The American Conservation Film Festival (ACFF), now in its eighteenth year, is presenting 48 contemporary films in an online festival format for 2021. Aside from the obvious shift away from in-person venues at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) and Shepherd University, the biggest change to this year’s format is the flexibility of watching any (or all) of the films at any time during the festival dates (March 24-28). Read the Full Story >>
Shepherdstown
March 5 — Virtual Concert: A Celtic Celebration
The Shepherd University Wind Ensemble will perform “A Celtic Celebration” virtual livestream concert from the Frank Center Theater on Friday, March 5 at 7:30 pm. Read the Full Story >>
March 9 — Speak Stories Presents Chetter Galloway
Storyteller Chetter Galloway is the guest of the Speak Story Series on March 9 at 7:30 pm. The evening’s program is titled “A Storytelling Sampler of Traditional, Personal, and Queer Tales.” Read the Full Story >>
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Park Celebrates 50 Years
The National Park, the C&O Canal Trust, and the Canal Towns Partnership representing the ten nearby towns along its western path are organizing various events and activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the park in 2021. Read the Full Story >>
Feb 5 — Shepherd University Music Virtual Concert
The Shepherd University Music Salon Series presents a free virtual concert showcasing School of Music faculty. Read the Full Story >>
Feb 9 — Speak Stories Series Presents Jasmin Cardenas
Cardenas is a Colombian-American award winning bilingual storyteller, actress, educator and social activist. She enjoys exploring the uncomfortable truths found when you grow up between cultures. Jasmin has always lived between worlds being told she’s not fully American in the US and a gringa in South America. Cardenas was awarded a 2020-2022 LAB Fellowship from Read the Full Story >>
Transportation Hub for the Eastern Panhandle
The question to ask is, “do you want to take advantage of economic development opportunities?” said Shane Farthing, Director of Economic and Community Development for the City of Martinsburg. He suggested that if the city did not have a train station and “we did a study on how to improve the economy, we’d ask how great it would be to have a train station. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize the good things you already have. Read the Full Story >>
Tracking the Train in West Virginia’s 2021 Budget Debates
The pandemic has strained the MTA’s workforce and put a dent in ridership and revenue. Discussions about West Virginia’s rail funding for the next fiscal year (from July 2021) will begin when the state Legislature receives the Governor’s budget proposal in early February. Read the Full Story >>
Taking Waters Into Their Own Hands
Concerned that West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) oversight is insufficient to protect the water underlying their property from the threat of pollutants from the planned nearby Rockwool factory, a group of local residents is hiring experts to test their water to establish a record to use in possible future legal action. Read the Full Story >>
Shepherdstown Farmers Market Open for the Winter
You can still shop close to home on alternate Sunday mornings for local produce, apples, plants, flowers, breads & baked goods, cheeses, yogurt, grass-fed beef, eggs, chicken, pork, local honey, mushrooms, salsas & dips, maple syrups, vinegars, spices, teas, candles, body care, and other locally-produced items. COVID-19 guidelines continue — please wear a mask, follow Read the Full Story >>
Coming Together to Talk Politics
After the past year of 24/7 political and pandemic coverage, it might seem odd to hear David Welch say “we need to talk more about politics, not less.” The director of the Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications at Shepherd University is quick to point out that he means being able to have constructive conversations. Read the Full Story >>
Civics and Civility for Students
Beyond its conversation events and programming, the Stubblefield Institute’s mission extends to being a catalyst for introducing the topic of civil political communication across the Shepherd University campus. Read the Full Story >>
The Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority Rides Out The Pandemic
Elaine Bartoldson, Director of the Eastern Panhandle Transit Authority (EPTA), describes EPTA’s mission as “providing service for the workforce, individuals who have no other way to get around.” She summarized her perspective on the value of EPTA, saying, “without public transportation, things will stop for the people who use it." Read the Full Story >>
Talking Across Time & Space
Adam Booth credits a course he took with Rachael Meads in the Appalachian Studies department at Shepherd University for starting him on the path to becoming a professional storyteller, a passion he has pursued as a career for the past fifteen years. Read the Full Story >>
Reading Programs for All Ages at the Shepherdstown Library
The Shepherdstown Public Library continues its regular weekly reading programs for all ages and adds a new program for teens this month. Visit the “events” tab on the Library’s Facebook page at 11 am on Tuesdays and 6 pm on Saturdays for live storytime presentations. You can view past storytime presentations under the “video” tab Read the Full Story >>