Steubenville busy with Christmas activities | News, Sports, Jobs

DASHING — Participants ran in Belleview Park Saturday for the Jefferson County General Health District’s Dashing for Diapers Holiday 5-K, raising funds and diapers for a community diaper bank serving the county. — Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Visitors to Steubenville were at no lack for sights, sounds and activities Saturday as multiple festivities sowed Christmas cheer across the city.

Events included the Jefferson County General Health District’s Dashing for Diapers Holiday 5K, the Sights and Sounds of Steubenville Christmas Parade, an open house at the Grand Theater and the Christmas Walk in the Park at Beatty Park.

For those willing to get an early start, the health department hosted its holiday 5K and tot trot that morning in and around Belleview Park, raising funds and diaper donations for the department’s community diaper bank — scheduled to begin distribution in early 2024, said Kylie Smogonovich, the health department’s nursing director. Participants who donated 12 or more diapers were entered to win a door prize.

Health Commissioner Andrew Henry said of the 5K, which received around 50 online registrants: “We had noticed that there weren’t any 5Ks in the late fall or early winter, so we wanted to offer this up for the community, and we figured this would be a nice way to start off parade day in Steubenville.”

Some participants decked themselves in holiday attire, including stocking caps and sweaters. Among those dressed up were Diane Smogonovich, Kylie Smogonovich’s mother-in-law, and Jackie LeBlanc, Kylie Smogonovich’s aunt, who wanted to support the recently appointed nursing director alongside other participating family members.

HO HO HO — Santa Claus and others waved from aboard a sleigh, manufactured by Steel Valley Tank & Welding, during the Sights and Sounds of Steubenville Christmas Parade Saturday. — Christopher Dacanay

Diane Smogonovich and LeBlanc, who will be celebrating birthdays later this month, said they have an annual tradition of attending Steubenville’s Christmas parade, followed by lunch at Naples Spaghetti House. Their day included stops at Beatty Park’s Christmas event, Historic Fort Steuben’s Christmas plaza, the Christmas party at the Spot Bar and a church service.

“We try to do as much as we can,” Smogonovich said.

Next was the annual Steubenville parade, blocking off traffic on Fourth Street to allow for the parade’s 77 floats, bands and other groups to travel through the city, admired on both sides by onlookers. Entries in the parade, which was organized by the Steubenville Visitors Center, were judged by Steubenville city employees, with the winner to be announced later.

Among entries were local schools, first responders, businesses and nonprofits, many of which decorated their vehicles for the occasion or crafted eye-catching holiday floats. Kids were treated to candy, gifted by participants walking alongside the parade, as well as to a visit from Santa Claus himself in the parade to conclude the event.

As the parade marched down Fourth Street, individuals with the Grand Theater Restoration Project offered tours during an open house. Scott Dressel, president and lead volunteer for the Steubenville Historic Landmarks Foundation, talked shop in the theater’s lobby, while his son Derek Martin gave tours of the auditorium’s dome — re-plastered by Evergreen Architectural Arts — for those unafraid of heights.

The restoration project is being funded by a $500,000 Save America’s Treasures grant from the National Parks Service’s Historic Preservation Fund, as well as a $300,000 grant from the state of Ohio’s Capital Bill Grant program and a $1.5 million POWER grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

A count recorded about 60 individuals entering the auditorium for a tour, not including those in the lobby. Martin said open houses at the Grand — which could be completed within five to 10 years — always attract good numbers, and the parade helps draw more inside.

“I hope the eyes from today help with bringing in more volunteers to help with the whole scope of the project,” Martin said. “If the town could come together, … it could be done even faster.”

Finally, hundreds made their way to Beatty Park for its third-annual Christmas event from noon to 5 p.m., hosted by the Friends of Beatty Park. The roughly 99-acre nature park offered six sections of kid-friendly holiday activities, such as bouncy castles, crafts and pictures with Santa Claus.

Other sections included a live nativity petting zoo with donkeys from Miller Farm and Shetland sheep and a miniature Jersey calf from Ashmore Farm. Scott and Tanya Kelley of the latter farm noted this was their third year donating animals for Beatty Park’s event. Nearby were free food and drinks, to be enjoyed over the sound of hit Christmas songs and live music from Darlene VanDyke.

Matthew Bisyak and his grandmother, Jolanna Herceg, perused the park’s “The Last Christmas Tree” story walk — provided by the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County — after which they traveled to the Main Library to receive a prize. The two are avid storybook trail fans together, with this being their first time visiting one of Beatty Park’s monthly story walks.

Herceg recalled working her first job at Beatty Park as a playground leader in 1973 when the park’s pool was still active, adding that she loves what the Friends of Beatty Park are doing to restore the park.

John Boilegh, an archaeologist with the Division of Mineral Resources Management in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, shared historical facts about the park in its historic stone lodge. Close by, Matthew and Emily Goodrich promoted the GPS-based treasure hunting game called geo-caching, which challenges players to find special containers hidden in remote or creative locations.

“It takes you to places you wouldn’t otherwise visit,” said Matthew Goodrich, who noted that there are plenty of geo-cashing treasure boxes hidden in Beatty Park — prospective players can get started by visiting geocaching.com. Goodrich said the Friends of Beatty Park have been supportive of the game, which promotes keeping areas that players visit clean and trash-free.

Flora VerStraten-Merrin, founder of the Friends of Beatty Park and president of the Jefferson County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogy Society, said the park’s Christmas event has seen increased public attendance each year it’s been held. She noted this is the first year Steubenville City Council members have attended, represented by Third Ward Councilwoman Heather Hoover, Parks and Recreation Committee member, and First Ward Councilman-elect David Albaugh, whose ward encompasses the park.

The event was entirely funded by donations and run by volunteers, VerStraten-Merrin said. During the event’s five hours, volunteers distributed over 700 hot dogs and about 400 hamburgers to attendees.

“This is so rewarding to me to see this,” VerStraten-Merrin said, noting kids still playing at the park as the event began to wind down. “(It’s rewarding) just to see people in the park and this many kids in the park.”

Future Christmas events in the park will be held from noon to 4 p.m. from now on, giving volunteers enough time to wrap up before the sun sets, VerStraten-Merrin said. She added that the date for this year’s Christmas event was picked in January, and she credited prayer for keeping the rain away and maintaining temperate weather throughout the event.

Paul Perdue, who ran the event’s sound equipment, said he would like to see Steubenville city officials place more priority on Beatty Park, adding, “People don’t know it’s here, (but) it’s so cool.”

Jordon Watts attended the park’s event with Brigette Grey, Joyce Grey and Lumin Spack, who was excited to enjoy the event’s free hot chocolate. Watts, who moved to Steubenville from East Liverpool in January after landing a job in JSW Steel’s Mingo Junction location, said he prefers this area to his former town.

“A lot more is put back into the community (in Steubenville),” Watts said. “This area’s not the absolute best, but everything else I’ve been to so far in Steubenville has been really nice, and there’s actually some sort of culture.”