Category: Meadowbrook Mall

By: Sarah Jones, Sports Editor/Reporter – Updated: 17 hours ago
Posted Mar 9, 2021

BRIDGEPORT— The Grafton Wrestling Club traveled to Bridgeport over the weekend, taking over the Meadowbrook Mall, hitting the mats to compete in the Tribe Takedown Classic hosted by Bridgeport.

The Tribe Takedown Classic was setup as a nontraditional tournament utilizing the Round Robin format in order to maximize the amount of mat time each wrestler received.

For many of these young wrestlers this was their first tournament, but despite an unusual season and first time jitters, the Grafton Wrestling Club ended the day with 15 of their members placing in the top five or better in their respective age and weight classes.

Leading the way for the squad was Ian Glaspell (10u 125/HWT), who brought home the club’s only first-place finish. Coming up just short of the first were JW Nestor (10u 85/90), Rondo Koontz (10u 90/95), Abel Mitchell (8u 75/85) and Garrett Poling (10u 55/60) who all received second-place finishes in their divisions.

Additionally, the team claimed two third-place spots from Bearcubs Jason Austin (8u 45/50/55A) and Bryson Swaney (8u 45/50/55B) in their divisions, while Isaiah Glaspell (8u 45/50/55A), Garrett Davis (12u 145/160), Koltin Knight (12u 105/125), Brayton Davis (10u 105), Landon Lynch (8u 65), Lucah Barbe (6u 50A) and Gaige Glover (6u 50B) earned fourth-place finishes in their classes.

Rounding out the club’s winnings was Clarissa Miller (10u 90/95) placing fifth in her division.
“Myself and the other coaches were beyond pleased with the performance our team had over the weekend,” commented assistant coach Thomas Davis. “We have more to learn, but we are on the right track and making noticeable progress.”

The Grafton Wrestling Club will head back to Bridgeport this weekend, on Sunday, March 14 for their next tournament, to be hosted by Lewis County.

© 2021-Mountain Statesman

by Jonathan Weaver STAFF WRITER | Nov 28, 2020

Former local resident Aaron Williams makes a Small Business Saturday purchase from Sam Marks, co-owner of High Caliber Customs in Clarksburg.

Ringing out customer, Staff photo by Jonathan Weaver

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — The holiday shopping season is in full swing, COVID-19 or not, and locally owned stores made sure to highlight their wares on Small Business Saturday.

Leah Michael, owner of Sudsberry, a Clarksburg-based skin care boutique, said the state’s changing COVID-19 guidelines forced her to re-evaluate her business plan. But she said customers have been receptive to curbside pickup options, limited hours and a new Meadowbrook Mall kiosk.

“My customers have been loyal and so thoughtful with words of encouragement and support during these uncertain times, and it’s heartwarming to have their support. Our community’s support is how my small business is surviving,” Michael said.

Sudsberry sales associate Macie Clutter, a former customer, manned the mall kiosk Saturday afternoon, serving about a dozen customers in her first hour.

Bruceton Mills’ Candace Burleyson shopped at the kiosk for the first time Saturday, with daughters Harlynn and Braisley choosing character-themed bath soaps.

At Artworks in Bridgeport, owner Lotus MacDowell said the Small Business Saturday foot traffic was similar to that of 2019. She said the last three months of the year are the busiest at the store.

“We’ve always had a very loyal audience who shopped during Small Business Saturday. It sometimes is more convenient to buy something online, but you need to remember these little shops are what make your town have personality,” MacDowell said. “Every time you shop locally, you not only help the person who has the business, but you are helping to keep the community vibrant.

“If there was ever a year where people need to support their local businesses, this is the year.”

Bridgeport’s Joy Larry purchased a birdhouse for her cousin at Artworks on Saturday.

“I want to support the local businesses. I’ve been shopping at Lotus’ place for years, so I thought I’d come and see what unique items she had,” Larry said.

Ginny Hamrick of Fairmont also chose to support local businesses as she shopped for her mother at Artworks.

“I know right now its a hard time for them,” Hamrick said of locally owned retailers.

Sam and Lara Marks, owners of High Caliber Customs and Daffodil Decals in Clarksburg, were glad for the good weather and the steady flow of customers Saturday, the start of what they hope will be a busy holiday shopping season.

Lara Marks said most of Saturday’s business was customers shopping for family members or men shopping for hunting ammunition.

“I’ve been trying to keep (hunting ammunition) in stock, but last week I got bought out,” Sam Marks said. “But we got a big shipment in (Friday) to try and keep up. Ammo always sells.”

Cathy Goings, owner of Wicked Sisters Clothing Boutique in Clarksburg, offered specials and refreshments to shoppers on Saturday.

“The excitement of shopping for the holidays is still there,” Goings said. “A lot of people haven’t been out, but because of Small Business Saturday, they made an effort to come out and support their local small businesses, and we’re very grateful for that.

“It’s been steady throughout most of the day. We’re very pleased.”

Goings also encouraged shoppers to support Looking Glass Consignment and Sudsberry, which have downtown Clarksburg locations.

In Bridgeport, crafters visited Hammer and Stain to pick up items, as well as purchase pre-printed Hammer @ Home kits or pre-made home decor.

About 20 people had pre-ordered items Friday, according to co-licensee Mary McCloy.

Hammer and Stain still holds a handful of craft workshops each week despite the pandemic, limiting guests to 10-11 at a time.

“We pour all the paints and sand the wood for them, as well as prepare the stencil, provide the sponges and gloves, stain and paint they need to make their project,” McCloy said. “They can order these online if they don’t feel comfortable coming into the workshop. We give step-by-step instructions with each order so that their projects come out successfully.

“We’re only at half capacity (during in-person workshops), but I’m able to maintain. I’m very blessed to be able to do that.”

Despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and changing COVID-19 guidelines, McCloy said the business has seen new clients this year, thanks to the in-person workshops and the Hammer @ Home kits.

ED BLAZINA | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | eblazina@post-gazette.com | OCT 9, 2020

About 18 months ago, West Virginia set a goal of establishing itself as a cradle for developing new technology.

That effort bore its largest fruit so far Thursday, when Virgin Hyperloop One chose an 800-acre site in the Mountain State for the $500 million Hyperloop Certification Facility, a 6-mile test track where the U.S. Department of Transportation will verify the safety of the new technology. The site is a former coal mine that straddles Tucker and Grant counties, south of Somerset, Pa., and the thin strip of western Maryland.

Gov. Jim Justice teamed with West Virginia University and others in early 2019 to form a consortium to retain and attract startup companies, support emerging growth companies and recruit “large, globally significant” operations to the state, said Sarah Biller, executive director of Vantage Ventures in WVU’s John Chambers College of Business and Economics.

“Of all the efforts we’ve made, this is the biggest prize and we’re thrilled Virgin Hyperloop has chosen West Virginia,” Ms. Biller said in interview after the announcement in Charleston. “I think they were really surprised to find this 360-degree perspective they needed was available in West Virginia.”

The certification facility, which will take at least five years to build, is a key step in the development of hyperloop technology, which Virgin Hyperloop claims can move passengers or freight at more than 500 mph in pods that travel through low-pressure tubes without creating pollution. Virgin chose the West Virginia proposal over about a dozen others, including one from Columbus, Ohio, planners who have proposed a hyperloop system linking Pittsburgh, Columbus and Chicago.

Ryan Kelly, vice president of marketing and communications for Virgin Hyperloop, said the 800 acres donated to the project by developer Western Pocahontas Properties was a key to picking the West Virginia proposal. That — and the pubic-private partnership of government, higher education and industry — won the day, Mr. Kelly said.

“West Virginia put together a package that covered everything we need,” Mr. Kelly said.

Ms. Biller also cited the availability of free property from one owner, which eliminated the need to assemble a series of parcels from various owners.

“In this case, it’s a significant benefit to get the property from one owner,” she said. “It’s not only free, it’s frictionless. It is almost a 7-mile-long site and in many instances that can be a problem [if there are multiple owners].”

Mr. Justice called the announcement “a fantastic day” for West Virginia. The project is expected to create 7,300 construction and manufacturing jobs over the next five years and 6,000 permanent jobs, including 150 to 200 engineers.

“For years, I have been saying that West Virginia is the best-kept secret on the East Coast, and it’s true,” he said. “Just look at this announcement and all it will bring to our state — investment, jobs and tremendous growth.

“When we approached Virgin Hyperloop, I told them that we would do everything we could to bring this opportunity to West Virginia. We look forward to working with the Virgin Hyperloop team to create a lasting partnership for years to come.”

Mr. Kelly said the timetable calls for designing and confirming financing for the project through next year, beginning construction in 2022 and opening the facility in 2025. If it meets that scenario, Virgin Hyperloop believes it can begin operating a system in the U.S. by 2030.

In Columbus, officials said they continue to move forward in hopes of operating that first U.S. system, even if that area didn’t get the certification facility.

“This center is an exciting moment and major next step [for] making hyperloop a reality in the United States and around the world,” said William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. “Looking forward to what’s next, the long partnership between Virgin Hyperloop and so many Ohio private and public leaders is the critical foundation to our efforts to build a hyperloop system to connect Columbus to Chicago, Pittsburgh, and beyond.”

Ms. Biller said the university and its students will be involved in the project in a variety of ways through programs ranging from engineering and business to human sciences as it studies how the body will react to moving at such speeds. It plans to work with other universities on joint programs to train workers for the facility.

To Ms. Biller, the biggest potential benefit from the project was evident about this time last year, when Virgin Hyperloop officials visited the campus to talk about the project. She said wide-eyed students crowded the auditorium and sat on the floor to listen.

“It was an ‘Aha!’ moment. They can start to inspire a whole new set of dreams. It inspires the thinking of, ‘Look what I can do.’”