At least you know where Ben Seidler stands.
Now, of course, opinions and coinciding stances adapt with more learned information, but the Ward 2 Wheeling Council member lets you know when that takes place, too.
His perspectives have changed, too, during the three years he has served his native city, and one reason is that the neighborhoods he represents are not the communities in which he was raised. And yeah, folks, living on Wheeling Island was such an enormous eye-opener, it’s the root reason why Seidler ran for the elected office in the first place.
He couldn’t believe his neighbors put up with what they were ignoring because it made no sense to Seidler to allow property value erosion. The stop-and-go traffic tied to drug dealing was in-your-face obvious, property code violations were prevalent, and the echoes of gunfire had become sadly ordinary.
And Seidler refused it all, campaigned and won the Ward 2 council seat, and since has continued to insist on what he believes makes the most sense for the folks on the Island, in North Wheeling, and in Fulton and Glenwood Heights. Ya know, like when he organized a week-long “Cleanup Day” for Wheeling Island.
And like when he helped guide the demolition plan for more than 100 junk structures over the past year or so.
And like when Seidler stormed out of the most recent council meeting because the person “Wishing to Be Heard” was an individual who has been an ardent critic of most events connected to the local LGBT+ community.
“Hate,” he said sternly on his way to the chamber’s exit, “has no place here.”
Especially not in the Friendly City, right?
As an IT director, what advice do you offer people most often about their use of social media and other things online?
People see what you say online, and once you write it, it never goes away. Keep the personal and especially relationship drama of your life off of social media and be kind and respectful to others.
People screenshot everything. Don’t write anything you wouldn’t say in front of your own mother.
Stay off of TikTok and keep your kids off of social media.
Do you feel your initiatives have made Wheeling Island a better place to live?
Definitely, but they are not only my initiatives. I’m working directly to support a large group leader of residents and these are our initiatives. Cleaning up the neighborhoods, tearing down the blighted buildings and making our neighborhoods more attractive and safer makes a difference each and every day.
What is your reply when someone complains to you about the conditions of Main and Market streets in downtown Wheeling?
“You are preaching to the choir and I feel your pain.”
Main and Market streets are state roads, not city roads, but it will be worth it. It’s also going to get worse before it gets better, but we have lived with it this long. We can make it through to the finish. It’s going to be worth it.
What are the best parts and the worst parts – other than the occasional flood – about living on the riverfront?
The view and direct access to the river is the best part. I can walk out my back door right down to the boat dock and just enjoy the views and the river.
The worst part would be that greedy chubby groundhog who is not a fan of sharing the vegetables from my garden.
Did you think the door to Council chambers would make such a loud noise when you slammed it while leaving the Council meeting on May 2nd?
It wasn’t loud enough from my side of the door but, based on the overwhelmingly positive response from both Republicans and Democrats, I think I made my point loud and clear.
When there are people who are so seemingly miserable with everything else in their lives that they feel the need to spew their hate all over other people because of who they are, who they love, or the color of their skin, you just need to close that door and leave those people behind.
There is no room for hate in my world, outside of the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots, that is.
