WELLSVILLE - The village is headed in the right direction and many people are helping it get there, according to Mayor Joe Surace, who spoke Thursday before the Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce at Kat's Kitchen.

Surace's assessment was met with applause by the group, and Surace credited the Chamber as well as other volunteer groups, city administrators and employees for piloting the village toward a bright future.

"It's not a one-man or one-woman show," the mayor said.

Saying the Chamber "does a great job," Surace noted its membership has grown 23 percent since January.

He commended the Chamber for its donations to several organizations Thursday, including Youth With a Purpose, a boy's home; Southern Columbiana County United Way; Wellsville Lions Club Care and Share; Wellsville Volunteer Fire Department fire prevention program, and Toys for Tots in memory of Lindsey Salsberry.

Surace said Village Administrator Jim Saracco does a tremendous job, saying he is surprised at how many calls he gets.

"He puts out a lot of fires and he isn't even a fireman. I couldn't do it without him," Surace said.

He expressed his excitement about plans to have volunteers help decorate the village for the holidays, saying the ministerial association has offered to approach its churches to solicit volunteers, and firefighter Jamie McMahon has offered to spearhead a project to renovate decorations after also taking on the task of rejuvenating the annual firemen's parade and homecoming.

Surace said he hoped the Chamber would consider a $500 donation toward the cost of rejuvenating the decorations.

He also asked permission of the Chamber to broadcast the annual Christmas parade Dec. 12 over the Internet, via various Web sites and WKMX radio, which was granted.

Surace said this has proven to be a popular way to broadcast Wellsville sports, with soldiers in Iraq having written letters about staying up late on Friday nights to watch the Tigers play.

"That's what Wellsville is all about. We have our differences, but we all work together. Everyone comes back to Wellsville," Surace said.

He said if Baard Energy ever comes to the area, "you're going to see some great things," and said he "really does believe" it will be built after speaking to company officials and others.

"When you're talking $6 billion, it just doesn't happen overnight," he said of the project. "One of these days, we'll walk out of Kat's and say, 'My God, what happened to the Wellsville I once knew?'"

In other matters, Riverside Roadhouse was welcomed as a new member and the 2010 slate of officers was announced as follows: Randy Allmon, president; Diana Spencer, president-elect; Jim Saracco, vice president; Sara Crouch, recording secretary; Linda Surace, corresponding secretary; Connie Bauer, treasurer; Sheryl Gibson, assistant treasurer; Marjorie Dysert, historian, and Tony DeAngelo, grant writer.

Board members for 2010 who were announced were Erin Orr, Dolley Brophey, Paul Blevins, Butch Taylor, Don Crane, Vickie McCombs, Brian Wallace, Byron Carter and Surace.

The holiday installation dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Riverside Roadhouse, with reservations required by Dec. 4 by calling Allmon at 843-3475 (rallmon@hotmail.com) or Erin Orr at 692-2037 (erob1986@hotmail.com) . The cost is $13 per person plus tax and gratuity.

Business of the month was CF Bank.

jgilbert@mojonews.com