Briefcase

Five Century 21 agents earn awards

Five Century 21 Full Service Realty agents were recognized recently for the Presidents Sales Club award.

The awards were presented at the annual Ohio Association of Realtors Conference held in September in Columbus.

n Kathy Lough received the Award of Distinction for more than $2.5 million in sales. She has been in the real estate service for four years

n Margie Greenlees, with 19 years of experience, Janet Gombesky with 15 years of experience, Linda Masters with four years of experience and Jessi Jones with two years of experience received the Award of Achievement for more than $1 million in sales.

Parkersburg visitors' bureau site honored

The Web Marketing Association recently announced the winners of its 12th annual WebAward Competition for Web site development and the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau's site (GreaterParkersburg.com) was recognized with a Regional Standard of Excellence Award.

More than 2,400 sites from 40 countries were adjudicated in 96 industry categories during this year's competition. Entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation and use of technology. The competition was judged by a team of independent Internet professionals representing a variety of relevant disciplines of Web site development.

The Greater Parkersburg CVB worked with the Atlanta-based Web firm Cool Blue Interactive to create the current Web site.

Tanning studio owner attends conference

Jody Bargeloh, owner and operator of Paradise Cove Sun Studio at 1809 Dupont Road, Parkersburg, recently attended the 13th annual Smart Tan Educational Conference and Indoor Tanning Association World Expo in Nashville, Tenn.

The event was held at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville. The Expo showcases new equipment, lotions, software and other accessory items for the market. It also allows indoor tanning salon owners an opportunity to share ideas and strategies for improving their businesses.

Two area hospital

programs recertified

The cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs at St. Joseph's Hospital in Parkersburg have been awarded program recertification by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

The association is dedicated to the improvement of clinical practice, promotion of scientific inquiry and advancement of education for the benefit of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation professionals and the patients they serve. Recertification occurs every three years.

Diana Riffle, RN, is the coordinator of St. Joseph's Cardiac Rehab Program and Karrell Anderson, RRT, is the coordinator of St. Joseph's Pulmonary Rehab Program.

St. Joseph's Hospital has offered cardiac rehab since 1989 and pulmonary rehab since 1994.

Dr. Gold uses

artificial cervical disc

Pars Brain and Spine Institute and St. Joseph's Hospital announce that Dr. Rammy Gold is the first neurosurgeon in the Mid-Ohio Valley to use the Prestige disc, a new artificial cervical disc implanted during neck surgery.

Gold is a member of the Parkersburg-based Pars Brain and Spine Institute, along with fellow neurosurgeons Dr. Houman Khosrovi and Dr. Abdi Ghodsi.

From local reports

Grand Central Mall officials announce that for the 11th year in a row, local charities and non-profit organizations in the Mid-Ohio Valley can receive a boost over the 2008 holiday season, thanks to Glimcher Realty Trust's annual "Magical Night of Giving" fundraising event.

This year's event at Grand Central Mall will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Nov. 2.

The mall hosts Magical Night of Giving as its official kick-off to the holiday season and an opportunity for guests to enjoy an evening of exclusive savings throughout the mall, prize giveaways and holiday entertainment.

The mall joins with local non-profit organizations that support the community event by selling tickets, for which they keep 100 percent of the profits.

Glimcher Realty Trust is based in Columbus and owns and manages 24 regional and super-regional shopping centers in the United States. This year, 22 properties will participate in the event, which will be held on various weekends throughout November and early December.

For more information: Katrina Stephens at (304) 485-4465 or www.grandcentralmall.com.

Washington Electric Cooperative Inc. is having its annual customer appreciation event from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 to 3.

There will be refreshments and information on energy efficiency available for co-op members who stop by the WEC office on Colegate Drive in Marietta those days. They will also be able to sign up for daily drawings for a $25 credit on their electric bill.

The event marks the first three days of National Cooperatives Month, which is held each October by cooperatives from throughout the United States to celebrate the role, accomplishments and contributions of the nation's cooperatives.

Washington Electric Cooperative, like other cooperative businesses across the nation, is owned and democratically controlled by its membership, the people who use its services.

Washington Electric is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative serving portions of six counties in southeastern Ohio. It is headquartered in Marietta.

The Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau is making plans for its 2009 marketing campaign and objectives, based in part on a recently completed conversion study conducted in June 2008.

The CVB used the online company SurveyMonkey.com to administer a brief questionnaire to individuals who requested information about the Marietta/Washington County area from May 2007 to May 2008.

"Our primary goal for the survey was to gather credible information that indicated if individuals who had requested information on our area had actually made a visit," said Kelly Blazosky, director of the Marietta-Washington County CVB.

The survey consisted of 10 questions and was deployed to approximately 3,000 qualified e-mail leads. An estimated 27 percent of e-mail surveys were opened and 24 percent were completed. Nearly 93 percent of those who completed the survey indicated that the information sent to them by the Marietta CVB was helpful and met their needs.

Blazosky noted the average respondents stayed one to two nights in the area and that the information they received helped to convince them of extending their time in the area or to plan a return visit. The top five activities travelers reported enjoying most included shopping in downtown Marietta, visiting museums, Fenton Art Glass, cruises aboard the Valley Gem Sternwheeler, and taking a Trolley Tour of the city.

"We learned that more than 69 percent of our visitors are coming here for leisure versus business and are staying in our hotels and bed and breakfasts, rather then with friends and relatives," Blazosky said. "On average there are typically two people in a party and they spend upwards of $101 to $499 during a trip to Marietta. That accounts for lodging, food, transportation, shopping, and visiting attractions."

For more information: 373-5178 or www.MariettaOhio.org.