Home  Subscribe  Advertising  Community  About Us Archives

740-472-0734 < P.O. Box 70, Woodsfield, OH  43793  < monroecountybeacon@sbcglobal.net

Below are links to portions of this week's news articles. For the full story, pick up a paper at your local newsstand or send $1.25 with your name/address to P.O. Box 70, Woodsfield, OH  43793.

 
July 30, 2009

New School Update Revealed At District Board Meeting 



Rick Milhoan, left, construction manager, Project and Construction Services, Wheeling, and Byron Manchester of Balog Steins Hendricks and Manchester Architects, display one of three proposals for the Beallsville K-12 school. Because of the lay of the land and the beautiful trees that would have to be removed, they recommend a two-story facility.               Photo by Arlean Selvy

Architectural drawing of Woodsfield Elementary and Monroe Central High. WES is depicted as the light blue area at left in the drawing while MCHS is the light blue area at the right. Each building has a courtyard, shown in green. The buildings face each other with parking area and roadways between. Note, in dark blue, the bus lanes running along and around the schools to drop off zones. Although the fields are located in the plan, they are not part of the building construction. Development of fields would be future projects not paid from the tax levy. 

by Arlean Selvy
Publisher

Some of the first studies for school facilities were presented at a July 22 meeting of the Switzerland of Ohio School District board of education. Drawings were displayed of a proposed Monroe Central High School and Woodsfield Elementary School on Airport Road, Woodsfield, and three proposals were presented for the Beallsville site, located on SR556 just outside the village limits.

Beallsville’s K-8 was first designed as one story. How-ever, engineers and architects now recommend a two-story building. “It’s a much nicer fit on the site,” said Rich Milhoan, construction manager. He said the smaller building would benefit both students and the environment.

Noting 100’ tall pine trees on the land, Milhoan referred to it as a school in the woods. He said it is the recommended plan and asked the school board if that could be the one they further develop.

“There are some beautiful, beautiful trees [on the property],” said Milhoan. “It would be a shame to clear all those trees out of there if you can save some and keep the building smaller.” As far as not  having a courtyard, he said, “Who needs a courtyard when you have a beautiful forest around?”

It was noted also that  less dirt will have to be moved with a two-story building. The engineer said that  while doing borings they hit rock at seven feet in some places. He  said they could hit rock on the upper side and this would drive costs up.

Elevators will be placed in all two-story schools.

The proposed Woodsfield Elementary and MCHS would be separated by a parking lot specifically marked for faculty and visitors. There are separate parking areas for staff at each school and another parking area for students. The drawings also show locations where the district can add a track, softball field for MCHS and a middle school field and playground area for K-8 students. Each proposal is depicted with a courtyard. The access road is shown going from SR78 and running behind the village street department’s garage.

The site plan calls for each school to be two stories due to property size. The schools will face each other with a road and parking facilities between.

It was noted that alternate sites are being explored for the Powhatan school. One such site is the Powhatan Sports-man's Club on SR7 north of the village and another is farmland at Mt. Victory and Cove roads. Exploration will also be done to see if the school’s present location is feasible.

According to Larry Elliott, district superintendent, officials will have a fair booth at the Monroe County Fair and at the Belmont County Fair. Visitors will be able to get information about the new facilities project. He said architectural renderings of the building sites will be available for review. 

Marc Ring, director of transportation, reported  bus inspections by the Ohio Highway Patrol have been going on and there have been no major issues. He said new buses have been delivered and are awaiting inspection and I.D. numbers by the OHP. Ring said meetings are being held to decide how students formerly under contract drivers will be transported. “We’ve been driving the routes and checking into the most efficient means of transporting those students,” he said.

In other business the board:
• Combined the Hannibal/Sardis volleyball teams for the 2009-2010 school year;

• Gave permission to advertise for sealed bids for the sale of 14 buses, a  pickup truck and a bus engine;

• Established the first Thursday of each month for additional monthly board meetings to deal with the building project and other matters as needed. Meetings will  begin at 6 p.m. at the Central Office, Mill St., Woodsfield.

• Rejected tire bids and agreed to re-bid.

Photos of architectural  drawings may be seen on the Beacon website: monroecountybeacononline @sbcglobal.net

The drawings are not necessarily the final plan. 


 

 

Ohio Flags of Honor in Beallsville 

 
Waiting to help place the 197 Ohio
Flags of Honor during Beallsville’s
Heritage Days July 24 were members
of Boy Scout and Cub Scout Troop
#163, from left, front: Kim and Allie
Hundertmark, Mason Bier, Cody
Hawthorne, Dale Hawthorne, Wyatt
Moore; back: Bill and Krissy
Hundertmark, Dawnell Moore and
Shane Moore.                
Photos by Martha Ackerman

It was a solemn and moving ceremony as the
Ohio Flags of Honor were placed July 24 during Beallsville’s Heritage Days. As the names of 197
Ohio
soldiers killed in action during the Gulf War
were read, volunteers placed flags bearing their names. Shown is Mason Bier, accompanied by
Kim Hundertmark, placing a flag. Also shown is
Gino Zimmer, whose son is one of those 197 killed
in the Gulf War. Zimmer, who heads the Ohio
Flags of Honor, travels with the display.

Gino Zimmer, founder of the Ohio Flags of
Honor, brought this display to Beallsville July
24 at the request of the Better Beallsville Bureau. Volunteers placed 197 flags bearing the names
of Ohio’s fallen soldiers who lost their lives in
the Gulf War. Zimmer’s son was one of those soldiers. 
 

by Martha Ackerman
Staff Writer

It was a solemn and impressive ceremony during Beallsville’s Heritage Days as Ohio fallen soldiers were honored. During the opening ceremony, held at the Crum Road ball field in Beallsville July 24, the Ohio Flags of Honor founder Gino Zimmer told of he and his wife being notified on Memorial Day in 2004 of the death of their son Specialist Nicholaus E. Zimmer, U.S. Army, in Kufa, Iraq

Through this tragic loss for the Zimmer family and with the gratitude they felt for the overwhelming support of veterans’ motorcycle clubs and organizations in attendance at the funeral, the Operation Iraqi Freedom Chopper Fund (OIFCF), a non-profit organization, was established.  The OIFCF later became the Ohio Flags of Honor. 

A roofer by trade, Zimmer travels with the display. “I do it for the love,” he said.  “I find so much joy in doing this on weekends,” said the father of the fallen soldier. “If you believe in the war or not, please support our troops ... I love our soldiers and also the ones (soldiers) of the past because that is why I can stand here today.”

Sue Riser served as master of ceremonies for the event. Participating in the program were Rev. Jeff Rich, pastor of the Beallsville Church of Christ; Rev. Wayne Clark, pastor of the Beallsville Christian Church; and Debbie Burke, who opened the ceremony with The Star Spangled Banner.  

American flags lined the perimeter of the field where 197 small Ohio flags marked the placement of the Flags of Honor. Volunteers placed the 197 flags bearing the names of Ohio soldiers killed in action in the Gulf War. Among those flags was one bearing the name of the founder’s son Specialist Nicholaus E. Zimmer.

Rev. Clark, who read the names of Ohio’s soldiers as they were placed, was a former Navy civilian volunteer chaplain in Hawaii, where he was working as a youth minister during the Vietnam War era.

As the program concluded,  Burke sang Proud to Be An American as red, white and blue balloons were released. 

The Flags of Honor were on display in Beallsville throughout the weekend. 

Woodsfield Awards Bids for Water Filtration, Sludge System

Bids were reviewed and awarded at the July 20 meeting of Woodsfield Village Council for sludge handling improvements and a water filtration system. Council also heard a report concerning the new waterline from Rubel Lake.

Larry Lang Excavating, Belpre, was the sole bidder for sludge collector installation at $9,874. Control Design & Integration, Woodsfield, was low bidder for control panels at $10,500. Rath Builders Supply was low bidder at $29,358.56 for pipe and fittings.

The sludge handling awards represent the final phase of the project.

Awarded bids for the water filtration project were: Bench-mark Construction, Sardis, for piping, $14,600; Larry Lang Excavating, Belpre, was awarded the bids for a door at $1,464; a tank, $35,860 and blasting, $11,400; Art Graf Builders, Wadsworth, was the low bidder for excavating, building at $75,000; Control Design & Integration was the sole bidder for the electrical portion at $66,900; and Jerry Ables Electric submitted the low bid of $12,325 for HVAC.

Once completed, the carbon filtration plant will provide a better quality water for customers.

Village Administrator Jeff Woodell reported the waterline project from Rubel Lake was begun on July 13 and within the first week three of the 18 stream crossings had been made. He said about a third of a mile of pipe had been laid in the first week.

In another matter, Woodell reported that light poles will have to be moved at Com-merce Park for the Monroe County Care Center extension project. He noted it will be costly and the power plant will be reimbursed by SHARE, the Columbus firm which administers the care center.

Councilman Bill Moore suggested it is time council looked at replacing the recording system in council chambers. Following a short discussion, Woodell was directed to check on a system similar to the one used by county commissioners.

With regard to the Cap and Trade bill, Councilman Bill Moore moved to notify members of the Senate about the severe impact it would have not only on Monroe County but on all of Ohio and across the United States. Council voted 6-0 to make their objection known.

In another matter, Moore commented on the increase in income tax collections. He said it is up 10.4 percent over last year. “It’s a record year of the past seven years,” he said. “Why are we up?” he asked Tax Administrator, Katherine Haselberger.

“Because I’m working harder to get the withholding,” said Haselberger.

According to documents, the June 2008 tax collection totaled $9,906.50; the 2009 collection totaled $15,858.85.

Mayors court receipts for June totaled $1,254 with $170 of that amount going to the state treasurer. 

Time Machine – Monroe History

Richard (Dick) Harrington is shown working among his inventory of several thousand copies of CDs. To date over 375 different Monroe County records and documents have been put onto CDs.

Part 1
How time flies! Slowly at first but as we grow in experience and memory, time seems to speed up. Days shorten into hours, months into weeks and months into years. Before long, whole generations have slipped away into history and out of memory. If only we had a “Time Machine” so that we could travel back into those wonderful good old days.

While the Time Machine still waits to be invented, one man has been working for nearly a decade to capture the pages of Monroe County history as it speeds through time toward forgetfulness. Richard Harrington, who is a descendant of several Monroe County pioneer families, has collaborated with several Monroe County resources to almost invent a Monroe County Time Machine. He has photographed thousands of pages of valuable Monroe County records, documents, newspapers, stories, pictures, obituaries and burned the photos onto easy-to-use CDs.

Over 375 different records are now available on CDs for anyone who cares to travel back in time to the very beginning of Monroe County over 200 years ago. The CDs include all available birth, death and marriage records for Monroe County and many for Belmont County. Also numbered among the 375 CDs are Monroe County census, tax records, court records, wills, obituaries, church records and more. CDs for each full year of the Spirit of Democracy and the Monroe County Beacon newspapers provide fascinating diaries of the day-to-day happenings in the county. Written in the bold, unconstrained style and language of the day, these diaries of history provide stark, exciting insight into issues of the day such as slavery, the Civil War, election of president, church news, crime, society and much, much more.

Harrington, who goes by his nickname Dick, informally collaborated with Monroe County government offices to photograph many of the most important county records. The Monroe County Historical Society (MCHS), under then president Bob Indermuhle, was an early partner in this project to preserve Monroe County history. Many of the county’s historical records and newspapers are now in MCHS custody. MCHS continues to be the main source of the CDs to the public. Recently, the Monroe County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society also began offering these CDs for sale.

What motivated Dick Harrington to undertake such an arduous project and why was the focus on Monroe County, Ohio? When asked, Dick told an interesting story that brought to light a second project that has produced yet another resource of historical and genealogical interest. Like many searchers of family history, Dick’s quest began shortly after the death of a loved one. In 1990, following the death of his mother Audra L. Harrington nee Young, he realized that a major link to his Monroe County past was gone and that he knew very little about his early family. Living family members could add little to the family history so the family history search began.

It soon became apparent that the civil records, family photos, newspapers and the research of others could provide almost more information than one person could handle. However, this large volume of information was scattered among hundreds of records and documents. A thorough search for the ancestral material could literally require several life times. If the researcher had to repeatedly travel a long distance and live in a motel for extended visits in order to access these one-of-a-kind records, as in Harrington’s case, such research could be expensive and time consuming.

One solution could be to enlist several researchers to do the work. At any one time there are many individuals researching their own family histories many of which are common, overlap or intertwined. Also, there are tireless researchers of Monroe County history such as John Ogden, who continues his research of Monroe County and related history. What if there could be a way to focus some of these efforts to the benefit of all the researchers?

Soon the elements of a plan to focus history and family tree research began to take shape. The first step was to make the records and resources easily available to everyone who wanted them. Photographing the pages of records, newspapers, etc. and burning the photographs onto CDs makes copies available to anyone who is interested. Having to travel a long distance to access the one-of-a-kind documents and the need for local lodging ceased to be a problem.

(Continued Next Week)

 Around the Burnside

If your income tax refund check bounces, the government is in trouble.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be as sure of anything as some people are of everything?

I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ve been so busy trying to keep up with all the improvements going on in Lewisville the last few days. New windows, parking lot, improved basketball court and more yet to come. I understand a new gym floor, a sidewalk and improving a couple of streets. I guess I’ll have plenty to keep me busy for awhile. I enjoy watching someone work. I’ll bet some grads coming to the alumni banquet next spring will really be surprised.

It’s kind of funny how doing or hearing something will bring back a flood of memories tucked in the back of your mind that you hadn’t thought of for years.

You probably guessed, last week a train ride did it for me. As I mentioned last week my dad started to work in a coal mine when he was 12 years old. Having been an “oops” baby, I really did not live to know first hand how tough a coal miner had it during the early years. Coal mining had improved by the time I arrived,;however, I expect it still did not compare to today's work in a mine.

After arriving five years after the sixth member of our family, I really didn’t experience the problems an early coal miner’s family faced during the days when times were really tough.

I guess there was an advantage of being the baby of the family. However, Mom gave the job of naming me to my brothers and sisters. I guess they had trouble agreeing on a name for me because I ended up with “boy Easterling” on my birth certificate. Cost me ten bucks to get it corrected. I don’t know who is to blame but I got teased about “Felix the Cat” so I quit answering to that name, thus Denny. Times change as I didn’t know at the time Felix would be a part of my official signature. Most everything you fill out asks for middle initial.

Times must have been getting better as bought out small farm and we moved to Fairview in 1933, although I did overhear Mom and Dad talking something called ends meet.

Dad ended up as a motorman hauling the cars of coal where they were hauled up to the tipple top side. I would guess doing this he had to keep his eyes open to see anything that might go wrong. I guess this is the reason when he drove a car he would miss very little on either side of the road. He also did something while driving a car that could probably be frowned on. When he came to a hill he would put the car out of gear and coast down the hill. Claimed it saved gasoline.

We moved to Fairview in ’33 and Dad kept working for several years. He stayed in what we called a shanty and batched during the week and came home on weekends. I think the shanty was what was left of company houses where some miners lived years ago.

I did get a chance once in a while to batch with Dad. He would take me with him. I really enjoyed this as Dad had some special things he would fix to eat.

It was there I got a little idea of what miners’ families went through. I would sit on top of the hill and watch the miners get into the cage to be lowered down into the mine. At quitting time I would watch the cage come up and the miners get out and head for the showers.

Dad had some hillside tobacco hanging in one of the rooms. I got the bright idea of rolling myself a cigarette. One problem. The only thing I had to roll up my cigarette was newspaper. I really do not know how I did it but I got one rolled up and also fired up.

I guess it was a good thing because I had no desire for a cigarette until I went into the service where I learned to burn them and blow smoke.

You know, just when you think you have seen it all, you learn something.

Charlie is a cat that lives in my daughter’s house. Like most cats he just about has his own way and brings a mouse in the house every once in a while. For some time he started drinking a lot of water and losing weight.

A trip to the vet discovered Charlie had, of all things, diabetes. Well, as some humans having the same thing, Charlie  requires insulin shots twice a day.

You know who went on vacation and I had to fill in and give Charlie his insulin shots. It wasn’t that I was not experienced in giving shots as I had done so at times in the service.

I recall once when I had night duty. At this time a shot consisted of 20,000 units per shot; now they add a zero. This meant a shot every four hours. I knew how many shots I’d be giving at night and I’d prepare that many and put them on a shelf by my bed. To get a shot they would wake me up, then back to my bed and bingo it was over. I’d go back to sleep, he would go back to his bunk and be back again in four hours. Talk about your modern medicine.

Charlie and I got along fine. He gets up on the kitchen table for a treat or two. While he was eating the treat, bingo he got a shot. He really liked the chicken treats I got. He even asked for more.

Big things going on in Lewisville Aug. 1. The annual carnival sponsored by the community center committee. If you haven’t seen the improvements made in and around the community center, it’s time to look it over. You can have some barbeque chicken. If you don’t care for that, there are plenty of other things to eat. A lot of activities will be going on. See you there?

Monroe County is the only county in the state without an FFA Chapter.

Faith may move mountains, but hard work puts the tunnels through them.

Church Sunday? Why not?

 

 

 

Obituaries
ELLIS  BARTENSCHLAG 

Ellis Burdette Bartenschlag, 85, Lewisville, died July 21, 2009, at Monroe County Care Center in Woodsfield. He was born Aug. 18, 1923 in Wayne Township near Lewisville, a son of the late Walter and Amelia Steed Bartenschlag.

He graduated as Valedictorian of Lewisville High School Class of 1941. He served in WWII from 1943-46 in the Navy and Marine Corps as a medic in the South Pacific, including Okinawa and Guadalcanal. After leaving the service, he worked in the oilfields and as a caregiver for his parents until their deaths. He worked at Ormet Corp. from 1966 until he retired in 1983. He was a member of the American Legion Post 87. He enjoyed working on the farm which was established in 1856 by his great-grandparents, Fredrich and Christina when they immigrated to America from Germany.

Surviving are two brothers, Bob (Pat) Bartenschlag of Berea, Ky., Jack (Jane) Bartenschlag of Columbus; sister-in-law, Wilda Barten-schlag of Lewisville; caregivers and their families for the last several years, nephew John (Kim) Bartenschlag of Parkersburg, W.Va., niece Crystal (Pat) Willis of Pleasant City, nephew Don (Aimee) Bartenschlag of Chandlers-ville; other nieces and nephews are Patty Secreto of Akron, Fran (Ron) Morris of Akron, Kathy Bartenschlag of Columbus, Cheryl (J.R.) Eshem of Marysville, Mark (Amy) Bartenschlag of Danville, Ill. and several great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, William and Clayton (Thelma) Bartenschlag; sister, Melba Bartenschlag; and niece, Debbie Haurez.

Per Ellis’ request, his remains are to be cremated and there will be no viewing or services.

Arrangements are by Bauer-Turner Funeral Home, Woodsfield. Condolences may be expressed at www.bauerturner.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Friendship Cemetery Association, c/o Dana Bach, 33765 SR 78, Lewisville, OH 43754.

From the Desk of Gary Lake, Monroe County Veterans Services Officer

This month’s article is designed to inform our county veterans and community of potential benefits for service during the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and those exposed to radiation while on active duty. This year we have been able to assist numerous veterans apply for benefits. It concerns me that so many veterans are not aware or receiving benefits that they are entitled. It is important that veterans evaluate their own physical condition and seek assistance from our office and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to determine if they have any entitlements.

The Veterans Administration is concerned that many Vietnam veterans may regard certain diseases associated with aging, such as prostate cancer or mellitus type II diabetes, as just another illness rather than as the results of their military service in Southeast Asia. The VA wants these Vietnam veterans to know that they may be eligible for compensation and healthcare for certain diseases associated with Agent Orange, the defoliant sprayed to unmask enemy hiding places in the jungles throughout Vietnam.

As of today, only a small percentage of the 2.6 million men and women who served in Vietnam may be aware of medical conditions they may have due to Agent Orange exposure. VA presumes that all military personnel who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange, and federal law presumes that certain illnesses are a result of that exposure. This so-called “presumptive policy” simplifies the process of receiving compensation for these disease since VA forgoes the normal requirements of proving that an illness began or was worsened during military service.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, effective July 9, 2002, has added Diabetes Mellitus Type II as a presumptive condition for in-country Vietnam veterans who served during the period of Jan. 9, 1962, through May 7, 1975, and who have “adult onset diabetes mellitus”. In addition Chronic Lympho-cytic Leukemia (CLL) was added to the list of presumptive conditions as of Jan. 23, 2003. These veterans are now eligible for service-connected disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) based on their presumed exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides.

Based on clinical research, the following 10 diseases are on VA’s Agent Orange list of presumptive disabilities: chloracne or other acneform disease similar to chloracne, Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, porphyria cutanea tarda, respiratory cancers (lung, bronchus, larynx and trachea), soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma or mesothelioma), acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus (Type II diabetes) and chronic Lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

In addition, monetary benefits, health care and vocational rehabilitation services are provided to Vietnam veterans’ offspring who have spina bifida, a congenital birth defect of the spine. A new law authorizes health care and monetary benefits to children of female veterans who served in Vietnam for certain additional birth defects.

The VA has developed databases called registries to help analyze the type of health conditions being reported by veterans who served in the Vietnam War between 1962 and 1975, served in Korea in 1968 or 1969, participated in the Gulf War Aug. 2, 1990 to a date not yet established, claim exposure to atomic radiation, or were treated with nasopharyngeal (NP) radium during military service. These veterans are provided with free, comprehensive medical examinations, including laboratory and other diagnostic tests deemed necessary by an examining physician to determine health status. Other veterans who may have been exposed to dioxin or the other toxic substances in a herbicide or defoliant associated with the testing, transporting, or spray of herbicides for military purposes also are eligible to participate in the Agent Orange registry program. Participants are advised of the results of their examinations in personal consultations and by letters.

The purpose of the above information is to ensure that our county veterans are aware of any service-connected entitlements based upon individual military service. It is important for veterans to contact our office if they think they have a medical condition caused by exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides, exposure to ionizing radiation. Those veterans currently receiving compensation and whose condition has worsened can apply for increased benefits. Often there are secondary health conditions that develop later which are considered service connected. Also Gulf War veterans who suffer from chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses need to contact our office. We can advise and assist the veteran of entitlements and ensure that the proper paperwork is processed. The key to filing a claim is that the veteran can provide detailed medical evidence, have a certified copy of the original DD214, and other documentation as necessary. For additional information call 472-0743, E-mail at monroevets@sbcglobal.net or stop by our office at 118 Home Ave. in Woodsfield located within the Senior Citizen Complex. The office hours are Tues. - Fri., from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Special Note: Any veteran who served in-country Vietnam is now eligible for Veterans Administration (VA) Healthcare. Those veterans are exempt from guidelines that used to prevent their enrollment for medical services. I encourage any veteran that served in-country Vietnam and is not utilizing VA medical entitlements to come in and enroll.

VA re-opens Veterans Healthcare Enrollment. Effective June 15, 2009, those veterans who applied for VA Healthcare before for medical conditions not service-connected and were denied because they had too much income can now re-apply since the VA established new income caps that are designed to allow more veterans to get into the medical system. Those veterans who were denied can come into the Veterans Office and obtain a new application for medical benefits.