T-L Photos/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH and LENNY WITTENBROOK ABOVE: The outgoing and incoming mayors of Belmont celebrate with council members and the community during a party held in honor of Stan Sobel, center, on Saturday. Sobel completed his term last week and is succeeded by Ron Woods, right. At left is Councilman Mike Murphy, who along with Sobel, holds signage dedicating the new village playground to Sobel.

BELMONT — One local community celebrated the changing of the guard on Saturday and marked the many accomplishments of its outgoing mayor.

Belmont Village Council had passed a resolution Thursday dedicating the new Belmont Playground in honor of Stan Sobel as the torch was passed to new Mayor Ron Woods, who is seeking to complete some of the big projects begun by his predecessor. A plaque making the dedication official was presented Saturday during a large party held in Sobel’s honor at the village gymnasium.

During that event, Woods listed some of Sobel’s many achievements while in office. In addition to spearheading the playground project, Woods said Sobel led the way for the community to obtain a new police cruiser and village truck, started the tradition of a community Christmas tree lighting, “brought voting back to Belmont” by helping to ensure the firehouse became handicap compliant and launched many community programs and celebrations, including a summer camp for children and a Halloween Fun Night.

“Most importantly,” Woods said, “he brought pride back to the village of Belmont.”

Sobel spoke only briefly to the crowd on Saturday. He said it had been his honor to serve as mayor, and he thanked council members, village employees and residents for their help during his term.

The resolution was adopted Thursday as the first official legislation passed under the leadership of Woods, who was the sole candidate for mayor on the Nov. 5 ballot. Woods read the resolution, which states in part: “The village of Belmont hereby dedicates the Village Playground to past Mayor Stanley A. Sobel for his dedication to the village during his time as mayor.”

After the unanimous vote to pass the resolution, all stood to applaud in appreciation of Sobel, who was in attendance at the meeting.

“I want to thank everybody for this,” Sobel said Thursday. “That was a big dream of mine and everybody on council at the time, and I’m so happy to see it.”

Earlier in the meeting, after Woods and other officials were sworn in by Village Solicitor T.J. Schultz, an executive session was called for discussion of personnel, wages, the purchase of property and to fill a council seat left vacated by Lori Grobb. Grobb did not apply to be on the ballot in November due to work commitments.

After the executive session, a motion was made to nominate Grobb for the empty seat as she was one of two who submitted letters of interest in the seat. Council unanimously approved the appointment of Grobb, who was sworn in before taking her seat at the table.

Councilman Mike Murphy was nominated to serve as the new president of council, and other council members unanimously voted for him to serve in that capacity.

Water board President Ken Davis said village wells produced 52 percent of the water used by residents in December and that the rest had been purchased from the Belmont County Water Department. Of the roughly 10 million gallons used in the village in 2019 about 6 million came from its wells, he said.

Davis also expressed his condolences to the family of Tom Cook from Barnesville, who Davis said had worked as a consultant for Belmont concerning its wells and had frequently assisted when there were problems that needed addressed.

Concerning the recent revelation that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency would not allow the use of a 1,000-point asbestos assessment to help cut the cost of abatement and demolition of the old Belmont school, Davis suggested that residents contact U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Ohio Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport; and state Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction to seek help.

“If we get enough people to shake the bush, maybe we can initiate some energy and maybe we’ll still be able to do something,” Davis said.

Resident Don Williams noted that the litter on the hill along John Street where it enters the village is getting out of hand again and suggested that another community litter cleanup be organized. The suggestion was met with agreement, and Councilman Dan Scott suggesting that organizers wait for better weather.

Woods said the village is still accepting book donations for the three library boxes that were recently donated to the village by the family of Bernice Bartles.

Woods also informed council that he would be attending Mayor’s Court training next week and that he and other village officials are continuing to work through the process for the $450,000 paving project that the village is seeking to fund through an Ohio Public Works Commission grant.

Woods thanked everyone for their support through the transition in leadership in the village, and Sobel said he was sure the community would be happy with his leadership.

Woods, who is a lifelong village resident and works as the computer services manager at St. Clairsville Public Library, later said he is looking forward to seeing the paving project as well as the demolition of the Belmont school building to completion and continue with the progress begun by Sobel.

Woods previously served on Village Council and as council president, as he was one of the first to volunteer to fill council seats that were vacated when council members and the fiscal officer quit in response to Sobel’s election in 2015.