What Global Warming?

For you folks that live in Florida, Arizona, California and other warm places around the country right now I would pay for some of that global warming. The folks in and around the ville know what I'm talking about. Right now it is colder than a well digger's patootie here! Listening to Channel 9 this morning the coldest temperature they reported was in Byesville, OH, at minus 16 degrees. In my back yard it was minus 7 at six this morning. We got some bright sunshine right now but it is only 1 degree at noon time. The forecast for today is for a high of 4 with wind chill factors running from 10 - 24 degrees below zero. Brrrr... Tomorrow is suppose to get up to a blistering 20 for a high. They reported it hasn't been this cold since 1994.

Moving on to other subjects the other night I was doing some late night listening to ESPN and getting perturbed. They were all a twitter about a Univ. of Kentucky basketball player named Jodie Meeks setting a new record scoring 54 points enroute to a 90-72 win over Tennessee. My first thoughts was what about our area native Bevo Francis? I thought he held the NCAA record for most points scored in a college roundball game. Going to Wikipedia I learned both ESPN & I were both right. Meeks' 54 points was a record for the U of K Wildcats. Bevo record still stands at 113 points in one game for the NCAA/NAIA books. According to what I read Bevo's personal game high scoring was actually 116 points for Rio Grande but it was against a Junior College team and was disallowed by the NCAA. Bevo's 113 points was set February 2, 1954, against Hillsdale College of Michigan and that in the days before there was a 3 point line. It happened nearly 55 years ago but even with the three point shots it's a record I seriously doubt will ever be broken.

Speaking of roundball both the WHS girl's and boy's basketball teams got back on the winning track the last I saw. The girls picked up wins over Sebring, Southern Local and Jackson-Milton to improve to 4-6 for the season. They were scheduled to play a game last night but it was either cancelled or someone didn't bother to call in the results to be in this morning's papers. With the extreme cold there were a lot of cancellations for events last night. The boys have picked up wins against Sebring in over-time, Southern and Jackson-Milton at North Jackson. The win agaisnt J-M was without the services of one of the WHS guns. Jeremy Carter picked up an injury in the Southern game and had to spend the night on the bench. It's good to see the girls coming out of their slump and with all the seniors lost from last year's team it is nice to see the boys have some up and coming talent.

There appears to have been some changes in reporters for our two local newspapers. Seems Jo Ann Bobby Gilbert is now covering the ville once again. Looks like Mike McElwain is now covering ELO for both papers and Tom Giambroni is doing the same with things over in Lisbon. The last few days all three of those reporters stories have been appearing in both editions word for word. The only difference I can see is the headline on the stories. I'm not sure what is going on but I'm guessing a reduction in force. With today's economy everyone is looking for ways to cut corners. I don't know what happened to the MJ's Erin Colella & the ER's Jen Matsick. Hopefully they didn't get laid off. At any rate I'm glad to see Jo Ann back covering the ville. When last she did that full time I appreciated her no nonsense, factual reporting. When she was here in the 80s I remember she wasn't everyone's sweetheart at Village Hall. If it is lay offs I'm now wondering why they are running a snob ad in the ER for a reporter?

Things are still moving along with Baard. The Port Authority got the green light on a grant to fund the land options they have on various properties that will be used by Baard. Then there was an article last Tuesday in the ER that they are doing some serious planning to get started this spring for land preparation up there. They are currently conducting what is called a front-end engineering and design project which is done to get ready to bid the actual construction contracts.

Would like to say God bless and rest in peace to an old friend Bud Barnes. Bud passed on this last Monday. My kids use to call him the "bicycle man". Bud use to take old bikes people were throwing out, fix them up and give them to folks & kids that would not otherwise have one. And if you had a bike on your own he would help repair it when break downs occurred. Bud was 92 and could talk your arm off. I learned a lot of Wellsville history from him. To me he would be a good one to consider as a Wellsville Legend in the next class.

Like Congressman Wilson told me the Delta Queen issue isn't dead. It was recently announced that the old lady was nominated as an endangered historic site. It's a move to save this historic stern wheeler and maybe give enough time to get a congressional exemption to once again to be used as cruise ship. Let's hope so.

They got a visiting judge to decide J.C. Amato's motion to throw out the new gun charge. Those were the charges filed against him when they found additional guns, pipe bombs and ingredients for bomb making in a search conducted last fall. The judge appointed is Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Bruzzese.

Following up on former Congressman Jim Traficant and his release from prison he has decided to pass on an early release to a halfway house. In an article in the Vindicator it was announced he would feel threatened at the Mahoney County halfway house and will stay in the Rochester, MN Federal Medical Center where he is imprisoned. Traficant appealed to be placed at another location and was denied.

Congratulations to the ville's Penny Traina. We all know she is one of our County Commissioners and now she is this year's board president. She got elected to that honor at their annual reorganization meeting recently. Penny just won re-election to Commissioner last November.

Wellsville's Tree Board had their first meeting of the year this past Monday. They are planning all kinds of things to dress up our village. They are going to spruce up the "Welcome to Wellsville" site at 17th & Main with cleaning up the planting area, trimming the bushes & trees, and mulching it. They are going to need some help on the mulching part. The Tree City USA flag is now flying at that location. They are also looking at replacing the benches along Riverside with weather resistant recycled plastic ones. If you would like to sponsor one of the benches contact them. They are also taking sponsors for commemorative trees, paving stones, and flower pots. Not everything is covered with grants. They are checking it all out but it is not a sure thing in these times. Their next meeting is scheduled for February 9 at 6 P.M. Believe that is at Village Hall. Maybe someone can verify that and give us some contact information.

Tonight kicks off the Pottery Players Community Theater's production of Forbidden Broadway with dinner/theater at Dalonzo's Pizza. They will be there tonight and tomorrow with dinner at 7 P.M. Then Sunday they will have a matinee performance at the theater on 15th Street. Call 532-5540 for more info and reservations. Next week-end they will be following the same schedule for Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I'm looking forward to it. It's nice they are teaming up with Dalonzos. See you there.

That's it for this edition. Make sure you bundle up when you venture out in this cold. Heard on the tube that it only takes about 10 minutes for exposed skin to get frost bitten in near zero temperatures. Don't forget to keep your pets protected. The cold affects them too.

ole nib