Morgantown Magazine Feb/March 2017 by Morgantown Magazine

volume 6

•

issue 3

PUBLISHED BY

New South Media, Inc.

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

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Bowman, nikki@newsouthmediainc.com EDITOR

Mary Wade Burnside, marywade@newsouthmediainc.com DESIGNER

Becky Moore, becky@newsouthmediainc.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS

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

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

Katie Jarrell, kjarrell@newsouthmediainc.com PHOTOGRAPHER

Carla Witt Ford, carla@newsouthmediainc.com INTERNS

Caroline Nicholas, Cody Roane, Anna Saab, Carly Suplita, Kristen Uppercue SALES DIRECTOR

Heather Mills Berardi, heather@newsouthmediainc.com CONTRIBUTORS

Cynthia McCloud, Julie Perine, Mikenna Pierotti

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

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE

n college, a friend introduced me to Middle Eastern food via a restaurant that served falafel. I was hooked on the deep-fried patties drizzled in tzatziki sauce. I quickly became a fan of other flavors from countries such as Lebanon and Syria—grape leaves, tabbouleh, hummus, and baba ghanoush. Sometimes I joke that chickpeas are a food group all its own so I will feel better about how often I eat dishes made of them. So I am thrilled that, in Morgantown, we have three choices of Middle Eastern restaurants in just one block alone of High Street. That includes Beity, which is profiled by Mikenna Pierotti in a piece, “Coming Home” (page 28), that introduces us to the Mando family, who brought their recipes with them to Morgantown after they fled civil war in Syria. Of course, an excellent assortment of food choices is not the only benefit of living in West Virginia’s most international city, although we did our best to showcase them. “A Bounty of Baklava” (page 20), anyone? It’s a tough job, but in order to give our readers the lowdown on the thinly layered pastries filled with chopped nuts, cinnamon, and syrup or honey, the staff at New South Media sampled all the varieties of the treat we could get our hands on so we could pass our findings onto our readers. You’re welcome. Pam Kasey noticed the common thread of baklava as she researched the culinary segment of her story “Getting Our Global On” (page 56). In the piece, she takes a look at the impact the influx of people from all corners of the world has afforded our city. Did you know that students at North Elementary School speak 32 languages? And that Morgantown has not one, but three Asian markets, including Von Son, which stocks tens of thousands of items, including fresh produce, cooked salted duck eggs, and barbecue pork buns? Pam also profiles people from all walks of life who have made Morgantown their home because it offered them a bright future. And we get something in return—not only great food, but exposure to other cultures. Want to learn Latin dancing or Krav Maga? In Morgantown, you can. Then there is Albino Roperti, a native of Italy who has been making pizza in Morgantown for nearly five decades. With this issue, we acknowledge Pizza Al’s sixth win in the Best of Morgantown survey. One of Al’s enormous pepperoni pies graces the cover of our BOM issue that celebrates the outstanding contributions made by Morgantown’s businesses, organizations, and individuals. Our readers’ reactions to BOM continue to thrill us and we’re excited that the contest helps drive customers to the restaurants and stores we champion and helps build those businesses.

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

We also love to see the competitors seizing the opportunity BOM provides and running with it. Placing the BOM logo on advertisements around town is just one example. Just as we were preparing to announce this year’s winners, I smiled when I drove by a digital J.S. Walker Associates billboard announcing the real estate company as a five-time BOM winner, knowing that number was about to move up a notch to a sixth victory. Broker/owner Steve Walker takes the competition seriously, sending out an email that walks his customers through the voting process. This is a great example to business owners who have unsuccessfully vied for the crown. Letting your fans creatively know about BOM helps your chances of being recognized next year, adds to the voting base, and makes the entire process more inclusive and fun. It’s never too early to to get your BOM on!

M A RY WA DE BU R NSIDE,

Editor

In This Issue

CARLA WITT FORD

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

The Best of Morgantown

Getting Our Global On

Where is the best place in town to get sushi? Shoes? Sweets? Suds? Salad? We asked and you answered in BOM 2017.

International from the start, Morgantown is becoming more diverse than ever.

56 MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

In This Issue 28

Departments

This Matters 14 Who’s This David Wasserman has an eye for finding things his customers don’t yet know they need.

22 Watch This Since Uber’s Morgantown launch, residents are getting the hang of hailing a ride with an app.

16 Support This Meals on Wheels delivers food, company, and kindness.

23 This Matters To... Iron Horse Tavern’s William Prunty discusses competing Chopped-style in the Cast Iron Cook-Off.

18 Read This Ronald L. Lewis delves into a 19th century Tucker County murder trial that pitted the past against the future.

24 Shop This With an in-house designer and exclusive lines, Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry offers unique and one-of-a- kind pieces.

20 Eat This If you love baklava, then Morgantown is the city for you.

26 Hear This Bring two booties to funk master George Clinton’s upcoming show, he advises, because one is not enough.

21 Love This Area pinball wizards will be happy to know they have a league of their own.

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

6 Editor’s Note 28 Dish It Out The Mando family serves the great flavors they brought from Syria at Beity. 32 Across County Lines Oakland, Maryland offers plenty of dining options, shopping, and activities. 69 House & Home When Greg and Carla Short decided to downsize, they went tiny—as in tiny home. 76 The Scene 78 Calendar 80 Then & Now St. Mary’s Orthodox Catholic Church’s dome still sets it apart after nearly 100 years.

ON THE COVER

It’s time to dig into the Best of Morgantown, starting with a slice of the city’s best, courtesy of Pizza Al’s. Styled and photographed by Carla Witt Ford.

MORGANTOWN â&#x20AC;¢ FEB/MAR 2017

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

Huggins’ Double Bonus

COURTESY OF WVU ATHLETICS

When the WVU men’s basketball team decisively beat then-No. 2 Kansas on January 24, 85-69, at the Coliseum, the win did more than propel the Mountaineers back into the Top 10 and strengthen the team’s journey toward March Madness. It also raised another $25,000 for cancer research. It seems that Coach Bob Huggins, who once held that position for Kansas rival Kansas State, has a clause in his contract that provides him with a $25,000 bonus every time WVU beats the Jayhawks. It recently was revealed that Huggins has been donating those bonuses—which so far total $100,000 after four wins—to the WVU Center Institute’s Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Endowment Fund in honor of his late mother.

The coach’s Fifth Annual Fish Fry was held in early February to raise additional funds for the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Fund. As of late January, more than

$1.35 million had been raised for the fund from a variety of sources.

A graduate of WVU who played basketball at the school from 1975 to ’77, Bob Huggins will celebrate one decade as a Mountaineers coach on April 6.

Huggins has led the WVU men’s team to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament twice—in 2008 and 2015—and of course to the Final Four once, in 2010.

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THIS MATTERS

WHO’STHIS

The Real Picker Unearthing buried treasure with David Wasserman.

➼ A STRANGE-LOOKING VISITOR stopped by Jake Hutchinson’s Pickers Paradise shortly after the Fairmont guitar and antiques store opened in 2011. “He had that big beard split in two, one (half) was going to the left and one was going to the right,” Hutchinson says. He watched as the man perused the shop and picked out a piece of folk art. The man paid and left, only to return a few minutes later. “He said, ‘Hey, could you give me a push?’” Following him to the parking lot, Hutchinson learned the secret behind the man’s facial hair style—a vintage knucklehead Harley-Davidson. He got behind the bike and pushed. The customer 14

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

popped the clutch and rode away. The favor was not forgotten. “The second time he came in the store he said, ‘You’re in my circle. I want you to come to my house.’” Hutchinson didn’t know it yet, but he’d just been invited to the sanctum sanctorum of West Virginia’s antiquing scene: the home of David Wasserman Antiques. The cozy, hand-built house on the outskirts of Morgantown is an unsorted museum of 20th century American life, a collector’s dream. Even the hinges and door knobs are antiques. There’s a trunk at the bottom of the basement steps that, according to the faded yellow lettering on the side, once belonged to Sergeant C.G. Burton of Dayton, Ohio, “The World’s Greatest Daredevil.” Across from the trunk is a homemade soapbox derby car. Next to that, there’s a rocking chair made from cow horns. Hanging on a nearby wall, above a cowboy-themed “Fast Draw” pinball machine, is a white T-shirt featuring the motorcycle-riding likeness of Frank Fritz, co-star of the popular American Pickers TV show. Frank has scrawled his signature on the right-hand shoulder along with a dedication:

“To Dave, my idol, the real picker.” Wasserman wears this compliment with pride. “I don’t want to buy stuff you can find in your antique guide and find out what it is,” he says. “The stuff I look for, you ain’t finding another one like it.” The uniqueness of his finds allows him to sell them for a premium. It’s the world’s oldest business plan: Buy low and sell high. Or, as Wasserman puts it, “Buy junk and sell antiques.” This is how he’s paid the bills for the last four decades, almost since he arrived in West Virginia in the 1970s.

Playing the Angles Wasserman grew up near the Jersey shore before running away from home when he was 15. He crisscrossed the continent for a while but eventually moved onto a back-tothe-lander farm in Roane County. One day, while running errands in Spencer, he noticed lawn furniture, bicycles, and all kinds of other stuff piled at the side of the road for city workers to haul off to the dump. Wasserman stopped and threw it in the bed of his International Harvester pickup. He set up at the local flea market

THIS MATTERS

and made $800 his first day. For a while Wasserman trafficked in tools, buying and reselling factory seconds. Then he found a handmade ebony block plane for a few hundred bucks. He decided to take a risk. The plane eventually sold for more than $1,000 at auction. Suddenly, he was in the antiques business. Like a good angler, Wasserman doesn’t give away his favorite fishing spots. Asked where he finds his picks, he usually replies, “You know about those Keebler elves?” But the truth is, he sees things hiding in plain sight. He’s scored great finds in people’s front yards. For years he made money reselling neon clocks he purchased off the sides of mom-and-pop stores. He also finds merchandise at auctions and flea markets, buying from people who’ve done the heavy lifting of sorting through estate and yard sales. In the late 1990s, Wasserman invited Dick Duez, an antique furniture dealer from Bridgeport, to Brimfield, Massachusetts, for one of the town’s gargantuan outdoor antique markets. The fields around

Brimfield were swarming with collectors from across the country, and everyone was looking for the same thing: a deal. Wasserman needed an edge. On their last morning in Brimfield, Duez and Wasserman got up before daylight, walked through a field behind one of the flea markets, climbed a tree, and dropped down inside the 6-foot-tall chain-link fence. While other collectors waited outside the gate, Wasserman and Duez shopped as vendors set up. “That’s Dave for you. He likes to play all the angles,” Duez says.

Something That Will Last Making good finds is only half the challenge—Wasserman also needs to sell. Sometimes that happens through his website, a photographic trove of his finds, or eBay. Other times he sells at flea markets and swap meets. But, many times, collectors find him through word of mouth. “There’s a lid for every pot. There’s a collector for everything out there,” he says. While he’s happy to help collectors out,

Wasserman is emphatically not a collector himself. Almost anything is up for sale, for the right price. “One time I was with Dave and he was talking to somebody,” says Hutchinson, of Pickers Paradise. “They said, ‘Hey, Dave. What do you collect?’ He said, ‘Hundred dollar bills.’” It’s a well-honed joke, just like the line about Keebler elves, but there’s truth behind it. In the late 1980s, Wasserman and his wife, Kim, spent years building their dream home in Morgantown, taking pains over every detail from the design of the roof to the antique doors in each room. Then, a few years after they moved in, Wasserman returned from a trip to Brimfield to find fire trucks jamming his dirt road—and a forest fire destroying the woods around his home. Fast-acting friends protected the house with water hoses as Kim wrapped neon clocks in Navajo blankets and packed the most valuable items into the family Subaru, along with photo albums and clothes for their three kids. Their home escaped damage, but the scare shifted Wasserman’s thinking. “Back 25 years ago, there was a common bumper sticker: ‘Whoever dies with the most toys wins,’” he says. After the fire, “I thought, ‘The one that dies with the most toys is a fool.’ The fun is in the search.” Some things hold more emotional attachment than others, though. Wasserman bought a hand-forged iron slave collar at an antiques show in Columbus, Ohio, in 1990. Judging by the size, it was probably worn by a woman or child. He’s never offered the collar for sale. Instead, he keeps it in a floorto-ceiling display case in his home office alongside an ashtray from the Copacabana, Buddy Lee dolls, and toy robots. Whenever a new friend visits his house, Wasserman slides back the glass, removes the cold cast iron ring, and says, “It will chill you when I tell you what it is.” He likes to see the weight of history come crashing down. Still, he figures he’ll sell it someday, along with everything else he’s acquired over the years. Because the more he sells, the more he can go hunting. “Old stuff, it’s interesting. I love learning about it,” he says. “If you want to buy something that will last, buy something old.” dwasserman.com written by ZACK HAROLD photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THIS MATTERS Volunteer Susan Case.

Kitchen supervisor Mary K. Layman.

Volunteers Michael and Tammy Miller deliver a meal to Sam Hall. SUPPORTTHIS

Food on the Move Morgantown Area Meals on Wheels delivers hot fare and warm passion.

➼ EACH TIME Eleanor Grubbs-Paull delivers Meals on Wheels, she feels a gentle nudge from her dad. He passed away several years ago, but it was because of him that she got involved with Morgantown Area Meals on Wheels. “My father had received Meals on Wheels in Garrett County, Maryland. I lived in Keyser at the time—30 miles away with two children— and I couldn’t get to him every day,” she says. “But those people never missed a day with him. He always had so many good things to tell me about the food—and the discussions—they had. He loved those people. They came winter, summer, spring, and fall and took care of him.” So when Grubbs-Paull retired and relocated to Morgantown six years ago, she decided it was time to give back. She started with the program as a driver, went on to become a board member, and is 16

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

now president of the organization, which serves about 90 individuals daily. Most are elderly and may be homebound and depend on the program, Grubbs-Paull says. “Many times their families are busy and they have no one to go shop for them or get them the things they need. We have filled that void, so they can at least have one hot meal each day.” To make it all happen, it takes an army of volunteers and an operation that works like a well-oiled machine. At the facility, located on University Avenue in Star City, the program’s three cooks—Morgantown Area Meals on Wheels’ only paid employees—heat up the stoves at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. They cook balanced diets for their clients, paying close attention to special dietary needs, working with West Virginia University’s Graduate Dietetic Internship Director Teaching Assistant Adam Burda and his senior students. By 9:30 a.m., volunteers are packing up foods—keeping hot foods hot—and drivers load meals into their vehicles. Each has a designated route within about a 10mile radius of the facility to deliver food. On one foggy, chilly morning, volunteers and WVU retirees Mike and Tammy Miller stop at the home of 93-year-old Sam Hall, retired owner of Morgantown Battery. “They are the

best,” Hall says. “I get meals like you can’t believe, down to the spinach and things that make you grow.” The operation takes place daily Monday through Friday unless wintry conditions make roads hazardous. If school is canceled due to weather, Morgantown Area Meals on Wheels follows suit. “We recently started delivering weekend meals—which are shelf meals—so our clients at least have something they can work with if they can’t shop for themselves or don’t have anyone nearby to depend on,” Grubbs-Paull says. Morgantown Area Meals on Wheels is not a free service, but meal costs are considerably reduced. “Most meals would probably cost about $8, but we don’t charge any more than $5,” says Karen Kelley King, volunteer and director of marketing. “It’s based on income. Some clients only pay $1 for their meals.” King delivers a route with a friend. “Sometimes I get the mail or the newspaper for them or just talk with them and make sure everything is OK.” Some clients say their Meals on Wheels delivery is their only daily interaction. “I hope when I get to be older and can’t do for myself, someone will be so kind to me,” King says. morgantownwvmow.org written by JULIE PERINE photographed by MARY WADE BURNSIDE

THIS MATTERS

enthusiasts such as Eastham. Eastham’s fury prompted him to swear at Thompson and slap him in the face right there in front of fellow passengers. Thompson stood up and shot at Eastham, who was not seriously injured. However, Eastham returned fire, and Thompson took a bullet in the stomach. He died the next day. Ordinarily, Eastham probably would have gotten off on self-defense, or, perhaps, because he had provoked Thompson by slapping him, with a less serious manslaughter charge. But as the 20th century approached in Appalachia, a division was deepening between those who appreciated West Virginia’s traditional lifestyle and those who saw industrialization as the future. And so after a grand jury finally indicted Eastham for first-degree murder on the third try, a who’s who of West Virginians lined up READTHIS to defend the Virginia-born outdoorsman—including former Democratic U.S. Senator Henry Gassaway Davis. At the same time, a team of well-known prosecutors, many of them Republicans, set out to As an outdoorsman and a timber avenge Thompson’s death. Ronald L. Lewis, executive’s conflict grew violent, more retired Robbins Chair and was on the line than just the outcome of professor emeritus of WVU’s a trial. Department of History, first became interested in Eastham’s trial when he was researching another book, ➼ IN MARCH 1897, when Robert W. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside, Eastham spotted businessman Frank which was published in 1998. He decided to Thompson on a train from Parsons to Davis, a series of life-changing events were dig around and see what he could find. The result, The Industrialist and the set into motion that left Thompson dead, Mountaineer: The Eastham-Thompson Feud Eastham on trial for his murder, and the and the Struggle for West Virginia’s Timber entire nation following the news coming Frontier, will be released by West Virginia out of tiny Tucker County, West Virginia. University Press in March. In it, Lewis Eastham, a famous outdoorsman, describes the time when West Virginia had and Thompson, owner of a lumber uncut, virgin forests with trees that towered mill, already were enemies when they more than 120 feet tall, and, how in a very encountered one another on that fateful short period of time, they were virtually all day. They were divided by Thompson’s cut down, changing the way of life for many Blackwater Lumber Company blocking residents. “You had social transformation of access to the Blackwater River, which people being moved from land to industrial angered farmers as well as nature

A Clearcut Case?

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

work,” he says. “They thought it was a comedown for them. There was a loss of independence and self-sufficiency, which is the hallmark of backwoods culture.” That helped set the stage for the trial. So did the fact that it had only been six years since the end of the feud waged by the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky. The idea of another entanglement between rural residents probably helped to entice newspaper reporters from New York and other big cities to travel to Tucker County and follow the proceedings. “I know the New York Times did have reporter there,” Lewis says. “I picked up a story from a New York Times reporter who the locals had fun with. He had never seen a pumpkin, and he asked a farmer what it was. And the farmer said it was a Tucker County orange. So the guy bought a bunch and sent them back to the newspaper.” Lewis found a treasure trove of material at the Tucker County Courthouse and was in luck when the clerk in charge of the files let Lewis borrow them so he could make photocopies back in Morgantown. “It would have taken me months to take notes,” he says. He also stumbled across Eastham’s nephew and namesake while visiting a museum in the outdoorsman’s native Virginia. Having died at the age of 35 as a single man with no children, Thompson did not leave as much information behind. “I find Eastham a lot more interesting, with a lot more character to report about,” Lewis says. The author lays out not only the legal wranglings and the case’s complicated conclusion but also Eastham’s surprising actions after the trial. More than 100 years later, Lewis places the events in context. Even if Eastham’s supporters felt somewhat vindicated by the outcome, time marched on, woods were deforested, and many Appalachians lost their way of life. Lewis sees both sides of the coin. “I’m a modern person,” he says. “It’s hard for to me to think, ‘Let’s get back to living in the woods,’ although I can find it romantic and understand that’s what they were fighting against. They were against corporate America. Now, corporations dominate American life. The nationalization of the market system and political system has concentrated the power of a few people and made the country the way it is today.” wvupressonline.com written by mary wade burnside

THIS MATTERS

EATTHIS

A Bounty of Baklava

Rich nuts, fragrant cinnamon, and layers of buttery golden phyllo pastry all drizzled with honey or a light syrup— Morgantown suddenly has choices galore when it comes to the Middle Eastern treat called baklava. House recipes differ—the nuts, for example, are most often walnuts but can be pistachios, cashews, almonds, or a combination, and may be chopped coarsely or ground fine—so we recommend trying them all. We did! photographed by carla witt ford

Choclava

Ali Baba

82 Hart Field Road 304.777.4120 alibabaexpress.com

Baklava sprinkled with ground pistachios

Jasmine Grill

330 High Street 304.291.7878 jasminegrillwv.com

Baklava

The Greeks

331 Beechurst Avenue 304.284.0055 thegreekswv.com

Baklava

Beity

376 High Street 304.212.5687 beitywv.com

Baklava

Salam Finger baklava made with cashews

Kassar’s Food & Gifts

Chelsea Square 1137 Van Voorhis Road 304.599.7252

350 High Street 304.322.4178 salamrestaurantwv.net Our thanks to Linda Hall of the Turkish Bazaar for moodsetting props.

LOVETHIS

Buzzers and Bells

SHUTTERSTOCK

Pinball devotees form Morgantown’s first competitive league dedicated to the classic arcade game.

➼ A FEW YEARS BACK , Scott Reppert found himself wondering about the initials he often saw on the leaderboards of pinball machines around Fairmont and Morgantown. He decided these pinball wizards should get to know one another in the flesh. Reppert organized his first tournament in July 2014, which led to the formation of the Mountaineer Pinball Association. Now the association has formed Morgantown’s first-ever pinball league. The inaugural 12-week season began on January 3. Players will compete in tournaments each Tuesday until March 14, when a finals bracket will determine the league champion. League play alternates between Mundy’s Place on Madigan Avenue, which has older pinball tables from the ’70s and ’80s, and Starport Arcade on High Street, which features more modern machines. “For old guys like me—I’m 56—it’s something that I’ve done all my life. Pinball takes me back to a happier time,” Reppert says. But the game also draws plenty of younger players, who enjoy the unique challenges this old-school game presents. “This is not as controllable or predictable as a video game,” he says. To make the finals, players must compete in at least eight of the season’s 12 weeks. But Reppert says anyone is welcome to come check out the scene and play some pinball. “There’s no real cut-off date,” Reppert says. “You can join anytime.” The game requires skill, but there’s a fair amount of luck involved, too. Once, Reppert beat the 12th-ranked player in the world. “And then I’ve been beaten by a 12-year-old girl. It can go either way.” mountaineerpa@gmail.com written by zack harold MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THIS MATTERS

We are spurring economic growth, new jobs, enhanced tourism opportunities, and valuable services for West Virginians.” SENATOR JOE MANCHIN WATCHTHIS

when the service first became available in Morgantown: The demand exceeded the availability of Uber drivers. This occurred during peak hours, which are generally after 5 p.m. Gibbons says that prices do fluctuate depending on the time of day and the demand in service. Uber use has grown steadily in Morgantown since it was introduced, with thousands of unique riders, Gibbons adds. And drivers might Providing transportation alternatives in a city that needs them. work several hours or squeeze rides in between their regular jobs to raise some extra cash. “Everybody does it in a different Founded in 2009 in San Francisco, ➼ IT’S 2 A.M., you’ve had one too many way that fits their own schedule.” drinks at Joe Mama’s, and you live at Uber made its introduction to the state of Matt Byerly used the service in October, Copper Beach. How are you going to get West Virginia after the Legislature passed home? Get an Uber. It’s 8 a.m., you’ve a bill during the 2016 session. U.S. Senator after Uber had been up and running just dropped your car off at the shop, and Joe Manchin and then-Governor Earl Ray for a few months and more drivers were available. Uber, he says, “was super cheap. you have to be at work at 8:30. Uber can Tomblin took ceremonial rides through help out. You’ve been tailgating downtown Charleston to launch the service on July 19, Definitely worth it, considering we were for the football game, but Milan Puskar the same day the service was established in going to be drinking.” Taking into account the fee to park, he figures the costs were Stadium is miles away. The game is in 30 Morgantown. In a press release, Manchin about the same. minutes. How do you get to Evansdale for noted the economic benefits of bringing Uber has seen its popularity escalate since kickoff? You’ve got it—Uber. companies like Uber to West Virginia. its inception. It has become a global brand Uber is a ridesharing company that “We are spurring economic growth, new works much like a taxi service, except jobs, enhanced tourism opportunities, and and a staple in popular culture and public transportation. The addition of Uber in drivers use their own cars and customers valuable services for West Virginians.” utilize a smartphone app to “hail” a ride. The app is beneficial to many students Morgantown provides a swift alternative to more traditional public services. Another A customer enters pickup and destination because it’s located on a device they use benefit, says Uber’s Gibbons, is that the locations and then waits for an Uber driver every day: their smartphones. Students service can help some residents delay buying to accept the request. The fee is charged to don’t have to call a cab company and the cars, knowing there’s a convenient substitute a credit card through the app, simplifying animated graphics make it easy to keep that compares favorably with the cost of a the transaction. Fares can be split with the track of their Uber. vehicle, parking, gas, insurance, and other touch of a button, says Uber spokesman Blaine Richards started driving for Bill Gibbons, who also notes that the app Uber its first day in Morgantown. A 2013 expenses. That’s good news in trafficclogged Morgantown. “It’s more folks— provides real-time information that allows Toyota Camry is his car of choice, fully riders to know the car’s arrival time. equipped with a data package, Wi-Fi, and younger generations—who are pushing off the purchase of a vehicle,” he says. “That’s Interested drivers can submit TVs. Richards, like many drivers, works background and driver checks to be for Uber for the extra income rather than where we’ve seen some of the biggest effects of being able to rely on multiple forms of accepted by the company. Cars can’t be as a full-time job. transportation.” uber.com more than 10 years old. Once accepted, With Uber, fares vary and fluctuate by drivers can choose when to work simply time and availability of drivers. According by activating themselves within the app. to Richards, Morgantown prices surged written by cody roane 22

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

SHUTTERSTOCK

Uber is Everywhere

THIS MATTERS

THISMATTERS TO

William Prunty ➼ IRON HORSE TAVERN chef William Prunty has served as a sous-chef for two Cast Iron Cook-Off competitions. But when the event was scheduled for its inaugural Morgantown appearance on February 9 as part of the Winter Blues North Farmers Market at Mylan Park, new rules were applied. Instead of having a professional assistant and a team of amateurs as chefs have in the past, Prunty would participate in something akin to an episode of the Food Network’s Chopped or Iron Chef America. Contestants would be given baskets of ingredients and some money to buy additional items at the market before spontaneously preparing two dishes on their own. However, as the contest approached, Prunty, who grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and in his dad’s native Lewis County and graduated from Pierpont Culinary Academy in Fairmont, was not fazed. written by MARY WADE BURNSIDE photographed by CARLA WITT FORD

On becoming interested in cooking Through my dad. He raised me and my brothers by himself since 1996. Through his travels in the Navy, he learned a variety of different dishes. He spent a lot of time in the Mediterranean and the Middle East and he picked up a lot of Mediterranean and Italian recipes. I grew up with good homemade Italian food.

On his experience at the regular 2015 Cast Iron Cook-Off as well as a special 2016 Throwdown event For the previous two years, I competed with Geoff Kraus of Thyme Bistro (in Weston) as a sous-chef, so I’ve been part of Cast Iron for quite a while now. I worked with Geoff for almost two years and I learned a lot from him. It was really fun to really collaborate on a selection of dishes. That went really well.

On his favorite foods to make Anything that is new to me, be it a dish or a technique, always piques my interest more than something I’ve prepared hundreds of times.

On why not having a team did not concern him When I was working with Geoff during the Throwdown, we had four dishes, and he was responsible for two and I was responsible for two. This year, all I have to do is two dishes. It’s always a little bit of a concern that goes into preparation. You want to make sure you bring everything you need—we’re bringing burners, pots, pans, utensils, knives. I have to double-check and triple-check, hoping I’ve got everything.

On ingredients he would not mind getting to work with in the competition and those he hoped to avoid I’d like some kind of game. I think it speaks to the region and where our food comes from. Getting anything I’ve never heard of would be challenging. You have to rely more on your senses as a professional to get it right versus utilizing experience you may have with a familiar ingredient.

THIS MATTERS

SHOPTHIS

Set in Stone

Looking for a one-of-a-kind pendant or bracelet? A pocket knife with a woolly mammoth tusk handle? Or just a fabulous engagement ring? Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry’s got you covered.

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

➼ WORKING AWAY IN A ROOM at Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry, designer Katherine Spencer shows off one of the latest—and perhaps more unexpected— items she has been creating lately: a sterling silver alligator that was commissioned by a customer to be fastened at end of his fishing rod. “I carved it in wax,” she says. “And then I sent it to be cast in sterling silver. I have to make a loop for it. It’s the current custom project I’m working on.” And that just begins to illustrate the wide variety of items available at Jacqueline’s, located in Suncrest Towne Centre. Many are well aware that Jacqueline’s is the go-to shop in Morgantown for engagement rings, watches, and other pieces of jewelry, and to be sure, cases of sparkling, glistening diamonds greet customers who walk through the door. But they can also work with Spencer, commissioning a one-ofa-kind pendant, bracelet, earrings, silver alligator fishing rod decoration—you name it—from the Rochester Institute

of Technology-educated jeweler and metalworker. Some of her pieces are already on display in the store and many of them showcase her organic and naturalistic design aesthetic, including a copper and rose gold ginkgo leaf briolette necklace with a drop diamond. One unique silver and diamond ring looks more like a bracelet cuff, but for a finger. And she also points out a pendant and ring that match a silver and gold cuff bracelet she recently soldered. Spencer’s addition to the staff in the past year is one of the newer developments at Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry. Another, of course, is the name change that took place two years ago in March 2015 when owner Tom Licciardi bought out his partner and changed the name of the business from Joyce’s Fine Jewelry to one that honors his great-aunt and godmother. Joyce’s opened at Suncrest Towne Centre in 2011. A native of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Licciardi worked in the wholesale jewelry

Designer Katherine Spencer shows off some of her pieces.

business in Las Vegas before returning home and helping to open Joyce’s—already established in Uniontown—in Morgantown. “It’s a happy business,” he says. “We get to deal with important parts of people’s lives and make them something special.” At Jacqueline’s, Licciardi offers many lines of jewelry that are exclusive to the region, if not West Virginia. He has also partnered with a factory in China that makes originally designed, ideally cut diamond jewelry, an arrangement that also cuts out the middleman and allows him to offer better pricing on diamonds that are bought directly from the mines. “The cut is what brings out the sparkle,” he says. Many mass-produced diamonds are not cut with the same precision, he adds. “These are perfectly cut diamonds. You look at it under magnification and you can see.” Jacqueline’s also specializes in engagement rings. “We truly have something for everyone.” Yellow and rose gold are making a comeback. Jacqueline’s also is the only shop in the state that

carries the line by Stephen Webster, both in the high-end 18-karat white gold and rose gold—and sometimes yellow gold—as well as the sterling silver line. “They are still unique designs, but they are more affordable and fun,” Licciardi says. One example is a bib necklace featuring four rows of custom-cut blue cat’s eye stones with matching chandelier earrings. At a trade show, Webster introduced Liccardi to Jacqueline Cullen, who creates standout pieces of jewelry using black Whitby jet gemstones, inlaid with black diamonds and set with 18-karat gold accents. Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry now carries several of the uniquely shaped and designed pieces, such as a necklace with jet panels hanging from a chain. Jacqueline’s is also known for its selection of watches, carrying a large array of the widely recognized Breitling brand, as well as others, including the feminine Michele label. The shop stocks a lot of other non-jewelry gift items as well, notably, a collection of William Henry pocket knives made from

unusual materials such as dinosaur 1070 Suncrest Towne Centre bones and 304.599.6981 woolly jacquelinesfinejewelry.com mammoth tusks. “They are all limited editions and they are all handmade in Oregon,” Licciardi says. For dog lovers, a line of jewelry called Dog Fever offers pendants, bracelets, and wraparound rings that feature about 45 different breeds in sterling silver, painted enamel, or 18-karat gold. “It’s a really fun new thing,” Licciardi adds. And customers can order china and silver patterns from the collection of Michael Aram, which also includes a variety of other items, from housewares such as a silver teapot set, cheese platters, and trays to a large sculpture of a dandelion. “They make fabulous wedding gifts and housewarming gifts.” Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry

written by mary wade burnside photographed by carla witt ford MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THIS MATTERS HEARTHIS

He’s Got the Funk George Clinton keeps his booty-shaking, classic sounds fresh by surrounding himself with young collaborators embracing new influences.

➼ SOME ACTS ARE content to take the stage year after year, tour after tour, and just play the hits. Then there are those who continue to make new music, only to rehash the same sounds that made them famous—and come off sounding a bit stale. But George Clinton is one of the few who, despite having been in the music business for more than 50 years and amassing a respectable collection of crowd favorites, keeps making new music as fresh and ofthe-moment as it was when he introduced the world to “P-Funk” in the early 1970s. Clinton started off as a doo-wop singer with his band The Parliaments, which had a hit in 1967 with “(I Wanna) Testify.” But when its record label’s money dried up, Clinton reformed the group as Funkadelic to get around his contract obligations. He eventually regained the right to use the name The Parliaments and used the names interchangeably—all while combining psychedelic rock, R&B, soul, and jazz to form a wild new genre of music. Four decades later, Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic are still going strong and will appear at Mainstage Morgantown on February 17 at 8 p.m., 15 months after he played a sold-out 26

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show at the venue. He attributes his longevity to the genre he helped invent. “Funk is like that. You can look at James Brown. You can put on one of his records and it sounds like it came out yesterday,” he says. “Funk never goes anywhere. It’s like classical music.” But Clinton’s ability to stay fresh is also due to his open mind. From the early hiphop of the 1980s to the electronic dance music of today, he’s learned to appreciate

new music as it comes along, even if it doesn’t immediately appeal to his tastes. He appeared on the opening track of Kendrick Lamar’s landmark 2015 album, To Pimp a Butterfly, and, thanks to that collaboration, he’s now working on his own album with producer Flying Lotus. EDM producer Louie Vega included a remix of Clinton’s 2014 song “Ain’t That Funkin’ Hard on You” on his album Starring... XXVIII, which was nominated

THIS MATTERS

You can look at James Brown. You can put on one of his records and it sounds like it came out yesterday. Funk never goes anywhere. It’s like classical music.” GEORGE CLINTON

for the 2017 Grammy for Best Dance/ Electronic Album. “Unless you just want to go out to pasture, if you want to do something new, you’ve got to work with the people moving you out. You’ve got to learn how to stay in touch with them,” Clinton says. But it’s more than just self-preservation. He says working alongside younger musicians inspires him. “When I hear somebody like Flying Lotus, I feel like I haven’t done nothing. I feel like I need to start all over. Those kinds of people make me want to work harder.” In addition to his project with Lotus, Clinton is also working an on album with Parliament—although the bands are often billed together, Parliament and Funkadelic are actually sister acts. He hopes to take on some heavy subjects, like the dangers of pharmaceutical advertisements. “Advertisement, that’s the most dangerous thing we’ve got because it influences our thinking,” he says. “I’ve

always tried to have that kind of social commentary. Jokingly, though.” Even when taking on weighty issues, Clinton prefers to keep things light—he doesn’t want to be too preachy; he just wants to get people thinking. And dancing. He still loves to get people dancing. “I have my most fun touring,” he says. “That’s where I feel my most inspiration, being on tour, working the stage.” Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic still play all over the world, from Hong Kong to Amsterdam to Las Vegas. And the appeal isn’t just global—it’s cross-generational. “You see people with their kids, all the way up to grandparents. It’s one of the few places you can go with your whole family and not feel corny. Funk is that kind of music. All generations come.” That’s why he doesn’t make set lists for the band before going onstage. “I never know what kind of crowd we’ve got.” If it’s an older crowd, Clinton likes to reach further into the back catalog. If it’s

younger people, he likes to play songs they might know through the rappers who have long sampled ParliamentFunkadelic’s records. Recently, at a New Year’s Eve show in Las Vegas, Bushwick Bill from the Geto Boys stopped by. “As soon as we hit a groove he knew, I called him out and he did his thing,” he says. “I didn’t know the song but my grandkids, they started rapping along with him.” Several of Clinton’s grandchildren now play in the band. “They’ve got new ways to do the funk,” he says. His granddaughters are into modern R&B. One of his grandsons is a heavy metal fan, and another one listens to rappers like Lil’ Wayne and Drake. Clinton says he’s happy to incorporate all those influences into ParliamentFunkadelic’s stage shows. It’s another way to keep things fresh. But some aspects of his signature “P-Funk” sound will never change. “We emphasize the bottom. That’s what funk is, drums and bass,” he says. “That gets into your foundation. That really moves you. Melody is cerebral. The drums and bass, that gets in your butt. “I always tell people, bring two booties. One ain’t enough.” mainstagewv.tunestub.com. written by ZACK HAROLD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

DISH IT OUT

Coming P Home Beity, a new Mediterranean restaurant on High Street, offers a taste of home to all.

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

eel back the layers of red, white, and blue, and you’ll find the same essential vein running through every story about pursuing the American dream. It begins in uncertainty. And ends in a homecoming. Five years ago Mohamed Mando, his wife, Bana, and their daughter, Racil, fled civil war in Syria. Behind them they left their lives and livelihood, a family business—a soda factory and small restaurant—in ruins. Before them was the United States, a land built on the strength and determination of immigrants from every country and all walks of life. They lost their home in Syria, but they hadn’t lost their hope. Finding their

ROAD RAGE

Bana Mando dishes it out

A TASTE OF HOME HUMMUS way to Morgantown, and with the help 376 High Street of family members 304.212.5687 like cousin Kareem Mando and Bana’s mother living in Michigan, the family quickly regained its footing. Bana says that was partly because of the people. “I like Morgantown. I like the people here,” she says, describing the warm welcome she received. “That is why we stayed and decided to open a business here. That is why my daughter now goes to college at WVU. And it is why I hope we can stay.” Their first restaurant—Jasmine Grill—which they co-owned, was a big success. Morgantown and WVU were seeing a surge in visitors, students, and Beity

immigrants from the Middle East and Mediterranean nations. And with them came a rise in interest about the culture, foods, and peoples of those nations. Mohamed attributes that open-minded enthusiasm to the university culture. “The university is attracting a lot of international students and interest in international cuisine,” Mohamed says through Kareem, as he is still learning English. “The population here is quite small compared to most cities, but that makes it easier to spread the word.” Word did spread, and with the popularity of Jasmine Grill, the Mandos decided to branch out and open their own restaurant. So, in the winter of 2016, they started Beity on High Street, adding yet another

1 cup chickpeas, soaked and cooked 3-4 tablespoons tahini sauce 1 clove garlic, chopped Lemon juice to taste 1 cup water Extra virgin olive oil to taste 1. In a blender, mix chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon with small amounts of water until smooth or to desired consistency. 2. Drizzle in olive oil and taste. Adjust amounts to your liking. 3. Add seasonings like salt, pepper, cumin, or paprika according to your preferences. 4. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top and fresh pita bread.

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

DISH IT OUT

Cousin Kareem Mando works the front of the house at Beity and has helped his family get settled in Morgantown.

dimension to the international flavors and cuisines popping up across Morgantown, from the authenticity of The Greeks on Beechurst to Morgantown staple Ali Baba. Formerly Tortonis, the space Beity occupies is understated with its crisp blue awning. A caricatured Italian chef still smiles from the glass front doors, but inside, the smells and sounds paint a new picture. Grilled meats, savory spices, garlic, and fresh pita bread, topped with laughter and a rainbow of languages—if you weren’t hungry when you opened the door, you certainly are by the time you’ve 30

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

made it to the counter. The menu offers simple explanations of classic dishes—from the falafel, fried and spiced patties made with chickpeas and parsley served with tahini sauce, to the kebabs, skewers of ground, savory meats like lamb served with rice or fresh-cut fries. The shish tawook, one of the most popular dishes, is deceptively simple, yet mouth-wateringly satisfying, with chunks of grilled, seasoned meat atop a bed of fluffy rice or crispy fries served with salad. You’ll find a few American comfort foods as well, like

crispy fried chicken wings served with fries and garlic sauce, cheese pizza, and decadent chocolate cake. Arabic Studies Club president and WVU student George Jacobs says the flavors of Beity’s dishes remind him of his childhood. “My grandpa was Lebanese, and his wife learned to make food like these grape leaves—from the original recipes. This tastes very similar.” Lillie Jacobs and other members of the club who’ve gathered at Beity for a private party agree that the food is “amazing”— even if they’re still learning what to call it or how to describe it. Bana says it’s all about her ingredients, which are always fresh, never frozen, and often purchased from the local farmers’ market or brought in from nearby urban centers. Ask the Mandos anything about the quality or history of their dishes and they will explain their importance, not just to their pride but to their culture, one they are happy and grateful to share. In the future they hope to expand their catering business to the university and into the Morgantown community and maybe even open a restaurant in Ohio someday. Mohamed, speaking through Kareem, says the reception to their new venture has been incredible, so they have high hopes. “There are a lot of people from our region here, yes. But many people also just want try something new. The market here is always looking for a new experience. And the taste is good. All the people who try it are coming again,” he says. “And 50 percent of our customers are coming here every day.” They go for the authentic flavor of fresh, organic ingredients, 100 percent halal meats prepared according to Muslim tenets, and a variety of vegetarian options, from stuffed grape leaves to Bana’s famous hummus, one of Beity’s most popular sides. Visit the Mandos’ family business on any given day and you might run into a few students eating a late lunch and chatting in Arabic, a group of university professors discussing English literature, a young mother and her children coloring— all hailing from different nations and cultures, all enjoying great food. “That’s what we offer, that’s what this restaurant stands for,” Kareem says. “Beity means ‘my home.’ We want others to feel this is their home, too.” written by mikenna pierotti photographed by carla witt ford

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

From museums and restaurants to shops and Winter Fest, Oakland, Maryland, has something for everyone.

ust 45 miles from Morgantown, Oakland, Maryland, has a lot to offer. Diverse opportunities for dining and culture start in its historic downtown, then radiate out into the countryside, where the wonders of glassmaking await at the Simon Pearce factory and shop. The Greater Oakland Business Association provides free two-hour parking for several easily walkable blocks, making it an ideal location to start exploring. And the Oakland Cornish Café is a great place to kick off the day with a latte and a breakfast sandwich or fresh-baked pastry. The Cornish Café is the city’s elegant 32

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Cornish Manor Restaurant’s hip little sister. Many of the cozy tables are illuminated with shaded lamps and paired with Hemingway Anson chairs—featuring tall, curved backs, wide and deep seats, and arms. At the back of the dining room are sofas to sink into with a good book or conversation partner. Take time here to plan your day. Next door is an art gallery and across the street—South Second—are an independent bookseller and a museum. Down the street are St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, where Presidents Grant, Harrison, and Cleveland attended services, and a restored Queen Anne-style train station from the city’s heyday as a stop on the B&O Railroad.

Eat Chefs Don Champion and Jacques Hourtal opened Top Chefs on Alder (216 E. Alder Street, 301.334.2433) in November. The cozy bistro serves lunch and dinner Wednesday–Sunday and opens earlier for breakfast on the weekends. Chicken noodle and vegetable beef soups are as likely to be specials as lobster bisque. Soon you will be able to attend dinners created from menus of the B&O dining car and Oakland’s historic hotels that served rail travelers. In 1959, Lou and Cecelia Cornish turned their home into an eatery and cocktail lounge, Cornish Manor Restaurant (830 Memorial Drive, 301.334.6499, cornishmanorrestaurant.com). Today, restaurateur Emily Berry welcomes fine

COURTESY OF GARRETT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Hip, Elegant, Charming, Fun

“We like to think of Oakland as the heart of Garrett County,” says Oakland Business Coordinator Michelle Ross. “Oakland is small-town at its best. We are a designated Main Street and have a wonderful walkable downtown with unique shops and dining that are full of personality and small-town charm.”

COURTESY OF GARRETT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; COURTESY OF SIMON PEARCE

diners for steaks, seafood, pastas, and various desserts, including Bananas Foster, cream puffs, cheesecakes, and pies. For country cooking in a pastoral setting, drive 10 minutes from downtown to Heidi’s Bakery and Café (2249 Blue Ribbon Road, 240.321.5804). Freshbaked sourdough bread is toasted for breakfast and is the foundation for most sandwiches. It goes out the door, too, by the loaf with customers who also buy cinnamon and raspberry rolls, whole pies, cupcakes, and pepperoni rolls. Candyland at the Farmers Market (12679 Garrett Highway, 301.334.9146) displays 900 kinds of candy on one side of the store. The other side holds bulk foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, preserves, meats, and cheeses.

Play Oakland’s downtown has entertainment for a variety of interests. The Garrett County Museum of Transportation (East Liberty Street, 301.533.1044, garrettcountymuseums.com) has an original 1950s sailboat, the county’s first snowmobile, 1920s toy Buddy L Model T

Fords, plus sleighs, buggies, automobiles, and more. A replica of a B&O train called “Little Maryland” may be seen at the Garrett County Historical Museum (107 S. Second Street, 301.334.3226). Stephen Pagenhart started building the fully operational replica when he was 16. It was featured in the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The town’s 1884 train station houses the Oakland B&O Museum (117 E. Liberty Street, 301.334.3204, oaklandbandomuseum.org). Every President’s Day Weekend, downtown hosts Winter Fest (301.334.2691). More than 30 sculptures line the streets and Master Ice Carver Bill Sandusky gives demonstrations. There’s a Prince and Princess Ball, vendors, hot chocolate, sleigh rides, an ice bowling alley and slide, and wine tastings.

Shop In 1999, glassware, tableware, lighting and home décor maker Simon Pearce (265 Glass Drive, 301.334.5277, simonpearce.com) opened a manufacturing facility in nearby Mountain Lake Park. From a wide catwalk, visitors can watch the entire production—

from the glassblower gathering a glob of molten glass on the end of a blowpipe to its shaping and finishing, and to its annealing, or cooling, process. They can also shop in the retail store, which sells the whole Simon Pearce line plus “seconds,” or pieces with minor flaws. More handcrafted art can be found at the Garrett County Arts Council’s Gallery Shop (108 S. Second Street, 301.334.8139). The spacious and bright gallery displays oil and watercolor paintings, mixed-media sculptures, photographs, woodwork, pottery, and textiles such as hats, knitted scarves, blankets, and hand-spun yarn. The owners of The Book Mark’et & Antique Mezzanine (111 S. Second St., 301.334.8778, thebookmkt.com) pack a lot into their cozy, eclectic store, yet it doesn’t feel crowded. The independent bookseller displays current and backlist titles, a copious children’s selection including Melissa & Doug merchandise, and antique and vintage collectibles displayed on its mezzanine. visitdeepcreek.com written by CYNTHIA MCCLOUD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

ELIZABETH ROTH

We asked, and once again, you stepped up and responded. In fact, a whopping 14,695 of you let us know what your favorite spots are for everything from pizza and pints to dry cleaners and day spas. In our sixth annual Best of Morgantown, you will find tried and true staples along with some new winners, featuring the most categories weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever hadâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;90. Without further ado, here is the BOM 2017.

Food & Drink We’ve got spirits—and great cuisine, too.

BEST PIZZA

Pizza Al’s

Pizza Al’s might not have the longest list of toppings in town, but the thin slices are all about the flavor. And there is a reason why fans say it tastes like what they’ve sampled in Italy—owner Albino Roperti immigrated from Turin in the early 1960s. He launched his first Pizza Al’s in 1969; the University Towne Center location opened last May. 2952 University Avenue, 304.599.4040; 1407 Earl L. Core Road, 304.225.2222; 192 Jim Street, 304.599.9555 pizzaals.com

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Los Mariachis Mexican Restaurant

A college student tradition in Morgantown, Los Mariachis’ great food—from the Hot and Spicy Shrimp to the combination dinners—keeps graduates coming back for more. Fans rave about the burritos and fried ice cream.

BEST FINE DINING

Stefano’s

For nearly a decade now, Stefano’s has put a new spin on Italian food in a region that offers many choices, with seasonal specials, hand-cut prime steaks, and, thanks to chef Chris McDonald, an impressive “frutti di mare” selection that includes Skuna Bay Salmon and Artichoke and Dover sole Meuniere filleted tableside. Start off with a Stefano’s Wedge or Caesar in Parmesan and take time to explore the extensive wine list. 735 Chestnut Ridge Road, 304.581.6930, stefanoswv.com

BEST BEER SELECTION

Apothecary Ale House & Café

Apothecary Ale House & Café hasn’t tapped out Morgantown’s thirst for malty, hoppy beverages yet. Now with 27 rotating craft beer taps and 140 bottled varieties, it easily earns our readers’ love for Best Beer Selection. Apothecary introduces us to new beers through frequent tasting parties and, by making us more sophisticated drinkers, attracts a growing roster of breweries to sell their libations here—playing a key role in growing the beer ecosystem. Thanks, Apothecary! 227 Chestnut Street, on Facebook

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

CARLA WITT FORD

1137 Van Voorhis Road, 304.598.3715

BEST SPORTS BAR | BEST WINGS | BEST FRIES

Kegler’s Sports Bar & Lounge

BEST BBQ

Atomic Grill

The restaurant quickly established itself as Morgantown’s go-to eatery for its locally sourced pork and beef when it opened in 2013. Even since it changed ownership last spring, fans keep clamoring for their fix of barbecue with all the fixings. Still popular is the Black and White Sandwich with an upgraded slow-smoked prime rib brisket and Atomic Grill’s special white sauce. Vegetarians also have plenty of options, including the Fried Green Tomato Po’Boy and the Tofu-beque Sandwich. 595 Green Bag Road, 304.241.1170, on Facebook

BEST OUTDOOR DINING

Crab Shack Caribba

Of course you know Kegler’s is a great sports bar. It’s right there in the name, and with three 80-inch televisions in the front alone bringing you the best Mountaineers, Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins action, you can multitask and catch some football or basketball and destroy a basket of wings topped with a sauce that ranges from mild to medium, hot, hotter, and 911. But have you heard about their french fries? You can opt for either hand-cut or waffle fries covered in just about anything, although many regulars choose nacho cheese or the Drunken Waffle Fries loaded with olives, jalapenos, tomatoes, and a choice of nacho, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese. 735 Chestnut Ridge Road, 304.598.9698, keglerssportsbar.com

BEST WINERY

Forks of Cheat

Wineries are cropping up all over West Virginia faster than you can say cabernet sauvignon, so Morgantown has been lucky to have the award-winning Forks of Cheat, established in 1990, in its backyard all these years. Sample one of several varieties— including the signature Black Cat Catawba, the full-flavored white Airmail Jones, or the new Redbud—in the tasting room and enjoy the expansive views of the vineyard from the deck. 2811 Stewartstown Road, 304.598.2019, wvwines.com

When the weather warms up, you can dine outside overlooking Cheat Lake, sipping a Rum Runner or a Perfect Mojito while enjoying Cajun Crab Cakes or Grilled Island Shrimp as a soft breeze wafts by and a band plays live music. The restaurant opened at Cheat Lake Marina in the summer of 2015 as a second location for Coach’s Crab Shack. Chef Bron Kayal changed the name to Crab Shack Caribba last April, and then moved the original restaurant to Suncrest Towne Centre in 2016. It has an outdoor capacity for 75 diners—roomy, but still smaller than the 200 that the Cheat Lake location accommodates with its deck seating. 69 Mont Chateau Road, 304.435.3469, crabshackcaribba.com

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

CARLY SUPLITA

Mario’s Fishbowl

Regulars at this Morgantown establishment know that their draft beer comes in an icy cold, goblet-shaped “fishbowl” glass, though exactly how much the cup holds is a trade secret. What everyone does know, however, are the winners of various challenges, because those customers have signed Mario’s homey walls, creating a unique atmosphere. The bar also offers a full menu of pub food, too. Try the Cowboy Ranch sauce with the wings. 704 Richwood Avenue, 304.292.2511; 3117 University Avenue 304.599.4309; mariosfishbowl.com

BEST SUSHI

Ogawa

Tucked away in an unassuming spot on University Avenue in the heart of Evansdale, Ogawa has been rolling sushi and slicing sashimi in Morgantown for 11 years. Try one—or more—of the Chef’s Special Rolls, including the Blue & Gold, featuring spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, lobster salad, and salmon topped with spicy mango sauce. 2920 University Avenue, 304.598.8338, ogawasushi.com MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

BEST POWER LUNCH & BEST VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY

Black Bear Burritos From homemade hummus and black bean burgers to build your own burritos, vegetarians know that Black Bear provides plenty of options—especially at the downtown location, which also offers tofu chili. And herbivores and carnivores alike can appreciate the fact that Black Bear chefs use locally sourced ingredients as often as possible. They also keep specials around for an entire week to give all their customers a chance to try dishes that, recently, have included chorizo gravy and biscuits, samosas, and burgers topped with anything from gouda to bacon jam. You can wash your lunch down with one of 24 beers on tap downtown and 20 at Evansdale— and a good portion of those brews comes from West Virginia, including the new Stumptown Ales out of Davis. 132 Pleasant Street, 304.296.8696; 3119 University Avenue 304.777.4867; blackbearburritos.com

BEST BURGER

Tailpipes

You probably could go to Tailpipes Gourmet Burgers and Shakes every day for a year and never try the same combination twice. The burgers—named after classic cars such as the Camaro, featuring caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms, banana peppers, and cheese sauce on a white bun—are intriguing enough. You can get that with a beef burger as well as chicken, turkey, black bean, or a portabella mushroom cap. An extensive fries menu and a variety of milkshake flavors—like Fruity Pebbles—round out the dining experience. 417 High Street, 304.225.2535, tailpipesburgers.com

Boston Beanery & Beanery American Grill BEST SWEET INDULGENCE

The Cupcakerie

It’s a consensus—The Cupcakerie wins the best place to get your sugar for the sixth year in a row. And with nine collections and dozens of flavors, ranging from P’nutty for Chocolate and Loco Cocoa to Raspberry Pink Lemonade and Almost Heaven Apple Pie, there is a cupcake for everybody. 194 Willey Street, 304.212.5464, thecupcakerie.com 38

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

Customers’ love of the marble rye on the reuben sandwich at the Boston Beanery—and now at the two satellite locations called Beanery American Grill—have helped make it one of the most popular menu items at this Morgantown eatery that is pushing the quarter-century mark. But salads are actually the restaurant’s signature dishes. Piled high with Beanery french fries and topped with housemade ranch dressing, the chicken salad is the No. 1 seller. Even so, there is a wide array of choices, including steak salad; a Caesar with shrimp, chicken, or steak; and a newer chopped salad featuring iceberg lettuce, gorgonzola cheese, candied walnuts, and craisins. The southwest ranch and honey mustard dressings are also made in-house. 321 High Street, 304.292.0165, bostonbeanery.com; 383 Patteson Drive, 304.599.1870 and 226 Comfort Inn Drive, 304.241.1514 beaneryamericangrill.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CARLY SUPLITA; CAROLINE NICHOLAS; CARLY SUPLITA

BEST SALAD

BEST CHINESE TAKEOUT

Great Wall

A staple of downtown Morgantown for 25 years now, Great Wall of China celebrates its silver anniversary in 2017. The large and varied menu—10 soups and seven varieties of fried rice alone—and high-profile downtown location make it easy to get your Green Jade Chicken, Orange Flavored Beef, or Scallops and Shrimp with Garlic Sauce. 162 High Street, 304.291.3417, greatwallchinesefood.com

BEST BRUNCH

Iron Horse Tavern

BEST BREAKFAST

Morgan’s High Street Diner

This High Street establishment is known for its hip twist on diner classics. That includes The Walk of Shame: scrambled eggs topped with slow-roasted pulled pork, homemade barbecue sauce, and cheddar cheese, served with home fries and two pieces of Texas toast. If you’re feeling more sugary than savory, however, the restaurant serves fresh, house-made beignets daily. And the chicken and waffle sandwich makes an easy meal of a signature diner dish. 250 High Street, 304.241.5327, dinerwv.com

The High Street eatery retains its title as the best brunch in town. But there definitely have been some changes, starting with the legislative bill allowing for earlier alcohol sales that made Sunday morning busier. Then there are some new items to check out, including the Colonel Eggs Benedict—two buttermilk biscuits with ham, chicken fritters, and fried eggs drizzled in jalapeno gravy. And if a mimosa or a bloody mary is not your thing, there is the line of cold-pressed coffee cocktails, such as the Vanilla Latte Martini. 140 High Street, 304.296.6230, ironhorsetvrn.com

CARLY SUPLITA

BEST BREWERY

Mountain State Brewing Company

BEST PLACE TO CAFFEINATE

What goes best with Mountain State Brewing Company’s spicy, pepper-filled Fire on the Mountain pizza? The menu recommends the Seneca IPA or Almost Heaven Amber Ale, but just about any brew will do. At the Thomas-based brewery’s Morgantown restaurant, that means 10 taps from which to choose, including suds from competing hop houses, as well as both red and white sangria. A recent expansion at the Thomas facility has made room for an in-house canning operation, which means you might soon be able to enjoy a Cold Trail Blonde Ale or Miner’s Daughter Oatmeal Stout in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Baristas at the Blue Moose Cafe have been filling up Morgantown residents’ mugs with a variety of regionally roasted coffees for 23 years. Java lovers can sip their beverages while enjoying highspeed Wi-Fi and lingering “sometimes longer than they should,” jokes owner Gary Tannenbaum, choosing among four different brews on any given day—like the earthy Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Tanzanian peaberry, and the signature organic house blend. Customers can also buy coffee by the pound to take home. There is a wide array of breakfast and lunch options, such as quiche and a fruit and granola bowl topped with strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, to pair with your cup of joe.

54 Clay Street, 304.241.1976, mountainstatebrewing.com

248 Walnut Street, 304.292.8999, thebluemoosecafe.com

The Blue Moose Cafe

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Personalities These influential folks make the food and art you love.

BEST ARTIST

BEST POLITICIAN

From coal mining to Civil War service, the art of David Merrill portrays the glory and grit of life in Appalachia. He’s given us iconic representations of the Mountaineer, state landmarks, and past governors. The lasting power of his images has made him a Best of Morgantown favorite five times running.

John Williams

BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY

John Williams’ 2016 second run at the state House of Delegates from Monongalia County’s 51st District turned out successful. In a district that chooses five candidates at large, the Democrat came in fourth. Williams is young for political life—only in his mid-20s—but has experience in student government leadership at WVU and as a small business owner. Voters liked the 11thgeneration West Virginian’s commitment to good jobs, roads and infrastructure, and fairness, and so did Morgantown readers. Among other organizations, he’s involved with the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce, the Morgantown Rotary Club, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Morgantown readers voted Kevin Connoley Best Media Personality for the last time— he ended his popular WVAQ morning talk show in September 2016 to go to law school. Need a fix? Check out his new Eric and Kevin Podcast.

williamsforthehouse.com

ericandkevinpodcast.com

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

Kevin Connoley

COURTESY OF JOHN WILLIAMS; COURTESY OF DAVID MERRILL; COURTESY OF KEVIN CONNOLEY

David Merrill

BEST BARTENDER

Grace Hutchens

Great bartending in this age of craft libations goes far beyond a sympathetic ear—bartenders have to have a real passion for the pour. Grace Hutchens stays current with the entire world of craft beer, “so if someone visiting town comes in and asks for their favorite, I can say, ‘We don’t have that, but we have this.’” In just the four years she’s owned Apothecary Ale House & Café, she says, she’s seen Morgantown’s fermentation sophistication grow tremendously. “I love how we’re getting beers from maybe five new breweries across the country every year. We’re getting a broader spectrum of styles and people who appreciate that spectrum.” For her enthusiastic role in expanding our beer palate, Hutchens earns Morgantown readers’ highest admiration for a third time. 227 Chestnut Street, on Facebook

BEST CHEF

Tom Thompson

Morgantown has had a long love affair with Chef Tom Thompson, starting in 2000 at Madeleine’s Restaurant, then at the also-much-missed Golden Finch. A native of Hagerstown, Maryland, Thompson discovered cooking in high school when the “salad guy’s” absence from the restaurant he washed dishes at got him suddenly promoted. “It was like lightning struck me.” He attended L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Maryland. Since 2014, he's headed up Fairmont’s Foxfire Restaurant—reopening in May for the summer season. Thompson recently earned his executive chef certification from the American Culinary Federation—making Foxfire’s one of the few menus in West Virginia managed by an executive chef. “I just want to continuously improve myself,” he says—but credits his wife, Tasia, who has always managed the front of the house and finances at their restaurants, with his success. Foxfire focuses on locally sourced and scratch-made; in 2017, look for themed dinners pegged to global holidays.

CARLA WITT FORD

Foxfire Restaurant, 1602 Tulip Lane, Fairmont 304.366.9463, hestonfarm.com cheftommyt.com

close second Marion Ohlinger, Hill & Hollow

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Where to go for the most stylish clothes, the biggest selections, and the best deals.

BEST PLACE TO BUY SHOES

The Shoe Story

This locally owned shop and six-time winner carries brands such as Birkenstock, UGG, Teva, Saucony, Merrell, and the very popular FitFlop, as well as a wide array of kids’ shoes. They’re also known for their superior customer service, including footwear fittings. 751 Chestnut Ridge Road, 304.599.7443

Farmhouse Café & Rooted by Design

Michelle Rowan opened Farmhouse Café in November 2015 because she thought the Cheat Lake area needed a coffee shop with a full espresso bar. Then her satisfied customers began asking her where the food was. So she introduced breakfast and bagel wraps as well as paninis, salads, and soup specials for lunch. The turkey panini is the clear favorite among her customers, who also can noodle around the gift shop that sells home decor, children’s clothing, and accessories. If you need fresh flowers, Rooted by Design, a separate business, is under the same roof. 10000 Coombs Farm Drive, Suite 106, 304.777.2756, farmhousewv.com 42

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

BEST BOOKSTORE

Barnes & Noble Searching for your next favorite book? Barnes & Noble is the place to be. Also offering coffee, movies, and music, this store is more than just finding a great read. 3000 University Town Centre Drive, 304.599.1294 barnesandnoble.com

COURTESY OF FARMHOUSE CAFÉ; CARLY SUPLITA

BEST NEW BUSINESS | BEST GIFT SHOP

BEST PET STORE

Exotic Jungle

From reptiles to rabbits to rats, Exotic Jungle has all sorts of critters. For those looking to care for their animal friends, the store has an assortment of pet goods ranging from food to toys and everything in between. Staff members take pride not only in selling quality products but also in ensuring that owners know every detail of proper care of their animals. The pets and goods have to be purchased, but advice and education come free. 1716 Mileground Road, 304.296.8552

BEST JEWELRY STORE

Jacqueline’s Fine Jewelry

Want to have a custom-designed piece of jewelry made in-store? Jacqueline’s is the place to go. Interested in unique lines of watches or engagement rings that you might not be able to find anywhere else in the state? Jacqueline’s can help with that, too. Originally Joyce’s Fine Jewelry when it opened in Morgantown in 2011, Jacqueline’s changed names in 2015. In-house designer Katherine Spencer has been in place for more than a year, bringing customers’ jewelry visions to life. 1070 Suncrest Towne Centre, 304.599.6981 jacquelinesfinejewelry.com

BEST CLOTHING CONSIGNMENT STORE & BEST PLACE TO BUY KIDS’ APPAREL

CARLA WITT FORD; CARLY SUPLITA

Cool Kids Consignment

Finding the time and patience to shop with your kids can be difficult, but Cool Kids Consignment makes it easy. With a wide array of clothing at a minimum of a 50 percent markdown, the store offers something for everyone at one location. The selection includes adult clothing, formal dresses, and maternity wear, too. You’ll be finished shopping too quickly for meltdowns, which means a treat for the kids. Don’t forget to treat yourself, too; they also have name brand handbags. 1706 Mileground Road, Suite A, 304.292.7467 coolkidsconsignment.com

BEST PLACE TO BUY A WEDDING DRESS

Coni & Franc

The jury has spoken—Coni & Franc takes the prize for the best place to bustle up for the sixth time in a row. When the shop first opened in 1982, one year after Prince Charles and Diana tied the knot, wedding gowns with poufy sleeves were all the rage. Thirty-five years later, lace is back in fashion, thanks to the couple’s daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton. But now, so many other styles also grace the racks, and the staff at Coni & Franc will expertly guide the bride to the shape that looks best on her. 422 High Street, 304.296.9466, coniandfranc.net

close second The Vow Boutique MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

BEST RECREATION STORE

Pathfinder Centrally located in downtown Morgantown, Pathfinder offers a place to get geared up for the great outdoors. The store boasts a variety of quality apparel, recreational supplies, and toys to enjoy the vast natural beauty of the great Mountain State yearround. Whether your adventures take you to the mountains of Pocahontas County, to the backwaters of the Cheat River, or to the falls in Sandstone, Pathfinder is a one-stop shop for all your recreational needs.

BEST FURNITURE STORE

BEST PLACE TO BUY HEALTH FOOD

Established in 1967, this Morgantown staple has provided shoppers with both variety and personal care for 50 years. The 60,000-square-foot store—offering more than 50 lines of furniture—has been owned and operated by the same family since it first opened.

Vibrant produce, fresh eggs, and homemade products bring people to Spruce Street every Saturday from May to November. At peak season more than 30 farmers contribute to the market. Shoppers can enjoy culinary demonstrations, too. Morgantown Farmers’ Market holds various marketplaces all year long; check the website for details.

Chuck’s Furniture Morgantown & Mattress Farmers’ Market 77 Lawless Road, 304.292.7621, chucksfurniture.com

415 Spruce Street, 304.291.7201, morgantownfarmersmarket.org

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARY WADE BURNSIDE (2); CARLA WITT FORD

235 High Street, 304.296.0076 pathfinderwv.com

BEST SHOPPING CENTER

University Town Centre

Barnes & Noble. Giant Eagle. T.J.Maxx. Target. Walmart. Regal Cinemas. Pizza Al’s. Cheddar’s. Chili’s. Olive Garden. Best Buy. WV Black Bears. BW3. Bed, Bath & Beyond. Courtyard by Marriott. Stay tuned—there’s more to come. University Town Centre Drive, Granville

BEST PLACE TO BUY MEN’S APPAREL

Daniel’s of Morgantown

Located on University Avenue after years as a downtown staple, Daniel’s has provided high-quality men’s apparel for more than 50 years. Professional men come to Daniel’s for the large variety of lines—more than 20 brands—and the personal customer service. Employees at Daniel’s strive to create a personal shopping experience for each customer. 2908 University Ave, 304.296.7202, danielsofmorgantown.com

BEST PLACE TO BUY WOMEN’S APPAREL

T.J.MAXX CARLY SUPLITA

Dresses, workout apparel, business clothing, jeans, and even accessories, T.J.MAXX has it all in one location. A discounted designer department store, T.J.MAXX offers a variety of high-end clothing at an affordable rate. Be sure to grab accessories and a pair of shoes to complete the look—the store has a large selection of designer footwear and purses, too. 4041 University Town Centre Drive, 304.599.1261, tjmaxx.com

BEST GROCERY STORE

Kroger

Morgantown residents have three Kroger supermarkets to fulfill their shopping lists, but the one at Suncrest Towne Centre has amenities like no other, such as four in-house sushi makers, more than 60 types of imported and domestic cheeses with samplings, a large natural foods section, and an emphasis on regional products. And starting in January, the Suncrest Kroger began offering the online ordering service ClickList. That said, even the recently remodeled Sabraton Kroger also has inhouse sushi makers as well as a bulk foods section so you can stock up on your favorite raw cashews and trail mix. Up next: The Patteson Drive store is scheduled for changes, too. 500 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive, 304.285.6780 350 Patteson Drive, 304.599.5324; 1851 Earl L. Core Road, 304.296.7146; kroger.com MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Services

From your car to your hair to your nails, these businesses fix your life.

BEST DAY SPA BEST MANI/PEDI BEST MASSAGE BEST HAIR SALON

Spa Roma

For nearly a quarter of a century, Spa Roma has kept Morgantown relaxed, polished, peeled, and poised, and this year, the previous multiple winner in three categories adds a new prize to its list of accomplishments: Best Hair Salon. It’s no wonder—stylists travel to New York to receive training from Bumble and bumble, and owner Michel Marrara-Blankenship emphasizes professionalism to her staff. In addition to the 14,500-square-foot Cheat Lake base of operations, there also is the Suncrest Towne Centre location, which will celebrate five years this summer.

CARLY SUPLITA

170 Lakeview Drive, Suite 1 304.594.9782; 1054 Suncrest Towne Centre, 304.241.4057 sparoma.com

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

BEST VETERINARIAN

Cheat Lake Animal Hospital BEST ARCHITECT

Dolores John

Open and staffed 24/7, Cheat Lake Animal Hospital offers everything your adorable pet will need. This veterinary hospital provides many services including routine vaccinations, wellness exams, basic to complex surgeries, and a canine rehabilitation center to help every animal. Not only do the vets see all types of species and offer boarding, but they also support two local nonprofits. Whether your pet needs grooming or acupuncture, Cheat Lake Animal Hospital will be able to help. 286 Fairchance Road, 304.594.1124, cheatlakevets.com

Dolores John works to achieve projects that reflect the functionality and style desired by each and every client, who trust John’s well-rounded experience and attention to personal detail. She personally manages each residential and commercial project and keeps a one-on-one approach throughout. 344 Jackson Avenue, 304.692.5959, djohnarchitect.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: AMBERLEE CHRISTEY PHOTOGRAPHY; CARLY SUPLITA; CAROLINE NICHOLAS

BEST CHARITY/NONPROFIT

Christian Help

Christian Help is a nonprofit that has served the Morgantown community for 42 years. The Free Store and Jobs for Life are two of the five programs this charity operates. The people of Christian Help do everything they can to support those in need. 219 Walnut Steet, 304.296.0221, motownchristianhelp.com

BEST BANK

Clear Mountain Bank

BEST CONTRACTOR

Doug Groves Stick Build IT

Clear Mountain Bank began more than 100 years ago with just two banks and has expanded to 12 branches across the state, including six in Morgantown. Employees take the time to know customers so they can make financial decisions based on more than just numbers.

Doug Groves and his team of eight employees take pride in all projects they complete, while paying attention to every detail during construction. Stick Build IT’s staff is working diligently to help bring back the traditional technique of stick building— the process of creating a wooden home by using rafters and building the house largely or entirely on site, piece by piece. The contracting company completes multiple projects throughout the year, including a few beautiful and unique large-scale homes.

102 Venture Drive, 304.291.2265, clearmountainbank.com

35 Cherry Hill Road, 304.319.4181 MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

BEST FLORIST

Bella Fiore Floral

Flowers are in Jason Savage’s chlorophyll. His family owned a floral shop when he was growing up, and he learned his trade not only in Palm Beach and Washington, D.C., but also at Holland’s famed Aalsmeer Flower Auction. So when he established Bella Fiore in 2010, he brought his design skills as well as a desire to use locally harvested flowers, with many of them coming from growers in Clarksburg and Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. The effort has paid off and Bella Fiore is now one of the area’s go-to florists for big events. 490 Suncrest Towne Centre, 304.381.4697, morgantownflowers.com

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER

Jeff Giosi CrossFit Morgantown

Jeff Giosi offers a unique CrossFit experience for every person who walks in the door. CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program designed for anyone, whether a professional athlete or grandmother. The workout regime combines varied high-intensity functional movements, such as running and lifting. 1065 Green Bag Road, Suite A, 304.685.1272 crossfitmorgantown.com

BEST CAR DEALERSHIP

John Howard Motors With Morgantown’s hills and traffic—and occasional bad weather—a great car is vital for your transportation needs. John Howard Motors can set you up with a Subaru or Nissan that will get you around town safely and in style. The dealership also gives back to the community, supporting organizations such as Meals on Wheels and Mon General Hospital. 1730 Mileground Road, 304.292.0171, johnhowardmotors.com

BEST MECHANIC

Shorty Anderson’s Auto Service

The mechanics at Shorty Anderson’s provide customers with honest assessments of their cars’ problems and fast and reliable repairs. And they often don’t charge to just look at a vehicle they can’t fix. 908 Stewart Street, 304.599.4419

Stenger’s Car Wash BEST LANDSCAPER

Biafore Landscape Development Founded in 1962, Biafore Landscape Development boasts a team of architects, designers, and horticulturalists who create beautiful gardens and landscapes. Not only do the staff members have decades of experience, but they have also won multiple awards. Last year, Biafore Landscape Development completed the Nath Sculpture Garden at the Art Museum of West Virginia University. 522 Ashebrooke Square, 304.594.3006, biafore.com 48

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

Customers love Stenger’s for its employees’ attentiveness and hard work when it comes to getting cars washed, waxed, vacuumed, and ready to tool around town with that new-car scent. 767 Chestnut Ridge Road, 304.599.1148

BEST HOME INSPECTOR

Davis Home Inspections Jeff Davis has been inspecting homes in Morgantown for nearly 20 years. His background in civil engineering and foundation design translates into a thorough home inspection that has his clients singing his praises. 304.292.5871, davishomeinspections.com

CARLY SUPLITA; COURTESY OF JEFF GIOSI; COURTESY OF BIAFORE LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT

BEST CAR DETAILING

BEST NEW HOUSING COMPLEX

Suncrest Village BEST DRY CLEANER

Massullo’s Cleaners Employees at this family business, launched in 1925 and occupying its distinctive High Street location since 1961, go the extra mile when it comes to dry cleaning: hand-pressing items if the machine does not get out all the wrinkles, hanging clothes up prior to cleaning to find the spots, and even sometimes providing curb service to customers with mobility issues.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CARLY SUPLITA; COURTESY OF WATERFRONT PLACE HOTEL; MARY WADE BURNSIDE

447 High Street, 304.296.5210; 1068 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive, 304.225.5210

If you would like to buy one of the 166 townhomes being completed by the end of the year at Suncrest Village, you’d better act now. Only about 15 of them remain available. All 280 condos built across from Suncrest Towne Centre—beginning in 2006—have been sold. Those who take the plunge can take advantage of the complex’s swimming pool, fitness center, and clubhouse as well as the convenience of being close to both hospitals and the football stadium and in the middle of a shopping mecca. 1000 Suncrest Village, 304.598.8700 suncrestvillage.net

BEST HOTEL BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

Waterfront Place Hotel

In 2016, the 23 agents who work for this six-time BOM winner listed and sold 233 homes to the tune of nearly $70 million of Morgantown area real estate. After 30 years of business, it adds up to one in five properties in the city being sold by J.S. Walker.

By the end of March or sometime in April, the name of the hotel will change to Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place and guests will be able to see the fruits of a remodel that has taken place this past year. The lobby will feature marble floors, a 22-seat bar, and an open concept that will afford views from the riverside restaurant—which will be rebranded as Bourbon Prime—to the Don Knotts Boulevard side. The eatery’s farm-to-table concept menu will be heavy on steaks as well as specialty pizzas made in a gas-fired pizza oven. More equipment—and a larger variety—will be available in the fitness center, and guest rooms will appeal to millennials, with hardwood floors, additional data ports, and walk-in showers instead of tubs in half the inventory.

148 Fayette Street, 304.296.0074, jswalker.com

2 Waterfront Place, 304.296.1700, waterfrontplacehotel.com

J.S. Walker Associates, Inc., REALTORS

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Downtime

When it’s time to unwind, here are the places and activities you love.

BEST FESTIVAL

Wine & Jazz Festival

The Wine & Jazz Festival has brought our readers’ favorite mix of art, food, wine, and music to Camp Muffly every September for more than two decades—and supports music scholarships, too. wvwineandjazz.com

BEST YOGA STUDIO

You can get your sweat on in downward dog at first-time winner Suncrest Yoga, which opened four years ago. Students practice power vinyasa yoga, an athletic form of the ancient discipline in which yogis flow from pose to pose in a studio that is heated to between 85 and 95 degrees. Low-impact body barre classes are taught in a second, unheated room. Co-owner Nicole Yost Ross also introduced standup paddleboard yoga—in which students strike their poses on paddleboards on Cheat Lake—to Morgantown three years ago and will be out balancing on the water again this summer. Ross frequently seeks continuing education and will spend March in Thailand to complete her 500-hour registered yoga teacher training. Then, in April, she will begin instructing a new crop of teachers to add to the city’s everexpanding pool. Sign up for a class today, and don’t forget your towel and water bottle. 1052 Maple Drive, 234.380.7267, suncrestyoga.com

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

BEST FUNDRAISING EVENT

WVU Medicine Children’s Gala

Classy and fun dining, entertainment, dancing, and live and silent auctions make the WVU Medicine Children’s Gala the fundraising event of the year every year. The 14th annual gala took place February 11, 2017 at the Morgantown Event Center. wvuchgala.com

CARLY SUPLITA; COURTESY OF WVU MEDICINE CHILDREN'S

Suncrest Yoga

BEST MUSEUM/GALLERY BEST THEATER

Metropolitan Theatre

Opened in 1924, the 1,300-seat Metropolitan Theatre was a vaudeville venue designed as a tribute to New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. The city and generous patrons have restored it in recent years to its one-time glory. It now hosts everything from West Virginia Public Theatre performances to comedy shows, local dance troupes, concerts, and school programs.

MARY WADE BURNSIDE; COURTESY OF THE ART MUSEUM OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

373 High Street, 304.291.4884 morgantownmet.com

BEST GOLF COURSE

Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa

Lakeview’s two championship courses on Cheat Lake keep golfers coming back for more. At the Mountainview Course, rated 3½ stars by Golf Digest, the front 9 winds through a valley and the back 9 crosses higher terrain. The four-star Lakeview Course features tight fairways and scenic views. One Lakeview Drive, 304.594.2011 lakeviewwvgolf.com

Art Museum of West Virginia University

See WVU’s permanent art collection as never before at the Art Museum of West Virginia, opened in 2015. Two galleries totaling 5,400 square feet also display traveling exhibits from museums nationwide. The museum welcomes everyone through university classes, school tours, Art Up Close! lectures, and informal Lunchtime Looks discussions. The Nath Sculpture Garden, dedicated in September 2016, includes sculptures from Zimbabwe, China, and the United States. Two Fine Arts Drive, 304.293.2141, artmuseum.wvu.edu

BEST TATTOO SHOP

Patty’s Art Spot

As its name implies, Patty’s Art Spot Tattoo and Piercing Studio is about art above all—and the vivid, living artistry of the studio’s tattoos puts them undisputably in that category. The walls of Patty Colebank’s two stylish shops double as gallery space. Check out the website to see the extensive and ethereal portfolios of Colebank’s resident artists. 3399 University Avenue, Star City, 304.598.0190; 425 Beechurst Avenue, Morgantown, 304.292.2885; pattysartspot.org

BEST GYM/FITNESS FACILITY

Pro PerformanceRX

Continuing to grow with now four locations offering CrossFit, batting cages, aquatic therapy, and so much more, Pro PerformanceRX remains our readers’ favorite. One membership includes all locations. properformancerx.com MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

BEST RADIO STATION

WVAQ

101.9 FM’s pop and rock format and dynamic talk radio have earned it many state and national awards through the years and a loyal local following. wvaq.com

BEST MUSIC VENUE

Schmitt’s brought new life to Cheat Road when it opened in 2013. The partnership between former Mountaineer fullback and retired NFL player Owen Schmitt and native sons the Davisson Brothers Band draws crowds most weekends for bands in a variety of genres. A good slection of pub food—including fried pepperoni rolls—helps to make for a great evening out. 245 Cheat Road, 304.291.9001 schmittssaloon.com

BEST DANCE STUDIO

Kat & Company

Katreena Snyder grew up dancing in Morgantown. After high school she furthered her dance expertise and career in Connecticut, but she missed home. She came back and opened her own dance studio in Morgantown in 1993. Today, Kat & Company’s staff of nine teaches students from ages 3 to 18 everything from ballet, jazz, and tap to modern, contemporary, and hip hop. They perform at the State Theatre in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, each fall and at the West Virginia Dance Festival at the Culture Center in Charleston in the spring. Students have gone on to become professional dancers, Snyder says; others have taken their learned confidence and ability to share and inspire into other professions. Brookstone Plaza, Green Bag Road, 304.291.5287, katandco.com

BEST RUN/WALK

Morgantown Marathon

Only two years old, the Morgantown Marathon has quickly formed a following. The 2015 inaugural weekend drew more than 1,100 participants, and 2016’s race registered more than 1,200. Short Saturday races build excitement for half and full marathons on Sunday. Race proceeds go to hometown veterans’ support group Operation Welcome Home. morgantownmarathon.com 52

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

BEST BAND

Davisson Brothers

Since the homegrown and perennially popular Davisson Brothers Band put out its first album in 2009, we’ve had just a few singles and videos. But in December 2016, the country-bluegrass-Southern rock group—which now has a Nashville-based record label and representation—announced an album for 2017. They play out often—check them out live at their co-owned venue, Schmitt’s Saloon, and around the region. davissonbrothersband.com

COURTESY OF KAT & COMPANY; COURTESY OF DAVISSON BROTHERS; COURTESY OF MORGANTOWN MARATHON

Schmitt’s Saloon

Health

These medical professionals have their fingers on the pulse of Morgantown. BEST GENERAL PRACTITIONER

Anthony Marcucci

After attending medical school at WVU and doing his residency at West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Anthony Marcucci opted to stick around and serve the community where he learned to be a physician. Marcucci, who’s also a retired U.S. Marine Corps captain, now practices at Wedgewood Family Practice. He also coaches Little League and soccer and is a team physician for University High School. 1300 Fort Pierpont Drive Suite 101, 304.241.7150 wedgewood-fp.com

BEST DENTIST/ORTHODONTIST

TLC Dental

COURTESY OF CARDINAL PEDIATRICS; COURTESY OF HEALTHWORKS; COURTESY OF TLC DENTAL

Whether it’s routine cleanings, orthodontics, teeth whitening, veneer, or dentures, TLC Dental provides anything your pearly whites require. The clinic even offers convenient evening hours and emergency services. 1830 Listravia Avenue, Sabraton, 304.292.4412 tlcdentists.com

BEST OB/GYN

Dr. Shon Rowan, WVU

Morgantown born, raised, and educated, Dr. Shon Rowan decided to become an OB/GYN while completing his residency at WVU because he could build relationships with patients while also working in the operating room. Rowan now specializes in infertility issues—he says there’s nothing like helping to deliver a baby of a couple who thought they couldn’t have children. He’s also director of WVU School of Medicine’s residency program. “It’s about making sure we’re graduating people who’ll take care of the people of West Virginia,” he says. 6040 University Town Centre Drive, 304.598.4880 wvumedicine.org/services/obstetrics-and-gynecology/

BEST PEDIATRICIAN

Cardinal Pediatrics

Dr. Lisa McBride and Dr. Patti Malone got along so well in med school that, after finishing their residencies, they decided to open a practice together in Morgantown. That was 2006. Since then, Cardinal Pediatrics has added 10 more health care providers and two additional locations. That provides a lot of flexibility—any sick kid can be seen the same day. But Cardinal Pediatrics has also kept its familial feel. Outside of last-minute visits, patients see the same doctor each time, developing relationships that last from infancy through adolescence. 9000 Coombs Farm Drive, Suite 102; 1247 Suncrest Town Center; 139 Conference Center Way, Suite 113, Bridgeport; 304.599.8000, cardinalpediatrics.com

BEST DERMATOLOGIST

Mountain State Medical Specialties

With six locations in West Virginia and Pennsylvania offering dermatology services, the experienced staff at Mountain State Medical Specialties treats everything from acne to shingles and skin cancer. 65 Scott Avenue, 304.554.0400, msmswv.com

BEST PHYSICAL/ OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

Jordan Feathers HealthWorks Rehab & Fitness

A high school soccer injury first introduced Jordan Feathers to physical therapy. He enjoyed the experience so much he began volunteering at the clinic. After completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical therapy, Feathers started working at the clinic where he once was a patient— HealthWorks Rehab & Fitness. He’s now director of HealthWorks’ Cheat Lake location and sees about 20 patients a day, Monday through Friday. He enjoys the work because of the wide array of people he gets to serve. “It’s my job to help that person to progress at their pace, but encourage them to meet their maximum potential.” 200 Fairchance Road, 304.594.1545, healthworksrf.com MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Blue & Gold Let’s go, Mountaineers!

BEST TAILGATE

Blue Lot

When the Mountaineers are playing a home game, this expanse of concrete transforms into its own little Mardi Gras. You’ll find cornhole games, delicious cooking, and, if you know where to look, some homemade moonshine. And if you’re ever feeling lonely, just holler “Let’s goooo…”

BEST MOUNTAINEER GEAR

Book Exchange

Yes, there are textbooks. But the Book Exchange is also the best place in town to find your Mountaineer-themed gear. They’re fully stocked on apparel of all kinds, from T-shirts and pullovers to hats and scarves as well as license plates, car flags, home decor, and more.

BEST OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING

The Domain at Town Centre

There are lots of apartment complexes in Morgantown, but there’s nothing like Domain. These luxury apartments, located at University Town Centre, offer private bedrooms and bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, washers and dryers, flat-screen televisions, and even free Wi-Fi and cable. There’s also a fitness center, a hammock lounge, a pool with a swim-up bar, and a private shuttle to take residents to campus. 5000 Domain Drive, 304.598.0700, domainmorgantown.com 54

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

BEST COACH

Nikki Izzo-Brown

Sometimes the numbers really do speak for themselves. Nikki Izzo-Brown has coached WVU Women’s Soccer since the program’s inception more than two decades ago. She’s taken the team to each of the last 17 NCAA tournaments, including an appearance at the 2016 NCAA Women’s College Cup final.

CARLY SUPLITA; WVU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS/BRIAN PERSINGER PHOTO

152 Willey Street, 304.292.7354; 342 Patteson Drive 304.598.2225; bookexchangewv.com

BEST PROFESSOR

David Howell

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: CAROLINE NICHOLAS; KEN INNESS; DALE SPARKS; PETE EMERSON

After graduating from Purdue University, WVU professor David Howell went on to spend the next three decades in Chicago working for some of the world’s most famous advertising agencies, like Ogilvy & Mather, DDB, and FCB, interacting with iconic brands such as Home Depot, Sears, McDonald’s, Budweiser, and the Dow Chemical Company. He joined the WVU Reed College of Media in the spring of 2014 and currently teaches in the college’s strategic communications program.

BEST SPORTS VENUE

Milan Puskar Stadium

Fans got their introductory look at the first half of Milan Puskar Stadium’s makeover at WVU’s season opener in September 2016. The stadium now features 10 additional entrance gates, elevators to increase handicap accessibility, widened concourses, more concession stands, updated restrooms, and even cell phone charging stations. The rest of the renovations will be completed by the start of the 2017 football season. 1 Ira Errett Rodgers Drive, 304.293.5621

BEST MALE STUDENT ATHLETE

Nathan Adrian

Hometown boy Nathan Adrian first caught our eye at Morgantown High School, where he led the Mohigans to a 19–7 record. Since joining WVU in 2013, he’s become the team’s go-to utility player— so important that he seldom leaves the hardwood. “I don’t think people know how tough he is,” guard Tarik Phillip recently told WVUSports.com. “People look at him and underestimate him ... but to be honest with you, he’s one of the toughest guys on our team.” His successes continue off the court, too: Adrian has been named to both the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll and the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. He graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in finance and is now pursuing a master’s degree in sport management.

BEST FEMALE STUDENT ATHLETE

Ginny Thrasher

West Virginia University sophomore engineering major Virginia “Ginny” Thrasher had a summer for the record books. She was the first gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, after a first-place finish in the 10-meter women’s air rifle event. That also made her the first U.S. Olympian to win gold this year, the first American to medal in the 10-meter event since the 2000 Olympics, the first woman from WVU’s shooting team to win an Olympic medal, and only the second WVU athlete to take Olympic gold while attending the school. “This is beyond my wildest dreams,” she told the Associated Press after her win. MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

PAM KASEY

GETTING OUR GL BAL ON International from the start, Morgantown is becoming more diverse than ever. written by

Pam Kasey

An International Past Morgantown has welcomed immigrants from the start. Michael Kerns, who put up a fort in the 18th century wilderness here and built boats and ran a gristmill, left Holland as a young man and surely spoke Dutch. Thomas Laidley, who opened the town’s first general store, was a Scotsman. By the early 1900s, the streets of downtown must have sounded like a Mediterranean seaport. “Morgantown would have been much more cosmopolitan than the stereotype of West Virginia,” says WVU history professor Kenneth Fones-Wolf, whose interests include Appalachia and American immigration history. In the 58

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

1920 census, more than 10 percent of greater Morgantown was made up of people born elsewhere, mainly in Southern and Eastern Europe. Italians came in the greatest numbers, and a lot of them lived in Greenmont. They worked in the coal mines and set up groceries and meat markets and bakeries. “One of the biggest construction companies in the area was the Pietro Brothers, and they were stonemasons and construction workers from Italy,” Fones-Wolf says. “A good number of the people creating the infrastructure of Morgantown came from other lands.” Other newcomers clustered in neighborhoods by their origins, too, and by where they worked. Hungarians came, and Greeks, and they settled in Sabraton to work in the American Sheet and Tin Plate factory. “There was a lot of tinplate production in Wales, and there would have been a fairly good number of Welsh, and also British and German, metalworkers,” Fones-Wolf says. Welsh tinsmiths moved into Woodburn, where they could take the trolley down Richwood Avenue to the Sabraton tin mill. “And the glass industry drew large numbers of French, Belgian, German, and English craftsman,” he says. He thinks you might have been as likely to hear French spoken in Star City, where a lot of glassworkers congregated, as English. But the less-skilled work in the coal mines drew the greatest diversity. “The Scotts Run area across the river had some 50 different nationalities,” Fones-Wolf says—including Austrian, Polish, Russian, Czech, Lithuanian, Scottish, and Romanian. Diversity came in other forms, too. Southern blacks migrated north to work in the coal mines, and many lived in booming Osage, on Scotts Run. New political ideas led Star City to elect a Socialist mayor, Fones-Wolf says. And new faiths were practiced: Jews from all over Eastern Europe came together for services conducted in Hebrew on Pleasant Street, and Orthodox Catholics in Sabraton formed a church that split into several still operating in town today.

Getting Our Global On Mid-century federal quotas slowed immigration down, and our mix of people gradually blended to give Morgantown its unique

ELIZABETH ROTH

hen A leksandra Glotko’s family drove into Morgantown in 2006, she felt excited—though she didn’t get butterflies or goosebumps. “I get hives when I get excited,” laughs Glotko, who was a high school senior in the process of choosing a college at the time. “My mom knew just from looking at me. She said, ‘We’re in the right place.’ I loved Morgantown from the first moments here. It felt like home.” For Glotko, “home” was originally Khabarovsk, a city of 600,000 farther east in Russia than any part of China. Although her family had moved to New Jersey when she started middle school and she’d learned to speak English, she and her parents still spoke Russian at home and had lots of Russian friends and shopped at Russian delis. Morgantown could have seemed too far from all that comfort. But Morgantown and its hilly landscape felt comfortable to Glotko, too. She earned her undergraduate degree here and then an MBA. Then, after she worked in Virginia for a while, she realized she missed Morgantown. “I met some of the most interesting people in Morgantown, from West Virginia and every state and practically every country. And I learned so much, not just from my education but about food and wine and dancing. I got to experience the world.” Glotko moved back to Morgantown in 2015 and her parents live here now, too.

By the early 1900s, the streets of downtown must have sounded like a Mediterranean seaport. character. But since the relaxation of those quotas in the 1960s, a steady stream of newcomers has come to the university and to pursue professions here, especially health care. The origins shifted, with more people coming from Mexico, India, China, and other Asian countries—we’ve enjoyed their influences in well-established restaurants around town. And in recent years we’re welcoming more visitors than ever from the Middle East. In 2010, the foreign-born population in Monongalia County rose for the first time above its 1930 peak. Compared with 100 years ago, today’s newcomers are vastly more diverse, coming from all the regions of the world. Our temporary visitors and permanent residents from other places apply unskilled, skilled, and entrepreneurial energy to all industries, and they bring us new foods, customs, and ideas. It’s a rich environment that makes us all better people, in FonesWolf’s mind. “We live in a global world, and we should be thinking of ourselves as citizens of the world and not just as citizens of the United States,” he says. “Study abroad is beyond the means of many people. Having immigrants here gives us some of that feel, even for those who don’t have the ability to travel.” It’s good for the economy, too. “When you’ve seen dynamic growth in the state, it’s often been associated with migrants and immigrants bringing labor and skills to help with new activities,” he says. “It’s impossible to imagine the glass or tinplate industries in the region without thinking about those people who brought the skills that were necessary to do that. It’s hard to imagine the coal industry or, more recently, the booming natural gas industry without migrants and immigrants being part of that. And if you think in more recent terms about information technologies, again we benefit a great deal from skills and knowledge and training that people have acquired elsewhere.” Just as much, as pathways between Morgantown and the rest of the world widen, it’s an opportunity for us to shape the way other people see America and to promote peaceful relations. “Media across the world sometimes represent the United States in a negative way,” says Anita Nedeff, who teaches English as a Second Language at Morgantown’s diverse North Elementary School. “International students here, and their parents, come away with a different idea of the United States.” Glotko, who works now as an independent small business consultant, maintains ties with WVU’s Office of Global Affairs, and she’d like to help Morgantown continue to expand its international culture. “And take it beyond the university and into industry, where we can have our alumni working abroad and our international alumni coming back here to work, and having as much exposure as possible to different cultures and languages.”

Foreign-born Population in Monongalia County 5,000 3,750 2,500 1,250

1890

1920

1950

1980

2010

Source: National Historical Geographic Information System Data unavailable for 1960.

Makeup of Foreign-born Population in Monongalia County Asia, including the Middle East

Mexico

53%

Latin America Other

Europe

20%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 20052009, via maps.gcir.org

Morgantown Racial Diversity As self-identified to the U.S. Census Bureau

5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000

2000 Black

Asian

Hispanic

2015 2 or more

Other Nonwhite

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

WVUniversally

Students from 114 countries have chosen WVU this school year. Yet those nearly 2,300 international students are just a small part of the university’s global footprint. WVU sends students to countries as far-flung as Cambodia, Chile, and Estonia. Research is under way in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Wales. The university partners with centers of learning in Denmark, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. And alumni can find chapters in places like Kuwait and South Korea. WVU has a presence in practically every country in the world. “We sent out a survey asking faculty where they are doing international work, and we got email after email,” says William Brustein, WVU vice president for global strategies and international affairs. “‘I’ve been working in India on this great project for many years,’ or ‘Did you know that we’re involved in the Itaipu Dam project in Paraguay?’ Or Victor Mucino in engineering, who takes students down for internships in Queretaro, Mexico. To see all the work in the Middle East and China—it’s been amazing.” Brustein is reviewing the university’s international ties because he took on his newly created position in September 2016 to coalesce WVU’s identity as a pre-eminent global university. He worked similarly with WVU President E. Gordon Gee at Ohio State University, where he and his programs drew national and international recognition. Morgantown has a lot to offer international visitors, Brustein says. “You have these megacities around the world—Beijing, Mumbai, São Paulo, Lagos, all over 20 million. It is so attractive to students to come and enjoy real green grass, the hills, the blue sky.” The city’s safety is a positive, and he’s been impressed with Morgantown’s welcoming nature. “People in some places are not as patient as they are here. When I see international students asking people on the sidewalk for instructions, people spend time explaining.” 60

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

As for WVU, Brustein finds that the university’s global relevance almost sells itself. “If people want to study anything energy, from energy exploration to energy finance, management, law, safety, to clean energy, natural gas, coal—this is the place,” he says. “If you want to study forensic science, or biometrics in this era of biometric screening, what better place is there? When I tell international groups the Volkswagen emissions scandal was uncovered here or mention the Green Bank radio telescope, people say, ‘That’s in West Virginia?’ There are some strong drawing cards here.” One way Brustein is solidifying WVU’s role as an international university is by creating a Global Competence Certificate. “We’re going to work with each college at the university to develop five global competencies that a student needs,” he says. Students pursuing certificates will fulfill specific academic requirements, complete language courses, and study abroad. “They’ll earn their degrees in the same amount of time, along with global competences demonstrating to potential employers that they know the technical aspects of their fields and also understand their fields in an international context. This will be all across the university because people in law, chemistry, engineering, physical education—they all need to be globally competent.” He’s also establishing Global Portals where WVU has especially significant connections, to serve as “academic embassies” representing WVU and West Virginia. “We opened our first one, in Bahrain, on February 1 in partnership with the Royal University of Women,” based on a relationship since 2009 with the RUW and other ties in the Gulf States, Brustein says. “The second one will be in China—we’re taking President Gee there in June to cut the ribbon—and our third one’s going to be in Paraguay.” India, Japan, Malaysia, and Mexico will follow. To smooth things here for visiting students and faculty, WVU’s Office of International Students and Scholars Services already helps with everything from visas to housewares. The university’s Intensive English Program provides English as a Second Language courses and testing. But Brustein has more in mind: pre-departure orientations for international students coming to WVU, for example. Cross-cultural training for academic advisors, faculty, and staff. Summer intensive English bridge programs. “There is such enthusiasm on campus for WVU really making a name for itself as an international university,” Brustein says. “Faculty realize it’s in their interest. And bringing people here from other parts of the world and creating opportunities for West Virginians to see the world, that helps to fulfill the land grant mission.”

PAM KASEY

International perspectives are a key part of the WVU experience.

WVU Enrollment by Country 2016 From most to fewest

Shaped Abroad ...

COURTESY OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY CERAMICS; COURTESY OF ADVENTURE WV

More than 500 students, visiting artists, and ceramic enthusiasts have traveled to WVU’s program in the ancient imperial porcelain capital of Jingdezhen in east central China since 1995 to study the craft. After running its summer program there for a decade, the university added a fall semester in 2004 that provides advanced undergraduate, graduate, and professional-level training. Students study there with some of China’s most prominent teachers and ceramic artists. While other universities send students to Jingdezhen, WVU’s presence there has been distinguished since 2006 by the operation of its own studio at the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, including a cafeteria and dorms.

... and Broadening Minds WVU’s ambitious adventure education programming offers four trips abroad. Adventure Fiji takes students coastal sea kayaking and snorkeling while examining tourism’s impact on the small island nation. Adventure New Zealand goes helicopter ice climbing and introduces students to Maori tribes while teaching backcountry skills and outdoor leadership. Strenuous hiking is part of Adventure Patagonia, where students learn expedition planning and discover how decisionmaking strategies can promote social, environmental, and economic sustainability. And in Adventure South Africa, they explore programs that use sports to address HIV and other health conditions and take excursions by boat, bicycle, and horseback. More than 150 students have taken Adventure WV trips abroad.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, People’s Republic of China, India, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Oman, Iran, Canada, Spain, Bangladesh, Libya, Malaysia, Brazil, Japan, Nepal, Russia, Republic of Korea, Iraq, Mexico, Republic of China (Taiwan), Rwanda, Turkey, Colombia, France, Ghana, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Italy, Syria, Thailand, Germany, Australia, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Bahrain, Venezuela, Cameroon, Ecuador, Jamaica, Ukraine, Denmark, Jordan, Sweden, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Malawi, Morocco, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Singapore, Angola, Argentina, Bermuda, Lebanon, Mozambique, New Zealand, Serbia, Yemen, Austria, Chile, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Israel, Macedonia, Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Somalia, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Albania, Armenia, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Côte d’lvoire, Croatia, Eritrea, Finland, Guyana, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Liberia, Macau, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova, Nicaragua, Niger, Portugal, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Sudan, Zambia MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Multinational Morgantown An Irish Doctor Returns

Morgantown Loves a Taste of Syria

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

As medical students in Dublin in the mid-’70s, Kevin Mullen and a few friends applied to do a medical rotation in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He didn’t know what to expect. “Some people said West Virginia was a bit like Ireland,” he recalls. “I think it’s a lot hillier than Ireland. And I’d heard they had great music. While Parkersburg was great, the highlight was when we came up to Morgantown and they had a cardiac cath lab, and they showed us their version of what the coronary arteries look like. It was the early days of arterial catheterization, and it was extremely early to see that.” It turns out Mullen has come to love West Virginia. As a young doctor in Cleveland, Ohio, he had to also serve in an “area of need” to secure his work visa, and he did that weekends at an ER in Kingwood, east of Morgantown. “I’d had a nice feeling about West Virginians as a student and I had the

same feeling in Kingwood. People were kind and they like to know where you’re from and they chat with you—very hospitable, really.” Later, as a professor at Case Western Reserve University, he guest lectured at WVU several times. “I had fond memories of Morgantown from earlier, and I liked the little railway line,” he says of WVU’s Personal Rapid Transit system, an object of study by engineers from around the world. “I’d never seen anything like that.” So when he got a call in 2016 from a recruiter at WVU Medicine, he remembered all those good experiences in West Virginia and accepted the position as section chief of Digestive Diseases. Mullen loves his childhood home of Dublin but he’s happy his career has brought him back to Morgantown. He looks forward to trying out some of the area’s golf courses—and finally riding the PRT.

Five years ago, just as civil war in Syria was reaching the commercial capital of Aleppo, Mohamed Mando and his wife and daughter, Bana and Racil, were arriving on U.S. shores. They weren’t simply looking to escape the conflict. They were looking for a new place to call home. With help from family, some of whom had already made homes here or had a better command of English, they were able to settle in Morgantown, get their bearings, and start again—from scratch. It wasn’t easy. In Syria, Mohamed had owned a large soda factory with a small restaurant inside, where Bana’s love of cooking had flourished. Although the factory was destroyed, it was to that love of fresh food that Bana and her husband turned in Morgantown. “Everyone would tell us, ‘You have such nice food. You have to open another restaurant.’ So once we came here, that’s what we did,’” Bana says. For two years, the Mando family coowned Mediterranean restaurant Jasmine

Grill on High Street. They found a welcoming reception from the university community as well as from newcomers like themselves. When they decided to branch out with their own restaurant, they knew they’d find a niche. In January 2016 they opened Beity, also on High Street, and it’s been bustling ever since. With help from cousin Kareem, daughter Racil—now a student at WVU— and Bana’s mother, Beity has added another dimension to Morgantown’s global flavor. The couple couldn’t be more grateful that Morgantown has welcomed them with open arms. “Here, there are many different nationalities, but everyone is so sweet and kindhearted. I like that,” Bana says. The Mando family is talking of opening yet another restaurant, this time in Ohio, where they say a growing population of immigrants like themselves is hungry for a taste of their old home. written by mikenna pierotti

CARLA WITT FORD

Meet some of the outlanders who make this a great place to live.

Learning English, Gaining Skills

CARLA WITT FORD

A Dream Job in Public Health

A native of Xian in China’s central Shaanxi province, Jiadai Wu finished high school there at the age of 16 and came to Morgantown to live with friends of her family and improve her English. Now, at 20, Wu—who has adopted the Western name of Jaclyn—is a senior finance major at WVU and president and an enthusiastic promoter of the Chinese Students & Scholars Association. “I’m still struggling with English but it’s much better than four years before, when I came here,” she says. Wu enjoys studying finance. “And my father wanted me to do finance because he has real estate and investment business in China, and this can help him later.” Coming to Morgantown has been a welcoming experience for Wu, and she especially notes the kindness of her neighbors. “The first year I moved to the community, they helped me whenever the refrigerator was not working, the air conditioner was not working, or cut my grass.” She has also found the large Chinese community

in town—260 students and more than 1,000 permanent residents— very friendly. Her favorite Chinese restaurant? She counts five in town and says, among them, Peking House on Van Voorhis serves the most authentic mainland-style food. In the summer of 2016, Wu was selected for an internship in the Shaanxi provincial government. It was her responsibility to gather information about whether cities in provinces across China have developed multi-function sites where residents can conveniently accomplish various tasks at once—like registering motor vehicles and other government-related functions. She is the first Chinese student educated outside China to be chosen for such a high-level internship in the government and says she was honored. After graduating in December 2017, Wu plans to either help with her father’s business or seek another internship—possibly in Washington, D.C.—and she sees graduate school in her future.

When Srinivas Konda graduated from college in southern India, he found there weren’t many options there for continuing on into public health. His family spoke Telugu at home but he’d been learning English since the first grade, so he was able to look to the United States to further his education. Konda earned his master’s in public health at the University of Southern Mississippi. He took a job at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown and, as it turned out, a friend from high school was in graduate school at the time at WVU. That made settling here easy. An epidemiologist in NIOSH’s Division of Safety Research since 2009, Konda enjoys living in Morgantown. “I have five minutes’ commute to work, and nothing can beat that,” he says. “I love Coopers Rock and the Caperton Trail. It’s so beautiful in fall.” He also likes the many restaurant options downtown. He says he doesn’t eat out often, with

a shout-out to his wife: she cooks good Indian food, he says, and they are able to find the ingredients they need at Kassar’s Food and Gifts. Working at NIOSH, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a dream come true for Konda. “Our division, especially, has an inclusive environment and I feel proud to be a part of this agency who are making a difference in worker safety and health.” He is in the United States on an H-1B work visa and plans to apply for permanent U.S. residency in the coming year. Konda’s parents visited him in the U.S. for the first time in the summer of 2016. He took them all over during their two-month stay: “all the places in Morgantown, and Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Niagara Falls, Boston, New York City—we were on the road every weekend, almost. My mom really, really enjoyed it here. People are warm and friendly, she said, and they smile at you and they talk.” MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Worldwide Feast

Chaang Thai Morgantown was sadly deprived of Thai food until Raj and Pookie Sundaram opened Chaang Thai in 2011 to serve up the flavors of Pookie’s home nation. Order fragrant curries, succulent rice noodle dishes, and steaming coconut milk soups at your favorite level of piquancy. 361 High Street, 304.241.5374, chaangthai.com

Africana Cherith Nigerian Adebisi Oluwatoyin offers up an African and Jamaican menu featuring stews—lamb, goat, fish, chicken, and vegetarian— with lots of okra, fried plantain, moi moi, and pounded yam. She recommends the Goat Stew with Jollof Rice. Chelsea Square, 1137 Van Voorhis Road, 304.376.2760, on Facebook

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

Ogawa Japanese Restaurant The secret to Ogawa’s longtime success in town is the mix of traditional and new flavors, fresh ingredients, and exceptional service, owner Hee Cho tells us. We think it might be the great Nigiri sushi and themed sushi rolls. 2920 University Avenue, 304.598.8338, ogawasushi.com

The Greeks Co-owner and chef Dimitri Kolettis brings us the flavors of his native country with roasted gyro and grilled souvlaki meats. Try the Greek Fries—fresh-cut fries drizzled with garlic olive oil and tossed with crumbled feta cheese—and don’t miss the baklava. 331 Beechurst Avenue, 304.284.0055, thegreekswv.com

Tea Time Bakery Tea Time owner Nelson Lin and his baker come from Taiwan. That explains why, while cannoli and eclairs are most popular among their delicate pastries, one also finds unexpected treats. Add a Crispy Shredded Pork Bun or Red Bean Bun to your next run for small-batch glazed doughnuts. 185 Holland Avenue, Westover, 304.241.5256, on Facebook

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: CARLY SUPLITA; CARLA WITT FORD (2); MARY WADE BURNSIDE; CARLA WITT FORD

Breakfast in Asia, lunch in Africa, dinner in the Middle East. These local restaurateurs have brought us their native cuisines. With all of these options, why eat at home?

Global Pantry

Whether you’re a visitor re-creating foods from the country you call home or an experimenting American cook, you don’t have to go far to find the ingredients that will make your dishes just right. Asia Royal Grocery

Salam Wael Shanab, who comes to us from Libya, serves his dishes in generous portions. Most popular at Salam is the Lamb Kabsa: braised lamb and sweet onions with rice. Try the Karak, the aromatic and refreshing house chai. 350 High Street, 304.322.4178, salamrestaurantwv.net

New in 2016, Asia Royal adds depth to the already impressive choices at Chelsea Square on the north side of town. Its tidy space stocks hard-to-find fixings and includes fresh produce and frozen prepared foods. Chelsea Square, 1137 Van Voorhis Road, 304.322.2741 on Facebook

Garcia’s Grill at the Cue The Garcias opened their Latin market in 2011 to meet international students’ need for authentic ingredients. With the addition of a kitchen—their tacos inspire heartfelt devotion—and frequent events, Garcia’s has become the heart of a community, but you can still get your menudo spice mix and chile ristras, too. 226 High Street, 304.241.1871, on Facebook

Kassar’s Food and Gifts Syria native Abdullah Kassar decided 20 years ago to supply foods here that he’d loved at home. Today Kassar’s Food & Gifts offers hard-to-find ingredients including halal foods, as well as a sizable menu of Middle Eastern meals.

Saffron This beloved restaurant run by Mamatha Kardahally of Bangalore, India, moved in 2016 from the Mileground to High Street. The dishes made with the South Indian dosa—a delicious, thin rice and lentil pancake—can’t be found anywhere else in the region. 268 High Street, 304.291.4800, saffronwv.com

Chelsea Square, 1137 Van Voorhis Road, 304.599.7252

Mid-Atlantic Market Convenience store outside, Mamma Mia! within. Mid-Atlantic Market brings us specialty pastas, sauces, antipasti and cured meats direct from Pittsburgh’s Strip District and offers bread baked on-site daily. 7000 Mid-Atlantic Drive, 304.777.4686 midatlanticmarket.com

MARY WADE BURNSIDE; COURTESY OF SAFFRON; CARLA WITT FORD

Miss Shen’s Asian Grocery Another northside option new in 2016! Check out the photos online of homemade dumplings with pork, mushrooms, and Chinese cabbages—enough said. 503 Burroughs Street, Suite 102, 304.212.5787 on Facebook

Tropics Restaurant and Bar From Ahi Tuna Poke to Kalua Pig & Cabbage to FurikakeCrusted Ahi, Brendan and Maria Burchfiel bring authentic Honolulu to Morgantown. An exotic drink menu and, in summer, the expansive deck carry us to the Pacific. 2500 Cranberry Square, 304.291.5225, tropicswv.com

Von Son Asian Market Von Son is huge—really. The aisles stock fresh produce, varied meats and frozen prepared foods, select pastries, and hundreds upon hundreds of sauces, specialty ingredients, snacks, and housewares. 1389 University Avenue, 304.292.9230, on Facebook

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A Global Lifestyle Daily activities in Morgantown take us around the world.

Little U.N.

Students at North Elementary School this year speak a jaw-dropping 32 languages at home. “We have German, Italian, Arabic,” says Anita Nedeff, who teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) at North. “And we have less common languages, like Ibo, from Africa, and Telugu from India.” A third of the school’s 850 students are not native English speakers. How many come in speaking no English at all? “Oh, lots,” Nedeff says. Every student at North takes English and Chinese. Nedeff works with those who need help with English, and older students serve as interpreters in a pinch. About 50 students in Monongalia County were non-native English speakers when Nedeff started teaching ESL in 1985. Now, she says, there are hundreds, some in every school. Their families’ stories are as diverse as their origins, ranging from flight from hostile situations to immigration for university study or careers at Mylan Pharmaceuticals or NIOSH. North has celebrated its many cultures over the years with fashion shows and passport days that let students “travel” to other countries. The diverse environment enriches everyone,

Nedeff says, but she notes especially that students and families from other countries gain a more positive view of the United States than they expect coming in. “Families find that it’s nice here, it’s safe, and they love it.”

Every August through November since 1970, Morgantown has hosted a small group of visitors from countries around the world. As few as four and as many as 12 of these mid-career professionals, in any given year, work in careerappropriate placements. Each visitor is hosted by four families in a homestay network across town during the four-month stay, with an opportunity for travel midway. The program’s eight 2016 visitors came from Cuba, Indonesia, Nigeria, and other countries. In the 20-plus years that Cindy O’Brien has been involved with the Council of International Programs that arranges these visits, she and her husband have hosted dozens of visiting professionals. “My first was a lovely woman from Mexico who enjoyed going with me to the art studio at Towers to make things out of clay. Since then I’ve hosted folks from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. I’ve traveled the world without leaving Morgantown,” she says. Farhad from Bangladesh was happy it snowed before he left the country, she recalls. Edward, an industrial firefighter from 66

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Indonesia, worked with the fire department in town and had his first ice skating adventure at White Park with her. “Hosting helps us to understand other cultures, and it lets people from other cultures understand us in a positive, intimate way,” O’Brien says. “It’s an exchange of real life with people.” cip.wvu.edu

NIKKI BOWMAN; COURTESY OF CINDY O'BRIEN

Hosting the World

Do Something Exotic!

We don’t have to go far in Morgantown to experience the world. Dance, language, entertainment, crafts—it’s all right here.

Tertulia Every other Monday at Blue Moose Café, people meet for Tertulia. It’s a Spanish conversation table where students and members of the public practice there español. The schedule varies from one semester to the next and there are conversation tables for Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Russian, too. worldlang.wvu.edu/news

Krav Maga

COURTESY OF AARON MARKO; COURTESY OF LINDA HALL; COURTESY OF GERALD HABARTH; SHUTTERSTOCK

Breaking Bread— , Brot, Pane, Mkate—Together at NIOSH It may come as a surprise, but the 500-plusemployee National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown keeps a shared cookbook of international dishes. It came about after Rosa Rodriguez-Acosta joined NIOSH’s Diversity Council in the fall of 2015. Dating to the early 2000s, the council promotes appreciation for cultural differences, and Rodriguez-Acosta has taken that on. “So in December 2015 we had a Holidays around the World program to learn about traditions and celebrations that our staff observes,” she says. “We invited everyone to participate and provide us with a short presentation about that celebration and why it is important to them. We had eight presentations and food that was prepared for those particular celebrations, and also other foods: Bulgaria, Caribbean, Argentina, India, China, and of course things prepared in this area. That’s how this got started.” For the 2016 Diversity Month celebration held every June by NIOSH’s eight offices nationwide, “again we had this big potluck, and more people volunteered,” Rodriguez-Acosta says. “A lot of people liked the dishes that they tasted and started asking for recipes, so we came up with a cookbook.” It’s caught on: The December 2016 potluck turned out to be a huge spread of food from around the world. Sharing engages staff in casual conversations, Rodriguez-Acosta says. “We get to know people by talking about the foods they like and the traditions they celebrate.”

Unlike martial arts that have become competitive, Krav Maga retains its intention as a real-life-conditions selfdefense system. “In the real world, there’s never a referee and you never get the option to be ready—your ability to act and react is imperative,” says Aaron Marko, instructor and state director for the International Krav Maga Federation. Krav Maga—Hebrew for “contact combat”—was developed for the Israel Defense Forces. Classes are taught Tuesdays and Thursdays at Lakeview Fitness Center. 304.685.4434

Salsa! ¿Tienes ritmo? Or, got rhythm? Take to the dance floor! Morgantown’s own Sabor Latino plays its Latin rhythms regularly around town—and if you’re not ready for prime time, take one of the occasional classes in salsa, merengue, and other styles at Garcia’s Grill at the Cue. Both Garcia’s and Sabor Latino are on Facebook.

Turkish Bazaar You can almost smell the exotic spices and feel the Mediterranean air at the April and November Turkish Bazaar. Gleaming freshwater pearls, hand-painted ceramics, vibrant silk scarves—retired Morgantown schoolteacher Linda Hall donates proceeds to a Turkish school and to Empty Bowls Monongalia, and we get a little Turkish beauty in our lives. Euro-Suites Hotel, 501 Chestnut Ridge Road, April 24–27, 2017.

Slavic Food Festival There aren’t that many places around here to get pierogies and kielbasy, so people come from as far as Pennsylvania and Clarksburg for the second-Sunday-in-August Slavic Food Festival. If you have a taste for holishkes—noodles and cabbage—this is the place to get it. There are sweet treats too, like poppy seed rolls and apricot rolls. Noon–4 p.m. August 13, 2017, St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church, 2115 Listravia Avenue, 304.296.3509

Short Films from Near and Far Lovers of film and culture will celebrate the return this year of the Mountaineer Short Film Festival, March 24–26. Past festivals, 2010 through 2014, screened original and innovative works in film, video, and animation from around the world. Showings will take place at the Metropolitan Theatre and at the Creative Arts Center. Pass the popcorn! mountaineershortfilmfest.org

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

HOUSE & HOME

Tiny House, Big Plans

When Greg and Carla Short decided to follow a trend and downsize, they received a lot of community support—as well as national attention.

s water whooshes over rocks and cascades into two streams in a ravine below, Greg Short makes a list of the projects he has planned for the home he and his wife, Carla, just built: a wraparound porch, a deck overlooking the gully, and a tree house—or, he jokes, a tree “tiny” house. After all, the Shorts’ new abode measures about 250 square feet, qualifying it as part of a recent residential trend that takes downsizing to a whole new level. A tiny treehouse would coordinate with the Shorts’ 24-by-8-foot tiny home—that resembles a log cabin—featuring a metal frame, concrete siding, and tin roof. MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

HOUSE & HOME

The Shorts currently live in a 960-square-foot home in the Sabraton area—not a mansion by any means, but definitely enough space for three bedrooms, a traditional kitchen and bath, a common living area, and a place for Greg, a musician, to display his guitars. In their new home, the downstairs consists of an entryway and—for tiny homes—a good-sized kitchen and bath. Two small lofts provide zones for sleeping and hanging out. Everything else must be shrewdly stowed away in cleverly created storage spots around the home. “We started looking into tiny living about four years ago,” says Carla, who recently took a voluntary separation from Mylan. “We 70

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

decided we wanted to become more mobile and pull up some roots to be able to go wherever the wind might blow.” As a singer, songwriter, and musician, Greg already spends a winter month each year in Florida playing gigs; when the couple returns in March, they plan their big—or would that be little?—move into the home located on the outskirts of Morgantown. They have been preparing for their new lifestyle by getting rid of belongings. “We’ve spent the past year and a half purging items,” Carla says. “It’s very psychological. I think for people, that’s a big thing. That’s the hurdle. ‘What it is that I really need and love versus the fluff and gravy we have in life?’” Friends have told her that they do not know how they would

fit their clothes and shoes in her tiny house. According to U.S. Census figures, average square footage in homes has been growing since 1973—the first year listed in online data—from 1,660 square feet then to 2,392 square feet in 2010. The tiny house movement, which began to gain national prominence in the past few years, goes against that trend. Proponents usually cite the freedom to relocate—although the Shorts do not anticipate doing that, even though their home has a hitch attached to one side—as well as being unencumbered financially by a large mortgage. Opinions differ on what actually constitutes a tiny home—some say 500 square feet or under; others believe the Shorts’ 250-square-foot setup is the maximum size.

HOUSE & HOME

A 2013 documentary available to stream on Netflix, Tiny, as well as television shows such as HGTV’s Tiny House Hunters, have helped to propel the movement into the imaginations of the American public. And as the Shorts prepared to build on 8 bucolic acres of property that they bought and developed—including by cutting in a road—they applied to appear on a DIY series called Tiny House, Big Living. They were accepted, and crews traversed the rough passageway to record the 15-week build, which took place from last July to October. Their episode, Greg and Carla’s Musical Tiny House, premiered in early January. That meant that the show’s schedule

affected the construction timeline. The episode illustrates how Greg’s fellow members of the Brother Short Band did their share of hammering, but in reality, it actually took a village. “We had a lot of help,” Greg says, noting that everyone from friends and family members to fans pitched in. Carla adds, “At one point in August, we had a work day and just invited everybody out. There were a number of people who came out to work and be there for moral support, cook food, and do what they were able to do.” The Brother Short Band also thanked the crew with a concert—shown at the episode’s end—held from a stage on the back of the home consisting of three movable panels. “We intend to have small

music events out at the property,” Greg says. Also for the benefit of the cameras, Greg retested the water in the stream below that he knew was good to make sure it would be drinkable. “There were elements of drama,” he jokes. “‘What if the water is not good? We don’t know what we will do.’” Water will be drawn from the stream, semi-filtered in a tank, transferred to a holding tank where it will be filtered again and then gravity-fed into the home. The couple had other issues to figure out along the way. Solar panels will be used to provide electricity; Greg plans to clear trees to create a “sun lane” to set up the panels. Carla gives a tour of the bathroom, which features a composting toilet, a tub and shower made from a metal horse trough, and a sink atop a drum that serves as a vanity. “When we first started talking about being off the grid and having a composting toilet, I thought, ‘I don’t know about that,’” she says. At $1,000, the composting toilet was one of the more expensive items they purchased for the home, which cost $25,000. In contrast, the front door and windows are all made of reclaimed wood. The frame on the door leading into the bathroom has stamped writing on it; it came from a pallet used for a wood delivery. “The only thing new are the appliances and the water heater,” Greg says. Although Greg would like to figure out more storage solutions after moving in, ingenuity can be found in several spots. For instance, the stair landing— accessible by a step kept underneath— also doubles as a desk. Clothes can be hung underneath the steps that lead to the bedroom loft. A shelf over the front door holds books. And then there are the musical touches—microphones made into bedside lamps and nightstands that double as speakers. Carla also made a bathroom shelf by hollowing out the body of a guitar; the crafty couple hopes to build a business offering items exclusively for tiny houses. Once they move in and add on the porch and deck, the couple believes the space will be just perfect for them. “We spend a lot of time outside,” Carla says. “We’ll end up sleeping and eating in the home.” Greg adds, “It’s tiny, but it’s big.” tinyhousebigmusic.com written by MARY WADE BURNSIDE photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Morgantown

METRO PROPERTY TOWNHOMES AND APARTMENTS, MORGANTOWN The communities managed by Metro Property Management are in the middle of it all. These apartments and townhomes are steps away from shopping, dining, professional facilities and offices, and so much more! Metro manages anything ranging from 1 to 3 bedroom apartments and townhomes. Check them out today at liveatmetro.com, or give 304.292.0900 a call and they can direct you to where you need to go!

Metro Property Management, 304.292.0900

MORGANTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ FEB/MAR 2017

Listings

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

504 ST. ANDREWS DRIVE, CHEAT LAKE MLS: 10112504

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

Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

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45 ANDOVER STREET, MORGANTOWN–$987,000

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.

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-toceiling stone fireplace, and wine cellar with copper ceilings.

Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

331 MARCH LANE, MORGANTOWN–$277,900

3 BRIARPATCH, MORGANTOWN - $239,000

MLS: 10111970 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath with panoramic mountain views in Four Seasons development. Large family room, game room, first floor laundry, rear decks, hot tub, and more.

MLS: 10097860 3 bedroom, 2 bath, private back yard, walk to stadium and hospital. New carpet and bathroom fixtures. Hot tub, family room with wood beams and barn planks, 2 car garage.

Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander, LLC, 304.594.0115

advertise your real estate listing here.

contact info@newsouthmediainc.com or call 304.413.0104

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

OUT & ABOUT IN THE MOUNTAIN CITY

JAN 26 â&#x20AC;˘ MORGANTOWN EVENT CENTER

Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner

4 6 5

MORGANTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ FEB/MAR 2017

1 Joe Manchin and state Senator and Minority Leader Roman Prezioso. 2 State Secretary of Commerce Woody Thrasher and WVU President E. Gordon Gee. 3 Kara Bailes, Sarah Milam, Karen Hedges, and Kayla Taylor-Benson of the Mon County Child Advocacy Center. 4 Jason Pizatella, deputy chief of staff for Governor Jim Justice, and Matt Drayer, general manager of the WV Black Bears. 5 Carissa Rodeheaver, Tonya Strum, and Brad McMillian of First United Bank & Trust. 6 Julie Bonasso of Steptoe & Johnson and Kayla Cook of Bowles Rice. 7 Darlene Dunn of BB&T and consultant Cam Lindsay. 8 Steve Higgins of Kay Casto & Chaney, and Bill Brewer of Brewer & Giggenbach.

MARY WADE BURNSIDE

More than 560 people attended the 2017 Annual Dinner of the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce, which featured keynote speaker Woody Thrasher, the new Secretary of Commerce, at the Morgantown Event Center at the Waterfront Place Hotel. Thrasher said that even though the state is in a budget crisis, he believes the West Virginia Development Office will be a priority. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin discussed working with the new presidential administration. The highlight of the evening was the recognition of the annual chamber award winners: Document Solutions, Wedgewood Family Practice and Psychiatry Associates, BrickStreet Insurance, Omega Commercial Interiors, John and Robert Lynch, and the Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center. Items available for bid in the inaugural silent auction that raised $3,000 included an Incredible Hulk print signed by artist Stan Lee and a signed Jerry West Lakers jersey.

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Your local guide to life, art, culture, & more FEB/MAR 2017 COURTESY OF ROCKING ROAD TO DUBLIN

February FEBRUARY 10–11, 16–18 Hate Mail M.T. Pockets Theatre, 203 Parsons St. Fri.–Sat., Thurs.–Sat., 8 p.m., 304.284.0049 info@mtpocketstheatre.com Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this comedy— for mature audiences—is a little like Love Letters, except Preston and Dahlia’s correspondence takes a darker tone. General public $15, senior citizens and military $13, students $10, ages 12 and under $7 FEBRUARY 16–20 NEARBY Frostburn Marvin’s Mountaintop, Cascade, Thurs.–Mon. frostburn.org Patterned after Burning Man, Frostburn is a music and arts festival that encourages creativity and participation. $50, $80, $225

FEBRUARY 19 Rocking Road to Dublin This fusion of Irish dancing set to rock and Irish music hits the Morgantown stage for a performance. $28–$43

FEBRUARY 18

Metropolitan Theatre, 369 High St., Sun., 7:30 p.m., 304.291.4884, ticketmaster.com

Tea Leaf Reading The Tea Shoppe, 709 Beechurst Ave., Sat. 2 p.m., 304.413.0890, theteashoppewv.com Tonya Kapis of Ultima Healing teaches a class on “Connecting to Intuition with Tea Leaf Reading.” $20

colascione, percussion, and vocals, plays music by Renaissance composers. $10 general admission or $6 for senior citizens and students at the door

Doodlebots Spark! Imagination and Science Center Mountaineer Mall, Sat., 9–10:30 a.m. 304.292.4646, sparkwv.org Kids ages 6 to 14 will create a robot that draws. All materials needed for the workshop will be provided and no experience is necessary. Preregistration is required and a caregiver must be in the museum during the program. $10 “Final Year” Fabulous Oldies Dance Lakeview Golf Resort & Spa, 1 Lakeview Drive Sat., 6 p.m., 304.983.7837 or 304.288.1030 steppingstoneswv.org Featuring music by the band Subway, the dance will raise money for SteppingStones, which provides recreation for children and adults with disabilities. Late-night snack and buffet stations. $30 FEBRUARY 19 NEARBY Ayreheart St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church 407 Jackson St., Fairmont, Sun., 3 p.m. 304.290.2826 Founded by Grammy-nominated artist Ronn McFarlane, the quartet, featuring two lutes, a

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

The Cadillac Three with Erik Dylan Schmitt’s Saloon, 245 Cheat Road, Sun. 9 p.m., 304.291.9001, schmittssaloon.com The American southern rock band, touring behind last year’s album, Bury Me in My Boots, performs in concert with country singersongwriter Erik Dylan, who just released Heart of a Flatland Boy last fall. $20 FEBRUARY 24 William Matheny and the Strange Constellations 123 Pleasant St., Fri., 10 p.m. 123pleasantstreet.com The Morgantown-based singer/songwriter who played Mountain Stage last summer will perform, with Ona opening. $7 FEBRUARY 24–25 Mon General HealthFair Morgantown Mall, 9500 Mall Road, Fri., 7 a.m.– 5 p.m., Sat., 7 a.m.–2 p.m., 304.285.2730 or 304.599.7358, mongeneral.com Get health screenings, including a multiphasic blood analysis ($30); vaccines for flu, shingles, and pneumonia; free ultrasounds; and more. Some procedures require registration.

Gardner Winter Music Festival South Middle School, 500 East Parkway Drive Fri., 6–11 p.m., Sat., 9 a.m.–11 p.m., gwmf.org This festival showcases traditional Appalachian music with continuous, on-stage performances, workshops, informal jam sessions, and socializing. $3 Friday, $5 Saturday FEBRUARY 25 Empty Bowls Monongalia Soup & Bread Luncheon Hazel and J.W. Ruby Community Center, Mylan Park, Sat., 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m., ebmon.org The admission fee gets you a handmade bowl and as much soup and bread—donated by local restaurants—as you want for this event that raises awareness about local food insecurity. $20 Strike A Vein Bowling Event Suburban Lanes Bowling Center, 735 Chestnut Ridge Road, Sat., 1–5 p.m., 681.212.9255 wvnhf.org Spend a fun day bowling while helping to raise money for bleeding disorders, sponsored by the West Virginia chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation. $25 International Polar Bear Day Spark! Imagination and Science Center Mountaineer Mall, Sat., 10 a.m.–1 p.m. 304.292.4646, sparkwv.org Learn how we can help polar bears by lowering

our carbon footprint. Visitors will receive a reusable grocery bag, one per family, while supplies last. Under 12 months free, children over 12 months $6, adults $2

FEBRUARY 21

Saturday Night Fever

Yogi Tea The HOV, 33 West St., Westover, Sun., 2–4 p.m., 304.413.0890, theteashoppewv.com Yoga teacher Melita Mollohan of Zen from Within leads participants through a beginnerfriendly yoga flow; then Lisa Biafore will conduct a tea tasting. $45 FEBRUARY 28 WORTH THE DRIVE Tedeschi Trucks Band Charleston Municipal Auditorium, 244 Virginia St. East, Charleston, Tues., 7:30 p.m., 304.345. SHOW, charlestonwvciviccenter.com The 12-piece tour de force, headed by acclaimed solo artists Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, performs in concert with Jorma Kaukonen opening. $27.50–$64.50

March

COURTESY OF WVU ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEBRUARY 26

About 135 vendors—from builders and insurance companies to gardening suppliers, bathroom and kitchen designers, and more— will showcase products that will help turn your house into a home. Free

MARCH 2 Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss Spark! Imagination and Science Center Mountaineer Mall, Thurs., 11:30 a.m. 304.292.4646, sparkwv.org Celebrate the 103rd birthday of the author who brought us The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and other pivotal children’s books. Under 12 months free, children over 12 months $6, adults $2 MARCH 2–3, 14–19 Pericles WVU Creative Arts Center, Thurs.–Fri., Tues.– Sat., 7:30 p.m. and Sun. 3 p.m., 304.293. SHOW, theatre.wvu.edu The WVU School of Theatre & Dance presents Shakespeare’s play about a prince who is in love with a princess, but dark secrets put him in danger. Adults $22, senior citizens and WVU students $17 MARCH 4–5 16th Annual WV Hunting & Fishing Show Hazel and J.W. Ruby Community Center, Mylan Park, Sat., 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.–4 p.m., wvoutdoorsportsshow.com More than 150 vendors will be on hand selling items including guns and ammunition, tackle and bait, camping equipment, tractors, boats, ATVs, mowers, and other goods and services. $8 MARCH 10–12 North Central WV Home Builders Show Hazel and J.W. Ruby Community Center Mylan Park, Fri., noon–7 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 304.599.0850 morgantownhomeshow.com

MARCH 11 Understanding Garden Design: A Primer West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sat., 10 a.m., 304.322.2093, wvbg.org Executive Director Bill Mills discusses approaches to garden design and shares images from his personal garden and gardens he has designed in the region. You may consider reading Elements of Garden Design by Joe Eck before this discussion. Class limited to 25 participants. Free Square Dance Marilla Center, 799 East Brockway Ave. Sat., 8–10:30 p.m., morgantowndance.com The Allegheny Hellbenders play for the Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance event, with Tony Minney as caller. General admission $5, students $3, family $10

You should be dancing— or checking out this musical based on the 1970s hit movie about Tony, who wants to dance his way to a better life, featuring hit Bee Gees songs including “Stayin’ Alive,” “Jive Talkin’,” and “How Deep Is Your Love.” $41-$57, WVU students $23 WVU Creative Arts Center, Tues., 7:30 p.m. 304.293.show, events.wvu.edu

MARCH 24–26 West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival Metropolitan Theatre, Fri., WVU Creative Arts Center, Sat.–Sun., mountaineershortfilmfest.org Between 60 and 80 short films—20 minutes or under, with an average length of five minutes— will be screened at two venues during this revived event, presented by the electronic media area of the WVU School of Art and Design. Films will be accepted from all over the world and will represent several categories, including experimental new media, experimental video, experimental animation, short documentary, short narrative, and this year’s theme, health. Free MARCH 25 Paper Circuits Spark! Imagination and Science Center Mountaineer Mall, Sat., 9–10:30 a.m. 304.292.4646, sparkwv.org Kids ages 6 to 14 create light-up cards while learning about circuits. All materials needed for the workshop will be provided and no experience is necessary. Pre-registration required. $10 per child

MARCH 12 WORTH THE DRIVE The Avett Brothers Charleston Municipal Auditorium, 244 Virginia St. East, Charleston, Sun., 8 p.m., 304.345. SHOW, charlestonwvciviccenter.com The folk band is touring behind its Grammynominated 2016 album, True Sadness. $37.50, $47.50

MARCH 18 Space Day Spark! Imagination and Science Center Mountaineer Mall, Sat., 11 a.m.–1 p.m. 304.292.4646, sparkwv.org Children and adults can enjoy the inflatable planetarium show and the space-related activities and demonstrations. Non-members $5; members $5 per child, adults free

MARCH 26 NEARBY Katherine Siochi St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church 407 Jackson St., Fairmont, Sun., 7 p.m. 304.290.2826 This award-winning harpist has performed at Carnegie Hall and on the National Public Radio program From the Top. $10; $6 for senior citizens and students at the door

MARCH 30 WORTH THE DRIVE Rent The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences, 1 Clay Square, Charleston, Thurs., 7:30 p.m. 304.561.3570, theclaycenter.org See the Broadway hit that won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1996, based on the opera La Bohème. $23.75–$74.50 MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THEN & NOW The church’s domes are as eye-catching today as ever.

The highest dome of St. Mary’s gleams even in this battered early photo.

Gold-Leaf Domes In the late 1800s and early 1900s, immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe came to Monongalia County to take jobs in industry. Workers from places such as Czechoslovakia, Greece, and western Ukraine lived in Sabraton and worked in the mines and in the American Sheet and Tin Plate factory. There is no neighborhood today where we can hear Polish spoken or order steaming bowls of borscht garnished with sour cream, but several places of worship in town carry the legacy: among them, St. Mary’s Holy Protection Byzantine Church in Sabraton, Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on Spruce Street downtown, and this one, St. Mary’s Orthodox Catholic Church, near the Monongahela River in Westover.

MORGANTOWN • FEB/MAR 2017

of Morgantown’s past, check out wvhistoryonview.org

St. Mary’s in Westover was built in 1923 following a split among Orthodox Catholic Christians in Sabraton. “They had come to America to be free from religious persecution … now they needed a church to fulfill their dreams,” reads a 75-year diamond jubilee history. The church displays the three-barred Orthodox cross and is a parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the U.S.A. Onion domes top only a few of the state’s Orthodox churches, and the gold leaf-covered domes of St. Mary’s are particularly elaborate. 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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