North Wheeling to the Northern Parkway. Fulton. And, yes, of course, Wheeling Island.
Those are the neighborhoods included in Ward 2, a section of the Friendly City that is mostly residential but also home to several eateries that have proven to be local favorites. Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack is a major contributor of tax dollars, and the ward also is near the top of B&O Tax collections.
Those three areas also have been greatly impacted by the bridge construction projects along with Interstate 70 with noise, road closures, lane restrictions, and detour traffic.
On the Ballot
For decades, the second ward has been represented by a Wheeling Island resident, including Vern Seals and current Councilman Kem Imer, who is running for a third term. Four others entered the race: a resident of downtown, one from North Wheeling, and two more from Wheeling Island.
Imer and his wife have three daughters, and he is employed by Legacy Truck Center in Wheeling. Although he considered not running for re-election this year, Imer was encouraged by members of the Wheeling Island Community Association to file once again.
Charlie Ballouz has run for this seat several times, coming very close in 2016, when Imer defeated him by the slimmest of margins. Ballouz served for several years on the Ohio Valley Transit Authority and was the chair for more than a decade. He has lived in downtown Wheeling for the past three decades, organized a successful petition against the two-way proposal for Main and Market streets, and is not afraid to speak out when he feels it is necessary.
Wheeling Island resident Alex Coogan owns several businesses in the Wheeling area, including Eden Family Restaurant at 135 Virginia St. on the Island. Coogan is a minimalist when it comes to government and regulations, and he works very hard as a successful entrepreneur.
Joe Key is a resident of North Wheeling, an Air Force veteran, retired from the U.S. Postal Service, and has a long history of coaching on the high school and college levels. This run for city council represents his first attempt to gain a public seat, but he has been engaged with the local community in many capacities for many years.
Ben Seidler, a resident of the north end of Wheeling Island, unofficially initiated his council campaign two years ago primarily out of frustration because of a lack of property maintenance on Wheeling Island. Seidler has staged community meetings in all areas of the ward since, and his red, white, and blue signs can be seen in those areas, as well.
Just Fine and the Fixes
Much of the city’s Victorian history has been preserved along W.Va. Route 2 in North Wheeling, but change has taken place in the neighborhood through the years. Once, riverboats were manufactured along the coast of the Ohio River, but these days a long stretch of the Heritage Trails sprawls along the shores as do a boat club and public housing.
As is the case in many areas of Wheeling, dilapidation is an issue along with sidewalk garbage, heavy traffic, and crime connected to drug trafficking.
Many of those issues are present on Wheeling Island as well, and although a plethora of demolitions has taken place recently, many more are necessary, according to the membership of the Wheeling Island Community Association. The Association is one of the most active in the city while engaging members of the Wheeling Police Department, other city officials, and state representatives.
The closure of the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge has drastically decreased access for Wheeling Island residents, but the span will remain shuttered for at least two more years for a rehabilitation project that is not scheduled to begin until 2021.
The Fulton area has stayed the same for many years with longtime businesses and organizations like Ace Garage, Dairy Queen, Walter Construction, the transportation center for Ohio County Schools, and the El Tor Gotto, but PPG Paints and Pickles Eatery and Bar represent two new operations for the neighborhood.
