Tuesday program to focus on visioning project

Allen Kukovich, executive director of the Regional Visioning Project, will be the featured speaker at Tuesday’s meeting of Weirton’s Downtown Business Association.  The meeting will begin at noon in the Rose Room of the Millsop Community Center.

He will discuss the project and how county leaders in southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio can come together in an effort to create “a shared vision for the region’s best future.” His goal is to address problems and opportunities which are regional.

The Regional Visioning Project, launched this month, is a two-year process designed to provide an opportunity for every resident of a 30-county, four-state region to participate in creating a shared vision for the future. The 30 counties include 15 in Pennsylvania, 10 in West Virginia, five in Ohio (including Jefferson) and Garrett County in Maryland. They represent the economic region centered on metropolitan Pittsburgh.

The initial phase of the project is engaging and listening to the public about thoughts on the issues and possibilities for the regional’s future. That will be followed by the second phase where the public will refine those challenges and opportunities to reach the final phase of creating a regional To-Do list.

No reservations are required for the Tuesday event. More information on the project can be found at www.regionalvision.org.

County will host second business seminar

Jefferson County has been selected to host the second “Where Business Starts in Ohio” seminar, presented by members of Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s staff.

Debora Batta and Ann Block will offer an overview of the secretary of state’s office and how it works with businesses. Items to be covered include:

·       Information about starting a corporation, information about business filings, and information about name reservation.

The seminar will be sponsored by Progress Alliance.  Additional information will be released once a date and site are selected. The Jefferson County seminar will be the first held in eastern Ohio. The initial seminar was held last week in southwestern Ohio.

Entrepreneurial training coming to county

Despite passion, drive and an abundance of good ideas, half of all new businesses fail within the first few years.  Often that’s because, despite their zeal, entrepreneurs lack the experience and tools required for starting and running a business.

Entrepreneurs in Jefferson County now have a secret weapon that increases their chances for success:  FastTrac, a comprehensive family of workshops and programs that help entrepreneurs hone the skills they need to create, manage and grow successful businesses.

The FastTrac GrowthVenture program, a hands-on entrepreneurial program that assists entrepreneurs in evaluating their current business framework and determining the changes needed to improve performance and grow their businesses, will be offered starting Wednesday, June 24 and running for eight straight Wednesdays, ending on Aug. 12. The sessions will be held in Room 103 of the Pugliese Training Center at the Jefferson Community College. The registration fee has yet to be determined.                .

The program is being brought to the county through a joint venture of Progress Alliance, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce,  JCC and the Ohio Small Business Development Centers.

A free preview night will take place on Wednesday, June 17 in the Pugliese Training Center. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and find out if the program is right for them. Registration for the preview is not required.

Master plan unveiled for downtown

The Steubenville Revitalization Group Tuesday unveiled two years worth of work and a master plan aimed at revitalizing the downtown business district.

Lou Stein of Valley Ventures, a consultant to the SRG told an audience of approximately 100 people that the master plan calls for redevelopment of the business district in three phases during a three year span.

The plan covers a 12 block area of downtown  (Third and Sixth streets to the east and west and North and South streets to the north and south) and includes 171 buildings.  The plan focuses on the vacant buildings in the area and provides a road map for development.  The goal is to create a momentum of success in the redevelopment of the downtown.

Capital Recovery, chamber complete deal

The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and Capital Recovery Systems have completed the sale of the chamber building at 630 Market St.

Capital Recovery Systems, a business founded by city native Craig Klein, announced earlier this month it was buying the building to allow it to expand its operations downtown. CRS, which collects debts owed to municipalities, has 24 employees working in the former downtown post office building at Fourth and Washington streets, with plans to add a minimum of 30 new jobs.

Capital Recovery plans to move into the ground-level with the chamber, Progress Alliance, the Community Foundation of Jefferson County and the Girl Scouts of America's offices continuing to occupy the upper floor.

Concert series begins Thursday evening

The 2009 Summer Concert Series will kick off Thursday with a Classic Oldies Night at the Sandra and Louis Berkman Amphitheater on South Third Street.

The first of 11 concerts scheduled at the amphitheater will feature Mike Underwood and Legend as part of the first evening of free entertainment in the Historic Fort Steuben Park.

Funding for the 2009 concerts is from a grant from the Ohio River Border Initiative along with major contributions from Trinity Health System and the Steubenville Rotary Club as well as donations from various businesses and organizations in the area.