Feb. 21 marks ‘Jefferson County Day’ at the Capitol
CHARLES TOWN – Representatives of a wide variety of Jefferson County interests will participate in a special “Jefferson County Day” event at the West Virginia State Capitol Feb. 21.
The event is being sponsored by West Virginia Communication Outreach of Jefferson County (WVCOJC), a volunteer organization created last year to promote better communication between the county and the state.
The event will be held in the Senate Rotunda from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The program will include informational displays by different county organizations, a short video about the county by Rob Perks, presentations by local officials and a buffet luncheon.
All the members of the state’s legislature will be invited to attend.
“The goal is to help educate legislators from other areas about our county and to develop new relationships,” said WVCOJC organizer Cheryl Keyrouze in a press release. “We’re hoping to not only show others what we’re all about but also improve our own understanding of other counties, so we can all do a better job of working together.”
The participating organizations are being drawn from five main sectors: arts and humanities, commerce, economic development, education and tourism and cultural heritage. Local governments will also be represented.
So far, 45 individuals from 28 businesses, organizations and government offices have signed up to participate.
Most will be traveling to Charleston on a chartered bus that will leave from the parking lot of the Charles Town Food Lion store on Route 340 at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
After the group arrives in Charleston, they will attend a Sunday evening reception with local area legislators. They will return home by bus Monday evening.
The costs of the event, including the bus charter, are being covered by grants from the County Commission, Development Authority and Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Participants will pay for their own hotel rooms and meals.
There is still space for some additional businesses and organizations to participate. To sign up or get more information, contact Keyrouze at 518-583-7897 or clkeyrouze@aol.com.
Participants signed up so far include the Arts and Humanities Alliance, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, Freedom’s Run, Frontier Communications, City National Bank, Comcast, Skipper’s Downtown Dips & Deli, Charles Town Auto Wash, Stasis Engineering, Randox Laboratories, the Jefferson County Development Authority, the Jefferson County School System, Ranson Elementary School, Shepherd University, American Public University, Shepherdstown Visitor’s Center, Holiday Inn, Happy Retreat, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Bavarian Inn, Clarion Inn, Quality Inn, Jefferson County Historical Society, Jefferson County Commission, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
– From staff reports