Columns

Something Gained, Something Lost

There was a time not so long ago that residents of the Ohio Valley did not feel the need to lock their doors. In fact, many homeowners installed screens on their windows and screen doors at the front and back of their homes. This was to allow the free flow of air in the pre- and post-World War II built homes that did not include the luxury of whole house air conditioning. Some of the beautiful Victorian style homes had oversized windows and glass porch doors for the same reason. The hot, humid summers of this region prompted residents to use any means possible to stay cool without ...

Queen Elizabeth II Souvenirs Treasured

If you’re like me, you are following the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II daily. I’m amazed at the pomp and circumstance and adherence to tradition, protocol and duty that the people of the United Kingdom embrace and celebrate. The UK does ceremonies so well. Of course, I’ve ...

Major Was The Best Dog

It’s been just a few short weeks, but I still look out the front door expecting to see him lumbering this way. Major lived a good stone’s throw from our house. He was a regular visitor to our home, nearly every day in his last years. He had his own food and water dishes in our home, ...

Painted Porcelain Offers an Interesting Relic From the Past

I received an interesting phone call from a former resident of Wheeling, George Carenbauer, not long ago. Carenbauer now resides in the Washington, D.C., area but enjoys antiques. He and his sister, Ellen Carenbauer Hazera, an artist living in Bordeaux, France, are considering the idea of an art exhibition to be held in Wheeling that would highlight a very special painting done by their mother, Elsa Eick Carenbauer in 1903. He shared a photo of his mother’s artwork and the story behind it. “Our grandmother, Elsa Eick Carenbauer, did a remarkable painting on china in 1903 when ...

Still Time For Ice Cream

The signs are all there. The sights and sounds are undeniable. Sitting on the porch at the crest of the evening, it became apparent that summertime, as we know it, is waning. My rose bushes are looking a little sickly from too much heat and several nights of downpours. However, the hummingbirds are swooping in and out of the roses, making swift work of the feeders I’ve hidden there. I was hoping to fool the bees but they continue to share the sweet water with the birds. The tomato and pepper plants are still producing but not as they once did. The cucumber plants have given up the ...

Don’t Look Down

My first recollection of ever crossing the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was in the back of my parents’ old DeSoto. The car was white and green and had one of those problem-plagued push-button gearshifts. While there may have been weight and height restrictions on the bridge at that time, I only remember the signs instructing cars to maintain 50 feet between one another. I believe we were headed to one of the circus performances that were held at the Island Stadium in the blazing heat of a July afternoon. However, prior to making our way to the stadium, our parents made sure to take ...