Wellsville Progress 2010

Yesterday's edition of the Morning Journal had a special section(s) called "Progress 2010". It was actually four or five sections devoted to area businesses. It was loaded with all kinds of background information and the latest up-to-date news on what's going on with those businesses. They publish one of those about once a year.

One of reporter Jo Ann Bobby-Gilbert's pieces was titled "Wellsville continues to seek funding for projects". It is sort of a "State of the Union" report on Wellsville. Village Mayor Joe Surace's comments were quoted extensively throughout the article. It was an interesting article and very good for getting up to speed on this little river town in case you haven't been paying attention in the last couple of years.

We think Jo Bob got that headline because most of the progress that's been made possible the last couple of years have been through government grants. With the state of the economy there isn't much money available to do any major projects independently without grants. It's a strain on the Village's budget to just maintain and pay for what we have. The Village Council is very reluctant to go to the tax payers to ask for increases in tax levies. It's only done when there is a very definite need to. The one dollar increase on sewage rates was a compromise. However, it made it possible to go ahead with the conversion project at the Sewage Treatment Plant. Village officials were able to wrap up funding for that job with a loan that $1 sewage rate increase will pay off over the course of 20 years. The rest of it is being paid with two grants awarded to the Village.

There's three other major projects that are pending for either word on an applied for grants or release of the balance of the STAG money. All three projects are something that should have been done years ago if the money had been available. Those projects are the catch basins & paving of part of Commerce St., the sewage forced main renovation and the Highland Avenue storm sewers and street improvements. Except for the catch basins the other two are pending the release of the STAG money. That's something that has been pending for about three years now. Village officials justified everything they did with the original portion of the grant and even got Congressional help convincing the EPA there was no wrong doing in earlier projects using the STAG money. Still the EPA continues to dangle that carrot leaving only speculation on when they are going to release it. With the way the economy is today, especially with the National budget, we don't see that release coming anytime soon. That $600,000 STAG balance is only a drop in the EPA's national annual budget but it is still a significant amount at this point in time. You have to wonder when the EPA will put the STAG balance in their budget to get Wellsville their money.

Along with the current economy woes is the financing of the much delayed Baard Ohio Clean Fuels proposed plant. Like every other corporation in this nation they are finding it difficult to find funding. The tree huggers say it's not going to happen with Baard having money problems themselves. It's a project that has politicians drooling from the local level to the Nation's capitol with the prospects on new jobs. The sad thing is that we can't sit on our honches waiting for it to happen. It will be nice if it does but after two plus years of dreaming we can't depend on it. We have to move forward with other plans to get Wellsville back on track.

We have to move forward such as Henry Nemenz wants to do with his new Save-A-Lot store and mini-mall. Nemenz must feel that even in today's times his plans for Wellsville will be successful. He's ready to go ahead with them when he can get financing arranged. He is even looking at putting a bakery in town. Again it's the economy. The banks are reluctant to loan the money.

There are things to be done such as Wellsville's Revitalization Committee is doing with their goals. They know that there isn't a lot of money out there but with careful planning they firmly believe anything is possible. They are willing to do the work and have the patience to take the time to make things possible. Their encouragement is contagious and that consequently, is a plus now a days.

Mayor Surace must have had his mind on vacation plans when he told Jo Bob Wellsville doesn't have a web site. Even though it is not paid for out of Village coffers there is an excellent site that has been in existence since 2007, made possible by a Wellsville business. It is loaded with Wellsville information that is made possible through the generosity of Haugh Designs. Jeff & Susie Haugh realized that there was need for one and created a web site that is heads & shoulders over anything else on the internet that pertains to the Village government and businesses. Since 2007 they have paid the domain fees and maintained the www.wellsvilleohio.net site. Anybody that wants to check and see what our hometown has to offer only needs to click on that site. With all the links Haugh Design made available it's right at their finger tips. Even though it skipped the Mayor's mind Wellsville is very well represented on the World Wide Web.

Wellsville is a great place to live and do business in. You can't find friendlier folks anywhere else. With the transportation opportunities available, via rail, river and highways, it is ideally situated to be home to just about any type of manufacturing and related businesses. Instead of dwelling in the past we have to look forward and work with what we have. As others have realized there is loads of potential for any type of business big or small. If this goofy economy ever quits taking one step forward and two steps backward the future could be like finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Thanks Jeff for allowing me to once again use your great picture.

ole nib