#panhandlecleaning

[ledenews]

The Race in Wheeling’s Ward 2

North Wheeling to the Northern Parkway. Fulton. And, yes, of course, Wheeling Island. Those are the neighborhoods included in Ward 2, a section of the Friendly City that is mostly residential but also home to several eateries that have proven to be local favorites. Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack is a major contributor of tax dollars, and the ward also is near the top of B&O Tax collections. Those three areas also have been greatly impacted by the bridge construction projects along with Interstate 70 with noise, road closures, lane restrictions, and detour traffic.

Many razings have taken place on Wheeling Island, but many more are necessary, according to the residents.

On the Ballot

For decades, the second ward has been represented by a Wheeling Island resident, including Vern Seals and current Councilman Kem Imer, who is running for a third term. Four others entered the race, including a resident of downtown, one from North Wheeling, and two more from Wheeling Island. Imer and his wife have three daughters, and he is employed by Legacy Truck Center in Wheeling. Although he considered not running for re-election this year, Imer was encourage by members of the Wheeling Island Community Association to file once again. Charlie Ballouz has run for this seat several times, coming very close in 2016 when Imer defeated by the slimmest of margins. Ballouz served for several years on the Ohio Valley Transit Authority and was the chair for more than a decade. He has lived in downtown Wheeling for the past three decades, organized a successful petition against the two-way proposal for Main and Market streets, and is not afraid to speak out when he feels it is necessary.

After a sprinkler system exploded on the fourth floor of the Dream Center in North Wheeling, Panhandle Cleaning Restoration jumped into action. Wheeling Island resident Alex Coogan owns several businesses in the Wheeling area, including Eden Family Restaurant at 135 Virginia Street on the Island. Coogan is a minimalist when it comes to government and regulations, and he works very hard as a successful entrepreneur. Joe Key is a resident of North Wheeling, is an Air Force veteran, retired from the U.S. Postal Service, and has a long history of coaching on the high school and college levels. This run for city council represents his first attempt to gain a public seat but has been engaged with the local community in many capacities for many years. Ben Seidler, a resident of the north end of Wheeling Island, unofficially initiated his council campaign two years ago primarily out of frustration because of a lack of property maintenance on Wheeling Island. Seidler has staged community meetings in all areas of the ward since and his red, white, and blue signs can be seen in those areas, as well.  

Many razings have taken place on Wheeling Island, but many more are necessary, according to the residents.

Just Fine and the Fixes

Much of the city’s Victorian history has been preserved along W.Va. Route 2 in North Wheeling, but change has taken place in the neighborhood through the years. Once, riverboats were manufactured along the coast of the Ohio River, but these days a long stretch of the Heritage Trails sprawls along the shores as does a boat club and public housing. As is the case in many areas of Wheeling, dilapidation is an issue along with sidewalk garbage, heavy traffic, and crime connected to drug trafficking. Many of those issues are present on Wheeling Island, as well, and although a plethora of demolitions have taken place recently, many more are necessary, according to the membership of the Wheeling Island Community Association. The Association is one of the most active in the city while engaging members of the Wheeling Police Department, other city officials, and state representatives. The closure of the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge has drastically decrease access for Wheeling Island residents, but the span will remain shuttered for at least two more years for a rehabilitation project that is not scheduled to begin until 2021. The Fulton area has stayed the same for many years with long-time businesses and organizations like Ace Garage, Dairy Queen, Walter Construction, the transportation center for Ohio County Schools, and the El Tor Gotto, but PPG Paints and Pickles Eatery and Bar represent two new operations for the neighborhood. Read the full article

[ledenews]

The Race in Wheeling’s Ward 1

(Publisher’s Note: This is the first in a series of seven articles that will offer overviews of the six Wheeling wards and the race for the mayor’s position when voters complete voting in the municipal election on June 9. Early voting begins today, but absentee ballots were mailed more than two weeks ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.) When most Wheeling residents think of Ward 1, the majority envisions only the Warwood community and not North Wheeling or North Park. Those three neighborhoods, however, have been included in the city’s first ward since re-districting took place while former mayor Andy McKenzie was in office from 2008-20016. The three areas are predominantly residential, but the ward also features commercial and industrial properties, as well.

Although the houses are close to each other,the Warwood neighborhood has remained a quaint place to reside.

On the Ballot

Ward 1 was represented for 12 years by the late Gloria Delbrugge, a spitfire council member who persistently demanded more police protection for the Warwood area. She retired from the position four years ago and passed away in December 2017 at the age of 75. Current council member Chad Thalman was elected in 2016 and is running for re-election. Thalman, a resident of Warwood and a member of management for Warwood Armature, is being challenged by John Bishop, a candidate whose name has been on the ballot now on three occasions. Bishop is an over-the-road truck driver who has owned homed in Warwood and currently in North Park.  Bishop also volunteers for the Salvation Army on 16th Street in East Wheeling and is active with the Wheeling Park Athletic Boosters.

The intersection of 7th Street and Main Street has been an issue for all members of Wheeling's city council.

Just Fine and the Fixes

The Warwood neighborhood features Garden Park, a public facility complete with a city pool, a ballfield, a brand new playground, and a large green space with a stage and gazebo. The neighborhood also is home Wheeling Fire Station 9, a couple more ballfields, the Warwood Plaza, a stretch of the Wheeling Heritage Trail along the Ohio River, a boat dock, and a combined elementary and middle schools. Warwood also has benefited an organization called, “Grow Warwood Pride,” a group comprised of residents who have initiated several improvement projects throughout the neighborhood, including fence painting at Garden Park and a food distribution system for students of Warwood School. North Wheeling is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods with both beautifully restored and dilapidated structures, and North Park is a residential development constructed beginning in the 1970s and features homes of all sizes, public housing, and is surrounded by shifting, former landfills. Read the full article

[ledenews]

A Decision About a Dream

Plans were in place for further development inside the North Wheeling Community Dream Center, but now the interior of the 35,000-square-foot venue appears more like a nightmare. One week before Dr. Darrell Cummings was to finally stage the annual Easter food give-away, a waterfall burst into action on the structure’s fourth floor and the damage, the pastor said, could banish the effort into bankruptcy. Because W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice ordered religious organizations and churches to cease congregating members, funds for the Dream Center diminished and forced Cummings into establishing a payment plan with the insurance company covering 407 North Main Street. And then, between 3,000-5,000 gallons of water soaked the structure. “We got a call from the alarm company and were informed that something was going on at the Dream Center. Originally, they thought it was a fire,” Cummings explained. “So, we immediately went down there, and the amazing Wheeling Fire Department was already there, but it wasn’t a fire. It was water that was flowing from the sprinkler system on the top floor of the building. “The water ran down from there and throughout all the floors beneath it, and it destroyed everything that it touched,” he said. “It looked like a rain forest in there. The water was just pouring down even after the firefighters had shut off the water to the building.”

The crews from Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration were on scene the day after the damage took place.

The Unexpected Call

Ceilings were slumping and walls were leaning the first time Cummings was able to walk through the community center, and that is when the dream turned into a disaster. “But then I received a call from Bob (Contraguero) Sr., and he said he really wanted to help us,” Cummings recounted. “I told him that I really didn’t want him and his crews to do anything until I knew whether or not the insurance was going to come through because I didn’t want to create another debt. It was a time of uncertainty, and the last thing I needed to do was dig that hole deeper. “He expressed confidence that the insurance company would cover it, and if not, he said he’s got lawyers, so he sent his crews to the Dream Center, and those folks have been there ever since. What a blessing,” he continued. “The folks at Panhandle Cleaning use some amazing technology when they are working on jobs like this one. All they had to do was take some pictures, and then they could walk us through the building on a computer in this 3-D system. You feel like you’re walking through the building. It was truly amazing.” Even today, six trucks and several crews from Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration were on-site to continue the remediation. “Every day we walk through, we have seen how incredible their work has been. They brought out an army for us, and we couldn’t be more thankful,” Cummings said. “They have this drying machine that has been pulling the dampness out; they pulled up all of the carpet that was just drenched, and they have taken out the walls that were ruined by all of that water.”

Much of what was inside the Dream Center has had to be removed by crews with Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration.

What Is Next?

For 50 years, the building was the home and headquarters for Bond Bakery, and then the state Department of Health and Human Resources operated offices there for 35 years. Once many of those employees were moved to different location, 407 Main St. sat empty for several years. That is when Cummings, the pastor of the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple in North Wheeling, launched an effort for the new community center, and it had been in operation for three years until last week. “Maybe we did dream too big with it. Maybe we bit off more than we can chew. I don’t know,” Cummings said. “That’s yet to be determined, but I feel bad for the homeless veterans that stayed on that top floor of the Dream Center because there aren’t many options for them in the area. And we were planning to use the building as a safe house, too, for victims of domestic violence. “We had discussions about using a portion of the Dream Center for incubator spaces for individuals who were starting businesses in the area, so we had a lot of plans for the space before all of this took place,” he said. “Now, we don’t know what our future is with the building because we don’t know to what level the insurance company will cover the damage. We just don’t know. This will either be the Dream Center’s death knell, or maybe it could open us up to some new vistas. Again, we just don’t know.” Read the full article