Dear Readers,

Anyone who says there’s nothing for families to do in the Ohio Valley hasn’t spent a summer here.
I enjoy simply hanging out in the backyard with an iced tea and the inflatable pool. (The photo shows my daughter and her cousins last summer.) I subscribe to the John Lubbock school of thought on summer: “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.”

Nonetheless, it’s fun to change the scenery from time to time and enjoy all that our beautiful valley has to offer.

Here’s a partial list of options:

Spend the day at the lake: Which lake? Your choice! The closest is Barkcamp State Park in Belmont. Farther west, there are Piedmont (where I spent my childhood summers catching blue gill, playing lawn darts and swimming in the murky brown water), as well as Seneca and Tappan. Even farther west, Salt Fork State Park. All offer swimming, boating, picnic areas, hiking and camping.

Take in a free concert or movie: The number of venues offering free family events all across the Ohio Valley has exploded in the past couple years. Check the newspaper, your local library or chamber of commerce for listings.

Head to a farmers’ market: Wheeling’s markets are from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays at the old Kroger parking lot on National Road and 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays at the Elm Terrace Shopping Center. The St. Clairsville market on Tuesdays features a children’s area and live entertainment, as does the Bellaire market on Saturday mornings. Markets also take place weekly in Weirton, Moundsville, Cadiz and Steubenville.

Enjoy Oglebay: Paddle boats, swimming, fishing, miniature golf, the playground, the nature center, the museums and gardens, not to mention the zoo and air-conditioned planetarium. It’s a family paradise!
There are plenty of other outdoor delights, as well as indoor (read: dry and air-conditioned) activities. Check our calendar pages (31-33) for more ideas!

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Friday, Aug. 1 through Thursday, Aug. 7 is World Breastfeeding Week, established by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action and celebrated in 120 countries.

This year’s theme, in keeping with the Summer Olympics in Beijing, is “Go for the Gold!”

According to the World Breastfeeding Week Web site, “WBW 2008 calls for greater support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of infant feeding: breastfeeding exclusively for six months, and providing appropriate complementary foods with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond.”

Locally, the Ohio Valley Breastfeeding Coalition will sponsor its annual Breastfeeding Walk at the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville on Saturday, Aug. 2. Anyone who supports breastfeeding is invited to register at noon, enjoy camaraderie, participate in door prize drawings, pick up freebies from the coalition agencies, walk around the mall concourses at 1 p.m. and enjoy cake and refreshments afterward. Face painting and balloons for the children also will be available.

Following the walk, the Employer of the Year award(s) will be given, honoring local business(es) that support employees who breastfeed by ensuring they have the time and place to pump breastmilk. The employer(s) were nominated by local nursing mothers. I am pleased that my employer, Wheeling Newspapers Inc., was an award recipient last year.

See you at the walk!