Doug Hylton had a dream and a love for Ronceverte. The retired military Intelligence Captain also loved silent film actress Gloria Swanson. His desire to revitalize Ronceverte and his collection of Hollywood memorabilia is part of the history behind Gateway Industries’ fundraiser event for a miniature golf course that will be located at Island Park: Oscar Night from the Hollywood Hills of West Virginia.
Doug was a true servant of his hometown. He served the city and its people in many ways, from assisting local widows with chores and errands to serving as Administrator of Ronceverte Development Corporation. He was a talented grant writer who did all he could to secure funding for needed projects. As his niece, Angela Alderman, remembers, Doug would “travel to the end of the world” if it meant helping his beloved community. “He made trip after trip after trip to Charleston, and any place he could get a grant to help revitalize Ronceverte.”
Angela vividly remembers her uncle as a man who walked his talk when it came to helping Ronceverte. “He was always trimming trees, planting flowers, pulling weeds, fixing headstones in cemeteries so everything looked nice. Everything was about wanting the Ronceverte where he had grown up to be a better town. He was always working on the Island and as you come into Ronceverte. You’d always see him with shovels, wheelbarrows, whatever it would take to beautify the flower beds coming into town, anything that would make Ronceverte look good. He just wanted to see businesses in every building. He would be absolutely tickled with the businesses that have opened down there.”
Before his unexpected passing in 2019, Doug had planned to open an ice cream shop. He poured his heart and soul into starting the business, intending to put his memorabilia in his restaurant. Sadly, his dream was unable to come to fruition.
When Phyllis Cantrell of Gateway Industries, who is also Doug’s cousin, and a native of Hollywood, WV, saw Doug’s memorabilia for sale, she knew she had to procure her cousin’s cherished collection and keep his memory alive in a meaningful way. She says, “We always used to joke that we were the famous Hyltons from Hollywood, but Hollywood, West Virginia.” She also spoke fondly of Doug’s mission to revitalize Ronceverte and of his love for the town. Phyllis recalled, “He just worked day and night for Ronceverte, and he would be so pleased with the progress downtown.”
Oscar Night from the Hollywood Hills in West Virginia serves a multi-fold purpose in beautifying Doug’s beloved Ronceverte and honoring his memory. The fundraiser will commemorate Doug and showcase his collection while giving attendees the opportunity to enjoy delicious food, drink, and fellowship, while supporting an important project related to the efforts to revitalize Ronceverte and provide safe, family-friendly options for recreation in the area.
I spoke with the Miniature Golf by Jardin project coordinators, Phyllis Cantrell, Executive Director of Gateway Industries, Matthew Cantrell, and Mark Mengel, about the project, and about the fundraiser. Gateway Industries serves the disabled community in Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas, and Kanawha counties by providing providing employment and vocational services. In addition to helping provide meaningful work experiences for individuals with physical, cognitive, and/or psychiatric disabilities, disabled veterans, and people in recovery, Gateway fosters trusting relationships and provides the opportunity to make friends. Gateway is a non-profit Community Rehabilitation Program. The miniature golf course project will not only provide a family-friendly recreation destination for the community and tourists, it will also create several part-time employment positions for Gateway clients.
Miniature Golf by Jardin, the eighteen-hole miniature golf course, which is in the design phase, will be located at the former site of the outdoor swimming pool, and will feature nine holes that will be inclusive to those with disabilities. Angela said that Doug “would be so proud to know that something like that is going to be where the old swimming pool was.”
The project directors are working closely with a design team to incorporate Ronceverte’s history in the course, such as the railroad, iconic Martin and Jones store, Brick Hill, and even the “monkey cemetery.” Phyllis spoke about the lore of the monkeys who came in by train with the circus, were trapped in a tunnel, and whose final resting place remains a mystery. “Historical, geographical, old businesses, any way that we can tie that into it, we’re looking at those possibilities,” Mark said. “We don’t have a final design for the course layout yet, but it’s getting there. There are a lot of moving parts.”
The majority of the plants which were previously placed in that area as a garden will be kept along the course, which will make for lovely scenery to enjoy while playing. Mark explained, “It’s going to be beautifully landscaped, it’s going to have a lot of the plants that were already put down there. It’s going to have a real nice garden appearance to it. It’s going to be gorgeous.” Phyllis added, “And it’ll have the nostalgia that was and is Ronceverte.”
In addition to the miniature golf course, the area will also feature an accessible restroom, and a batting cage with an automatic pitching machine. Plans are also in the works for a pavilion and picnic shelter for parties and gatherings, and a gameroom with video games and pinball machines, to ensure visitors have something to do even on rainy days. The tentative plan is for the course to be open from April to October, and the entry fee for the course is expected to be reasonably priced. Mark stated, “The whole purpose of this, is it’s a Gateway venture. Our goal is not only to make it accessible to the disabled community, but also to employ the disabled.”
Mark also clarified, “Our goal is to be open mid-to-late summer.” He explained that each stage takes a bit longer than planned, but that the project is moving forward. “The actual construction will start around late April, early May, and we don’t know how long that’s actually going to take. We’re going to do it right.”
He touched upon how important fundraising is for the project, as rising costs associated with providing a quality product are always at play. Phyllis added, “We cannot go without mentioning our Grant Writer Extraordinaire, Tony Benedetto, who has worked tirelessly securing much needed funds to help move this project forward, plus our Board of Directors who support this project one-hundred percent, and the City of Ronceverte.”
Gateway also currently has another fundraiser towards this end, selling donor bricks where purchasers can buy bricks in memory of someone, or simply have a statement engraved on a brick. In terms of actual construction of the project, Gateway is using bricks recovered from the old Ronceverte Elementary School. They received permission from the City to use the bricks from the demolished school, thereby adding another aspect of Ronceverte’s history to a new revitalization project. “Other than the donor bricks, all of the bricks used on the course itself will be from the old Ronceverte Elementary School,” he said.
The Oscar Night fundraiser for this wonderful project is sure to be such a treat. Hosted by the Sportsman Tavern in downtown Ronceverte, the event begins at 4:00 p.m. on March 9. Attire is informal or formal – Hillbilly or Hollywood.
The menu, provided by one of Ronceverte’s new increasingly popular businesses, The Dawg House, also provides attendees with equally appetizing Hillbilly or Hollywood options.
There is no cover charge. Donations will be accepted towards the Miniature Golf by Jardin project, and a cash bar will also be available. Donor bricks will also be sold at the event.
For more information on the donor brick fundraiser, Oscar Night from the Hollywood Hills of West Virginia, and Gateway Industries, please visit their Facebook page or call 304-645-3165.
