Did You Know?

Clendenin Homecoming Festival Quickly Approaching

Excitement is in the air as the 1st Annual Clendenin Homecoming Festival quickly approaches. June 22-24, 2018 the Town of Clendenin will welcome guests from near and far to witness the progress of a once flood ravaged town and to celebrate the rebirth of the community. The resilience and spirit of those who call Clendenin and the Elk River home is remarkable and unmistakable.

The Clendenin Homecoming Committee is a growing group of local citizens working tirelessly since last year to plan and coordinate the upcoming festival.  In addition to the carnival and parade, the festival will feature numerous activities like a kayak race, horseshoe tournament, fishing tournament, numerous concerts, fireworks, craft and food vendors, and so much more. See below for a complete list of the festival agenda. Craft/sales and food vendor applications are still being accepted, so it is not too late to register for a booth.

2018 Clendenin Homecoming Festival Pageant winners: (L-R) Teen Queen Lauren Gorma, Queen Charley Clayton, and Mrs. Queen Alicia Casto

The Clendening Homecoming Festival recently crowned its royalty at the recent Clendenin Homecoming Festival Pageant. Winners included Teen Queen Lauren Gorma, Queen Charley Clayton, and Mrs. Queen Alicia Casto.  The Children’s Pageant Royalty includes: Baby Mister-Zachary Brake II, Little Mister-Wyatt Russell, Baby Miss-McKenna Garnes, Tiny Miss-Sophia Casto, Little Miss-Grace Fletcher, and Junior Miss-Natalie Donohew.

Various businesses in Clendenin have re-opened their doors and new businesses have made Clendenin their home since the June 2016 Flood; however, to date, Clendenin does not have a hotel. Many who attend the festival will stay with family and friends in the area; however some may seek other accommodations. There are hotels in neighboring towns, including nearby Elkview, and local Bed and Breakfast’s in and around Clendenin. Country Road House & Berries is located in Clendenin and has a Bed & Breakfast, along with the best strawberries in the area. You can contact them for room availability at (304) 553-5761 or by visiting their website.

Airbnb and Home Away are also great places that you can search for places to stay during the festival. Both Airbnb and Home Away are online marketplaces which lets people rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests. If you live in Clendenin or the surrounding areas and you are interested in learning how you can earn extra money by renting your room(s) and/or property during the Festival, here are some great resources:

In preparation for the festival, the Town of Clendenin along with the Kanawha County Commission, Chuck Grishaber with the Kanawha County Planning Department, and 25045- A New Clendenin, are sponsoring an Elk River Cleanup in Clendenin on June 9. Volunteers are asked to meet at Smith’s Foodfair parking lot at 9AM. View more details HERE.

2018 CLENDENIN HOMECOMING FESTIVAL AGENDA

Friday, June 22

6:00 PM: Myers Amusements Carnival (Across from the Post Office)

7:00 PM: Audio Outlaws Concert (Main Street Stage)

Saturday, June 23

8:00 AM:  Horseshoe Tournament Registration (Railroad Track)

9:00 AM: Opening  Ceremony (The Gazebo)

9:00 AM: All craft and food vendors open (Main St. & Maywood Ave)

9:00 AM: Kayak Race (Begins at Queen Shoals Bridge River Access)

10:00 AM – 6:00 PM: The Hoppy Express – from Smith’s Lot to Main Street and Back

11:00 AM: Horseshoe Tournament (Railroad Track)

12:00 PM: Parade Lineup (Poca Valley Bank)

12:00 PM: Carnival Opens (Across from the Post Office)

2:00 PM: Duck Race (Old Bridge to New Bridge)

4:00 PM: Royalty Coronation (Main Street Stage)

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Joanna Young Concert (Main Street Stage)

6:30 PM: Adam Tucker Meet & Greet (Main Street Stage area)

7:30 PM: Adam Tucker Concert (Main Street Stage)

After Adam Tucker Concert: Fireworks by Zambelli’s (on hill behind Smith’s lot)

Sunday, June 24

6:30 AM: Fishing Tournament (details on Facebook Event: Elk River Fishing Tournament)

5:00 PM: Fishing Tournament Awards (Main Street Stage)

Sponsors for the Clendenin Homecoming Festival include First Bank of Charleston, Pulmonary Associates, Poca Valley Bank, Shafer Equipment, Charleston Blueprint, FYAO, Cabin Creek Health Systems, Cantrell’s Florist, Houff Transfer, Teays River Construction Company, The Yak House, Kanawha County Commission, O.V. Smith and Sons, Inc., Town of Clendenin, and The Clendenin Leader.

You can stay up-to-date with The Clendenin Homecoming Festival by visiting their Facebook page.

June 1, 2018 in 2016 FLOOD, COMMUNITY, Community News, Did You Know?, Entertainment, Life & Style, Local News, Long Term Aftermath & Recovery, NEWS, Outdoors & Recreation, Volunteers & Volunteer Organizations

Did You Know? – Country Road House and Berries

The month of May means the strawberries are ripe for the picking at Country Road House and Berries in Clendenin, West Virginia! Place an order, find them at the Capitol Market in Charleston, or pick your own berries in one of their 2 acre strawberry fields. Join us as we visit with Angela and John Born at their Bed & Breakfast and strawberry farm location just off of Gabe Creek Road in Clendenin.

 

May 18, 2018 in COMMUNITY, Community News, Did You Know?, Life & Style, Local Businesses, Local News, NEWS, Outdoors & Recreation

A “City Guy” Converted, A New Kayak Business on The Elk, and A Song

CLENDENIN, W.Va. – As I navigated my way back to Clendenin after an interview with Steven Grau (pronounced Grouw), owner of a new kayaking and shuttle business called Elk River Get-A-Way, I couldn’t seem to get an old song out of my head. Before I was even born, in the late 1950s, songwriter Pete Seeger wrote a song called “Turn, Turn, Turn” in which he derived the lyrics almost verbatim from the Book of Ecclesiastes in The Bible. The song was later recorded by the folk/rock band The Byrds and quickly soared to number one on the music charts in 1965. The opening line; “To everything (turn, turn, turn), there is a Season (turn, turn, turn), and a time to every purpose under Heaven.” (more…)

May 10, 2018 in 2016 FLOOD, Business News, COMMUNITY, Did You Know?, Life & Style, Local Businesses, Local News, Long Term Aftermath & Recovery, Outdoors & Recreation

When was the “Mothman” first spotted? Here’s what we know about the monster’s history

By: Jessica Booth | Posted: January 22, 2018 at 12:28 p.m. | Source: Hello Giggles

It seems like things are getting pretty spooky in Chicago, Illinois. This past week, Vice reported that over 55 people have claimed to see the Mothman, a mysterious, giant bird-like creature lurking in the sky. Even spookier? This definitely isn’t the first time the monster has been spotted. In fact, the origins of this creepy urban legend go back about 50 years.

The myth of the Mothman has been around since the 1960s and doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. The creature recently resurfaced in Chicago, where residents have described seeing something large, “bat-like,” and similar to “a big owl.” One witness described the creature as having “muscular legs, a jutting tailbone, and a human-like shape.” Although this description has varied slightly over the years, the basics have remained pretty consistent: the creature seems to be some sort of bird-like humanoid with glowing eyes.

But how did the Mothman come about?

Mothman was first spotted in a cemetery near Clendenin, West Virginia on November 12th, 1966. According to legend, five men were digging a grave when they saw a human-like figure flying low over the trees. This became the first known sighting of the creature, and many more followed.

A few days later, on November 15th, 1966, the second known sighting happened. Two couples were driving past a TNT plant when they reported seeing a large creature with a huge wingspan and red eyes swooping down near their car. They claimed the creature followed them to Point Pleasant in West Virginia before disappearing, and then they went to the police.

From then on, Mothman became a terrifying legend linked to bad luck. When the story got picked up nationally, it gained even more traction. John Keel wrote the book The Mothman Prophecies in 1975, and in 2002, it was made into a movie.

Considering the first sightings were reported in West Virginia, it’s pretty scary that so many people have spotted the Mothman all the way over in Chicago. This has led some to suspect that there is more than one Mothman creature. Lon Strickler, a paranormal researcher who monitors the whereabouts of the monster on his website, PhantomsAndMonsters.com, is one of those people. He told Vice that he believes all the different reports point to at least three Mothman creatures out there in the world.

You might not believe in the Mothman, but admit it: it’s kind of crazy that people from today would spot something extremely similar to what was seen about 50 years ago. Sure, it could just be another urban legend, but this one is definitely worth looking into more.

January 22, 2018 in Did You Know?, Town History

Where the Elk River Flows

This Article was written by Jerry D. Stover | Featured Image: Elk River Courtesy Of WV Division of Tourism (WVDT) | Photographer: David Fattaleh | (via: wvencyclopedia.org)

The Elk River meanders 177 miles from its headwaters in Pocahontas County westerly to its confluence with the Kanawha River at Charleston. The river flows through some of West Virginia’s most rugged and remote terrain, before finally reaching the state’s major center of population. The important tributaries include Holly River, Birch River, Buffalo Creek, and Big Sandy Creek. Other tributaries that drain areas of 50 square miles or more are Little Sandy, Blue, and Laurel creeks, and Back Fork. The Elk River watershed of 1,532 square miles accounts for about 6.5 percent of the territory of West Virginia.

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December 15, 2017 in Did You Know?

Pioneer Daniel Boone’s Connection to Clendenin

Featured Image: American Pioneer, Daniel Boone, Getty Images. | (via: wikipedia.org)

After the Revolution, Boone resettled in Limestone (renamed Maysville, Kentucky in 1786), then a booming Ohio River port. In 1787, he was elected to the Virginia state assembly as a representative from Bourbon County. In Maysville, he kept a tavern and worked as a surveyor, horse trader, and land speculator. He was initially prosperous, owning seven slavesby 1787, a relatively large number for Kentucky at the time.[36] Boone became a celebrity while living in Maysville. In 1784, on his 50th birthday, historian John Filson published The Discovery, Settlement And present State of Kentucke, a book which included a chronicle of Boone’s adventures.[36] 

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December 15, 2017 in Did You Know?