Parkersburg City Council discusses new museum
Wendy Shriver, executive director of Discovery World on Market discusses the new museum at the Parkersburg City Council meeting. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Interim Parkersburg Police Chief Scott Elliott speaks about National Human Trafficking Awareness Day at Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Wendy Shriver, executive director of Discovery World on Market discusses the new museum at the Parkersburg City Council meeting. (Photo by James Dobbs)
Interim Parkersburg Police Chief Scott Elliott speaks about National Human Trafficking Awareness Day at Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting. (Photo by James Dobbs)
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PARKERSBURG -- Mayor Tom Joyce made appointments to the Parkersburg Housing Authority Board and the Municipal Planning Commission at the Parkersburg City Council meeting on Tuesday evening.
Wendy Shriver, executive director of Discovery World on Market, also known as the Children's Museum of the Mid-Ohio Valley, promoted the future museum opening in September, later this year. She said the "main programs and exhibits will provide families with an alternate leisure time venue, while offering a unique array of stimulating experiences for children around the theme of careers and work."
She said the museum exhibits will cost $4.1 million and will provide a much-needed educational opportunity for children in and outside of the Mid-Ohio Valley. She said it is estimated to bring over 26,000 visitors to downtown Parkersburg during it's first year of operation.
Shriver invited council members to contact her for a tour.
Joyce encouraged council to follow up to see the before-and-after aspects of the museum in the former Masonic Temple at Ninth and Market streets.
Council voted to receive and file Joyce's appointment of Sharon Callow to the Parkersburg Housing Authority Board to fill an unexpired term through Feb. 14, 2024.
Council unanimously approved Joyce's reappointments of Francis Angelos, Charlie Matthews, Eric Gumm and Luke Peters to the Municipal Planning Commission through Dec. 31, 2024.
During the City Council forum, Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl explained she was wearing the color blue to bring awareness to human trafficking as Tuesday was National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Kuhl asked Interim Parkersburg Police Chief Scott Elliott to speak on the matter.
"We are very fortunate in this area that we don't experience too many cases involving human trafficking; however, it does happen and when it does we investigate those crimes with everything we have," said Elliott.
He said he could recall a few instances where the Police Department has initiated human trafficking investigations, as well as assisted federal agencies with their investigations. He said the department shared some information on the subject on its Facebook page.
"If you see something, say something; that's the catch phrase these days," Eliott said.
Counilwoman Wendy Tuck gave a small update on District 4. She said she was delighted to see the groundbreaking for a new house on 15th Street and expects another one on East 12th Street.
"So it's kind of exciting to see the ground starting to look different," she said.
Council President Zach Stanley announced the appointment of council committees for the year. He will remain chairman of the Finance Committee and Kuhl will continue to chair the Personnel Committee. Councilman Austin Richards will chair the Public Works Committee, and Kuhl will also chair the Urban Renewal Authority.