Diana Bell believes Wheeling residents need a forum to ask questions and air their concerns to law enforcement and city leaders. She and her fellow Wheeling Human Rights commissioners will provide that forum with next month's town hall-style meeting "Calling for Justice for a Better Wheeling."

"This is a good opportunity for the public to ask questions of their officials and community leaders," Bell, a member of the commission and racial justice director for Wheeling YWCA, said during Monday's Human Rights Commission meeting.

The forum is set for 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Wheeling Jesuit University's Troy Theater. Scheduled guests include Wheeling Mayor Andy McKenzie, new Police Chief Robert Matheny, Ohio County Sheriff Pat Butler and Ohio County Schools Deputy Superintendent Dianna Vargo, among others. The event is sponsored by the commission and YWCA.

"When I started thinking about this, I just thought we needed to have something where we could allow our community members to express their concerns. ... Someone whose neighborhood is safe may not have the same view as someone whose neighborhood is being vandalized," Bell said.

Citing recent rowdy town hall-style meetings, Bell hopes this event will be more civil.

"This is to provide information and to seek answers. We are not going to be trying to shout each other down," she emphasized.

Questions scheduled to be addressed during the meeting include:

* Is there a communications gap between law enforcement and the community?

* Are diverse religious beliefs respected in Wheeling?

* How does our education system cope with differences among individuals?

* Is your community a "safe haven?"

* How can government better serve the neighborhood?

"These are just some general questions we came up with. We are looking for the community to ask more specific questions pertaining to them," Bell said. She noted a follow-up meeting will be set for sometime in January so those posing questions at the Nov. 10 session can receive answers.

"We want to see what the pulse of Wheeling is," Commission Chairman Chuck Hood added.

For more information, call Bell at 304-232-0511 or Human Rights Commission Executive Director Theresa Garrett at 304-234-3609.

The above information was taken from an Oct. 27, 2009 news article written by Wheeling reporter CASEY JUNKINS, Staff Writer at Ogden Newspapers.