Officials seek grant for airport marketing

Commissioners would use the money to try landing a passenger service carrier.
& lt;a href=mailto:bjackson@vindy.com & gt;By BOB JACKSON & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County commissioners voted Thursday to apply for a federal grant that they hope will help restore passenger service at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
Joseph Caruso, director of the county's special projects division, said the grant of up to $1.5 million would be from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Small Community Air Service Department Program.
Mahoning will have to compete with other counties and communities for the grant and should know by fall whether the application is approved, said Commissioner Ed Reese.
He said the money would be used primarily for marketing the airport, in Vienna Township. The ultimate goal would be to attract at least a regional airline to provide passenger service at the airport.
Mahoning and Trumbull County commissioners share the cost of operating the airport.
Caruso said the county recently was awarded a $170,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct environmental assessments for cleanup of a 45-acre portion of the CASTLO Industrial Park.
CASTLO is part of the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity and sits along the banks of the river, at the borders of Youngstown, Struthers and Campbell.
Sebring also received an EPA grant of $154,426 for assessment of abandoned industrial land. Mayor Carl R. Mort said the grants will pay for environmental studies to determine whether the sites in Sebring and Youngstown must be cleaned up before they can be redeveloped for commercial or industrial use.
Street name
Commissioners tabled a request from Boardman Township residents to change the spelling of Jennette Drive to Jeannette Drive. Jennette is a short street that extends south off Overhill Drive, east of Glenwood Avenue.
Engineer Richard Marsico said the road was originally named Jennette when it was built many years ago. At some point, though, residents and local officials began spelling it with an "a" inserted. It appears on the county map as Jeannette.
"Even the street sign says Jeannette," said county Administrator Gary Kubic. "That's how it's spelled on people's driver's licenses."
Marilyn Kenner, chief deputy county engineer, said a prosecutor's opinion recommended that the maps and signs be changed to the original spelling, unless residents petitioned for a change to the revised spelling and commissioners approve the change.
She said all but one resident of the street signed a petition in favor of changing the spelling to Jeannette.
Commissioner David Ludt said he wants more information about the issue before voting on it.
& lt;a href=mailto:bjackson@vindy.com & gt;bjackson@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;