ToquiNotes

ToquiNotes: A Decade-Plus Run of Former Business at Meadowbrook Mall Proving too Good to be True

It was back in my thin waist days when I first walked through the door. The date, according to my friend Rebecca Deem...

By Jeff Toquinto July 18, 2026 6:00 AM EST in ToquiNotes

ToquiNotes: Long-Closed Business Offering Meals at "Budget-Friendly" Prices and a Bit of History Behind It

Posted on July 11, 2026

The building housing the location is there. The business that was inside the location is a thing of the past. ...

ToquiNotes: Quiet Passing of a Bridgeport Legend and the Impact through a Four-Legged Ministry He Led

Posted on June 27, 2026

There was no obituary. There was no formal service with family and friends. And there was little fanfare, although the...

ToquiNotes: Finding Peace and Positives on One-Year Anniversary of Period of Unparalleled Personal Grief

Posted on June 20, 2026

Today, as many celebrate West Virginia Day, I am wrapping up what is the most miserable 365-day period of my life. Und...

ToquiNotes: A Closed National Chain at Mall that May have been Only One of its Kind in the United States

Posted on June 13, 2026

As is sometimes the case, comments on a blog post on one of our social media platforms will lead to another blog. Such...

ToquiNotes: No One Walking Halls of BHS More Loved in Last 42 Years - And They Have Officially Retired

Posted on June 06, 2026

The end of the school year was not the only thing that ended this week at Bridgeport High School. There was an end tha...

ToquiNotes: Recalling the Life and Impact of Retired City Fire Captain Randy Scott, "A Fireman's Fireman"

Posted on May 30, 2026

I am not sure when I met retired Bridgeport Fire Captain Randy Scott. I am sure I met him while he did what he loved t...

ToquiNotes: As You Prepare to Graduate, Take a Picture Perfect Moment to Tell Your Friends Thank You

Posted on May 23, 2026

Editor’s Note: This is a slightly modified version of my blog that has ran every year on graduation weekend. Please SH...

ToquiNotes: One of the Best Pizza Restaurants to Call Harrison County Home and its All-Too Short Life Span

Posted on May 16, 2026

Talking about pizza in this blog is not unusual. It is not just because I love a good pizza pie, but because Bridgepor...

ToquiNotes: After 38 Years, Owner, Operator of City Business Set for New Chapter as Retirement at Hand

Posted on May 09, 2026

The owner, former president, and CEO of one of Bridgeport’s longest-standing businesses that has dozens of employees i...

ToquiNotes: Harrison County Impacted by the Loss of Two of its Respected, Beloved Community Servants

Posted on April 25, 2026

Community service is often an overused phrase when it comes to describing one’s life. It is often used casually...

ToquiNotes: Remembering Fondly My Shopping Days at Now Nationally Defunct Heck's Department Store

Posted on April 18, 2026

While so many of us grew up getting school items and other necessities at Hill’s Department Store, there was ano...

ToquiNotes: Recalling the Life of My First Best Friend

Posted on April 11, 2026

He was my first best friend. Outside of my own mother and father, as well as my sister, no one has known me longer....

ToquiNotes: A Friend to the End and a Friend to City of Bridgeport - Recalling the Life of Bill McCartney

Posted on March 28, 2026

I am not sure of the exact time I met William Howard “Bill” McCartney. What I am sure of is that it was li...

ToquiNotes: Educational Road to End as Dave Mazza, Former BMS and Current DCHS Principal, Retiring

Posted on March 21, 2026

For nearly four decades, David Mazza has been helping shape lives in his role as an educator. It all started back in 1...

ToquiNotes: Trying to Confirm a Possible Second City Fish Tale of Decades-Old Restaurant on its Last Legs

Posted on March 14, 2026

A few months back, I ran a blog about a “true fish tale” right here in Bridgeport. The blog focused on Cap...

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From the Bench: From Baseball Baptism to...

Bridgeport’s Ben McDougal has had a senior year at West Virginia University that provided memories and highlights that...

Posted by Jeff Toquinto
Time Travel: Recalling Bridgeport Bank o...

Does anyone remember the Bridgeport Bank? This is believed to be the front of a calendar from the bank showing...

Posted by Dick Duez
The Cyber Beacon: Protecting Public Trus...

After a brief hiatus, it is great to be back writing the Cyber Beacon. Cybersecurity never stands still, and neither shoul...

Posted by Joe Earley
It's Happening: Curtain to Open on The W...

On our way to Lambert’s Winery last Wednesday evening for live music and coal-fired pizza, m...

Posted by Julie Perine
ToquiNotes: A Decade-Plus Run of Former ...

It was back in my thin waist days when I first walked through the door. The date, according to my friend Rebecca Deem...

Posted by Jeff Toquinto
Off the Shelf: Summer 2026 Reading Final...

We are less than two weeks away from the end of summer reading, but we still have lots of stories left to unearth. It...

Posted by Angela Spatafore
Tending Community: The Sustainability Bu...

Hey, Bridgeport! Have you noticed the buzz around sustainable living lately? Not every buzz is worth following, but th...

Posted by Perris Reed