Notes From Last Week

Advances in the medical field are almost too much to keep track of anymore. Just in the last fifty to one hundred years the introduction of new vaccines & surgical techniques are mind boggling. Just look at procedures for heart diseases and knee & hip joint replacements. I can remember old folks in my childhood days that were wheel chair bound when their aging knees couldn't bear their weight any longer. Just in the ville it hasn't been all that long ago that treating drinking water to rid it of harmful bacteria was first done. I could go on and on listing some of the marvelous life saving discoveries & life prolonging treatments that have come about in the 20th & is still continuing into the 21st Century. What got me thinking along these was an article last Wednesday in the Pittsburgh Trib-Review about Carnegie Mellon scientists developing a computer program to look at how genetic changes cause some diseases including asthma, diabetes and cancer. The program helps researchers determine whether multiple symptoms share a common back ground. It looks for patterns that result in an illness. If a pattern is found then they can develop pre-treatments to prevent an illness before it gets started. The possible applications for this developing program goes beyond imagination. There are many people still walking around today that owe their lives to new discoveries first found in a research lab. It's mind boggling.

The MJ's Tom Giambroni reported last week that the unemployment rate for CC for July remains steady at 14.7%. Statewide the rate went up a tenth of a point to 11.2% and the national average dropped a tenth to 9.4%. Williams County, in northwestern Ohio, has the highest rate in the state at 17.5%. No numbers were given for the different towns in our county. With very little industry in the village I imagine Wellsville's numbers are right up there.

The Viet Nam Memorial Traveling Wall is returning to EL's Thompson Park this week. It's arriving Thursday and will be here through Labor Day. There's five sons of the ville with names on that wall that I know of and according to Mike McElwain there's a total of 36 from Columbiana County. Opening ceremonies will be held at the park next Friday. We'll have more on it later but I'd like to say thanks to all that made this possible.

Looks like EL is taking a serious look at their problems with pit bull dogs. Officials in the ville started to get serious a couple of months ago and currently have a couple of cases going through Magistrate Court. Since our Magistrate & EL's Asst. Law Director is one and the same person wonder if Tim McNichol had anything to do with that.

JoBob reported that Madison Twp. Trustees have expressed concern about road conditions after the Buckeye Water District installs the first portion of the new Salineville pipe line. One of the BWD trustees advised them they can rest easy and I believe he is sincere. When they buried the water line from the new pumping station Wells Hollow Rd. was put back in better condition than it was in before they started digging.

We've been all over Tiger football and time permitting, I would like to keep it up. I need a schedule for the high school reserves. If anybody can help please e-mail me at olenib@gmail.com. I got the varsity schedule & the Jr. Tigers but nothing on the reserves.

The WHS Golf team keeps improving. They took the honors at a tri-match last week improving their record to 4-5 for the year & 3-3 in ITCL play. Next scheduled match is against Southern Wednesday at Cedar Hills.

An AP article in last week's MJ reported that speeding is the number one cause of accidents with juvenile drivers in Ohio. Come on guys... Slow down and drive safely. There's not one reason on earth that's worth messing yourself up or risk getting someone else hurt trying to shave off some time driving somewhere.

Got a call from Charlie Wilson the other night but dumb ole me forgot about the telephone conference Town Hall meeting concerning the health care reform. I wasn't at home and didn't get the message until afterwards. After seeing what the Tea Party and others of their ilk have done at other Town Hall meetings for this subject I think that was the wisest way to conduct a fact finding meeting. Wilson probably was able to answer more questions on the phone than what he would have been able to do in front of a room full of people. The opponents that are protesting the much needed reform have a common theme of trying to shout down any honest & sincere questions & answers. Even though I missed the call I did get a follow up e-mail the next day. Thanks Charlie.

Seems like the head of the head of the Youngstown/Warren Chamber-of-Commerce is a pouting snob. A piece in yesterday's Youngstown Vindicator quoted that Chamber's President & CEO, Tom Humphries, as saying he thinks that having a welcome home event for the former congressman is "inappropriate". Traficant is scheduled to be released from prison this week and a former staffer is hosting a big party to celebrate Jim's release. A MJ article last week said Traficant wants to keep a low profile and may not attend the event. At least someone is showing some common sense.

Get your new gas budget yet? According to an article in the Review last week natural gas prices are at a seven year low. Of course demand is always down during the summer months but industrial demand is also at an extreme low. There was a very noticeable difference in my budget this month compared to a year ago. However, I'm not kidding myself. If this economy gets turned around and those idled manufactures get back to work that excess supply will dwindle.

Don't forget the 6th Annual Village Yard sale this coming Saturday. For only $3 bucks you can set up your table at Village Hall and be in one of the biggest central locations in town. All proceeds go to the Fix-up/Clean-up Committee for supplies. With bargain hunters like me you'll probably have that back in no time. It runs from 9 A.M. til 4. You can register at Village Hall or by calling 330-532-4331 or 853-2010.

The regular Council meeting is tomorrow evening, Tuesday, September 1, at Village Hall. It will be the only one for September. It starts at 6. Hope it's one of their fast ones. I'd like to catch some of the Volley Ball's opening match against Southern Local at the high school.

The deadline for being guaranteed a "Dash for Mat's Bash" t-shirt is September 15. It's only $10 to register whether you run, walk or just want to be a spectator. Contact Tim or Annie Long at 330-532-3336 or at 412-735-0418 for details. The "Dash" will be held October 3 beginning & ending at Village Hall. It's a 1 mile dash through the ville's scenic streets that not only includes t-shirts but there will be awards, door prises, water stops and first responders. It also includes a kids dash that makes them eligible for a candy bag. They will have a Halloween costume contest and other happenings. It's a fun time community event to raise funds for the Mathugh Johnston Scholarship. It's for serious joggers, walkers and even fools like me. I'm not much of a sports competitor any more but I hope to be there. I may even walk it!


ole nib