Garfield Elementary 3rd Graders Observe Arbor Day

Arbor Day was observed in Wellsville yesterday with Mayor Susan Haugh issuing a special proclamation. The Wellsville Tree Committee organized the special event with Garfield Elementary's entire 3rd Grade taking part. The Elks Lodge 1040 hosted the observance, entertainer Kenny Beaver sang and members of Heritage WTI presented a special program for the students.

According to the Mayor's proclamation J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agricultural in 1872 that a special day should be set aside for the planting of trees. That special day was named Arbor Day and was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska.

Trees can reduce the erosion of our topsoil, cut energy costs for heating and cooling , clean the air we breathe, produce life giving oxygen and provide a habitat for wildlife. Trees are a renewable source of wood and paper and countless other products.

WTI employees Don “Mass” Miller, Cris Noel and Raymond Wayne had a presentation on their efforts at the plant, located in East Liverpool's East End, to keep the environment “green” around the plant.

Prior to helping to take part in the planting of a tree along Riverside winners were announced for the Arbor Day poster contest. First place went to Ashley Durbin, second to Emma Smith and two third place winners were E. Dierringen and Dakota Long. All the students were given coupons for treats at Nick's Pizza and Wellsville's Dairy Queen.

Tree Committee Chairwoman Dawn Johnston explained the anatomy of a tree pointing out how the root system gathers nourishment for growth. Committee member Gwen Murphy supervised the planting of a Japanese Royal Empress tree. The Royal Empress is a fast grower, growing up to 15 feet per year and reach full growth in three to five years.

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OVCT Nursing Students Help Wellsville With Spring Cleaning

Getting some time in for their Community Service requirement these four nursing students volunteered to do some spring cleaning around the Gazebo area in Wellsville's 4th Street Square. The students are committed to put in 48 hours of community service as part of their curriculum to graduate.

Shown here from the left is Tina Heiney, Shannon Lyle, Wellsville Council Member Tonda Ross, Kristen Scott and Dianna Landers. Ross is Chairwoman of Council's Street & Light Committee. The other ladies are members of Ohio Valley College of Technology's first class of students in their nursing program. The program is a 22 month course and the graduates will be Registered Nurses once they pass the State Board Exams. All are Wellsville area residents.

Thanks & Good Luck ladies...

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Wellsville's First Christian Leads "Pledge To Take A Stand for Change"`

Pastor Mark Blakely and his staff at Wellsville's First Christian Church are making a commitment as a village church to stand up in the community to help put an end to bullying. This past Wednesday, April 25, they opened the doors of the church to everyone in town to join them to “pledge to stand for change”. The goal for the event was to get the word out that it's time to take a stand against bullying of any kind.

Nearly 200 people accepted the invitation to join in the commitment to stand up to bullying. Most all of them signed a huge banner pledging to do their part. That banner will be displayed on the church's sign near the eastern entrance to town. Pledge cards were given to all the students attending asking them to tape the cards on the front of their lockers in school.

In addition to Pastor Blakely the event was also organized by Youth Pastor Brandon Russell and Children's Director Lyndsey Mackall. First Christian has joined forces with the Wellsville School District and the Family Community & Resource Center to host regular weekly tutoring help in the district's effort to improve scores on State mandated proficiency tests. The weekly event is held every Wednesday afternoon at the church with entertainment, healthy snacks and tutoring.

The staff at First Christian has stated that they are making a commitment as a church to stand up in the community to help put an end to bullying. They are making a very visible effort toward this goal and they are doing all they can to provide a safe place where children are not judged, picked on or hurt.

The church is located at 831 Main Street in Wellsville. For more information on the “Pledge to Stand For Change” call 330-532-1587.

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Wellsville Library To Hold Three Day Book Sale

Starting a week from today on Thursday, May 3, the Wellsville Carnegie Public Library will have a three day book sale.  The proceeds from the sale will go to the benefit of the library. 

Donations are being accepted for the sale if you have books you would like to offer.  For more information call the Library @ 330-532-1526.

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Wellsville's Indian Head

There’s been some interest expressed lately on Face Book about the Indian head that use to be in the hillside in the east end of Wellsville where Route 7 now passes through town. Shown here is a photo that is in the archives at the River Museum and is noted to be “the last picture” of the rock formation. There’s a section on that web site entitled “You Know You’re From Wellsville If You Remember…” It’s devoted to historical facts & trivia about our village.

Someone inquired if the Indian was a natural formation or was it actually carved out of the hillside. That sent us to the files and the answer we found is that it is a little bit of both. When it was decided to make Route 7 into a four lane highway along the hillside in the mid to late 1960s there were many casualties to that part of the city. Along with Buckeye Avenue, Acme Craft Pottery and half of Lisbon Street the Indian head was slated to be taken out.

It was a very contested issue at the time, according to newspaper accounts. Committees were formed, petitions were circulated and politicians were beseeched to intercede with the Ohio Department of Transportation. The drive to save the monument even reached the Nation’s capital when U.S. Congressman Wayne L. Hayes promised to ask President Nixon to intervene.

The Indian head profile use to sit along the hillside near MacDonald Hts. It was across Wells Ave. midway up on the hillside from where Huntington Bank now sits. The late Mrs. Galen Lewis was born and raised in that area. Her family roots dated back to Alexander MacBeth, a Scottish immigrant, who settled in Wellsville in 1833. She wrote a letter to the then Evening Review documenting the history of the Indian head. MacBeth was Mrs. Lewis’s great-grandfather and he was a stonecutter. He had built a small frame house along Little Yellow Creek where the floodwall now sits. There was a chestnut grove & stone quarry on the hillside adjacent to the MacBeth house. Mrs. Lewis’ maiden name was Kellaway, whose childhood home sat on the hillside behind the MacBeth house.

According to Mrs. Lewis’ letter her father told her many times the story of the Indian head. It was sometime between 1875 and 1902 the head was formed when rock fell away during quarry operations. After cutting some stone out of the hillside the Indian head appeared when the stone fell away. She contended in her letter that, until the time it was demolished, drill holes could be seen in the formation. We’re speculating that those are the “foot holds” we have been told was there.

Unfortunately this unique monument was sacrificed in the name of economy. ODOT officials reported that it would cost $3 to $4 million to reroute the road even after being promised all the land needed to do so for free. On August 21, 1972 at 2:35 PM the Indian head was blasted out of existance.

In one of the articles it was mentioned that former Wellsville Press editor Ed Pugh named the Indian head “Chief Logan Profile Rock”. As we can now see it was only a tribute to one of Wellsville’s earliest area residents.

So in answer to the question it was sort of man made. May the old Indian rest in peace…

As radio commentator Paul Harvey use to say “now you know the rest of the story”…

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Wellsville Residents Kept In The Dark

Wellsville Village Council held their regular bi-monthly meeting Tuesday evening, April 17, at Village Hall. Mayor Susan Haugh presided. Except for Councilman Don Brown all Council members were present along with Fiscal Officer Dale Davis and Village Administrator Thom Edgell.

Rebecca Smith, one of the Riverside Roadhouse restaurant co-owners, asked Council's approval to obtain a D5i Liquor License. The Riverside Roadhouse is nearly a full service restaurant located at 565 Wells Avenue Extension in the village. Smith related the license would be for on-site consumption only by their dining customers. They are not attempting to start a bar. Their goal is to be competitive with some of the Calcutta establishments and feel it would contribute to Wellsville's revitalization if approval is granted. Councilman Tony Cataldo advised that once the application is submitted, State Dept. of Commerce officials will send paperwork to the Clerk of Council for Council's consideration. The owners must first submit an application. It was noted that liquor licenses were allocated in some of the smaller communities. It is possible Wellsville has their full quota.

Village Administrator Thom Edgell reported “this administration is all about sharing & partnering”. This week the Wellsville River Terminal helped with paying for four tons of hot patch and with their help the two surviving Street Department workers used up seven tons of hot patch in the last two days. One Street Department employee is currently off with a job related injury and hopefully will be back soon.

Edgell remarked that last year Springhill Cemetery did not look as it should, especially for Memorial Day. It was decided that wouldn't happen this year. Edgell said Eastern Ohio Correctional Center has three to five inmates that have volunteered to help in the cemetery. Wellsville First Christian Church offered the use of one of their vans with a driver to transport the helpers for five days preceding the holiday. Police Chief Scarabino will provide an off-duty police officer to supervise the work party.

Edgell commended Hammonds Park caretaker Gerald Walker for getting the park in good shape with keeping the grass cut and repair some of the playground equipment. Walker remarked there are only three swings left that need repaired. The marquee at 17th Street will have one of the decorative lamp posts that were donated to the village. The Mayor remarked that Wellsville Terminal employees are repairing the fountain at that location. She also thanked United Water Plant Manager Greg Stewart for having the grass cut around that area. The third lamp post & light will be placed on the Pete Amato Boardwalk next to the floodwall murals. Also the village is working on getting lighting on the murals.

Wrapping up his report Edgell said May 18 & 19 will be Spring Clean-Up. Dailey Refuse is furnishing six huge dumpsters that will be placed behind Village Hall those two days. Village residents will be able to dispose of junk free of charge. Items not permitted will include paint or any type of hazardous waste, tree limbs, grass trimmings, batteries or tires. However car & light truck tires are presently being accepted for disposal and piled up by the Village Garage behind the Fire Department. The tires will be collected until the end of May. They will be taken to Minerva for recycling.

In her report the Mayor noted that all volunteer help is greatly appreciated but said Village officials for the most part have a plan in place for certain areas. The Mayor asked that all volunteers check with her office before proceeding with any project to avoid any conflicts.

The Finance Committee Chairwoman said there has not been a finance report this year because the Village “did receive money from the oil & gas rights to the tune of $1.3 million. That money is currently sitting in the General Fund so (she doesn't) want to give an actual account of the General Fund”. The money will be invested but she doesn't want residents to think it will be spent unwisely. Once invested she will better be able to give an actual account of the General Fund. We won't mention any names but we are left wondering why it is necessary to keep village tax payers in the dark about their financial affairs.

Council approved a request by the Wellsville Tree Committee to close off Riverside between 7th & 8th Streets for an Arbor Day observation on Friday, April 27 from 9:15 to 10:30 AM. Students from Garfield Elementary will help plant some trees.

Wellsville resident Tim Long notified Council that the 4th Annual “Dash for Mat's Bash” will be held October 13 starting at 5:30 PM. The annual event is a fund raiser for scholarships given each year to WHS graduating student/athletes in memory of the late Mathugh Johnston. There will be costume contests for the children and a 1.5 run for prizes and awards. Long is in the process of filing the request with the Police & Fire Chiefs.

A motion was passed to enter into an agreement with Western Solutions to test water from the old reservoir. Western Solutions is a subsidiary of Chesapeake Oil. Chesapeake is looking for water sources to be used in fracking gas wells in Marcellus shale.

The meeting adjourned at 6:30 PM. The next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, May 1 at 6:00 PM. The meeting will be at Village Hall at 1200 Main St.

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Wellsville BOE Meets

The Wellsville Board of Education held their regular monthly meeting this past Monday, April 16, in the high school media room. BOE President Karen Dash presided.

District Treasurer Coleen Wickham reported that March expenditures were $809,131, receipts were $808,329 leaving a General Fund balance of $1.6 million. There was no change in the General Set-Asides Fund. Interest earned on investments in March was $2,897.86.

An overview of the High School Building Leadership Program was presented for members of the board and guests by the BLT staff. The goal of the leadership team is to improve state mandated math test scores by at least 2% by 2013. Working toward that goal was implemented this year. Next year they will add working on a reading improvement goal. Each “building” in the district has a BLT and program which the students have enthusiastically welcomed. Students are given concentrated assistance to improve their math understanding and ability. Some receive specialized tutoring and all are eligible for incentive to improve awards. At the high school the awards range from pizza parties, movie days, gift cards and to get their name in a drawing for an ipad.

Mrs. Dash reported that Garfield Elementary 3rd-grade students will be taking state achievement reading tests on April 24 and math achievement tests on the 26th. The Garfield 3rd Graders will be participating in an Arbor Day program sponsored by the Wellsville Tree Committee on April 27.

Daw Middle School students will be taking their state achievement tests from April 24 through May 4. Make-up tests will be taken May 7 through 11. Daw 7th & 8th Graders will be leaving on a Washington, D.C. Field trip on May 10.

The high school the student of the month is Lizbeth Bickel, daughter of Renee & Roger Bickel. The High School Spring Music Concert will be Friday, April 20, starting at 7 PM in the Auditeria.

Tom Brophey announced that he was recently in Columbus for meetings. In his Legislative Update report Brophey advises that the Ohio Dept. of Education is coming out with many changes. One change on the drawing boards is the report card grading system. The OSBA is recommending school boards ask for a one-year waiver to allow the state to get their standards in place. Brophey added there will be “several technical amendments to the bi-annual state budget”.

The Board approved renewing one, two & three-year contracts for a list of 14 teachers. They also approved several non-renewals of contracts for temporary short-hour professionals, substitutes, volunteer & supplemental contract coaches effective at the end of the school year. This is an annual procedure required by state law. Most contracts will be renewed for the next school year. Two field trips to the Pittsburgh Zoo was approved and will take place in May.

After a question was raised on the price of prom pictures the Board rejected renewing a contract with Lifetouch National School Studios for next school year. The company takes photographs of student groups, dance pictures and individual students. They are located in the Canton area. Prom picture packages are $60 this year which include 2-8X10s, 2-5X7s & 8 wallets. The question raised was if smaller, less expensive packages were available. Superintendent Rich Bereschik recommended voting no and he will try to get more information from the company.

A list of 51 graduating WHS Seniors was released. Although uncertain it was felt that the Class of 2012 is one of the smallest in modern times. This year's graduating class will be the 137th Commencement in Wellsville history.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:49 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 21, at 6:30 PM. The May meeting will take place at Garfield Elementary, 1600 Lincoln Ave.

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