Highlights is a 30 minute weekly TV show featuring organizations, events, grass-roots efforts and people who move our state and community forward in a positive way.
The show is a collaboration with Kanawha County Schools, Optimum Communications and Jim Strawn & Company.
Highlights airs daily at 8:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Optimum’s channel 17.
Show Topics
The show airing April 3, 2023 – April 10, 2023 highlights the St. Albans Parks & Recreation and the Charleston Scholarship Dinner to benefit the WVU Mountaineer Athletic Club.
We interviewed Debbie Keener, Volunteer for the St. Albans Park & Recreation Department.
She discussed the 9th Annual ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ event scheduled for Saturday, April 15, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the St. Albans, WV City Park.
Theme
The theme of this year’s event is “Water, Water, Everywhere” and registration will begin at 9:00am at the trail head. This event is geared to the entire family and will be a Covid-19 safe event. All activities are free, and donations are greatly appreciated to help with future Wild Side events. Hikes this year will be mostly self-guided to preserve hiker safety. There will be experienced naturalists from the Kanawha Valley Chapter of WV Master Naturalists, WV Native Plant Society, and WV DNR available to share fun and interesting information with hikers. Participants this year can also enjoy several great programs during the hike event including experienced hydrologists from the National Weather Service, hands on discovery of insects in our streams, the effects of water on our environment, the benefits backyard gardens, make and take your own rain barrel, and the effects of flooding on our landscape.
Activities
The Kanawha County Library-St. Albans Branch will host and sponsor a Story Walk along the trail. The Story Walk is a unique way for children and families to read a book together while walking along the trail. Kids are also invited to have some good clean fun in the exciting Foam Garage. The Three Rivers Avian Center will present their newest program: “Hoot and Holler: West Virginia Owls”. Participants will learn about and get an up-close look at the different species of owls that live in
West Virginia. Hikers are also invited to dissect an Owl Pellet along the trail. The St. Albans MS4-Stormwater program will provide rain barrel kits that include barrel and downspout fixtures. Cost of each kit/barrel is $ 30.00. Anyone interested may take a rain barrel home. Hikers may enjoy participating in a Nature Scavenger Hunt or looking for special prize medallions hidden along the trail. Door prizes provided by the event sponsors include camping, cabin rental, kayak rentals, golf, Blenko Glass, and much more. Commemorative tee-shirts will be available. Visit many displays about water, nature, animals, and the environment.
More Information
Anyone interested may help plant several seedlings provided by Liz Moss, Urban Forestry Extension Agent with the WVSU Extension Service Agriculture & Natural Resources Division. Also learn about the importance of trees in our landscape and how to care for them.
For additional information about the 9thAnnual Take A Walk On The Wild Side event, go to the St. Albans WV City Park “Take A Walk On The Wild Side” Nature Hike page on Facebook, or call 304-722-4625.
Charleston Scholarship Dinner
We also interviewed Devon Lopez and Matt Kelly, committee members of the WVU Mountaineer Athletic Club’s Charleston Scholarship Dinner committee.
They discussed the upcoming dinner to benefit the Mountaineer Athletic Club and student-athlete scholarships at WVU.
The annual Charleston Scholarship Dinner presented by Northeast Natural Energy is on April 24, 2023 at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Several WVU head coaches and student-athletes will be in attendance! The 2022 Charleston Scholarship Dinner raised over $54,000 towards the MAC Charleston Scholarship Dinner Athletic Endowment. This scholarship is awarded each year to a WVU student-athlete from the state of West Virginia.
Keynote Speaker
Former Mountaineer, Owen Schmitt, will be the guest speaker at the Charleston Scholarship Dinner. Schmitt, a walk-on to the Mountaineers, became a starter as a sophomore for the 2005 season and it was a breakout year. He was active as both a rusher and as a primary blocker. At the midpoint of the season, freshman Steve Slaton earned the starting spot at halfback, and with quarterback Pat White at the helm, Schmitt and Slaton teamed up to make one of the best rushing tandems in the NCAA.
Matt Kelly discussed the excitement of having the student-athletes at every table. Devon talked about the history and amount this committee has raised over the year.
They both wanted to thank Andy Richardson, Chair, for his unwavering support of this event and Mountaineer Athletics.
Register
Register online or by calling the Mountaineer Athletic Club at 800-433-2072. Checks can be made payable to “WVUF-MAC” with “CSD” in the memo and mailed to the Mountaineer Athletic Club at PO Box 877, Morgantown, WV 26507-0877.
If you would like to learn more about the Highlights TV Show, contact Host and Executive Producer Jim Strawn at 304-541-4756.
