Feb. 19, 2009

<February Wind Storm Hits County

<Wind Downs Large Pine at EOC Office
        This large pine, which stood in front of the Emergency Management Office, Moore Ridge Road, Woodsfield, was uprooted Feb. 11 when excessive high winds hit Monroe County. According to Rick Schuerman, MCEMA Coordinator, at the height of the storm there were 60+ mile per hour winds. “It made an horrific sound when the tree came down,” said Schuerman, noting that they were very fortunate that it only took a piece of spouting with it. The meeting which was going on at the time of the storm was moved to the basement for safety’s sake.         Photo Courtesy of EOC Office

<Harold Underwood is shown beside what is left of a 14ʼx70ʼ mobile home located at the intersection of SR26 and Hartshorn Ridge. The roof and other debris was strewn across the highway and into an adjacent field.                                                   Photos by Martha Ackerman

<        Debris from the roof of the Underwood mobile home was blown onto SR26 and into an adjacent field.

<        Woodsfield Village Administrator Jeff Woodell stands in the midst of the havoc caused by excessively high winds which hit Woodsfield about 7 p.m. Feb. 11. Westwood Landing and Woodsfield Nursing and Rehab Center were without power until approximately 11:30 a.m. Feb. 12. 

<        Woodsfield Municipal Power employees used a backhoe and truck with a cable to lower this utility truck down an embankment to repair a cross bar and line. Orchard Lane residents were without power until early afternoon Feb. 12. Shown in the bucket is Dana Weber. Alongside the truck is Paul Highman.

<        Another tree is a casualty in the wind storm which hit the Woodsfield area Feb. 11. This large blue spruce narrowly missed the Mike and Becky Ricer home located on East High Street.
740-472-0734

<Honored by Ohio’s First Lady

A Woodsfield couple was among those honored at the “Joined Hearts in Giving” reception, hosted by First Lady Frances Strickland and the Ohio Department of Aging. Tony and Darlene Quails, center, are shown with Barbara Riley, Director, Ohio Department of Aging, and Ohio’s First Lady Frances Strickland. The reception was held Feb. 13 in Columbus.            Photo Submitted

        First Lady Frances Strick-land and the Ohio Department of Aging hosted the “Joined Hearts in Giving” reception Feb. 13 to recognize 31 older couples who volunteer and have been married for 40 years or longer.
        Among the honored couples were Tony and Darlene Quails of Woodsfield. The couple has been married more than 51 years. Darlene is an active volunteer at the Woodsfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where she helps to organize church services for the residents. She also has organized opportunities for her church to support residents who may not have visitors.
        Tony is retired from Ormet Corporation and Darlene retired from the Farmer’s Home Administration’s Woodsfield office.
        The Quails have been active members of the First Baptist Church in Woodsfield for all their married lives, serving as volunteers and as various officers. They also have trained with the Ohio State Conven-tion of Southern Baptists’ Disaster Relief Team, helping those affected by natural disasters including the 9-1-1 ground zero disaster and the victims of Katrina in Mississippi.
        Over the years, they have actively participated in a variety of church mission trips, which included cleaning, cooking, helping with soccer camps and tournaments, leading choirs, clowning ministries and leading services in nursing homes.
        The Quails are the parents of three children: Tony (Alma) Quails, Angie (John) Hare, and Anita (Mark) Hoke. Five grandchildren: Anthony (Kumi) Quails, Nathan Quails, Brandon and Brian Hare and Britney Hoke; and four great-grandchildren: Libby, Will, Sarah and Aiden Quails complete the family circle.
        The family feels blessed to still have Darlene’s mother Eunice Workman, who is 98 years old and resides at the Woodsfield Nursing and Rehab Center.

 <~ Woodsfield United Methodist Church Donates to Operation UpLink ~
        John Weber, co-owner of Weber’s Drugs and finance chair for Woodsfield United Methodist Church presented Woodsfield VFW Post 5303 Commander Alonzo Wilson with a check for Operation UpLink. Operation UpLink, a program in which the VFW post participates, provides phone cards to soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also shown is VFW senior vice Roger Elliott and Bob Mitchell, pastor of the Woodsfield United Methodist Church. Other programs supported by the church include the Boy Scout and Cub Scout programs and a Manna project.

<Owner Retires, Closes Sawmill
Alonzo Wilson and his son Bob are shown at Wilson Lumber and Logging. Alonzo is closing the sawmill operation, but Bob will continue the logging end of the business.


by Martha Ackerman
Staff Writer
        After 33 years in business, Alonzo Wilson is retiring and closing his sawmill operation, Wilson Lumber and Logging, located off State Route 78, east of Woodsfield. He and his wife Sherry plan to enjoy traveling in the United States and doing a lot of salt water fishing.
        Alonzo is also currently commander of Woodsfield VFW Post 5303, where he oversees the different programs the post supports.
        Wilson grew up in the logging business. In the mid ‘50s he used to ride the horses in and out of the woods and unhook the loads when they got to the log yard.
        “At that time we cut a lot of mine posts and chipwood,” said Wilson, who was about 10 years old at the time.
        In the early ‘60s, Wilson worked for his uncles Bill and Delbert Wilson, who logged in the local area. Alonzo enjoyed the outside and learned the logging business. At that time the Wilsons used an old 1010 John Deere dozer in the business.
        Alonzo enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1965. He served one year and eight months in Vietnam. The last year in the Marines he was on the security staff, 2nd Marine Division Headquarters, Camp LeJeune, NC, for Major General Wheeler. He was released from active duty in November 1969.
        Alonzo worked for Y&O Coal in Beallsville for five years, while keeping his hand in the logging business. In 1976 he quit the mine and started his own logging business operating as Wilson Lumber and Logging. He sold logs to various saw mills in the area. In 1979 he bought his first mill from Homer Suter, of the Sardis area. The business kept growing and in 1989 he bought a new Edmonson all automatic mill. Most of the lumber cut at the mill went to export yards.
        Alonzo enjoyed his work in the outdoors.  His son Bob grew up in the business and began working for his father as soon as he was old enough to go into the woods. Bob has run the sawmill since 1990, noted Alonzo. Bob has worked as a sawyer for 19 years. He will continue the logging end of the business, operating as Wilson Logging.
        Bob is a certified Ohio Forestry Association master logger and is a member of the Steel Valley Logger’s Chapter.

<Monroe Central, Beallsville Earn OVAC Championships

        Monroe Central Lady Seminoles and the Beallsville Lady Blue Devils each brought home OVAC championships in girls basketball action Feb. 14.
        The Lady Noles earned their second Class AA Wheeling Hospital OVAC laurels when they defeated Shadyside’s Lady Tigers 50-42 at Ohio University Eastern.
        Aleisha Guiler scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds sparking Coach Troy Baker’s team to the win.
        While Guiler overcame a slow start to play a pivotal role in the game, two Monroe Central underclassmen also made a difference.
        Sophomores Alex Kuhn scored 11 points and Whitney Marshall added 10 as the Seminoles won their 16th game in 19 starts on the season.
        Trailing 42-35 in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers rallied to make it a 42-39 game, but the Lady Noles were not to be outdone. Senior Justine LaFollette came up big nailing a 7-foot jumper to make it a 44-39 contest.
        The Tigers came back to close the gap to 44-41 at the 0:43 mark. Senior Kim Lafferre’s two foul shots upped the score to 46-41. A Tiger free throw reduced the deficit to 46-42. LaFollette and senior Karlie Davis each had two foul shots to close out the scoring to bring the hard-fought final to 50-42.
        “We had dropped two regular-season games to Shadyside, so naturally, our girls were looking forward to this third meeting,” said Baker. “I’m especially pleased for our seniors. This second OVAC title is a tribute to their hard work and dedication ... And I can’t say enough about Shadyside. They are a quality team in every respect.”
        Senior Alyssa Headley dropped in a game-high 18 points as the Beallsville Lady Blue posted a 58-37 win over unbeaten Bishop Donahue for the Class A OVAC championship title.
        The victory moves Coach Terry Jarrett’s Beallsville squad to 16-3 on the season, but more importantly erases the memories of last season’s loss to St. John Central in the conference title game.
        After a slow start, the Lady Devils scored seven points in the final 2:16 of the first quarter to cut the deficit to 13-7.
        After trailing 15-9 with 6:21 showing in the half, the Lady Devils went on a 14-1 spree to pull ahead 27-19 at the half.
        While Headley finished with game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds, Brandi Contos added 15 points and Alexis Kanzigg contributed 10 points  and 12 boards.
        Overall, from the final second of the first quarter until the 2:44 mark of the third, Beallsville outscored the Bishops by a 35-9 margin.
        “We felt that we should be back this year and it was a goal of ours,” said Jarrett. “These girls work so hard and play so well together and they deserve everything they get ... This team is very unselfish and I think the big key to our success is doing the things we do in the summer and playing the bigger teams that we play. We are always a very aggressive team and that is how you win championships.
        “Not to take anything away from Bishop Donahue, but once we really got going, I felt it was going to end up like it did. You have to give all the credit to these young ladies. They work so hard. I think that playing high-quality teams is also a big factor in getting to this point,” added Jarrett.
Box Scores:
        Monroe Central - OVAC Class AA Champs - Kim Lafferre 2, Justine LaFollette 6, Karlie Davis 6, Whitney Marshall 10, Alex Kuhn 11, Aleisha Guiler 15.
        Beallsville - OVAC Class A Champs - Alyssa Headley 18, Tori Jarrett 5, Rebecca Garlick 7, Alexis Kanzigg 10, Kristin Lallathin 3, Brandi Contos 15.

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