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 with your name/address to P.O. Box 70, Woodsfield, OH  43793.

 

 

March 12, 2009
 <Notify Now Hooked Up to Help
by Arlean Selvy
Publisher
        A telephone system which will allow the village of Woodsfield to notify residents of pending outages and emergencies was installed last week.
        Appropriately named Notify Now, the village administrator will be able to quickly and conveniently notify telephone customers of various work activities which will involve their households.
        “It’s a nice tool to have,” said Jeff Woodell, village administrator. “I’m really excited about it! It’s one of the advantages of living in Woodsfield.”
        According to Woodell, various village locations can be singled out by entering a code in the Notify Now system. For instance, residents on North Sycamore, Guilford, Oaklawn and the McDonald’s store are expected to have a water outage on March 11 at 2 p.m. If all goes as planned, residents in that area will receive notification via telephone. A recorded message will relate pertinent information.
        Not only can the system be used to notify residents of water breaks and power outages, it can be used for a myriad of unrelated messages, such as moving vehicles for snow removal. “It could save a life,” said Woodell. For instance, if a two-year-old wanders away from home a message can be sent out for everyone to be on the lookout for the child. In case of tornado or pending emergency, in three to five minutes everyone will know.
        To alert Notify Now, simply call the police department or Woodell.
        The price tag on Notify Now is $2,700 a year. The cost will be divided among six departments: water, sewer, street, electric, cable and police.
        Woodell reported that chemicals for the water supply were going up and he called the company. As a result, the village will realize a savings of $2,678 for the rest of the year.       In other matters, Woodell mentioned a complaint about speeding in the City Park area. He said it had been suggested to him that lights or a sign be erected.
        Council President Vernon Henthorn reminded members about the flashing traffic signals installed near Oaklawn Cemetery. “That hasn’t done a bit of good,” he said.
        “All we have to do is patrol that area and write a few tickets,” said Councilman Bill Moore. “The word will get out that you’d better not go fast past Oaklawn Cemetery.
        “If there’s a need for a speed slow down at City Park, I think we ought to enforce it and make it well known that you’re going to get a ticket for speeding in that area.” said Moore.
        Moore said that, “Simply enforcing your request will eventually result in obeying your request.”
        Officials will view the area.
        On a motion by Moore a generator, bid at $9,200, will be purchased through Brian Jackson as backup for electric. “I think we owe it to our customers to deliver uninterrupted service,” said Woodell.

<Team Monroe Eyes Future Projects
by Arlean Selvy
Publisher

        “We want to extend our hand to help the commissioners ...” said Kiven Smithberger, president of Team Monroe. He noted the Team has a lot to offer with a current membership of about 60.
        Smithberger and several members of Team Monroe’s tourism committee approached county commissioners at the board’s March 9 meeting.
        Smithberger asked officials to pay for recently received place mats designed to promote the county. He said this would free funds that Team Monroe could use for other projects, such as the current sale of t-shirts to raise funds for additional projects.
        Later in the meeting, on a motion by Commission Presi-dent John Pyles, officials agreed to pay $1,364.53 for the place mats. Money recently returned to the Jobs and Family Services general fund will be used. It had once been marked as tourism grant match dollars.
        It was noted, however, that if JFS needs money and doesn’t have it, the county is required to pay the expense.
        During discussion, Smithberger said tourism is one aspect of what Team Monroe is interested in. “Economic development is the key in building this community,” he said.
        Noting there will not be an economic developer after March 17, Smithberger asked what office will handle the calls to economic development.                    “That’s something we haven’t discussed yet,” said Commissioner Carl Davis. “I guess this is where the buck stops.”
        “There’s a lot of things in the works that we need to continue to develop,” noted Smithberger.
        “It came as somewhat of a shock that Mr. Scott is leaving,” said Smithberger. “Is that totally due to the finances of the county?” Pyles gave him the Statement of Rationale submitted last week by JFS Director Jeanette Harter. Smithberger read the statement aloud to those in attendance.
        During explanations concerning JFS funding, Harter said TANF  monies are cut to zero and commissioners give only $15,000 a year to JFS.
        Asked if Scott was offered anything, such as a part time position, Harter said it was not a consideration as there is no money to pay for the position.
        “We all want to stimulate economic growth in this county, said Smithberger. He said  Team Monroe wants to keep going forward, noting Scott has started a good grass roots effort.
        “It’s a great effort,” said Commissioner Tim Price. He commended Scott for bringing residents of the county together.
        “We gotta find a way not to lose this,” said Team Monroe member Wayne Forshey.
        Team Monroe’s vice-president, Joel Davis, also voiced his concerns.

 <Delectable Daffin’s Candies Will Return to Woodsfield

       

Daffin’s Candies got its start in Woodsfield. From 1903 until 1919, Daffin’s was located in what is now Traditions, South Main Street in Woodsfield.

        Daffin’s Candies, founded in Woodsfield in 1903, has gained a national name for its delectable milk and semi-sweet chocolate candy.
        Due to the efforts of Bill Moore, who currently serves as a Woodsfield council member, Daffin’s Candies will soon be available at Pat’s Gift Shoppe. As well, Woodsfield Kiwanis Club voted last week to hold a fundraiser by selling the delectable candy delights.
        Chocolate has an interesting history, as it didn’t catch on with the public until the 1920s. This wasn’t a matter of people not enjoying the taste of chocolate. Rather, it was the debut of air conditioning, which helped prevent chocolate from melting, that pushed chocolate sales through the roof. Prior to that, it was uncommon for stores to carry chocolate past April.
        The Daffin’s Candy business has a long family tradition. With over 100 years of experience in the fine art of candy making. Paul ‘Pete’ Daffin got his start in the candy business at an early age. If ever there was a man born to make milk chocolate it was Pete. He liked to say, “The first thing I ever smelled was chocolate.”
        The original family store was started in 1903 by George Daffin in Woodsfield. It was right here in Monroe County that the legend was created through his eyes. After WWI, George’s son, Alec, moved the business to New Philadelphia. After Alec Daffin’s death in 1936 the store moved to Canton, where his son, Paul Daffin, took over the operations with the help of his mother, Georgia.  Pete served in the U.S. Army  during WWII in Italy and other parts of the European theater.
        Shortly after returning from the war Pete decided to build his own store in Sharon, Pa.
        Backed with finesse in merchandising and a will to succeed the small downtown store was born in 1947. The shop also served as a factory for creating the chocolate delights that made the  Daffin’s name famous. It was Pete Daffin, with the constant help of his wife, Jean, who launched the Daffin Candies name to a new level. With the help of a friend they created their now famous Peter Rabbit - a solid chocolate rabbit sold during the Easter season. As demand soared, the couple moved their location to a bigger 20,000 square-foot store in Sharon. At the same time they built a new 30,000 square-foot candy factory - yes, an honest to goodness candy factory. Tours are available at the factory in the neighboring town of Farrell. Since Sharon and Farrell sit close to Interstate 80 and 79, Daffin’s store and factory have become must stops for travelers.
        Mr. and Mrs. Daffin’s nephew, Gary Sigler, is operations manager, while his brother Joe is in charge of tourism promotion. Connie Leon is manager of the Sharon store and oversees retail sales, while Sandy Hoover is in charge of fund raising sales. Today, in addition to the Sharon flagship location, Daffin’s has retail stores in Greenville, Oil City and Franklin in Pennsylvania, along with a store in Warren, Ohio. Daffin’s has branched out and supplies more than 50 Hallmark stores and gift stores with their chocolate candy.
        Members of the Woodsfield Kiwanis Club voted last week to fund its Scholarship program with a Daffin’s milk chocolate bar fundraiser. The bars are filled with almonds,  caramel or peanut butter.

< Relay for Life: 25 Years of Hope

        Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s national signature event and is as much as awareness raiser as it is a fundraiser. The family oriented team event brings participants from all parts of the community together in a “celebration of life.” This year marks the 25th anniversary of Relay for Life bringing   hope to communities nationwide. Volunteers from all over the world have an opportunity to celebrate the progress made in the fight against cancer. Whether a donor, team member, team captain or just part of the Relay committee, your contributions have made significant impact on the ACS lifesaving work.
        Relay for Life is a fun-filled, overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise monies for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. During the event, businesses, civic clubs, churches, friends and families take turns walking in relay fashion while they also celebrate the critical role the Ameri-can Cancer Society plays in the fight against cancer.
        Plans for the Monroe County Relay for Life will start with a kickoff on Thursday, March 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cancer Resource Center located in the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce office building, adjacent to the courthouse in Woodsfield. Persons interested in the relay are invited to attend. A meeting of all committee and team members will begin at 6 p.m. with refreshments and door prize.
        The Monroe County Relay  for Life event takes place at River High School in July. For further information or to participate as a team or just by yourself, contact Relay Chair Ruth Longwell, 740-483-1024 or online at www.relayforlife.org/monroecountyoh.
        For more information, call the American Cancer Society at 800-ACS-2345, available 24-hours a day, seven days a week, or visit www.cancer.org

 

< Obituaries

RUTH BARBARA MOSS
Ruth Barbara (Winkler) Moss, 80, passed into glory on Feb. 14, 2009, with her family close by. She was born in Hannibal on Jan. 21, 1929, a daughter of the late Harry and Henrietta (Michel) Winkler.

DORIS E. KASTREVEC
        Doris E. Kastrevec, 80, SR 556, Clarington, died March 7, 2009, in Monroe County Care Center, Woodsfield. She was born Oct. 16, 1928, in Clarington, the daughter of the late Clifford G. Liniger, Sr. and Roselia Muldrew Liniger.     Sympathy expressions at grisellfuneralhomes.com

GEORGE E. SEWASH
        George E. Sewash, Jr., 70, 36567 SR 78, Lewisville, died March 6, 2009, at Ohio State University Hospital, Columbus. He was born Oct. 20, 1938 at Morgantown, W.Va., a son of the late George and Anna Marie Kudla Sewash. Online condolences may be expressed at www.wattersfuneralhome.com.

MARTHA L. SCOTT
Martha L. Earley Scott, 82, 3661 Santiago Dr., Westerville, formerly of Woodsfield, died March 10, 2009, at her home. She was born Dec. 12, 1926 in Woodsfield, a daughter of the late Asher and Rose Yockey Earley.

<Our Readers Write:

Dear Editor,
        Monroe County accomplishes most things through unsung heroes. Some heroes are employed in various positions, but go the “extra mile” to make positive things happen for the citizens, while many volunteer heroes spend countless hours unseen and unheard to make positive things happen for the citizens of the county. All of these people have common traits: passion, compassion and connectivity. And, by the way, most don’t want or expect any recognition. Do you know someone in Monroe County that works behind the scenes to get things done? If you are that person, thank you.
        Monroe County recently received donations of a freezer and hydrator for the Monroe County Business Incubator which will allow them to offer another service to those who are interested in the production, processing and marketing of food products. This donation came as a result of connectivity by former employee, Debbie Haney, who saw the need and passed on the connection to make it happen. We salute her for this positive move.
        I have always believed that  Monroe County citizens should give themselves a daily pat on the back for the numerous unsung “common good” moments. If we would sing our praises a bit louder perhaps the negative comments about Monroe County would disappear. President Obama is encouraging Americans to say “we can” as a nation. Perhaps we should invite him to Monroe County, to see people proudly exhibit the, “We do” spirit. thanks to all the caring people who help our county with their passion, compassion and connectivity.
Suzanne Pollock
Jerusalem

Dear Editor,
A sad day for Monroe County
        Mon., March 2 was indeed a sad day for Monroe County. This is the day Jeanette Harter eliminated the position of Economic Developer and fired Tom Scott. I believe with the economy as it is today the office of JFS could and should have tried everything in their power to save this position.
        Tom Scott has worked long, hard hours for the betterment of Monroe County in the brief 14 months he has been here. I feel one of his outstanding accomplishments was the formation of Team Monroe, members of which hail from all parts of the county. With Tom’s guidance we have proven the “river” and the “hills” can work together as one. We have worked very hard on several projects and are just on the verge of seeing the fruits of our labor. These projects will enhance the lives of the people of Monroe County - creating jobs and increasing tourism, etc. Tom can leave with his head held high for, I believe, he has done more for Monroe County in his brief stay than most any other office (including the commissioners) has done in the past decade.
        Jeanette Harter was quoted as saying Tom received a “high” salary. Trust me, Ms. Harter, JFS got more for their money than you will ever realize.
Sharon Davis and Joel Davis
Sardis

Dear Editor,
        Well, the “new schools” levy that is to be voted on come May, 2009 sounds like a great idea. But is it? What are the advantages for real increase in the learning of our most precious assets, our children and grandchildren?
        What additional power will be given to the all powerful legislators of our state and national government
        What power will be taken from locals in this great county???
        How much over the 86 million dollars will be needed to complete the job?
        How much of the money will be spent on school buildings and classrooms alone?
        Will untold millions be spent on sport facilities?
        Let us take a look at the estimates already given for these additions.
        According to the meeting on Oct. 24, 2008 Tracy Healy and Chuck Warner, made their rounds answering questions during the Oct. 14 Community Dialogue meeting at Swiss Hills Career Center.
        In addition to the 86 million dollars for the new school buildings, attached to that comes the following…
        “For instance: would you pay an additional,
        $378,432 per elementary school for science labs? Would you pay an additional $1,500,000 per middle school for athletic football, baseball, softball stadiums? Would you pay an additional $1,576,800 per high school for an auditorium with fixed seating and an additional $1,500,000 for football, baseball and softball stadiums?
        Would you add a track at the high schools for an additional $1,500,000? Other add-ons at high schools include: Field house, $3,784,320 wrestling/weight room, $788,400; swimming pool, $8,760,000.
        Once tallied, those attending the meeting said ‘no’ to swimming pools as well as auditoriums with fixed seating.
        Schools are designed with cafetoriums, a cafeteria/auditorium combination. The vote was ‘yes’ to athletic facilities, track, field house, wrestling.
        Each add-on is additional dollars for which the voters must pay.”
        Above quotes came from Oct. 22 issue of the Monroe County Beacon. See http://www.monroecountybeacononline.com/ 10_2008/Oct. _2008/oct_22_2008_news.htm for the full article.
        Now, the greatest hoax ever proposed upon the Monroe County taxpayers is the promise that somehow we will not have to pay for all this from our individual pockets!!!
        Think!!! Who pays taxes to the entities that is, supposedly, footing the bill?
        Do we pay the government of Ohio any taxes? Do we pay taxes to the federal government?
        Will not that money be used to spread the wealth all over our nation? From the slums to the affluent, our Monroe County taxpayer’s money will flow. We need to come informed that the state is doing us no favors.
        Oh, the government may print more money, which in turn will make our money we have worth a lot less.
        Then comes another thought. How much of our new taxes will go to buildings? Will any of it find its way into the pockets of the teacher’s union and the school administrators??? Of course, it will. One way or another, they will be the beneficiaries. Robbing Peter to pay Paul.
        We need to know a lot more about just who is paying the bills, and what the money will be used for.
        If we are to become a strong nation, we must increase the level of intelligence being given our children.
        We need jobs. Jobs open to ALL, not just to a minority of unionized people.
        Good teachers should be paid more than those that are not good. In fact, bad teachers should be fired! No compensation! No pensions. If a teacher is not doing their best now, no amount of money can make them do better. A person that is not giving the best they have to give their employers, in this case, employers equal the taxpayers, that person is dishonest, and a drain on society.
        Do I think we need new school buildings??? Yes, if we can afford them.
        However, new buildings alone will not improve education a whit! Just when did an increase in wages for our teachers and administrators increase the level of education for our children?
        Be honest! When?
        More later…
Hilbert Ault, Woodsfield

Dear Editor,
        Why I have to vote Republican, Clinton and Obama. In their first week in office they signed into law millions of our tax dollars for Planned Parenthood. Since I believe in the Constitution from the moment of conception to natural death a person is guaranteed by law to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
        Do people remember who our lives depend on? God is everywhere all the time. He is in the wind, sunshine, and in all weather. Also made the soil so we could have something to eat. So how could we kill the most tiny person on earth even up to birth? Think about it.
Paul G. Crum
Woodsfield

<Around the Burnside

The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with great confidence.
        Those who are short-tempered do foolish things, and schemers are hated.
        If you happen to be traveling around and happen to see a mule that has white stripes, you are not seeing anything unusual. If it has stripes like a zebra, walks like a zebra, looks like a zebra, it is a zebra. I understand a zebra got loose in Washington County some time ago. I kind of doubt if we will get to see it as it was last spotted in Athens County. Maybe it was headed south to warmer weather.
        The Monroe Central girls have a tough game coming up tomorrow, as I write. I just hope they make it to the “sweet sixteen” and on to the state. Wouldn’t that be something? Bring back memories of the Skyvue team of years ago. Go Noles.
        About all you hear when you turn on your TV, radio, or newspaper is how bad things are and seem to be getting worse. The news media are asking folks who lived through the Great Depression to relate stories of how they made it, thinking it might help some folks having problems.
        I came along about the time of the Great Depression and remember some things that went on or happened. First of all, we raised most of our food and meat. I cannot remember ever missing a meal. I didn’t care for some of the food but as long as I ate plenty of homemade bread and butter Mom didn’t say anything. We sold milk in bottles for 10˘ a quart and once in a while we traded eggs for groceries. I had work clothes and school clothes even if some had a patch or two. I sometimes had a nickel or dime I could spend to buy some penny candy or a grape Nehi.
        Dad worked in the mine but I never heard him or Mom discussing money. It seemed we had enough to get along on. I did hear them say once in a while how tough it was to make “ends meet.” For the life of me I could not understand what kind of meat was “ends meat.” I had eaten meat fixed many ways but I never heard it called “ends.” I really found out when I got married and started teaching for 26 hundred a year.
        I remember the WPA. My brother even worked on a WPA project for a spell. The WPA did build a large cistern in Fairview for  fire protection. The top made a dandy place to roller skate later on when we got a pair of skates. You remember the old clamp-on skates with the skate key?
        We kids, and I guess some adults, had a special meaning for WPA. I don’t want to have it all printed but the W stood for whittle and the A stood for argue. You can figure out on your own what the P stood for. I guess we were poor but didn’t even know it.
        Today they seem to work in terms of millions and it seems as though it’s small change. With the stimulus package and the country’s budget it moves into the trillions. I just can’t comprehend a billion, let alone a trillion.
        I guess you realize if you had a million bucks and spent a thousand dollars a day, it would take you almost three years to spend the million. I guess you could jump in and buy a house for 300 thousand which would cut down on the time required to spend it. Some of these outfits we read about can go through several billion bucks in the blink of an eye and ask for more.
        I hope the stimulus plan works so our grand and great- grandkids do not have to pay for it later on. It seems as though everyone has their hands out for a piece of the pie. Someone didn’t look down the road very far.
        We hear a lot about what a tough time some companies and folks are having but we hear very little about the farmer.
        We forget how much we depend on agriculture in our country. We can go to the store and buy just about anything we want. I remember we had oranges around Christmas time; now you can buy them all the time. They even ship in orange juice from Brazil. Does this seem right? Peaches and canned fruit from China.
        I’m not sure of all the details of the dairy farmers problems but I do know some have had to sell their herds. I was told milk was being sold for nine dollars per hundred. This is not much per gallon for the dairy farmer when you think of the cost to produce this milk. The cost of the feed and requirements for producing the milk for us, this is a small return.
        I remember when we picked up milk in 10 gallon cans, hauled it to the dairy, and they dumped, washed cans ready for a pick-up the next day.
        Now think of what is required to produce grade A milk today.
        I know we didn’t use the milk we do today but the dairy pasteurized the milk and took it to the stores. I don’t remember anyone getting sick. My point is something we think little about such as milk that our farmers are hanging in there to keep us in milk. And this is just one food we depend on the farmer to provide us. What’s the answer? Ship in from outside? Think about it when you go to the store the next time and complain about prices.
        One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.
        Bible readings: From Isaiah (Mon.) 43:14-21; (Tues.) 40:25-31; (Wed.) Luke 22:14-23; (Thurs.) I Corinthians 5:16-21; (Fri.) Lamentations 3:19-31; (Sat.) Psalm 40:1-5; (Sun.) Ezekiel 37:1-14.