Wednesday, February 22, 2006
A restoration architectural firm will tour the junior high school.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- City leaders want businesses and organizations to try to attract tourism dollars.
David Schwartz, a member of the city's Tourism Advisory Board, told council Tuesday that it hoped to draw more tourists overall.
One of the biggest new events is the Steel Valley Nationals, which was formerly held at the Canfield Fairgrounds. It will be June 23-25 at the Quaker City Raceway north of Salem.
Schwartz said, "It brought in multiple millions to Boardman. It can bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to Salem."
Councilman Justin Palmer, head of council's economic development committee, said fraternal organizations, restaurants and community groups should offer dining or other events.
After the nationals end each day, spectators and participants can either head back toward Canfield and Boardman or they can go to Salem.
"We're not big, but we can certainly offer something to these people," Palmer said.
The nationals have a five-year contract with the raceway with an option to renew the pact for five more years, officials said.
Palmer said the goal is to start providing attractions that will draw the crowd. "We're in it for the long haul," he said.
Architects to view school
Schwartz, who also is active in historical preservation, said Sandvick Architects of Cleveland plans to view the district's junior high school.
He said the award-winning company is the premier restorer of school buildings in the state. The firm, he said, has just converted a school in Cleveland into lofts.
The district is eliminating the middle school as part of a consolidation effort to cut costs. Schwartz said that he thought the building could be turned into housing for senior citizens but that the architects may have different ideas.
Support for levy
In other action, council gave a first reading to a resolution to support the school district's 4.3-mill, five-year levy that will appear on the May 2 primary ballot. The district wants the levy to avoid a deficit or cuts.
Council called a committee-of-the-whole meeting for 6 p.m. Monday to discuss overtime in the fire department.
City Auditor James Armeni said the department had spent about $18,000 for half of November and all of December and January.
"I think that's a little excessive when they're at full staff," he said.
Fire department records show that overtime was paid because of fires, sickness, fire training or military service.
Council voted unanimously to pass legislation to buy a street sweeper at an estimated cost of $170,000.
Armeni said the capital improvement fund had a balance of $500,000. He said one of the city's sweepers is 20 years old, and the second is a vehicle that already was used when the city bought it 14 years ago.
wilkinson@vindy.com