Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott Delivers Hopeful Message in Final State of the City
Eric Ayres Trending
WHEELING -- Mayor Glenn Elliott delivered his final State of the City address Tuesday, proclaiming that Wheeling has all of the key ingredients needed in order to make a city great.
Elliott spoke before a packed showroom Tuesday afternoon at the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack for the popular annual event. Now completing his second term, the mayor will step down from his post at the end of June 2024 because of term limits. The mayor's seat and all six Ward council seats will be open next year for new four-year terms that will begin in July 2024.
Tuesday's State of the City was somewhat of a swan song for Elliott, although he still has almost a year left in office. His message was as optimistic as always, focusing on highlights of Wheeling's past and present that are helping to carve a truly transformative period in the city's history -- one that is pushing the community into the prospect of a brighter future.
"There's no singular definition of what makes a city great," he said. "But there is a general consensus around many of the key ingredients."
Elliott said that recipe for greatness relies on a combination of elements, such as safety and security, a strong infrastructure, a high quality of life, diverse job and housing opportunities, cultural vibrancy, a sense of community, openness and inclusivity and strategic urban planning.
The mayor turned a spotlight on many of the projects and major investments that have been taking place around Wheeling. Millions of dollars worth of investments from the public and private sectors have turned the city into a mosaic of construction zones today with the promise of a revitalized community that will continue to roll with that momentum into the future.
Sticking to Elliott's State of the City tradition, the mayor recognized several individuals from the community who have helped provide those key ingredients that help make a city great.
Looking to the past, the annual Gateway Award recognizes the contribution of a community leader whose efforts through previous decades helped shape the Wheeling of today. This year's Gateway Award honoree was the late Harry Hamm, former editor of the Wheeling News-Register who spent half a century serving the local community.
"It is difficult to find anyone in the annals of local history whose life was more dedicated to the advancement of Wheeling than former newspaper editor Harry Hamm," Elliott said, noting that through both his many editorials and his Wheeling 2000 plan, Hamm helped set forth a bold vision for the future of the city that is being realized through its rebirth today.
Moving to the present, Elliott honored local businesswomen Jessica Barclay and Vanessa Craig for exhibiting "precisely the type of entrepreneurial spirit that came to define the Wheeling of old." Barclay and Craig own and operate the Play N Stay Pet Camp, a growing daycare and dog boarding business with multiple locations -- including a sprawling new location in South Wheeling that opened in December of last year. They also operate ThrIVe Wheeling -- an alternative wellness and aesthetics spa on downtown Main Street.
Elliott applauded the city's first responders for providing that key element of safety and security, congratulating the Wheeling Fire Department and Wheeling Police Department for finally getting new state-of-the-art headquarters this year -- and those who helped bring these new facilities to fruition. The mayor also tipped his hat to Kelly Tucker, the new executive director of the Greater Wheeling Sports & Entertainment Authority, for "turning up the volume" on higher quality concerts and shows at WesBanco Arena and the Capitol Theatre.
The mayor honored Maestro John Devlin, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra music director, and Frank O'Brien, executive director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau, for their impactful contributions to the community. Devlin -- who makes his home in Wheeling, unlike his predecessors -- has helped lead the WSO into a new chapter with programming that transcends the boundaries of the traditional classical music arena. O'Brien -- known to many as a longtime former television news anchor -- has lead the CVB in efforts that include the revitalization of the historic Capitol Theatre to pushing toward the creation of a new welcome center near the Wheeling Suspension Bridge at the site of the former Wheeling Inn, which is expected to razed.
This year's Community Spirit Award recipient was Suff. Bishop Darrell Cummings, longtime pastor of the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple and beloved community leader who has established his reputation of a champion endeavors that help those in need.
"For all his accolades and accomplishments, through all his friendships and appointments, he has stayed true to the core reasons that drove him into the ministry in the first place - a message of hope, economic opportunity and justice for all," Elliott said of Cummings.
Kristy Ferguson, owner of Elite Massage Therapy and president of the Elm Grove Business Association, was honored for her efforts in supporting local businesses by supporting endeavors in the local community. The Friends of Wheeling was also honored for its focus on education and advocacy for historic preservation, nurturing a growing passion for what is among the city's biggest assets: its history and its historic architecture.
The State of the City address used to be delivered in February each year until the pandemic forced the event to be delayed. Elliott moved it to July and then chose to keep it in the summer in order to avoid potential conflicts with upcoming election seasons, as terms for city officials begin in July. Hence, Elliott will have delivered seven State of the City addresses instead of eight, with Tuesday's being his final address.
"Last but not least, thank you to my beautiful wife Cassandra for being willing to share me with my mistress -- the city -- for the past seven-plus years," he said.
Elliott concluded by quoting U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who touted Wheeling's ongoing transformation during his visit to the Friendly City last week.
"'I'd say it's a proud community, and it's a community that's been through ups and downs, but it's on the way up right now,'" Elliott read from Buttigieg's quote in the newspaper. "'You can feel the energy here. You can see that sense of momentum here. If Wheeling was a stock, I'd be buying.'
"Mr. Secretary, I agree. And as I look out into this room of fellow Wheeling shareholders, I think it's safe to say that this is not a time to sell."