YOUNGSTOWN | Council news and notes

These were among the happenings Wednesday at Youngstown City Council:
Clarence Boles, the Democrat councilman-elect in the 6th Ward, distributed fliers asking why the party's precinct committee members have yet to name somebody to the open seat until the end of the year. The flier asks people to call Lisa Antonini, the Mahoning Democratic Party chairwoman, on her cell phone to ask why. Boles is seeking appointment to the seat from now until year's end when he takes office. The seat is vacant with James E. Fortune Sr.'s election as council president.
Richard Atkinson, R-3rd, was elected president pro-tem and chairman of council's finance committee through year's end. As the senior council member, he takes over those duties from Fortune.
A swearing-in ceremony for newly elected and re-elected council members will be Dec. 20 at 9 a.m. in the chamber, Atkinson announced.
The Rev. Gwendolyn Johnson of Reed's Chapel AME on Jacobs Road on the East Side asked council to take action at alleviate flooding in the area. The church has spent $100,000 the past 20 years -- $43,000 after this year's floods -- repairing damage, she said. Rufus Hudson, D-2nd, explained that a $300,000 contract will be awarded in a week for the first of three phases of work to alleviate the flooding. The first and second phases of work will be done by November 2004, he said.