A Short History of Wheeling Naturalist George H. Breiding Natalie Kovacs September 24, 2021 With the leaves changing and students going back to school, it’s the perfect time to reflect and appreciate all of the opportunities for learning that exist outside of the classroom. Oglebay Institute is one of...
A Tennis Giant: Arthur Ashe at Oglebay Emma Wiley February 8, 2021 In July 1960, Wheeling had a 16-year-old visitor to the tennis courts of Oglebay. Few knew that this young African American boy would become one of the greatest American tennis players of all time. His name was...
New Deal Projects at Oglebay Park Anna Cipoletti January 20, 2021 As a staple institution in the Wheeling community, Oglebay Park serves as a place for entertainment, recreation, history, and celebration. While many people are familiar with the history of Earl W. Oglebay and ...
Master Gardeners Make a Difference in Community Earl Nicodemus July 17, 2020 Did you like to play in the dirt when you were a little girl or boy? Do you still like to play in the dirt? If so, then you are a good candidate for the Master Gardener program. The Master Gardener pro...
Oglebay to Livestream 92nd Annual Easter Sunrise Service Provided April 9, 2020 Since 1927, Oglebay Park has hosted an Easter Sunrise Service, which remains the longest-running program in the park’s history. At 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 12, Oglebay will preserve this time-honored traditi...
OGLEBAY OFFERS FREE ROOMS TO FRONT-LINE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS DURING COVID-19 Provided April 7, 2020 Oglebay is offering free accommodations to local doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, front-line responders and other medical professionals who are helping in the fight against COVID-19. Medical professi...
How WEE Met Winners: First Meeting Was a Real Ice-Breaker Phyllis Sigal February 10, 2020 John Tankovits still feels like that lucky teenage boy who met the love of his life on a winter’s night at Wheeling Park’s ice rink 40 years ago. He thinks perhaps that was the “special ingredient” in his and h...
‘Suspended Aggravation’: Chapter 1 Nora Edinger February 2, 2020 Editor's note: Suspended Aggravation is an original, Wheeling-centric novel by Nora Edinger and is published exclusively through Weelunk. While some of the places mentioned in Suspended Aggravation are real (or...
Donors Make Upgrades Possible at Oglebay Good Zoo Provided January 18, 2020 Through the generosity of donors, Oglebay’s Good Zoo has started a multi-phased plan of upgrades scheduled for 2020. “The first phase is focused on the Family Farm Yard area by the red barn,” said Dr. Joe Gr...
CONTEST: How Did You Meet the Love of Your Life? Phyllis Sigal January 3, 2020 Share your story in Weelunk’s "How WEE Met" contest and win a "Romance Weekend" prize package from Oglebay! Details below. Here are three couples’ “How WEE Met” stories — to help serve as examples: ...
FRIDAY TRYDAY: Oglebay’s Frosted Hilltop Laura Jackson Roberts December 6, 2019 Editor’s note: Laura Jackson Roberts loves a new adventure. And in that vein, we’ve started our occasional “FRIDAY TRYDAY” series, where she will be trying out and sharing with readers a variety of experiences...
WORKING OUR WAY BACK TO YOU: Gerry Reilly on Doing History Right Phil Gable November 6, 2019 Editor’s note: Our series, Working Our Way Back to You, profiles Ohio Valley natives who have left town but returned to the community that created them. In today’s story, writer Phil Gable introduces us to Gerr...
New Attractions at Oglebay’s Winter Festival of Lights Provided November 3, 2019 More than 300 acres of Oglebay’s landscape will come alive with twinkling light displays at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, as the annual Winter Festival of Lights kicks off for the 2019 holiday season. Through Jan. 5...
Bordas & Bordas Presents $10,000 to Oglebay Foundation’s Access to the Parks Program Provided September 30, 2019 Bordas & Bordas partner Scott Blass presented the Oglebay Foundation with a $10,000 check today, Monday, Sept. 30, at Oglebay’s Crispin Golf Course. The funds, proceeds from the Bordas & Bordas Amateur ...
EARL’S CAPERS WITH KIDS: Fun at the Fair Earl Nicodemus September 29, 2019 Earl’s note: Here is another in a short series about things to do with kids. Today, we go to the Ohio County Country Fair. This year's fair is set for Oct. 4-6. The refreshing autumn breeze carries the aro...
Wells Fargo Advisors Funds Oglebay Foundation Efforts Provided September 13, 2019 Wells Fargo Advisors recently presented a $20,000 check to the Oglebay Foundation, which will provide scholarship funds for the foundation’s Access to the Parks program. Access to the Parks ensures all child...
BILL HOGAN’S MUSINGS: Poppa’s One, Two, Three Bill Hogan August 24, 2019 Driving through Wheeling Park, I noticed a sign — “Bandstand” — and followed it to the top of the hill. I haven’t been up there in decades. The last time was for a party we had there when the rails around the b...
Beautify the City With Orrick for its 2019 Pride in Wheeling Day Provided May 25, 2019 It’s that time of year again, when organizations come together to launch cleanup and beautification efforts and celebrate the LGBTQ community’s contributions to the city. For the third year in a row, Orrick is ...
Wee Asked Hydie Friend Jeremy Morris May 20, 2019 WEEasked some simple questions — and your neighbors, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, even some strangers, answered. Get to know them a little bit better with our fun series, “WEEasked.” Look for it a couple...
Ohio Valley Summer Event Guide Dedicated to ‘Scat’ Phyllis Sigal May 13, 2019 Four years ago, Robert “Scat” Scatterday, wanted to get the word out about all the summer concert events around the Ohio Valley, and put those events in one easy-to-access publication. He took his idea to the C...
Get Fired Up for Route 88 BBQ & Brew Phyllis Sigal April 26, 2019 Sitting around the fire pit, making s’mores, sipping a glass of wine or having an ice-cold craft brew. Playing a bit of corn toss. Listening to some live music on a Saturday night. Sounds like summer backyar...
Oglebay Foundation Honors Hess Family, Hydie Friend Provided April 25, 2019 At its second annual donor recognition and awards breakfast on April 24, the Oglebay Foundation honored the Hess Family and Hydie Friend for exemplary contributions to Oglebay and Wheeling parks. The breakfast ...
Oglebay to Host Free Spring Horticulture Demos Provided April 21, 2019 Escape into the fascinating world of horticulture on Saturday, April 27, for an afternoon of free educational programming on herbs, succulents, combo gardens, miniature gardens and hypertufa containers led by O...
Guide Helps Visitors, Residents to Navigate Wheeling Area Attractions Phyllis Sigal March 20, 2019 It’s glossy! It’s colorful! And it’s jam-packed with what to do, where to eat and places to stay in the Wheeling-Ohio County area and beyond. “IT” is the fresh-off-the-presses 2019 Wheeling Visitors Guide, c...
Nuptials at Oglebay: Have a Wedding Just Like Sarita’s Stacey Miller Sacco February 15, 2019 Surrounded by friends and family in the midst of the elaborate formal gardens of the Oglebay estate, Sarita Oglebay Burton celebrated her second marriage in 1922. The only daughter of Earl Oglebay, Sarita had t...
There’s No Business Like Snow Business at Oglebay’s Slopes Laura Jackson Roberts February 8, 2019 The first thing Nick Janovich, Oglebay’s golf course superintendent and ski area manager, wants you to know about the ski slope at the Nutting Winter Sports Complex is that he can’t just whip up a batch of snow...
More Than Meets the Eye at Oglebay Thanks to National Training Center Kelly Strautmann January 31, 2019 A lot of things come to mind when you think of Oglebay — the Festival of Lights, the Good Zoo, Oglebayfest — just to name a few. But there is something else that takes place at Oglebay in the off-season that br...
POSTSCRIPTS FROM THE EDGE(WOOD): Sledding in the Ohio Valley — A Family Tradition Christina Fisanick January 26, 2019 1 It was the first snow of 2019. Two inches or so covered the lawns and sidewalks throughout Wheeling with a bit more on the outlying hills. Like most kids, my 7-year-old son sprang out of bed that frosty morning...
Wheeling Makes History at 12th Night Costume Ball Phyllis Sigal January 7, 2019 Ebenezer Zane posed for a photo with sister Betty, and her son-in-law Ebenezer Martin stopped by to say hello before she went for a brief gunpowder run around Oglebay’s Glessner Auditorium, all while Elvis danc...
Weelunk Writer Takes Readers on a Sparkling Tour of Oglebay Christina Fisanick December 16, 2018 Everyone who knows me knows that I love all things Oglebay — the history, the lakes, the lodge, the rolling hills. And yet up until this year, I had all but sworn off the Festival of Lights. That is, until I wa...
Recipe for a ‘Capitol’ Holiday Ryan Norman November 19, 2018 Take six parts theatrical spectacle, add a dash of distinctive cuisine, fold in a trip to one of many unhidden gems — and what do you have? All the ingredients for a delectable visit to Wheeling. Treat this ...
Oglebay’s Holiday Tradition: The Best Light Laura Jackson Roberts November 9, 2018 The Festival of Lights is Oglebay’s crown jewel, and on Thursday, Nov. 8, it went live for its 33rd year. That’s a lot of years, a lot of light and a lot of excited young faces hanging out car windows. Many of ...
Happy Trails to Oglebay Laura Jackson Roberts November 6, 2018 Right now, people are walking in Oglebay Park. Some walk with dogs, some run through the woods. Some walk with a cane or motor along in an electric power-chair. Parents push strollers, and kids run ahead, aroun...
Ohio County Country Fair in Pictures Earl Nicodemus October 22, 2018 1 Welcome to the Ohio County Country Fair! Held in conjunction with Oglebayfest during the first weekend in October every year, the Ohio County Country Fair has become a cherished tradition here in the upper Ohio...
Boo at the Zoo Unmasked Christina Fisanick October 11, 2018 The Oglebay Good Zoo held its first Boo at the Zoo in October 1980 as a way to raise funds for animal care and zoo operations and to invite the community to enjoy safe, family-oriented Halloween fun. It quickly...
Roll Out the History: IPA Master Brewer Once Owned Waddington Farm Christina Fisanick October 2, 2018 Recent years have witnessed the rise in popularity of India Pale Ale (IPA), a kind of brew known for its bitterness and often higher alcohol content. Few people realize, however, that one of North America’s bes...
A Little Northern Comfort at Oglebay Provided September 20, 2018 The flow of Hurricane Florence evacuees to Oglebay began trickling into Wheeling on mid-morning Friday last week. Nestled in the rolling hills of Wheeling, Oglebay opened its arms and hosted those displaced ...
Parks to Host Job Fair Provided September 9, 2018 Are you looking for a rewarding full-time career, a part-time role or a seasonal position? If so, don’t miss the Oglebay and Wheeling Park job fair from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Oglebay Pin...
TIME TO GREEN UP: Oglebay Makes Greens Greener Nora Edinger August 27, 2018 As part of a continuing series on how Wheeling is greening up, Weelunk looks today at the non-profit sector. Area readers are likely familiar with Oglebay’s full-scale switch to LED bulbs for the annual Festiva...
Cottages Have Been Offering Overnight Hospitality to Oglebay Guests for 80 Years Christina Fisanick August 17, 2018 Although Oglebay Park is widely known for its rolling vistas, hiking trails, and golf courses, sometimes guests like to spend a bit more time than just an afternoon fishing at Schenk Lake or swimming at the out...
Barger’s Career Rooted in Oglebay’s Hillsides Phyllis Sigal August 10, 2018 4 “It gives me chills thinking about Brooks.” Andy Barger stood — as tall as a small tree at 6-foot-4 — near the “Brooks E. Wigginton Arboretum” sign on the hilltop, overlooking trees and flower plantings and ...
Spirit of Oglebay Award Goes to ‘Mr. Oglebay’ — Randy Worls Phyllis Sigal July 27, 2018 2 Every morning, Randy Worls wakes up with one thing on his mind: How to continue improving Oglebay and Wheeling parks. Sixty-four years — about 70 percent of the time that Oglebay has been a park — that’s how...
Oglebay – The Park That Almost Wasn’t Christina Fisanick July 25, 2018 4 Imagine Wheeling without Oglebay Park. … At one point that nightmare was nearly reality. As one of the largest self-sustaining city parks in the country, Oglebay Park rubs shoulders with just a select few...
TIME TO GREEN UP: Merrimans ‘Bin’ There, Recycle That Nora Edinger July 16, 2018 Editor's note: Today begins a series of stories on how Wheeling is "greening up." In two stories this week, Weelunk looks at the power of one. Today, we feature uber recycler Joanna Merriman, who discusses what...
Oglebay’s Access to the Parks Program Provides Opportunities for Togetherness Laura Jackson Roberts July 4, 2018 When we think back to our own childhoods in the Ohio Valley, we likely find our memories are inextricably intertwined with the green hills of Oglebay Park. There are many storied traditions. Some families spend...
Free Family Fun at Medieval Family Fun Faire Darrin Cox July 2, 2018 Donning armor and smiting your enemies with a sword has always made for compelling storytelling. The popularity of Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings and other medieval-themed media attest to the fact that we l...
Oglebay Offers Group Mountain Biking Rides for All Skill Levels Provided June 18, 2018 Explore Oglebay Park on two wheels during group mountain biking rides every Tuesday at 6 p.m. and every Sunday at 11 a.m. through Labor Day weekend. Group rides begin at the Par 3 parking lot and last approx...
Help Make the City Shine at 2018 Pride in Wheeling Day Phyllis Sigal May 29, 2018 Shine, shine, shine, help them shine — the Nelson Jordan Center, Mt. Wood Overlook and Tunnel Green will get some sprucing up on Friday, June 1, at the second annual Pride in Wheeling Day. Orrick’s career a...
Much Well-Deserved Ado About Mom Weelunk Staff May 10, 2018 It’s Mother’s Day weekend, and there are plenty of events that cater to mom and kids! You can kick up your heels at a mother/son dance or run your toes off at a 5K. If neither of those is your cup of tea, well,...
Oglebay to Host Mother’s Day 5K Provided May 5, 2018 Lace up your sneakers for the Mother’s Day 5k Fun Run/Walk, slated for Saturday, May 12, at Oglebay. The race will begin at 10 a.m. in the upper parking lot of the Good Zoo. The cost to participate is $20 pe...
