Finally!

Bellaire Village Council stepped to the plate Thursday night and delivered a grand slam for employees of the All-American Town. It was a much-needed move.

Some village workers have gone more than a decade without a spike in pay. That leads to low morale and frustration.

The pay raises are sizable ones. Full-time employees get a $1.50 an hour bump while part-timers receive a $1 an hour increase.

Being in tune with the financial conditions of Bellaire, I thought council’s move was a generous one.

It is also refreshing to see the police department included in the raises. Chief Mike Kovalyk’s force has long been due a wage increase, having to deal with a seedy criminal element while being understaffed.

Hopefully, the pay raises signal better economic times for the village.

MILLER TIME

THE DAUGHTER of an OVAC Hall of Famer has scripted a stellar prep career at Hilliard Bradley High School.

Meredith Miller has been selected to play in today’s Ohio North/South All-Star Game. She is the daughter of Pat and Ann Miller.

Pat is one of the finest all-around athletes in Shadyside High annals. He was a first-team all-state baseball selection while also capturing the state pole vault title. Pat was also a Tiger grid great.

Meredith finished her Bradley career with more than 1,000 points. She led Bradley to the D1 regional final this year, bowing to Newark. Meredith was chosen OCC Capital Conference Player of the Year. The all-state hoopster has signed a full scholarship for basketball at Western Michigan.

LOCAL MINUTEMEN

UMASS HELD its spring football game Friday night with some local flavor on the field.

The Minutemen’s starting QB is Blake Frohnapfel. He is coming off a superb season for UMass, passing for 3,345 yards and 23 TDs. He completed 241-of-437 attempts.

Frohnapfel sat out the spring game as Head Coach Marc Whipple wanted to avoid injury to his star signalcaller.

One of the QBs who did see time Friday was Weirton Madonna product Ross Comis. The redshirt frosh is in line to be Frohnapfel’s backup this coming season.

Frohnapfel will complete his grid career this year and will graduate from UMass with dual master’s degrees in Business and Sports Administration. His twin brother, Eric, was the starting tight end for Marshall the past two seasons. He will graduate from Marshall University with his MBA.

Their dad, Steve, was an all-state gridder at St. John Central for David “Ty” Fleming. The 1979 SJC grad helped the Irish to a 7-3 mark as a senior, including a win over Guernsey Street rival Bellaire, the last time the Irish turned that trick.

BUBBA’S BITS

JORDAN SPIETH is the real deal. The 21-year-old Texan captivated the golf world last week with his dominating victory in The Masters. His golfing prowess takes a back seat to his character. Spieth has established a foundation for his special needs sister.

THE GAZEBO in the Bellaire Historic Park has experienced more recent vandalism. At least 15 spindles have been kicked out. Another senseless act by goons in the All-American Town.

THE OVAC will welcome two new members this coming year. Vincent Warren Local and Salineville Southern both have been voted in. Warren is located near Marietta and will plug in as a 5A school while Southern is located near Wellsville and will be a larger Class AA member. It is another positive addition by the conference.

CONGRATULATIONS GO out to Bernie Dolan on landing a big-time position. Dolan has been tapped to become the new executive director of the West Virginia SSAC. Dolan is currently the assistant superintendent of Ohio County Schools. Bernie is a class act who brings great knowledge and experience to his new challenge. He led the Wheeling Park track team to numerous state titles.

IF THE billion dollar cracker plant comes to fruition in Monroe County, Ormet Corp.’s closure will soon be forgotten. Jobs will be plentiful, businesses will benefit and the Switzerland of Ohio Board of Education will shed itself of financial shortcomings.

STATE REP. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) has been named as one of the four co-chairs for the Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. The bipartisan group meets to advocate for outdoor recreation activities. Cera has long-maintained a voice for outdoor recreation in Ohio. Cera has co-sponsored a resolution recognizing the sportsmen and women of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife for their contributions to the state’s natural resources.

OHIO GOV. John Kasich has done everything but announce his candidacy for the White House. He has been touring several states touting his programs. Now he has put the machinery in place to raise money for a possible presidential bid. He just needs to pull the trigger and enter the race, although I still say he is not presidential material. He might make a workable running mate for Floridians Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio. The GOP then would have a chance to win the two most pivotal states.

Kapral may be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com