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Every once in a while I take time to reminisce about the changes I've observed over the years in our communities.
Small or large, the passage of time always plays witness to change. Some go by without a thought, while others become a noted part of our history.
We've all witnessed the largest physical change in our community in years with the demolition of several of the former Weirton Steel structures to make room for future development opportunities.
There have been smaller, but no less important, adjustments, as well. I remember a time when the area where the state office building now stands in Weirton was used as parking for the Weirton Police Department. The parking area across from the state building, the one located next to the Edwin J. Bowman Field, was once home to a lumber yard.
The Weirton Event Center was once home to Cove School. Our staff pretty much had a front-row seat for the former school's demolition as our office had been located just a few doors up the street. I remember snow flurries on a couple of the days of the demolition. Then, an empty field where generations of Weirtonians once received their education.
While buildings such as those are no longer here, others have since been built to offer a home for new opportunities. The Weirton Event Center, as an example, provides live musical entertainment most Fridays during the summer months. The Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center and the Summit Art Gallery are two others which we probably never would have imagined back when I started at this publication.
A building which housed a thriving retail store for many years is in the process of renovations for a couple of businesses. Where Wal-Mart now stands was the site of the Weirton Steel corporate offices, and where Wal-Mart used to be is home to a variety of restaurants, retail outlets, gyms, and medical offices.
Businesses have come and gone, and so have the people.
There are so many names of people who have made a difference in this community but are no longer with us. A little more than a week ago, we lost one such community leader with the passing of Nathaniel "Sonny" Marino. Many knew Sonny from his time as a magistrate in Brooke County. I knew him more for his work as a long-time member of the Weirton Area Water Board. He was always kind, always greeted you with a smile, and, as noted in his obituary, when asked how he was doing, often responded with "I saw daylight today."
We're losing many of those "old-guard" community leaders; people like Sonny, Victor Greco, Barbara Matey and many others who stepped up because they saw a need and were willing to fill it. I see a few from the younger generations who are following that example, which brings me hope for our future. They see a need in our community, or they have a dream, and they put in the work to make it happen.
They are community volunteers and entrepreneurs, without whom we wouldn't have some of the new attractions in our area.
The city of Weirton, and the rest of the Upper Ohio Valley, will continue to go through changes in the coming years. There will be older structures disappearing, new buildings constructed, faces disappearing and arriving. Some projects and efforts may be short-term, while others will become building blocks for the future.
Change will continue to happen. It makes me wonder how our community will look in another 20 years.
(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter @CHowellWDT)