Parkersburg wants that Wheeling feeling
By JODY MURPHY, jmurphy@newsandsentinel.comPARKERSBURG - City officials want a taste of that Wheeling feeling.
Wednesday, Mayor Bob Newell had a meeting with Convention and Visitors Bureau President Steve Nicely and President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley George Kellenberger. Newell, spurred by a recent column from News and Sentinel sports editor Dave Poe, asked the two groups to come together and work toward building a package to entice West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (SSAC) championships into the area.
"I challenged them to give the SSAC a plan it can't refuse," Newell said.
Newell wants Nicely and Kellenberger to line up area sponsors to offer incentives for these events.
The mayor said he's talked to a number of city council members about setting aside $10,000 in "seed" money to get things started.
"We have a lot of business leaders that would like to see championships come and we would like to get our ducks in a row and see if it is going to be a possibility," council President Mike Reynolds said.
"Maybe some of these business leaders will step up and throw some things on the plate," Reynolds said.
Many local officials say the area has the facilities to pull in some state championship events - including the Super Six. Vienna has held the state high school softball championships for the last few years. Numerous state cross country championship have been held in Mineral Wells.
"A tournament held in Wood County benefits all of Wood County," Nicely said.
Nicely said one of the first steps will be the formation of an area sports commission; a group that can assess the needs to hold different types of championship and tournament events and see if the area can fulfill those needs. He said the meeting of the minds and the formation of a sports commission sends a message.
"It sends a message the city is serious about securing some championships."
Nicely and Newell agree the city, and the area, most likely can't house the state basketball or baseball championships, due to a lack of facilities.
"What we are doing is looking at all the the various tournaments sanctioned by the SSAC to see which are best for our area," he said.
Nicely said they are won't be pursuing everything to come down the pike.
"The last thing we want to do is go after something we can't do right," he said.
Nicely said as far as luring SSAC events, schools, like Parkersburg South and Parkersburg High, must be the lead.
"Part of our role is to put the bid package together and help make the presentation," he said.
Nicely said the group is also looking beyond the SSAC.
"We don't want to limit it to SSAC tournaments," he added. "The SSAC is one sanctioning body, like USSSA and AAU."
There is also the West Virginia Golf Association, which holds a number of major events, but hasn't held the W.Va Open in the area since 1983. Last July it was announced the city lost its Professional Bowlers Tour stop.
"We are looking at everything," he said. "Nothing is off the table."
It's pretty obvious many are focused on football.
"Parkersburg (High) has a far superior football facility than Wheeling," Reynolds said. "If we can get some more of the business leaders involved in making a sweeter deal we could put together a good package for the SSAC to consider."
The city put together a package for the Super Six in 2004. In 2006, Parkersburg opted not to bid of the event, which was again awarded to Wheeling. The Super Six will be up for bid again following the 2008 season.
Newell and several council members know the $10,000 commitment is just a start. The money won't be used unless the area lands such a tournament or event. If that happens, the Mayor said $10,000 isn't going to be enough.
"If a tournament comes in we have to step up and put more money down," he said.
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WVCommissioner
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07-06-08 3:52 PM
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The only way to get them away from wheeling is to make the WVSSAC rotate the game at least every three years. We do deserve it, as does the eastern panhandle and the southern part of the state. Move it every three years, and then make the host sit out two turns. The WVSSAC can make that happen.
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RickWT
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07-05-08 10:13 PM
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I meant finGer pointing. Not sure what a finder is or where you point one.
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RickWT
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07-05-08 10:11 PM
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Why do some people insist on turning every civic project or problem into a personality contest? Parkersburg makes a lot of sense as the site of the state high school football championship tournaments. With a little less finder pointing and small town silliness, we might stand a chance of getting it here. A certain small percentage of Parkersburgers are AGINNERS. You name it, they're against it. The rest of us need to speak up. I don't care who gets the credit, let's bring the games here where they belong!
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charter14
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07-05-08 2:02 PM
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we must all remember in running the city Prince bobby (columbo lite) method of government IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM and NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE
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charter14
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07-05-08 1:50 AM
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Vote Mark Ray for Mayor...he is an honest man.
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vortex
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07-04-08 11:17 PM
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Does Prince Pothole Bob pay B&O tax on his Snake Oil,or does it fall under the Farmers Market exemption ?
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derbeobachter
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07-04-08 10:55 PM
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It’s amazing to me that Prince Pothole Bob would offer $10,000.00 for the super six championships when he thinks the Parkersburg Homecoming is a waste. He intends to dismantle the homecoming due to the “undue burden” it places on the city. Newell is using his office of trust to sell out the citizens by grinding the royal ax with those who he has personal issues with. Get real Bobby, you are betraying your department heads, your staff, city employee’s and now the citizens. What have you truly accomplished? Another medicine wagon snake oil sale
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vortex
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07-04-08 6:43 PM
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Why do some people think we don’t have enough attractions here in Parkersburg? Pothole Bob could take people rides on his new Police Motorcycle. I’m sure they can spend hours in his new Farmers Market. They can go to the big Riverfront Park and feed the geese he ran out of the City Parks. He could have a Fireworks show with the money he beat the Homecoming out of. I can’t wait,Yee Ha !
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87pens
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07-04-08 5:04 PM
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I don't think Parkersburg will get the Super Six Championship. Don't get me wrong, I am live here. However, Wheeling has a lot more to offer in the way of places to stay and things to do when you are not at the game. The Highlands (Cabelas) has really developed with lots of shopping, places to stay and resturants. The Ohio Valley Mall area is also a huge area of entertainment and accomodations. There is also the Pittsburgh Penguins double A affiliate hockey as well as the casino. Oglebay Parks Festival of Lights is also an attraction that draws thousands of people each year. Wheeling should keep the Super Six.
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WVUROCKS
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07-04-08 1:27 PM
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No matter what anybody in this town or county does, the WVSSAC will not take the Super Six away from wheeling, even if the stand came crashing down around their butts!!! I agree with you with you netdadx10, maybe if the officials in downtown would get smart and take the old Big Bear Plus building, which has been empty for years, turn it into the mega adult playground with a strip club, casino, and area just for sports bets, i gauruntee you they will have something to offer the WVSSAC, I can't believe pothole bob hasn't thought of this before!
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netdadx10
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07-04-08 11:42 AM
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Wow....to think that our bid for the Championships would be null because of a casino? I think that stinks. Maybe we could pile up all of the crappy "Perks, Hot's, and Lodges" to form one Megasized moneypit. Then to sweeten the deal, we can consolidate all the strip clubs, and adult themed stores together to combat this oppression. We have tons of junk here for people to do when they SHOULD be watching FOOTBALL!!!
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BuckeyeBill
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07-04-08 5:32 AM
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The number one facility that Parkersburg lacks to entice the WVSSAC to bring the Super Six to Parkersburg is the Wheeling Island Casino, Hotel and Racetrack. Everybody knows their muscle and perks to the WVSSAC is what keeps the Super Six in Wheeling and always will. On a positive note, the softball tourney at Jackson Park is first class and shows what Wood County can do when it pulls itself together.
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charter14
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07-04-08 2:14 AM
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Prince Bobby (Columbo Lite) is at it again. He is a control freak now wanting to take over control of the Tourism Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. I am sure he told those two groups how smart he was and if they only did exactly as he said then he would not harras them even when those two groups are not a part of city government and he has no control over them. So far there is not one orginial idea out of his head. They are all stolen ideas from other cities, or a police magaizine, or what he is told to do by keith burdett or cecil childress. Will this madness ever end?
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