TRANSPORTATION Rides-for-elderly pact approved

The village hopes to have its own transportation system by 2005.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LORDSTOWN -- Village officials will pay more per hour to provide transportation for senior citizens, but say they plan to pay a shorter amount of time.
The contract, approved by council Monday, allows the Antonine Sisters Adult Day Care Inc. in North Jackson to provide transportation for the elderly and handicapped in the village at a rate of $25 per hour.
Previously, the village contracted the services from the organization for $16 an hour.
"The cost did go up quite a bit," said Councilman Richard Biggs.
But, Biggs noted, the contract is for six months, as opposed to one year.
That's because the village plans to buy its own van to provide transportation throughout the village.
Nonprofit organization
Antonine Sisters is a nonprofit organization that provides several services to area seniors, including physical, occupational and speech therapy.
The service is used to take seniors and the handicapped to and from the village's administration building on Salt Springs Road for lunches and other special events.
The organization runs the transportation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, excluding legal holidays.
The contract states the agreement is renewable at the end of the six-month period, but the village plans to have its own system ready by then.
Earlier this year, the village was awarded a $35,000 transportation grant, which will be used to buy a vehicle. Plans are to have the system running by the beginning of 2005.
A year ago
Talks about starting the village's own service started almost two years ago, when the contract with Antonine Sisters was renewed for a one-year period.
At that time, Cincinnati Insurance Co., which provides coverage to the Antonine Sisters, was not willing to list the village as an insured third party on the policy.
Clearing up the legal jargon delayed transportation services in the village by several weeks.
slshaulis@vindy.com