It’s about the upset; the surprise; the unexpected; and the dream come true.
And it is even more special when only a few folks believe it’s possible, whatever IT may be. That’s “against the odds,” and defeat is all too popular when probability and reality are stacked against.
But around here? In the Wheeling area? There’s a resilience and a fever to prove naysayers incorrect, and it’s enjoyable to witness the impossible and improbable take place despite realistic reason. That’s why this LEDE feature focuses on a few of those astonishing achievers from right here in our own front yard.
D-I at Duquesne
It’s the back of rim she focuses on when taking a shot, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a short jumper or another bomb from outside the 3, and when Alexis Bordas has taken her aim for the Lady Patriots of Wheeling Park High, the results have been positive more often than not.
The same can be said for Alexis and her selection of Duquesne University for her next step – yes, in basketball, but also for her education. The sharpshooter became the first ever Park player to record 2,000 points and she toppled a 44-year-old record – held by legend Dee Davis – when she became the high school’s all-time leading scorer on December 11th.
Following her spring graduation from WPHS, Alexis will move just up the interstate to Pittsburgh to play for the Division I Dukes thanks to her unmatched work ethic and dead-on determination.
Eat Up & Conquer the Cones!
For a while, traveling through downtown Wheeling could be compared to a mission behind enemy lines because of the barriers and detours and orange cones.
That’s why downtown businesses took a big financial hit, especially the 12 eateries location along or near Main and Market streets. So, the good folks at Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration jump into action and created the “Conquer the Cones” initiative, a contest that prompted patrons to dare the roadways and eat at the listed restaurants. The participants who collected the most “checks” then entered a drawing for a $1,000 prize. The winner for the fourth quarter should be announced soon after New Year’s Day.
An Iconic Career
Her retirement just took place on December 20, so it’s likely the loss of THE Brenda Danehart has not yet be fully felt by the staff she’s left behind.
But it will be.
Keri Brown is bringing her award-winning career to the WTRF newsroom, and her reporters will benefit from her experience here in the Wheeling area and beyond. She’ll be a perfect mentor for the freshman broadcasters, and the new news director will work with the community, break big news, and win even more awards because she’s a terrific journalist.
But 43 years in any business gives you gifts that can’t be handed down.
Luke’s Dupe’s Scoops
There was absolute outcry when the Fulton Dairy Queen in Wheeling did not open when the weather turned warm enough for the Little Leagues in April.
The owner retired after decades of soft-serve service and the classic DQ was put on the market. After driving passed the iconic building to and from Generations a plethora of times, Luke Duplaga addressed the demand and opened “Dupe’s Scoops” in September. They served the soft vanilla and chocolate, of course, but Duplaga added scoops, hot dogs, and Italian sausage subs, and the lines were long night after night all the way into the beginning of November.
The best part of all, though, was when he admitted, “This business will help me become the person I want to be.”
The Doctor Is In
He was the most popular primary care physician in the Wheeling area before his retirement, and he’s proven historic as Ohio County’s medical director, but Dr. Bill Mercer outdid himself with his Great Pumpkin Party on October 30th at the Toy & Train Museum in Elm Grove.
An event that started as a pie-in-the-sky idea blossomed into an event that attracted hundreds of children and their parents and guardians, and despite a few technical issues, an enjoyable time was had by all and planning for next year has already begun. Dr. Mercer received permission from family of Charles Schulz – the creator of The Peanuts – to show “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, and he conducted tours of his personal Peanuts display inside the Toy & Train Museum.
Along with caring for the seniors who now reside in local rest homes like Good Shepherd, Mercer is the director of Project Hope, a non-profit that delivers street medicine to the homeless popular in Wheeling.
