Managing editor
Craig Howell
City officials met with members of the local African-American community Monday as part of continuing efforts to create a dialogue on concerns on social issues and more in Weirton.
WEIRTON After several months of delays, city officials and local African-American community members met Monday as part of a continuing effort to create a dialogue and address concerns.
Pastors from a group of Weirton’s African-American churches, along with other community members, met in the Millsop Community Center with the mayor, city manager, assistant city manager, city attorney and city council.
“We greatly appreciate this meeting and we hope to continue meeting in good faith,” Rickey Thompson, who had been among those organizing plans for regular meetings between the groups last year.
Contributed
Vanessa Roberts-Beaver, right, owner of Sweet Temptations, has again come up with a way to help those in need, according to Jim Pauchnik, a board member of the Community Bread Basket located at 3501 West St., Weirton. “When a person brings a nonperishable item into our shop at 3666 Lindberg Way on Marland Heights, that person is given a ticket to win a gift certificate for use in Sweet Temptations,” explained Roberts-Beaver. “We are very blessed to have this opportunity to help,” she added. Roberts-Beaver has partnered with Weirton Rotary to help promote her idea. Shown with her and some of the food collected is Pauchnik. “If any person, club or other organization can find a way to help, call me at (304) 670-8637 or the Community Bread Basket office at (304) 748-7595,” Pauchnik said.
Contributed
Vanessa Roberts-Beaver, right, owner of Sweet Temptations, has again come up with a way to help those in need, according to Jim Pauchnik, a board member of the Community Bread Basket located at 3501 West St., Weirton. “When a person brings a nonperishable item into our shop at 3666 Lindberg Way on Marland Heights, that person is given a ticket to win a gift certificate for use in Sweet Temptations,” explained Roberts-Beaver. “We are very blessed to have this opportunity to help,” she added. Roberts-Beaver has partnered with Weirton Rotary to help promote her idea. Shown with her and some of the food collected is Pauchnik. “If any person, club or other organization can find a way to help, call me at (304) 670-8637 or the Community Bread Basket office at (304) 748-7595,” Pauchnik said.
Contributed
For many years the Vince and Lorraine Soplinski family exchanged gifts at their traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Last year, however, Rich Soplinski’s wife, Patty, discussed the option of donating to those in need since the family had so many blessings. That led to collecting nonperishable food to donate to the Community Bread Basket in Weirton. “We have an ample resource of food in our family, and I knew that we needed to share our blessings with others,” Patty explained. “With the coronavirus, many families are food-challenged. We collected from our family to help that deficiency,” Patty continued. Ultimately, food was collected from the Rich and Patty Soplinski family, Vince and Lorraine Soplinski, Veronica and Mike Skinner, Christopher and Kristen Skinner, Bernice Balog, Michele Soplinski, Aaron Skinner and several other family members. Vince and Lorraine Soplinski, pictured, also delivered a donation check to Jim Pauchnik, right, a board member of th