Morgantown August/September 2018

HAYMAKER

This greenspace turns out to be red hot

PARTY IN THE BACK Ubers are not all created equal

WALLPAPER GONE WILD Beauty college gets a makeover

What, when, where, and even how to get there our guide to studenting in Morgantown

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

1

volume 7

•

issue 6

PUBLISHED BY

New South Media, Inc.

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

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Bowman, nikki@newsouthmediainc.com EDITOR

Pam Kasey, pam@newsouthmediainc.com DESIGNERS

Becky Moore, becky@newsouthmediainc.com Carla Witt Ford, carla@newsouthmediainc.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Zack Harold, zack@newsouthmediainc.com OPERATIONS AND CIRCULATION MANAGER

Holly Leleux-Thubron, holly@newsouthmediainc.com WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Eric Palfrey, eric@newsouthmediainc.com PHOTOGRAPHER

Carla Witt Ford SALES DIRECTOR

Heather Mills, heather@newsouthmediainc.com ADVERTISING

Heather Mills, Jeremiah Raines, Bryson Taylor CONTRIBUTORS

Carmen Bowes, Kaylyn Christopher, Paula McClain, J. Kendall Perkinson, Jennifer Skinner

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscription rate is $20 for 6 issues.

Subscribe by calling 304.413.0104.

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

Unsolicited manuscripts are not accepted. Please send a query to morgantown@newsouthmediainc.com.

SCENE SUBMISSIONS

Please send photos and event information for The Scene to morgantown@newsouthmediainc.com.

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

4

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

5

EDITOR’S NOTE

If only the party Ubers were in town all week—we could take them to city council meetings (story page 39).

I

t’s hard to tell, sometimes, whether people are paying attention to the civic running of Morgantown or not.

Council meetings usually draw sparse attendance, and residents sometimes seem unclear, in casual conversation, about how things work—what the user fee is buying us, for example, or even when and where to vote.

But every few years an issue comes around that everyone has an opinion about, and dormant engagement roars to life. The question in 2011 of whether Northeast Natural Energy would be allowed to drill gas wells just upriver from the city’s drinking water intake springs to mind. Council’s banning ordinance was overturned in court, but the months of dialogue educated all of us about drinking water and hydraulic fracturing and contributed to the decision to pursue home rule. In 2014, a critical mass of people got fed up with the gravel trucks: Should they be allowed to drive on state routes through the heart of downtown, or have to divert around it? Council heard those concerns, too. That has led to a long and multi-part process that includes upgrading the alternate route.

All of the media liven up when a controversy like this arises, and residents pack city hall for council meetings that go ’til 11 or midnight.

This summer’s kerfuffle took a lot of us by surprise. We’d already scheduled a story on the Haymaker Forest in this issue of the magazine (“Make Hay—or Not,” page 22) when the public got the city’s hurriedly planned, quietly proposed bid to buy the property between its teeth. Suddenly Facebook was blowing up. Talk radio got heated. Letters 6

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

to the editor of The Dominion Post waxed strident and, sure enough, we had a midnight council meeting. It turns out that, even though it’s not always obvious, some people really care about adding new greenspace— and a lot of people take notice when the city decides suddenly to spend a lot of money without weighing its options.

Over the past couple months I’ve talked with residents who are actively engaged in all kinds of ways: watchdogging bail bonding, challenging restrictions that keep food trucks off the streets downtown during the day, writing letters to the editor about abortion in advance of November’s Amendment 1 ballot question. It’s all a fun mix of personality-driven yet almost entirely civil discourse, and it’s heartening.

There’s plenty to pay attention to, coming up. The city is working on creating a land reuse and preservation agency, the first one in the state. We here at Morgantown like to believe that more and better sidewalks will get attention—we are surely going to continue to call for it. And the big and important idea of annexation has been under study for a while and is likely to resurface soon.

Let’s continue to do more than just bellyache in private, and state our views in public forums where things get done. Town improves, gradually, through the effort.

See you at council,

STAFF FAVORITES

PUBLIC ART IN WEST VIRGINIA

Mine is somewhat of a hidden treasure. If you’re ever walking down Capitol Street in Charleston between the Peanut Shoppe and the pilates studio, look up—there, beneath a small ledge, you’ll spot Mortar Man. This tiny figure was actually molded by noted sculptor Joseph Mullins 30 years ago while he was working on a renovation job at the building.

— Zack

I attended Marshall University. I have always been inspired by the Memorial Fountain honoring the lives lost in the 1970 plane crash that killed the football team and coac≠≠hes along with some supporters and parents. I didn’t realize a few of my classmates lost a parent or even both parents that dreadful day until I attended my first memorial service at the fountain my freshmen year. Each tip of the sculpture represents one of the lives lost. It’s beautiful and haunting. — Heather

PA M K ASEY,

Editor

Follow us at . . . @morgantownmagazine @morgantownmag @morgantownmag

I love the knitted tree by the Creative Arts Center in Morgantown. I’d like to see the Morgantown Energy Associates power plant receive the same treatment. Turn an eyesore into art! – Nikki

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

7

In This Issue

ELIZABETH FORD

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Über Uber

Back to School

Two veteran drivers partner up to spread ride-hailing goodwill across West Virginia.

What, when, where, and even how to get there—our guide to studenting in Morgantown.

39

43

Building Blue and Golden Opportunities WVU alumni recruit and mentor their fellow Mountaineers.

51

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

9

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

In This Issue This Matters 14 This Matters To …

Timothy Nurkiewicz’s lab looks at fine pollutants and their effects when they’re inhaled.

24

ON THE COVER Clockwise from top left: photos by Elizabeth Ford, Nikki Bowman, Pam Kasey, Dale Sparks, courtesy of WVU (x2), Elizabeth Ford, courtesy of WVU, Carla Witt Ford, Elizabeth Ford, Katie Willard, Carla Witt Ford

18

31 Dish It Out You can’t go wrong with the grilled cheese taco at Chico’s Fat.

15 Do This Stitch Morgantown is not your grandma’s sewing shop.

16 What’s This WVU’s living-learning communities take campus life to the next level.

15

58 Across County Lines The Flight 93 National Memorial is getting a final unique and poignant touch this September.

19 Try This Bungee, workouts—need we say more?

22 Shop This Personalize your clear gear—or just about anything else.

35 Healthy Living Students do good, make connections, and learn career skills through WVU’s Center for Service and Learning.

56 The U West Virginia’s review of four-year college funding and governance: how we got here.

18 Who’s This Stoney Chaffin rolls his own in Morgantown.

20 Know This Whether Morgantown buys the Haymaker Forest or not, greenspace is now a hot-button issue.

Departments 6 Editor’s Note

61 Calendar

14

22 Shop This Here’s a gift your pet-doting friend probably doesn’t have yet.

23 Read This

The Climb from Salt Lick tells the story of a Preston Countian by choice.

19

24 Love This Check out the new courthouse square—and plan to spend a little time.

35

26 See This Eye-candy walls and affordable salon services, too.

28 Who’s This One day of volunteering changed Bryce Harvey, M.D.’s life.

30 Eat This This food truck is pho real.

30 Eat This Why wait for the ice cream truck to drive by?

10

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

26

31

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

Fish Tale

➼ ARTIST CHRISTIAN DELEON

CARLA WITT FORD

made sparks in his Morgantown studio this summer. His eye-catching proposal for a four-foot-high arrangement of stainless steel fish beat out four other designs last spring in a sculpture competition sponsored by the Marion County Commission and the Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission. He constructed The Fish is the River, the River is the Fish over the summer.

DeLeon’s shimmering sculpture will be installed in Palatine Park in Fairmont in August as the first in a sculpture park to be expanded through an annual competition. You can see it dedicated on Saturday, August 18, during the Connector Art Fair.

That Small City Feeling

Morgantown grows, though not as fast as other places.

2000 2016 POPULATION U.S. CITY SIZE RANK

26,697

30,885

1,197

1,226

OH, THE HUMANITY! Journalist Herbert Oglevee Morrison, famed for his impassioned report for Chicago radio station WLS of the 1937 explosion that destroyed the Hindenburg zeppelin, later developed a radio and television section for WVU’s university relations department. He died in Morgantown in 1989.

Old Reliable

The summer’s Phase 2 upgrade of the Personal Rapid Transit’s 43-year-old control system should make it more reliable than ever this fall. Ride it! These familiar old cars will be replaced in Phase 3.

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

13

THISMATTERS TO

Tim Nurkiewicz ➼ A MASTER’S DEGREE IN exercise physiology from WVU and several years’ work in cardiopulmonary

rehabilitation led Tim Nurkiewicz to a specialized Ph.D. in microvascular physiology—the study of the very tiniest blood vessels. He researches what happens when we inhale pollution and other nanoparticles. Success with his previous laboratory, one inhalation chamber that handled environmental pollutants, earned a significant upgrade. The animal studies on particle inhalation done at his new Inhalation Laboratory at WVU are so sophisticated, the lab is already in international demand. Morgantown caught up with Nurkiewicz to discuss his work. interviewed by PAM KASEY | photographed by CARLA WITT FORD

On measuring toxics The magic of our facility is that we characterize aerosols in real time.

We can report with authority exactly what the aerosol concentration and size distribution are. We also sample aerosols for microscopy analyses. Very few labs can do this.

On his own research into effects on fetuses In recent years, the National Institutes of Health recognized that there’s a black hole regarding female cardiovascular health—the vast majority of the research is focused on men. It seemed critical to study the impact of particle inhalation on gestational health, as there’s no other point in our lives when so many things are changing so fast in the circulation. The vasculature has to grow longer, thicker, and larger. We also have to grow new vessels. The questions we ask are pretty pointed, and we’re seeing both maternal and fetal consequences.

On the facility We’ve got three research wings, each with two exposure chambers. Their purpose is to generate aerosols and assess the health effects of pollutant inhalation. The first wing studies aerosolized nanomaterials; the second, unique toxicants like e-cigarettes and 3D printer emissions; and the third, the emissions coming from engines.

Why real-time is where it’s at Two decades ago, less sophisticated forms of our approach were done across the country. Unfortunately, as federal funding dries up, so do the resources to run laboratories like this. But take e-cigarettes, a complex witches’ brew of unidentified toxicants. If you analyze the composition after it’s settled, it’s not what one inhales. You’re missing all of the gases and the unique particle dispersion. Also, everything tends to agglomerate— small particles that we can’t see bind with others into things we can see. It’s not an accurate representation of what’s deposited in the lung. If you can’t measure it, you can’t assess the exposure.

On the value of the research Nanotechnology holds tremendous promise for the protection and advancement of countless human endeavors. Medically, it can be used in drug delivery, in imaging agents, and in devices that protect the body from diseases. But the way it’s handled now is one-size-fits-all, and we know that’s incorrect.

If we identify the hazardous nanomaterials or the characteristics that are incompatible with human health, by default we identify what is safe. Other scientists may then study and advance those materials.

And that will benefit society en masse.

THIS MATTERS

DOTHIS

Thread the Needle Stitch Morgantown is not your grandma’s sewing shop.

➼ IF YOU’RE A DIY ENTHUSIAST with an unfulfilled interest in stitchery—or if you’re experienced but want to get newly inspired or refresh your skills—this is good news for you: Stitch Morgantown in Westover is offering sewing goods, machine rental, and project workshops.

Accomplished seamstress Angie Miller opened the shop in February with a younger, hipper sewing demographic in mind. “People see all these cool projects on Pinterest and Instagram, and they want to make handmade gifts,” Miller says, “I’ve gotten lots of beginners, and they like that it’s more contemporary, modern fabrics here that are fun.”

Stitch is great for beginners, because people who don’t own sewing machines can rent time on one of the six machines

in the shop. But Miller is just as much a resource to people who own machines but need a little coaching. “I encourage them to bring their machine in. I’ll tear it apart with them and show them what everything is and how to thread it, beca–use that’s a place where people can get tripped up.”

Miller is a registered nurse by training, but she found that nursing was changing— there was more office politics and paperwork and less of the patient care she’d gotten into it for. “Leaving that to do this was probably the most terrifying and exciting thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she says. “But crafting and sewing is a lifelong passion that I’ve wanted to pursue.”

Beyond its selection of contemporary fabrics, Stitch offers a variety of sewing notions, kits for embroidery, and patterns as well as handicrafts made by Miller herself—aprons, stand mixer covers, and embroidered kitchen towels.

The shop’s sewing machines are EverSewn Sparrows: two each of the computer-controlled models 20, 25, and 30.

Miller is also an EverSewn dealer.

And her classes are evolving. Over the winter, she offered single classes that participants would leave with finished craft pieces: gardening aprons, pillow

covers, reversible grocery totes. Now she’s also offering multiple-class series for customers who are ready for more of a challenge. “Things like basic quilting— we’re starting on a quilted table runner this week—or a jelly roll rug,” she says.

“We’re also doing a quilted Christmas tree skirt. And people suggest things they’d like to do. I’m open to ideas.”

In July, Miller started offering a subscription box. “It’s $25 a month and they get a yard of fabric, a little project kitted up, and a couple fun little surprise things, with a retail value more than what they’re paying.”

She’s also participating in Row by Row Experience, which she describes as “an international summertime shop hop.” “I designed a pattern for a quilt block and, during the summer months, people will be able to come into the shop and pick up the pattern for free. From the beginning of September to the end of October, whoever brings in a finished quilt with eight blocks wins a prize.” This year’s Row by Row theme is Sew Musical. 22 Commerce Drive, Westover, 304.943.7137 @stitchmorgantown on Facebook written by PAM KASEY photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

15

WHAT’STHIS

Rooting Quickly and Well

Living-learning communities are helping WVU students make friends and connect with their passions. ➼ WHEN COLLEGE STUDENTS feel engaged, they’re likelier to learn more, stay in school, and graduate on time, research shows. For big universities that have diverse student bodies, fostering that feeling of engagement is especially important—and especially elusive.

WVU believes it’s found one reliable path to engagement in its new livinglearning communities. “LLCs are smaller, niche communities that promote academic success and student engagement within the residential environment,” explains WVU Associate Director for Residential Learning Tyler Gailey. “LLCs make a large campus feel small, I’ve heard President Gee say. We have students coming in from all over the state and country, and this helps them connect with other students and the institution.”

16

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

WVU’s Engineering living-learning community exposes students to robotics and other hands-on experiences.

Students can opt into LLCs during the online housing selection process.

support WVU’s Project 168. “You have 168 hours in a given week,” Gailey says.

“Students aren’t always physically in a classroom, engaged in that way, but there are still plenty of opportunities in a week to have learning experiences. These communities are another way for students to engage in that with their peers.”

While it’s too soon to know how well the LLCs are helping students plug in, early signs look good. Gailey gives the example of the Forensic and Investigative Science LLC. “Students were taking introductory classes in the first year and didn’t get to engage much with faculty and the department,” he says. After the LLC started in fall 2017, the department A more richly structured living posted a 5 percent increase in students arrangement than conventional dormitory remaining in the major after their first life, an LLC unites students who share a semester. “We have a baseline now from given academic or social interest. It’s an idea that makes sense: By housing students this past year, so we’ll be able to build cohorts and compare them across the together who have self-identified shared board,” Gailey says. “We’re also working interests, an LLC offers ready study on ways we can qualitatively assess the partners and the likelihood of natural experience students have through surveys friendships. And by organizing themed activities—lectures, discussions, workshops, or focus groups.”

But prospective students already love service-learning projects—it extends learning beyond the classroom, making the the idea, he says. “We’re hearing, and recruiters and the Admissions office full spectrum of campus resources more are hearing, that for a lot of parents and directly available to students. students, this is something they’re excited Although it has deep roots in higher about.” education, the living-learning community New this fall is an Innovation LLC, model has gained traction over the past decade, spreading to campuses nationwide. organized through the university’s LaunchLab entrepreneurship center.

WVU’s LLC program got a strong start Students in the Innovation LLC will with eight communities in the 2017–18 design products, create business models year. The Honors College LLC is the around inventions, and learn about largest. Others in the first year included Engineering, Creative Arts, True Colors for commercialization in an environment the LGBTQ community, and FirstGen, an that emphasizes creativity, teamwork, and collaboration. Also new is a Health LLC for students who are the first in their Professions LLC for students pursuing families to earn four-year degrees. careers in professional health fields and Each LLC is the unique product of related majors. a 12-to-18-month planning process. It And LLCs are in planning now for the starts with the requesting entity thinking through its goals, Gailey says, then naming College of Business and Economics and the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural a leadership team that researches how Resources, and Design, to be launched in fall LLCs organized around the same theme 2019. By that time, nearly one-quarter of the or academic unit at other colleges operate.

5,000 or so students in WVU housing will Later planning phases create the specific be participating in an LLC, Gailey says. activities that students will be offered.

As a way of integrating residential life more fully into campus life, LLCs also written by pam kasey

COURTESY OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

THIS MATTERS

ADVERTISE WITH US!

CALL 304.413.0104 OR EMAIL info@newsouthmediainc.com FOR MORE INFORMATION

WHO’STHIS

Roll-y Smokes

Stoney Chaffin brings handmade stogies to town. ➼ STONEY CHAFFIN started smoking cigars as a teenager, puffing White Owls and Dutch Masters stogies with his friends in Huntington. “Just cheap dime store cigars,” he says. Chaffin and his pals weren’t trying to pursue the finer things in life—it was more about low-level adolescent rebellion.

He wouldn’t develop an appreciation for nice smokes until years later, after he moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and started hanging around a cigar shop there. Chaffin was working for a first aid supply business at the time, delivering supplies throughout South Carolina. His client list included lots of golf courses, and he smelled an opportunity.

Cigars were booming in the mid-1990s, a fad stoked by macho stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.

“Everybody in Hollywood was smoking cigars, and everybody wanted to smoke cigars,” Chaffin says.

18

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Chaffin began placing jars of liqueur-and-spice-soaked cigars in the golf course clubhouses he serviced. He had 90 locations within nine months. “I ended up selling more cigars than I did working on commission,” he says. “The first year I made $30,000, and it just went up from there every year.”

It didn’t take long for Chaffin to quit the first aid business and devote his time fully to cigars.

Then, in 2003, he befriended a man who made hand-rolled cigars. The man taught Chaffin the trade. It took about two years of practice before Chaffin felt comfortable making and selling his own hand-rolled smokes. But once he did, the business took off.

He began going to the Charleston City Night Market in Charleston, South Carolina, knocking down hundreds of dollars a night. “It was just booming.” In 2006, he opened the Myrtle Beach Cigar Factory with a business partner. The business eventually had 13 employees and made 500 cigars each day.

Chaffin sold his interest in the factory in 2016, when he moved back to Huntington to take care of his ailing mother. He intended to return to South Carolina after she passed, but that plan was derailed when he was diagnosed with colon cancer in August 2017.

It was then that a friend in Morgantown, Steven Jones, invited Chaffin to live in his guesthouse while he received treatment at Ruby Memorial Hospital. Soon after relocating, he and Jones got to talking about the cigar business. Jones, who’d spent nearly three decades running Boston Beanery restaurants, was retired and looking for a

new venture. He suggested they create a cigar business.

“He named it ‘Stoney Creek,’ and we started it up,” Chaffin says. “He does the business stuff and I do the cigar stuff.”

Stoney Creek Cigars launched in September 2017. Chaffin finished chemotherapy and radiation in May and is now cancerfree. “Now we’re booked somewhere every weekend,” Chaffin says.

He’s rolled and sold cigars at events like the Three Rivers Festival in Fairmont, the Capitol City Biker Bash in Charleston, the Manassas Jazz Festival in Virginia, and the Thunder in the Valley Motorcycle Rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. “People love to watch you put them together. That’s how you get people to stop,” he says. He does private events, too, and his cigars are available at Smoker’s Emporium in Morgantown and Fairmont as well as in smoke shops in Charleston and in Pennsylvania. Chaffin and Jones are now working to expand their business into South Carolina.

Most of Stoney Creek’s cigars begin with a cigar wrapper grown in Honduras.

The tobacco used for wrappers is often grown under gauze tents to keep the leaves thin and smooth without many veins. “The wrapper is where you get 80 percent of your flavor,” Chaffin says.

Most of the filler and binder in Chaffin’s cigars comes from the Dominican Republic, although he’s working on a cigar made entirely from Nicaraguan tobacco.

He’s going to call it the “Mucho Gusto.”

“Blending tobacco is a lot like cooking.

You have to know what wrappers go with different tobaccos. It just depends on what you want your cigar to taste like,” he says.

While he acknowledges the cigar world could be intimidating for novices, he says the best way to learn about cigars is to smoke them. “I would just say pick a cigar and try it. It’s not rocket science.”

Besides, it’s not just about the cigar. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to burn a cigar—a perfect excuse to take some time, talk with your buddies, nurse a glass of your favorite spirit, or just think. “It’s an experience,” Chaffin says. stoneycreekcigars.com written by ZACK HAROLD

COURTESY OF STONEY CREEK CIGARS

THIS MATTERS

TRYTHIS

Fitness in Flight

COURTESY OF SOAR FITNESS STUDIO

Elevate your workout at Soar Fitness Studio.

➼ UPSIDE-DOWN WORKOUTS? Yoga in the air? Jessica Savage McHugh believes if she can do it, so can you. That’s why she and her husband, Jason, opened Soar Fitness Studio, the Morgantown area’s first bungee and aerial yoga gym.

A West Virginia native, McHugh saw that the state’s health statistics were not promising: it’s the most obese state in the country. McHugh herself was obese for a time. Six years ago, though, she discovered POP Pilates and began her fitness journey.

She started to view working out as fun and empowering, especially after she tried bungee workouts. “I knew if I could overcome that, I could help other people overcome that,” McHugh says.

In bungee classes, Soar’s most popular type, participants are suspended from the ceiling and supported in low-impact workouts as they pull against their own suspended weight.

Aerial and antigravity yoga involves colorful hammocks mounted to the ceiling. By climbing into the hammocks and hanging upside down, participants stretch their bodies, decompress their spines, flush their lymphatic systems, soothe back issues, and gain other health benefits, too. Plus, it’s a lot of fun. “When I go upside down for the first time, I see the class and their faces. Some of them look excited and some of them look scared to death,” McHugh says.

“But when they do it themselves, there’s that ‘aha’ moment. When someone does a new move, we all cheer for that person.”

A third type of class, POP pilates, benefits local charities.

Chestnut Mountain Ranch, ActiveVet, and Butterfly Angels have received proceeds.

Since the studio opened in April, McHugh has seen a new community form of women of all ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels. She wants to see women strengthened not just physically, but mentally, spiritually, and relationally. “People find self-love through movement,” she says. “I’ve been on the spectrum of being pushed by a trainer where I hated my workout. That’s not the environment we want for these women. We cheer each other on.”

Soar Fitness Studio is constantly evolving, so watch for new classes and instructors. 729 Fairmont Road, Suite 99, Westover 304.241.1015, vagaro.com/soarfitnessstudio @soarfitnessstudio on Facebook written by JENNIFER SKINNER MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

19

THIS MATTERS Marilla Park

Haymaker Forest

KNOWTHIS

Make Hay— or Not

What value does Morgantown place on preserving greenspace? ➼ MORGANTOWN’S planning process for greenspace preservation became a hot-button topic in June with the proposal to buy the 40-acre Haymaker Forest. Situated between Marilla and White parks, the plot is bordered to the south by the East Oak Grove Cemetery and Dorsey Avenue and to the north by Buckhannon Avenue. Small streams flow across the property into Aarons Creek, which eventually enters Deckers Creek.

Lush trees cover most of the land.

20

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Walking and biking trails cut across the otherwise pristine property that has quietly been under the city’s eye since 2013.

The 10-year Comprehensive Plan released in that year categorized the Haymaker property as a “reserve” area, meaning it “may be subject to development and should be considered for preservation.”

Most of the land is just outside city limits. But with the fate of the Haymaker in the hands of property owners Theresa Angotti, Donald Lazzelle, and James Prete, the city suddenly, this spring, felt pressure to act. Residents had a different idea.

Controversy from the Start In October 2015, the South Hills, South Park, and Southpoint neighborhoods presented a position paper to city and county leaders opposing a “massive new development project” in the Haymaker Forest, adjacent to the neighborhoods. The project moved forward, with blueprints, water plans, and developers’ maps submitted to the Morgantown Planning Commission and the Morgantown Utility Board. The development was halted by the Planning Commission in August 2016 when the safety of the proposed entrance

to the development was questioned.

But when heavy machinery was spotted on the property in May 2018, the city began making moves to acquire and preserve it. And when the asking price became public, controversy blossomed.

The issue was not whether adding greenspace to the city’s existing network of parks and trails is a good idea or not, but rather, the price tag. The property was pitched at $5.2 million, double the appraisal that eventually came in at $2.5 million.

Public dialog in the newspaper and on talk radio grew heated. It boiled over at the June 19 city council meeting.

Nearly 50 people spoke during the public hearing on the proposed purchase, most of them strongly opposed to it. After Morgantown Fire Chief Mark Caravasos launched into an extensive list of deferred maintenance and purchases, a recurring theme emerged: Morgantown has a lot of competing priorities and limited resources to address them.

Existing parks in need of repair and other potential patches of greenspace that hadn’t been considered were just a couple of the concerns raised by those opposing the purchase. In response to a proposed tax increase or bond funding for

GOOGLE MAPS

White Park

GET INVOLVED City Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 389 Spruce Street, with a non-voting Committee of the Whole meeting taking place on the last Tuesday. Anyone can speak during the public portions of the meetings.

Watch council meetings on the city’s government access channel, Comcast cable channel 15.

Thoughtful comments are encouraged on @thecityofmorgantown on Facebook

the purchase, many suggested alternatives like grant funding.

Those in support defended the value of adding to Morgantown’s greenspace over the specifics of this acquisition. “I think we need to pay it forward,” said JoNell Strough. “Anyone who’s visited a state park or national park or city park has had the benefit of someone who acted.”

But the overarching sentiment of the evening was this thought from Beth Ryan: “I am not opposed to greenspace. I am very much opposed to this purchase.”

Council voted to postpone it for further negotiation.

Looking Ahead Morgantown’s outdoor recreation space falls just a little short of the 1 acre per 100 people recommended by the American Planning Association. That’s accounting for a population of about 60,000, including students, and the city’s 340 acres and WVU’s 185 acres of greenspace in town. And while there’s no shortage of greenspace outside town, a trip to Coopers Rock State Forest or Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area can be a lot to fit into a weeknight, at around 30 minutes one way.

And the city’s population continues to grow.

Given that, the need this sudden situation revealed for an ongoing mechanism to evaluate available properties is well timed. City Manager Paul Brake would like to see that need filled by a land reuse and preservation agency, first proposed to council on July 26.

The new agency would consider the highest use of available properties, whether for affordable housing, commercial purposes, public space, or conservation, and would carry out acquisition and management as appropriate.

And one major task of the agency, Brake says, would be to work toward a greenbelt or greenway—a designated section of undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land just outside the urban area meant to benefit wildlife and preserve the land. It could also serve as an alternative transportation corridor for trails that bypass congested areas, adding to the alternative transportation spaces we already have in the Mon River and Deckers Creek rail-trails.

Given the strong support expressed at the June 19 meeting for a considered approach to greenspace preservation, Brake is hopeful that the land reuse and preservation agency will have the public’s backing. “If we can get the agency up and running and show the good they can do, we can change minds.” written by CARMEN BOWES MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

21

THIS MATTERS SHOPTHIS

Pet Project

Melissa May quilts surprisingly realistic portraits of beloved pets. ➼ IT MAY SEEM A LITTLE EARLY to think of the winter holidays, but this is a gift that’s so personal and so handcrafted that it needs a little extra lead time: Melissa May, in Fairmont, stitches pet portraits from photographs.

“I’m primarily a painter—I went to school for fine art, and I’ve painted most of my life,” May says. “Just within the last year, I’ve taken up the fabric and quilting. It’s a new endeavor for me, but I’m enjoying it very much.”

She learned traditional quilting in a class, but quickly started doing it like the artist she is. “I’d seen examples of contemporary artists working in fabric,” she says. “Once I found a technique that worked for me, I did my own pets and showed them to people, and I started getting orders right away for them.”

It’s easy to believe she’s enjoying it.

In the short time she’s been quilting, May has stitched numerous images of dogs and cats as well as six full-size bed quilts and a couple of art pieces that are displayed at Tamarack.

May charges $100 for one pet on an 11x14 quilt. To commission a quilt, send her a high-resolution photo of the pet. She’ll piece the portrait together from her large stash of fabrics. “If someone wants a certain color palette, I try to accommodate that. Then, when I put the collage together, before I actually sew it down, I’ll send a snapshot and make sure the person’s comfortable with it and that it looks like the pet—it’s one thing for me to see one picture, but I don’t live with the animal. I haven’t

had anyone say, ‘You don’t quite have it.’”

Expect the quilt to take about a month.

“Melissa May Art” on Facebook written by PAM KASEY

SHOPTHIS

Clearly Yours About You Monograms in Bridgeport can personalize your Mountaineer clear gear— and just about anything else.

the oil and gas business a few years ago, Lang thought back to her days working in retail in college and how she enjoyed meeting people. She decided to open a gift shop.

“Retail, monogramming—About You, it’s a lot of both,” Lang says.

About You Monograms specializes in embroidery, personalizing fabric items in quantities from one up to a couple dozen. “If you want a special hat, or if you want 24 of a shirt with a logo on it, we can do that. And we have hats here to choose from, we have blankets, jackets, sweaters, T-shirts, Oxford shirts,” Lang says. “We have things here in the store or we can special order things, and we also allow customers to bring things in.”

Beyond embroidery, the shop hires out monogramming on a wide range of other materials, like cutting boards, glassware, and mariposa, a recycled aluminum product. It carries a large selection of jewelry from handcrafters Bourbon and Boweties and Metal Monk as well as silver pieces that can be engraved. Baby gifts, Ella B candles, wedding presents—it’s a shop full of gifts you can personalize for that hard-to-buy-for person, Lang says.

22

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

And relevant to Mountaineer fans at this time of year, About You carries clear gear that complies with WVU ticketed sporting event policies and can be personalized as well. “I have a solid vinyl crossbody bag with a WV logo on it that we can monogram with vinyl on vinyl, and I also have a vinyl bag that has fabric on it that we can embroider,” Lang says.

Turnaround for monogramming is usually 72 hours, but watch the Facebook page—About You sometimes offers while-you-wait service. 110 West Main Street, Bridgeport, 304.842.2178, @ aboutyoumonograms on Facebook written by PAM KASEY

COURTESY OF MELISSA MAY; COURTESY OF LISA LANG

➼ WHEN LISA LANG AND HER HUSBAND got out of

READTHIS

Embedded in Preston County The Climb From Salt Lick reminds us of the vitality of truly local journalism.

➼ WHEN NANCY ABRAMS moved to Preston County in 1975, a couple of weekly newspapers still operated there alongside the daily Dominion Post.

As a journalism student in her home state of Missouri, she’d interned at The Preston County News in 1974 and found that the paper, and the place, got under her skin. She returned after graduation for good.

Recounting her experiences as a photographer, writer, and editor at the paper from 1975 to 1985 in The Climb from Salt Lick, published this year by West Virginia University Press, Abrams gives an outsider’s inside look at the local issues of the day. She recalls the contentious atmosphere when the county consolidated eight high schools into five.

When a “deconsolidation bond” failed and the schools were combined in 1977, protestors vandalized buses and blocked their paths. She writes of landfill politics and illiteracy and the importance of coal to the economy and the catastrophic flood of 1985, all with the curiosity of a non-native and the insight of an embedded journalist.

Abrams was seduced by the hills and, as a West Virginian by choice, she took it on completely—buying a house in the remoteness outside Terra Alta, learning how to make buckwheat cakes and press apples from abandoned orchards, marrying a West Virginian, raising her kids here. She kayaked and joined a women’s softball team and befriended hippies from outside the state and hauled her groceries with a sled when impassable snow drifts covered her driveway. She experienced the traditional and changing status of women in rural 1980s West Virginia.

The Preston County News was eventually bought by its rival weekly, The Preston County Journal. Now The Preston County News & Journal is owned, with a number of other publications, by NCWV Media in Clarksburg—about as local as journalism gets these days in most rural places. The detail in Abrams’ accounts of life and doings in Preston County reminds us of the vitality journalism has when reporters attend school board and county commission meetings in the place where they live. written by PAM KASEY | photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

23

A River Runs Through It The newly renovated courthouse square honors county history and geography. ➼ IF YOU’VE WALKED or driven down High Street in the past year, you’ve likely noticed a big change in one of Morgantown’s most prominent streetscapes. The Monongalia County Courthouse square, situated at the corner of High Street and Chancery Row, has served as an epicenter of civic and social life since before Morgan’s Town 24

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

was established in 1785. The red brick, Romanesque-style courthouse we see today is the fourth to occupy the site and wasn’t constructed until 1891, following courthouses built in 1784, 1802, and 1848. Courthouse square has hosted concerts, farmer stands, political protests, street fairs, and even—until 1818—a public whipping post.

The square has continued to host civic events, markets, and concerts through the decades as well as serving as the main point of public entry to the courthouse and all of its county administrative offices and departments. But in 2016, the trees that had shaded—and obscured—the square for decades had become riddled with disease and were beginning to rot.

County commissioners worried about other potential safety hazards and barriers to accessibility, too. Recognizing the square’s important role in the character of downtown, the Monongalia County Commission set aside funding to make it more accessible, safe, and welcoming. An important aspect of the project was the addition of a ramp to the main courthouse entry doors for those with limited mobility.

The Mills Group, an architecture firm based in Morgantown, was selected to create a master plan and carry it out.

“The Mills Group saw the project as an opportunity to create a design that not

COURTESY OF MILLS GROUP

LOVETHIS

COURTESY OF MILLS GROUP (X2)

THIS MATTERS

only better served the community and downtown but also honored the history of Monongalia County,” says Mills Group Managing Principal Michael Mills.

Mills Group removed the existing paving and planter beds and installed a sub-grade radiant heat system. That prevents ice and snow buildup on the walkways during Morgantown’s frosty winter months and also saves the county on labor to maintain the plaza and extends the life of the materials. The new paving also incorporates a striking glass scale replica of the Monongahela River, flush to the brick and concrete pavers and lit from below with color-changing LED lights. The glass river terminates at a new veterans’ memorial that houses bronze plaques that were dedicated in the past. “I especially love the river component,” says Mills. “It’s a great geospatial feature that serves as public art that draws people downtown.”

At the Walnut Street entrance to the square, a timeline engraved in the pavers

highlights important events in the history of the county. The timeline ends at an interpretive sign offering a brief history of the courthouse square and, beside it, a 3D model of the courthouse and surrounding county buildings gives a unique perspective on the downtown area. The bronze model, along with a bronze county seal, was sculpted by local artist Jamie Lester. He also created a rhododendron topper for the fountain that historically occupied and was returned to the square.

Although the fountain had been moved to a park in Westover in the 1960s, a Mills Group employee out for a run in 2017 recognized the feature from historic photographs and the two cities worked out a return. The upgraded square also includes new plantings and trees to replace the overgrown and blighted ash trees that once made the courthouse difficult to locate.

“The new Monongalia County Courthouse Square has blessed our

citizens with many historical and educational opportunities presented in an amazing portfolio walkway,” says Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom. “The river walk and nightly light show has added a new dimension to our downtown. The remembrance of our county veterans, who gave their lives, is now accessible for all to see and is clearly an emotional asset to our county. We are thrilled with the final design and end product.”

Although the courthouse square had become an unsightly and unwelcoming focal point, the recently completed upgrades have brought new life to High Street and the courthouse while honoring the site’s remarkable history. The safer, more inclusive design ensures that the courthouse square can continue to serve city and county residents for many decades to come. written by PAULA MCCLAIN MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

25

THIS MATTERS

A Makeover SEETHIS

For seven decades, Morgantown Beauty College has trained students how to cut, color, and groom people. Now it has gotten its very own artistic makeover.

➼ LIKE AN AESTHETICIAN performing a facial peel, when Morgantown Beauty College owner Michael Sodomick recently sloughed off layers of wallpaper in the college’s voluminous clinical space, he discovered something special— beautiful historic wallpaper. He brought in renowned art historian Dr. Jonathan Katz, who identified the paper as having been created during the Aesthetic Movement in the mid-19th century in Britain. Aestheticism departed from the extravagant Victorian detail and fussiness, he explained, and focused instead on color, geometric patterns, and simpler lines. Rather than ripping it off, Sodomick saved as much as he could and then hired artist Geri Sowers of Rice’s Landing, 26

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Pennsylvania, to create large-scale murals inspired by the rich colors and striking floral motifs of the newly revealed paper.

The results are stunning—and just another reason to patronize this muchloved local institution.

Founded in 1946 by Lillian Anderson, J. Bruno, H. Cain, Helen Nixon, T.D. Nixon, and S. Rosenthal, the Morgantown Beauty College was first located on Stewart Street. Homer and Velmagene Martin purchased the college in 1952, and they later relocated it to its current location in the Shisler house at 276 Walnut Street.

The 1902 Shisler home has a vibrant past.

It is rumored to have housed a speakeasy during Prohibition, and it served as the home of the Elks for a time. Sodomick

purchased the building and school from the estate of Homer Martin in 1996.

The college offers five tracks— Cosmetology, Massage Therapy, Esthetics, Nail Technology, and Hair Stylist—and graduated nearly 70 students last academic period. It’s adding a Waxing Specialist program soon and has seen rising interest in Esthetics. Beauty College Manager Kathy Calain says, “The Esthetics program has taken off in the last six months, reflecting the real-world demand for the industry. We expect it to continue to grow.”

The college comprises five floors with special classrooms for each of the programs.

Manicures and pedicures and hair cutting, styling, and coloring are done on the clinical floor—a ginormous, light-filled, open

MORGANTOWN BEAUTY COLLEGE

SERVICES OFFERED Shampoo $3.50 Shampoo, Set & Blow Dry $10.00 Shampoo, Cut, Set & Blow Dry $15.00 Dry, Cut & Style $10.50 Flat Iron starting at $15.00 Long Hair Designs (per hour) $30.00 Corn Rows (per hour) $25.00 French Braid starting at $7.00 Haircut $10.00 Bang or Neck Trim $5.00 Beard Trim $5.00 Perms $35.00 Long Hair Perms $50.00 Extra Perm Solution (each) $7.50 Relaxers $32.00 Virgin Lighteners $40.00 Virgin Tint $40.00 Lightener Retouch $30.00 Foil/Cap Highlight $45.00 Specialty Color $45.00 Special Effects Highlights $25.00 Toner $12.00 Specials (age 11 and under) Mini Updo $15.00 Mini Updo & Manicure $17.50 Mini Updo, Manicure & Makeup $20.00 Mini Manicure & Hair Glitter $11.50 Mini Manicure & Makeup $13.50

space that was once a ballroom. Massages and esthetic services take place in a more intimate space using modern technology and equipment.

In recent years, the college has embraced a paperless, all-digital system, including giving iPads to students as part of their student kits. “Students come from all over the region and the state because we are unique,” says Calain. “We use stateof-the-art technology, and we’ve added small labs where the instructors really work with students on cuts, color, and color correction. We’ve also added specialized training in ethnic braiding, weaving, and extensions. And because of our convenient location, we have live client models, so our students get lots of real-life experience.”

That real-life experience is a win–win for Morgantown. Community members and students from WVU flock to the beauty college for its long list of lowpriced services. Its online booking system makes scheduling an appointment easy.

So take advantage of the plethora of services offered at the Morgantown Beauty College—and while you’re at it, check out the stunning large-scale paintings.

Even though it is easy to imagine little old ladies lined up under the electric dryers, this definitely isn’t your grandmother’s salon. 276 Walnut Street, 304.292.8475, morgantownbeautycollege.edu written and photographed by NIKKI BOWMAN

Nail Services Manicure $10.00 French Manicure $12.00 Treatment Manicure $15.00 Paraffin Wax $10.00 Pedicure $20.00 Rebalance $15.00 Toner $10.50 Spa Manicure $15.00 Treatment Services Scalp Treatment $12.00 Reconstructing Treatment $4.50 Toner $10.50 Facials European Facial $37.00 Signature Facial $50.00 Eyebrow Arch or Waxing $6.50 Massage Deep Tissue Massage $37.00 Swedish Massage $37.00 Stone Massage $47.50

THIS MATTERS

Hometown Doc WHO’STHIS

A pediatrician finds ways to serve three of the things he loves most: children, Morgantown, and West Virginia. ➼ A SINGLE DAY CHANGED THE COURSE of Bryce Harvey’s life.

Harvey grew up in Morgantown and spent his first two years at WVU studying veterinary medicine. His original plan was to end up at Ohio State, and to that end, he was searching for additional volunteer hours to boost his academic resume. His sister noted that he liked children and suggested that he look into volunteering at WVU’s children’s hospital. Harvey thought it was a great idea.

The first day of volunteering was simple. He took toys to sick children. He spent time with them when their parents had to leave. Those few hours was all it took. By the end of the day, a desire 28

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

to improve the lives of the children had blossomed into an undeniable passion.

“I had always loved kids, but had never really been around sick kids until then,” Harvey says. “One day kind of changed everything. I realized that if I could make a difference, that’s what I wanted to do. The next day I contacted my adviser and asked if it was too late to switch to pediatrics.”

Today, Bryce Harvey, M.D., is the associate program director of the pediatric residency program at WVU’s School of Medicine. He believes that, in a way, all doctors are teachers; it’s their mission not only to treat conditions, but to educate patients and their families on health and best practices for living. But with the

pediatric residency program, Harvey has opted for the additional responsibility of teaching the future professionals who want to improve the lives of children throughout the state. Under his guidance, the pediatric residents he works with watch children and their families develop and grow over the course of their three-year stay.

One of Harvey’s primary interests is training pediatric professionals who will stay in the state of West Virginia to provide care for the underserved communities of Appalachia. Medical residencies work much like a sports draft: students rank their top locations to learn, and must serve at whichever of those locations rank them the highest. Because of this structure, residents

THIS MATTERS

I realized that if I could make a difference, that’s what I wanted to do. The next day I contacted my adviser and asked if it was too late to switch to pediatrics.”

BRYCE HARVEY, M.D.

who want to serve Appalachia tend to be self-selecting for the WVU program.

“We don’t get too many applicants who want to live on a beach training in West Virginia,” Harvey says.

To boost the likelihood of a long-term investment in the region even further, the program offers a “rural pediatric track.”

This allows medical students in their third year to bypass the draft and sign a contract committing to practice in the state.

“That’s why I focused on this academic side rather than trying to go out into practice: to increase the quality of children’s care throughout West Virginia,” Harvey says. “If we can find residents that we can recruit who will practice in areas of need in the state, that’s my goal.”

Harvey credits his success at WVU to the Morgantown public schools he grew up in. He was born in Wheeling but, when he was two, his family moved to a farm just south of Morgantown that has been in his family since the 1850s.

He attended Brown’s Chapel elementary on Grafton Road in the last year of its existence, then Ridgedale Elementary, followed by South Middle School. It was at Morgantown High that he believes the quality of the city’s educational system really began to shine for him.

“They did a great job of finding what felt like college-level educators,” Harvey

says. “We would have teaching assistants come over from the university. We were able to take university classes at the time.

I couldn’t have been more prepared for WVU. Obviously, I have a lot of pride in this state and in this community. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better education, and I always feel disheartened when someone leaves for Pittsburgh or some other big metropolitan city for its school systems. I think that the schools in West Virginia are underrated, especially in Morgantown.”

From his patients’ perspective, a visit to Harvey’s outpatient clinic is much like a visit to a private practice. A full, boardcertified medical doctor sees them first, interacting with the child and the family, and taking a full medical history. The family is then also seen by an attending physician who has graduated medical school but is still training to become board certified. The doctor and attending physician together discuss appropriate treatment, antibiotic stewardship, and other forms of evidence-based patient care with the family.

Despite the quality and noble intentions of WVU’s pediatrics program, it is sometimes overlooked when compared with other local practices that have much higher patient loads. Much to Harvey’s excitement, that may change in the near future.

On June 4 of this year, seven current

and former patients of WVU’s children’s hospital donned hard hats and shovels to break ground on a new children’s hospital tower. The top floor has been sponsored

by WVU football legend Jeff “Hoss” Hostetler, who now serves on an advisory council for the new hospital. The project is personal for Hostetler, who had three children of his own who battled serious medical conditions. The former WVU quarterback donated $100,000 to the building but also sought out other sports professionals to match his contribution. He was able to secure financial commitments from a number of colleagues in the sports world, including his father-in-law, former Mountaineers football coach Don Nehlen.

The new eight-story WVU Medicine Children’s hospital is a $150 million project that will take about three years to construct.

It will house 155 beds, including an intensive care unit, a neonatal care unit, and an obstetrics unit, with room for expansion.

“Morgantown is built around this university,” Harvey says. He believes the new hospital will be just one more reason for children and their families to call the city home.

“I’m in love with it. I’m in love with the people. I think Morgantown is amazing.” written by J. KENDALL PERKINSON photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

29

THIS MATTERS

EATTHIS

Quick Food Pho You

Not One But Two

➼ YOU MIGHT THINK it’s a bad idea to encourage people to say the Vietnamese soup pho—correctly pronounced “fuh”—in the way most of us English speakers are initially inclined to, more like “foh.”

On the other hand, what’s the harm? A local couple played off the West Virginia area code 304 when they named their Vietnamese food truck 3-0Pho to Go. “I wanted to make it fun and interesting, to where people aren’t saying it wrong,” says T.J. Fowler. The southwestern Pennsylvania native coowns the truck with his wife, Cam Fowler, who grew up and studied hotel and restaurant management in Vietnam.

Started this year, 3-0-Pho to Go is the only Vietnamese food truck operating in West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, as far as Fowler is aware.

The truck’s specialty is, of course, pho. “It’s the Vietnamese soup, a beef broth with beef ball or angus flank or both. We put rice noodles in there, bean sprouts, Thai basil,” Fowler says. The couple’s rendition of the famous Vietnamese banh mi sandwich is made with steamed pork, along with the traditional cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrot and daikon, and choice of mayo or spicy mayo. The fresh spring rolls are prepared with shrimp. Combo plates carry the pun through: Ordering the Pho Sho gets you half a banh mi sandwich, a small bowl of pho, and a bottle of water; the 20-Pho-7 is a small pho and water plus cassava cake, which Fowler says tastes like coconut.

The truck’s drink selection is every bit as interesting: passion fruit bubble tea and iced matcha green tea as well as iced Vietnamese coffee. “We get the coffee sent in vacuum-sealed packages from where my wife’s family is from. We French press it and add condensed milk,” Fowler says. “It’ll definitely jump-start your day.”

Although the couple are new participants in food truck culture, Fowler is already playing a key role as director of the West Virginia Alliance of Food Trucks, one of a regional cluster of organizations that act as clearinghouses for food truck booking and advocate for food truck–friendly policies.

To find 3-0-Pho To Go, check the Sunday posts about where the truck will be over the following week. They’re located under the Vietnamese for “Fowlers Fast” on Facebook. 724.208.0785, “Fowlers Nhanh” on Facebook

➼ WHEN SISTERS Ashley Strosnider and Amy Toothman closed their popular Sorella’s Pizzeria in Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, in 2017, they weren’t sure what they’d do next. But it wasn’t long before they thought of something just as delicious.

“I have a love for hand-dipped ice cream,” says Strosnider. “I’ll eat soft serve if I have to, but hand-dipped is my favorite.”

This time, though, they were going mobile. They found a truck for sale in Ohio that used to serve smoothies.

They updated the bright lime green exterior and changed out some of the equipment, and Two Scoops Ice Cream Company was born.

Two Scoops brings good cheer to birthday parties, charity gatherings, and other events across north central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. It serves staples like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry along with specialty flavors like mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, and black raspberry. “That’s by far the most popular,” Strosnider says.

“A lot of customers have said they don’t see it when they go out for ice cream, so they’re excited.” The truck stocks about nine flavors of premium ice cream from a local distributor.

The sisters initially planned to have a regular schedule for setting their truck up at various locations, but have found their mobile cheer so much in demand for private parties and events, they’re sticking with that for now. It’s a lot of work, like any food service, Strosnider says, but they’re having a good time. “How can you not have fun when you’re scooping and serving ice cream?” she says.

“When you hand it to people and see the smiles on their faces, the hard work is worth it.”

To get Two Scoops at your event, fill out the contact form on the sisters’ website. 724.986.1817, twoscoops.com, “Two Scoops Ice Cream Company” on Facebook

written by PAM KASEY

written by PAM KASEY

A food truck newcomer has fun with classic Vietnamese fare.

30

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Entrepreneurial sisters scoop gourmet ice cream on the go.

COURTESY OF 3-0-PHO TO GO; COURTESY OF TWO SCOOPS ICE CREAM COMPANY

EATTHIS

DISH IT OUT

California on High Street There’s more to Chico’s Fat Cali-Style Burritos & Tacos than you know.

S

haun Goldman was making sushi at Hibachi Japanese Steak House in Suncrest when he got to know Todd Perry.

No, it’s not the burritos and tacos promised in this article’s subtitle— this story involves a few cuisines.

That was around a decade ago.

Perry was looking to open a restaurant and discussing it with his favorite sushi chef. “He’d spent some time in California and wanted to bring some of the vibe here, as well as the food culture,” Goldman says. That is, Mexican-inspired dishes made with the freshest ingredients and served up in an chill, laid-back space. Perry opened his restaurant in 2009 and MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

31

DISH IT OUT

Chef Shaun Goldman dishes it out

CHICO’S FAT “TABLESIDE” GUACAMOLE

named it for his friend Chico. “And the burritos are notoriously large, so that’s where ‘fat’ came from,” Goldman says.

Perry eventually persuaded Goldman to join his team and, in 2012, they became co-owners.

Chico’s Fat Cali-Style Burritos & Tacos, or Chico’s Fat, is the kind of walkthrough counter-service fast-casual place that Chipotle created and popularized— but with a grill. “You can build your own burrito, bowl, quesadilla, nachos, or tacos by picking the beans, meats, and toppings you want—that’s the basis,” Goldman says. Meat options include grilled and spicy shredded chicken as well as grilled beef with or without sauce, barbeque shredded beef, and a ground beef sourced 32

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

locally from Morgantown Farmers Market vendor Hawthorne Valley Farms. There’s also a honey chipotle tofu. Beans come pinto, black, or refried, and there are salsas at several levels of heat, guacamole, corn bread, and other add-ons. A few menu items are pre-designed—fish tacos are dressed with baja slaw and jalapeño crème fraîche, for example—but almost everything is customizable.

“We do as much as we can fresh, everything from the beans to the salsas,” Goldman says. “We take pride in that. It’s one of the harder things to find nowawdays, hand-processed foods made in-house. It’s trendy, but it’s hard to pull off.”

Most popular by far are the burritos, followed by bowls, tacos, and quesadillas.

3 large or 6 to 7 small ripe avocados 3 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon lime juice 1½ teaspoons garlic, finely minced 1 tablespoon onion, finely minced 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely minced ½ teaspoon salt fresh ground pepper to taste 1 Spoon avocado flesh into medium bowl and mash slightly with a pair of forks.

2 Make a small well in the center of the bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the well and mix gently to your preferred consistency.

3 Serve and enjoy!

Try adding diced tomatoes or chopped jalapeños, or stir in some sour cream for a twist.

Yield: Serves 3 to 6

DISH IT OUT

A signature menu item is the Grilled Cheese Taco. “It started with a blend of a quesadilla and a taco together,” says Goldman, who came up with the idea. “We tried different ways to prepare it. My partner got the idea to grill the cheese on the flattop and make a crust that way, and that was by far the best. It started as a novelty a couple years ago but turned out to be a standout item.”

Goldman and Perry operate with what might be called an irrepressible love for the food service industry. Chico’s Fat has had solid business since it opened in 2009. But in 2014, the pair saw an empty storefront next door in the same building as an opportunity to create a second restaurant and reduce costs by sharing equipment. They started High Street Pasta Co. “We thought we could create some inventive pasta dishes and provide a great product at an extremely affordable price for the students, with sandwiches, that sort of thing as an accompaniment,” Goldman says.

Maybe it was the wrong idea in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it just didn’t catch on the way Chico’s Fat did. After two years and several attempts to reconfigure it, they closed the shop.

Meanwhile, Goldman has indulged his love for the art of sushi in recent years through a weeknight gig at Oliverio’s Ristorante on the Wharf. “I look at it as fusion,” he says.

“It’s a challenge to incorporate the Italian ingredients, but one thing I was always known for was creativity with the rolls. I set up at the bar, and it’s a well-kept secret. My faithful regulars advertise me by word-of-mouth.”

And this past spring, Goldman started stocking a sushi grab-and-go case beside the cash register at Chico’s Fat. “I make everything fresh every morning,” he says. “California Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Veggie—there are about 10 rolls in total that I do on a regular basis.” Don’t say it doesn’t belong in a Mexican restaurant until you try the Red Hot Chilly Pepper Roll: housemade pickled jalapeño, spicy tuna, green onion, and flavored rice. “The response has been great.”

Italian, Japanese, Mexican—all of this exuberance is about serving good food, but it’s also about the food-service community. “I appreciate the sushi tutelage I got at Hibachi, and it’s nice to provide opportunities for the staff here and help guide them as they grow and mature,” Goldman says. “I love what I do. That’s why I work so hard.” 456 High Street, 304.241.4712, chicosfatburritos.com written by PAM KASEY photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

33

HEALTHY LIVING Through WVU′s Center for Service and Learning, students have increased community awareness of Mason-Dixon Historical Park.

Back to School, Back to Community

WVU students do good across Morgantown and West Virginia and gain career skills at the same time.

COURTESY OF J.R. PETSKO

G

ames, concerts, free food, and T-shirts—incoming freshmen enjoy lots of welcome-to-college activities. But new students also have opportunities to think beyond campus during Welcome Week.

As part of “Choose Your Adventure” in the four days between move-in and the first day of classes, freshmen can participate in community service projects that plug them into their new community.

Last year, about 1,500 freshmen chose to volunteer before school started.

“We try to show them how diverse and engaged our community is,” says Kristi Wood-Turner, who directs the WVU Center for Service and Learning that

organizes these opportunities. “These students belong in Morgantown. They’re a part of our community. The university is standing behind that as a concept that shows them we want them here, and here are their support systems.”

Volunteering and learning The CSL was established in 2006 under the name “Civic Engagement,” but with the same focus it has today: equipping WVU students to help meet the community’s needs. Wood-Turner and other administrators started seeking community organizations and nonprofits in Morgantown and throughout West Virginia that needed student volunteers.

“The university understood that our

responsibility is not only to our students and staff here but to our community and the state that we have committed to in the land-grant mission,” Wood-Turner says.

CSL’s model has two tracks. One is volunteerism, for students who are excited to give their time and effort to service projects anywhere and anytime—like a group of friends cleaning up a rail-trail over the weekend or hundreds of students volunteering on regularly scheduled days of service. These students typically find their volunteer opportunities on WVU’s service database, iServe, which also tracks their service hours and notifies them when new service opportunities become available.

The other track, academic community engagement, has become so popular across the university that it would be hard for students to miss. This is a more structured volunteer experience in which students exchange their service hours for tangible experience in their fields of study. One form this takes is designated service learning courses where students develop career skills, like marketing, by providing relevant services to a community partner, like a local nonprofit. Community partners essentially serve as co-educators of WVU students MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

35

while receiving services they might not have the resources to obtain on their own.

The CSL has worked hard over the past several years to formalize ongoing relationships with certain local organizations. These official community partners sign agreements with WVU that express their organizations’ needs and the ways WVU will help—through professional development, for example, or volunteer retention activities, or social media or grant-writing workshops. “We try to enrich those partners so, when our students get there, the experience is what we hope they have,” Wood-Turner says. “In turn, we are training students to be good volunteers, understand why they’re serving, be good stewards of time and be excited.”

Scaffolding It felt natural for Elizabeth Oppe to incorporate community engagement in her courses when she started teaching at WVU eight years ago. A teaching associate professor in the WVU Reed College of Media, Oppe wrote her dissertation at Ohio University on service learning.

Through service learning courses, students become advocates for the nonprofits 36

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

A service learning strategic communications class promotes Day of Play, which brings local children together with former NFL and WVU athletes.

they’re working for—which is the most important result, according to Oppe, whose parents owned a grocery store and donated food to local athletic groups regularly. “My dad taught me from a young age that you give back to your community wherever you live. That is so important to instill.”

Oppe has been working with the CSL on a new idea called “scaffolding,” where service learning is introduced to freshmen and built upon through new classes each year. Journalism students are exposed to service learning from the beginning in Oppe’s Journalism 101, where they analyze nonprofits’ digital presences. Then, in her public relations writing course, she teaches students how to write news, feature, print, and broadcast press releases for nonprofits.

Finally, in the strategic communications capstone class, students plan and execute all aspects of real public relations campaigns for nonprofits, including social media, websites, branding, event planning, writing, and crisis communications plans.

Preparation for life One of Oppe’s community partners is Mason-Dixon Historical Park, where park superintendent J.R. Petsko welcomes all

the help from WVU student volunteers he can get. Over the past two years, Oppe’s strategic communications students have worked to increase awareness of the park in the rural north of Monongalia County.

“I grew up 10 minutes away from MasonDixon Park and lived there my whole life and had no idea the park existed,” Petsko says. “That’s kind of the way it was for a lot of folks in Monongalia County.” The class helped him get the word out about the park.

Students working with the park, most of whom study advertising and public relations, have successfully started new, well-attended events at the park: summer concerts, crafting workshops for kids, trail walks, ramp dinners. They’ve also revamped recurring events like the park’s annual Easter egg hunt, which normally drew about 200 children but saw more than 500 participate in 2018.

Sydney Corbitt, who graduated from WVU in 2017 with a degree in strategic communications, served as her capstone class project’s account executive, communicating between her classmates and Petsko to determine what was needed next at Mason-Dixon Historical Park.

With Oppe’s guidance, Corbitt’s team planned to set up social media accounts for the park, make public service announcements, and attract news coverage, all leading to an increase in visitors to park events. “I had never done anything like this before,” Corbitt says. “You go from talking about public relations in a classroom to real life situations, and you quickly realize that everything you learn changes drastically when you’re immersed in a different setting. It prepared me for what I would be doing in the real world.”

After college, many students pursue work in the areas where they volunteered.

Some even change career paths entirely because of their experience with service. But the end result is the same, says Catherine Whitworth, the CSL’s community partner coordinator: “They graduate not just with dots on their resumes, but with actual stories, and they can articulate specifically what they gained from that experience.”

Service learning integrates students into their communities so they understand the environments where they live and care about where they live, says Oppe. “I’ve found, wherever they move, they have a sense of service. That’s what it’s all about.” written by JENNIFER SKINNER

COURTESY OF ELIZABETH OPPE

HEALTHY LIVING

2018 WVU Off-Campus Housing As compiled by West Virginia University.

More rental resources at campuslife.wvu.edu.

THE U: SPONSORED CONTENT

304 Properties 304.685.3092, 304properties.com A D Rentals 304.322.1533 Aerostar Apartments 304.598.3300 Apollo Rentals 304.685.3048 Ashworth Landing 304.290.4834 Barnette Rentals 304.545.5587 Barrington North Apartments 304.599.6376, morgantownapartments.com BCK Rentals 304.594.1200, bckrentals.com Bel-Cross Properties 304.296.7930, belcross.com Bent Tree Court/Avalon 304.296.3606, benttreecourt.com

• 1 to 4 bedroom apartments • 2 to 6 bedroom houses • Dozens of properties • Amenities vary per property • Prices range; check website for prices and availability

Pearand Corporation Office: 74 Kingwood Street, Suite A 304.292.7171 | pearandcorporation.com

• Three leasing agents, all licensed Realtors.

• Shawn Kelly, Broker Russ Randolph and Kenny Charmatz, leasing agents

Big Blue Apartment 304.685.3146, bigblueapt.com Blue Sky Realty 304.292.7990, blueskywv.com Bon Vista 304.599.1880, morgantownapartments.com Bossio Rentals 304.292.7233, bossioent.com Brunswick Apartments 304.291.2787, cormorantco.com The Cabanas 304.599.1998, thecabanas.net Campus Evolution Villages 304.599.8200, cevillages.com

• Floor plans ranging from studios to three bedrooms • State-of-the-art fitness center • Yoga room • Sauna

State on Campus Morgantown 331 Beechurst Avenue 304.291.4250 | stateoncampus.com

• Over-sized hot tub

Campus View Apartments 304.599.4376, campusview.net Cedarstone/Fountainview 304.599.4959, wvurent.com Chateau Royale Apartments 304.599.7474, chateauroyaleapartments.com Chess Townhomes 304.494.2400, chesstownhomes.com

• Business center and clubhouse

Chestnut Hill/Colonial Park 304.599.8333, goldcrestproperties.com

• Starting at $740/month and leases by the bed

Clear View Rentals 304.319.0830, clearview-rentals.com College Park 304.293.5840, collegepark.wvu.edu Collins Ferry Court 304.692.7086, halfknights.com

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

37

THE U: SPONSORED CONTENT

Copper Beech Townhomes 304.292.7970 cbeech.com/morgantown.htm C & S Rentals 304.216.2150 The Dayton/View At the Park 304.284.0122, phoenixgroupwv.com Domain at Town Centre 304-598-0700, domainmorgantown.com Eldred Apartments 304.282.5543 Forest Hills Apartments 304.599.1998, foresthillsapts.net Fourth Street/Morgan Pointe 304.598.2424, me-apts.com Fountainview 304.599.4959 Georgetown Apartments 304.599.2031, georgetownapartmentsmorgantown.com Gilmore Street Apartments 304.767.0765 Giuliani Properties 304.288.3308, giuliani-properties.com Green Properties 304.216.3402 Harless Center at Central Place 304.292.4061 Hartman Rentals 304.291.2729, hartmanrentals.net Hopewell Properties 304.698.5674 HTM/Double G Properties 304.685.1138, htmproperties.com Hymark Properties 304.319.1243, hymarkproperties.com Infinity Properties 304.225.7777, infinityproperties.com Inglewood Properties 304.599.4502 Kelly Rentals 304.291.5100, kellyrentalwv.com Kingdom Properties 304.292.9600, kingdomrentals.com Lenhart Properties 412.980.0865 The Lofts 304.598.0001, theloftsonline.com Mel Friend Apartments 304.296.7121, friendrentals.com

38

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Metro Property Management 304.413.0900, metropropertymgmt.net

Seldar Properties 304.599.2300, seldarproperties.org

MJM Rentals, LLC 304.376.273,0 mjmrentals.com

Smith Rentals LLC 304.322.1112, smithrentalsllc.com

Morgantown Rentals 304.685.3537, morgantownrentals.net

South East Court 304.598.9002, southeastcourt.com

Mountaineer Court 304.598.2560, mountaineercourt.com

Stadium Court 304.594.9295

Mountaineer Place 304.906.4173, mountaineerplace.com

Street’s Apartments 304.599.3640

Mountain Valley Apartments 304.599.6827, liveatmountainvalley.com

Tera, LLC 304.296.8943, rentalswv.com

Old Colony 304.291.2121, oldcolony.com

Terrace Heights Apartments 304.292.8888

Ondo Rentals 304.599.8329, ondorentals.com

Timberline Apartments 304.599.1225, vanguardrealty.com

Park Properties, LLC 304.296.8943

UClub Sunnyside 304.759.8311, uclubsunnyside.com

Perilli Apartments 304.296.7476, perilliapartments.com

University Commons Riverside 540.974.7371, ucrhoa.com

Pierpont Place 304.598.0092, pierpont-place.com

University Hill Apartments 304.282.7872

Pineview Apartments 304.599.0850, alleghenydevelopment.com

University Park 304.293.7275, universitypark.wvu.edu

Pinnacle Heights Apartments 304.692.6694

University Place 304.293.2253, uplace.wvu.edu

Pinnacle Property Management 304.376.2730

University Student Apartment Management 304.241.4449

Prete Rentals 304.599.4407, jdlmpllc.com

Vandalia Apartments 304.293.0543, vandaliaapartments.wvu.edu

PRU Rentals, Inc. 304.291.2103, pru-morgantownrentals.com Rachel Rentals 304.599.1306 Ralph Pell 304.288.8510 RD Rentals 304.599.1358 RE/MAX Property Management 304.292.3900 Richwood Properties 304.291.2616, richwoodproperties.com Rice Rentals 304.598.7368, ricerentals.com The Ridge 304.599.8949, ridgewv.com Rystan Place 304.460.1700, alexandrarentals.com Scott Properties 304.296.7400, scottpropertiesllc.com

The Villas at Bon Vista 304.599.1884, morgantownapartments.com West Greene Townhomes 304.599.1157 West Run Apartments 304.599.1907, westrunapartments.com Whipkey Apartments 304.594.2728 Wilkins Rentals 304.292.5714 WinCor Properties, LLC, 304.292.0400, wincorproperties.com Windwood Place 304.599.3165, windwood-homes.com Woodburn Rentals 304.216.1650, woodburnrentals.com Wubbie/Downtown Apartments 304.322.0046, motownapts.com

Ăœber Uber Party van partners talk dentists, disco balls, and drunks.

Written by Pam Kasey | Photographed by Carla Witt Ford and Zack Harold

Driving Uber is a business Todd and Jones drive Uber and Lyft, the other popular ridehailing service, as their full-time jobs. They used to just roam Charleston. “But we’d drive people up to Morgantown, and students started asking, ‘When’s the next time you’re coming up?’” Todd says. The pair saw the opportunity and started answering the ride-request ping in Morgantown most weekends.

40

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

If they’re better-looking than you, join ’em Here’s how Todd and Jones met.

He got called to a party in Charleston’s South Hills neighborhood in the fall of 2016—dozens of people out in the yard. A bunch of them wanted to go to the Copper Pint Pub downtown.

“I open the side door, lights going, sound rocking, and all the people come and say, ‘Oh man, I want to ride this one!’ ‘Six of you at a time, that’s it.’” Others had to wait for the next Uber. “We take off and they’re rocking, having a good time, I’m singing with them, handing out glow sticks. I get to the first stop sign, and I see a vehicle coming the other way. Gorgeous redhead. Me being single, I’m going to wave. She just stared at me. I continued on my way.”

Some months later, he got a message on Facebook from someone he didn’t know: “I hate you.”

Jones had gotten into driving Uber not many weeks before that party, to supplement her husband’s income. She was hooked from the beginning. “It’s a little addicting,” she says. She liked the mystery of it, not knowing where she’d go next until she picked a rider up. “That’s the thrill. I love the interaction, meeting new people, seeing where they’re going. I’ve always liked driving and traveling, and it’s just nice to be bounced around town.”

She pulled up at the South Hills party just after Todd left. “I passed that guy on the road, all the lights and everything going, and I thought, ‘Daggone it—I’m going to roll up in a plain old van.’” Those riders turned out to be fine with it, but after that day it seemed like she heard about nothing else. “Every rider I picked up would say, ‘There’s this guy, he has this really cool van, and lights, all kinds of entertainment. We had so much fun! We were so glad we got him!’ It made me feel like I was not going the extra mile. I was a little miffed.” Todd wasn’t hard to find on Facebook, so she finally messaged him in early 2017—angrily, in jest, but then to see if he’d help her fix her ride up like his. He agreed.

“Yep, it’s this pretty redhead,” Todd recalls of meeting Jones in person in early 2017. “I’m going, ‘I’m in so much trouble— this person is going to steal every one of my customers. I gotta think fast.’”

As it happened, Jones drove a Dodge Caravan like his. She’d bought lights and a rug to set herself up like him. As they

COURTESY OF KEVIN TODD

W

hen Kevin Todd became the seventh driver Uber approved in West Virginia after ridehailing was legalized here in 2016, he was driving a Dodge Caravan—not the leanest ride.

“There was no uberXL here at first,” Todd says. “So here I am driving around in this gas-guzzling van running uberX rides, allowed to transport not more than four people at a time, barely breaking even.” He begged Uber to start uberXL in West Virginia, for up to six passengers, but the company felt the market wasn’t strong enough yet.

“I had to figure out a way to have people hand me more money.”

Figure it out he did. See for yourself when you and four or five friends head out for drinks one evening soon. Request an Uber and, since you’re a crowd, make it an XL—Uber eventually relented. If a black van pulls up and its side door glides open, a hip-grinding bass line spilling out and rainbow lights sprinkling across a white shag rug, you’re in luck: It’s Uber Kevin. Or it might be his partner in rides, Uber Marti.

A former limo driver who also drove paratransit for disabled riders, Todd has a head for marketing and a heart for customer service. “Maybe a month and a half into driving Uber, I threw some party lights in there. I saw this really cool disco ball at Walmart, and I figured out a way to hook that up, too.” He bought a tablet so riders could set the mood using his Spotify account. “I got these glittery pillows and a faux fur rug—I even had a little electric fireplace in here. Next thing you know, I was the Party Uber, and every ride was a $10 to $20 tip. I was making more in tips than I was in fares.”

It was some months later when Uber driver Marti Jones messaged Todd on Facebook to tell him how much he irritated her. But now they drive twin party vans, the best rides around.

When they drive in Morgantown, Todd and Jones drive only as XL—they leave the parties of four and fewer to local drivers.

“We’re not taking business away from anybody. If anything, I think we’re enhancing business,” Todd says. “We’re making it more exciting. The more we’re out there, the more people say, ‘We’re going to call for an Uber.’”

He slips into a rant on the topic of marketing. “Some of the newer drivers, they sign up, they get approved, they find a spot, they park and turn on the app. ‘Ha! I’m an Uber driver!’

No—you’re not,” he snorts. “Get out of your vehicle, walk into businesses, and advertise yourself. Go into dentist offices and say, ‘I can bring your customers that cancel on you because their cousin or nephew or sister can’t make it to drive them.’ You’d be surprised what people haven’t thought of to use Uber for.”

Jones is helping nursing home staff download the app and explaining how Uber could help nurses take residents to Walmart, or even fishing, in just one example of their efforts to expand the ride-hailing market. The two of them also recently added kayak racks to their roofs and are promoting themselves as shuttles for paddlers.

worked, they brainstormed ways to make people more aware of Uber and make it more fun. One idea was a “blind dating game”: One of them would pick up a willing person at a bar downtown, and the other would pick up three of the opposite gender. It’s not quite clear what was supposed to happen next, and they never pursued it. “But that’s the kind of thing we talked about when we first met,” Jones says.

They just clicked. Todd said to Jones, “Hey, I’m always getting calls for bachelor and bachelorette parties, groups going up to Morgantown, but I can only seat six. How about if we go in as partners and we can seat 12?”

Uber Marti and Uber Kevin have worked together ever since. Her irritation has turned to admiration: “He can roll up on anybody in the worst mood, and by the end of the trip they’re having a blast—they’ll even thank him.” He enjoys the partnership. “Me and her husband get along really well. He didn’t sleep at night until I came out of the woodwork. Now he takes care of Marti at home, and I take care of her when she’s on the road.”

They’ve upgraded their party vans with high speed Wi-Fi and 19-inch flat screen TVs. Passengers can munch on Twizzlers and mints and drink bottled water while they play video games or surf DIRECTV. When WVU sporting events are televised, riders can watch them live.

Driving in Morgantown “That place really does have its own culture. It’s nothing like the rest of West Virginia,” Todd says of Morgantown. He likes the enthusiasm students bring to Uber rides. “We’ll pull up in our vans with the lights all going and the music pounding out the door, and they come running at us like we’re the ice cream man.” He likes playing tour guide for international visitors, too.

“Helping them out and letting them know about places to go see in West Virginia—we’re like ambassadors.

You have to let them know that they’re welcome here, that this is a great place to be.”

Driving in Morgantown also has its downsides.

Overserved riders have puked in both vans a time or two. Also, this city hasn’t quite figured out how to work ridesharing into the downtown nightlife mix yet.

“Stopping on High Street isn’t really a safe option,” Jones says. It also gets drivers ticketed. She tries to educate passengers she drives to High Street. “From 7 to 10 at night, I tell them, ‘When you’re ready to leave, go to one of the side streets or to the parking lot.’ I do that because at midnight, 1 in the morning, when I pull up, if I have to call the rider and say, ‘You have to walk around,’ they might be too drunk to understand.” She wishes the city would designate a lot or some other safe drop-off and pick-up point for ride-hailing the way taxis have cab stands.

Todd has been ticketed in Morgantown a couple times—not for stopping on High Street, but for his light show. And maybe also for a tendency to wisecrack when things get tense. In his telling of it, MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

41

the officer who pulled him over the first time said the disco ball was obstructing Todd’s view out the back. “No, it’s not,” he says he retorted, “because the person in the back seat with the big head is obstructing my view of the disco ball.

Should I have him take it off?” He may have been lucky, at his court appearance, to get off with a $100 fine—his usual Morgantown getup of a bling jacket and gold shoes provoked the judge to ask him, “What are you, John Travolta or something?”

But as he does everything, Todd turns encounters with the law into opportunities to serve the community and, at the same time, generate new business. “Hand the police officers your card so they have a goto person. If they pull up on an accident scene, or a drunk driving scene where this guy is getting hauled to jail and his family members or friends are stranded, they can call you.” Drive the stranded people home for free and hand all of them your card, he says. “I promise you it will come back to you tenfold.”

Uber wisdom That’s just a sample of the good sense that Todd and Jones offer up to new drivers every last Tuesday of the month at Los Agaves in Dunbar, outside Charleston.

They talk about the less obvious costs of Ubering. “The hills in Morgantown make us money, because a lot of the students will call for an Uber to go two blocks because it’s uphill,” Todd says.

“But I have to pay for my brakes to get replaced every month and a half whenever I drive in Morgantown.” He gets an oil change with synthetic oil every two months, and goes through tires by the truckload. “And it’s essential that you actually purchase a monthly pass with the local car wash instead of paying for each car wash individually, because you could easily go over $100 a month.”

What about Uber versus Lyft? Todd likes Lyft for the GPSlocated cartoon character the driver can see of the customer requesting a ride. “We can pull up to the front of a bar and look down at our app and see this stick figure standing there in the bar,” he says. “Or it might be two blocks away—but at least you know where the person is.” With Uber, a driver just has to hope. On the other hand, he likes that Uber pays for the drive to long-distance pick-ups. “Say it’s 15 minutes away, we’re also getting paid for time of travel—not that much, pennies, but at least they’re aware that they should pay us something for traveling that far out.”

They answer the inevitable questions about sketchy situations.

“I’m pretty comfortable with myself as far as feeling safe,” Jones says. “I did have one guy that became a little inappropriate. I reported it to Uber, and I actually got a phone call back. They said that they would look into restricting this rider’s access to the app.” Todd hasn’t felt unsafe, but he has twice kicked people out mid-trip. “A guy slapped his girlfriend. Or wife,” he says of one of the instances. “They were back there having a hard time, and he just backhanded her. I said, ‘Sir, you’re going to have to get out. Ma’am, you can get out if you want to, or I’ll take you on.

I’ll cancel the trip—nobody’s being charged.’ The guy started 42

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

cursing at me, and I said, ‘Or I can call the law.’’’ Driving as partners helps with safety. “I’ll call Kevin and go, ‘Hey, hang on the phone with me for a few minutes while I’m on this ride,’ because sometimes you get a feeling,” Jones says. “He’ll do the same thing if he gets a girl that’s out of it. We keep track of each other that way.”

At Los Agaves, Jones and Todd tell new drivers their surprisingly few stories about pukers, if they’re asked. They’ll also share an unexpected observation: People don’t puke in a party van. “They have that adrenaline going at the club,” is how Jones explains their theory about it. “If you keep them on a little bit of a high, just keep that pumping for the five to 10 minutes it takes to drive them home, that keeps them from getting sick.”

They also clue drivers in to the side benefits of driving Uber and Lyft. Jones, for example, makes productive use of her downtime.

“You can just have the app turned on—I can do laundry at home while I wait for a ride request.” And you can’t beat the free-ish vacations. “Drive down to North Carolina or Florida,” Todd says.

“Ping, ping, ping, ping—your hotel’s paid for. Two more, your meals are paid for. One more, your fuel’s paid for, too.”

Be a good guest With all of the marketing and mentoring, Todd—and Jones, too, with a little less flash—are spreading a strong customer service ethic into Uber all over West Virginia.

So when you’re lucky enough to get one of the party vans, enjoy the ride. Pick your music, groove on the light show, play Pac-Man, twizzle a Twizzler.

When you get where you’re going, you’ll have a chance to tip and rate your driver. Think about this other rant of Todd’s: “People say, ‘I had a customer the other day.’ No.” He’s thought a lot about this. “They’re a guest. Treat them the same as you would in your house, and everything will work out.”

Tips inside on • Getting around campus • Navigating game day • Where to use your Mountie Bounty

It’s a brand new school year! Another year to make the most of. Whether it’s your first time here or you’re back for more, we clue you in to campus culture, game-day go-tos, and tips about town. Let our backto-school guide get you started out right.

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

43

Get an Early Start on Your

Bucket List Don’t leave all of these key Mountaineer experiences for your last year.

BOUNTY HUNTING The Mountie Bounty on your Mountaineer Card will get you what you need all over campus, from school supplies and snacks to copies and laundry—but it’s also good at CVS, Panera, Sheetz, and other shops across town. Here are a few of our favorites.

Meet the Mountaineer Mascot.

In 2018–19, Elkins High School graduate Trevor Kiess sports the buckskin.

Chaang Thai 361 High Street

Cold Stone Creamery 356 High Street

The Greeks 331 Beechurst Avenue

The Grind 168 Willey Street

Lefty’s Place 236 Walnut Street

Lotsa Stone Fired Pizza 419 High Street

Morgan’s High St. Diner 250 High Street

River Birch Cafe 48 Donley Street

Sandwich University 461 High Street

Terra Cafe 425 Industrial Avenue

A game at Mountaineer Field isn’t just about football. It’s also about pride—The Pride of West Virginia, that is. See our big, brassy band march live at least once.

Put your arms around your fellow Mountaineers and sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” after a winning football game at Mountaineer Field.

Catch a show at the Creative Arts Center. Performances go on year-round and cross all genres of music and theater.

Join the campus-wide dialogue on issues of the day by attending a Festival of Ideas lecture.

Canoe, kayak, or paddleboard on the Mon River or Cheat Lake.

Students from more than 110 countries attend WVU. Check out one of the many international events—like the International Street Festival that will take place on High Street on September 29 this year.

Take in the view from Coopers Rock and hike out to Rock City.

Ride a sled down Law School Hill.

Bike the 50 miles of the Caperton, Mon River, and Deckers Creek rail-trails.

Give back to Morgantown and West Virginia by doing one of the many service projects the university offers.

Get a selfie with President E. Gordon Gee.

44

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Search “where to use your mountaineer card” online for a complete list.

CARLA WITT FORD; HIROTOMO T ON FLIKR; CARLA WITT FORD; KATIE GRIFFITH; JULIAN WYANT; COURTESY OF LOTSA STONE FIRED PIZZA; CARLY SUPLITA; COURTESY OF RIVER BIRCH CAFE; ELIZABETH FORD; CARLA WITT FORD

Go to FallFest, the free concert with popular performers that takes place right after everyone gets back to campus. It’s a memorable way to start the school year.

FallFest is scheduled for Tuesday, August 14 this year, behind the Student Rec Center.

Find these blue emergency phones on campus

Around

WVU is among the 35 safest college campuses in the nation, according to a February 2018 analysis by the National Council for Home Safety and Security. The university administration and WVU Police work hard to keep it that way, and students can do their part to stay safe, too.

Students who have registered cell phone numbers with the university are automatically enrolled in WVU Alert. Update your phone number if you change it, and register a parent, too.

Download the LiveSafe app and connect with WVU. It enables direct and discreet two-way communication with WVU Police using text, picture, video, and audio. It also lets you virtually walk friends and family home with SafeWalk.

Put the acronym ICE—In Case of Emergency— in your cell phone contacts with the name and number of a family member who knows your medical conditions. If you’re unresponsive, medical personnel will know to contact that person.

Walk in groups on well-lit streets and become familiar with the locations of the blue emergency phones on your routes.

PRT Quickest way between campuses, and free with WVU ID. BUS Mountain Line Transit Authority buses are also free with a WVU ID. Use the Google trip planner and the MLTA Bus Finder App. busride.org BIKE Morgantown has an active community of cyclists. Bike racks can be found near most university buildings and all over downtown. Find a bicycle commuter map at bikemorgantown.com.

More tips at police.wvu.edu/campus-safety

WVUp

PAM KASEY; COURTESY OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

All night Weekend nights with nothing to do are not a thing anymore. WVUp All Night turns the Mountainlair into a participatory three-ring circus.

Something is always happening in the food court—a game show or a band playing. The Vandalia Lounge hosts a craft, like Build-A-Bear or tie-dyeing. There are tutoring, free bowling and billiards, movies, and stand-up comedy. Not to mention plenty of free food.

Fridays and Saturdays, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., mountainlair.wvu.edu, @wvupallnight on Facebook and Twitter

HOME BASE FOR COMMUTERS Most students live off campus.

The Downtown Commuter Lounge at Elizabeth Moore Hall holds a refrigerator and microwave, free lockers, and wi-fi. The Commuter Student Lounge in Mountaineer Station at the base of the Medical Center PRT station has indoor bicycle racks, showers and lockers, and wi-fi.

FREE PARKING If you drive to campus, park for free at the Coliseum lot and ride the PRT. For those who need a different solution, a list of university and other lots and garages may be found at commuter.wvu.edu/parkingand-traffic.

CAR SHARING Better yet, make a go of it without a car. Zipcars may be rented by the hour at three locations in town. zipcar.com

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

45

2018 WVU Football Home Games SEPT 8 Youngstown State

Fans attending ticketed events at WVU are limited to one clear bag— a one-gallon freezer bag or a bag up to 12" x 6" x 12"—and one 4.5" x 6.5" clutch for privacy. Cameras and binoculars may be taken in, though not their cases. Keys, wallets, makeup, and other small items may be carried in pockets or in a clutch or clear bag.

The policy speeds up entry at the gate and improves security. wvusports.com/clearbag

SEPT 22 Kansas State STRIPE THE STADIUM

OCT 6 Kansas (Homecoming) GOLD RUSH

OCT 25 Baylor (Mountaineer Week) NOV 10 TCU

TRUE BLUE

NOV 23 Oklahoma

mountaineer

sports

Oct. 20 Empty Bowls Soup Beans and Cornbread Dinner Eat soup beans from a handmade ceramic bowl, which is yours to keep, in exchange for a cash donation that goes to local food pantries and kitchens.

by the season

Soccer Volleyball Cross Country Football Golf Rifle Swimming/Diving Tennis Rowing Wrestling Basketball Track & Field Gymnastics Baseball 46

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

ma y jun e jul y

r

r ap

ma

feb

t no v de c jan

g

oc

se

au

pt

Think beyond football and basketball—Mountaineers compete in more than a dozen sports through the year.

Mountaineer Week

The 71st annual Mountaineer Week, October 19–28, includes all of the traditional favorite events, like the October 22 PRT Cram and the October 24 Beard-Growing Finals. Check out some of these new events under this year’s theme, “Appalachian foods.”

Oct. 19 Country Vittles A homemade Appalachian meal like Grandma used to make.

Oct. 19–21 Apple Butter Stirring and Corn Roast Watch how these traditional foods are made, right in front of the Mountainlair.

Oct. 21 Pepperoni Roll Day Local restaurants and bakeries always compete hard when it comes to this region’s meat-filled staple.

Free samples!

Oct. 25 Harvest Fest Join the Alumni Center for an afternoon of local food trucks and live bluegrass music before the Baylor game.

Oct. 19–28 Funnel Cakes, Kettle Corn, and Pork Rinds Stop by the Mountainlair any day during Mountaineer Week for these Appalachian treats.

Find these and many more Mountaineer Week events at mountaineerweek.wvu.edu

COURTESY OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY; ELIZABETH FORD

Clear bag policy

Where to

Watch If you prefer big screens and game day specials to navigating stadium traffic, try one of these spots.

Gibbie’s Pub & Eatery 368 High Street @gibbiespubandeatery

Occupy the Pavement!

DALE SPARKS

There’s nothing like a good tailgate for getting into the game day spirit. Neighborly, rowdy, sober, nerdy—these days, there’s a parking lot atmosphere to suit any taste. This will get you started.

Kegler’s Sports Bar & Lounge 735 Chestnut Ridge Road keglerssportsbar.com

BLUE LOT Sprawling across the large area between Milan Puskar Stadium and WVU’s Ruby Memorial Hospital, the Blue Lot is Tailgate Central, with food and drink sales, music, cornhole, and general game day mayhem. Medical Center is the nearest PRT station.

STUDENT LOT Held in the University Park courtyard, this alcohol-free tailgate features free food, music, guest appearances, and giveaways.

The festivities start three hours before kickoff and end 30 minutes before kickoff. A student ID gets you and one guest in.

Mario’s Bar and Grill 704 Richwood Avenue and 3117 University Avenue mariosfishbowl.com

OTHER LOTS Tailgating at other WVU lots is more low-key. The Light Blue Lot, beside the Blue Lot in a smaller space northeast of the stadium, is more family-oriented. The Brown Lot, behind the College of Law, gives panoramic views of the stadium and Blue Lot. The Green Lot, on Van Voorhis Road in front of Mountaineer Station, offers single-game parking for a fee, as do the Gold, Burgundy, and Purple lots. The Coliseum lot offers free parking and is close enough to walk to the game, or you can catch a shuttle bus from there to the stadium round-trip for $4.50.

Engineering is the nearest PRT station.

ORGANIZATION TAILGATES Lots of campus organizations host tailgates. Check organizations’ websites or Facebook pages for schedules, themes, and locations.

Mountain Mama’s Chelsea Square 1137 Van Voorhis Road mountmamastavern. com

SOBER TAILGATE WVU Collegiate Recovery hosts a sober tailgate before every home game. Serenity House, 628 Price Street, recovery.wvu.edu, “WVU Collegiate Recovery” on Facebook.

OFF-CAMPUS TAILGATES Pre-game fun can happen anywhere. If friends or family are visiting, their hotel may host or allow tailgating and offer a shuttle to and from the stadium.

WVU LOTS OPEN AT 7 A.M. FOR SATURDAY GAMES. Pets must be leashed and tended to, and recycling bags are provided in some of these lots— please be tidy. Search “tailgating” at wvusports.com for details. Visiting fans looking for season permit parking can call the Mountaineer Athletic Club at 304.293.2294.

Playoffs Sports Bar and Grill 237 Spruce Street playoffswv.com The Varsity Club 910 Don Nehlen Drive thevarsityclubwv.com

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

47

Make Your Vote Count • Deadline to register Tuesday, October 16, 2018

International flavors are one of the joys of life in Morgantown. Whether you’re missing that special snack from home or experimenting in the kitchen, chances are you can find what you need at one of these grocers.

Asia Royal Grocery This tidy space stocks hard-to-find fixings and includes fresh fish, meat, and produce and frozen prepared foods. 1137 Van Voorhis Road, 304.322.2741, @asiaroyalgrocery9 on Facebook.

Garcia’s Grill at the Cue Garcia’s serves up great tacos and hosts Latin dance classes—but you can get your menudo spice mix here, too. 226 High Street, 304.241.1871, “Garcia’s Grill at the Cue” on Facebook Kassar’s Food and Gifts Aisle after aisle of Middle Eastern ingredients and halal foods as well as a sizable menu. 1137 Van Voorhis Road, 304.599.7252 La Tapatia Market and Tacos Order your meal from this little taqueria, then shop the surprising variety of Mexican goods while you wait. 14 Marvin Gardens, 304.241.1545, @tapatia304 on Facebook Mid-Atlantic Market Specialty pastas, sauces, antipasti, and cured meats direct from Pittsburgh’s Strip District, and bread baked on-site daily. 7000 Mid-Atlantic Drive, 304.777.4686, midatlanticmarket.com Von Son Asian Market Fresh produce, varied meats, frozen prepared foods, select pastries, and hundreds upon hundreds of sauces, specialty ingredients, snacks, and housewares. 1389 University Avenue, 304.292.9230, @vonsonmarket on Facebook 48

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

Need a haircut on the cheap?

The Morgantown Beauty College has haircuts starting at $10 plus the whole array of salon and spa services at discounted prices. 276 Walnut Street, morgantownbeautycollege.edu Sharp As An Errol Barber School offers $8 haircuts along with discounted shaves, facials, skin care treatments, and more. 551 Beechurst Avenue, saaebarberschool.com

Order In It’s easier than ever to order in in Morgantown these days. All of these services have apps.

DubVEats Locally owned delivery service. More than 50 chain and independent restaurants around town, plus Corner Store for toiletries, The Summoner for big box stores, and Kroger ClickList. $4 delivery fee in town. 15% gratuity goes directly to driver.

GrubHub Also serves more than 50 restaurants. Acts as clearinghouse for orders and payments; users can order for

pickup or delivery. Restaurants arrange their own delivery services, so charges vary. Prices are the same as in the restaurants, although some restaurants set minimum orders. Customer service 24/7.

Mr. Delivery 32 restaurants in summer 2018. Makes group ordering easy. Users earn points toward special deals. Prices may vary from in-restaurant menus. Fee $4 to $5 per order, plus processing.

UberEats New in Morgantown in summer 2018. $5 delivery fee, plus an additional fee at busy times. Can pay with Uber account or credit card and track order through the app.

ELIZABETH FORD

World Flavors

• You can vote on election day only at your polling place from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Check “Elections” at sos.wv.gov to find • To register online Go to your polling place. Take your student “Elections” at sos.wv.gov.

ID card, driver’s license, or other • What you will need Your driver’s current form of identification. license and the last four digits of • If you will vote absentee your social security number.

Mail the completed absentee ballot • Early voting will take place request form to your county clerk October 24–November 3 at the starting August 14—forms and Mountaineer Mall and other addresses may be found under locations. Take your student ID “Elections” at sos.wv.gov. Vote card, driver’s license, or other and return the ballot—it must be current form of identification. postmarked by November 6.

Fall Events September 15–16 West Virginia Wine & Jazz Festival Camp Muffly; $20/day Free shuttle from Mountainlair

September 27–30 Preston County Buckwheat Festival Kingwood; all day carnival pass $18

September 28 Arts Walk Downtown; free

October 13 Hops on the Mon Morgantown Marriott; $45–$60

Saturdays through November Morgantown Farmers Market 8:30 a.m.–noon , 415 Spruce Street

Get Involved and Give Back Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia | accawv.org

Christian Help | motownchristianhelp.com Friends of Deckers Creek deckerscreek.org Literacy Volunteers of Monongalia and Preston County | lvmpc.org Milan Puskar Health Right mphealthright.org Mon County Habitat for Humanity moncountyhfh.org

CARLA WITT FORD; MARY WADE BURNSIDE

Mon River Trail Conservancy montrails.org Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club mbgclub.org Positive Spin Bicycle Collective @positivespinwv on Facebook Scotts Run Settlement House | srsh.org

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

49

ON A DIME

Carless for the weekend? Cash-strapped, too?

WVUp All Night has you covered late, but there’s plenty to do in Morgantown that’s free or cheap during the rest of the day, too.

FREE

HANG OUT BY A WATERFALL An outpouring of volunteer support in 2016 and 2017 reclaimed a campusadjacent oasis for recreational use. The Falling Run Greenspace has miles of walking trails, and rocky cascades, too. fallingrungreenspace.wvu.edu

LIVE MUSIC VENUES

RIDE THE RAIL-TRAILS Morgantown is the lucky hub of 50 miles of rail-trail along Deckers Creek and the Monongahela River. montrails.org BUFF UP YOUR MORGANTOWN CRED The Morgantown History Museum’s collection of photographs and artifacts is open Mondays through Saturdays.

Donation requested. 175 Kirk Street, morgantownhistorymuseum.org OGLE THE UNIVERSE The WVU Planetarium atop White Hall offers free shows at 8 and 9 p.m. every other Friday night. Reserve a seat for the star show online. No reservation needed for after-show access to the observatory and its 14-inch Celestron telescope. 135 Willey Street, planetarium.wvu.edu SHOW OFF YOUR HOCKEY STOP Starting in September at the Morgantown Municipal Ice Arena, you can skate two hours for just $5 plus $3 skate rental.

1001 Mississippi Street, boparc.org LIVE MUSIC, NO COVER Black Bear Burritos might be one of the best deals in town. Its affordable meals burst with fresh ingredients, and there’s live music many nights each week. 132 Pleasant Street and 3119 University Avenue, blackbearburritos.com

CHEAP 50

GEAR RENTAL With a Mountaineer Card, you can rent everything from water sports gear to snow gear. Reserve in person at the Student Rec Center. 2001 Rec Center Drive, adventurerecreation.wvu.edu/gear-rentals

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

123 Pleasant Street

123pleasantstreet.com

Black Bear Burritos

132 Pleasant St. 3119 University Avenue blackbearburritos.com

Mainstage Morgantown

444 Chestnut Street mainstagewv. tunestub.com

Metropolitan Theatre

371 High Street morgantownmet.com

WVU Creative Arts Center One Fine Arts Drive events.wvu.edu

QUALITY TIME Wondering what to do with your parents when they come for the weekend?

Here are our picks.

Active Hike at Coopers Rock or rent bikes at the Student Rec Center or at Wamsley Cycles (709 Beechurst Avenue, wamsleycycles.com) and ride the rail-trails. Later, meet up with friends at Black Bear Burritos (132 Pleasant Street or 3119 University Avenue, blackbearburritos.com) or Crab Shack Caribba (420 Suncrest Towne Centre Drive or 69 Mont Chateau Road, crabshackcaribba. com)—there’s a good chance there’ll be live music.

Breakfast like townies at Morgan’s High Street Diner (250 High Street, dinerwv.com).

Spirited Cheer our teams on at a WVU or WV Black Bears game (wvusports.com, westvirginiablackbears. com). Sample Morgantown’s eclectic barbecue scene with dinner at Atomic Grill (595 Green Bag Road, atomicgrillmotown.com) or takeout from Woodburn Shanks (1616 Earl Core Road, morgantownbbq.com). Sunday brunch at Iron Horse Tavern (140 High Street, ironhorsetvrn. com)—go early to avoid the line.

Refined Visit the traveling exhibits and permanent collection at the Art Museum of West Virginia University (Two Fine Arts Drive, artmuseum.wvu.edu). Enjoy fine dining at Bourbon Prime (Morgantown Marriott, 2 Waterfront Place, bourbonprime.com) or The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley (510 Burroughs Street, vintnervalley.com). Try Table 9 (40 Donley Street, dinetable9.com), with its wide windows and riverside deck, for Sunday brunch.

Shopping Shop for home decor at University Town Centre, or browse the boutiques at Suncrest Towne Centre. Get a taste of Morgantown’s international flavor at one of three authentic Middle Eastern restaurants on High Street for dinner, or sample Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, and other cuisines across town. You can’t go wrong with brunch at Terra Cafe (425 Industrial Avenue, 304.554.2233, terracafewv.com).

Still not sure? Check out BOM—that’s Best of Morgantown—at morgantownmag.com for other ideas.

ELIZABETH FORD

Weekends

BUILDING Blue and Golden OPPORTUNITIES A West Virginia University education results in more than a job offer—it creates connections that inspire grads near and far to stay actively engaged with their alma mater. Here are five alums who are giving back and keeping their Mountaineer pride alive. written by Kaylyn Christopher

Denise Workman

COURTESY OF DENISE WORKMAN

M.Ed. 2004 | Kanawha County Board of Education Boone County, West Virginia, native, public school teacher, and WVU alumna Denise Workman has seen firsthand the difference an education makes. That’s why she’s so committed to helping students continue their studies beyond their high school walls.

And as president of Boone County’s WVU alumni chapter— Boone County Alumni and Friends—Workman, who earned her bachelor’s degree in K–8 education from West Virginia State University in 1989 and her master’s degree in special education for the gifted from WVU in 2004, is positioned to do just that.

“Our group socializes, networks, and hosts game-watching events and bus trips, like most other WVU alumni chapters,” says Workman. “But our focus is mainly on the students and providing opportunities for them to get what we all were lucky enough to find with an education from West Virginia University.”

To make those opportunities reality, Boone County Alumni and Friends works hard to raise money for its scholarship fund.

In total, the chapter has raised more than $800,000. Just this past year, it awarded 33 high school seniors from Boone County scholarships to attend WVU. For Workman and her husband, Todd Mount, a lawyer at Shaffer & Shaffer who was the alumni chapter’s president before Denise took charge, nothing compares to creating life-changing possibilities for Mountain State youth.

“As an educator, as an alumnus, as a member of this community, I think providing opportunity, making a dream come true, and encouraging education are all rewarding, fulfilling, and necessary in today’s world,” says Workman. “It is tough in the coalfields of West Virginia, and we want our students to have any possible advantage to graduate from WVU and create the life they want for themselves.”

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

51

Bill Gray

When Bill Gray (center) and his wife, Jennifer, both WVU alumni, moved to Colorado in 1997, they longed for the camaraderie of fellow Mountaineers. They decided to take matters into their own hands and formed the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association, which Bill leads to this day.

“It is a labor of love and a way to give back,” says Gray, who earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from WVU in 1991 and his master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Colorado in 2004.

One of the most notable ways that the Grays and the Rocky Mountain Chapter give back is through a scholarship fund that helps a high school senior from Colorado attend WVU. In addition, Bill spends much of his time traveling to college fairs at local high schools, where he shares with students the many benefits that go hand in hand with being a Mountaineer.

52

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

“We have a fantastic story to tell about WVU,” says Gray.

“Talking to students who are making their choice for the future helps bring me closer to the university that is so far away from where I live, and nothing makes me happier than bragging on WVU and helping bring in top-level students from around the country.”

Gray, who is vice president of Global Sales at electrical and electronic manufacturing company Astrodyne TDI, says he wholeheartedly believes in the mission of the university because of the impact it has had on his own life and career.

“WVU gave me a solid engineering foundation and instilled in me the West Virginia work ethic that has enabled me to excel in every role that I have undertaken,” he says. “I have had the opportunity to work, travel, and live all over the world, and WVU helped launch me on that journey.”

COURTESY OF BILL GRAY

B.S. 1991 | Astrodyne TDI

Ola Adekunle

COURTESY OF OLA ADEKUNLE

B.S. 2002; J.D., MBA 2007 | Google

For those who were born and raised in West Virginia, a sense of Mountaineer identity is almost innate. But those who have traveled across oceans to get here often come to call Morgantown and WVU home, too.

“I spent the formative years of my stay in America in Morgantown,” says Ola Adekunle, who came to the United States from Nigeria in 1998. “WVU played a big role in shaping who I am and how I view the world, so I want to put WVU on the map. I bleed blue and gold, I really do.”

Adekunle earned his B.S. in computer engineering from WVU in 2002, then law and business degrees in 2007. After leaving Morgantown and moving on to jobs in Virginia and Texas, Adekunle committed himself to helping with recruiting efforts, volunteering his time to share with prospective students the opportunities and possibilities that WVU can provide.

A patent counsel on Google’s Patent Strategy Team in Mountain View, California, since 2017, Adekunle is still finding ways to give back. This past June, he directed the firstever Google Legal Summer Institute, which was developed to help underrepresented law students gain valuable training through Google along with real-world experience with some of the top law firms in the country.

Upon launching the program, Adekunle immediately reached out to his alma mater and encouraged rising secondyear law students to apply. Of the 28 students from across the country who were selected, two hailed from WVU. “Charity begins at home,” Adekunle says. “There were a lot of people at WVU who helped me in different ways along my path to Google, and I’m at a point now where I want to reach back and help others, too.”

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

53

Heather Dishman

Ten years ago, with a brand new mechanical engineering degree from WVU to her name, Heather Dishman found herself presented with a job opportunity she couldn’t pass up—but it meant leaving behind the college town she loved and relocating to the unfamiliar flatlands of Houston, Texas.

“I graduated in May of 2008, flew down to Houston in July, and I’ve been here ever since,” says Dishman, who works as a project engineer for the global energy company Weatherford International.

Luckily for Dishman, a Cumberland, Maryland, native, she quickly found a network of fellow Mountaineers with whom she could share her love of all things Morgantown.

“One of the first things I did when I moved here was get in touch with the alumni association,” she says. “I engaged with the local alumni chapter, and that really helped me settle into Houston.”

Appreciative of how her fellow alumni helped her adjust to her new home, Dishman became actively involved with the chapter. These days, she and her husband, Chris, a 2003 54

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

graduate of WVU’s School of Journalism, are co-presidents of the Lone Star Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association, bringing together transplanted Mountaineers and WVU fans to enjoy watch parties, tailgates, community service activities, and even an annual pepperoni roll contest.

Not only does Dishman focus much of her energy on connecting alumni, but she also devotes her time to representing WVU at college fairs held by high schools in the Houston area and leads the charge on awarding an annual scholarship that helps send a local senior to WVU. “I want to give others the chance to have the opportunities I had,” she says. “It’s neat to be able to be 1,200 miles from Morgantown, telling them about a place I love, and watching them get excited about it, too.”

For Dishman, it’s all about giving back to the place that changed her life.

“WVU gave me so much,” she says. “It made me who I am today.”

COURTESY OF WVU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

B.S. 2008 | Weatherford

Brian West B.S. 2004 | Nalco Water

COURTESY OF WVU / BRIAN PERSINGER

When Brian West recounts his memories as an industrial engineering student at WVU’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources in the early 2000s, he’s quick to point out that they wouldn’t be complete without mention of one his most influential professors: Jack Byrd.

“One of the things I love about him is that he took a lot of pride in making sure he had relationships with all alumni so that they’d come back to their alma mater and find opportunities for students and try to help them with job placements,” recalls West, who graduated in 2004. “When I was a student in his class, I said, ‘Someday, I’m going to get with a company and work my way up to where I, too, can have an influence on recruiting.”

West, a Wheeling native, now lives in Frederick, Maryland, where he works as a district sales manager for Nalco Water, an Ecolab company and a global provider of water management solutions and expertise. In the past five years, he has placed 23

WVU engineering graduates within his company.

“They’re working in all kinds of divisions, all across North America, doing all kinds of different jobs,” West says.

Twice a year, West makes the trip to Morgantown to network with soon-to-be and recent graduates at the Statler College of Engineering’s Career Fair, identifying students whose goals and abilities align with Ecolab’s vision. He coaches many of them through the interview process and takes time to mentor them and check up on them once they’ve been placed and started their careers. He also works to bring other companies to WVU’s campus to match students with employment opportunities.

“I realized how important that was to me and how it helped me get my start, and I wanted to pay it forward,” West says.

“One of the most fulfilling things is watching them grow and prosper into future leaders at this company.”

THE U

Higher Ed Studies Higher Ed In case you weren’t paying attention over the summer, let us catch you up on West Virginia’s review of four-year college funding and governance.

H

igher education has been in state news all summer, with WVU playing a prominent role.

The dialogue erupted unexpectedly, but it’s long overdue. Changes in enrollment at and funding for West Virginia’s public colleges over the past decade have led some to quietly question whether the state still needs 11 public four-year institutions. Others argue that all of the colleges serve important roles in their communities— that what’s needed is savvy differentiation among the colleges and a reinvigorated state commitment to funding.

All of that suddenly roiled to the surface and, in July, Governor Jim Justice created a Blue Ribbon Commission on Four-Year Higher Education headed by WVU President E. Gordon Gee. He tasked it with addressing two broad and important concerns: four-year college funding and sustainability as well as the role and value of the state Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) that oversees the four-year colleges.

The blue ribbon commission’s findings may have a seismic influence on the future shape of higher ed in West Virginia, including at WVU. Here’s a primer on how we got here and what happens next.

The HEPC’s funding proposal In the spring of 2017, the state Legislature asked the HEPC to come up with a formula for the annual allocation of state funding among the four-year colleges. In recent years, allocation has been based mainly on prior years’ allocations, and the Legislature wants a formalized approach that is equitable and advances the state’s priorities for educating its residents.

In March 2018, the HEPC presented a formula-in-progress, its Student-Focused Funding Formula, constructed around the structure of its own 2013–18 master plan. To oversimplify a little, it laid out three measures: • Access: Number of credit-hours attempted by West Virginia residents; • Success: Number of undergraduate West Virginia resident students who are on track for on-time degree completion; and • Impact: Number of degrees completed by West Virginia residents, as well as by non-residents who remain in the state’s workforce for two years after graduation.

Assigning weights of 70 percent, 5 percent, and 25 percent to the categories respectively, the HEPC’s early calculations proposed to reduce the allocation from the general revenue 56

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

fund to WVU’s main campus by 9 percent, to Glenville State College by 17 percent, and to WVU Institute of Technology by fully 44 percent. Other colleges would gain, up to as much as 36 percent for Shepherd University. The state is not the only source of funding for any institution, but such reductions would undeniably be significant.

During a spring public comment period, WVU raised concerns: among them, that the institutions should have been involved in devising the funding formula and that the data behind the model should have been made available. The comments noted that the proposal didn’t take fully into account WVU’s unique mission, scale, and effectiveness among West Virginia institutions. And they argued that, before any final funding model decisions are made, there should be a review of the overall structure of higher education, with a view to improving outcomes and raising the state’s return on investment in higher ed—a review that, as it turns out, has since been embodied in the blue ribbon commission.

Draft report on regional institutions Meanwhile, a national higher education consulting firm filed a draft report in April with the HEPC on the viability of the state’s seven regional four-year colleges—those that are not Marshall University or part of WVU’s system. It made stark recommendations.

The state’s moves in recent decades to decentralize oversight of higher education have given institutions freedom to plan individually, the report noted. But in this period of declining state population and tight state funding, more coordinated decision-making is critical for using resources effectively and keeping all of the institutions relevant and, through that, viable.

The report recommended, among other measures, that the governing boards of Bluefield State College and Concord University, both in Mercer County in the extreme southern part of the state, be combined as soon as possible. It recommended over time creating an oversight board within the HEPC that would govern those two institutions as well as Glenville State College and West Virginia State University and would hold tighter reins on Fairmont State, Shepherd, and West Liberty universities.

This report came to the public’s attention in earliest July.

But before the outcry could resound, Governor Justice stepped in.

The blue ribbon commission Justice rounded all of the funding and governance considerations up into one comprehensive new process in July by announcing his Blue Ribbon Commission on Four-Year

THE U 6

STATE GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS TO WVU’S MAIN CAMPUS AND HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

9

$150,000,000

11 2

7

4

10

8

$100,000,000 3

1

$50,000,000

FY19

FY18

FY17

FY16

FY15

FY14

FY13

FY12

FY11

FY10

FY09

WEST VIRGINIA’S PUBLIC FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES

FY08

$0

5

State general fund appropriations to WVU's main campus and health sciences center dropped 22% from the 2012-13 year to the 2017-18 year. Even with a slight increase in fiscal 2019, the level is lower than it was a decade ago, while enrollment is higher. Public colleges across the state have experienced similar decreases in state funding.

Source: WVU Division of Planning

Higher Education. In addition to appointing WVU President Gee to preside, he asked Concord University President Kendra Boggess and Marshall University President Jerome Gilbert to co-chair it with Gee. Almost immediately after that, the HEPC board voted to replace its retiring chancellor, Paul Hill, with WVU Institute of Technology President Carolyn Long as interim chancellor—a suggestion Gee had made. With the independence of some institutions possibly under threat and the funding formula proposal pitting institutions against one another, some cried foul, saying WVU had assumed an outsize influence over the process.

But it has to be acknowledged that Gee brings venerable expertise to a high-level review. Not only did he serve an earlier term as president of WVU, from 1981 to 1985; he is now in his seventh university presidency—nearly three decades of that in three different state public university systems.

As this issue went to print, Justice called on the commission to make recommendations in line with preferences Gee has stated in the past: keeping all of the colleges open, with strong local control at each.

Although that goes counter to the April draft report’s recommendations, it may be possible. Governance is not an either-

ENROLLMENT FALL ’17

HIGHEST DEGREE

1 Bluefield State College

1,379

Bachelor’s

2 Potomac State College of WVU

1,411

Bachelor’s

3 WVU Institute of Technology

1,629

Bachelor’s

4 Glenville State College

1,672

Bachelor’s

5 Concord University

2,194

Master’s

6 West Liberty University

2,443

Master’s

7 Shepherd University

3,736

Master’s

8 West Virginia State University

3,877

Master’s

9 Fairmont State University

3,881

Master’s

10 Marshall University

13,008

Ph.D. and M.D.

11 West Virginia University

28,409

Ph.D. and M.D.

Source: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

or, centralized-or-decentralized thing; it’s a matter of locating the right kinds of decisions at the right levels, says WVU Provost Joyce McConnell. “For example, say the Legislature says universities can spend up to $2 million on facilities without the permission of some state-level coordinating entity. But if they’re going to spend more, they have to report it so the entity can see if there’s duplication amongst facilities in the state.” Or a coordinating body could appropriately suggest that it would be in the best interests of the state if courses could transfer among campuses, giving students flexibility. “That makes sense,” McConnell says. “It’s making a decision that affects all of the campuses across the state, and it’s not micromanaging a particular campus.”

The governor’s mandate for the blue ribbon commission was vague. But the tenor of early-summer dialogue showed that the colleges and universities are prepared to take this moment seriously.

The HEPC continues to analyze comments it received about its Student-Focused Funding Formula through August. The blue ribbon commission’s findings are due to the governor by December 10, before the start of the state’s annual Januarythrough-March legislative session. written by PAM KASEY MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

57

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

17 Years Later The Flight 93 National Memorial in southwestern Pennsylvania gets a final, poignant touch this September.

O

n the morning of September 11, 2001, news programs had just started speculating about the bizarre 8:46 crash of a plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City when the 9:03 crash into the South Tower put things in a very different light. President George Bush quickly labelled the crashes “an apparent terrorist attack.”

That news was filtering into offices across the eastern U.S. and waking homes in the west when a third plane crashed— into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. For the first time ever, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all flights to land.

Then, as Americans struggled to make 58

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

sense of the brazen, high-profile assaults, a fourth plane struck at 10:03 in a place that made even less sense than the first three: a field in southwestern Pennsylvania.

That unintended crash site less than two hours’ drive from Morgantown was declared a national memorial by Congress in 2002. This September, the memorial will be complete.

A field of honor Flight 93 smashed into the ground at nearly 600 miles per hour, shattering the plane and its contents and spreading debris over a vast area. The Flight 93 National Memorial is not a stone monument marking a spot or a series of plaques at an overlook, but a park memorial laid across the landscape, giving

visitors the scale and perspective they need to take in the enormity of the event.

Entry to the site is on the Flight Path Walkway, a gash of black granite that follows the northwest-to-southeast path the plane flew as it dropped hard toward the ground. Markers along the path document the times of the three earlier crashes. The walkway passes through breaks in two high walls, then ends abruptly at a wide window overlooking the crash site and debris field a quarter-mile away below the ridge. It’s architecture and design in service of the experience: Following the flight path, recalling the timeline, crashing symbolically through the walls, then stopping suddenly works as an analog for the last moments of the lives of the passengers of Flight 93.

Beside the walkway, the Visitor Center gives a multimedia presentation of the moments leading up to that end.

United Airlines Flight 93, en route from Newark to San Francisco, had already been hijacked when the president addressed the nation at 9:30. It turned hard southeast at Cleveland, Ohio, back toward Washington, D.C. It stayed in the air when the FAA grounded all planes at

COURTESY OF BIOLINIA AND PAUL MURDOCH ARCHITECTS

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

VISITING THE MEMORIAL A visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial is a self-guided experience, with a cell phone tour at Memorial Plaza and volunteers and park rangers on hand to answer questions throughout the site.

Plan to spend one-half to 2 hours. The Visitor Center and bookstore are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; grounds are open sunrise to sunset.

UPCOMING EVENTS August 18, noon and 2 p.m. and August 19, 1 p.m.

A presentation by Cleveland-based air traffic controller John Werth, who monitored Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, and was the first person to realize that the flight had been hijacked. Werth will be joined by Mal Fuller, who oversaw the air traffic control tower in nearby Pittsburgh.

September 9, 1 p.m.

Tower of Voices Dedication September 11, 9:45 a.m.

Seventeenth Anniversary Observance

toward a boulder that marks the spot where the nose of the plane hit the ground.

As a landscape memorial, the 2,200-acre national park lets visitors take the crash in in their own ways: emotionally or intellectually; from a distance or up close; as a singular event, as part of a national tragedy, or in the context of global tensions.

9:42. Huddled at the rear of the plane, passengers and crew called loved ones and emergency services, learned of the other crashes, and hatched a plan to storm the cockpit. Flight 93 fell out of the sky just 18 minutes’ flight time short of its apparent target. All 40 passengers and crew died, along with four hijacking terrorists.

We can’t know everything that happened on that plane. But through interviews with ground control and passengers’ families and the information from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, investigators pieced together a fairly detailed picture. The museum exhibits let visitors assemble their own views of the events.

The final touch The Flight 93 National Memorial is not yet quite complete. This September, the National Park Service will dedicate the Tower of Voices, a 93-foot monument conIt’s possible to drive, in a mile-long arc, taining 40 wind chimes meant to echo the from the visitor center to the crash site. voices of the passengers and crew—a lasting For those who have the time and are able, tribute in sound. The tones are chosen to though, there’s a parallel, tree-lined gravel convey the serenity and nobility of the site, path. It passes by 40 groves of 40 trees according to the National Park Service webplanted in tribute to each of the victims. At a contemplative stroll, the walk could take about site, “while also through dissonance recalling the event that consecrated the site.” the 35 minutes from the time the hijackers The tower will be dedicated on rushed the cockpit to the time the plane Sunday, September 9 at 1 p.m. To hear a crashed. That gives time to think about what must have happened on the plane and to take Tower of Voices wind chime simulation, visit goo.gl/DqFncd. 6424 Lincoln in the landscape it was heading toward.

The last couple hundred feet of the flight Highway, Stoystown, PA, 814.893.6550, nps.gov/flni, flight93friends.org path make up Memorial Plaza. A Wall of Names identifies each of the victims.

The path ends at the debris field and looks written and photographed by PAM KASEY

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

59

Your local guide to life, art, culture, & more AUG/SEP 2018

August AUGUST 4 Morgantown Farmers Market Market Place Pavilion, Spruce Street, Sat. 8:30 a.m.–noon, “Morgantown Farmers Market” on Facebook A wide selection of local produce, fresh breads, meats, cheeses, artisan crafts, and more, Saturday mornings all summer.

High Street Bazaar Courthouse Square, Sat. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Local arts and crafts, antiques and collectibles, food vendors. Last bazaar of the season.

AUGUST 5–7 WV Black Bears vs. Batavia Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive Granville, Sun. 4:05 p.m., Mon. & Tues. 7:05 p.m.

304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com The West Virginia Black Bears face the Batavia Muckdogs. $8.50–$12.50 AUGUST 9 Jazz on the Green Jack Roberts Park, Thurs. 4–9 p.m. boparc.org/summer-events.html Part of the BOPARC Sounds of Summer Entertainment Series. Free AUGUST 10 AND 17 Morning Yoga in the Garden West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road Fri. 9:30 a.m., wvbg.org Join instructor Heidi Sherwin to rejuvenate and relax. Take a yoga mat and water. All skill levels. $12 for WVBG members, non-members $15 AUGUST 10–14 NEARBY The African American Experience on the Western Virginia Frontier Prickett’s Fort State Park, Fairmont, Fri., Sat. Mon., Tues. 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun. noon–4 p.m. prickettsfort.org Sheila Arnold will portray an African American slave using Prickett’s Fort as backdrop. Hearthcooking demo of 18th century African foods.

Adults $8, under 12 $4

DALE SPARKS

NEARBY Park Concert Series: Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Road, Core, Sat. 6 p.m., masondixonhistoricalpark.com Take a blanket and a chair and enjoy some highenergy string band music. Adults $5, under 12 free

AUGUST 16 Gangstagrass Banjos and rappers shouldn’t sound this good together, but they do. With 18 Strings. $10 in advance, $12 day-of 123 Pleasant Street, Thurs. 8 p.m., 304.292.0800, 123pleasantstreet.com

AUGUST 11

AUGUST 14–18

Opekiska and Hildebrand locks open Sat. 7 a.m.–4 p.m., 724.725.5259, uppermon.org Lock through to the uppermost Mon. Last lockthrough 3:30. Call for more information.

Shine a little light: An Appa-Latin Retrospective Hill & Hollow, Seneca Center, 709 Beechurst Avenue, Tues.–Sat., 304.241-4551 The restaurant’s most requested dishes from the beloved Solera Cafe, 2005–2009.

Whiskey Victor Chestnut Ridge Park, 346 Chestnut Ridge Camp Road, Sat. 6–8:30 p.m. chestnutridgepark.com Music on the hill. $5, 6 and under free.

AUGUST 11 & 12 WV Black Bears vs. Mahoning Valley Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun. 4:05 p.m.

304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com The Black Bears get a second chance at the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. $8.50–$12.50

AUGUST 16 NEARBY Fuzzy Knight Film Festival Palatine Park, Fairmont, Thurs. 6–10 p.m.

“Fuzzy Knight Film Festival” on Facebook Celebrate Fairmont’s own movie star, who appeared with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Free

Miltenberger Jazz with the WVU Drum Line Krepps Park, 1235 Parkview Drive, Thurs. 7 p.m. boparc.org/summer-events.html BOPARC Sounds of Summer entertainment. Free

AUGUST 12

AUGUST 17

Young Birders’ Walk West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road Sun. 10 a.m., wvbg.org The joy of birdwalking for children of all ages, with Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia Director Katie Fallon. All ages; register online. Free.

5th annual Rush Run 5K Run/Walk and miniRush Hazel Ruby McQuain Amphitheatre, Fri. 4 p.m.

304.288.4697, rushrun.org Check-in at 4 p.m., miniRUSH at 6 p.m. for kids 4 to 7, 5K at 7 p.m. Proceeds provide MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

61

scholarships for 4-H campers. Register online or day-of. $30 after August 4, children $12 Movies in the Park: A Wrinkle in Time Krepps Park, 1235 Parkview Drive, Fri., 7 p.m.

304.296.8356, boparc.org Family fun festival including WVU Medicine bounce house and BOPARC art cart. Movie at dusk. Free AUGUST 17–18

AUGUST 17–19 6th annual WV Tattoo Expo Morgantown Event Center, Three Waterfront Place Fri. & Sat. noon–10 p.m., Sun., noon–7 p.m.

304.626.5541, wvtattooexpo.com Learn to ink, get inked, or just look—this nationwide gathering of tattoo artists is the place. Art displays, live collaborations, seminars. $15 day, $40 weekend, purchase at the door WV Black Bears vs. Williamsport Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive Granville, Fri. & Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun. 4:05 p.m.

304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com The Black Bears face the Williamsport Crosscutters once again. Friday is the last fireworks game of the season. $8.50–$12.50 AUGUST 17–18, 23–25 Distracted M.T. Pockets Theater, 203 Parsons Street Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., Thurs.–Sat. 8 p.m., 304.284.0049, mtpocketstheatre.com What’s wrong with 9-year-old Jesse? His teacher says it’s ADD, his dad says he’s just a boy, and his mom is on a quest for answers. Distracted is a funny and poignant look at the challenges of modern family life. Mature content. $10–$15 AUGUST 18 High Street Cruise-In High Street, Sat. 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

5th annual “Bo” Harper Memorial Ride Triple S Harley-Davidson, 7300 Willie G Ave, Westover, Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., 304.692.6015 bikersbrosandbo.com After-party at Classics featuring Johnny Freak Band. Benefits Bo Harper Memorial Fund.

NEARBY Connector Art Fair Palatine Park, Fairmont, Sat. noon–6 p.m.

“Connector Art Fair” on Facebook Arts and crafts, food vendors, and performances by the Fairmont State University Academy of the Arts and Morgantown Jazz IX. Free

2nd annual Celebrate Woodburn FEST Whitmore Park, Sat. noon–8 p.m. @CWAAC on Facebook Live music, trail walking, artwork, picnic, fun. Free

62

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

AUGUST 11 Cheat Lake Regatta Races for watercraft of all types, poker run, boat tours, Light Up Cheat Lake after dusk.

Benefits local charities and communities. Races $15, boat tours $5–$10, poker run $25, after-party $25; $5 for race participants Cheat Lake Marina and Crab Shack Caribba, 69 Mont Chateau Road, Sat. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., @cheatlakeregatta on Facebook

The Fly Birds Chestnut Ridge Park, 346 Chestnut Ridge Camp Road, Bruceton Mills, Sat. 6–8:30 p.m. chestnutridgepark.com Music on the hill. $5, 6 and under free.

AUGUST 22

AUGUST 19

AUGUST 23

Dog Splash Marilla Pool, Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. animalfriendswv.org The ultimate canine pool party! Dogs must be leash and supervised at all times. Free

Power of the Purse Fundraiser Morgantown Marriott, 2 Waterfront Place, Thurs.

5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m., unitedwaympc.org/potp Purses and other items auctioned in this event organized by Women United of United Way. Dinner and entertainment. Proceeds fund the Mon County Dolly Parton Imagination Library. $100

An Evening of Garden Delights West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sun., 4–7:30 p.m., wvbg.org The annual fundraiser under a tent in the heart the garden. Fine foods by Sargasso and Tutto Gelato, Sinatra-style music by Nick Fiasco, silent and live auctions. $85 per person

Blackberry Smoke Metropolitan Theatre, 371 High Street, Wed. 8 p.m., morgantownmet.com Atlanta southern rock band with The Steel Woods.

An Evening in Paradise Crab Shack Caribba at Cheat Lake, 7–10 p.m.

304.292.5600 The local Make-a-Wish Foundation’s annual charity event includes dinner, drinks, auctions and live music. Call to reserve.

AUGUST 20–22 WV Black Bears vs. Batavia Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Mon.–Wed. 7:05 p.m., 304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com The Batavia Muckdogs take their chances a second time with our Black Bears. Wednesday is Bark in the Park—four-legged friends get in for $5; benefits Hearts of Gold. $8.50–$12.50

AUGUST 24–26 NEARBY Mountain Spirit Pow Wow Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Road Core, Fri., 6–9 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. masondixonhistoricalpark.com Food, entertainment, Native American dress, and more. $5; 5 and under free

COURTESY OF CHEAT LAKE REGATTA

COURTESY OF 123 PLEASANT STREET

Sprint, Splash, Spin Triathlon Marilla Park, kids’ race Fri. 6:30 p.m., adult race first heat Sat. 7 a.m., 304.296.8356, boparc.org Participants swim 330 yards, bike 11 miles on paved rail-trail, and run 5 kilometers. Chip timing, individual and relay divisions. Register

by August 3; youth $10, adults $35, teams $60

WV Hitchers Chestnut Ridge Park, 346 Chestnut Ridge Camp Road, Bruceton Mills, Sat., 6–8:30 p.m. chestnutridgepark.com Music on the hill. $5, 6 and under free.

Strung Like a Horse 123 Pleasant Street, Sat. 8 p.m., 304.292.0800, 123pleasantstreet.com With Stewed Mulligan. $10 SEPTEMBER 1–3 WV Black Bears vs. Mahoning Valley Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive Granville, Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun. 4:05 p.m.

Mon. 1:05 p.m., 304.293.7910 westvirginiablackbears.com Last showdown of the season, against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. $8.50–$12.50

DALE SPARKS

SEPT 1, 8, AND 15

AUGUST 30 WVU Women’s Soccer vs. Xavier The Mountaineers take on the Musketeers in their first home game of the season. $5 Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, Monongahela Boulevard, Thurs., 7 p.m., wvusports.com

AUGUST 25

AUGUST 25–26

Opekiska and Hildebrand locks open Sat. 7 a.m.–4 p.m., 724.725.5259, uppermon.org Lock through to the uppermost Mon. Last lockthrough 3:30. Call for more information.

7th annual WV Pop Culture Con Mylan Park, 500 Mylan Park Lane, Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

304.873.6069, wvpop.com The latest and greatest comics, anime, games, and more. $10/day at the door; $18 in advance

Fifth annual Coopers Rock Stump Jump 10K Trail Run Coopers Rock State Forest, Sat., 9 a.m. coopersrock.org Tackle a beautiful and challenging 6.2-mile foot tour and support facilities repairs and upgrades. $35 by 8.12, $40 day-of 18th annual WVU Organic Farm Field Day WVU Organic Research Farm, Sat. 4–7 p.m.

304.293.8822, organic.wvu.edu New crop varieties for field and high tunnel production, organic hemp, organic pest management, new pollinators, and results of a four-year study on organic livestock health. Free Cappellini’s Jazz Italiano Bourbon Prime, 2 Waterfront Place, Sat. 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., 304.284.9850 A celebration of the region′s Italian jazz tradition and a musical kickoff to the Italian Festival season on I-79. Prix fixe menu of Italian specialties.

A Tour of the Night Sky West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sat. 8–10 p.m., wvbg.org WVU assistant professor and Planetarium Director Kathryn Williamson will lead a tour of the night sky. Wear warm clothes. All ages. Free for WVBG members, non-members $15

Beginner Beekeeping Class 34 Commerce Drive, WesMon Plaza, Westover Sats. 10 a.m–2 p.m., 304.367.9488 debikers4fun@gmail.com Three-class series offered by the Monongalia County Beekeepers Association at the WVU County Extension Office. $50, $70/couple SEPTEMBER 2 Handcrafted Cooperative Morgantown Market Place pavilion, 413 Spruce Street, Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. thehandcraftedcooperative.com Handmade crafts market. Free WVU Women’s Soccer vs. Georgetown Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, Monongahela Boulevard, Sun. 3 p.m., wvusports.com The Mountaineers take on the Hoyas. $5 SEPTEMBER 3

AUGUST 26–28 WV Black Bears vs. Auburn Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Sun. 4:05 p.m.

Mon.–Tues. 7:05 p.m., 304.293.7910 westvirginiablackbears.com The West Virginia Black Bears meet up again with the Auburn Doubledays. $8.50–$12.50

September SEPTEMBER 1 Park to Park Paddle Community Park, Point Marion, PA, Sat. 9 a.m.

724.320.2182, eventbrite.com Six-mile paddle with a stop near Friendship Hill National Historic site, ending at Greensboro Art Blast. Rain date September 8. $15 NEARBY

NEARBY Art Blast on the Mon Ice Plant Pavilion, Greensboro, PA Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., natgreene.org Local arts and crafts, food and music.

LOCASH Labor Day Anniversary Party Triple S Harley-Davidson, 7300 Willie G Avenue Westover, Mon. 5:30–9 p.m., 304.284.8244 tripleshd.com “One of Nashville’s hardest-working acts.” On-site bike parking, free shuttle from Mylan Park. No coolers, chairs, or umbrellas. Free SEPTEMBER 8 Opekiska and Hildebrand locks open Sat. 7 a.m.–4 p.m., 724.725.5259, uppermon.org Lock through to the uppermost Mon River. Last lock-through 3:30. Call for more information.

Mountaineers Football vs. Youngstown State Mountaineer Field, Sat. 6 p.m., wvusports.com Cheer the Mountaineers on as they take on the Penguins. Airs on AT&T SportsNet. SEPTEMBER 9 Namaste 5K Marilla Center, Sun. 1 p.m., deckerscreek.org Yoga at Marilla Center followed by an out-and-back 5K along the Deckers Creek Trail. $25 in advance

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

63

SEPTEMBER 29

WVU / BRIAN PERSINGER

International Street Festival A taste of

SEPTEMBER 11 11th Annual Morgantown Chamber of Commerce Fall Golf Classic Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa, 1 Lakeview Drive, Tues. 11 a.m., morgantownchamber.org Raise money and awareness for the chamber.

Registration and lunch at 11, shotgun at 12:30.

SEPTEMBER 13 WVU Women’s Soccer vs. Boston University Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, Monongahela Boulevard, Thurs. 7 p.m., wvusports.com The Mountaineers take on the Terriers. $5 SEPTEMBER 14 A Season of Good Taste: Great Noshing and Drinks at Dusk West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Fri. 6 p.m., wvbg.org Chef Kristen Thompson of The Wine Bar at Vintner Valley will prepare a tapas spread. Great wine, local brews, live music. $75

Morgantown’s many cultures. High Street will display flags of more than 100 nations represented at WVU and in Morgantown.

Sample foods from Africa, South and Central America, Europe, India, Turkey, the Middle East, and Asia and enjoy music, dance, and fashion shows.

WVU’s Samba Ensemble opens the entertainment and salsa band SabroSon will close the festivities.

Downtown, Sat. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. downtownmorgantown.com

West Virginia Wine & Jazz Festival Camp Muffly, 1477 4-H Camp Road Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun., noon–6 p.m. wvwineandjazz.com A Morgantown tradition. Drink wine, shop local foods and crafts, and soak up great jazz in a camp atmosphere. $20/day SEPTEMBER 16 WVU Women’s Soccer vs. Saint Francis Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, Monongahela Boulevard, Sun. 1 p.m., wvusports.com The Mountaineers take on the Red Flash. $5 SEPTEMBER 22 Opekiska and Hildebrand locks open Sat. 7 a.m.–4 p.m., 724.725.5259, uppermon.org Last chance this year to lock through to the uppermost Mon. Last lock-through 3:30.

Mountaineers Football vs. Kansas State Mountaineer Field, Sat. time TBA, wvusports.com The Mountaineers take on the Wildcats.

SEPTEMBER 14–15, 20–22

SEPTEMBER 25–29

A Piece of My Heart M.T. Pockets Theater, 203 Parsons Street Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m., Thurs.–Sat. 8 p.m., 304.284.0049, mtpocketstheatre.com Six women survive the Vietnam War o ​ nly to fight their own battles at home. $10–$15

Pawpawpalooza III Hill & Hollow, Seneca Center, 709 Beechurst Avenue, Tues.–Sat., 304.241-4551 Hipsters enter through the side door, please.

SEPTEMBER 27–30

SEPTEMBER 15–16 4th annual Morgantown Marathon WVU Coliseum and other locations, Sat.–Sun. morgantownmarathon.com One of the biggest events of the year. Saturday wellness expo; Marathon, Thirteener, and Mountain Mama 8K on Sunday. $12.50–$95 64

MORGANTOWN • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018

NEARBY 77th annual Preston County Buckwheat Festival Kingwood, Thurs.–Sun., 304.379.2203 buckwheatfest.com Rides, livestock events, parades, arts and crafts, food vendors, mountains of buckwheat cakes.

All-day carnival pass $18, $10 on opening day

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 Arts Walk Downtown, Fri. 6–9 p.m. downtownmorgantown.com Dozens of downtown shops and restaurants host local artists displaying their best—wander to also discover live music and food specials.

WVU Women’s Soccer vs. Kansas State Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, Monongahela Boulevard, Fri. 7 p.m., wvusports.com The Mountaineers take on the Wildcats. $5 SEPTEMBER 29, 2018 Science Day Spark! Imagination and Science Center Mountaineer Mall, 5000 Green Bag Road Sat. 10 a.m.–1 p.m., 304.292.4646 sparkwv.org Get excited about science! Fun, interactive activities on forensics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, nano-science, and much more. $5 per person, adults free with Spark members SEPTEMBER 30 NEARBY Irish Road Bowling Kingwood, Sun. 1 p.m., 304.698.6817 buckwheatfest.com Tournament on the last day of the Buckwheat Festival—one of the best West Virginia Irish Road Bowling Association courses in the state.

NEARBY Maureen McGovern Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center 444 West Pike Street, Clarksburg, Sun. 2 p.m. theculturalfoundation.org Multiple Grammy-nominated McGovern’s hit “The Morning After” from The Poseidon Adventure was No 1. $35, seniors and students $30

Upcoming OCTOBER 5 WVU Homecoming Parade High Street, Fri. 6:30 p.m.

See the Pride of West Virginia up close.

OCTOBER 6 Mountaineers Football vs. Kansas Mountaineer Field, Sat. time TBA, wvusports.com Cheer the WVU Mountaineers on for homecoming as they take on the Jayhawks.

OCTOBER 13 Hops on the Mon Morgantown Marriott, 2 Waterfront Place Sat. noon, hopsonthemon.com More than 150 offerings from 50-plus breweries local and worldwide. Food vendors.

Submit your event!

Send your events to place in our calendar to morgantown@newsouthmediainc.com with the subject line “calendar.”