Red Cross moves center to hard-hit neighborhood
Leetonia schools opened Monday, but bus service is limited in some areas.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- The North Columbiana County American Red Cross moved its disaster center today from David Anderson High School to McKinley Elementary in the Caldwell Street neighborhood hard hit by the flooding.
Director Ginger Grilli said about 60 people were served at the shelter in the high school gymnasium over the weekend. Red Cross workers and volunteers continue to do damage assessments and assist people with food, clothing and housing.
Grilli said people displaced by the flood have been staying with friends and relatives. The Red Cross also has been helping those who had nowhere to go to find a place to stay.
Lisbon Schools Superintendent Don Thompson said classes are canceled the rest of the week because school officials don't want to get in the way of cleanup efforts near McKinley Elementary.
"We want to be good neighbors," Thompson said. "We don't want to add to the problem with 500 students, parents and school buses. We don't want people to say that the school just went about its business not caring about the neighborhood."
Thompson said some contractors working on additions at the high school and McKinley Elementary are collecting food and clothing for flood victims.
Workers from Rudzik Excavating of Struthers, a contractor working on the addition of the junior-senior high, installed a sewer line Monday to allow the village street department workers to devote all their efforts to restoring water to the village, he said.
Leetonia
In Leetonia, school opened Monday as scheduled, but bus service is limited because of flooded roads, Superintendent Tom Inchak said.
He said parents have been cooperative in transporting their children to school by carpooling.
"We had a good day with a packed school building and we want all of our students to be able to get here," he said. "Unfortunately, many of the isolated areas are just not accessible. The roads are safe for cars, but not for buses."
Inchak said the village streets are fine, but many roads in Salem Township are closed because they remain flooded or were damaged during Friday's storms.
"There are bridges out and in many areas the floods caused the roads to erode, and that's just not safe for a bus," he said. "Parents have been driving their children to the school, but they can also take them to the nearest accessible bus stop. If they want to take them to another stop, they need to call the school and make arrangements ahead of time for that."
Roads still inaccessible to Leetonia school buses include Crestview Road between Leetonia Road and state Route 164, and Miller, Eagleton, Salem-Grange, Longs Crossing, and Lodge roads.
Old Route 558 between state Route 558 and state Route 344 was flooded and repairs are being made, but it is not possible for the buses to turn around where needed in that area, he said.
Inchak said buses can reach Grafton Estates housing development, but can go no farther in that area.
Assistance
The Way Station also is available to assist county flood victims with food and clothing. The Way Station has three locations, 42131 state Route 14, Columbiana; 9 South Park Ave., Lisbon; and 614 St. Clair Ave., East Liverpool. For more information or to donate to flood relief efforts call Stephanie Lederle at the Columbiana location, (330) 482-5072.
The Salem Humane Society will offer emergency services dealing with animal concerns for county residents affected by the recent flooding.
Issues could include temporary housing, lost pets from flooding, emergency medical needs or foods. For information, call the SHS shelter at (330) 332-2600 or the local Red Cross agency.