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I was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia nearly 70 years ago. My birth took place at the now defunct and nearly demolished Ohio Valley Medical Center. That hospital, ironically, was also the site of my father's childhood home before giving way for the hospital construction.
While running errands in the Center Wheeling area on Monday -- the day of the lunar eclipse -- we found ourselves near the demolition work at the old OVMC. There is something about those monstrous sized machines that begs observers to stop and watch. And we did.
With each swing of the massive crane ball, another section of the old hospital tumbled down. Large machines then scooped up the remains to be hauled away in dump trucks. With each swallow of that building, pieces of history went with those trucks. I don't care how young or old you are, you can't help but be fascinated by the process. And when it's all done, a new WVU Medicine Cancer Center will be erected on the spot.
Soon there will be even more demolition work at the ailing Center Wheeling Parking Garage that also formerly housed the Wheeling Fire Department headquarters. That will be another fascination not to miss. There has to be a certain level of skill and precision to this tearing down work, and my hat is off to those tasked with the job. Often we only praise those who build things up without much thought to the workers and equipment that clear the path for new builds.
My husband and I witnessed the final flag lowering outside the fire headquarters before all personnel and vehicles were moved out to temporary quarters. It was bittersweet as he spent many years working out of that fire station before retiring.
Our day's travels through Center Wheeling was not only about things being torn down. Before leaving the area, we stopped for a bite to eat at the Hall of Fame Cafe just down the block on Market Street. After a delicious lunch, we found ourselves drawn to the commotion just outside the cafe. Hard-hatted workers were busy pouring and smoothing out the new deck on the Market Street Bridge.
The span had been severely damaged by a fire from a homeless campsite underneath the bridge in June of 2022. This vital artery in Center Wheeling has been closed since that summer almost two years ago.
Now we stood in awe as cement trucks took turns pouring their concrete contents onto the decking to give new life to the bridge.
Again it was with childlike wonder that we watched each worker go about his specific task to bring about the new layer of bridge.
It was just as fascinating to view this work of renewing the bridge as it was to watch a building be reduced to rubble just a block away.
We went away with a new sense of good things yet to come. Just watch and wait.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.