EAST PALESTINE Residents respond to census recount

City hall will be open Saturday for residents to obtain and return census forms.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
EAST PALESTINE -- "East Palestine Counts," declares the census forms being circulated by city officials. So far, it appears residents want to be counted.
Two days into a citywide census, City Manager Patricia Quigley said hundreds of census forms have been returned to city hall. The information is being entered into a central data base.
Conducting the census and compiling the data is the top priority of most city officials, Quigley said.
She said city hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday for residents to obtain and return census forms.
Volunteers may do some door-to-door counts beginning Tuesday, Quigley said.
City council, the mayor, city manager and members of the Fraternal Order of Police are among the volunteers collecting data for a citywide census. City officials are out to prove East Palestine has the numbers to retain city status.
Numbers: The U.S. Census Bureau numbers for 2000 showed a 4.9 percent decline in the city from the 1990 census. If the census numbers stand, the population would be 4,917 and East Palestine would lose its city status.
City officials and many residents believe the population to be well over 5,000. East Palestine has held city status since at least the 1940s, according to historical society records.
Census forms are available at city hall, Sparkle Market, Sky Bank, National City Bank, and Home Savings and Loan. They must be returned no later than April 18, Quigley said.