T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM Jack Elerick stands inside his ice cream truck Friday morning in St. Clairsville. Elerick will be out delivering sweet treats to local residents until around November. See page B3 for more on this story.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A local man is providing sweet treats to residents around the Ohio Valley this summer.

St. Clairsville resident Jack Elerick decided he wanted a fun occupation that also brought joy to others so he purchased an ice cream truck and is providing local residents with ice cream snacks.

For the past few weeks, Elerick, owner of Jack’s Snacks LLC, has been driving his newly acquired ice cream truck around local communities in the St. CLairsville, Belmont, Barnesville, Bethesda and Morristown areas. However, Elerick said he plans to soon expand his travels to include Martins Ferry, Bellaire and Shadyside as well.

“In the near future, I’d like to hit every town before winter comes,” he said.

Elerick said he always wanted to start his own business and is glad he was finally able to do so.

“I wanted to do something fun. It’s not always easy to find a self employment gig that you can have fun with, but I thought this was a good way to do just that,” he said.

Elerick’s dream became a reality last month when he purchased the ice cream truck from a Pittsburgh resident who was in the ice cream sales business for the past 15 years.

There has been a positive response to Jack’s Snacks thus far, he said.

“I wasn’t sure how people were going to respond at first, but everyone seems to enjoy it,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Elerick has between 15-20 items for sale on his truck including all the classics such as ice cream sandwiches, face pops, snow cones and much more.

Jack’s Snacks has helped fill a nostalgic void for many in the valley.

“That’s one of the reasons that made me want to do it,” he said. “Throughout my childhood I don’t ever recall an ice cream truck coming around. Now we have one.”

With schools beginning to start back up, Elerick said he is usually out in the late afternoon. Typically in the summertime, he said he plans on being out and about around 11 a.m.

The ice cream truck will be out on the road serving residents until around November this year, he said. Then he plans to continue again next summer.

“I’ll keep running the truck as long as people keep buying stuff,” he said.

For more information on Elericks’s ice cream truck or to find out if he’ll be visiting your area, follow him on Facebook at Jack’s Snacks LLC. Elerick’s routes vary day-to-day. He said he posts his planned routes on the page while also taking requests from residents.

“I try to mention where I’m going and when I’ll be there. It’s an easy way to follow me,” he said. “Let me know what areas you’d like to see me come through. I genuinely try to visit everyone who asks me to.”