Worldwide Spin in Public Day - Saturday September 18, 2010

Worldwide Spin in Public Day - Saturday September 18, 2010

The Fiber Addicts, who meet at The Grafton 123 once each month have announced their participation in the WORLDWIDE SPIN IN PUBLIC DAY [note the acronym: Spin in Public (SIP). Susan pointed out the appropriateness of this for the Coffee House ;) ].

On Saturday September 18th between the hours of
10:00am - 3:00pm
at The Grafton 123 House of Coffee
123 W Main St
Grafton, WV

these awesome ladies will share their skills with the public!

"If you spin, come join us; if you don't, come and we'll show you how!

Bring your wheel, spindle & fiber and join us for the World Wide Spin in Public Day!

for more information call Susan at 304-265-3266

SPIN with us or just come and WATCH."

I can tell you that I find this process fascinating.
An incredible fusion of old-time skill and modern creativity.

Summer Picture Request

I finally replaced the blog header (a beautiful, but unseasonal shot); I put up the Red Caboose, but I know we can do better than that. Last time I put out a picture request we got some amazing stuff. Let's do it again.

Send summer pics here: MK@Grafton123.com
Thanks!

Streetscape Phase II

The western end of the downtown portion of Main Street is getting a facelift to match the beautiful work on the east end of town!

For more details, I'm blogging about it over here: http://www.grafton123.com/

For all the hard work and to all the hard workers: Thank you for doing so much for progress in Grafton!

Relay for Life

An overnight relay for life will be held on Main Street in Historic Downtown Grafton.
The International Mother's Day Shrine will be Relay Headquarters.

Saturday June 26th - Relay for Life of Taylor County
4:00pm - Registraion Begins
5:00pm - Survivor Reception
6:00pm - Opening Ceremony/Survivor Lap
6:15pm - Caregiver Lap
8:00pm - Dove & Baloon Release
10:00pm - Luminaria Ceremony
11:00pm - 4:00am - Entertainment/Games
4:30am - Closing & Fight Back Ceremony

Green Building Demonstration - Spirit of Grafton Memorial Weekend

Everyone has heard of Green Building. Come and see what it actually looks like as father (builder) and son (architect) join forces to construct a full-scale mock-up illustrating advanced framing and insulating techniques for your roof, walls, and floor.

We will be starting the installation Saturday morning, the 29th, inside the Cohen Building (Main Street, directly across from the Grafton Fire Station) and will be constructing throughout the day. The installation will then be on display Sunday the 30th, and Monday the 31st. Feel free to stop in and observe the process.

Taylor County West Virginia

Taylor County West Virginia

Mother's Day Events

Saturday May 8, 2010

Mother's Day Founder Festival at the Anna Jarvis Birthplace Museum, located 3 miles south of Grafton on US Rt. 119.
10:00am-4:00pm - Tours of the Museum, food, craft vendors, & door prizes
2:00pm - Program begins with a Flag ceremony and continues with music & a period fashion show representing each decade of fashion since the early part of the 20th century. Historical facts on raising children in each era will bring the program to life, highlighting the differences and similarities of each age.
6:00pm - Country Music Show
For more information call 304-265-5549

Sunday May 9, 2010

2:00pm - The International Mother's Day Shrine will host the annual Mother's Day Program

This little kitten has alot to smile (and PURR) about! Her name is Awdry, she is a 9 week old Blue Cream kitten who was found abandoned with some siblings a few weeks ago. Since being saved she has been tested, vaccinated, spayed and well fed. She has been loved and her sweet story has been posted on over a dozen adoption related websites.


This week Awdry was adopted by a loving couple who drove all the way from Chicago Illinois to add this little love to their family.
Now some of you may ask "WHY would someone drove 9 hours to adopt a PURR Baby?" My answer is: Because we made her so special!

It takes alot of work and alot of love to rescue and rehabilitate hundreds of abandoned cats and kittens each year. Alot of hard work and dedication is what the PURR volunteers put forth to make sure these babes are healthy, happy and on their way to furrever homes that appreciate how special each cat is.
They are ALL special. Every cat, every where has a story. The stray you see hiding in that abandoned building? Maybe he once had a home, maybe his mother had a home and was then thrown out because she was in heat, or became pregnant. Maybe he was LOST. Maybe she had been left behind when her family moved away, maybe she had been abandoned for one of the hundreds of excuses we hear at PURR. The fact remains, every cat who is feral or stray is there because at one time a human being was not responsible for their pet.
Strays and ferals are social problem, society and humanity has let them down. They aren't pests to be disposed of. They are domesticated creatures to be cared for. For information on TNR (Trap-neuter-release) programs and how to start one please visit: http://www.alleycat.org/
It is kitten season once again in Grafton West Virginia and around the world. This year we will see hundreds of kittens, hundreds of cats. This year we will spay and help spay hundreds of females so the won't contribute to the staggering overpopulation problem we face. There are 45 cats for every 1 person in the US.
In West Virginia over 77% of cats who go to shelters are destroyed. That is shocking right?

PURR is a no -kill facility. For information on advocating this practice please go to http://www.thenokillnation.com/.

Things you can do to help:

• Spay and neuter your cats. There is no excuse for a litter of kittens.


• Talk to others about spaying and neutering;


• Don't adopt FREE kittens, it only adds to the common excuse "but I always find homes for my kittens". For every one free kitten adopted 200 are euthanized in shelters. AND the healthcare screening is well worth adoption fees from shelters!


• Support your shelters and rescue groups! PURR WV is funded solely by donations!


• Volunteer. Groups like PURR need your help, and your time. You'll be glad you shared love with a homeless feline!

Please contact us to find out how you can help! http://www.purrwv.org/ Look for our table at the Spirit of Grafton Celebration and our float in the Memorial Day Parade!

MontCoal Miners Benefit 40 Hour Music Marathon

"Live Mic Entertainment is hosting a 40-hour Music Marathon to benefit the MontCoal Miners' Familes at Vintage Hall in Grafton, WV on Saturday, April 24th, 2010 beginning at 6:00am through Saturday, April 25th, 2010 at 10:00pm. All proceeds will go to the WV Council of Churches to be distributed to the miners' familes and can be made at any BB&T bank location. Several area musicians and bands have donated their time and talent for this worthy cause.

If there is anything you or your company would like to contribute to this event, please contact me at 304-657-5870. You may also get more information on our website, www.vintagehallwv.com.

Thank you for your time and interest.

Respectfully,

Jennie Shuman
Live Mic Entertainment"

The Character of a town

It’s easy to call home the place where you live. However if you are born, raised, and educated and live in one location all or most of your life, you tend to take for granted the character of a town. Sometimes it takes someone from outside to affirm the charm and beauty of a town.

I have been living in Taylor County for over 5 years. The longest I have ever lived anywhere in my adulthood. After 3 countries, 3 U.S. states, and plenty of miles in between, I have settled in Taylor County. I am not sure how long I will be living here, but while I do, I will enjoy it and take advantage of all it has to offer.

So what is the Character of a town? The answer is not as easy as the architecture or the commerce. The character of a town is based on its people and their ability to make visitors and newcomers welcomed, while providing for generations of residents of great living conditions.

Grafton in this case, is located in the middle of two distinct roads: Highway 50 that goes from Ocean City, MD, to Sacramento, CA passing through 12 states, and U.S. Highway 119 starting in DuBois, PA in the North and ending in Pineville, KY at the south, covering the state of West Virginia. These two highways, dating before the Interstate system, historically have brought large amounts of visitors, added to the train passengers who often stayed or stopped in Grafton. Because of this the city became a landmark in the state.

Recently with the Interstate, and the move of CSX to Jacksonville, FL, the town lost the large influx of visitors to the occasional traveler, who took an interest in the lake and the Mother’s day monument. The character of the town changed and all that remains from its past luster is in the memory of the elderly and history books.

We face two options then to define our character: One option is to do nothing, keeping the town as a time capsule, or as some define it, a mausoleum to the past. The other option is to invest and hand over the town to the young people to set the future of the town so their children will remain here and make “home” a great place to live. Either option will require sacrifice, but very different outcomes.

I love being in Taylor County, I see a tremendous potential in this town. However, I believe that the character for as charming as it is; needs to be refined and restructured. This is a great place to live, it’s a great place to visit, and mostly a great place to be. As I raise my children here, I want them to be proud of where they were born and live. We are to learn from our heritage and history, live in the present and prepare for the future. This is not only true for the character of our community but for our lives as well.

WBOY Restaurant Road Trip: Grafton 123: Spurring Local Tourism Economy

Here's the link to the story at the WBOY wesite:
http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=73391

"This week's Restaurant Road Trip takes us to a small-town restaurant with big plans.

GRAFTON -- Every Wednesday we take you on a trip to a new and exciting local restaurant.
This week, we make a stop a little Taylor County coffee shop that has big dreams of transforming an entire city.

Last year, 2009, was a good year for the restaurant industry in Grafton. Bon Monge opened in downtown and a new sports bar, Strykers Bar and Grill, opened next to the bowling lanes.

But only one restaurant made the list of "101 Best Places to Eat in WV" and that restaurant is the Grafton 123.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Grafton, the 123 is easy to find. A prime location near the courthouse keeps business steady and its big signs outside promise plenty of treats to those just passing through.

The Grafton 123, first and foremost, is a coffee house......"

Read the rest here:
http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=73391

Christmas Parade in Downtown Grafton

from the Mountain Statesman:

"The 2009 Christmas Parade is scheduled to begin at 4pm on Saturday, December 5th. Those lining up for the parade will be doing so on Latrobe Street starting at 3:30pm The parade will go from the Post Office down Main Street and will end in the Grafton Fire Department. The Gigantic Toy Giveaway will follow the parade. If you are interested in participating in the parade contact Bobby Jennings at 304-265-3333 before noon on Friday, December 4."

Pictures from Hospital Hill

Early morning mist through the tree tops:

Looking up the Tygart Valley River, where just up around the bend sits our historical Tygart Dam with the beautiful Tygart Lake behind it:

Looking toward downtown Grafton:

Autumn Photos

Joseph Ludi's daughter Kayt Ludi seems to have inherited the gene that is responsible for beautiful photography.
Here are a few of Kayt's photos, including this first one which is now also the header photo for the Blog Project. (Thanks, Kayt!):

I love this one:

The Annual Halloween Parade in Downtown Grafton

Beginning at 4pm on Saturday Octboer 24th, ghosts, ghouls, & goblins will begin lining up at The B&O Railroad Heritage Center for a short parade to the Fire Station.
Children of all ages are welcome and candy is aplenty (Somethin' Country has been accepting donations of candy).
(If it's raining, the Grafton Fire Department will be the beginning and ending point.)

Fall Pictures, continued

Photo credit for the following photographs again goes to Joseph Ludi of Grafton.
Thanks, Joseph, for sharing your skills:

an excerpt from the Valley Falls State Park website:

"Once the site of a lumber and grist mill community, the scenic treasure of Valley Falls State Park is located only a short drive from Fairmont and Grafton. This 1,145 acre day use park hosts a variety of outdoor recreation including fishing, picnicking, kayaking, and 18 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.The beauty of the park is enhanced by the spectacular series of foaming falls which were created by the dark, rushing waters of the Tygart Valley River and provides a boundary between Marion and Taylor counties. The prevalent rock formation known as Connoquenessing Sandstone, forms the cap of the falls over which the river plunges and swirls and appears both as ledges and huge room size boulders for over a mile down the narrow canyon floor. "

If you have fall pictures you wouldn't mind sharing here, please send them to Coffee@Grafton123.com

Thanks!

Fall Pictures

Thanks to Joseph Ludi of Grafton, WV for these beautiful images taken recently at Valley Falls State Park:

Fall Colors

The fall colors are beautiful, but I have no pictures on this computer. If someone will send .jpg images to the following address, I'll work at getting them posted here.
Send 'em here: Coffee@Grafton123.com
Thanks!

Alpacas

Random daytripping pictures of alpacas from a tiny back road in the eastern part of the county (or maybe I'd already crossed the line into Preston County...?):

Annual Downtown Open House

The businesses located in historic downtown Grafton will be hosting their annual Holiday Open House on Sunday November 8th between the hours of 10:00am and 5:00pm.

Come on down!