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What Would Harry Think Now?

A recent posting online in Memories of Wheeling by Mike Minder conjured up a slew of memories for those old enough to remember. The posting was a look back at April 7, 1964, when a “Break-Through Ceremony” was held at the corner of Baker and McColloch streets which was to become the east portal for the Wheeling Tunnel. The twin tunnels planned for Interstate 70 and U.S. 250 would be carved — or blasted — out of the side of the mountain that stood in the path of progress. It took three years and a whopping $6.9 million to complete the tubes. That was a lot of money back then. ...

Mad As Hell

I couldn’t help myself. Despite my husband’s and brother-in-law’s urging to just “let it go,” I didn’t. I think something in me simply snapped. In an instant I was out of my seat inside the McDonald’s restaurant in Elm Grove last week. What brought me to my feet was anger. You see while sitting there watching a couple of preschoolers playing inside the kiddie area of the business, there were sounds and sights that caught my attention. With a clear view of the entrance to the McDonald’s parking lot, I saw and heard three small cars speeding into the lot. One by one ...

The Past Uncovered

It’s amazing what a pothole can tell us about the past. For most of my childhood years growing up in the Woodsdale area, I never knew that Bethany Pike was once a brick road. Well, at least that’s what the sizable pothole on Bethany Pike near Hamilton Avenue has shown us. In recent weeks, the surface of the road has eroded enough to unveil the hidden gem of red bricks. While I have been dodging the growing depression in the road, I also have been fascinated to know more about the road. Letting my imagination run wild, I can picture the early automobiles that first put tires on ...

Letter Perfect

The year before my mother passed away, she sat down and wrote me a letter. Although at the age of 90 her eyesight and hearing were failing, she managed to put pen to paper. Despite the challenges of her senior years, her cursive handwriting was impeccable. My mother was a believer in the written word and passed that thinking along to her children. She insisted thank-you notes be written when receiving gifts. However, my mother was also the product of a generation that wasn’t outwardly affectionate with words. Mom was raised by her father and older female relatives after her own ...

Honor Thy Mother

There aren’t many news items that often make me stop and do a slow burn. That was until I read the article about Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ proposal to change the word “mother” contained within laws in his state. The governor believes the word “mother” should be changed to “inseminated person.” Just when I thought I had heard the most ridiculous thinking out of a politician, I was wrong. This one has to take the cake. I can’t even comprehend why the governor believes such a change makes sense. All the good gent has to do is consult Webster’s dictionary and ...

What’s In That Nickname?

It happens in many families. It can occur in the workplace as well. Somehow, someone will come up with a nickname for a family member or coworker. Sometimes they are cute names that express a person’s special look or funny mannerism. Most nicknames are given without malice. Newsrooms could be rich with funny name calling, mostly in jest. An ace reporter might get the “Jimmy Olson” tagline if he was particularly aggressive. It was a compliment to be called a news hound as well. Families are where most nicknames originate. When I entered the Ziegler family, it became ...