These farmers markets are seen to address the needs of the locals for healthy alternatives. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared West Virginia as one of the most obese state in the USA, it is hoped that these markets make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible for citizens aiming for a healthier lifestyle.

The West Side Farmers Market is located at the corner of Washington and Beatrice Streets.

Fashion store White House/Black Market recently opened, featuring their trademark simple, yet elegant designs. The boutique is having sales promotions throughout the whole of April.

Leather goods brand Coach will also open this April, followed by beauty care and fragrance store Sephora and fashion apparel and accesories store Francesca’s in June.

The four stores are located on the first floor near Starbucks.

The Almost Heaven Chorus female barbershop groups will be traveling throughout the Kanawha Valley on Tuesday. Songs will be delivered to sweethearts, spouses, or just someone who could use a lift.

For musical Valentine delivery, songs will be sung 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Popular Valentine tunes are “Love Me Tender,” “If I Had My Way,” and “I Love You a Bushel and a Peck.” However, the ladies are open to other requests.

A fee of $30 includes two or three tunes and a box of chocolates. Call 304-925-SING or 304-982-5092 for requests.

Serenade your special someone on Valentine’s Day, to be delivered by the Kanawha Kordsmen Barbershop Quartet.

For $55, give your honey two songs, a personalized card, a silk rose and chocolates in a heart-shaped box. The Barbershop Quartet say the most popular tunes are “Heart of My Heart, I Love You” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”

Quartets will be delivering their sweet musical messages throughout Kanawha and Putnam counties as well as in the Huntington area, he said. Tunes will be sung from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

Call 304-346-SING to make requests.

Three particularly well-established businesses function as anchors of the city’s Village District and are owned by female entrepreneurs. Libby Chatfield of Charleston Bread, Ann Seville of Taylor Books and Ellen Beal of Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream are these well-loved establishments, and they were recently highlighted in the Charleston Daily Mail.

In 1995, Taylor Books opened near the mid-point of the seven-block street. Two years later, Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream opened directly across the street, and in 2006 Charleston Bread arrived on the scene a few blocks down. The three shops thrive, largely due to the vision and passion of their owners.

Chatfield opened Charleston Bread in 2006 to a line of a dozen people already waiting outside the door. In May, she celebrated the store’s five-year anniversary. Now the retail storefront bakery sells breads, cookies and pastries from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The business offers a wide variety of breads, including baguettes, croissants, cinnamon swirl raisin bread, sourdough, olive loaf, cookies and even dog treats. Charleston Bread also provides some local restaurants with bread. South Hills Market and Cafe, Swiftwater Cafe, Berry Hills Country Club and Bruno’s all carry Chatfield’s products.

Ann Saville and her late husband opened Taylor Books (Taylor is Saville’s maiden name) after his retirement in 1995. The store features all types of books but specializes in fiction, biography and children’s books. For Saville, the bookstore is much more than a place to pick up a novel and grab a pastry.

People can have meetings and get together at her shop, Saville said. Sandwiches and salads also are offered in the cafe, and a gallery showcases the work of artists from West Virginia and surrounding states. Taylor Books also hosts live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as art classes in the clay studio on the lower level.

Ellen Beal opened 14 years ago, right across the street from Taylor Books. Beal makes all of her ice cream in-house. She comes up with all of the flavors and creates them herself. Unique flavors like Guinness and seasonal choices like pumpkin and peppermint keep her customers intrigued. People also frequent the shop for the healthy wraps, soups and salads.

Like Chatfield, Beal supplies some Charleston businesses with her products. During the summer months she sells ice cream from a stand at the Capitol Market. Beal has pictures of faithful customers and says she has seen some kids grow up and go off to college. Being across the street from Taylor Books has been an advantage.

Treasures of WV is a website and online shop that showcases handmade goods, local music, and books from and about the Mountain State.

All items featured on the site are created by West Virginia artisans and craftsmen.

The sites is owned and operated by Tammy Shuff, a South Charleston native and a talented artisan. She designs and creates some of the jewelry featured in Treasures of WV’s virtual gallery.

Items on the site are grouped in various sales categories: artwork, books, holiday décor, home décor, hunting and fishing, jewelry, pottery and glass and woodwork. Other categories will be added later as needed, Shuff said.

Various forms of payment are accepted. Gift certificates are available. Shipping is by USPS Priority Mail. Treasures of West Virginia can be found at treasuresofwv.com.

Comic book fans rejoice! Your search for the latest releases or to fill in the gaps in your collection has ended with Lost Legion Games and Comics at Five Corners on Charleson’s West Side.

Lost Legion Games and Comics is one of West Virginia’s largest comic and game stores. The store features comic books, games, cards, figurines, posters, and other collectibles sought after by casual and hardcore collectors alike.

Half of the store is also dedicated to gaming — board gaming, card gaming, miniature gaming, tabletop roleplay, the permutations are endless! Manager J.B. Roberts states, “It’s a social activity that people can do with their friends. It gives them interaction and it lets them go out and do something other than go to a bar.”

For more on Lost Legion Games and Comics, visit their website at: lostlegiongamesandcomics.com.

The onset of the warm summer months signals the beginning of West Virginia’s farmers markets season.

Whether they are large, highly-organized affairs or smaller, more casual ones, there is no denying the pull that a good farmers market has over the local community. Nothing beats fresh, just off-the-farm fruits and vegetables, as well as artisinal foods from small but highly-dedicated specialty makers.

For a detailed list of markets springing up soon, check out: http://www.wvfarmers.org/

Since early 1990s, the number of farmers’ markets in West Virginia has increased by 300%, which means that more local farmers and food producers are able to sell their goods directly to more households than ever before.

This bodes well for the community, since the produce is guaranteed fresh, and the buyers are not saddles with extra costs such for shipping, storage, and handling.

To get the best out of your farmers market experience, here are a few tips: 1) Come early to get the best pick of the day; 2) Shop around first before deciding on what to buy; 3) Bring small bills and change to pay for your purchases; and 4) Bring a reusable shopping bag to carry your purchases around to cut down on the use of plastic bags.

The store caters to the rising interest among consumers for classic modern pieces, yet keeps the price friendly with its inventory of “reissued” furniture. Though the couple are aware that selling copies of the original pieces would raise eyebrows of serious collectors, they are confident that they have a market for these pieces in Charleston. Original pieces that sell for over $1,000 to $3,000 can be bought at Modern by Design for a fraction of the price — $300 to $1,000 approximately.

If you’re re-decorating this spring, drop by Modern by Design and pick up a couple of ideas or maybe even a couple of ghost chairs.

Modern by Design
200 Hale Street, Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: (304) 344-1111

What sets One Stop apart from other convenience stores is its connection with the community. For One Stop, it’s not enough to provide the convenience to the consumer — they also give back to the community. In 2010, One Stop made several significant contributions to Charleston and the state of West Virginia.

One Stop, with help from the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program, was able to secure education grants for 15 schools in West Virginia, including secondary schools in Kanawha, Cabell, Raleigh, and Jackson counties.

In Charleston, One Stop commissioned a 75-foot-long mural behind its store at the corner of Washington Street East and Greenbrier Street. Designed and painted by Jeff Pierson and Tyrone Scott, the mural features members of the community who had already left us.

One Stop also participates in food drives. In November 2010, One Stop participated in the Give and Win Food Drive 2010. Five Charleston stores were designated drop off points, where donations are received.

To locate a One Stop store nearest you or to know the latest discounts and promotions, visit the One Stop website at www.onestopwv.com.