YOUNGSTOWN Cleanup group to spring into action

The downtown group is considering expanding its reach past the central business district's core.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The first day of spring, and downtown's annual cleanup is in bloom.
The Downtown Revitalization Committee could think of no better day than today to announce its plans for Streetscape 2001.
This year's cleanup, the group's fourth, will be from 8 a.m. to noon June 2. The roughly 150 volunteers, as usual, will plant flowers and bushes around Federal Plaza, near the monuments on the central square and in front of large downtown buildings.
A project in the works for later this year, however, may see the group expand its reach past the central business district's core.
The group is considering ways to improve the look of the streets that feed downtown, said Scott Schulick, a DRC spokesman.
Organizers are still exploring where to focus its efforts, how to do it and how much money it will cost. Possibilities include Mahoning, Wick and South avenues and Market Street, he said.
Last year's work: Any project would be on a par with the group's major effort last year, replacing the landscaped boxes that line sections of Boardman and Champion streets, meeting at the corner.
The work included installing modern landscaping block that replaced rusted metal spikes sticking up from rotting, flaking railroad ties and planting new trees, plants and flowers.
That project needed about $50,000 in donated money from businesses and individuals, plus free labor from Navy Seabees, a construction detachment. The city contributed $10,000 of the funding.
"If we could put together a firm project, I think we can go back to the foundations," Schulick said. "We've built some steam."
Donations needed: The group will need about $20,000 to fund the annual downtown cleanup alone. This year's fund-raising chairman is Phil Dennison, president of Packer Thomas, a local accounting and business consulting firm.
Ohio Edison made the first donation today, $2,500.
Schulick said the DRC hopes volunteer support on Streetscape day will improve or at least remain the same. The volunteers are people from across the area who work downtown.