Poland to add to village forest area

By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Poland Municipal Forest is growing by about 11 acres.
Village council finalized an agreement this week for the village to buy the acreage on Walker Mill Road for $5,348 per acre.
Council President Joe Mazur said the property is to become part of Poland Municipal Forest.
The forest stretches about 250 acres, beginning at the end of College Street.
This week's action follows the village's filing of a lawsuit last month in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court against the property owners. Damian DeGenova, village solicitor, said the lawsuit would be dismissed after the sale of the property closes.
In late 2004, the village entered a purchase agreement with the Leyshon sisters who owned the property. One of the sisters died in March 2005 and the other died in July 2005, leaving the estate to three heirs who live in Hubbard, Brookfield and Greenville, Pa.
The heirs failed to transfer the property to the village, the lawsuit stated.
Resolution passed
Boardman trustees had passed a resolution in November 2004 to have the property become part of the forest and to allow its annexation to the village.
The village received a $45,000 grant from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund to cover most of the cost of the purchase price.
The village had said in its lawsuit that it thought it would lose the grant money if the property sale didn't go through.