He remembers when Oglebay’s Par 3 had lights at night and when there were monkeys on display at Wheeling Park. That’s back when the White Palace was a hollow expo hall, there wasn’t a waterslide at Wheeling Park’s pool, and before the first glimmers of the Festival of Lights.
That’s because, when Gene Fahey was graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1981, Elby’s was still open, there were lots of feet on the city’s downtown streets, South Wheeling smelled like Green’s Donuts in the morning and Mail Pouch during the afternoons and evenings, and kids still climbed trees.
Fahey is so local that his father was Wheeling’s mayor a little more than 30 years before he was the city’s vice mayor for eight years, and that’s likely why Gene followed Jack into a similar life in public service that’s advanced all the way to the Wheeling Park Commission. The five-member WPC was created by the West Virginia Legislature in March 1935 to manage Wheeling’s two parks, and the current members include R. Gregory McDermott, David H. McKinley, Justin Seibert, Joan Stamp, and Fahey.
“It’s very eye-opening. What you get to see and discuss as one of the commissioners and what you see and experience as a local resident are two very different things,” Fahey said matter-of-factly. “That’s always the first thing I say when I’m asked about it because I thought I knew a lot about what goes into operating the parks are operated, but I was wrong about that.
“As residents, we’ve come to take the amenities in the park for granted without really knowing how they’re funded, how they are maintained, or how many people work for the two parks,” he explained. “That’s been one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, and the other is that the people in this community are unbelievably generous when it comes to giving to our parks.”
The Oglebay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created in 1996 to support and maintain Oglebay and Wheeling Park, and Eriks Janelsins is president and CEO with a staff of five and an Executive Board that includes the Commission’s members.
“I really have no idea why I was considered for the Wheeling Park Commission,” Fahey said with a laugh. “I know I have my experience with the city of Wheeling as a council member, I’ve always been active in the community, and I’ve come to know a lot of people because of what I do for a living. So, I’m sure those things helped, but I’ll always be a guy from Wheeling, W.Va.
“It’s very fulfilling work because of the overall mission of the Wheeling Park Commission,” he said. “I’ve known for a long time how important the parks are to the city and its future, and it’s an incredible honor to be in this position.”
‘The Real Machine’
He’s involved, and he has been for years.
Long before he was elected to represent Elm Grove and the rest of Ward 6 in 2008, Fahey was involved with a plethora of professional and civic groups, and he’s remained active since his city service concluded in 2016.
And he made an impression.
“Gene was an excellent city council member and vice mayor for eight years,” Herron said. “He was a thoughtful legislator, and he was very in-tune with the city’s finances. Gene could look envision where the budget was going into the future, and that’s a terrific perspective to have when you are serving in such a position.
“Gene is a very nice man who is very respected as a businessman and a family man in the community, and I was very happy to support his appointment to the Wheeling Park Commission through the Chamber of Commerce,” he said. “He also serves on our Municipal Building Commission, and his financial acuteness has really paid dividends for the city.”
That’s likely why he’s amazed and intrigued with Wilson Lodge, a resort hotel with 250 rooms, an indoor pool, sauna, and jacuzzi, two restaurants, fitness and business centers, and 54 cottages and estate houses around the grounds. Families enjoy vacations, corporations stage conferences, golf groups visit often, and special events take place throughout each year, and it’s the Lodge that’s always in the center of the activity.
“One thing I don’t think I understood about the parks and the funding is that Wilson Lodge is the real machine,” Fahey said. “We spend a lot of time as a Commission on revenue and expenses, and the majority of that has to do with the lodge. If Wilson Lodge wasn’t the special place it is for so many locally and around the country, Oglebay and Wheeling Park wouldn’t be what they are today.
“It was a true blessing when Earl Oglebay gave the City of Wheeling the park property, and I’m honored that the Wheeling Chamber of Commerce chose me for the Commission,” he said. “The impact the parks have on the local economy and the quality of life here in the Wheeling area is incredible, and that’s why I take the position so seriously.”
Wheeling Park is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, and Oglebay will host its fifth Food Truck Festival on September 13th, the 48th OglebayFest from October 3rd-5th, and the Festival of Lights will shine for a 41st year, beginning November 6th and glowing until January 4th.
And Fahey believes there’s much more to follow in the years to come.
“I think the vision right now is to make sure the parks are in really good condition from a physical standpoint. Sometimes, it’s more of a struggle financially to be able to get everything we do look easy, but that’s always the goal,” Fahey explained. “I have to say Bob Peckenpaugh has his eye on the ball, and right now that means we’ll have the best facilities.
“It’s always about doing the best for this community, and doing our best for those who travel here because, let’s be honest, traveling isn’t cheap,” he added. “So, when someone selects Oglebay, it’s a commitment, and that’s why we want to make sure they love it so much, they keep coming back.
“I believe everyone connected to these operations understands that mission, and that’s why I think the future is very bright for this community and for our parks.”
