By Gracie Ferretti

For the Gazette

DUNBAR, W.Va. -- Dunbar will soon undergo substantial cosmetic reconstruction, as the city has been awarded two grants to beautify sections of the downtown.

"The goal is for the whole city to come together and making it look nice will help," Mayor Jack Yeager said Monday night during Dunbar's City Council meeting.

The first grant is for 10th Street, from Grosscup Avenue to Dunbar Avenue. The second is for Dunbar Avenue from 10th Street to 14th Street. City officials will apply for a third grant that would beautify Dunbar Avenue from 14th Street to 16th Street.

Some of the additions will be streetlamps, road signs, benches, shrubs, sidewalks and trash cans. Mayor Yeager hopes that the additions will make the city friendlier and homespun.

They have not yet started construction, but Yeager said he can already feel a difference in the attitude of the community.

Also Monday, council members learned that the ribbon cutting for Roxalana Grill on Roxalana Road is Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. They will be serving hot dogs, burgers, subs, salads and pasta.

This will be the fifth ribbon-cutting in recent months.

Yeager encourages citizens to help bring more new business to the area.

Also, awards were given out for the Dunbar Christmas parade, recognizing tree lighting, the best floats, Christmas spirit and more. 

City Councilman Everette Sullivan from Ward 4 received an award for his well-lit tree.

"I thought it was nice, but not that nice," Sullivan joked.

Jo Ann Cornell, administrative assistant in the mayor's office, said the parade went as planned.

"It was a team effort," Cornell said.