#bigreds

[dandelionwineshop]

Chilly? ❄️❄️ warm up with one of these! 🍷🔥 #drinkwine #bandol #riojareserva #amaroneclassico #bigreds #newstuff #wedeliver📞 (at Dandelion Wine)

[ledenews]

Bellaire's Rataiczak Launches Website Featuring History of Bellaire, OV Athletics

Tom Rataiczak is a 1964 Bellaire High School graduate, former Bellaire teacher, and 1992 BHS Outstanding Alumnus. He has created a truly one-of-a-kind website dedicated to preserving the rich history of Bellaire High School Athletics and Ohio Valley Athletics. This remarkable collection features 1,830 documents, including historical pictures, OVAC championship records, results, programs, statistics, awards, and every Bellaire athletic record!! With materials spanning more than a century and the oldest document dating back to 1895, this site offers an unmatched look into the traditions, achievements, and legacy of athletes! We encourage everyone to explore the website and share it with alumni, family, and friends!! The link will also be available on the BHS Alumni website! THANK YOU, Mr. Rataiczak!! Go Big Reds!! Click the link below to visit the website!! https://theratsnest.org/ (This information is from the Bellaire Alumni Facebook page and was shared with Tom's permission.) Read the full article

[ledenews]

Bellaire's Rataiczak Launches Website Featuring History of Bellaire, OV Athletics

Tom Rataiczak is a 1964 Bellaire High School graduate, former Bellaire teacher, and 1992 BHS Outstanding Alumnus. He has created a truly one-of-a-kind website dedicated to preserving the rich history of Bellaire High School Athletics and Ohio Valley Athletics. This remarkable collection features 1,830 documents, including historical pictures, OVAC championship records, results, programs, statistics, awards, and every Bellaire athletic record!! With materials spanning more than a century and the oldest document dating back to 1895, this site offers an unmatched look into the traditions, achievements, and legacy of athletes! We encourage everyone to explore the website and share it with alumni, family, and friends!! The link will also be available on the BHS Alumni website! THANK YOU, Mr. Rataiczak!! Go Big Reds!! Click the link below to visit the website!!https://theratsnest.org/ Read the full article

[ledenews]

Robert ‘Moose the Mayor’ Dodrill Soon to Take Over in Bellaire

He knows what needs done. Everyone does. Anyone with open eyes knows the village of Bellaire needs a lot of love. The roads, the water and sewer pipes, the ever-shrinking tax base, and what’s the latest on all of the empty storefronts anyway? Those are the questions that Robert “Moose” Dodrill has fielded since he collected 269 unopposed votes on November 4th, but his first priority as the newest leader of the “Great American Town” doesn’t involve spending a single dollar. Dodrill knows he needs the people first. “I know I can’t do what I want to do all by myself, plain and simple, and I’ve said the same every time I’ve been asked,” said the man known as “Moose”. “We have to come together and stick together like we have in the past. But this time it has to be long-term and not just for a short time because people are fighting for one thing. We have to fight for the whole village right now. Dodrill joined the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Bellaire High School in 1985. “I’ve been involved with a lot of things in this valley, so I know that people will tell you they support you, but then when you need them, they’re nowhere to be found. I don’t want that right now,” he insisted. “We need people to buy in, and those people have to want to bring back the village of Bellaire. It’ll never be the same as it was when we were kids running around the town, but it sure can be better than what we have now.” After serving as Shadyside’s mayor for 10 years, Ed Marling was write-in elected in Bellaire in 2021 and took he office in 2022 with a plethora of priorities. Marling, however, opted not to run for a second term and no one challenged Dodrill for the position. “I ran for mayor because I want to help the town, and that would have been the case whether I was challenged or not,” Dodrill said. “My Dad always used to say back in the day that if you want to make a difference, you roll up your sleeves and you jump into it. So, I’m rolling up my sleeves and I’m jumping into it because I grew up in this town and I’ve watched what’s happened over the years. “When I was a kid, Bellaire had everything you could ask for and we’ve all watched it decline,” he said. “There are a lot of towns in East Ohio that are struggling for the same reasons we are, and there’s no way to bring back what was once here because things have changed. The world has changed. Things are different. But I’m ready to do what I can do to help the village, and I’m going to ask the residents to join me.” Dodrill was a recent guest on the River Network's "Novotney Now" radio program on 100.1 and 100.9 FM The One-Two Punch The City of Bellaire peaked in population in the 1920s when more than 15,000 residents called the “Great American Town” their home, but that total has drastically dwindled ever since. In fact, following the official count in 2000 by the U.S. Census Bureau, Bellaire was stripped of its “municipality status” with only 4,892 people. The 2023 estimate released by the federal agency states that just 3,763 remained, and Dodrill believes the number is a little lower today. Why the astonishing withdrawal? Along with the loss of manufacturing and coal mining jobs, the Bellaire Toll Bridge closed in 1991 after 65 years of service, and that shuttered the popular pathway between Benwood and the Belmont County community. And second, the ODOT's bypass for Ohio Route 7 around Bellaire opened in the mid-1990s, and that meant thousands of potential customers were no longer driving past an abundance of Bellaire businesses every single day. The population of Bellaire has decreased to about 3,700 residents. “When the Bellaire Bridge was closed, things changed in Bellaire, and nothing has been the same since the Ohio 7 bypass opened. Nothing, and we all know it,” Dodrill reported. “But we’ve known that for years and years now, and I don’t think we’ve really ever tried to figure out our next move. I think we’ve been shaking our heads this whole time instead. “So, I think it’s time for us to figure out how to get people to come back to Bellaire,” he said. “We’ve lost a lot of businesses, and a lot of residents went with them, but we’re still here and we have to figure out how we can grow and move forward. That’s why the first step is to work with the people who are here today.” That’s why, if there’s a Bellaire resident who doesn’t know “Moose”, it’s likely they will in the near future. “I think it’s important to get out into the community so I can talk to everyone,” Dodrill said. “And we’re going to have a Town Hall meeting, and I hope everyone who lives in the village will come so we can have a conversation about working together on a lot of projects. “And I want to talk with the kids in our schools so I can hear what they have to say. If we expect them to be our future, we have to ask them what they want,” he said. “And our business owners know what they need, and we have to meet with those folks, too.” "Moose" performs the National Anthem at a number of different events around the Upper Ohio Valley, including the Veterans Appreciation Ceremony during the annual Undo's Italian Fest in downtown Wheeling. ‘Moose’ Steps Dodrill is well known across the Upper Ohio Valley for his talents behind the microphone, whether his performing the National Anthem at Wheeling’s Heritage Port or singing his favorite country songs in a local tavern. He’s an American veteran, he appreciates people, he’s well aware he accomplishes nothing without working closely with the village’s constituents and Council members, and he knows it all comes with a price tag. One after another. The new mayor hopes to work with the village's residents to make the community's most needed improvements. “We have to take steps as a village, and I’m going to need help with all of it,” Dodrill admitted. “The first step is to do what we can to get our roads in better shape and the current mayor (Ed Marling) is helping me get both feet on the ground so I can get a head start on things before I get in there. “When it comes to the roads, it’s all about funding. We can’t do anything we can’t pay for, and that’s why I’m already looking for grants and other avenues where we might be able to find the funding. It takes money to do things, and people have to understand that. I’d fix them all if we could, and we have to address those structural things first because no one is going to want to live here or to do business here if they can count on those things. “If our residents will get behind me and our new council, I believe we can make progress and build something for the future. That’s what I believe.” Read the full article

[ledenews]

Age-Old Urban Myth Busted to Bits in Bellaire, Ohio

(Publisher's Note: LEDE News is re-publishing this feature article since the Big Reds of Bellaire will help kick off the beginning of the region's high school football season this evening by traveling to Buckeye Local to take on the Panthers. The game will be broadcast this evening on River Talk 100.1 FM/AM1290 with broadcasters Kyle Sutphin and Rich Bogart.) It was a belief handed down from class to class and team to team without anyone questioning the validity of the supposed golden rule over the home of the Bellaire Big Reds. Until a year ago, that is, and Bellaire Local Schools Superintendent Derrick McAfee discovered a few facts about the allowable use of Nelson Field along the way. For example, the Big Reds didn’t play all of those Saturday afternoon games because of the folks in the big house up on the hillside – even though they do have the best view – and there’s no Last Will and Testament that regulated high school football permissible only during the day in Bellaire, Ohio. Now, McAfee did learn there WAS a “Mr. Nelson” who’s a former Bellaire school system superintendent from around the time when the school district bought the land from the Dubois family in 1934, but while the complex bears his surname, the gentleman did not lay down any laws pertaining to game times.

Nelson Field has hosted many traditions through the years, including the Bellaire Relays and Saturday afternoon Big Reds home games. (Image: Google Earth) The superintendent also discovered solid logic as to why summer night games are healthier than summer day games. “There’s not just one reason why this decision has been made,” explained Derrick McAfee, superintendent of Bellaire Local Schools. “Our game schedule begins earlier these days because of our school calendar and that means we need to consider the extreme August heat. Plus, we don’t like being at the OHSAA’s mercy when it comes to getting to play on our own field come playoff time. The lights will give us more options for those games, and to have events like band showcases and evening track meets at the facility. “And we also had to ask the one question you always have to ask yourself when it comes to decisions about the children, and that’s what’s best for the kids,” he continued. “So, the lights will be going up at some point this summer and the work will be performed by Erb Electric. The cost for the project will be right around $500,000 because the infrastructure does not exist. A new service needs to be installed and the network has to be established. It’s a big job.” McAfee said 98 percent of the reactions received have been positive, but a number of commenters have insisted on social media the illumination is not permitted. “The keyboard warriors have really been on top of this announcement, but the fact of the matter is we’ve done extensive research prior to getting into this conversation about the lights. I know some people don’t believe we’ve done that research, but we have,” he insisted. “Plus, I don’t think it was common back in the 1930s for high school football fields to have lights, so I’m guessing lights weren’t an issue when the school system bought this land. “But I know we’ve believed that narrative for as long as I can remember,” McAfee added. “It’s been community folklore, but now we know the facts and installing lighting was a big decision for the administration and the board members to make.” Read the full article

[ledenews]

Age-Old Urban Myth Busted to Bits in Bellaire, Ohio

(Publisher's Note: LEDE News is re-publishing this feature article since the Big Reds of Bellaire will help kick off the beginning of the region's high school football season this evening by traveling to Buckeye Local to take on the Panthers. The game will be broadcast this evening on River Talk 100.1 FM/AM1290 with broadcasters Kyle Sutphin and Rich Bogart.) It was a belief handed down from class to class and team to team without anyone questioning the validity of the supposed golden rule over the home of the Bellaire Big Reds. Until a year ago, that is, and Bellaire Local Schools Superintendent Derrick McAfee discovered a few facts about the allowable use of Nelson Field along the way. For example, the Big Reds didn’t play all of those Saturday afternoon games because of the folks in the big house up on the hillside – even though they do have the best view – and there’s no Last Will and Testament that regulated high school football permissible only during the day in Bellaire, Ohio. Now, McAfee did learn there WAS a “Mr. Nelson” who’s a former Bellaire school system superintendent from around the time when the school district bought the land from the Dubois family in 1934, but while the complex bears his surname, the gentleman did not lay down any laws pertaining to game times.

Nelson Field has hosted many traditions through the years, including the Bellaire Relays and Saturday afternoon Big Reds home games. (Image: Google Earth) The superintendent also discovered solid logic as to why summer night games are healthier than summer day games. “There’s not just one reason why this decision has been made,” explained Derrick McAfee, superintendent of Bellaire Local Schools. “Our game schedule begins earlier these days because of our school calendar and that means we need to consider the extreme August heat. Plus, we don’t like being at the OHSAA’s mercy when it comes to getting to play on our own field come playoff time. The lights will give us more options for those games, and to have events like band showcases and evening track meets at the facility. “And we also had to ask the one question you always have to ask yourself when it comes to decisions about the children, and that’s what’s best for the kids,” he continued. “So, the lights will be going up at some point this summer and the work will be performed by Erb Electric. The cost for the project will be right around $500,000 because the infrastructure does not exist. A new service needs to be installed and the network has to be established. It’s a big job.” McAfee said 98 percent of the reactions received have been positive, but a number of commenters have insisted on social media the illumination is not permitted. “The keyboard warriors have really been on top of this announcement, but the fact of the matter is we’ve done extensive research prior to getting into this conversation about the lights. I know some people don’t believe we’ve done that research, but we have,” he insisted. “Plus, I don’t think it was common back in the 1930s for high school football fields to have lights, so I’m guessing lights weren’t an issue when the school system bought this land. “But I know we’ve believed that narrative for as long as I can remember,” McAfee added. “It’s been community folklore, but now we know the facts and installing lighting was a big decision for the administration and the board members to make.” Read the full article

[captjamiehough]

That kind of day. Caught the first good trout stringer of the season this morning with a couple big bonus sheep heads. Then hammered 16 big bull reds on the afternoon half. Ended the day with Truffle Mac, Collards, and fresh stone crab claws for a backyard supper around the fire. Tis the season indeed! I’m not telling you my crab guys number so stay out my DM’s! #crabs #bullreds #bigreds #redfishmafia @stoneclaws (at Redfish Mafia Charters) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVy-NyBLuo5/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ledenews]

Katrina Davis: Taking That Next Step

Katrina Davis is used to living with pressure. It comes with the territory. Much is expected of you when you put on the Red & Black for storied Bellaire High School. The school’s hardwood has seen a plethora of talented hoopsters grace its planks. It’s called the house of champions for a reason. And of course, given her last name happens to be Davis, even more is expected. Compounding that pressure was the fact that this season, she was the key returning starter from an OVAC championship team that graduated a pair of 1,000-point scorers. When those key moments hit in big games and her teammates needed someone to look to for leadership and help in keeping calm, whom do you think it was they turned toward? How did she respond? Davis capped one of the finest four-year spans in Big Reds’ history with one of its best seasons. She averaged 28.3 points a night in scoring an absurd 629 points as a senior. That gave her 1,564 career points, third on the Lady Reds’ all-time scoring list. For her efforts, she was named Ohio's Division III Player of the Year and a finalist for Ms. Basketball. She also nearly averaged a triple double, posting marks of eight rebounds and eight steals per game. Her 737 career rebounds are also third in Lady Reds’ history. She’s the career leader in steals (433), wins (79) and second in assists (301). Keep in mind, Katrina Davis stands all of 5-foot-2. That’s 62 inches of pure athleticism, fighting and scratching for every rebound, every steal, and every opportunity. It’s a lot of pressure, but again, she’s used to it. Much is expected, but those expectations and that pressure are placed externally. Inside her close-family unit, she’s just Kat; daughter to Alvin, sister to Cierra and cousin to Jose and Nate. A gifted athlete to be sure, but also one that boasts the second-highest GPA in her senior class. She plays softball, but also leads the school’s yearbook club. She ran cross country but also has a love of reading, of shopping and just relaxing at home, chilling on the couch with her dad and watching movies. The two have a special bond. The elder Davis knew his daughter had talent, but he didn’t push her to basketball, rather, allowing her interest to blossom on its own until she came to him, ready to learn. The rest, as they say, is history—Bellaire’s record books show that it is so. Now, having recently signed her national letter of intent to continue her athletic and academic careers at Division II’s Bluefield State, Davis readies to embark on the next portion of her journey.

Senior year is an exciting time in a student’s life, athlete or not. You mentioned looking forward to another season of AAU hoops. You also have softball and prom and graduation. What's the most difficult part for you in dealing with how the last part of your high school career has transpired? Are there any positives to take away from the experience?

I’d say the most difficult part of losing the last part of my high school career is missing my softball season and not being able to go to my yearbook class. I love playing softball, being with my teammates, and the energy that was spread on the diamond. There are so many things that could’ve gone different for me if we had a softball season. I was debating on choosing to play softball in college instead of basketball. I’m also the editor of our yearbook and sadly we don’t get to fill our spring sports pages with pictures or even have graduation, senior skip day, or senior prank in our yearbook. One positive I got from this experience is committing to play basketball in college and growing a closer bond with my sister since we’re both home.  

Katrina Davis poses for a photo with her cousin Nate Davis, a fellow all-Ohioan at Bellaire in multiple sports. The pressure to play "like a Davis" was never fealt from her family, only from external forces. Katrina's family was supportive of her no matter what. She lived up to those lofty expectations, but she admits she never felt the pressure at home to do so.

You've put up some impressive numbers at Bellaire in a school that's had a number of dynamic players, both on the boys' side and the girls. Plus, you’re related to two of them most well-known in your cousins Jose and Nate. Ever feel any familial pressure to excel given the Davis name?

Growing up in a close-knit family full of talent, I actually never felt pressured by my family to live up to the ‘Davis’ name. My family is always very supportive of me, and they taught me a lot about the game; therefore, I believed in my training and knowledge that they helped me obtain. I felt more pressure by outsiders and how they would compare my success to theirs.  

Speaking of pressure, you were able to accel at athletics while keeping a grade point average on the plus side of 4.0. How difficult was that to juggle school and athletics? What was more nerve-racking, a late free-throw during a big game, or the first time sitting down to take either the ACT or SAT?

School actually comes easy to me. I love to learn and soak up information if I’m interested in the topic, so it made juggling the two much easier. I faced my first difficulty my junior year when I took chemistry which was the hardest class in the school. I would say taking a chemistry test from Mr. Xenakis and the ACT for the first was much more nerve-racking than a late-free in a big game with a close score because of the amount of reps at the line I would shoot in the offseason and practice.

You looked at a nice cross-section of schools both locally and further away. What ultimately made you feel that Bluefield State was the best fit for you? Do they have a comparable degree or a gateway undergraduate path that will allow you to pursue your previously stated desire to pursue a career in occupational therapy?

One thing people wouldn’t believe about me is that I'm an introvert. I get really nervous when it comes to trying new things and meeting new people. I decided to go to Bluefield State to get out of my comfort zone and experience things on my own, without my sister’s or dad’s help. I also really enjoyed Coach Bailey’s conversations and style of play. They unfortunately do not offer occupational therapy as a major, so I decided to go into nursing which will keep me in the medical field and allow me to play for Coach Bailey.  

Davis sits with teammate and fellow senior Mia Gavarkavich and receives some last minutes pointers while Bellaire's jayvee team finishes its game this season.

Speaking of recruiting, if the height listed next to your name on the roster wasn’t 5-foot-2 and was, say, closer to the 5-8 range, do you think you still would have waited as long to make your decision? Your skill set says higher level, but were they maybe afraid to pull the trigger and offer a scholarship at that level because of your height? If that’s the case, do you play with a chip on your shoulder, wanting to prove people wrong who may have doubted your ability to compete at a high level.

If I was closer to 5-8. I think I would still have made my decision around this time. I like getting the feel for coaches and weighing all my options before committing to something that will have such a big impact on my life. However, I do feel like my skill set was passed up on because of my height, but my dad and I always say “control the things you can control,” and unfortunately my height is one thing I do not have a say in. I do play with that on my shoulders though. I know that I am undersized on the court, so I try to make up for my lack of size by executing the fundamentals. Read the full article