Mid-Atlantic Shop Hop Coming To Barbour County

By Marija Ilic

The monthly Small Business Solutions meeting took place on Monday, June 10, 2024, bringing together approximately 20 attendees, including representatives from organizations, government officials, and eight local business owners. This informal gathering serves as a platform for promoting collaboration, networking, and sharing ideas and solutions for the community.

The meeting attendees heard from two local business owners, Mark Tenney, from Mountain State Quilting, and Cherri Sturm, from Battlers Knob.

Mark Tenney announced the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Shop Hop, an event coordinated by a major company in Iowa. The Shop Hop will feature 96 quilt shops across six states, with 11 shops located in the West Virginia territory. Visitors from West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania are expected to participate, potentially bringing at least 2,000 visitors to Barbour County.

This influx of visitors presents significant opportunities for local businesses, particularly in the lodging, retail, and restaurant sectors. Local businesses interested in having special promotions that would be advertised to Shop Hop visitors are encouraged to contact Marija Ilic via email at news@barbourdemocratwv.com or by calling/texting at 304-476-0016. The event will run from July 1 to August 31.

Cherri Sturm provided an update on the developments at Battlers Knob and gave the tour of Erickson. Erickson Alumni Center has 14 rooms available, as well as the communal kitchen, and serves as motel type of establishment at this time. Anyone interested in staying is encouraged to call Sturm for reservations. The Burbick building has recently opened seven offices, with four more moving in, including the WIC office. The entire top floor is also expected to soon be occupied. Sturm highlighted the need for event ideas, noting upcoming events such as the Lincoln County High School Band Camp and PB Football Camp, as well as Ladies’ Night Out.

The cafeteria, Burbick building, and Chapel are now available for large events. The coliseum is expected to be operational within the next few weeks once water leaks are fixed, and more information will be soon provided. As of now, pool and the weight room will remain closed, until more work is done, but the main gym floor, auxiliary gym, and dance studio will be available for events and rentals. There is a promising lead on repurposing one of the buildings for educational purposes, as well as one of the dorms for the housing of students, with more info also forthcoming. Additionally, the library is being converted into a museum, a project that has already commenced.

Sturm expressed gratitude towards alumni who have volunteered their time to help with the office cleanups. She also announced a gathering of alumni at the library on June 21, followed by a concert at the auditorium. Furthermore, the Hoppers are scheduled to perform on July 19 in the chapel.

For more information about any events, or for any questions, check out Battlers Knob Facebook page.