Sunday, September 30, 2007

Baker Rhea???


Someone once said of me that all I have is a bunch of questions. That may be true. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. So here is another question.
In yesterday's Review in their Out & About feature there was a notice for the Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce announcing they will be holding a Chinese Auction later in October to raise money for the upkeep and domain name for their web site. Not knowing they had a web site I checked it out. When you enter http://www.wellsvilleohiochamber.com/ that they mentioned you come up with an advertising web page for Baker Rhea located in North Olmstead, Ohio. The logo above was copied from that page. Is Baker Rhea a member of the Wellsville C of C? If you enter dot net you get a search page.
Obviously the Chamber still doesn't have a web site, at least not with that name. Are they in the process of buying this? Why someone up near Cleveland would have a web site under our C of C name is beyond me unless they plan to make money selling it. I don't know how these things work. Maybe someone can explain it for me. In the meantime I will stick to Susie's wellsvilleohio.net.
ole nib

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Another Step Closer

Review Reporter Jeremy Lydic brought us news yesterday that Baard Energy has formed a "partnership" with Shell Oil to use their process to convert coal to liquid gas. After a little research I think that "partnership" is more a license agreement allowing Baard to use the Shell owned technology process to produce petroleum from coal. That process is called the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology and its patent is held by Shell Oil. The FT process is named after two German researchers named Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch who discovered the process in the 1920s. Somewhere along the line Shell Oil bought the licensing rights. Over the years the process has been improved and expanded. It is widely used across Europe but Baard is the first USA company to obtain the license. Baard got that license for their new plant being planned right next door to the ville.

In the same article Mr. Lydic reported that Baard has also bought the ten-story gasifiers needed to convert coal to fuel. So there are two very big ticket items that Baard has committed to for the new plant to be built here. In another article Mr. Lydic reported that the Port Authority's Wellsville Intemodal Industrial Park is about to get a crane system for barge loading and unloading. He didn't say when or if it has been bought yet but in quoting Tracy Drake it is beginning to sound like a pretty sure thing.

Little by little as each piece comes together seeing this plant come to the ville area is getting another step closer. Look out when it does.

ole nib

Post note: Who the devil is Jeremy Lydic? Is he Lucille's replacement?

A Debate? I Like That Idea

My friend Matt Stewart at ORL has suggested more than once that a debate between mayoral candidates Dave Lloyd and Joe Surace be held. I like the idea and think it would be an added attraction to both of their campaigns. If it ever came about it certainly would be informative and could even be a fund raiser for someone like the Democratic Party organization or any other organization that would care to sponsor such an event. Some neutral club like the Alumni Association could be a possible sponsor. Whoever could charge a minimal admission fee to cover the costs.

It could possibly be held at the WHS auditorium where there is a stage and sufficient seating. For narrators I would suggest Matt Stewart himself, Jo Ann Bobby Gilbert and recently retired reporter Lucille Huston. All three of these folks use to be Wellsville beat reporters for our local papers and they are very familiar with our fair village. Ms. Gilbert now covers East Liverpool for the MJ but I have a feeling she is staying in tune with the happenings down this way. I think all three of these folks are responsible people and could compile an interesting list of questions for the candidates.

Each candidate could be allowed something like a three minute introduction, one minute response limit to each question and another three minute summary to end the debate. That way it would not only be informative but it would be fast moving too.

Personally speaking there are some aspects I like about each of the candidates and there are also some things I don't particularly like about each of them. Right now I'm undecided but I think a public debate could very well help me make up my mind. It's a new idea for a Wellsville mayor candidate but it's not an idea that is new to politics. All we need is for one of the civic minded Wellsville organizations to step up to get the ball rolling.

ole nib

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Thoughts Bouncing Off My Window V

It's been kinda of quiet in this sleepy river village. Translated it's been down right boring. There hasn't been much fodder for the blog mill. Except for a couple of Dave Lloyd supporters there hasn't been any campaigning going on. I mean nothing - no ads, no signs that I can find. As announced on ORL Dave Lloyd got a web site up and running for his mayoral bid. Sparky used that to give Dave a backhanded endorsement on the WHS Alumni web site. Other than that there has been nothing - nada, zero, ziltch. Here it is almost six weeks until election and I thought this was going to be an exciting one. Maybe things will heat up in October.



There wasn't even a council meeting to comment on this past week. For the lack of a quorum the regularly scheduled meeting was cancelled. Mayor Joe indicated there might be something on the police department thing this week. Lucille Huston told us there was a final interview to be conducted this past Tuesday. No meeting. No reports. Nothing. Yawn...



Eagles Aerie Demolished
The most exciting thing I've seen in the past few weeks was the knocking down of the Eagles Club on Main Street. It happened a week ago last Saturday and was done by Extreme Trucking & Excavating. They brought down the three story structure part in one day. According to news reports the building was well over 100 years old and the back wall was beginning to buckle out which presented a very hazardous situation. This one won't become a parking lot. From what I've been told the Eagles plan to rebuild once funding is secured. I think that building was home to the first MacLean's Funeral Home. I remember the story old "Cap" MacLean told me years ago how his father use to bring bodies across the river for their WV customers on a flat boat skiff to prepare them for their funeral. "Cap" said he had to help carry them up & down the river bank. I don't think he was pulling my leg and I believe he was talking about the Eagles building.



Anyway, Susie Haugh has pictures in her A Changing Wellsville section on http://www.wellsvilleohio.net/ if you want to see more. By the way Ms. Kaiser, the word is aerie as in a lofty nest of any large bird, a nest of a bird of prey such as an eagle or a hawk. It is pronounce air-eee. The demolished building was the home of Eagle's Aerie 772, not Area 772 as you reported.

Holly Development Construction Wellsville LLC
This is a new business that located in the old Perpetual building on Main St. According to the picture in The Review "the business specializes in land acquisition for major real estate development". Other than the names of the owners and other principal personnel there's not much information to be found on the company. I guessing the company is getting in position to be a major player in the future developments when Baard Energy comes to town. When Baard gets the green light there's going to be a flurry of activity all around the area. At any rate we wish Holly Development the best and it's nice to see them locate in the heart of the ville.

Wellsville Hall of Famers
Last Wednesday there was a picture of this years inductees in the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame in the MJ. There wasn't an article about the inductees and I couldn't find any information on the Alumni site about them other than the year they graduated. I remember Tommy Wilson being a terror on the basketball court and sort of remember something about Greg Pullie being a fleet footed track star. Both Wilson and Pullie were in the Class of '84. "Spike" Carter (Class of '54) doesn't ring any bells. From the picture on the plaque I'm guessing his claim to fame was on the gridiron. I remember folks talking about "Chub" Carter from my younger years. Any relation?
Class of '31 Nance Checkler was way before my time. It looks like he was also a football star and that was in the days before they had good padding in the helmets! Maybe you readers can help us out here. It would be nice to know the story about these folks and why they were chosen.

The Pete Amato Memorial Boardwalk
If you haven't been up that way lately it appears that the boardwalk is nearly completed. The flooring is all done and the railing is up. If you walk out onto the deck that was installed over the old bridge abutment and look up you can see a lovely view of the underside of the Route 7 overpass. However if you turn around you can get a nice view of the latest additions of the floodwall murals. At any rate it's a nice addition and complements the floodwall murals. I imagine Susie will be updating her pictures in the near future.

11th Street Playground
Casey Barto reported that the playground is to be dedicated to the late Bill Yost. Mr. Yost maintained that playground across from his house for years and kept it in good shape. His efforts were all volunteer and many folks passing by didn't even know who he was. As was his way he just took it upon himself to take care of the place without any thoughts of being paid. That's the kind of guy he was.

ole nib

Another Ohio Floodwall Mural Project



Guess we're not the only ones with murals painted on our floodwall. In an article entitled 2000 feet of art in the September/October edition of Our Ohio magazine is the story of the murals in Portsmouth, Ohio. These murals are a continuing work of artist Robert Dafford and, the same as Wellsvilles, depicts the history of Portsmouth. He started his project in 1992. You may be familiar with Mr. Dafford. He is the artist that did 25 murals in downtown Steubenville years ago.

The picture above was copied from the Portsmouth web site. Portsmouth is another Ohio River town in the southern part of the state. Review reporter Holly Stefanoff wrote that Wellsville had the "only functioning floodwall in Ohio" but it appears that is not quite the case. Portsmouth's flood wall is 2o feet high and from what I can see in this picture it is apparently functional when the water level is up.

Portsmouth's mural project got started after a Portsmouth couple saw the murals in Steubenville while visiting there. They went on to form a volunteer group called Portsmouth Murals Inc. that raises money to support the project. They tout it as a tourist attraction. From what I saw in the article and on the web site there are some beautiful and interesting scenes but I like the ville's better. It's our home.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Been There - Done That





As we all know the Buckeye Water District is in the process of building a new water plant and pumping station to supply water to the ville and all their other customers. When it goes into operation we will be getting our water from the river. The new water plant is out off Route 45 next to the Red Brick Church and the pumping plant is being built on the old tin mill land near the mouth of Little Yellow Creek.



As far back as I can remember we had always got our water from the reservoir. Believe it or not the reservoir is fed by Little Yellow Creek and at one time Wellsville water was considered the best and the purest in the state. However, the history of public supplied water goes back a bit further than my memory and Edgar Davidson had a good account of it in his book entitled Before The Memory Fades. There was a little written in the booklet City of Wellsville In Black and White but Mr. Davidson seems to have paraphrased and incorporated into his account what was written there.


With Wellsville growing by leaps and bounds it was determined that a water system was needed and in 1874 a special election was held. By a vote of 334 for and 39 against it was decided to go ahead with such plans. Things didn't move too fast back in those days either. Three years later in 1877 a Pittsburgh consulting engineer was hired to draw up plans for a public water system. His plan was to dam up the 10th Street stream and built a second dam further up on the hill "in the flat area" to supply Wellsville. This plan was rejected by the city fathers. The 10th Street stream is still there and I'm thinking the flat area mentioned is part of Springhill Cemetery. There was no cemetery up there 130 years ago.


In 1879 an ordinance was passed authorizing the construction of a water works, reservoir and laying of pipes. I couldn't determine where this reservoir was to be located. In 1881 council authorized the sale of $30,000 in bonds to pay for this and later an additional $10,000 was added. Fire hydrants must have been part of the plan. In 1884 an ordinance was passed concerning the tampering of fire plugs. Sometime in this era a pump station was built adjacent to the present day Jim Kenney Center. This is probably where the hump for the flood wall is today. Raw, untreated water was pumped from the river to supply the town.


Sometime around 1900 it was decided to spend $75,000 dollars for a "modern water works plant" which was to go into operation either in 1904 or 1908 depending on which book you read. Cast iron filter wells filled with gravel were sunk to the bed of the river. River water was allowed to "percolate" through these wells and then be pumped to a reservoir 320 feet above the city. Then by force of gravity the water supply was put into the system to supply the ville's residents. The building that is the Jim Kenney Center was built to house the pumps and machinery for this "modern water works". Here I thought that building originally had something to do with the railroad. The only problem back then was there still wasn't any filtration of the water. If the river was muddy, as it often is, the supply of water was muddy. Several public wells were drilled around town. When Mr. Davidson wrote his book he said there was only three left that he knew about. Today the only one I can locate is the one pictured above at 6th & Broadway. Most of the houses in those days either had their own wells or cisterns to collect rain water. Those that didn't shared with their neighbors. I have a brick lined cistern in my back yard. People that lived between 6th and 7th Streets on Buckeye Avenue tapped into a natural spring 200 feet up the hillside and had crystal clear water. Back then Buckeye was called Hill Street.


By 1920 the water supplied from the river had gotten so muddy and polluted that it was decided to use the water of the Little Yellow Creek. Twenty-five acres was purchased at an elevation of 900 feet which is some 200 feet above the sea level of Wellsville's 708 feet. Construction of a dam for the present day reservoir was started in 1923. When that went into operation the water supplied to the ville was chlorinated. Highlandtown Lake was to be an emergency source of water in case of a severe drought. In late December of 1938 a filtration plant was put into operation for this reservoir. It was the first time in our history that the residents of the ville was supplied with filtered water. The one million gallon water tank up on Highland Avenue was built then as part of the new developments in 1923.


So you can see that just about for all of us the only source of water we have ever known is water from the reservoir. Getting water from the river is new to us but as they say history repeats itself. We have been there before with our grand-parents and great grand-parents. The river provides an abundant supply of water. This time the water will be filtered and treated. The pumped pictured above is a historical monument of the ville's public water system. Yea, we've been there...

ole nib




Sunday, September 16, 2007

"You Picked A Fine Time To Leave Us Lucille"

Today's The Review had a farewell column from Reporter Lucille Huston. As we all know Mrs. Huston has been the Wellsville beat writer for the newspaper the last few years and in my opinion has done an admirable job. She reported this is the third time she is leaving The Review. I remember one other time but can't recall the other. She told us she first started her reporting career 39 years ago in 1968. Having never attended college I would say that was a pretty remarkable career. This day and age they won't even look at your resume unless you have some sort of degree. Well, Lucille, after 39 years in the newspaper business you can at least claim an honors degree from the "College of Hardknocks". You've earned it.

I have often questioned the unanswered questions when reading some of Mrs. Huston's articles either here or just to myself. From reading her column today I think I understand where those unanswered questions came from. Her biggest regret in leaving is a list of things that have yet to be resolved in her coverage area. She lists out a few and I imagine there are more that she didn't mention. I guess what she is trying to tell us is that the competence of your work is only as good as what you have to work with. People tell a reporter only what they want you to hear, especially if those people are politicians. In spite of the Sunshine law there is still a lot done behind closed doors away from the eyes and ears of a reporter.

So Lucille, I apologize for any uneasiness I may have caused you through this blog. Kick you feet up and enjoy your retirement. From what you told us of your plans it doesn't sound like you're going to have much time to sit back and relax. Enjoy your family and may the good Lord keep you in good health. At least you didn't leave four hungry children in the field.

Vaya con dios my friend.

ole nib

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Search Number Three Results

Yesterday's local papers brought us news of the results of the third search warrant used to search the Amato residence on Commerce St. last week. The paper work filed with Common Pleas Court this week showed what evidence was taken from the crime scene. There were shell casings, cotton swabs of trace evidence, and a box of knickknacks from a kitchen shelf. Evidently they were looking for the actual bullet that killed Tonia Amato. The bullet they had found in previous searches was found by BCI & I labs not to have been fired from the gun Amato Jr. said he had used.

Now we know what they were looking for. It appears that Special Prosecutor Grimshaw and the investigators are playing their cards close to their chest and they are not disclosing very much information. If it wasn't for the fact they, the investigators, had to file paper work with the court we probably wouldn't know that much.

Mr. Grimshaw was quoted in the Morning Journal as saying "progress is being made slowly". He also advised it will be close to the end of October before they decide how to proceed and that will only be if all the test results are completed.

We're waiting...

ole nib

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

9/11 Remembered

Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the first ever aggressive act committed by foreigners on American soil. It was the anniversary of what has become known as 9/11. When I say American soil I mean the "lower 48". Pearl Harbor is now in the USA but back in 1941 it wasn't yet a part of a state.

9/11 was the day Wellsville's own Cathy Salter perished in the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Yesterday was the anniversary of an untold number of tragic stories for people the world over. Along with Cathy there was some 3000 that perished just in New York City alone. Then there was the poor souls that lost their lives in Jennerstown and the Pentagon. It was a horrific day.

Now I hear that some school systems aren't teaching their students anything about 9/11 or if they are they aren't going into the why it occurred. In my opinion that is a huge mistake. Sadly 9/11 happened. Was it Ben Franklin that said something to the effect that those who don't study history are condemned to repeat it? When I was a kid in school I learned all about WWII and American wars before that. It didn't damage my psych to learn about them. As an American it is part of my history. Sensitivities be damned. Children need to learn about 9/11 just as much as any other subject. Children are more adaptable than many adults. They are more likely to be able to adjust to tragic stories and learn from them. Bin Laden has made no bones about continuing his reign of terror. Those students of today are our leaders of tomorrow. They need to learn the history of 9/11 and remember it. Maybe then we won't be condemned to repeat it.

Speaking of remembering...what were you doing when you learned of 9/11? Me? I was home cursing out AT&T because I couldn't get online. After rebooting numerous times I finally turned on the boob tube and spent the rest of the day glued to it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first. It was unreal. Then it slowly sank in. What I was watching wasn't some Hollywood script. Before I went to bed that night I was feeling violated like never before. You can bet I was ready to "take up arms". I wanted to kick some serious butt. But that is just my personal experience. How about you? Care to share your feelings of that tragic day - September 11,2001?

ole nib

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The Steiner Building

The Steiner building was prominently mentioned in the 1903 booklet. To the right is a copy of what it looked like back then. The Steiner building was a tailor's shop at that time. The business was operated by D.F. Steiner and the author said his shop was the home of "first class tailoring". He described it as a "mecca for those who wear good, well made and well fitting clothes". Mr. Steiner was also a councilman for many years in the ville and took "an active interest in all things municipal".

The facade of this portion of the building is the same at the top but has undergone many other changes over the years.



The Steiner name can still be seen at the top.







Below is what the building looks like today. We know it as the home of the Wellsville VFW Post on the square. Does anybody know when the left side part was built or what it originally was? When I was a kid I think it was a pool hall on the ground floor.


As always you can click on the pictures to enlarge. The tailoring business was much in demand back in those days. My grandmother was a seamstress when she first immigrated here from the "old country". Back in those days there weren't too many stores that offered off the rack ready made garments.


ole nib

The Dentist Office


The house pictured above has been around for quite some time. From the 1903 booklet entitled City of Wellsville in Black and White I learned at that time it was the home and office of Hamlin Barnes - Dentist. Other than an advertisement for his practice nothing else was mentioned of Dr. Barnes. I couldn't find any mention of him in Edgar Davidson's book either. In my memory I always remembered this house being a private residence as it is today at the corner of 8th & Main. This is snapshot that can be found in that booklet.



Below is a picture of the same house as it looks today. Other than the front windows it doesn't appear that many other changes have been made over the years.

ole nib

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Amato Crime Scene Revisited

News from both our local papers this morning brought us front page stories that a third search warrant was used to conduct yet another search of the Amato crime scene on Commerce Street. The search was conducted by the County Sheriffs office and BCI agents. County Sheriff Dave Smith was quoted as saying "new information came our way" but would not elaborate on the details. Smith was also quoted as saying he "thinks" the investigators found what they were looking for. WPD was relegated to perimeter security while the search was being conducted. It was reported that J.C. is staying with his parents but showed up along with one of his attorneys and both stayed outside while the officers did their thing.

I had heard last week from a reliable source that a meeting was to be conducted by all the agencies involved in this investigation. I refrained from mentioning it due to not knowing the what, where and when. We can only assume that the meeting was held and the third warrant was part of the results of that meeting. There must be a heck of a back log at the BCI labs. It was reported that after two months they still don't have all the results from their part of the investigation. Now, presumably, they have new evidence to look at.

Although charges have yet to be filed The Review said the shooting is listed as a homicide. If it's listed as a homicide what are the authorities waiting for? Isn't it standard procedure to first arrest the suspect and then conduct the investigation? The handling of this investigation has been screwed up from the get go and does not bode well on the reputation of our legal system not to mention what it says about the 'ville. Is it favoritism because of the family involved or are the county officials and others trying to besmirch the good name of our village?

There is a need for some kind of closure on this case. It's been over two months since the shooting occurred. It's time.

ole nib

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Spouse Abuse

Here's a subject we are all familiar with and for many of us employ a sense of denial in its existence. Unless we actually witness the abuse taking place we find it hard to believe it is going on. Most victims of abuse try to hide the fact out of pride and/or embarrassment.

The most widely known form is the physical abuse, the beating of the victim leaving bruises, black eyes, broken bones, etc. Stephen King referred to it as "home correction" in one of his books. It has been going on since the dawn of mankind and is easily recognized. However, there is another form of abuse that is more widely used and less likely to be recognized. That form of abuse is verbal abuse. It can be just as damaging for the victim over a period of time and as I'm wont to say, it ain't right. I know of a couple of victims in relationships where this is happening. I feel bad that I am powerless to do anything to make it better for them.

In checking out the subject and Googling "verbal spouse abuse" the search engine came back with over 1.1 million results. There is no shortage of material and that is an indication of how widespread this problem is.

From All About Life Challenges.com they tell us that spouse abuse is both physical and/or emotional. It is usually motivated by feelings of powerlessness or insecurity on the part of the abuser. The abuse is often caused by unhealthy possessiveness or jealousy or both. Verbal abuse continues to silently erode the victim's self worth. There are no visible scars. Verbal abuse is veiled accusations of the abuser out of their frustrations. It can take place in the form of put downs, name calling, screaming, repeatedly speaking disrespectfully of the victim and on and on. It is often a form of attempting to control or manipulate the victim and often escalates into yelling and screaming. This site even uses passages from the bible to support their findings.

From helpguide.org there is a list of six red flags or signs that a victim can look for:
1. Dominance - the abuser declares that he is the boss. They are the one in charge.
2. Humiliation - the abuser tries to make the victim feel bad about them self
3. Isolation - the abuser tries to cut the victim off from the outside world. They prevent the victim form seeing friends or family, try to prevent the victim from going to work and demands the victim has to ask their permission before doing anything.
4. Threats - the abuser threatens to harm or kill you or your loved ones, threatens to commit suicide or report the victim to the authorities on false charges.
5. Denial or blame - the abuser makes excuses for their abuse by blaming their behavior on a bad childhood, a bad day or even being victims of abuse themselves. The often try to shift the blame of their abuse to the victim.
6. Intimidation - the abuser commits acts to try to scare the victim with threatening looks or gestures, breaking things, or even putting weapons on display. They try to limit you access to money, using the phone or the car. They constantly check on the victim.

Both web sites mention the "Cycle of Violence". There are five stages in the cycle. The first is the abuse with the aggressive or violent behavior. The abuser is going to show the victim "just who is the boss around here". Then it goes to guilt. The abuser doesn't feel guilty about what they have done but gets scared that they will be caught. After the guilt stage comes the excuse stage. The abuser tries to shift the responsibility for his abusive behavior to victim. "You made me do this". Then comes the normal behavior stage where the abuser tries to regain control of their self and keep the victim in their relationship. The abuser may even act as if nothing ever happened or even turn on the charming loving ways. Next comes the fantasy or planning stage. The abuser spends a lot of time thinking and eventually make plans to turn the fantasy into reality. Finally comes the set up stage where the abuser puts their plan into motion and attempts to set up the victim to justify their abuse. Then the cycle starts anew going back to the first stage.

From enzinearticles.com they tells us about the victim's stages. The victim's feelings are hurt, they are demeaned, angry and embarrassed. They often arouse contempt from the abuser by trying to placate or make things better. The victim gets blamed for causing the abuse. They surrender and give in to the abuser. The victim denies that it even happened. Finally comes the complete submission stage. Although the victim is burning with rage and hatred of the abuser they decide that staying in the relationship is better than leaving and hopes that somehow they will survive. This is often caused for money, prestige, social status or the warped desire to be part of the power that the abuser might have. They have seen first hand what the abuser can do with their power.

Without so much as laying a hand on the victim the abuse can eventually erode the health of the victim. From suite101.com is an article by Dr. Dorothy Neddermeyer that tells us verbal abuse will lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. You are probably familiar with PTSD in military folks that have seen the hell that war can cause. The victims of verbal spouse abuse suffer in the same fashion but on a different front. They have feelings of helplessness and fear of everyday living in their own homes. They have flashbacks of the abuse. They withdraw from their everyday living away from friends, co-workers and other family members. They have sleep disorders that rob them of the body's need to replenish itself. They suffer from depression and often show signs of disinterest. They can become cold and aloof. Sometimes they just plain give up in that complete submission stage.

Stress can cause a wide array of damaging things to a human. It robs the body of naturally taking care of itself the way nature intended. It uses up the body's energy and opens the door for any physical weakness that may be lurking in the background such as heart problems just to mention one. I have no facts to base this on but I feel that many cancer victims are ones with a whole lot of stress in their lives. Stress can do very ugly things to a person. Victims of verbal spouse abuse live very stressful lives. Verbal abuse can often lead to physical abuse. Even if there is no physical abuse being a victim can erode the feeling of well being and one's sense of self worth.

As an observer of such relationships there is not much we can do in the way to help the victims. We can talk to them, confide in them as a friend but all the talking in the world won't do a bit of good until the victim is ready. Like the alcoholic addict the first step is for the victim to decide for them self that they have a problem. In reality about all we can do is let them know we will be there for them. Once the victim admits this to their self then there is a world of help available just for the asking. Even in this area there is widespread help readily available. Religious ministers are well versed on where and how to get help. There are agencies listed in the phone books. If you're a victim there is help for guidance and even financial help if needed, to get out of an abusive relationship. Life is too short as it is. It ain't worth your health to pretend everything is status quo to the outside world and go on living in an abusive relationship. You just have to convince yourself to take that first step. Your close friends and other family members that love and care about you can probably see what is going on. Be honest with yourself and then you can be honest with them. There is no shame in admitting you made a mistake in holding on to a relationship with an abusive spouse. The mistake is trying to hide from it.

ole nib

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Last Night's Council Meetin'

It was reported in both of our local newspapers that Wellsville Council passed a resolution last night to collect unpaid sewage bills on village income taxes. In other words when you get your income tax bill from RITA the unpaid portions on the sewage bill will be reflected as part of the amount due. I'm wondering if some of the recalcitrant debtors actually pay village income taxes. In my way of thinking if they risk having their water being shut off why would they bother with paying income taxes? There are some that have it automatically deducted from their pay checks and others that don't. They pay quarterly when RITA sends out their friendly greetings. If it's real estate taxes they are going after they are in even more trouble. I imagine many of these unpaid bills are with folks that rent. Whatever happened to citing them into court and having them to face up to what they owe or risk the consequences? Avoiding jail time might provoke some positive results.

Even more disturbing was the news of the cat invasion! I haven't realized it was such a problem. I haven't noticed it so much in my neighborhood. Thanks for the heads up. Then again the cats are probably helping with the rodent control. Is it such a problem?

The Ed Wilson Mystery was prominently mentioned in both papers. Mayor Joe said it might be as early as next week when he gets the findings of the Cleveland law firm's investigation. Like with Attorney Grimshaw's investigation into the Amato murder we will have to wait to learn what the results will be. I'm anxious about both.

Finally I would like to extend my sympathy to the Service Director. Poor Jim is having trouble finding owners of dilapidated properties. Hang in there Jim. Can I assume these owners don't pay real estate taxes?

ole nib

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Village Yard Sale

The Village Yard Sale was held today with some folks setting up tables beside the fire station at Village Hall along Main Street in the 'ville. The picture above is the five or six tables on the grassy strip between the parking lot and the old Sky Bank. Although the turnout was small there it appeared all went well and it was a beautiful day.

The Camera Mart's Larry Walton was one of the vendors. That's Larry below in the blue shirt. Larry was a member of WHS Class of '55. He was quoted as saying that he will be closing the Camera Mart at the end of the year and he will be moving on to other things.




The VFD was set up and selling snacks and refreshments as seen above.



Even though there weren't many vendors at Village Hall there were yard sales all over town. Pictured above is a couple of residences across Main Street from the fire department that got into the swing of things. Driving around town you could see people set up on just about every street. All in all I would say it was a successful event for our fair village.

Ole Nib