Not too long ago the members of City Council in Moundsville stopped operating the municipality in the same manner it had for years and added a multitude of events in the downtown and on the riverfront.
But then the county seat of Marshall County fell silent once again thanks to the arrival of Covid-19. The restrictions were the restrictions: stay at home, close non-essential businesses, and cancel everything to ensure social distancing. It was boring, frustrating, and for many, depressing. As the coronavirus pandemic continued, more than 2,500 positive cases were confirmed and nearly 80 associated deaths took place.
In the past week, however, only two positive cases have been reported by the Marshall County Health Department, and W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice has eliminated the state’s precautionary mandates and that means fairs and festivals can take place in 2021.
And that includes Moundsville.
“Everyone in town is very excited about getting back to normal,” Wood reported. “Council has been able to meet in person and the City Building is open to the public again, and those things have allowed a lot of people to believe that we are getting back to the ways we’re used to. Plus, the Splash Pad is being constructed now at the Four Seasons pool and a lot of people are looking forward to that for the rest of the summer.
“Plus, we’re able to have live events again. We really had a nice schedule in 2019 and a lot of people really enjoyed the live music and the movies, but in 2020, it all had to be canceled because of Covid,” she said. “It was a very long year so everyone is looking forward to getting out and seeing people again.”
A Collaborative Conversation
The City of Moundsville received approximately $1.5 million in 2020 in CARES Act funds, and about $3.43 in monies from the American Rescue Plan and, according to Wood, talks have begun among the municipality’s seven council members about how best to spend the federal dollars.
“The city has had one workshop to discuss how to use the Rescue Plan funds that Moundsville received,” Wood explained. “We also have the Care Act monies because we have yet to allocate those funds. We want to get as much input as possible from the people who live in Moundsville so we can be sure we use those dollars in the best possible ways.
“We have collected a lot of different thoughts from our people in all our departments, so before any decisions are made we will make sure that we have all of the ideas on paper,” Wood said. “There are more restrictions as far as the Rescue Plan funds than there for are the Cares Act dollars, so we are taking our time to make sure we are utilizing that money strategically so we can help the city of Moundsville forward.”
Have an idea? Wood, Judy Hunt, Eugene Saunders, Ginger Dewitt, Randy Chamberlain, and Mayor David Wood want to hear from you.
“Our conversations about how to use those funds will be made public so the residents can weigh in,” Wood explained. “We feel it is our responsibility to inject those funds into our community and that is why we want to hear from the people who live here. There are only seven people on council and we don’t have all of the ideas.
“That is why we want the residents to participate in those conversations,” she continued. “It’s about using those funds in the most effective ways and that is why we feel working collaboratively is the best possible way to accomplish that goal. It’s about assisting our community.”
Live and Local
Moundsville’s Arts and Culture Commission started “Wander Out Wednesday” which is a lunchtime event along Jefferson Avenue that features live music, food trucks and restaurants, and “Jefferson” Fridays” will begin on August 13 with the Zane Run band.
The commission did present a couple of movies nights and a drive-by Santa Claus event, it was far from familiar.
“We knew people were antsy to do something so we came up with a few ideas that would be safe for the people attending,” Wood said. “But it wasn’t the same and the festivals is what I missed the most in 2020. We had a lot of momentum heading into last year and people were telling us they were looking forward to them, but there was nothing we could do about it.
“Based on what I have seen in other areas, a lot of people are going out and enjoying themselves,” she said. “So, I am expecting the same here in Moundsville and I think we have a terrific schedule for the Jefferson Fridays.”
The September event will feature Eli and the Mojo Kings, and in October Jukebox will be the featured band.
“Our first Jefferson Friday will be Aug. 13 and I am very excited to see everyone having a good time as they did two years ago when we started the event,” Wood said. “We’ll also have one in September and another in October. When we held Jefferson Friday in 2019, we saw a lot of people take advantage of the events and that was our goal.
“There will be live music, some of our businesses will stay open later than usual, and we’ll have a beer garden and food trucks, too,” she said. “We’re hoping for big crowds at those events, and for the other events we will have in town. We’re trying to include all demographics and all genres so we can be sure to have something for everyone in the city of Moundsville.”
