Why is Wheeling WV dead? Read on.....

The Fort Henry Mall of the 1970s – Doomed from the Start?

It was created in 1957 by the members of Wheeling City Council, and it was known as the Urban Renewal Authority. It was funded by the federal government via the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the adopted projects cleared more than 300 residential and commercial structures from the Friendly City’s landscape in less than 20 years.
The URA would submit plans to HUD officials once a specific project for a small area was selected, and once the funds were granted, the defined steps would be completed in stages. The first Wheeling-based project took place between 1970-71 in the Center Wheeling section and involved a two-block area along Main and Chapline streets and from 24^th to 26^th Street.
The U.S. Post Office, constructed complete with the city’s primary distribution center, was relocated to the area along Chapline Street, and an light-industrial shipping dock, large enough to accommodate more than 15 semi-tractor trailers at once, was built along Main Street.

This area of Center Wheeling was cleared of 195 homes to make way for the relocation of the U.S. Post Office and an industrial shipping facility. (Google Maps)

The project erased 195 residential properties in Center Wheeling.
The URA’s second adopted project once again attacked a residential neighborhood in Center Wheeling. A total of 42 homes were purchased and demolished, and constructed on the land was an medical education and administration building as well as a structure to house a comprehensive mental health facility.
“And then they progressively got more ambitious,” said Wayne Barte, a former city manager of Wheeling who began his municipal government career in 1972 as an assistant in the city’s development office. “The next project was called the ‘Neighborhood Development Project,’ and it involved making land available for the construction of homes at that time. It was east of Chapline Street in the East Wheeling area around the top of 13^th Street.
“That program involved grants and 3 percent loans, and architectural advice,” he continued. “That project was met by moderate success just like the others.”
The door knockers delivering eminent-domain messages were quite common in the Wheeling area between the mid-1950s through the 1970s, and along with the erasing of the Center Wheeling neighborhoods, the Elm Grove, East Wheeling, and South Wheeling areas lost hundreds of homes.
“Those projects were taking place during the same time we saw the interstates take many homes, and so did the construction of W.Va. Route 2 in several areas,” Barte said. “So all of these projects, put together, probably had something to do with the population decline in the city of Wheeling.
“While a lot of those people didn’t necessarily move away from the area, many of them moved out of Wheeling, and we saw communities like Bethlehem, Mozart, and Mount Olivet start to development with a lot of residential homes. Many of those folks moved up on those hillsides,” he continued. “When I was growing up in Bethlehem, I remember Mount Olivet being nothing but farm after farm, but now you see a lot of homes in that area, and all the demolitions that have taken place is the reason why.”

L.S. Good, which was once located in this open space just north of the 12th and Market intersection, was one of the identified “anchors” for the downtown mall concept.

Homes vs. Bulldozers
There is no telling what history and architecture were erased, but the good news is that Sean Duffy and staff members at the Ohio County Library have been collecting and archiving much history about Wheeling’s storied past. Many of those tales can be discovered by visiting Archiving Wheeling.
“I doubt government would be able to do what they orchestrated back then these days because it would not be acceptable, and it wouldn’t be tolerated today,” Barte said. “We have seen the reactions to similar projects in Center Wheeling for the Lowe’s development and in East Wheeling for the all-purpose ballfield. People have very strong feelings now about home ownership, property rights, and history, so anything like an Urban Renewal Authority and projects like these would be pretty hard to deal with now.
“Think about if someone came to you at your house today and said they were going to take your house and give you fair market value, whatever that might have been, and that they were going to pay some of your relocation costs. Think about how you would react to that today,” he continued. “These days when something similar takes place, we’re talking about vacant, abandoned properties like many of them were in East Wheeling, but then it involved knocking on doors and telling people to get out of their homes.”

Downtown Wheeling’s Market Plaza was an area that would have seen much change if the Fort Henry Mall development would have taken place.

Although it does not seem too long ago, a different attitude about history was employed by both private residents and civic leaders in middle years of the 20^th Century. Any building considered “historical” couldn’t possibly be present in Wheeling, many at the time believed, despite the city’s recorded history concerning the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the creation of the state of West Virginia in 1863.
Here in Wheeling, old was just old back then, and that is likely why Independence Hall was once a dilapidated building that housed an insurance agency and a tropical-theme bar until former W.Va. Gov. Arch Moore identified it as historical in 1980.
“The character and the architecture of a home and of neighborhoods were not things that we took into an account back then, and it was the same way nationally,” Barte recalled. “There were a few places where preservation was important, like Washington, D.C. , Williamsburg, and Philadelphia, but when it came to projects like these the people picked out areas that were just considered old and not historic. There was a difference in the interpretation at that time.
“Now we work hard to preserve structures because of the architecture character, and the ones that fit with the character of the overall community,” he said. “But here, it was the Friends of Wheeling who were the first ones I recall identifying those types of structures. But I can tell you that Wheeling was not different from most cities around the country and Urban Renewal was really a federal effort to boost economies across the United States.”

The mall project would have placed a roof over much of the downtown district.

  

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A New Fort Henry?
The same mindset was present, according to the Urban Renewal Annual Report from 1970, when the Central Business District Project was the next difference-making, wrecking-ball-related, “revitalization” project that involved a downtown mall concept complete with a civic center near Wheeling Tunnel and not along the Ohio River at 14^th and Water streets.
“The anchor, in the beginning, was the construction of a civic center, and initially the location for the civic center is where the Montani Tower now is located,” Barte reported. “But the projections for the civic center came in way over budget, and they knew then that they would have to select a different site for that facility.
“The project then grew into what we know now as the Fort Henry Mall project, and the goal was to have 550,000 square feet of retail space by the year 1980, and the goal was from 1970 to 1990 to increase that amount of space to 770,500 square feet, and then to 1.6 million,” he recalled. “It was a multi-level concept that would have pedestrian walkways and a civic center that would have 6,500 seats. It would also have included a parking facility large enough for 2,500 cars.
“The original project was initially scheduled to begin in 1972 with the civic center and the parking structure, but they would have had to declare the downtown a blighted area, and that probably was the beginning of the downward spiral of the project. When you had, at that time, a busy downtown with a lot of businesses that were successful and you had to declare that 90 percent of it was a slum-and-blighted area, it was not the best public relations move.”

The Horne’s Building, recently purchased by the Regional Economic Development Authority, would have survived demolition under the Urban Renewal Authority’s plan.

The publicized intent, though, was to further strengthen Wheeling as the commercial center of northern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, and western Pennsylvania by revitalizing a prime portion of the city to realize the downtown’s full potential. Along with the civic center and an expansion of retail space, there would have been a pair of high-rise apartment towers, a Fort Henry Museum, a riverfront restaurant and other new eateries, a harbor facility for pleasure craft, and a parking garage that could have fit as many as 2,500 cars when all was said, taken, and done.
The plan also called for additional square footage with a goal of reach as many as 1.6 million square feet through property acquisitions that were scheduled to continue through 1990, and that was supposed to increase the amount of employment opportunities in Wheeling and the surrounding areas. The mall was to slope from Chapline Street to the riverfront, providing natural street access on several levels.
The civic center was initially planned for an area between Chapline and Market streets and between 10^th Street and the entrance to Wheeling Tunnel. Main Street was to continue to be open to one-way south traffic, and Market Street would have remained one-way to the north, but traffic patterns on Chapline and 11^th streets would have been altered to make way for the Fort Henry Mall.
Oh yes, and there would be one giant roof over it all.

Construction of the Fort Henry Mall would have taken nearly a decade according to the original plan released by the Urban Renewal Authority.

“Yes, for the lack of a better term, the Fort Henry Mall project involved covering over the downtown with a roof, and while the existing buildings would have remained, there would have been some new buildings, too,” Barte said. “The designs for the exterior were what were considered then as ‘modern’ and we’ve seen the same concept with the Wesbanco’s headquarters and the Boury Center (now Century Plaza) buildings. That was modern then.
There would have been enclosed pedestrian walkways that would have linked all of the stores between Main and Chapline streets, and some areas would have been open-air. The shopper, according the project plan, still would have the opportunity to shop in air-conditioned areas during the summer and heated areas during the winter months. The complete mall complex would have encompassed the blocks between 10^th and 12^th streets and from Chapline to Water streets and would have been constructed in several areas over a five-to-seven year period.
Until the people were heard, that is.

It was the voters of Wheeling – not officials of the city of Wheeling – that stood against the Urban Renewal Authority.

Under a Monster’s Attack
The first stage was initially scheduled to begin in 1972 and was to include the construction of the civic center, structures for a new department store and specialty shops, a pedestrian plaza, and a 400-car parking garage. The second stage was set to begin in 1975 and would have been dominated by the building of an apartment and office tower, and the third stage, between Main and Market streets, was set to start in late -1976 and would have provided an expansion of available retail space.
And then the fourth and final stage in the development of the Fort Henry Mall, scheduled for a two-year phase (1978-1980), would have included a new marina, a riverfront restaurant, the museum near the original site of Fort Henry (constructed in 1777), and a plethora of pedestrian areas.
But that is when business owners and prominent citizens partnered to oppose the Fort Henry Mall, and their efforts ultimately proved most successful. The group distributed propaganda which featured a sketch of a King Kong-like character with a two-pawed strangle-hold on the Friendly City’s downtown district.
“The businesses that were open within the designated area would have remained because why would anyone want to get rid of a successful business? Think about it. Why would you bring in a business like Kay Jewelers when you already had jewelry stores that had served people in this city for years? That part made sense,” Barte said. “But, as far as the other businesses that might have come into town, well, I wasn’t a part of those conversations. Those decisions were up to the people at the Urban Renewal Authority and the experienced developer they never really got to hire.”

Several business owners in downtown Wheeling opposed the Fort Henry Mall project.

That’s when the beast of opposition appeared in 1972. The “Save Wheeling Committee” launched an aggressive campaign after court orders mandated a public referendum on the project’s continuance and the existence of Wheeling’s Urban Renewal Authority.
“Those business owners had a vested interest in the central business district and they didn’t believe the Fort Henry Mall plan was the best way to proceed,” Barte said. “They went through different legal maneuvers and they were successful in getting the issue on the ballot on Aug. 22, 1973, as a referendum issue. And they won overwhelmingly.
“The vote was 8,421 to 4,021, and that’s a butt-whooping no matter how you want to look at it. Those voting results are what instructed city council to repeal the 1957 ordinance that created the Urban Renewal Authority, and all the city was permitted to do was finish up on the projects that were already in motion, and that was it. The legal case continued to federal court, but it changed nothing. We just had to close it up, and that’s where I became involved.”
Barte climbed the municipal ladder to assistant city manager in 1976, and then was hired as Wheeling’s city manager in 1979. He stayed in the position until taking a position with TCI, Inc. He recalls, though, that before the decisive vote there were floating rumors about a different mall project near St. Clairsville. And he recognizes the same confusion still exists today as far as why the project died and whether or not the Ohio Valley Mall in Belmont County was the result.

Since the public voted in August 1973, the majority of the buildings within the 1100 block of downtown Wheeling have been demolished.

“But, see, the Ohio Valley Mall was truly a completely different project, and the Caffaro Company had nothing to do with the Fort Henry Mall concept,” Barte said. “The Ohio Valley Mall project was going to happen regardless of the Fort Henry Mall project.
“The people who were members of the ‘Save Wheeling Committee’ represented very successful businesses and long-term businesses, and they were a force to be reckoned with,” he continued. “And then, ironically, many of those business owners ended up moving their stores to the Ohio Valley Mall because, at that time, it was the best business decision to make. They all wanted to preserve their market share in the downtown and at the mall.”
One retailer who remains in business is Howard Posin, owner of Howard’s Diamond Center at The Highlands. Posin remained in business in Wheeling’s downtown district until 2010, and is now located near Marquee Cinemas and West Liberty University’s facility. Posin sold his building in downtown Wheeling to the city in 2014 for $58,000.
“All Urban Renewal wanted to do at that time was buy the properties and tear everything down,” he recalled. “And I thought then that the developer that was involved was pretty shaky, so I joined the opposition against the mall plan.  Plus, we found out that J.C. Penney and Sears both agreed to relocate to the Ohio Valley Mall once it was going to open.
“There was a time when you could get anything you needed in downtown Wheeling, and we were just trying to maintain that as long as we could, but if we were still in downtown today, it would be a sorry affair,” he continued. “Retail these days takes place at the Ohio Valley Mall, at the (Ohio Valley) Plaza on the other side of the interstate, and here at The Highlands. It’s a trend that started more than 40 years ago, and it continues today, but the mall plan for downtown Wheeling would have certainly failed because at the time of the vote no real deals were in place. We opposed what we had to oppose.”

The Urban Renewal Authority promoted the Fort Henry Mall project to be the savior for downtown Wheeling.

What’s the Draw?
These days downtown Wheeling businesses are barred from purchasing advertisements on signage managed by the state’s “Attraction” sign program because of traffic patterns, and the majority of economic development that has taken place in Ohio County over the past 15 years has occurred at The Highlands near Dallas Pike.
Would the Fort Henry Mall have made a difference, in the 1970s and even today?
Would the downtown’s 1100 block still consist the buildings where L.S. Good, National Record Mart, G.C. Murphy’s, Jupiter, Rite Aid, River City Dance Works, and Feet First were located?
Or would it have turned out like a similar project in a very similar-to-Wheeling city in western Ohio – Middletown – located north of Cincinnati?

 For Wheeling City Manager Wayne Barte with U.S. Congressman Robert Mollohan. (Photo supplied by Wayne Barte)

The “City Centre Mall” was constructed within Middletown’s downtown district in the early 1970s, and was demolished by the 1990s. Barte, as a representative for the cable company, traveled there and noted the failure. Middletown was a steel town, too, and the middle-class demographics were very close to those in Wheeling at the time.
“No one was fooling anyone,” Barte said. “You could go to a mall that was really a mall and everyone knew those complexes were much different than a downtown with a roof over it. Eventually, in Middletown, they tore it all down because the concept just didn’t work.”
But in Wheeling?
“Sitting here in 2016, I have to wonder if it would have been successful because the complex would have had to go up against a brand new mall that opened in 1977,” Barte said. “Knowing that, I really would have to say that no, the Fort Henry Mall would not have been successful. It was a doomed effort, really, if you think about it. It just was doomed from the beginning.”

Steve Novotney

February 27, 2016

American Legion Post 89: A Different Prespective

The late Arch Riley, the author of the Wheeling charter revision, would, I think, be shocked at the apparent

hijacking of the legislative duties by two salaried employees of the City.  I refer to the recent front page story 

about the City Manager and the Chief of Police "instigating" a public hearing on Feb. 21st about declaring American Legion Post 89 a "public nuisance".  

To an old man reading about these events some 50 miles to the south, it seems like the Chief Manager and the Chief of Police are taking their cues from the Queen of Hearts in "Alice in Wonderland", i.e. to find someone guilty and then hold the trial afterwards.  The same story said that the State had investigated the Legion Post and cleared it of the accusations brought by the Chief and the Manager.  Are they taking a second crack at the apple?

Forty years ago when I ran the federal legal aid program in Wheeling, Charles Steele, the then City Manager, tried to shut down Post 89.  The famed Justice Holmes of the U.S. Supreme Court said "we should not ignore as judges what we know as men" and the Chief and Manager have ripped a page from Richard Nixon's "law and order" playbook: BLACK PEOPLE EQUAL CRIME and we need to do away with they place where they congregate.   As far as I can determine, there hasn't been a single crime reported INSIDE AMERICAN LEGION POST 89.  That is what would make it a public nuisance, not what goes on outside.  If the Chief and Manager are concerned about what goes on outside, let them do what Sheriff Robert Lightner did Marshall County in the day:  GIVE THE PLACE ''CURB SERVICE''.  That will handle the problem if there is one.

Even if the allegations are true, closing the only American Legion Post in West Virginia (and certainly one of the few in the U.S.A.) run by an African-American (and, presumably, a veteran) is a slap in the face of all those "colored" people who fought for their country and were greeted by Jim Crow when they got home.

I was going to quote the great slogan from the 60's and 70's dealing with the racism inherent in urban renewal, but I test marketed it with two of my Wheeling friends, Terry Gosa and George Lee, who have retired, respectively, to Columbia, S.C., and Dacula, Ga., and they told me that I should leave racism to the racists. However, if anyone if interested, I included the phrase in my letter to the Mayor and Council asking to speak at the meeting on Feb. 21st about this usurpation of legislative power by paid City employees.  I authorize Mayor Elliott to tell anyone who asks.

Pax vobiscum, 

H. John Rogers,

New Masrtinsville

455-3200  

 s

Matriarch's In My Life

Dear Oprah:

I recently watched the eulogy that you gave about Ms. Coretta Scott King. During your speech, you struck accord that opened my heart to the core of my family's history, and I think it's worth telling. During your speech you gave historical facts about Ms. King's contribution to the social, cultural, and spiritual aspects of life in the U.S.A. Every time you mentioned Coretta Scott King it was always inspirational, to say the least. Actually, your saying that she was a very strong black woman in her own right was what prompted me to write to you to tell you about some of the profoundly strong black women in my family that have been so important to me, to my brothers, and to our community a as whole.

My grandmother, Lucille Lee, was the spirit of the whole family. She and her husband Goon (that's what everyone called him), were truly the foundation on which our family was built. Unfortunately I never had a chance to meet him as he passed away when I was only two years old. They had 19kids, which twelve of them are women. My grandmother was a strong black woman in her own right as well if only the number of children she raised is any indication. My grandparents raised their kids in a small four-bedroom house on 12thstreet in Wheeling, West Virginia. As you well know, just providing the food, the clothing and everything else that comes with having a large family on a small budget is terribly difficult. I think what my grandmother passed down to my mom and her sisters was how to be strong and do whatever it takes to raise your family and how to go beyond the call of duty, as she did day in and day out.

My mother-in-law, Neilda Pitts, is included in this as well. She was raised as an only child by a sweet lady we call Mama Bert. She is also a strong black woman who raised eleven kids of her own with the help of her husband, Augustus Pitts. They have eight boys and three girls.

My mother, Roberta, who has been so supportive to me throughout my life, was married to a loving man by the name of Norman G. Hunter. They had three sons’ named David, Jose, and Troy.

My father, who retired from coal mining after 20 plus years of service, was also a mechanic by trade. If you ever needed something fixed everyone in the community knew they could call upon him. He passed away in 1992after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease and he suffered a brain aneurysm as well. During his illness, instead of putting him in a nursing home my mother turned our dining room into a make shift triage and had a nurse come to the house for several hours each day. She devoted all of her time and energy into taking care of him and making him as comfortable as possible, leaving no time for herself. After a long and valiant battle with his illness she passed away where he wanted to, and that was at home.

After his passing my mother moved into a one-bedroom apartment. She immersed herself into her work providing daycare around the clock. This didn't allow her any time to date or remarry after many years went by, and although we gave her our blessings, she refused to date and instead chose to remain faithful to her husband.

This is what I mean by being a strong black woman. Instead of focusing on herself, she focused on others by taking up the parenting role all over again and raising her eldest grandchild Brandie. She is now playing the parenting role once again by raising her grandson Tramone and granddaughter Brittney - and she is doing this all out of her one bed room apartment. While providing daycare is her main source of income, it is easy to see that she gets much more out of it than the money she makes, which isn't much. She could make more if she had a bigger place, and would like to, but she remains content with what she has and I admire her for that. I do hope she knows how much I truly appreciate her for everything she has done, not just for my brothers and me, but for her grandchildren as well. Even though she knows I love her, and I may not say it as much as I should, I don't think she'll ever know how much she truly means to me and how much I hope and pray that God blesses her with all her heart desires. She has been the inspiration and the light in my life, in so many lives, and the Lord knows she deserves it.

There are so many strong black women in my life that are so deserving of recognition, but the following are some of the other women that really stood out to me and made a huge difference in so many lives. They are my aunts: Constance Bell, Paula Lee, Ella Lee, Rosetta Bush,-Pamela Lee and Betty Ann Jenkins.-There are the reasons why I think these individuals really deserve some recognition, but mostly it's because of all the sacrifices they have made for their families. They all, somehow in their own right, helped shape the lives of others -meaning they played a very big role in raising their grandchildren and so many others that are not even related to them. These strong black women have taken on the role of parenting all over again. In a sense they put their golden years on hold for our kids. The dedication and the burden of helping us raise our kids is something they have taken in stride. They have sacrificed their freedom and so much more in order to do it, but they do it without complaint. Whether it's because we lack in certain areas, because we were locked up, or because we were just too lazy to get a job instead spending our time out on the streets - we have failed in so many ways as parents and they have always been there, without judgment, to pick up the slack. Maybe it's because they just don't want to see us fail or see the kids suffer because of it.

But, whatever the reason, their efforts have been heroic – and that's an understatement. In short, they have put their lives on hold and have taken up the role of raising kids all over again and neither I, nor anyone, could ever thank them or praise them enough.

This is what I mean when I say l have some very strong black women in my family. These women that I speak of haven't been on a vacation in who knows how long. They haven't even been able to go out and shop for themselves because they're always staking care of other people's kids. They're not able to do the things other women do, like go out to lunch, get their hair or nails done, or even get together socially. What they deserve is to go out and treat themselves like queens for a day. These women, I can honestly say, give so much of their time and money to others and yet they ask for nothing in return. This is another reason why I say they are truly strong black women.

On a side note, these women are also all excellent cooks in their own right. Each of them are famous for one recipe or another. The community we live in is not very big, so every time there is a function going on, yeah you guessed it, they call on these ladies to cook something. They cook for parties, church functions, weddings, funerals, ball games, you name it and they do it. And they do it out of the kindness of their hearts. They also pay for it out of their own pockets and, rarely if ever, get reimbursed.  I've thought about it for a long time and realize that our family is entirely too big and too talented to have never owned a business.  We are one of the oldest families in our community too. You know, I've been thinking that every great city should have a soul food restaurant. While my family has the mow-how, we simply don't have the means to open one up. I'm hoping that one day, the Lord will bless my family with the means to make this dream a reality because if anyone deserves it, it's these strong black women. I would like to see these women put everyone's problems aside and finally take time for themselves. Maybe they could plan a nice vacation together or just catch up on old times. But I'm afraid, knowing these women like I do, they never will.

In addition to my mother, grandmother, and aunts, I have also mentioned my beautiful, kindhearted, and talented mother-in-law and her name is Neilda Pitts. She is very dedicated to her family and her church. She has also taken on the role of extended parenting. I believe she was 61 years old when she took on the raising of her four grandchildren. She did this because one of her daughters got into some trouble. So instead of the state taking custody of them, she did. Not only did she raise them, but she also helped shape the lives of other kids as well as their parents. She put her and her husband's retirement on hold to help save others and what a miracle she has been. It is also worth mentioning that she has been a woman of God for the past forty plus years and, boy, can she sing! To hear this woman sing you would think she would have a few CD's out, but she says she is too busy (raising other people's children) to ever record a song. This women's voice is so strong that she doesn't even need music. Her voice is truly on par with, if not better than, some of the greats like Yolanda Adams and Shirley Caesar, and I'm not joking. Remember the show where you had the boy sing one song of Mariah Carey's songs? Well, she's that good. Oh man, how I wish you could hear her. After that show, I guess Mariah took him back to her studio and helped him write a song. Everyone in your audience fell in love with him and she ended up signing him to a contract. Something like that would be overwhelming to Neilda.  Anyway, I could use hundreds of sheets of paper telling you more about these wonderful, wonderful women but I think you get my point. Each and every one of these women is a hero, unsung heroes, plain and simple. Their lives have exemplified the meaning of altruism and their quiet self-sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. I only wish there was more I could do to honor these women, these strong black women, to let the world know how very important they are and how very proud, we all are, of them.

In closing, Oprah, I just want to let you know that you have been such a great role model and have had such a positive influence on so many people around the world. In addition to Coretta Scott King, just thinking of you and your story, your overcoming extreme adversity to achieve the successes that you have was ultimately the inspiration for me to take a closer look at those around me. I remember the story of an African diamond miner who, after years of unsuccessfully searching for diamonds far and wide, finally gave up and sold his little farm and moved away. Little did he know that, a few days later, the young man who bought the farm was standing in the stream that ran along the back of the old house and while looking down into the water, a shining object caught his eye.  The young man simply bent over and picked up one of the largest raw diamond ever discovered on the African continent and, it turns out, that little farm became the most productive diamond mine in history. If that old man had simply looked for his treasures in his own back yard, all of his dreams would have been fulfilled. But we often find ourselves looking elsewhere for something that is right in front of us, and unfortunately, never find it. Oprah, you have been the inspiration that has caused me to search in my own back yard and what I have found, leaves me speechless.

Oprah, thank you for all you were, all you are and all you've done. There are really no words that could adequately convey the sincere gratitude I have when I think of how your example has shown me, shown us all, that our dreams can become realities - no matter where we're from, what we've done, or who we are. You've shown us all that anything is possible, and for that, L we, the world, will be forever in your debt. Most of all, however, I know in my heart that if it were not for people like you and Coretta Scott King, I would have never taken a closer look at those around me and may have never really considered the many strong black women in my own life, in my own back yard. This would have been most tragic, because like the old farmer, I may have never noticed so many, many true diamonds in the rough.

Again Oprah, thank you for opening my eyes!

Most Sincerely,

David A. Lee

 March 24, 2006