and Industry Park there, 300 acres, and the location of the federal penitentiary and all of the growth they’ve had in Hazelton. I’d planned to be there for a year and stayed for seven. Experience counts I went all over the place after Preston County: Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix; and lastly in Sacramento and Pittsburgh. I’ve worked for private and public, so I’ve done it on both sides of the table. People who’ve only done the public side don’t understand the very real struggles developers have trying to make a project work. And developers know that I know what they’re facing to put projects together.
Opportunities ahead I think Morgantown is headed in the right direction—it’s very progressive. At WVU’s North Central West Virginia Economic Outlook Conference in October they said the state overall has lost 17,000 jobs in recent years, but this region has gained 6,000. We’ve got a lot of great opportunities ahead of us.
THIS MATTERS D0THIS
Soaring to New Heights Launch Pad Trampoline Park puts the bounce back into exercise for a new way to stay fit and have fun. ➼ “JUMPING JACKS!” SHOUTS instructor Mallory Alcorn as her students propel themselves into the air. Alcorn provides words of encouragement as the group surges through a vigorous, hourlong session. The women aren’t just working out in a gym—they’re jumping on an expansive, flat-floor trampoline at Launch Pad Trampoline Park in Westover. This unusual exercise and recreation spot got its start after January and Josh Helbig took their kids to a trampoline park in Pittsburgh several times to combat indoor, cold-weather blues. Josh, an engineer, found himself saying, “I can do this.” The pair began planning to bring their own trampoline park to Morgantown with the help of Josh’s father, Courtland Helbig. Courtland’s companies, GMS Mine Repair & Maintenance and Pioneer Conveyor, provided the manpower and equipment to create it. Courtland owns the facility and January is marketing and quality control manager. The couple’s children have been the biggest inspiration for Launch Pad, which opened last June, January says. “We’re an active family, and it’s just a great thing because the kids go for an hour, they’re worn out, and it’s such good exercise, just getting the kids off electronics and doing something active when they can’t be outside.” Launch Pad is divided into several areas. The lower level of the building features a trampoline floor where kids—and adults— can do gymnastics, as well as a separate section just for jumping. The large, springpowered floors are flat and separated into smaller, square sections by orange foam pads. One space has been carved out for
customers to play a bouncy version of dodgeball or basketball, featuring a 3-footdeep pit full of red foam blocks to dive into. Upstairs, an observation deck provides a place where parents can watch their children that also includes video games, a bounce house for kids ages 2 and under, a rock climbing wall, and party rooms. Guests must fill out waivers before jumping. To jump for one hour is $15, while an hour and a half is $22. Staff recommends that jumpers wear comfortable, athletic clothing and each jumper is required to purchase Launch Pad socks for $2.50, which can be saved and reused for later visits. Launch Pad offers multiple activities to the public. Along with regular jumping hours, Launch Pad hosts “Little Launchers” on Tuesdays and Thursdays for children ages 2 to 5 so that they don’t have to jump with older children. Launch Pad also hosts a dodgeball league as well as “sensitive hours” for special needs individuals. Fitness classes have been extremely popular and, Alcorn says, “bring diversity to exercise.” The instructors start out with basic moves like toe touches,
jumping jacks, Launch Pad and burpees, Trampoline Park and combine 22 Rousch Drive, Westover them to 304.322.2959 create several launchpadtrampolinepark.com different routines. “They’re all the things you can do in a gym,” Alcorn says, “but on a trampoline and you add bouncing in between.” Launch Pad also offers birthdays and group events, hosting about 50 birthday parties just in October alone, says General Manager Angela Thompson. “We’re getting people from Bridgeport, Elkins, Uniontown, so it’s not just Morgantown. It’s the whole surrounding area of Morgantown where people are coming to use our facility.” Hannah Yetzer drove from Bridgeport to hold her son’s 10th birthday at Launch Pad. “It was so easy,” Yetzer says. “Everything was done online.” launchpadtrampolinepark.com written by ALISON KAISER photographed by NIKKI BOWMAN MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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THIS MATTERS
Mark J. Nesselroad (left), E. Gordon Gee, and Kelly Kimble tri-chair a steering committee that aims to streamline economic and community development in Morgantown.
WHAT’STHIS
A One-Stop Development Shop
Six organizations in the city and county are considering combining forces—making more efficient use of resources and presenting a single portal to the public. ➼ IF YOU WANTED to locate a business in town—anything from a big industrial operation to a small financial services shop—who would you call to figure out the requirements: The Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce? The Monongalia County Development Authority? Main Street Morgantown? The answer to that question is about to get easier. Morgantown’s economic and community development organizations are considering becoming a one-stop shop. A planned collaboration among six organizations in Morgantown and Monongalia County, this umbrella group, possibly to be called the Morgantown Area Partnership, would handle a wide range of economic and community development questions—everything from 24
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“What office space is available with free parking and close to the highways?” to “Is there financial help for upgrading my business’s facade?” to “How can we get more people living downtown?” Combining development groups is an idea other cities are already trying with success. Just look at Charleston, says Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jason Pizatella. In 2004, three groups—Business and Industrial Development Corporation, Charleston Renaissance Corporation, and the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce—joined under the single umbrella of the Charleston Area Alliance. Today, the CAA works on projects as diverse but fundamentally interconnected as business siting, downtown promotion,
housing development, and greenspace and recreational areas on behalf of nearly 600 member companies and organizations. The six organizations now involved here—the Morgantown Area Economic Partnership and Monongalia County Development Authority, already managed together by Holly Childs, along with the Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau, Main Street Morgantown, the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce, and Sunnyside Up—commissioned a study of the pros, cons, and pitfalls. “We chose Atlanta-based Market Street Services in a competitive process,” Childs says. “For the feasibility analysis, they came to town and interviewed 22 leaders. And they sent a survey so board members and community leaders could comment back on how we could work together and what were some challenges for the area.” The analysis, completed in September 2016, found that closer collaboration could create efficiencies—for example, by eliminating duplicated efforts. Childs has direct experience of that. Heading up two of the organizations herself, she prepares twice a month for board meetings. Board members’ time is wasted, too: The Morgantown Area Economic Partnership has 23 board members and the Monongalia
Market Street’s survey found there were more than 130 board members on these six organizations. Some people are on four of the six boards.” HOLLY CHILDS, president and CEO, Morgantown Area Economic Partnership and president, Monongalia County Development Authority
County Development Authority has 21, Childs says, nine of whom serve on both boards and hear essentially the same report from her twice each month. “Market Street’s survey found there were more than 130 board members on these six organizations,” she says. “Some people are on four of the six boards.” Yet even with all of that overlap, she explains, if a resident calls the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce looking for help writing a business plan, the chamber representative may not know that one of Childs’ services is to give exactly that kind of assistance. The CVB could suggest a site near events for a hotel chain the development authority is working with, rather than hearing about the hotel’s location too late through the grapevine. The groups might discover synergies between planned river recreation and riverside restaurant development. “We don’t all know each other’s operations well enough.” Members would benefit, too. “It’s not really nice for me to send an invoice to Huntington Bank right after they got one from the chamber,” Childs says. “If we had one vision, one voice, one invoice, we would be so much more efficient and effective.” A business that now pays $1,200 a year in dues to several organizations might pay just $950 to the umbrella group, Pizatella says, and get a better suite of services for that. How would those dues be distributed among the organizations? And could the organizations’ boards be consolidated while maintaining their separate identities? A steering committee of about 30 drawn from the six groups’ boards and tri-chaired by WVU President E. Gordon Gee, chamber board chair Kelly Kimble, and developer Mark J. Nesselroad began meeting in early December with the aim of resolving those types of questions, coming up with a plan by September 2017. Combining organizations with their own bylaws, histories, and cultures definitely poses challenges, but the timing may be good for a change. Childs has been in her positions for less than two years, Pizatella came on at the chamber in 2016, and leadership changes are also recent or pending at the other three organizations. One step could be to co-locate the groups in a single space—the county’s former magistrate court building at 265 Spruce Street is one location that’s under discussion. Shared occupancy alone would improve efficiency, in Pizatella’s mind. “If nothing else happens but all of us going into one building, I’d consider it a huge win.” written by PAM KASEY photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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THIS MATTERS
Wild Birds Unlimited owner Scott Cavallaro. SHOPTHIS
Sowing the Seeds With avian enthusiast Scott Cavallaro at the helm, Wild Birds Unlimited takes flight. ➼ SOME BIRDERS LIKE TO HIKE through the woods clutching a pair of binoculars in search of a screech owl or a red-winged blackbird. And then there are the kind that Scott Cavallaro caters to: Those who like to watch a crimson cardinal alight on a snow-covered feeder in their backyards from the comfort of a living room or deck, or see a robin splash around in a statuesque bath. Last March, figuring that other folks share his hobby, Cavallaro opened Wild Birds Unlimited, where he sells a variety of seed, feeders, and all sort of accessories to keep birds fed and birders entertained. 26
MORGANTOWN • DEC/JAN 2017
Perusing Wild Birds Unlimited as Cavallaro explains the products can be more like a visit to an aviary—without live birds, although feeding footage runs on a video loop—than a shopping trip. Take the varieties of bird seed displayed in different sizes of bags or as formed cylinders. The Supreme has nuts in it, perfect for attracting woodpeckers and nuthatches. No Mess does not contain shells so the home birder does not have to clean up anything, which works well for a patio or deck. Safflower keeps grackles and starlings away with a bitter taste and a harder shell. And Hot Pepper discourages
deer, squirrels, and raccoons, but does not hurt or repel the birds because they do not have the same receptors in their taste buds, Cavallaro says. Different feeders draw different types of birds; some keep squirrels and other uninvited guests away with bars or other devices that block the food source if an animal puts too much weight on it. Coiled wreaths that resemble a red or green Slinky can hold whole peanuts for woodpeckers and other birds that like to do the shelling themselves. Then there is this bit of interesting information: Orioles like orange, both the color—birds tend to be attracted to hues that mimic their plumage—and the fruit, as well as cherries and grape jelly. So birders who want to see the orange and black bird can hang a bright orangecolored feeder with species-specific treats. Then there are finches, with tiny beaks, so a tube feeder filled with black thistle nyger seed that they access through tiny portholes will be very welcoming to them. Choosing which feed to put out gives birders some control over what will fly in for dinner. And then they can begin deciphering different actions and how specific feeders
THIS MATTERS
will cater to various birds. Take, for example, the clingers—woodpeckers, nuthatches, titmice, and chickadees. Wild Birds Unlimited—located in Suncrest Towne Center—sells feeders that allow birds to cling to the side while they feed. “As you become experienced with this as a hobby, you start observing these behaviors,” Cavallaro says. “If you are lucky you will catch a mother or father feeding a juvenile.” The shop offers a choice of two hummingbird feeders—the more familiar gravity model that allows the speedy birds to sip sugar water while flapping their wings, or a saucer type with a perch that gives them a chance to relax in spite of their reputation for constant movement. “Hummingbirds like to rest, too,” Cavallaro says. “This type of feeder is very popular. It’s easy to clean. I’ve sold a bunch of them.” The saucer feeder also is not as messy, he adds. Wild Birds Unlimited offers a patented, customizable pole system that allows birders to put up feeders without hanging them from trees. They also can be placed on decks; an auger hook like a corkscrew makes it sturdy, Cavallaro says. One item that has not been moving as fast as Cavallaro would like is live
mealworms in containers that he keeps in a mini-refrigerator. “It’s a challenge to educate people,” he says. “They are great for attracting bluebirds. You get a mealworm feeder, sprinkle them out, and when a bluebird is flying and sees the wiggling motion of the worms, it knows there is the possibility of food. So it flies down to check it out.” The “ickiness” factor has prevented live mealworms from catching on; Cavallaro also sells a dried variety that the birds enjoy, although maybe not as much. “It’s a good transition, but birds prefer live food.” As winter approaches, birders might want to consider suet—a mix of high-protein foods packed in a block using peanut butter. “It has a lot of high-calorie ingredients,” Cavallaro says. “Birds eat it year-round. It’s another low-maintenance way to feed birds.” For those who want to see a variety of birds, about 140 species appreciate Birdacious Bark Butter. Then there are black oil sunflower seeds, with a high fat content. “All birds like black oil sunflower seeds.” A native of Morgantown, Cavallaro has been a fan of birds since he was about 10 and watched a neighbor put out feed. “I decided to take my chances on building a birdhouse. That’s what got me
hooked.” Soon, Wild Birds Unlimited a chickadee 1074 Suncrest Towne built a nest in Centre Drive 304.241.4370 the birdhouse. morgantown.wbu.com “That was pretty thrilling for me.” He set foot in his first Wild Birds Unlimited—a 35-year-old chain store headquartered in the Indianapolis area— about six years ago while visiting a friend in Winchester, Virginia. Immediately, the wheels in Cavallaro’s mind were set into motion. “As soon as I looked around, I knew that this was different than any other bird store that I’d ever been in.” When he returned to Morgantown, he looked into owning a franchise while still keeping his day job at Mylan Pharmaceuticals but ultimately concluded he would need to retire. When he was ready, he contacted the headquarters again and it was determined that Morgantown’s demographics were a good fit. He has been building a clientele and showing them different ways to feed the birds since. “It’s a peaceful, relaxing hobby.” written and photographed by MARY WADE BURNSIDE
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HOUSE & HOME
Home for the Holidays Hopecrest families deck their halls and open their doors as a fundraiser for the musical Golden Horseshoe.
CARLA WITT FORD
written by Mary Wade Burnside
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HOUSE & HOME
Jim Stevenson likes red Christmas lights, and designers from Rustic by Design enjoy having some fun. So Mary Cholock, one of the Rustic by Design employees who helped Stevenson decorate for the 2015 Holiday Home Tour, outlined in lights—at his urging—an elk head over the mantel in the home of the retired chair of WVU’s Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry. The result included red twinkle lights on the antlers. “It was unexpected but it was a fun take on things,” Cholock says. Stevenson traditionally has decorated his well-appointed abode—it has been featured on the HGTV show Homes Across America and in magazines—using an 8-to-9-foottall live tree covered in multicolored lights in the living room. He also places sprays of garland down the staircase railing and in bedrooms. Outside lights transform two bushes into red beacons. Stevenson keeps the 1922 Georgian-style home updated with the help of his friend, Pat Bibbee of Charleston-based Pat Bibbee Designs. Bibbee’s latest contribution to Stevenson’s Christmas decorations included two chartreuse, lacquered magnolia wreaths, an idea she got from the Obama White House, where it was done in red. As for ornaments, Stevenson has collected them for more than 40 years, and he considers his favorite to be one that he got as a gift for his first Christmas with his late wife, Imelda. The hand-blown glass ornament incorporates a Christmas tree suspended inside.
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NIKKI BOWMAN
Jim Stevenson
HOUSE & HOME
Pam & Ron Gross
CARLA WITT FORD
Looking around the modern and streamlined home of Ron and Pam Gross, it comes as no surprise that when Christmas approaches, the couple has a “less is more” attitude to decorating. “Overcrowding space and putting every piece of holiday stuff out there, that overwhelms me,” Pam Gross says. The centerpiece of her decorations is the 7-foot-tall tree in the living room that she trims with clear lights and ornaments, sticking to a color theme of one or two hues. Last year’s tree featured silver and white ornaments. “I think this year, I’ll go back to more silver glitter and dark gray and keep it tone on tone,” she says. “I might throw in a pop of red.” Gross and her husband, Ron, the chair of ophthalmology at the WVU Eye Institute, moved into the completely remodeled home three years ago right around Christmas. Gross always had artificial trees as a child and sticks to that tradition. She does take pine branches from the yard and insert them into garland that she places on the staircase railing, and she also decks out the mantel with garland. Last year, she topped off the look with a wreath from Galloway’s Florist on the home’s distinctively yellow door, adding small glass ornaments to embellish the wreath’s bow. “I keep it very simple,” she says.
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HOUSE & HOME
Loree & Jeff Houghton
CARLA WITT FORD
When your house is a Cotswolds-style cottage with Tudor influences, you almost can smell the wassail simmering on the stove. So when Loree and Jeff Houghton adorn their Hopecrest home for Christmas, garlands, wreaths, poinsettias, and two trimmed pine trees go a long way. “It’s not overblown,” Loree says. “We decorate the mantels with fresh greenery and lights and pinecones.” The family, which also includes sons Pierce, 10, and Sloan, 7, opts for a natural spruce tree the Houghtons cut down themselves at Mt. Zion Nursery in Fairmont and place in the family room. On the tree, they hang clear lights and eclectic ornaments, including those made by the boys, and wrap cranberry garland as well as grapevine around the branches. The upstairs study houses a second tree donned with “cartoony” fun ornaments—think Cookie Monster, Snoopy, Scooby-Doo, and WVU football-themed items. Last year, Jason Savage, owner of Bella Fiore in Morgantown, provided poinsettias to place around the home as well as centerpieces he put together with fresh pine, amaryllis, and holly berries, creating a welcoming, festive atmosphere for a holiday dinner.
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HOUSE & HOME
Linda & Micheal Hall
CARLA WITT FORD
Linda Hall does not have to look far to find holiday decorations for her home. The well-known collector travels to Turkey every year and brings back items to sell at her Turkish Bazaar. She also has made it a point to visit other countries, so her holiday collection features dreidels, including one from Israel, as well as angels from England, Poland, and Italy that she places on her dining room table. But her favorite angel, made by her son out of a paper plate and a spoon for her head, illustrates that personal touches mean a lot to Hall and her husband, Micheal. That also can be seen in the two ceramic nativity scenes that Linda made around the time of the couple’s 1968 wedding. The smaller one has graced the mantel of the family’s Hopecrest home for years; a larger one that Linda once gave to her parents now decorates a tilt table by the staircase. And last year, Hall knew that her visitors would include children, so she penned a letter to Santa, addressed it to the North Pole in crayon, and placed it in the wrought-iron handles of her oldfashioned mailbox on the porch. As for the tree, the couple used to go with a natural one until they had an ant “parade.” “The next year, we got an artificial tree,” she says. “It’s hard for me to say, but artificial trees are so nice now, it really looks real.”
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304.594.0115 | 2800 Cranberry Square MORGANTOWNREALESTATE.COM
1701 WATERFRONT PLACE, MORGANTOWN, $2,900,000 MLS: 10096837, Elegant 2-level penthouse living. Imported marble floors, custom imported finishes, theater, private elevator entrance, and over 5,500+/- sq. ft. of terrace areas with 360-degree views! Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115
SOARING EAGLE CONDO #411, SNOWSHOE MOUNTAIN RESORT, $450,000 MLS: 10052896 Situated high in the Allegheny Mountains, Soaring Eagle Lodge is the newest way to experience life on Snowshoe Mountain. This incredible 2 bedroom mountaintop condo is spacious enough for year round living. Slate surface floors in baths and kitchen. Exquisite decorator finishes, granite counter tops and jeweled glass tile backsplash. Ski-in, ski-out to the new Dopplemayr quad high speedchairlift right outside the lodge. Many privileges and amenities to owning this condo at Soaring Eagle Lodge.
Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115
45 ANDOVER STREET, MORGANTOWN, $995,000 MLS: 10110476, Exquisite estate on 2.45 acres near hospital, downtown & Suncrest. 8 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, indoor pool/spa, detached sunroom, 3-car garage, manicured landscaping, patios, privacy. Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115
2096 LAKESIDE ESTATES., CHEAT LAKE, $850,000 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-to-ceiling stone fireplace, and wine cellar with copper ceilings. Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115
898 MAIN STREET, BEVERLY, $499,000 MLS: 10110117, Stunning Queen Anne-style historical home known as the Humboldt Yokum House. Immaculate condition, 3140 sq. ft., 6 bedrooms, sitting on .6278 flat landscaped acres. Stacey Bartlett, Howard Hanna, 443.604.5351
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ACROSS COUNTY LINES
One Destination, a Lot of Winter Fun
Known as a skiing hub, Seven Springs Mountain Resort has much to offer all visitors, even those who don’t want to hit the slopes.
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kiers both avid and ambivalent can find plenty of winter entertainment about an hour’s drive from Morgantown at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, located in Pennsylvania’s scenic Laurel Highlands, the tallest mountain range in the state. The resort first opened to skiers in 1935, but it has changed tremendously since then, expanding to entice visitors year-round. If you love downhill skiing, the resort delivers, with 33 slopes and trails ranging from beginner to advanced. While its highest elevation, at 2,994 feet, is modest compared to Western ski resorts, its
proximity to cities such as Morgantown, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., is appealing to travelers looking for an easy driving trip. The resort has long had year-round activities. A summer wine festival has taken place there for more than 20 years, and an autumn festival has run even longer. But it has continued to fill its calendar, says Communications Manager Katie Buchan—who herself spent many childhood days skiing Seven Springs with her family and still enjoys a lunch-hour ski—including new activities for those who love winter, but maybe not the skiing part. The snow tubing park, available for
children 4 years old through adults, offers a fun take on sledding. The Alpine Slide is a bit more thrilling, offering a fast sled ride down a concrete luge. Visitors can take off on a snowshoe hike through snowy trails or test their shooting skills at the sporting clays range. Often described as “golf with a shotgun,” the sport challenges shooters at Seven Springs with three paved courses and a super sporting course. Lessons also are offered. Indoor activities include swimming, bowling, and a game room. And if you’d rather just relax, the resort’s Trillium Spa provides massages, facials, body treatments, and more. Seven Springs works hard to cater to families in December, a busy season that this year includes “Holidays in the Highlands.” This family-friendly event takes place weekends through December 23 and features a Holiday Village and Springs Town Square where guests can explore a craft show with work by more than 30 regional artists as well as seasonal foods. The wooded landscape of the resort will be illuminated with more than a million MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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ACROSS COUNTY LINES
Seven Springs Mountain Resort offers year-round activities, and more than just skiing during the winter. Guests can test their shooting skills at the sporting clays range, go snow tubing, or check out the Alpine Slide. There also are restaurants as well as a warm fireplace for cozy winter lounging and relaxation.
lights. Guests can take a nighttime drive through the 4-mile display or hop on one of the horse-drawn wagon rides. “We have the Santa Express, which is a 43-foot-long holiday train,” Buchan says. “It is trackless and children and adults can ride it through the holiday village.” Santa will be on hand for photos, of course. “We’re going to have a snowball swim every weekend, too.” The resort’s indoor pool will be filled with inflatable snowmen, penguins, and “snowballs” that encourage tossing. The resort always hopes to launch its ski season the day after Thanksgiving, weather permitting. “We open as soon as we can,” Buchan says. “We need five to seven days of snowmaking conditions so we can lay down a lot of snow—we need 28 degrees or lower with low humidity.” Seven Springs’ slopes offer something for skiers of all levels. A fast left on the North Face Slope—a 3,200-foot run with a 662-foot vertical drop—is a challenge Morgantown physical therapist Marianna Grudziak still relishes. A former member of the Pennsylvania State University ski team who grew up in Pittsburgh, she says the 40
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resort still draws skiers the way it drew her family when she was growing up. High praise for Seven Springs’ terrain parks comes from Jesse Dreyer, a former WVU ski team member from Charleston who now works as a ski patroller at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. “They have amazing terrain parks, which is a huge draw for that crowd,” he says of the specialized area that offers advanced skiers and snowboarders ramps and jumps to test their skills. “They have a huge Olympic half-pipe and large tabletop jumps when there is enough snow. When there isn’t, they still have some amazing street-style features as well.” While Seven Springs is a fine day trip from Morgantown, options for overnight accommodations include not only the main hotel lodge, but also condominiums, chalets, and cottages. Helen’s Restaurant, the resort’s fine dining option, is one of Grudziak’s favorites. On the more casual side, Foggy Brews offers craft beers and hearty bar fare such as poutine, fried pickles, and bison burgers. “It has a great atmosphere and it’s also a good place to hang outside
when it’s warm on the deck,” she says. Visitors who stay for a few days can find several attractions nearby as well, Buchan points out. Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, designed in 1935 and now on the National Register of Historic Places, is a short drive away, as are two other homes he designed, Kentuck Knob and Duncan House. The nearby Flight 93 National Memorial is a sobering reminder of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. And Ohiopyle State Park offers yearround hiking and, in the summer, whitewater rafting. Speaking of summer, Buchan says the resort increasingly draws warmweather visitors attracted to activities such as ziplining, mountain biking, rock climbing, and even a summer version of snow tubing. “It’s actually located on top of the snow tubing park,” she says. “It has a slick track—you can take the same tube you would use in the winter and slide down the tracks.” 7springs.com written by MONICA OROSZ photographed by NIKKI BOWMAN
DISH IT OUT
Making Life a Little Sweeter Naticakes relaunches with a new focus and an updated menu.
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hatever you’re in the mood for—a quick lunch, a place to snack and study, or a sweet treat— Naticakes Bakery & Crème Café has what you need. Folks may have known Naticakes— which opened in 2011 in Suncrest Towne Centre—as a frozen yogurt place that also began serving gourmet cupcakes. This past summer, it closed for a few weeks to be remodeled as a bakery and crème café, offering light lunches and dinners, sweets, coffee, and gelato. The change has had a 42
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positive effect on the business and coowner Whitney Adkins has gotten good feedback on the move. “There’s nothing like this in Morgantown,” Adkins says. At Naticakes, many new and yummy foods have been added to the lineup. Changes include a menu filled with a variety of sandwiches, salads, and soups. The sweets menu has been expanded to include macaroons and homemade cookies. Adkins and her husband, Chaille Adkins, love to see customers satisfied with their newly remodeled store and menu. “Some people will come in and sit here for hours and that’s great,” Adkins
says. “That’s what we wanted to happen.” Naticakes fan Joanna Mizener, a Cheat Lake resident, has embraced the rebranding effort. “We used to go there when it was just yogurt,” says Mizener, a health and wellness coach who operates Girls on the Run, a physical activity group. “I started going back more frequently when it was redesigned as a crème café with pastries. It’s close to both of the places I work and it’s a great place to stop for lunch.” Mizener enjoys either Naticakes’ tomato soup with a baguette or Mama Sheila’s Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich on a croissant. “It’s amazing food, very high-quality, and very fresh,” she says. And then there are the cupcakes. Flavors vary, Adkins says, with six to nine varieties offered daily, including the popular Tuxedo and Vanilla Bean, both of which Mizener enjoys. She also appreciated when she was able to get a custom flavor for a Girls on the Run event, called Bubblegum, in a light pink color with bubblegum on top. “It was very fun,” Mizener says. To get a plan for the new menu, Nicole Sloane, founder of Naticakes, traveled to Paris for French influences and talked to
DISH IT OUT Naticakes founder Nicole Sloane and Morgantown shop owners Chaille and Whitney Adkins have worked to rebrand Naticakes.
chefs for ideas. Based in Paris, Kentucky, Sloane opened Naticakes in 2011 in Morgantown, currently the only restaurant location, with the idea of selling the restaurant—which she did in 2014—and creating franchising opportunities. “We are excited to test our rebranded concept in Morgantown, and we would love to see the company grow,” Sloane adds. In the meantime, inspiration from overseas makes for a cute and quaint café in Morgantown. Upon entering Naticakes, customers see an array of fresh homemade cookies, macaroons, and cupcakes. Taylor Baker, the head baker of Naticakes, is always bringing in new ideas for its sweets menu, Adkins says. “She comes up with awesome recipes every single day.” In October, Baker made and decorated cupcakes with a Halloween theme featuring ghosts and spiders on top. “I think bakers inherently are people who are really creative,” Adkins says. Gelato is Naticakes’ best seller, a smooth Italian ice cream that comes in 11 flavors as well as seasonal favorites such as pumpkin cheesecake and caramel apple cheesecake. A popular flavor is the autumn spice crunch gelato, which
manager Drusilla Mitchell says tastes like “gingerbread and the holidays.” Customers also can get gelato in a variety of different ways, such as an Affogato—a scoop of gelato topped with hot espresso—or a gelato sandwich with the customer’s choice of two cookies and gelato in the middle. Cupcakes are also a big seller, with 32 flavors including Boston creme pie, dulce de leche, and chocolate cheesecake, along with whatever Baker comes up with that day. Since the remodeling and rebranding, macaroons and quiches also have been a big hit for the store. Mizener is a fan of the quiche; her favorite is the tomato basil. “It is very fresh,” she says. “It tastes like you picked it out of their garden.” Naticakes offers catering; customers also can hold birthday parties in the store, featuring a menu that includes sandwiches, salads, and all of the desserts. The name “Naticakes” comes from the nickname for Sloane’s niece, Natalie, who passed away unexpectedly in 2007 at the age of 23 months from an undetected heart condition. Because of the little girl’s love for sweets, Sloane says, she was inspired
to open a bakery Naticakes Bakery with treats almost & Crème Café as sweet as Natalie. 1030 Suncrest In partnership with Towne Centre Drive 304.241.1401 the Natalie Wynn naticakes.com Carter Foundation, Naticakes has helped children locally and around the world. The foundation recently helped build a playground for a special needs orphanage in China. Naticakes is now helping raise funds to build a playground for the new Suncrest Primary School. Naticakes also is the home of what Adkins calls the “Pay It Forward” bulletin board. A customer can write a little note that might say something like, “This is for someone who’s had a bad day and deserves a cupcake,” then give money to an employee. The cupcake would then go to a customer who walks in who seems to be in need of cheering up, using the note instead of money. “I wanted to give back to the community and this was an outlet to do that in different ways,” Adkins explains. written by cami coulter photographed by callie lindsey MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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Whether it’s Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or someone’s birthday . . . The Cupcakerie is perfect for every occassion! We deliver! thecupcakerie.com 194 Willey Street • 304.212.5464 orders@thecupcakerie.com
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THE 2017
CHAMBER AWARDS written by Mary
J
Wade Burnside and Cynthia McCloud
ohn and Robert Lynch started out working in their father’s glass company and shifted into roles as major Morgantown developers. Bob Klein began selling Xerox products nearly 40 years ago and eventually opened his own business, Document Solutions. Wedgewood Family Practice and Psychiatry Associates has served the Morgantown community for nearly 38 years, while the Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center has been helping children in the area for nearly 12 years. BrickStreet Insurance might be located in Charleston, but the company’s philanthropy can be felt in the University City. Omega Commercial Interiors are the new kids on the block, but the company has nearly tripled its workforce in three years. And they all have at least one thing in common: They are this year’s recipients of the 2017 Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce Awards.
David McCormick and Peggy Schifano Lovio opened Omega Commercial Interiors three years ago.
director of marketing for BFS Companies, points out how attentive McCormick and Lovio have been as the company builds the new BFS headquarters in Cheat Lake. McCormick is “just down-to-earth, friendly, and easy to work with,” Graham says. “He and Peggy will do whatever they have to do to get you what you need as quick as they can. They go above and beyond.” She was impressed how Lovio spent four hours with her over the span of two days configuring the layout of the space. “It was quite a job to do the cubicles. She’s thorough. She goes to the site, measures, and makes suggestions, and lays it out so you can visually see it.” McCormick and Lovio met in 1998 as co-workers at another firm. McCormick had left Logan to major in marketing at WVU, graduating in 1991, before going to Baton Rouge. But he yearned to return to West Virginia. Meanwhile, Lovio, a Morgantown native, had graduated from WVU in 1983 with a degree in interior design and landed a job doing just that at an office supply store. “I lucked out,” she says. Both McCormick and Lovio understand the importance of what they do. “People spend more time at work than they do at home,” McCormick says. “So you’ve got to try and make their workspace not only functional but comfortable.” These days, that means modern and open, with more space and more neutral tones, Lovio says. “You don’t see private offices anymore. Everyone is more collaborative. It’s a situation where you have several people working in one area so you can communicate more.” Omega’s success means that McCormick and Lovio must do for themselves what they do for others— find a larger office, maybe one with a small showroom, Lovio says. “We’re definitely outgrowing our space.” omegacommercialinteriors.com
Omega Commercial Interiors nabs the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 New Business of the Year Award. David McCormick grew up in a family business that still operates today, McCormick’s Furniture Store in Logan. So when he had the opportunity to return from Baton Rouge to West Virginia via Morgantown, he took it. And after he became friends with a co-worker with interior design skills—Peggy Schifano Lovio—the two decided to strike out on their own to fulfill all of their career goals. “Having grown up in a family business, I always aspired to have my own company,” he says. Notes Lovio: “We always wanted to have a business and the opportunity came 46
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and we did it.” They launched that business, Omega Commercial Interiors, in December 2013. In three years it has tripled sales and nearly quadrupled the number of employees from three to 11, picking up some big clients along the way, not only in Morgantown—like Ruby Memorial Hospital—but also all over the state. “We want to provide jobs that are well-paying jobs,” McCormick says. “We’re trying to create jobs for the community.” The quality of McCormick and Lovio’s work gets them noticed. Hayley Graham,
—MWB
NIKKI BOWMAN
The Perfect End-Game for Creating Great Office Space
Bob Klein and Jennifer Bonner’s customer service has earned Document Solutions recognition.
Not a Carbon Copy
MARY WADE BURNSIDE
Document Solutions earns the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Small Business of the Year Award. As daughter Jennifer Bonner keys a command into a computer, Bob Klein waits for a professional-quality color brochure, folded and ready to go, to kick out of the nearly 11-foot long Xerox Color C75 Press on display at their business, Document Solutions. Klein has been dealing in Xerox products for 40 years now, first starting in early 1977 as a sales rep for the North Central West Virginia region. Since 1996, he has owned Document Solutions—tucked away in a space on the Mileground—exclusively selling Xerox products to a clientele that he has built up in the past four decades. And in that time, he has seen Xerox go from being primarily known as a company that manufactures copiers to one that has jumped into the 21st century with full force. “It’s evolved into a lot of solutions— printers, scanners, what we call ‘print management,’ where we’ll manage all printers and provide service supplies for
it,” Klein says. “It’s really evolved—and technology is a lot of that reason—into more solutions versus a physical product. A lot of it is software-related.” These days, Klein can offer his clients—which range in size from Mylan Pharmaceuticals to Morgantown Printing & Binding to a physician practice down the street—smaller, faster, less expensive machines that allow customers to create professional-looking documents and brochures in smaller batches, which saves money and makes revisions and updates easier. “Scanning was never an option years ago and now it’s something that’s a common household term. I can remember when copiers became copiers and printers. That was huge, to have a device to do both.” Document Solutions also has a 3D printer on display along with small plastic items such as a rocket that it created. But Klein’s success has a lot to do with his customer service, too. He has
worked with Steptoe & Johnson for at least 35 years, says managing partner Susan Brewer, first in his capacity as an independent contractor and then as owner of Document Solutions. She has seen Klein’s commitment to his clients. “We’ve had a couple of situations over the years where we’ve had a large trial of some sort where we were away from the office in a different county or different city, or we had a war room set up in a different location than our office,” she says. “And he will provide us with copy machines to get us through that trial. He’s always really helpful.” A native of Point Marion, Pennsylvania, Penn State graduate Klein landed in Morgantown after he got married. Bonner also attended Penn State, and after working for Xerox in the Washington, D.C., area she moved back to Morgantown nearly three years ago to work with her father. Her brother, Kenneth Klein, does IT for Document Solutions. Eventual plans include moving into a location that will be more accessible for clients, Bonner says. But one thing will not change. “The differentiator becomes the service we provide,” she says. wvdocs.com —MWB MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company wins the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Large Business of the Year Award. It’s been nearly 11 years since BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Company took over for and privatized the former workers’ compensation system run by the state of West Virginia. The company was set up with a $200 million surplus note from the state with 10 years to pay it back. “We paid it back in 3½ years,” says Greg Burton, who has served as CEO of BrickStreet since its inception. With that success, BrickStreet has been able to expand into 16 states, with three regional offices and 500 employees. That careful management also has allowed BrickStreet to fund scholarships and other charitable efforts. For instance, in early 2013, BrickStreet provided $3 million for the naming rights to the BrickStreet Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at WVU’s College of Business & Economics. That money supports academics by way of 48
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a new entrepreneurship major and an entrepreneurship minor and has expanded the school’s noted West Virginia Collegiate Business Plan Competition—open to 27 institutions across the state—to 100,000 high school students, Director Steve Cutright notes. “When I came here in June of 2012, the Collegiate Business Plan Competition had 116 submissions with six different institutions,” Cutright says. “This year, for the ’16-’17 operating year, the competition had 305 entries with 16 different institutions.” BrickStreet also has helped students to the tune of $7.5 million in direct scholarships so far, Burton says. It has been a circuitous road for BrickStreet, which had a monopoly providing workers’ compensation and black lung benefits in the state for the first 2½ years of its existence, until the marketplace was opened up.
—MWB
COURTESY OF BRICKSTREET
Spreading the Wealth
Now BrickStreet has about 50 percent of the state’s market, Burton says, and also has expanded into other states. “When we were first created, the concentration was on getting the workers’ comp market in West Virginia fixed and I think we’ve done that,” he says. “There are companies in West Virginia that may have an office in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, wherever. Unless BrickStreet could branch out and cover those, you could have lost those policies. For us to be competitive in the marketplace, we needed to branch out beyond our borders.” But BrickStreet still has its West Virginia success story to tell. Claims have gone down—a direct result, Burton says, of the efforts to improve workplace safety. “BrickStreet has gotten a lot of return on the safety and loss specialists on staff who work with employers or clients to give them ideas on how to have a safe work environment,” he says. “We do a lot of training on lifting, driving, a number of things. We’ll go out and train employers to train their employees. That make a safer work environment.” brickstreet.com
Laura Capage heads up the Mon County Child Advocacy Center.
A Safe Space
MARY WADE BURNSIDE
The Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center takes home the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Nonprofit of the Year Award. Repeating the details of alleged abuse or violent crime can be as painful to a child as living through it the first time. Before there were agencies like the Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center, which opened in April 2005, child victims would sometimes have to tell their stories a dozen times or more, each to a different authority. The center is more than a place where children tell their stories, says Laura Capage, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and founding director of MCCAC. It facilitates communication between the investigators and provides therapy and other services. When Child Protective Services or law enforcement brings a referral to the child advocacy center, the staff invites all of the investigators to watch a forensic interview of the child. Capage or another trained interviewer questions the child on camera while police, prosecutors, medical
professionals, and others watch on TV elsewhere. The interviewer wears an earpiece so she can ask the child specific questions from the authorities. The center stays neutral. “Our job when we interview a kid is to take care of that child, not to make an investigation,” Capage says. “We ask questions in a neutral, non-leading way that is appropriate, at a pace that doesn’t retraumatize the child. We don’t have a dog in the hunt. Families can feel comfortable with us doing it.” Advantages include ensuring that children do not have to be interviewed more than once; the process also allows for investigators’ questions to be asked. “We decide how to interject those questions and how to phrase them.” MCCAC also offers individual, family, and group therapy on-site. “We provide the most mental health services of any
child advocacy center in West Virginia,” Capage says. And the center runs programs focused on preventing abuse and training adults how to educate kids about body safety and how to keep children safe. Staff members work with parents to make sure they have healthy relationships so kids aren’t exposed to violence; they also provide services in schools for kids identified as at risk of abuse. In 2015, the center provided services to 730 people in Mon County across three programs, Capage says. A private nonprofit, MCCAC has to find ways to fund its work because all of its services, whether for victims or family members, are offered free of charge. “I think that’s something very unique about what we provide,” she says. “We’re proud to be able to provide that in our community.” The biggest of its annual fundraisers is Girls Night Out, which will take place April 7, 2017, at the Waterfront Place Hotel. The event will include food, dancing, pampering, and an auction, Capage says. In August, the center holds a family-friendly 5K for adults and children with food and activities such as face painting. moncocac.org — CM MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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Shaping the Future John & Bob Lynch are honored with the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Earl L. Core Award. Bob and John Lynch grew up in the glass business—their father, R. Emmett Lynch, co-founded the Davis-Lynch Glass Company in Star City, for which Bob now serves as president and John as vice president. But instead of crafting glass globes for lamps and light fixtures, the two—especially John—have labored to help shape the land of their hometown into developments and businesses. Working in different companies with various configurations of partners—JJDL, LDL, and Bojan, the latter of which teamed up with Consol Energy to create MonView LLC, developer of University Town Centre—the Lynches have had a part in growing the city for more than 35 years. That started with the Morgantown Mall in Westover, then to the area around Sheetz off Exit 155 of Interstate 79 and then University Town Centre, and continues now at WestRidge Business + Retail Park, land west of I-79 that will include restaurants, retail, and commercial space. 50
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For John Lynch, his interest in development grew after he found a new location for the glass company, as well as from watching their father in action. “Dad always had an interest in real estate and property,” John says. “I looked up to my father and respected him. I’m still constantly doing that at 75. I’m still developing properties. It keeps me young to do that and to be active.” It started around 1980 when the Lynch family purchased property off Exit 152 of I-79. That would be developed into the Morgantown Mall, which opened in 1990, as well as Lowe’s, a few restaurants, and a hotel. “I knew it was available, and I knew it was on an interchange. It was a good spot. That’s just vision. The growth usually occurs at interchanges.” Recent expansion at University Town Centre has included a Courtyard by Marriott, the Monongalia County Ballpark, two car dealerships, a Buffalo Wild Wings, and WVU Medicine physician offices. A
new interstate interchange, Exit 153 of I-79, has improved access to that west end of University Town Centre. Plus, the Lynches are continuing their development across to the west side as WestRidge Business + Retail Park, with announcements expected in the coming months of the restaurants and big box stores that will open there in the next year or two. As part of that, about 17 acres has been prepared for new stores near the interstate. A new road that leads to the new FedEx Ground distribution center also has 25 acres on one side and 35 acres on the other that is being prepared for development. “When the weather breaks this spring, we’ll see some buildings go up,” John says. While his brother has been in the forefront of the development business, Bob Lynch also has tended to DavisLynch Glass Company, overseeing the operations, “involved in every aspect” except for making the glass. “I go down and admire the workers when they do it,” Bob says of the hand-blown crystal and opal methods employed to create the glass. “If you haven’t seen it, it’s pretty impressive.” — MWB
ELIZABETH ROTH
Bob and John Lynch have been developing land in Morgantown for more than 35 years.
Dr. Megan Johnson and Dr. Anthony Marcucci belong to the staff of Wedgewood Family Practice.
Dr. Anthony Marcucci treats a patient.
Around-the-Clock Care
MARY WADE BURNSIDE
Wedgewood Family Practice claims the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Medium Business of the Year Award. Morgantown pediatrician Dr. Vincent Kolanko still treats some of his “kids” even now that they are all grown up— when they bring their own children to see him at Wedgewood Family Practice and Psychiatry Associates. “It means so much to me to take care of several generations, which has really been fulfilling for me,” Kolanko says. “I am always complimented when parents allow me to care for their most prized possessions. I can’t think of a greater honor than that.” Similarly, Dr. C. Brian Arthurs has the most extensive geriatric practice in the group, said Wedgewood’s Chief Operating Officer Frank Ortiz. Arthurs’ patients started seeing him when they were young adults. Wedgewood’s staff of 105, which includes 13 doctors, provides care from pediatrics to geriatrics, including occupational medicine, women’s health, and psychiatry and psychotherapy. Dr. Wilbur Sine and Dr. Richard Gais founded Wedgewood in 1979, Ortiz says. The business has grown to four locations:
Suncrest, Westover, Cheat Lake, and the behavioral health arm of the practice, on Burroughs Street. The offices get close to 58,000 visits each year, Ortiz says. Wedgewood was one of the first practices in Morgantown to accept patients who walk in without an appointment for acute care. No matter which office a patient visits, the staff can see medical records even if the patient typically visits a different location. “Wedgewood provides urgent care without the added fees of traditional urgent care centers and with the convenience of continuity of care,” Ortiz says. Wedgewood also distinguishes itself from many other practices by offering extended hours not only on weekdays, but on weekends, for walk-in patients. Each family practice location is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; all but Suncrest Towne Centre also are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Those evening and weekend hours are not for appointments, however. Appointment hours end at 5 p.m. on weekdays.
In addition, the full-time partners and physicians are always at the same locations. Part-time and mid-level providers go where they are needed. “We are not just a standalone clinic,” Ortiz says. “We really take our patients to heart. We consider ourselves family in terms of making sure we provide care to patients we ourselves would like to be provided to us.” The practice interacts with the community outside its offices by sponsoring youth league and high school sports teams and sponsoring a 5K event, usually in October, to benefit the Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center and the Cured Kids Cancer Fund. The 2017 race will be the fifth annual. “All of the money raised is 100 percent donated,” Ortiz said. “We pay for the expenses out of our pocket. We don’t take them out of the proceeds from the race.” Practice members see recognition from the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce as a nice validation for the efforts they have made. “We’re extremely happy winning the award,” Ortiz says. “We have worked very hard to establish ourselves in the community as a source of health care. We have always taken great pride in our patients and making sure we provide the best care possible to those patients.” wedgewood-fp.com — CM MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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& their pups
written by Mary Wade Burnside photographed by Carla Witt Ford
SHUTTERSTOCK
Dogs rule—and sometimes, so do their humans. Seven influential citizens spend quality time with their best canine friends, on the job or at home.
Cliff Sutherland
triple s harley-davidson Cliff Sutherland’s love of motorcycles might be exceeded only by his enthusiasm for Morgantown—and his fondness for dachshunds Baxter and Charlie. The co-owner of Triple S Harley-Davidson serves on several boards, including Mylan Park, the Greater Morgantown CVB, and Operation Welcome Home, and he also co-founded the West Virginia MountainFest motorcycle rally. Wife Patty first got Baxter, and then Charlie, but they ended up bonding with Sutherland. “They are definitely my boys,” he says. MM Why is economic growth so important to you? CS Because of the quality of life issues. It enables all citizens in the county to enjoy things, such as the new aquatic center coming to Mylan Park. Then you are bringing in quality people from the outside to fill quality jobs. It’s a cycle. It’s more opportunity. MM You moved to Morgantown from upstate New York in ninth grade when your father got a job here. Why did you decide to stay? CS I had lived in rural areas. To me, this was exciting. It was metropolitan to me. MM Baxter and Charlie seem pretty comfortable perched on a motorcycle with you. CS You’d be surprised at the number of dogs that come in here. Customers ride in on their bikes with them. We do pictures with the Easter Bunny on a motorcycle, and Santa on a motorcycle. Most people bring their kids, but a lot of them bring their pets to have their picture taken with Santa on a motorcycle. It’s pretty funny.
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Barbara Alexander
howard hanna premier properties Barbara Alexander McKinney has been working in the real estate business for 35 years in Morgantown, but more than half of her resume lists the organizations she has served as a volunteer or a board member, including Your Community Foundation, Rosenbaum Family House, and WVU Medicine Children’s. “That came from my parents,” says the Morgantown native, who launched Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander in 1999. “My parents were always active in my school. Between church and school they were always
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giving and involved.” A water-filled dog bowl and a rope toy in her Cheat Lake office show that her Chesapeake Bay retriever, Jackson, is often at her side. MM During your years of selling real estate, what changes have you seen in Morgantown? BAM Growth. It’s just been phenomenal, the growth I’ve seen through the entire county. That’s the best thing I can say about Morgantown, is how much we’ve grown. MM What do you point out to clients from out of town who are considering a move to Morgantown? BAM We show them the growth where they put in the new exit toward the Black Bear
stadium (the Monongalia County Ballpark), and University Town Centre. We show them that and show them the growth of the hospital. If you look at what’s happening now with Ruby Memorial, they are building a new tower. There is a lot of growth at the hospital alone, in every department. MM You and your husband, Carlton, are both so busy with your jobs. Knowing that, how did you approach having a dog? BAM That’s one of the reasons Jackson started coming to work with me. He hangs out with me in my office. I take him for walks, which gets me exercise during the day. He goes on appointments with me when I go check on properties.
Diana Martinelli reed college of media
Some people occasionally take their dogs to the office. For Diana Martinelli, associate dean of the Reed College of Media, it’s an everyday occurrence. In fact, Omega, her blue standard poodle, has her own office hours—and a Twitter handle, @wvumediahound. Omega is a therapy dog, originally trained through WVU’s Hearts of Gold program to be a service dog for someone with disabilities. Omega’s fear of loud noises and friendly nature meant she was better suited to soothe students, who can visit with her to relieve stress and anxiety. Omega, who turns 5 in January, looks right at home lounging in Martinelli’s Martin Hall office, filled with WVU-themed items including a large pillow and a blue and gold rope toy. “She’s very well-branded,” Martinelli says. MM Does Omega follow you everywhere? DM She accompanies me to meetings and when I fill in for the dean at events, and when we go to the Innovation Center at Evansdale Crossing, I sometimes take her with me. But sometimes I leave her. She has office hours Monday through Thursday, noon to 2 or 3 in the afternoon. So sometimes she hangs out with our advising team so students can interact with her. MM How does Omega act when she is off duty? DM It’s interesting, with these dogs, they have been trained that when they have their vests on, they know they are at work. When we get home, I say, “Release.” And she steps out of the vest and she plays with her best friend next door, a boxer. At home, when the doorbell rings, she’s a regular dog. She wants to see who’s at the door. MM You graduated from WVU. How has it changed since you were a student? DM It’s more diverse. I believe we have a focus on diversity and bringing people from other countries and more diverse domestic populations, which is a good thing. MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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Shane Lyons
wvu athletics As Director of Athletics, Shane Lyons oversees WVU’s 18 varsity sports teams, 450 student athletes, and the department’s 220 employees and $77 million budget. That keeps Lyons pretty busy, so he especially enjoys spending time with his family—wife, Emily, and teenagers Cameron and Brooke—as well as a nearly 10-year-old black Labrador retriever, Ebony, and a yellow and white cat named Kitty that literally moved into the family home while it was under construction. The position that he began in January 2015 has been a homecoming for Lyons, a native of Parkersburg who earned sports management bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WVU. MM How important is sports to Morgantown? SL I think sports is very important to Morgantown for several reasons. One is the economic impact the sports program brings to the community. And obviously it’s an entertainment opportunity. And the various sports— from football to basketball to our Olympic sports—are an opportunity for the community to come together and cheer for the university. MM How has Morgantown changed since you earned your WVU degrees in 1987 and 1988? SL It’s grown in size and the university has grown in size as well. It’s got a lot more shopping and a lot more businesses than when I was here in school. MM I hear that Ebony likes to follow you around the house. Does she have any special skills? SL She does the typical handshake and high five. And she’s a talker. If you talk to her, she’ll talk back.
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Patricia Watson bb&t
The holidays remind Patricia Watson of her beloved sheltie-collie mix, Max, who died at the end of July 2016. She and her partner, Brian Tift, found Max, who had been abandoned, at a Christmas tree farm in 2001. “He followed us around while we were shopping for a tree,” Watson says. “I asked if he could be my Christmas present. He was the best Christmas present ever.” Watson, a vice president with BB&T and a wealth adviser for the northern half of the state, has been looking for a new dog through Pet Helpers, a Fairmont-based rescue organization. During her search for the right match, she spent some time with boxer Duke, who is available for adoption (information@pethelpersinc.org). Watson is no stranger to service organizations; she is on the boards of Philanthropy West Virginia, the Foundation of Mon General Hospital, Catholic Charities, and Arts Monongahela. MM You have jokingly referred to your job as a combination of being a personal assistant and family therapist. Why is that? PW I am a relationship manager for the bank’s top clients, so I advocate for their financial and personal needs. I had a client who called me at 10 at night who had a water leak in her house and I had to find a plumber to help fix that. By helping my clients grow or maintain their assets or businesses—a lot of them are business owners, and that turns around and helps the community at large. MM You’re a Wheeling native who has adopted Morgantown as your hometown. What was the draw? PW It was a very livable community and it had a lot to offer from a work, arts, and culture perspective. MM How did Max get his name? PW He was so skinny and sad-looking. He looked like the dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
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Julie Smith changepartner
A native of Minnesota, Julie Smith has lived in Morgantown ever since she attended WVU for her doctorate in behavioral analysis. After graduation, she co-founded the global consulting firm Continuous Learning Group (CLG) in 1993. In 2015, Smith retired and started a new company, ChangePartner, which develops apps to help leaders achieve high performance. She often has her dog, Scooter Marie, with her at her Morgantown office. The Welsh corgi also has the run of Heston Farm Winery in Fairmont, where co-owners Smith and her husband, Mickey Heston, often stay.
This is not Scooter Marie’s first brush with fame; she also appears in a painting featuring her likeness on the label of Heston Farm’s Little Red Train extra sweet red variety.
great. The friends I have at the university are fantastic. The economic situation is great. I think it’s vibrant with an international feel, and it’s growing more and more.
MM As a Minnesota native, what kept you in Morgantown after you graduated from WVU?
MM As a busy professional, you had reservations about getting a dog. How did that change?
JS We were able to draw off the university in that program. Behavior analysis is a specialty area, and WVU is considered to be one of the top programs internationally. MM What do you like about Morgantown? JS I think it’s a very small town with big-town access to big-town activities. There are a lot of cultural things going on and sports are
JS Because we were traveling so much, neither of us was sure we could take care of a dog. We finally broke down and got one. And then we quickly got rescue dogs and the dog population grew at the farm. Once you have a dog, you can’t help it. They worm their way into your heart.
Tammie Alexander steptoe & johnson
A theme of shelter and protection emerges when Tammie Alexander lists the organizations she has served as a board member—Habitat for Humanity, Friends of WVU Hospitals, Caritas House. Alexander worked as a paralegal while raising her daughter, attending law school, and juggling volunteer work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children. The Steptoe & Johnson real estate attorney also enjoys having a dog in her life. After the death three years ago of her beloved 19-year-old mixed-breed dog, Dancer, she adopted her now 3-year-old rambunctious bundle of energy, Sugar Ray. MM Why has volunteer work been so important to you? TA I grew up poor in Marshall County, so having a good place to live was always special to me. That spiraled into some other things. Everything I ever did in nonprofits was related to personal experience. MM As a real estate attorney, what do you think of the growth Morgantown has undergone in recent years? TA It’s been fun to see those nice new homes being built. It goes back to my original goal of everybody having a nice home to live in. I see a lot of changes in the landscape and new businesses and vibrancy. MM You have a funny story about knowing that Dancer would approve of Sugar Ray. TA When I was going to the pet store to get supplies for him, I saw a rainbow that led to the store, which I saw as message from Dancer. But now I say Dancer is laughing at me. She was so low maintenance and Ray is the complete opposite. I think Dancer played a really funny trick on me.
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ACCELERATION LANE
NIKKI BOWMAN
With the opening of Exit 153 on Interstate 79, Greater Morgantown is about to take off.
written by
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o far, the area across the Star City Bridge has been little more than a just-across-the-river addition to Morgantown-area shopping districts. Granted, growth west of the bridge got a slow start. The first baseball was pitched at Mylan Park a full decade and a half ago, and University Town Centre followed soon after, in 2005. Then it was 2013 before The Gateway opened.
Pam Kasey
But a powerful new center of gravity is about to form across the river. It’s a massive retail, commercial, and recreational expansion based on flat land, spectacular interstate access, and deal-making know-how. This story centers on Interstate 79’s exits 152, 153, and 155. What’s happening there is going to change Morgantown as we know it.
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EAST OF I-79 At University Town Centre, east of the interstate, 2015 gave us the Monongalia County Ballpark and the WVU outpatient facility. And 2016 saw the Courtyard by Marriott open its high-end lodging in the spring, along with the retail expansion that included A.C. Moore, Firehouse Subs, Kirkland’s, and other shops. It’s all been received enthusiastically. “In terms of the big chains up there, they have national averages and all of the stores greatly exceeded expectations,” says Ryan Lynch speaking for Mon-View LLC, the Lynch family–Consol Energy joint venture that’s developing much of the area around the interstate. All of this growth called for a new interchange, and Exit 153 opened on September 1. The spate of new construction in 2015 and 2016 seemed sudden, but it was grounded in planning and collaboration that goes back several years. Central to it, and to much more to come, was creation of a TIF district in 2012 and 2013. Tax Increment Financing bootstraps development by allowing a jurisdiction—the county, in this case—to sell bonds to support the infrastructure for new development within a specifically defined geographic area. If the development succeeds as expected, the increased property tax or sales tax revenues that follow from the defined area repay the bonds. The TIF district is enabling development to progress along the east to the new interchange and west across the highway. And there’s plenty still to come in 2017 east of the interchange, including the only additional retail expected on that side of the highway: a 40,000-square-foot Star Furniture store. A freestanding Buffalo Wild Wings opened in early December, and the regional teppanyaki chain Fusion Steakhouse will establish its fifth location. Even though several hotels opened in Morgantown in the past year, the Hilton franchise is doubling down on the bet that lodging is still good business in Morgantown, with a second Hampton Inn location and Home2 Suites, a Hilton extended-stay property. A little farther behind but also committed are Wendy’s and Panda Express. And the biggest construction sites visible from the highway are for the relocation of two local car dealerships: Freedom Ford, long based in Sabraton, and Freedom Kia in Westover. Of the 55 acres past Walmart, that leaves just 9 acres uncommitted, Lynch says. In November 2016, 7 of the 9 were the subject of strong interest.
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As stakeholders hashed out the definition of the TIF district in 2012, the broad potential for the area became clear, recalls outgoing County Commissioner Eldon Callen. “On the west side of the interstate, the original proposal included a small portion along the highway,” Callen explains. “The focus was really the ballfield, on the east side, and then building up commercial and retail around it. I wasn’t going to be in favor of it unless we included the full west side, more than 40 different potential property owners over there.” That meant taking the district all the way west to Chaplin Hill Road. It’s the most dangerous road in the county but also the site of Mylan Park Elementary School, Callen says, where children of some of the lowestincome families in the county go to school. “Making Chaplin Hill a four-lane road had to be part of the TIF. My focus has been, to make a TIF work it has to be a regional development plan, not just a developers’ plan.” With that, the commission approved the TIF district in 2012 and, after some wrangling, state approval followed in 2013. What developers have in the works there is on a grand scale.
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EXIT 153
Morgantown Mall EXIT 152
COURTESY OF MON-VIEW
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Think of the Morgantown Mall, at Exit 152. Now think of The Gateway, at Exit 155—about two miles away. Mon-View’s WestRidge Business + Retail Park will extend across much of that distance, in seven phases of staged development. The first four phases are currently in progress—that’s about 180 acres there alone—with five, six, and seven little farther behind. The FedEx Ground distribution center above and behind the Morgantown Mall was first. It opened in fall 2016, in time for the holiday season. New shopping and dining at WestRidge will start with WestRidge Crossing, straddling the traffic circle that’s already paved just west of Exit 153. Commitments on the west side of the highway aren’t far enough along yet to name specific retailers, Lynch says, but WestRidge Crossing so far includes fast food and fast-casual restaurants, a convenience store, and a hotel. Roads and utilities will be finished there in spring 2017, and some
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businesses should be open within the year. More retail is under development beyond that, at WestRidge Commons. Interstate Development of Bristol, Tennessee—the commercial real estate firm that put together the original retail strip at University Town Centre—is assembling retailers for more than 300,000 square feet of shopping space. That will be primarily what’s known in retail as “soft goods”: clothing, linens. Several restaurants are expected as well. We can look for that phase to start opening in 2018. Other sections are slated for commercial development. WestRidge Corporate Park lies nearer to Exit 155 and Chaplin Hill Road, although it can be accessed from any of the exits. At least half of that was under purchase agreement in November 2016. One of three pads will be an office building for a single Fortune 500 occupant. With those plans alone, about half of WestRidge will be MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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developed within about two years—quick for a site this size. Remaining phases include plans for a business park as well as a possible light industrial use on one large site near the FedEx facility. “It’s nearly an 80-acre pad site, and the development office is thrilled to have that there for something that really needs a lot of space,” says Monongalia County Development Authority President Holly Childs. “Trying to find a site of 20 acres in this market is difficult—80 is fantastic.” WVU Medicine is also evaluating the area for possible future development, according to spokesperson Amy Johns. The feel at WestRidge is a little more park-like than the continuous expanse of pavement at University Town Centre. Roadways include bike lanes—that’s started already with the road that’s been built up to the FedEx building—and green space is being retained between the phases. “One nice thing about this development is that it connects three interchanges,” Lynch says. “That’s one of the things the hospital system likes and definitely something FedEx likes—if one interchange is backed up or closed for a wreck, they can go to one of the others.” Childs emphasizes the rarity of three-exit access. “There’s nothing like that in the whole region—in all of North Central West Virginia.” In total, the recent and soon-to-come development on both sides of the highway could amount to as much as $900,000,000 of investment, says Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom, citing an economic impact study of the development. WestRidge alone is expected to support nearly 10,000 jobs, he says.
FedEx was the first business to open at WestRidge.
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WestRidge roadways include bike lanes.
A roundabout directs drivers entering WestRidge from University Town Centre or from the new Exit 153.
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The Gateway at Exit 155 is also part of the TIF district and has grown steadily since Triple S Harley-Davidson opened there in 2013, soon followed by The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille and other restaurants. Candlewood Suites, La Quinta Inn & Suites, and Hobby Lobby opened in 2016. And in 2017, Sportsman’s Emporium. “Sportsman’s is a specialty hunting–fishing–camping store, the largest chain of its kind west of the Mississippi,” says developer Cliff Sutherland. “They carry quality merchandise at discount prices. People I know who are big hunters or fishermen, they’re really excited it’s coming. It will be the first one in West Virginia, so it’s a regional destination.” Among other newcomers at The Gateway in 2017 will be a car dealership and a Mon General Hospital urgent care facility, and further developments are in planning for 2018. And rounding out the slate of investments northwest of town are more than $50 million in planned additions at Exit 155’s recreational destination, Mylan Park. Currently in the financing phase are track and aquatic centers for both public and competition use, of a scale and caliber to host regional meets. “The aquatic center would have two pools—one more of a commuunity-based pool with slides and a kids’ play area, those sorts of things, and then a 50-meter competitive pool for our high schools, swim clubs, WVU,” says Mylan Park board President Ron Justice. “The track, none of our county schools have track facilities where you could host multi-team meets and we’re looking to be able to do that in track and cross country. But it would also allow for community runs and walks and other events.” Assuming financing comes into place, those facilities are tentatively projected to open by mid-2019. Not far behind are a range of other improvements at Mylan Park, says Sutherland, who also serves on the organization’s board. That includes artificial turf to improve the experience
New athletic fields and an amphitheater are among more than $50 million in planned additions at Mylan Park.
COURTESY OF MON-VIEW (2); COURTESY OF MYLAN PARK
A lot of ground is being moved already at WestRidge. In this south-looking view taken from a drone over WestRidge Commons and WestRidge Crossing, Interstate 79 and the roundabout just off Exit 153 are at the left; right of center in the distance is the Morgantown Mall and, to the far right, FedEx Ground.
Looking east from WestRidge Commons and WestRidge Crossing across the new interchange. University Town Centre is at the left, the WVU Coliseum at the right.
on the existing baseball fields and extend their season, with movable mounds to make those fields available for soccer, lacrosse, and 7-on-7 football; additional new multipurpose fields; an amphitheater to meet the frequent staging needs of large events hosted at Mylan Park; and concessions facilities. Better road access as part of the TIF is included, which Justice says is probably on a longer timeline than the aquatic park and track center. With the additions, Morgantown residents will have many more opportunities to participate in sports close to home. “There are more than 3,000 kids who play soccer here and more than 600 adults, and there are no lighted soccer fields other than at the schools,” Sutherland says by way of example. “Now more people will be able to play and we’ll have lighted facilities for them. And Morgantown will be able to host multiple events, soccer and baseball and lacrosse, for overnight guests.” The TIF, and the vision that extended the TIF district to Mylan Park, have made all of this possible, Sutherland says. “Without it there’s no way you could do some of these developments. The funds go through the county commission and I’ve been very impressed at how they’re making sure the infrastructure is completed, not just for the developers but for the big picture. They’re making sure it’s being done properly.”
LIVING IN THE MORGANTOWN TO COME When we’re told to expect 40,000 more residents by 2040, this is how it happens: More jobs, more places to shop, recreational facilities that make people want to live here. But where will they all live? It’s true that housing is not part of the current plans. But Sutherland hints that discussions are underway and that south of the Morgantown Mall is a likely area for new housing development. “I’m not involved in that directly but I believe that this’ll be the next Cheat Lake-type residential area, here on this side of the river heading south towards Fairmont,” he says. “I think you’re going to see it explode.” Near these interchanges and the coming road improvements is also a possible location for a fourth high school that would be needed in the county as Morgantown grows, Callen says. “This opens up a whole central area of opportunities. We’re talking about highpaying jobs, opportunities for recreation and for education,” he says. “It can be a central economic core that combines the commercial interests of Morgantown, Star City, Westover, and Granville into a common interest—an economic driver for the entire region, reaching into the surrounding counties.” MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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ROAD RAGE
Bridge Becoming Concrete Many of the $136 million of Tier 1 priorities in the 2040 LRTP are nearer-term projects: intersection and road improvements, bicycle and pedestrian connections. But one Tier 1 project stands out as vastly more ambitious than the others. A new bridge over the Monongahela River was estimated at $45 million in 2013—one-third of all of the expected state and federal funding through 2040—so it bears careful scrutiny. Do we really need a third bridge? It seems drastic. But remember, this isn’t just about us and our gridlock. It’s about us plus 40,000 more people we expect to live with by 2040. Doing nothing is not an option. In the spirit of careful scrutiny, the MMMPO undertook an I-79 Access Study of transportation goals and alternatives. Consultants HDR of Pittsburgh considered “no build” and “transportation system management” options that would work with existing infrastructure. They also considered 12 alternatives that paired various bridge locations—8th Street, Patteson Drive, and Collins Ferry Road—with various traffic re-routings. Laying out benefits and costs, HDR’s October 2016 draft report recommended three alternatives. All center on a bridge over the Mon at Collins Ferry Road. Variations would funnel traffic from Van Voorhis or from Van Voorhis and Point Marion roads to West Run Road and the river, connecting to Interstate 79 across the river at Exit 155 or at a new exit—156, maybe—at Pursglove. The recommended alternatives come in at a much higher cost than the 2013 estimate, anything from $110 million to $145 million. “There is a real shortage of transportation and infrastructure funding at this point, so where the funding would come from is a good question,” says
Unlocking the Gridlock
Public input now into the final I-79 Access Study and a 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan Update will shape our transportation system for years to come.
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raffic is never far from mind in Morgantown. And traffic planning—or transportation planning, to use more aspirational language—is never long off the agenda of the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MMMPO’s regular updates to the overarching Long Range Transportation Plan are critical: They keep priorities in line with the community’s evolving hopes and dreams, and they make sure funding is always directed to the most-wanted projects. Today’s transportation spending is governed by the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) that the MMMPO completed with much public input in 2013. But two major public planning processes are underway now, and our input will improve the outcomes.
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MMMPO Executive Director Bill Austin. A certain amount of federal transportation funding will come here, Austin says— like the $136 million that was allocated among Tier 1 projects in the 2040 LRTP. And the state recently authorized local taxation for local transportation needs by referendum, he adds. If a bridge were funded today, the soonest it could be built would be 2023. Love or hate the bridge, the last chance to say so in a process that is picking up momentum will be at a public meeting in January 2017—the report will then be finalized, and its recommendations will roll into the update to the 2040 LRTP. 2045 LRTP A lot has happened since the full-blown LRTP process just a few years ago. Some Tier 1 projects have been executed: new signals on the Mon Boulevard and Patteson Drive sides of WVU’s Creative Arts Center and resurfacing of some major roadways, for example, along with intersection improvements and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance all over. Signs and lane markings for bicycle road sharing will go up in 2017, Austin thinks. Engineering and construction are scheduled for four major roadways—Beechurst, Green Bag Road, Van Voorhis, and western West Run Road—through 2021. At the same time, the crop of big new student residences close to downtown is affecting traffic patterns, and the 2016 University Avenue Complete Street Study and draft I-79 Access Study are providing new clarity. So the MMMPO has begun a low-intensity 2045 LRTP update, with the expectation of conducting another fullblown process soon for the 2050 plan. The update, based on the new studies and on public input, will create a new Tier 1 list—that is, it will set priorities for spending the funding that’s expected through 2045. A survey the MMMPO conducted online in the fall drew more than 700 responses, Austin says. More input is welcome. A public meeting will take place in January or February 2017, after the I-79 Access Study is finalized. The MMMPO invites participation, Austin says—that’s why its website is plantogether.org. The 2040 LRTP and draft I-79 Access Study may be found there, along with meeting dates and times. Or choose “Participate” to send a message. plantogether.org written by PAM KASEY
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CALL 304.413.0104 OR EMAIL info@newsouthmediainc.com FOR MORE INFORMATION MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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OUT & ABOUT IN THE MOUNTAIN CITY
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Milan Puskar Award Dinner Broadcaster Dale Miller, president & CEO of West Virginia Radio Corporation, was honored with the Milan Puskar Award during a reception and dinner on November 3, 2016, at the Hazel & J.W. Ruby Community Center at Mylan Park. About 320 people attended the event, where developer Mark R. Nesselroad, CEO, founder, and co-owner of Glenmark Holding LLC, also was acknowledged, as the recipient of the inaugural George R. Farmer Jr. Award. The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception, which gave attendees the opportunity to look over auction items. Ron Justice, president of the Mylan Park board of directors, served as host. Two speakers, Kent Tekulve, former pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, and Steve Blass, also a former pitcher and current Pirates announcer, told stories about the sport in honor of Miller’s work with baseball in Morgantown as a coach and leader. To carry out the baseball theme, board member Michael Yura’s son, Chris Yura of SustainU, loaned a metal baseball statue named Mickey Metal, created by Lost Creek artist Zac Campbell for another event.
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1 Milan Puskar Award recipient Dale Miller, his grandson Cameron Miller, and John Halford. 2 George R. Farmer Jr. Award recipient Mark R. Nesselroad and Brad McMillian. 3 Ashley Smoak, Sarah C. Woodrum, and Michael T. Yura. 4 Gordie Longshaw, Sam Stone, Connie and Neil Bucklew. 5 Betty Puskar and Sharon Leech. 6 Mickey Metal. (statue) 7 Kay Devono, Frank Devono Sr. and Joe Statler. MORGANTOWNMAG.COM
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Don Nehlen Roast Former WVU football coach Don Nehlen was roasted by past players, colleagues, and friends on the evening of November 4, 2016, at the Morgantown Event Center at Waterfront Place. The event drew more than 500 attendees, including former athletic director Oliver Luck, who played for Nehlen early in the coach’s Mountaineers career that spanned from 1980 to 2000. Also present was former quarterback Jeff Hostetler, who went on to marry Nehlen’s daughter, Vicky. Many of the 12 roasters mentioned how Nehlen’s crooked index finger caused a lot of confusion; former assistant coach Steve Dunlap noted the time an angry Nehlen was pointing at a defensive back but staff accidentally took a linebacker out of the game instead. Many players also recalled how Nehlen wrote them letters of encouragement after a bad loss or if they had been booed in the stadium. In addition to Dunlap and Hostetler, roasters included Aaron Beasley, Anthony Becht, Rich Braham, Marc Bulger, Major Harris, Jim Justice, Mike Logan, Solomon Page, Dale Wolfley, and Amos Zereoue. Emceed by Tony Caridi, the roast was hosted by the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, the WVU Varsity Club, and the Mountaineer Athletic Club. 1 Jack Brautigan, Don Nehlen, John Spiker. 2 Wayne Richards, Dave Biafora, Skip Tarasuk. 3 Woody Thrasher, Michael Gilstorf, Billy McCartney. 4 Gary Basil, Kevin Koken. 5 Vicky and Jeff Hostetler. 6 Diane Lewis, Ken Jackson, Belinda Rogers. 7 Pam Griffith and Sharon Harvey. 8 Oliver Luck, Phil Zambos.
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NOV 4 • MORGANTOWN EVENT CENTER
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Mon General Ball of the Year The Mon General Ball of the Year, sponsored by the Auxiliary of Mon General Hospital, took place on November 12, 2016, carrying out the theme “Our Big Fat Greek Ball” with bold colors and a huge backdrop featuring Greek islands. Mary Ann Hardesty was the winner of a cruise to those islands, courtesy of a raffle sponsored by Neubauer’s Flowers & Market House in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Attendees who spun a wheel sponsored by the United Mine Workers of America could win raffle tickets to bid on various items that included a ring from Joyce’s Fine Jewelers, a gift certificate from Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelers, and a round-trip party bus for 18 to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Mon General Hospital CEO Darryl Duncan welcomed the 410 guests, who later could dance to Pittsburgh’s Gary Racan & The Studio E Band. About $85,000 was raised to benefit Mon General Hospital. 1 David and Mary Hall and Darryl Duncan, CEO of Mon General Hospital. 2 Christopher and Kim Barnum. 3 Tara Forth, Beth and Nick Fantasia. 4 Rakhi Patel and Teresa Olivo. 5 Nicole Lemal-Stefanovich and Wayne Stefanovich. 6 Don and Jen Cunanan, Zeny and Roberto Cunanan 7 Mike and Cheryl Callen, Michelle Widmer-Eby, and Kathy and Pat Martin.
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Your local guide to life, art, culture, & more DEC/JAN 2017
December THROUGH JANUARY 1 NEARBY Winter Festival of Lights Oglebay Resort, 865 Lodge Dr., Wheeling 877.436.1797, oglebay-resort.com See 80 animated light displays in a 6-mile drive through the resort, including the Peanuts gang and the Good Zoo light show choreographed to music. Open to 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday–Saturday. Free.
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DECEMBER 8 WORTH THE DRIVE Bob Thompson’s Joy to the World concert Culture Center, Capitol Complex, Charleston Thurs., 8 p.m., 877.987.6487, wvpublic.org/joy The Mountain Stage jazz pianist’s holiday concert features guest singer Denise Jannah. Advance $25, $30 at the door.
DECEMBER 9 NEARBY Festival Cucina First Presbyterian Church, 301 Jackson St. Fairmont, Fri., 6–9 p.m., 304.366.0468 eventbrite.com Main Street Fairmont’s Feast of the Seven Fishes kicks off with the annual cooking school where attendees will learn how to make several Italian fish dishes and more from a variety of chefs. $25.
DECEMBER 10 Breakfast with Santa Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Lakeview Drive, Sat., 9 a.m.–1 p.m., 304.594.9516 lakeviewresort.com Celebrate the season with an all-you-can-eat breakfast. Other activities include pictures and visits with Santa, sleigh rides, and crafts for kids. Call Santa’s hotline above for reservations. $12 to eat and see Santa. Old-Time Square Dance & Family Dance Marilla Park Center, 799 E. Brockway Ave., Sat. Family Dance 6 p.m. , Square Dance 8–10:30 p.m., morgantowndances@gmail.com The Morgantown Friends of Oldtime Music and 78
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Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker WVU Creative Arts Center, Wed., 7:30 p.m. events.wvu.edu The Russian troupe, in its 24th year touring North America, presents the holiday ballet classic. General public, $49 and up; students $23.
DECEMBER 9 Last year, the Funky Fly Project showed area jazz fans that you don’t have to be an adult to play in the Holiday Jazz Stroll. This year, the event, sponsored by the West Virginia Jazz Society, features jazz acts playing multiple sets at five venues, allowing participants to walk around downtown Clarksburg and take in different bands. Free. Fri., 6:30 p.m., wvjazzsociety.com Dance presents the December Square Dance with Taylor Runner calling to the Kennedy Barn String Band, with a Family Dance that begins at 6 p.m. $3–$5. NEARBY Feast of the Seven Fishes Monroe Street, Fairmont, Sat., 11 a.m.–7 p.m. 304.366.0468, marioncvb.com Main Street Fairmont’s winter street festival features food vendors, music, merriment, and more, with Fairmont’s Christmas parade taking place on Adams Street at 5 p.m. NEARBY European Style Christmas Market Szilagyi Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, 20 Buffalo St., Rowlesburg, Sat., 9 a.m. –3 p.m., 304.329.4660, tourpreston.com Find the perfect Christmas gift from a variety of vendors as music plays and the aromas of food and Christmas cookies permeate the air. Free, admission fee for museums.
DECEMBER 10–11 The Jazz Nutcracker: Land of Suites Metropolitan Theatre, 369 High St., Sat.–Sun. 2:30 p.m., Sat. 7:30 p.m., 304.292.3266 morgantowndance.org
Morgantown Dance, Morgantown Ballet Company, and WV Wesleyan College Big Band team up for a new take on the classic set to Tchaikovsky’s score. General admission $20, students 13 to college and senior citizens $15, ages 6-12 $10, preschool $5. DECEMBER 11 Pet Photos with Santa Morgantown Mall, 9500 Mall Road, Sun. 9–11 a.m., 304.983.6200 morgantownmall.com/events-news Bring your furry friends to take a photo with Santa. Photo packages will be available onsite, and all pets must remain on a leash at all times. Located at Santa’s Workshop near Elder-Beerman. DECEMBER 11–17 Photos with Santa Triple S Harley-Davidson, 7300 Willie G Ave. 11 a.m.–4 p.m., 304.284.8244 triplesharley-davidson.com Santa Claus will ride into Triple S this December. Have your picture taken with him
DECEMBER 15 United Way Holiday Food & Toy Distribution Morgantown Readiness Center & Armory, Hart Field Road, Thurs., all day, 304.296.7525 unitedwaympc.org The annual Holiday Food and Toy Distribution is in its 34th year. Donors are needed to provide toys, clothes, and food, and volunteers can sign up to help sort and hand out toys.
COURTESY OF WVU ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
on his Harley. Children of all ages and pets are welcome. $10 for first photo and $5 for each additional photo.
DECEMBER 15–17 A Christmas Carol WVU Creative Arts Center, Thurs.–Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sat., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. 304.293.SHOW, wvpublictheatre.org West Virginia Public Theatre presents the Dickens' classic tale about Ebenezer Scrooge as its seasonal holiday offering. $13-$21. DECEMBER 16 Hillbilly Gypsies 123 Pleasant St., Fri., 9 p.m., 304.292.0800 123pleasantstreet.com The Appalachian bluegrass band takes a break from touring to play a concert in its backyard. $8. DECEMBER 17 Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Metropolitan Theatre, 369 High St., Sat. 7:30 p.m., 304.291.4884, ticketmaster.com The America’s Got Talent winner, known for his Frank Sinatra stylings and sound, presents a holiday concert. $25-$30.
DECEMBER 31 New Year’s Eve Gatsby Style with WVAQ Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Lakeview Drive Sat.–Sun., 8 p.m.–1 a.m., 304.594.1111 lakeviewresort.com Ring in the new year to the sounds of Queen City Funk and Soul Band, with live broadcasting from WVAQ’s Jason Knight. Several packages available, with prices ranging from $70 per person for the party only to $279.99 for dinner and overnight accommodations for two.
January JANUARY 14 NEARBY Winter Ball Robert H. Mollohan Research Center, Fairmont Sat., 6 p.m., 681.342.1640 volunteeruhc.org/winterball The Auxiliary to United Hospital Center presents a new fundraiser to replace the Holly Ball, featuring a theme of “Winter Wonderland,” a cocktail reception, dinner, and dancing to Santa Cruz. Individuals $100, couples $200.
JANUARY 18 The quintessential backstage musical comedy that made songs such as “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” famous, 42nd Street, part of WVU’s University Arts Series, tells the story of a young dancer named Peggy Sawyer who leaves her home in Allentown to make it under the bright lights of Broadway. Tickets start at $24. WVU Creative Arts Center, Wed., 7:30 p.m., 304.293.SHOW, events.wvu.edu
JANUARY 15 Mountain Stage WVU Creative Arts Center, Sun., 7 p.m. 304.293.SHOW, mountainstage.org The West Virginia Public Radio show returns to Morgantown with a lineup that includes Colin Hay, Piers Faccini, and Frank Turner. $10-$38. JANUARY 20–22 33rd Annual Food & Wine Festival Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, Fri.–Sun. 304.594.1111, lakeviewresort.com Themed “A Taste of It All,” this event gives attendees the opportunity to sample wines and cocktails, see culinary demonstrations and an Iron Chef competition, and shop at an artisan marketplace with specialty foods, wines, and more.
Upcoming FEBRUARY 2–4 Dance Now! WVU Creative Arts Center, Thurs.–Fri., 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m., 304.293.SHOW, theatre.wvu.edu WVU’s annual dance concert gives audiences the opportunity to experience a wide variety of styles in an eclectic and electric evening of choreography. Adults $22, senior citizens and students $17. FEBRUARY 6 Midori WVU Creative Arts Center, Mon., 7:30 p.m. 412.392.4900, pittsburghsymphony.org The violinist will perform a concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as part of the
Canady Symphony Series, in a program that includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 (The Haffner Symphony), Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. $45, $27. FEBRUARY 9 Cast Iron Cook-Off Ruby Community Center, Mylan Park, Thurs. 4 p.m., castironcookoff.org This statewide competition, sponsored by the Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia, gives West Virginia chefs a chance to throw down, aided by teams of amateurs. Hosted at various locales, including The Greenbrier and Stonewall Resort, this is the event’s Morgantown debut, and will be held in conjunction with the Winter Blues North Farmers Market. Free. FEBRUARY 11 Cabin Fever Craft Beer Festival Ruby Community Center, Mylan Park Sat. noon–6 p.m., wvbeerfest.com Vendors such as Big Timber Brewing Company, Morgantown Brewing Company, and Chestnut Brew Works will be on hand to provide some sudsy mid-winter relief to attendees in the form of unlimited 4-ounce samples, along with food and merchant vendors. $20 for early birds, up to $35. WVU Children’s Medicine Gala Morgantown Event Center at the Waterfront Place Hotel, Three Waterfront Place Sat. 5:30 p.m. wvuchgala.com Have fun at an event themed “Magic in Wonderland” that includes a cocktail reception, dinner, and dancing, while helping to raise money for a good cause. $200 per person.
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THEN & NOW
1965: The view from the utilitarian Agricultural Sciences Building was better than the view of it.
Today: New brick structures are a classic and classy facelift for the Evansdale quad.
FOR MORE PHOTOS
of Morgantown’s past, check out wvhistoryonview.org
Evansdale Rising When WVU built its Agricultural Sciences Building on the former Evans farm in 1961, what became the Evansdale Campus was still open land with a wide view. The first two units of the Towers residence hall opened in 1965, which is about the year this black and white photograph was taken. What a difference 50 years makes—mainly, just the past two years. In the foreground of this photo, taken from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Chairman Jacky Prucz’s eighth-
floor office in Engineering Sciences, is the roof of the 1990 Engineering Research Building. Brick buildings beyond that are the 2015 Advanced Engineering Research Building and the 2016 Agricultural Sciences Building. The old Ag Sciences structure, now barely visible in the middle of it all, is slated for demolition. Then & Now is published in partnership with WVU Libraries’ West Virginia & Regional History Center. wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu
written and photographed by pam kasey
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