By Stephen Smoot
Last week, the Pendleton County Chamber of Commerce held its monthly meeting. The bulk of the meeting revolved around spring events and administrative matters.
Elizabeth Scott, executive director, opened the meeting by reporting on the progress of gathering dues payments from chamber members. She shared that many paid through the PayPal link, which made the process easier.
Next came discussion of the Main Street Beautification program. The chamber sent a gift card as a thank you to those who put together the flower baskets. Scott shared that this spring, baskets would go to the greenhouse in April to be filled and be up in their accustomed places by Memorial Day.
Last year, an anonymous donor provided $1,300 for the project. Scott stated that the chamber should seek out a sponsor to cover the costs this season. She said, “It’s hard when you’re always asking for sponsorships” in a small community.
Some of the lampposts that hold the baskets have experienced wear and tear. Scott said, “Someone evidently hit one in front of the courthouse. It’s bent pretty bad.”
Next, the board and Scott performed an informal after-action style discussion about the Christmas events. The local business themed contest proved popular, with a number of establishments asking if they could take part next year. Scott shared that “Melissa and Chris Grimes got nine kids, but they were all from Brandywine.”
“The whole intention and purpose of the program,” Scott explained, “is for getting some kids to have things they otherwise wouldn’t.”
One family who had just moved in took their children to all 20 participating businesses and reported that it was a great way to learn about the area.
Feedback from the parade was generally positive with the only slight disappointment being the attendance afterwards with Santa Claus and the Grinch. Several other organizations held programs on that day and the high school had a varsity basketball game scheduled. Scott noted that she would communicate with the other groups and try to coordinate with them to prevent competition next year.
With Christmas in the rearview mirror, the next events coming up involving the Chamber are Maple Days and Trout Fest.
With the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Future Generations University taking the lead on Maple Days, the chamber of commerce has worked to put a contest together by tying local businesses to the event and the visitors it brings. The contest, however, may be held in March instead of February, as the weather disruptions have set back a number of timetables in the area.
Trout Fest, however, is a project of the chamber and the Town of Franklin. Its first attraction will come on March 1 and 2 with the Trout Fest pageant. “Queens” will be awarded on Saturday while, as Scott put it, “the littles are on Sunday.”
Board members agreed that the Chamber should put a call for volunteers to help with some aspects of holding the pageant.
Trout Fest itself will take place on May 2 and 3 this year.
In recent years, a rapidly growing cadre of food trucks has come to Pendleton County events to make sure all get enough locally made food and drink to consume while enjoying events. Scott announced that a major change has taken place as the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s office will start enforcing regulations requiring food trucks to have their own fire suppression system.
These systems cost $10,000 to install. “We have to be very careful and have vendors up to code,” Scott stated.
