LEETONIA Students to record history of village

The students want people to visit Leetonia and residents to know more about their town.
LEETONIA -- Six Leetonia High School students are seeking the help of residents to tell the village's story.
Students in Jean Metzger's Excel program for gifted students are gathering information -- including oral history, artifacts and photos -- about Leetonia as part of their community problem-solving team project, Leetonia Alive. They have planned a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the public library and are looking for people to share their knowledge of village history.
The students believe that despite its rich history, with historical buildings and the Cherry Valley Coke Ovens park, the village is one of Columbiana County's best-kept secrets. Some students have said their friends as close as Salem and other communities don't know where Leetonia is.
Get the word out: The students are planning a variety of projects including creating a coloring book of the village, a cookbook of residents' favorite recipes and a community Web page.
The students also believe many residents know little of the history of their town. They said they have planned Tuesday's event hoping to inform the community about its past and present.
Anyone willing to participate or who has questions is asked to call Metzger at the Columbiana County Educational Service Center, (330) 424-1436.