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.

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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.

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