news: 12 march 2008

Akron-Canton airport to launch $110 million expansion
in The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"The Akron-Canton Airport will make room for international flights, three more gates and a new airline over the next decade as part of its $110 million plan announced this afternoon.

That means bigger parking lots, a new ticket counter, a 25-percent-bigger passenger screening area and a runway long enough to send planes anywhere in North America."

Helpers Sought to Beautify City
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"Youngstown CityScape is looking for volunteers to help with its Streetscape beautification program.

Among the focus areas for the June 7 event are Wick Park, East Federal Street, the John Young Memorial, the Police Memorial, near the Choffin Career Center and near city hall."

more info here.

$500,000 pledged for YSU Business School
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"Youngstown State University graduate Jocelyne Kollay Linsalata has pledged $500,000 to help in the construction of a new building for YSU’s Williamson College of Business Administration.

In recognition of the gift, YSU will name the Gallery in the new business building in Linsalata’s honor."

Consultant to Study Scholarship Plan
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"The board approved a contract Tuesday with Hodge Cramer and Associates Inc. of Dublin, Ohio, a national philanthropic consulting company, to determine if the Youngstown Promise will work. The cost will be covered with grant funds.

The plan is to model the scholarship program after the Kalamazoo Promise in Michigan, which has proved to be beneficial to public education partnerships with higher education by providing college scholarships for Kalamazoo high school graduates to attend any state college or university in Michigan."

North Side to Get $3.4 Million Rec Center
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"Plans for the 15,800-square-foot Arlington Heights Park and Fitness Center include an all-purpose gym, workout equipment and weights, a patio, conference rooms and a cafe. The facility is to be surrounded by an 11.5-acre park complete with basketball courts, two playgrounds, a tennis court and a picnic shelter."

People in this town still have a lot of money
in the Youngstown Vindicator

"The event was expected to raise $100,000 for U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who won last week’s Ohio primary by 10 percentage points over U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Though Zoldan didn’t count the cash, he said the amount raised surpassed the $100,000 goal.

Harry Meshel of Youngstown, Mahoning County coordinator of Clinton’s presidential campaign and a former Ohio Senate president, said the candidate’s husband did “a terrific job explaining why Hillary should be president."

a terrific job.

the people's pet

This morning Tyler Clark follows up on his recent appearance in the paper:

My concerns, for the record, were several that Angie covered anyway:

"There is no convenient yardstick for measuring the city’s current conditions against the promise of 2010.... City leaders have been operating without a specific 2010 budget or road map since the beginning."

"2010 is merely an arbitrary date, chosen because it symbolizes the results of the next census."

The concern here is that, without having effectively communicated this, there is a let down in 2010 and citizens lose faith.

I would like for some of us Altruists/TreezPleasers to find a way to get with Mr. Abdul Harris featured in the article and find a way to contribute in his community this year.

More to read here.

on the front page

Jaci Clark's Blog (she is an awesome photographer) reflects on being on the front page of Sunday's Vindicator here.

"I had no idea we'd be on the front page! Although the article doesn't say much about us (and what it does say is misleading since we didn't actually move because of the 2010 plan), there's a video here that has a nice interview of both my husband and me."

You can check out the corresponding newspaper article here.

5th Avenue neighborhood now on 2010 site

New on the Youngstown 2010 site is a description of another neighborhood:

"Fifth Avenue is referred to as the crown jewel neighborhood of Youngstown. The area was home to some of the most influential families of Youngstown’s glorious past - captains of industry and retail.

Today, the neighborhood is home to a diverse mix of professionals, scholars, independent business owners and retirees. The majority of homeowners have lived in the neighborhood for many, many years. Stores, banks, healthcare and medical facilities are within a 10 minute walk of the neighborhood. Other city assets such as Youngstown State University, the downtown, The Butler Institute of American Art, McDonough Museum of Art and three city parks are within a scant two miles.

Situated within the Crandall Park – Fifth Avenue Historic District, these homes were built between 1913 and 1940 in an era which has become known as Youngstown’s Golden Age. Known for their ample size and set on spacious, landscaped lots to reflect the wealth and prosperity of the time, the high quality brick and stone homes were and still are marvels to look at and are rarely duplicated in today’s era. Most of the 52 single-family homes are in the architecture styles of English Revival, Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Chateauesque or Norman."

You can download a powerpoint presentation of homes in the 5th Avenue neighborhood here.

How to Fight Lenders Over Abandoned Homes

Tales from the Rust Belt reviews some recent stories about programs in Buffalo and Cleveland:

"The real brilliance to this approach is that New York state "amended the definition of "owner" in its property maintenance code to include not just titleholders but others who had "control" over a premises." This allows Cooper to drag even the largest firms into court. Lenders contend they own a lien on the property and not the property itself but that argument falls flat in reality. It is in their best interest to maintain their investment and the community in which they do business. If they do not understand that it is altogether proper that the courts in the communities remind them of their responsibilities.

Cooper is a true crusader, eloquently using the law to protect Buffalo from the growing blight that is threatening the entire Rustbelt. Youngstown and Warren could capitalize on this idea, especially since it compliments the Youngstown 2010 plan so well."

So what is the plan? Read more from Tales from the Rust Belt here.

2010 Checkup

Youngstown Renaissance reexamines the four parts of the Youngstown 2010 vision statement.

"Until we put a priority on our priceless heritage, we won't be able to come to grips with what Youngstown can be. The city, the CIC and Lou Frangos have failed to protect buildings under their care and prevent them from ruin, and this is absolutely inexcusable. If we can find money to demolish buildings beyond the point of repair, we should be able to prioritize preserving irreplaceable historic structures."

You can read more here.