Columns

No Free Rides

Ever since I was old enough to understand about money, I wanted to earn my way. With 11 siblings, allowances were pretty much unheard of unless you were told specifically that you would be paid for washing the car or raking leaves. Even at the preadolescent age of 12, I could earn some money by babysitting in our neighborhood that was experiencing a true baby boom. There were jobs to be had, but babysitting was sporadic. There was no guarantee each week of earning enough money to purchase my heart’s desires. At 50 cents an hour, babysitting wasn’t always lucrative enough to allow ...

Ready For A Night On The Town

There was a time in the Ohio Valley when streets were teeming with people on Saturdays in downtowns for shopping or for the nightlife of shows, movies or dance clubs. The population of many cities, such as Wheeling, supported these crowds and activities. During those years, you could open your local paper phone book and find listings for just about anyone who lived in your town or the businesses that were located there. Before the invention of the Internet, a phone book was an invaluable tool, especially for someone in the news business. The countless times I perused the yellow ...

Just in Time for the Holidays a Brighter, Better Glass Museum

Oglebay Institute welcomed antique enthusiasts, donors and friends to the grand reopening of its Glass Museum this past Monday evening with an event called “Raise Your Glass.” Since I am a forever fan of antiques and local history, I was pleased to attend. Plus, I’m an active member of the Museum Committee and former employee of OI, and I know how valuable the work of OI is to our region. It was a lovely party and opportunity to see the thousands of glittering glass treasures showcased in the renovated space, located in the lower level of the Carriage House Glass building at ...

It’s Up To All Of Us

Nov. 8 cannot come soon enough. I just want it to be over. I am tired of opening my mailbox to the daily onslaught of political propaganda. These unsolicited cards and letters have served as fuel for an evening blaze or two in our fire pit. The TV advertisements are even more repugnant with opponents’ claims of scandal, lies and wrongdoings. I’ve gotten pretty good at using the mute button on the TV. It seems as though the mud-slinging and political rhetoric have been going on a lot longer than past pre-mid-term election fodder. I get the importance of the races at ...

A Ghastly Ghostly Night

Remember when the worst thing that could happen to you on Halloween night during trick-or-treating was if your treat bag broke or fell into a deep puddle? As kids, we learned to take precautions such as lifting pillowcases right off our beds to use for collecting Hershey bars, Milky Ways, PomPoms, Butterfingers, M&Ms, Bazooka gum and even homemade goodies such as popcorn balls and candy apples. Things have certainly changed regarding Halloween since a generation of baby boomers roamed the streets in search of candy. First came the reports of needles or razor blades stuck inside ...

Trick-or-treaters will soon be at the door, and though popular costumes and masks change, some things never change. One of these is PEZ, the ever-popular collectible that enthusiasts have enjoyed amassing for generations. Kids still enjoy the clever and collectible PEZ gadgets filled with candy. PEZ Candy Inc. says that the business has been a part of the American scene for more than 50 years. First marketed as a compressed peppermint candy 95 years ago in Vienna, Austria, the interesting name comes from the German word for peppermint — pfefferminz — combining the first, middle ...