Thanksgiving 2008

Getting into the history of the Thanksgiving holiday is more than I bargained for. There is a lot of different opinions out there as to when the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in this country. One source said the first was in St. Augustine, FL, in the year 1565 with Spanish settlers giving thanks for their safe arrival. Then the one I learned in my school age years is with the Pilgrims in Plymouth, MA, celebrating a bountiful harvest with native American Indians in the early 1600s. From what I can gather that is the first time a feast was prepared to celebrate the good harvest. That was held after the crops were harvested and it was time to prepare for the winter months.

Then in the midst of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation that Thanksgiving will be celebrated on the last Thursday of November annually. In 1898 Congress passed legislation that Thanksgiving will henceforth be a legal federal holiday.

At any rate it's once again Thanksgiving and I wanted to wish each and everyone of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Each and everyone of us has something to be thankful about. The missus and I are thankful to have the whole family come in with their spouses, the grand kids and even the "grand dogs". I'm especially thankful that I'm not scheduled to work on the three days they are here. With their scattered locations about the country it's rare that we all get together at the same time in one location.

As many of you know there are a couple of locations in the area where they will be serving free dinners today. Right here in the ville there is the Harvest House located in the old Ferrall Auto parts store building. Then, of course, there is the Point of Light up in East End. Seems like that annual event is growing bigger & bigger each year. Although Elizabeth Carter makes her home in the East End her family has roots from the ville. Her husband Richard hails from Wellsville.

I'm sorry I forgot to make a note of the times these two places will be serving. Seems to me that I recall reading that both places will be opening their doors around 11 A.M. and will be serving dinners through most of the afternoon. Both places emphasize that dinners will be available for anyone that comes in the door. Getting set up, cooking and cleaning up is a mamouth task for all those people. A hearty thanks to all that put into this labor of love and generosity. For all you folks do, we are thankful.

I started to write this yesterday and got interrupted when the grand kids came in. They are a joy to behold and don't allow for much time to concentrate. I wouldn't give up one moment of time we share with them while they're here but I did want to finish this while there is a little piece and quiet to wish you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

ole nib

WHS Alumni All Stars

Last night witnessed this fall's edition of another stellar performance of the WHS Alumni (& future alumni) All Stars lip sync variety show. This show was dedicated a tribute to the late Ron Daniels & Paul Siriani who were both very talented members of this entertaining group. It was another sold out house with folks standing along the walls. If you missed it you missed a very enjoyable time.

The skits covered numbers from gospel to comedy from selections from a 1936 Shirley Temple film to some not quite traditional Christmas tunes on up to more modern times. Once again the All Stars did an outstanding job. Many times you lost track that they were lip syncing.

Pictured above is some of the pictures I got. You can click on them to enlarge.

Thanks All Stars for the good time. You guys rock!

ole nib

GOOD NEWS

In the good news department for the tri-state economy we found out this week that Baard Industries was granted their third and final permit required by the Ohio EPA. This one is for their plans on air emissions from the proposed plant. This one includes the much ballyhooed CO2 emissions that the Sierra Club is trying to convince us will destroy the planet. Apparently the OEPA found Baard's plans and proposals acceptable especially with Baard being more than willing to use every known and available technology that is out there.

This permit took longer than expected to be approved but it was reported that the OEPA incorporated some additional requirements in the agreement that was a direct result from comments submitted at the hearings and from others that were mailed in. According to the OEPA spokesman Baard was very willing to make the changes and they were praised for their willingness to work everything out. I imagine the extra time was because of the changes. Then there was the Deseret decision that had to be looked over. Guess the OEPA is confident we'll survive when the ORCF plant goes into production.

Also announced today is that the Army Corp of Engineers issued the only federal permit required for this project. That one is the Streams & Wetlands permit. That was in Mike McElwain's article this morning in the ER.

Apparently getting the permitting process completed in just over a year's time is a note worthy accomplishment in itself. I've been following this project for what seems like a long time to me. I've read and written many a word on it. I'm no expert in these permitting matters but I'm getting the conviction that it was accomplished with Baard's willingness to work closely with the authorities and those of the public that concerned themselves. For that they should be lauded. In spite of what the Sierra Club and others of their ilk believe, I think Baard will be good neighbors. Lord knows they will be closely monitored. I don't need to mention what this plant will mean to the area economy.

Getting the permits is the first big hurdle in seeing this plant coming to fruition. From the papers they tell us the next big steps is finalizing the engineering and lining up the financing for this huge project. So, it will be a little time yet before they are ready to break ground. Just off the top of my head I'm thinking maybe next spring. That's just a guess on my part. I don't have any inside information.

Maybe we will learn more at the Wellsville Chamber-of-Commerce dinner scheduled for December 4. Folks from Baard will be there and plan to address the audience as part of the program. Hope whoever is chosen the Citizen-of-the-Year has a good sense of humor. They will get the honors but...

The Chamber is going to be busy that week. They are putting on the dinner Thursday evening and then on Saturday they will be getting the annual Christmas parade going. Maybe they can feature the Citizen-of-the-Year in the parade. By the by, I've been told by a member of the Chamber that several labor unions from the area should be given a huge "attaboy" for their generosity in sponsoring the dinner. You gotta love those pipe fitters, plumbers, carpenters, masons, operating engineers and other laborers that kicked in for this event. They are the same folks that will be doing the actual building of the ORCF plant. You probably saw that picture in yesterday's MJ or earlier this week in the ER of the meeting that the various union reps had with the Chamber. I would like to add my thanks.

It is good to see things moving along. With Nachy's shennanigans this past week and the extra time for getting these permits issued I was getting worried. I feel better now. Since we're in a depressed area I wonder if ORCF is eligible for some of that bail out money? :-)

You'll have to excuse me now. Gotta go help Jim Tressel coach the Buckeyes to a win over "that school up north". Go Bucks...

ole nib

Before I Shut 'er Down

Ok, I got that off my mind. I always try to be tolerant of other's opinions but this latest stunt that Kanfer is foisting on us just about got my goat. I never did care much for crusaders and to be kind that's about the best description I can think of giving the Sierra Club. Most crusaders put me in mind of Hitler trying to create the Master Race. If you don't get on the band wagon they want you to feel you don't have the sense to come in out of the rain. Enough said.

Not getting far from that subject though, did you see the piece in the paper about the upcoming Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year dinner? It was in yesterday's ER along with a picture. Along with awarding the Citizen there will be folks from Baard speaking on the proposed new plant. That's timely even though it was probably planned for before Nachy got me stirred up. The mayor better get busy. I think Connie Bauer is getting her picture in the paper more than him these days! The dinner is December 4 at the high school. The price is $30 per plate.

Speaking of pictures did you catch the one of Tim McNicol doing his best to look like Inspector Clouseau with his trench coat? Tim is not only a county prosecutor. He is also an assistant law director for ELO. The picture was in the article about those folks up there closing Dan's Bar.

Before I forget I wanted to pass on to you all that the new pumping station and water treatment plant is on-line. From what I understand the village is still getting their water from the reservoir for the time being. I think the plans are to keep the old reservoir operational as a back up at least until they are sure everything is 100% operational. One board member told me he couldn't tell the difference between the two sources in a taste test. Buckeye Water District is growing into a big business and to think it all started in the ville.

Reading reports on this week's council meeting sure brought out a contrast in styles of reporting. Reading the ER one would think it was a big love fest between council and the St. Francis people. All 21 paragraphs in the ER account was devoted to that subject. Thankfully Erin Colella was there for the MJ. She's developing into a pretty nifty reporter. Her piece covered more than one subject.

The convicted animal control officer saved council from any unpleasantness. He resigned. Now council has to work out details on what to do next. We got the mayor and two councilman professing their support for the St. Francis group. There was a petition submitted with somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 signatures of village residents in support of the work these good people do for us. Village Solicitor Andy Beech was quoted as hinting there may be a way to work something out. There's suppose to be a meeting this afternoon to work out some details. We'll have more on that later.

Columbia Gas people were there asking for consideration to reduce the fee for digging holes in our streets. The ordinance in effect stipulates a fee of $250 per hole dug. I was told one councilman muttered that was almost like extortion. Considering the state only charges $20 - $25 per hole it does seem rather steep. The gas company is in the process of changing all their old cast iron and steel pipes to plastic. Because of the exorbitant cost Wellsville might be postponed. I think the committee that covers this should check out what other communities are charging and try to be more reasonable on the village fees. If one of those old metal pipes were to corrode and spring a leak it would mean residents would lose their gas supply until that leak is found and repaired. That would be extremely bad news for those folks effected especially with weather like we've been having this week.

I'm sort of like Nunzio was quoted as saying, I'm not really sure what's going on with the old Hammond house that has traditionally been the home of the cemetery care taker. As far back as I can remember being allowed to live there was a perk that came with the job. The best I can determine is that our Fiscal Officer and the Finance Committee is trying to right a wrong that has been going on since the IRS changed their ruling on taxing job perks. Is it just that or is it the fact they found this nougat so the village won't have to sink some big bucks in making the place livable? They are kicking around $20-$30,000 currently being estimated for repairs on that historic structure. Being a lover of things historic I'm hoping they can work something out to preserve that house. Is there possibly some grant money available somewhere if that was declared a historic site? We've already lost too many significant historical sites in the ville. I believe that house goes back to the early days of this community. Does the care taker live there rent free?

At any rate you can't fault the Fiscal Officer and make him out to be the bad guy. Since he has had the job he has proven to be worth his weight in gold. He got our accounting methods up to snuff keeping the state auditors happy and he does keep up with what funds are available. Although not everyone in Village Hall agrees Dale can tell you what we can afford and what we can't. He can also readily tell our officials what's available in the different budget accounts. I hope they do approve his raise. I would hate to lose him.

Speaking of money I never knew that lottery funds only replace reduced funds that the state spends on our education system. That came out in an article this week in the papers. That doesn't seem right to me. That's like borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and does nothing to relieve the burden on school budgets. I wonder what shape Beaver Local would be in if lottery proceeds were an additional amount to what school districts get?

It was also announced out of the Board of Education meeting that beginning in January all students in the Wellsville District will be able to get a free breakfast. School Treasurer Coleen Wickham was quoted as saying "We're not going to lose any money". What wasn't explained by the reporter was how this program is going to be financed. I'm glad the district is able to do this. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm just being nibby as to how the district can do this and not "lose any money". If I was still in high school it wouldn't have done me any good. I was one of those kids that stayed in bed until the last possible moment and many times finished dressing en route to school!

Oh for the good old days...

ole nib

Sierra Club Does It Again

Using short sided logic the Sierra Club is once again trying to convince us we're all doomed if Baard's ORCF plant gets built. In a news release dated November 13 the Sierra Club announced an EPA Appeals Board remanded an air quality permit issued to Deseret Power Electric Cooperative out in Utah. Remanded in this case means the permit was sent back for further consideration.

Deseret Power Electric Cooperative is going through the permitting process in hopes of building a new coal fired electric generating plant. No where in the Sierra Club's news release are we told that the appeal was based on that company's failure to use BACT (Best Available Control Technology) for carbon dioxide emissions in their plans for the new plant. Therein lies the rub. Reading their release and Mike McElwain's scary sensational article in last Tuesday's ER one would think that Deseret's plans have been squashed forever. Then their kid from Columbus using Matt Stewart and his blog is trying to convince us this will have a snowball effect on everyone and anyone that wants to do anything constructive with coal. That would include Baard.

In all their rhetoric on this there are several facts that the Sierra Club spokes people chose either to ignore or at the most lightly gloss over. One fact that early came to mind was that the appeal was an argument for BACT which is a federal requirement. I skimmed through the appeal - all 69 pages of it - looking for the hinted fact that Deseret's permit was denied. It wasn't there.

Another fact that the Club wants us to believe is the CO2 will eventually wipe out every living thing on earth if the use of coal is allowed to be used in new businesses. The fact is every living organism whether plant, animal or human emits CO2 and has since the beginning of time. CO2 emissions are not today regulated other than using BACT. With everything considered it would be tough to regulate. The use of coal as an energy source probably goes back to the ice age. It's been around for a long time. You can search the history books and will not find one incident where it has been proven that CO2 has wiped us out. Using the logic that the Sierra Club is trying to lead us to believe the City of Pittsburgh should not be in existence today. For years back when that city was the steel making capitol of the world the smog was so great there were periods when they didn't see sunshine for days. With new technology that situation got cleaned up way before the steel industry hit bottom in the early 1980s.

That's another fact that they fail to mention - new technology. The strides of improvement have been enormous over the last few decades. If weather permits you can see clearly now in the 'burgh. New regulations for cleaning up the environment has been voluminous especially since the EPA was conceived. I can remember when people wouldn't fish in the river because of the pollution. That's changed and that's just one example of the improvements made.

The Sierra Club also fails to admit that the plans for Baard's ORCF plant have included every known BACT in their permit applications. The Baard people have bent over backwards committing to using the best and the newest technology to protect our environment. From what I've seen I'm convinced that Baard will continue to seek out and use any new methods to protect our environment that may come along in the future.

The Sierra Club doesn't want us to believe that we can coexist with a new plant that uses coal - a new plant that would in fact breath new life into our region. It's their way or the highway. For Lord's sake don't let them scare you with all their slanted propaganda. It's scare tactics. It's taking any negative hint to the extreme.

I have to ask the question. If the Sierra Club is so adamant on alternative energy sources why don't they use some of their considerable financial resources to invest in wind mills and solar panels? That money could be a lot more useful than throwing it away on legal fees and renting office space all over the country. Stop and ask yourself why don't they put their money where their mouth is?

ole nib

Not What They Were Hoping For

A week ago today (Saturday 11-8-08) MJ reporter Erin Collella had a report in the paper of the meeting by Wellsville's Sewage Committee to reveiw bids for the operations of the ville's Sewage Treatment Plant. Colella wrote there was only one bid submitted and that was from United Water, the new parent of Earth Tech. Earth Tech has been operating the plant since the time the village decided to contract that work out.

For reasons yet explained the two council members present decided to go into an executive session in spite of this being a blatant violation of Ohio's Sunshine Law. This decision was made even after others present advised it would be in violation of the law and was not covered as one of the permissible reasons to go behind closed doors. From what Colella wrote and from sources I talked to there were some heated words exchanged between those present. Even after the mayor referenced the Sunshine Law rule book those two council members went ahead with their closed door meeting.

Earlier this year Randy Allman brought up that the contract for operating the sewage plant was to expire early next year. Council did the right thing and put it up for bid. There were hopes that they might be able to secure a better rate that would cost the village less money and maybe even lower the rates we pay. Then a smear campaign began to develop against Earth Tech suggesting they may have been neglectful in removing sludge from the digesters causing unhealthy conditions. The fact is that sludge is removed almost daily but the digestors are old equipment and like any other machinery they begin to wear out and become less efficient after years of use. Years ago before the present administration were in place the village was advised that the digestors were deteriorating and in need of being rehabilitated. Because of the fiscal problems the village were having this was put on the back burner and nothing was ever done about it. It all came to a head this summer and was declared an emergency situation to clean up the digestors. It was costly but it was something that needed to be done and thankfully the village was able to secure some financial help in paying for the work. Now they are going to use another method for treating sludge with financial help from Ohio Public Works funds. Colella had another article in yesterday's MJ that United Water and the Sewage Committee are negotiating a five year extension on their contract to operate the plant. From her write-up it appears that cooler heads are prevailing. There is promise of more cooperation between the village authorities and the operators. There are pledges of keeping better lines of communication open between the two parties and this is extremely important.

The shenanigans of violating the Sunshine Law and hiding behind closed doors is just one example of the ways things are unnecessarily and thoughtlessly sometimes done in our village. For the life of me I'm trying to figure out if it's due to arrogance, thoughtlessness, or oversight on the part of some or silly power plays between some parties involved. Whatever it is it puts into play a question about personal and business integrity that just gives the village a black eye. As one commenter mentioned it makes Wellsville the laughing stock of the county. It gets us roasted in the MJ's Roasts And Toasts weekly column. It's a deterrent for those that want to do business with the ville.

Sheltergate II would never have occurred if it was handled properly. At the very least it should have been put up for bid and budgeted for. Hammonds Park is another spot in our village that can be a show case for our town. The views from the top of that hill are spectacular. If the money wasn't there for the renovations the shelters should have been put off limits and the tables moved out onto the grass for the people that wanted to hold events up there.

For what it cost those shelters should now be in pristine condition. As we've seen they are not. Until now I reserved my comment. However, if something can't be worked out negotiating with the contractor that did the work, the bill should be paid. Commitments were made between the contractor and the village that should be fulfilled and honored. You can't fault the contractor for that.

The situation with the Animal Control Officer has to be dealt with and not ignored. As proven in court Mr. Hickman is not the man for the job. It has to be dealt with by council and it should be addressed at the very next meeting. Someone on council has to get the fortitude to step forward and initiate procedures to get this situation corrected. Personally I would like to see the village go with the county and support the work the St. Francis people are doing. Those people have proven their compassion and dedication for taking care of God's forsaken creatures. There has to be some way the legalities of letting them use the animal shelter can be worked out.

Running the village is no different than running a business. It is the responsibility of our elected officials to search out and find the best and most cost effective ways in conducting the village business. There is no place for petty, backstabbing or deceitful ways in running that business. As we have seen time and time again those tangled webs always find the light of day. Sometimes you just have to live with compromise. In the end it is best for all us that call ourselves citizens and shows that Wellsville is a good place to live and deal with.

To the best of my knowledge there is only one council person that is in their first term. From what I've seen she is very well versed in the steps. The rest of them have been to the dance before as is true with our administration. There are good things on the horizon for the ville. Let's quit stepping on each other's toes.

ole nib

Good Night Wellsville

Sunset over the ville...

ole nib

Fall Colors 2008 In The Ville

The leaf peaking in the area came in stages this year. Instead of everything turning at about the same time it seemed to come in one area at a time. For example the hillside on the western part of the ville seem to turn and drop leaves fairly early but the WV hills across the river were still green. In town there were some trees brilliant in color but right next to them other trees were still green as can be. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I was expecting too much too soon.

Whatever the case here are some pictures around town and the surrounding area I've been collecting for this fall. You don't see anything like this is southern Florida. That's one of the reasons we call this God's country.

Hope these help brighten these overcast days we've been having this week.

ole nib

New Trees Add Fall Color

After only one season's growth the new trees on Broadway in Wellsville are beginning to add to the fall colors. Here are a few pictures I got a couple of weeks ago. You can easily imagine that in a few years time Broadway Park will be a spectacular and colorful show place when fall rolls around.

As always you can click on any of the pictures to enlarge.

ole nib

Veterans Day 2008

Tomorrow is Veterans Day, "a day dedicated to the cause of world peace...", as declared by President Woodrow Wilson in a proclamation back in November 12, 1919. From then until 1954 it was known as Armistice Day. In 1938 Congress moved that it be celebrated on the 11th day of November that year and each year after. The end of WWI armistice was signed on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. It is a day to honor all vets, living and dead, for the sacrifices made to preserve world peace. It is as appropiate today as it was back in 1919.

Pictured above is a couple of shots from St. Elizabeth Cemetery and Springhill of the job the Veterans Memorial Council and members of Boy Scout Troop 19 did placing flags on graves of veterans up there. Those two organizations should be commended for the work they did up there. There are flags all through the cemetery.

Tomorrow afternoon starting at 1:50 a program will be held at the high school to commemorate Veterans Day. Keynote speaker will be Army MSgt Terry Berry, Retired. The program is open to all. I believe the program is sponsored by the Veterans Memorial Council. Those group of people have for years now kept this day a special event in the ville.

Thanks to those folks for remembering all us vets and thanks to all those vets who answered the call of duty throughout the history of this great nation.

ole nib

Lyle Williams

It is with regret that I'm writing this to report the death of former Congressman Lyle Williams this past Friday. Mr. Williams was a good friend of Wellsville. Through his knowledge, contacts and generosity he was influential to many of the accomplishments in the ville in the past few years.

Mr. Williams was born in Philippi, WV, August 23, 1942. At some point in his early years his family moved to Ohio and he graduated from North Bloomfield High School which is north of Youngstown. After graduation from high school he started out as a barber. He got his start in politics as a Board of Education member for his alma mater. He then moved on to be a Trumbull County Commissioner before running and being elected the first Republican Congressman from the Mahoning Valley since 1936. He served three terms in Congress starting in 1979. That Congressional District included the Wellsville area. After his time in Congress he worked for a time in the Office of Surface Mining in Washington. For the past several years he was the Executive Director of the National Association of Subacute & Post Acute Care also in Washington. NASPAC is a political action committee for the health care industry. His home was in Warren.

Mr. Williams funeral will be in Warren this coming Wednesday. Our condolences and sympathy go out to the Williams family. In our opinion Lyle was one of the good guys and we surely appreciate all he has done for the ville.

Rest in peace Lyle. Oh, and thanks for all you did. You'll be missed. Pictured above is Mr. Williams when he spoke at the Pete Amato Boardwalk on October 14, 2007.

ole nib

Post Election

Kim, you can breathe now. This one is in the books in more ways than one. From what I've been reading in the papers you did good with only a few minor glitches. For the most part it all went smooth. Congratulations to you and your staff.

That's for Wellsville's Kim Meek, Director of the Board of Elections. She got the job at the BOE not too long ago and was recently appointed director. She was a little tense about being able to get it all organized when I talked to her a couple of months ago. I think she did herself proud.

What an election it was. I can't recall seeing this much interest in a Presidential election since JFK back in the early 1960s. Kennedy was the first Catholic elected to the nation's highest office. Doom & gloomers said the USA is going to be run by the Pope.

Now it will go down in history that the 44th President is the first black man to hold that office. Although Obama didn't carry Columbiana County he did win a majority of the popular vote and had a lopsided win with the electoral votes. Someone on here said we elected an unknown. Not any more. The print media is making out like bandits with running additional copies of Wednesday papers for the people that want to save copies of the election results. Saw on the news yesterday that the NY Times ran an extra 200,000 copies.

It was interesting to read about all the first time voters. A lot of them were people who just didn't bother before. When I was at the poll voting I heard one fellow remark to the precinct workers that this was the first time in 20 years that he has voted. Wonder what brought him out this time.

Nationally the Democrats will have the majority in both the House and the Senate. Hopefully that will be helpful in getting the nation's business accomplished. Only time will tell. From I've been reading the economy is going to be the first priority. They are already kicking around another stimulus package. That's not the answer to our economic woes but for the time being just about anything will help.

Getting down to the local level not all my selections won but I can't complain. Penny Traina got a very convincing win and and although he didn't make it John Soldano had a very respectful showing getting nearly 47% of the vote for Sheriff. I was surprised that the Wellsville cemetery levy passed. I'm glad it did but around these parts levies are tough to get approved, especially replacement levies.

I was disappointed that only 68% of registered voters voted. I thought it would be higher with the absentee and early voting options. We even had beautiful weather. Guess some people just don't care.

Now it is all over except for the provisional ballots and some absentees. Obama lost the county by over 3,600 votes. I would love to see the demographics by area on that.

ole nib

You Decide

Sheltergate II remains a point of contention between Village Council and the administration. At this week's council meeting the bill remained tabled. The bill is $5,625 for repairs and putting in electrical service to the two picnic shelters up in Hammond's Park.

At a Property Committee meeting this past Monday Councilwoman Rosie Goss was quoted in the MJ as saying "go up there and see rotten wood and nails sticking out". So, I did. Got some pictures too. You can click on any of them to enlarge.

The work was done to shore up the shelters and a large portion of that bill was for the electrical work. Each shelter has a circuit breaker. In the large shelter on top of the hill I counted six outlets and two in the smaller shelter. About $4,700 of that bill was for the electrical work. The remaining portion was for the shoring up.

Since I've been accused of trying to micro manage on a computer I'll reserve comment about my feelings on this situation. You folks feel free to express your comments. Councilman Joe Soldano is suppose to meet with the owner of the construction company in an effort to resolve the situation.

ole nib

VOTE !!!

Polls open at 6:30 tomorrow morning and remain open until 7:30 tomorrow evening. That's 13 hours to give you time to get there. The weather is suppose to be great and big turn outs are expected. Be part of this history making election.

To find a sample ballot go to http://www.columbianacounty.org/BOE/Forms/sample_ballot.pdf. To find the location of your polling place go to http://www.columbianacounty.org/BOE/Forms/pollling_locations.pdf. All locations are handicapped accessible. To find local issues go to http://www.columbianacounty.org/BOE/Forms/local.pdf. To find all the state issues go to http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/elections/2008/gen/2008SampleBallot.pdf and scroll down. They are all there.

Voting is not a duty. It is a privilege afforded us that not all countries in the world have for citizens to express their opinions. It is a privilege that should not be abused or ignored. It only takes a few minutes of your time. Get to the polls and exercise your privilege.

There's no excuse.

ole nib

Election Thoughts

This coming Tuesday is Election Day. As Americans our right to vote goes back to the beginnings of this nation. Many good people fought for this privilege, some have died. By voting we, as citizens, get to chose who will govern us from the President all the way down to local levels. I've always felt that it is our duty to go to the polls and vote in every election. How you vote is your personal decision. It is no one else's business. It's up to you if you want to share your thoughts about the different candidates, issues and levies. If you don't bother to register and vote you have no right to whine & complain about the way things turn out. You can but for me it falls on deaf ears if you don't exercise your right to vote. For me your esteem is extremely low as an American citizen. It's that important to me.

For President I'm endorsing Obama. We simply can not afford another term of Bush policies. My dad was a staunch Democrat. He felt that people that vote Republican don't know or remember what this country went through in the Great Depression. In today's times financial conditions are very similar to the conditions that brought on the Great Depression. Just about all those conditions came about with nearly eight years of Bush at the helm. We definitely need new leadership in the White House.

I also like Charlie Wilson to keep representing us in Congress. He has worked hard for us especially here in the ville. He calls himself a conservative democrat. I don't see him changing his ways. I like what he has done in his first term and I think he will continue to be the best person to look out for our interest.

On the state level I like Charlie's son Jason Wilson. Since being appointed State Senator he has devoted a lot of time to us in this county and in the ville. Linda Bolon has also proven great to us locally as our State Rep. I feel both will continue trying to do good things for us and think they should be given another term.

On the county level I'm going for Dickey-Myers and Wellsville's Penny Traina for Commissioners. I was torn between Jim Hoppel and Myers. Hoppel is from this part of the county but in the last couple of years I got the feeling that he is getting weary of the job. I think it is time to get someone fresh in there to fill that seat.

I've already endorsed Wellsville's native son John Soldano for Sheriff. Did you see the picture of Ray Stone at the debates in the MJ? He had that deer in the headlights look in his eyes and looked like he is ready to drop. The job of sheriff is very demanding and I believe John is up to the challenge. He is well qualified and I think he will do a commendable job for us.

I'm sticking with the incumbents for County Treasurer and Recorder. I think for Nick Barborak and Craig Brown have served us well. They have both proven responsible doing their jobs and I see no reason to change now.

I think there is only three levies for us to consider in the village. One is for Jobs & Family Services. They want to double the current Children Services levy from .75 mills to 1.5 mills. The Wellsville School District is asking us to renew a 2 mill permanent improvement levy. This levy is earmarked for safety especially for the school buses. The third levy is a 1 mill replacement for the cemetery. By designating it as a replacement levy will change the tax collected based on current land values.

There will be five state issues on the ballot. There was originally six but Issue 4 was withdrawn. I'll freely admit I haven't done much in studying the issues but there are two I want to mention. Issue 5 deals with the "pay day loan" business. They are trying to change the restrictions put on them by the state. You have to vote yes on this issue to keep the rules as they now are. The other issue is Issue 6 which is for the gambling casino proposal. Although I believe that casinos are eventually going to come to Ohio this deal doesn't sound like it's in the best interest for us Ohioans.

Like I mentioned above how you vote is your business. These are solely my thoughts and how I feel. The important thing is to get out and vote. If you're unsure where your poll is you can check it out on the Board of Election web site. Just go to http://www.columbianacounty.org/ and click on Board of Elections on the left hand column.

See you at the polls...

ole nib