The Morgantown Magazine

January-March 2011

Your source for what’s happening in and around Greater Morgantown, West Virginia.

What’s Your Organization Style?

Part II 2011 WV Economic Outlook Dance! Dance! Dance!

Morgantown’s String of Pearls Homegrown Manufacturing...

Swanson Industries VOTE for your Favorite!

Young Artist Competition The Morgantown Magazine info@themorgantownmagazine.com www.themorgantownmagazine.com

FREEZE FOR A REASON Morgantown, (Star City Park / Marina) WV, was the place to be on February 26, 2010 when 230 brave fought the chill to raise money for Special Olympics WV by taking a dip into the Monongahela River.

It was a record number of plungers and over $64,000 was raised for Special Olympics WV. Everyone who took part in the Polar Plunge earned incentives based on the amount of their contribution.

Watch the website for news on next year’s plunge!

www.wvpolarplunge.com

Page 6

Organization Tips from Julie

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Toni’s Tales...

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See & Be Seen

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Arts & Culture

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Kid’s Avenue

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Phot submitted by Brandon Martin

FEATURE STORIES Page 10 Page 13

Sisterhood of the Traveling Dance Swanson Industries: Tom DeWitt

Page 18

Morantown’s Economic Outlook

Page 21

VOTE! For your Favorite Budding Artist!

Send us your photos of Greater Morgantown!

We’d love to include your photos of the Greater Morgantown area throughout the magazine, possible future feature stories on your work or the subject, or featured on the cover.

Please include the name of the photographer, a brief description of the photo, and a sentence giving The

Morgantown Magazine permission to use the photo.

Submission is the 20th of every month. Please send photos to: info@themorgantownmagazine.com with the subject line Photo Submission.

On the Cover Photo by Vickie Trickett ______________________ High Street Mon County Fair Parade August, 2011

Published by Fate Publishing 722 Brookhaven Road Morgantown WV 26508 Phone 304.212.4890 | Fax 304.212.4649 www.themorgantownmagazine.com

Editor Jessica Harner Graphics Editor Vickie Trickett Contributing Columnists Bobbie Hawkins Julie Mills Toni Morris

Contributing Writers Kara Bell Jill Higgins Scott Emerson Tamara Woods Contributing Photographers Vickie Trickett Brandon Martin Additional Sources: Greater Morgantown Visitor’s Guide www.tourmorgantown.com

Stories, story suggestions, photographs and calendar events for consideration should be submitted by the 20th of each month and emailed to info@themorgantownmagazine.com or mailed to 722 Brookhaven Road, Morgantown, WV 26508. The Morgantown Magazine is a quarterly electronic magazine published Fate Publishing. Advertising rates are available at www.themorgantownmagazine.com.

Main Street Morgantown’s Annual Chocolate Lover’s Day April 9th, 2011

This annual one-day extravaganza in Downtown Morgantown and in the Historic Wharf District is set for Saturday, April 19, 2011.

Tickets buyers are invited to indulge themselves in an array of chocolate creations while experiencing all that Downtown Morgantown and the Wharf District have to offer. More than 30 businesses participate, with each one preparing a different chocolate treat.

Come celebrate downtown with us, and register to win a trip for four to Hershey Park. 2011 is expected to have the biggest turnout in the event’s history.

Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity!

Registration will be in the historic Metropolitan Theatre lobby and at the Monongalia Arts Center.

Cost for registering is $5.00/person (children under 5 free), 11:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Discovering Your Organizing Style: The Harmonizing Style

o w T Part

By Julie Mills

Do you recall the Coke advertisement of the 1970’s where there is a field full of people and the lyrics sing, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony?” It was a profound message of reaching out to others and Coke was portraying itself as “The Real Thing.” In Part Two of Discover Your Organizing Style, we will examine the characteristics of the Harmonizing Style.

If you fall into this category, you are the “Real Thing.”

Harmony is defined as, “a pleasing combination of elements in a whole.”

The goal of the harmonizing style is to make one’s environment pleasing, friendly, and welcoming. This style thrives on relationship- oriented organizing.

What does that mean? You make connections with others and enjoy being surrounded by people.

Harmonizers, it is imperative to create an organizing environment that honors your natural abilities to make others at ease. It is quite possible that in your office and home you surround yourself with pictures and mementos of friends, family, and loved ones. This gives you a sense of peace and reminds you of who you are and what is most important in your life.

Since you enjoy being in the company of others, you surround yourself with items that they may need. Are you a “Clipper?” Do you clip newspaper articles, magazine pictures, or coupons? I might also venture to guess that you cannot

stand to toss the holiday card you received from your neighbor? You collect things that make you feel good or that others may need, like, enjoy, or find useful. This will backfire if you are not willing to let go of the items or do not limit yourself to a reasonable amount.

You may feel organizationally challenged because you put others comfort before yours and would rather spend an afternoon catching up with an old friend rather than switching out your spring wardrobe.

Often, you may find yourself doing tasks and running errands for others while side stepping your personal priorities.

Because of this willingness to help everyone, you may feel scattered, disorganized, and believe it or not, the same people you are helping may be annoyed because you are stretched so thin!

I’d like you to take a minute and think about the five most important people in your life.

Write down their names on a piece of paper. (Do not stress out over the order of the names—the order does not matter). Close your eyes (yes, really do it please) and see the names. Who did you write down? Your spouse, you children, your mother, your friend, a relative? Who did you forget? YOU! Add yourself to the list. Often you are so busy pleasing and appeasing others that you forego your own needs. A Maintaining Style has to learn to schedule in fun, you have to learn to schedule time for yourself! At times, others may take advantage of your big-heartedness.

In order for you to get organized it must be simple and fun. You do not naturally possessive some of the traditional organizing skills.

For you, setting up regular work hours, routines, and creating habits is most helpful. You must re-train your thinking and make “A Plan” to do those tasks that you would rather not do.

Start with an organizing buddy. This person serves as the human contact that you need while lending a helping hand. Remember to stick to “The Plan” so as not to get side-tracked. For your organizing style, it is best to start and stay in one room. Look around at your surroundings and decide what elements give you peace, calmness, and serenity in your life.

At the office create a workday that satisfies you on an emotional level. Because you may literally forget about time, co-workers may consider you a time-waster.

Everyone has energy levels throughout the course of the day and it is especially important for your organizing style to identify your peak performance times. This will help you to accomplish the most tedious of tasks.

Are you the most energized and creative in the morning? If so, that is when you need to look at your project list, prioritize and get down to brass tacks.

When it comes to information, a harmonizer is most successful when he or she keeps all informa-

tion in one place. If possible, stick with one calendar for your scheduling, otherwise, important information will surely get lost in translation. Another helpful tool is the clock or a watch with a timer. Set your clocks (at home, at the office, on your wrist, in your car, and on your phone—yes, all of them!) ten minutes ahead.

Being organized is not about being perfect it is about creating systems that work for you. For the harmonizer it is best to decide why you need to keep—use it or lose it!

While shopping, ask yourself do I need it? Then ask yourself again— do I really need it? Do not touch it!

If so, you are thirty percent more likely to purchase that item.

For the Harmonizing Style, you are fun loving, enjoyable, welcoming, and intuitive. The key to getting, being, and staying organized is to “stay ahead of the game” which in turn will lead you to more time with the people who matter the most. Create simple, easy, and fun systems to manage your environment.

Happy, Harmonious Organizing!

In the next issue we examine the Innovating Style.

Julie Mills, author, consultant, and speaker is founder and owner of All Squared Away, a professional organizing company, based in Morgantown,WV. All Squared Away specializes in business and residential clients’ organizational dilemmas. Her unique services and presentations are highly sought after throughout the Mountain State. For more information, visit www.allsquaredaway.com, call #304-698-2929, or send email to jmills@allsquaredaway.com.

Article theme is based on the book, “Organizing for Your Brain Type,” by Lanna Nakone, M.A., St. Martin’s Griffin, New York, New York, 2005.

Toni’s Tales. . .

Resolutions... be damned!

by Toni Morris from Blogging My Way to 50, January 2011.

I spent the day putting away the Christmas stuff that was inside.

Tree, Santa’s, wrapping paper etc. I left the lights and wreaths outside until the thaw in March, so if you drive by my house and wonder why I still have all of the lights outside on, I can explain officer! If it is snowing outside, then it is still Christmas, that’s it. No discussion. Snow, Santa, Snow, lights, Snow, shovel. . . ahhhh (oops that one slipped in.)

You have to admit that it is a little disappointing once it is all over. The hustle and bustle, the cookies and the time spent with friends and family. I really do love it, but I am somewhat relieved when it is all over because that means SPRING is coming. Yes, bring on Spring!

So today I have to think back about the last year and analyze what it all means to me. It is not just the end of a year but the end of a decade.

You know I was flipping through the channels of the Sirrius radio and I noticed the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s but what do we call the 2000’s or the 2010’s. The 0’s and 10’s. Wow that is so weird. It is also weird to listen to music that you swear is the best ever written, for me it is the 70’s and yes young ones, I do realize that it is now the oldies.

The 70’s were my junior high and high school years. The 80’s were my college and young adult years, but the music was so forgettable. Too many one hit wonders. What were some of those songs, lets see how good is my memory now that I am a menopausal middle age woman after all.

How about Tainted Love by Soft Cell, who is that??? No way did

they have another hit, unless they changed their name to Captain and Tennelle who sang Muskrat Love.

See the love theme connection here? Or how about 99 Luftballons

by Nena? Or Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart. I” watched 99 red balloons through my sunglasses at night time, while I was stuck on you rocking to Amadeus”. I bet you are thinking what a wonderful memory I have right?? But no, I had to look some of these up to really remember.

But the 70’s, the 70’s, now I remember every song ever played on the radio I think. The Carpenters, Led Zeppelin, Bread, Blood Sweat and Tears, Jim Croce, John Denver, Linda Ronstadt, Paul McCartney and Styx. The beautiful songs of Roberta Flack and lets not forget the greats of Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Rolling Stones and the Eagles. I could go on all night, but I think you get the point.

But I digress. The holidays are over, the decade is over and now we make our resolutions for the new year.

Always at the top of my list is to lose weight. Also to get healthier, pay off my debt and become the best person I can be. Well at fifty the chances that I am ever going to meet those goals are slim to none. So this year I have decided to take a different approach to those resolutions. I’d be lying if I told you I will not be weight obsessed again this year. I always will worry about it because I have to worry about it. Hell, I got a new Weight Watcher scale for Christmas.

This thing tells you everything from your weight to your shoe size. How can I not get on it every single time I walk by it. I am so obsessed with it that I weigh myself every couple

of hours—as if I am going to lose a significant amount of weight in twenty minutes I know that won’t happen, but I have figured out that if you weigh before you go to bed and then in the morning after you pee, you lose at least a pound and sometimes two if you leave your PJ’s on. Yep, I have got this weight thing down to a science.

This year my take on the resolution thing is simple. Don’t make any! All you do is get disappointed. Instead, make some short term reachable goals. For instance, I can reach that

cookie on the counter and pop it into my mouth without anyone seeing me. Just kidding of course.

No, really. I will try to lose weight every day but if I don’t succeed, then I will be happy anyway and keep the fat jeans handy. I will stop using credit cards, but if I slip up and buy three new pairs of shoes in a weak moment on my Visa card, then I will increase my life insurance to cover it. To stay healthy I will not have road rage so I reduce my stress levels. Enough said.

Here’s to 2011 being a long and healthy journey to next Christmas.

I plan on it being a very crooked road indeed, but we will get there, yes we will.

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING DANCE: MORGANTOWN’S STRING OF PEARLS

by Scott Emerson It’s five o’clock on a Sunday afternoon at the Mountaineer Mall. The business day is drawing to a close, and as the building empties an almost eerie silence settles over it. Down a corridor next to the Senior Monongalians center a procession of women make their way into the mall, their bright red costumes in sharp contrast to the gray cinderblock walls. The image of them drifting along brings to mind schoolbook illustrations of blood through a vein, but what’s most remarkable is the sound: the rapid-fire pop of dozens of tap shoes striking the floor, their staccato rhythm shattering the quiet like a row of firecrackers.

The ladies are String of Pearls, a Morgantown-based tap dancing troupe that rehearses here at the seniors’ center. Today they’re taking photos for their 2010 Christmas card; a tripod stands patiently before a large Christmas tree in the center of the mall as group photographer and member Roberta Newlon arranges her fellow dancers in a suitable lineup. Watching them as they prepare for the shot suggests the blood metaphor is apt; they infuse the silent building with a life and vitality that’s hard to ignore.

Originally founded in the early 1990’s, String of Pearls got its start when Agnes Johnston, a Mrs. Senior West Virginia, saw the tap dancing talent in Morgantown and thought a senior dance group would be a great idea. And while most of the initial members are no longer with the troupe today, String of Pearls remains active with a new roster of ladies. Consisting of women ranging from age 54 to 82, some of whom have little or no prior tap experience, String of Pearls reflects a wide cross-section of Morgantown’s population; members include retired teachers and nurses, local business owners, retired dance instructors, and longtime employees of WVU. Many are grandmothers--or, in the case of the group’s oldest member, Dorothy Moore, great-grandmothers.

“My husband had died and I thought [joining the Pearls] would be fun,” says Dorothy, a native Oklahoman who’s been dancing for twelve years, starting with Agnes Johnston’s original String of Pearls lineup.

A volunteer organization, the Pearls have performed at fairs

and festivals, danced in parades, and have opened for West Virginia Public Theater. Routines accompany various forms of music from Broadway standards to modern hip-hop, but the Pearls’ favorite performances are visiting retirement homes, rekindling memories with songs from the big band era.

“My mother was in a nursing home for a number of years with Alzheimer‘s,” says Pearl Kathy Mayer, “and I know first hand how long and lonely the days are. When we dance and see the smiles, tapping feet and clapping hands, I know we have brightened someone’s day.”

“They tell us about their younger days and many talk about how they used to dance or the songs they love to listen to,” adds Debbie West. “It is really heart-warming.”

That joy lies at the heart of what String of Pearls does, and it’s a joy that’s both genuine and infectious. Despite the challenges of learning new routines--choreographer Donna Sanders says steps are planned out at least six months before they’re put on before an audience--and the physical demands of dancing, the Pearls have a rapport that comes from a common passion and shared experience.

Whether it’s widowhood, surviving breast cancer, or simply seeing their children grown and starting families of their own, many of the women started new chapters of the lives by joining String of Pearls. They’ve become more than a dance troupe, but a sisterhood that encourages each other, has fun, and uses that energy to enrich others’ lives.

As member Aida Everhart puts it, “The most fulfilling part of being a Pearl [is] not only the friendships I have forged with the lovely ladies . . . but especially the rush when I’m on stage and one of my grandchildren yells, That’s my grandmaida!”

(For booking information for String of Peals contact Donna Sanders at 304-599-4286 or program chairman Cindy Heiskell at 304-292-7259.)

Scott Emerson serves as facilitator for Morgantown Poets. His work has appeared in Everyday Weirdness, Scifaikuest, and Fear Zone.

Visit him online: www.scottemerson.wordpress.com.

Photographer: Dee Dee Newlon

Source: Greater Morgantown’s Visitor’s Guide 2010 (click to download the pdf ).

A flurry of activities is happening in the beginning of 2011.

Do you want to “See and Be Seen”?

If so, then plan on attending these events!

By Bobbie Hawkins

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The Chieftans – March 8 Special Olympics Polar Plunge – February 26 Snoop Dog & Whiz Khalifa (WVU Coliseum) – February 25 Mountain Stage Concert at Creative Arts Center – March 6 Monongalia County 4-H Spaghetti Dinner (Blacksville Senior Center) – March 20 WV Symphony Orchestra (Waterfront Place Hotel) - March 25 Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours (Lakeview Resort & Spa) - Feb. 16 Morgantown Economic Outlook Conference (Erickson Alumni Center) March 2 Owen Schmitt’s Birthday Bash with the Davisson Brothers – February 12 Dirty Spelling Bee Fundraiser (M. T. Pockets Theatre) - March 19

A bright spot in Morgantown manufacturing Turn on the light. Brew a pot of coffee. Boot up the computer. Most of us in Greater Morgantown don’t waste time marveling at how these everyday activities are possible.

Occasionally we think about the company that provides electricity to our home or office. (Especially when the bill is due.) Less frequently we think about the company that mines the coal that generates nearly all of our electric energy here in West Virginia. We probably seldom ever think about the company that manufactures the equipment used in mining, though we might recognize the Caterpillar brand. Stepping backward one last time, I would venture to guess that the majority of us never think about the cylinders, pumps, valves, and other parts – let alone what alloys coat them – that comprise those Caterpillar machines.

That is, of course, unless you’re into mechanical engineering or you’re one of the 459 West Virginia employees of Swanson Industries.

For the rest of us, it’s worth understanding how this global supplier of hydraulic, machining and plating services influences our daily lives.

Like the electricity we often take for granted, Swanson Industries is a powerful force behind the West Virginia and Greater Morgantown manufacturing economies.

A homegrown company Swanson Industries has a habit of finding holes and filling them.

In 1964, Paul Swanson started the Morgantown-based company to fill a need for plating services. Similar to the decorative chrome plating you see on truck bumpers, industrial hard chrome plating provides wear and corrosion resistance to cylinders, pistons and other parts used in everything from airplane engines to printing presses.

The hydraulic cylinder manufacturing industry needed a reliable company to provide these services, and Swanson filled the niche.

Swanson subsequently found more niches to fill. After several mergers and acquisitions, Swanson Plating Company became one of the 11 companies that currently comprise Swanson Industries. Four of these companies – Swanson Plating Company, CWS Company, Laser Processing Company and Morgantown Machine and Hydraulics of West Virginia – are all located in Morgantown. Just across the state line in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, Morgantown Technical Services employs 70 more people.

Expanding beyond the coal industry, Swanson Industries’ services now include design, manufacturing, repair and research and development for various industries, from construction to mining to steel to nuclear energy.

The company is also growing globally with a joint venture in China and plans to expand into Brazil with a repair and manufacturing business serving the offshore drilling market.

“Our company has come a long way,” says President and CEO Tom DeWitt.

“This has been due to a lot of good people who are innovative entrepreneurs willing to take a risk and try new things.”

For instance, Swanson has ventured into laser cladding, a unique process of welding on alloy steels that isn’t possible with other methods. The result is arguably superior corrosion and wear resistance of salvaged and new machine parts. DeWitt asserts that this side of the business is growing as the company discovers more applications for laser cladding.

A spark to the Morgantown economy “I like to see things grow,” says DeWitt.

In recent years, “growth” and “manufacturing” haven’t been used together too frequently in conversation. In 2009, West Virginia’s manufacturing industry posted the largest job losses in the state. Swanson Industries, however, may be one of the reasons why Morgantown in particular has stayed relatively stable during the country’s economic downturn.

“Refocus and re-growth of a manufacturing concern is unique in the state,” says Brenda Walker, director of development for the WVU College of Business and Economics. Since 1995 when DeWitt joined the company as vice president, Swanson Industries has grown 10-fold, from 160 to nearly 800 employees, by refocusing on other industries.

DeWitt defers credit for the company’s current success to its proud employees, including his business partners Frank Dulin, Mark Carter, Bill Gibson, and Gary Cain. According to DeWitt, one of his most proud accomplishments has been to see Morgantown Machine & Hydraulics – his first employer – rebuilt. In 2001, he and his partners negotiated acquisition of the company, which had businesses in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Utah and was on the brink of liquidation, and saved many people’s jobs.

In November 2010, DeWitt was acknowledged for his contributions to West Virginia business and inducted into the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame. He will also be honored in February as a “Who’s Who in West Virginia Business” winner by The State Journal, but it’s on behalf of his partners and colleagues that he accepts these awards. According to DeWitt, he’s pleased with the recognition only as a reflection of the good people at Swanson Industries.

Otherwise, “We’ve been a well-kept secret,” says DeWitt.

But now we know. As with the electric current that’s obscured behind our walls, Swanson Industries and its leaders are quietly humming along, promoting economic growth in the state and around the globe National Association for Surface Finishing, “Coating and Surface Treatments,” http://www.nasf.org/Content/ NavigationMenu/OURINDUSTRY/CoatingandSurfaceTreatment/default.htm George Hammond. West Virginia Economic Outlook 2011, Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University.

Emily Humberson selected Student Artist of the Month Jefferson High School student recognized for her involvement in the theatre program

Emily Humberson, a senior at Jefferson High School, Jefferson County, is the February Student Artist of the Month. The award is sponsored by the Appalachian Education Initiative (www.aeiarts.org) and Chesapeake Energy (www.chk. com). Humberson, who was nominated by her theatre director and teacher, Steve Glendenning, is the daughter of Rhonda Jackson and Jay Humberson of Kearneysville, West Virginia.

“We are excited about the number of entries we continue to receive for this program,” said AEI Executive Director Lou Karas. “The nominations have come from across the state and show that there are many students in our public schools who are excelling in the arts, academics and other school and community activities.”

Humberson has been involved in the theatre program at Jefferson High School since her freshman year.

During this time she has transitioned from acting to stage management.

Last year, she was nominated to the WV Thespian Student Board for Thespian Troupe 2774, and this year she serves as Vice President of the same Troupe. Emily is a member of the National Honor Society and has assisted with a school wide recycling program and various community based activi-

ties. She is also a storyteller and writer.

“Each month, this program recognizes a student who finds time to excel in their classes, the arts and other extracurricular activities as well,” said Jack Thompson, public affairs coordinator for Chesapeake Energy.

“Emily’s successes in academics and theatre demonstrate the balance of a student-artist.”

“We hope that we will continue to receive nominations of this caliber throughout the school year,” Karas said. “The more we can do to increase awareness of the value of arts education in public schools, the more opportunities we have to strengthen those programs in the schools.”

To be nominated for the recognition, a student must meet five criteria, according to Karas. A student must: Be a junior or senior attending a West Virginia public school Participate on an ongoing basis in a visual or performing arts program and have mastered that art or progressed in the field as a result of school-related activities, Be in good academic standing, Participate in other extracurricular or community activities that do not have to be arts related, and Demonstrate leadership skills.

School personnel and community members may nominate students by completing the nomination form on the AEI web site, www.aeiarts.org.

Print copies of the nomination form are available by contacting Karas at lkaras@aeiarts.org or 304-225-0101.

About AEI: Since its inception in 2001, the Appalachian Education Initiative (AEI) has been dedicated to ensuring that quality arts education should be a central part of the education of every public school student in West Virginia. AEI is the West Virginia affiliate of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network. For more information, go to www.aeiarts.org.

Arts & Culture

“From public venues staging full-blown, professional theatrical productions to private galleries and intimate club settings, the Greater Morgantown Area’s arts community’s reputation for presenting the liveliest performing and visual arts is well-earned.”

CVB Visitor’s Guide

West Virginia Writers, Inc. The annual writing competition for writers is in full swing. This year’s competition will offer more thant $6,000 in cahs prizes. There are so many new fascinating categories, like writing about Animals and War, in addition to categories for poetry and fiction or non-fiction. There’s also the drama category, too!. Deadline: March 15, 2011 (postmarked) but don’t wait until the last day! Visit WVW web www.wvwriters.org/contest.html TIP: If you are planning to enter WVW’s Annual Spring Writing Competition, MWG Critique Workshops (twice monthly) may help you refine, revise, and polish your manuscripts before submitting to the competition. Next Meeting: MWG meets Tuesday January 25, 6:30 p.m., Morgantown Public Library (details below).

M. T. Pockets Theatre’s Playwright Group The Playwriting Group meets the first and third Tuesday of the Month at 7 p.m., at the Monongalia Arts Centers, downtown. Contact: Donald Fidler at don@ gmtpocketstheatre.com.

The 2nd Annual New Works Festival will be held on April 2 and will feature reading from members works in progress.

Morgantown Poets The Morgantown Poets host their monthly (3rd Thursday) events from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Monongalia Arts Center. There is a Poets Open Mic for all local writers follows the opening during the evening.

Contact Poets Coordinator Scott Emerson to sign-up to read at scottemerson1313@hotmail.com .

African Drum and Dance Ensemble Photographer: Catherine Lovell, the wife of the ensemble’s director.

Source: Greater Morgantown’s Visit

tor’s Guide 2010 (click to download the pdf ).

At least we’re headed in the right direction. The summaries below highlight a few tug-of-war highlights from the outlook report: Service Industries

2011 West Virginia Economic Outlook State emerging from recession

by Jill Higgins

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so says Newton’s third law of motion. While laws of physics don’t translate directly to economics, West Virginia appears to be rebounding from recession, albeit at a slow pace.

“The severe downturn is over,” says George Hammond, associate director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at West Virginia University. After losing tens of thousands of jobs since 2008, Hammond says West Virginia added more than 9,000 jobs from the first through third quarters of 2010, nearly doubling the national rate of growth.

Good news, right? It is to an extent, but Hammond also projects that with mild job growth, our unemployment rate (currently at 8.8%) should be at 6.9% in 2015 – much higher than the pre-recession rate of 4.3%.

A BBER report released in November – West Virginia Economic Outlook 2011 – is full of promising data on the projected growth of our state’s economy, much of which is tempered with caveats and contingencies that could delay progress and further test our resiliency.

Most projected job growth over the next five years, at approximately 5,000 jobs per year, will be generated by service industries, including health care; professional and business services; and trade transportation and utilities. However, Hammond points out, “The role that health care job growth plays in the forecast also points to a risk in the forecast.” How successful federal and state policymakers are with attempts at reining in publicly funded health care programs – such as Medicare and Medicaid – could slow West Virginia’s job growth in part because of our rapidly aging population.

Natural Resources Industries West Virginia is influenced by the natural resources cycle, which delayed the impact of recession in our state.

“We were experiencing an energy boom in West Virginia through most of 2008,” says Hammond. “So we were actually stable, even adding jobs, in 2008 when the national economy was losing jobs at really rapid rates.”

West Virginia saw the job losses later – mostly in the coal industry – and Hammond says that coal production and the manufacturing industry are bouncing back with global growth.

As with health care, increased regulation could result in reductions to job and income growth, however.

Already forecasted to experience modest job losses, concerns about air and water quality could affect activity in coal mining, natural gas and overall manufacturing, according to Hammond. “We are already seeing increased scrutiny of surface mining permits,” says Hammond, “and it’s likely that we’ll see continued efforts by the federal government to slow growth in carbon emissions and even other greenhouse gases.”

WV and US Growth Comparisons “West Virginia has come through the recession in somewhat better shape than the national economy,” Hammond says. Between 2010 and

2015, however, West Virginia will fall below national averages in job growth, inflation of adjusted per capita income, and even population growth.

According to the outlook report, West Virginia job growth will average 1% per year compared with the national rate of 1.7% per year.

Additionally, while we closed the gap to 17.7% between the state’s annual average per capita income and the nation’s in 2009, the gap is expected to grow again as West Virginia’s average growth rate (1.8%) falls short of expected national rates (2%) over the next five years.

Our population growth of 0.1% per year over the past decade ranks us 48th out of 50 states and D.C., though estimates show West Virginia’s relative stability during the recession resulted in a 2009 growth rate of 0.3%.

“Rough population stability masks big demographic changes during the forecast,” according to the BBER report. West Virginia’s population is aging. During the past decade, we were the only state to record more deaths than births.

Along with relatively low educational attainment in the state, this can translate to a disadvantage in job growth that requires high levels of human capital.

With the nation expecting future job growth in high-tech sectors, this helps to explain West Virginia’s projected slower growth rates.

Focus on Morgantown Morgantown’s economy continued to grow in 2009 while the state and nation lost jobs at a rapid rate. “The local economy is not immune to global and national recessions,” says Hammond, “but we’re a bit less sensitive, a bit more resilient, than other parts of West Virginia because of the big industries here that stabilize our economy: higher education, health care, and other government employment.”

Hammond points out that one issue for Morgantown locals to keep an eye on is national health care policy decisions, which could affect health care services and pharmaceutical manufacturing in the area. More insight into the local economy will

be revealed at the Morgantown Economic Outlook Conference on March 2, 2011. Details on the conference are available from the BBR at www.be.wvu.edu/bber/morgantown2011.htm, by calling 304-2937831 or emailing bebureau@mail. wvu.edu.

Sources: George Hammond, West Virginia Economic Outlook 2011, Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University, 14 Outlook 2011, 15

VOTE for your Favorite Help a lucky Morgantown classroom win $250!

Area artists, age 6 to 12, submitted original artwork that is displayed in the following pages. Choose your favorite and cast your vote between now and April 1.

The artist receiving the most votes will win a book store gift card, theatre tickets, or something fun! The winning artist’s class will receive $250 to use at the teacher’s discretion!

Artist submssions were received from Mrs. Riggleman’s Kindergarten Class, Ridgedale Elementary; Mr. Roger’s second grade class, Ridgedale Elementary, Ms. Born’s thrid grade class, Ridgedale Elementary; Mrs.

Streets fourth grade class, Trinity Christian School; and Mrs. Zeigler’s class, Trinity Christain School.

To vote, just click on your favorite “masterpiece.” An email box will pop up that will include the information on the drawing. Add your emal address and any comments you’d like to send the artist and hit send. The winner will be announced in the April-June issue of the The Morgantown Magazine.

Thanks to our local aspiring artists and good luck!

www.artsMon.org

Alexia - Ridgedale Elementary

Ashlin - Ridgedale Elementary

Azariah Ridgedale Elementary

Cyrena- Ridgedale Elementary

Dylan Ridgedale Elementary

Emmy - Ridgedale Elementary

Gabrielle-Ridgedale Elementary

Hunter-Ridgedale Elementary

Haley-Ridgedale Elementary

Jaclyn-Trinity Christian

Hannah-Ridgedale Elementary

Jaclyn2-Trinity Christian

Hannah2-Ridgedale Elementary

Jaclyn3-Trinity Christian

James-Ridgedale Elementary

Joso-Ridgedale Elementary

Jennifer-Ridgedale Elementary

J.T. -Ridgedale Elementary

Jennifer2-Ridgedale Elementary

Kyle-Ridgedale Elementary

Joshua-Ridgedale Elementary

Lane-Ridgedale Elementary

Lauren-Trinity Christian

Michael2-Ridgedale Elementary

Lily-Ridgedale Elementary

Paige-Ridgedale Elementary

Quinton-Ridgedale Elementary Makenna - Ridgedale Elementary

Michael-Ridgedale Elementary

Sam-Ridgedale Elementary

Sarah-Ridgedale Elementary

Unknown1-Ridgedale Elementary

Sophia-Ridgedale Elementary

Unknown2-Ridgedale Elementary

RETURNING IN 2011 Save the Date!

August 8 - 14, 2011

www.moncountyfair.org

Unknown3-Ridgedale Elementary

Zachary-Ridgedale Elementary

Unknown4-Ridgedale Elementary

Zachary2-Ridgedale Elementary

Unknown5-Ridgedale Elementary

Zanon-Ridgedale Elementary

Zequal-Ridgedale Elementary

March Gardening Chores Browsing and ordering from seed and garden catalogs.

Planting potted trees and shrubs.

Placing cold sensitive potted plants in protected areas or indoors.

Pruning and mulching dormant trees and vines.

Repairing and sharpening tools.

Fertilizing with 16-16-16 or manure.

Planting seeds in containers in the greenhouse.

Planting some vegetable starts in the ground.

Watering as needed.

Raking up fallen twigs and branches.

Weeding around the base of small trees and shrubs.

Mowing and weeding as needed.

Cleaning and repairing drip irrigation lines.

Making up To Do lists.

Spraying dormant trees and shrubs.

Painting fences and art objects as needed.

Developing Spring Resolutions for personal improvements.

Fixing up lawn mowers and other power tools for outdoor work.

The West Virginia Botanic Garden (WVBG), in harmony with nature, seeks to enhance the quality of life through public enjoyment and education involving inspirational landscapes and displays of a rich variety of ornamental plants appropriate to the region.

Watch for the feature story in the April-June issue! http://www.wvbg.org

Locavor Children’s Miracle Network WVU Children’s Hospital PO Box 8200 (ROC 117) Morgantown, WV 26506-8200 304-598-4346 x 2 | Fax 304-598-4452 www.wvukids.com

Visit www.themorgantownmagazine.com and sign up to receive an email when each issue is uploaded as well as advance notice of contests, surveys and special events sponsored by The Morgantown Magazine and Fate Publishing.

Stone Creations Retaining Walls, Redi-Rock Distributor Chad Hefner, Owner Morgantown, WV | 304-677-5505

SCHOOLS Cheat Lake Elementary School 154 Crosby Road, Morgantown, WV 26508 Telephone: 304-594-2772 Fax : 304-594-2283 Grades : PK-04 Cheat Lake Middle School 160 Crosby Road Morgantown, WV 26508 Telephone: 304-594-1165 Fax : 304-594-1677 Grades : 05-08 Easton Elementary School 2901 Point Marion Road Morgantown, WV 26505 Telephone: 304-291-9228 Fax : 304-284-9350 Grades : PK-04

An original choreography by ANGELA DENNIS Featuring members of the Alchemy Dance Project and Red Stone Dance Initiative April 28 and 29 @ 8 p.m.

April 30 @ 2 and 8 p.m.

May 1 @ 4 p.m. “secrets and light” follows the life of a little girl with a severe allergy to the sun. Join us for a glimpse into the life of a 9 year old girl with xeroderma pigmentosum, which is an extremely rare allergy to the sun. The performance delves in to the girls contact with her family, friends, and her journey to self discovery. Family-friendly.

Morgantown High School 109 Wilson Avenue Morgantown, WV 26501 Telephone: 304-291-9260 Fax : 304-291-9263 Grades : 09-12 Technical Education Center 1000 Mississippi Street Morgantown, WV 26501 Telephone: 304-291-9240 Fax : 304-291-9247

e Guide University High School 991 Price Street Morgantown, WV 26505 Telephone: 304-291-9270 Fax : 304-291-9248 Grades : 09-12 Alliance Christian School (Private) 200 Trinity Way Morgantown, WV 26505 Telephone: 304-291-4659 Covenant Christian School (Private) P.O. Box 342 Morgantown, WV 26507 Telephone: 304-292-6050 Maranatha Christian Academy (Private) 275 Canyon Road Morgantown, WV 26508 Telephone: 304-594-3717 Morgantown Learning Academy (Private) 123 Discovery Place Morgantown, WV 26508 Telephone: 304-296-9554 St. Francis Central Catholic School (Private) 41 Gutherie Lane Morgantown, WV 26505 Telephone: 304-291-5070 Trinity Christian School (Private) 200 Trinity Way Morgantown, WV 26505 Telephone: 304-291-4659

The Community Coalition for Social Justice and Morgantown/ Kingwood NAACP Branch will co-sponsoring a presentation on “Civil Rights:

Two Women’s Perspectives” on Thursday, March 31, at Greater St. Paul AME Church, 61 Beechurst Avenue, Morgantown.

The speakers will be Faith Holsaert, co-editor of Hands on the Freedom Plow, a collection of essays by participants in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the 1960s. Ms. Holsaert was a civil rights worker in Maryland, Georgia, and New York City. Charlene Marshall, former mayor of Morgantown and present member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, will speak about the civil rights movement in Morgantown in the 1960s. Ms. Holsaert will be selling and signing copies of her book. A reception will follow the program.

The event is free and open to the public. For more visit, http://www.ccsjwv.org/.

www.mtpocketstheatre.com

Source: Greater Morgantown’s Visitor’s Guide 2010 (click to download the pdf ).

722 Brookhaven Road | Morgantown, WV 26508 304.212.4890 | Fax 304.212.4649 info@themorgantown.com | www.themorgantownmagazine.com