Five months ago, the Marshall County Commission made a 3-year commitment to people in Marshall County to develop a first of its kind Entrepreneurship Ecosystem.

The Commission has partnered with Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Experts, Regional Economic Development Partnership, the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce, First Microloan of WV, and the West Virgnia Small Business Development Center to develop this program.

The ecosystrem is launching this month, with team experts gathering data, interviewing business owners, and holding networking events to gather information and determine what assistance is needed to begin a sustainable program to support local entrepreneurs and innovations.

This project will be the first county-based entrepreneurship ecosystem, working directly with the statewide West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. The mission of the WVEE is to connect and identify opportunities to help entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state by fostering collaboration and sharing resources.

The ecosystem is open to any and all organizations in West Virginia interested in entrepreneurial development to share best practices and inspire collaborations.

Marshall County Commission President Mike Ferro said, “The goal of this program is to increase small business growth, increase job opportunities, increase funding and connect entrepreneurs with the resources and providers that they need to succeed. This has been done successfully at the state level. Our commission wants to bring an ecosystem to Marshall County, so it is accessible for local residents and businesses.’

“The Entrepreneurship Ecosystem is proud to partner on this innovative pilot program. West Virginia has a rich history of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. We look forward to serving Marshall County and its businesses not only as the start, but as they grow through intentional collaboration,” Tara St. Clair, E3 Co-Founder, said.

“Having spent years working in and around Marshall County, I think it is perfectly positioned to lead a successful pilot program for entrepreneurship ecosystem building. There is a huge amount of support from the community, and I am excited to get started on this new project to help entrepreneurs be successful.” Carrie White, Co-Founder E3, added.

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The Marshall County Commission is sponsoring a Business After Hours on Thursday, Sept. 5, at Grand Vue Park at which time members of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem partnership will be on hand to talk about the program and gather information

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Grand Vue Park is winding down its summer season and it has been a great season, according to General Manager Craig White.

He stated that there were guests from all over the world and the parks’ staff enjoyed serving them all.

The Rowe family was back for the 44th straight year, and they are looking forward to 45, White said.

He pointed out that the employees were hard at work this summer, keeping up with the cleanliness of the park as well as assisting and maintaining the new grass at the Water Park and RV park.

“A huge thank you goes out to Cody Carpenter and the maintenance staff who have helped keep the park clean of garbage, kept the grass cut, kept the flowers watered, on top of keeping all the cabin amenities working and the hot tubs clean! Mike Schott and his housekeeping crew for a great job keeping the cabins clean and in comfortable shape,” White said.

White also extended gratitude to all of the seasonal employees for their hard work.

If you have forgotten, this marks the 50th year for Grand Vue Park.

The GVP is described as a county park, owned and operated by the Marshall County Park and Recreation Board, which is made up of individuals appointed by the Marshall County Commission. While many of the attractions will be closed down in a week, there will be upcoming events for next four months.

They are:

– Fun Fitness Every Tuesday!

– September–7 –Big Bucks Bingo, Sept 14-Smart Center Star Watch, Sept21-Fall Glow Golf,

– Sept 28-Fall Festival and Grand GourdToss.

– In October there will be a car show on Oct 5, Oct. 12-Spooky Glow Golf and Smart Center

– Star Watch, and Oct. 26-Spooky Golf.

– In November, there will be Irish Road Bowling on Nov2, Nov. 9-Smart Center Star Watch, and Nov. 28-Turkey Trot

– In December there will be Christmas Bazaar on Dec 6-7, Dec. 9-Cookies & Crafts with

– Santa, Dec. 14-Smart Center Star Watch, and Dec 31, NYE Bingo.

– There will be a Legion Picnic on Aug. 31 at Grand View Park.

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Registration for the upcoming Fall Festival will take place on Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The festival promises a vibrant atmosphere with numerous visitors expected to partake in the festivities and park activities.

Don’t Forget the Farmer’s Market at Cockayne’s in Glen Dale through September. Guests will find locally grown produce and farm fresh eggs, baked goods and crafts. It is located at 1105 Wheeling Ave., in Glen Dale.