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MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

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EDITOR’S NOTE

ummer is Morgantown’s best season, as far as I’m concerned. Not only because town gets a little less crowded, though we all love the break from the traffic. But it’s just so easy to find something fun to do, no matter what you’re in the mood for. If you’re looking for inspiration, our story “Things to Do This Summer” (page 38) can help. Whether it’s thrills, entertainment, exploration, or family fun, we found so many things to do within a few hours’ drive that it was hard to decide what to leave out. Some of our recommendations are destinations that are open all season long, but some are one-time events, so have a look before your summer calendar fills up. When you’re on the road, how about trying someplace new to eat? We talk with chefs about their own restaurants all the time, but this time we turned it around and asked them where they like to eat on their nights off. Some of their answers surprised us—see page 46. Even if you stay close to home this summer, there’s plenty to do. From freshly slicked slides at Marilla Pool and Food Truck Fourth Sundays at Coopers Rock to Saturday and Wednesday farmers markets and a new incarnation of the downtown West Virginia Birthday Party, you’ll find lots of fun. If you’ve never been to a city council meeting, set aside a first, third, or last Tuesday of the month and go. Important discussions are underway as this issue goes to print, including annexation and a sales tax. Our 2019 to 2021 council will be seated July 2 —meet them on page 20.

6 6

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

Check our Motown Lowdown calendar at morgantownmag.com for weekly updates all summer. And remember to support our downtown merchants—summers can be a little lean, but the Morgantown Parking Authority is offering free “happy hour parking” at meters and metered lots from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through August 3, so take advantage of that. If you follow bylines—and we hope you do—you’ll notice a lot more of Jess Walker starting in our next issue. She came to us a year ago as an intern from WVU’s graduate program in professional writing and editing. We like working with her so much that we invited her to stay on after she graduated, and we’re delighted that she agreed. Jess brings enthusiasm and a sharp mind to all she writes, and we think you’ll like her as much as we do. Seize the season,

PA M K ASEY,

Editor

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

In This Issue

COURTESY OF ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE

JUNE/JULY 2019

Things to Do This Summer

Don’t Struggle— A Beautiful Fight Dream

Thrillseeker? Arts lover? History buff? We’ve got summer fun for you.

A Morgantown couple participates in a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s.

The first New Deal community lies just outside Morgantown.

56 MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

JUNE/JULY 2019

In This Issue This Matters 14 What’s This Fight or get fit at Redman’s Pound 4 Pound. 15 Try This The chance you never expected to go medieval. 16 Love This The bygone secession celebration is back. 17 Pick This It’s just not summer ’til you’ve been to the berry patch. 17 Eat This A favorite farmers market meat vendor now has a storefront in town.

18 Read This WVU journalism professor John Temple gets inside the Patriot movement.

20 Know This Our 2019–2021 city council is a mix of experience and fresh faces.

21 Who’s This Development organizations join under one man.

21 Eat This Get to the farmers market early for the fresh donuts. 22 Who’s This The Black Bears welcome the minor league’s 2018 Manager of the Year. 24 Shop This Buying art as the sun sets. 25 Support This A bicycle collective like this is usually found in big cities. 25 Hear This Unspecified bands in locations TBA? Yes, please. 26 Love This Saving cast iron cookware for future generations. 27 Hone This Knife sharpening goes mobile. 28 This Matters To … Andrea Yost has advice on protecting our hearing. 10

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

Departments 6 Editor’s Note 29 Dish it Out Morgantown’s pitmasters share their tips. 34 House and Home Get your house ready now to make you some extra cash come football season. 46 Across County Lines Plan your summer road trips around some of our favorite chefs’ favorite restaurants. 61 Calendar 64 Then & Now

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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

PAM KASEY

More Slip to the Trip If your dad ever waxed a playground slide with a potato chip bag for you when you were a kid and then your little sister got mad at him because she flew off the end and landed in the dirt on her behind and he still tells that story—well, then you know how much difference a good waxing makes. This spring, the two long, twisting flume slides at Marilla Pool—dubbed The Thrilla at Marilla when they opened around 1990—got a professional wax job. An interior gel coat means swimmers will fly farther into the pool than anyone remembers them ever flying. The exteriors got a high-gloss upgrade, too. Season passes with slide access are the way to go this summer. 304.296.8356, boparc.org

PLANNING TO DRIVE LESS

Get your opinions about sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike routes off your chest—and contribute to the city’s first formal bicycle and pedestrian plan at the same time. Use the interactive map all summer at bikewalkmorgantown.com.

DELAYED PYROTECHNIFICATION

Morgantown’s traditional Fourth of July parade kicks off at 6 p.m. this year. No riverside entertainment and fireworks during McQuain Park construction, though. One city councilperson anticipates extra special fireworks in 2020.

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THIS MATTERS

WHAT'STHIS

Gotta Have Heart Boxing trainer James Redman knows some things are worth fighting for. ➼ ONE DAY, in the early 1990s, James Redman was walking through Sunnyside with his cousin when they spotted a white sign that just said BOXING. He had stumbled on Simon’s, a gym run by Morgantown boxing trainer and promoter Steve Simon. For reasons he can’t quite articulate, Redman was drawn in. He was an athlete, playing baseball and running track in high school, but had no connection to boxing. He wasn’t a scrappy kind of guy, either. “I was never really a fighter in school or on the street. I just wanted to see what it was about,” he says. “Once I did, I fell in love with it.” After some months training with Simon, Redman began his amateur career. He was 22 years old at the time—young for a 21st century human, middle-aged for an amateur boxer, but practically ancient for a beginning pugilist. Yet Redman had talent. The Early Rounds His first big fight happened at the now-closed Palace Inn in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. “I got rocked toward the end of the first round. I don’t remember anything ‘til the third round,” he laughs. Still, Redman stayed on his feet. By the time he regained his senses in the third 14

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

round, his opponent tried to hit him with the same punch that dazed him in the first. This time, Redman ducked it—and knocked his opponent out. He spent the next four years appearing on cards in West Virginia and surrounding states. By 1998, Redman boasted a 15–1 amateur record.

Then his career hit a snag. Simon closed down the gym and moved away. Redman went to a gym in Clarksburg a few times but it was just too far away, especially since he didn’t have a car at the time. He hung up his gloves. Yet, his love for the sweet science never went away. Redman started working as a weight trainer. It wasn’t a good fit. “It was boring to me. You stack the bar and you lift.” So, in 2011, he started training boxers. Without a formal gym to use, he held his classes outdoors. Trainees did their roadwork by pounding the pavement up and down Frat Hill. They practiced their footwork and learned to throw punches on the lawn of the Mountainlair. Redman’s classes met three times a week, rain or shine. He told his fighters, “if it’s not thundering and lightening, we’re not stopping. If you want this, I’m here to give it to you.”

Meanwhile, he continued looking for a gym to train his boxers. For a while he borrowed space at other gyms around town, but the arrangements never quite worked out. Not ready to be counted out, Redman volunteered for two drug studies with Mylan to raise money for a deposit. Then he got a Sunday edition of the Dominion Post, turned to the classifieds, closed his eyes, and pointed to a property—landing on a listing for a space on Greenbag Road. He opened his first gym in 2011, dubbing it Redman’s Pound 4 Pound. Within six months, he had already outgrown it. He moved to a space on Fayette Street and then, three years later, to a location on Don Knotts Boulevard. Last year, the gym moved to its current location at 227 Chestnut Place, beneath Apothecary Ale House & Café. Worth Fighting For Although his address has changed, Redman’s belief in grit has not. “Boxing is all about discipline. It’s all about heart. If you don’t have the heart for the sport, you’re not going to go far,” he says. “I’m not

COURTESY OF MOUNTAIN MAN AXE THROWING

training you to kick somebody’s butt. I’m training you to be a better you.” Redman has no time for people who don’t have heart. He’s found that many would-be boxers change their minds after taking just one punch. That’s why he instituted a rule: Every new boxing trainee at Redman’s Pound 4 Pound— young, old, male, female—must spar with Redman first. “We go at it. And if you’re able to take a punch, we can talk about other stuff,” he says. Of course, there are other members of Redman’s gym who will never take a fight. He provides strength and conditioning training for local high school basketball and football players. They might not need to know how to throw a punch, but a boxing-style workout can help young athletes develop better hand-eye coordination, cardiovascular endurance, and core strength. Redman also has students who aren’t looking to get better at a sport—they’re just looking to get healthy. Not long ago, local teacher Kristen Green showed up at Pound 4 Pound. Her husband had recently died and, as she sorted through her grief, she watched the numbers of her bathroom scale steadily climbing. Green weighed in at 254 pounds at her visit. She told Redman she wanted to be under 200 pounds. He promised that, if she didn’t reach that goal weight after six months in his gym, he would refund all her membership fees. “She came to the gym three days a week and I gave her a meal plan she followed to the letter,” he says. Six months later, there was no refund necessary. Green’s new fighting weight? One hundred sixty-five pounds. No matter their reasons for signing up, Redman expects the same level of dedication from all his students. His philosophy is summed up in a slogan he adopted back in the bad old days when he was still training fighters in borrowed space. He had his then-four-year-old daughter, Ne’Vayah, sitting on his lap when a fighter started complaining that the workout was too painful. The little girl piped up: “If it hurts, it works.” Now those words are emblazoned on Redman’s banners and business cards. 227 Chestnut Street, 304.906.1090, @RedmansP4P on Facebook written by zack harold photographed by kayse kllis

THIS MATTERS

TRYTHIS

Throw One Back Then have a beer. ➼ BETSY ROBBINS was a little hesitant when friends invited her to a night at Mountain Man Axe Throwing in Westover. Throwing axes and drinking beer didn't sound like such a great idea. She was surprised. “It was really safe,” she says. The safety wasn’t the only thing that surprised her. “It was a lot harder than I thought.” She joked with her friends, “‘Watch this one—bullseye!’ And then it would land on the floor,” she laughs. Opened in September 2018, Mountain Man Axe Throwing is designed and operated for safety and fun, says coach Anthony Kechter. Trained coaches spend time with each person and group. “We demonstrate the three ways to throw,” he says. Then they hang out during sessions, offering advice and correcting form to ensure a good time for everyone. In addition to the presence of coaches, the facility itself is designed for safety. Fencing surrounds lanes so that axes cannot be thrown across the room. There are guidelines for where to stand so that, if an axe ricochets, the thrower won't be hit. The facility enforces a no-open-toed-shoe rule. Kechter remembers an incident when he was coaching and an axe did go flying, resulting in a feat he would not have believed without having seen it. The participant threw the axe two-handed, and the ax flew up and hit the ceiling and came down at an angle—the perfect angle: It landed in the bulls-eye. “It was the coolest thing,” he says. Typically, it takes people 10 to 15 minutes of throwing to get the ax to stick

in the wooden target board. It’s a good workout, too. One regular customer who practices yoga for fitness skips yoga once a month in favor of ax throwing to vary her workout routine, Kechler says. The drinks do flow, but just a little. Mountain Man’s BYOB policy limits customers to one beer if throwing for one hour or three if throwing for two hours. Robbins and her friends showed up with the limit, but learning the sport and playing various suggested games kept them so entertained, they didn’t finish the drinks they'd brought. For avid throwers, Mountain Man Axe Throwing hosts league nights, following the rules of the World Axe Throwing League and entering individual league high scores as part of the official WATL record. “It’s kind of a more competitive scenario,” Kechter says, as opposed to the date night, friends’ groups, birthday parties, families ages 12 and up, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and other groups who throw for the fun of it. “We can also bring ax throwing to you,” Ketcher says—their mobile unit is available for weddings, graduation parties, and other events. “I suggest everyone try it at least once.” Robbins recommends it, too, even for those who don’t think they’ll be good at it. “You don't know until you try,” she says. “You might surprise yourself.” 30 Commerce Drive, Westover, 681.209.7501, mountainmanaxethrowing.com written by aldona bird

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

156 Candles

Secession isn’t tried very often. Much West Virginia less often, it succeeds. But 156 years Birthday Celebration ago, the discontented Trans-Allegheny part of Virginia took the opportunity of Courthouse Square a national identity crisis to claim its own Saturday, June 22 identity. And so West Virginia was born, the only state created by seceding from a 1–6 p.m. Confederate state. Morgantown used to celebrate West Virginia’s birthday downtown every June. There was food, art, music, and a huge birthday cake. That bash last took place in about 2004, as far as anyone can figure out. But good-natured state birthday fun is back this year thanks to Main Street Morgantown and a host of partners. Centered on the new courthouse square and spilling out onto High Street, 2019 festivities will include: • A kids’ tent with face painting, video games from Starport, birds of prey from the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia, and more; • An art tent featuring artist and designer Elisha Rush, Hoot and Howl, Indigo Visions, Morgantown Art Party, and the West Virginia Botanic Garden, sponsored by The Arts Collaborative at Arts Mon; • Refreshment tickets for dishes from booths by some of Morgantown’s most popular restaurants, including Iron Horse, Oliverio’s, Table 9, Tin 202, The Cupcakerie, and Zul’s Frozen Lemonade. Tickets also buy access to six West Virginia craft breweries— Morgantown favorites Chestnut Brew Works and Morgantown Brewing Company as well as Big Timber Brewing in Elkins, Short Story Brewing of Rivesville, and Stumptown Ales from Davis—and • A huge birthday cake supplied by West school of rock, and more; a booth by Swilled Dog Hard Cider Virginia University. • Live painting on Chancery Row of in Upper Tract. A West Virginia Part of the proceeds from refreshment an eye-catching mural designed by birthday commemorative beer mug ticket sales will go toward future mural Morgantown artist Christian DeLeon, will be available. and public arts projects downtown. Many supported by a grant from Your • Live music by Ryan Cain and the happy returns, West Virginia! Community Foundation; Ables, Mike Pushkin and the Loyal • Special guest appearances; and Opposition, bands from the PopShop written by pam kasey 16

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

COURTESY OF MAIN STREET MORGANTOWN(2); PHOTO BY SIORA PHOTOGRAPHY ON UNSPLASH

Celebrate West Virginia’s birthday downtown, just like the good old days.

THIS MATTERS

PICKTHIS

Summer Blues

CARLA WITT FORD; KATIE MOLNAR / COURTESY OF WORKING H MEATS & MARKET

Make time in your calendar for the berry patch.

EATTHIS

Fire Up the Grill And try something fresh from Working H Meats.

➼ IT’S NOT TRULY SUMMER in these

➼ MAKE YOUR NEXT COOKOUT

parts ’til you’ve been berry picking. Blueberries ripen in late June and into July. So grab your water bottle and sunblock, don your straw hat, and pack a cooler for your haul—the blueberry harvest is nigh. Blueberry Ridge Farm in Fairmont is Morgantown’s closest u-pick. It’s $4 a pound, cash or check only. Picking is open three to four days a week; last year, usually Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, 9 a.m.–9 p.m., but call the hotline or check Facebook to confirm. Last year’s season ran through July 26. Blueberry Ridge Farm is about a half-hour drive from Morgantown atop Bunner Ridge—check Facebook for detailed driving directions. Tom Moran Lane, Fairmont, hotline 304.368.8294, @blueberryridgefarms on Facebook If you’re impatient and enjoy making a day of it, try Orr’s Farm Market in Martinsburg—a two-plus-hour drive east. Five varieties mean picking that starts early and lasts long—it can even run into August. Pick-your-own blueberries are $3.29 per pound. Double your fun: U-pick for some other berries overlaps with the blueberry harvest: black raspberries, late June to mid-July, and blackberries and red raspberries, late July into September. Pick your own flowers, too, mid-July through August. 682 Orr Drive, Martinsburg, hotline 304.263.1168, orrsfarmmarket.com, “Orr’s Farm Market” on Facebook

memorable by grilling grass-fed meats sourced from local farms and butchered at the new Working H Meats & Market. Farmers market-goers will recognize the name Working H. It’s a familyowned business run by Terrie Hardesty and her sons Grant and Justin. With the success of their first storefront in Friendsville, Maryland, and their booths at local farmers markets, they opened a second storefront in March 2019 on Fort Pierpont Road in Morgantown. Why not start your meal planning at the counter of the new shop? Treat your friends to an outdoor dinner party centered on fresh-cut steaks, the top product at Working H. For larger backyard bashes, choose from three kinds of ground beef that won’t shrink up on the grill: a lean beef patty, one ground with bacon, and the only sweet onion burger you’ll ever want. If you’re going camping, fill your cooler with homemade hotdogs. You can even grab a bag of ice at Working H. If you’re not sure what to buy, ask Grant what’s good. He’s been butchering since he was 10 years old, and he can’t resist the mix of pork, salt, pepper, and sage in the plantation breakfast sausage. If you like it, you’ll also want to try the fresh bratwurst sausage. It’s juicy, lightly seasoned, and, Grant adds, “you can really taste the pork.” Given the variety of pork sausages, you may start planning meals far beyond summer and into next season’s holidays.

written by pam kasey

Beef, pork, chicken, and lamb are all available for special order at Working H. One item you won’t find anywhere else is their stuffed pork chop. Per your specification, each chop is cut thick with a pocket for either cheese or sausage stuffing. One advantage of a fresh meat market is that it comes with the expert advice and insight of owners who are farmers and butchers. They take pride in raising their own animals humanely, and they require neighboring farmers who would like to sell through Working H to do the same. Committed to nurturing the next generation of farmers, they even get rabbit meat from a 10-year-old boy who’s beginning the trade. Meats from Working H are all natural and free of hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. While prepping for a meal, you’ll notice that steaks retain a dark marbling and chicken is packaged without water. Best of all, Working H is a one-stop shop where you can find a variety of local items—including farm-fresh chicken eggs, duck eggs, jams, jellies, cheeses, and maple syrup. Gluten-free pastas and vegan snacks round out your options, and there’s a suggestion board for whatever strikes your fancy that you don’t see. The Working H name has become a familiar at the farmers market, and now we can rely on it all week long. 200 Fort Pierpont Road, 304.241.1222, workinghmeats.com written by beth staley MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

READTHIS

War on the Range A WVU professor’s latest book covers the Bundy family’s challenge to the government and the rise of the Patriot movement. ➼ DUST SWIRLED ACROSS the Nevada desert as the showdown began. On one side, cattle ranchers and the informal militia who had assembled in aid of their fellow citizens bristled. On the other, the government—local sheriffs and federal agents. Both sides heavily armed. This scene isn’t from the wild, wild West. It’s April 2014 and, with their arms, the militia carry cell phones to document the conflict. Investigative journalist and West Virginia University journalism professor John Temple explores the standoff in his new book, Up in Arms: How the Bundy Family Hijacked Public Lands, Outfoxed the Federal Government, and Ignited America’s Patriot Militia Movement. Temple’s narrative details the political, social, and economic underpinnings of the confrontation and the Patriot movement that followed, crafting a multi-perspective understanding of the highly publicized event. In 1993, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) dedicated hundreds of thousands of acres to conservation— acres Bundy family cattle had grazed since the family’s Mormon predecessors settled in the region in the 1800s. Cliven Bundy declined to pay the resulting fees and fines. 18

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

To him, the feds were infringing on his Constitutional rights. Twenty-one years later, the BLM decided to seize his herd. That’s when the Bundys sent out the rallying cry that united strangers from across America. At the time of the 2014 standoff, Temple was working on a television pilot script set in a fictional world of a militia movement. The real-life Bundys and the Patriot movement came to fascinate him. Cliven Bundy’s son Ammon was transformed by the situation from a successful businessman to a leader of the Patriot movement. And as the presidential campaigns of 2016 increasingly divided the nation, Temple saw that the Bundys checked the two boxes that, for him, point to a good story: a character who takes an interesting journey and is changed by it, and a situation that sheds light on larger issues. He started reporting for Up in Arms in the fall of 2016. “The tendency is to say those people are crazy. That’s reductive,” Temple says. “It’s way more interesting to talk to people.” Temple’s half-dozen trips out West ranged from a few nights to a few weeks—on-the-ground reporting that animates the book’s vivid descriptions. He slept in a tent at a protesters’ camp

outside the jail where Ammon Bundy awaited trial. He interviewed many Bundys and key militia members. Some, unsurprisingly, suspected he worked for the federal government. Others enjoyed chatting about their beliefs. “I never go on a reporting trip without feeling worried about how it’s going to go, and I never come back from a trip without feeling exhilarated,” Temple says. The resulting book interweaves multiple perspectives so that no group is labeled hero or villain. Readers witness Ammon Bundy’s growing passion for bringing attention to issues he saw as government-inflicted injustices. They plumb the mindsets of BLM workers and sheriffs whose job it was to enforce the law. Participants come off neither as exaggerated caricatures nor as one-dimensional characters. They’re simply human. That lesson is crucial for today’s polarized society. “The more we know about each other and the more empathy we can garner for each other, the better off we are,” Temple says. In an epilogue, Temple recounts his interview with Cliven Bundy. “I’ve been a journalist for more than 25 years, and I’ve never had anything quite like that interview,” Temple says. Bundy asked the questions and led the conversation. “It was really on his terms.” That exemplifies the man. As Temple’s first chapter reads: “For decades, when Cliven Bundy was asked what he would do if the feds came for his cattle, the rancher gave the same answer: Whatever it takes. The phrase was pure Cliven—vaguely challenging, maddeningly ambiguous. Cliven liked to test people.” Before penning Up In Arms, Temple had already published several nonfiction books. Extensive research was familiar to him, but the Patriot movement proved unique. Militia members had created their own media bubble consisting of cell phone videos and online postings. Temple’s book, in part, became a study of what happens when people disengage from mainstream media and rely on information from each other. Whether readers followed the protests and trials as they happened or this is the first time they’ve heard of the Bundys, Up In Arms is an enthralling story. Every reader will benefit from Temple’s ability to present the complexities of a modern showdown that shocked the nation. written by jess walker John Temple will speak about Up In Arms at the Tree of Life Congregation at 242 High Street at 7 p.m. on June 25 as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series.

COURTESY OF JOHN TEMPLE

THIS MATTERS

Telling West Virginia's Story for 10 Years independently produced, locally owned.

newsouthmedia.com

KNOWTHIS

Meet the New Council It’s a mix of experience and fresh faces.

Council deliberates first and third Tuesdays and meets last Tuesdays in work sessions where no formal action is taken. All meetings are open to the public and begin at 7 p.m. at 389 Spruce Street. Or you can watch meetings on Comcast government access channel 15.

➼ THE APRIL 30 city council election kept five incumbents in place and produced two new councillors. Council members craft policies and direct the efforts of the city manager and staff, of course. They’re active in their wards and in activities across town. And all of them serve on multiple boards and commissions, which keeps them in touch with the functioning of everything from airport to zoning. Our 2019–2021 council will be seated on July 2. written by pam kasey

Dave Harshbarger, 1st term As a wellness professional for over 30 years, 24 of that at WVU, Harshbarger helps people and organizations make strategies for increasing safety, health, and well-being. He worked for city and county clean indoor air regulations in the previous decade and has long served on the board of the Mon River Trails Conservancy, currently as president. Harshbarger ran for council to lend his expertise to policymaking—looking at initiatives like the 1 percent sales tax and annexation through the lens of improving community health and well-being. He also has a strong interest in pedestrian and cycling issues, including sidewalks.

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

Ron Dulaney, 2nd term Richmond, Virginia, native Dulaney is an architect, interior designer, and professor of design. He serves on the Museum Commission, Planning Commission, and Woodburn School Redevelopment Commission and is an alternate on the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization. He is eager to work on business success and visitor enjoyment downtown, a citywide housing assessment toward strengthening neighborhoods and integrating affordable housing, streetway improvement, and airport expansion. Rachel Fetty, 2nd term A mother and part-time family law attorney in private practice, Nebraska native Fetty has lived in Morgantown for 12 years. She serves on the Housing Advisory Commission, Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Tree Board, and Parking Authority. She hopes to make families and children part of every discussion and see initiatives to improve the library and recreational facilities. Barry Lee Wendell, 2nd term Wendell grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and served in Maryland state government and later worked as a teacher in Los Angeles. He now teaches rock 'n' roll history at the Osher Lifelong

Learning Institute at WVU. He serves on the Bicycle Board and the Urban Landscape Commission. Wendell wants to see restoration of the Warner Theater on High Street so movies can be shown downtown. Bill Kawecki, 4th term Retired graphic designer Kawecki served as mayor 2017–19. Kawecki serves on the Airport Advisory Committee, Campus Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation, Greater Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau, Historic Landmarks Commission, Housing Advisory Commission, and Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization. He looks forward to updating and continuing to advance goals outlined in the city’s 2017–19 strategic plan, everything from recreation to tax collection. Jenny Selin, 7th term Madison, Wisconsin, native Selin raised her family in Morgantown. A mediator by profession, Selin serves on the Airport Advisory Committee, Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, and Campus Neighborhoods Revitalization Corporation and chairs the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization. She looks forward to completing renovations to McQuain Park, renovating the ice arena, and continuing the paving program while making pedestrian and bicycle improvements— and, longer-term, shoring up city pension funds and completing the airport expansion.

COURTESY OF ZACK CRUZE; COURTESY OF DAVE HARSHBARGER; COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MORGANTOWN (5)

Zack Cruze, 1st term Originally from East Tennessee, Cruze moved to Morgantown in 2017 after working as an archaeologist with the Federal Emergency Management Administration, protecting archaeological sites and historic buildings during disaster recovery. Although his quest for a place to settle down netted job offers in several states, he fell in love with Morgantown and took his current position with Allstar Ecology. Cruze serves on the Museum Commission and has volunteered with Pantry Plus More and the United Way. He’s interested in engaging the public more closely with council in service of better democracy, and has a particular interest in BOPARC and recreational facilities.

EATTHIS

WHO'STHIS

New Leadership First MAP president sees Morgantown as “fertile soil.” ➼ RUSS ROGERSON HAS COME HOME. The new president and CEO of the Morgantown Area Partnership grew up in Wheeling and graduated from Bethany College. He is the first leader for the new umbrella organization formed by combining the economic development and revitalization organizations in the Morgantown area. Rogerson most recently served as head of the Iredell County Economic Development Corporation in Mooresville, North Carolina—an organization he formed by merging the two economic development agencies in the county. “After graduation, I went back to Bethany and worked in admissions for a couple years,” says Rogerson. “I travelled the state, and I really got to know a lot about what makes West Virginia so great.” After Bethany, he moved on to Columbia Gas, working in gas transmission and public relations. The work sparked his interest in community development. “Obviously, you don’t do any industrial growth without having the gas company involved,” he says. “We were heavily involved, and I developed a passion for the process. I enjoyed community building and helping people move forward.” Coming home, Rogerson sees great opportunity here for continued economic growth and success. “We want to be the best Morgantown we can be. All regions have their own personalities. We can learn from other places and benefit from their experiences, but this is our own journey,” he says. “Today, the biggest reason

companies come to a location is workforce, and that’s why you’re seeing the growth of some of these nontraditional locations. The soil is fertile here, and we have a pipeline of talent through the university.” A key to success in economic development is a shared, unified mission. Rogerson sees great opportunity based on current initiatives and a positive energy in the area. “We have a good product,” he says. “We have a great situation here, where Morgantown wants to do something different, and it can. Morgantown controls its own destiny.” The Morgantown Area Partnership includes the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce, the Monongalia County Development Authority, the Campus Neighborhood Revitalization Corp., and the Morgantown Area Economic Partnership. The mission is to unify and streamline the work to create opportunities for new businesses, jobs, and investment growth in Monongalia and Preston counties. Rogerson sees his role as “herding the cats” for the MAP board. “The new board is very representative, so I’m really excited. I’m very impressed with the talent and expertise in the room,” he says. “My role is seeing the vision and affirming the vision and giving it focus and purpose.” Rogerson and his wife look forward to settling in Morgantown and being part of a growing and vibrant West Virginia community for many years to come. written by buddy butler photographed by carla witt ford

Happier Baking Sometimes your hobby should be your job. ➼ A DECADE AGO, Patty Strickler was not loving her job. But she knew what she did love: She loved to bake. So she and her husband put a baking kitchen in their basement and got it inspected, and she started working farmers markets. At the Morgantown Farmers Market, you’ll almost always find a crowd browsing Patty’s Pastries’ U-shaped spread. She shows up with a van-load of fresh-baked treats: cookies, cakes, cupcakes, hand pies, pepperoni and sausage rolls, 12 kinds of bread, and more, plus coffee. Oh, and donuts—lots of donuts. Even so, you’ll have to get to the market pretty early if you want one. “I have been sold out within, like, 20 minutes,” Strickler laughs. “I could make more, but I just don’t have enough time.” Some weeks, you’ll see Strickler’s humor tucked in among the pastries—like in the Father’s Day 2018 donut pictured above. It’s been a rewarding change for Strickler. “I just love to bake,” she says, taking a moment to reflect on how soft bread dough is and how good it still feels in her hands, after all these years. “And I love farmers markets. This is probably the happiest I’ve been in all of my years of working different jobs.” Find Patty’s Pastries at the Saturday morning Morgantown Farmers Markets this summer, 8:30–11 a.m., at 415 Spruce Street. “Patty’s Pastries” on Facebook written by pam kasey photographed by nikki bowman MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

WHO'STHIS

Born for Baseball ➼ AS A KID, Drew Saylor dreamed of a life and career in baseball. Growing up in Wadsworth, Ohio, he learned the game from his dad. “As early as I can remember, my parents and I played baseball together in the backyard. My dad was a high school baseball coach for over 30 years. He always brought me with him to practice. Once I turned 10 years old, he included me in the workouts. The speed at which they played accelerated my growth in the game,” Saylor says. After high school, Saylor starred in the infield at Kent State University in Ohio and was drafted in the 13th round by the 22

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Florida Marlins in 2006. Thinking of his fondest college memories, Saylor says, “There are so many moments that stick out, but the most impactful was winning the Mid-American Conference title in 2006 and the ability for my family to watch me play my last two years of college baseball.” Saylor played five seasons in the minor leagues before making the switch to coaching. He promised his wife, Amanda, that he would get a “real” job after his playing career was over and took a brief stint with Enterprise RentA-Car. However, his passion for baseball kept calling, and Amanda suggested

Drew should consider coaching. “She encouraged me to get back into something I was passionate about,” he says. Saylor applies many of the lessons of his playing career to his management style. “My journey and research have provided me with an incredible amount of information that continues to shape my leadership model,” Saylor says. “I think the biggest lesson is having a positive and encouraging environment. This is critical to human development.” Saylor’s coaching path moved from working as a volunteer assistant at Cleveland State and Akron to coaching

COURTESY OF WEST VIRGINIA BLACK BEARS

Positive coaching leads to positive results.

THIS MATTERS I think the biggest lesson is having a positive and encouraging environment. This is critical to human development.” DREW SAYLOR, manager of the West Virginia Black Bears

in the Rockies system in locations like Grand Junction, Colorado; Boise, Idaho; and Pasco, Washington. In 2016, then-Dodgers farm director Gabe Kapler hired him to be the manager of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. After a slow 17–22 start, he led the Quakes to an 87–53 season that culminated in capturing the California League Championship and earning him 2018 America's Minor League Baseball Manager of the Year. In 2019, Saylor became the fourth manager for the West Virginia Black Bears. “2018 was a special journey. That group bought into our vision of positivity and encouragement. Even more important, we actively tried to suppress negative and condescending attitudes,” says Saylor. “That is our vision as we move closer to the 2019 season with the Black Bears. I’m excited because we have a tremendous staff that already lives this message daily. Working with Matt Drayer, the Black Bears organization, and the Morgantown community will be an enjoyable experience for everyone.” Saylor and his family are excited to become a part of the Morgantown community and be closer to his family in Ohio. “The community has a close-knit feel to it and has beautiful scenery,” says Saylor. “Many of our players and staff have commented about how much the city supports our club. Some even have said that it was the best experience of their baseball lives. My family and I cannot wait to be a part of the Black Bears organization and the Morgantown community.” written by buddy butler MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

SHOPTHIS

A Night of Art

Handcrafted Cooperative Night Market Saturday, June 22, 4–10 p.m. 413 Spruce Street @wvhandcraftedcooperative on Facebook

➼ ART IS BEST WHEN IT’S HANDMADE, but even better when you can meet the artists themselves. Shop local this summer at the Handcrafted Cooperative Night Market. Before you go, read about some of the talented artisans who will be there.

Bare Mountain Studio Mindi Bowman uses leaves and fabrics instead of beakers and test tubes, but she’s a chemist in her own right. Bowman, the artist behind Bare Mountain Studio, specializes in ecoprinting. This niche artform involves dyeing natural pigments from plants onto fabric. Anything from the particular fabric, the plant, the mordant—a substance that helps attach dyes to fabrics—or even the water used will affect the resulting design. “You have to experiment,” Bowman says. “Even if you can find someone to teach you, your prints could turn out differently due to your environment.” Bowman first discovered eco-printing nearly five years ago. She made a few pieces in her house and took them with her pottery to the annual CheatFest. The prints sold out. “People don’t realize we can get that beautiful color out of Mother Nature,” she says. Bowman orders eucalyptus online, but otherwise she uses local West Virginian plants when possible. She doesn’t plan the designs she creates, preferring to allow curiosity to inspire her craft. “You have to follow some rules, but then you can just play.” baremountainstudio.com, @baremountainstudio on Facebook and Instagram 24

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Lock House Studio Browsing Lock House Studio’s pottery and jewelry is like looking through a kaleidoscope. Brightly colored dots and simple shapes grace the sides of mugs and bowls. Hand-drawn designs and hammered metal dangle from statement earrings. “I’ve had a long relationship with pattern,” says artist Lisa Giuliani. “Most of my inspiration for decoration comes from vintage wallpaper or vintage fabric pattern books.” Giuliani’s passion for ceramics can be traced back to a single class. “I love the utilitarian aspect,” she says. “You’re literally making and using your art.” She moved to Morgantown in 2004 to pursue a graduate degree in studio art at West Virginia University. Shortly afterward, she started Lock House Studio, an art studio and gallery perched alongside the Monongahela River. Making jewelry added diversity to her collection, although necklaces and earrings sometimes include intricate ceramic elements as well. Business ebbed and flowed as Giuliani married her husband and raised two kids. But in the past few years, she’s been able to devote more time toward crafting her wares—functional pieces that add charm to the everyday. lockhousestudio.com, @lockhousestudiollc on Facebook, @lockhousestudio on Instagram

Soulful Spirit Designs Tammy King is a master at transforming something broken into something beautiful. An accident in 2005 left her unable to work at her regular job. Instead of focusing on what she couldn’t do, King says, “One thing I could do from bed was make jewelry.” Now, she devotes herself fulltime to Soulful Spirit Designs, formerly Kat Jewels. King uses found objects to create one-of-a-kind jewelry and eclectic collages. Her work has won 15 competitions and cash awards. Some of King’s favorite art to make include nature jewelry and technology collages, which include salvaged pieces from broken pocket watches and computers. Other popular creations are what King calls her “artifacts of love,” which she crafts from dried bridal bouquets, pearls, and love letters. “Each piece tells its own story,” she says. “People walk into my booth and might spend an hour because it’s not the same thing over and over.” King also teaches workshops to share the art and metalsmithing techniques she’s gained throughout the years. She encourages participants to use art to tell their own stories and add a little bit more beauty to the world. kat-jewels.com, @soulfulspiritdesigns on Facebook

COURTESY OF BARE MOUNTAIN STUDIO; COURTESY OF LOCK HOUSE STUDIO; COURTESY OF SOULFUL SPIRIT DESIGNS

written by jess walker

HEARTHIS

SUPPORTTHIS

Go for a Spin

WILLOW COLEBANK

New downtown location working out great for Positive Spin bicycle collective. ➼ BRIGHTLY COLORED BICYCLE frames and huge black wheels hang inside a new storefront across from the Westover bridge. At first glance, passersby might mistake it for a bike shop. But step inside and it’s clear that Positive Spin is so much more. It’s a workshop where cycling experts and novices alike can gather to chat, tinker with bikes, and help neighbors in need. Started in 2005, Positive Spin is a volunteer-run organization that educates, encourages, and empowers the cycling community. “Bike collectives tend to be in larger urban areas, so it was ambitious to start one in Morgantown,” Positive Spin’s president Jonathan Rosenbaum says. The nonprofit was still in its infancy when Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast. Members rallied the local community and sent about 80 bikes to New Orleans. Ever since, Positive Spin has only gained traction. Every Tuesday evening, the shop bustles with people who are buying new sets of wheels, repairing their current bikes, or volunteering. Volunteer hours can be exchanged in place of cash for repair time or used parts and one used bike per shop season. Much of the repair process is do-it-yourself, but someone is always willing to lend a hand. ”You come in not as a customer, but as a person from the community,” Rosenbaum says. “What we hope is, people will learn those skills and help others so it’s a circular process.” Biking isn’t just a recreational activity. It can be a viable option for getting from one place to another while also promoting

health and reducing congestion on the roads. “We provide transportation that can improve your life, get you in better shape, and make Morgantown a better place,” Rosenbaum says. He says most of the shop’s patrons are in the low to moderate income range, and a percentage of them need a reliable mode of transportation. Positive Spin can not only supply that bike, but show owners how to repair it so they can keep on spinning. The workshop has already seen an increase in foot traffic since it opened downtown in the spring. “One aspect about our new location is that we’re right by the Bartlett House homeless shelter, and people from there can come into our shop to volunteer,” Rosenbaum says. “We’re seeing growth in terms of delivering our mission of providing bikes for people who truly need them.” Looking down the road, the collective’s long-term goals include having paid employees and hosting bike repair classes in order to get more members involved. For those wanting to know more, the best way to find out is to stop by and volunteer. “Anyone who walks into our shop can volunteer. There’s always something you can do,” Rosenbaum says. Positive Spin isn’t just a clever name. It defines what the organization is—a vibrant organization improving Morgantown through community, positivity, and bicycles. 1216 University Avenue, 304.933.2633, @positivespinwv on Facebook.

Sofar So Good Artist and venue TBA—and that’s the point.

written by jess walker

➼ ALONE ON A SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TRIP last fall without evening plans, Bryan Stealey bought a concert ticket online. It was a leap of faith—the location wasn’t specified and the bands weren’t named. “I ended up sitting on a couch with people I didn’t know in somebody’s home, and I had the greatest time watching artists I didn’t know I’d love, but did.” Stealey had stumbled across Sofar Sounds: secret shows in intimate spaces. After a second Sofar concert, in Las Vegas, he was hooked. He contacted the organizers and asked about starting Sofar in Morgantown. His monthly shows hit the ground running with a sold-out concert at Pathfinder in March. A Sofar show consists of three bands playing four songs each. Ticketholders learn the venue the day before their show—might be a flea market, might be an empty warehouse without electricity— and don’t know who the bands will be until they get there. A ticket costs $20, refreshments are BYOB, and bands may be local acts or shows on tour. The unconventional, intimate settings— typically fewer than 100 people—make every show a memorable experience. Started in London in 2009, Sofar Sounds is in 400 cities worldwide and growing. To catch a show in Morgantown, or to offer to play or host, visit sofarsounds.com and search “Morgantown.”

photographed by kayse kllis

written by pam kasey MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THIS MATTERS

LOVETHIS

Cast of Character ➼ GROWING UP IN MASON COUNTY, chef Marion Ohlinger never once saw a stainless steel pan on his grandmother’s stovetop. For Sevilla Ohlinger, it was cast iron or nothing. “Literally, it’s the only thing she used,” Ohlinger says. It’s a sensory memory Ohlinger has incorporated into his Morgantown restaurant, Hill & Hollow, which serves what he calls modern Appalachian cuisine. Which is why, if you walk into the kitchen at Hill & Hollow, it’s not uncommon to see a black century-old skillet on a burner right beside the typical stainless steel implements. These are not the fake cast iron—steel approximations often used at chain restaurants. The sizzling skillets that emerge from Ohlinger’s kitchen are the real deal. He knows, because he 26

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purchased them from Classic Cast Iron, a Westover-based business that restores and sells antique pans. One Man’s Junk Classic Cast Iron owner Keith Rigden developed an interest in cast iron about a decade ago when he bought two rusty skillets to take camping. Eight years and three moves later, Rigden still had not taken time to refurbish them. So in 2015 he decided he was either going to junk them or get them back in working order. It took some elbow grease, but the effort paid off. “Once I got all the rust and crud off of them, they were just as they came out of the foundry. Still glass-smooth,” he says. “I started using it and it’s like, where’s this been all my life?” Rigden was hooked. He started buying

old pans, refurbishing them, and reselling them to fellow collectors, home cooks, and, in Ohlinger’s case, commercial kitchens. He found a way to reduce the amount of elbow grease required to get the pans in working order—a simple contraption consisting of a car battery and a stainless steel–lined 50-gallon barrel filled with water. Rigden connects the positively charged lead to the barrel and the negatively charged lead to the pan. What can take days by other methods can be achieved in just a few hours through electrolysis. After a good scrubbing, it’s on to the final step—seasoning. ’Tis the Season To season a cast-iron pan, you need just two things: fat and heat. These work

COURTESY OF KEITH RIGDEN

No Appalachian kitchen is complete without a cast iron skillet.

COURTESY OF GRINDSTONE SHARPEN AND SUPPLY

together in a chemical process known as polymerization, where the fat gets so hot it becomes a hard solid. This is what makes cast iron a nonstick surface and prevents the pan from rusting. Step one: Get fat. All Classic Cast Iron pans are seasoned with shortening. Rigden puts the pan on the stove, drops in some shortening, and allows it to melt. Then he turns off the heat, lets the fat congeal, and wipes off the excess. Step two: Get hot. Because temperatures inside a typical household oven can fluctuate wildly, he cranks his up to 500 degrees and allows the cast iron to spend at least an hour inside. But Rigden is not finished once the hour is up. Each Classic Cast Iron pan gets three rounds of seasoning. The pans will pick up additional layers of seasoning in the line of duty, if they’re managed properly. “That’s why Grandma’s pan looks the way it does and cooks the way it does and is nonstick the way it is.” Care and Feeding Rigden sells his finished pans through his website. He also lugs his weighty wares to craft fairs, festivals, and barbecue cook-offs around the state. His booth always attracts lots of foot traffic—Rigden has discovered that just the sight of cast iron inspires passersby to spill their childhoods. “I hear all the time, ‘My grandma had one just like that.’” But these are not collectibles that are meant to sit on a shelf. Rigden and Ohlinger agree, cast iron gets better with each use and makes food taste better, because it cooks food better. “It’s a slower, deeper heat compared to the shallow, faster heat you get from a steel pan,” Ohlinger says. “You get a great sear on meat, you get a great sear on vegetables.” Some claim cast-iron cookware boosts food’s nutritional content. Rigden says the science behind this is a little sketchy. But it definitely imbues your cooking with an essential ingredient for downhome cuisine: nostalgia. “It is one of the only things out there that is as good now, 100 percent as useful and productive, as it was a hundred years ago,” Rigden says. “Appalachia is full of tradition, and so is cast iron.” classiccastiron.com written by zack harold

THIS MATTERS

HONETHIS

Strop and Go

Grindstone Sharpen & Supply takes knife sharpening where it’s needed. ➼ A MORGANTOWN RESIDENT stopped cooking carrots because her knives were too dull to slice them. After Joe Woods sharpened her knives last summer, she posted a photo of her knife next to a pile of chopped carrots to his Facebook page, with an appreciative note. “I’m out here trying to save dinner, one carrot at a time,” he laughs. A trained chef, Woods’ time working in several higher-end restaurants across the state opened his eyes to certain needs. He established his mobile Grindstone Sharpen & Supply in 2018 to meet them. One is the Morgantown area’s lack of a kitchen supply store. Mon County has more than 300 restaurants, but owners and operators have had to order online or drive to Pittsburgh for industrial cooking tools. Woods knew how tough it could be to schedule shopping trips. He decided to take the supply store to the kitchens. Another frustration was the lack of knife sharpeners. “Everyone has knives in their kitchen that probably need to be sharpened,” Woods says. A dull knife requires more force and effort to use. “Sharp knives are so much safer.” Woods sharpens knives, scissors, garden tools, and other blades for $5 to $15, traveling within a one-hour radius of Morgantown to individual and business customers. Commercial kitchens sometimes throw dull knives away rather than sharpening them, and Woods offers a solution for

that, too. Businesses can lease sets of knives from Grindstone, and he swaps them out for sharpened sets every two weeks. Delis and grocery stores in particular use this service. Whether he’s working with an individual, a local business, or a national chain, Woods gives his customers personal attention and advises them on the style of knife suitable and efficient for their particular cooking habits and needs. To those who hand wash and dry knives after each use, prefer a chef-style blade, and care about West Virginia’s environment, Woods offers a handmade chef’s knife. In partnership with a West Virginian bladesmith who creates the eight-inch steel blades, Woods completes them with rosewood handles and donates proceeds to the nonprofit American Forests to plant trees on West Virginia abandoned mine lands. He also carries the locally made Two Fat Cousins barbecue sauces and is expanding to offer more styles of handmade knives and other local kitchen products. During Grindstone’s first year, Woods taught culinary arts at the Marion County Technical Center and ran his business part-time. Now growing demand has made Grindstone his full-time job. “I’m already at the point where I could use another truck,” he says. @grindstonewv on Facebook written by ALDONA BIRD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THIS MATTERS THISMATTERS TO

Andrea Yost

➼ AS A CHILD GROWING UP in Rivesville on the upper Monongahela River, Andrea

Yost needed speech therapy. Later, when she had the opportunity in high school to take sign language, her class learned about professions that work with the deaf and hard of hearing. So she went on to college at WVU already knowing she wanted to help people with their hearing. After her undergraduate degree, she did a four-year graduate program—three years of classroom and clinical work and a one-year residency in Martinsburg—to become a doctor of audiology. Yost lives in Morgantown now with her husband and young son, and she helps people with their hearing at Advanced Hearing Center of Morgantown. interviewed by PAM KASEY | photographed by CARLA WITT FORD

On protecting hearing It’s something we take for granted. There are so many kids listening to loud music with earbuds, people exposed to loud noises. Hearing loss from loud noise is preventable.

On hearing aids The technology has come so far in the past 10 years. There are all different styles, depending on your loss, and they’re not as big and noticeable as they used to be. We also have cell phone connectivity—you can stream music or phone calls to your hearing aid.

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

Get a baseline test When you’re an adult, no one tells you to get your hearing tested. But it should be part of overall wellness. If the baseline test is completely normal and you’re in your 20s, 30s, or 40s, you could go every few years after that. But if you’re older and on the borderline, you probably want to do it every year or two.

Hearing is a social skill When people start to have hearing loss, they withdraw from things they once enjoyed—social settings, movies, going to dinner with their spouse. People think they’re not social, but it’s really because they can’t hear what’s being said. A lot of times hearing aids can help them reconnect.

Use it or lose it People wait seven to 10 years to actually seek treatment for hearing loss. But if you’re not stimulating the auditory nerve, it deteriorates—the longer you have hearing loss, the more likely that your speech understanding score is going to get worse. We can make it louder for you but, as it gets worse, we can’t always make it clear enough with a hearing aid. So we’d like to have people not wait that long.

DISH IT OUT

Smoke ‘'Em If You Got ‘'Em Crank up the heat on your backyard technique with these tips from Morgantown’s great pitmasters.

othing says summer like the smell of hickory smoke, long hours tending the pit, that first bit of mouth-watering, falling-apart meat. But how do you learn? It turns out great pitmasters are often self-taught. They also learn from each other. Charlie Heard grew up in Georgia. When he came to Morgantown, he missed the roadside barbecue he’d eaten everywhere when he was a kid, so he taught himself to make it. Now Heard’s Best BBQ Ever, made with his signature spice rub and sauce and served from the side of his food truck, is in hot demand all

over town. Dylan Garza, from Fairmont, pitmaster at Smokin’ Jack’s until recently, learned to barbecue when he was in the Army, stationed in Germany far from any town—grilling was the only thing to do with downtime. Smoking meats with his fellow soldiers, he learned techniques from all over the country. Are you ready to take your backyard technique from medium to well-done? Grab your tongs—we asked some of Morgantown’s barbecue gurus for advice to get patio pitmasters past burgers and dogs and experienced smokers to the next level. written by PAM KASEY | photographed by CARLA WITT FORD MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

DISH IT OUT

“Have a fire extinguisher handy.”

When Derrick Shanks and his wife lived in Kansas City, Missouri, going out for barbecue was a way of life. “It was so available, I didn’t even own a smoker,” Shanks says. So their move to Vermont was a shock. “I drove around in a two-hour radius and didn’t find anything but sauce poured over a pork shoulder and cooked in a crockpot. That’s just not barbecue.” Unwilling to do without, he built a smoker out of a 55-gallon drum. “We got pretty good at it. People were trying to buy our catering services, which I wasn’t even trying to solicit at that point.” But after the couple moved to Morgantown, he decided to give it a shot. His Woodburn Shanks serves up a variety of meats, like any Kansas City barbecue joint. His favorite cut? Brisket. “Pork is easy—brisket is hard,” he says. “The challenge of doing the brisket right is what makes the job fun. And that’s the cut of meat that puts us on the map—it’s just harder to find good brisket.” For those who are thinking about getting into barbecue, Shanks recommends a charcoal grill over gas. “I associate barbecue with fire—that’s the flavor profile that I like personally, and you’re not going to get that with gas.” If you’re married to the gas grill, a smoker tube is an inexpensive hack. And for those who have already done some home smoking and are looking to improve, Shanks recommends investing in a stick burner. “It burns logs or lump charcoal instead of gas or electricity.” He offers one tip for everybody: Have a fire extinguisher handy. “People burn their stuff down all the time. Once it’s on fire, it’s too late to go looking for a fire extinguisher.”

Derrick Shanks Owner, Woodburn Shanks 30

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

DISH IT OUT

Josh Martin’s family owns 84 Packing Co., a meatpacking house in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania—so he’s been around meats his whole life. “I grew up making my own sausages and jerkys.” Working at Martin’s Bar-B-Cue Joint—no relation—he learned from a Tennessee pitmaster to do the famous West Tennessee whole hog barbecue. “Whole hogs— that’s my favorite,” Martin says. “It’s really time-consuming. Low temperature, only using hickory, smoking for hours to get that flavor into it. If you do it right, it’s something that you won’t be able to taste anywhere else.” Martin has been at Atomic Grill for a couple years. Atomic doesn’t do whole hogs, but it’s loved for its pulled pork sandwich and other specialties. For a backyard griller who wants to try a hand at barbecue, it’s no surprise that a guy with Martin’s background recommends getting the best meat possible. “Something local, if you can. The meat’s the biggest thing.” Second to that, for Martin, is the seasoning. He’s a fan of good old trial and error. “Mix stuff together, see what it tastes like,” he says. “Some spices overpower the meat more than others. Brown sugar is a good starter for pork and chicken. Paprika, salt and pepper, onion powder, garlic powder. That’s a good start.” If you’ve got some experience and want to go to the next level, Martin’s advice is just what you’d guess: try new meats. “Do bigger cuts of meat, different kinds of meat,” he says. “You can get beef ribs that are really big and take a lot of time to marinate and smoke. Try meats you don’t use every day—beef ribs, whole turkeys, wild turkeys.”

“Try new meats.”

Josh Martin Pitmaster, Atomic Grill

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

DISH IT OUT

Rob Wolfe Owner, Two Fat Cousins

“Don’t be afraid.” NIKKI BOWMAN

It was sauce that sucked Rob Wolfe into barbecue. He and his cousin Matt—a trained chef who owned Wolfe’s Family Diner in Granville—talked forever about bottling sauces. When Matt died too young, Wolfe created his Two Fat Cousins line of barbecue sauces and dedicated part of the revenues to an annual scholarship in Matt’s name, first awarded in 2013. Wolfe started doing roadside barbecue and events for friends a couple years ago and, in 2019, he’s started catering. He says he’s been loving ribs lately but, if he had to pick one favorite cut to barbecue, it’s brisket. “Ribs are ribs, but brisket. You can have it sliced, shred it and put it on a sandwich, chunk it and put it on nachos, put it in tacos.” His favorite Two Fat Cousins Sauce when it comes to brisket is the Kickin’ Mustard. For the backyard cook who’s just getting started with smoking, work your way up to brisket, Wolfe says. “My very first thing I did was a beer butt chicken. It’s cheaper to buy a whole chicken than to buy a brisket, and it’s more forgiving.” If you’ve already mastered chicken, pork butt, and ribs, stretch a little, he says. “I’d start looking into the pork belly—it makes bacon, so how is it not good?” he laughs. “Last year I did pork belly burnt ends. It’s just like pork candy. Or maybe beef jerky—you can do that on your smoker, if you can control your temperature low enough. I’ve done that and it was some of the best jerky I’ve ever had.” Mostly, he says, don’t be afraid. “Have fun with it. That’s what barbecuing is all about. If you see me on the roadside and I’m not smiling, there’s something wrong.”

Bear Your Buns

Every Wednesday at our University Ave. location

Mon–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

Burger Wednesdays feature a new chef creation weekly with our exclusive specialty burger blend (1/3 chuck, 1/3 brisket, 1/3 short rib)

132 Pleasant St., Downtown, Morganto wn • 304.29-M TOWN(296.8696) 3119 University Ave., Suncrest , Morganto wn • 304.777.4867 • blackbearburritos.com MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

HOUSE & HOME

Rooms to Let

Turn your hospitable nature and underused space into extra cash this fall.

FRANK YUVANCIC

Everyone knows doling out parking spaces in Morgantown during football season can be a lucrative ventureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but have you thought of making a little cash off of your living space? Airbnb hosts in the Morgantown area collectively earned about $100,000 during the 2018 football season by opening up their homes, apartments, and spare rooms to Mountaineer fans looking to enjoy game day, according Airbnb. Each home game brought in many dozens of out-of-towners who sought an alternative to hotels. Ready to get in on it? We asked some experienced Airbnb hosts in the area to share their tips and tricks of the trade.

MORGANTOWN â&#x20AC;˘ JUNE/JULY 2019

HOUSE & HOME

IN 2018

$100k Morgantown Airbnb

football weekend income

Host income

in Monongalia County

$479k

140-200 Airbnb guest arrivals per WVU home football game

KIMBERLY CAMEON

Near the Action

—Airbnb data

Kimberly Cameon, an Airbnb “super host,” decided to rent out a spare room in her riverfront townhome in Star City three years ago. Her property has garvnered dozens of positive reviews—a direct result of the location, amenities, and comfort it affords her guests. “I attempt to greet every guest at checkin. I may not see them the rest of their stay, but it’s a good opportunity to answer questions and introduce them to my two cats,” she says. “The first time a guest made a return trip to stay at my home, I knew I was doing something right.” Cameon’s guests use a “smart lock” to gain entry to the Airbnb. They like her thoughtful touches. “High-end sheets, towels, and bath or shower washes are nice to keep on hand, and I like to display local artisans’ work in my home to create a local flavor.” The services of a professional house cleaner keep the space in pristine condition. “She takes care of laundry, makes the guest bed, and handles general cleaning. She does a great job—guests often comment on my ‘sparkling’ home.” While Cameon’s townhouse books year ’round, she can always count on Mountaineer fans to show up in the fall. “I had reservations for every home game weekend last season,” she says. “Both October game weekends are booked so far this season, so I’m sure all home games will book.” The Airbnb experience has given Cameon a new take on the city she calls home. “Guests may discover something that I haven’t seen or done. It’s an unexpected bonus,” she says. “International guests typically see the area with a fresh perspective and have wonderful stories to tell. It’s been a worthwhile experience.” MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

HOUSE & HOME

Some guests like to stay a little farther from the action—like at Frank Yuvancic’s peaceful cabin retreat in Cheat Lake. Just 20 minutes from Mountaineer Field, the bungalow is an easy drive from football festivities while still affording visitors a rural setting. Yuvancic manages several properties of his own in the area, including a tiny home, while also representing the owners of three other properties as a co-host. According to him, your space doesn’t have to be conventional to attract guests. “If you have a beautiful porch with a daybed, I’d tell you to list it on Airbnb,” he says. “As long as you accurately describe your space, you’ll be fine. I recently stayed in a tent on a beautiful beach through Airbnb. The tent space had private, albeit outdoor, showers, and I needed to walk 30 feet to the restrooms. I knew these facts when I rented and thought I’d enjoy the experience.” No matter the nuances of the space, Yuvancic says one thing will make or break your rental. “First and foremost, a clean space makes the best impression. Make sure the corners of every room are vacuumed, and pay special attention to the bathroom.” He provides his guests with “morning essentials.” “Coffee, tea, milk, sugar, orange juice, and soaps and shampoo if needed,” he says. “Even though I state that these are available, people are pleasantly surprised and, most importantly, happy.” Communication and accessibility can usually solve any problems, Yuvancic says. When it comes to pricing, he says Airbnb offers resources to help hosts determine just how much to charge. “Airbnb suggests prices based on local activity and, more importantly, you can look at similar offerings on Airbnb,” he says. Airbnb also offers smart pricing—a tool that adjusts prices according to demand—which is particularly helpful during high-influx times like football season. As for Yuvancic’s place last fall? “It was booked solid,” he says. Beyond football fans, he also frequently hosts parents of WVU students, out-oftowners looking to explore Coopers Rock State Forest, and people who simply love Morgantown. “I’ve met some great folks I would never have met otherwise,” he says. “People are kind if you are kind. It feels good when you get a useful review and people want to come back.”

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

FRANK YUVANCIC

Peaceful Retreat

HOUSE & HOME

BUSRA AGCAYAZI

Sharing a Rental Owning a house isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for putting a listing on Airbnb. Busra Agcayazi, a Ph.D. student at WVU, for instance, rents out her one-bedroom apartment when she’s traveling to visit family and friends. “Sharing my place during weekends helps me make some extra money and benefits many visitors,” she says. Conveniently located between downtown and Suncrest Towne Centre, Agcayazi’s apartment offers complete privacy and plenty of space. “I minimize the furniture and maximize the space for guests,” she says. “Decorating the apartment with vivid, bright-colored accessories make the place attractive both on the pictures and in person.” Agcayazi’s guests enjoy a self– check-in process, providing them flexibility when it comes to travel. “Sometimes guests come from other states, and they arrive in Morgantown at midnight; knowing they can check in whenever they like provides convenience to guests,” she says. In order to get her apartment Airbnb-ready, Agcayazi says she spent around $600 on items such as a bed, office chair, and table. The popularity of her accommodations has more than made up for those up-front costs. “Even though I only rent during the weekend, my apartment was rented around 36 days during last year’s football season,” she says. “What I charge is similar to hotel prices in the area; however, a clean and cozy onebedroom apartment with a kitchen filled with food and a washing machine is always more convenient and comfortable for guests.” Being an Airbnb host has proven rewarding for Agcayazi, who enjoys doing her part to make her visitors’ time in Morgantown a positive experience. “Guests leave thank you notes around the house, and it makes me very happy,” she says. “My goal is to have all my guests enjoy their time and look back on their stay with fond memories.” written by kaylyn christopher

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Things

s i T h m er

written by pam kasey

Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or it’s family memories you’re after, you can find summer adventures in all directions from Morgantown that are just right for you.

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

Close to home

You can find a huge variety of rock climbing routes at Coopers Rock State Forest (wvstateparks.com). Or ride a zipline or schedule a high ropes course at the WVU Outdoor Education Center (WVU Research Forest, 30m, adventurechallenge.wvu.edu).

COURTESY OF ADVENTURES ON THE GORGE; COURTESY OF NELSON ROCKS OUTDOORS CENTER

Ride the rapids

Climb the heights

Try the Via Ferrata, or “Iron Way,” a mile of fixedanchor, professionally guided rock climbing, at NROCKS Outdoor Adventures (Circleville, 2h30m, nrocks.com). For an over-the-top thrill, book one of the full moon tours, and make it an adventure weekend— NROCKS offers ziplines and wild caving, too. For less structured climbing, the New River Gorge region is one of the East’s largest and highest quality climbing areas, with thousands of established routes on more than 60 miles of cliffline (Fayetteville area, 2h20m, no central online resource—try waterstoneoutdoors. com/at-the-cliffs).

Paddling the rapids is an iconic West Virginia experience. If you haven’t done it, guided rafting is your best bet. Closest to Morgantown, try Cheat River Outfitters (Albright, 1h, cheatriveroutfitters.com) to run the Class II–III Cheat Narrows or the Class III–V Cheat Canyon when the water is high. River Riders Family Adventure Resort (Harpers Ferry, 2h45m, riverriders.com) rides the Class I–III rapids on the Shenandoah River—a milder experience in the summer that’s good for beginners and a wilder ride with the rains of spring and fall. For a more rollicking ride, head down to the New and Gauley rivers (near Fayetteville, 2h30m), where ACE Adventure Resort (aceraft. com), Adventures on the Gorge (adventuresonthegorge.com), and River Expeditions (raftinginfo.com) get you Class IV and V excitement on the New and Gauley Rivers—and world-class whitewater thrills during the September and October Gauley Season dam releases. Most of these outfitters offer multiple ways to get your adrenaline pumping—check the websites for full-spectrum thrills. MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Explore underground Along with growing spectacular formations, West Virginia caves have played roles in everything from prehistoric and native American to Civil War and Prohibition-era history. Smoke Hole Caverns (Cabins, 2h15m, smokehole.com) was named by early settlers who saw smoke rising when Seneca Indians smoked wild game. The Seneca also used Seneca Caverns (Riverton, 2h30m senecacaverns.com) for shelter, storage, and ceremony. It’s been a show cave since 1930. In addition to the tour at Lost World Caverns (Lewisburg, 3h15m, lostworldcaverns.com), you can visit the natural history museum and see the remains of a prehistoric cave bear that was discovered there. Organ Cave (Ronceverte, 3h15m, organcave.com) is said to be the second-largest cave on the eastern seaboard—although more than 45 miles of caverns have been mapped, the full extent is unknown. It’s also the site where the first prehistoric three-toed sloth was discovered in the 1700s. Prefer to get dirty and wet? Ask about wild caving at Organ Cave and Lost World Caverns.

Go aerial

Go extremely aerial

The seeker of airborne thrills can get untethered nearby. Go skydiving with Skydive Mountaineer (Fairmont, 25m, skydivemountaineer.com). Or go soaring in a motorless glider plane, or sail plane, at the Eastern Soaring Center, which is located specifically to take advantage of strong air currents and scenic beauty (Petersburg, 2h10m, easternsoaringcenter.com).

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

NIKKI BOWMAN; REBECCA KIGER FOTOGRAFIA; NIKKI BOWMAN

The seven Aerial Adventure Park thrills at Grand Vue Park (Moundsville, 1h45m, grandvuepark.com) include ziplining, a ropes course, the Mega Jump, and more. River Riders Family Adventure Resort (Harpers Ferry, 2h45m, riverriders.com) offers a 2.5-to-3-hour canopy ziplining tour with views of the Potomac River and the Harpers Ferry Water Gap as well as an adventure park with nine aerial forest challenge trails of varying difficulty. Adventures on the Gorge (Lansing, 2h20m, adventuresonthegorge.com) offers a TreeTops Canopy zipline tour, a scenic network of zips and hikes, and its Gravity zipline tours for long, high-speed runs—or try its TimberTrek Adventure Park to explore four acres of platforms, bridges, ziplines, and other obstacles. And the zipline canopy tour at ACE Adventure Resort (Oak Hill, 2h30m, aceraft.com) gives zippers a bird’s-eye view of the stunning New River Gorge—or try night ziplining to wake up all your senses.

Interactive museums

Find science fun of all kinds at the Carnegie Science Center (Pittsburgh, 1h40m, carnegiesciencecenter. org) and the Clay Center’s Avampato Discovery Museum (Charleston, 2h30m, theclaycenter.org). Physics- and space-enthusiastic middle and high schoolers will particularly enjoy the massive radio telescopes and interactive museum at the Green Bank Science Center, where astronomers conduct worldclass space research year ’round (Green Bank, 2h40m, greenbankobservatory.org).

Zoos

July 4 Ripley 4th of July Celebration Ripley, 2h30m ripley4th ofjuly.com

In and on the water

You can find all-day water park fun at the Clarksburg Splash Zone (Clarksburg, 50m, cityparksofclarksburg. com). Or stay on top of the water in Tygart Lake Cruises’ Princess cruise boat (Grafton, 45m, “Tygart Lake Cruises” on Facebook).

Aug. 8-17 West Virginia State Fair Fairlea, 3h15m statefair ofwv.com

Amusement parks

CARLA WITT FORD

For a well-preserved old-timey amusement park experience, try Camden Park (Huntington, 3h15m, camdenpark.com). The 100-plus-year-old park has two roller coasters, a haunted house dark ride, and enough other rides and games to entertain the family for many hours. Idlewild and SoakZone is the third-oldest amusement park in the country and wins Amusement Today’s award for Best Children’s Park year after year (Ligonier, PA, 1h35m, idlewild.com). The unique mix of classic rides and modern thrills at Kennywood boasts six roller coasters—including the brand-new Steelers-themed Steel Curtain coaster, the tallest in Pennsylvania at 220 feet (West Mifflin, PA, 1h35m, kennywood.com).

Family events

Lions, tigers, bears, and more—families can see dozens of exotic animals at Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo (near Kingwood, 35m, westvirginiazoo.com). The menagerie at the Oglebay Good Zoo includes 20 that are rare or endangered, including red pandas and golden lion tamarin monkeys (Wheeling, 1h30m, oglebay.com). And for a big zoo excursion, Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium (Pittsburgh, 1h40m, pittsburghzoo.org) cares for the largest and most diverse collection of animals in the region.

Aug. 13-17 Monongalia County Fair Mylan Park Morgantown moncounty fair.org

Parks and rail-trails can be found all over town and, between two outdoor public pools, a river, and a lake, there’s lots of water play. Rainy-day activities can be found at the Spark! Imagination and Science Center (sparkwv.org), The WOW! Factory (wowfactoryonline.com) for arts and crafts, the Launch Pad Trampoline Park (launchpadtrampolinepark.com), and, for bowling, Suburban Lanes (suburbanlanes.com). A West Virginia Black Bears baseball game (milb.com/west-virginia-black-bears) makes a great family night out—fireworks most Fridays!

Close to home

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

July 26

June 7-16 Three Rivers Arts Festival Pittsburgh 1h30m traf.trustarts.org

June 14 Downtown Morgantown Arts Walk 6–9 p.m. downtown morgantown. com

June 16-30 FestivALL Charleston 2h30m festivall charleston. com

June 22 Handcrafted Cooperative Night Market Morgantown Market Place 413 Spruce St. 4–10 p.m. @wvhand crafted cooperative on Facebook

July 4-6 Mountain State Art and Craft Fair Ripley 2h30m msacf.com 42

Art

The arts are alive i n s m a l l t ow n s a l l ac ross We st Virginia, especially i n t h e s t a t e ’s certified arts towns of Berkeley Springs, Elkins, Lewisburg, and W heeling (wvtourism.com/ things-to-do/artsculture). To browse and buy artisanmade products all in one place, you’ll find trends and traditions as well as unusual specialty products at Tamarack (Beckley, 2h45m, tamarackwv. com). Take in the per manent and traveling exhibitions at the Clay Center’s Juliet Art Museum (Charleston, 2h25m, theclaycenter.org) and the Huntington Museum of Ar t (Huntington, 3h, hmoa.org).

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

Aug. 30 Downtown Morgantown Arts Walk 6–9 p.m. downtown morgantown. com

Aug. 30Sept. 1 Jackson’s Mill Jubilee Weston, 1h @jmjubilee on Facebook

Sept. 1

Performance

West Virginia’s only touring Shakespeare troupe, The Rustic Mechanicals, will perform As You Like It in July and Julius C a e sa r i n O c t o b e r — t h e at e r - g o i n g experiences not to be missed (all across the state, @rusticmechanicals on Facebook). Or check t he events schedule at t he Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center (Clarksburg, 45m, therobinsongrand.com), where anything from comedy to country might be playing. Enjoy Branson-style dinner theater at the Gandy Dancer Theatre (Elkins, 1h30m, gandydancertheatre.com).

Handcrafted Cooperative Market Morgantown Market Place Pavilion 413 Spruce St. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. @wvhand crafted cooperative on Facebook

Sept. 27 Downtown Morgantown Arts Walk 6–9 p.m. downtown morgantown. com

CARLA WITT FORD; NIKKI BOWMAN

Arts events

Downtown Morgantown Arts Walk 6–9 p.m. downtown morgantown. com

Music events June 16-30 FestivALL Charleston 2h30m festivall charleston.com

June 20-23 WV State Folk Festival Glenville 1h45m wvstatefolk festival.com

July 11-13 4848 Festival Snowshoe 2h45m 4848festival.com

AuG. 1 For bluegrass and country music played by masters in an authentic setting, check out the weekly Saturday night show at the Sagebrush Roundup Country Music Hall (Fairmont, 35m, billjanoske.tripod.com)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;or also in Fairmont, for Southern gospel and bluegrass, check the schedule at AMT Productions (Fairmont, 30m, amtproductionswv.com). The newly restored Robinson Grand Theater hosts touring musical and other acts frequently (Clarksburg, 45m, therobinsongrand.com). Hosting a show every Friday and Saturday night for the past 13 years, The Purple Fiddle is a great place to catch nationally known touring acts in a family friendly, mostly acoustic environment (Thomas, 1h40m, purplefiddle.com).

NIKKI BOWMAN

Close to home

Live music goes on all summer across Morgantown. Both of Black Bear Burritosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; locations offer live music frequently for free (blackbearburritos.com). Once a month, Sofar Sounds holds a concert at an unusual venue (sofarsounds. com). 123 Pleasant Street has a decades-long tradition of bringing bands of all genres to town and schedules multiple shows every week (123pleasantstreet.com). Also downtown, Mainstage Morgantown is another reliable source for comedy and music of all sorts (mainstagewv.tunestub.com). Out at Cheat Lake, the deck at Tropics Restaurant and Bar makes for a relaxing outdoor venue (tropicswv. com). And Saturday evenings, enjoy live music on the hillside at Chestnut Ridge Park (@chestnutridgeparkwv on Facebook).

Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash White Oak Springs, 1h @tripsfarm family on Facebook

Aug. 9-11 Heritage Music Blues Fest Wheeling 1h30m heritage musicfest.com

Aug. 23-24 Wild & Wonderful Country Music Fest Mylan Park wildand wonderful countryfest. com

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Frontier history

Morgan Morgan is said to have been among the first European settlers in what became West Virginia. See the restored 1730s Morgan Morgan cabin (near Gerrardstown, 2h30m, washingtonheritagetrail.com/ bc_25.html, open Sundays 2–4 p.m. in June) and, next door, a house built by his son Zackquill Morgan before he came west and founded Morgantown. You can visit George Washington’s Bathtub and do some warm springs research of your own in the nation’s first spa town (Berkeley Springs, 1h55m, berkeleyspringssp. com). Tour the reconstructed 1800 Blennerhassett mansion at Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park (Parkersburg, 1h50m, wvstateparks.com) and learn about the role the Blennerhassetts played in the 1805–06 Aaron Burr conspiracy.

Industrial history

Morgantown’s own history is on display at the Morgantown History Museum (175 Kirk Street, morgantownhistorymuseum.org). Take a deep dive into the region's relationship with coal at the Watts Museum (401 Evansdale Drive, wattsmuseum.wvu.edu) or Appalachian pharmacy practice at the Cook-Hayman Pharmacy Museum (pharmacy.hsc. wvu.edu/support-us). Or, if the weather’s nice, use the Downtown Morgantown app to take the Downtown Morgantown Audio Walking Tour.

Close to home

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

CARLA WITT FORD (2)

At the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia (Weston, 1h, magwv. com), you can learn about the history of the industry here and across the nation, with thousands of pieces on display alongside the stories of the glassmaking factories and people. The Carrie Furnaces Industrial Tour (Rankin, PA, 1h40m, riversofsteel. com) reveals all the drama of the iron-making process —from the movement of raw materials to the tapping of the furnaces producing fiery molten iron—while sharing the stories of the site’s technology, its workers, and their culture.

The war path

History events

If battlefields more your history style, you’re in luck: this region is holds several impor tant Civil War sites. The first land battle of the Civil War took place on June 3, 1861, when Union General George B. McClellan’s forces deterred Confederate forces at Philippi. The annual Blue and Gray Reunion re-enactment takes place just before this issue of the magazine comes out—May 30–June 2 in 2019—but mark your calendar for next year. You can pass through Philippi and cross the iconic 1852 Philippi Covered Bridge—the longest covered bridge in West Virginia and the only covered bridge serving the federal highway system— on your way to learn about the Battle of Rich Mountain, fought for control of the Staunton–Parkersburg Turnpike, at the Beverly Heritage Center (Beverly, 1h50m, beverlyheritagecenter.org). The ultimate West Virginia Civil War site is Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (Harpers Ferry, 2h50m, nps.gov/hafe), site of John Brown’s raid of the federal armory and now a well-preserved historical village. Originally the Wheeling Custom House, West Virginia Independence Hall (Wheeling, 1h35m, wvculture.org—click on “museums”) served as the Restored Government of Virginia from 1861 to 1863 and hosted the discussions that led to statehood for West Virginia in 1863. Find a map and full list of West Virginia Civil War sites at civilwartrails.org.

CARLA WITT FORD; NIKKI BOWMAN

Other history

July 12-14 Beverly Heritage Days Beverly 1h45m Living history, demonstrations. beverlyheritage center.org

July 13 New Deal Festival Arthurdale 30m Celebrating the New Deal’s very first homestead. newdeal festival.org

July 27-28

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is said to be the largest hand-cut sandstone structure in the world after the Kremlin. Operated as a psychiatric hospital from 1864 to 1994, the building can now be seen through guided tours that touch on everything from treatment of the mentally ill to the Civil War, architecture, and hauntings (Weston, 1h, trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com). A vastly older superlatively large structure, the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, is one of the largest conical burial mounds in the U.S. Native Adena moved more than 60,000 tons of earth two millennia ago to create the mound. It’s all documented next door in the Delf Norona Museum (Moundsville, 1h35m, wvculture.org—click on “museums”). Head to The Flight 93 National Memorial to learn the story of the fourth plane to crash on 9/11 and honor the dead (Stoystown, Pennsylvania, 1h40m, nps.gov/flni).

The African American Experience on the Western Frontier Fairmont, 30m A first-person interpretation of a slave using Pricketts Fort as backdrop. pricketts fort.org

Aug. 23-25 Mountain Spirit Pow Wow Core, 20m Entertainment, Native American dress, and more. masondixon historical park.com

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

Eat Where the Chefs Eat Chefs don’t dine out the way you and I do.

Dave Halterman

Chef Sargasso, Morgantown

Marion Ohlinger

Matt Welsch

Chef and co-owner Hill & Hollow, Morgantown

Chef and owner Vagabond Kitchen, Wheeling

French Creek, West Virginia, native Halterman started cooking as a teenage vegetarian seeking variety. He worked in kitchens out West, but eventually returned to the hills he loves. Halterman’s interest in world foods and spices adds dimension to the menu at Sargasso.

A 12th-generation West Virginian, Ohlinger has cooked on five continents. The modern Appalachian cuisine at his Hill & Hollow restaurant, managed with wife and business partner, Alegria, embraces the dishes of immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Traveling got this Wheeling-born, motorcycle-riding restaurateur interested in food. It also taught him about the history and culture of his home state. He once called the dishes at his Vagabond Kitchen “world food through the filter of the Appalachian biker guy.”

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

COURTESY OF SARGASSO; COURTESY OF MARION OHLINGER; COURTESY OF MATT WELSCH

They don’t, like us, just enjoy the food—or, if we’re paying special attention, maybe also the plating and the ambience. Chefs critique the menu and the tableware and the lighting. They try to figure out where the ingredients came from and assess the happiness of the waitstaff. They can’t help it. When a chef loves a restaurant, it’s high praise indeed. So where in our region do off-duty chefs like to eat? We asked three of our favorite chefs which restaurants they love—or want to try—within a few hours’ drive of Morgantown. Their tastes run from lowbrow to highbrow and span ethnicities, and their admiration takes in details the rest of us might never notice. We pared their lists down to lesser-known eateries. Take their recommendations along and eat where the chefs eat when you go road-tripping this summer.

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

North Presidents Pub Washington, Pennsylvania 55m, 724.206.0918 presidentspub.com Presidents Pub is that kind of gastropubtype establishment that’s invested in quality food and making things in-house. Elevating stuff by using skill. They’ve got a cool, eclectic menu. I don’t know how much they get local but I suspect quite a bit. It’s down in a basement and has this speakeasy kind of feel to it—the kind of place where the staff are happy to be there, excited about the food, talk to the customers. Great cocktails, too. Golden Pig Cecil, Pennsylvania 1h10m, 412.220.7170 @yongsgoldenpig on Facebook Super small hole in the wall on Pennsylvania Route 50, pretty small menu, bulgogi and different stir fry-ey ramen bowl-esque meals. It’s fantastic. They just hit all the right notes, with good Asian, a little sweet, a little spicy, the barbecue falls apart in your mouth, spicy as you want it. I had their bulgogi pork, some sort of a soup, everything was amazing. I can’t explain the building— tiny little building and they only have a third of it. I’m always impressed with people who do amazing food with not much of a setup.

Vagabond Kitchen

Wheeling, 1h25m, 304.905.6173 thevagabondkitchen.com Chef Matt Welsch is what we need more of in this state: somebody who’s absolutely an advocate for West Virginia in every way, shape, and form—a big, hairy, tattooed cheerleader for West Virginia. The food at Matt’s Vagabond Kitchen is West Virginia comfort food, often with a twist, often treated with classic reverence. His chili is excellent.

COURTESY OFCHICKEN LATINO; CARLA WITT FORD

dining scene is so hip right now, but that’s where my wife and I go most often. So friendly and unfancy.

Chicken Latino Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1h30m, 412.246.0974 chickenlatino.net The best chicken I ever had in the world was everywhere I went in Peru—the second best is Chicken Latino. The Peruvian green sauce, salsa verde, made with amarillo peppers and some odd herbs that are hard to find, will absolutely rip the top of your head off, and you will keep eating it. And it comes with giant, thick-cut french fries. The Pittsburgh

Chengdu Gourmet Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1h30m, 412.521.2088 chengdugourmet.net One place I really like to go to when I have a chance is this Chinese place in Squirrel Hill called Chengdu Gourmet. They have an Americanized menu but also a traditional Chinese menu that I think is really great. It gives you a chance to have a lot of stuff you can’t get at most American Chinese restaurants. I really like the Dan Dan Noodle, it’s Szechuan noodle dish, has pork in it, a lot of hot chili oil, and then some pickled mustard root. Lots of soups, rabbit, beef tendon, things you may not get anywhere else. If you order a soup there it’s giant, like huge.

Doce Taqueria Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1h30m, 412.238.8518 docetaqueria.com It’s this tiny little hole in the wall, I bet you anything it’s no bigger than your office, all they do is tacos—get them with pork, beef, but they are so good, they practically made me cry. Carry out or sit at the bar, there's hardly any seats, lot of times there’s a line out the door. Most amazing tacos I’ve ever had. I want to go back. J.C. Wine Cellars East Springfield, Ohio, 2h 740.543.4200, jcwinecellars.com I’ve been there just once. They’re in this old service station or something, middle of nowhere. The food is top-notch. It’s got a rustic Italian feel, but more diverse than that. They source well. I’d absolutely go back there. MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

South have a great wine selection. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d probably never find it. They just do really great stuff. Yann’s Hot Dog Stand Fairmont, 30m, 304.366.8660 Walk-up counter, it’s the size of a closet, if you ask for ketchup he’ll kick you out. It’s century-ago style, old school, and it’s not contrived—it’s real. Vito’s Pizza

Clarksburg, 50m 304.622.4023, vitospizzawv.com I worked in Clarksburg in the late ’80s, early ’90s, and ate here. Vito refused to speak English and had the most amazing calzones and pasta dishes. Linoleum floors, counter service, like Greenwich Village 50 years ago. Provence Market Bridgeport, 45m 304.848.0911 provencemarketcafe.com Provence, it’s a cool kind of kitschy place, great food, and Anne Hart and Michael Brown are really excellent chefs. They

33 Country Club Glenville, 1h35m 304.462.8494, “33 Country Club” on Facebook It’s more of a bar, used to be a skating rink I think probably years ago. There’s a lady that works in the kitchen,

and she makes fresh bread every day. The BLT is pretty killer. She actually chops the bacon they put on the BLT. There’s a choice between homemade bread and “regular” bread, but I don’t know why anybody would get the regular bread. My band played some music there, and I had one BLT before the show—and then another one after. The Station Fayetteville, 2h20m 304.900.5516 thestationwv.com The Station is a classy establishment, but it has sort of a Prohibition vibe that keeps it breathing. Chef Kirk Mulcahy sources everything locally that he can. They’ve got a cool kitchen. As a line cook, the worst thing you can have is an open kitchen because all the customers can hear you cuss. At the same time, customers love to see you cooking. His kitchen is walled in with windows, so you can see in but not hear—best of both worlds. I think it was a gas station at one point—to transform that into a classy, hip place is impressive.

Buckhannon, 1h10m 304.472.9328 @thedonutshop buckhannon on Facebook They’ve got the best pepperoni roll I’ve ever had. They grind their pepperoni. It’s a freshbaked roll, and they ask you what kind of cheese you want—I like the mozzarella. They slice the fresh roll, put it all together, heat it up for you. Any time I go that way I come home with a big sack of them. 48

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

CARLA WITT FORD; NIKKI BOWMAN

The Donut Shop

ACROSS COUNTY LINES

MoonShadow

McHenry, Maryland, 55m, 240.442.5542, moonshadow145.com Head Chef Jason Fickes used to be at Table 9 in Morgantown. This restaurant had been around for a long time, used to be nice, got on hard times, and came under new ownership. Jason is from there. Combination of classic comfort dishes and fine dining without being too fancy. They do good work.

East

West

Sirianni's Cafe Davis, 1h40m, 304.259.5454 @thesiriannispizzacafe on Facebook I’m a lover of pizza. Might be my no. 1 weak spot when it comes to impulse control. Sirianni’s stands out as unique. It’s very much a mainstay of the community around there, “old ski town” distilled into one place. They source locally whenever they can. Thin crust, big pie, you gotta fold it to eat. Good beer on tap, too. And a great jukebox if they still have it.

North End Tavern & Brewery Parkersburg, 1h55m, 304.428.5854, netbrewery.com North End Tavern were part of that first wave of brewers, before there were over two dozen beers in the state. It’s a cool, kitschy place—it has all these different levels, kind of a labyrinth feel to it. They have quarter-pound burgers, a diner burger but a good diner burger, along with stuff like liverwurst that you never see. Good quality, original, simple.

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Betty’s Restaurant Shepherdstown, 2h35m, 304.876.6080 “home of the world’s best sausage gravy” on Facebook Every time we’re in Shepherdstown, we eat at Betty’s Restaurant. It’s everything it’s cracked up to be, absolutely fabulous every time. Guide House Grill Knoxville, Maryland, 2h50m 301.655.3663, guidehousegrill.com I haven’t been to Guide House Grill yet, but I’ve been hearing some great things about it. The building was a guide house for river rafters, I think. The chef is Darin Kordyak, great guy, I’ve known him for years. I think he’s worked about everywhere all over Morgantown and used to have a band here in town, West By God. His fiancee is their beverage director. They do a lot of cool events, too.

W12: Da Vinci’s Williamstown, 2h, 304.375.3633, villadavinci.com I found DaVinci’s a couple months ago. I was driving up from Charleston so hungry but didn’t want to eat at a chain, so I went to this place. Their food was really good. It’s an old Italian place, very Italian, but the menu has some more current dishes, some healthier meals that I was impressed by, and I think they’re making their own bread. I was pleasantly surprised. Chefs interviewed by pam kasey MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

Don’t Struggle—

Morgantown residents participate in WVU clinical trial for Alzheimer’s. by Micaela Morrissette 50

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MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

While Judi and Mark searched for a response, neurosurgeon Ali Rezai was engineering ambitious expansions at the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI), established at WVU in 1999 to pioneer advances in brain health. Since taking the reins there in 2017, Rezai has been recruiting people from all over the country and outside the United States to come to Morgantown, he says, “people with backgrounds in data analytics, population health, machine learning, circadian rhythms, biology, neuromodulation. We recruited nearly 50 individuals in the past year to come here.” The institute has also formed corporate partnerships. With Swiss company MindMaze, for example, Rezai’s team is exploring 52

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

Judi and Mark Polak with daughters Erin (left) and Emily, just after Polak’s first procedure.

cognitive enhancement for Alzheimer’s using virtual reality. Under Rezai’s direction, the institute partnered with Israeli company INSIGHTEC, which developed the ultrasound device Judi’s clinical trial is now testing. INSIGHTEC opted to host the treatment’s phase 2 trial—the second of a clinical trial's potential four phases evaluates both safety and benefits—at WVU due, Rezai believes, to the institute’s ability to “rapidly initiate” the trial. The process was very competitive. “We’re thrilled to be selected,” Rezai says. “Here locally in Morgantown is where new discoveries are happening.” Last year, for example, the institute was the first U.S. site to conduct a trial on a micropellet injected into the back to treat chronic sciatica pain locally, at the nerve, without opioids. Right now, it’s the world’s first site to do what Rezai describes as “a deep-brain stimulation trial, a brain pacemaker trial, for severe opioid addiction.” The INSIGHTEC trial Judi is involved in builds on years of preclinical research into animal models of Alzheimer’s. While there are several kinds of dementia—some more treatable than Alzheimer’s, making early diagnosis essential—Alzheimer’s is distinguished by the presence of beta-amyloid plaques, or clumps of protein, in the brain. When researchers coaxed open the vascular filtration system known as the blood–brain barrier in animal brains using ultrasound, “these clumps of protein were significantly cleared, and memory and cognitive function in these animals improved. That’s what led to the FDA saying, ‘Okay, let’s explore this in patients,’” Rezai says of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of testing on humans. The blood-brain barrier is a dense network of blood vessels that is highly selective in what it allows into and out of the

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udi and Mark Polak like to stand in the spot where they first saw each other, steps away from what’s now Mark’s office at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. When they met, “Judi was a new nurse,” Mark remembers, “and I was a green medical student” at WVU. They’ve been married now for 37 years. Mark is Health Sciences Center (HSC) chief of neonatology. And Judi had a career she loved at the HSC as a neonatal nurse practitioner and doctor of nursing practice—until she retired in 2015 after receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Now in her early 60s, she’s still in Alzheimer’s early stages, with only short-term memory loss. Mark and Judi have always been caregivers. They cared for Judi’s father and Mark’s mother, both of whom faced memory issues. They care for Judi’s sister, diagnosed eight years ago with a glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. Given Judi’s professional and family caregiving stressors, she and Mark attributed her early Alzheimer's symptoms to depression. “Some people burn the candle at both ends. She started a fire in the middle, too,” Mark says, his voice breaking. Neither conceals their feelings about Judi’s diagnosis. Mark pushes verbally through emotion. He talks with vigor and passion. Judi smiles quickly when overcome, delicately turning her face away. She’s much quieter but, when she responds, it’s with swift engagement. “Forgetfulness” was the first sign of trouble, she says. “Not remembering my large cache of …” “Knowledge?” suggests Mark. “Passwords,” says Judi wryly. “I had to write everything down. I’m a writer-downer anyway, but I forgot a lot.” Navigating the hospital’s electronic health records became difficult, so she consulted psychiatrist Marc Haut. In January 2014, Mark and Judi assembled with their family in Haut’s office, viewed Judi’s brain scan, and received the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Mark was not prepared for the news. But, says Judi, “I was. Yup. I was.” Judi and Mark weathered the shock together. “After we got through the boo-hooing,” Mark remembers, “it was like, ‘Well, we need to do something about this. We just can’t sit around and watch things float away.’” Do something, they did. In September 2018, Judi became the first human to have the blood-brain barrier to her hippocampus—the part of the brain in charge of memories— opened via ultrasound as part of a potentially groundbreaking phase 2 clinical trial at WVU.

Judi Polak, center, Dr. Ali Rezai, standing behind her, and the team from the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in the MRI suite on the day of the first procedure.

brain. Chemotherapy medications, antibiotics, and antibodies often can’t reach the brain, or only get through in diminished quantities, posing a major treatment challenge. However, when microbubbles are injected into the body and reach the barrier, focused ultrasound waves can oscillate the bubbles, nudging open the tight junctions between the cells for about 24 hours. “The theory,” Rezai says, “is that opening up the barrier modulates the immune system to accelerate the clearing of the brain plaques. It may also facilitate the clearance mechanism for removal of the accumulated protein in the brain.” “The real breakthrough came when INSIGHTEC figured out how to focus the ultrasound inside the skull, because the skull really creates a problem for ultrasound,” explains WVU interventional neuroradiologist Jeffrey Carpenter. “It’s almost like having your surround sound system in rooms outside of where you are. The tuning of the surround sound is a little harder when you’re outside the bone. INSIGHTEC figured out how to do that.” There’s no surgery involved: The three subjects in WVU’s trial remained awake and talking—in Judi’s case, Rezai recalls, “joking around”—during the three biweekly sets of ultrasound procedures they each underwent. It’s still too early to speak to any possible reduction in brain plaques or cognitive decline in the participants, but Rezai can say that the safety profile, his first priority, “was excellent, no problems” for all three patients. Risks such as swelling or bleeding in the brain have not occurred.

INSIGHTEC’s technology excites Carpenter, but he’s just as enthusiastic about what this trial and similar initiatives mean for health care in Morgantown and West Virginia. “Dr. Rezai brought in a lot of connections,” he says. “We’re going to have access to really, really smart clinicians: neurologists that really specialize in Alzheimer’s disease and are on the forefronts of their games. This is going to be a very exciting place for neurologists and neuroscientists to come and practice.” An influx of specialists matters for Morgantown, because Alzheimer’s poses acute problems for West Virginia. The biggest predictor of Alzheimer’s is age, and West Virginia hovers among the three U.S. states with the highest percentages of seniors. The Chicago, Illinois–based Alzheimer’s Association reports that 38,000 West Virginians currently have Alzheimer’s—and the disease may be underdiagnosed. That 38,000 is expected to increase 16 percent by 2025. West Virginia’s Medicaid bill for Alzheimer’s is $430 million per year now, and that’s projected to increase 20 percent over the same period. Not only are there many older residents in West Virginia, but the dementia risk for baby boomers, who shoulder much of the current caregiving burden, is increasing with their age. Many caring for elderly loved ones also care for children or grandchildren. Yet, says Sharon Rotenberry, executive director of the Alzheimer Association’s West Virginia chapter, “we cannot afford for these caregivers to stop doing what they do. We don’t have places for people to go if our caregivers aren’t doing what they’re doing.” Costs rise here, too: The state’s 106,000 unpaid caregivers have seen their own health care costs go up by $90 million after assuming their roles. No one denies the urgency of Alzheimer’s for West Virginia, MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

response, WV CARES also trains health care professionals and first responders. In April, it certified the Boone County Sheriff’s Department as the state’s first 100 percent–certified dementia-friendly department. The first sets of data from PET scans and the memory and cognition testing aspects of the trial will be ready in the fall of 2019, and monitoring will continue for up to five years. Mark, Judi, and others believe they can see a change, a sparkle in Judi’s eyes since the procedures. Still, the trial has brought challenges. They think Judi may be more frustrated than before the procedures, because the improvements they feel she has made enhance her awareness of her own slippages and missed connections. Judi more readily admits dejection, while Mark rallies a fierce optimism. He celebrates their coping tools: a calendar, a system for medications, written directions for the new washing machine, home cameras, an app for tracking Judi when she drives. He notes “little moves forward and an occasional step backward.” even in politics. On Capitol Hill, says Rotenberry, “every “Right,” says Judi neutrally. piece of legislation that involves this disease and treatment “She sees the step backward,” says Mark. is cosponsored by Senator Shelley Moore Capito. And our “I do,” she says. congressmen vote for it. They vote for continued funding to the They are equally committed, though, to the WVU trial. National Institutes of Health, all five of them. They voted for “Even if it didn’t do anything—” Mark begins. the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act that passed last “It means something,” says Judi. year, and that’s to better man public health.” “It means something,” Mark agrees. Capito agrees: When it comes to Alzheimer’s, even in One aspect of the trial monitoring does shake Mark’s tireless Washington, she says, “one roadblock Congress fortunately positivity: the interviews during which he reports on Judi’s doesn’t have to worry about is partisanship.” Other condition. He describes those as “very negative” and “really roadblocks—budgets, competing priorities—“are harder, but by focused on what’s bad. It’s like, ‘Why don’t you ask me what’s no means impossible for someone who has personally seen the good?’” The questions Mark wants to answer, he says, are: devastating toll this disease can take.” “Tell me one good thing that has happened this week,” and, Capito has spoken publicly about her parents’ experience “What have you done to fight this disease?” with Alzheimer’s. So far in 2019, she participated in the Judi misses her work, the camaraderie of her team at introduction of the Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act, the the HSC, “terribly.” But she continues to heal others. She reintroduction of the CHANGE Act, and the announcement of volunteers to cuddle babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. a half-million dollar grant for WVU’s Alzheimer’s research. Meanwhile, Judi maintains, the most important thing she or any Capito expects the RNI’s work to benefit West Virginians patient can do is “not quit.” directly, and Mark Polak one-ups her optimism. “The first Mark agrees. “You have to be involved. You have to fight person who’ll be cured is alive today,” he avows. Then he goes things. It’s always people ‘suffering’ from Alzheimer’s. They no further: “So it might as well be Judi, right?” longer ‘suffer’ from cancer, now they ‘fight’ cancer, they ‘fight’ ALS, they ‘fight’ MS. But you suffer from Alzheimer’s, you die from Alzheimer’s. We wanted to change that scenario. We wanted to be part of the cure in any way we could.” Years of research lie ahead. Additional trials will take place at Cornell University and elsewhere. If WVU’s results show promise, follow-up trials might target other parts of the brain or deliver immunotherapy or medications through the bloodbrain barrier. Not only Alzheimer’s specialists, but physicians WV CARES is a one-stop shop connecting and patients fighting other incurable brain diseases, such as dementia-affected individuals and families to Parkinson’s and glioblastoma, are awaiting WVU’s results, all resources including the Bureau of Senior Services, over the globe. AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, and other local But, Rezai acknowledges, “while we work very hard to find support systems. wvcares.org cures or treatments, it’s important that we don’t lose sight of people like Judi and their families, who are living with The Alzheimer’s Association provides free support Alzheimer’s every day.” He’s impressed by West Virginia to anyone affected by any form of dementia. Staff CARES, for Coordinated Action, Response, Education, and help individuals navigate the local resource landscape, Support, a program that trains professionals across different coordinate conference calls between family members, sectors, such as the faith or banking communities, to recognize and help match patients and families with volunteer and respond to dementia. With Marshall Health at Marshall educators or clinical trials. alz.org, 1.800.272.3900 University, which has its own multi-pronged Alzheimer’s 54

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

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ARTHURDALE

WAS A SYMBOL OF PROGRESSIVE IDEALS DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, AND ITS LEGACY LIVES ON.

WRITTEN BY MIKENNA PIEROTTI | PHOTOGRAPHED BY NIKKI BOWMAN 56

MORGANTOWN â&#x20AC;¢ JUNE/JULY 2019

The tiny hamlet of Arthurdale was an experiment, a sincere attempt to use progressive ideals to create the perfect community and right a world turned upside down by the Great Depression. Today, most historians consider this utopian dream a failure. But was it really? The story of Arthurdale and the legacy that lives on there today is far richer and more complex than the pages of a history book can tell.

THE SETTING It was the 1930s. The Great Depression had crippled the United States: Nearly a third of the working population was unemployed, banks were closing, businesses were shuttering, the coal industry was hemorrhaging. The federal government was desperate to try anything. “We didn’t know if the economy was ever going to come around again,” says Sam Stack, professor of philosophy and history at WVU. In West Virginia, the mining camps that had sprung up in the wake of boom times had become like prisons for the families who’d staked their futures there. “When the Depression came, and the floor fell out of anybody needing coal, everybody was left there and trapped. They had been getting poorer and poorer until things got awful,” says Jeanne Goodman, archivist and former director of the Arthurdale Heritage Foundation. That is, until the newly elected Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wife took a trip in August 1933 to Scotts Run, a coal community just downriver from Morgantown that, not long before, had been thriving. The filth in the streets, the rundown shacks, the starving children—it sent the first lady reeling back to the White House. There, she convinced her husband to help lift some of those people out of poverty and launch the New Deal’s very first homestead project.

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THE EXPERIMENT Part of FDR’s New Deal, the idea behind creating experimental homestead towns was relatively simple. If a family had a bit of land and a small farm to grow their own food, a close-knit community to support them, and a trade or craft to make themselves some money on the side, they’d be able to subsist, and thrive, even if the economy was no longer booming. “When they passed what was called the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, a small portion of that act gave President Roosevelt and Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes about $25 million to experiment in community planning,” Stack says. The first lady, then, made sure the first of that money went to West Virginia, and Arthurdale, a 1,200-acre swath of gently sloping, fertile farmland 15 miles southeast of Morgantown, was born. Named after the farmer who’d sold it to the

government in payment for back taxes, the former gentleman’s farm became the very first of what would later balloon into 99 such experimental communities across the country. “They started actually building in late 1933,” Goodman says. After a bad winter and a few setbacks, the first 50 families began moving in in mid-1934. The criteria were typical. You had to be white, married, have at least one child, and be ready to work. Altogether, 165 families qualified, most from the Scotts Run area. Most were former coal miners. Once qualified, every family received basically the same setup. “It depended on the lay of the land, but you got usually about three acres,” Goodman says. Each plot had space for a garden, room to raise livestock, even grow fruit orchards. Each little house had indoor plumbing and the same level of basic comforts most middle-class families enjoyed. At the center of the village, a few small community-owned buildings, like a health clinic, a dairy, a filling station, a grocery store, a post office, and a school served as places for people to gather and create bonds, share stories, and teach each other new skills. Everything was intended to support community, place, and culture, rather than the survival-of-the-fittest mentality required in the down-and-out coal camps and impoverished urban centers. The homesteaders themselves weren’t living free of charge. They paid rent by farming and selling their goods, helping build new homes and buildings, working in the schools, post office, or craft shop. Factories were also built to house future industries that would—hopefully—move in and supply more wage labor to the men in town. Skilled handicrafts like furniture would be created and sold, the proceeds of which would be shared. Although the intention was for the families to be able to subsist on what they could grow and share amongst themselves, money was still essential for those things that couldn’t be grown. Towns like Arthurdale could only remain self-sufficient and continue to grow if they attracted businesses and commerce.

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That’s where things started to break down. “The Arthurdale project as a whole didn’t really meet the goals,” Stack says. The families who lived in Arthurdale never became fully self-sufficient economically. “They were able to grow their own food, and pretty well provide for food subsistence.” But as far as wage labor was concerned, new industries never moved to Arthurdale long-term. “Really, the basic flaw of Arthurdale being self-supporting early on was that it just didn't have the markets,” Goodman says. Originally, Arthurdale was going to have a specialized local industry that would help sustain it. Unfortunately, that idea fell through. “They didn't have a good fallback, so they ended up enticing businesses to come here,” she says. Many industries gave Arthurdale a try, but none stayed. Without nearby markets and sufficient workforce, none could tough it out long enough to have an impact. And without wage labor, Arthurdale would soon begin bleeding workers. “After Pearl Harbor, many men went back into the mines or went into the Army,” Stack says. By 1947, the federal government had pulled out of the community altogether, leaving it to fend for itself.

THE SCHOOL Despite Arthurdale’s economic failure, some historians today are taking a closer look. Researchers like Stack are making the argument that the real success of these communities wasn’t in the direct economic impact, but in the impact on future generations. In Arthurdale in particular, the heart of the community was the school. Based on the ideas of the American philosopher and educator John Dewey, the school at Arthurdale was a beacon of progressive thought. “He believed the school could serve as a way to build community. That’s really what was going on in Arthurdale,” Stack says. “It’s where people gathered, where they played ball, where they had their plays, musicals. All that on school grounds. That was the goal of the school, to become the centerpiece of the community.” 58

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Eleanor Roosevelt was a fan of Dewey, so naturally, she brought in one of his protégées, Elsie Clapp, to be the principal and director of community affairs for Arthurdale’s school. She recruited several other progressive educators from Kentucky, too. Roosevelt was so convinced of the merits of such an education, she even paid for these educators to remain in Arthurdale for several years out of her own pocket. The gamble paid off. “They were experimenting at Arthurdale with the curriculum, trying to help these kids learn subject matter outside of traditional teacher/text orientations. They did a lot of project work, a lot of things focused on art and music, and Appalachian culture,” Stack says. They learned colonial homesteading skills like candlemaking, how to churn butter, how to cook over a fire and spin wool. And, unlike many schools of the time, it didn’t matter if you were male or female—everyone learned everything. Students in the Arthurdale school even learned hands-on about building the town itself as they watched it rise around them. Nothing was purely theoretical, and much of it was led by students’ own interests and skills, from violin making to banking to grocery store operation. Even long after the Arthurdale experiment died out and the community became just like any other, the effects of this experimental education reverberated throughout the community. Many of the Arthurdale children went on to become doctors, lawyers, and educators themselves. Many were lifted out of poverty, became middle class and passed on those opportunities to their children and grandchildren. After hearing many of the Arthurdale children’s stories firsthand, Stack says he was further convinced that, while Arthurdale may have been a political failure for some, it was a complete success for the families who lived there. “They will always talk about how important their education was to them. They always understood it to be different and unique,” he says. “Not all the kids in those mining camps went to school in a consistent manner, but when they came to Arthurdale, they expected them to participate. Dewey believed that without community you really couldn’t have democracy. That really was what drove him. He was trying to create an education that prepared kids for participation in society as little democrats … people who can solve problems, reflect, create, imagine, analyze.”

THE LEGACY For those who’ve been touched by this little community, Arthurdale’s true legacy lives on in the people. And it is those people who keep the stories alive. People like Glenna Williams are the true success stories of the Arthurdale

New Deal Festival Arthurdale Saturday, July 13 10 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 p.m. newdealfestival.org

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

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delicious homestead foods, local crafts, and live music come together each July. Just as its founders intended, Arthurdale is a true community held together by its historic roots. And for descendants like Steve Antoline, who grew up in this close-knit community, the ideals of its founding have undoubtedly shaped him and continue to shape future generations. “Arthurdale and the surrounding area was an ideal place to grow up,” he says. “We never locked our doors growing up. You could always count on the neighbor for help if you needed it.” Like Williams, Antoline had a bright future thanks to what he found in Arthurdale. After living in the community for 20 years and earning his college education, he struck out on his own, founding and eventually selling a Beckley-based company that grew into the world’s largest manufacturer of highwall mining equipment. He also operated several oil and gas wells and a property development company and still has found time to give back to his community through philanthropic efforts and support of the Arthurdale Heritage Foundation. “It instilled great values in the young people that grew up there. My family in the town of Arthurdale taught us all that you could pretty well do whatever you set your mind to. If you were willing to work hard enough,” he says. “It certainly has a ripple effect. It’s contagious.”

NIKKI BOWMAN; COURTESY OF ARTHURDALE HERITAGE, INC. (2); COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

experiment. A teacher who grew up during the Arthurdale experiment, Williams moved away to build her career, yet felt the call to come back in her later years. But when she returned in the 1980s, she saw a town in decay. Arthurdale’s central community buildings and historic sites were falling apart. As an unincorporated community, it had no central governmental presence to keep things together. If she didn’t act quickly, the town’s history might be lost forever. Together with other former Arthurdale children, educators, politicians, and community members, Williams helped spark the Arthurdale Heritage Foundation in 1984, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring the historic community and passing its story on to visitors from near and far. “She was the main force behind those restoration efforts in the 1980s and getting Arthurdale on the historical registry,” Stack says. Since then, largely thanks to volunteer efforts from the children, grandchildren, and others still living in the area, Arthurdale has been restored and the spirit of the community is alive once more. Today, Arthurdale is a thriving small community tucked into lush farmland. many descendants still live there in the homes their parents and grandparents built. Thousands of visitors also pass through this New Deal town for tours of the preserved historic buildings, demonstrations and reenactments, and community events like the annual New Deal Festival, where

Your local guide to life, art, culture, & more JUNE/JULY 2019

June JUNE 13 3rd Annual Kamayan Hill & Hollow, 709 Beechurst, Thurs. 304.241.4551, @hillandhollowwv on Facebook A Filipino-Hillbilly shindig.

NEARBY 2019 Summer Jazz Stroll Downtown Clarksburg, Fri. 5–11 p.m. wvjazzsociety.com Five bands in five venues.

Downtown Morgantown Arts Walk Downtown, Fri. 6–9 p.m., downtownmorgantown.com Shops and restaurants host local artists—wander to also discover live music and food specials. JUNE 15 NEARBY Mountaineer Audubon Field Trip Bruceton Mills, Sat. 7:30 a.m. mountaineeraudubon.org A day of four-wheeling and birding. Meet at I-68 Exit 23, carpool to Cranesville Swamp. Screech Owl Brewing for lunch. Free

High Point National Mount Morris, PA, Sat. 8 a.m., highpointmx.com See motocross on full display. Several vantage points offer full views of the track, and jumps at main spectator areas let fans see riders go big. This event marks Round 4 of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, $40 and up NEARBY

Morgantown Farmers Market Morgantown Market Place, 413 Spruce Street, Sat. 8:30 a.m.–noon, 304.291.7201 morgantownfarmersmarket.org Fresh local produce, breads, meats, cheeses, crafts, and more every Saturday all summer. Family Forager Fun Run West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sat. 10 a.m., 304.322.2093, wvbg.org A 1-mile fun run for ages 6 to 12 and an education for the entire family on what hunter-gatherers collected from Appalachian woodlands for survival. Prizes, snacks. $10 in advance, $15 day-of NEARBY Morgantown Roller Vixens vs. Jersey Shore Roller Girls Craig Civic Center, 311 Tunnelton Street, Kingwood, Sat. 6 p.m., morgantownrollervixens. com, @mrv2010 on Facebook First home bout of the season for Morgantown’s all-female flat-track roller derby team. Cheer them on against the Jersey Shore Roller Girls. $5–$10

COURTESY OF WEST VIRGINIA BLACK BEARS

JUNE 14

JUNE 14 & 15

WV Black Bears vs. Mahoning Valley The Black Bears face the Scrappers to open the season. Friday: Fireworks; Saturday: Superhero Night benefitting Stepping Stones. $8.75–$12.75

Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Fri. & Sat. 7:05 p.m., 304.293.7910 westvirginiablackbears.com

JUNE 18–20

JUNE 21–23

WV Black Bears vs. Mahoning Valley Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Tues.–Thurs. 6:35 p.m. 304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com The Scrappers are back for more. Wed.: Princess & Pirates; Thurs.: WV Day fireworks. $8.75–$12.75

WV Black Bears vs. State College Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive Granville, Fri.–Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun. 1:05 p.m. 304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com The Black Bears face the Spikes. Friday: Fireworks; Saturday: Wizard Night benefiting American Heart Association; Sunday: Pregame Children’s Painting hosted by The WOW! Factory. $8.75–$12.75

JUNE 20 11th Annual Taste of West Virginia Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place 2 Waterfront Place, Thurs. 6–8:30 p.m. 304.598.9500, redcross.org Sample foods from the area’s best restaurants and support the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. $35/person; $60/couple JUNE 21 Summer Solstice Beer Pairing Dinner Hill & Hollow, 709 Beechurst, Fri. 304.241.4551, @hillandhollowwv on Facebook Craft ales paired with tacos and stuff.

JUNE 22 West Virginia Birthday Celebration Courthouse Square, Sat. 1–6 p.m. downtownmorgantown.com The beloved West Virginia Birthday Celebration returns to High Street! Kids’ activities, food vendors, craft beer, live music, and more. Help paint a mural and celebrate 156 years of statehood. Free Handcrafted Cooperative Night Market Market Place Pavilion, 415 Spruce Street, Sat. 4–10 p.m., thehandcraftedcooperative.com A juried market of the handmade and vintage, extra fun in the evening. Free MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

A Season of Good Taste: Burgers and Brews Night West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sat. 6 p.m., wvbg.org Join Chef Mark Tasker and the crew of Table 9 for a fun evening of music, brews, and burgers at the West Virginia Botanic Garden. Brews by Short Story Brewing of Rivesville. Reserve online in advance. $50 JUNE 23 NEARBY Blissful Yoga Festival Palatine Park, Fairmont, Sun. 3 p.m. @palatineparkwv on Facebook International Yoga Day and the summer solstice—what better time for group outdoor yoga? Take your yoga mat if you have one, a blanket to lay it down on, and a water bottles. Free; donations go to the Marion County Humane Society

JUNE 28–30 WV Black Bears vs. Williamsport Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive Granville, Fri. & Sat. 7:05 p.m., Sun. 1:05 p.m. 304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com The Black Bears face the Crosscutters. Friday: Fireworks; Saturday: Star Wars Night benefiting WVU Medicine Children’s; Sunday: Kids Run the Bases. $8.75–$12.75 JUNE 29

NEARBY Morgantown Roller Vixens vs. Black-n-Bluegrasss Craig Civic Center, 311 Tunnelton Street Kingwood, Sat. 6 p.m., @mrv2010 on Facebook morgantownrollervixens.com Cheer Morgantown’s all-female flat-track roller derby league on as they face Black-n-Bluegrass. $5–$10

July JULY 4 Celebration of America Parade High Street, Thurs. 6 p.m. Led by a kids’ bicycle parade, anyone can march. Line up at the top of High Street at 5:30 p.m. Fireworks return in 2020.

CARLA WITT FORD

STIHL Timbersports Lumberjack Festival Triple S Harley-Davidson, 7300 Willie G Avenue Sat. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., 304.284.8244, tripleshd.com Cheer WV native Matt Cogar on at the MidAtlantic Professional Men’s Qualifier and Hot Saw Shootout. See all your favorite events: springboard chop, single buck, hot saw and more. $8; children 6–12 $2

LATE JUNE THROUGH MID-JULY Blueberry picking It’s not summer ’til you’ve picked blueberries. Don’t forget your sunblock, hat, and water bottle! NEARBY

Blueberry Ridge Farms, Tom Moran Lane, Fairmont, call or check Facebook for open days and hours, 304.368.8294, @blueberryridgefarms on Facebook

The Black Bears take on the Doubledays. Sunday: Independence Day Fireworks; Monday: Peanut Reduced Night. $8.75–$12.75 JULY 10–12 WV Black Bears vs. Aberdeen Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Wed. & Thurs. 6:35 p.m., Fri. 7:05 p.m., 304.293.7910 westvirginiablackbears.com The Black Bears take on the IronBirds. Thursday: Bobblehead Night; Friday: Fireworks. $8.75–$12.75

JULY 7–9 WV Black Bears vs. Auburn Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Sun. 7:05 p.m. Mon. & Tues. 6:35 p.m., 304.293.7910 westvirginiablackbears.com 62

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

JULY 11–13 Watermans Feast Hill & Hollow, 709 Beechurst, Thurs.–Sat. 304.241.4551, @hillandhollowwv on Facebook Cuisine of the Chesapeake Bay

JULY 12 Jim Dunn Run Wharf Street Parking Garage, Fri. 5 p.m. The 5-mile run is part of the Morgantown Gran Prix Series — or enjoy the evening with the 2-mile walk. The event raises money for the Jim Dunn Memorial Scholarships that benefit West Virginia high school senior athletes continuing in track or cross country in college. $30, $35 day of JULY 12–14 NEARBY Dirt Rag Dirt Fest West Virginia Big Bear Lake Campground, 450 Big Bear Lake Drive, Bruceton Mills, Fri. 11 a.m.–Sun. 5 p.m. dirtragdirtfest.com Celebrate mountain biking in West Virginia with demos on the latest bike products, skills clinics, and more. New in 2019: Saturday evening costume party and more. $80–$150

JULY 13 NEARBY New Deal Festival Arthurdale, Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 304.864.3959, newdealfestival.org Celebrate the history of this New Deal community with crafts and farmers’ markets, live music, a vintage car and tractor show, artisan demonstrations, and activities for all ages. WORTH THE DRIVE Stream Snorkeling Shaver’s Fork Stuart Recreation Area, Elkins Sat., 304.413.0945, wvlandtrust.org Explore beneath the surface of the river― snorkel gear provided.

JULY 17 High Street Cruise-in High Street, Wed. 4–8 p.m. High Street will be lined with classic and custom cars and trucks so you can get a good look at all the cool cruisers.

WV Black Bears vs. State College Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Wed. & Thurs. 6:35 p.m., Fri. 7:05 p.m., 304.293.7910 westvirginiablackbears.com The Black Bears get a second chance at the Spikes. Wednesday: Pittsburgh Pirates Night; Thursday: Ladies’ Night; Friday: Fireworks. $8.75–$12.75 JULY 18–20 Return of the Killer Tomatoes Hill & Hollow, 709 Beechurst, Thurs.–Sat. 304.241.4551, @hillandhollowwv on Facebook Tomatoes are the best fruit. JULY 20 Annual MedExpress Kids’ Day High Street downtown, Sat. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. downtownmorgantown.com Games, crafts, a giant sandbox, and gifts from local organizations. Information booth at Citizens Bank at 265 High Street. Free JULY 21 A Season of Good Taste: Summer Sunday Brunch West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Road, Sun. 11 a.m., 304.322.2093, wvbg.org Chef Don Champion from Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, will prepare a delectable array of brunch entrees and libations to bring in the lazy days of summer. $65 JULY 23–25 WV Black Bears vs. Batavia Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Tues.–Thurs. 6:35 p.m. 304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com Cheer our Black Bears on as they take on the Muckdogs. Moonshiners’ Series. $8.75–$12.75

COURTESY OF MOUNTAINFEST

JULY 17–19

JULY 25–27

15th annual MountainFest Motorcycle Rally

Morgantown welcomes 50,000 motorcycle enthusiasts back with four days of fun including live musical performances by Peter Frampton, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Cheap Trick. $59 online for adult full-event pass; other ticket prices vary. Mylan Park, 500 Mylan Park Lane, Thurs.–Sat., 304.292.5081, wvmountainfest.com

JULY 27 Downtown Morgantown 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 all over downtown. JULY 30–AUGUST 1 WV Black Bears vs. Staten Island Monongalia County Ballpark, 2040 Gyorko Drive, Granville, Tues.–Thurs. 6:35 p.m. 304.293.7910, westvirginiablackbears.com Cheer our West Virginia Black Bears on as they take on the Staten Island Yankees. Tuesday: Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act; Wednesday: Fortnite Night; Thursday: Bark in the Park. $8.75–$12.75

Upcoming AUGUST 9–10 NEARBY Ragnar West Virginia Trail Big Bear Lake Campgrounds, 450 Big Bear Lake Drive, Bruceton Mills, Fri. & Sat., “Ragnar West Virginia Trail” on Facebook Teams come together for an overnight running relay with trails fit for any level. Teams take turns running on three tree-lined trails full of dense Appalachian forest, rolling hills with serious elevation, and giant ferns. When you’re not running, hang out with your team and others— think campfire stories, live music, and round-theclock food vendors. $390 per team and up

See our Motown Lowdown at morgantownmag.com for weekly updates.

MORGANTOWNMAG.COM

THEN & NOW

WORKS ON DISPLAY

free and open to the public WVU Downtown Campus Library 4th floor July 1–December 15, 2019.

“Image 2”

“Image 3”

MORGANTOWN • JUNE/JULY 2019

LILLIAN RO

Hannah Jack, a WVU junior studying English and Women’s and Gender Studies, doesn’t exactly consider herself an artist but feels that writing is often a lot like visual design. Her creativity comes through in two digitally created images featured in WVU Libraries’ REMIX, an exhibit opening July 1 in the West Virginia and Regional History Center (WVRHC). Jack’s “Image 2” combines a photograph of a 1960s WVU Fraternity Hill climb competition with a West Virginia centennial commemorative postage stamp from 1963 and an undated view of Hawks Nest overlook in Fayette County, West Virginia. Of her remix, Jack says, “The image was so dreamy, and I had just been reading about the Hawks Nest disaster, so I knew immediately that I had to work with it. I wanted to exaggerate the dream landscape, to twist it, corrupt it, but also to replicate the graceful lines in the original photo.”

REMIX

Jack’s “Image 3” makes use of an undated aerial photograph of Beechurst Avenue and the WVU downtown campus. “I thought that the lines made by the PRT track and trees were gorgeous, so I simply rotated the original shot.”

The WVU Libraries Art in the Libraries REMIX project calling for digital and print collage remix artworks using the WVRHC archives drew dozens of submissions. exhibits.lib.wvu.edu written by sally deskins images by hannah jack