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Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
New Windmill Park pickleball court a testament to power of community input
FAIRMONT — When the new pickleball court opened at Windmill Park, the last thing anyone suspected was Fairmont Mayor Anne Bolyard slicing a mean serve while wearing high heels. As it turned out, it was even a surprise to Bolyard, who hasn't played in 25 years. But the skills only lay dormant, waiting for a chance to reveal themselves on her hapless opponents. 'This was my first attempt at pickleball, trying something new for me,' Bolyard said. 'Wearing heels made my first time playing pickleball even more memorable. I am excited to start learning more about the sport and playing at Windmill Park.' The City of Fairmont cut the ribbon on a new pickleball court in a ceremony at Windmill Park Friday at noon. After the dedication, City Manager Travis Blosser and Bolyard played a few doubles rounds against a few city employees. The court is a repurposed basketball court that had fallen into disrepair. 'Pickleball, it's a craze right now,' Blosser said. 'Everybody is into it, it's like tennis. My understanding is it's like tennis but a little smaller, not as intensive.' Blosser said the city ripped out the old basketball courts which were not being utilized to build the court. They left some space around it for amenities to be added later, he said. In total, the city has spent $3 million worth of upgrades to city parks in fiscal year 2024-25, and Blosser said next fiscal year the city plans on doubling that investment. And so far, the city is excited to show off the work it has put into the parks to its residents. Blosser said it was important for residents to have access to these amenities. 'West Virginians, sometimes we're not the healthiest,' he said. 'So having these opportunities to get outside to enjoy some physical activity is beneficial from a health standpoint.' Windmill Park, in particular, has been the focus of a lot of improvements this year. The park was a sore spot between residents of the Belleview neighborhood and the city. As a neighborhood that was historically where many Black families lived, residents charged the park's neglect was racial in nature. The neglect persisted through sheer inertia, maintaining itself through previous iterations of otherwise well meaning municipal governments. In 2024, Blosser's administration declared they would face the disinvestment head on and finally give the park the care its residents demanded. The city stayed true to its word, and held community input sessions where one of the requests was to build a pickleball court. Blosser updated city council with regular status reports on the progress at Windmill Park. 'Opportunities for physical activity and trying something new are important aspects to community life,' Bolyard said. 'These types of opportunities need to be available to all and that is reflected in the city's work in our parks over the last year. The continued investment in our parks is one of many ways we are committed to expanding opportunities for all.' District Four Councilmember Anthony Horton said the change has been noticed. He's lived in the area for 50 years. 'Our community is actually using this thing everyday,' Horton said. 'Children from the neighborhood use it everyday. The city is really playing its part.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
East Side park gets upgraded as 'great gathering spot for families'
FAIRMONT — Like many residents in Fairmont, Mayor Anne Bolyard has a personal connection to the dolphin and turtle at Morgantown Avenue Mini Park in East Side. "I played on that park myself, as a young person when spending summers with my grandmother," Bolyard said. "So to see that generational place in the neighborhood for families and children continue to expand, that would be a paramount takeaway from yesterday for me." On Monday, the City of Fairmont and the Rotary Club of Fairmont celebrated groundbreaking on improvements for the mini park, for which the Rotary Club donated $25,000. As a result, the park will be known as the Rotary Club of Fairmont Mini Park. The total cost of the improvements will land around $90,000, and represent a portion of roughly $3 million which Bolyard said the City was putting into its park system this fiscal year. "This is the latest announcement in our plan to update and revitalize all our municipal parks," City Manager Travis Blosser said in a press release. "This $25,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Fairmont sets a new standard for relationships with our community partners, and we hope to continue this relationship and have other partners follow suit." What the City will also follow suit on is its preservation of the park's famous dolphin and turtle. Blosser confirmed the dolphin would receive a nice spa day on Facebook, and said the kids from East Park put him on notice that nothing better happen to it or the turtle. "She is staying!!!" Blosser promised on Facebook. Bolyard said the City is looking at doing one better. "The City will have something to celebrate their rejuvenation and treatment," she said. "There'll be a contest and events surrounding the dolphin and the turtle. They've been there since the 80s, as long as I can remember as a younger child playing on them." Julie Sawyer, Fairmont Rotary Club President, said the club was able to donate because it had excess money from its Fly the Flag fundraising project in Fairmont. She said the group decided to put that money back into the community, and after tossing a few ideas around, they decided a playground would be a good idea. They reached out to the City of Fairmont to see if they could partner on anything the City was doing. "We were thrilled, we're honored to be able to play a role in this renovation and improvement of the Morgantown Avenue Mini Park, which is now going to be called the Rotary Club of Fairmont Mini Park," Sawyer said. The park's improvements include two new playsets, new mulch and border, new paved pathways, a replacement water fountain and the installation of a second fountain, a new pavilion and new security cameras. The improvements will allow the park to continue serving the next generation of Fairmont residents. "The mayor grew up in that area, Travis grew up in that area," Sawyer said. "They talked about how they played in that park and it's a place where children learn and grow and families come together and neighbors can gather. I know they're putting in a pavilion so that's going to be a great gathering spot for the people of the community."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairmont's Everest Drive to get completely newly-designed bridge
FAIRMONT — After waiting for two years, replacing the Everest Drive Bridge is within sight. City Manager Travis Blosser broke the news at Tuesday night's City Council meeting. Blosser told council the city has received the first set of plans for the new bridge. The old bridge will be demolished. 'It's going to be good, especially for the truck drivers that have been having to take alternate routes and making really impossible turns through the City, and the businesses that are dealing with that as well,' Council Member Rebecca Moran said. 'Along that route, it's gonna' alleviate a lot of stuff to get that done, and having the DOH take care of that financially is a big help to us.' The bridge resides in Moran's district three. The project as a whole is being spearheaded by the West Virginia Division of Highways. The US Department of Transportation will fund the project through funds delivered to the state of West Virginia, thanks to the previous president's infrastructure bill. Prior to the act, the state and city would have been required to split the cost of the project 80/20, Blosser said. Blosser said the reason it has taken so long to make progress on the bridge is because there's a lot of processes that DOH has had to go through. The state has thousands of bridges DOH is responsible for, and timeframes DOH has to adhere to when it comes to fixing those bridges as well. However, Blosser said City Council made it clear the bridge was one of the projects they wanted to see movement on, so the city began working toward that goal. 'What's the saying, squeaky wheel gets the grease?' Blosser said. 'As a city, we've been squeaking a lot. We have been building relationships with West Virginia DOH, and that is paying dividends for us of having a positive working relationship with them.' Blosser is hopeful the project will get underway in the next several months. The nation as a whole earned a C average when it comes to infrastructure in the country, according a report released by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Bridges themselves earned a C grade as well, while roads earned a D+. However, the Biden administration's focus on infrastructure began moving the needle toward better grades. The New York Times reported that since the last report four years ago, half of the 18 categories tracked in the report received improved grades. However, President Donald Trump froze government spending under that law in January. Trump's freezes of federal programs across the government encountered much legal resistance, and one lawsuit filed in March by Democracy Forward challenged the freeze on the Infrastructure Jobs Act. Fast forward to May, and it appears municipalities can access those funds again. Trump's freezes in other areas have been successfully challenged in court. Council is also setting up a new ordinance that will create a private outdoor area within the city that will allow residents to carry alcoholic drinks outside of a bar to another establishment. Blosser said similar ordinances at neighboring cities have already met with success, as the designated area allows municipalities to promote local businesses as well. 'You'll be able to get a drink in a PODA cup,' Blosser said. 'It has to be in that logo PODA cup and they'll be able to go to another business establishment. They could walk across the street and go to Hannah's Clay Creations, if the business decides that, hey if people are doing clay work and you want to bring your drink with you and enjoy your time, it establishes a lot more commerce. Instead of somebody visiting one business, they start hitting multiple businesses.' The next council meeting is scheduled for May 27.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairmont City Council considers PODA ordinance
FAIRMONT, (WBOY) — The Fairmont City Council convened Tuesday evening to introduce and hold the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the regulation of Private Outdoor Designated Areas (PODAs) within city limits, following in the footsteps of other nearby cities. If adopted, PODA permits may be issued to alcohol establishments, allowing for the business to apply for a license from the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner to serve alcohol that can be taken off-property, so long as the customer remains within the district. Proposed operating hours for PODAs are Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The ordinance also grants the City Manager authority to adjust operating hours as needed, with a requirement to inform the public of any changes. 'If you're, you know, going to 'The Joe' here in downtown or you're at 'Stumptown' and you grab a drink, you'll be able to get that drink in a PODA cup, it has to be in that logoed PODA cup, and they'll be able to, to go to another business establishment,' said Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser. 'Our businesses have been asking for this, in particular 'Stumptown' and 'The Joe.'' Estate donates $75,000 to preserve Metropolitan Theatre The ordinance outlines safety and maintenance measures, including regular patrols by at least one uniformed Fairmont Police officer. Fairmont Fire Department personnel stationed at Central Station, located within the PODA, will respond to emergencies as needed. Public Works staff will be responsible for ongoing maintenance, such as trash removal and street sweeping. If adopted, Fairmont will join other local cities like Clarksburg and Morgantown, which have implemented PODAs of their own. 'Ours will be a little bit different in just the kind of the size. So, you'll have the access to be able to walk across the high level bridge to get to Merchant Street area to that section of the PODA, but based on kind of how our downtown is, our downtown corridor is not a traditional, just a one street downtown corridor, so our downtown expands on both the East and West Side of the river. And so, that will be a little bit different than what a lot of these other communities have had,' Blosser said. A public hearing and second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at the Fairmont Public Safety Building. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
City of Fairmont officially launches Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program
FAIRMONT, (WBOY) — The City of Fairmont recently announced that it will launch an Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program to use distributions it has received as part of opioid settlements that have occurred across the state of West Virginia. 'From that perspective, you know, we've been taking our time because [Fairmont] City Council's main directive to us was that they wanted to ensure there was a robust process that ensured a fair application process that kind of opened us up for everybody,' said City Manager Travis Blosser. Blosser said that there were guide rails put in place for this program to ensure that the money would be going where it needed to and making the biggest difference that it could. He said that when dealing with drug-related issues, there's a cost, and the city would rather see that the cost burden doesn't stop people from being able to benefit people and get them into a healthier environment. 'A lot of times, the organizations that are helping people don't have a lot of funds,' said Blosser. 'These funds can go back to helping to combat those issues.' The Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program allows individuals or communities impacted by the opioid crisis to request up to $100,000. Organizations that work directly with these impacted demographics will have the ability to request up to $50,000 as a result of this program. According to the City of Fairmont, this grant program also requires applicants to provide a 20% funding match. Blosser told 12 News that the city does offer a waiver for this grant process, but those will only be granted under certain circumstances, and the city reserves the right to determine what those are. 'Really, what City Council wanted to make sure is that organizations we were working with had skin in the game and had an investment side,' said Blosser. 'Whether that investment side's coming from themselves as an organization or a third party that may be giving them money, they can count other dollars that they're getting as part of that match contribution.' West Virginia lawmakers speak to Mountain State residents at town hall events Blosser added that the City of Fairmont has limited funds and once those funds are divvied out, they're gone. 'We wanna try to make sure our programs are sustainable, that they continue to function, and that they have other resources coming in that aren't just city dollars,' he said. 'Because we're not gonna be able to fund 100% of everybody.' Blosser said that the city had a lot of discussions with the Fairmont City Council during a series of work sessions. He added that the staff internally did a lot of legwork in building the program's rubric, implementing changes that the City Council wanted to see happen to ensure that there are robust reporting requirements built into the program. According to Blosser, the city tries to be as transparent as possible regarding what the process will look like. He stated that there are guide rails that everybody has to follow, including the City of Fairmont. 'The goal is not to have these opioid funds just sit in a bank account, earning interest for us,' said Blosser. 'The goal is to get them out in the field, making a difference for the people who are dealing with this, and to also help to curb and stop people from getting towards addiction.' Blosser said that it's the city's hope through this program to establish a process that encourages local organizations to start working together. He stated that although he feels a lot of organizations are doing good work surrounding the opioid crisis and addiction in general, one of the primary weaknesses he noticed is that many of them are working independently. 'Some folks have money to do certain pieces of projects, and I think groups need to communicate more,' Blosser added. 'I'm hopeful that the way we've structured this kind of requires people that are gonna be successful getting dollars, that they've got partnerships with other organizations and are not trying to duplicate efforts where money may already be.' Anyone looking for more information about this program can find it on the City of Fairmont's website. Blosser said that the city understands a lot of information must be gone over on the application, which may appear to be a big hurdle for some, but they encourage individuals and organizations to reach out with any questions. 'We want people to apply for this money,' said Blosser. 'So if people have questions related to that application, we certainly want them to reach out and we will work as [expediently] as possible to try and get them answers.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
