"Staycation"  I think that this must be a new word in Webster.  My interpretation is a vacation planned around staying at home.    I really like this idea.  First, it will save you a lot of money and secondly, you do not have to pack a suitcase.  We, who live in this area are very fortunate in that we have many activities of high quality, that we can plan mini vacations around.  With the cost of gas continuing to rise, if we look around there are a lot of things for us to do within a 100 mile radius of this area.  One of the first things that we should do is go to the Visitors Bureaus in the area and get a list of the ever popular festivals that will be going on from  now to Labor Day. I would like to mention the Blackberry Festival which continues to rise in popularity with quality entertainment and wonderful food.  Some of the festivals may take a day or two and some you can enjoy for  just one day and then move on to the next event.  When planning these little staycations, remember that if you were in a motel, mom would not have to cook, so take this into consideration so that she can enjoy herself.  Get ready, get set and go off for a nice relaxing vacation close to home.  Now is the time to take advantage of these mini stops as school will be starting real soon and then you will get involved in all of those activities.

 

The Progressive Women's Association is sponsoring a Preventive Health Screenings Clinic at their Uptown Event Center at 305 Washington Avenue in Clarksburg.  It will be held on Thursday, August 8 and pre registration is required.  Call 1888-653-6450 for information and to register.  Early detection to strokes, diabetes and heart disease is the key to prevention. You may also pick up a registration form at the PWA office.

 

The PWA held a fundraiser at the Uptown Event Center this past weekend which turned out to be very successful.  Chairman of the event was Lois Alexander True.  Support from the entire community helped the organization raise funding for their annual Back Pack Project for Harrison County Children. Lexie Mayfield is President of the Board of Directors of the PWA.

 

If you are leaving Clarksburg on Main Street, heading East, you will surely notice a beautiful building going up.  It is located directly behind the Immaculate Conception Church.  This building will be the Community Center for the Church.  The Center has a beautiful design and certainly adds a lot of personality to that area.  Work has been progressing and it should be open on schedule. The Church was certainly in need of this building as the old convent on Pike
Street has just about seen its usefulness and the Church has need of new offices and room for activities for the church members..  Drive by and see this beautiful addition to the Uptown Clarksburg area.

 

This past week marked another visit to a local funeral home to visit the daughter of Junior Heater, another of my East View neighbors. My condolences to the Heater family.

 

My friend and cousin, Francisco Fabiano, in San Giovanni in Fiore, Italy, works for the local newspaper there and he always sends me the latest edition.  It is a beautiful paper in color.  It takes me quite a while to get through it as it is in Italian, but I try my best.  The one striking thing  is, in just browsing, you might think you were reading a local paper, as it contains all those names that we have locally.  By the way Pietro Mazza and Pasqualina will be here for the Italian Festival.  He really has made West Virginia his second home. 

 

When we gather and talk about our gardens, it seems every one has the same problem and that is blight on the tomatoes. e have tried several different remedies but nothing seems to help.  I hope you are having better luck than we are.  Otherwise, we are getting some great items from our garden. Oh, those wonderful minestra's with fresh Swiss chard or those tialea's with the abundant zucchini.

 

I hope that all of the readers of the Grapevine have found alternate ways to receive the column.  I know you miss reading it but it seems that the EXTRA has changed its format and just cannot carry it any  more.  After 17 years, it is almost like losing a member of the family, but thank heavens we can get it on line at Connect-Bridgeport, Connect-Clarksburg,  and at the Shinnston News and  Journal as well as the Taylor County Value Guide.

 

HAPPY STAYCATION, keep in touch and until next week "Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine."

 

Glad you are continuing your column in the Electronic Age.. I have to get my Mom hooked up so that she can read it. She loves our column as do I.

Posted by Candis Rivera
Jul. 30, 2013 at 10:14 AM EST