Sam Trammell’s most recent hometown visit has been busy, but he said he’s extremely excited for this evening’s HallowEast events.

“It’s going to be great,” Trammell said. “It’s humbling to be part of something like this.”

Tickets are still available for this evening’s Fan Gathering with Sam Trammell and “Inside the Main Street Studio,” which features Trammell. The Fan Gathering cost includes registration for the “Main Street Studio” event.

Registration also is available at the door.

And don’t forget … HallowEast wraps up Saturday with more exciting events, including the ArtMares Reception and Block Party at 1598 Washington St. East. It runs from 5 to 9 p.m.

Tickets are $20, which gets you unlimited beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres, as well as $2 off admission to the Empty Glass Halloween Hootenanny, which starts at 9 p.m.

Call (304) 340-4253 for more information.

 The Members of the Charleston Public Safety Council Invite You to Celebrate our Public Safety Heroes at the 7^th Annual Salute To Public Safety Luncheon

 Proudly Honoring These Public Servants:

 Shawna Nunnery – Metro 911, Telecommunicator of the Year

 Detective Jarl Taylor, Charleston Police Officer of the Year

 Capt. David Basham, Charleston Firefighter of the Year

 Paramedic David Hodges, Firefighter EmS of the YEAR

 A Tribute to Patrolman Jerry Jones , Charleston Police Department

When: Thursday, November 5, 2009 – 11:45 am

Where: Power Alley Grill at Appalachian Power Park

Cost: $40.00 per person – $400.00 per Table of 10

 The Charleston Public Safety Council is a non-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer organization which designs and supports community safety initiatives.  Proceeds from this luncheon allow the CPSC to continue to work in your community.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – –

Reservation Form

Return to:

CPSC

P. O. Box 146

Charleston, WV 2532Or call 304-348-8143

 _____Enclosed is my check in the amount of $______________for ___________# reservations.

 _____I am sorry I will be unable to attend, but please accept my donation of $__________________.

 Name___________________________________________________

Address__________________________________________________

Phone  _________________________                           

 email _______________________________

The Kanawha County Public Library introduces a new e-book on business plans.  The plans include information for specific business types, but the examples are useful in a number of applications.   All you need is a library card to log in.  

E-book page

http://www.kanawhalibrary.org/research/resourceguides/databaseguide/ereference.html

HallowEast continues today with a scary variety of events.

The HallowEast Blood Drive, sponsored by the American Red Cross, runs from 1 to 6 p.m. Be sure to visit www.redcrosslife.org to schedule a donation. The location is Moses Automotive’s parking lot, 1406 Washington St. East.

Trick or Treat runs from 6 to 8 p.m., and Appalachian Power Park is hosting “Trick or Beat” during the same time period.

Meanwhile, the ArtMares exhibit continues at 1598 Washington St. East. Art from 30 local artists is for sale, and 30 percent of proceeds benefits East End Main Street.

Finally, the HallowEast Family Fun Night lasts from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the East End Family Resource Center, 502 Ruffner Ave. It’s Trick or Treat in a fun and safe environment. Candy, beverages, games and activities will be available. For more information, call (304) 344-1656.

And visit www.HallowEast.com to get the full slate of HallowEast events.

ArtMares, the HallowEast art exhibit at 1598 Washington St. East, opens this evening from 5 to 7 p.m.

The four-day exhibit features more than 30 local artists showcasing their visions of Halloween. The horror-themed display is available for sale. Thirty percent of all proceeds from art sales go to East End Main Street.

ArtMares runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

A block party marks the Saturday portion. The $20 fee gets each guest unlimited beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres. Plus, you get $2 off admission to the 9 p.m. Halloween Hootenanny at Empty Glass, 410 Elizabeth St. The normal cost for that event is $10 without costume, $8 with.

Halloween Hootenanny features music from Lords of the Highway, Whisky Daredevils and the Drunken Gentlemen. Prizes for best costume will be awarded.

Special thanks to Spyro Stanley and family for providing the ArtMares venue. Studio space now is available at this location.

The article below appears in today’s Charleston Daily Mail.

The Charleston Area Alliance elected six new directors and highlighted some of its recent accomplishments during a brief annual meeting.

Newly elected to the organization’s board are: Horner Davis of Dingess-Rum Properties, Maureen O’Toole of ImageServ, Steve Rubin of Blue Creek Gas Co., Jim Guidarini of The Dow Chemical Co., Roger Nicholson of International Coal Group, and Bob Pepper of NGK Spark Plugs.

Board members re-elected to new three-year terms are: John Calvert of Advanced Technical Solutions, Virginia King of Kanawha Stone, Wayne Morgan of West Virginia American Water, John Neuner of United Bank, Jack Rossi of Arnett & Foster, and John Copenhaver of JPMorgan Chase.

The meeting was held late Tuesday afternoon in the Alliance’s offices at 1116 Smith St.

Matt Ballard, the Alliance’s president and chief executive officer, pointed out that the Alliance was created five years ago with the merger of the Business & Industrial Development Corp., the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce and Charleston Renaissance Corp.

Ballard said that since the Alliance’s creation it has been involved in the creation of more than 3,200 new jobs and has helped attract $545 million in direct capital investment to the Kanawha Valley.

He said that in the years ahead the Alliance will continue to focus on its target markets: chemicals, energy, automotive and printing. Ballard said that because Yeager Airport’s expansion has created several available sites, the Alliance will work with the airport during the next few years to fill those sites.

(more…)

This op-ed from President & CEO Matt Ballard and Chairman Jack Rossi appears in today’s Charleston Daily Mail.

For the sake of our economic future, West Virginia needs a phone company that is ready and eager to deliver broadband Internet service throughout the Mountain state.

It looks like we could get one in the form of Frontier Communications – if the state approves the company’s acquisition of Verizon’s landline operations in West Virginia.

Frontier has a track record of providing broadband technology to rural states and is pursuing an expansion strategy aimed at smaller cities and suburbs. The combination of rural experience and an eye for growth in traditionally underserved areas seems to fit with the needs of our state.   

To remain competitive, we need to ensure that businesses in our state have access to the opportunities and advantages that broadband provides. Broadband is the 21st century technology that will help our traditional industries and even our farms stay competitive in a global marketplace.

It is also a fundamental requirement for attracting new high-tech industries and research facilities that have the potential to drive our economic growth.

(more…)

The Charleston Area Alliance has enlisted the powers of two new superheroes, Bruce Bright and Mia Mendez, in its ongoing quest to attract new jobs and investments to the Kanawha Valley and tout the benefits of living and working in the region. 

Bruce and Mia are the fictional stars of a groundbreaking new economic development campaign – Adventures of the Super Site Selectors: The Search for the Perfect Location – which was unveiled this evening during the Charleston Area Alliance’s Annual Meeting. 

The centerpiece of the campaign is an action-packed, comic-book-style publication that follows the adventures of Bruce and Mia, who transform themselves from mild-mannered executives into super heroes who will stop at nothing to find their clients the ideal location for business relocation or expansion. Harnessing their extraordinary powers – as well the hard, cold facts – they conclude that the Kanawha Valley is the perfect site for businesses to locate and grow. 

Alliance President & CEO Matt Ballard unveils the "Adventures of the Super Site Selectors."

During their capers, they discover such truths as: 

• Industrial electric rates in West Virginia are consistently 25 percent lower than the national average; 
• Charleston’s cost of living is 8 percent below the national average;
• West Virginia had the nation’s sixth highest growth rate in domestic product and the nation’s second best improvement in economic growth in 2008; 
• Charleston is within overnight trucking of more than 50 percent of the U.S. population;
•  Thanks to business-centric reforms, major state business taxes will be drastically reduced or eliminated over the next few years; and
• West Virginia exports have increased at a rate four times faster than the national average.

Bruce and Mia are wowed by amenities such as The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences-

Annual Meeting guests check out the comic.

West Virginia, Capitol Market, Mountain Stage, Appalachian Power Park, Tamarack and FestivALL. The dynamic duo is also impressed by the area’s top-flight medical facilities, variety of higher educational opportunities and transportation options.

Summarizing his recommendation that his client locate to Charleston, Bruce tells his boss that “the facts are all there…I was surprised to uncover a strategic location of interstates, river, rail and air with a highly-skilled workforce that is competitive in comparison to other areas even triple its size!  My expansion site location has to be Charleston, West Virginia!”

Meanwhile, Mia is working on a separate assignment.  She reports her research is “going to blow some minds. Everything was impressive… from metropolitan sophistication to snow skiing, rafting, loads of outdoor adventures and recreation.”  “So, your expansion site recommendation is Charleston, West Virginia?” her boss concludes.

(more…)

Charleston native Sam Trammell, star of HBO’s smash hit “True Blood,” has been nominated for a 2009 Scream Award for Male Breakout Performance of the Year. The 2009 Scream Awards, which will air on Spike Television Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 10 p.m., honor the best work in the fantasy, science fiction, comics and horror genres. 

But why watch the Scream Awards on television when you can come out and meet Sam in person? Trammell is headlining East End Main Street’s inaugural HallowEast, a four-day Halloween celebration focussing the spotlight — and the starlight — on Charleston’s historic East End.  

Tickets for the ultra-exclusive Premium VIP Reception with Trammell have sold out, but you can still join us for the Fan Gathering on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. at the WV Cultural Center. This event, catered by Charleston favorite Bluegrass Kitchen, is a special opportunity to meet and visit with Sam.

Tickets are limited, so click here to reserve your spot today. Ticket price includes admittance into the “Inside the Main Street Studio” event at Kanawha Players, 309 Beauregard St., where Dr. David Wohl will interview Sam about his journey in the performing arts and his experiences on the set of the hugely successful HBO original show “True Blood.” The Kanawha Players’ production of Dial “M” for Murder will begin immediately after Sam’s interview and is also included in your ticket price.  

If you’d like to attend the “Inside the Main Street Studio” event but are unable to make the Fan Gathering with Sam Trammell, an additional block of tickets is available for only $50. This also covers your admission to the Kanawha Players’ production of Dial “M” for Murder.  

This event is the primary fundraiser for East End Main Street. All proceeds support the revitalization of the Washington and Smith Street commercial corridors. Visit www.eastendmainstreet.com to see all the exciting things the organization and its volunteers have been doing.