MAHONING COUNTY 19 organizations win grants

Recycling revenue can't be used for the county general fund.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Nineteen government, school and other nonprofit groups in Mahoning County will receive grants for various projects, including work on a playground at a Poland elementary school.
A total of more than $273,000 in competitive grants was awarded by the county's recycling division, better known as the Green Team. The money is available to nonprofit organizations, government agencies and schools for projects using recycled materials.
The competitive funding program started in 1999.
Commissioner Anthony Traficanti, board chairman and chairman of the recycling division's policy committee, made the announcement in a news release.
Harold Moore, interim Green Team recycling director, said the policy committee received 31 requests totaling $500,000, but the division had $273,380 to dole out.
The requests went to the policy committee, which reviewed them and made the awards.
Fees generate money
The money comes from revenue the recycling division generates through fees paid by out-of-state trash haulers for dumping debris at the county's three landfills, Moore said.
Ohio law requires the revenue to go to recycling-related uses and can't be used for county general fund expenses.
Moore said applicants are required to put up 20 percent of their project cost with either cash or in-kind services.
One of the larger grants, $27,289, went to Poland Union Elementary School's PTA, which has been raising money to refurbish the playground.
Carmella Smallhoover, Poland Union principal, said Monday the PTA has been trying to get a safer play surface installed on the playground and make it handicap accessible.
Grant makes difference
The plan is to use recycled rubber as the play surface, but that is expensive, she said.
"We couldn't have been done this without the help of the Green Team," Smallhoover said, adding the plan is to make the playground also available to neighborhood children.
She said the PTA has raised $10,500; the Poland school board has promised $5,000; and $4,000 will come from the school's pupil activity fund, Smallhoover said. It is a two-year project.
The policy committee also gave $23,425 to the Austintown Beautification Committee for its proposed Sept. 11, 2001, memorial in Tustees Park on Raccoon Road.