Anna Maria Jarvis may not be a household name like Woodrow Wilson or General George McClellan, but just like these men that her life intersected with, she created a legacy still remembered in the present day. Anna Jarvis, and by all inspiration, her mother, Ann, are the women that first brought the idea of celebrating mothers, and the work they do, to the people of the United States of America.

Anna Jarvis was born in 1864, in Webster, WV at the decline of the Civil War. The home in which she was born had previously served as Gen. McClellan’s first field operations outpost in Western Virginia at the start of the Civil War. The house is now known as the Anna Jarvis House and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.

As a young child, Anna and the Jarvis family moved into the city of Grafton, WV, and Anna and her mother Ann Reeves Jarvis began to attend the Methodist church in town, even though her father, a minister himself, attended the Baptist church. Ann Reeves Jarvis was very dedicated to her faith, even helping to construct the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church that stands today, housing the International Mother’s Day Shrine dedicated to all mothers, living and deceased. Though it was Anna who petitioned the church leaders to enact a celebration for her mother after her death, it had been the elder Jarvis’s dream to create something such as this to honor the work that mothers do. Even closing one of her Sunday School children’s sermons with a prayer that she hoped someone, somewhere, would create a memorial to honor mothers everywhere.

Anna was 12 years old when she heard her mother’s words and carried those wishes throughout her life. Anna grew up watching her mother host “mothers’ day clubs” similar to what Betsy Mills did in Marietta. The purpose of the mother’s work clubs that Ann founded was to educate the mothers of the area on health, hygiene, sanitation, and disease, as well as provide medications for those who were ill. The ultimate goal was to address the health of mothers and children and to reduce the high infant death rate at the time. This cause was close to Mrs. Jarvis’ heart as she herself only saw four of her twelve children live to adulthood.

As the needs of the area shifted during the war, Mrs. Jarvis led the clubs into helping wounded soldiers, even going as far as mandating that there be no violence among opposite sides of the war, continuing even after the war had concluded. Mrs. Jarvis enacted a Mother’s Friendship Day, celebrated for a few years, in which soldiers and their families from both sides of the war were welcomed to fellowship together, no matter what political beliefs they held. In the years that followed Mrs. Jarvis continued to teach Sunday School at Andrews ME Church, and Anna attended college in Virginia, eventually returning to Grafton to become a schoolteacher.

After Anna’s father, Granville Jarvis, died at the end of 1902, both Anna and her sister Lillian encouraged their mother to come to Philadelphia to live near their brother Claude. Ann Reeves Jarvis died May 9, 1905 and was buried in Philadelphia. Historical references, as noted on the International Mother’s Day Shrine history site, quote Miss Anna Jarvis during a visit to her mother’s gravesite as saying: “The time and place is here and the someone is your daughter, and by the grace of God you shall have that Mother’s Day.”

On the first anniversary of Ann Reeves Jarvis’ death, Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church held a memorial service for her. By 1907, Anna began petitioning to make the celebration of mothers a permanent, annual event. The idea gained momentum and on May 10, 1908, the first official Mother’s Day celebration was observed with the planning and encouragement of Miss Anna Jarvis. One of the details that Miss Jarvis made a priority was that everyone would wear a carnation, most white, though red carnations were worn as well, to honor mothers both living and deceased.

After continuing her campaign to fulfill her mother’s dream by writing letters, speaking at public events, and appealing to anyone who was able to back her pursuit, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in the month of May to be a federal holiday honoring mothers everywhere. Anna had pushed for the date specifically because the second Sunday would always be the closest to the anniversary of her mother’s passing.

In the years that followed, Mother’s Day celebrations were adopted across the country, as well as in Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and all over the world. Though Anna Jarvis eventually became disheartened with the way the day became an opportunity for commercialization and profit by flower and card companies, the original Andrews church continued to celebrate and honor Mrs. Jarvis and mothers everywhere on the second Sunday in May.

Anna never sought or accepted any monetary compensation from the celebrations, and even petitioned to have the honorary day rescinded. Near the end of her life, Jarvis and her sister had both used their family inheritance to fight the commercialism that their very personal holiday had created, so much so that they died poor and destitute. Anna Jarvis died in 1948, in Philadelphia, at the age of 84. It has been noted that on the day Anna Jarvis was buried, the church bell at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton rang out eighty-four times, in her honor.

The Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church continued to have yearly Mother’s Day Observance until the congregation relocated to another Methodist church in Grafton. The last Mother’s Day was observed at the church in 1966. Though the church is still an integral part of history, it no longer serves as a denominational house of worship, but as a memorial to the history of the events that took place there. Just prior to the move, the International Mother’s Day Shrine was enacted as a nonprofit entity to continue the legacy of both the church constructed on the grounds in 1873 and that of Anna Jarvis and her mother, Ann. The sculpture of mother and children, by William Douglas Hopen, was revealed in 1982, for the 20^th anniversary of the designation of the International Mother’s Day Shrine.

Each year the International Mother’s Day Shrine hosts an observance on Mother’s Day. This year it will be recorded and broadcast online, as it has been for the last couple of years, due to the pandemic. Marvin Gelhausen, a member of the nonprofit organization that maintains the shrine, provided the links to be able to join in the observance this year, May 8, 2022, via the Shrine’s website or their Facebook page.

In addition to the Mother’s Day Observance broadcast from the Mother’s Day Shrine, The Anna Jarvis Museum, located directly across the road from the Anna Jarvis House, will be hosting its annual Mother’s Day Founder’s Festival, from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Details of the event, as well as contact information for tours, can be found on the Anna Jarvis House Facebook page.

Between the months of May and October, both the International Mother’s Day Shrine and the Anna Jarvis House and Birthplace Museum are open to visitors and guided tours.

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Band-O-Rama Returns to Marietta

On any given fall Friday night, the sound of drums can be heard echoing from Don Drumm stadium just off Greene Street. In the Midwest, Friday often means football, but fall? Fall means marching band. Whether it is the Star-Spangled Banner while the audience stands in the bleachers, the high school fight song whenever there is a good play completed on the field, or the halftime performance that the students have spent months working to put together, the marching band can be found sharing their talents with the crowd during hometown games. Some know, and some don’t, that the school marching band spends their Saturdays preparing, travelling and performing that halftime performance all over the state of Ohio. Fortunately, there is one weekend, every fall, when fans of our very own Marietta Wall of Sound marching band only have to venture a few blocks to watch them, as well as other marching bands from around the region showcase their talents and hard work for placements and ratings determined by the Ohio Music Education Association. This year, on October 2, The Wall of Sound will be hosting their very own marching band competition for its 60^th year.

The Marietta Band-O-Rama was first introduced in 1961 during the tenure of band director Grover Buxton. Buxton began teaching at Marietta in 1948 after honorable service in the Army Air Corps during WWII and turned the director’s baton over to Marshall Kimble in the early 1970s. Buxton was an accomplished musician himself and turned that passion for music into a legacy of teaching and revealing the magic of music to his students, who have carried those memories with them throughout their adult lives.

When the Band-O-Rama contest was first held, it was the only one of its kind in the state. Popularity was growing in the interest of music education, however there was not an established competition circuit yet in place. Then, like so many other firsts in this town, Marietta pulled together and created one. In the spirit of being Pioneers, or in this case, Tigers, The Marietta High School Band Boosters have managed to keep that ambition strong and the Band-O-Rama is now both the oldest and the longest running marching band competition in the state of Ohio.

All of this would not be possible with the students who dedicate hours and months to learning music, drill (marching the patterns on the field) and correct techniques to put those together. The success of the competition as well as the marching band and music program also depends on the support of the local community. The last big wave of marching band interest has begun to shrink, but it only takes the support of a community like Marietta to share the interest in building the pride and glory back up to the levels that the music program saw in years past.

Most of all, the Band-O-Rama, as well as so many other events the band participates in throughout the year, could absolutely not function without the work and dedication of the Band Boosters organization. Per current booster president Lisa Bammerlin, the hardest part about putting on the Band-O-Rama each is year is getting the help needed to run all of the different aspects.

“We’ve had to cut back on a few fundraisers that used to be part of the day, like the 50/50 drawing and having a separate baked goods table,” said Bammerlin. With a smaller band in recent years, the Band Boosters have also become a smaller group. Less students means less parents to volunteer their time. Still, they are still a dedicated group, often taking on multiple responsibilities in addition to their already busy daily lives to make sure that all of the kids in the band get to experience the feeling of family and support that comes with being a part of group of peers, working toward the same goal. The Marietta Band Booster Organization is definitely the support wall that keeps the Wall of Sound marching on.

For some students it is their first ever experience performing at the Band-O-Rama. For others, it will be their last. Often the students who begin in school band class in 6th grade go on to become the leaders who continue playing through their senior year and beyond. There are currently former band members marching with both The Ohio University Marching 110, as well as The Ohio State University (TBDBITL) Buckeye marching band. There are some parents who were not a part of marching band growing up, so competing and putting on a competition was a learning curve for them. The current band also has parents who grew up being a part of the Marietta High School Tiger band, as they were known prior to adopting their current moniker as The Wall of Sound, and a few who marched for rival schools back in the day.

Whether a former marcher, a never marcher, or just an observer who enjoys watching marching band contests, the reward is always going to be watching that beloved student, and their friends, showcase the blood, sweat, tears, and unimaginable amount of time put in to perform a 15 minute show and leave their entire heart out there on the field.

For former member and current senior band parent Stacey Johnson, who has both marched with the Wall of Sound and guided her son through the marching band life, “Watching Nate will always have been the most rewarding part! It is an amazing full circle to watch him march onto the same field as I did. I loved being able to march with him in the homecoming parade – sharing our love and pride for the Wall of Sound. Even after 27 years, the sound of Amazing Grace makes me tear up. Once you are a brick in the wall, you are one forever.”

You can watch the Wall of Sound perform this Saturday, October 2 at the 2021 Band-O-Rama at Don Drumm Stadium in Marietta. Current Band Director Korey Parlin is leading the Wall of Sound for his second year, this is his first Band-O-Rama from behind the scenes. Information about the band program and upcoming events can be found on the website, https://mcsbands.org/ as well as the Facebook page!

The post Follow the Beat appeared first on Clutch MOV.

In a world so modern, where companies are merging and splitting and always competing to launch the “next big thing,” it is rare to find an entity that is more than a hundred years old and virtually unchanged at its core. This year the Barlow Independent Fair is celebrating its 150th anniversary. It is currently the oldest independent fair in the state of Ohio. Save for adapting to new demands and keeping up with changes in agriculture, it remains largely unchanged in both its bylaws and its mission to provide a welcoming space for visitors and those displaying animals or crafts to gather.

Like any big anniversary, there will be a couple of surprises from the Fair Board to the fairgoers. On Saturday night the fair will be hosting fireworks to celebrate the milestone. On Sunday there will be goat yoga, and a wood chop event. For the wood chop event, there will be multiple categories to compete in including a two man saw, ax throwing, and Jack and Jill cutting. This year there will be more local music hosted in the gazebo throughout the whole fair. Another tradition hoping to take hold this year is the Barlow Fair Queen Pageant. Unlike most fair pageants, this is designed for women over 18, who are above the age to participate in other judging, like with animal showings and groups such as 4H and FFA.

Tying the entire fair together from present to past will be the annual parade. This year the fair board has invited any and all living descendants of the original founding families to return and serve as the Parade Marshalls for the 150th anniversary. Some of the early families involved in the formation and growth of the fair are names that are still present in the area today: Fleming, Thompson, Shaw, Breckenridge, Palmer and Anderson.

In the early days of the fair, the location was listed as Ford Grove Park which was located on the grounds, though no specific spot is notated today as being the original park. What is known is that the area on top of the hill was where the original Sheep and Cattle display was held. Some of the breeds of livestock described in the older guides aren’t even raised in this area anymore. Also described in the history is that the pens where the animals were tied was the exact same spot where the Boy Scouts slow cook the delicious ham and soup beans. Also, shhhh, don’t tell the hogs!

The oldest official building on the grounds, aside from the Mill Branch covered bridge is the Floral Hall, constructed in 1873. This incredible spot is known as the T Building, though the T section was not added until 1893. It is anchored on each corner with local grindstones and houses the octagonal well cap. Originally used in one of the oldest homes, built 1817 in nearby Bartlett, the unique well cap was donated by the Ray and Christine Richards family to the Western Washington County Area Historical Society and placed permanently at the fair grounds to keep the history present for years to come.

When you come from an agricultural background, fairs are something you just understand. I wanted to give back to the 4H program and FFA chapters and all the kids raising animals.

A lot of work goes into making the oldest independent fair run so smoothly. Jeremy Barth, who serves as the Fair Board Vice President used his entire background to make sure everything is in its place, and everyone gets settled in with everything they need to have a successful weekend. Prior to serving on Barlow’s fair board, Jeremy served on the Washington County Fair Board and as a Jr Fair Board member. Though not originally from Barlow, he has embraced this community as though it has been in his blood for decades.

“I fell in love with the area and the fair and ultimately chose to move down here from the northern corner of Washington County,” said Barth. “When you come from an agricultural background, fairs are something you just understand. I wanted to give back to the 4H program and FFA chapters and all the kids raising animals. Though there are other attractions and displays, you don’t really have a fair without the kids who put the work into raising animals, creating home arts, and putting together 4H club displays.”

Another staple of the Barlow Fair is the food. There are multiple food vendors, each serving something just a little different, and being run by a community organization. Profits from the food visitors enjoy go to help wonderful causes like the Lions Club, both Dunham Township (noodles) and Barlow Township (fish sandwiches). The Warren High School Band boosters and band students can always be found in the newly painted Roundhouse building, slinging fresh sausage sandwiches. If anyone is unsure of where to find the roundhouse, all they need to do is follow their nose.

Though the Veto Presbyterian church is no longer able to sell their giant ice cream bars, as they did for many years, fear not! The Washington county Holstein club will be selling fresh milk and ice cream provided by local dairy, Florence Creamery.

Talking about food and supporters of the Barlow Fair would not be complete without a giant hats off to the Boy Scouts. This year will be a nice mix of new and old creating memories over a hot cauldron of yummy soup beans. This year the fair welcomes a brand new scoutmaster leading the cooks in the kitchen. Justin Logue, local business owner, has taken over the reins as scoutmaster for Barlow Troop 217. This may be his first year leading the pack, but the pack has been leading the fair and the community for nearly 75 years. Formed in 1947, Troop 217 has been an integral part of the Barlow Community, partnering with the Barlow Volunteer Fire Department as their charter organization.

When asked about how he came to take over the troop, Justin said, “We had heard that the troop needed a Scoutmaster and my father in law, Terry Graham, used to be the Scoutmaster from the late 70’s to the early 2000’s. We didn’t want to see it fold and being an Eagle Scout myself, I knew how important it was to keep the troop going for the boys. Especially with family connections to it.” If anyone is interested in joining Troop 217, feel free to stop over for some lunch and a chat at the main dining area on top of the hill!

Whether it is your first year at the fair, like Justin, or you have been attending every year for the last 40, 50, 60 or more, the traditions that the Barlow Agricultural and Mechanical Association put in places 150 years ago still stand today. On display are some of the old fair information books, pictures and other memorabilia from as many years as could be found. From the oldest book, published for the 1886 fair to this year’s beautiful commemorative guide, the basic principles, ideas and fair culture have essentially remained the same. Even with modern additions (like bathrooms and refrigerators), the heart of the Barlow Independent Fair remains steeped in tradition, and with visitors and leaders coming in from younger generations, the community hopes that the Barlow Fair can continue to celebrate this history for many years to come.

Jeremy said it best when he summed up what it is to be both a visitor and a part of the great group of leaders who put on the fair every year.

“We strive to remember who we are as a fair and keep those old family traditions. It is exciting to bring the family together every year. Even after you have moved out of the area, you can always come back to the Barlow Fair to visit with your family and friends.”

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Rosie’s Fenton Art Glass Collectors Honor Fenton Artist Dave Fetty

It has been estimated that at least 80% of Mid-Ohio Valley residents have either worked for, had family who worked for, or knows someone who worked for Fenton Art Glass over the years. Only a handful can claim the title of having worked for the Fenton Art Glass company for more than 40 years, but glass blower and artist Dave Fetty proudly receives that accolade, having worked at the glass company for more than 47 years.

Dave started in the glass blowing business at the Blenko Glass Company in Milton, WV when he was just nineteen years old. After a few years of learning the ropes, he was laid off from Blenko and came to work for the Fenton family in 1965. Dave stated that upon pulling up to the Fenton building he “decided that this would be a good place to retire from.”  

Over the years, he has developed various designs, signature pieces, and pieces created by freehand artistry, meaning that they were not formed using a previously created glass mold. His signature design, Hanging Hearts, is easily one of the most recognizable designs Fetty has ever created. With the success of the Hanging Hearts design, Vice President of the company Tom Fenton even nicknamed Dave “The King of Hearts.” 

When asked if he had a favorite piece he had ever created, Fetty couldn’t choose just one. “My favorite piece is always the one I am making at the time.”  Though Dave officially retired from the Fenton Art Glass Company in 1998, he has maintained his relationship with the company, returning to design and create custom pieces and special editions for collector’s groups. These days Dave Fetty can be found showing off his talent at Henderson Hall and participating in various collector’s events.

One of those events was held July 28 at the Parkview House on Front Street, Marietta. The event was put together by the Rosie’s Fenton Art Glass Collectors Group as part of a weeklong celebration of all things Fenton Art Glass and most importantly to honor Dave Fetty himself. Unofficially, this day was designated as Dave Fetty Day, and the celebration was attended by former coworkers, artists and local fans of Fetty’s work.

In the words of the leader of the Rosie’s Collector’s Group, Heidi Brown, “ Dave Fetty is the best contemporary glass blower of our time.” Though the group holds a reunion of sorts each year, this year was more special than in years past. In the end of 2020, Dave was diagnosed with COVID-19. He struggled, but ultimately, he fought his way through it, and even returned to glass blowing within just a few months of his recovery. Dave said the he was able to beat COVID-19 by trusting in his faith and that “all the credit goes to God for bringing me through it. I had to just remain strong in my faith, and I did.”

In honor of Fetty and the obstacles he has overcome in recent years, as well as his incredible career in glass artistry, the members of Rosie’s collector group had a dinner, as well as a reception for Dave, where they presented him with a hand drawn portrait featuring various elements of his career. The drawing was created by former Fenton artist and member of the Rosie’s Collector’s Group, Becca Worstell. Becca is a local artist who currently creates unique pieces commissioned specifically for a buyer or an event. Becca currently uses sketching, acrylic paint and glass in her work, and has art on display at the Grand Central Mall.

There is something magical about being able to not only meet, but to sit and visit with local artists, especially artists with such a far reaching base of admirers. The Mid-Ohio Valley is fortunate to be able to remain the home of the Fenton Art Glass Company, and even though the building has closed, the artistry still stands strong and has provided a platform for former Fenton artists to continue practicing and producing their own work. Fenton Art Glass is a legacy that stretches clear across the country, and the artists that have worked there over the years, are the pillars that keep the legacy alive.

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After a rough 2020, Marietta Main Street has put more effort than ever before into bringing people and business back to downtown. This year’s Wine & Chocolate Walk accomplished exactly that. With six stops for chocolate treats and four locations for wine tasting, downtown Marietta was bustling with both locals and out of town visitors enjoying the weather, the deals, and of course, the special treats.

Marietta Main Street Executive Director Cristie Thomas said the event has continued to grow, year after year. “Since we first started hosting a Wine & Chocolate Walk, we’ve increased the number of tickets we offer to the public and have grown how many businesses participate in the event itself,” said Thomas. “This year, we added a live music component thanks to members of the River City Symphony Orchestra and had seated, reserved wine tastings in individual restaurants as opposed to ticket holders walking around to enjoy sips of wine. This year, we sold 182 of 200 available tickets.”

Of the importance of an event like this, Thomas shared “This event is a fun opportunity for friends to get together and enjoy a day in downtown Marietta. Plus, some folks don’t realize they can enjoy a variety of wines from participating restaurants as well as an elevated experience thanks to downtown businesses. We hope ticket holders were able to try something new downtown.”

Events like these really promote browsing and tasting and encourage trying new things.

Marietta Main Street Board Member Kasandra Ruscitto Pritchett echoed those same sentiments about the goals and rewards of hosting an event like this. “Events like the Wine & Chocolate Walk are really great for our downtown businesses because they give businesses the opportunity to feature things in a special way that they may not market in their normal promotions – like for instance, wine and chocolate,” she said. “Those two items might not make up someone’s entire menu, but they are great things that they offer to complement their menus.”

Pritchett said this event gives participating businesses the opportunity to bring product awareness to new and existing customers, which will then in turn create a greater volume in sales and boost business downtown. “It’s also a fun event for people to come downtown and experience something different by walking from restaurant to restaurant in between their tastings maybe stopping in some stores, and seeing places that they may not go to when they are just going straight to a destination, events like these really promote browsing and tasting and encourage trying new things.”

Registration began at The Armory where sign in, bracelet and ticket pick up, map and souvenir wine glass handouts began each adventurer’s journey. From there, guests were free to visit any of the participating stops in whatever order they chose, with the only scheduled event being the wine tasting each guest was registered for at one of four downtown locations. Small group wine tastings were offered at The Riverfront Bar and Grill, located inside the Historic Lafayette Hotel, The Town House, 740 Social and The Original Pizza Place.

Anyone seeking a refresher between wine stops was able to enjoy a nice Sangria and shopping discount at Threadz Boutique, or a delicious chocolatey frozen or hot coffee from Jeremiah’s Coffee House. Wit & Whimzy was also offering a 10% discount on total purchases as a part of the walk, as well as cosponsoring a gift basket with Threadz Boutique to be given away by drawing of all the registered participants after the event closing.

It’s so nice seeing the sidewalks and businesses filled with people, and we love meeting visitors who came to Marietta specifically for the event.

“We participate in Main Street events as much as possible, and the Wine & Chocolate Walk is always a successful day,” said Laura Pytlik, owner of Wit & Whimzy on Front Street. “It’s so nice seeing the sidewalks and businesses filled with people, and we love meeting visitors who came to Marietta specifically for the event.” And visitors there certainly were. With participants from just down the street, to Point Pleasant and everywhere in between, Marietta certainly holds a great reputation for being a destination city with incredible things to see and do.

One such visitor for this event was Charlene Collins of Mineral Wells, WV. She came up with her husband Carlen and their adult children who are home from college for break. They were scheduled for the second small group tasting at The Original Pizza Place. While Charlene said she normally liked fruity, sweeter tasting wine, her husband was drawn to a dry Cabernet, citing the tannins and the oak flavor making it a soft but rich tasting choice. Fortunately, Original Pizza Place owner Mike Ruscitto had four varied, flavorful samples to try. And for the littlest visitor in the group, Aubryn, who spent the day on a leisurely stroller ride with her mom, Kelcie, there was a fruit and cheese platter offered to compliment the wine being served to the adult visitors in the group. For dessert, the restaurant offered slices of their Brooklyn Black Out Cake for $1 off regular price, as well.

“We have received an abundance of positive feedback from the Wine & Chocolate Walk,” said Ruscitto. “We were excited to participate to help bring awareness to our wine menu and test out a new wine that we are planning to add to our list this summer. We try to feature an array of affordable wines on our menu that can complement any pizza order – and we were excited to showcase these during this event. The crowd that came out was a lot of fun and eager to try everything. We gave the ticket holders a meat, cheese, and fruit plate to enjoy- and everyone seemed to love it.”

Some of the best chocolate to be found anywhere, but proudly crafted locally, helped complete the full Wine & Chocolate Walk experience. Sugar Maple Boutique was offering shopping discounts as well as various kinds of miniature chocolate bars. After leaving Sugar Maple it was just a few short steps to pop into Congressman Bill Johnson’s office to say hello to Bryce, a staffer in the Congressman’s office, and pick up a Buckeye created for this event by The Sweet Stop in Beverly, OH. After making the way down the rest of Front Street. to browse, explore and shop, folks grabbed a delicious frozen coffee at Jeremiah’s Coffee House. In addition to the special drinks offered for the event, Jeremiahs has the largest selection of gluten free sweets in town. The last chocolate stop was inside the Riverside Artists Gallery. The incredible pieces on display at the Gallery during the event were not the only art to be found. The Riverside Artists Gallery partnered up with the resident chocolate artist Shane, from Putnam Chocolate to provide his signature sampler box for each participant in the event.

Whether it was the wine tasting options, the chance at some of the best chocolate around or a combination of both of those decadent treats, this years Wine & Chocolate Walk was decidedly a success. With an almost sold out registration and a ton of happy faces enjoying what downtown had to offer, for this event as well as any other beautiful day in Marietta, this can only mean more exciting events to come, and a fabulous Wine & Chocolate Walk 2022 to look forward to.

The post Wine & Chocolate Walk Offers Sweet Sampling of Downtown Marietta appeared first on Clutch MOV.

The winter wonderland of the last few weeks does not exactly conjure up thoughts of the late summer vegetable harvest or early spring flower bouquets one is accustomed to finding at a local farmer’s market. That is what makes the short trip to Athens on any given balmy Saturday morning, year-round, totally worth putting on an extra layer. Many, if not almost all, of the regular spring through fall vendors who normally set up at the market’s main space on East State Street stay through the winter to sell from a dedicated space for the “winter market” inside the Ohio University Mall. Though the market was first started in the early 1970’s in the uptown area of Athens, it settled in its permanent location, the parking lot in front of the mall on East State Street, in 1998.

What makes the Athens Farmers Market stand out the most is being able to count on the same vendors and their diverse assortment of homegrown and homemade products anytime of the year. Occasionally there are booths that are only able to set up for a limited amount of time, due to the seasonal goods they offer, but there is truly no shortage of amazing surprises to take home.

As the name suggests, a farmers market primarily features locally grown food items, usually without any type of chemical pesticides and minimal human interference in the growing process. While that is still an essential building block of the Market on State Street, it is certainly not the only thing found there. Fruits and vegetables are only the beginning of a shopping journey that ranges from sweet treats like mint chocolate flavored fudge, to handmade art to all-natural health and beauty specific products.

On a stroll through the market, stop by Deep Roots Farm to check out the variety of vegetables grown organically and chemical-free by Cale and Melanie Linscott, and treat yourself to a Deep Roots Farm Girl Pie. Deep Roots is one of the many vendors you can find at the market throughout the year. When asked about moving indoors for the winter months, Cale said he liked being outdoors. “I prefer to set up outside, even when there is space inside, because that way I am able to pack up and head out early if I sells out before the end of the selling period.”

A little further along the well-distanced tables, let the smell pull you in to the Avalanche Bakers area. Offering breads, pastries and of course pizza crusts (and more), your nose will find them long before your eyes. Get there early though, the home-baked bread goes pretty quickly.

From there stop and take a break at Dr. May’s Thai Kitchen, pick up a snack to refuel, and continue on to look at the incredible art for sale by members of the Athens Art Guild. Whether it is jewelry, or something bigger, like carved furniture or woven art, there is no shortage of gifts to be found. While enjoying the art, take a moment to swing by and visit with Beth Weingroff, of Sledding Hill Pottery. Beth not only creates some of the most beautiful pottery sold at the market, she is also board president for the Athens Artist Guild. There is something incredible about hearing the story behind the design of something so beautiful and useful at the same time.

On the way back around to find more yummy samples, and one of a kind foods to take home, swing by Spiral Path Therapies and pick up and all natural face cream, or poison ivy salve. A trip to the market would be wasted without a stop at Integration Acres for those one-of-a-kind specialties like ramp noodles, paw paw jam, if its your luckiest of lucky days, a tray full of fresh, ready to devour, paw paws.

Before heading out, one must take a look at the offerings of Shagbark Seed & Mill, and listen to the process their products go through from seed to plate. Shagbark Seed & Mill grows, processes, packages and sells bean and grain based foods that have been refined in their own mill right here in Southeast Ohio.

The last stop on the way back to the car is the Donation Station and the Community Food Initiative Table. This is where it all comes together. Here you will find information regarding sustainable growing, seed samples, recipes and links to services and places to help support the community to solve issues such as food insecurity, and lack of nutrition education in rural areas.

Take a bag, or a basket, or even an empty baby stroller (no judgement here) and fill it up with local treats from any or all of the wonderful local sellers that come out every Saturday year-round, and Wednesdays between April and December to share their good with all of visitors who continue to Shop Local!

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The Sound Exchange Celebrates 30 Years in Business

The late 1980s were an incredible time for music, in performance, production, and distribution. Throw in a little inspiration from bigger city buying options and a small-town desire to succeed and The Sound Exchange was born. First opening in 1990 at a location on Blizzard Drive, South Parkersburg, WV, The Sound Exchange specialized in both new and preowned music in a time when vinyl was on its way out, cassettes were a comfortable standard and compact discs were all the new rage for music lovers. 30 years later and Parkersburg’s small independent record/cd/cassette and more store is still going strong.

It all began in a dorm room at Ohio State University when childhood friends Joe Davis and Todd Stubbe hatched a plan to open a music store back home in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Within five years that dream had grown to two locations in Parkersburg with a third store in Lancaster. Eventually, the partners decided to focus on their own outside ventures leaving the Lancaster shop in Todd’s hands, while Joe maintained the local stores. In 2001, the original Blizzard Drive location closed in favor of remaining in the larger, more centralized Murdoch Avenue location. In 1999, The Sound Exchange expanded upriver to Marietta with a prime location on front street. That location remained open until 2004 when the town flooded and took out a number of businesses. When rebuilding was determined to be not feasible, Davis opted to focus on making the store on Murdoch the primary destination for music enthusiasts in the area.

Part of the reward for being an independent store is the ability to participate in a national event designed to help bring awareness and business to local music stores. Record Store Day began in 2008 as a way to celebrate independent record stores and The Sound Exchange has been participating for about the last 7 years. Record Store Day is usually held in April of each year and followed up with a smaller “Black Friday” type release in November. Participating shops, like this one, often have a set-up for live music events, sometimes food and of course the special items for sale. Consider it almost a downtown block party for music enthusiasts. Each year artists and companies curate and release special “Record Store Day” editions of albums. Some of those are re-released from prior collections and some are brand new, but all of them are specific to this event and are only released at that time.

Like with most events this year, Record Store Day was directly impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions countrywide. Fortunately, the event was not canceled altogether, only adjusted to provide the stores with the ability to adhere to distancing restrictions. Instead of the one Saturday in April, Record Store Day has been held over three weekends plus the previously scheduled Black Friday releases. The final Saturday to shop these exclusive deals is this week, October 24^th.

In the past there was always a special rack of items that were specific to the day; However, in order to promote safety for the customers, employee Elmer Gourley devised an alternate shopping method. All of the Record Store Day releases have been scattered throughout the store, in the racks with the cds. Referring to it as an “Easter Egg Hunt” of sorts, Elmer hopes to give all customers a fair chance to find the albums they are hoping to take home. Though not all albums are available at The Sound Exchange, they do their best to get as many of the sought after titles as the distributor will send. Keeping that in mind, customers are limited to two copies maximum of any title that they want to purchase to keep it fair for all participants.

In the past 30 years, the music industry has come full circle. When Davis first opened The Sound Exchange, vinyl records were on their way out and compact discs were beginning to take over the mainstream. Now many of the customers coming in are back to building vinyl and cassette collections, as is the store. The front of the store used to feature new and used CDs but today’s customers are greeted by racks of brand new vinyl records, including those released by local artists.

Over the years, the store has hosted artists, both local and from national tours, even before Record Store Day gained popularity, contributing to the atmosphere of The Sound Exchange. Joe loves the culture that they’ve cultivated inside the shop. “My favorite part of owning a record store is by far the people who come in and want to talk about music,” he said.

Surrounded by music all day, every day, Joe said it’s difficult to pick one specific album or genre to call his favorite, but he did admit to being a big fan of Tom Petty. Incidentally, an expanded catalog of the late singer’s music was released just this month and The Sound Exchange has multiple copies of the album and an expanded box set just waiting to be taken home and enjoyed.

Throughout all of these changes, Joe and The Sound Exchange have thrived. With the help of dedicated regulars, some who have been shopping there since the first store opened in 1990, the need for a local independent record store like this remains steadfast in a world where things change by the minute. Davis said customer service continues to play a key role in the brick and mortar music store’s success in the digital age.

“There are a lot of people, younger people, who are discovering vinyl records for the first time,” he said. “Maybe they were given a record player as a gift. There’s nothing that sounds the way a record sounds playing on a turntable.”

Joe has a dedication to his customers that is hard to find in bigger, national stores. Always willing to try to get special requests in stock from their supplier, he also takes on the task of trying to track down out-of-print and more rare requests when possible. His dedication to his customers is certainly what has helped The Sound Exchange stay around for so long, but when you ask Joe, he will tell you that it is all about the customers.

“As 20-year-old kids starting this, you just never think you will hit such a milestone, especially with all the changes that have happened in this time. But it is a huge milestone, 30 years in business, and I couldn’t have done it without the dedicated customers and their support.”

The post The Sound Exchange: A Record Year for the MOV’s Record Store appeared first on Clutch MOV.

Roseland Coffee Bar Opened in Barlow

There are few things better than drinking a delicious coffee and looking out at a gorgeous view – except for enjoying a decadent, homemade Scotcheroo (made from a secret family recipe) along with it.

Roseland Coffee Bar is the newest place in the Mid-Ohio Valley to grab a great drink and the first one in the town of Barlow. Owner Collin Yost grew up in the Barlow area and graduated from Warren High School, just down the road from where Roseland recently opened its doors.

After a successful career as a marine biologist, a couple of cross-country moves, and some time spent working at a friend’s shop in the coffee capital of the United States (aka the Pacific Northwest), Yost decided it was time to come home and open his own coffee shop. What started as a family joking back and forth about what it might be like to open a business in their small town became a reality when Yost decided it was time for a change when he found out his dad had planned to retire this year. The wheels began turning and the plans came to life.

Yost considered the possible locations for his business as Marietta, Belpre, Athens, or even Columbus, but ultimately Barlow won out because of its centralized location to people commuting to and from work, as well as all the students returning to Warren High School in the fall.

One of the primary goals in choosing his location, according to Yost, was to “inspire more people to come build businesses here and become a part of the community.”

Though they have only been open a short time, the list of ideas for community collaboration is growing quite long, as is the number of regular customers. Yost stressed that once the business is a little more established, and finds its groove, he and the staff, which right now is made up of some very dedicated family members, want to begin volunteering in the community as well. Those community ties can already be seen, and tasted, within Roseland. Yost called upon local businesses to build and design the interior of the shop, as well as stock the ingredients used for the product.   

The counter is made from a piece of wood gifted to the Yost family, and friends and family did a bulk of the restoration and design work themselves. Even the bar that runs along the accent wall has Yost’s personal touch to it, being covered in stickers that he brought with him from his time in Portland, Ore. He also brought back his love of coffee and barista training from his time there.

As far as the menu goes, it is designed after the coffee shops that Yost worked in while living in Portland, with tastes and combinations customizable by customer. Or, in the case of an adventurous soul, by just telling the barista “surprise me!”

Yost said that when putting the equipment together that even though it would be more expensive, he made sure to get an Italian espresso machine, because “making coffee is a weird chemistry science.” Both the coarseness of the grounds, ground fresh from whole roasted beans for each individual order, and the temperature and preparation factor into the way a coffee drink will taste. Roseland also offers lemonades, smoothies and other fruit-based drinks for those who just don’t love coffee.

Though the machine may be from a country a little far away, the milk, the honey, and the yummy sweets come from just down the road. Yost orders the milk used for the drinks from Twin Pines Dairy, and one of the secrets to the richness of the mocha drinks is that he uses actual chocolate milk for their base, instead of just chocolate syrup. The honey used in the shop comes from a local beekeeper, The Bee Barn, and the scones come from a local baker that bakes them fresh in the Barlow area.            

No matter if you are a coffee lover, a shop local supporter, or a member of the Barlow community who is excited to have a new business in your neighborhood, there are a million reasons to love Roseland Coffee Bar and what Collin Yost and his family are contributing to the community.

The post Good Things are Brewing at Roseland Coffee Bar appeared first on Clutch MOV.

With the number of people adopting a diet free of wheat and gluten, be it due to Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity or personal choice, restaurants have been forced to adapt to the changing client needs. While it’s becoming easier to find options at chain restaurants, the locally owned and operated businesses in the Mid-Ohio Valley are also doing an incredible job of keeping up with the ever-evolving tastes of the patrons they serve.

One of the most common and easily swapped out foods is pizza, and there is no shortage of delicious gluten-free pizza options to choose from. Both Wally’s Pizza and Subs and The Marietta Brewing Company offer gluten-free pizza crusts, as does Smitty’s Pizza and The Original Pizza Place, Marietta location. In fact, if a slice of New York-style pizza is just not the same without an ice-cold brew, The Original Pizza Place has that covered, too. They carry a bottled, gluten-free beer to enjoy with their pizza. Along with those same cravings, DaVinci’s Restaurant offers a gluten-free pasta substitute for many of their traditional dinner dishes. CJ’s Italian Kitchen in Vienna also serves a wide variety of gluten-free pizza, salad, and pasta.

If breakfast is more your jam, both sides of the river have that covered. Take a trip to Unity Café in Parkersburg for some delicious gluten-free crepes, or head to downtown Marietta for a classic bagel, a warm cinnamon roll or a breakfast sandwich full of local, gluten-free goodness from Jeremiah’s Coffee House. One of the most difficult foods to replicate without gluten is bread, making it nearly impossible to find a great sandwich. Fortunately, there are at least two places locally to get a sandwich so tasty, it is hard to believe the bread is gluten-free. Both Jeremiah’s and Belair Bistro in Belpre carry sandwich options to satisfy even the hungriest lunch crowd!

No food recommendation would be complete without a brief guide to the sweet stuff. Like bread, desserts are notorious for being nearly impossible to recreate without the gluten to bind it. Nearly, but not quite out of reach. Both the crepes from Unity Café, as well as a varied selection of cookies, scones and even cheesecake from Jeremiah’s Coffee House fit this bill. Jeremy Barth, Manager for the coffee house shared that they have recently hired a pastry chef with experience in gluten-free baking and an appreciation for the importance of keeping ingredients separated.

The most difficult challenge, though, even more than taste or texture, is preventing cross-contamination with flours and crumbs that contain gluten. In the most sensitive cases, even the smallest crumb can trigger a reaction in someone who follows a gluten-free diet. While everyone who offers gluten-sensitive foods tries to make sure no cross-contamination occurs, both The Original Pizza Place and Jeremiah’s discuss the steps they take to make sure the foods they offer are as safe as possible.

The Original Pizza Place uses a dedicated prep area and dedicated oven for their gluten-free pizzas and Jeremiah’s uses what owners Liz Johnson and Karen Henthorn refer to as “The Red Zone.”  Karen explains that “in the gluten-free area of the kitchen, everything is color-coded. The toaster is red, the cutting board is red and anyone working with the food has specific black gloves they have to wear.” Jeremy also specified that the food and desserts made with regular flour are kept sealed and packed away from the loose ingredients used to make the gluten-free items.

The Original Pizza Place location in Marietta also goes above and beyond to make sure that the utmost care is taken in preparing their gluten-free pizzas for the public. Specific employees are designated for preparing those crusts and seeing them through the cooking process, employees who do not handle any of the other dough or flour used to make the regular pies. They are also required to “suit up” as customer relations manager, Kasandra puts it, which includes aprons and utensils kept in a separate place in the kitchen. The crusts, as well as the toppings for the gluten-free pizzas, are also kept in a separate preparation area of the kitchen so as not to cross-contact with the non-gluten-free ingredients used upfront.

In an additional step of safety, once prepared the pizza is placed on a designated stone, and carried to a specific section of the oven, under a cover to reduce the chances of coming in contact with the flours upfront. When asked about the motivation to go above and beyond, Kasandra said it simply: “We want people to be able to go out and enjoy time with their friends or family and be able to eat and be safe. If you aren’t going to do it right, then do not do it at all. That goes for our taste, our service and our dedication to preparing safe foods for our customers.”

The Mid-Ohio Valley has no lack of gluten-free offerings to choose from. Whether it is brunch, pizza or a sweet treat calling, there are plenty of local businesses on both sides of the river doing what they can to provide options for gluten-free customers!

The post Gluten-Free MOV appeared first on Clutch MOV.

The time for giving is in full swing, and the Mid-Ohio Valley is full of places to search for the perfect gift. The newest shop on the block in downtown Marietta is Gifts & More located on the corner of Scammel and Third Street. Owned and operated by Marietta native Chase McCoy, Gifts & More started out as East Coast Balloons in Belpre, Ohio a little over a year and a half ago.

When the opportunity to open a storefront in Marietta presented itself, McCoy decided that expanding his business to encompass a full gift selection in addition to his various balloon-based options and moving to a larger space was absolutely the right plan and the right time. It seems that the community could not agree more. Opening for business on November 1st of this year, Gifts & More brought another wonderful, locally owned business to the city’s ever-growing downtown community.   

As the name implies, gifts, or rather “traditional” gifts are certainly not the only things to be found at McCoy’s shop. Incorporating the original business idea of balloons both as accessories and as art pieces is what makes the “ & More” part of the business so unique. If the name Chase McCoy sounds familiar it is because this is not his first contribution to the Mid Ohio Valley community. In prior years, McCoy’s family has hosted “Christmas Lightshows” complete with accompanying soundtracks at their Devola home – though they decided to take a break this year to get the shop up and running in time for the holiday season.

McCoy is no stranger to the retail world, having grown up working for his family’s business, G & S Office Furniture located in Belpre, Ohio. With this foundation in retail and business management, he is confident he has what it takes to make it in the retail world.

One of those fundamental ideals, according to McCoy, is giving back and supporting the local community. Many of the gift options available in the store are locally-made. The candles sold in the shop are made by a local company, as is the flavored popcorn found at the checkout. McCoy also has a second area off the main display room that houses more craft and primitive gifts, some of which are repurposed and redesigned by a local artist and sold on consignment. Just as he was given the opportunity to create his idea with the support of his family and their already thriving business, McCoy says part of his goal in opening Gifts & More is to “help small businesses get started, especially if they do not have their own space to sell in.” 

“I had no intention of opening a gift store, originally, but it seemed like the perfect way to support the balloon aspect of the business and bring something unique to downtown,” said McCoy.

Whether shopping for a holiday, birthday or just an everyday gift to say “keep being you,” there is no doubt something perfect is waiting to be discovered at Gifts & More. 

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