1933 Turkey Bowl Follow Up

Here's a couple of newspaper clippings written 76 years ago about that game. They are from the Ike Call memorabilia collection we've been using. Ike was the father of Wellsville resident Jack Call and was a player on the WHS team. These probably originally appeared in The Review. Hope I'm not infringing on any copy right rules. Just thought it was an interesting follow-up of that game that is a part of the ville's history.

Still trying to find out when the last Turkey Bowl was played. Talked to our Mayor the other day. He was a high school freshman in 1951 and said he can't remember any Turkey Bowls back in his early high school years.

You can click on the pictures of the clippings to enlarge. Thanks Jack for digging through you stuff.

ole nib

WHS 2009 - 2010 Cheerleaders

Normally the Cheerleaders are mentioned as an after thought. We think they deserve more credit than that. Full of spunk and enthusiasm they work just as hard as the athletes. With that in mind we're opening up this series of articles for the Winter Sports Teams featuring the Tiger Cheerleaders.

We had a unique opportunity this year and teamed up with the professional photographers on picture day. The picture you see here and in the next three pieces will be similar and more professionally done in the programs. We were able to just follow along letting the photographer and her assistants get everyone lined up and posing. We really appreciated them putting up with us.

The Cheerleaders pictured above, in no particular order, are Christina Pullie, Katie Hardman, Katie Channels, Shawntae Dillard, Kathryn Medeiros, Taylor Hardman, Dominique Jackson and Olivia Palmer. Their advisor is Carissa Wilcox. Pullie is the only Senior on the squad.

WKMX announcer Mayor Joe Surace tells me current plans for WHS Sports Station is to broadcast all the Boys games along with some of the Girls games on the internet. With funds running low only about every other game film will be down loaded on the web site. The Inter Tri-County League gets $50 for every game. Surace said they are pounding the pavement looking for additional sponsors. Each sponsor has an opportunity to get an advertisement filmed by the wkmx crew shown on the web site. If you can help sponsor more games to be filmed contact the Mayor at Village Hall.

The Winter Sports schedule gets started this week for both basketball and wrestling. Good luck to all the teams. We'll be pulling for you all...

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WHS Boys Basketball 2009 - 2010

With seven returning lettermen the Boys roundball team get their season started next Friday at home against Beaver Local. Then on December 11 they travel to Leetonia and to Lowellville on the 15th. They return home December 18 to play Western Reserve and East Liverpool the next night.

Head Coach Dave "Bug" Thompson is back this season along with Assistant Coaches Lonnie Fields and Dave Thompson, Jr. We can't tell you all the team member's names. We were suppose to get a copy of the roster but that didn't happen. We don't want to leave anybody out so we'll wait until we can get a program to name all the guys. There's only a few we can match up with the names. It will probably be February before I know them all without checking numbers on the roster!

Pictured above in the orange uniforms is this year's Varsity team. The second picture is the J.V. team followed by the Freshman team. We're looking forward to lots of exciting basketball. It's a Wellsville tradition.

Best of luck Tigers.

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WHS Girls Basketball 2009 - 2010

The Lady Tigers season gets started this Tuesday against the Lady Potters with the tip-off in EL at 6 P.M. They open at home on Thursday, December 3 vs. the Lady Beavers at 6 o'clock.

Head Coach is Ed Swogger and his assistants are Tom Gualitier, Bob Swogger & Mike Cook.

Pictured above in the first row is Sarah Drysdale, Irene Kiser & Dawn Johnson. Second row is Bob Swogger, Gualitier, Rilee Livolsi, Amanda Coles, Courtney Cook, Ed Swogger & Mike Cook. In the back is Maleya Fultz, Francesca Colella, Holly McKennzie, Mikyla Tipton, Meika Dalrymple, & Monica Wilson. Drysdale & Tipton are returning letter winners.

Good luck Ladies on the season...

ole nib

WHS Wrestling 2009 - 2010

Pictured above is this year's wrestling team for WHS. The grapplers have their first match December 5 in a Union Local tournament. After that they're on the road for the month of December. On 12/9 they're in Weiton, 12/12 in Malvern & 12/19 at Beaver Local for the Hoppel Tournament. They have their first home match January 6 vs. Toronto.

Head Coach is Marcus Prendes. His assistants are Tim Long, Rob Long, Dustin Smith and Charles Fisher.

The team members are Josh Nagy, Mark Barton, Sean Ramsy, Joe Dowling, Jason Dowling, Vance Thomas, Tim LaClair, Tim White, Herb Hart, Matt Herron, James Dowling, Ron Morrell and Matt Flanigan.

The second picture is the Brothers Dowling - Bubba, Joe & Jason. I thought it was unique to have three members of one family on the same team.

Good luck guys. May your season be full of quick pins!

ole nib

Notes From Last Week

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was kind of quiet with our kids scattered from one coast to another and not making it home. We're still getting adjusted to the empty nest syndrome, especially Mom. She still sets a table with enough food to feed the whole family. Now it's left over time for the next few days and the Christmas "season" has begun.

November started with the General Election and those folks at the Election Board are still counting and recounting. According to the a piece in last week's newspapers there are three races that have to be recounted. None of them have anything to do with the ville. The recount is scheduled for next Thursday. After that they should be able to close out the books on this years voting and start gearing up for 2010 activities.

Good news for Wellsville with it being announced that Quality Liquid Feeds located in the Port Authority's industrial park downtown wanting to build their own docking and barge unloading facilities. It's a positive sign that they are there for the long haul. It's a small operation but it's a step in the right direction.

Seems to be different schools of thought out Southern Local way about tapping into the new water line according to a JoBob report on their last school board meeting. One teacher and area resident spoke up against it at the meeting saying the money would be better spent on new books and things to improve the education provided for the students. The Superintendent of the Board remarked they are still looking into some source of funding to pay the tap-in fee.

It looks like Henry Nemenz is a good man to work for. In last Sunday's Vindicater there was a report that Nemenz is closing his Poland Save-A-Lot store with Union picketers driving off customers. The employees from the Poland store have all been given jobs in other Nemenz stores. It was also reported in the MJ that Nemenz has purchased the old Stewart IGA in Lisbon and it will be reopened as another Save-A-Lot providing some 20 to 25 jobs. From what I heard Nemenz is still finalizing the financing of Wellsville's Save-A-Lot expansion and remodeling. It's still in the works. The state of the economy has slowed down the start.

Speaking of the economy, according to a Tom Giambroni story in the MJ the County Commissioners announced they are going to be short of anticipated sales tax revenues. They even projected less than what was generated in 2008. Combine that with reduced funding from the state and lower interest earned on investment income it ain't easy being a Commissioner these days. Thankfully they had the foresight to set aside the budget carry over for plugging some budget holes for the different County departments.

Another discouraging Giambroni report last week was the County jobless rate went the wrong way in October. At the start of November CC unemployment was 12.7% with around 6,900 people out of work. Southern Ohio Highland County had the highest rate in the state at 15.9% and the State average is 10.5%.

In an AP report in the papers the USDA says most states are not doing enough to administer the food stamp program for low income families. In Ohio only 69% of those eligible to receive benefits from this program are getting help to feed their families. They didn't delve too deep in what might be the cause of this. Can't help but wonder how much silly human pride is playing a part in some eligible folk's failure to take advantage of this program. For some it's tough to admit they might need some help during hard times. It would be a tough pill for me to swallow but if it came down to it I would to feed my family.

Kudos to Rev. Troy Warner and members of Wellsville's First Christian Church. Beaver Local Senior Jake Lunders was seriously injured in a car wreck last week going home from basketball practice. Lunders is hospitalized and is paralyzed from the chest down from injuries suffered in that accident. Right now the doctors are saying there's a 50/50 chance Jake will ever walk again. According to one member of that church's community Rev. Warner invited Jake's classmates and friends to last Sunday's service to pray for his recovery. Over 200 youngsters showed up to ask the Good Lord's help. I don't know young Mr. Lunders but that is a pretty impressive showing of friends taking up Rev. Warner's invitation. The church will be holding a benefit spaghetti dinner from 4 to 8 P.M. next Thursday, December 3, to help with any uninsured costs. They have also started the Jacob Lunders "Stay Strong" Fund. D0nations can be sent to the church or any CF branch. With that kind of support and with the Lord's blessing maybe those chances are better than 50/50.

Nice piece in the ER about a week ago on Marietta College Sophomore Zane Carter coming off the bench in a basketball game against Denison to finish with a double-double. Carter is a WHS alumni and older brother of WHS Senior Jeremy Carter. A couple of years ago he provided us, along with his team mates, some exciting ball games both on the gridiron and the hardwood. Younger brother Jeremy is carrying on the Carter family tradition. It's nice the ER Sports Dept. keeps us up to date on area athletes that are playing college sports now.

Congratulations on WHS Football players for the honors they earned recently. Jeremy Carter, Nick Broughton, Bubba Dowling & Brandon LaClair were all named to First Teams for ITCL Lower tier. Carter & Dowling were recognized in the AP's NE Ohio Inland All-District First Teams. LaClair got an honorable mention in that one. Carter, Broughton, Dowling and LaClair and were also named to first teams on the All-Review Football picks. Jayce Lucas & Chad Elliott was selected for Second Team on the Review's picks. Matt Gibbs & Jordon Stoakes got Honorable Mentions for the ITCL Golf teams. Nice job guys! The ville is proud of you all.

The new Cathy Salter Memorial is in place by the Boy-In-The-Boot. Right now it is covered with a tarp awaiting a dedication ceremony to unveil it. According to Village officials that is being lined up as we speak and as soon as everything is arranged a date & time will be announced. The renovations with the new memorial and new flag pole was made possible by a generous donation from the Wellsvlle Eagles' Lodge. Getting it all co-ordinated was Councilman Tony Cataldo. Salter was a Village native & WHS alumni that lost her life in the tragic events in NYC on 9/11.

On the calendar this coming week is Tuesday's regular Council meeting. Buckeye Water District has a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning to vote on the Notice to Proceed for the second phase of the Salineville Water Project. Wednesday morning is the bi-weekly progress meeting on the first part of that project. Both will take place at the new Water Treatment Plant. High School basketball gets started this week. The girls play at EL on Tuesday and have their home opener against the Lady Beavers on Thursday. The boys open at home against the Fighting Beavers on Friday. The wrestlers travel to Union Local for a tournament on Saturday. Next Friday & Saturday at 8 P.M. the Potter Players Community Theater will be presenting "The Happy Holidays Collection" at the playhouse on 15th St. The collection consists of four short comedies with the actors portrayed by area youngsters. They'll be back Sunday afternoon for a matinee at 2 P.M. It's very entertaining fun that can be enjoyed by the whole family. You can call 330-532-5540 for more information or to make reservations. It's only going to run for the one week-end. This coming Monday is the deadline to get your entries in for the Library's Cookie Contest. The following Monday - December 7 - the winner will be selected and put on display at the Library's Open House that evening. Also, at the Open House will be a Bedtime Story Hour and Santa will be making a special appearance at 7 P.M.

As the Irish say, "May the Good Lord hold you in the hollow of his hand" Jake. You're in our thoughts & prayers. Good luck to the Tigers!

ole nib

1933 Turkey Bowl

Here's a tradition that I'm sorry came to an end. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it lasted into the 1950s until the OHSAA created the different classes or divisions for football programs depending on the enrollment of the school. Even though East Liverpool is a Div. II school today and Wellsville is Div. VI, I think the two teams would be very competitive on the gridiron still today. Like the Old Grey Mayor's Basketball Game did last spring it would generate a lot of interest and good natured rivalry between the two communities.

It was the traditional last game of the season played every year on Thanksgiving Day. It was popularly known as the "Turkey Bowl". It was a game you could throw the record books out the window. The success of the whole football season rested on who won the "Turkey Bowl". It was a tense rivalry that gave the bragging rights to the winner until the next Thanksgiving rolled around.

The WHS names on their roster are all mostly familiar. Many of those names are still familiar in the area. Number 37 for Wellsville is the late Ike Call. I bet Marge or Helen could tells us the first names of the others.

There's only two names on the EL roster that ring a bell. I believe Number 50 Booth is the Bill Booth that tragically died not long after 1933 in a car accident. He was a very talented athlete and is honored yet today when they present the Bill Booth Award to the Potter's football MVP each year. Lou Holtz often gives credit for much of his success to his Uncle Lou Tyconievich. Perhaps that Sophomore is Uncle Lou.

It's a long gone Thanksgiving tradition that today only lives on in memory. Even the businesses that advertised to sponsor the souvenir score card are long gone. Thanks to the Call family for letting us share some of those memories.

You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge. Happy Thanksgiving...

ole nib

Community Thanksgiving Service

Sunday - November 22: The annual Community Thanksgiving Service was held Sunday evening by the Wellsville Area Ministerial Assoc. This year's service was hosted by the First Baptist Church located on Center Street. It is an annual service held every year in one of the Wellsville area churches. It is always open to all area pastors and members of their congregations.

First Baptist Pastor Roosevelt Thompson welcomed all in attendance and issued the Call to Worship. Invocation was offered by FB Deacon Terry McCuen and Mt. Sinai FBH Pastor Darlene Zanders delivered the Thanksgiving Message. Musical selections were lead by the FB Mass Choir.

Church of the Nazarene Pastor Dirk Hall recognized the participants in this past summer's WAMA Paint-the-Town project. As Chairman of this year's house painting efforts he thanked all churches that participated and a special thanks to the Amato Foundation.

Riverside Presbyterian Pastor, Rev. Bill Betteridge installed the 2010 officers of the WAMA that were present, as pictured above. From the left is Rev. Betteridge, Pastor Thompson - V.P., Pastor Zanders - Secretary and Deacon McCuen - Treasurer.

Following the service snacks and refreshments were served in the church's Fellowship Hall.

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WHS Alumni Lip Sync & Variety Show - Part 1

Saturday - November 21: They did it again...the WHS Alumni All Stars put on another incredibly entertaining Lip Sync show. This fall's edition once again took place in the Wellsville High School's Auditeria and the house was packed. This show started a little later than the scheduled 7 o'clock curtain raising while waiting for all the audience to get inside to their seats. The missus & I got there at 6:15 thinking we were way too early and the line already was way out the door.

The cast & crew consisted of 33 alumni members and five future alumni. Wilbur Waggoner served as emcee plus performing in a few of the numbers. All the cast & crew kicked in filling multiple roles from performing musical numbers, to being stage hands, working the concession stand and handling the chores at the door. The performers ranged from graduates of the Class of 54 up to the Class of 91 plus the future alumni. Kenny DeLauder told me he was giving the underclassmen a chance. He was ticket taker at the door along with "Miss Orange & Black" Mary Heaton.

The show started with Toni Figley & Aaron Roach doing a little shadow dancing. Pat O'Hara sang a beautiful gospel tune a cappella. There were 21 lip sync performances of recordings from 1940s up to modern times. It went from gospel, to blue grass, to country, to soul, to hard rock and rap. There was some serious singing to many fun filled interpretations of how we remember many of the songs being done.

One would be hard pressed to pick out the best of the show. They were all good. We about split our side with Helen Hughes rendition of Patsy Cline's "She's Got You". How did she get all that stuff in there? We were very impressed with young Ali Ammon's fiddle playing. Along with her dad Ron that young lady had you doing some serious toe tapping in their premiere appearance. Young Braylee DeLauder stole my heart with her bouncing pig tags, infectious smile and energetic dancing. Mitch Dorsey once again impressed us with his moves. We could go on and on about all of them. It was very obvious all the performers made some serious efforts rehearsing to put on another award winning show. The price of admission would have been cheap at twice the price for this fun filled fund raiser. If you missed it you missed an excellent opportunity to enjoy yourselves.

Billy Roberts was there filming the show. I think there will be DVD copies available at a later date. All proceeds go to the WHS Alumni Activities. Believe this one is going toward expenses getting ready for the big reunion next summer. Think Wilbur said the next scheduled show is to open the 2010 All Class Reunion.

We got so many pictures we made four collages and split 'em into two parts. See below for the second set of pictures. For a better look you can click on any group of pictures to make it bigger.

ole nib

WHS Alumni Lip Sync & Variety Show - Part 2

Here's the second group of pictures. Enjoy...

ole nib

Fifth Annual Thanksgiving Feast

Bishop Rudder and members of the New Life Ministries cordially invite anyone and everyone to the Fifth Annual Harvest House Thanksgiving Feast. It's free and open to anyone wishing to partake in the Lord's bountiful harvest. It's an annual community event sponsored by the New Life Ministries to break bread with friends and neighbors for the Thanksgiving holiday.

This year New Life Ministries have joined forces with our good friends and neighbors at Tonda's on Main Street in the 4th St. Square. Dinners will start being served at the restaurant Thanksgiving Day at 2 P.M. Tonda says they'll be serving until the food runs out.

It is asked that you call 330-532-LIFE to RSVP and put your name in for the drawing of door prizes and gift baskets. Rides will be available for anyone needing transportation by calling the same number. The RSVP is to give them an idea on the number of diners to prepare for.

There will be surprise celebrities helping with the serving. Bishop Rudder and Tonda said it will be the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. It's their wish that no one goes hungry, especially on the day we feast to celebrate the harvest.

The picture above was borrowed from Google images.

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Library Cookie Contest

Here's a chance to get some extra recognition for your Christmas cookie expertise. Prizes will be given for three categories as shown above. It's an opportunity to show off your stuff. It's sponsored by Wellsville's Carnegie Library and sounds like fun. Your family knows about your beautiful & delicious cookies. Consider letting others know too. Be sure to pick up an entry form before the end of the month. You may be one of the lucky winners. Wonder if they need any judges?

Also tonight the Friends of the Library are meeting at 6:30 at the Library on Main St. Try to come. Membership forms are available at the library. You can call 330-532-1526 for more details.

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Crime Watch Committee

Thursday - November 19: Wellsville's Crime Watch Committee held their regular monthly meeting Thursday evening at Village Hall. Committee Chairwoman Janet Taggart conducted the meeting.

WPD Officer Steve Rodgers pictured above present this month's program. His topic was fraud. Rodgers also works for CF Bank as a Client Service Representative.

Most rampant in today's times is Medicare fraud preying on the elderly. It covers a range of schemes from selling medical equipment to rolling lab medical testing schemes. Both are often offered to customers through mailed advertisements, phone solicitations, on the internet or ads in the print media. Most of them offer to bill Medicare direct on the customer's behalf. Once they have your billing information they often bill Medicare for equipment and testing that was never delivered or performed.

Never sign blank insurance claims or give blanket authorization to medical providers to bill for services rendered. Even on doctor office visits make sure any insurance billing forms are filled out and always take the time to double check what they are billing for before signing. Always ask what will be charged for and what the share for you to pay will be. Always keep accurate records of all health care appointments and what was done at that time. Carefully review insurance statements and if you have any questions call them for an explanation. Never do business with door-to-door or telephone sales people who tell you their services or medical equipment are free.

Another popular method of fraud is the check cashing offer. This is where you're contacted and asked to cash a large check and you only have to return a portion of the amount. You get to keep some for your efforts. It's not real. If you fall for it and some bank cashes it you will have to pay when the check bounces and comes back. Most banks put a hold on checks for large amounts before you have access to any of the funds. In the meantime they process the checks to verify that they are legitimate.

Rodgers displayed a sample of what most bank checks should look like and gave some pointers for detecting fraudulent checks. Usually on fraudulent checks the routing & account number are very bold and glossy. On real checks those numbers are kind of faded and subdued. Many times a phone number appears under the written amount on the checks. Most legitimate checks have a perforated edge on at least one side of the checks.

Another popular ruse to bilk you out of your money is the claim that you inherited a large sum of money from an unknown relative or you're the lucky winner of a lottery somewhere overseas. All that is needed is a fee to get it released to you. It often comes in the form of an e-mail telling you all that has been done to locate you, usually from some lawyer or solictitor. Again it's not real. That's the last you'll hear once you send the fee.

Never give out bank account numbers or pass words when someone calls to say they need your information to verify your account. The callers will say they are calling from "your bank". Legitimate banks will never do that, ever. If you get such a call it's just a scheme to get access to your accounts to quickly drain all your money out of those accounts.

Another area to be careful with is internet sites that sell you merchandise on-line. Always carefully check for the security symbols on any site. Honest sites always use the lock symbol prominently on the web pages. Banks have multiple layers of security built into their sites.

Don't fall for the telephone solicitations that demand that you have to act now and that it's an one time offer that won't last. It's a ploy that doesn't give you a chance to think it over and it's a high pressure sales pitch to separate you from your money. Often these pitches come will an offer of a free prize if you act now. Many times once they get your billing information your money is gone and you never receive what was offered.

Remember if it sounds too good to be true it is exactly that. There is no such thing as a way to get free & easy money from unknown sources. There are many devious schemes generated to separate you from your money. Be vigilant always. Don't get taken in and fall for it. If you get such offers report it to the police.

The Crime Watch Committee is going into hibernation for the next three months. The next meeting will be Thursday, March 18, 2010. However, even though there are no meetings until then, we're still around. If something comes up you can call any member of the committee at any time.

ole nib

Chamber-of-Commerce November Luncheon

Thursday - November 19: The Monthly Chamber-of-Commerce Luncheon was held at Kat's Kitchen on Main Street in Wellsville. Chamber President Randy Allmon opened the meeting welcoming the co-owners of the Riverside Roadhouse as new members. The newly reopened restaurant is owned & operated by Rebecca & Eric Smith and Laura & Bill Reed.

Allmon announced that new Christmas wreathes have been purchased to decorate the gazebo in the 4th St. Square. He also reminded everyone that the annual Christmas Parade will be held Saturday - December 12 - starting at 6 P.M. Anybody wishing to take part in the parade can pick up entry forms at Center Pharmacy or call Vickie McCombs at 330-532-4149 for more information.

Officers and members of the Board of Directors for 2010 was selected at the regular meeting of the Chamber. The officers are Randy Allmon, President; Diana Spencer, President-elect; Jim Saracco, V.P.; Sara Crouch, Recording Secretary; Linda Surace, Corresponding Secretary; Connie Bauer, Treasurer; Sheryl Gibson, Asst. Treasurer; Marjorie Dysert, Historian; and Tony DeAngelo, Grant Writer. Board of Director members are Erin Orr, Dolly Brophey, Paul Blevins, Butch Taylor, Don Crane, Vickie McCombs, Brian Wallace, Byron Carter and Joe Surace. Orr & Wallace will be new to the Board.

The newly appointed officers will be sworn in at the annual Holiday Installation Dinner to be held December 9 at the Riverside Roadhouse beginning at 6 P.M. Reservations are $13 plus tax and gratuity. Anyone wishing to attend can e-mail Allmon at rallmon@hotmail.com or Erin Orr at erob1986@hotmail.com. Please RSVP no later than December 4. Allmon can also be reached at 330-843-3475 & Orr at 330-692-2037.

To wrap up the 2009 budget Christmas donations were made to the following: Southern CC United Way, Wellsville Lion's Club for their Care & Share Program, Youth With A Purpose Home, Wellsville VFD Fire Prevention Program, and Toys for Tots in memory of Lindsey Salsberry.

Pictured above accepting the donations, from the left, is Kate & Dave Moore with Youth With A Purpose Home, Chamber President Randy Allmon, Diana Johnson with United Way, Rick Salsberry with Toys for Tots and Chamber President-elect Diana Spencer.

The Moores operate Youth With A Purpose Home located on the edge of Salineville for trouble teen age boys. Diana Joy-Johnson has been with United Way for 15 years now. She & husband Skip are Wellsville residents. Salsberry and wife Linda are the parents of Lindsey. Since Lindsey's passing a little more than two years ago at the age of 21 they have made it their goal to have at least one Christmas present for every patient at Pittsburgh's Children Hospital's Oncology Unit.

The November Business of the Month is CF Bank. See article below.

Mayor Joe Surace was the Speaker at this month's luncheon. He spoke of the State of the Village. He began by thanking the Moores for the great job they are doing with the Youth for A Purpose Home. He wished them the best of luck in these trying economic times.

Surace went on to thank the Chamber for all they have done for the Village this year. He congratulated them for the very successful year they have had with a 29% growth in membership. As witnessed they never fail to be very generous with charitable donations.

Stating he believes Wellsville is going in the right direction Surace noted it is not a one man show. The Chamber has been a big help. He went on to note the tremendous help Village Administrator Jim Saracco has been directing the day-to-day operations of the town. This man "puts out a lot of fires" he said.

Saying he is excited about Christmas Surace told everyone about the upcoming project to decorate the village using decorations stored at Village Hall. He asked all the merchants present to join in the effort by decorating their place of business. Anyone wishing to join in helping to decorate can contact Randy Allmon for more details.

Surace went on to thank all the volunteer groups working hard to make improvements in our home. He said the WHS Sports Station have been getting around 1,500 viewers a week for the football games that are down loaded on the web site. They have received many e-mails from people stationed in Iraq & Afghanistan thanking them for supplying a touch of home to look forward to each week. Plans are now in the works to tape the Christmas Parade and interviews to down load to the web site. They can be accessed at http://www.wellsvillealumni.com/.

Surace said he has heard nothing negative from Baard Energy or Port Authority officials. As soon as the national economy gets back going he says things are going to begin changing in Wellsville. It's already starting. Surace said he was told by one property owner of land planned to be used by Baard that he was told a check was on the way.

Summing up his address Surace said the key to make things happen in the Village is for everyone to work together.

There will be no luncheon held in December. The next luncheon will in the new year on January 28 at a location to be announced.

ole nib

Business of the Month - November '09

Thursday - November 19: Wellsville's Central Federal Bank on Main Street was named November's Business of the Month by the Chamber-of-Commerce. President Randy Allmon said CF Bank has always been there for the Chamber. Members of the CF staff have long been very active promoting and working on many different community projects. Many of those staff members are Wellsville bred & born residents.

Founded in 1892 CF Bank was only located in Wellsville for its first 110 years. Starting in the early part of this decade they began branching out in our area and across the state. Today they are not only a successful, viable Wellsville business they are getting a statewide reputation for good banking principles and policies.

Accepting the traveling award were CF V.P. Columbiana Region Diana Spencer and Client Service Representative Sheryl Gibson. Pictured above is Chamber Program Chairman Paul Blevins, Gibson, Spencer, and Mayor Joe Surace. Surace is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Chamber.

It goes without saying that CF Bank has proven to be good neighbors as part of the Wellsville community.

ole nib

BWD Board of Trustees Meeting

Thursday - November 19: The regular monthly meet of the BWD Board of Trustees was held Thursday morning at Wellsville's Village Hall. Present at the meeting was Board President Mike Ryan, Board members Bob Wines, Dave Lloyd, Cal Carney, Jack Call, Gene McGaffick & Tim O'Hara. Also present was BWD Fiscal Officer Sara Crouch, Tracy Allen and District Manager Al DeAngelis.

In the Public Comment Period of the agenda Madison Twp. Trustees Mint Cook & Rodger Walker addressed the Board first about the need to pave the cross over located at Forbes & Osborne Road. They were advised that paving was suppose to begin on November 18, weather permitting. The paving was discussed at Wednesday's Progress Meeting. Their second concern was rain water ponding on Osborne Road from near the Red Brick Church to just past the green house. District Manager DeAngelis responded that he would contact Sugar Excavating to have the drainage ditches corrected in that area. That problem would be corrected.

A resolution to issue the Notice to Proceed for the second part of the Salineville waterline project was tabled. Being funded with CDBG money it was explained that they require the job to be advertised for public comment for 30 days which has gone by. The Dept. of Development additionally requires it be advertised another 15 days which will end by November 30. At that time a Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held to issue the notice. December 1 is the targeted start date for Phase 2.

For Committee Reports Chairman Gene McGaffick made a motion that was passed to make a few budget adjustments to carry over the district until the end of the year. McGaffick also gave a report of Wednesday's Progress Meeting held by the Engineering Committee.

Chairman Dave Lloyd of the Insurance Committee made a motion that the district absorb a 10% cost increase for employee's health insurance for 2010. During discussion on this motion McGaffick remarked that he is opposed to that stating that the district has got to watch costs. McGaffick said the district can not raise water rates to cover increased costs. President Ryan stated the extra amount would be minimal with some anticipated cost savings next year. The motion to absorb the increased health insurance rate was passed.

For the District Manager's Report DeAngelis reported that the company that installed the security camers at the Water Treatment Plant & the Pump Station are presently working on a few glitches in the system. When everything is corrected training for the employees to use the newly installed security system will be conducted.

DeAngelis also reported that an application for funding the main waterline into Wellsville on Route 45 has been filed with the Ohio Public Works Commission. That project will replace the aging waterline from the Hibbetts Mill area on into the village. That line is the village's only avenue for getting treated water into town. Some of that pipe dates back to the late 1920s.

DeAngelis advised that the bid from Tucson, Inc. for the second phase of the Salineville waterline has been reviewed and approved by engineers with Dallis Dawson Assocs. As soon as the above mentioned advertising period is completed the bid will be awarded to Tucson which was the second lowest bidder for that part of the project. Due to an oversight the low bid was pulled by JCM Contracting.

For the Project Report DeAngelis reported that installation of the new Salineville waterline is completed on Osborne & Fife Coal Road. That portion will be pressure tested beginning next week. Sugar Excavating has begun construction on the Route 39 portion with an estimated completion time of 10 more weeks.

Being no Old Business or New Business the meeting was adjourned at 9:10. Next regular meeting is scheduled for 9 A.M. December 17 at Wellsville's Village Hall. President Ryan thanked everyone for attending.

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Ohio Main Street Program

Wednesday - November 18: An informal question & answer session was held Wednesday evening with a representative of the Heritage Ohio program. Mr. Frank Quinn, Program Manager from the Heritage program was on hand to field questions. The get together was held at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Don Bangor and Pauline Carmichael on Riverside. It was hosted by members of Wellsville's Revitalization Committee.

It was attended by 24 interested people that represent a good cross of Wellsville residents and business people. There were Main Street merchants, members & future members of Council, members of the Chamber-of-Commerce, a CC Commissioner and a few of us regular residents. Everyone that crowded in Pauline's parlour expressed a desire to get the Village back on the road to prosperity. Mr. Quinn stated that the Main Street program focuses on the revitalization of old buildings, strengthen existing businesses, promoting the downtown and encourage new businesses.

Mr. Quinn got things started by asking what has been done in town recently to improve the image of the village. Some of the things mentioned was the revitalization of Broadway with the worked done replacing the old trees and the new walks with pavers. The rejuvenation of the fountains was brought up. The floodwall murals & Pete Amato Boardwalk were added in. The Ministerial Association's Paint-the-Town accomplishments were talked about. The new tourist brochure sponsored by the Chamber was sited as another positive move. Someone mentioned we're all new to this way of thinking but in the last five years enthusiasm has been snowballing.

Mr. Quinn remarked that a good focus is already in place in Wellsville on the design activity. The new tourist brochure is an easy to digest information format that should be widely distributed both in the village and beyond the village boundaries. Capturing the accidental tourist is always beneficial for any community.

He cited several different ways that the program is functioning in other areas of the state. In Wellington the Main St. program has a paid membership from the businesses in that town. The Oberlin program assumed the functions of a do nothing Chamber. In Lorraine County member communities have joined forces to promote the whole area. Quinn brought up that Toronto is also interested in the program and suggested there might be benefits with joining forces with them and other nearby communities. With public funding drying up in today's economy raising money presents an ever challenging obstacle.

Discussion turned to Wellsville's present appearance with store fronts used as storage rooms that are openly visible to anyone. Mention was made of out-of-town land owners that let village properties deteriorate while taking in their rental money. Quinn told the group about the program manager in Orrville that calls negligent owners once a week.

One resident brought up the need to enforce zoning regulations that are part of Wellsville ordinances. In Canal Winchester members make themselves "constant irritants" to village officials filing complaints repeatedly on unkempt & unsightly properties according to Quinn. County Commissioner Penny Traina explained the Neighborhood Stabilization that Village officials are participating in. Quinn said there are tax credits available for owners to restore historic buildings.

In wrapping up the Q&A session Quinn said that Heritage Ohio provides an assessment of what is in place, they provide connections to business resources to promote village businesses, instill an accountability of all concerned and present a vision of what could be. Attitudes are contagious as Quinn said. If one guy cleans up his place the guy next door is encouraged to follow suit just by witnessing his neighbor's improvements.

All in all it was an extremely interesting evening of discussion of what we have and what is possible that can be accomplished. The first meeting with the Heritage Ohio was held seven weeks ago on October 1. Just seeing the increased number of people interested in getting involved was definitely encouraging. It's a step in the right direction toward making the ville a place that is "rolling on the river". Look for a possible Town Hall meeting in the near future.

Thanks to the Sisters Carmichael for the invite and hosting this session.

ole nib

BWD Engineering Committee Progress Meeting

Wednesday - November 18: The regular bi-weekly progress meeting for the first part of the Salineville Waterline project was held by the BWD Engineering Committee at the Water Treatment Plant. Present at the meeting was Board President Mike Ryan, Committee members Gene McGaffick & Tim O'Hara, Board member Bob Wines, Fiscal Officer Sara Crouch, District Manager Al DeAngelis, BWD Inspector Mark Allison, Dave Sugar of Sugar Excavating and Jon Blair of Dallis Dawson Assocs. Sugar is the contractor of the first phase of the project and the engineering is being handled by Dallis Dawson Assocs.

Sugar reported that Phase A is 63% complete with around 26,000 feet of pipe in the ground and 14,800 feet to go to complete the first phase. As of Wednesday they are 44 days into the project. They are averaging around 800 feet of waterline installation per day. They are within 3 - 4% of being on schedule.

Except for Crews Road all the lines on Osborne & Forbes is in the ground. They are currently working on Route 39 with two crews working toward each other. They have about one week left of being able to work with two crews. The Crews Road extension is waiting for EPA approval of the engineering plans. Once received Sugar will be able to work up costs for that portion.

Culverts are being replaced per regulations. Some landscapping is only partially completed with temporary seeding. Those areas will be readdressed. They are using heavy plastic pipe on the replacement culverts. In some places they are running into shells of old hot water heater tanks that were used for culverts.

One problem area they ran into under Route 39 is a concrete wall reinforced with rebar. It is unknown what it is or was. ODOT won't permit digging up the newly paved highway. Trying to bore through that is proving difficult and slowing them down.

Pressure testing is being done on Osborne Road. They are testing from valve to valve. Weather permitting paving of road cross overs will begin Wednesday.

Traffic control is now being done by off duty officers from WPD, Sheriff deputies and the Salineville PD.

Next progress meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 A.M., December 2 at the Water Treatment Plant.

ole nib

BWD Finance Committee

Wednesday - November 18: A Finance Committee meeting was held Wednesday morning at the Water Treatment Plant. Present at the meeting were Committee members Gene McGaffick & Bob Wines, Board President Mike Ryan, Fiscal Officer Sara Crouch and District Manager Al DeAngelis.

For the month of October 2009 the district pumped 27,200,000 gallons of water. Wellsville used 5,961,000 gallons of that amount. Expenses for October totaled $50,714.17. Water usage for the month was slightly down. That's normal with no more lawn watering or filling swimming pools.

Presently the Committee is studying the use & cost of customers using debit cards to pay their bills. So far all that has been determined is that no phone-in payments will be taken. Other than that everything else is under review and will be discussed at later meetings.

A few minor budget adjustments will be needed to finish out the year and recommendations will be made at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustee.

Final arrangements are being made to change primary depository over from Huntington Bank to CF Bank.

ole nib

Wellsville Council Meeting

Tuesday - November 17: Wellsville Village Council held it's regular meeting Tuesday evening at Village Hall. Present at the Meeting was Mayor Joe Surace, Councilmen Don Brown, John McMahon, Joe Soldano & Randy Allmon. Also present was Village Administrator Jim Saracco, Fiscal Officer Dale Davis, Village Solicitor Andy Beech, WFD Chief Bill Smith & WPD Chief Joe Scarabino.

First Christian Church Pastor Rev. Troy Warner offered the opening prayer. Members of the Wellsville Area Ministerial Assoc. have offered to be present to give invocation at each Council Meeting.

In the Public Speaking portion of the agenda Sharon Buswell of 10th St., representing the Alley Cat Aid Brigade, announced that the 3rd Annual Christmas for the Animals will be held December 19 at the gazebo on 4th St. Square. The event is scheduled to begin at 1 P.M. with a pet food give away and other presents.

Jeffrey Ori of Commerce St. addressed Council about the condition of the rental property he and his partner are living in and about the lot behind the building next door. Village Administrator Saracco advised Council that the lot was inspected by the CC Health Dept. and things stored on the lot is not classified as garbage.

Dave Butcher of 12th St. commented on the need of 12th St. between Main & Riverside needing to be fixed.

Nunzio Lombardozzi of Clover St. asked Council why they are considering to no longer recognize the union. He stated the union was formed some 40 years ago and can't believe things can't be worked out. He went on to say that in the past they were always able to work things out without a high priced lawyer and hoped Council will reconsider. Councilman Allmon said he will not negotiate a contract in the papers but there is a Personnel Committee meeting with the union representative scheduled for Friday morning. It will be in Executive Session. Councilman Don Brown stated he felt if the employees wanted a union they should have one. He said he was a long time member of the United Steelworkers and would never vote to get rid of the union.

For Administration Reports WFD Chief Smith presented Council with an application for a FEMA grant called the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant. Similar to the COPS grant it provides funding for extra firemen on a graduated pay out scale for five years. The first year the grant pays 90% of the actual costs, tbe second 80% on down where the Village would pay all costs for the fifth year for multiple firemen. The maximum pay out over the five year period is $108,380. A motion was passed to apply for the grant through the Village grant writer. Councilman Soldano advised he is checking out another two year grant for firemen with the grant writer. Nothing was said about replacing the current vacant position for the regular fireman.

Village Administrator Jim Saracco advised he has a request to install running water & sewage to the dog pound. He stated there is an old sewer line running past the pound but it is unknown whether it is a storm sewer or a sewage line. It would have to be jet rodded & probed with a scope to determine what it is. Councilman Brown stated that he believes that is a storm sewer they looked at years ago that runs to the river. Nothing was announced on what will be done.

For Committee Reports Chairman Joe Soldano for Streets, Lights & Parking made a motion that was passed to reinstall lighting on the Melvin Newlin Memorial in the north end of town. It used to lighted and was discussed it may only be a matter of reconnecting the wiring. The Village will pick up the cost similar to what was agreed upon for the flood wall murals and the Boy In the Boot.

For Water, Sewer & Refuse Chairman Allmon advised it has been confirmed that the Village is in line to receive a $133,869 grant from OMEGA pending completion of the necessary paperwork. The money is intended to be used as the Village's matching share to complete work on the Sewage Treatment plant's digestors.

For Personnel Allmon asked for approval to pay two invoices to J.F. Lencewicas & Assocs. for work done for the Village. The first was for $5,273.15 for preparation & background work getting ready for union negotiations. The second was for $1,666.30 for work done on grievances. Motions to pay both bills was unanimous. Fiscal Officer Dale Davis replied after the meeting that these should be the final invoices from the consulting firm.

For Property, Equipment & Cemetery Committee Chairman John McMahon reported that the Tree Board has been advised there is no money available to replace trees this year. The Property Committee met November 9. McMahon also announced he has gotten indications that Buckeye Water District is preparing to return the old reservoir back over to the Village. The water district took over the reservoir when they first started out but have since gotten the new Pumping Station and Water Treatment Plant with a new reservoir certified and into operation. McMahon stated the Village will not take possession until the old reservoir is in as good or better shape as it was when it was first turned over to BWD. Back in April '09 there was a meeting held to discuss the condition of the dam & spillways at that location. Representatives from ODNR expressed concerns about their condition back then.

McMahon went on to say that in recent times the Village has gotten over $4 million in grants to repair and improve the infrastructure. Most of it was used for work on things underground and not easily visible. Much work was done on pipe lines, pumps, etc. The Mayor remarked that it would be extremely nice to have that amount for improvements to sidewalks and streets. Soldano advised that he and the grant writers are looking into a "going green" type grant that will be shared with the county. He stated the Village has to step up the pace pursuing grants.

For the Mayor's Report Surace announced that it was in agreement with Council members that the Lencewicz consulting firm was brought in. At the time there were four or five grievances that help was needed to deal with. One of them was with the State of Ohio and expert advice was needed. McMahon added that while the Mayor was on vacation no one spoke up to this fact. He apologized for the oversight.

Surace also remarked on the Chamber project to decorate the village for Christmas using decorations stored in Village Hall. Help is needed in doing the decorating and anyone interested in lending a hand should contact Randy Allmon at 330-843-3475.

Under Legislation three motions were passed on first reading. One of them deals with the vaccinations of dogs and another for fees for dogs impounded. The third was on the zoning variance requested by the St. Francis Animal Welfare Center for a dog shelter on Walden Ave. The Zoning Board recommended that the variance be granted by Council.

Council retired into Executive Session for Personnel matters concerning contract negotiations. When they returned no farther action was taken and the meeting was adjourned.

Next Council Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday - December 1 at 6 P.M.

ole nib

Lip Sync Performance Coming Saturday

You won't want to miss this evening of enjoyable entertainment presented by the WHS Alumni All Stars. It's coming this Saturday at the WHS Auditeria. We got our tickets but if you need some you can call Toni at 330-532-1317, Kenny at 330-532-9431 or Linda at 304-387-1461. They're $6 in advance and $8 at the door.

Show starts at 7 P.M. You might see some shadow dancin'...

ole nib

Wellsville Historical Society

Tuesday - November 17: The regular monthly meeting of the Historical Society was held at the River Museum located on Riverside in Wellsville. The meeting was presided over by Society President Robert "Brassy" Beresford.

It was voted on and approved to rename the Victorian Parlor at the River Museum the Mary Clark Room. Mrs. Clark passed away recently. She was a long time and very active member of the Historical Society. She was noted as being one of the foremost and knowledgeable persons providing histories of many of the older homes located in the village.

It was announced that plans are being made for 2010 to have special programs similar to what was done this year. This past summer season well researched programs on the history of bus and trolley transportation, the role the railroad played in our history and the history of the Wellsville school system were some of the programs presented.

Officers for 2010 were nominated and elected. They are President Robert Beresford, V.P. Bonny Beresford, Treasurer Pat Lawrence, Secretary Joan Davidson, Financial Secretary Jim Lawrence and three year Trustee Jeff Weekley. Weekley was in charge of the nominating committee.

Discussion was held on the annual Christmas dinner to be held at the River Museum on December 8. Bonny Beresford is chairing that committee. Members are asked to assist in setting up December 7 starting at 10 A.M.

In going through some old files Brassy Beresford said they came across three pieces of 1800's correspondence addressed to R.C. Watson, Esquire at Mayville, Columbiana County, Ohio. Even after consulting with Bert Dawson it was discovered there are no old maps that show the location of Mayville. If anyone can help in pin pointing a location please let us hear from you.

On the calender for this week it shows that in 1897 the new bell for Central School arrived in town. The total cost for the bell was $325. That's the same bell that is now on display at the River Museum.

The calender also noted that the Pumpkin Flood took place in 1810. In that flood it was noted a large number of pumpkins were seen floating all over the place from the growing fields along the river banks.

Donations received this month included 1943 & 1944 WHS yearbooks from the Bonny Nightengale family. Ruth Barlow donated a collection of wooden hangers from various merchants that use to be in the area. Newspaper clippings of the old Fairs In The Square were donated in memory of Edna Magliore.

Pictured above with Brassy, Lucille Huston provided the program for this month's meeting. Her topic was her over 40 year journalism career. Huston started in newspaper reporting in 1968 and just retired a couple of years ago. Her entire career was with the East Liverpool Review. Among the many interesting memories she related she said when she first started manual type writers were used. Then they progressed to IBM electrics and in 1985 she was the first to use a computer to write up her reports. The changes in newspaper operations over the years are remarkable.

The annual Christmas Dinner is replacing the December meeting. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19.

ole nib

Wellsville Zoning Board Public Hearing

Tuesday - November 17: The Zoning Board held a Public Hearing on the zoning variance requested by the St. Francis Animal Welfare Center at Village Hall. Present at the meeting was Zoning Board Chairman Jack Call, Board members Gene Beadnell, Jack Cataldo, Mayor Joe Surace and Council Liaison John McMahon.

The requested variance is to renovate and convert a donated garage on Walden Avenue to be used for a temporary dog shelter. At a meeting last Thursday the Zoning Board approved the variance and set the required public hearing for Tuesday. The garage is located in an area zoned residential. Since last Thursday's meeting Board members verified the garage is located on Walden.

With no objections being voiced the Board voted to grant the variance and forward it to Wellsville Village Council for the final step in the approval process. Call remarked that there are four conditions that must be met in granting the variance. Heat must be provided along with a source of water. A fence must be erected to provide a dog run and individual stalls have to be furnished to cage the animals. There will only be four dogs maximum to be sheltered at any one time according to the variance application.

SFAWC member Bobbi Holt stated the garage will be renovated similar to what they did at the Village Dog Pound. Although there is no public source of water on 18th Street Heights they think there is an abandoned well system available from a house that use to be on the lot. Electric heat will most likely be used. Renovation work is expected to begin once final Council approval is given.

With only four members present at the later Council meeting the variance approval was passed on first reading. It takes at least five Council members to place the vote under suspension of rules and by-pass the required three readings. The matter will be revisited at the next Council meeting December 1.

ole nib

Who Are They?

Here's a picture of what is believed to be Wellsville Police Officers "back in the day". Our good friend & Wellsville businessman Nick DaLonzo sent us a copy hoping someone can identify the men in the picture & put a date on it. Nick said he bought a poster of this picture at a Chamber auction a few years ago but hasn't had any luck learning the names.

He had us going through the old books we got on hand. We were sure it was in the Wellsville In Black & White published back in 1903. It wasn't. There's a similar picture but none of the faces match up.

Can anyone help us here?

ole nib

Wellsville Board of Education

Monday - November 16: The regular monthly meeting of the BOE was held in the Superintendent's Office. Present was Board President Tom Brophey, Board Members Ed Bauer, Karen Dash & Mike Cook, District Treasurer Coleen Wickham, Superintendent Rich Bereschik, Asst. Superintendent Lisa Ferguson and WTA Rep. Darlene Allison. Board Member-elect Bill Miller was also in attendance.

For the financial report Mrs. Wickham stated the October expenditures were $690,619 and October receipts were $680,785 leaving a balance of $2.7 million. Interest income for the month was $4,431.

Mike Cook reported that the contract for the CC Career & Technical Center classified employees has been settled. He also advised there are 32 WHS students enrolled at the career center.

For the Good News report Lisa Ferguson told the Board that there were over 360 grandparents that attended the Grandparent's Luncheons in October. There were 27 parents or family members participating in the Parenting Skills for the reading topic. Veteran's Day Luncheon had 27 vets attending.

Mr. Bereschik added that the Y-Teens & Leo Club members donated books for their "Make a Difference Day" project. The Y-Teens also had a fund raiser earning $318 which was donated to the cure for cancer cause.

The Thriller half time show at the Southern Local football game in September included around 500 students and was the biggest draw in WHS history. Gate receipts for the evening were around $18,000. The average is around $6,000 to $8,000.

Motion detectors have been installed on all locked exit doors bringing the buildings within code for fire safety standards. With the detectors installed the doors automatically unlock for anyone exiting the building. Also new cameras have been installed on entry doors that have remarkable clarity.

At long last the sale of the McDonald building appears to have been finalized. All documents have been signed by the lawyers and all that is needed is getting the paperwork processed for it to be a done deal.

Vaccinations for the H1N1 swine flu will be given by members of the CC Health Dept. on Tuesday, November 17. They will be starting at 10 A.M. at the Middle School and have all three schools completed by the end of the day. Each student in the district was given a permission slip to be signed by parents. The injections are being provided free of charge. The new One Call notification system was used to remind everyone.

Under New Business there were several motions passed by vote of the Board. Attorney Andy Beech was retained as legal counsel for the district. Four additional substitute teachers were approved pending receipt of all necessary paperwork. Jennifer Gooch's resignation as one of the fall/winter play advisors was approved. Matt Jordan will assume those duties. John Russell & Sarah McCune were approved as assistant softball coaches. Lonnie Fields was named Boys Middle School track coach. Randy Thrasher will be the the Varsity Boy's Track head coach. John Henry Martin will be the Boy's Asst. Track coach. Cissy Wilson will be Head Coach for girl's Varsity Track and Brenda Thompson will be her assistant. Dave "Bug" Thompson will be the girl's Middle School track coach. Robbie Long & Charles Fisher were approved for volunteer assistant wrestling coaches.

A field trip to Lincoln Park Performing Arts was approved for Garfield grade 3 & special needs classes for December 17. Grades 4, 5 & 6 were given the nod for a November 20 trip to Pittsburgh to see the Rockettes. A list of volunteers for Garfield PTO & Ohio Reads was also approved. Tom Brophey abstained from this vote. He was on the list for one of the readers.

There were five students from Mr. Meek's government class in attendance. All Board members thanked them for their presence and wished them luck in their senior year. Pictured above Mrs. Dash, Mr. Miller and Mr. Brophey were congratulated on their election victories. Brophey reported that he & Mrs. Dash had attended the Ohio School Board Assoc. conference in Columbus last week. He stated in his 16 years as a BOE member he has never seen so much new information as was passed on last week.

In closing Mr. Bereschik extended his deepest sympathy on behalf of the district, the Board & himself to the Beth Cline family. Mrs. Cline was an active PTO member and an eager helper for the district. Her passing is a great loss to all who knew her..

Next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16 at 6:30 P.M. in the Superintendent's Office.

ole nib

Wellsville Gets Glimpse of Old World

Monday - November 16: Thanks to a heads up relayed from The Wiz we were able to capture some Old World - New World history as it passed by the ville on Monday. Almost missed it. They were bookin' on down the Ohio. Did get a couple of shots on Riverside between 11th & 12th Streets. They are the top two pictures you see in the collage above. The rest of the pictures were taken from the observation deck at the New Cumberland Locks at Stratton.

The subject of all this patter is the replica ships of the Nina and Pinta that Christopher Columbus sailed when discovering the New World. Sponsored by the Columbus Foundation the two replicas were built in Brazil for the 500 Year Anniversary of that epic voyage Columbus made in 1492. They have been in our area since October. They were in Steubenville in October and from there they spent nearly two weeks in Pittsburgh. They passed through here going to the 'burgh on November 2. Yesterday they "set sail" at 0600 from Pittsburgh heading south. I was told they don't use the sails when navigating the river for safety reasons. According to ship's journals kept by Columbus the Nina was his favorite and that is the one that he sailed on. The flag ship was the Santa Maria which was the largest of the three. However, Columbus didn't like it writing it was too large and awkward for discovery voyages.

The Pinta is 85 feet in length and the Nina is a sporty 65 footer. The ships were built in Brazil because it was discovered that present day ship builders in that country use the same ship construction technique used in Columbus's time in the Old World. The Nina replica was built completely by hand without using any type of power tools. Both ships are caravels, a common trading vessel in the 15th Century. No one is entirely sure what the original ships looked like. There are no pictures or drawings of them. The replicas are what artists think they would have looked like based on other ships from that era.

At the locks there was a lady that is a Steubenville resident. Her 22 year old daughter is a volunteer crew member on the Nina. She signed on when she saw a help wanted poster when the ships were in Steubenville. Mom told me her daughter put in her two weeks notice and will be a crew member until January 4.

After going through the locks the ships were heading for the next dam down the river before calling it a day. Their next stop for tourist is in Gallipolis in southern Ohio. They're scheduled to be there Thursday. From there they are going to Maysville, KY, for another stop. After Maysville they're going on to Pensacola, FL. Mom said they are going to wind up in Mexico for the rest of the winter. Her daughter will leave the ship in Florida.

The crews stay with the ships and have living quarters below deck. It was an adventure just chasing them down the river. Imagine what it would be like to be part of the crew. Although they are exact replicas there's some modern gizmos like the radar and radio antennas. Any 21st Century equipment is there because it's required by government regulations.

Thanks for the heads up Wiz. We would have missed it all otherwise.

"In fourteen hundred ninety-two

Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain,

He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain."

ole nib

Notes From the Last Month & A Half

It's been a while since I caught up on stuff I saved to pass on. Seems I'm busier now that I'm retired than when I was working. Wasn't nibbin' around as much when I was working. Ain't got no money but that's been a way of life for a long time, even when I had a job. Even though we're busy we're having fun.

They're working on stream lining voter identification requirements in Columbus to make it easier to register to vote. If they have their way it won't be long until you're able to register on-line if you have a valid driver's license.

A piece in the paper not long ago told us that State Senator Jason Wilson & State Rep Linda Bolon sent a joint letter to representatives of the Ohio Supreme Court supporting the move of Wellsville offenders being sent to EL Municipal Court. Sounds like it's just a rubber stamp away to increasing Wellsville native Judge Melissa Byers-Emmerling's case load. It will be a cost savings for the WPD when it goes through.

It was announced last week that some members of the ville's Personnel Committee have decided to recommend to full Council that the worker's union no longer be recognized. Although the Committee Chairman won't return phone calls to offer any explanation it's another cost savings move. It's not a popular move and may provide much discussion at tomorrow night's regular Council meeting. Remember Council Committees can make recommendations until they are blue in the face. It takes a majority vote of Council before something like this is official.

The out of print book The City of Hills & Kilns by William Gates has been digitalized and is now available on a CD. Gates was the former director of the Museum of Ceramics and I believe the book came out in print in the 1980s. Although it's primarily a history of EL there's a lot Wellsville information included. It explains a lot of questions of how things developed in this area with a very progressive William Wells back in the ville's beginning. You can pick up a copy at the Museum in EL or from the EL Historical Society. If you like getting into the ville's history with the books available through Wellsville's Historical Society the disc is a nice compliment that ties a lot of our history together.

Another ELHS project that has me excited is their Hans Hacker collection they are digitalizing. It will be a two disc set of over 500 works by the late artist. One disc will be a DVD and the other a CD-R with a searchable data base. Project Director Catherine Vodrey tells us it will be ready for Chirstmas or Hanukkah gift giving. When I picked up Hills & Kilns sister Sarah told me they are real close to wrapping it up. If you have any questions you can e-mail Catherine at hanshackerarchive@comcast.net. Hacker's subjects cover many area scenes and they always gave me that warm & fuzzy feeling when viewing them. It will be a treasure trove of the works of the very talented Mr. Hacker.

While we're talking about history check out Sparky's web blog called the Alumni Jabber. Scroll on down through his articles. There's comments and stories that to me was thoroughly enjoyable reading and reminiscing. I found a lot of information on the Class of '55 with pictures galore. You can check it out at www.alumnijabber.blogspot.com. With the all class reunion coming next year it's an easy way to pass on information for this event.

Speaking of the All Class reunion there was a notice in the paper not long ago regarding updated class mailing lists. If your class is getting things current you can call 330-390-0222 to pass on any new information or drop the list off at Gibby's Mini-Mart at 18th & Clark. They are working on getting info ready for the Reunion Dinner to be held July 3, 2010. All alumni will be getting information about the dinner through the mail in the near future. Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

In last Tuesday's MJ there was an article about J.C. Amato's attorney trying to get permission from the courts to allow J.C. to take a field trip to see his doctor in EL. Judge Pike wants more specific information before making any ruling on that.

Congratulations to floodwall mural artist Gina Hampson. At the 100th Anniversary NAACP Dinner held last week at the EL Motor Lodge Hampson was one of two recipients of a Civic Award presented by the EL-Wellsville Chapter. It was a well deserved accolade for Mrs. Hampson. Also, Happy Birthday to the NAACP!

We haven't seen anything in the news yet but the Mayor tells me they got a grant from OMEGA that will provide the villes matching funds for the Issue II money to finish up the digesters at the Sewage Treatment Plant. Maybe that will come out at tomorrow night's Council Meeting.

Also Happy 40th Birthday to the internet. Linking computers on-line all got started in 1969. Computers have been around a little longer than that and combined with the internet it is hard to imagine all the changes in our lives that have come about from that. At one time a person would have been considered certifiable if they predicted all that can be accomplished today with that combination. Kids today take it for granted. At our age it is still amazing.

On the calendar for the ville this week is the annual Community Fall Revival that runs through Wednesday evening at the Nazarene Church. It got started last night. The Board of Education has their monthly meeting at 6:30 in the Superintendent's office tonight. Tuesday is loaded. Council meets at 6 P.M. at Village Hall. The annual Fall Sports Banquet starts at 7 P.M. at the high school and the monthly meeting of the Historical Society is at 7:30 at the River Museum. Too much... Wednesday the Buckeye Water District has a Financial Committee meeting at 9 A.M. followed by their Engineering Committee's bi-weekly progress meeting on the first part of the Salineville Project at 10. Both meetings will be held at the Water Treatment Plant. Thursday is the regular monthly meeting of the BWD Board of Trustees at 9 A.M. at Village Hall. At noon is the Chamber-of-Commerce monthly luncheon at Kat's Kitchen. The Crime Watch meeting is at 6 o'clock at Village Hall. The guest speaker will be talking about bank fraud at that one. Friday is open so far. Saturday night is the WHS Alumni All-Stars Lip Sync show at the high school. It starts at 7. Advanced ticket purchasers will be admitted starting at 6:15 and those buying tickets at the door will be allowed in starting at 6:30. Sunday next is the annual Community Thanksgiving Service dinner at the First Baptist Church. It starts at 7 and is open to the public. It is sponsored by the Wellsville Area Ministerial Assoc.

One last note I picked up from the papers. The WHS Publications class is sponsoring an overnight bus trip to shop in New York. The bus will be pulling out Friday night, December 4, and leaving NYC in the early hours of December 6. The cost is $75 per person. For more information you can call Mrs. Weeda at 330-532-1188 Extension 2200.

I know I probably missed something. If you think of anything else post a comment on here or e-mail me at olenib@gmail.com.

ole nib

The Waxers

Ever hear of the singing group that called themselves The Waxers? We were able to stump Brassy Beresford on this one and let me tell you, you have to get up pretty early in the morning to stump Brassy when it comes to Wellsville history!

Back in the late 1950s ('57-'58 &'59) five guys from Wellsville High School got together to form the singing group calling themselves The Waxers. It was the first ever singing group of its kind from WHS. Their costumes consisted of red blazers, white dress shirts, black ties and black slacks.

Wellsville entrepreneur Ralph Fusco at the time owned a record shop on Main Street called the House of Wax. It was located in the same store that the old video store was in, between 5th & 4th Sts. Fusco sponsored the group and that's how the name came about.

The Waxers sang tunes from the Billboard Top 40. In that era it was mostly doo wop songs. They performed at various functions such as proms and dinner dances. They appeared regularly at the record hops on the third floor of the old post office building that is now the home of DaLonzo's. Back then they had weekly record hops at that location for area teens. Mackey Comparetta, the only one from the group still living in the ville, told me he remembers performing at both an East Liverpool and a Beaver Local prom.

This picture is from the Ralph Fusco collection. Standing out front is lead singer Phil (Butch) Baldwin, singing back-up from the left is Leni Cuti, Anthony Grande, Frank (Dan) Baldwin and Mackey Comparetta. Leni Cuti now lives "somewhere in the Dayton area" according to Mackey. Grande now lives on the left coast of Florida. Anthony was in town this past summer for his 50th Year Class Reunion. The Baldwin brothers have gone on to their eternal reward and are no longer with us. And as I mentioned Mackey is the only one still in town.

Mackey said it was graduation diplomas that eventually broke up the group. Mackey said Shirley McDevitt did some arranging for them and accompanied the group on the piano.

Now if this don't stir up some feelings of nostalgia I don't know what will. Record shops, record players, records, record hops... all long gone. For many of us it was all part of our growing up and kids today will look at you and say huh? Don't feel bad Brass. At least you remembered the House of Wax. Until a few days of go I never heard of the shop or of the Waxers.

Thanks to Roe & Jack for sharing the picture and the memories.

ole nib