Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the first ever aggressive act committed by foreigners on American soil. It was the anniversary of what has become known as 9/11. When I say American soil I mean the "lower 48". Pearl Harbor is now in the USA but back in 1941 it wasn't yet a part of a state.
9/11 was the day Wellsville's own Cathy Salter perished in the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Yesterday was the anniversary of an untold number of tragic stories for people the world over. Along with Cathy there was some 3000 that perished just in New York City alone. Then there was the poor souls that lost their lives in Jennerstown and the Pentagon. It was a horrific day.
Now I hear that some school systems aren't teaching their students anything about 9/11 or if they are they aren't going into the why it occurred. In my opinion that is a huge mistake. Sadly 9/11 happened. Was it Ben Franklin that said something to the effect that those who don't study history are condemned to repeat it? When I was a kid in school I learned all about WWII and American wars before that. It didn't damage my psych to learn about them. As an American it is part of my history. Sensitivities be damned. Children need to learn about 9/11 just as much as any other subject. Children are more adaptable than many adults. They are more likely to be able to adjust to tragic stories and learn from them. Bin Laden has made no bones about continuing his reign of terror. Those students of today are our leaders of tomorrow. They need to learn the history of 9/11 and remember it. Maybe then we won't be condemned to repeat it.
Speaking of remembering...what were you doing when you learned of 9/11? Me? I was home cursing out AT&T because I couldn't get online. After rebooting numerous times I finally turned on the boob tube and spent the rest of the day glued to it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing at first. It was unreal. Then it slowly sank in. What I was watching wasn't some Hollywood script. Before I went to bed that night I was feeling violated like never before. You can bet I was ready to "take up arms". I wanted to kick some serious butt. But that is just my personal experience. How about you? Care to share your feelings of that tragic day - September 11,2001?
ole nib
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The Steiner Building
The Steiner building was prominently mentioned in the 1903 booklet. To the right is a copy of what it looked like back then. The Steiner building was a tailor's shop at that time. The business was operated by D.F. Steiner and the author said his shop was the home of "first class tailoring". He described it as a "mecca for those who wear good, well made and well fitting clothes". Mr. Steiner was also a councilman for many years in the ville and took "an active interest in all things municipal".The facade of this portion of the building is the same at the top but has undergone many other changes over the years.
The Steiner name can still be seen at the top.
Below is what the building looks like today. We know it as the home of the Wellsville VFW Post on the square. Does anybody know when the left side part was built or what it originally was? When I was a kid I think it was a pool hall on the ground floor.
As always you can click on the pictures to enlarge. The tailoring business was much in demand back in those days. My grandmother was a seamstress when she first immigrated here from the "old country". Back in those days there weren't too many stores that offered off the rack ready made garments.
ole nib
The Dentist Office
The house pictured above has been around for quite some time. From the 1903 booklet entitled City of Wellsville in Black and White I learned at that time it was the home and office of Hamlin Barnes - Dentist. Other than an advertisement for his practice nothing else was mentioned of Dr. Barnes. I couldn't find any mention of him in Edgar Davidson's book either. In my memory I always remembered this house being a private residence as it is today at the corner of 8th & Main. This is snapshot that can be found in that booklet.
Below is a picture of the same house as it looks today. Other than the front windows it doesn't appear that many other changes have been made over the years.
ole nib
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Amato Crime Scene Revisited
News from both our local papers this morning brought us front page stories that a third search warrant was used to conduct yet another search of the Amato crime scene on Commerce Street. The search was conducted by the County Sheriffs office and BCI agents. County Sheriff Dave Smith was quoted as saying "new information came our way" but would not elaborate on the details. Smith was also quoted as saying he "thinks" the investigators found what they were looking for. WPD was relegated to perimeter security while the search was being conducted. It was reported that J.C. is staying with his parents but showed up along with one of his attorneys and both stayed outside while the officers did their thing.
I had heard last week from a reliable source that a meeting was to be conducted by all the agencies involved in this investigation. I refrained from mentioning it due to not knowing the what, where and when. We can only assume that the meeting was held and the third warrant was part of the results of that meeting. There must be a heck of a back log at the BCI labs. It was reported that after two months they still don't have all the results from their part of the investigation. Now, presumably, they have new evidence to look at.
Although charges have yet to be filed The Review said the shooting is listed as a homicide. If it's listed as a homicide what are the authorities waiting for? Isn't it standard procedure to first arrest the suspect and then conduct the investigation? The handling of this investigation has been screwed up from the get go and does not bode well on the reputation of our legal system not to mention what it says about the 'ville. Is it favoritism because of the family involved or are the county officials and others trying to besmirch the good name of our village?
There is a need for some kind of closure on this case. It's been over two months since the shooting occurred. It's time.
ole nib
I had heard last week from a reliable source that a meeting was to be conducted by all the agencies involved in this investigation. I refrained from mentioning it due to not knowing the what, where and when. We can only assume that the meeting was held and the third warrant was part of the results of that meeting. There must be a heck of a back log at the BCI labs. It was reported that after two months they still don't have all the results from their part of the investigation. Now, presumably, they have new evidence to look at.
Although charges have yet to be filed The Review said the shooting is listed as a homicide. If it's listed as a homicide what are the authorities waiting for? Isn't it standard procedure to first arrest the suspect and then conduct the investigation? The handling of this investigation has been screwed up from the get go and does not bode well on the reputation of our legal system not to mention what it says about the 'ville. Is it favoritism because of the family involved or are the county officials and others trying to besmirch the good name of our village?
There is a need for some kind of closure on this case. It's been over two months since the shooting occurred. It's time.
ole nib
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Spouse Abuse
Here's a subject we are all familiar with and for many of us employ a sense of denial in its existence. Unless we actually witness the abuse taking place we find it hard to believe it is going on. Most victims of abuse try to hide the fact out of pride and/or embarrassment.
The most widely known form is the physical abuse, the beating of the victim leaving bruises, black eyes, broken bones, etc. Stephen King referred to it as "home correction" in one of his books. It has been going on since the dawn of mankind and is easily recognized. However, there is another form of abuse that is more widely used and less likely to be recognized. That form of abuse is verbal abuse. It can be just as damaging for the victim over a period of time and as I'm wont to say, it ain't right. I know of a couple of victims in relationships where this is happening. I feel bad that I am powerless to do anything to make it better for them.
In checking out the subject and Googling "verbal spouse abuse" the search engine came back with over 1.1 million results. There is no shortage of material and that is an indication of how widespread this problem is.
From All About Life Challenges.com they tell us that spouse abuse is both physical and/or emotional. It is usually motivated by feelings of powerlessness or insecurity on the part of the abuser. The abuse is often caused by unhealthy possessiveness or jealousy or both. Verbal abuse continues to silently erode the victim's self worth. There are no visible scars. Verbal abuse is veiled accusations of the abuser out of their frustrations. It can take place in the form of put downs, name calling, screaming, repeatedly speaking disrespectfully of the victim and on and on. It is often a form of attempting to control or manipulate the victim and often escalates into yelling and screaming. This site even uses passages from the bible to support their findings.
From helpguide.org there is a list of six red flags or signs that a victim can look for:
1. Dominance - the abuser declares that he is the boss. They are the one in charge.
2. Humiliation - the abuser tries to make the victim feel bad about them self
3. Isolation - the abuser tries to cut the victim off from the outside world. They prevent the victim form seeing friends or family, try to prevent the victim from going to work and demands the victim has to ask their permission before doing anything.
4. Threats - the abuser threatens to harm or kill you or your loved ones, threatens to commit suicide or report the victim to the authorities on false charges.
5. Denial or blame - the abuser makes excuses for their abuse by blaming their behavior on a bad childhood, a bad day or even being victims of abuse themselves. The often try to shift the blame of their abuse to the victim.
6. Intimidation - the abuser commits acts to try to scare the victim with threatening looks or gestures, breaking things, or even putting weapons on display. They try to limit you access to money, using the phone or the car. They constantly check on the victim.
Both web sites mention the "Cycle of Violence". There are five stages in the cycle. The first is the abuse with the aggressive or violent behavior. The abuser is going to show the victim "just who is the boss around here". Then it goes to guilt. The abuser doesn't feel guilty about what they have done but gets scared that they will be caught. After the guilt stage comes the excuse stage. The abuser tries to shift the responsibility for his abusive behavior to victim. "You made me do this". Then comes the normal behavior stage where the abuser tries to regain control of their self and keep the victim in their relationship. The abuser may even act as if nothing ever happened or even turn on the charming loving ways. Next comes the fantasy or planning stage. The abuser spends a lot of time thinking and eventually make plans to turn the fantasy into reality. Finally comes the set up stage where the abuser puts their plan into motion and attempts to set up the victim to justify their abuse. Then the cycle starts anew going back to the first stage.
From enzinearticles.com they tells us about the victim's stages. The victim's feelings are hurt, they are demeaned, angry and embarrassed. They often arouse contempt from the abuser by trying to placate or make things better. The victim gets blamed for causing the abuse. They surrender and give in to the abuser. The victim denies that it even happened. Finally comes the complete submission stage. Although the victim is burning with rage and hatred of the abuser they decide that staying in the relationship is better than leaving and hopes that somehow they will survive. This is often caused for money, prestige, social status or the warped desire to be part of the power that the abuser might have. They have seen first hand what the abuser can do with their power.
Without so much as laying a hand on the victim the abuse can eventually erode the health of the victim. From suite101.com is an article by Dr. Dorothy Neddermeyer that tells us verbal abuse will lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. You are probably familiar with PTSD in military folks that have seen the hell that war can cause. The victims of verbal spouse abuse suffer in the same fashion but on a different front. They have feelings of helplessness and fear of everyday living in their own homes. They have flashbacks of the abuse. They withdraw from their everyday living away from friends, co-workers and other family members. They have sleep disorders that rob them of the body's need to replenish itself. They suffer from depression and often show signs of disinterest. They can become cold and aloof. Sometimes they just plain give up in that complete submission stage.
Stress can cause a wide array of damaging things to a human. It robs the body of naturally taking care of itself the way nature intended. It uses up the body's energy and opens the door for any physical weakness that may be lurking in the background such as heart problems just to mention one. I have no facts to base this on but I feel that many cancer victims are ones with a whole lot of stress in their lives. Stress can do very ugly things to a person. Victims of verbal spouse abuse live very stressful lives. Verbal abuse can often lead to physical abuse. Even if there is no physical abuse being a victim can erode the feeling of well being and one's sense of self worth.
As an observer of such relationships there is not much we can do in the way to help the victims. We can talk to them, confide in them as a friend but all the talking in the world won't do a bit of good until the victim is ready. Like the alcoholic addict the first step is for the victim to decide for them self that they have a problem. In reality about all we can do is let them know we will be there for them. Once the victim admits this to their self then there is a world of help available just for the asking. Even in this area there is widespread help readily available. Religious ministers are well versed on where and how to get help. There are agencies listed in the phone books. If you're a victim there is help for guidance and even financial help if needed, to get out of an abusive relationship. Life is too short as it is. It ain't worth your health to pretend everything is status quo to the outside world and go on living in an abusive relationship. You just have to convince yourself to take that first step. Your close friends and other family members that love and care about you can probably see what is going on. Be honest with yourself and then you can be honest with them. There is no shame in admitting you made a mistake in holding on to a relationship with an abusive spouse. The mistake is trying to hide from it.
ole nib
The most widely known form is the physical abuse, the beating of the victim leaving bruises, black eyes, broken bones, etc. Stephen King referred to it as "home correction" in one of his books. It has been going on since the dawn of mankind and is easily recognized. However, there is another form of abuse that is more widely used and less likely to be recognized. That form of abuse is verbal abuse. It can be just as damaging for the victim over a period of time and as I'm wont to say, it ain't right. I know of a couple of victims in relationships where this is happening. I feel bad that I am powerless to do anything to make it better for them.
In checking out the subject and Googling "verbal spouse abuse" the search engine came back with over 1.1 million results. There is no shortage of material and that is an indication of how widespread this problem is.
From All About Life Challenges.com they tell us that spouse abuse is both physical and/or emotional. It is usually motivated by feelings of powerlessness or insecurity on the part of the abuser. The abuse is often caused by unhealthy possessiveness or jealousy or both. Verbal abuse continues to silently erode the victim's self worth. There are no visible scars. Verbal abuse is veiled accusations of the abuser out of their frustrations. It can take place in the form of put downs, name calling, screaming, repeatedly speaking disrespectfully of the victim and on and on. It is often a form of attempting to control or manipulate the victim and often escalates into yelling and screaming. This site even uses passages from the bible to support their findings.
From helpguide.org there is a list of six red flags or signs that a victim can look for:
1. Dominance - the abuser declares that he is the boss. They are the one in charge.
2. Humiliation - the abuser tries to make the victim feel bad about them self
3. Isolation - the abuser tries to cut the victim off from the outside world. They prevent the victim form seeing friends or family, try to prevent the victim from going to work and demands the victim has to ask their permission before doing anything.
4. Threats - the abuser threatens to harm or kill you or your loved ones, threatens to commit suicide or report the victim to the authorities on false charges.
5. Denial or blame - the abuser makes excuses for their abuse by blaming their behavior on a bad childhood, a bad day or even being victims of abuse themselves. The often try to shift the blame of their abuse to the victim.
6. Intimidation - the abuser commits acts to try to scare the victim with threatening looks or gestures, breaking things, or even putting weapons on display. They try to limit you access to money, using the phone or the car. They constantly check on the victim.
Both web sites mention the "Cycle of Violence". There are five stages in the cycle. The first is the abuse with the aggressive or violent behavior. The abuser is going to show the victim "just who is the boss around here". Then it goes to guilt. The abuser doesn't feel guilty about what they have done but gets scared that they will be caught. After the guilt stage comes the excuse stage. The abuser tries to shift the responsibility for his abusive behavior to victim. "You made me do this". Then comes the normal behavior stage where the abuser tries to regain control of their self and keep the victim in their relationship. The abuser may even act as if nothing ever happened or even turn on the charming loving ways. Next comes the fantasy or planning stage. The abuser spends a lot of time thinking and eventually make plans to turn the fantasy into reality. Finally comes the set up stage where the abuser puts their plan into motion and attempts to set up the victim to justify their abuse. Then the cycle starts anew going back to the first stage.
From enzinearticles.com they tells us about the victim's stages. The victim's feelings are hurt, they are demeaned, angry and embarrassed. They often arouse contempt from the abuser by trying to placate or make things better. The victim gets blamed for causing the abuse. They surrender and give in to the abuser. The victim denies that it even happened. Finally comes the complete submission stage. Although the victim is burning with rage and hatred of the abuser they decide that staying in the relationship is better than leaving and hopes that somehow they will survive. This is often caused for money, prestige, social status or the warped desire to be part of the power that the abuser might have. They have seen first hand what the abuser can do with their power.
Without so much as laying a hand on the victim the abuse can eventually erode the health of the victim. From suite101.com is an article by Dr. Dorothy Neddermeyer that tells us verbal abuse will lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. You are probably familiar with PTSD in military folks that have seen the hell that war can cause. The victims of verbal spouse abuse suffer in the same fashion but on a different front. They have feelings of helplessness and fear of everyday living in their own homes. They have flashbacks of the abuse. They withdraw from their everyday living away from friends, co-workers and other family members. They have sleep disorders that rob them of the body's need to replenish itself. They suffer from depression and often show signs of disinterest. They can become cold and aloof. Sometimes they just plain give up in that complete submission stage.
Stress can cause a wide array of damaging things to a human. It robs the body of naturally taking care of itself the way nature intended. It uses up the body's energy and opens the door for any physical weakness that may be lurking in the background such as heart problems just to mention one. I have no facts to base this on but I feel that many cancer victims are ones with a whole lot of stress in their lives. Stress can do very ugly things to a person. Victims of verbal spouse abuse live very stressful lives. Verbal abuse can often lead to physical abuse. Even if there is no physical abuse being a victim can erode the feeling of well being and one's sense of self worth.
As an observer of such relationships there is not much we can do in the way to help the victims. We can talk to them, confide in them as a friend but all the talking in the world won't do a bit of good until the victim is ready. Like the alcoholic addict the first step is for the victim to decide for them self that they have a problem. In reality about all we can do is let them know we will be there for them. Once the victim admits this to their self then there is a world of help available just for the asking. Even in this area there is widespread help readily available. Religious ministers are well versed on where and how to get help. There are agencies listed in the phone books. If you're a victim there is help for guidance and even financial help if needed, to get out of an abusive relationship. Life is too short as it is. It ain't worth your health to pretend everything is status quo to the outside world and go on living in an abusive relationship. You just have to convince yourself to take that first step. Your close friends and other family members that love and care about you can probably see what is going on. Be honest with yourself and then you can be honest with them. There is no shame in admitting you made a mistake in holding on to a relationship with an abusive spouse. The mistake is trying to hide from it.
ole nib
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Last Night's Council Meetin'
It was reported in both of our local newspapers that Wellsville Council passed a resolution last night to collect unpaid sewage bills on village income taxes. In other words when you get your income tax bill from RITA the unpaid portions on the sewage bill will be reflected as part of the amount due. I'm wondering if some of the recalcitrant debtors actually pay village income taxes. In my way of thinking if they risk having their water being shut off why would they bother with paying income taxes? There are some that have it automatically deducted from their pay checks and others that don't. They pay quarterly when RITA sends out their friendly greetings. If it's real estate taxes they are going after they are in even more trouble. I imagine many of these unpaid bills are with folks that rent. Whatever happened to citing them into court and having them to face up to what they owe or risk the consequences? Avoiding jail time might provoke some positive results.
Even more disturbing was the news of the cat invasion! I haven't realized it was such a problem. I haven't noticed it so much in my neighborhood. Thanks for the heads up. Then again the cats are probably helping with the rodent control. Is it such a problem?
The Ed Wilson Mystery was prominently mentioned in both papers. Mayor Joe said it might be as early as next week when he gets the findings of the Cleveland law firm's investigation. Like with Attorney Grimshaw's investigation into the Amato murder we will have to wait to learn what the results will be. I'm anxious about both.
Finally I would like to extend my sympathy to the Service Director. Poor Jim is having trouble finding owners of dilapidated properties. Hang in there Jim. Can I assume these owners don't pay real estate taxes?
ole nib
Even more disturbing was the news of the cat invasion! I haven't realized it was such a problem. I haven't noticed it so much in my neighborhood. Thanks for the heads up. Then again the cats are probably helping with the rodent control. Is it such a problem?
The Ed Wilson Mystery was prominently mentioned in both papers. Mayor Joe said it might be as early as next week when he gets the findings of the Cleveland law firm's investigation. Like with Attorney Grimshaw's investigation into the Amato murder we will have to wait to learn what the results will be. I'm anxious about both.
Finally I would like to extend my sympathy to the Service Director. Poor Jim is having trouble finding owners of dilapidated properties. Hang in there Jim. Can I assume these owners don't pay real estate taxes?
ole nib
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Village Yard Sale
The Village Yard Sale was held today with some folks setting up tables beside the fire station at Village Hall along Main Street in the 'ville. The picture above is the five or six tables on the grassy strip between the parking lot and the old Sky Bank. Although the turnout was small there it appeared all went well and it was a beautiful day.The Camera Mart's Larry Walton was one of the vendors. That's Larry below in the blue shirt. Larry was a member of WHS Class of '55. He was quoted as saying that he will be closing the Camera Mart at the end of the year and he will be moving on to other things.
The VFD was set up and selling snacks and refreshments as seen above.
Even though there weren't many vendors at Village Hall there were yard sales all over town. Pictured above is a couple of residences across Main Street from the fire department that got into the swing of things. Driving around town you could see people set up on just about every street. All in all I would say it was a successful event for our fair village.Ole Nib
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