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.

May 21, 2009

St. Joseph Church Closes         St. Joseph Catholic Church, Burkhart, will close May 23 after providing a place to worship the Lord since 1894.         Hearts are saddened as a safe haven is closed this week. St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church at Burkhart Station will close on May 23 bringing to a close another chapter in the long and proud journey of a faith-filled people.         A celebration of the heritage of St. Joseph’s will take place at 5 p.m. with Bishop R. Daniel Conlon, Bishop of Steubenville, celebrating at the Mass of Thanksgiving. “All those who have gone before us, with their sacrifices and struggles, will be remembered at this Mass,” said Father David Gaydosik, pastor of the Roman Catholic Churches of Monroe County. “We will pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we face the future.”         Its first Masses were held in the home of Michael Spangler in the so-called Biz Hollow area, a location in the southeastern section of Seneca Township of Monroe County in about 1848. Fr. Kraemer, then stationed in Miltonsburg, was the celebrant.         The first church building, along with a log structure which served as a school building, was erected in 1854 on the site known as Chapel Hill. The Bishop of Columbus Diocese decided in 1893 that the parish facilities should be moved from Chapel Hill, just over a mile into the valley of the South Fork of Willis Creek. A narrow gauge railroad had been built along the valley by the Ohio River and Western Railroad which connected with Caldwell and Zanesville to the west and with Western Railroad to the east.         Property for this new site was obtained from the Burkhart family in 1893 and that year the cornerstone of the new brick church of St. Joseph was laid. The church structure was completed in 1894 and the old frame at the Chapel Hill site was razed. In 1895 the rectory, originally constructed in 1883, and the convent were both carefully dismantled and moved to the new site and re-erected. The cost of the move was $751.57.	St. Joseph Catholic Church, Burkhart, will close May 23 after providing a place to worship the Lord since 1894.  The parish of St. Joseph was flourishing in 1891 with 31 members in the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, 73 members in the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary and 39 members in the Society of St. Ann. The pastor of St. Joseph was also responsible for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Miltonsburg.         A most disastrous fire caused by the burning coals in a censer set fire to the church in 1924, destroying everything, leaving nothing but the bare outer walls. The walls were found to be solid and safe so Fr. Mark Campbell and the parishioners set out to rebuild their church. This they did well.         Pastors through the years are: Fr. Ignatus Sagerer, November 1883 to May 1899; Fr. John S. Cowley, July 1899 to November 1899; Fr. Ignatus Sagerer, Rector 1899 to 1904; Fr. Joseph B. Schmitt, 1905 to 1909, 1912-14; Fr. Theodor Igel, 1914-23; Fr. Mark Campbell, 1924-28; Fr. Joseph Finan, February 1928 to June 1972; Fr. Charles Calabrese, July 1972 to August 1972; Fr. Frank Cronin, September 1972 to May 1973; Fr. Pamphilus Cafferelli, 1973; Msgr. Robert A. Brown, October 1973 to May 1978; Fr. George Goodbout, 1979; Fr. Clair Dinger, 1980-81; Fr. Samuel Saprano, 1981-91; Msgr. George Adams, 1991-96; Fr. James M. Dunfee 1996-97; Msgr. Tom Petronek, 1997-2000; Fr. David Gaydosik, July 3, 2000 to May 23, 2009.         The first teachers in the St. Joseph Catholic School were laymen followed by various religious orders. In 1885 two Sisters of St. Francis came to teach in the school. In 1887 these nuns were replaced by two Sisters of Divine Providence from Pittsburgh, Pa. The enrollment in the school was 89 children. A new school and residence for religious sisters were built in 1889. These buildings were moved to the Burkhart Station site in 1895. Three Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee, Wisconsin came in 1891 to teach at the school while four other sisters were assigned to replace lay teachers at Miltonsburg and Woodsfield. They stayed for only one year and were replaced by three Sisters of the Precious Blood from Maria Stien, Ohio. In the fall of 1894 these sisters withdrew from Willis Creek, although remaining at Miltonsburg, and three Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee took over. The Ursuline Sisters took charge of the school in 1915. Woodsfield Mayor Bill Bolon Accepts Grant Woodsfield Mayor Bill Bolon accepted a check in the amount of  $250,000 on May 13 from the Governor’s Office of Appalachian Regional Commission. The federal grant will allow work to start on the water line from Rubel Lake to the village. The funding will help provide improved water service to 1,127 households, 193 commercial businesses and one industry. It will also allow the village to supply water to the Switzerland of Ohio Water District when necessary. Front, from left, are village council members Vernon Henthorn, Carol Hehr and Pauline Delbrugge; Mayor Bolon; Fred Deel, director, Governor’s Office of Appalachia; Brandon Kern, representing the office of Sen. Voinovich; and Bret Allphin, Buckeye Hills, interim development director. In back are Councilman Dale English, Village Administrator Jeff Woodell and Councilman William Moore. Violet Marley Honored During National Nursing Home Week         Violet Marley, center, was honored May 11 as the most tenured employee at Monroe County Care Center, which used the event to kick off activities for National Nursing Home Week. With Marley is Kelley Hill, care center administrator. Taking part in the ceremonies were, from left, John Pyles, president, board of county commissioners; Tim Price and Carl Davis, county commissioners; and Bill Bolon, Woodsfield mayor. Monroe County Care Center honored its most tenured employee on May 11 during its opening ceremony to celebrate National Nursing  Home Week. This year’s theme for nursing home week is “Nurturing a Love that Lasts.”         Violet Marley is a nursing assistant and 32-year employee of the care center. Although she recently observed her 71st birthday anniversary, retirement is not in her plans. As she explained, with a tear in her eye, “I can’t leave this place, these people are my family.”         “Violet is very proud of her years of service,” said Kelley  Hill, LNHA, administrator.         Hill noted that Marley has set a level of dedication that will set the tone for the way things will be known at the care center for many years to come.         “She’s tender hearted and says ‘yes’ even when she shouldn’t,” said Hill. “We remember when Violet was on restrictions and told us that everybody has to do their part. When we suggested she take it easy, she just smiled and kept going at her usual pace. When she takes off work, she’s either very, very sick or something terrible has happened.”         Woodsfield Mayor Bill Bolon opened ceremonies by reading the National Mayor’s Proclamation.         County Commissioner John Pyles read the nursing home philosophy and he, along with commissioners Tim Price and Carl Davis, presented Marley with a plaque for 32 years of service. Davis told Marley about a gift of dinner for four at Traditions and $25 gift certificates from: Pamida, Pat’s Gift Shoppe, Westfall’s Florist, True Value Hardware, Dick’s Service Center and Riesbecks Food Market.         Commissioner Price presented Marley with a dozen lavender tipped roses.In addition, commissioners presented each resident with a single rose compliments of the care center.         A large cake, decorated in shades of lavender and violet, was served to residents and visitors as they enjoyed the music of the Happy Heart Singers. Summit Township Bid Awarded         A bid for floors and windows in the Summit Township Community Center was awarded last week by Monroe County Commissioners, who also authorized the dog warden to secure a mobile office unit.         On the recommendation of Summit Township Trustees and Mary Jo Westwall, OSU Extension, county grants administrator, commissioners accepted the bid submitted by Swiss Valley Associates, Sardis, for new gym floors at the community center. The bid came in at $19,950. Windows will be replaced by Billy Pryor General Contracting, Weirton, W.Va. The price tag for windows is $47,600.         On a motion by Commissioner Carl Davis, officials authorized Ronda Piatt, dog warden, to secure a trailer from the Monroe County Agricultural Society at no cost. The unit, believed to be about 12 ft. x 60 ft., will be used as office space at the county dog pound.         Currently, the dog warden’s office is located in a block building housing the animals. She reported recently that the building is very cold and wind blows through spaces around the doors.         The Agricultural Society will take ownership of trailers through the FEMA Flood Mitigation program.         A resolution was approved, on the recommendation of County Engineer Lonnie Tustin, for Monroe Drilling to spread salt brine on CR17, Edwina Road; and CR77, Barber Ridge. The brine can be spread between May 1 and Oct. 1.         Woodsfield resident Martha Ackerman spoke to commissioners about reorganization of the Monroe County Veterans Memorial Committee. She said the committee’s first priority is to place all bricks previously purchased and to take  orders for bricks which honor additional veterans.         Ackerman said she agreed to be president of the current committee because she “didn’t want to see it go by the wayside.” She said she feels it is an important project and all veterans deserve to be recognized and honored.         Commission President John Pyles expressed his appreciation to Ackerman for taking an active role in reorganization of the committee and its project.         In addition to Ackerman, officers of the committee are Janet Holland, vice-president and Elma Walton and Debbie Miller, co-secretary/treasurer. Current members include Roger and Toni Elliott, Bonnie Peffer, Tammy Broemsen Danny Jones, Harold Underwood, Carol Jones and Gary Holland.         Following discussion with Jeanette Harter, director, Monroe County Job and Family Services, Sandra Nicholoff, an attorney, was hired. Nicholoff was the sole bidder on a contract advertised in local newspapers. She will be employed from May 11 through June 30 as a consultant. Pay is $25 per hour for non-legal services and $50 per hour for legal services. She is to work no more than 176 hours. According to Harter, Nicholoff will work three days a week, eight hours per day.         An executive session was called at the request of Harter for the purpose of personnel with regard to hiring and firing. Officials broke for lunch and a ceremony at Monroe County Care Center after which the executive session continued, lasting from  2:50 p.m. until 3:40 p.m. Following the session, commissioners approved a cash management compliance plan. Harter said the state will no longer advance money to JFS unless JFS has expenditures to pay out. ~ Garden Club Spruces Up the Square ~         The beautiful baskets adorning the islands on Woodsfield ‘s square are compliments of the Woodsfield Garden Club. They did cup and saucer birdfeeder, plant angels and other fundraisers to fund the annual project. This year’s colorful baskets came from Old Barn Landscaping in Sardis. Floyd Longwell and Paul Highman, Woodsfield Power, hung the baskets on the newly installed hangers. Woodsfield employee Alan Fohrenbach will be watering the baskets five days a week. Members of the garden club appreciate all the cooperation they have received from the Woodsfield Village Administrator Jeff Woodell and village employees. Shown, from left, are: Jay Nice, James Scott and Larry Riggenbach, all of Old Barn Landscaping; Peg Beymer, Pat Lewis and Katy Cole, Woodsfield Garden Club members; back: Paul Highman and Floyd Longwell.       Photo by M. Ackerman		Week of May 21 Obituaries MARTHA STEED         Martha L. Steed, 86, Woods-field, died May 12, 2009, at Ohio Valley Medical Center. She was born Oct. 8, 1922 in Stafford, a daughter of the late Newton Steed and Ethel Mae McMahon Steed. EMMA JANE MINOR         Emma Jane Minor, 76, Middlebourne, departed this life May 12, 2009, in Reynolds Memorial Hospital, Glen Dale, W.Va. She was born May 27, 1932, a daughter of the late William Ira and Ona Lemasters Eastham. Expressions of sympathy may be offered at www.furbeefuneralhome.com. JACK D. YOHO         Jack D. Yoho, 66, Newton Falls, formerly of Woodsfield, died May 13, 2009 at St. Joseph Health Center, Warren. He was born July 25, 1942 in Woodsfield, a son of the late Everett Yoho and Martha Reeves Yoho.         Condolences can be expressed at www.bauerturner.com. DONNA S. DELONG         Donna S. DeLong, 74, 137 Andover Rd., Woodsfield, died May 15, 2009 at Wheeling Hospital. She was born March 1, 1935 in Newport, a daughter of the late John Clarence and Elizabeth Bogard Bleakley.         Online condolences may be expressed at www.wattersfuneralhome.com BETTY IRENE ENGLISH         Betty Irene English, 84, Graysville, died May 14, 2009 at Woodsfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born Dec. 11, 1924, a daughter of the late Hollie Edmund Gray and Ella Rebecca Handschumacher Gray.     Condolences can be expressed at www.bauerturner.com RODNEY NEISWONGER         Rodney Wilson Neiswonger, 67, Beallsville, died May 13, 2009, at his home. He was born April 12, 1942 in Canton, the son of the late Wilson and Gladys Decker Neiswonger.         Online condolences may be offered at www.harperfh.net. CLEO J. SALISBURY Cleo J. “Toots” Salisbury, 75, Woodsfield, formerly of Sardis, died May 16, 2009 in Woodsfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born May 19, 1933 in Paden City, W.Va., the daughter of the late Lawrence and Bessie Williamson Salisbury. She was a Protestant by faith. Sympathy expressions at grisellfuneralhomes.com. PAUL W. BYERS, SR. Paul William Byers, Sr., 77, Woodsfield, formerly of Trail Run, died on May 16, 2009.         Funeral services were held May 18 at Bauer-Turner Funeral Home, Woodsfield, with graveside services held at Oaklawn Cemetery immediately following. Our Readers Write: Dear Editor,         First of all, be kind. Every act of kindness is a nugget of God’s grace given to us freely, something we can pass on to others.         Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Ephesians 4:32         A friend who was a marriage counselor, tells about sessions with couples squabbling over small and large things. Some marriages would fail, but advising couples, “you need to be kind to one another” resulted in successful relationships and happy marriages.         We know that kindness will not heal all wounds, nor will it solve every disagreement but consider the example you are giving your children - perhaps future happy relationships. Bertha Burkhart Woodsfield Dear Editor,         In very few fast food restaurants are there more than one choice of diet drinks. Sugar free desserts are also something that you rarely see in fast food restaurants.         With all the talk about discrimination, nobody seems to notice the discrimination of diabetics. Diabetics are very limited to what they can have, especially when only one diet drink is available and no sugar free desserts are available.         If the customer is always right, then I as a customer believe fast food restaurants should have at least two diet drink choices and at least one sugar free dessert. Caitlin Brown Woodsfield Around the Burnside People all wrapped up in themselves sometimes find they make pretty small packages.         Hope for change doesn’t bring change - - - but changed to action, it changes things.         Hail, hail, hail, we haven’t had any for some time now. Monday evening, the 11th, we had a little charge of hail. The stones were not very large and really didn’t last very long. No dents. The last hail storm I remember left a lot of dents on my car, our roof and the siding on our house. I’d rather not go through that again. All quiet now.         Now that the excitement and concern about the bond levy is over, I guess it’s time to settle down and complain about the weather. Seems as though I’ve heard plenty of late. Here it is 6:30 in the morning and the sun is shining bright. Happy Day!         I do appreciate the compliments several readers have expressed over a few of the Around the Burnside I devoted to the need for new facilities. For over the last 20 years plus I have written my opinion not expecting everyone to agree with how I think. What a boring old world this would be if everyone agreed on everything. Wouldn’t be any need for the news media maybe.         You know to  be truthful, it isn’t worth it to get all excited because someone disagrees with you. A wise teacher long ago told me, “Do not worry if one person disagrees with something you are doing or say. It’s when a number of folks tend to disagree with you maybe you should give some thought to what you’re doing or saying.”         I will admit as a teacher things were a bit different. I always had a student or two who were hard of hearing and I had to raise my voice a little. I recall one teacher said his kids sat up a bit straighter when they heard me yelling at mine in the next room. I remember once at Skyvue I had everyone in class holding up the wall in the shop to keep it from falling over.         I don’t know how many times I had a student ask, “Why do I have to do this?” Back then I could say, “Because I said so” and get away with it. I remember once a student hid in a dog house that had been built in the shop. A few good whacks on the top of the dog house brought him out of hiding. He didn’t bark once. Little things like that were what made teaching so much fun.         I hope you saw the article in the paper last week regarding the Relay for Life being held at Beallsville, actually today. I understand they really go all out. They raised $12,000 last year and want to increase that amount this year. I think their success is because so many pitch in to make it a success. I’m sure nearly every student in their school does something to help out. I’m sorry I won’t be able to go because of a doctor’s appointment. You still have time to make it. I’m sure you’ll find something of interest.         Before I forget it, I guess you were able to figure out if the brown cows or the black cows gave more milk. I’ll help you a bit if you didn’t. X is black, y is brown, 5 (4x+3y)+ 4 (3x+5y), figure it out. Remember when you move a plus or minus sign across the equal sign, it changes. To be honest, I had the answer in front of me all the time. I can still remember we taught the math the students in our class needed when we had two periods in the classroom with them. Big thinkers got the idea another teacher could do a more complete job, so they cut out a period. Oh well, I think several of these thinkers in Columbus seem to be pushing Vocational Education aside because they think some of our students do not need to learn how to work. I’m old fashioned enough to think a freshman in high school should know how to drive a nail.         I guess maybe what I was trying to say earlier, when you get so old you tend to get “sot” in your ways. It just doesn’t pay to get all that worked up if someone disagrees.         I think maybe I’ve told this story before but it illustrates my point. I don’t want to be an old crow. Our big old brick house had a narrow closet in one corner of our dining room that went clear to the ceiling.         Mom was cleaning it one spring when she found a bag of prunes which had been there for a while. She wasn’t sure what to do with them so she threw them out in the yard.         Well, old Mr. Crow flew by and spotted the prunes. He thought, “Those might be good to eat,” and dropped down, picked up a prune, flew to the top of the pump handle on our well and ate the prune.         This prune tasted so good that Mr. Crow kept doing this until every prune was gone except one. He sat on the pump handle so long thinking about how good that last prune would taste. He also realized he would probably burst if he ate that last prune.         He could not resist any longer, flew down and gobbled down the last prune. He burst.         The moral of the story? “Don’t fly off the handle when you are full of prunes.” Good advice?         The school year is winding down and the time of year students get a bit restless and maybe tend to throw their mind out of gear thinking school will be out in just around the corner. I wonder what will happen when they add 20 more days to the school year?         When your conscience hurts, be glad. God’s warning system is working.         There’s still plenty of room to get a seat in the front section of church.         Read some from the book of Proverbs this week, one of my favorite books of the Bible.