The Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau’s new Welcome Center at the former Point Park Marketplace Building has seen increased daily visitations since opening in the spring. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
PARKERSBURG — The new location for the
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- Roger L. “Bud” Coe
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- Mark Lewis, executive director of the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, appeared before the Wood County Commission on Thursday to discuss how well the agency’s new Welcome Center at the former Point Park Marketplace Building is working out with increased daily visitations since opening in the spring. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
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- The Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau’s new Welcome Center at the former Point Park Marketplace Building has seen increased daily visitations since opening in the spring. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
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- Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Manager Denise Myers, right, appeared Thursday before the Wood County Commission to introduce herself as Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard listens. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
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- Jackson Middle School resource officer Adam Jones spoke with students at Greenmont Elementary School on Thursday about the dangers of vaping. Jones visited the school as part of Red Ribbon Week. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
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- Jackson Middle School resource officer Adam Jones spoke with students at Greenmont Elementary School on Thursday about the dangers of vaping. Jones visited the school as part of Red Ribbon Week. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
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- Jackson Middle School students Cole Sisk, Tyler Cameron, Camille Patterson, and Malia Williams spoke with Greenmont Elementary students Thursday during Red Ribbon Week. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
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- Jackson Middle School students Camille Patterson and Malia Williams answered questions from Greenmont Elementary students Thursday. Patterson and Williams visited the school as part of Red Ribbon Week. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)
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- James Froemel will portray of American cartoonist Charles Schulz Nov. 7 at Glenville State University in the Robert F. Kidd Library. The show is a History Alive! program. (Photo Provided)
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- Belpre Elementary third-grade teacher Nathan Watson launches a box containing a pumpkin off the roof of the Stone Administration Building on Thursday during the school’s annual pumpkin drop. Students worked together to come up with ways to protect pumpkins before teachers hurled their containers into the air and onto the pavement below. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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- Belpre Elementary fifth-grader Lola Simon, second from right, celebrated with her classmates after their pumpkin survived its plunge from the roof of the Stone Administration Building during the school’s annual pumpkin drop event Thursday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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- This contraption kept fifth-graders’ pumpkin in one piece during the Belpre Elementary School pumpkin drop Thursday. Others weren’t so fortunate. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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- Belpre Elementary sixth-grader Balee Bland, right, let Aiden Ridenhour pet her bearded dragon, Pico, as Aiden’s brother Preston watched Thursday during the trunk or treat preceeding the school’s annual pumpkin drop. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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- Belpre Elementary School students and families gathered for a trunk or treat event Thursday before the school’s annual pumpkin drop. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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- Belpre Elementary students rushed to check the packages containing pumpkins thrown from the roof of the Stone Administration Building on Thursday during the school’s annual pumpkin drop. The kids worked together to come up with ways to protect the pumpkins during their plunge. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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- Belpre Elementary School Assistant Principal Shane Freshour tossed a bundled-up pumpkin from the roof of the Stone Administration Building during the school’s annual pumpkin drop as teachers Adam Greene, left, and Nathan Watson watched. Students worked together to come up with ways to protect pumpkins before teachers hurled their containers into the air and onto the pavement below. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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- Belpre Elementary second-grade teacher Adam Greene throws a pumpkin-protecting package from the roof of the Stone Administration Building Thursday during the school’s annual pumpkin drop. Students worked with classmates to devise ways to help the pumpkins survive the fall. (Photo Provided)
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- Construction for the expansion of Smith Candy began in late September and has made much progress as the new manufacturing center, located on Stadium Drive in St. Marys, is expected to open before the start of the new year. (Photo by Maria Rutherford)
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- Eighteen-hole Tournament winners in the Worthington Women’s Golf Association are, front row, from left, Linda Hedrick, 2022 Club Champion Carol Geletko and Margie Santer. Back row, Mina Applebaum, in-coming Chairman Jean Tornes, out-going Chairman Carol Ramsey, Marsha Jackson, Vicki Fielder, Mary Ingram, Coleen Wittig, Gaye Fife, Mirtala Smith, Sue Ellen Johnson, Ruby Phillips, Shelly Hess and Debbie Full. Not pictured: Mary Lopez. (Photo Provided)
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- The Worthington Women’s Golf Association Nine-hole Tournament winners are, front, from left, Lois Boise and Oma Jean Lynch. Back row, Mary Smith, Linda Lucky, Ellen Knotts, Delores Steege, Barb Hupp, Susan Shawver, Patti Golden, Ann Boyce, Judy Langkamer, Vicki Squires and Jane Graham. Not pictured: Lori Butler, Ruth Ann Lynch and Andrea Brock. (Photo Provided)
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- Carol Geletko is the Worthington Women’s Golf Association 2022 Club Champion. (Photo Provided)
has increased its daily visitations since opening its new Welcome Station this past spring, the executive director told the Wood County Commission on Thursday.
Mark Lewis appeared before the commission to talk about the recent summer tourism season and the increase in foot traffic they have seen to their new facility which is in the former Point Park Marketplace.
Over the past year, the CVB secured the building by the floodwall near the gate to Point Park with plans to make it their permanent location to take advantage of its proximity to the boat landing. Although the planned renovations were not completed, the CVB wanted to be open on the same day Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park opened in April to take advantage of the foot traffic going back and forth from the Blennerhassett Museum and Point Park to catch the sternwheelers.
Lewis thanked the commission for its financial and other support in securing the building. He said the building will be closed, starting Monday, to begin the detailed renovation work to the space which will be going on through the winter.
In the meantime, the CVB will return to its original office at Seventh and Avery streets to take care of its regular business.
Mark Lewis, executive director of the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, appeared before the Wood County Commission on Thursday to discuss how well the agency’s new Welcome Center at the former Point Park Marketplace Building is working out with increased daily visitations since opening in the spring. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Lewis said the highest number of visitors to the office at Seventh and Avery was 1,150 in one year.
”This past weekend we broke 5,000 at our new Welcome Center,” Lewis said. ”The secret is location, location, location.
”We knew that being down there, being on the way to and from the island we would have the opportunity to interact with many more people. All of those opportunities are opportunities to drive additional tourism spending while they are here,” he said.
That is telling people about other attractions, museums, restaurants, fairs/festivals and more in the area in hopes they will spend more time locally and possibly spend a night or come back for another visit to see things they did not see the first time, he said.
”You would be surprised how many people who go out to the island have not heard of Henderson Hall and don’t know we have one of the state’s largest residential historic districts and a walking tour or haven’t heard of the Oil and Gas Museum,” Lewis said.
Many people come here for Blennerhassett Island because it has a high profile, but when they are able to talk to people they are able to tell them more about the area which has resulted in commitments for addition trips from some people and coach companies.
”It is a tremendous opportunity to drive tourism spending,” Lewis said. ”We feel like we have had a tremendously successful year down there.”
He talked about a possible plan to do season passes for the Blennerhassett Island Historical Park so local people would be able to travel to the island more regularly during the summer season.
Work will start next week on renovating the restrooms to make them fully ADA compliant with help of a $25,000 grant from the Bernard McDonough Foundation, other work on the interior and work will also be done on the community garden areas around the building with 49 raised beds ready to be leased out for next year.
The CVB lost over $400,000 in lodging tax revenue during the COVID pandemic and the commission was able to help with funding through different sources as well as help to purchase the marketplace building. Lewis said their regular budget is around $500,000 and $600,000 so that kind of hit can severely impact their operations and what they want to accomplish.
”Thank you for your foresight,” Lewis said. ”It has really come together this year.
”It was more successful than I ever dreamed it could be.”
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