An Inside Lookinto the Business

Development and

Economic Growth of Lewis County

and the surrounding area

economic

UPDATE

APRIL 25, 2012 | A PUBLICATION OF | THE WESTON DEMOCRAT

E2—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation• Physicians on 24 Hr. Call• Professional Nursing Staff• Physical Therapy• Occupational Therapy• Speech Therapy• I.V. Therapy• Therapeutic Diets

• Home Style Meals• Social Services• Recreational Programs• Dentist on Call• Beauty Salon• Intermediate Care• Outstanding Employees

• Activities, Activities, Activities •We Invite Your Inspection

There Is A Difference!Member

WVA Health Care Assn. & AHCAMedicare & Medicaid

Approved

Clarksburg Telephone No.

1-304-622-5486Jane Lew Telephone No.

1-304-884-7811(VOICE/TTY)

Just Off I-79 at Jane Lew Exit 105

Lisa Tomey of Pricetown uses a computer to access the internet and check her email in the EMS computer center because she does not have a computer at home.

Housed inside the Lewis County Emergency Management Services Building is a community computer lab that is free and open to the public. The center has been open for more than a year but according to the computer lab worker, Chris McCall, the center has not been utilized to its full potential.

“We may get one to two people a week in here,” said McCall.

The center is open about ten hours a week for computer classes that can be as simple as learning how to use a mouse on a computer to continuing education courses for teachers and EMS workers.

“Anyone in the EMS fi eld has to take 196 hours every 2 years of con-tinuing education,” said McCall.

The center has ten computer stations with many programs as

well as access to the internet with one station being on the fi rst level for handicapped individuals.

The computers also have self-taught courses for those who want to take SAT and GED tests. They also have practice tests to help pass the real tests.

Most people who currently use the computers are those who do not have computers in their homes. Par-ents of school-age children could bring their children to the center to do school work that requires internet research or even typing up a paper for a class.

Anyone who uses the computers at the center is eligible for a $50 gas card or Itunes cards after comple-tion of a questionnaire.

The computers and the software are courtesy of a Broadband Initia-

Public Free To Use Computers at EMStive Grant from the Broadband USA and Future Generations of West Virginia made possible with funds from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

West Virginia State Senator Jay Rockefeller is a supporter of improving internet access in the Mountain State and said, “A lot of people don’t understand the concept of broadband (high speed internet), but it really is broadband that determines the future of the state. This is an extraordinary day. Nothing like this has ever happened in West Virginia. This is like build-ing fi ve entire interstate highway systems across West Virginia.”

Fore more information about the Lewis County Computer Center, call 304-269-8207.

James and Law FillsSchool, Offi ce Needs

The James and Law Company has been and will continue to be “Your Complete School and Of-fi ce Outfi tter Since 1899.” The company’s mission continues after 113 years to provide their customers with the quality merchandise and services they deserve, at a competi-tive price.

While the economy has been a drag on the nation as a whole, we as a state have been somewhat spared due to our abundant energy resources. Much like Lewis County has seen its economic engine change from glass production to natural gas production, the James and Law Company has also seen many changes over time. Many things that were important parts of our business in the past have faded away to make room for the products our customers need and want today.

One of the great things about being around this long has to be when friends from the past stop by to reminisce about shopping at the store fi fty years ago and standing in lines that wrapped around the corner waiting to purchase their school supplies and books. While James and Law continues to be the West Virginia State Textbook Depository, the books are delivered

to the counties and schools now. The fi rst copy machine the store

sold was in the late 50s and today James and Law represents Lanier Offi ce Products for both black and white as well as color copy and printing equipment. If you need to Scan, Print, Copy, or Fax, James and Law can provide the network capable equipment you need.

In an effort to fi ll the grow-ing need for a larger variety of high quality offi ce furniture, the James and Law Company added an entire fl oor of offi ce furniture displays. In addition, we provide design services from one offi ce to whole buildings. James and Law now has a complete selection in anyone’s price range, from laminate to veneer, from subdued to ornate, including a great selection for Home Offi ces.

With four members of our sales staff having graduated from Lewis County High School, the James and Law Company knows Lewis County. So whatever your business needs, be it offi ce supplies, offi ce or school furniture, or any of their complete line of Lanier Offi ce Equipment, James and Law is pre-pared to help. For more information give them a call at 304-624-7401.

City of Weston Employees

City/Finance Manager - Michelle Allen

City Clerk - Kristin Droppleman

Public Works Director - John Hogan

Police Clerk - June Mackey

POLICE DEPARTMENTPolice Chief - Roger “Rob” Clem, Jr.Lt. Randy PoseySgt. Mike FlaniganSgt. Josh ThomasPtlm. Mark WhitePtlm. Chris LeighParking Enforcement - Homer Parsons

FIRE DEPARTMENTFire Chief - Kenny JamesAsst. Fire Chief - Jimmy SuttleRelief Asst. Chief - Keith TalbertRelief Asst. Chief - Dusty Hall

STREET DEPARTMENTVinson Ryder, Jr.Billy GoldsmithRalph WaggySonny Metz IIUllman Riffl e

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—E3

The Lewis County Planning Commission was established in 2011 for the purpose of planning the future of Lewis County. Many counties in the state have planning commissions to help take the load off of the county commission. The Planning Commission can be completely devoted to help facilitate planning for the future in infrastructure, land use, and economic development.

The Lewis County Building Commission consists of the fol-lowing members: Facilitator Cindy Whetsell, Chairman Charlie Stral-ey, Vice Chairman Edsel Smith, Secretary Steve Moneypenny, Gene Davis, Steve Hannah, Mi-chael Jenkins, Rex Stalnaker and David Whitaker.

The planning commission held fi ve meetings in March throughout various locations in the county for planners to determine the wants and needs of the community and to help them develop a plan for the future of Lewis County.

The president of the Planning Commission, Charlie Straley, started the meetings out by intro-ducing Mike Doughterty, a com-munications specialist with the West Virginia Extension Service.

Mr. Doughterty was the facilita-tor at all the meetings and was good at getting people to speak up and contribute ideas for the county plan.

He told the 50 or so people at the meeting, “the only bad input is input I don’t get.”

The questions that were ad-dressed at the meetings were as follows:

1. What do you see as the posi-tive aspects of Lewis County?

2. Where would you like to see Lewis County be in 10 years and in 25 years?

3. What might prevent these goals from being reached?

4. What is the most important land use issues facing Lewis County?

5. How adequate do you feel the infrastructure in Lewis County is?

6. How would you describe the quality of life in Lewis County? How can it be improved?

7. What direction should eco-nomic development in Lewis County take?

One of the questions that the commission asked is where would you like to see Lewis County in 10 years and 25 years?

Everyone had positive respons-es and some of the ideas that came up were more housing development but not too much change, better education, bigger police force and the implementation of building codes.

“To shape it in the direction you want is a balancing act,” said Doughterty explaining that more housing means more people and more jobs changes the community so it is a challenge to do all of this and keep the small community atmosphere that those who live in Lewis County like.

Some of the positive aspects of the county were described as good

Board FocusesOn Area’s Future

hunting and fi shing, friendliness and culture, the lake and the resort as well as having a respectable his-torical background with Jackson’s Mill and the old state hospital.

The completion of Rt. 33 was on the minds of many and what that will mean to Lewis County. People talked about how it would bring more people, traffi c, and commerce to the area.

Doughterty encouraged the people to think bigger and not be afraid of things that they need not be afraid of.

Some of the thoughts about what might keep these goals from being reached was money, lack of infrastructure, state and federal regulations, as well as the national economy.

“Whatever we plan we have to have something to replace it as we need to be ready for the down cycle,” said one person mention-ing the price of gas at $4 a gallon right now causes problems in the economy.

Discussions got heated when the topic turned to land use issues.

Some of the people attending did not want to hear about the possibil-ity of zoning or the implementation of building codes.

“Nobody wants the government telling them what they can do with their land,” said Lewis County Commission President Pat Boyle.

Safe drinking water was a con-cern for several residents as well as dilapidated housing and out of town ownership.

Infrastructure brought about how the roads in the county are inadequate, the inability to use cell phones, the lack of high speed internet in certain areas and the Exit 99 interchange.

When talking about quality of life the topic of enforcing the laws came up and Doughterty said that he heard that at all of the meetings. He said that many people in the county believe there is a good ole boy net-work of laws that allow those who break the law to get away with it.

Drug problems in the county were mentioned as something that brings down the community and ways to make the county a better place to live included entertain-ment, adult education, and housing.

Finally the last question that was put before the people was what kind of economic development do you want to see? Answers ranged from more local people in the oil and gas industry to diversifi ed industry to retirement communities, and a suggestion to invest in research and development in healthcare.

“You have a strong community here,”said Dougherty. “ Many of your county offi cials have attended all of these meeting and anyone can see they are interested in seeing the county move forward.”

Doughterty took all of the sug-gestions that were made at all the meetings back to Morgantown and will come up with a plan that will be put to the public in the future.

Anyone who wants to answer the questions and submit them for

These are the members of the new Lewis County Planning Commission. From left are Chairman Charlie Straley, Vice Chairman Edsel Smith, Gene Davis, Michael Jenkins, Secretary Steve Moneypenny and Steve Hannah. Not pictured are Rex Stalnaker and David Whitaker. (Photo by Susan C. Bentley)

LC Planning Commission

consideration in the comprehensive plan should send their answers to Michael Dougherty, 2104 Ag Sci-

ences Building, Campus PO Box 6108, Morgantown, WV 26506-

6108 or email them to Michael.Dougherty@mail.wvu.edu or fax

Past WinnersOf Democrat's

Business Person,Citizen of Year

Citizen of YearMelvin Langford 2011Dr. Robert Snuffer 2010Mida Peterson 2009Bill Cayton 2008Cathie Metz 2007Sandy King 2006

Business Person of YearCathy Hyson 2011Dinah Mills 2010Robert “Bob” Piercy 2009Charlotte Childers 2008Valjean Edinger 2007Jerry Stout 2006

E4—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

We are your one-stop home center!

Serving Lewis and

Surrounding Counties

for 55 years

TiresTiresElectronicsElectronics

FurnitureFurnitureAppliancesAppliances

GREAT Bible Based Christian Education

GREAT Teachers

GREAT Scores on Academic Tests

GREAT Athletics

GREAT Parent Involvement

Hello, Lewis County! My name is Kate Seim and I am the new Executive Director of the Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. I’ve lived the past 15 years in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, but, born and raised in Fairmont, I’m a West Virginia girl through and through. It feels great to be home and here in Lewis County – I have so much history here!

Some of you may remember Sue Montgomery (she lived in that cute little house on the corner of Center Avenue and E 6th Street). Sue was my grand-mother! I spent many summers in Lewis County and some of my favorite childhood memories are of Weston’s wonderful 4th of July Celebration, the Jubilee, and the Fireman’s Festival in Jane Lew. I remember bustling streets and a thriving community – many happy memories. I had plenty of family around back then – cousins, great aunts, and great uncles – and plenty of family still here, today!

My short time with the Moun-tain Lakes CVB has been a great experience. I have the great pleasure of working with Ma-

Mountain Lakes CVB Helps County

rissa Aman (a hometown girl) and a Board that is committed to the economic growth of Lewis County. We are collaborating with other city and county organizations to identify and encourage opportunities for community development. There is great energy in a movement like this – so many people are coming together to make Lewis County shine!So much of what makes

A Domestic Friend Will Pet Sit In-Home

Sharon Ours is shown with her 12-year-old Rottweiler Sheba.

For those who are looking for an alternative for their pet’s health and care, there is no need to look any further.

A Domestic Friend is a local company in Buckhannon, that offers in-home pet sitting services along with one of the best-rated pet foods on the market – Flint River Ranch.

“We provide pet owners with an alternative to boarding their pets by coming to your home,” stated Sharon Ours, owner of A Domestic Friend. “Instead of boarding, your pet(s) can remain in their natural environment. This helps reduce your pet’s stress and gives one-on-one individual care.”

During each visit your pet will receive food, water, a walk, any medications, cleanup, as well as “gate keeping.” That means they will check in and around your home at each visit and take in your mail or newspaper and rotate your lights. This practice helps to make your home less vulnerable while you are away.

A Domestic Friend is also con-venient. Customers can utilize their services to walk their pet while they are at work to prevent accidents. It can also be a blessing if you are unable to walk your dog due to medical problems.

“We are bonded and insured,”

said Ours, “Unlike some other services in the area, we are fully accredited and have been a member of Pet Sitters International since we were founded in 1999. It is always good to ask before you accept someone into your home.”

A Domestic Friend expanded and became a distributor of Flint River Ranch all natural pet food in 2002. “It has been one of our best decisions to expand into pet food,” Ours said.

Flint River Ranch All Natural Pet Food is oven baked and made without artifi cial colors, no by-products, no chemical preserva-tives, no BHA or BHT, and only uses the best ingredients. “After doing extensive research on food for my own pets and those of my customers, I found Flint River Ranch,” said Ours. “In my line of work, I have seen many animals suf-fering from allergies, hot spots, and other ailments. From my research Flint River had shown the best re-sults in helping these conditions so we decided to become a distributor.

Left to right are Kate Seim, director of MLCVB and Marissa Aman, assistant director.

Lewis County great is obvious to those who call it home, but if you fi nd yourself in need of a reminder, stop in and visit. We’ll fi ll you in on what’s happening throughout the county and in our neighbor-ing communities, as well! Need something to do this weekend? We have ideas and we’re here for you. Hope we see you soon! Kate, Marissa, and the Mountain Lakes Team

With our easy online ordering on our website we currently have over 500 clients nationwide.”

Flint River has a complete line of products for cats as dogs such as Original Puppy & Adult food that has a minimum of 23% protein and available in kibble or nuggets. An ultra fresh Dry Water food that is freeze-dried, air-dehydrated, and heat-dried. All you do is add hot water to create a warm and savory meaty gravy. They also have a Lamb Meal, Millet & Rice formula that is wheat free and made specifi cally for dogs with a wheat intolerance. Another canine favorite is the Senior Plus formula for your more distinguished pet that contains Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate to help main-

tain health and joint function. Flint River also has a variety of treats from wafers, bones, and biscuits to Braided Pizzle Sticks made from USDA inspected steers that are never treated with chemicals.

For the feline lovers, we offer a highly concentrated grain-free cat and kitten formula, a feline hairball management formula, and Bonita fl akes. The fl akes are 100% shaved Bonita fi sh that have been sun-dried to produce a light and tasty snack.

“We will be celebrating 13 years in August of this year. We are very thankful to all of our current customers and the referrals we get on a regular basis,” Ours said, “We are dedicated pet lovers and use our products everyday. We have 2 dogs, Sheba, a 12-year-old Rottweiler,

Addie, a 4-year-old German Shep-pard, and 3 cats. And they all love Flint River.”

A Domestic Friend is also a member of the CERT K-9 Unit in Buckhannon. Sharon also works at Wal-Mart in Buckhannon and her husband Bob Ours is a retiree from Union Carbide and is a member of the Buckhannon Moose Lodge.

To fi nd out more about A Do-mestic Friend’s services, they can be reached at 304-613-9088 or online at HYPERLINK “http://www.adomesticfriend.com”www.adomesticfriend.com. A complete listing of services and prices are available along with online order-ing for all the Flint River Ranch products.

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—E5

GLASS MUSEUM304-269-5006

Hours: 12 noon-4 pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat

Our Museum Shop has many items on sale that include

donated glassware and duplicate pieces. We also have items for sale by artists

like Kelsey Murphy.

We have a selection of “Owls” from Degenhart Glass Company, Cambridge, Ohio that closed years ago. When the museum there also closed, a large portion of their

collection came here to the Glass Museum. These owls represent the 289 different colors that the Degenhart Glass Company made.

If you haven’t been to our museum, you have to stop by to see all of the beautiful pieces of glassware that we have on display.

Most people in Lewis County have not heard of The Region VII Planning and Development Coun-cil but the state agency does a lot for Lewis County. In the past year, it has helped with getting Corridor H completed by 2020 and getting water to the county.

The Region VII Planning and Development Council is one of 11 agencies covering the State of West Virginia authorized by enabling legislation in 1972.

The purpose of the agency is to provide for the formulation and execution of objectives and poli-cies necessary for orderly growth and development of the region as a whole and coordination of objectives, plans and policies of the separate units of government comprising the area.

Region VII is located in cen-tral West Virginia and serves the seven counties of Barbour, Braxton, Gilmer, Lewis, Randolph, Tucker and Upshur as well as the 24 mu-nicipalities within these counties.

Lewis County has been trying for several years to complete water projects throughout the county. Lewis County Economic Devel-opment Authority Director Doug Parsons has tirelessly worked to get water to these areas from the West Virginia American Water Company. The water company in-stalled and operates water in several areas of the county but there are still needs and promises to be kept.

The water company notifi ed Parsons last summer that it was withdrawing its commitments to the county to complete water proj-ects that were in the works due to lack of investment capital. Lewis County was one of ten counties affected by the withdrawal, so Parsons joined up with the other counties in a law suit to the West Virginia Public Service Commis-sion to force the water company to abide by its prior commitments.

In the meantime, Parsons has applied for grant money every year to fund the water projects, but has been turned down every time, so he asked Region VII to help with the grant requests thinking that its infl uence may help. The members of Region VII were glad to help and applied for the grant money in the county’s behalf.

Rosemary Wagner, the Ex-ecutive Director of the Regions VII Planning and Development Council, led a public hearing on the Northwest Lewis County Water Project at a Lewis County Commis-sion meeting. Wagner advised the residents that attended the meeting to enlist the support of all the lo-cal residents that are affected by the water project to write letters addressing their needs.

The letter should include any health concerns or problems relat-ing to the existing water supply and any other situations that would help to get the funding. The letters should be sent to the Lewis County Commission, 18 Garton Plaza, Weston, WV 26452.

Lewis County Commission President Pat Boyle asked, “What makes one project more important

than another?”“Competition is stiff because it

is grant money, but age and health concerns can indicate priority,” said Wagner.

Wagner also suggested contact-ing state senators and delegates to write letters of support for the project as well.

“We are trying a different angle to get the clout needed to complete the project,” said Boyle. “We are no better than third world countries if we can’t provide good water to our communities,” he added.

Parsons said that the county would have to get the money prom-ised for the water project in order to meet the grant requirements that require matching or a percentage of the grant money.

“No one else got the grant money who didn’t get money from the water company,” said Parsons.

The complaint against the water company will go before the Public Service Commission sometime this year, so Parsons should know soon if the county will get any fi nancial support from West Virginia Ameri-can Water.

Region VII has also been a driving force for the completion of Corridor H. Originally, Corridor H was to be complete this year, then it was extended to 2034 and with the tireless lobbying of the Region VII Council it is looking like it could be complete by 2020. That is the goal.

The completion of Corridor H will have a signifi cant impact on the economy in Lewis County as it will provide for the fi rst time ac-cess from the east that will bring commerce, jobs and tourism to the county.

“You can’t overstate what the completion of Corridor H will mean to our region. Corridor H links I-79 to the junction of I-66 and I-81 where the Virginia Inland Port is located,” Chairman of the Corridor H Authority Steve Foster said. “This gives us direct access to the port at Norfolk, where deep draught ships coming through the Panama Canal after the 2014 dredg-ing will anchor. This will expand our exports.”

Corridor H is the last section of Appalachian Development High-way System (ADHS) projects in West Virginia. ADHS is the system of highways within the “Appala-chian counties” of the thirteen states that comprise the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Regions VII offers a lot of ser-vices that help counties in West Virginia procure funding for proj-ects. The City of Weston recently used their help in getting funding for a sewer project.

The council also sponsors a Governor’s youth opportunity camp in the summer for 30 high school age students.

Commissioner Agnes Queen said that the Council “offers a lot of services that we are not utilizing. We need to use them more.”

For more information on The Region VII Planning and Develop-ment Council, go to its website at www.regionvii.com.

County Gets Help From Region VII

Ramsey Insurance Services, located at 141 Main Ave in Weston, remains the oldest local family-owned and operated independent insurance agency, serving Lewis, Upshur, Harrison, & Gilmer coun-ties since 1929.

Bob Ramsey, the third gen-eration owner, not only brings a reputation of quality commitment and service for his customers, he has vowed to keep a hometown feel within his business. The fi rst face you will see when you walk in the front door of Ramsey Insurance is Bob’s. He believes in being ac-cessible to all of his customers and enjoys meeting and greeting them fi rsthand. Bob says, “Today, so many business owners are sitting somewhere in their back offi ces, while their employees handle most all of the day-to-day transactions. I want to see my insureds and I want them to know they can see or talk to me any time.”

Economical strength in today’s world is a must and, as an indepen-dent agent, Ramsey Insurance rep-resents several fi nancially strong insurance companies. Potential customers have unique needs, and having several markets to work with supplies multiple options to tailor the right policy for every-one. Safeco Insurance Company and Westfi eld Insurance Company are well known, stable companies that offer home, automobile, mo-torcycle, RV, personal umbrella and boat coverage. Often these lines of coverage can be packaged on one policy. Ramsey has other companies for dwellings, mobile homes, manufactured homes, and automobile customers with less than perfect situations. Ramsey can also meet your commercial, business, and f armowners insur-ance needs. In addition, they have access to specialty markets for hard-to-place risks, unusual circumstances, or those who may have experienced losses.

Ramsey Insurance Tailors Policy Options

BOB AND DEBBIE RAMSEYBob Ramsey also recognizes

that just selling insurance is not enough. Being available for service needs, especially if the unfortunate occasion of a claim would occur, is just as important, if not more. Ramsey Insurance promises per-sonal assistance whenever the need arises. You will fi nd the employees at Ramsey knowledgeable and always willing to make your insur-ance experience pleasant.

Ramsey Insurance has regular operating hours Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will arrange evening and weekend appoint-

ments when necessary. For more information, call 304-269-3231.

At Ramsey Insurance, Bob has long held on to old family tradi-tions, values and the old way of doing business, but recently he added a new twist to the agency. Bob hired a new Commercial Lines specialist in November, right after he married her. His new wife, Deb-bie, who has over 30 years in the insurance industry, joined him and together they are enjoying growing the agency. They would be glad to have you stop by and say “hello”.

JR’s Lube Has 14 Years Experience

JR’s Lube Center, located at 158 W. 2nd St., Weston, can take care of most of your cars needs as well as doing oil changes while you relax in your vehicle.

“Pull up, sit back and watch TV while we change your oil,” said co-owner Kevin Freeman.

Appointments are never needed for oil changes and they stock all the latest oil products for most foreign and domestic vehicles.

JR’s also has a state of the art engine diagnostic tool called, Auto Test, that can diagnose any problems with the vehicle as well as repairs such as brakes, tune ups, replacing belts and hoses.

Appointments for auto repairs are preferred but not required.

JR’s also offers a large selection of tires and rims as well as they can special order the customers’ choice of custom rims and tires and offers free mounting and balancing of the new wheels with purchase.

“If the tire costs $100, then that is what it costs to put it on your ve-hicle,” said Kevin. The full service auto repair business also does West Virginia State Inspections .

JR’s Lube Center accepts VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Discover as well as, offers a 6 month no interest in house revolv-ing credit line for any purchases and/or repairs over $299. They also offer a fl eet service and are set up to accommodate billing the providers for this service.

JR’s has been owned and oper-ated by Kevin Freeman and Gene King since July of 2010. The duo also opened a second location in Belpre, Ohio in Sept. 2011. Kevin has more than 14 years of experi-ence working on vehicles.

The business is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To schedule an appointment at JR’s Lube Center or for more information, call (304)-269-0816.

Jane Lew Storage Has 133 Units

Jane Lew Storage, Inc. has been in operation since 1994 and was founded by Christine J. White and her son, William, who built up a few units on family farmland. Over the years, the property has gradually expanded from the original 30-unit construction.

The business now welcomes it’s 6th building, which will bring the total number of available units to 133. The property offers a perim-eter security fence and gated entry, and is conveniently located next to Interstate 79, only a short distance from the 105 Jane Lew exit.

The newest building was com-pleted April 12th and contains 10 x 10 and 20 x 10 units, although units of other sizes may also be available. Please call for details and current availability: (304)-884-6548.

Reach out to New Customers with The Weston Democrat

Back L to R: Nikki Hefner, Brenda Davis, Josh Garton ; Front L to R: Chris Heater, Amber Heater

The Future of Insurance in the Mountain State.

Here Today.

1-800-696-3095(304) 269-3095

Here Tomorrow.

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—E7

There’s much to do in the world outside your door...Lambert’s, TALA, The Glass Museum, Thyme Bistro,

Hacker’s Creek, The Mill, Stonewall State Park,2nd and Center, and More, More, More!

Find us on facebook, give us a call, or stop on by - we’ve got plenty of ideas for your Summer Stay-cation!

Explore Your Own Backyard

GSC Is Growing in Programs, Buildings, SizeIn a quest to become the

best small liberal arts college in America, Glenville State College continues to add programs and fa-cilities that keep the school on the cutting edge of higher education.

One of the most innovative programs is GSC’s Hidden Promise Scholars Program. The brain child of GSC President Dr. Peter Barr, the Hidden Promise Scholars program is an alliance among Glenville State College and county school districts across West Virginia with the goal of improving communica-tion between higher education and K through 12 public education. The consortium aims to improve the number and quality of high school graduates including raising ACT scores, increasing the num-ber of students going to college, and increasing the number and quality of college graduates. The consortium was formed in 2007 between Glenville State College and thirteen West Virginia county school systems.

Hidden Promise Scholars are students in the eighth-through- twelfth grade from central West Virginia who are selected by county superintendents and principals. These students interact with Glen-ville State College students and faculty and explore the vistas that a college education opens.

Upon high school graduation, Hidden Promise Scholars who en-roll at Glenville State College and receive a scholarship. The grant is renewable throughout their enroll-ment at GSC as full-time students maintaining standard academic progress.

Lisa Shamblin Darby of Jane Lew in Lewis County and Marlon Henry of Montrose in Randolph County became the second and third Hidden Promise Scholars to graduate from Glenville State College when they received their degrees in December 2011. Both were members of the inaugural class of thirteen Hidden Promise Scholars.

Darby received a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree with a specialization in Spanish (5-Adult). She was the fi rst student to graduate from GSC with a concentration in Spanish. During her time at GSC, she has studied in Costa Rica on

two separate occasions.Shortly after her December

graduation, Darby accepted a po-sition teaching Spanish at Gilmer County High School. She and her husband Andrew, also a GSC Hid-den Promise Scholar majoring in Natural Resource Management, live in Jane Lew and are expecting their fi rst child in April.

“The Hidden Promise Scholars program has been fantastic. I knew that if I ever had questions or con-cerns, someone would be willing to help me with a smile on their face. I feel very lucky to have been a part of this program,” said Darby.

Henry received a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management with concentrations in Landman Technology and Business Management. He was a member of the GSC Cross Country and Track and Field teams. Henry served on the GSC Student Gov-ernment Association for four years including two years as president. Henry plans to work as a landman for the oil and gas industry and become a Certifi ed Professional Landman.

Henry has accepted a position with Hawkeye Research Incorpo-rated of Harrisville. The company serves the Oil & Gas industry with title, leasing and mapping research.

“I am the fi rst in my family to graduate from college. Coming to Glenville State College as a Hidden Promise Scholar didn’t just mean a scholarship, it meant opportunity. There are so many people here that gave me the support that I needed to be successful. They are all part of the family you get when you become a Pioneer.

Those six words are really true, Glenville State College, where you belong,” said Henry.

The GSC Hidden Promise Program has grown to include twenty-two West Virginia county school systems, Belpre, Ohio City Schools, and the Stonington School District in Mystic, Connecticut. There are currently eighty-seven Hidden Promise Scholars enrolled at GSC. Three of those will receive their degrees during the 138th Glen-ville State College Commencement ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2012.

“We now have three Hidden

Promise Scholar graduates, and the number will grow every se-mester. It is so rewarding to see how our vision for the Hidden Promise Scholars Program is be-ing validated by students like Lisa and Marlon who have taken every advantage of being Hidden Promise Scholars and have blossomed into outstanding role models with very bright futures,” said GSC President Dr. Peter Barr.

Representatives from the Glen-ville State College Hidden GSC is also growing in other areas to provide more opportunities for students.

In the fall of 2010, GSC re-instated Army ROTC (Reserve Offi cer Training Corps) military instruction after a ten-year hiatus. The Glenville State College ROTC unit is part of the Yellow Jacket Battalion that includes units from West Virginia State University, the University of Charleston, and WVU Institute of Technology. GSC is the only college in central West Virginia offering ROTC and now has the second largest ROTC program in the state.

GSC now features a 44,000 square foot Criminal Justice Training Center with state-of-art forensics labs. Included is the Open Source Information Exchange, one-of-only-fi ve national Department of Homeland Security Programs using computer forensics. The center gives GSC criminal justice students training facilities that are second to none.

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission has granted Glenville State College permission to offer a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art beginning with the Fall 2012 semester. This new baccalaureate degree will allow stu-dents to select emphasis in Digital Media and Studio Art.

The expansion at GSC is not limited to innovative programs. It also includes bricks and mortar.

In the fall of 2010, GSC opened Goodwin Hall, a $23,000,000 resi-dence hall that houses 480 students. The facility has 184 single rooms and 137 double rooms and features 16 ADA compliant rooms. Each room is furnished with a desk, chair, dresser, wardrobe, bed, refrigerator and microwave.

The facility features single or double rooms and each two rooms share a common bathroomOn each fl oor, students have use of a study lounge, a laundry room, a vending machine quarter and a small com-mons area with a sink. All rooms have wireless and ethernet hookup and cable TV.

Site preparation for the Pioneer Center has been completed and construction of the $25,000,000 facility located on Mineral Road is scheduled to begin this spring. The Pioneer Center will house an expanded Natural Resource Center, a 24/7 health care facility, athletic facilitie, and convention

center. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2014 Basketball season.

Due to these progressive addi-tions and improvements at GSC, enrollment has climbed to 1,860 students and that upward trend is expected to continue.

Glenville State College offers over thirty degree programs includ-ing Business, Education, Criminal justice, Natural Resource Manage-ment, Chemistry, Biology, Nursing and many more.

To learn more about Glenville State College, visit www.glenville.edu or call the GSC Admissions Department at (800) 924-2010.

Lewis County Offi cials

Circuit Judge - Thomas H. KeadleCircuit Clerk - John B. HinzmanMagistrates - James D. Moody, Sharon A. HullFamily Court Judge - Robert R. SowaAssessor - T. Chad KelleyBoard of Education - Beth A. Burkhart, Cline Craig, Paul J. Derico, Sylvia McNeish, Buck ProbstCounty Clerk - Mary Lou MyersCounty Commission - Pat Boyle, Agnes Queen, Tom FealyProsecuting Attorney - Gary R. MorrisSheriff - Mike GissySuperintendent of Schools - Joseph L. Mace

Subscribe to The Weston Democrat. Call 304-269-1600. We accept Master Card & Visa. Our website is www.westondemocrat.com

To Better Serve You!From Old to

Jim Brockleman, owner, is making great improvements

to our facility to Better Serve our Friends & Family.

Stop by and See Us for the Best Deals in the Area!Stop by and See Us for the Best Deals in the Area!

Great New Look! Same Great Prices!

economicUPDATEeconomicUPDATE

F The Weston

DemocratApril 25, 2012

The Weston

DemocratApril 25, 2012

Ray Smith of the Robin’s Nest Travel Center in Jane Lew has been named The Weston Democrat Business Person of 2012.

Ray is the general manager of the travel center and has been a part of the truck stop for 27 years. In 2011, Ray seemed to come out of nowhere and suddenly he could be seen anywhere in the county. He started by promoting a pet show, then went on to host an October-fest, then a Halloween event and on and on.

Just in the past few weeks he has been at the Jane Lew Elemen-tary School on several occasions promoting reading and had a pizza party for the winners of the read-ing contest and helped with the Arbor Bay presentation for the 4th graders, held a Relay for Life promotion at the Weston Kroger to raise money for the organiza-tion and asked people to join the Robin’s Nest team and even took time out to attend the Lewis County Planning Commission meetings in Jane Lew and Weston. He also promotes various other activities in the county on his Facebook page. This is in addition to his full time duties as general manager of the Robin’s Nest Travel Center and the single parent to his two children.

“I have enjoyed the last 8 months,” said Ray. “It has been a lot of work, but I have a good staff and I really enjoy doing it. It brightens my day.”

Sherry Lambert of the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce nominated Ray for the award say-ing, “Ray has been very supportive in Lewis County. He has organized numerous events for the commu-nity at Robin’s Nest Travel Center and assisted others with events. He is an active participant/member of the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club and Relay for Life and created a partnership with Jane Lew School to promote a reading program.”

Ray grew up in Lewis County and graduated from Lewis County High School. He left West Virginia

Ray Smith of Robin’s Nest Travel Center in Jane Lew is The Weston Democrat Business Person of the Year. (Photo by Susan C. Bentley)

Ray Smith Is Democrat’s Business Person of Year

for two years to get an associate’s degree in computer programming. When he returned to Lewis County, he started working at what was then the Jane Lew Truck Stop for David Hughes pumping gas, and through hard work and dedication, he is now the general manager.

He has seen a lot of changes and growth in the Jane Lew area and said at fi rst when competitors came into town he was worried.

“It opened my eyes a lot,” said Ray. “The more competition the more people came, and its better for the community.”

Joe Malcolm is the owner of the now Robin’s Nest Travel Center and he and Ray have renovated a

part of the restaurant into a con-venience store and they hope to renovate the dining room soon.

Even though Ray has been out there promoting the travel center all over the county he said he does not have plans at the present time to go into politics adding, “I would like to get things done without being political. I am not taking sides.”

Ray is impressed with the lo-cal offi cials and thinks they have the people and the county’s best interests at heart.

Right now Ray said that he is dedicated to making the travel cen-ter run as best as it can and offers this advice, “Whatever you do, do it as best as you can.”

New Water Park Will Open on Time

View of the pool as of April 13. The contractors assure Shaffer that the pool will be complete by Memorial Day weekend.

This Memorial Day weekend there will be a new water park in Weston. Citizens of the the county approved a $1.8 million levy last June to pay for the new pool in the Lewis County Park.

The pool began demolition and construction last September after the pool closed for the summer season. With good weather this past winter, the people at Paddock Pools of Rockville, Md. have been able to work on the project most of the winter.

“I can’t foresee anything to hold up opening on Memorial Day weekend,” said Lewis County Park Director JohnShaffer.

The new pool will feature a separate water slide that will cost $2 more for those who want to utilize it. The cost of admission to the pool will remain at the same price of $4.

There are only fi ve weeks left before Memorial Day weekend and Shaffer said there will be lots of action till then. The big water slides will be going up in the next two weeks as well as the concrete

decks, said Shaffer. Shaffer worries that the pool

will not be complete by the big holiday weekend but the president of Paddock Pools has assured him it will be done. So, barring some ex-tremely bad weather between now and then, Lewis County residents can count on a new water park by the end of May.

Local workers and companies have been used in the construction of the new pool with concrete and gravel as an example.

Shaffer has the park mainte-nance crews working on all the outside shelters and inside the pool building to ensure that everything is spanking new when the pool opens Memorial Day weekend.

There is remodeling going on at the park on some of the buildings too. The bathrooms and kitchen have been painted and there is a new ceiling in the main building. One of the shelters has a new metal roof and the gas well was serviced.

“My guys really did a good job

in the buildings,” said Shaffer. The park maintenance crew has painted, installed lights, put new tin roofs on some of the outbuildings and other odds and ends that needed done.

Along the way, there have been a few adjustments to the building of the pool. The baby pool had to be revised to add a zero entry, which means there has to be an entrance to the pool without a step. This is a federal standard, said Shaffer.

He also told commissioners that with the new pool the gas well may not supply enough gas and the park may have to purchase gas from Dominion if that is an issue.

Shaffer has been with the park for fi ve years and said that he has seen a big transformation since he has had the job.

Lewis County Commissioners have commended Shaffer for his dedication to making the park a better place for Lewis County residents.“This is my park too,” said Shaffer. “I want it to be the best it can be.”

Weston quilter Leanna Haynes and her husband are holding a quilt she made and presented to Sgt. Mary Beth Jones in Clarksburg. Haynes has made over 2,200 quilts for the family members of service members. She also fi ts bears with quilted Snuggies for children of service men and women.The quilts and bears are given to children at deployment ceremonies around the state.

Leanna Haynes Is Weston Democrat Citizen of YearWaldeck resident Leanna

Haynes has been selected as The Weston Democrat Citizen of the Year for her undying efforts to give comfort to the children of U.S. servicemen and women.

Haynes spends most of her time in service to others. In a little over three years she has crafted over 2,200 quilts to give to families of deploying members of the United States armed services. Haynes appears at pre-deployment, or “Yellow Ribbon” events and offers family members of service men and women a homemade quilt expect-ing nothing in return except the pleasure of making what could be a very sad day a little brighter for the children. Haynes was nominated for the honor by two local residents.

Sharron James wrote of Haynes, “What a remarkable lady who gives of her time and talent to do this for our servicemen and women and their families. She feels this is a way of giving back to our servicemen and women who have kept us safe and fought for our freedom...many thanks to Leanna Haynes. As a wife of a former Vietnam vet, I am truly proud to be an American and people like Leanna add to that pride.”

Sherry Lambert wrote that, “Mrs. Haynes spends countless hours making quilts for the families of our military. Through her com-passionate act of kindness, children are comforted during the absence of their parent.”

Haynes said, “I give the quilts to expectant mothers who are at least six months pregnant and to children up to 18 year-old.” The quilts are accompanied by stuffed

teddy bears wrapped in snuggies, also crafted by Haynes. The teddy bears have a special poem attached for each child.

While at the pre-deployment events, Haynes sets the quilts out on a table so that children can choose the ones they like. Often, people come to the table and ask the price of the quilts and are surprised when Haynes tells them they are free.

The quilts vary in size and color scheme, but Haynes likes to use bright colors which she says, “ap-peals to the kids.”

When making the quilts, Haynes makes sure they are strong because she wants them to be used and not stored away in a closet. She puts four seams in each square, sews them together and quilts them by machine.

The thanks Haynes receives for her efforts is enough to sustain her and serve as an incentive to spend the 12 - 18 hours per day she works making the quilts. “The hugs from the soldiers and their kids, the letters, cards and emails of thanks I receive make my work worthwhile,” she said.

There is one letter of apprecia-tion that is especially important to Leanna. It came from a 13 year-old girl and was handwritten. “A hand-written letter in the age of texting and instant messages is unique,” said Haynes. She says that when she gets down or feels like ending her effort all she has to do is look at the letter.

The letter read in part, “at this very moment I am lying here with my quilt. You attached a poem to the bear. When I read it brings tears

to my eyes. I’ve never thought it that way, that you can give Jesus the pieces and He’ll make a perfect quilt. When my daddy fi rst told me about the deployment, I didn’t see the pattern, how is it possible to take the pieces and turn them into something good. I was angry with God because every night I had prayed that my dad wouldn’t get deployed. Now I realize that God must have a reason since he is putting me through this heartbreak. So I just pray that He’ll be with my dad, my family and all the other families and soldiers.”

It hasn’t always been easy to distribute the quilts. At fi rst, she wanted to make and give them to soldiers but was incorrectly told she could not do that, so she switched gears and began making them for the children of the soldiers. She is aided in this effort by the area Family Readiness Groups in West Virginia.

Haynes told of one event in Charleston, where a deploying sol-dier from the unit there was actually from Guam. There were not family members present to give quilts to as they were all in Guam. She made sure that his wife and children in Guam got quilts and their bears.

“I don’t think that there is enough that we can do for our veterans, soldiers and their families because when we ask our troops to go and serve their families, they are also serving ours,” Haynes said.

Not long ago while watching the television show, Leanna was once again reminded of the fruits of her efforts. While watching the show “Coming Home,” she spotted

a child holding one of her quilts. “One of the kids waiting for daddy to come home was holding one of the quilts I made. I sat there and cried through the whole show,” she said. It reminded her that her quilts do mean much to children and that they are now located throughout the world.

Haynes depends on help from area veterans organizations and others to help supply her with do-nations, materials and the stuffed bears. Most of the bears are pro-vided by the Weston American Legion Post #4. Commander Marty Dennison said that, “the bears give

the kids something to hold onto and think of mommy and daddy while they are deployed.” Haynes said that besides the local legion, she is also helped by the Clarksburg VFW Post 573, the Buckhannon American Legion Post #7, the local Stonecoal Fishing Club and “several businesses and individuals help as well,” she said. She was excited recently to receive a do-nation to purchase supplies from the Clarksburg Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Leanna’s efforts are also dedi-cated to the service of both her father and husband who served in

the U.S. Navy. Leanna and her hus-band, Norman, are both members of the VFW Post 573 in Clarksburg. A disabled vet, he supports his wife’s efforts by helping tend to chores around the house and tak-ing care of their pet dog. He also accompanies her on shopping trips for quilting materials and to loca-tions throughout they state where the quilts are given away.

If you would like more infor-mation about Leanna’s efforts, or if you would like to help, make a donation, contribute material, teddy bears or supplies, give her a call at (304)-269-9787.

F2—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

Mission Statement: Our mission is to support the business community in Lewis County by creating opportunities for businesses to grow and succeed.

The Lewis County Chamber of Commerce helps to promote Lewis County by sponsoring these and other events throughout the year:

Santa’s House, Christmas Parade, Triathlon, and our Annual Dinner

The Lewis County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the members for their participation and support. Also a very special thank you to our Foundation Members, Citizens Bank of Weston, CONSOL Energy, Dominion Resources Inc., Frontier Communications, LC Development Authority, Mountain Lakes CVB, MRC McJunkin Redman Corp., Shentel, Stonewall Jackson Resort, United Bank.

exclusive Members only listings on Chamber’s web site with a free link to your site, Periodic e mail updates regarding Chamber and communityactivities, governmental representation for the business community.

Christmas Parade

TriathlonTriathlon

115 E. 2nd St. Weston, WV (304)-269-2608 Sherry Lambert, Executive Director

Lewis County EMS(304) 269-8207

Please Call for Hours of Operation

FutureGenerations Graduate School • WV Broadband Opportunities Program877-358-2484 broadband@future.edu www.futurewv.org

For FREE access to computers and high speed internet,contact your local public computer center at:

The Weston combo Little General Convenience Store and Arby’s Restaurant will be celebrating their fi rst year anniversary in May. Store offi cials are happy with the success they have had doing business in the Weston area. (Photo by John G. Wolfe)

Little General/Arby’s Celebrate 1st YearMay 13 will mark the one year

anniversary of the grand opening of Little General Convenience Store and Arby’s Restaurant in Weston.

The business is located along Rt. 33 East, just outside of Weston, across the highway from Pizza Hut and Hardee’s. The manager of Little General is Anne Marie Montgomery.

The Weston business complex is the furthest north in the state for the Little General chain of stores with the convenience store selling Exxon gas. Little General has all the products generally associated with a convenience store. The interior of Arby’s has a unique design unlike any other in the state, according to Little General spokesperson Brian Waugh.

The chain, which is based in Beckley, has over 100 convenience stores and restaurants in West Virginia. Most of the convenience

stores include a combo fast-food restaurant just like the one in Weston.

The building of the store with an Arby’s in the Weston area was based on a needs study conducted by the company. Little General, which opened the fi rst store in 1975, plans on expanding their business throughout the state. Cur-rent Little General President Greg Darby became co-owner of the stores with Cory Beasley in 1999 after they bought the business from their bosses.

Little General uses a large por-tion of their profi ts to buy out exist-ing convenience stores and builds new ones each year. They like to include fast-food franchises as part of the store to attract and retain customers. Little General is now the second-largest convenience store chain in the state after Go-Mart.

The store prides itself in pur-chasing as many of their items offered for sale from West Virginia vendors as possible. They consider themselves to be a vital part of the community and have donated thousands of dollars to charities such as Make-a-Wish, the Chil-dren’s Miracle Network, Toys for Tots and the Remember the Miners Program. Each year Little General distributes $1,000 scholarships to 15 high school students who plan on pursuing post-secondary studies at technical schools or colleges.

Manager Montgomery said that Little General offers a Rewards and Fueling Card to customers who purchase gasoline. With the card customers can save three cents per gallon up to 20 gallons. There is no cost for the rewards card. “It is just a small way to help our customers,” said Montgomery.

Betsy Peeples, Becky Mullooly, Bob Ramsey and Debbie Ramsey

RISRamsey Insurance Services, Inc.Ramsey Insurance Services, Inc.141 Main Ave., Weston, WV 26452141 Main Ave., Weston, WV 26452Offi ce: 304-269-3231Offi ce: 304-269-3231Home: 304-805-2032Home: 304-805-2032

F4—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

Tattered-n-Torn HasUnique Works of Art

Katrina Posey (left) the owner of Tattered-n-Torn Primitives and her cohort Debbie Hefner are ready with a friendly smile to assist customers with their decorating needs. (Photo by John G. Wolfe)

Nearly everyone has a family antique or artifact that evokes a feeling of comfort by reminding us of a special loved one or a simpler time in the past. A trip to Tattered-n-Torn Primitives on Dutchman Lane just off of Gee Lick Road can give the customer that special warm feeling of yesteryear. The unique handmade products offered for sale there allow the customer to take that feeling home with them.

uted to the decorating style that today is called “primitive.”

Primitive décor can include almost anything. It can include a wall-hanging made of an old win-dow with the glass panes painted with a country scene or symbol. It can be as simple as an old potato masher adorned with a hand-sewn stuffed crow and some ivy or other garland to hang on the wall or set on a shelf. It can be a small as some-thing made into a candle holder or doll baby or as large as a collec-tion of driftwood joined together to make a unique lamp. Creative handmade items in primitive style can include almost anything.

Tattered-n-Torn owner Katrina Posey and her cohort Debbie He-fner search for old items at yard and estate sales and auctions that can be turned into some creative form of primitive art for decorating the home.

Katrina said that they used to create primitive crafts and travel to shows and festivals. “That can wear a person out,” she said. “It seemed like at all the places that we went people asked us why we didn’t open up a shop.”

It was in early 2011 that Katrina got the idea of turning an old garage on property into a store. “We didn’t use it for much but storage and it was in pretty bad shape. But my husband and I went to work and turned it into a shop and we opened in late October of 2011,” she said. And an attractive shop it is, inside and out. Those who visit the popular Lambert’s Winery will drive right by it. The two are neighbors.

“Our specialty is one-of-a-kind handmade items with 85% being made in West Virginia,” Posey said. Some items are secured from neighboring states, such as Amish primitive furniture that she gets in Apple Creek, Ohio. “We also carry all sorts of candles and Donna Sharpe purses,” she said. And they do carry some “fi ller” items such as prints of country scenes but most of the items are handmade, unique and as she said, “one-of -a kind.” Posey, Hefner and other friends collaborate to come up with cre-ative ideas for products. “We get a creative spark and just go at it,” she said. Posey said that because of the constant search for new products and ways to create new décor the inventory is “constantly changing.”

Tattered-n-Torn Primitives is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Sometime,” Posey said, “we will open on other days. My mother-in-law is around and if someone stops when the shop is closed she will open it for them. So I guess our opening days and times can vary.”

The willingness to accom-modate the needs of customers in that way is what makes the shop a popular spot for all who enjoy primitive décor.

You can reach Tattered-n-Torn Primitives by calling 304-269-2424.

For many, using primitive dé-cor in the home reminds them of a simpler time when everything seemed less complex; when people had time to sit and chat and nearly everything needed in the home was made by hand.

In the past, primitive or country decorating might have been known as “Early American” getting its start from our ancestors. Pioneers, farmers, trades people all contrib-

New Jane Lew Quilting Business Is Booming Looking for quilting materials

and supplies? Want to learn how to quilt? Have quilt pieces that you would like to have made into a complete quilt?

A new business has opened in Jane Lew to help people with all their quilting needs.

Quick Quilt Cuts and Quilters Garage, located at 246 Court Av-enue in Jane Lew, held their grand opening in January. The spacious business is owned and operated by Beverly Ramsburg, who is assisted by her husband David.

The business is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The business offers an array of quilting fabric, all 100 percent cot-ton, along with associated supplies needed. Beverly said that they are offering 108 inch wide quilt back-ing material at a price of $9.99. “I hope to become the areas largest supplier of backing material at the

lowest prices available.” They offer classes for those who

are interested in learning how to quilt. In addition, they have several quilts made by local artisans in the store that are for sale.

Ramsburg said that besides

Gathered for the Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for Quick Quilt Cuts and Quilters Garage at Jane Lew in January were: Dot Underwood, with the offi ce of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin; Delegate Peggy Donaldson Smith, Attorney Michael C. Smith, long-arm quilter David Ramsburg, owner Beverly Ramsburg and Chamber of Commerce Director Sherry Lambert. (Photo by John

offering classes, they also offer specialty programs such as “Buck-a-Block.” Under the Buck program, customers can pay $1 a month to make a quilt block a month. By the end of the year, they will then have enough blocks ready to make

a quilt. This program, she said, “is fl ying high...people love it.”

Customers are invited to come in and sit and sew and the business offers machines and assistance to help with the process. “I like people to come in and sit, have a cup of coffee and chat about making quilts. I will help them any way I can,” said Ramsburg.

With the assistance of her husband, they also offer longarm quilting, which is the process by which a longarm sewing machine is used to sew together a quilt top, quilt batting and quilt backing into a fi nished quilt. The machine can also be utlized to baste hand-sewn quilts.

Quilting using a longarm ma-chine can take signifi cantly less time than hand quilting or more traditional machine quilting. The time saving is a large factor in the gain in popularity of longarm quilting. The Ramsburgs have

the longarm quilting machine in their home and Ramsburg says husband, “Is truly an artisan with the machine.” Currently they are using the machine to help the Jane Lew Lions Club make a quilt to be raffl ed off as a fundraiser.

For more information about the business or quilting in general con-tact Ramsburg at (304)-805-2140 or by email at quickquiltcuts@gmail.com. They also have a Website at www.quickquiltcuts1.com.

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—F5

Robin’s Nest Travel CenterIs Restaurant, Truck Stop

The Robin’s Nest Travel Center is located on the east side of I-79 at the Jane Lew exit.

The Robin’s Nest Travel Center located on the east side of I79 at the Jane Lew exit, has undergone a major transformation in the past year under the leadership of Gen-eral Manager Ray Smith.

Formerly known for many years as the Jane Lew Truck Stop, the business has grown from a 20 x 12 building with 6 gas pumps and one diesel pump to a full service restaurant with a truck stop, con-venience store and 12 gas and 10 diesel pumps.

At one time the former owner of the complex ran a telemarket-ing business in the upstairs of the restaurant, a limousine service as well as a boat service at Stonewall Jackson Resort and the motel next door.

In 1999, the business went into bankruptcy and Ray thought the doors would close.

“I thought I would have to tell everybody (the employees) we were gone,” said Ray but at the last minute C.J. Martin of Buckhannon and Joe Malcom of Masontown bought the property.

C.J. sold his interest in the busi-ness to Malcolm who has been a driving force to get the business into shape with Ray as manager. Since purchasing the business, Malcolm has replaced the pumps and tanks as well as renovated part of the restaurant and turned it into a convenience store.

Last year Ray was able to get out and promote the Robin’s Nest in the community. Malcom came up with the name Robin’s Nest from his wife whose name is Robin. Malcom, his wife and Smith were brainstorming ideas to promote the business and Smith liked the idea of a mascot and found a company that would make the Bobbin the Robin costume.

Bobbin the Robin goes to all the events promoting the Robin’s Nest and the children are enthralled with the character.

The travel center started promot-ing the business with a pet show, then an Octoberfest, followed by a Halloween event. Smith said that he was not prepared for the amount

of people who came to the events.For Halloween, 132 children

participated and later at the Break-fast with Santa, there were 108 children sitting on Santa’s lap and getting their pictures taken.

Malcolm and Smith have plans to renovate the restaurant by taking down the 30 year old wallpaper and getting new tables and chairs. The dining room currently has a clean, bright and cheerful atmosphere with a huge mural on one wall. The mural was painted by Charlotte

Gurlock of Lost Creek and it took her 6 months to complete.

Smith said he is always thinking of ways to improve the business and would like to fi nd another person to bake for the restaurant to give customers more homemade food like pepperoni rolls and cookies as well as putting some local crafts in the convenience store.

The Robin’s Nest Travel Center is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week for its customer’s convenience.

F6—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

DUI? ARRESTED? INJURED?Need Help? Call Us.

Everywhere in West Virginia

877-7WV-LAWSor 304-624-1700

www.8777WVLAWS.com

Everywhere in West Virginia

Programs:

Family Resource Network

is a volunteer organization with a mission to improve the lives of Lewis County families. Developing and supporting programs for

families in need. The public is invited to attend our

Monday of every month. And the Lewis County Prevention Coalition,

meeting on the second Monday of every month.

Call for more information 304-269-4000

CWV TEL FederalCredit Union304-623-6800

CWV TEL FederalCredit Union304-623-6800

131 W. Pike StreetClarksburg

www.cwvtelfcu.org

The new Pat Boyle Funeral Home is heading toward completion this summer.

Boyle Is Building Funeral Home

Lewis County Commission President Pat Boyle is building a new state-of-the-art funeral home facility on Hackers Creek Rd. in Jane Lew. The facility will be located on the lot that formerly housed the Jane Lew Nursery.

Boyle said that after selling the Boyle Funeral Home in Weston in 2006, he soon realized how much he missed serving the families of the county during their time of need.

“That was the most gratifying time of my life,” said Boyle. “It was not a job, it was my way of life. It’s who I am.”

He decided to give back to Lewis County by designing a new funeral home that would best meet the needs of the families that he has served for the past 30 years.

Snider Construction of Weston is building the new 9,700 square foot facility that will feature two large chapels, a spacious fam-

ily reception room, a soundproof children’s playroom, and a full showroom of caskets, burial vaults and cremation urns.

The building will seat about 300 people comfortably and there is room for parking for 140 vehicles with ample handicapped parking near the door as well as a roomy front door carport so that family and friends can be easily dropped off and picked up.

“We are very excited about our new venture and opening a new chapter in our lives,” said Boyle. “We are putting a lot of time and attention into every detail of the design to create an atmosphere that will be comfortable and accom-modating for everyone.”

The one feature that Boyle is very excited about is the front porch that will go from one end of the building to the other with chairs

and benches for those who want to sit outside.

“It will be a country style porch with rocking chairs and seating,” said Boyle.

In addition to the funeral home, Boyle is building his per-sonal residence next door so that he can be available to provide the personalized service that families have grown accustomed to over the years.

Boyle plans to hire three full-time employees for the business with several part-time employees to start out with. The funeral home will serve Jane Lew, all of Lewis County, and southern Harrison County.

If the weather continues as well as it has, construction will quickly be moving forward on the structure and Boyle expects to have it com-pleted by late summer.

As can be seen by this photo, much work still needs to go into completing the new Lewis County Raceway.

Speedway Needs Volunteers, Donations To Make DragstripBy SUSAN C. BENTLEY

Construction on the new Lewis County Speedway is continuing and will keep on going through the summer until it is complete.

Work on the track had stopped

able to do what they had promised. There is also dilemmas with equip-ment that is being donated for use and must be returned when rented or needed by paying customers.

“What we are striving for is to pour concrete in June,” said Riffl e.

The owner of the property, John Tonkin, began the project about a year ago to fulfi ll a dream he had to bring Lewis County a sanctioned drag strip. He wanted to give something back to the county and give people something fun and entertaining to do.

Earth moving for the track be-gan last spring and is 70 percent complete. Overall the track is about 50 percent complete, according to Riffl e.

due to the cold weather but as soon as the weather broke plans are for the continuation of the progression of the track until it is complete.

“As soon as the weather breaks we are going at it hard,” said Lewis County Speedway spokesperson

Joycelyn Riffl e.The eighth-of-a-mile dragstrip

located on Wilson Siding Rd. is tak-ing more time to complete than was originally anticipated. There have been delays due to bad weather, permits and volunteers not being

“When you are dealing with donated time and equipment, it takes time,” said Riffl e.

Volunteers and donations have played a huge role in building the track so far. Tonkin has put in thou-sands of dollars of his own money and is selling eight of his own col-lectible cars to raise more money to put into the track. The cars can be seen on the racetrack Facebook site. Tonkin also has some inves-tors interested in investing in the venture which may help bring the track to fruition quicker.

Riffl e also stated that when building a track of this size and magnitude there are rules and guidelines that must be followed for insurance regulations and to even-

tually be a sanctioned drag strip.“One mistake could cost us the

track,” said Riffl e. “”We want it done right the fi rst time.”

Organizers of the race track are also planning a drag race car show at Stonewall Jackson Resort some-time this spring to raise money for the track as well as selling T-shirts to raise money for lighting.

Information about the fl edgling track can be seen on the website, www.lewiscountyspeedwayllc.com or go to Lewis County Speed-way on Facebook.

Anyone interested in buying T-shirts, donating time, energy or money to the race track venture or for answers to questions, email jriffl e@shentel.net.

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—F7

A Domestic Friend

www.adomesticfriend.com

Flint River Ranch Pet Foods

304-472-6006 304-613-9088

Duck Meal & Oatmeal

SeniorPlus Formula

Grain FreeCat & Kitten

Cat & KittenGift Pack

Baked Dog Biscuits

Stain ForceStain & Odor Eliminator

In-Home Pet Sitting

Proudly Made in the USA

The Lewis County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank its members for their continued sup-port and participation throughout the past year. The Chamber of Com-merce is a nonprofi t organization supported entirely by membership dues and fundraisers.

The Chamber provides support for local economic growth by main-taining a member-driven business organization which delivers value by connecting and engaging busi-nesses. The Chamber increases business visibility by providing di-verse networking and promotional opportunities as well as representa-tion with various levels of govern-ment. These goals are achieved by hosting events such as ribbon cuttings, networking luncheons, and most recently, a luncheon held at the Stonewall Resort featuring guest speaker U.S. Representative Shelley Moore Capito.

The Chamber supports the completion of the Corridor H Project and played an instrumental role with organization of media representation with this project.The Chamber also supports the com-munity by providing promotional assistance to various organizations and connecting entities with com-mon goals. Some of the community events include Santa’s House and the Annual Christmas Parade.

Recognition of businesses and individuals is extended each month via the Business of the Month and at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner. Last year’s Annual Din-ner, held at WVU Jackson’s Mill, featured guest speaker and WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck. Plans are already underway for the Fifth Annual Stonewall Jackson Triathlon which is scheduled for August 18.

The Triathlon is one of north central West Virginia’s fastest growing sporting events. In the fi rst four years the event has doubled in size and attracts athletes from other states and regions to Lewis County. This race includes a 1,000-meter swim in Stonewall Jackson Lake, a 26-mile bike ride along our county roads and a 4-mile run through the Stonewall Resort. This year the race committee has added a Corporate Challenge designed to allow teams of two or three indi-viduals representing a company or business to compete against other company-sponsored teams.

Participants may register early online at www.setupevents.com. This event is sanctioned by USA Triathlon and all proceeds over the cost of the event benefi t the Lewis County Chamber of Com-merce. The Chamber’s Board of Directors Executive Committee is composed of President Kathy Sims of the Property Shop, Vice-President E. Michael Hines Jr. of McJunkin Redman Corporation, Second Vice-President Katherine Friend of Friend 2 Friend Hearing Center and Treasurer Mike Hager of the Stonewall Resort.

Other Board of Directors mem-bers include Bryan Wilson of A.S.K Financial Services, Allison Clem of Riversong Spa, Dr. Daniel Farnsworth, Carolyn Lunsford of Mountaineer Properties, Kathy Sto-ver of Stover Insurance, Anthony Rome of Frontier Communications, Patricia Bleigh of Lewis County Se-nior Center, George Whelan of the Robert C. Byrd Institute, Jill Martin of United Bank and Debby Sleeth. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sherry Lambert and the Board of Directors are committed to working closely with members to provide quality services and benefi ts. An investment in the Lewis County Chamber of Com-merce is truly an investment in the community.

WVU graduate and current Athletic Director, Oliver Luck is shown addressing a large crowd at the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner. Each year the Chamber recognizes members and others for their contributions to the community. (Photo by Susan Bentley)

C of C Supports Growth

TALA Teaches Mental Health HistoryAt the heart of Lewis County,

West Virginia; the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum stands as an iconic image of the town of Weston. The facility served as a sanctuary for the mentally ill and a lifelong career for many Lewis County residents, opening to the fi rst patients in October of 1864. After closing in 1994, the buildings remained empty and unused until a private party, interested in saving this National Historic Landmark from urban decay, purchased the hospital and nearly 300 acres from the State of West Virginia.

To generate the funds to repair and preserve the hospital, it opened for historic tours and ghost hunts in March of 2008. Since then, over 120,000 visitors have traveled to Weston to tour the facility. The Asylum has been featured on sev-eral television networks, including SyFy, Travel Channel, Discovery’s 3Net, and CMT.

With many guests traveling from out of state, the Asylum is actively working with the Lewis County CVB and area attractions and destinations to provide a full and exciting visit to the area.

Historic Tours invite guests to see the interiors of this Gothic ar-chitectural masterpiece. Guides in authentic period attire discuss the pioneers of humane treatment for the mentally ill and the evolution of the treatments that have led to modern- day mental health care. The tour gives insight into the daily life of the patients and staff while encouraging a greater understand-ing of the role the hospital played in the community.

The Civil War Tour is an excel-lent way to celebrate the West Vir-ginia Civil War Sesquicentennial. Step back in time on this walking tour of the Asylum and downtown Weston. The historic community holds fascinating stories of Civil War raids, gold robberies, and remarkable citizens. Trace the footsteps of men who went on to lead our country as presidents. Listed on the Civil War Trails map as a poignant location during the confl ict, this is an excellent stop on a state-wide Civil War excursion.

Knowledgeable and entertain-ing guides lead visitors through the wards of the asylum on one of the Paranormal Tours. Tales of unexplained voices and mysteri-ous apparitions are shared. With the assistance of the paranormal staff, guests have the opportunity to investigate the building and collect evidence of haunting. Visitors have traveled from as far as Australia and Bangladesh to investigate the facility.

Guests looking for the oppor-tunity to explore the asylum at a photographer’s pace, enjoy the Photo Tour. Striking architectural features and impressive details make the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum a photographer’s play-ground. This is a semi-guided tour of the Kirkbride Building and other buildings on the grounds, free from the limitations of a standard tour. While this doesn’t provide historic or paranormal information, this is the only tour that grants access to the Forensics Building, Medi-cal Center, Geriatrics Building, Women’s Aux Building, and the green house.

Special Events are held on the asylum grounds in an effort to draw additional funds for preservation. The Moonstruck Battle of the Bands, held in June, lets 18 of the top bands from the surrounding 5

states compete for prizes. Dinner theater has been introduced as a fun way to spend an evening at TALA.

During the month of October, guests can take a Flashlight Tour of the building. With over one hundred and fi fty years of history and hauntings, the fl ashlight tour offers visitors a taste of all that has made the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum a memorable location. The tour covers basic historic information and includes the tales of hauntings. No other tour will combine these subjects. Also in October, the annual Fall Fest is a family friendly event on the fi rst weekend of the month. This free event has become an annual tradition, with live entertainment, craft and food vendors, children’s activities, and more. The legendary haunted house is open Wednesday through Sunday, during the entire month, for all those looking for a scare. The month ends with a costume ball on the front lawn of the asylum for Halloween.

After the crowds have gone at the end of October, TALA closes for tours for the winter. At the closing of the 2011 Tour Season, the pres-ervation team was able to put the proceeds from the year into action. Many renovations were done in the center section to allow for new exhibits and expanded museum rooms. Through extensive restora-tion, Ward One has been taken back to the late 19th Century. The ward gives a peek into what a typical patient area would have looked like. The museum rooms cover topics including the Asylum and the Civil War; medical treatments

in mental illness, and an exhibit of patient artwork.

The 2012 season opened on March 31, 2012. In just 3 weeks, TALA has welcomed guests from 30 of the 50 states and fi lled over

200 hotel rooms. Record visitors are expected this year. The dedicated team of staff and volunteers con-tinue to research, share and preserve the fascinating history with hopes of continued success.

Jane Lew Town Offi cials,

EmployeesMayor - Samuel L. WestRecorder - Debbie FrazierCouncil Members - Maxine Olson, Gene Davis, Charlie Straley, David Cottrill and Tom Fox.City Employee - Mike Riffl e

73 Acres Available NowLocated in Jane Lew, WV

The property will provide a wide range of opportunities for large, medium, and small businesseslooking to relocate here. Call Doug Parsons at 304-269-4993 or e-mail info@lceda.org

or visit our website WWW.LCEDA.ORG for more information.

For Information on All Available Land and Buildings Call:

North Central WV Oil & Gas Jobs Expo at Jackson’s Mill, WVJackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp, Assembly Hall

May 1, 2012 • 2:00 to 7:00 pmSponsored by:

Lewis County Economic Development AuthorityRegion VI Workforce Investment Board

WorkForce West Virginia

Resume Assistance • Interview Skills Workshops (3, 4 and 5 pm) • FREE Industry Training • Veterans’ ServicesEMPLOYERS & PROVIDERS:

Region VI is an equal opportunity employer/provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Central Environment ServicesChesapeake EnergyDoss Enterprises LC

Fred Eberle Technical CenterJ-W Measurement Company

Key Energy ServicesNabors Well Services

PIA JumpstartPierpont Community & Technical College

Stanley Tech

US Well ServicesWaste Management/RETWeatherford International

Superior Well Servicesand MORE!

website: www.lceda.org e-mail: info@lceda.org

4th Annual

AnnouncingThe New

Lewis CountyIndustrial Park

economicUPDATEeconomicUPDATE

G The Weston

DemocratApril 25, 2012

The Weston

DemocratApril 25, 2012

SJMH To Mark 40th Anniversary

This is how Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital looks today.

Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. In 1972, Stonewall Jackson completed con-struction of a new, 70-bed hospital on U.S. 33, at the western edge of the city. The $4,000,000 facility was considered to be one of the fi nest hospitals for its size in the country. It featured two operating rooms, two X-ray rooms, two labor rooms, one delivery room and 10 OB rooms. The parking lot accom-modated 120 cars and 127 people were employed here. Emil Bald-win was administrator and Elden H. Pertz, M.D., was the Chief of Staff. The hospital offered physical therapy, inhalation therapy, and a coronary care unit.

Prior to the opening of Stonewall Jackson Hospital, Weston had two hospitals, The City Hospital and Weston General, which was called The General.

The Theresa Snaith Hospital Auxiliary is celebrating its 50th an-

niversary this month with a Golden Anniversary Dinner on April 23 at St. Paul’s West Hall.

The auxiliary is older than Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hos-pital and had its beginning at the Old City Hospital that was once located on Main Ave.

Here is some of the history of the Weston health care system during the 20th century:

The third (and second general) hospital to open its doors in Weston, at 501 Main Avenue on November 1, 1921, was The City Hospital, established by veteran physicians Edward T.W. Hall and William H. Greene, both recently returned from World War 1 military practice. From 1904 until 1919, Dr. Hall had operated a small hospital in his home at Freemansburg.

Dr. Greene practiced at Camden from 1908 until April 1920, when he joined Dr. Hall in a joint prac-tice. Their offi ces were in rooms in the Tierney Building. There they

performed the fi rst appendectomy in Lewis County’s history. The Tierney Building was located at 135 Main.

In 1958, Ralph M. Fisher and Edwin A. Trinkle sold The City Hospital facility to the newly incor-porated and community-organized Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital, and the old City Hospital had a new name. It was located on Main Avenue, in Weston. The two physicians had acquired the City Hospital in 1938, and after World War II, substantially enlarged the building with a modern extension.

The Economic Development Administration, under Gov. Arch A. Moore, awarded Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital $869,000 for construction of a new hospital building in the late 1960s. The to-tal grant for the hospital up to this time was almost two million dol-lars. Groundbreaking for the new

Continued on G2

Progressive Bank opened its doors on March 4, 1911 and last year the fi nancial institution cel-ebrated its 100th anniversary.

The bank has had a branch in the Marketplace Mall since April 1, 1996 and serves individuals and businesses in Weston and Lewis County.

The Weston branch celebrated the anniversary with hot dogs, snacks and drinks last year and also gave away trips to Disney World and amusement parks.

The fi nancial institution has 10 locations in West Virginia with its headquarters in Wheeling and the parent holding company is First West Virginia Bancorp Inc.

Currently the bank has more than $293 million in assets and became FDIC insured institution in 1934.

The bank offers checking and savings accounts as well as cer-tifi cates of deposit of any amount and offers competitive loan and mortgage rates.

Currently the bank is offering a 2.88 percent on loans of more than $25,000 and with the loan comes a 2.88 percent rate on a certifi cate of deposit of $1,000 or more.

The bank will also give custom-ers the following incentives: $50 when you open a new checking account; $50 deposit when you be-

Progressive 100 YearsIn Banking

CONSOL Energy, located in the Jane Lew Industrial Park, was named the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Business of the Month last November. The company employs 138 employees in the Jane Lew offi ce who operate between 500-600 conventional gas wells in Lewis County.

CONSOL Energy joined Lewis County in 2010 when the company, whose corporate offi ce is located in Canonsburg, Pa., acquired the Appalachian exploration and production business of Dominion Resources in 2010. That acquisi-tion resulted in CONSOL Energy becoming the largest and among the fastest growing and lowest cost producers of natural gas in the Ap-palachian basin.

Founded in 1860 with produc-tion beginning in 1864, CONSOL Energy is now the leading diversi-fi ed fuel producer in the Eastern United States. In 2010, CONSOL Energy produced 62.4 million tons of coal and more than 127 billion cubic feet of natural gas through its 10 bituminous mining complexes in four states and its extensive gas operations in West Virginia, west-ern Pennsylvania and southwestern Virginia. The company has proven probable coal reserves of 4.4 bil-lion tons and proved gas reserves of more than 3.7 trillion cubic feet.

The company has gas operations

CONSOL Is Largest Natural Gas Producer In Appalachian Basin

in 33 West Virginia counties and in central West Virginia. Those are predominantly in Lewis, Bar-bour, Upshur, Doddridge, Gilmer, Calhoun, Ritchie and Harrison counties. CONSOL Energy also employs a contractor workforce of some 500, representing approxi-mately 40 companies, in the Jane Lew operations area, further adding to employment numbers which help to fuel the West Virginia economy, along with the taxes paid and capital investments made by the company.

An active philanthropic giving program, which supports schools, athletic organizations and com-munity projects in the Jane Lew area and in other areas in which it has operations, is another way the company takes part in local com-munity activities.

A series of core values, the fi rst of which are safety and com-pliance, are the hallmark of all CONSOL Energy operations. The company recorded its best safety performance in 2010 with gas di-vision employees experiencing no lost-time accidents companywide, earning the gas division its second J. Brett Harvey Safety Award, rec-ognizing one million hours worked without an accident.

“While those numbers are im-portant indicators of the industry,

There are two businesses operat-ing within one at the new addition to the Jadad Building, on U.S. Rt. 33 East and both are focused providing services to the oil and gas industry. The business began operation in the fall of 2011 and employs approximately 25 local individuals.

X-Chem, Inc., is focused on the technologic and chemical aspects of the industry, while TERRA Services, LLC is committed to servicing the total water manage-ment needs.

X-Chem, Inc. and TERRA Ser-vices, LLC are both wholly owned subsidiaries of NCH Corporation, headquartered in Irving, Texas. NCH Corporation was founded in 1919 and has gained a global presence with operations in 54 countries worldwide. NCH has a strong commitment to being a

X-Chem, Inc/TERRA Services Vital to Oil and Gas Industry

part of the environmental solution by taking an active approach to ensure that products and services meet or exceed regulatory, safety and environmental requirements.

X-Chem, Inc. is a full-service production chemical company. Since 1982, X-Chem has provided accurate, reliable and prompt analy-sis in order to facilitate a proactive chemical program. Field services include: system surveys, compre-hensive oil and water analysis, chemical performance assess-ments, treating program manage-ment, production optimization, problem resolution and problem prevention.

X-Chem also provides oilfi eld production chemicals, hydraulic fracturing chemicals, pipeline chemicals and laboratory services.

Established in 2009, TERRA Services, LLC is the latest addi-

tion to the NCH family. TERRA Service’s mission is to replace traditional biocides with Chlorine Dioxide at safe, yet effective drink-ing eater levels while maximizing the reuse of available produced water in hydraulic fracturing applications. TERRA Services places a strong focus on reducing the chemical usage and lowering packaging requirements while designing programs to meet sus-tainability goals and objectives of the oil and gas industry. X-Chem, Inc. and TERRA Services, LLC are committed to customer service and recognize that each customer and situation requires different treatment. Combined, these two companies offer leading-edge solu-tions for maintenance, production, treatment and stimulation of oil wells, gas wells and pipelines.

X-Chem, Inc. and TERRA Services LLC are two worldwide oil fi eld service businesses located in the new addition to the JADAD Building, next to Shentel on Rt. 33 East in Weston. The businesses opened in the fall of 2011 and provides employment for approximately 25 people. (Photo by John G. Wolfe)

Continued on G4

Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park and Resort Meeting Customer Needs

Many changes occurred at the Stonewall Resort and State Park during 2011, and expansion plans are underway, all designed to make the resort and park more user-friendly and to attract more visitors and guests to the area.

Over the past year, two new hik-ing trails were opened, one which features the many mysterious rock cairns. Th e Roanoke Building was turned into an activity plaza in an eff ort to give visitors more recre-ational choices, more playground

equipment and sporting venues have been added along with special activities designed to attract those from near and far.

To accommodate guests at the resort a ten foot wide pedestrian boardwalk/bridge has been built to connect the lodge area with the day use, marina and campground areas of the park. All entrances and exits to the bridge are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Future plans include bike trail extension from the Welcome

Center to the cottage areas. Th is project will provide almost a mile and a half of paved pathway and up to a half-mile of guardrail that will parallel the current entry roadways and provide safer pedestrian and bicycle access for park visitors who previously had to share the roadway with motorized vehicles in this area. Th is project starts at the park entrance, goes to the day use area and extends to the cottage area.

Also proposed is the Carrion Bay

Located opposite the Stonewall Resort lodge are ten beautifully appointed 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom saltbox-style resort cottages for families, golf groups and those who desire a private experience. The park foundation hopes to expand the number of cottages to accommodate and attract more visitors to the resort.

Continued on G5

Continued on G4

G2—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

Convenient hours:

8am - 6pm Monday - Friday

Well Child and Well Adult Exams

Employer Drug Screens and Breath

collectors)

Suturing and follow up wound care

Sports Physicals

Family Planning (state funded free or low cost birth control)

Immunizations (participate in Vaccine for Children program as well as providing for insurance patients)

DOT/ CDL Exams

Onsite Laboratory and X-Ray Service

Angela Mills, D.O.Frank Swisher, D.O.

Serving Lewis, Upshur and surrounding counties for 49 years

We can Assist You With All Your Flooring Needs!

WILSON’S RUG CLEANERS & CARPET CENTER Inc.

250 W. Second St., Weston, WV304-269-1233

April Carpet Cleaning Special .25¢ sq. ft.

Includes Scotch Guarding

We Always Offer 12 Months Interest Free Financing

Carpets, Vinyl, Ceramic Tile, Laminates, Woods such as Oak, Maple, Hickory plus we have a large selection of rolls & remanants available

$18.99 per yardin-stock Carpet, Pad

plus Installation

1970‘s

PRICES

$4.99 sq.ft. 25 yr warranty

Materials plus installationLooks like REAL Hardwood!

We Will Meet or Beat ANY PRICE with Competitors quote

on same item

Lowest Price

laminated wood core

25,000 Sq. Ft. of Show Room Choices!

“We’re a family organization built on truth, honesty, integrity, and a different way of doing business. Let us show you why we’re so different. Our Vision is to provide our

customers and friends with sales and service excellence.”

SAVE NOW and we’ll deliver when you are ready!

Ask About Larry’s Custom Design

Services!

SJMHContinued from 1Gbuilding took place in May 1970.

In 1979, Physician Office Building #1 was completed. The four-suite 6,000 sq ft building was constructed to recruit additional physicians to the area and give them a location near the hospital. Cardiac Rehab was also created that year.

In 1987, the Intensive Care Unit was expanded. Four rooms were renovated and the walls were made of glass so that patients could be monitored. In April of that year, a ground breaking was held for Physicians Offi ce Building #2. It opened in August. During this time, a permanent helipad for the hospital was constructed. Prior to this, helicopter landings were done on a section of the lower or upper visitors’ parking lots. The need for a permanent pad arose when excess parking was used for the construction of the new Physician Offi ce Building.

In 1992 a new round of renova-tions took place and included: a new emergency department (ex-panding the number of beds from 4 to 7); additions to OR, ICU, lab,

and radiology; new departments for outpatients, medical records, respiratory care, physical therapy, and library. The cafeteria was also enlarged at that time.

Stonewall Jackson Home Care was established in 1996. This ex-ternal department cares for patients who can be in their own home, but need the support of nursing person-nel. Originally, the Home Care offi ce was in Physician Building #1 but moved to Garton Plaza in 1997. (In 2008, the offi ces moved to Market Place Mall.) A 4-bed telemetry unit was established that year next to ICU. SJMH was named a Trauma Level III facility by the WV Dept. of Health and Human Resources Offi ce of Emergency Medical Services. Dr. Charles Lively’s medical practice was ac-quired by the Hospital and renamed Lively Health Care Center.

In 1998, work began on the renovation of the Special Deliv-ery Birthing Center, boardroom, classroom, and library. Ten new administrative offi ces were also added to the facility. When the work was completed in October of that year, the event was celebrated with a Healthy Kids Fair and Open

House. SJMH purchased a tract of land located at the intersection of I-79 and Corridor H for construc-tion of a new hospital building.

In 1999, the WVU Emergency Medical Services surveyed the Hospital and gave SJMH an “Always Ready for Kids (ARK)” designation. Work began on a 150-place parking lot located behind the Hospital. JCAHO re-accredited the Hospital that year.

The SJMH Skilled Care Unit was closed on Jan. 1, 2000. The large employee parking lot behind the hospital was completed during the summer. It greatly relieved the parking problems visitors and patients faced. The Hospital also sponsored the fi rst Benefi ts Fair for SJMH employees. Dr. Mahmoud joined the practice of Dr. Husari.

In March of 2001, BBL Carlton began renovations on the fi rst fl oor of the Hospital. Two more beds were added to ICU to bring the total to six. A waiting room was added next to the Telemetry depart-ment. Dr. Alvaro Gutierrez joined the Weston Neurology Clinic, Dr. Salvatore LaNasa joined the SJMH staff in August. Dr. Tony Naim joined Dr. Murshid Latif’s

obstetrics/gynecology practice. Radiologists Dr. Wilson Tan and Dr. Felipe Espinoza began work at SJMH.

In 2002, Plans were begun for the 30th anniversary of SJMH’s move to its facility on Rt. 33, west of Weston. Dr. Murshid Latif retired from his practice and relocated to his homeland of Jordan. Eighty women participated in the Free Women’s Health Screening hosted by SJMH. JCAHO survey was held in August and the Hospital passed. A bone densitometer was installed in the Radiology Dept. Dr. Yousef Abdulnabi joined Dr. Sabbagh in his cardiology parctice. Cardiac Rehab was given certifi cation for its program. A new hospital-wide computer system (CPSI) was un-veiled. The Theresa Snaith Auxil-iary celebrated its 40th anniversary. Long-time Board Member M. William “Bill” Adler passed away on Nov. 1. His death was a great loss to the Hospital.

Nurse midwife Vicki Smith joined the practice of Dr. Tony Naim in 2003. Delegate Douglas Stalnaker joined the SJMH Board, fi lling the vacancy left on the Board after M. William Adler’s death. A security system was installed in the Special Delivery Birthing Center. Dr. Muqdad Zuriqat joined the staff of Dr. Husari. Dr. John Azar opened an oncology offi ce here. The fi rst M. William Adler Char-ity Golf Tournament was held at Stonewall Resort to fund a health care scholarship. The Auxiliary donated a Patient Education system to SJMH. Long-time SJMH Board member Robert Earle retired from the Board to move to Charleston. John Spiker was named to the board as Earle’s replacement. Orthopedist Dr. Joseph Snead’s medical practice was acquired by SJMH. The fi rst Christmas Craft Show was orga-nized by the Soc/Rec Committee.

In 2004, A new department head position was created for the Hos-pital. A Physician Clinic Director would now take care of the medical offi ces affi liated with SJMH. Dr. John Thomas, a surgeon, joined the staff in April. SJMH became a Partner in Education with Jane Lew School. Dr. William Kelley joined the ED staff. Massage therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation were added to the Physical Therapy Department. John E. Law became the newest member of the SJMH Board of Directors. Dr. Pascasio retired from his practice in Weston. Dr. David Watson opened a new clinic in Jane Lew. Dr. Charles Lively was named Lews Countian of the Year by the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce. SJMH opened the Weston Pulmonary and Medical Clinic with Dr. Mahmoud and Dr. Zuriqat.

Dr. Nabil Guirguis, nephrolo-gist, joined the SJMH staff in 2005. Dr. Rob Snuffer started his family practice. The Auxiliary bought a paging system for surgery. The Hospital passed the JCAHO survey. Another department was added to the Hospital. Information Technol-ogy (IT) was able to take care of many of the SJMH’s computer needs within the hospital. Auxil-iary President Nilva Posey passed away unexpectedly in February. Sue Clem was named Employee of the Year. A security door was added to the ED hallway for the maximum safety of SJMH staff, patients, and visitors. SJMH retiree Ronnah Godfrey passed away un-expectedly in March. Clean indoor air regulations took effect, prohibit-ing smoking within 15 feet of any SJMH entrance. Housekeeping Manager Patty Heath retired from SJMH. Housekeeper Donna My-ers passed away in July. Urologist Dr. Peter Edgerton began seeing patients here. The PACS system in Radiology began operation.

Dorothy Fisher, widow of Dr. Ralph Fisher passed away.

The Pharmacy and Nursing Department began the imple-mentation of a “Pyxsis” system for the departments to ensure the accurate delivery of medications to the patients in 2006. Auxiliary President Teresa Moran passed away unexpectedly in January. The Auxiliary presented the SJMH Special Delivery Center with chair/beds for each OB room. The Ameri-can Cancer Society conducted a wellness survey for the Hospital. Mary Ellen Bragg was named Chief Nursing Offi cer. Jimmy Lattea was named Employee of the Year for the second time. Billie Harris, of SJMH’s Materials Management Department and Lucille Hicks, of the Surgery Department, retired. Dr. Doug Tice joined the offi ce of Dr. Snead at Weston Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center. He began offering minimally invasive knee surgery. Dr. Charles Lively retired from his medical practice after serving Lewis County for 50 years in July and passed away on Dec. 16. Maintenance employee Nelson Riffl e retired. Lithotripsy were added to SJMH’s services.

Roberta Gaines was named 2006 Employee of the Year in 2007. Denver Turner replaced the late Dr. Charles Lively on the SJMH Board of Directors. The Theresa Snaith Hospital Auxiliary donated bariactric equipment to SJMH. Dr. Peter Edgerton joined the medical staff on a full-time basis. Four em-ployees retired this year including Nancy Moody, of Housekeeping; Beulah Ruppert, of the Emergency Department; Bob Mills, of the Emergency Department, and Joan Miller of Surgery. Two programs in nursing were implemented for Falls Prevention. A national com-pany, Sodexo, became manager for SJMH facilities. A new medication verifi cation program was imple-mented at SJMH.

In 2008, Dr. John Wyllie, of Weston Ear, Nose and Throat, opened his practice in May at the offi ces formerly occupied by Lively Healthcare Center. Dawn Bledsoe, joined the practice as the offi ce’s audiologist. Lively Health Care’s offi ce moved to a Jane Lew location. Stonewall Home Oxygen Therapy and Stonewall Home Care moved their offices to Market Place Mall. Two SJMH employees, Larry Gatian and Judy Roberts retired from the Hospital. Former staff members Martha Queen, Evelyn “Simmie” Simmons, Nick Linger, and Lois Lamb passed away. Former Board members Dr. Charles Wagner and Robert Earle passed away. Tammie Mick was named 2007 Employee of the Year. Three physicians began joined the medical staff - pulmonologist Dr. Naveen Akkina, rheumatologist Dr. Haritha Narla, and surgeon Dr. Ron Pearson.

Doctors Jeremy Williams and Chris Kennedy started their medi-cal practices at Lively Healthcare Center in 2009. Maintenance’s Steve Butcher was named 2008 Employee of the Year. Ruth Ann Butcher, Ruth Ann Hefner, Har-riett Williams, Irene Arbogast, LaDonna Sprouse, Fonda Teter and Cammie Posey retired from SJMH. Two former employees - Susie Stasel, of Lab, and Suzie Miller of the front console, passed away. Stonewall Home Oxygen Therapy received national accreditation for the company. Lab’s Bob Thomas celebrated 50 years at SJMH. Dr. Peter Edgerton is now offering cryosurgery. Ronda Brown was named Employee of the Year.

Three new physicians joined the SJMH Medical Staff in 2010. Sharrell Gibson, M.D., joined the offi ces of Mountaineer Healthcare

for Women. Orthopedic surgeons Doyle R. Sickles, M.D., and Shafi c Sraj, M.D., joined Joseph Snead., M.D., at Weston Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center. Employ-ees Linda Bush, Helen Dot Butler, and Sally Frazee retired from the Hospital.

In 2011, Dr. Haritha Narla and Dr. Nuveen Akkina left SJMH for Virginia Beach in early summer. Dr. John Thomas moved to West Virginia’s eastern panhandle in September. Major renovations at Lively Healthcare were complete in August almost doubling the size of the facility at Jane Lew. Long-time administrator David D. Shaffer would retire in December. Associ-ate Administrator Avah Stalnaker would take over the helm. Dr. M. Kurdi, a pulmonolgist, and Dr. Wade McMillion joined the SJMH medical staff.

Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital continues to grow and contribute to the benefi t of the community of Weston and Lewis County. The hospital will celebrate its anniversary in November of this year and the Democrat will keep you posted of events.

Jane LewFMC OffersGreat Care

Dr Frank Swisher continues to provide quality care at 134 Industrial Park Road in Jane Lew. Family Medical Clinic of Jane Lew opened August 21, 2000 and saw their fi rst patients after completing four months of construction. Dr Swisher’s goal, to “provide quality care to our friends and neighbors,” has remained consistent throughout the years.

This year will bring another change to the clinic when Dr Angela Mills joins Dr Swisher starting July, 2012. She is completing her fi nal couple months of Family Medi-cine Residency at United Hospital Center in Bridgeport and is also a graduate of the WV School of Os-teopathic Medicine. She and her husband, John and daughter Joy, live in Weston. Angela was raised in Richwood. Dr Frank Swisher and the staff of Family Medical Clinic are excited to have Angela join them. Their hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

They continue to offer onsite laboratory and x-ray services as well as the following: DOT/CDL physicals

well child and well adult exams, sports physicals, employer drug screens and breath alcohol tests (all by certifi ed collectors), suturing and follow up wound care, family planning (state funded free or low cost birth control), immunizations (participate in Vaccine for Children program as well as providing for insurance patients).

At Family Medical Clinic they offer scheduled appointments for routing follow-up care of chronic problems as well as walk-in visits for those unplanned illnesses and injuries. Once again, they need to thank friends, family and the community for the support of their endeavor. They also need to thank their patients and God for his blessings in allowing them the opportunity to provide care for so many for the past years. They thank all who have supported them in deed or in prayer!

The Weston Democratwebsite is

www.westondemocrat.com

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—G3

From Simple to Extravagant, Hardman Paletti Funeral Home can put together a fitting farewell for your loved one.

Hardman-Paletti Funeral Home730 N. Main Avenue • Weston, West Virginia 26452 • (304) 269-5005

C. David HardmanLicensee In Charge

Anthony PalettiFuneral Director

John M. PalettiOwner

- Since 2005 -

Directly Off I-79, Exit 105 Jane Lew Phone (304) 884-7095

Robin’s Nest Travel Center wants to thank everyone who has supported our business and our events this year and last. We are striving to make sure your visit is enjoyable and will keep you coming back. We are very proud of our community and will continue our efforts to help supportLewis County. Please let us know of any suggestions or comments. Our e-mail is comment@wvrobin.com or

us on Facebook.

Fox’s Has Quality Pizza, Food, Service

Fox’s Pizza Den is located on Rt. 33 East in Weston.

Fox’s Pizza Den, located at 451 U.S. Highway 33 East,Weston, reopened last April 18, under new ownership. The popular pizzeria has been a Weston mainstay for many years, and was owned and operated by the late Jay Gum, un-til his tragic death. His heirs then decided it best to sell the business and that’s where Josh and Marsha Garton came along.

Josh Garton has run an insur-ance business for numerous years practically across the road from the restaurant. At fi rst, Marsha Garton said, we looked at the building as a possible real estate investment but instead decided to reopen the business because all the equip-ment was here and it was pretty much ready to go. The building was purchased from the estate of Jay Gum on March 18, 2011 and opened a month later.

Some improvements were made to the building, and the back park-

ing lot was completely redone. A suspended concrete slab supported by pillars and reinforced with rebar was collapsed and fi lled with tons of rock, packed and then blacktopped.

Not having any restaurant expe-rience, Josh and Marsha visited the Fox’s Pizza Den, Inc. in Pittsburgh, where they observed operations at two different Fox’s Pizza Den locations, and received training from Jim Fox, the creator of Fox’s Pizza Den. Marsha made another trip to Pittsburgh to work in one of the shops for two days to actually have hands on training.

The Garton’s have nothing but praise for the Fox’s Pizza Den franchise.

“They have been so helpful,” said Marsha Garton,

Jim Fox, opened the fi rst Fox’s Pizza Den when he was 24 years old. Currently, there are nearly 400 restaurants in 31 states. Two trainers came to Weston from Fox’s

Pizza Den to train employees for the fi rst days of the restaurant’s opening.

From the beginning it has been a learning experience. One year later, Marsha feels she is still learning new things, and is constantly trying to improve and make changes that will make the working atmosphere and the customer experience the best possible.

The employees at Fox’s Pizza Den are local residents who have made running the restaurant easier with their input, said Marsha. Some of them have previous food busi-ness experience, and have given Marsha and Josh ideas on how to make things easier and more effi cient.

“We have a friendly working atmosphere and everyone seems to enjoy their job,” said Marsha. “All of the employees are effi cient and reliable.”

The restaurant uses high qual-

ity products and some are solely Fox’s Pizza Den brands, such as the pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, pizza cheese, and pep-peroni, to name a few. The pizza boxes are made solely from clean, quality products from the USA, not unknown, unsanitary products from third-world countries. The mush-rooms are grown in the USA as well as our pizza cheese is real cheese, not synthetic cheese. According to Mr. Fox, it’s not silicone, which is what you use to caulk around win-dows to keep them from leaking.

The menu is similar as before, with pizza being the primary of-fering, but many other items also available. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

On Monday through Friday the eatery offers fi ve dollar lunch

specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition, the restaurant features two rooms that can be used for private parties or for meetings. The rooms are divided by a folding door, that can make the two into one large room. They have added two widescreen fl at televisions for customers to enjoy and will provide wireless Internet.

The pizzeria offers carry out and they deliver to a pre-determined area around Weston as well as the Jane Lew Industrial Park and the Go-Mart at the Interstate.

For more information or to order any of the restaurant’s delicious menu items, call 269-4040.

G4—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

WVTOURISM.COM

800-225-5982

I-79, Exit 91

The staff of Stonewall Resort State Park would like to express gratitude to Lewis County for supporting our efforts to build and maintain an award-winning destination that attracts thousands of people each year.

Please, come see us and enjoy all that the park has to offer in this, our 10th year of operation.

With your support, we have been able to generate over $51,000,000 in economic impact to Lewis County and the surrounding region. Thank you!

986 Route 50Clarksburg, WV 26301

304-624-74671-800-642-7467

3069 University AvenueMorgantown, WV 26506

304-598-11311-800-258-2454

Serving North CentralWest Virginia’s

Electrical Distribution NeedsFor Over 60 Years

State ElectricSupply Co.Customer Focused, Quality Driven

Mother-son duo Katherine and Cirk Friend operate Friend 2 Friends Hearing Center.

Why wait?Stop wondering!Give Friend 2 Friend Hearing

Center a call and set up an appoint-ment and fi nd out if you have a hearing loss or if it’s just wax, then you will know.

They have been your local hearing healthcare center for 25 years now.

Their clients are the reason they have been a success. They listen and try to get to the bottom of the problem.

You’ll be able to see inside your ear canal. Then they will do a com-plete hearing evaluation for free. Once you are in their system, you will be able to get a yearly hearing test as a tool to compare and follow your hearing needs.

Lewis County is of great concern to Friend 2 Friend. The offi ce offers many styles of hearing aids and the most recent technology. They also have batteries, miracell oil, sweat bands for hearing aids, kid SAZ headset and earbuds in pink, blue and green.

They can work with most repairs that are needed.

Most of their clients are clients that have come back two and three times. Referrals are a large part of their business.

Give them a call. Don’t put it off any longer. Don’t lose another minute without hearing what you need to hear correctly.

Friend 2 Friend Hearing Center, 37 Garton Plaza, Weston; phone 304-269-2435.

Friend 2 Friend CuresHearing Problems

ProgressiveContinued from G1gin using online banking services; $25 deposit when you bring in your old check; $25 deposit when you begin using your ATM or debit card; $25 deposit when your fi rst direct deposit or direct payment posts to you checking account; $25 deposit if your loan is set up to be automated from your checking account; and the fi rst order of basic checks is free.

These incentives are for new customers as well as current customers who have not used the services before.

Senior Vice President of Pro-gressive Bank Connie Tenney stated, “ The Board of Directors is pleased to invest several hundred thousand dollars in our market ar-eas for many reasons: loyalty of our customers, dedicated professional bank personnel, our competitive pricing, quality products, and strategic location. We are anxious to broaden our horizons in the

community while continuing to properly serve our customers.”

Progressive Bank offers a va-riety of consumer and business products to suit the fi nancial needs of its communities. The bank of-fers an array of checking products, starting with “free checking” which features no minimum monthly balance requirement, no monthly service fee and no annual fee for a Master Money Debit Card. Another attractive checking product is the bank’s VIP 50 checking account.

Designed for those customers 50 years of age or older, the account offers a competitive interest rate, unlimited check writing ability, debit card access with additional benefi ts of free VIP 50 checks, gift checks, travel card checks and money orders.

Progressive Bank also provides 24 hour banking service to its consumer and business custom-ers through online banking – Net Teller. Net Teller allows a customer to access their accounts outside of the normal banking hours from anywhere in the world.

Customers can also experience the click of convenience by paying bills online with Progressive Pay, our free online bill pay service. For customers who prefer to ac-cess their account information via telephone, the Progressive Call Center is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information on any of Progressive Bank’s services stop in to the Marketplace branch or call

CONSOL Energy retains its focus on what is truly important,” said CONSOL Energy Chief Op-erating Offi cer of Gas Operations Randy Albert. “First and foremost, we continue to hold safety as our top core value. Our primary goal – whether at our coal or our gas operations -- is to eliminate workplace accidents. We continue to refi ne our best practices and to enhance our workforce training to this end. In both the gas and the coal industry, we face a changing

CONSOLContinued from G1

regulatory environment, but we are committed to leading the industry in adapting to those changes.”

CONSOL Energy is a member of

the Standard & Poor’s 500 Equity Index and the Fortune 500. It was named one of the “Top 100 Most Trustworthy” companies for 2010

by Forbes. Additional information about the company may be found on its website, www.consolenergy.com.

City of Weston Elected Offi cials

Mayor - Julia SpelsbergCouncil Members: Ward 1 - James OldakerWard 2 - Terry CogarWard 3 - Roger GainesWard 4 - David Blake

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—G5

Proud of our PastGrowing for the Future

Growing to meet your needs!

NewOffice Furniture

Display

Design Services

Hundreds of desks, chairs,bookshelves,

and everythingelse you need.

See us for the latest in Office Supplies,Furniture, and Equipment!!!

Deeply involved in the cultural and economic development of North Central West Virginia for the past 113 years, The James and Law Company continues to supply the needs of the Schools and Businesses of our area.

Hitt’s Is Full-Service GarageIt began in 1946 when Red Hitt

began Hitt’s Garage to provide a spare parts service in Weston.

Sixty six years later and J.E. Hitt Garage is still operating and providing customers with worth-while car services.

“For a small business in a small community, it’s a pretty good feat to last that long,” said Tim Hitt, current owner of J.E. Hitt Garage. The business has been passed down from James ‘Red’ Hitt to Jim Hitt (his son) and now Tim Hitt.

Through three generations Hitt’s Garage has managed to remain a fi xture in local economy. Tim Hitt attributed the business’ customer base that has really come to rely on the garage’s service as a reason for their ability to remain open for more than 60 years.

“Our reputation helps keep a business like ours in operation for that amount of time,” Hitt said. “We’re lucky I guess.”

Currently, J.E. Hitt Garage of-fers a variety of services for their clients but it originally started out as a place to buy spare parts, Hitt said.

When “Red” Hitt opened the business in 1946 he was more interested in buying cars and strip-ping them for parts and metal scrap, Tim Hitt said. After his grandfather passed the business to his father, Jim Hitt, that’s when the garage began offering a towing service, Hitt said.

“My dad did some mechanical work and started the body shop,” Tim Hitt said. The business has evolved many ways over the years from a spare parts and scrap busi-ness to a full out body shop, it has been all about adapting to customer needs and the changing market.

Currently, the garage now provides anything from used auto parts, a body shop, towing service, mechanical work, and inspection services, Hitt said.

“We’re trying to improve every-thing to keep up with the times,” Hitt said. “We try to keep up to date with latest technology.”

Now the body shop has become the biggest part of the business, Hitt said. Hitt’s business now has two new paint booths to offer custom-ers. One a bake booth and the other a cross draft booth, Hitt said.

All things considered, Hitt be-lieves “a business is only as good as its employees and they have a great team!”

That team includes:

ries, while waiting on their vehicle. He touched so many in our small community with his smile. Kind words and willingness to help anyone in need. And even though he is missed every day, his presence is still felt all aroung the business.

For more information, call the garage at 269-2123 or visit their Deanville location for more help with your vehicle.

Tim Duncan - Body Technician, trained at the Fred Eberle Technical Center, has 12 years of experience and is Deltron certifi ed.

Mike Canter - Body Technician, trained at the United Technical Center, has 15 years of experience and is ASE certifi ed.

Todd Callihan - Body Techni-cian, Started TC’s Auto Repair Shop in Good Hope, 20 years experience.

Russ Edwards - Body Shop Manager, PPG Body Shop Man-agement Series - Estimate Plus certifi ed, 21 years experience.

Jim Harper - Mechanic Shop, 20 years experience.

Brian Harris - Mechanic Shop.Chris Bennett - Detailer.Kim Hitt Malson - Offi ce Man-

ager and Payroll Clerk, seven years experience.

Tim Hitt - Owner/Operator since 1992.

Next month will mark 1 year since Jim Hitt's passing. He has been missed by many friends and customers, who enjoy telling sto-

Mike Canter, body technician.

Russ Edwards, Body Shop manager.

In Memory Jim Hitt

Trail for Persons with Disabili-ties. Th is trail would be almost two miles long and would parallel the shores of the Carrion Bay section of Stonewall Jackson Lake. It will be completed, meeting all current ADA accessibility guidelines, al-lowing many users to enjoy the smooth gradients specified in accessibility guidelines. Th ere is potential to provide further op-portunity to support what could be the largest signifi cant fi shing access point in West Virginia for persons with disabilities. All entrances and exits to the bridge will be accessible to all persons.

Th e park foundation is also looking at expanding the number of cottages. Adequate lodging is of paramount importance to the development of the resort. Rudy Henley, Stonewall Park Founda-tion Project Developer and Asset Manager said that, “many people come to the resort for meetings and weekend stays and many desire to rent cottages. Others want to stay at the park for longer periods of time. With ten cottages we are somewhat limited. Th ere is a demand for more and larger cottages to accommo-date our visitors for many events including family reunions, which are popular in the area.”

Th is year is also an anniver-sary year at the resort. Th e Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course turns ten years-old, the resort cottages and lodge also opened ten years ago. It was fi ft een years ago that West Virginia Division of Natural Re-sources awarded McCabe-Henley LP Properties a contract to begin the development of the resort.

Th e Park and Resort continue to boost the local economy. Th e resort is one of the areas largest employers and attracts thousands of visitors each year to Lewis County.

Th e AAA Four Diamond-rated resort features  208 guestrooms with a lakeside lodge and lakeside cottages, a conference center, res-taurants, complete fi tness center and swimming pool, spa and an 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course. West Virginia’s only lakeside resort and conference cen-ter, the resort is the perfect haven for business and pleasure.

The Adirondack-style lodge overlooks Stonewall Jackson Lake, the second-largest lake in West Virginia. Th e lodge features 198 guest  rooms, three restaurants, the Mountain Laurel Spa, indoor/outdoor heated pool, fi tness cen-ter and IACC-approved meeting facilities. For meetings, weddings and special occasions, the resort’s 15,000 square feet of conference

ResortContinued from G1

space off er beautiful and modern accommodations.

Located opposite the resort’s lodge are ten beautifully appointed 2, 3 and 4 bedroom saltbox-style resort cottages for families, golf groups and those who desire a private experience.

Stonewall Jackson Lake, 26 miles long with 82 miles of shoreline, is comprised of secluded coves and private fi ngers, aff ording the boater or fi sherman access to unmatched fi shing and days of exploration. Little Sorrel, the resort’s 100 passen-ger excursion boat, provides regular lake tours. Smaller watercraft are available for rent and are the perfect way to enjoy the beautiful lake and surrounding landscape. 

Nature trails for hiking and biking can be found on the resort’s property and in the 18,000 acre Wilderness Management Area adjacent to the resort.

Th e championship golf course rises from the lake shore and into the hills surrounding the resort. Th e Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course has been honored by Golf Digest, Golf Magazine and Golf-week as one of the best courses in the nation. Th e 7, 149 yard par 72 course blends water and woods with hills and valleys in the heart of West Virginia.

Th e resort features full banquet facilities and three unique restau-rants off ering seasonal menus. Still-waters and TJ Muskies are located on the lower level of the resort and treat guests to scenic views of the lake and mountainsides with a choice of indoor or patio seating. Lightburn’s is located inside the clubhouse, perched atop the resort property overlooking the spectacu-lar Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course.

For more information on what the park and resort off er, call (304)-269-7400 or visit their Website at www.stonewallresort.com.

This photo shows the interior of one of the ten cottages avail-able at Stonewall Resort. The Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park Foundation hope to built more cottages in the near future.

economicUPDATEeconomicUPDATE

H The Weston

DemocratApril 25, 2012

The Weston

DemocratApril 25, 2012

Caplan’s Jewelry Store has been a landmark in Weston since 1927. Pictured are Melissa Fox, Dave Glover, Terry Glover and Vickie Rittenhouse. Other Caplan’s employees that are not pictured are Sherry Marsh, Amanda Baldwin, Erica Messenger and Mary Ann Stalnaker.

Back in 1927, Terry Glover’s great-aunt and uncle, Sam and Dorothy Caplan, opened the doors of Caplan’s Jewelry Store in Weston. This year, Terry and her husband, Dave, are celebrating the 85th anniversary of the store.

The store, which is in the same location as it was 85 years ago, has survived The Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and other times of economic changes.

“We have never had a year where we went down,” said Terry. “We have stayed even but not gone down.”

During the Great Depression, Terry said that what kept the store going was local railroad employ-ees who had to have their watches regulated. They brought them into Caplan’s to be timed.

How does a small store last 85 years when so many more have left Weston?

“We offer service,” said Terry. “What you don’t get a lot of in a bigger store,” she added.

Terry’s grandfather had a Ca-plan’s Jewelry store in Clarksburg for many years, but that store closed just a few years ago. Her grandpar-

Caplan’s Marks 85th Year

ents had 8 children so Terry’s father became an optometrist.

Terry’s aunt and uncle, Irene and Elmer, took the business over from Sam and Dorothy in 1955. Irene was Terry’s father’s sister.

In 1970 when Terry married Dave Glover, Dave wanted to get into the business so he came to work for Irene and Elmer. Through the next few years, Dave went to schools to learn how to fi x jewelry, watches and other things that jew-elers do. Terry stayed home, look-ing after their three girls until the youngest started school, then she joined Dave working at the store.

Dave also designs jewelry and will custom make items according to customers’ requests and designs.

“We always ask ourselves, can we do it, can we make a little money doing it, and can we have fun doing it?” said Dave.

Over time, Dave and Terry eventually took over the store from Irene and Elmer and just last year they bought the building the store is located in, after all these years.

Terry said that now not only do they have their daughter, Melissa, working with them in the store, they also have grandchildren who

work there. The Glovers strive for service to

the community as well as providing quality merchandise.

“We try to keep things that are made in the United States as much as possible. To this day most of the jewelry is made in the US. We are very picky,” said Terry.

The merchandise in the store is pretty much the same as it was back in 1927. Watches, jewelry and clocks were and still are the mainstays of the business.

Novelties have come and gone at Caplan’s and for the past fi ve years Vera Bradley products have been a huge success for the store. Vera Bradley makes purses, wal-lets, glass cases, suitcases and on and on. These items are a big hit at Christmas time for those look-ing for gifts.

The Glovers will celebrate the anniversary of the store in July in recognition of the actual opening in 1927.

“We are pretty lucky that we found our own niche,” said Dave. “We want to thank our friends who are our customers for helping to make Caplan’s successful.

Shop 'n Save Here 5 Years

Shop ‘n Save Express prides itself in sponsoring many community events. Here Assistant Manager Scott Linger readies children for the start of the store’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. (Photo by John G. Wolfe)

In December, Weston’s Shop ‘n Save Express grocery store celebrated its fi fth anniversary of business in Lewis County.

As usual, the business cel-ebrated the milestone in customary fashion by giving something back to the community. In addition to offering cake to all who entered the doors, they held drawings, giving some lucky customers two fl at-screen television sets, two GPS systems, a Bissell sweeper and numerous WVU fan items. The fi rst 55 customers who entered the store during the day-long celebra-tion were rewarded with a free loaf of bread.

The store often sponsors events

for customers and the community by holding a steak fry, car shows, meet-and-greet functions for LCHS athletic teams, and very popular Halloween costume contests and Easter egg hunts where they give away Nemours prizes. Shop n Save also supports many charitable causes. Recently they held a ramp burger cook-out.

Manager Dave Weese said that the store appreciates Lewis County and surrounding communities. “Our customers are the greatest,” he said. “We enjoy giving back to them and we appreciate the Lewis County community.”

Shop ‘n Save Express is owned

by Craig Phillips and Bob Breit-inger and their corporate offi ces are located in Elkins. The business gives boost to the local economy by employing 40 area residents.

The store, which is located at 402B Medical Park Drive, near the Weston Municipal Building is a full-line grocery store with depart-ments and services that include: bakery, custom cakes, meat, pro-duce, dollar store, greeting cards, hot foods, rug shampoo rentals and Redbox DVD rentals.

Shop ‘n Save Express is open Monday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. For more informa-tion, call 304-269-5830.

Curran’s Sells Floral Designs

A new fl oral business opened for business in Weston in late December of last year. Curran’s Floral Boutique is located at 859 U.S. Highway 33 East, just outside of Weston.

Curran’s is owned and operated by Phil and Geanna Curran and specializes in a variety of high-end fl oral designs. From unique, modern-to-elegant fl oral arrange-ments for weddings and special events to everyday designs, the Curran’s will work to meet the needs of all customers.

“We work closely with each cli-ent to create an extraordinary event that is personal to the customer’s specifi cations and is personally tailored to meet their budget,” said Phil Curran.

Curran’s also carries a wide range of formal wear, with formal tuxedos and suit rentals from Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Avanti and After Six. Curran’s guarantees that formal wear provided will bring luxury and sophistication to all events from weddings, to proms and other special occasions.

Curran’s is a full gift boutique offering a wide range of gift items from high-end glass and pottery to gourmet Godiva and Harry London chocolates, to plush stuffed Teddy bears and balloons.

The business carries a large inventory of fresh fl owers, tropical plants, European dish gardens, silk arrangements, wedding fl owers and items, funeral designs, extensive gift line, gourmet and fruit baskets and greeting cards.

Currently open at Curran’s is a garden center, featuring Phil’s famous terra cotta combination planters and combination moss hanging baskets. They carry a full selection of hanging outside fl ora and green foliage baskets. Coming on May 2, will be fl owering fl ats, vegetable flats, tomatoes pots, herbs, perennial fl ats and gallon perennials.

Curran’s fl oral arrangements can be delivered worldwide or lo-cally and they service the Weston, Bridgeport communities and sur-rounding areas.

They are open from 9 a.m. to 5

Phil and Geanna Curran are the owners and operators of Cur-ran’s Floral Boutique located just outside Weston on U.S. Rt. 33.

Curran’s Floral Boutique specializes in a variety of high-end fl oral designs for every occasion. The business opened in late De-cember of 2011 and serves the greater Lewis County area. (Photo by John G. Wolfe)

Edward Jones Says Even with Low Rates Invest for Income

Not long ago, the Federal Re-serve (Fed) announced that it plans to keep short-term interest rates near zero until late 2014. The Fed initially pushed rates to that level in 2008, in an effort to stimulate economic growth. Clearly, low interest rates have a wide-ranging impact--but what effect will they have on you, as an individual investor?

If you need income from your investments, then the continuation of ultra-low interest rates may be a matter of some concern, particu-larly if you own certain types of fi xed-income investments, such as certifi cates of deposit. While CDs are insured, offer return of principal at maturity and provide regular interest payments, they are not risk-free. With low interest rates, you risk losing purchasing power. Still, fi xed-rate vehicles may well have a place in your portfolio. If you’re even somewhat dependent on you investments for income, you may need to broaden your search. Here are a few ideas to consider.

Build a bond ladder. Long-term bonds, by their nature, are more subject to interest rate risk than shorter-term vehicles. In other words, interest rates are more likely

to rise during the life span of a longer-term bond - - and when rates go up, the prices of existing bonds will fall. To help lower this risk, you may want to build a “ladder” of bonds of varying maturities. Then, if market interest rates are low, you’ll still have your long-term bonds earning higher rates, but if rates rise, you can take advantage of them by reinvesting the proceeds of your maturing short-term bonds. But remember to work with your fi nical advisor to evaluate whether a bond ladder and the securities held within it are consistent with your investment objectives, risk toler-ance and fi nancial circumstances.

Consider dividend-paying stocks. You can fi nd companies that have paid dividends for many consecutive years -- and in some cases, increased their dividend pay-out each year. In 2012, companies listed in the S&P 500 are on track to pay out more than $252 billion in dividends, a record amount, according to data compiled from Standard & Poor’s. (Keep in mind that the S&P 500 is an unmanaged index and is not available for di-rect investment.) Of course, stock prices will fl uctuate in value, and you may receive more or less than

your original investment when you sell. Historically, dividend-paying stocks have been less volatile than non-dividend-paying stocks. Be aware, though, that compa-nies can lower or discontinue dividend payments at any time without notice. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Refi nance your mortgage. To-day’s low rates are good news for borrowers.With tougher standards in place, it may not be as easy to refi nance a mortgage as it once was, but if you qualify, you may want to think about refi nancing. You may be able to save quite a bit of money on your monthly payments -- and lower payments can translate into a greater cash fl ow. Plus, if you don’t need all the savings, you can put some of the money into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or an-other retirement savings vehicles. Ultimately, an extended period of low interest rates is just one more factor to consider in creating and adjusting your investment strategy. Work with your fi nancial advisor to help ensure low rates won’t effect your income needs.

This article was written by Ed-ward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Continued on H5

H2—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

Using PPG Products from Colours, Inc.

1-Down Draft Paint / Bake Booth

1-Cross Draft Paint Booth

The Latest In Technology

& Equipment To Serve You Better!

since 194666 th Anniversary

Rt. 19 North, Weston 269-2123

State InspectionsState Inspections

In Memoryof Jim Hitt

145 Main Avenue

Weston, WV

304-269-2877

Furniture New & Used

Always Something New & Different

Furniture

Mattress & Box Springs

Made by Imperial ...a WV Company

Browse our Unique Selection

of Antiquesespecially chosen

with you in mind ...

More than 5 Buildings Full of

NEW and ANTIQUE FURNITURE

Bennett’s Serving Weston 55 Years

Bennetts was established in 1957.A family-owned and operated

business in Weston was established in 1957 when Homer Bennett purchased the store from George and Vesta Connell. The company is managed by President Larry Bennett, Homer’s son, and Brian Bennett, vice president, Homer’s grandson and third generation to be involved in the business.

Sadly, one of the traditions may have to be removed. The neon sign that has hung in front of the store for the past 50 years will have to be removed or restored. “It’s in bad shape,” said Larry Bennett, “We will have to decide soon exactly what to do with it.”

“Retail business has changed more drastically in the last six or seven years than it has for many years. With the new technology brought about by computers and the internet there has also been a different trend in manufacturers’ distribution and the way they do business,” says Larry Bennett. “We often check online and keep competitive pricing.”

“You have often heard the say-ing ‘competition is good for the consumer.’ If larger retail stores squeeze out the smaller ones, then there is less competition and there-fore they are able to control pricing much like the price of gasoline.”

“The smaller independent re-tailer, many times, has lower cost of operation and operates their business more effi ciently, along with lower costs of advertising and therefore, in many cases, has lower prices and more convenient service, passing the savings on to the customer.” Bennett explained.

Bennett’s offers a large selection of brand furniture including Broy-hill, Lazboy, England and Bassett. They also have appliances by GE, Maytag and Amana and televisions by L.G., Toshiba, Samsung and Sansui. They are also a member of the Nationwide Buying Group.

Bennett’s has a complete home furnishing center and free delivery within 25 miles of the store. Free delivery and disposal of old items offers a convenient way for those

closer to town to shop and purchase items at Bennett’s without the worry of transporting those larger items to their homes.

One inviting feature of the home-town store is in-house fi nanc-ing. Bennett’s is now offering a no down payment, no interest up to two years fi nancing plan for those that qualify for the service.

The furniture and appliance industry is ever-changing, and Bennett’s stays on top of the trends. Technologies in appliances have changed numerous times during Bennett’s tenure in Weston and the store strives to evolve by diversify-ing and educating customers on the new technologies and products.

They continue to employ knowl-edgeable staff for the benefi t of the community and customers.

“We have had a good year and appreciate everyone’s support,” Bennett said.

Bennett’s is open six days a week. For hours call 304-269-1522 or visit www.bennettsofweston.com.

Second & Center Cafe, lo-cated at 139 East Second Street in Weston, is now operating in its third year. They look forward to each day enjoying their customers. They thank all for their support.

The year 2012 will produce yet another special year for the Cafe and Weston.

Josh Evans, owner, will be get-ting married on April 28th. His wife

Second & Center Invites All To Stop Into be, Erica Bush, will be joining the Cafe staff. The staff is looking forward to the fresh outlook she will bring to the Cafe.

They are open 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. They also do catering and parties after hours and on the weekends. Second & Center can be reached at 304-517-1151 for more information. All are invited to go in and check out their

daily specials. They also have Wi-Fi, so cus-

tomers can stop by and work while they are away from the offi ce.

Second & Center loves being a part of Weston’s economic explo-sion. Once again, Second & Center thanks all of their loyal customers and looks forward to serving new customers. Josh Evans says, “See ya at the Cafe!”

Pictured from left to right are Andi Evans, Elizabeth Tanner, Josh Evans - owner, Ashley Miller. Not pictured is Christopher Wagnor.

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—H3

LEWIS COUNTY'S ONLY AUTHORIZED DEALER OF

22 Oak St. * Weston * 269-4300

We keep a full line of Saws, Trimmers, & Blowers

MS 170 14” Chain Saw $179.99

FS 45String Trimmer

$159.99

BG 55 Blower $149.99

Check out these and other great Stihl® Products available at our store

LARRY WILSON, TRACEY BLEIGH, AND EUGENE WILSON

Wilson’s Carpet Has Quality Flooring, Sales, Top ServiceWilson’s Rug and Upholstery

Cleaners and Carpet Center on W. 2nd St. in Weston is a family-owned business started in 1963 by brothers Eugene and Kenny Wilson.

Since then, many members of the Wilson family have participated in the business. Eugene’s wife, Mary Helen worked in the store for 25 years and Genevive Wilson, Eu-gene and Kenny’s mother, worked in the store for 10 years.

Currently, Larry Wilson, Eu-gene’s son operates the business and said,” Our vision is to provide our customers and friends with sales and service excellence.”

The family organization was built on trust, honesty, integrity and wants people to know they have a different way of doing business.

“Let us show you why we are different,” said Larry.

The store offers everything there is to offer in installing fl ooring, from vinyl to hardwoods to tile, Wilson’s has it.

Wilson’s installs any and all fl ooring through a contractor with 30 years experience. They also do custom binding on carpet remnants or rugs.

To make it easier to purchase fl ooring for the home or business, Wilson’s also offers in house fi nancing with 12 months same as cash.

The company also cleans up-holstery, carpets and rugs in the customers’ home or business. They specialize in cleaning restaurant carpets as well as homes.

For upholstery cleaning, the customer can either bring it in to the store or Wilson’s will come to the customer.

Wilson’s also offers a custom kitchen and bath service for cus-tomers fl ooring and tile needs.

Wilson’s serves 10 counties in West Virginia and encourages people to check out their store before shopping elsewhere.

“Shop locally, it’s good for the community,” said Larry.

Wilson’s Carpet Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, call Wil-son’s Rug and Upholstery Cleaners and Carpet Center at 269-1233.

The Weston Democrat Ecomonic Update publishes every April.

H4—The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012

The NAIL BARN

A FULL SERVICE LUMBER YARD AND HARDWARE STORE

GRAND RE-OPENING WILL BE HELD MAY 17TH FOR CONTRACTORS

AND MAY 18TH FOR THE PUBLIC VENDORS WILL BE ON SITE AND

THERE WILL BE FREE REFRESHMENTS

~ DELIVERY AVAILABLE ~CONTRACTOR’S DISCOUNT AVAILABLE WITH A VALID CONTRACTOR’S LICENSE

CASH DISCOUNT OFFERED

AllElectrical NeedsIncluding Whole House Generators

Residential Commercial

Industrial

Call Us Today! 304-622-4681Family Owned & Operated for 86 Years

WESTON COMMONS APARTMENTS

at 650 Craig Street is accepting applications for one bedroom apartments. Rents are income based starting at $375.00 per month with utility allowance and possible rental assistance. Security Deposit is $375.00.

Eligibility Requirements: 62 years of age or older, handicap/disabled, regardless of age. Includes:

appliances, air-conditioning, water/sewer/trash pick up, Community Room and offers laundry facilities. HUD accepted.

Call for an appointment.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Projected Completion of Judicial Annex Is 2014

It has been thirty years in the planning but it looks like the new Lewis County Judicial Annex is becoming more of a reality than a dream.

By SUSAN C. BENTLEY

Ground breaking for the new 30,000 square foot building should be within the next month or so and be completed within two years, if everything goes on schedule.

“We have lost a lot of building time this past winter but when you are dealing with state and federal money it slows things down,” said Lewis County Commission Presi-dent Patrick Boyle.

March-Westin of Morgantown was the lowest of fi ve bidders with a total bid of $7,027,193 to build the project.

The Commission met with the Lewis County Building Commis-sion and after listening to the rec-ommendations from the president of the architectural fi rm, Tom Potts of Silling Associates, the contract was awarded to March-Westin.

“We are pleased with the bids,”

said Lewis County Commission President Patrick Boyle. “We were hoping to stay within our budget or we would have had to restart the bid process.”

“We are more than pleased with March-Westin,” said Boyle. “They know what they are doing and they do a lot of work in West Virginia.”

According to Potts, they have never worked with March-Westin but said they have done a lot of work at West Virginia University and highly recommended the Mor-gantown fi rm for the project.

Potts verifi ed with Phillip Weser, the President of March-Westin, that they are standing by their bid and are excited to be the low bidder.

Boyle asked Potts if the subcon-tractors who work on the project will be from West Virginia, and he said yes, except for one.

“We want to make sure that West Virginia people were involved in

the project,” said Boyle.Potts said there wasn’t any

negative information about March-Westin and West Virginia State Law states that the lowest bidder on a government project must be accepted unless there is substantial reason for not accepting the bid.

According to the March-Westin website, the company started in 1984 and boasts of being “West Virginia’s largest general building contractor.”

March-Westin has its own steel fabrication division as well as a HVAC, high-end, custom homes and an electrical engineering di-visions.

The company states that it has completed more than 1,000 projects over the past 25 years, with a 2008 annual revenue of $10 million.

Commissioners had budgeted $8.6 million for the project, so the bids came in well under the limit.

Boyle said thanks to past com-missioners, who had the foresight to save money, the project is now becoming a reality.

“This has been a huge need for years and will be a great improve-ment and addition to our county,” said Boyle.The Lewis County Building Commission members were called in to approve the project as the commission is not allowed to approve projects that put the county in debt for more than a year, said building commission member Leland Kesner. According to Kesner, the sole purpose of the building commission is to obtain fi nancial commitments for county projects that put the county in debt for more than a year.

The new annex is to be fi nanced by the United States Department of Agriculture and fi nalizing for that should be complete in the next week or so.

Currently, many county offi ces are spread out through the City of Weston and even some on the outskirts. Upon completion of the new annex, all of the offi ces will be housed together.

For example, Family Court is in the strip mall where the Department of Health and Human Resources is, the County Commission offi ce is in Garton Plaza, and the offi ce of the prosecuting attorney is on River Ave.

The county has had some shrewd commissioners in the past

20 years who had the foresight to save money and plan for this huge venture.

Current county commissioners are committed to making Lewis County grow in a positive direction and the annex is just one example of getting one step closer to their goals.

In the past year, the site of the new annex had some buildings and offi ces that had to be demolished, and employees moved to new offi ce space. For the most part, the offi ces moved with little problems.

The project could take up to two years and commissioners want to thank everyone for their patience while the project is being completed.

The Weston Democrat Economic Update, April 25, 2012—H5

Bow-Wow Dog Grooming Gives One-on-One AttentionThe old saying goes a dog is

“man’s best friend,” and certainly many believe that to be true. So if you are looking for something nice to do for your loyal “best friend,” why not get your canine groomed and pampered?

Bow-Wow Dog Grooming in Jane Lew is the place to go to

meet the grooming needs of your dog. Owned by Tammy Waple, and located on Main Street in Jane Lew, Bow-Wow will take care of all your pets grooming needs.

Waple said that Bow-Wow spends approximately two hours on each dog to perform basic grooming procedures but sometimes larger

dogs take more time. It all starts with a pre-wash process, with the trimming of the nails and cleaning and trimming of hair in the pads. It is important, Waple said, to get excess hair removed from the pads because the pads are what regulate the body temperature of the dogs. “Dogs don’t sweat like we do,”

Waple said, “so close attention is paid to the pads or feet.” The hair is also cleaned from inside the ear as the inside of the ears are areas particularly vulnerable to infec-tion. Excess body hair is removed before the bath as are tangles with a pre-cut.

Dogs are washed twice, and rinsed with a conditioner with both shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for your furry friend. Heat is not used to dry dogs, but instead they are towel-dried and a device that suctions the wet while blowing cooler air is used for the comfort of the dog.

Of course, any hair the customer wants cut is removed with preci-sion and the dogs are brushed and combed with instruments designed especially for that purpose and the type of dog being groomed. All dogs also receive a special bandana to wear around their neck upon completion of the process.

“We spend a lot of time with your dogs and try to get to know them. Some are older and may have hip problems and require special care. We have to be very sensitive to the needs of each dog. Each dog has it’s own personality and we try to get to know them and communicate with them,” she said.

Waple said that grooming a dog

involves more than just cleaning them up. “We look for health issues such as skin rashes, growths, bad gums, ticks and fl eas, infections, etc. so we can inform the owner.” She indicated that not too long ago they helped save the life of a Yorkie when during the grooming process they discovered the dog had a bad hernia. “We told the owner about the problem, he took the dog to the vet and the vet had to perform emergency surgery the situation was so bad,” she said. But the dog was saved.

Bow-Wow can handle dogs up to 250 lbs. and a visit to the shop will reveal animals of all breeds and sizes. According to Waple, the difference between Bow-Wow and many other area grooming establishments has to do with ownership and the process. “We are a family-owned business not a production shop. We take time to get to know each dog. We talk to them, take our time and give them special attention. We do it right,” Waple said. She recommends that dogs be groomed every four to six weeks and this can vary depending on the type of dog, type of coat the dog has, and the type of lifestyle the dog leads.

Bow-Wow moved to their Jane Lew location in 2008 from Weston

because the new location offered them more room. “The new loca-tion gave us more room for dog stations and to allow our dogs room to wander. Sometimes during the grooming process we give the dogs a break if they need it and let them walk around some and give them water,” Waple said. This is part of the one-on-one attention received at the grooming establishment which has four employees.

Bow-Wow Grooming is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. with the last dog scheduled for grooming at 3 p.m. Customers must call ahead for an appoint-ment. The business is located at 6179 Main Street in Jane Lew next door to Grapevine Primitives and across the street from the Harness Shop Museum. You can reach the business by calling 304-517-1231.

Tammy Waple, owner of Bow-Wow Dog Grooming in Jane Lew is assisted by Kristen Golden (right) in pampering Weston Democrat Reporter John Wolfe’s Golden Retriever Beau during a recent visit to the popular Lewis County business. (Photo by John G. Wolfe)

Curran'sContinued from 1A

p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and on Sundays by appointment.

For more information, contact Curran’s Floral Boutique by calling 304-269-2363 or 1-800-578-4458, by email at curransfl oralboutique@yahoo.com, or visit them on Face-book.

FRIEND 2 FRIENDFRIEND 2 FRIEND

HEARING AID CENTERHEARING AID CENTER37 GARTON PLAZA WESTON, WV 2645237 GARTON PLAZA WESTON, WV 26452

304-269-2435304-269-2435WE HAVE OUR NEWLY

REMODELED

SOUNDPROOFING ROOM

AVAILABLE TO CLIENTS

WHO REQUIRE VERY

QUIET SURROUNDINGS

DUE TO MILD TO

PROFOUND HEARING LOSS

AS TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES

UPDATING OUR OFFICE EQUIPMENT

IS A NECESSITY. HAVING THE

UPDATED HIGH TECH DIGITAL

PRODUCTS TO WORK WITH

ASSURES US THAT IN OUR

PROFESSION, WE ARE DOING THE

BEST JOB POSSIBLE TO

ACCOMMODATE THE TYPE OF

HEARING LOSS YOU HAVE. BEING

ABLE TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY

TO WORK WITH THE NEW DIGITAL

HEARING AIDS HAVE MADE A

TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN

OUR CLIENTS LIVES. SEEING THIS

CHANGE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

BEING PART OF THIS CHANGE IS A

WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. GIVE US

A CALL AND SET UP YOUR

APPOINTMENT FOR A FREE

HEARING TEST.

FRIEND 2 FRIEND IS YOUR LOCAL HEARING AID CENTER

WE ARE LICENSED AND BOARD CERTIFIED. ALSO

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBER OF LEWIS COUNTY.

HOMETOWN SERVICE THAT YOU DESERVE.

TUES - FRITUES - FRI

9 AM - 5 PM9 AM - 5 PM

KATHERINE FRIEND, L.H.I.S.KATHERINE FRIEND, L.H.I.S.

CIRK FRIEND, MANAGERCIRK FRIEND, MANAGER

HEAR 2 HELPHEAR 2 HELP

25 Years plus

experience in Lewis County