AVALON SOUTH Manager: Why isn't golf outing fund-raiser here?

The golf outing is scheduled for Thursday.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The manager of Avalon South wants to know why city firefighters and police officers didn't choose the city-owned golf course for a fund-raiser to help support passage of the upcoming income tax.
The fund-raiser, which is scheduled for Thursday, will be at Candywood Golf Course in Vienna. Proceeds will be used to promote the income tax.
City voters will be asked next month to renew the 0.5-percent income tax for the police and fire departments in a special election Tuesday. The tax generates about $5 million annually.
"I just can't understand why they wouldn't have it here," said Tony Joy, manager of Avalon South. "They want to raise money so the income tax will pass, but they don't want to support a city-owned property. It doesn't make sense."
Joy added that the Youngstown police officers are having an outing Friday at Avalon South.
"It's funny that the Youngstown officers will support us but I can't get the Warren police and fire here," Joy said.
Giving a reason
The decision to have the tournament at Candywood was made because of Avalon South's pending legal matters, said Jeff Younkins, a city firefighter.
"We needed to make sure the golf course we had this at would be open," Younkins said.
Earlier this month, Avalon South settled a suit with a Rhode Island company. Avalon South agreed to pay $60,000 to Textron Financial Corp. for golf carts and mowers.
Textron filed suit against Avalon South a few months ago, stating that Avalon South has breached its contract by failing to make payments.
The city in February 2002 tried to evict Joy from the course, citing unpaid rental fees and property taxes, failure to pay a bank loan and failure to maintain liability insurance.
Joy sued for breach of contract, contending officials told him he would be credited for improvements he made to the facility, which include a new clubhouse, and that in 1988, the city's safety-service director told him he would not have to pay property taxes.
That case is pending in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
The course remains open, said Joy's attorney, Richard Schwartz.
"Had the police and fire officials used Avalon South, they not only would have gotten a good deal, part of the money they paid Joy would have gone to the city coffers," Schwartz said.
sinkovich@vindy.com