UP: Hats off to my friend, Amy Ocasio, for coordinating the hugely successful Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo that got under way last night at Camden Clark Medical Center. The GFWC Belpre Woman's Club was one of the nine teams Amy recruited for treatment room renovations and we appreciate the opportunity to help.
Our volunteers are happy to tape, paint and stencil but Amy's ability to get so many people excited about a project of this magnitude speaks volumes about her coordinating and recruiting skills.
So many people are responsible for so much but I appreciate Amy Ocasio for her work with Rooms That Rock and for giving GFWC Belpre Woman's Club the chance to work on this worthy project.
-Submitted by Bea Corra, GFWC Belpre Woman's Club
UP: To area resident Richard Stanley who was honored this week for his longtime work with the Mid-Ohio Valley Veterans Support Group. Stanley, himself a Vietnam veteran, began working with local veterans in 1993. Stanley was honored with a surprise reception. Congratulations to Stanley for the time and effort he has put in helping area veterans.
UP: To local Civil War author and historian Brian Kesterson for his invaluable work documenting the area's contributions to the Civil War. Kesterson's latest find is the discovery of Camp Bolles, a cavalry campsite on Fort Boreman Hill. Kesterson's work on this project included scouring records of the United States Sanitary Commission and hours of fieldwork at the site. We are all enriched by Kesterson's efforts.
UP: To "Reflections on the Past" festival, scheduled for Oct. 11-14. The festival is a celebration of Wood County's history and heritage and will include such events as an 1860s-style baseball game, guided tours at several locations in the county and much more. Information on the event can be obtained at the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at 350 Seventh St. and in the lobby of the Wood County Courthouse and at the Blennerhassett Hotel.
DOWN: To the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles for closing service in Parkersburg for approximately a week and a half while the agency moves into its new location on Lubeck Avenue. DMV officials say the temporary closure is needed to move equipment to the new location, get it hooked up and working. However, this put a terrible inconvenience on people who have business with the DMV. And, the DMV has had no problem with inconveniencing residents since the former Dudley Avenue office abruptly closed in March 2011.
