Carnival Returns

After years in hibernation the Wellsville Firemen's Carnival is back at a new location. This use to be an annual event at the 13th Street ball park but that location was lost when they built the new high school. Now they are at the practice field behind the football stadium along Danbury.

The carnival runs through Saturday with entertainment, food, games of chance and lots of rides for the young ones. On Saturday there will be a parade from 3rd Street starting at 4 P.M. that will go to the carnival site. There will be a Cornhole Tournament starting at six tonight and at six on Saturday they will have the Fireman's Challenge and a Tug-o-War & Bucket Brigade. There's something for kids of all ages and the proceeds go to support the activities of the VFD.

Pictured here are some scenes from yesterday's activities. You can click on any of them to enlarge. Perhaps someone you know is in one of them.

ole nib

A Thought or Two

The second OEPA hearing for Baard Industry's proposal for effects on water will be held next Tuesday at the high school. The first hearing dealt with the effects on the streams and such. This one will deal with the Draft Wastewater Discharge Permit. Baard plans on using river water for cooling their machinery and then discharging it back into the river. I'm curious to see how it's going to work. Right now I'm guessing it will be similar to what is being done up in Shippingport. I read someone's comment a while back that the water will probably be cleaner after being used then what it was when they pumped it out. Think it was made by one of the engineers at the first event held at the high school earlier this year, the Sitting Board open house.

With Baard showing us they will be using the latest and best technology I have no doubt that the water will be equal in quality from what is pumped out of the river or better. There have been vast improvements made over the years in Ohio River water quality. I can remember the days when there were huge oil slicks from plants up the river. With today's regulations I don't see any harm being done with what is planned by the Ohio River Clean Fuels, LLC. If you are interested you can review their plans at www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/401/OhioRiverCleanFuels/index/htlm. In the meantime consider getting to the high school Tuesday evening to show your support. You can sign one of the cards to make a comment on record if you so desire. The OEPA notice said things will kick off at 6:30. Wonder if the dude from that Salt Springs outfit will be there?

Speaking of Baard looks like Tracy Drake of the Port Authority has been keeping busy getting things lined up downtown that will at least support Baard's proposed plant. They are buying the Barrett Minerals facilities which will be made available if needed. That includes land and buildings. Then it was announced that Buckeye Industrial Mining got a grant to help build a coal transloading facilitiy down there. Drake said that was in the planning stages before Baard was even thought about. Coal can be shipped in by either barge or rail down there. Wonder what effect that will have on Wellsville Terminals? A lot of coal passes through the ville even today, mostly for the power plants. The Buckeye Industrial facility is suppose to create over 100 new jobs in the ville.

Got a letter from Charlie the other day. That's Charlie as in Charlie Wilson, US Congressman. No, I'm not anyone special. You probably did too. Anyway his letter was in regards to a couple of pieces of legislation pertaining to the housing industry and all the foreclosures the predator lending agencies and the economy are causing these days. The one that caught my eye was the Neighborhood Stabilization Act. That will provide funding for states to acquire vacant foreclosed properties. These properties can then be torn down or fixed up. If this goes through it may be the answer to how village officials will fund taking care of unsightly and condemned places.

It was announced this week that the County's 911 centers will go live on 9-11. About time, don't you think Gary? We've only been paying for it for five years now. It was originally suppose to be in operation in 2005 but every time they turned around there was another hurdle delaying the start-up date. They are still wondering about how they will locate cell phone callers. All I can say is that with all the money that has been collected since 2003 there should be enough to buy our own satellite to run a county GPS system. Former County Commissioner Gary Williams is spearheading the 911 project for us tax payers. Hopefully it won't be 2011 before we see it working.

Tell me. Do these two items fall under the oxymoron classification? CC Commissioner Jim Hoppel is worried we'll lose sales tax with the high fuel prices. What about the folks that are running out of money to feed their families because of the high prices the fuel costs are causing? Is it a Republican thing or did Jim just have a brain fart when he talked to reporters about his concerns? The fuel situation may just be the cause of a lot of people losing their jobs. It's scary.

Then there is the piece about the smoking ban proving costly to enforce. Duh? Even the smoke Nazis don't work for free. Now there are County Health Boards across the state saying they can't afford to have employees follow up and cite offenders. The fines were suppose to fund the enforcement and those people responsible for doing that. There was no funding that I know of to get it started. All I can say is that it sounds good on paper. What do they say about seeing beyond your nose?

Buckeye Water District is considering leasing some of their land for gas and oil drilling. I hope it pays off. This area at one time was a good place for that. It's not big time like in Texas but my grandfather was an oil man around here before the Great Depression wiped him out. He had all his money tied up in bank loans. Maybe BWD can make enough to pay off all their legal fees that Al and the boys are racking up.

I am completely befuddled by events in East Liverpool recently. You got a Police Chief moaning about letting an entrepreneur acquiring a suspended liquor license to use in a new restaurant. Then you got former business people objecting to a zoning change to allow a business to expand. What are these people thinking? That's the kind of thinking that forced Hill's Department Store to locate in Calcutta after ELO authorities declined to work with them. It was said back then that the city fathers didn't think that Hills was good enough for East Liverpool. We all know what Hill's got started in St. Clair Twp. Back then Hill's was the Wal-Mart of today with low prices. My sympathy to those in the 'pool that are trying to get things going.

I'm curious why no one or no body from the ville applied for any part of the Community Development Block Grants. That could have possibly been the answer for the Shade Tree Commission's need for an additional six grand they are looking for to complete the Broadway project. In recent newspaper reports Wellsville was not mentioned once. Another possible application could have been the mini-park that is planned for Wells Ave. There's not much money for the county's share of the CDBGs but minor projects like these could have had a very good chance of getting funded there.

I'm going to wrap this up with saying that the "kids caught doing good" idea is something fantastic. In accounts of the last council meeting it was reported that two young ladies from the ville were awarded with certificates for doing good deeds. One young lady got awarded for calling the police for a situation and the other was recognized for pulling her younger brother out of a burning house. As the song goes this is "accentuating the positive" and whoever thought of it should be rewarded too.

ole nib

Moon Over ... Wellsville?

Been noticing some folks acting strange lately? Maybe even noticed some unusual feelings yourself? Has your dog been howling at 3 o'clock in the morning? Don't worry. It's just a phase. Some creatures, human or otherwise, are affected when a full moon rolls around. According to my weather site that is today - full moon that is.

Was out and about early this morning and caught this picture of the moon playing peek-a-boo with the clouds. You may think I might be one of those afflicted with the effects of a full moon. Could be but I thought this was a unique scene around six this morning.

Whhhooooooooo...

ole nib

Memorial Day 2008

Memorial Day originally began as Decoration Day to honor Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. Historians tell us it was first observed in 1865 in Charleston, S.C. by freed slaves and surviving Union soldiers. The name was changed to Memorial Day in 1882 but was still commonly referred to as Decoration Day until after WWII. It wasn't until after WWI that it was changed to honor all men and women who died while fighting for our country no matter what war or military action they were in. It was made an official holiday by Congress in 1967. That's not a misprint. It took the politicians over 100 years to make it legal.

Memorial Day used to be celebrated on May 30th annually until our law makers changed it to the last Monday in May some forty years ago. It was one of about four holidays changed to make it a three day week-end event.

I did all my research on this holiday because I was getting fuzzy on the purpose of the holiday. Over the years it has evolved for many to honor both veterans and deceased family members. I have no problem with that. I remember as a kid decorating my bike with streamers weaved in the spokes and joining the annual parade from town up 10th Street hill to the cemetery. Back in those days only the dignitaries got a ride. I'm digressing. The purist purpose of Memorial Day is to honor military members who have fallen while in the service of our country. It's sort of like the group of guys pictured above at the Viet Nam War Memorial in our nations capitol. I have no idea who they are. I got the picture a few years ago. They were all in the same unit while they were across the pond and were there to remember their fallen comrades.

Wellsville is going to have their usual celebration commemorating our fallen soldiers. Ceremonies are to begin at 9 A.M. at the gazebo on Monday. Rev. Bill Rudder will lead off with benediction followed with remarks from various dignitaries. Following the ceremonies there a parade will form up and go to 10th St. Then they will proceed to Springhill Cemetery for the conclusion of the ceremonies. You can still decorate your bike and join in if you wish.

In addition to honoring our fallen military members many consider Memorial Day as the beginning of the summer season. Used to be the end of the school year was around that day. Whatever you think of the holiday take a moment to remember those that made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our country.

The picture of the waving flag came from Google Images.

ole nib

Two More Secret Indictments Served

The County Jail is getting crowded with suspected Wellsville drug dealers. In this morning's paper in the Court news were listed two more people served with secret indictments issue by the Grand Jury. With the addition of the new names that brings the total to five that have been apprehended in the last few days. That's good news for the ville. It indicates that serious efforts are being made to clean up our streets.

One of the suspects in the latest arrests was also prominently mentioned in a shooting on Washington Street this past January. Back when we were talking about that someone hinted that the authorities would be getting busy dealing with the illicit drug situation in town. Guess they weren't kidding. I wonder if there are more coming?

It's too bad that those who are supplying the drugs to these local suspects haven't been nailed yet but there is only so much that can be done on the local level. Hopefully the authorities are making some inroads on this aspect too.

I doubt if we will ever be free of this menace but it is heartening to see something being done. Now there are five people put in the legal system and at least for the time being they won't be out and about. They're a little slow posting court records over in Lisbon but I noticed two of those arrested last week did not post bail yet.

It's a start that I'm happy to see...

ole nib

Rambling On

Hey! We got a new judge over in CC Common Pleas court. I read it twice in this morning's Review. Judge "Dan" Tobin sat in on a plea hearing yesterday. Then later on "Dan" passed sentence on a child support case. I wonder if "Dan" is any relation to his honor Dave Tobin.

It's good to see the ville's Don Brown out and about. He was pictured yesterday in the MJ saying good-bye to Doc Reynoso out at the Vet's Clinic. Apparently he can still make the girls cry. Looks like the good doctor was trying to hold back the tears in that Aaron Randolph photo.

There appears to be hope for the Museum of Ceramics to continue operating. In a piece in the ER this past Thursday it was announced that the Ohio Historical Society will have a public meeting at the Motor Lodge May 28th to discuss the management and to answer questions about the future of the museum. If I read the piece correctly the museum will at least be open until the end of the year instead of having to close their doors at the end of the month. Under the newly proposed management agreement it may have a future beyond that. I surely hope so. The pottery business was an important part of the ville's history too and I'm sure there are pieces up there from some of our history. According to Harold Barth Wellsville had the first pottery in the area.

Eric Dillard's bond reduction request was denied this week. He'll continue residing at the CC County Jail awaiting the Grand Jury's decision. Judge Pike didn't offer any reasons for turning down the motion.

Speaking of the Grand Jury, have you been paying attention to the papers the last couple of days? Three alledged players in selling cocaine that live in the ville were served with secret indictments this week. I don't know if it is the result of the Drug Task Force or who but someone has been busy. It's probably from work being done by the WPD and the DTF. I hope they keep up the good work.

County Health Commissioner Bob Morehead made the papers again this week. Same story as before but just confirmed by the auditors. State auditors found some additional items for recovery but said this was already covered in Morehead's indictment. In addition to the new findings they also made some recommendations for changes in the Health Board travel policies. Imagine that.

With the sky rocketing prices for gasoline I've been seeing some people riding bikes around town that to me were surprising. It shouldn't be surprising to see older "kids" riding bikes. It's just that I'm not sure I have the energy for it. I know I should find some. It's good exercise and wouldn't take money to fuel the effort. The ville is an excellent place for bike riding with it being mostly flat terrain. Just a word of caution though from one who drives a motorcycle NEVER ASSUME a motorist will see you. Always ride defensively. It would be sad to see all that exercise going to waste if there was an accident. Drivers should strive to pay more attention to the bikers too.

Have a good week-end. Stay dry...


ole nib

Azaleas In The Ville

Must be a good year for Azalea bushes in and around Wellsville this year. I've noticed several and they are all gorgeous. Here's a close up of one of the many that caught my eye.

It's things like this that make the ville a piece of heaven here on earth.

Now if the good Lord would see fit to send a little more sunshine our way...

ole nib

10th Street Fire

There was a garage fire late yesterday afternoon at the rear of this home at 500 Tenth St. It appeared that it was smoldering for awhile before it was noticed. It's unfortunate that these things happened but it was good to see the excellent job the Wellsville Fire Dept. and volunteers did in keeping the damage to a minimum. The detached garage was pretty close to the main house and other structures. From what I could see, other than the garage, the only other loss was some heat damage to the siding on the back of the house. By the time I got there the firefighters had it under control and were searching out hot spots.

Nice job guys. It's good to know you are there and that the ville can count on you all.

ole nib

Some Rambling Thoughts

I haven't been writing much lately. I could cry "writer's block" but that wouldn't be true. Fact is my list of honey dos is quite impressive and I've been devoting a lot of my free time getting some outside stuff done in preparation for summer. Since I started blogging I've been ignoring a lot of those little odd jobs around the house. Since it is a cloudy, gloomy day I'm grabbing the chance to share some of my thoughts.

I've been impressed with the folks coming out in defense of Holly Stefanoff. I've come to the conclusion she is a bright star on the horizon. Since that dreadful report on our last council meeting I've seen three articles by her that were very well written. I've already mentioned the piece she did on Sgt. Carouthers and this past Sunday she had an introductory article on the ER's editorial page. The third article I'm alluding to is her report on our school board meeting the other night. After reading her report I had a feeling that I learned what went on at that meeting. I only had one question from that and it had nothing to do with Holly's work. All that being said I've come to the conclusion that Holly was having possibly a bad day last Tuesday, she was under pressure to put her report together in time to get it ready for Wednesday's paper and the editing at The Review sucks. Hang in there kid. Don't let s.o.b.s like me scare you away from your dreams. You do show some very promising talent. Just cover your back. It doesn't appear anyone at the paper is doing it for you.

In my own defense my reference to Dan's Bar was a question. For some time now that particular establishment has been regularly mentioned in the papers and it sounds like some of their patrons fall under the eccentric character category. I never mentioned anything about prostitution. That was "Tyrone Shoelaces". Let's see. When is the last time we heard from "Tyrone"? Oh yea, it was as a guest writer on ORL back last fall during the elections. I wonder who "Tyrone" really is and just what he is trying to do?

There was a breaking and entering at a village kwik shop mentioned yesterday in the MJ. Being an on-going case the WPD didn't have a lot to say. Then in the MJ's police reports in today's edition there was mentioned the EL police found a car at the Motor Lodge that the WPD was trying to find. Among other things they reported finding several rolls of coins in the room they checked. Could there be a connection? Will we ever learn? They towed the car back to the ville. Nice cooperation between the two departments. Lets see what develops.

Have you noticed that there is a paucity of editorials in the ER? It seems that all that is appearing in that area of the paper is a list of historical events in years past. Maybe it's just me.

I got a chuckle when I read that they have hired someone to replace Cassandra Bloor at Village Hall and would not name that person. Imagine that. Guess they don't want another outbreak like they did the last time they named a replacement for Kim Meek. Wonder who Cassandra's replacement is?

It's too bad our school board couldn't make do with local photography companies and keep the business either here in town or at least in the area. They contracted with a Canton outfit that offered the whole package that they were looking for. Wonder if the Canton company was the low bidder compared to the others combined? Do next year's seniors have to get their senior picture packages there?

I was sorry to see that science teacher Jim Fantone is going to retire. My kids loved him and I found out when that happened that teacher must be special. He is going to be missed. Another retired teacher that my kids loved was Peggy Lloyd. She's still special in my mind.

The question I mentioned above in Holly's report is about Thom Edgell being named a substitute teacher. Is this the same Mr. Edgell that was our Service Director?

They, the lawyers, are trying to get a bond reduction down to personal recognizance for Eric Dillard. They claim Mr. Dillard shot and killed Jamie Farley in self defense. So, that brings to question again whether there was another gun involved in that shooting. Even if there was the shooting occurred on the street and should have been a police matter. If Farley was shooting at the Dillard house Eric should have taken cover and called the police. It's illegal to play Rambo in the streets. Lawyers do what they have to do for the fees they collect. There was some additional facts pertaining to this case that came out in yesterday's papers. Apparently Mr. Farley had some personal demons with his aggressive behavior. There is nothing in court records yet to indicate a decision has been made on the bond. Perhaps the judge is going to wait and see what the Grand Jury decides.

Wouldn't it be nice if some organization that had the wherewithal to buy the stones that made up the Devore house and reconstruct it here in the village somewhere as a tourist attraction? Up there by Phyllis Thrasher's Park would be a nice place. There's so much history involved with that place it seems a shame to just let those stones lie there disintegrating in the weather. It would be costly but I can still dream. They did it with the London Bridge.

Now if the weather will just dry up long enough so I could finish my yard work. It would make the missus happy!

ole nib

The Delta Queen

Living on the banks of the Ohio River most of us are familiar with the sternwheel steamboat called the Delta Queen. For some years now she has majestically passed by here on cruises. She is the last of her kind that is authentic. She has a steel hull and a wooden superstructure and because of that superstructure this year might be her last for passengers to travel on overnight cruises. Since 1968 or 1971, depending on who you listen to, she has been living on borrowed time with a Presidential exemption. That exemption expires in November unless Congress extends it. She was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989.

The Delta Queen has a rich history dating back to 1926 when it was assembled in Sacramento, CA, and put into service on the Sacramento River making regular runs between Sacramento and San Francisco. She was originally owned by the Delta Steamboat Co. which was founded in 1890. Her original engines were manufactured in Dumbarton, Scotland. At one time she was a sister ship to the Delta King.

She was laid up in 1940 with the improvements of the highway system out there. The Navy used her in San Francisco Bay during WWII. In 1946 she was purchased by a Cincinnati firm, towed through the Panama Canal and up the rivers to be refurbished in Pittsburgh. In 1948 she was once again put into service plying the Mississippi, the Ohio. the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers carrying overnight passengers on cruises. If she hasn't already done so she will passing here again either today or tomorrow en route to Pittsburgh.

This coming Saturday there will be a tribute to her starting at 5 P.M. in Pittsburgh at the North Shore Riverfront Park near the Ft. Duquesne Bridge. Songs on her steam-powered calliope will precede remarks and special presentations. She will then be departing Pittsburgh at 6 P.M. with a special calliope concert. It should be something to see and hear.

According to the Majestic America's web page the Delta Queen will be making trips to Pittsburgh once a month through October. Meanwhile they have a bill currently in Congress to get that exemption extended. Over the years they have made various safety improvements and to this day they vigorously train their personnel in safety measures. It would be a sin to lose this national treasure. Following is what Congressman Charlie Wilson had to say on the subject.

"As you are aware the Delta Queen is the nation’s last operational overnight steam paddle-wheeler. Since 1968, Congress has allowed the boat to operate without fire safety standards. The last exemption was passed in 1996 and expires this year. I understand the importance of saving this National Historic Landmark, which hundreds of people have enjoyed over the many years. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 3852, which aims to extend the exemption through November 1, 2018. This legislation has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. In addition, I voted in favor of a motion to recommit the Coast Guard Authorization Act back to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to include the exemption for the Delta Queen in the bill. Unfortunately, this motion was rejected by a vote of 195-208. Rest assured I will continue to work in Congress to make sure this important part of American history is saved. "

That was part of the text in response to an e-mail I sent him. Thanks Charlie. Let's hope H.R. 3852 has a favorable outcome.

God save the Queen...

ole nib

Water Tapping

The Review did it again. In borrowing a phrase from our text messaging friends OMG! Where did they find Holly Stefanoff? Dan's Bar? Holly's account of last night's council meeting started out on page one of this morning's edition. The continuation was buried on page 5A. They should have buried the whole article. Better question yet, where was the editorial staff? Do they let it fly just to get it in print for the next day? Holly wasn't even listed on their Staff Contacts section.

Her article was very confusing and left me wondering just what exactly was she reporting in all that she tried to cover. In talking about the Shade Tree Commission she said "Suzie Hall" maintains their web site. I think she meant Suzie Haugh of haughdesigns.com. Then she went on to write "Dawn Johnson of 705 Broadway said of a recent Tree City USA awards get together held for 13 counties". End of sentence. What did Ms. Johnson say? From the MJ I learned the Dawn said the commission hopes to host a get together in Wellsville sometime in the future inviting representatives from 13 other counties.

It only gets worse. She talks of "concrete slabs" for veteran's graves when it was concrete markers for 20 veteran's graves. She talks about drain water which enters the ground, leading to the sewer and then must be processed". Could she mean drain water from down spouts that are connected to sewer lines? Lord only knows. I'm guessing here. She goes on about the "Zoning" issuing eight contractor's licenses for last month "which puts the village at about $440 for the year". Again I'm guessing she's referring to the Zoning Dept. and so far they have brought in $440 for the permits issued this year. It's building permits, isn't it? Cassandra Bloor will fill the "vacant assistant clerk position". What position is that? Again she left us guessing there. Council plans to acquire estimates for repairs at the cemetery caretaker's house. Why? What repairs?

The best one and this is the one that really got my gander that was in Holly's report is "Randy Allmon is researching estimates for a possible water tapping fee". Please tell us Holly just what is water tapping? If she is talking about tapping into water lines doesn't BWD handle that for the village. It has been mentioned before that Councilman Allmon is checking into updating the fees for new customers tapping into the our sewage lines. Perhaps that was it.

Who, what, when & why... I learned that in high school journalism. We were taught that was the most basic rule that must be followed in journalism. If Ms. Stefanoff is not going to take the time to familiarize herself with subjects she's going to write about maybe she could familiarize herself with basic grammar.

Thank God Erin Colella was there for the MJ and reported what she learned. Jim Mackey should quit clipping and pasting AP stories for his paper and pay more attention to what his staff is up to. There won't be any rewards for that kind of reporting.

Oh my gosh...

ole nib

Least Lucille Forgets

We're back to Lucille bashing. See the comments in the post before this. This past Sunday Mrs. Huston had an article on the Editorial page explaining how she went about getting Melvin Newlin nominated and selected for the OMHOF. It was a good piece until she got to her closing paragraph. She wrote "A fitting further tribute to Newlin, and to others from Wellsville who were victims of various wars, would be for them to have a place of honor on the Flood Wall murals being painted in the village". Evidently Lucille is a victim of fading memory.

Pictured above is some of the memorials we have in the village honoring the memory of our veterans. Although Newlin isn't singled out on the floodwall he is well honored in other places not to mention that State Route 7 is named after him for the portion that goes through the ville. The flood wall mural is dedicated "FOR ALL WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE" and was sponsored by the Jerry & Gretchen Madden family in memory of Ernie Madden. It represents all the branches of our armed forces in all the wars from WWII to Desert Storm. That would most certainly include Newlin. Ernie Madden was a Viet Nam vet.

Thanks in large part to the Veterans Memorial Council, the Madden family and others our veterans are well remembered and honored. We're lucky to have such people with their dedication to preserving the memory of our veterans.

ole nib

Wellsville Native Inducted Into OMHOF

Nearly 41 years after making the ultimate sacrifice in the service of his country and defending his comrades Wellsville native Melvin Newlin was inducted yesterday into the the Ohio Military Hall-of-Fame in Columbus. Taken from the pages of ohioheros.org is first a description of the OMHOF meldal awarded in yesterday's ceremonies. Following that is a copy of Newlin's Medal-of-Honor citation.





-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Description of OMHOF Medal Ed Arthur envisioned and designed the Ohio Medal of Valor over a period of time beginning in 1990. It represents all that its recipients sacrificed for freedom as well as singles out the recipient as representing his or her home state - Ohio.
Most importantly, Arthur wanted all its recipients to be proud to wear this medal to share their love of their country and the State of Ohio, and so that the greater population can reach out to the veteran and reciprocate that respect and devotion to service.
Components of the Medal: The green wreath in the background is in memory of those soldiers who died in battle, but are not to be forgotten.
The cross is not a religious symbol, but rather represents the four corners of the world in which our military have served.
The eagle is present because this award is for having served in a national military branch of service.
The state outline with the state pennant inside this outline represents that its recipients were either born in the State of Ohio or inducted into a national branch of service while in the State of Ohio.
So as not to be confused with other awards, Arthur wanted all who see its recipient wearing this medal to have no doubt as to why it was awarded - hence the word "Valor."
The red and white ribbon attached to the medal is symbolic of the blood that was shed and the lives that were lost.
The adaptation of red, white, and blue within the medals are symbolic of our nation's Stars and Stripes and the State of Ohio pennant colors and what they represent.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Private First Class Melvin E. Newlin
Class of 2008
United States MarinesMedal of Honor
Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner attached to the First Platoon, Company F, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines, First marine Division, in the Republic of Vietnam on 3 and 4 July 1967. Private Newlin with four other Marines, was manning a key position on the perimeter of Nong Son outpost when the enemy launched a savage and well coordinated mortar and infantry assault, seriously wounding him and killing his four comrades. Propping himself against his machine gun, he poured a deadly accurate stream of fire into the charging ranks of the Viet Cong. Though repeatedly hit by small arms fire, he twice repelled enemy attempts to overrun his position. During the third attempt, a grenade explosion wounded him again and knocked him to the ground unconscious. The Viet Cong guerillas, believing him dead, bypassed him and continued their assault on the main force. Meanwhile, Private Newlin regained consciousness, crawled back to his weapon, and brought it to bear on the rear of the enemy causing havoc and confusion among them. Spotting the enemy attempting to bring a captured 106 recoilless weapon to bear on other Marine positions, he shifted his fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy and preventing them from firing the captured weapon. He then shifted his fire back to the primary enemy force, causing the enemy to stop their assault on the Marine bunkers and to once again attack his machine gun position. Valiantly fighting off two more enemy assaults, he firmly held his ground until mortally wounded. Private Newlin had single-handedly broken up and disorganized the entire enemy assault force, causing them to lose momentum and delaying them long enough for his fellow Marines to organize a defense and beat off their secondary attack. His indomitable courage, fortitude, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



I never knew Melvin Newlin but it is never too late to say thank you. He is one of the many veterans and active military that Wellsville is home to. I think he is the only Medal-of-Honor recipient we have. Correct me if I'm wrong. Hopefully the sacrifices of all our veterans are never forgotten. Pictured above is Newlin and the OMHOF medal.

ole nib

Dillard Bound Over To Grand Jury

In a Preliminary Hearing held yesterday for the case of Wellsville's Eric Dillard on murder charges it was determined by Judge Robb to send it to the Grand Jury. Dillard has been accused in the shooting death of Jamie Farley on the night of April 22nd. Yesterday's hearing in CC Municipal Court was to determine probable cause.

Both of our local papers have lengthy write ups of yesterday's proceedings in today's editions. It's also on-line on their web sites. There's a little more info on what happened that night after the police arrived. Dillard did not take the stand yesterday and the reasons for this unfortunate and tragic incident hasn't been made public. The prosecuting attorney was quoted as saying Dillard has not shown any cooperation with officials. Also, according to those testifying, a second weapon was not found. That could very well be one of those rumors we were talking about.

Meanwhile Dillard will remain in custody with a $2,000,000 bond. Memorial services will be held at six this evening at the Avondale Baptist Church in ELO for Jamie Farley.

ole nib

Startin' To Look Like Pennsylvania

The contractors for ODOT got started this past Monday on preparing a portion of Route 7 for resurfacing. They are going to do both lanes from just about the Jefferson County line to just north of Route 45. That's about three miles and includes the whole portion of the highway that goes through Wellsville. They are going to keep one lane open on each side while they are working. The target completion date is August 31st. Right now they are grinding off the old surface.

So if you out-of-towners come calling this summer you'll know what to expect. The multitude of orange & white striped barrels put me in mind of Pennsylvania which are always present in our neighbor's state. Rest assured you will be in the ville.

It will be nice to see you all. We'll leave a light on for ya...

ole nib

Almost Got 'Er Done

Edgar ain't got much left to the house on Washington Street he's been tearing down. What you see in the picture above is about all that is left of this structure. Imagine he'll about have it wrapped up sometime next week.

The man is amazing. He works alone and about the only tools I've seen him use when I stopped by to nib is a sledge hammer and a spud bar. Then he loads everything into a dumpster by hand. Told me he is on his third dumpster and they are the big ones. Also said he has another house line up when he is finished here.

I hope he keeps on ticking, just like that Timex watch.

ole nib