Saturday, August 4, 2012

Sgro Brothers Highlight Day 2 of Wellsville Italian Festival

Playing their harmonicas from the left is Tony & Dominic Sgro.
Generations band member Jimmy Taylor filled in on drums.

Village natives Tony & Dominic Sgro highlighted the second day of the Wellsville Italian Festival.  They are brothers of Village resident Josephine Sgro and became world famous for their musical talents after graduating from Wellsvile High School and serving their country in the Armed Forces.  Dominic graduated from WHS in 1950 and Tony followed in 1953. 

They have played worldwide, having one time gave a command performance for the Queen of England and have also appeared at the White House.  Early in their careers they had a recording contract with RCA and have even appeared at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.  Both of the brothers are now New York state residents. 

The 16th Annual Wellsville Italian Festival is sponsored by SOI Lodge 657 and wraps up with Day 3 tonight beginning at 6 PM.  Tonight’s entertainment will be started with Mirella Volpe at 6:30 and followed by the Jim Frank Quartet at 8 PM.  The extremely popular local band Route 45 will close out the Festival’s entertainment for this year.  Karen & Tim Kelly and the gang are set to take the stage at 10 PM.

You don’t want to miss any of the great entertainment, good food and friendly faces…


ole nib

Friday, August 3, 2012

Wellsville's Italian Festival Underway

The annual Italian Festival sponsored by Wellsville's SOI Lodge 657 got underway Thursday evening.  It continues tonight and Saturday.  It's great entertainment, good food and wonderful friends.  It starts nightly at 6 PM.

You won't want to miss it...

ole nib

Thursday, August 2, 2012

First Christian To Host 2nd Annual Back Pack Bash


First Christian Church Youth Pastor Brandon Russell announces that the Wellsville church is preparing for their 2nd Annual Back Pack Bash.  It promises to be bigger and better than the one held last year.  It is scheduled for Saturday, August 11 from 10 AM to 3 PM. 

The annual event will take place in front of the church with Main Street blocked off to accommodate all the planned activities.  It’s a family fun event to reach out to as many as possible with the love of God.  There will be food, games, rides, live animals, a petting zoo and 500 back packs with school supplies that will be absolutely free.  There will be live bands and other freebies.  This year there will be an added double bike give-away.  The giveaways are open to all students in grades K through 12 no matter what school district they attend. 

Pre-registration is not required.  Your only obligation is to show up for a few hours of awesome fun.  To be ensured of receiving a back pack with supplies it is suggested to call 330-532-1587 and list your name before August 6.  You can also e-mail Russell at Brandon.wfcc@gmail.com

For additional information or to arrange transportation call 330-532-1587.  The First Christian Church is located at 831 Main Street across the street from Wellsville’s Old Fire Station. 

 ole nib

Wellsville Considers Adding New Job Positions


Wednesday – August 1:  The Wellsville Village Council Personnel Committee held a two in one meeting yesterday at Village Hall.  Personnel Committee Chairman Tony Cataldo presided.  The majority of the meeting was held in Executive Sessions. 

The first part of the meeting was held with Wellsville Fire Chief Bill Smith attending.  The meeting was in regard to replacing just recently retired fireman Doug Elliott.  Elliott was the only other full time fireman on staff.  The other one is the Chief.  Elliott retired after a combined 33 years’ service to the Village. 

Chief Smith advised that there were five applications received for the full-time position.  Interviews with the five candidates will be held by Mayor Susan Haugh and him.  Any candidate selected will have to be approved by the full Council.

Committee member John Morrow reported also that he will make a motion to order in legislation at the next Council meeting to create two permanent part-time fire fighters.  The part-time positions will be scheduled for less than 40 hours per week and will not offer any benefits.  Chief Smith noted, if approved that two new positions will allow him flexibility in scheduling to have all shifts covered 24/7.  The ordinance will have to be drafted up by Village Legal Advisor Andy Beech.  Other details will be finalized once Council approval is made.  No mention was made on how the new positions will be financed.  However there was talk after the meeting of applying for available grants.  Mayor Haugh also hinted that with Wellsville’s economic outlook improving there will soon be enough revenue to cover the costs of two part-time positions in the foreseeable future.  Although she did not elaborate it is known that developments at the Intermodal Park and the planned Marathon expansion in town will soon be adding revenue to the Village coffers. 

The second part of the meeting was in regards to replacing Street Department employee Jim Bauer.  Bauer recently resigned to take a position with the Wellsville School District.  Bauer was one of four permanent full-timers in that department.  Village Administrator Thom Edgell took part in that portion of yesterday’s meeting.  He supervises that department.

Councilman Cataldo advised that instead of filling one full-time position he will recommend Council instead approve two part-time Street Department positions.  If given the go ahead the part-time positions will be scheduled for no more than 32 hours a week.  No personal insurance benefits will be offered which in the long run will be a cost savings to the Village. 

The new positions will be paid $9.08 per hour which is 80% of the first year salary scale.  After a period of one year employment that will increase to 85%.  Morrow added there will be the possibility of making the jobs full-time in the future.  That possibility and the pay scale will be addressed in three to six months once the jobs begin.  Edgell noted there were 18 applications filed for Bauer’s position.  That position in now in limbo pending what action Council takes. 

Council’s next regularly scheduled meeting is set for Tuesday, August 7 at 6 PM.  The meeting will take place at Village Hall at 1200 Main St.


ole nib

Wellsville Tigers Football Season Underway

With Head Coach Dave Skinner watching the 2012 Tigers
wrap up the first half of practice running sprints

It’s official… The Wellsville Tigers have opened up their 2012 Football season.  The dreaded “2-a-days” got underway this past Monday, July 30.  We stopped by yesterday to check it out.  Under a sweltering 90 degree sun we got there in time to catch them doing sprints just before the break.  We were told around 35 student athletes turned out to make up this year’s squad. 

Holding their new helmets high the Tigers huddle up before
their break in Wednesday's practice.
The Tigers have two scrimmages scheduled.  Both them will be at Nicholson Stadium with the first one being set for Saturday, August 11.  It will be a 3-team scrimmage matching skills with Steubenville Central Catholic & Bridgeport.   That is scheduled to begin at 10 AM.  The second scrimmage is scheduled for Thursday, August 16 at 7 PM against Crestview.   Both scrimmages are open to the public. 

The Tigers open the regular season on Saturday, August 25, against the Toronto Red Knights.  It’s the WTOV Channel 9 Game-of-the Week.  The newest class of WHS Athletic Hall of Fame members will be introduced that evening. 


ole nib


BWD Adjusts Finances


Wednesday – August 1: The Buckeye Water District Board of Trustees held a “special” meeting yesterday.   The meeting took place at the Water Treatment Plant.  Board President Mike Ryan presided.  The meeting was to address three financial items.

The first item was a resolution to defer payments for a period of one year on their Water Supply Revolving Loan account.  This account is the loan the water district made with the Ohio Water Development Authority to build the new Raw Water Pumping Station and Water Treatment Plant.  The resolution allows the district to take advantage of a clause in the loan agreement, with the lending agency, to actually make a reduced payment amount for one year.  The regular payment was near $355,000 every six months.  That will be reduced to $59,000 to cover interest charges.  Ryan remarked the resolution will cost the district a little more in interest for the life of the loan.  The resolution was necessitated by the court ordered settlement with the City of East Liverpool.  It will allow the water district to operate in the black and avoid the threat of bankruptcy. 

The second resolution was to approve the proposed budget for 2013.  Anticipated income revenue for next year is expected to be $3,600,193.  Expenses are forecasted to be $3,578,548 for next year compared to $3,639,421 for 2012.  The belt tightening items in the new budget outnumber any increased items.  The most noticeable increases were for health insurance expenditures. 

The last item to be acted on was a motion passed to create an additional line item for this year’s budget.  Fiscal Officer Tony D’Angelo advised the Board that he conferred with officials in the State Auditor’s Office on the payment made to East Liverpool to settle the court ordered fine.   When questioned Ryan remarked that “what’s going to East Liverpool already went”.  District Manager Al DeAngelis added “they actually took it”.  There is a cancelled check on the payment made to them although the settlement is not yet officially accepted.  No one was really sure what East Liverpool officials are actually going to do.  D’Angelo concluded the new line item will be titled “Court Settlement – East Liverpool”.

The next schedule Board of Trustees Meeting is Thursday, August 16 at Wellsville Village Hall. 



 ole nib

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Wellsville's "New" High School Ready


This is a page from the 1920 Wellsville High School yearbook.  That was the first year that Wellsville high school students attended classes in the “new high school” on Center Street.  Before then they went to school in the McDonald building on 9th St.  The elementary students attended classes at either McKinley School in the east end of town or Garfield buildings on the western side.

That building is now partially the home of Daw Middle School.  There have been a lot of changes made in the past 92 years.  Bet today’s BOE have dreams of construction costs like those in 1920!

The 1920 WHS yearbook is part of the collection of yearbooks kept at the River Museum by the Wellsville Historical Society.

ole nib