GAULEY BRIDGE — The Town of Gauley Bridge is ready to open a game room in the Gauley Bridge Community Center, which is dedicated in the memory of Ruby Winebrenner.

According to Mayor Stephanie Fout, who was recently appointed to replace Damon Runyon, the former mayor who left office due to health reasons, the game room should be up and running this week or soon thereafter.

“We just wanted to give everybody something to do,” said Fout.

The game room, which will be on the second floor of the old high school near the gym, will include pool, air hockey, foosball, ping-pong and other activities. It also will feature a 12-foot-by-12-foot screen and projector, and Fout is in hopes that there can be family night activities in the future.

A grant, with some town funds kicked in, also made possible the purchase of volleyball equipment.

There will also be several concessions available.

The new endeavor was made possible by a $5,750 grant from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, Fout said. “We’ve finished purchasing everything and sent a final report.”

The grant was secured by Fout, Tom Morgan and Larry Begley.

Participants in game room activities or elsewhere in the building, such as the gymnasium, are asked to sign a waiver for insurance purposes.

Adults in the community are being asked to volunteer to oversee weekly activities. “We hope we have enough volunteers to have it open several nights a week for a couple of hours,” said Fout.

To volunteer or for more information on the project, call town hall at 304-632-2504 or 304-632-2505.



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Town officials have also been working on a plan to move senior citizens’ weekly meals and activities to the old high school from the James Hodge Miller Building downtown. Fout says they hope to reinstate monthly birthday and holiday events.

She adds that, in addition to figuring out ways to attract more business into town, officials want to be involved in more community outreach. Along those lines, a talent show is planned in coming weeks.

She says the town is currently “in pretty good shape budget-wise.” One of the moves she’d like to see made is replacing the street sweeper.

The town is currently gearing up for its free annual spring cleanup in April, she added. And, officials are working on getting town ordinances codified and placed online.



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Fout had been serving as town recorder since February 2005. She gave up that post to move into the mayor’s chair.

Councilman Jonathan Grose was appointed to serve as recorder/treasurer in her place. Roy Taylor was appointed to take Grose’s seat on council.

The next town election is June 2011.

Town council meets the second and fourth Monday at 7 p.m.

— E-mail:

skeenan@register-herald.com