The Paden City Wildcat boosters recently opened the Matthew Barker Memorial Complex for public rental. It will be officially open Jan. 15 at 4 p.m.

On Dec. 17 the Paden City Wildcat Boosters held a ribbon cutting ceremony of its multi-purpose building, the Matthew Barker Memorial Complex, in which the building was dedicated to the memory of Matthew Barker, who would have been a senior this year at Paden City High School. Although the building is now open to the public for private rental for birthday parties, showers, wedding receptions and more, the doors will officially open at 4 p.m. on Jan. 15.

According to the boosters, the completion of the building, located on 261 North Fourth Ave., Paden City, has been a long process, beginning when they made an agreement with former Superintendent of Wetzel County Schools Paul “Butch” Barcus.

It took six years for the building to reach its current state with the boosters working when funding and volunteers were available. The building was designed and constructed by Precision Contracting, whose owner Matthew Ferrebee is also boosters president. Ferrebee donated all of his hours working on the building.

The boosters would like to thank everyone who lent a hand in the project, as well as several companies for their donations of time or price-reduced materials: A-1 Rental, Ace Home Center (Rick Myers, Missy West, Dean Cross), Bridgeport Equipment (Rick Hissom), Certainteed Gypsum Plant (Ben White, Justin Cumberledge), Paden City True Value (Bill Caputa), Arrow Concrete, Miller’s Drywall (Rodney Miller), Pleasants Heating & Air, J&T Paving, Durig Landscaping, Brown’s Electric (Jody Brown), and WesBanco Bank (Tammy Bowers).

With future funding, the boosters believe the building has the potential to become a full junior high sports facility. In order for this to happen, the boosters have placed several items on their wish list for the complex: tables and chairs, kitchen equipment, the gym floor, bleachers, basketball hoops, and more. To make donations, checks must be payable to the Paden City Booster’s Association, P.O. Box 400, Paden City, WV 26159, or drop off your donation at WesBanco in Paden City. Please write “donation for new building” in the check’s memo.

They would also like to announce the moving of their regular Bingo from Saturday nights to Tuesday evenings, with early bird Bingo beginning at 6:30 p.m. The first evening of Bingo in the new building will be Jan. 8, if all equipment is up and running. Please call 304-337-9291 for verification of opening date.

For inquiries, call 304-771-8091.