Deadline for July/August Newsletter is Friday, June 21st.
From the Mayor
By: Gary Griffith 740.768.2632
The flowers and trees are blooming, and it looks like spring in Bergholz! Residents have been out on their properties cleaning up for warm weather and summer.
I’d like to congratulate Jeff Kemmer for getting hired, not elected, as the Village of Bergholz Financial Officer. Jeff’s employment started April 1st.
Just to remind everyone how this all came about, last year the council passed a resolution to do away with the traditional clerk-treasurer position (elected) and change this to a Financial Officer(hired). This position works at the discretion of the Mayor instead of the Council. If you see Jeff out and about, please congratulate him for being the successful bidder for the position. Congratulations Jeff!
In this issue I’d like to emphasize to Village residents the idea of scams. These scams are not only by phone or social media. Some are even doing it in person by showing up at your residence.
If you ever have questions as to some of these practices, please call Bergholz Police at 740-768-2201 and leave a message. Chief Clark can make a report and check out what’s happening. Provide a description of the person, time of day, vehicle and license plate number if you can. If for some reason you don’t hear from Chief Clark, call 911 and report it to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
As everyone knows, the Village has been aggressively going after funding to pave the rest of 1st Street (Star Hill). In February, the Village tried a different approach and teamed with Springfield Township, because the upper part of 1st Street becomes Township Road 263. Our Financial Officer, Jeff Kemmer, with the help of Springfield Township Trustee Tim Sutton, filled out the paperwork and filed it with Jefferson County Reginal Planning. I received a call from Regional Planning as to some additional paperwork they need. Hopefully, once this is done and presented, we will qualify for the grant. This is the closest we’ve been since we received the grant to pave Valley View.
With warmer weather coming a lot of our residents are opening their windows and not turning on their AC. With this in mind, please be respectful to your neighbors as far as loud noises coming from your property. The Village does have a noise ordinance to protect our residents. If we get complaints, Chief Clark will follow up. Thank You all for your cooperation on this matter.
I’ve been asked, “How many dogs can I have?” That answer is three (3) as per Village Ordinance. If you have a dog considered a vicious animal (considered by the dog warden) you must have an addition on your homeowner insurance for $100,000.00 as per Village Ordinance. This is to avoid any complications that may arise between the dog owner and a person that may have been a victim of aid person’s dog!
While on the dog subject, we completely understand that at times, for unknown circumstances, dogs do get loose and wander away from home. From what I see happening in other Villages in the area, I think Bergholz residents do a good job at keeping their dogs on said owners’ property.
In the last newsletter I was writing about the total destruction of the Bergholz Diner from a fire. My hats off to Mike McCoy for getting all the proper paperwork approved and having another building up on the property already. I understand that Mike still has a long way to go yet, but hopefully everything will keep moving forward and Bergholz will soon have a new diner.
I want to thank all Village Residents, both past and present, for everything you do to keep the Berg the envy of the Valley!
Mayor Gary Griffith
Bergholz VFD
By: Dwayne Morley 740.543.3306
Please keep the weekend of June 1st & 2nd available for our annual Weekend of Dinners and Enduro Bike Race! The race committee moved up the race to June 2nd.
On Saturday, June 1st, we will be having a Spaghetti Dinner, 4pm-8pm. The cost is $10.00. Sunday Morning, 7am -11am, will be a $10.00 breakfast. Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage Gravy and Biscuits plus more. Sunday Lunch / Dinner from 1pm-5pm is Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Green Beans, Corn, and Dessert for $12.00. Beverages are included with all meals.
Also, this weekend we will have our 50/50 raffle, gift basket raffles and our big prize raffles. Please keep this weekend open and help support your local fire department.
Also, upcoming training for new volunteers will be starting soon. New volunteers are welcome to join and help support your community. Please see me or any other member for more information. It takes community support to keep our community safe!
East Springfield
Memorial Day Parade
By: Sue Call 740.543.3066
The Annual Parade will be Monday, May 27th. Line-up will be at the Old School Apartments on State Route 43 beginning at 9am.
The parade is scheduled to start at 10am. It will travel State Route 43 from the Old School to The East Springfield Community Center. A program with music and guest speakers will be held, followed by a covered dish dinner.
This year’s Grand Marshall is Irene Saho. Irene is a valuable member our community. In addition to her involvement with our Community Center, she is one of the leads for the WEBA Food Pantry, and organist at her church.
Also, Irene and her late husband Dave, were recognized as Community Stars by the Steubenville Herald Star. Thank you, Irene, for all that you do!
There will be a variety of prizes in different categories including floats, horses, and novelty. All who desire are invited to attend and participate. Please contact Sue Call for registration or more information.
The Homestead Rendezvous
By: Bob & Polly Givens 740.768.2483
Homestead Rendezvous will be held on May 18, 2024 9am – 3pm on the Bergholz Firehall grounds. The theme of this year’s field day is “Revitalizing Your Homestead” and will feature speakers addressing many ways you can improve, update, and add value to your homestead and small farm.
Topics include Timber Harvests, Alternative Products from the Forest (ginseng, mushrooms, etc.) Elderberry Propagation, Ponds and Fixing Pond Problems, Beekeeping for Food Production and more.
As always, the field day will feature homestead produced foods and products, animals, agricultural agencies and businesses, live demonstrations, and much more.
Jefferson County Farm Bureau will have a children’s scavenger hunt and SWCD will be doing Creek Walks.
This is a family friendly event and is free to attend. No pets on the grounds as there will be farm animals present. Check out The Homestead Rendezvous Facebook page for information and frequent updates.
East Springfield Community Recreation & Service Center
By: Sue Call 740.543.3700
Join us for our monthly dinner. It is the second Thursday of each month. The time is 4-6:00 pm. On Thursday, May 9th, we will have Baked Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, drink, and dessert. The cost will be $11.00. Come join us for a filling dinner and visit with your neighbors. We sure could use extra help during these meals. Let me know if you are available or just show up! June 13th will be our next dinner.
Check social media or flyers posted in the community for details of all Center activities. The Center is available to rent. Please contact me for prices and availability.
Northeast Jefferson County Food Pantry
By: Ronnie Shockley
Keep these dates handy:
Working Folks Pantry: Saturdays: May 4, June 1. From 9 am till 11 am
Regular Food Pantry: Thursdays: May 16, June 20. From 9 am till 12 Noon
Located at the back of Trinity United Presbyterian Church on 2nd Street in Bergholz.
Questions or Additional help: Please call: Ronnie Shockley at 330-627-4080 or Director Kathy Warner at 740-543-3590 or email us at: ronnieshockley1961 @outlook.com
WEBA Food Pantry
By: Ann Wiley 740.543.3972
The WEBA Outreach Food Pantry continues to service northern Jefferson County and surrounding areas with much needed fresh fruits, vegetables, and pantry items.
Fresh produce and pantry dates are as follows:
Produce May 17; Pantry May 25.
Everyone loves a good yard sale. Mark your calendar for the spring sale sponsored by the WEBA Food Pantry. It will be held on Friday and Saturday May 9 & 10 at the WEBA site. The hours will be from 9am to 1pm. There is bound to be something you could use or want. Come and check it out in May.
East Springfield Christ UMC
By: Nicki Tennant 740.543.3002
Lent and Easter was a time of Celebration at Christ UMC. We met on Maundy Thursday at Scio UMC for an Agape meal and Scio UMC joined us for our Good Friday Service. Easter Sunday Services began with Sunrise Service, followed by breakfast. and a special Easter Worship Service.
We celebrated Christ throughout the month of March with our Lenten offering. Instead of “Giving Up” something for Lent, we focused on our many blessings. Blessings of light, food, clothing, entertainment, health, shelter, and most of all Jesus and the opportunity to worship Him. Our offering of $950.00 was given to AIM Women’s Center in Steubenville.
We continue to celebrate at Christ UMC. Sunday, May 5th, our District Superintendent, Rev. Kelly Brown, will join us to bless our new carillons. The Ladies of our church will be shown special love during our Mother/Daughter banquet. We will participate once again in the East Springfield Memorial Day Parade with a float. This year at our church entryway, we will be handing out bottles of water before the start of the parade. Stop at the church building for a bit of refreshment.
June 2nd we will celebrate our college graduates. The 2024 East Ohio Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church will be held in Akron June 13th-15th. Once again we will be supporting Midwest Mission with donations for Home Care Kits and Personal Dignity Kits.
Sunday, July 21st will be our annual Church Picnic and Worship Service at Elkhorn Christian Service Camp in Bergholz and August 5th -9th we will host Vacation Bible School.
“Tell Me a Story” is this year’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) theme. Starting with dinner at 5pm and continuing until 8pm, children of our community will hear stories, sing songs, create crafts, and play games while learning about Bible Heroes of Jonah, Abraham, Deborah, and Noah. We would love to fill our church with children and share with them these special stories of Jesus and Old Testament Heroes.
At the end of May and continuing throughout the summer, Creegan’s Windows Plus will be working on our church building. Painting, siding repair, and much needed maintenance on our stained glass windows will be the focus of their work. We are excited about these updates. The work and study of our Lord Jesus Christ will not be stopped during this time. We will continue our usual Worship Services.
If you are looking for a home church, or just want to stop in for a visit, we have Sunday School at 9:45am and Morning Worship at 11am. Bible Study (The New Testament Book of Mark) is each Wednesday at 6:30pm – 7:30pm, followed by a prayer service. We would love for you to come and join us.
Proud
By: Lenore Hetrick
If I carry a flag and march with the band,
And if I stand very tall,
I hope I show that I am proud of our soldiers,
and proud of our flag and all.
Amsterdam Community Church of God
8247 Bear Road SE
By: Tony Kovalesky 740.543.4041
Pastor David Guess
Church:740. 543.3927
Parsonage:740. 457.1231
The end of March was a blessed week for us as we celebrated Passion Week with a Palm Sunday celebration, Maundy Thursday Seder Passover, a Tenebrae Service on Good Friday and on Easter Sunday a Sunrise Service at the Amsterdam Gazebo, breakfast, and an Easter worship celebration.
The weekend of May 3-5, the annual women’s retreat will be held at Century Farm in Carrollton. This event is a wonderful time of fellowship, food, and challenging messages with the theme: Beauty for Ashes; Isaiah 61:3.
On Sunday, we will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Taco Bar to follow the morning service. We are encouraging folks to wear festive clothing that day.
On Saturday, May 11th, we will have a Daughters of the King Dinner prepared by the men for women (princesses) of all ages. The cost is $10 and is open to all. Call the church for more info. Sunday, May 12th is Daughters of the King Day (Hallmark’s Mother’s Day) and all daughters in the church will receive a special gift and recognition.
Sunday, May 19th, we will celebrate with those students who are graduating this year from high school and college with a recognition during the Sunday morning service.
On Saturday, June 1, Celebrate Recovery will be hosting Community Night at the Gazebo on main street in Amsterdam from 6 PM until 8 PM. There will be free food, music, mini testimonials, and a prayer tent. This will be a time to fellowship with people in our surrounding communities. If you have never experienced Celebrate Recovery, come and see what we are all about. All you need to bring is a lawn chair. Come, have fun, and enjoy an evening under the stars!
Our Annual Rummage Sale for Missions will be Friday and Saturday June 7th & 8th. Come and check it out. There will be plenty of bargains and something for everyone.
Following morning worship on Sunday, June 9, the youth will be going to Nelson’s Ledges for a picnic and hiking. All youth going into 6th grade in the fall through 12th grade are welcome to join us. Youth (6th-12th Grades) meet on Mondays at 6:00 with a meal, games, and Bible Study. From time to time, we plan a special activity.
During the week of June 16-21 several children will be attending Camp Stillwater at the NEO Church of God Retreat Center where they will make lifelong friends, eat great food, play fun games, learn about Jesus, and have the time of their life in a spectacular setting.
On Father’s Day morning, June 16th, we will honor and recognize all the Sons of the King in attendance with a gift.
Sunday, June 23rd, is National Pink Flamingo Day and we are encouraging people to wear pink on that day! We may even have some shrimp cocktail.
July 7th is our annual picnic following morning service at Elkhorn Valley with a cookout, games, and swimming.
Our worship service starts at 10:30 am on Sundays along with children’s church. The youth meet on Monday evenings at 6:00, Celebration Recovery on Wednesday at 6:30, a Mixed Adult Bible Study on Wednesday at 7:00, a Women’s Bible Study on Tuesdays at 6:30 and a Men’s Bible Study meets on Thursday at 7:00.
Like us on Facebook or Contact us at 740.543.3927 or [email protected]. A place where imperfect people are welcomed.
Memorial Day is an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in parades. Unofficially, it also marks the beginning of the summer season.
May Holidays
- 2nd – National Day of Prayer
- 12th – Mother’s Day
- 18th – Armed Forces Day
- 19th – Pentecost
- 27th – Memorial Day
June Holidays
- 1st-2nd – Enduro Race Weekend
- 14th – Flag Day
- 16th – Father’s Day
- 20th – Summer Begins
Something to Think About
By: Dave Miller
On Saturday, April 20th, I conducted the Memorial Service of Leroy “Red” Downard at the Bergholz Firehouse. “Red” had died last November. For twenty-five years, he and his wife Ida and their daughters, Diane and Shelly, had lived just outside of Bergholz in the Mooretown area. About twenty-five years ago, the family moved to Orient, Ohio.
“Red” spent more than twenty-five years serving in the United States Navy. Much of that time was spent in the Submarine Service. He and my wife Shelva Peterson were cousins. In the summer of either 1966 or’67, the Submarine “Red” was serving on, the USS Sea Leopard, docked in New York City for the weekend. At the time, I was ministering to the Christian Church in Glen Cove, Long Island, NY. “Red” took a NYC subway train and then a Long Island railroad commuter to reach our home and spend the weekend with us.
On Sunday afternoon when he had to return to his ship, we took him back to the pier on the Hudson River where it was docked. (I add that on Monday, they were going out into the Atlantic Ocean for torpedo practice.)
“Red” was able to take us on the submarine for a tour. Through the hatch, down the ladder, and we went inside the vessel. Talk about tight quarters! When they had free time, it was basically spent on their bunk or rack. Possessions were kept in a drawer under the bunk.
The USS Sea Leopard was a diesel submarine. “Red” told us that on the nuclear subs there was a small library area where the crew could go when they had free time.
It did look like the crew ate well. As we walked through the mess area, the chef was carving generous slices from a large round of beef.
Because of that tour, we gained a new respect for the men and women who faithfully served in the Submarine Service to protect our nation. “Red” thank you for your military service.
Remember
By: Victor C. Kleinschmit
Someone’s child,
left long ago,
A strange land,
Someone’s foe.
An unmarked grave,
fields of green,
Resting quiet,
Just eighteen.
Winds of freedom,
wash us now,
Remember him,
This I vow.
Ragged Old Flag
By: Johnny Cash
I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sitting there.
I said “Your old court house is kind of run down”, he said
“Naw, it’ll do for our little town.”
I said “Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit”
And that’s a ragged old flag you got hanging on it.
He said “Have a seat”, and I sat down
“Is this the first time you’ve been to our little town?”
I said “I think it is”, he said.
“I don’t like to brag
But we’re kind of proud of that ragged old flag
You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder burned the night that Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writin’ “Say Can You See.”
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tugging at its seams.
And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag but
She waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard and Bragg
And the south wind blew hard on that ragged old flag.
On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun.
She turned blood red in World War II.
She hung limp, and low, a time or two.
She was in Korea, Vietnam.
She went where she was sent
By her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
And now they’ve about quit waving back here at home.
In her own good land here she’s been abused
She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.
And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout out the land.
And she’s gettin’ thread bare, and she’s wearing thin,
But she’s in good shape for the shape she’s in.
‘Cause she’s been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.”
So we raise her up every morning.
We take her down every night.
We don’t let her touch the ground and we fold her up right.
On second thought, I do like to brag
‘Cause I’m mighty proud of that ragged old flag.
