Wellsville Area Ministerial Association Carries On Good Friday Traditions

It was a busy day yesterday for members of the Wellsville Area Ministerial Association and other faithful as they commemorated Good Friday, the day Christ died on the cross. The day started with the annual Wellsville Good Friday Prayer Breakfast. The breakfast was held at the Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Later participants gathered at the closed Immaculate Conception Church for the traditional Good Friday Cross Walk. Prior to the walk getting started WAMA President Aaron Smith offered prayers that the church will soon be reopened for the Wellsville Catholics.

Lead with Wellsville Church of the Nazarene Pastor Dirk Hall & retired Rev. Jay Nightengale (in the red ball cap) carrying the cross those gathered proceeded down Main Street to Mt. Zion FBH for a noon Good Friday service. The service was conducted by Mt. Zion Pastor Darlene Zanders. Several Wellsville area congregations were represented in the Cross Walk.

Pictured here is the beginning of the Cross Walk and Smith offering the prayer in front of the Wellsville Catholic church.

ole nib

Wellsville In The Spring

"Spring has sprung, the grass is rized..." Wellsville is at its prettiest two times of the year in our opinion. That would be early Spring and Autumn in full foliage. We have been having some beautiful Spring weather here the past few days. It makes you glad to live in Wellsville, especially at times like this.

With the sun sparkling off the river, the new greening of the lawns and hill side and the dogwood in full bloom this scene caught our eye yesterday. We wanted to share it with you.

Happy Easter...

ole nib

Remember Wellsville's 532 Main Street???

Some of you may remember this house that was located at 532 Main Street. That spot today is the parking lot of Shoub Towers just to the right of the building and across the street from the Twisted Stone. We don't have the exact age of the building but the first picture has a date of July, 1902 written on the back. The gentleman on the right is believed to be Alexander Wells. He was the last surviving child of William Wells, the town's founder and name sake. Unfortunately we have no idea who the others pictured there were.

The second picture shows the house as it last appeared before it was demolished to make room for Shoub Towers. The last residents to live there was the Catherine & Houston Henderson family. We been told Mrs. Henderson was a Spanish teacher in the Wellsville School District and Mr. Henderson had a television/radio repair shop. Judging from the car shown parked on Main Street we're guessing this picture was taken sometime in the early to mid 1950s. It is part of what is believed to be the Bucky Moore collection.

The alley that was just to the right of this house is still in place. It goes from Main Street to Riverside. You can see the rear corner of the house that use to sit on the other side of that alley. That too is now a parking lot. The back of that house faced the back of the Riverside Presbyterian Church. You can see part of the church roof between the two houses.

Both pictures are property of the Wellsville Historical Society. We found them in the archives filed at the Riverside Museum.

We think it's fun to look back in time through these to remember how things in the 'ville once were...

ole nib

Wellsville Welcomes Anchor Drilling Fluids

At this week's Village Council meeting, in her report, Mayor Susan Haugh welcomed a company new to Wellsville to town. Haugh announced that Anchor Drilling Fluids USA will be establishing a presence at the Port Authority's Intermodal Park. Headquartered in Tulsa, OK, Anchor Drilling Fluids is one of the largest suppliers of drilling “muds” in the United States. According to Wikipedia “drilling fluid is a fluid used to aid the drilling of boreholes into the earth, often used while drilling oil and natural gas wells and on exploration drilling rigs. Liquid drilling fluid is often called drilling mud”. With over 40 years of experience in the business Anchor Drilling Fluids has operations in 13 states and has a District Office in Cranberry Twp., PA, just north of Pittsburgh.

According to a recent Tom Giambroni article in The Review, Anchor Drilling is in a joint venture with Cimbar Performance Minerals “to process lubricants used in oil and gas drilling”. “It is not part of the hydraulic fracturing process used to extract the natural gas” in the Marcellus shale according to that same article.

Mayor Haugh reported that Anchor Drilling Fluids CEO Bob West was in Wellsville recently to explain the operations to her and the Service Administrator. Haugh noted Mr. West “will be back when all the permits are in place and ready to be signed”. The new business is expected to employ at least 20 people once they are in operation.

Pictured here are several “black barrels”, as the Mayor calls them, in place at the Intermodal Park. The tanks will hold the mixed drilling mud ready for transportation to drilling sites once they are assembled.

ole nib

Wellsville Carnegie Celebrates National Library Week

The week of April 9 through 13 is National Library Week and the good folks at the Wellsville Carnegie Library have planned some fun activities. We'll have more to announce but starting Monday, April 9, everyone is invited to stop by and take a guess on the number of jelly beans they were able to get in the jar.

If your guess is the closest without going over the jar is yours. If you need more information call 330-532-1526.

ole nib

Wellsville Catholics Keep The Faith

With the recent announcement that the Vatican's Congregation of Clergy ordered 13 Cleveland Diocese parishes reopened the Wellsville Catholics gained renewed hope for the now closed Immaculate Conception Parish. In 2009 and 2010 Bishop Lennon of the Cleveland Diocese closed 50 parishes. Thirteen of them appealed that ruling. It was found that the closings were done in violation of various Canon Laws and those 13 were ordered reopened by Vatican officials.

In a meeting last week Save the Immaculate Conception Parish Committee Co-chair Tom Brophey reported that they received an e-mail from church activist Peter Borre that he is getting favorable vibes in Rome that the Bishop may be reconsidering his closing of the Immaculate Conception Parish. Boston resident Borre is representing many parishes throughout the country in their appeals to Vatican officials to get their parishes reopen. Borre represents those parishes in Cleveland that were mentioned, Wellsville's Immaculate Conception and many more in the United States and Canada. Being fluent in Latin Borre works with the Roman Canon lawyers representing the closed parishes in their appeals to the Vatican. Everything done at the Vatican in Rome is done using the Latin language. Wellsville Co-chair Beverly Hentzell was quoted in a Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper article as saying “Peter's a champion”.

Brophey went on to explain there were many similarities found in the reasons for ordering the reopening of the Cleveland Diocese parishes that raise hope they will also be considered for reopening the Wellsville parish. In their appeal filed by Peter Borre there were 10 violations of Canon Law listed for reasons the closing of Immaculate Conception should be reversed. Many of the same violations were cited in the reopening orders for the Cleveland parishes.

Meanwhile the Wellsville parishioners keep the faith in hopes that their church will soon be reopened. It's been a two year campaign for their prayers and efforts to be answered. Fund raising continues with a gas card raffle underway. The Committee is offering chances on a $100 BP gas card to be drawn May 17. Chances are $1 each or 6 for $5. There will be a pancake breakfast on Saturday, May 5 from 9 to 11 AM at the SOI. The public is invited.

In cooperation with the Wellsville Area Ministerial Association it was announced that there will be a Good Friday Cross Walk on Friday, April 6. The walk will form up at the Immaculate Conception parking lot at 11th Street with participants marching down Main Street to the Mt. Zion Church at 1617 Main. There will be a noon Good Friday service at Mt. Zion FBH.

Hentzell also announced that there will be prayer service and joining of hands in a human chain around the Immaculate Conception Church held on Sunday, May 6. The service will culminate in the crowning of the Blessed Mother. The time of the service will be announced at a later date. The public is invited to join in.

Regular Saturday prayer services are still being held at the First United Methodist Church at 3:30 PM each week-end. The next meeting of Save the Immaculate Conception Parish Committee is scheduled for Thursday, April 12 at the SOI Club, 327 Main St.

ole nib

Wellsville Chamber Names Holly Development As Business of the Month

The Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce held their monthly luncheon this past Thursday at the Riverside Road House. First Christian Church Pastor Mark Blakely offered the invocation noting that Wellsville is experiencing a spiritual awakening. Chamber President Randy Allmon welcomed new members New Life Ministries Pastor Bishop Bill Rudder and Donna Rudder. Allmon also announced that Welcome Committee Chairman Brandon Russell introduced Chamber members and welcomed Wellsville's newest business “Four Bad Jacks” dog grooming business. It is located at 525 Main St.

Allmon issued a reminder of the upcoming Columbiana County Economic Summit. The summit will be held May 7 and 8 at the East Liverpool Motor Lodge. There will be 60 businesses present with many of them doing job interviews. Anyone wanting more information can contact Allmon at 330-843-3475. Guest speaker was Agent Dean Hassman of the Youngstown FBI Field Office. Hasson spoke of the different categories of crime and offered tips to guard against identity thief and cyber crime.

Pictured above is the Business of the Month being awarded to Wellsville's Holly Development. Shown from the left is Chamber member “Pinky” Gill, Theresa Pullie & Byron Carter of Holly Development and Chamber President Randy Allmon. Allmon noted the Main Street headquartered company has been in business for five years and have always been very supportive of Chamber activities. Holly Development is located at 460 Main St.

The next luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, April 26 at the Dairy Queen, located at 400 Third St. The luncheon begins at 12 noon and the public is invited.

ole nib