Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted its annual Tourism Summit last Wednesday at the Pocahontas County Opera House where local businesses, organizations and the CVB gave updates on tourism-related projects and ways to collaborate to enhance tourists’ experiences when they visit Nature’s Mountain Playground.
During the event, CVB Executive Director Chelsea Faulknier presented the Tourism Person(s) of the Year award to Bob and Alison Safrit.
“The Tourism Person of the Year award recognizes an individual, or in this case, individuals who have embarked upon enhancing Pocahontas County as an exceptional destination to visit, not only through their efforts, but by invoking the hospitality and spirit that encapsulates the spirit and essence of Nature’s Mountain Playground,” she said.
“This year, we’re really honored to recognize a couple who go above and beyond to dedicate their lives to new opportunities for our tourism industry and who represent mountain culture through their hospitality and hard work.”
Alison is a native of Pocahontas County and returned to her home of Cass where she and her husband, Bob, restored the Burner Homeplace – that is now a museum with historic artifacts from the Burner family and the town of Cass. It is also an art gallery for locally made artwork, including Alison’s pottery.
Bob and his business partner, Dan McKee, have purchased several old buildings in downtown Marlinton and have worked to either demolish them or restore them to make way for new businesses.
“After Pat’s Beauty Shop left a vacant spot across from Discovery Junction, Bob worked to make changes to the building and it now houses Greenbrier Bikes,” Faulknier said. “He also purchased the building next door to Greenbrier Bikes and continued to do his work. Today, that building is home to Handmade WV Market, which sells fresh produce, offers lunch and dinner specials, West Virginia crafts and more.”
The biggest project to date has been the restoration of the C.J. Richardson building which is now called Rivertown. The former hardware store is now home to Rivertown Café and an entertainment stage on the first floor and various artisan shops and on the second floor.
“Alison has her gallery upstairs and the shops of Rivertown where she displays her pottery and demonstrates her process in creating her pieces,” Faulknier said. “She also displays additional works of art from artisans in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. There is also a yoga studio – Little Mountain Yoga… and Alison holds classes at least four days a week.
“There are artisans at work, a candy shop and a new souvenir and gift shop,” she continued. “All of this was made possible with their hard work and dedication, and continued vision to see the town of Marlinton grow and prosper.”
In addition to being a businessman, Bob is also a volunteer on the trails in the county. As an avid mountain biker and trail enthusiast, he uses his expertise to help maintain the trails and ensure they will be welcoming to bikers of all ages and skill levels.
Guest speaker for the summit was Karen Jacobson, deputy director of Woodlands Community Lenders. Jacobson gave a presentation on the non-profit lender which was founded by Woodlands Development and Lending that initially served Randolph, Tucker and Barbour counties.
The organization has grown to now serve nine counties, including Pocahontas.
“We do the kind of lending that a bank can’t do often, which is a little more risky,” she explained. “We work really closely with the local banks and facilitate a lot of their lending, but really our focus is job creation, downtown redevelopment, affordable housing and workforce housing development and local ownership.”
Since its inception in 2021, Woodlands Community Lenders has loaned about $7 million and has helped small businesses in its coverage area to either expand or get started in their entrepreneurial endeavors.
Also giving updates during the summit was Charles Evans, Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative (SHARC) trail maintenance coordinator. Evans talked about the maintenance and health of the trails in Pocahontas County and making sure all the trails are ready for the heavy traffic from bikers, hikers and horseback riders.
The CVB marketing team shared information about the success of the past year’s advertising that received an increase in engagement over the previous year.
