Confused about West Va. (Fayetteville, Richwood: sale, job market, neighborhood)

[David Kennedy]

The article was in the paper that it had sold...GHO

[GottaHerdOn]

Unless I missed that day, which I always check it ( the Elkins InterMountain) everyday. I thought the company that owned it was out of Morgantown and they were restructuring or something. That company may have been sold to someone else, but as far as I know the company (which does happen to be a rock quarry company, but they've owned it for years and have never had any plans to mine it) that owns the caverns will keep it open in the warmer months. I suppose you could call them and ask them, or the Seneca Rocks Visitors Center might know something as well.

[snorpus]

From the Seneca Caverns web site:

We are pleased to announce that Seneca Caverns will reopen to the public for tours on April 16, 2008. The Caverns will be open on a seasonal basis through November 2, 2008.

The days and hours of operation will be: Wednesday - Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with tours being offered from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Caverns will also be open on Memorial Day and Labor Day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

From a blog dated Feb 18:

Seneca Caverns has been shut down because “the business plan was not working,” a lawyer for the corporation that owns the site told The Charleston Gazette in an e-mail Wednesday.

From The Intermountain:

An attorney for Greer Industries, the parent company of Seneca Caverns, has denied that the caverns were abruptly closed because of concerns that the tourist attraction was unsafe for visitors. In addition, he said there are no plans for mining in any area near the caverns.

[David Kennedy]

Thanks for those clarifications...these treasures need protecting even if they do not turn a dime into the cash registers...

[poppimds007]

Were confused too!

[ne1512blvd]

Just don't be surprised when that beat up pick up truck zooms around you going 70 mph. [/quote]

My husband and I were visiting family in McDowell county a few years ago. I was actually raised there from 8 mo.-4 yrs. old and have went back almost every year since. But, my husband had never been to WV and is from Chicago. Anyway, we did the stupidest touristy thing anyone could ever do. And we are lucky to be alive! We actually stopped our car on the curve of a mountain so that I could snap a photo of a breathtaking scene. I should have known better. Anyway, I start to hear this rumble and my instictively I yelled "Go, Go Go!" My husband sped forward just in time to miss being hit by a coal truck coming down the mountain! lol. Wasn't funny then. The funny thing is that my cousin owns coal trucks left over from a small coal mine his mom (my aunt) owned back in the 60s. He still runs the trucks for other coal mines and it could have easily been him. Anyway, yes, I can account for that statement. Locals speed along those mountain ridges! And not being from the area, not knowing the curves of the mountains, which way they will bend next, tourists crawl along. My mom, born and raised in McDowell county, and my dad from Blackey, VA moved to Indiana in the early 60s. She still knows the curves of the mountain by heart and could drive them blindfolded!

[vec101]

Originally Posted by Passthru

[SIZE=3]So here is where my confusion lies, the people in the areas surrounding Monongalia, specifically the towns are not capitalizing on this gem, nor are they particularly friendly to the tourists. Please don’t get me wrong, I didn't come to this part or our beautiful country to find southern hospitality in its gentile wrappings, but what I would have like to see are business owners and the folks working for them being a little friendlier. Now I am sure tourists are not traversing the land this time of year, so I can see some skeptism, maybe, but after days of the same people spending money in your business, in a town and county that depends on tourism, you still act like we are a nuisance…I don’t get it. If tourism is one of the mainstays, why the attitude? See my confusion!

With regard to the forest it might as well not be there, not many of the towns people knew much about it. Which I found so amazing, since part of the forest had a write up in backpacker magazine, a national publication, and moreover the article highlighted a activity prime for this part of WV, yet no one knew about it.

The other thing that was odd and kind of disappointing is that the business didn’t particularly support one other…meaning, they didn’t sell each others products (pottery, wine, beer). It was almost as if every man for himself, as opposed to an organized effort of getting product sold.

I will caveat this all be saying not everyone was like this, the folks we met in the hills were truly nice, friendly people, but the ones in town working the business left a lot to be desired. It’s funny to say this, but you meet less pretentious, more soul of the earth, genuinely nice people in the urban and city areas. Unless anyone can clear up my confusion I will think twice before coming to WV again. [/SIZE]

Not sure what areas you meant by "town" vs the "hills". By town are you meaning Davis and Thomas or further away towns of Elkins, etc.?

I have to agree with you - many shop owners/workers in Davis/Thomas/Canaan are not very friendly. I've seen one owner absolutely rake a couple customers over the coal - the customers didn't understand the setup and she acted like they were out to rip her off.

We are "weekenders" and from my experience and knowledge, most of the people who have tourist related businesses in the Canaan Valley area are not from the area. Who knows - maybe they brought their attitude with them or have found living in the Valley to be tougher than they thought (longer winters etc than other parts of WV, etc.). Maybe they would rather be outside hiking or skiing.

Ditto for many of the workers -- many are not originally from the area. Seems like some of them are escaping the hustle of the outside world but still have to make a living - maybe they hate having to work. Some are outdoor guides/instructors/etc. who work at various jobs during the off season - I'm sure they would rather be honing their craft.

I've found the locals to be friendlier than the "imports". However, there's not a lot of high paying jobs for the local economy -- maybe some resent all the rich outsiders coming in and buying up their lands.

I think you have to be a pretty hearty soul to live in the Canaan Valley - the winters are long and harsh. You have to drive an hour to Elkins to go to a movie or do much shopping, the closest mall is in Clarksburg over an hour, maybe 2, away.

As to not "knowing the forest" - guess that is true about anywhere. How many people have not visited the local attractions in their own areas. I'm sure the locals know the forest but they know it more on a personal basis rather then names of trails etc.

[harborlady]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

Give yourself a real treat this spring...Camp at Big Bend at Smokehole. Hike around the tower...go over to Seneca Rocks...On your way over the mountain you will see the Landis Sign at the top of the hill...Go about three miles and look at the valley God and everyone else forgot...It's that close...Keep it to yourself...leave the unbelievers at home...make this very special place your own...there's a big flat rock to sit naked and practice the karma of our universe...

Fond memories sitting naked on a hot rock in an august icy trout stream in the blue ridge. I didn't care much about the warning that the hills have eyes, or if it was trout season either. Fishermen are usually the polite sort and move along if they did happen in my path.

[wahoosfan215]

Originally Posted by paige1974

Passthru, the area you visited is a more primitive area of WV. The schools of course in that area would be few and far between. In Beckley alone there is offered MSU (which has doubled in admissions in a year) the Southern WV Higher Education Center is under way...we have the Appalachian Bible College, Bluefield State, Concord, New River Community and Valley College Plus a Technical center. There are 4 hospitals in Beckley alone and Our median house price range is 130,000. Property taxes here are the among the lowest in the nation. We locally accomidate a world class golf resort a ski resort, 2 local state parks, awesome white water rafting AND we enjoy the best climate in the country. The way I see it if someone lives here and is below poverty level (with the exclusion of our underpaid teachers that rank 48th in the country) something is wrong with them or they are too attached to the welfare check at the first of every month.

I honestly do not remember how I stumbled upon this forum, or even this site to be exact. I was reading and enjoying this thread about the culture and different areas of West Virginia until I got to this post. Now if I misinterpreted the area you are talking about then I will go ahead and apologize, but I am fairly certain you are talking about the Cranberry/Richwood area as being "Primitive." I am from the town of Richwood, and by you saying "primitive" it makes it sound like the people that live there are uncivilized or behind the times." I honestly am somewhat offended by this post. I have lived several places in my lifetime including Charleston, South Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee so it's not like I have not been out of Richwood. However; Richwood is no different than any other place I have been. There are people who go out and do great things, people who drive "fancy" cars and many other qualities of the non "primitive" person you would find in your example of Beckley. I'm not saying that Richwood does not have its poorer people or even people who do not adapt to the changing world very well, but so does Beckley and Charleston and every other place in this state. So next time I would appreciate it if you would kindly chose your words wisely.

[David Kennedy]

I gave you 2 points...because at one time...I belonged to the 'Cherry River Navy...Go Richwood!