Oh Calcutta, where are your borders?
One trustee said the area bounced back from the demise of the steel industry 'because we've learned not to put all our eggs in one basket.'
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
CALCUTTA -- For 15 years, Jerry Adkins has been cutting hair in his barbershop here and watching traffic on state Route 170 steadily increase to near-chaotic proportions.
St. Clair Township trustees say nearly 30,000 cars travel the one-mile commercial stretch of Route 170 -- locals call it The Gauntlet -- each day, with Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia license plates about even.
Once little more than an ice cream stand in a cornfield, this unincorporated crossroads in Columbiana County just off state Route 11 is sprawling in all directions, with no end in sight.
"You just have to learn to live with it," Adkins said. "You can't stop growth."
Border challenge: Mention Calcutta in nearby Rogers, Glenmoor or East Liverpool, and locals can tell you where to go. Defining Calcutta's borders, however, is a bit more challenging.
The U.S. Census Bureau established boundaries for census purposes and reported the population as of the 2000 census at 3,491 -- a 188 percent increase from 1990 -- the seventh-largest increase in the state.
Trustee Jim Hall started his welding supply business 18 years ago after steel mills in Midland, Pa., closed. The loss of steel hit hard, and thousands left the area. Those who stayed, Hall said, are now thriving again "because we've learned not to put all our eggs in one basket."
He and others said the secret to Calcutta's boom is its location. The Ohio River, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are just minutes away, and rail, river and air transportation are easily accessible.
Remembering: Sitting in Adkins' barber chair last week, Ron Brooks recalled that the commercial strip began to develop in the mid-1960s when Hills Department Store moved in.
"It's just fantastic," said Brooks, a retired East Liverpool policeman who has lived in the area all his life. "There wasn't anything here."
Now, the Hills store has become an Ames, and Wal-Mart, Staples and dozens of other chain and local stores have sprung up nearby.
YMCA of East Liverpool announced last week that it will invest $3 million to construct a wellness center here with East Liverpool City Hospital.
A fixture in East Liverpool for decades, Martin-Altmeyer Funeral Home opened a new facility on St. Clair Avenue last year. The popular Adrian's restaurant, across the street, recently completed a new banquet facility a few blocks away.
Mike Sigler, funeral director and general manager at Martin-Altmeyer, is a longtime member of the Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department. The independent fire company is finishing construction of a new fire station, Sigler said, "because we were bursting at the seams" in the old one.
North of the commercial district on Sprucevale and Old Fredericktown roads are several new housing developments. Along Route 170 east of the commercial strip is a new Chrysler dealership, a new golf course, and condominiums.
Not prepared: Hall said trustees were not adequately prepared to manage the exploding growth. Annexation and zoning are "still dirty words here," but trustees are trying to improve management, he said.
First on the list is improving traffic flow, Hall said. Trustees are working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to widen Route 170, and plans are under way to create a few new township roads to link the major arteries.
Janet Mathias, owner of Fifth Street Bridal in Ogilvie Square, has learned to cope with the heavy traffic, and believes diverting too much of it could hurt her business.
"People stop in as they're driving by, and they drive by because they have no other choice," she said.
Downtown: Mathias moved to the plaza 14 years ago from Fifth Street downtown, where her store had thrived for nearly 10 years.
"It was a big step, and I didn't know what to expect," she said. "It was scary, but it's the best move I ever made. People come from everywhere. I even have customers from Boardman. It's not a big deal to come down Route 11."